The Oregon Shakespeare Festival

By Julie Fischer | August 9^th, 2010     

Categories: Local Talk – Portland 

Image provided by Oregon Shakespeare Festival via Flickr.com

 It’s the middle of August and our summer is quickly coming to an end. For many of us in Portland, I’m really not sure if summer ever really showed up!

 If you’re still looking to get in a fun, yet cost conscious family vacation before fall arrives, one of Oregon’s late summer favorites is the ‘Oregon Shakespeare Festival’.  This year, the festival celebrates its 75^th anniversary and although the festival has officially been going on since spring, now is considered by many the best time of year to go and enjoy the classic plays outdoors.

 To read the entire blog post & easily share with others, check it out at:

http://www.retechfocus.com/index.php/to-go-or-not-to-go/

Qingdao, China

This image is one of many I took on our Semester at Sea voyage around the world.  It is of a Tai Chi demonstration in Qingdao, China.  Also spelled Tsingtao (pronounced ChingDow although China is still pronounced China…).  You may also have seen that name on a beer bottle at your favorite Chinese restaurant.  The Tsingtao brewery is located there and the tour is really pretty fun but that’s another story.  Qingdao resides on China’s coast facing the Yellow Sea.  It’s a wonderful and vibrant seaport.  The people are welcoming and friendly, always interested in practicing their English skills.  As an avid traveler I believe it’s important to try and add some of the local language to your repertoire; I added, “neehow” = hello and “shyeh shyeh” = thank you.

This particular morning I awoke very early to join in a Tai Chi demonstration at the downtown plaza.  We learned some moves from Tai Chi masters and then watched as they performed a demonstration that was not only physically amazing but visually stimulating.  During the demonstration I was interviewed by the local television station.  I’m not sure they understood what I was saying but through my smiles and a big “thumbs up” they seemed to appreciate that I was enjoying my time in China.

I hope you liked this little excerpt from my travels and will check in often for helpful real estate information. 

Next month we look at Burma.  Shyeh shyeh!

I am a big fan of this organization and participate when I can through my services as a videographer.  The YouTube video below is one of those opportunities. I also hold a CMC certification and have found it very useful when looking for homes for clients with mobility issues.  In addition it helps me to better identify and determine the level of accessibility of the homes that I list.

Searching for a modified home or one that has the ability to be modified can be tough when you are sifting through hundreds of listings that have not been marked for accessibility or at best minimally designated.

With the number of mobility challenged Vets returning from Iraq, Afghanistan and other areas around the globe it is important to keep in mind that quality of life is still an important issue for them and their families.

Mobility Rules is a nonprofit that offers training and certification for people who want to understand important guidelines for accessibility designations in homes.  People who earn the Certified Mobility Consultant (CMC) designation can provide expertise and insight on accessibility features for housing that can accommodate a wide range of disabilities.

For more information visit: http://mobilityrules.com/