Briefly, please could you tell us a bit about yourselves?

I am of Indian ethnicity but lived in America most of my life.  Currently I live in Stockholm, Sweden where I blog about the culture and dating rituals of the Swedes at Lost in Stockholm. I love traveling (duh), reading (OMG, Harry Potter!), and taking photos, available at www.flickr.com/photos/blacksapphire.

How long did you live in Berkeley?

Spent 8 years in the city everyone lovingly calls Berzerkly. First, attending university there and then putzing around and working for a few more years.

What did you like most about living in Berkeley?

Berkeley is 180 degrees off from the East Coast (where I was raised).  It’s crazy, wild, colorful, full of protests and pot.  I loved walking around the city and people watching.  There is every type of person and style trying to make their way in Berkeley.

Why should travelers visit Berkeley?

As a city that holds one of the nation’s greatest universities, Berkeley has a history that is well, different.  From the 1960s famous demonstrations to world leading research departments to the ecocenter of the food revolution via Alice Waters, there is something for everyone in Berkeley.  There’s a special spirit in the city you just don’t find in other places.

What do you wish travellers would do or stop doing when they visit Berkeley?

Tourists really need to stop gawking at the locals.  Yes, there is the crazy guy in his undies standing on a podium and yes, the hat lady does not sell hats, but come to enjoy the idiosyncrasies of the town.

What are your top 3 insider tips for visitors to Berkeley?

Take a tour of UC Berkeley, a huge campus that offers a great view to San Francisco.  Go to the top of Campanile Bell Tower or to Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, which is high up in the Berkeley hills.

Also visit Berkeley Bowl, one of the best grocery stores. Fresh produce and vegetable galore.  Plus get a super burrito from them, tasty stuff!

CheeseBoard Pizza on Shattuck Ave is a coop owned pizza place.  There’s only one type of pizza served everyday and it’s vegetarian, but it is superb.  A definite local spot and a must for any visitor.

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Briefly, please could you tell us a bit about yourselves?

My name is Gordon McClure and my wife’s name is Linda. We both retired in 2001 after 32 years with separate companies. Linda was an account manager with a large telephone company. I was a control systems sales engineer working in California, Arizona and Nevada. We both like computers, tech toys and outdoor activities like golf and day hiking.

How long have you lived in Palm Desert?

We purchased a week end getaway in 1989 and moved here full time upon retirement.

What do you like most about living in Palm Desert?

We like the resort life style during the winter and the solitude of the hot summers. We love the weather, very little rain and the skies are almost always clear. We love the panoramic views as we are surrounded by tall mountain peaks to the west and medium mountains on the the north and south. The low humidity makes it easy to pick out trees on the mountain ridges over 30 miles away to the west . The foothills to the north and east are almost completely barren. We love the dry desert heat. Even in the hottest months the mornings can be an absolute pleasure.

Is there anything you do not like about living in Palm Desert?

The crowds during major in season events can be a little irritating, and the long hot summers (occasionally above 50° C) can make you feel as if the heat will never end.

Why should travellers visit Palm Desert?

The weather is the real draw the winter months rarely have a day with a high temperature below 20° C.

You can enjoy the outdoors and scenic views. Relax by the pool and get a great tan. If you are into golf or tennis there are over 110 golf course and numerous tennis courts. On the week end there’s a Street Fair at the College of the Desert that is fun to go to.

Palm Desert has an upscale downtown shopping area on El Paseo Drive. It features art galleries, boutiques and restaurants. El Paseo is often compared to Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive.

There are all levels of accommodations from five star resorts to budget motels to match every budget. If you are planning on being in the valley during the in season events it is wise to book well in advance for the best choices.

For year round entertainment there are five Indian Casinos with in a ten mile radius of the valley center and the aerial tramway just west of Palm Springs can whisk you from the desert floor to the mountain snows in winter or a refreshing mountain meadow in summer.

Three major sporting events take place here every year: (1) Early January, “The Bob Hope Classic” golf tournament. (2) Mid March, the Pro Tennis event at the Indian Wells facility, and (3) “The Diana Shore” golf tournament in April.

The best weather conditions in Palm Desert is anytime between October to May.

What do you wish travellers would do or stop doing when they visit Palm Desert?

We wish everyone that spends time in the desert enjoys it as much as we do.

What are your top 3 insider tips for visitors to Palm Desert?

There are still a few original Palm Oasis left.  They can be seen north of Interstate 10. You can visit one by taking the Washington off ramp north to Thousand Palms Canyon Road making a right and driving an additional 3 miles.

Palm Desert has a wonderful zoo and gardens called The Living Desert that features exotic animals and plants.

After the spring rain, take a trip out to Joshua Tree national monument  for the Desert Wildflowers. It is awe inspiring to see the beauty of the flowers in the rugged desolate desert.

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Briefly, please could you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Elaine and I’ve unofficially graduated from my Polytechnic (some call it the tertiary education), so I’m currently chilling out either at home or with my friends. I am turning 20 this year, so I don’t know how much of an insight I can give here, but I’ll try my best!

If you’re interested in swapping postcards with me, do drop me a message at postcrossing.

My whole life! I’ve probably not lived enough to see Singapore change, but I’m sure it has changed..haha. I’ve had the same bedroom my whole life, although it has changed over the years as my mom loves to switch around stuff in the house.

Well, I have to say that I am blessed to be living in Singapore because firstly, there are no natural disasters I can think of. I am very thankful for that because I think Singapore would disappear from the face of the earth if she met with any calamity. There’s a reason why she’s called the “Little Red Dot”.

Many people from the west would die (well, literally) to live in Singapore for the great sunny weather, but as the saying goes “the grass is always greener on the other side”. I sometimes wish that Singapore had the four great seasons. I’ve never seen real snow in my life! There is a snow city here but asking me to pay for a two-hour playtime in man-made snow? Nah-ah.

In case you still don’t know, Singapore hosted the first F1 night race event last year. I am personally proud of that. I still wish, I had worked for the event under one of my part-time workplaces (Raffles Hotel, actually). My friend served beer during the event!

Wait..I think I’m digressing. Anyway, Singapore is a very, very safe country. You could walk down the streets during broad daylight and during the night without having to worry about someone robbing you. But of course, this does not mean that there is no crime.

Singapore is also very clean and green. At every corner, you get to see a green bin where you can throw your rubbish. I do know of tourists mentioning that Singapore is literally green everywhere. Everywhere you turn, you get to see trees and more trees.

I could go on about this like forever..hahaha. But I’ll just stop here for the benefit of your eyes, if you’re reading this, that is.

I really cannot think of anything that travellers should stop doing, I guess travellers in Singapore have been generally well behaved

Visit the different temples around Singapore. We have the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Sri Mariamman Temple in Chinatown. Just follow the little rules they have and you can enter the temples.

If you’re a fan of museums, there are quite a number to visit. Most of them are in the City hall area, so you can actually walk from one to another.

Travellers should get used to the way Singaporeans speak, especially those you might encounter while trying to bargain. Their English language is probably not their best forte, so don’t be surprise if you hear broken English. You might even hear Singlish, where sentences tend to end with lah, mah, hor, meh. Google Singlish if you want to know more about it

Singapore is a multi-racial country; since there is no four seasons to look out for, traditions and festivities are the ones you should look out for instead. Festivals such as Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Hari Raya and Christmas are the ones that are greatly celebrated by all Singaporeans here. Even myself, it was my first time experiencing Deepavali, an Indian festival, because I was on a school assignment. You can check out some of my pictures on Flickr. I had to use a film SLR camera for school requirement purposes.

Last but not least, food. Check out the Chilli Crab, Hainanese Chicken Rice and Laksa around little corners of Singapore. Sometimes, small shops are the ones that are not to be missed! Or if you like, you can visit Clarke Quay where the night comes alive with loud music and drinks along the Singapore River. Wednesday is Ladies’ Night, so ladies should check out the different clubs/pubs that permit free drinks and entry for ladies.

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Our View of a Local series consists of interviews with local people in various towns and cities in different countries.

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Briefly, please could you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Barbara – but most of my friends and relations call me Basia. I was born in Krakow, where I also studied ‘Tourism and Recreation’. I love to travel and experience different cultures.

Out of passion for our hometown, me and my friend created www.EverydayKrakow.com that provides information on Krakow including must sees, sites, events as well as an online hotel reservation system. We don’t want to become an ordinary booking agency, so we give tips, recommend events and offer exclusive cards for our guests. I really believe that passion can be contagious!

How long have you lived in Krakow?

All my life! Here in Poland we say that you never ask a woman for her age – so I will not reveal how long exactly. But just imagine that I have never lived anywhere else.

I travel quite a lot – but Krakow has always been a place that I would call ‘home’.

What do you like most about living in Krakow?

The atmosphere. I love its narrow streets and the huge Main Market Square, the strolls around the Old Town and former Jewish district, beer in pubs located in cellars, the bugler tune played every hour from the church tower… I have always felt lost in big cities and limited in smaller ones. Krakow and its ambience is a perfect match for my personality.

Is there anything you do not like about living in Krakow?

Hmmm… let me think… I would certainly wish for a big concert hall in Krakow. The citizens perceive their city as a cultural centre of Poland, but very often we realize that we miss facilities to organise events on a large scale. We host festivals and cultural events, but when I want to take part in a concert by a famous international singer, I usually need to go to Katowice or Warsaw.

Why should travellers visit Krakow?

The answer seems easy – Krakow is simply worth paying a visit. Many tourists find the character of the city unique and come back to savour it more often. There is a lot being organised in Krakow, but you can also find solitude here if needed.

Krakow and Poland in general also boast culture and hospitality. Our Easter and Christmas celebrations are very different to those in many western countries. There are still holidays and customs that might seem an extinct tradition to many foreigners.

To sum it up: culture, various events, concerts, funny tours, interesting must sees, off-the-beaten path routes, customs, tradition and delicious Polish cuisine are just a few of the things that Krakow offers its visitors.

You mentioned events. Are there any especially worth recommending?

All the time there is something going on in Krakow. It is definitely worth checking what the city offers in a given period, before your travel. There are cultural events connected with Krakow or Polish traditions, festivals (such as Summer Jazz) or regular events for visitors.

I am, for example, a big fan of Krakow Jewish Culture Festival that takes place each Summer. For some years now I’ve tried not to miss any edition. But of course it is all dependent on what one is looking for.

Is Krakow famous for any particular traditions?

I guess every city has its unique traditions. Krakow has many connected with legends or old customs. One, probably the most popular, is the bugler tune that is played every hour from the tower of St Mary’s church. It is a tribute to the trumpeter that saved the city from Tartar invaders by warning them with the tune. At least the legend says so.

What do you wish travellers would do or stop doing when they visit Krakow?

A while ago there was quite a lot of criticism of drunken groups of stag party tourists that seemed to be a nuisance to the locals. The citizens don’t like Krakow to be treated simply as a destination of cheap fun. Don’t get me wrong – we also love fun! But hearing that somebody did not visit the castle or Kazimierz, but spent 3 days in pubs instead, or the view of half naked guys bothering girls in the streets will cause a reaction.  I am myself confused about this issue, as I believe everything can work, if it is based on mutual respect. So don’t stop coming, just respect also the needs of the locals.

Which would you say are the highlights of the city?

There are of course things that pop out when you search information on Krakow. The Royal Route is a must. On the way you will see the most important attractions of the Old Town – the Barbican, city walls, Main Market Square and the Wawel castle. The Kazimierz district is another place that you must definitely visit. Many still decide to visit Wieliczka Salt Mine and Nowa Huta – the communist district of Krakow.

Oh, Polish cuisine is another of Krakow’s highlights. Pierogi, bigos, borscht, kielbasa, zapiekanka are only some of our culinary specialties.

What are your top 3 insider tips for visitors to Krakow?

Oh no… only 3? I could be giving tips for hours! But as an insider I especially recommend:

• visiting the Kazimierz district in the evening, when it enchants the most! There you can purchase (in Nowy Square) the most delicious Polish snack – Zapiekanka – that one can find in Krakow!
• take a crazy tour to the Nowa Huta communist district. Some tours offer a trip in an old Trabant car with crazy guides that will even treat you to the glass of vodka and show you this part of Krakow in a funny and interesting way.
• plan more days in Krakow as it is a perfect spot from which you can make various trips outside the city. Many visitors, apart from sightseeing in Krakow, decide to go to the Auschwitz Museum, Tatra mountains, Warsaw and many more areas of Poland.

Editors note: Don’t forget to visit Barbara’s web site EverydayKrakow.com for more tips on Krakow.

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Our View of a Local series consists of interviews with local people in various towns and cities in different countries.

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