Travel

Is R48 the best hotel in the world?

August 26, 2024

When I asked a colleague for a recommendation for a hotel, he didn’t hesitate. “The R48,” he replied. “It’s probably the best hotel I’ve ever stayed at – anywhere in the world!”

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Anniversary: A love story

August 11, 2024

Every year in mid-August, my wife, Jody, and I celebrate our wedding anniversary. This year, I wanted to mark the occasion by recounting our story.

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Making the most of “expectational uncertainty”

June 2, 2024

There’s a new fourth line to the Serenity Prayer – “I can handle it.” It’s part of making the most of “expectational uncertainty.”

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Where’s the antisemitism?

April 6, 2024

Our family recently spent two weeks in the U.S. So, you’re probably wondering whether we experienced any of the antisemitism that’s been reported.

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Tipping has gotten weird

June 4, 2023

Tipping in the 21st century has gotten weird. I grew up with a simple formula: Did a service provider improve your experience? Then leave a tip.

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From bother to benefit

May 7, 2023

“You have to put up with some bother in order to reap the benefits,” my therapist cautioned me just prior to our two-week excursion in Ecuador. What he meant was that everything involves some “bother” – annoyances you simply can’t avoid. The key is to put the bothers in perspective, so you don’t lose sight […]

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Charmed in Sharm

January 7, 2023

In 2005, my family and I spent a week touring Egypt. We hid our Israeli identity. We recently spent 5 days in the Sinai. What a difference.

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Embracing the empty nest

August 27, 2022

On the day we took our son, Aviv, to Ben-Gurion Airport to begin his new life as a music student in New York, we couldn’t stop crying.

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50 shades of chutzpah

August 18, 2022

When our hotel canceled us at the last minute, I demanded an upgrade. Was that Israeli chutzpah or just being assertive. (It worked.)

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Dreaming of Dubai

May 8, 2022

Reflections on four days in Dubai: Miracle Garden, Expo 2020, Global Village, Butterfly Garden, Desert Safari, Dubai Marina, Burj Khalifa

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