Newsletter

e-Marginalia :: South Asia Tsunami
Issue #13, January 14, 2005
http://www.e-marginalia.com

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In this issue:

~ WELCOME e-MARGONAUTS :: South Asia Tsunami
~ MEANDERING MARGAUX :: Eyewitness Accounts from Tsunami Survivors
~ FEATURE STORIES :: Top Travel Tales
          Welcome to Malaysia, by Art Segal
          Volunteering in Ile D’Hoedic, Netanya Stutz
          Daring Dives in the Riviera, Patrick Wensink
          Back at Shakespeare’s Globe, Wayne E. Yang
~ VACATION RENTALS :: News & Updates
~ AMAZING DEALS :: Check out these Travel Promotions
~ e-MARGAUX LITE :: Quotations, Anecdotes and Humour

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~ WELCOME e-MARGONAUTS :: South Asia Tsunami

Happy new year, e-Margonauts! For once, I'm going to be short and sweet. There's plenty to report, but I'm going to do my best to be brief so that we can all get back to fulfilling our New Year's Resolutions. More about that in a moment.

It's a mixed bag in e-Margaux News. We are all still reeling in the wake of the devastating South Asia Tsunami. At most current count we're talking about 150,000 lives lost and tens of thousand, indeed hundreds of thousands of others severely impacted by the earthquake and tidal wave which have shaken the world. Please take a moment to visit the e-Margaux.com homepage where we've added links to humanitarian organizations who are working hard to meet the needs in those in need. If it is within your means to do so, we urge you to support the relief effort.

In this issue of the e-Marginalia newsletter we're including an interesting piece (see below) by Paul K. Melhus called "Eyewitness Accounts from Tsunami Survivors" which draws attention to the increasingly important impact of blogs in the global media. Dismissed as merely alternative, underground communication channels, blogs are coming of age all around the world. Check out some of the fascinating first-hand accounts of the Tsunami from bloggers.

In balance, there's also good news to share. Top of the list: Travel Editor, Nana Chen, is wrapping up her three month wander around the globe and is coming home to resume her splendid leadership of the e-Marginalia Travel Story contests. I recently met with her in Montreal, Canada for two days of inspiring meetings. As usual she is brimming with energy and wonderfully creative ideas for how to improve e-Marginalia. I promised her all sorts of things, so you should begin to see some changes in the months ahead. In fact, one of the first things we're doing is doubling the number of contests in 2005! And soon we'll be publishing the new contest calendar which will include a broader range of contests including travel photos, art and poems. So plenty to look forward to.

Also, just around the corner, another exciting development. Soon (have I been saying that for a while now?) we'll be launching a new automated vacation rental listing application so that anyone and everyone can list their own vacation rental property/ies on the website. I know it's been a little slow in the coming, technical setbacks and all, but top of my New Year's Resolutions is to make certain that we wrap up beta testing and launch immediately. Keep your eyes peeled and visit the site often because we intend to offer a special promotion once we launch. Wouldn't want to miss it! See below for more information.

At last the sun is out, so I'm going to head out for a jog. I hope you enjoy the newsletter.

Kindly,
George Davis, e-Marginalia Editor
e-marginalia@e-margaux.com

MEANDERING MARGAUX

Eyewitness Accounts from Tsunami Survivors "Tsunami survivors are turning to the Internet to record their experiences and reassure family and friends that they are well... Brandon Behle of San Diego, CA was vacationing on Ko Phi Phi, Thailand when the tsunami struck. His travel blog for December 26 records, "The wave hit at 10:30 in the morning. I was getting breakfast, and was fortunate enough to see it and react. I survived the wave but lost most of my possessions. I headed up into the mountains with the rest of the survivors on my part of the island. We made it to the top of the island. And spent the night there. A Canadian family took me in and took care of me, kept me sane in general were my guardian angels..."

FEATURE STORIES :: Top Travel Tales

Welcome to Malaysia Everywhere in Kuala Lumpur, one sees the sharp contrast between ultramodern glass-and-steel skyscrapers and decrepit old wood-frame buildings. Shiny new luxury cars pull up at five-star hotels, while most cars are ancient. Giant cranes dot the skyline. Ten-foot-high steel fences hide slums, which of course are visible from upper floors of the luxury hotels. To me, it's a poor country pretending to be rich… Volunteering in Ile D’Hoedic Blissful in remote isolation, Ile D’Hoedic surrenders to iridescent blue waters. An hour-long ferry ride departing from Quiberon, France’s western port city will take you there. The island is a micro-society infused with French culture, un-Parisian camaraderie, and whimsical natural perfection... Daring Dives in the Riviera Standing on the cliff, I nearly turned back. I couldn’t figure it out, but my mind wouldn’t allow my body to jump dozens of feet into the sea. I call it common sense, others would call it cowardice, but it took all my strength. And still no one believes me... Back at Shakespeare's Globe The bright neon exit signs are giveaways that this is not the same Globe Theater where William Shakespeare once worked. There are fewer rows in the upper balcony. The back row has been enlarged to meet modern fire standards. Yet this theater is the only thatched roof structure in London…

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