Outdoor Concerts Do’s and Don’ts
April 24, 2011
Spring is certainly upon us and it’s a great time for outdoor concerts. The gentle weather and warm breezes are so inviting, and all across our country are musical events of all kinds. If this sounds like fun, I’d like to offer you a few helpful hints.
- Clothes. A comfortable outfit is highly recommended. Shirt, shorts, jeans, and sneakers are good pieces to wear. Don’t forget to bring a jacket so if the weather gets a little chilly, particularly in the evening, you’ll have something warm to wear. If rain is likely, I’d also consider taking a change of shoes, a dry pair of socks and a poncho.
- Food. If you can bring outside food or drinks to your outdoor concert, then luck is on your side! Instead of buying high-priced snacks and water bottles inside the venue, you can get your necessary items in the real world, where items are more affordable.
- Bathrooms. Stake out the bathrooms well in advance. Make sure they’re accessible before you decide to attend. And remember: at some events, where there’s only one portable toilet per 1,000 people. It’s not long before toilet paper becomes a necessity, so bring some of your own. Obviously, an indoor bathroom is best.
- Venues: Always do your research. Don’t stop with the events but find out how accessible the site is. You really don’t want to get caught in the mosh pit up front, but if you sit in the back will you be able to see and hear the acts?
- Comfort: Bring lots of water to keep well-hydrated and a few, favorite, healthy munchies with you. And know yourself. If loud music gives you headache, why not bring earplugs or aspirin? Do you have sensitive skin or does your doctor advise you to keep out of the sun? Make sure you sit in the shade, have a hat and bring suntan lotion for protection. It might be a good idea to bring bug spray, too. When you’re at the concert, do a few simple stretches to relax your muscles.
Finally, now that you’re well-prepared for your event, I’d like to ask you a question: What’s the worst concert you’ve ever attended (and why)?
And the fight goes on…
April 18, 2011
When you travel in Europe, be careful! Why? Because an increasing numbers of disabled people, most recently including a UN disability rights monitor, are being refused travel by EU carriers because they are in a wheelchair.
It’s not a good sign when even the official United Nations disability monitor, Shuaib Chalklen, couldn’t board on a Swiss airlines flight from London to Geneva. He was told that he would not be allowed on the flight because he planned to travel unaccompanied. The airline insisted that travelling alone, on the one hour and 40 minute journey, he would not be able to use the in-flight lavatory facilities.
“I think it is absurd. I am a paraplegic frequent flyer for the last 15 years and I’ve travelled around the world on my own,” he told London’s Daily Telegraph.
According to the newspaper, after Mr Chalklen protested that, as a UN human rights monitor, he regularly travelled alone the airline finally relented and allowed him to travel five days later than originally planned.
“I have had this experience before. It is spreading. Something has gone wrong. They are not applying European law,” he said.
Aurélien Daydé, a spokesman for the European Disability Forum, said that complaints were coming in on a daily basis, including a case that involved denied boarding for Jean-Luc Simon, the paraplegic chairman of the Disabled Peoples’ International.
“It is happening every day and with most airlines. We need the EU to strengthen the law and make sure it is enforced,” he said.
Home Sweet Home – Vanderbilt Style
April 10, 2011
Anyone who visits Asheville, North Carolina has probably been told to visit Biltmore Estates. Having just moved here a couple of months ago, we were getting embarrassed that we had yet to make our own trip there.
The drive to the house is an experience itself. There was a stately procession of cars going to the parking lots from which buses took you to the house. If you are in a wheelchair, you can be dropped in front of the house.
The outside of the house is very impressive, with spires, gargoyles and crosses enough for everyone. It is one of the best examples of the Gilded Age and is the largest privately owned home in the United States, still owned by the Vanderbilt family.
Once inside there are many rooms in which to contemplate that the rich are indeed different from us. The rooms tended to be rather dark so I don’t know if a person with visual impairments would do well. I didn’t see any ASL interpreters, but I didn’t ask either.
And the rooms – there are 250 of them. The opulence of each room was incredible! I must say that none of the rooms looked comfortable but this is a peek into another time and place.
During Vanderbilt’s time, there were at least three dozen servants. The basement boasted of three kitchens, 2 laundry rooms, an indoor pool and bowling alley which are pretty impressive by anyone’s standards. Imagine laundry day in house with 250 rooms or preparing meals for the Vanderbilt family and their guests!
There is an elevator which takes you to the 2nd floor with beautiful ornate metalwork. The second floor had the bedrooms which were very opulent but uncomfortable looking. For me, the journey ended there because there is no access to the 3rd floor. By that time, I had enough of the house anyway, and was anxious to get outdoors.
The grounds, which were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, are beautiful, with walking paths leading down to the conservatory. However, you can also drive down, park and wander around the hothouses to see a plethora of flowers and plants.
In 2010, Antler Hill Village was opened, and included a remodeled winery, and connected farmyard. There is a tour of the winery, which features Biltmore Estates wines.
Right now from April 2nd to May 15th, you can enjoy the Festival of Flowers. In April, thousands of purple, orange, yellow and white tulips in the Walled Garden estate are on display. By May, the show continues with irises, peonies, and acres of azaleas, with summer blooms soon to follow.
The estate is beautiful – you could almost imagine ladies in long skirts, parasols in hand strolling arm in arm with gentlemen admiring the grounds.
