Are you living in Heaven or Hell? - Delta Skymiles Limited Time Offer

This is truly a limited time offer that is not for the faint of heart as it involves some serious trust, but if you understand the math, you will surely want to jump in with both feet. SO, Delta is currently running a promotion until December 16^th, 2011 where if you transfer miles from your personal account to another person’s Skymiles account they will give a 100% bonus to that transfer – Happy Holidays Delta! The limit per transaction is 30k, so let’s take this simple example: I transfer 30k Delta Skymiles from my account into your account and then when you open your account you see 60k miles. Math is FUN isn’t it? For 60k Skymiles it cost me $330 USD and 30k Delta Skymiles.

Now the gift of giving is all well and good, something I do believe in, but what about the idea of seizing an opportunity. If you were to purchase 30k Delta Skymiles directly, it would cost you $1,050 USD – not happening. If you were to purchase a ticket from JFK to HKG, in economy class it would cost you approximately $2,000 USD (I just looked for a random time period in July of 2012) and only net you 16k Skymiles (32k Skymiles if you are a Gold Medallion member or higher as they double your miles flown for being a loyal Delta Skymiles member). Neither of these options seems like one I would want to take (though I do plan on traveling to Hong Kong sometime in the near future). Can anyone see the opportunity as yet?

To explain this opportunity I am going to speak of a parable I saw mentioned on a recent episode of Boardwalk Empire (I figured it out before watching the episode but it was something I had wanted to have written down somewhere, so why not here).

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like." The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell".

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand." "It is simple," said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves." ~ Monotheistic.org / Wikipedia

Help your fellow man!!! Pay the $330 USD to send 30k Delta Skymiles to someone but then have them also do the same for you. In doing so you both would pay $330 for the transaction but net 30k Skymiles in the process. When you think about it, the cost of a flight domestically for Delta on award travel is 25k (economy low) + $5 taxes give or take. The cost of a flight for the same time period I mentioned above in July from JFK to LAX is $549.40. Why not feed one another and hedge your bets (the airlines do this with oil prices, why can’t we as customers – hey wait a minute there is an idea there for a business where you purchase an open ticket now that can be used at a time in the near future from zone 1 to zone 2 for example regardless of the price of that same flight at said time, hmmm…) to lock in a domestic flight at the cost of $335 approximately? Why not do it twice with another fellow man and pay $660 + taxes for 60k Delta Skymiles and secure the price of a flight to South America?

This is too good to be true huh, or could it be that Delta is trying to give us an opportunity to help each other during this holiday season? There are limits on how many times a person can do this (receive up to a maximum of 300k into an account / send up to a maximum of 150k into an account) as well as other restrictions…nothing crazy just read the fine print: 100% Bonus Offer. Either way, look into it yourself, crunch the numbers, find a trust worthy friend (once you send it, they are gone and now you are sitting waiting to be fed) and if you take the plunge enjoy trip as well as post a comment below of where you are going. Happy Holidays!

Delta Buy or Transfer Miles

30 in Santiago

A different vacation from the one I had in my mind, but still profound in representing a turning point in my life. I had thought I was going to be in Santiago, Chile partying up a storm at the crack of dawn on my 30^th birthday. And though I was at a party at the W Santiago Whiskey Blue (W Santiago Review), it wasn't as I had pictured. But that was a good reflecting moment for me as I realized that though it wasn't as I had pictured, it wasn't a memory I would want to forget. Whatever your belief may be, I have yet to meet someone who can see the future correctly, which is probably a very good thing because maybe I would have seen the future picture when I was 29 and said to myself: "this is not what I want for my 30^th". Who am I to know what a 30 year-old person needs in their life, I was only 29! Now being 30, I can appreciate the birthday that was and the picture I have now in my life is much better than the one I had pictured for myself. So in “whoever’s” wisdom it was to not have us see the future, it has been equally divine that we can hold onto our memories (Alzheimer’s and poverty should be a CRIME…but that is for another discussion) for we live moment to moment, picture to picture.

Below you will see a slideshow of photos from my birthday trip to Santiago. I took a number of photos of different things but something I hope to change about myself going forward is to step out from behind the lens.




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Tripadvisor Reviews: Astrid Y Gastón, Boragó, Blue Jar, The Coffee Club and Cuerovaca

While in Santiago I went to a football match between Audax Italiano vs. Universidad de Chile. The game was held out at the Estadio Bicentenario Municipal de La Florida. The seats my wife got for us was so nice, leather and padded, which made watching the game that much more comfortable. It’s always interesting when going to events in other countries because as we left the game there were these TV cameras at the entrance taping some guy who appeared to be famous, since everyone around us was trying to get his autograph as well as photos taken with, but we were just trying to leave. Christy ended up being on the TV because it was impossible to get around him without stepping in front of the camera. Nice!

It has come that time again for me to get on my soap box but this is more for me than it really is for anyone else (I understand the confliction as this is a public blog that anyone can read but just go with it). My beautiful wife (inside and out) who I have known since I was 14 years old (married for 21 months) took me to Santiago Chile for my 30^th birthday. Now, who when they were 14 years old thought of what they were going to be doing for their 30^th…not me! But, I have to say just as everyone before us has said, GOOD! The one thing I must have heard over and over when I was younger was “don’t rush to get old, don’t worry it will come in time, stay young”. Just as in the movie “Wedding Crashers”, the scene where John (Owen Wilson) talks about how life got away from him but he feels as though he is young and can still do crazy things. This is where Claire (Rachel McAdams) turns to him and says “Well... you're not that young”. That is where I think 30 sits. Some may consider it to be a “sweet” spot, but as I have only just turned 30, I am not wise enough to say at this point. But as many, who have before me, have come to share their wisdom I have heard similar tales of one’s 30’s being a great time...getting better. When I was 14 I had only met this girl from queens who I became friends with. Now at 30 she is my best friend who I want to share the world, my world, which is really the only world we really know, with. BETTER! I do not know what the future may bring but having a partner adds character and color to the soul.

You can have your own beliefs on whether we are “alone” in our existence, seeing as we come into this world alone but I think it’s the life we choose to lead, interactions we care to be a part of, memories we love to share in, that helps us leave this world together, just at different times. Who knows what will happen today or tomorrow, but the marker in time we call our birthday is a memory/moment/picture we as individuals can use to better understand who we are from yesterday…understand ourselves by connecting with others, growing our perspective to change the world, our world, my world, together.

Dent the Universe - Steve Jobs

One's travel

 “Life is a journey, not a destination” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson


A concept that is lost at times as we are too busy making plans for our life. The choices we make in this one life we live (even if you believe we are reborn, this life, the one you are living right now, is the only one you will have as “you”) can mean so much more than the actual choice itself. My choice to travel hasn’t been about going to Korea or Brazil (destinations) but the interactions (journeys) I have with the people who are there. This is probably why I have not really been that interested in going to Antarctica or why when I go somewhere, walking through a museum doesn’t make me feel as though I have journeyed (though the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is one NOT TO MISS).

This may be why I have such an affinity for New York City, one of the most diverse metropolitan cities I continue to journey through...but such kinship was not embraced by my younger self (I grew up in South Side Jamaica Queens). I knew I wanted to get out of New York City at my first chance (which for me was college), but that was just me choosing a destination. It took that journey away, for me to realize what New York City is to me…a lesson well learned.

As I look back on my travels on this planet, I have grown an appreciation for my blessings (all of them). I am a firm believer in individual perspective and of course you are entitled to yours; how your interpretation of destinations and journeys reveal themselves to you is but your own!

Below is a Tripadvisor map that shows where I have been (yellow dots) and where I would like to visit (green dots). If the list gets bigger or stays exactly where it is, I plan to embrace my journey through the destinations of Random Lives!  

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Transition

As this blog talks to random parts of my life that I feel are pertinent to share, I am talking this moment in April to reflect upon change. Recently, I left my employment for a new job. In this job market (Q1 2010), I have noticed that it has been quite hot (for now). 5 of my colleagues left within a 4 week span, now some might speculate on the reason those people left, but I choose to take it for what it is. I do believe of everyone that did leave, the least amount of years spent with the company was 2 years with one person being with the company over 10. Now, I only say this to place perspective on the situation. I can only speak for myself and I truly enjoyed my time with my previous company. I can honestly say, in my short life, it was my best job ever. Yes it had its challenges, but in totality it was a place I will never forget. But as I left one job to join this great job, I felt it time to leave this place to experience something new. I have no plans on jumping from job to job, that is not fun at all, but I do feel I am at a time (recently married, no kids) in my life where I can afford to take moderate risk to see how I can enhance my skillsets to make me a complete contributor to an organization. I do know that with change comes a level of unknown that can be daunting, but life is short and we must do what we can to live each day to the fullest whether we are on top of the world or walking the streets below it.

Now I do write these blogs to all out there that are willing to listen to this man’s thoughts. But this blog post is dedicated to a friend of mine, from my previous employment, who always asked me: “Charles when is the next post coming out? Your public wants to know more!” And out of the respect I have for him, I will end this post in a similar manner of a television show we both love (Criminal Minds):

“The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.” – Lloyd Jones

Lua de Mel

So for those who have been following the “saga”, after the wedding comes the Honeymoon (lua de mel is honeymoon in Portuguese). For those who are getting married, I would say having a honeymoon is an important step in your journey together. It is during this time you both get a chance to not only relax, from all the wedding planning, but really enjoy being Mr. & Mrs. away from everyone else. You meet people who will only know you as Mr. & Mrs. since they are meeting you for the 1st time, while friends and family knew you together or separately, which I think is pretty cool.

So onto the goodies…the trip started off quite interestingly. It was the day that we had a snow storm here in New York City (we left 2/25/10) but our flight left right before the full blast hit New York (there was enough snow to be worried, but we made it out). My computer was acting up in the airport, which made me a little cranky since I need my computer! And when we were on the flight, there was a drunken lady that had to be escorted off the plane, which delayed our flight from NYC to Atlanta (our connecting city to Buenos Aires --Video below will show). After all this, we were pretty much sailing right in South America.



When we landed the weather in BA (Buenos Aires) was beautiful, definitely a welcomed change from snowy New York City. We stayed at the Glu Hotel, which is a beautiful boutique hotel located in Palermo – Soho (upscale fashion area). The hotel has its quirks here and there, but overall I would recommend staying there if you are in BA. While in BA we participated in Graffiti Mundo (purchased our 1st and certainly not our last piece of artwork as Mr. & Mrs. Nixon), a polo lesson and enjoyed 1st class dinning (Social Pariso & Casa Cruz) at a rate of 4 to 1. BA is a place I will not return to, unless I am already in that region, even though the exchange rate is fabulous. One issue I had with Buenos Aires is that a lot of the addresses to things are not very clearly marked, so when using googlemaps for directions I had to get creative, so if anyone wants the location to any of these things just leave a comment.


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Next stop, Sao Paulo Brazil. For those who know me, I travel to Brazil quite frequently. So far, this was probably not my best trip there (the weather did not cooperate at all) but I enjoyed every moment with my wife. When we travel to Sao Paulo the only hotel we stay at is the Unique, which is very “unique”. It is one of the top hotels in Sao Paulo and it shows! The hotel service was fabulous and they were helpful every step of the way. We were there for a week, so we had a chance to speak with a lot of the staff and even the manager (no problems with English, though my Portuguese has improved considerably). During our stay we went to great restaurants (Dalva e Dito & DOM), partied at Mokai (VIP set up by the hotel), watched AVATAR in IMAX (Bourbon Shopping; movie theatre was packed), lunch @ Google Brazil (a friend of mine just moved there for work) and our usual activities (dinner with a friend’s family, delicious room service dinner, etc.). The week before we arrived was extremely sunny, the week after we left was very sunny, but the week we were there was extremely cloudy with a lot of drizzling. ALSO, the traffic in Sao Paulo is some of the worst in the world. To give a little perspective on this, I will provide you with 2 examples. The first example comes when we were in a cab traveling from the airport to the hotel at 9:30 at night. The cab driver decided to ride the shoulder of the highway for 30 minutes because the traffic was so bad. Next example comes from us trying to get to a night club at 1:30 in the morning and traffic was so bad we got out of the cab and walked the 8 blocks remaining in the cab ride because traffic was almost at a standstill.


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All in all the honeymoon was one my wife and I enjoyed and will certainly remember for the rest of our lives. We are most certainly looking forward to our 2nd honeymoon… ;P