Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“I always travel with one book,” says “Suits” star Patrick J. Adams. “I’ll read it and then leave it for someone else, and take another book. I bring a notebook or a journal and my computer, so that I can go through my photos. And a couple of cameras. That’s it.”
“We started traveling almost immediately with our kids and we’re aware that sometime we’re ‘that family’ and you feel bad for the other passengers,” says “Better Call Saul” actor Patrick Fabian. “When we traveled to Fiji, my youngest was beside herself! It was an 11-hour flight that started at 11 at night. By 1 a.m., she was having a meltdown. There’s nothing you can do. I was lucky we were with family and we took turns holding her and trying to console here. But there are not enough lollipops and iPads to help at that point.”
“When I played football in school, I took academics very seriously,” says former NFL running back Thomas Q. Jones, who’s now an actor. “If I didn’t get A’s and B’s, I couldn’t play sports. I was an honor roll student and graduated from university in three years. My parents didn’t push sports. They wanted us to do well in school.”
“The only thing I have been longer in my life than a ‘Brady’ is a surfer,” says Barry Williams, who played Greg on “The Brady Bunch.” “So, when visiting the Hawaiian islands, my activities are, surf, beach, rest, sleep and eat.”
“Wild Card” actress Dominik Garcia-Lorido remembers spending time in Italy while her father, Andy Garcia, filmed “The Godfather: Part III”: “I still remember the school I went to and what the hallway looked like, what our house was like and all that. I went to an American school, so I didn’t learn to speak Italian, which is a shame. But, Italy is still my favorite place to go.”
British mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins is known for her beautiful voice. Over the past decade, she has performed with opera legends such as Andrea Bocelli, Placido Domingo and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. Jenkins — who also was a runner-up on “Dancing with the Stars” — spends much of her time touring and has performed in South Africa, China, Abu Dhabi, Europe and the United States.
Former co-stars (“Charmed”) and real-life best friends, actresses Shannen Doherty and Holly Marie Combs star in the Great American Country reality series, “Off the Map with Shannen and Holly.” “Holly and I experienced so many memorable moments,” says Doherty, 43, who resides in Malibu. “We ziplined in Kentucky and handled an alligator in Georgia. But, most of all, the people we met were so special and I truly feel blessed to have had this experience.”
“I didn’t make it to Perth, but I went all over Australia,” says actress Carla Renata. “I was working over there long enough that I could take vacations. If I could figure out a way to make a living there, I would move there. The food is to die for. Everything is fresh and prepared spectacularly and the people are really loving and warm. The theater and arts scene is wonderful.”
A huge hit in South Korea, where it was filmed, “Miss Granny” doesn’t have a unique plot. But, director Hwang Dong-hyuk deftly takes an old premise (an elderly woman finds herself magically transformed into a 20 year old) and adds some new twists and social commentary. The result? A charming comedy full of music and scenes that will tug at your heart.
Author Dianne Hales says, “If you were to offer me a ticket almost anywhere, but I had to leave in an hour, I wouldn’t hesitate. There’s nothing I need that can’t be bought somewhere.”
“I’ve been lucky enough to travel from a young age,” says actress and jewelry designer Katie Barberi. “I’ve grown up seeing so much diversity and beauty in different cultures. I draw inspiration from that all the time.”
To this day, when I see a bag of M&M’s, it reminds me of a time when it was difficult being the new kid who couldn’t speak English, who had no idea what was going on and who desperately wanted to go back home to Seoul. I hope that Santa enjoys the cookies and M&M’s my son left out for him tonight. And I hope that you all have a very happy holiday season.
“My favorite trip to Italy was my post-college backpacking trip and my best friend and I ended up in Cinque Terre,” says “Family Guy” actress Alex Borstein. “It’s a small stretch on the Italian coast that’s made up of five magical-looking villages.”
As I was wiping the polish off my son’s tiny fingernails, I told him that there’s nothing wrong with nail polish on boys or girls, just as there’s nothing wrong with pierced ears (at an appropriate age) on girls or boys. That there is no toy that is the property of one gender, just as there is no career that only boys can do and not girls.
Idris Elba is famous for his acting. Nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his starring role in “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” Elba is also known for playing Russell “Stringer” Bell on HBO’s “The Wire.” He’ll next be seen reprising his role of Heimdall in 2015’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” But it was his role playing Nelson Mandela that spurred him on to record “mi Mandela.”
If there are some of you who have yet to order your cards, I would like to share this tip. Order more than you need. Not only will they come in handy when you rush to mail out last-minute cards to people you’ve forgotten about (oops!), but they’ll be really fun to send out in the upcoming years. One day, when our children are no longer small and adorable, they may not want to pose for cute holiday card photos. In fact, they may look downright surly. And let’s face it — when kids are surly at 3, 4 or 5 — they’re still pretty darned sweet looking. At 16 or 17, not so much.
Oh, I’ve got ideas for holiday cards & I’m also doing a little giveaway. 🙂 Happy holidays! #WinWithJae
I was cleaning out my file cabinet the other day and found this. When I was young, I had written Lennon a letter. His assistant typed back a thank you note. At the bottom, John had scrawled a personalized note.
Born in the Philippines and raised in Ohio, Reggie Lee currently splits his time between Los Angeles and Portland, where he has a co-starring role as Sgt. Wu on the NBC hit series “Grimm.” Lee’s film credits include “The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Fast and the Furious “ and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.” Lee says he loves shooting on location in Oregon, but he’s looking forward to doing some traveling soon. “I generally like to stay home and be with family for the holidays. But, right after Christmas, I’m headed to London and then Paris for New Year’s.”
When I was young, I went through a phase where I hated Korean food. My mother would make fresh, home-cooked meals from scratch. And instead of realizing what a treat that was, I would ask why we couldn’t just eat TV dinners like all my friends. But these days, there’s no cuisine I enjoy more than Korean. And if someone else is willing to cook it for me, all the better! So when my family and I traveled to South Korea this fall, eating well was a top priority.