Brought to You by MTS Logistics

If there is something I can never get tired of it’s theme parks. The thrills of rides, mystical atmospheres and enormous amounts of imagination that go into many of these places is enough to keep people coming no matter how dangerous, costly or how far they are located. Here in the U.S. alone we have the privilege of housing some of the best amusement parks in the world. I myself have had the privilege of visiting a lot of the ones I am about to mention.

Disney:What better place to set the mood for our fun-seeking mission than the happiest place on earth. Welcoming families and big kids alike for decades, the Disney parks are beyond magical.

In Anaheim, CA you will find Disneyland & Disney’s California Adventure. Walt Disney started his dream with Mickey Mouse and his films, and took the next step when he opened Disney Land in 1955. History is alive throughout the place and the rides from the Pirates of the Caribbean to Space Mountain are legendary. There is also California Adventure, which is a more recent addition and has a load to offer on it own.

Then there is Disney World, comprised of 6 different parks: Magic Kingdom (for the lovers of fantasy, this is the home of Cinderella’s Castle); Epcot (for a trip around the world without leaving Florida), Hollywood Studios (the Tower of Terror is a must), Animal Kingdom (for “wilderness” enthusiasts), and the water parks- Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon (if you are not afraid to get a little wet!). [Read more...]

My mother never missed a chance to celebrate life. Her name was Sirin, that meant “cutie”. She used to play many instruments and invite everyone who would like to celebrate whatever came along in life with her. We always saw her happy with this big smile on her face. She used to tell me that her children were her biggest accomplishments in her life. I never understood how she always managed to stand strong and found the right words to say to make things alright. She was a single mother, who raised two kids in the best way she knew, and this carried on until the day she was gone. The day when me and my brother felt, for the very first time in our lives, completely lonely.

When I left my home in Turkey to chase a dream to come to America for a brighter future, my mother was my biggest supporter. She was there when I had a heartache, she was there when I was sick. For all the good times and bad that made my most unforgettable memories, I felt her existence by my side. I did not quite understand until I became a mother myself two years ago, how a woman can show that much strength by herself. Now, I am on the other side of the mothers’ day card. It feels like a never ending learning process how to mother a child.

It is confusing at times and contradictory. Patience is the most important virtue when mothering a child. Some days, while I am at work, and my little boy is sick with the babysitter at home, I can not help my mind from traveling home and worrying about him. When he is sick and away, I feel grief about the times I yelled at him for playing on my computer keyboard with his toy cars when I was trying to work. His first day in daycare I found myself worrying about the possibility that he might not be able to talk to strangers and ask for water and that he might suffer from thirst. To be a mother, as a friend put it once, is a sickening thing, indeed.

I have been living in United States for the last 13 years. A couple years ago, my mom got sick. She was taken to the hospital. My brother was by her side as I lived in the USA and I could not be there every time I was needed. She was sent back home with no diagnosis. Then she got worse. Hospital again. Home again. Hospital one more time. She was apparently suffering from something they could not name – or we were not given the right information regarding her illness. When she was home over the weekends, seeing my little son on the webcam was her biggest joy. [Read more...]

With summer coming up right around the corner, many of you are probably making plans or thinking of fun things to do. Because summer is such a short season, it is so easy to forget how to enjoy those lovely few months. One second summer is here and just a simple blink later, it is autumn again and the leafs are no longer green or on the tree. So, let’s make this summer a memorable one shall we? Below are just a few of the infinite amount of things you can do in the summer.

Parasailing 

If you are not scared of heights or water, then I can almost guarantee you that you will absolutely LOVE parasailing. It was definitely one of the best experiences of my life. Just being up in the air, relaxing and floating in air is a feeling hard to explain unless you experience it. Besides that, to be dipped in the middle of the ocean is like a cherry on top. I suggest that you add parasailing to the top of your list for this summer.

Horseback Riding

Although I don’t believe that horseback riding is a summer activity, I think it is definitely something you should try out this summer. [Read more...]

In Mandarin Chinese, the word ‘feng’ means wind and the word “shui” means water. As in Chinese superstition both of these words combined is believed to create positive and good energy. That being said, having a good feng shui at your house, is believed to bring happiness and success to your life.

In order to attract strong Feng Shui energy into your house, first you need to be sure your house is surrendered by good Chi. For the very first step, you can begin with checking out the surroundings of your house. See if you can change or improve anything. You might have to do some landscaping or place some feng shui cures outside your house to have a smooth, strong and clear energy flow to your front door.

It doesn’t matter whether you live in a house by a nice landscape or in an apartment by a crowded street where sunlight is a challenge to catch. Wherever it is that you call it home; it must be a welcoming place for you, starting from the outside look of it.

First, give a glance at outside of your house. Is there a big tree, or any other feature blocking the flow to your front door? [Read more...]

“He who returns from a journey is not the same as he who left.” — Chinese proverb

China is the world’s most populous country, with a fast growing population of 1.3 billion (officially). The country has 21 cities with a population over 5 million people (compared to 2 in the United States), while more than 150 cities have over 1 million people. This human density alone is enough to shock even the most experienced traveler, and there are many more surprises in store during your stay. My best advice to you is to leave your preconceptions at home, as modern China has developed rapidly over the past 20 years. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind to minimize your potential culture shock:

1. BYOTP

Yes, that stands for bring your own toilet paper.

The Chinese-style squat toilet is the greatest surprise to most foreigners, and even in large cities it is often unavoidable. Your hotel is likely to have Western-style toilet seats, and so will any Starbucks, but even American fast food chains usually have ground-level fixtures where you will have to balance carefully while doing your business. Before you leave your hotel, make sure you’ve got portable toilet paper with you or tissues. Lots of public (and some private) restrooms don’t provide it. [Read more...]