When did I realize I hate vacation resorts?

11:45 PM by pbrandt
Well another vacation has come and gone and it has come to my attention that I don’t want to do it anymore. Taking a vacation is not the real issue…it’s where we end up going that has become the problem.

I understand that some people might be a little miffed that I would be complaining about my vacation destination when many people can’t even afford to take one. I can't help you there...life is what it is for everybody. This blog is merely about what I learned about my choices.

It started a week before Christmas when I had 5 days vacation that needed to be used up before the end of the year. After talking to a travel agent it became clear that we didn’t have a lot of choices. There are many vacation deals here in the UAE but getting flights is the biggest issue. We opted for a beautiful resort in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, the location where a woman was recently killed by a shark attack. Perhaps that is why we got such a good deal.

The Sierra Resort was wonderful, with 6 pools, beautiful room and great food. So what was the problem? It became clear after 2 days sitting in this wonderful paradise that I have grown to hate resorts!

A resort is a wonderful place to go to sit on a beach or beside a pool (I don’t like doing that...its boring) get shitfaced on the free booze (I had one beer and it tasted water down and weak) and eat like a pig at the "all you can eat" buffets (which by day 3 I couldn’t stomach anymore). The food was wonderful but it reminded me of mess hall food when I was in the army. There’s nothing specifically wrong with it but there isn’t anything right with it either. By the end of the week I could barely find anything I could eat. (Getting ill part way through the week didn’t help.)

But more importantly, a resort gives you no idea what it’s like in the area. We could have gone to Cairo and taken a Nile river cruise followed by a tour of the pyramids. Even Luxor Egypt would have given us a historical travel back through time with its many ancient temples.

The point I am trying to make is that I want to make my vacations from now on worthy of the time and effort of going. Sitting by another pool looking at Russian women in bathing suits is okay for a short while but in the end the only thing I gained from the experience is that I don’t want to do it again.

There is much to see in this world and while I am living in Abu Dhabi I want us to benefit from it. A tour of Kenya and the Serengeti, the wonders of Thailand and its temples, Petra in Jordan, the Kremlin in Moscow and even the Eiffel Tower in Paris are places I would love to visit. And that isn't even the definitive list…there is still India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, China and Indonesia that all are filled with both cultural and historic meaning.

My wife Carly and I have decided that our vacations from this point on must be meaningful as well as shorter. They will be between 3 to 5 days maximum and we will take advantage of guided tours when possible. This eliminates a lot of pressure on my end trying to hook up hotel/flights/attractions in a foreign country I know nothing about.

Although I like to take care of things myself this will be one thing that I will grudgling leave to a professional.
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People - What makes one person successful while another a failure?

12:03 AM by pbrandt
"Success"and "Failure" with people has always been a fascinating topic with me. Seeing someone very young achieving things that would take most humans years to accomplish has always been intriguing.

I was born and raised with severe self esteem issues as a child as well as being a late bloomer. (I was almost 19 in the Army when puberty finally finished its maiden voyage.)

To give you an example of what I am talking about let's look at Miley Cyrus. She just turned 18 recently and she's already a billionaire. How is this even possible?

I look back at my own life and at 18 I was a wreck - barely able to talk to girls, or think about what career path to take, how to pass any class without squeaking by, lose my virginity with the help of a girl or anything else that was supposed to make me into the man I am today.

You can say Miley was born with talent, a fantastic voice, no self esteem issues to screw up her brain and no fear about succeeding. You could add that her father got her the Disney contract but getting your foot in the door won't help you if you don't have the goods to keep you there.

The reality is Miley isn't really any different than 1000's of other kids her age. She's pretty but not what most guys would consider gorgeous. Almost all of her adoring fans are girls so that strikes that idea off the list.

So why her? Does she send out a secret "vibe" that attracts people to her that no average human being knows how to do? Perhaps she has a way of hypnotizing her audience into listening to her CD's and buy her stuff on a subconscious level. (Man I need some of that!)

My own theory is that there is more to it than just opportunity and talent. She has something in her that is lacking in all of the rest. What is it? Why is she not scared to be in front of 1000's of people singing - able to memorize hours of songs and dance moves - not be prone to making mistakes that inexperience and youth brings to everyone else?

In any career or endeavour if you take 2 people - same age, same level of talent, same breaks - one will make it - the other one won't. There are countless stories of people who have make it and they can't explain why. I know from the enormous amount of reading I do that in most cases the most talented person wasn't the one who became a success. Is it just perseverance? I don't think so.

I am now 53 and I finally figured out a few years ago what I wanted to do with my life - become a writer! (I told you I was a late bloomer.) Of course I spent 20 years in the military (not writing) before finally gaining enough smarts to become one. At least I gravitated to positions within the Air Force that allowed me to do some writing hence the Technical Writing career. But is that enough?

I know I am a good Technical Writer but ask me the rules for grammar and I couldn't tell you. For me it's a feeling - a sense that the paragraphs and sentences come together. My spelling is really good; something I actually took pride in while attending school. However, if I was asked to take an English Grammar test I'd likely flunk.

For me at least those pesky self esteem issues I used to own are now gone. My other life as a writer is writing novels and non-fiction books which I do as some kind of therapy to empty my head of my bizarre and vivid imagination. My stories have many twists and turns. 

But I can't say writing novels has paid off for me financially. Is it because I have a few doubts about my writing and instinctively everyone can sense it and are therefore repelled from buying my books?

Now before you start thinking "here comes another writer to complain" let me just say this - that's not the reason I am writing this blog. I am not complaining . I am a Technical Writer and I love my job and it pays decent money. As well I love to write novels and non-fiction for all of my own reasons so it isn't life and death for me if I don't sell my books.

The reason why I am bringing this up is because the whole process of "success" and "failure' in humans and human nature really does fascinate me. Here is what I mean.

They say people only use 10% of their brain but statistics would suggest that there are some people who are using significantly more. Maybe the great "Kreskin" who can read minds is able to do so because he uses significantly more brain power than the average 10%. Has anyone studied this? Is this what gives successful people an edge over those who aren't successful?

In Canada every year our country puts out 1000's of good little hockey players that are made up of all shapes and sizes but what is it that made Sidney Crosby significantly better than 99.9% of the other kids. He isn't the biggest - the strongest - the fastest. If you compare his life with other kids who were given the same amount of opportunity, coaching, and skill development as Sidney why didn't they become as good. Whatever they are lacking in is overflowing in Sidney. I played hockey as a goalie. I made all of the same moves stopping pucks as an NHL goalie would. I even played with some NHL caliber players. So why wasn't I as good? Physical ability may be a solid answer for some of the answers with hockey but people are successful in things that don't require a physical prowess.

Could it just be luck? It has worked for many people - right place, right time.

I am constantly told how fast and accurate I am at writing all types of technical documentation yet to me I find it so easy I wonder sometimes when I'll be caught for being a fraud. At times I have to pinch myself.
"Am I really getting paid to do this?"
I have learned that for most people writing anything is as pleasureable as getting your womb scraped. 

But here is the rub. Work wise I am very successful- writing creatively not so much. So why doesn't my writing talent translate across all fields of writing? 

I have been writing for over 16 years and became a published author in 2005. So why haven't I had the same success as other authors. Are they lying to us about their success. The publishing game is full of smoke and mirrors. (Try to find out sales figures from a publisher is like breaking into the Pentagon - not going to happen!)

I have had the same level of basic writer training, sent my book to editors for clarity and tweaks on my style and grammar and I have had a desire to write since I was a kid. I have the talent or I wouldn't be able to continue doing what I do everyday. Many people outside of my family and friends tell me I have great story ideas. My books are fast paced and loaded with quality story lines. I have written some funny and quite startling novels but so far none have proven to be a NY Times best seller. Perhaps one more final final edit would have helped.

Maybe I didn't market myself properly. I even went crazy with press releases about my books that went around the world; even being picked up by USA Today. USA Today! That's got to account for something right? 

Krissy even make me a killer website that has won awards. This has translated to over 935 people from 49 countries visiting my website and they have stayed an average of 3.28 minutes...a very good rate from what I have been told.

So, what's the answer? Why do some people sell thousands of books and I sell significantly less?

There has got be something I am lacking. Some people may suggested I'm not very good at it. I've read some pretty awful published books in my life which prompted me to say "I can do better than this guy at writing!" 

For that to be an accurate conclusion a part of the world population would have had to have read my books. If 5000 of my books were sold and 4000 people said my writing stinks I would consider that a fair statement and carry on with my acting career instead. (2500 and 2500 would only confuse me.)
So far that hasn't happened.

I guess I may never know the answer to this question. My game plan is to continue to write and hope that someone discovers my talent and I become an overnight sensation - with all the fame and fortune that comes with it.

Wait! I think I got it..."I'm successful at not being successful."

I will continue to write my novels until:

a. I die, or
b. I become independently wealthy from my book sales and I can retire in the Caribbean.

Hmmm...let's hope I live a long, long time...
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Capitalism

3:19 AM by pbrandt
I watched the movie by Michael Moore titled "Capitalism A Love Story" and before you groan and turn away you should take it upon yourself to watch it.


Many of the things Mr. Moore talked about in the movie were things that I personally had issues with for years.


I am not a person who likes it all one way or all the other. I always prided my country Canada for allowing capitalism to flourish in business but leaving the things that are imporant to Canadians under a socialist umbrella.


Country's that have one extreme or the other (all Communism where everything is owned and operated by the people - the government) or all Capitalism (where every service in the country is run as a corporation) hurts the people.


I have read that doctor's in communist countries are paid the same as someone sweeping floors because under the communist system everyone is equal. That's a load of bunk. Not everyone is equal. Someone who has committed years to going to school to become a doctor endures much more stress and is more accountable for his or her actions than someone who sweeps floors. I have no problem in getting compensated for your knowledge.


But in a capitalist system that same doctor is operating under a financial umbrella (either by their own accord or thrust upon them by their HMO's) which has left patients to go without or even die because they lacked the funds to pay to get well.


A well rounded country has taken the things that matter most to their people and have regulated and monitored them to prevent profits from impedding the will of the people, which is to live in harmony and live a long prosperous life.


I lived in the United States for two years and met some truly wonderful people; I even married one of them. I can honestly say that it was a bit of a cultural shock for me when I first arrvied and had to fight Worldcom and Verizon over their unregulated practices of trying to rip me off. I even had to file a complaint with the Consumer Protection section of the New York State government to stop them. I realized at that moment that this was a fight I didn't have to worry about back home because the government of Canada regulated what they could and couldn't charge. (It has begun to change to become more like the US - in Ontario at least.)

 If government officials looked at what works best for their citizens almost all of these problems would go away.


To me a good mix of capitalism and socialism is important.
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Blogging About what I have Learned in 50 years

4:48 AM by pbrandt
This is my first blog as a writer and author and it comes after completing my first year living and working in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

It has become apparent to me as I age how much more tolerant I have become and how my thought process has changed significantly. What I considered to be my beliefs in my first 50 years on this planet has shifted to something totally different in my next 50 years. I’ve decided to write about them because I find it intriguing that I didn't understand some of this before. Perhaps its because as I have aged I no longer take other peoples word as the truth.

I was riding in a cab a few weeks ago talking to the Bangladeshi driver and when I asked him how he liked living in Abu Dhabi, he said something to me that caught me off guard. He stated “its great living here in Abu Dhabi because there is no democracy.”

Wow, what a thought. At first I was a little taken aback, considering I have grown up in a democracy all my life, but the more I thought about what he said the more I began to understand what he was talking about. Most of the USA newspapers are writing about the next 2 years of government in United States with the lame duck presidency of Obama. This is on account of the Democrat’s losing their majority in congress. Even with a majority, President Obama had been unable to really get much done in the first 2 years of his presidency. If history is to repeat itself, and it usually does, the Republicans from this point forward will not allow the Democrats to accomplish anything prior to the next election, thereby hoping that they can take over the presidency in 2012. What this means is for the next 2 years senators and congressmen will earn hefty pay checks and will do everything in their power to accomplish nothing for the American people. Their democracy seems to hinge on getting elected and not so much on doing anything for their country.

Canada hasn’t fared much better, stuck with a minority government as dysfunctional as the United States. Canada’s Prime Minister Harper has ruled the country hardly able to contain his contempt for the other parties or anyone living east of Alberta. Unfortunately the opposition parties are being led by people Canadians don’t want to vote in to lead the country, so there we sit with an ineffective government for another year.

I am presently living in a country directed by absolute monarchies (one for each of the Emirates) and a supreme ruler (a president) voted on by those same monarchies. He is ruler for life. (Half of the lower government positions are elected, with the other half to be elected in the next few years). Yes there is no real democracy here but I am amazed at how closely the government listens to and works with its people. 

Changes can happen here in a short period of time, like a small company that can get to market quicker than a large corporation because it isn’t laidened down with process. The bureaucratic mess North America owns is non existent here and it shows. 39 years ago this country was a dumpy group of disheveled buildings sitting in the desert. Today Abu Dhabi is the cornerstone city for a country of wealth, but more importantly this country has a vision. It is quite profound how far they have come and that they were able to accomplishing this in 39 years. It is quite staggering in its size. With the present democracy in place in Canada and United States we would be lucky if what they have accomplished could be done in 100 year.

And this is the crux of the matter. One is not better than the other, just different. The mission to entrench democracy around the world has consistently proven to be a failure. Why is that? Perhaps because the US doesn’t understand the true sense of the people and culture of the country it is trying to liberate. Maybe the people themselves are not hung up on democracy when they see it in action.

For UAE, the present system seems to work just fine. It might have its warts with censorship of the internet, no affection to be shown in public and other rules that seem archaic in this day and age, but the local people don’t seemed to be phased by it, so why should I? 

Having the wrong person in charge no matter what system is in place can be devastating. Remember George W. Bush? 

Democracy hasn’t proven its better. It’s only proven it’s different.
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