CIMPA Conversations

Hello Everyone,
 
Summer is over. Time to plan for our winter meetings. Please save the dates.
 
January 31 – February 3: Pre-conference Cruise of the Yangtze River (Optional). Cruising  on the Yangtze River allows our meeting attendees a little extra time to see the wonders of this region before the completion of the Three Gorges Dam at which time this cruise will no longer be available. Daily shore excursions provide a closer look at life along this ancient waterway changed little by time.  
 
FEBRUARY 3-6  – ITMIC AT  IMPERIAL BEIJING � Meet at an  ancient, mysterious and beautiful land, Explore an ancient civilization while discussing the present and looking forward to the future; Race to save the Planet on the Great Wall of China
 
February 6-9 � POST CONFERENCE TOUR TO VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA (Optional) – Downtown Saigon is the most popular tourist destination in Vietnam � frequently referred to as “Paris of the East” The streets bustle with pedestrians, cyclos, bicycles, motorbikes, taxis and SUVs. Foreign businessmen and tourists share the walkways with noodle soup vendors and pajama-clad Vietnamese women. Get a manicure, facial, shampoo or foot massage for US$3 with a cup of tea.
 
Located in Northwestern Cambodia, Angkor, the Capital of the Ancient Khmer Empire was possibly founded around the Ninth Century AD by King Jayavarman II. The most beautiful and most famous monument in the city, Angkor Wat, lies about one kilometer south of the Royal town of Angkor Thom. With the decline of the Ancient Khmer Empire, Angkor Wat was turned into a Buddhist temple. In 1992, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee declared the monument, and the whole city of Angkor, a World Heritage Site. It is listed among the new 7 Wonders of the World published in 2006
 
February  9 -  BACK TO THE USA OR TRAVEL TO THE PHILIPPINES – When Magellan came upon the island of Homonhon in 1521, he claimed these islands in the name of king Philip II of Spain and named them Felipinas, the Philippines. Little did he know then the treasures of those yet unexplored isles, a bounty of verdant mountains rich with gold and ore, of emerald islands ringed with meandering beaches, of forests alive with wondrous flora and fauna, of fertile lands, spectacular sunsets and temperate climes which have bred a warm, smiling people who would be known the world over for their overwhelming hospitality.
 
Indeed, the early Filipinos were accustomed to welcoming visitors to their shores. When the second wave of Spanish conquistadores started converting and colonizing these islands, they found well-developed settlements conducting trade relations with the Chinese, the Arabs, and other seafaring merchants. The Americans introduced the democratic process, public education and infrastructure. World War II interrupted the course of events, and the Japanese captured the Philippines. The Americans liberated the islands in 1945, and recognized Philippine independence on July 4, 1946.
 
Dubbed as the “Pearl of the Orient Seas”, the Philippines consists of 7,107 islands. The capital of the Philippines, a grouping of twelve cities and five municipalities, is technically known as Metro Manila but usually referred to simply as MANILA, home to 9.5 million people.
 
February 9-12 – HELPING HANDS MISSION – Marinduque, Philippines. In cooperation with Marinduque International, Philippine Department of Tourism and Philippine Department of Health.
 
The smallest province in the Southern Tagalog region, Marinduque has the shape of a human heart floating on a clear, blue sea. The island province is characterized by undulating hills, picturesque valleys, sheer seaside cliffs, interspersed with patches of flatland on different parts of the island. The heart-shaped island rests on the Sibuyan Sea and is located south of Manila .
 
February 14-15:  Tours around Manila
February 16- Departures
 
COST? A bargain – I thought, as I read an email from a friend and mentor.  �How to Spend a Million Dollars in a Weekend� – the subject was intriguing. Allow me to digress and talk about this interesting million dollar weekend first. But if you do not want to be confused and just want to know how much to set aside for 1-2 weeks in Asia, here�s the info:
 
For costs and other details: http://www.cimpa.org/itmic2008.htm
To register: http://www.cimpa.org/register_print.htm
 
Now � if you have a million dollars left over, you might consider a weekend in Djibouti.
 
“If you truly want to be lavish, come to the Djibouti Palace Kempinski. We are here to chauffeur-drive you in one of the hotel�s fleet of chic black Lincoln Navigators to the Hotel’s imposing marble entrance, where you will receive a warm African welcome”.
 
“Your personal butler is waiting for you with plenty of delights. A 24-karat golden iPod on Egyptian cotton sateen luxury bedding in your Presidential Suite. Cold Chateau dYquem with superior Almas Caviar in real-gold-covered egg shell. Fritz Knipschildt�s world famous Madeleine, the most luscious truffle chocolate, will melt your six senses while your personal butler unpacks your luggage for you.”
 
“Your Special 24-Karat Welcome Kit -This Welcome Package includes 2 glossy iPod plated in authentic 24-carat gold and a Thuraya SO 2510, the world�s smallest telephone. With a little spare cash you can have a Vertu�s new $90,000 handset, dotted all over by tiny diamonds, and a keypad that carries eight carat�s worth of diamonds. The phone�s body in constructed from the finest platinum, underpinned with ruby bearings and equipped with a similar ceramic composition originally intended for the space shuttle!!!”
 
“Ask for a diamonds encrusted tea-bag! Sun is slowly coming down! Enjoy the gorgeous view of the Red sea on the sunset cruise. In the middle of the ocean, on a private Fisherman�s boat, while an unbelievable orange-purplish sky is setting down, with the splish�splash of the Dolphins, enjoy your private orchestra: 25 pieces Violin and Harps , in a black Suit”
 
“We are sorry to disturb your dreamy moment � but our Chef has prepared cozy tea time for you! Sip your afternoon Makaibari Silver Tips Darjeeling tea which has particularly pale leaves and is picked as buds from the oldest garden in India. Tea will be served together with Almas caviar in a 24-Karat gold tin. Please help yourself with Petite Caviar spoon, Mother of Pearl, spread on whole-wheat �Russian Blinis� with real Smetana, chopped onions and egg yolks.  The diamond teabag worth $14000 has been hand-crafted using 280 diamonds. The Almas caviar comes from Iran making it extremely rare and extremely expensive, worth $25,000. The whole Orchestra at Sun Set is worth $50, 000.00″.
 
“The Billionaire Breakfast in a Volcano Crater� – Excuse the shiny sunlight in Djibouti to wake you up from good sleep. Your private helicopter ride will end on a top of a dormant volcano crater, around the Ocean of the �Le goubet � plage. You will be breathing cool mountain air of this wonderful, simple and peaceful area, quietly enjoying the sunrise while the Chef from the unexpected Live Station will prepare a Billionaire’s Omelet with a lobster on the top�.�
 
“Dinner will not be handed over by your average delivery boy. The Djibouti Palace Kempinski put a whole new spin on expensive take-out when we organize your Italian Meal Delivery in the Bush with hundreds of Pink Flamingoes chirping in melody around you. Near Taormina, a small town on the island of Sicily in Italy, there is a fantastic Italian Restaurant, which has agreed to deliver the expensive take-out Spaghetti alla Caprese, Lobster with Citrus Sauce and the real �Granita di Caffe� con panna�. Chef Tiziano Rossetti agreed to deliver the meal personally. And he will be going to the Italian Market in Catania, to choose the best ingredients, will escort from sunny Sicily to Djibouti. Book your � Godfather Dinner� in the middle of Africa for $50,000.00″
 
“Magic Moments under the African Stars� – A fireworks display designed specially for you, accompanied by a Classic Piano private Concerto…”
 
And so on and on it goes. Those of you who have a million dollars to spend on a luxury weekend in Djibouti, please contact me. Those who want to spend a few hundred dollars for  1-2 weeks in Asia, please contact me as well. We will not have diamond encrusted gold ipods to give away but 5-star accommodations, all delicious scheduled meals, registration at a conference where we engage you in thought provoking conversations, an opportunity to participate in a medical and educational mission to help the needy and tours of 2 of the worlds seven wonders as well as other unforgettable sceneries on the other side of the world are included.

Yes, butler service can be arranged if you want someone else to pack and unpack your bags. Massage service to relieve the stress of travel and other services can be arranged.  And oh, yes � where else will you have the experience of a lifetime participating in a race to save the planet on the Great Wall of China? Take home a certificate. You would have earned bragging rights.
 
For costs and other details: http://www.cimpa.org/itmic2008.htm
To register: http://www.cimpa.org/register_print.htm
 
The best value in airfare is Cathay Pacific�s All Asia Pass at $1399 for 23 cities in 21 days. http://www.cathayusa.com/offers/AllAsiaPass/subdefault.asp
 
You might want to save all your vacation days and spend 2-3 weeks exploring Asia. Even if you just go to 5 countries, it is still a good value. However, we are negotiating for special conference rates with United Airlines, China Airlines and Philippine Airlines. So far, the best we have is $905 plus tax anywhere from the USA (non-stop from Washington Dulles) to Beijing on United. Please visit : http://www.cimpa.org/itmic2008.htm often for updates.
 
CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS: If you would like to give a keynote or make a presentation at this conference, please hit reply to send me an email.
 
HELPING HANDS NEEDED: If you live in the metropolitan Washington DC area, please lend a hand packing  up books and loading them into a container for shipping to needy schools in the Philippines. October16, starting at 3:00 pm at the McLean Community Center. For more info, please call Tessie or Pablito Alarcon, Tel 703 618 0345 or 571 333 5327.
 
QUOTE FOR THE MONTH: Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well. – Josh Billings
 
I look forward to seeing you in China, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines.
 
All the best,
Andrea