Newsletter

e-Marginalia :: Randy Curwen Interview, Travel Recommendations
Issue #1, October 21, 2005
http://www.e-marginalia.com 

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IN THIS ISSUE:
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WELCOME e-MARGONAUTS :: Hurricane Stan, South Asia Earthquake
FEATURE e-MARGONAUT :: Randy Curwen, Chicago Tribune Trav. Ed.
FEATURE STORIES :: Travel Tales from e-Marginalia Contestants
FEATURE TRAVEL DEALS :: Save on Hotels, Car Rentals & More
e-MARGAUX LITE :: Quotations, Anecdotes and Humour

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WELCOME e-MARGONAUTS :: Hurricane Stan, South Asia Earthquake
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It seems that the world is crashing.

The year started with the aftermath of the tsunami, followed by another major earthquake in Sumatra. Then the sky started to cry in July, flooding the Caribbean, Mumbai, continuing to sob on New Orleans, and most recently Guatemala. Then a fist struck earth as if to say, “Enough!” only bringing more calamities with the Kashmir Earthquake.

The world is suffering from compassion fatigue; we’re becoming numb.

To whom do you give? What do you give? How do we catch up? I, for one, cannot bear to watch the news for more than a few minutes before bursting into tears. But the disaster victims don’t need more tears. They need real help through donations.

The entire e-Margaux.com team encourages you to join us in support of relief efforts. To assist the survivors and their families during the critical time ahead, please visit one of the links below.

Médecins Sans Frontières
http://www.msf.org

Save the Children
http://www.savethechildren.org

Care International
http://www.careinternational.org.uk

Unicef
http://www.unicef.org

World Food Programme
http://www.wfp.org

Kashmir International Relief Fund
http://www.kirf.org

Red Cross/Red Crescent
http://www.ifrc.org

From our desks we have the new Interview Column to share with you. It is finally up! Our first guest, Alberto Del Castillo wrote me saying he loves his interview. This month, we hope to make Randy Curwen just as happy to see his interview up. Mr. Curwen, veteran Travel Editor of The Chicago Tribune, will share with you not only his insights into the business of travel writing, but also an intimate family photo of himself, vacationing in Thailand with his sisters. It’s priceless. I won’t tell you how many sisters, but enough to build a human pyramid and make him look very soft indeed.

So, we're slowly adding new sections to our beloved e-Marginalia to give you more, more, more... There’s so much I’m having a hard time holding back. But that’s why it’s good to have George around to say, “Down girl!” when necessary. It’s that ever elusive state of moderato I try to achieve.

But who needs moderato during a presto moment, as we're starting to peer into the box of new travel story submissions. But before we do that, don’t forget to have a look at the current competing stories. I've included the links below in the Feature Stories section. Please note that I've listed the travel stories in order of popularity, with the most read/forwarded at the top of the list. As always, I suggest you pass these stories to friends and family. You never know who you might trigger to get a move on!

I sent the stories to one of my friends in Tokyo and along she came this past weekend in celebration of friendship and food. We went to the National Palace Museum, which is currently under renovation. Emiko was quite disappointed as we saw an extremely abbreviated version of a comprehensive collection of Chinese artifacts. The disappointment was quickly dispersed though, when we sat to pick up chopsticks and point them in the direction of delicious steamed buns made pudgy from a succulent filling of ginger, pork, and seasoning with the “porkiness” completely absent. Pure texture and taste. Oh, when you bite into one of these delicate, almost transparent buns, you must do it over your Chinese soupspoon, for suddenly a hot, rich broth streams out. You'd want to catch it all. We did this fourteen times, leaving two buns cold and lonely in the bamboo steamer. We simply couldn’t eat any more, not after also having the crispy, chewy panfried onion pancakes and one each of the ginseng chicken soup. But before I talk us into hunger…

Don’t forget to drop into our blog (http://www.e-marginalia.com/blog) from time to time for helpful travel information. For example, this month George tells you how to find wi-fi hotspots in airports. It’s particularly helpful for those traveling alone. Why, you could be chatting online before boarding time.

Also don’t forget to take advantage of our Travel Resources box at the top left of most web pages (http://www.e-margaux.com/en/links/trans/air/index.htm). My mom used it to arrange her trip to Atlanta, Georgia just last month. Everything is nice and tidy. You choose your dates, you choose your time. It’s the first time Mama Chen used an e-ticket, so don’t fear if you’ve not had the same e-experience yet. She got there and back just e-fine. Now I sound like Porky Pig. I think it’s time for me to oink on.

Until next time, I wish you well. Bon voyage.

Warm regards,
Nana Chen, e-Marginalia Travel Editor
nanachen@e-margaux.com

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FEATURE e-MARGONAUT :: Randy Curwen
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Randy Curwen is a name on the tip of just about every travel writer’s tongue. A native of Wisconsin, Mr. Curwen has been the travel editor of Chicago Tribune for the past 13 years. With decades of experience in editing and writing, we invited him to an interview. His responses to my questions provided so much travel writing insight that we’ve decided to share them with all of you. (Continued...)

Read Interview Here:
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/story/randy-curwen/index.htm 

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FEATURE STORIES :: Travel Tales from e-Marginalia Contestants
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In Transit by Scott Cantin (photos by Nana Chen)
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/story/in-transit/index.htm 

Haida Tales by James Dorsey
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/story/haida/index.htm 

Sexy, Summertime London by Elle Kwan
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/story/sexy-london/index.htm 

Magical Moments in Morocco by Angel Williams
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/story/magical-morocco/index.htm 

A Wedding Under African Skies, by Genevieve Richards
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/story/african-wedding/index.htm 

The Irish Road Less Traveled by Bree Marsden
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/story/irish-road/index.htm 

The Japanese Nozawa Fire Festival by Joyce Matzke
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/story/nozawa/index.htm 

Joshua Tree National Park by Beth Huetter
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/story/joshua-tree/index.htm 

Amsterdam: Like Day and Night by Monica Pocelujko
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/story/amsterdam/index.htm

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FEATURE HOTEL DEALS :: Luxury accommodations at bargain prices
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Affordable Europe: Save up to 55% on published hotel rates...
Great Getaways for less at Marriott.com
Reserve your spacious, comfortable, affordable room Fairfield Inn
Senior and AAA discounts, specials, offers and last minute getaways. Get more for less!
Special Offers at TownePlace Suites: Live the way you want to live.
SpringHill Suites: Up to 25% more room than comparably priced rooms. Book yours today!

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FEATURE RESORTS :: e-Margaux's current resort recommendations
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Durango 3 Nights for $169 Hotel Stay + Choose from Activities
Ft. Lauderdale 2 Nights for $79 Hotel Stay + Dinner Certificate
Lake Tahoe 2 Nights for $79 Hotel Stay + Dinner
Las Vegas 2 Nights for $129 Hotel Stay + More
Myrtle Beach for $119 2 Nights + Show Tickets & More
Sedona, AZ 2-Night Packages for $59
Smoky Mountains for $129 includes 3 Nights + Show Tickets & More

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CRUISE DEALS :: Five unbelievable opportunities to book cruises for less...
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Save on 3, 4, 5 and 7 Day Carnival cruises
3 Day Carnival Bahamas cruises for less than $80 a day
Save on Carnival Caribbean cruises sailing from New York
Book a Carnival Caribbean cruise right now for as little as $259
Save on Carnival Canada/New England cruises sailing from New York

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TRAVEL PACKAGES :: Bundled Deals stretch your travel dollars further! 
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Win a trip to London or Paris, hotel and roundtrip airfare included.

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CAR & AUTOMOBILE RELATED :: Save on car rentals and auto insurance
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Save up to 50% off on weekends with Enterprise.com. Use coupon code ERAC50 now through 11.18.05.
Get a FREE upgrade at airports with coupon code ERACAP from 9.1 to 12.19.
New 21st Century Insurance Company customers report average savings of $200 to $300 on car insurance!
AARP Auto Insurance Challenge for drivers 50 and over from The Hartford
Save up to $300* on Motorhome Insurance

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LUGGAGE & TRAVEL BAGS :: Update your travel gear at bargain prices
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Get $30 off your $250 Luggage purchase, plus get FREE Shipping! Use coupon code FALL30 at checkout.
Get $45 off your $400 purchase, plus get FREE Shipping! Use coupon code FALL45 at checkout.

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TRAVEL ACCESSORIES :: Find hard-to-find travel supplies
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Try out Magellan's Electrical Wizard!
Orvis Free Shipping - when you shop by November 28th
Orvis Gift Certificate - Perfect Last Minute Gift
Free 2-Day Shipping in the U.S. Rosetta Stone Language-Learning Software!
Free Microbeam™ Tire Gauge from Brookstone(a $30 value) with orders over $100 (Use code AFTIREGA at checkout. Offer valid through 11/11.)
5-in-1 Sensor Clock - a $30 value - only $12.50 with any purchase! Add the 5-in-1 Sensor Clock to your cart, along with any other product. This offer is STACKABLE with any other current offer! Offer valid while supplies last.
Save $15 off Hard to Find Tools orders of $125 or more. Use code AF15HTFT at checkout. Offer valid through 11/15.

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e-MARGAUX LITE :: Quotations, Anecdotes and Humour
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"I get lots of stories on places 'nobody has ever been'; usually there's a very good reason WHY."
Randy Curwen (1946 - ), Travel Editor of The Chicago Tribune from our upcoming e-Marginalia Interview

"A journey is like a marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you can control it."
John Steinbeck (1902 - 1968) from Travels with Charley: In Search of America

"A man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it."
George Moore (1852 - 1933) from The Brook Kerith

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COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
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CONTACT INFORMATION
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e-Margaux.com
http://www.e-margaux.com
Margaux Europe Group, Ltd.
Post Office Box 462
Westport, NY 12993
 

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