Where Are You Presently?

[TomatoTom123]

Right now, I'm in The Netherlands. I'll leave in a few weeks to go to Los Angeles. In mid December, I'll go to Winnipeg. In late March, I'll return to The Netherlands. In early June I'll go to Denmark, and early July to Germany, and early September back to The Netherlands. Currently, I spend no more than 4 months in any one place.

Robb, may I ask why you travel around so much?
And where are you originally from?

[robb_k]

Wow that's amazing. Good for you! Can you be my travel planner?

What I forgot to add was that I register with the travel services [[Like Cheap-O-Air, Fare Compare, and the like), as they offer deals from various airlines that are lower in cost than ANY that are advertised publicly. So, even though they charge a small service fee, the overall deal can often be better than one can get by jumping on an advertised deal directly from an airline [[which are usually very difficult to get, as they have only limited numbers of seats, which are usually gone within the first few minutes of the announcement of the fare).

No, I wouldn't want to be your travel planner, as i use up quite a few hours on researching deals for my own travel. But, I suggest you register with the top 5 or 6 booking services, and tell them the requirements of your future trips, and they will e-mail you with the non-publicly advertised special deals that they offer from airlines who work with them, and you can jump on the one you like, when it is offered .

The main reason I can travel so inexpensively is my flexibility. I am not tied to working in an office in a particular city. As I can work from anywhere, I can get low fares because I pay for them almost a year before I go, and I MUST use them on the scheduled day and time, and if I cancel my trip I lose ALL my money. That is also true for my bus tickets, and I lose a big chunk of train ticket fares if I cancel or change itinerary.

MOST people can't risk not needing to change their plans 9 months ahead. So, it's not worth getting a chance to pay only half of their normal cost, when they have a 33% chance of losing ALL they pay for it, and then, later, they risk having to pay double for their new itinerary flight cost, because they have to buy a ticket with only a very short time before they need to travel, and must choose from what little is available, at much higher prices [[being booked just before).

[luke]

You should write a travel book! A few years ago my cousin and her best friend quit their jobs after saving money and went around the world for 6 months, a lot of it on a freighter. I recently looked into a ship that goes around world for $18,000 over two months!

[robb_k]

Robb, may I ask why you travel around so much?
And where are you originally from?

Hi Tomato Tom,
You may ask me those questions [[and I'll even answer them beforehand) - but, I'll expect you to, in return, tell us why you call yourself "Tomato Tom". Are you hopelessly addicted to Italian food? Are you a food cart peddler in a 3rd World country? Did you once throw an overripe tomato at a teacher you didn't like?

I am originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, but always spent summers in The Netherlands, from where both my parents' families had come [[I'm half Canadian and half Dutch). I moved to Chicago, USA at 14, and back to The Netherlands in 1972, when I started working on United Nations 3rd World development projects in Africa, The Middle East, and The Far East. I worked for them for about 20 years, living in the 3rd World country for 6-9 months, and in The Netherlands for the rest, other than some weeks in US and Canada. I've been working for Disney Comics publishers in The Netherlands since 1984, and also the Danish, Swedish and German franchises of Disney Comics since 1989. So, I must visit my editors in those countries, face-to-face, for some time each year, to have a better relationship. While I'm in other countries I send my drawings in scans as e-mail attachments, and we correspond through e-mail messages. If we need to talk directly, and point to artwork, we use Skype video [[programme like a video telephone). But, it's better to have personal face-to-face contact for a few months each year, and to be a "known character" by all the office staff, and attend a few company social functions, etc. No personal contact for years would undoubtedly have the free-lance artist dropped, because of not having any friends "on the inside".

I travel to Munich, Germany to work for 2-4 months per year in my business partner's animation studio. We both work for Danish and German Disney Comics publishers, but also on children's books, animation projects, and our own future comic strip. I have a flat [[apartment) there rent-free provided by the company. I keep my things there, including 2 bicycles, clothing and even some records. It is my 2nd home. We did the animation for the penguin character, who introduced the different events in The 1992 Winter Olympics, for the German TV broadcast.

I also stay in Denmark for 1-2 months per year to work with the Danish Disney office [[Kopenhagen), and the Swedish, across the narrow strait in Malmö, Sweden. I stay there with friends in Malmö, western Jylland [[Denmark), but mostly in the guesthouse of my main work partner there, in a small town on the north end of Sjaelland [[the island where Kopenhagen lies). I keep my things there, too [[bicycles, clothing, records, etc. It's also like another home to me. My sister, who now lives in Los Angeles, is married to a Dane. They spend lots of the summer in Denmark, and I visit them there. They will relocate full-time there soon, and I won't need to go to USA anymore. Normally, I visit them for a couple months in the late fall/winter. My father died last year. So, we are fixing up my parents' house to rent it out. We will keep it even after my sister moves back to Denmark, as it is near the ocean, and so its land values only goes up exponentially. We'll have someone manage it. So, soon, I'll have to remove my records stored there, and bring them to The Netherlands and, maybe put some in Munich, as well.

I visit my other sister in Winnipeg also in late fall or winter. I have bicycles, clothing and records at both their houses.

I'm over 70 years old, and have NEVER spent all year long on one continent. And I have always had more than one residence, and had belongings stored in at least 2 countries [[often 3 or 4). So, I am used to traveling, and being at home in 2 to 4 or 5 different places. Often, I awaken in the morning and am surprised to find out that I am in one country, rather than another.

[daviddh]

Hello from Baltimore MD.love motown

[TomatoTom123]

Hi TomatoTom,
You may ask me those questions [[and I'll even answer them beforehand) - but, I'll expect you to, in return, tell us why you call yourself "Tomato Tom". Are you hopelessly addicted to Italian food? Are you a food cart peddler in a 3rd World country? Did you once throw an overripe tomato at a teacher you didn't like?

I am originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, but always spent summers in The Netherlands, from where both my parents' families had come [[I'm half Canadian and half Dutch). I moved to Chicago, USA at 14, and back to The Netherlands in 1972, when I started working on United Nations 3rd World development projects in Africa, The Middle East, and The Far East. I worked for them for about 20 years, living in the 3rd World country for 6-9 months, and in The Netherlands for the rest, other than some weeks in US and Canada. I've been working for Disney Comics publishers in The Netherlands since 1984, and also the Danish, Swedish and German franchises of Disney Comics since 1989. So, I must visit my editors in those countries, face-to-face, for some time each year, to have a better relationship. While I'm in other countries I send my drawings in scans as e-mail attachments, and we correspond through e-mail messages. If we need to talk directly, and point to artwork, we use Skype video [[programme like a video telephone). But, it's better to have personal face-to-face contact for a few months each year, and to be a "known character" by all the office staff, and attend a few company social functions, etc. No personal contact for years would undoubtedly have the free-lance artist dropped, because of not having any friends "on the inside".

I travel to Munich, Germany to work for 2-4 months per year in my business partner's animation studio. We both work for Danish and German Disney Comics publishers, but also on children's books, animation projects, and our own future comic strip. I have a flat [[apartment) there rent-free provided by the company. I keep my things there, including 2 bicycles, clothing and even some records. It is my 2nd home. We did the animation for the penguin character, who introduced the different events in The 1992 Winter Olympics, for the German TV broadcast.

I also stay in Denmark for 1-2 months per year to work with the Danish Disney office [[Kopenhagen), and the Swedish, across the narrow strait in Malmö, Sweden. I stay there with friends in Malmö, western Jylland [[Denmark), but mostly in the guesthouse of my main work partner there, in a small town on the north end of Sjaelland [[the island where Kopenhagen lies). I keep my things there, too [[bicycles, clothing, records, etc. It's also like another home to me. My sister, who now lives in Los Angeles, is married to a Dane. They spend lots of the summer in Denmark, and I visit them there. They will relocate full-time there soon, and I won't need to go to USA anymore. Normally, I visit them for a couple months in the late fall/winter. My father died last year. So, we are fixing up my parents' house to rent it out. We will keep it even after my sister moves back to Denmark, as it is near the ocean, and so its land values only goes up exponentially. We'll have someone manage it. So, soon, I'll have to remove my records stored there, and bring them to The Netherlands and, maybe put some in Munich, as well.

I visit my other sister in Winnipeg also in late fall or winter. I have bicycles, clothing and records at both their houses.

I'm over 70 years old, and have NEVER spent all year long on one continent. And I have always had more than one residence, and had belongings stored in at least 2 countries [[often 3 or 4). So, I am used to traveling, and being at home in 2 to 4 or 5 different places. Often, I awaken in the morning and am surprised to find out that I am in one country, rather than another.

Wow, thank you, Robb! You couldn't have answered my question any better. You lead a fascinating life! I'm sorry to hear about your father though.

And as for "TomatoTom", hehehe, well... My name is Tom and I like tomatoes... so, yea, hehe! I've never thought about it before but Italian is my favourite food, so it's even more appropriate than I first realised! I am not a third-world food cart peddler though, nor have I ever thrown a tomato at a teacher, LOL - I'm sorry to say it's far more boring than that, hehe!!

[robb_k]

Wow, thank you, Robb! You couldn't have answered my question any better. You lead a fascinating life! I'm sorry to hear about your father though.

And as for "TomatoTom", hehehe, well... My name is Tom and I like tomatoes... so, yea, hehe! I've never thought about it before but Italian is my favourite food, so it's even more appropriate than I first realised! I am not a third-world food cart peddler though, nor have I ever thrown a tomato at a teacher, LOL - I'm sorry to say it's far more boring than that, hehe!!

Thanks, Tom.
Are you a Brit? I can see, by your spelling, that you are a fellow Commonwealther.

My father was 94 years old, and never sick a day in his life. He stopped working, and six months later, he went to sleep, and didn't wake up. He was still playing golf 3 days a week and had his full wits. His memory was probably better than mine, and he was still taking care of himself, driving a car, and running a busines. He had no pain. So, no need to feel sorry. I had still my father when I was 70, and both parents when 66. So, no complaints here.

I'm a big tomato fan, myself. I eat soup every day, almost always with a tomato base. I eat a salad every day which includes fresh tomatoes. I should have asked Albert King, when i met him, why his record label was "Tomato Records".

[TomatoTom123]

Thanks, Tom.
Are you a Brit? I can see, by your spelling, that you are a fellow Commonwealther.

My father was 94 years old, and never sick a day in his life. He stopped working, and six months later, he went to sleep, and didn't wake up. He was still playing golf 3 days a week and had his full wits. His memory was probably better than mine, and he was still taking care of himself, driving a car, and running a business. He had no pain. So, no need to feel sorry. I had still my father when I was 70, and both parents when 66. So, no complaints here.

I'm a big tomato fan, myself. I eat soup every day, almost always with a tomato base. I eat a salad every day which includes fresh tomatoes. I should have asked Albert King, when i met him, why his record label was "Tomato Records".

No problem, Robb
Yes, I am British! I am from England, London more specifically. I had to re-read through my post to find evidence of my British spelling. Of course, it had to be "favourite"!!

And I'm so glad to hear that about your father. Oh yes, I am also a fan of salad - feta cheese is my favourite, hehe!

[robb_k]

No problem, Robb
Yes, I am British! I am from England, London more specifically. I had to re-read through my post to find evidence of my British spelling. Of course, it had to be "favourite"!!

And I'm so glad to hear that about your father. Oh yes, I am also a fan of salad - feta cheese is my favourite, hehe!

"realised" also gave you away.

I used to import Northern Soul and US and Canadian Motown records into The UK during the 1980s and '90s. I used to spend most of my time there in Lancashire [[Greater Manchester- Eccles, Salford, Oldham, Stockport), but I also spent time in Greater London [[Clapham Common, Camden Town, Chelsea, Kentish Town, Shepherd's Bush).

I had uncles, aunts and cousins in The East End[[Shadow of St. Pauls) and Golder's Green, since the 1880s. But, most of them now live in Essex. One was an MP. One of my great uncles used to tell us about Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Parade, which he witnessed at the age of 4 in the 1890s.

[luke]

My father lived to 100. Never went to doctors. Never worked out. Ate meat all the time and smoked a pack of marlboros a day til two days before he died. He loved life and always saw the good!

[robb_k]

My father lived to 100. Never went to doctors. Never worked out. Ate meat all the time and smoked a pack of marlboros a day til two days before he died. He loved life and always saw the good!

Good for him!

[luke]

Thanks! Great guy. Never gave up. Said "aging is a privilege denied many!"

[TomatoTom123]

"realised" also gave you away.

I used to import Northern Soul and US and Canadian Motown records into The UK during the 1980s and '90s. I used to spend most of my time there in Lancashire [[Greater Manchester- Eccles, Salford, Oldham, Stockport), but I also spent time in Greater London [[Clapham Common, Camden Town, Chelsea, Kentish Town, Shepherd's Bush).

I had uncles, aunts and cousins in The East End and Golder's Green since the 1880s. But, most of them now live in Essex. One was an MP. One of my great uncles used to tell us about Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Parade. which he witnessed at the age of 4 in the 1890s.

Oh wow - I didn't even see "realised"
Hehe!

And that's very Interesting [[Queen Victoria's Jubliee, wow!), thank you Robb.

I am from Greater London [[a place called Bromley). My mum's family are from Essex as well.

[robb_k]

Oh wow - I didn't even see "realised"
Hehe!

And that's very Interesting [[Queen Victoria's Jubliee, wow!), thank you Robb.

I am from Greater London [[a place called Bromley). My mum's family are from Essex as well.

I've been to Bromley a few times. My main hangout in GLA was on Oxford Street at HMV. In the '60s and '70s, one could find just about anything there, and could listen all day long in the sound booths.

Here are a few examples of my Disney work:

[arr&bee]

Hey robb,that guy looks like my jr.high principle.

[TomatoTom123]

Woww!! Impressive!
I can't draw to save my life, LOL!

[marv2]

My father lived to 100. Never went to doctors. Never worked out. Ate meat all the time and smoked a pack of marlboros a day til two days before he died. He loved life and always saw the good!

God Bless him! Now that's what I'm talking about Luke!

[luke]

Amen! Thanks Marv

[midnightman]

Attachment 11805
No! I'm not even remotely wealthy. I am careful with my money. I only fly across The Atlantic and back one time each, every year, and while in Europe, I travel mostly on coach buses and trains, which I book and pay for months ahead on super discount fares. For example, I buy bus tickets from Kopenhagen to Munich during € 9.00 sales, so it costs me only € 18.00 to go that long way. And Munich to Amsterdam costs only € 27.00. I sit and draw my stories on those trips [[same as if I were at home).

On my transatlantic airplane trips, I book them 9 months ahead AND book them with inconvenient logistics [[such as 3 stops using 3 different airlines), to keep the cost down as much as possible. So, I might fly from Schiphol to London Heathrow to Keflavik, Iceland, to Toronto and then to Los Angeles or Winnipeg. I usually have more than 24 hours [[sometimes as much as 40) extended trip time, with much time sitting in airports, but use that time to do my work. I'm always so excited to see my friends and family on the other end, that I stay awake, talking to them until THEIR late night time, and, thus, adjust to their time, immediately, with NO jet lag [[even at my old age).

So, my transatlantic cost is generally no more than € 800-900, round trip, and that's without risking my life by traveling on Aeroflot or Turkish Airlines, and not using Norwegian Air Shuttle, which has a lot of flights cancelled or very late arrivals. I fly mostly on reliable, quality airlines, such as Air Canada, New Zealandair, Air Iceland, SAS, British Airways, Swissair, and the like. I used to take only budget airlines, like Martinair Holland and City Bird Airlines, but they don't exist anymore, or no longer service my destinations.

Within North America I DO take a plane, but find the cheapest discount rate, and use 2 different airlines with at least one extra stop. So, flights for me there are often only a little over $100.00 US or $130.00 Canadian, and I only need one of those each year.

So, you see, I ain't no friggin' billionaire! I'm just a 70+ year old workin' stiff, like y'all. But, as I'm a free-lance artist, who can send my work to my editors in digital files attached to E-mails, I can work anywhere in The World, and talk to my editors on camera using Skype. So, I can work for months with work partners in various countries, and visit my siblings in their different countries for a few months each, every year, and still be able to work and earn a living.

The technological age provides a lot of freedom, eh?

WOW! That's even cooler, Robb.

[masterblaster]

Bolton in the North West of England. I live about 5 miles from Wigan which is where the Northern Soul scene originated and probably where my love of Motown began. Remember hearing records in the clubs years before they became hits in the UK.

[phil]

I'm living in a tiny little village [[pop.400) lost in the woods, in the southwest of France. 50 miles from Bordeaux, between wine and mushrooms !

[marv2]

Great drawings Robb!

[robb_k]

Great drawings Robb!

Thanks Marv.

[snakepit]

Bolton in the North West of England. I live about 5 miles from Wigan which is where the Northern Soul scene originated and probably where my love of Motown began. Remember hearing records in the clubs years before they became hits in the UK.

I think you might get a few arguments about that !!

[robb_k]

I think you might get a few arguments about that !!

Yes, Larry. Weren't you guys at The Twisted Wheel in Manchester, long before Wigan started up?

[snakepit]

Hi Robb
The Wheel [[ and many other clubs around the UK) were playing 'rare' soul in the mid 60s....The term Northern Soul , I believe, originated after Dave Godin's visit to the Wheel in 1970, and documented in the 'bible' Blues And Soul magazine. [[ although others who worked with Godin have claimed to have coined the term first).
Personally , I only made the last year of the Wheel before it closed, but at 15/16 years of age I was very lucky to have got down there at all.
Thanks [[ or should that be no thanks!) to Godin's piece, clubs from 1971 started running "Northern Soul " nights.....and main players were The Golden Torch, Catacombs, Broken Wheel, Samanthas...lots of venues.
Serendipity in Wigan Casino's case....1973 , it became the go to place [[ certainly in terms of publicity etc)

[snakepit]

Re Wigan

One version I heard was that the BIG venue in the North West pre Wigan was Va-Vas's in Bolton.
They ran all nighters, and the local Authorities stopped the nights, but the promoters could not get notice out to punters who were due to travel from far and wide .....so they arranged an emergency Wigan Casino for one week-end to temporarily replace Va Va's.....the rest was history [[ Don't know how true that is but I've heard that version)

[robb_k]

I'm living in a tiny little village [[pop.400) lost in the woods, in the southwest of France. 50 miles from Bordeaux, between wine and mushrooms !

Sounds like a great place. I used to live in a village of 300 people and 1,000 sheep in northwestern Holland.

Are you French, or an expatriot from somewhere else?

[mysterysinger]

Amazing drawings Robb. If I eat more tomato soup will I be as artistic as you? Just lurve my French onion sooup though.

[phil]

Sounds like a great place. I used to live in a village of 300 people and 1,000 sheep in northwestern Holland.

Are you French, or an expatriot from somewhere else?

I am French and I feel blessed to live where I am, to me it's paradise.

We have a French proverb "Pour vivre heureux vivons cachés" [[to live happily, we have to hide away) and I'm fine with that !

[motown_marc]

The Hague, the Netherlands. Haven't seen Robb around though, since he's all over the globe.

I try to visit the US once a year for my work and since Detroit is a hub, it's always nice to be able to stay a couple of days there to further explore everything Motown-related.

[robb_k]

You live in Den Haag, eh? I lived there for over 20 years [[in Atjehstraat, in Archipelbuurt - near Westbroek Park and Madurodam). I have a friend in Leidschendam, with whom I stay for a weekend now and then. Maybe we can meet up next time I visit there [[maybe April, or so).

Robb

[JohnnyRavenATL]

Jobucats,
What a coincidence. Your life mirrors mine so strongly. I've been here in Atlanta for 16 years, but I'm a native North Carolinian...born there, raised there, graduated college there.

[144man]

"realised" also gave you away.

Oxford University now gives "-ize" as its preferred spelling over "-ise" for suffxes of verbs, so I suppose British usage is in the process of changing.

[motown_marc]

You live in Den Haag, eh? I lived there for over 20 years [[in Atjehstraat, in Archipelbuurt - near Westbroek Park and Madurodam). I have a friend in Leidschendam, with whom I stay for a weekend now and then. Maybe we can meet up next time I visit there [[maybe April, or so).

Robb

Goed idee Rob! Laat maar weten als je in het land bent. I work around the Central Station area, close to the Archipelbuurt you are referring to. And did you know that more and more vinyl-shops are popping up in the city centre here? And great drawings by the way; ever designed an album sleeve?

[TomatoTom123]

Oxford University now gives "-ize" as its preferred spelling over "-ise" for suffxes of verbs, so I suppose British usage is in the process of changing.

WHAT!!? I refuse to accept that.

Lol

[thommg]

Quite a lot of interesting lives being lived out there! The music really has brought the world closer together!

I am originally from College Park, Maryland, USA and I now live in New York City, NY, specifically, the Heights by the GW Bridge. Sending a shout out to my fellow Marylander in Baltimore, who posted earlier in this thread!

[robb_k]

Goed idee Rob! Laat maar weten als je in het land bent. I work around the Central Station area, close to the Archipelbuurt you are referring to. And did you know that more and more vinyl-shops are popping up in the city centre here? And great drawings by the way; ever designed an album sleeve?

Nee! Helaas, dat heb ik niet gedaan! But, I DID have some input into our LP cover on our Natural Resources "From The Vaults" series covers, pushing the idea that we should make fake 45 record labels for how they would have looked as a released issue on the proper label for each given group or artist. But they changed the label design for a few of them, just to show the first Motown [[pink with stripes) and Tamla [[with stripes), which wee wrong chronologically. We would have been able to show those original designs properly, chronologically, if the bosses hadn't scrapped the priject, and had approved the release of all 10 LPs, which included several older cuts, such as "Angel" by The Satintones, and "The Feeling Is So Fine" by The Miracles, At Airwave Records, we had no LPs released. We did have a 12-inch EP, but it was released only in a plain white thick jacket. We didn't have the money to risk blowing it on a record we didn't know would sell in big numbers.

Now that I look back on it, I would have loved to draw something up, and see if it might have brought some attention to our releases.

[jobucats]

Jobucats,
What a coincidence. Your life mirrors mine so strongly. I've been here in Atlanta for 16 years, but I'm a native North Carolinian...born there, raised there, graduated college there.

JohnnyRavenATL, It's interesting that there is another North Carolinian/Atlantan living in Atlanta. I am sure there are others. Being from a rural area in eastern NC, I wanted to experience living in a city so I moved here in 1997 and actually live in downtown Atlanta. Life has been good here; I retired from teaching public school 2 years ago, and spend my time on music [[piano, recording, church).

[luke]

Thommg..one of my closest friends lives in you area,,,very nice area. Like a mini NYC without the hassle!

[thommg]

Thommg..one of my closest friends lives in you area,,,very nice area. Like a mini NYC without the hassle!

It's nice in the Heights. As you say, a city feel without most of the hassles.

[JohnnyRavenATL]

JohnnyRavenATL, It's interesting that there is another North Carolinian/Atlantan living in Atlanta. I am sure there are others. Being from a rural area in eastern NC, I wanted to experience living in a city so I moved here in 1997 and actually live in downtown Atlanta. Life has been good here; I retired from teaching public school 2 years ago, and spend my time on music [[piano, recording, church).

Jobucats,
I graduated from NC A&T in 2000, left Greensboro that fall and have never looked back!

[DWSheffer]

I'm a relatively new member to the forum, although I had been a lurker for years. I am a lifelong resident of Hillsdale, Michigan, about an hour and a half from Hitsville, USA. I found my parent's records when I was around 10 years old, starting my love of the music of the 50's and 60's. Motown was always my favorite though, and a visit to the Motown Museum a few years ago exploded my interest in the music that came out of the house on West Grand Blvd. I turned 40 this year, and have what I consider a pretty sizable Motown record and memorabilia collection, especially for someone of my age. I am also lucky that I am close enough to Detroit and the Ann Arbor area record dealers that I have been able to acquire some special items over the years, some from former employees of Motown.
Darin

[StuBass1]

Witness Protection Program...

[danman869]

Originally from New Jersey, I've lived in Long Beach, CA for the last nearly 20 years. Long Beach is in the greater Los Angeles area. Anyone headed this way should drop me a line!