Satellite Worlds and the Bali Status Quo
After reading a story in the Australian Financial Review about the Bali digital nomad community yesterday, I decided to take a look at PARQ, north of Ubud.
The owners of PARQ Ubud bill the place on their website as a city of the future. The article billed it as a Russian and Ukrainian enclave, full of digital nomads, setting up camp in Bali to escape the war in their East European neighborhood. The place is enormous. Someone obviously spent a lot of dollars or rubles to put it together, but I didn’t feel threatened by it, nor by the people there. In fact, it’s all rather suburban, like a shopping mall with accommodation, and anyone, as far as I could see, was welcome to enter. The smiling security guards with automatic weapons slung over their shoulders walking past when we got inside obviously weren’t there for us, but I did wonder for whom.
It’s a complex of apartments, swimming pools and restaurants. There’s also a flash gym. But the main thing is the peaceful people. There’s no aggression, just people going about their business – most probably digital business like everywhere nowadays. There’s even a hint of sadness at these people’s plight.
There are other complexes around the island inhabited by Australians, French or Germans, maybe not as big, and like Parq, I wouldn’t feel threatened either.
Bali has an inclusive environment that welcomes all to its shores. Just like Aussie bogans or Pommy hooligans everyone has to learn the local way and feel the local energy if they want to settle here. I expect these new settlers will eventually do the same.
The world and Bali is changing now at a rapid pace and there is no holding it back. Fortunately, we have a banjar system on this island that will keep the status quo the same as it has been for centuries, as was seen with recent deportations of unruly wannabe new settlers.
At sunset there weren’t so many people around the complex. A friend said there were more punters about at lunch. We took off down the hill for dinner in town and had a pleasant evening in Ubud.
More about that later.
Finalists named in Southern Lakes Hospitality Awards –
The finalists have been announced at the Southern Lakes Hospitality awards and locals are being invited to vote for their favorite place to dine out.
The finalists represent excellent dining establishments in the region as voted by the hospitality industry, including Queenstown restaurant Jervois Steakhousenominated in four award categories, including outstanding restaurant.
Also up for outstanding restaurant is Ben Bayly’s Arrowtown restaurant Aosta, a small 50 seat restaurant that brings a taste of Northern Italy to the gold-rush village of Arrowtown. The restaurant is nominated in the category of outstanding restaurants, and best regional establishments.
Aosta and Jervois Steak House will be going up against Oro Restaurant and Sherwood Queenstown who are also nominated for the outstanding restaurant award.
Situated in newly opened The Carlin boutique hotel, Oro is a fine-dining restaurant with modern French, British and New Zealand influences. It’s chefs Yann Robert and Beata Balogh have both been recognized in the categories for best chef and best emerging chef respectively.
Yann Robert has esteemed competition from Sam Gruar of La Rumbla; Koji Kiminai of Tanoshi and Ben Norfolk of The Bunker all up to the outstanding chef accolade.
Great cafes are not lacking in the region with 11th Avenue by Frank’s, Bespoke Kitchen, Odd Saint, The Boat Shed Cafe & Bistro all finalists in the category of outstanding cafe.
Those looking for a place to get a great drink won’t be disappointed with the region’s assortment of top-notch drinking establishments recognized.
Bardeaux, Ferg’s Bar, Little Blackwood and Little Mez are all contenders for the title of best bar while Botswana Butchery, Eichardt’s Bar, Jervois Steak House Queenstown and The Bunker are all recognized in the category of best winery restaurant.
Anyone looking for the best quick and tasty place to grab a bite should check out Francesca’s Mobile Pizza, Margo’s Queenstown, Ramen Ramen by Tanoshi and Taco Medic who are all nominated for outstanding street food/casual dining.
Nineteen awards will be given to the best of the region’s hospitality industry. From crew members, to suppliers, to establishments – the best of the best will be celebrated for their contribution to creating a world-class hospitality scene in the Queenstown and Southern Lakes area.
CEO Marisa Bidois says, “Queenstown is now a destination dining experience offering exceptional experiences in some of the world’s most stunning settings.
“From quick and easy street eats, to luxury winery restaurant experiences, Queenstown has it all.
“With all categories keenly contested, this year’s winners truly exemplify what it means to be at the top of their respective categories.”
Voting closes on Sunday, 23 April 5.00pm and the winners will then be announced at the awards evening on Monday, May 7 at Walter Peak in Queenstown.
Tickets to the event are on sale now, to purchase or for more information regarding the awards please visit For more information regarding the awards please visit https://hospitalityawards.co.nz/southernlaklakes, Facebook @qthospitalityawards
The Southern Lakes Hospitality Awards Finalists 2023
DineFind Outstanding Baristas
Lauren Peters, Beach St Cafe
Michaela Jandackova, Kamana Lakehouse
Liam Wright, The Boat Shed Cafe & Bistro
Alex Tong, Wolf Coffee Roasters
Hospo Start Outstanding Bartender
Shaun White, Eichardt’s Bar
Kate Marshall, Jervois Steak House Queenstown
Liam Cabourn, Little Blackwood
Stuart Campbell, Little Mez
Antipodes Outstanding Front of House Team
Botswana Butchery
Jervois Steak House Queenstown
Margo’s Queenstown
Tanoshi Cow Lane
Mt Cook Alpline Salmon Emerging Chef
Beata Balogh, Oro Restaurant
Bella Maroszek, The Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa
Brandon Ferrari, Flame Bar & Grill
Callum Plank, The Bunker
Ritu Sharma, Kamana Lakehouse
Hospo Start Emerging Front of House
Brooke Owens, Slow Cuts
Ratchadaporn Tongjan, Thai Siam Kitchen
Jacob Bull, The Grille by Eichardt’s
Samaria Spyker, Vudu Cafe & Larder
Anchor Food Professional Outstanding Chef
Yann Robert, Oro Restaurant
Sam Gruar, La Rumbla
Koji Kiminami, Tanoshi
Ben Norfolk , The Bunkers
DineFind Outstanding Street Food/Casual Dining
Francesca’s Mobile Pizza
Margo’s Queenstown
Ramen Ramen by Tanoshi
Taco Medic
Bidfood Outstanding Café
11th Avenue by Frank’s
Bespoke Kitchen
Odd Saint
The Boat Shed Cafe & Bistro
Southern Hospitality Outstanding Bar
Bardeaux
Ferg’s Bar
LittleBlackwood
Little Mez
Restaurant Association of NZ Outstanding Wine & Beverage List
Botswana Butchery
Eichardt’s Bar
Jervois Steak House Queenstown
The Bunkers
Restaurant Association of NZ Outstanding Winery Restaurants
Gibbston Valley
Kinross
Mora Wines & Artisan Kitchen
Amisfield
OneMusic Outstanding Ambience & Design
Ferg’s Bar
Hyde Liquor and Social
Tanoshi Five Mile
Yonder
DineFind Outstanding Regional Establishments
Amisfield
Aosta
Bannockburn Hotel
The Dishery
Lumina Lamb Outstanding Restaurant
Aosta
Jervois Steak House Queenstown
Oro Restaurant
Sherwood Queenstown
Restaurant Association of NZ Outstanding Sales Rep
Ross Mander, Canyon Brewing
Theo Arndt, Cardrona Distillery
Karen Bisacre, Pernod Ricard
Devan Tyler, Wolf Coffee Roasters
Real NZ Outstanding Supplier
Bidfood
Crisp NZ
Harbor Fish
Pernod Ricard
Wolf Coffee Roasters
Chef advocates collectives for food security –
A new collective of iconic Kiwi chefs has come together under the Kiwi Harvest banner to tell the organization’s story and advocate for a more secure food Aotearoa.
Joining existing ambassador, Peter Gordon, are four new recruits: Michael Meredith, Brent Martin, Kylee Newton and Alfie Ingham.
Established in 2012, KiwiHarvest exists to address Aotearoa’s dual issues of food insecurity and food waste. By rescuing and redistributing surplus stock from its 280+ food donors, they’re able to get food into communities across its five national locations, delivering regularly to over 240 recipient charities. KiwiHarvest says, however, there is so much more that needs to be done and they are reliable on donations to enable them to meet this growing need.
The KiwiHarvest Collective aims to grow and nurture a community of like-minded people with a shared mission to raise awareness of and find solutions to these issues. The supergroup of culinary experts kicked things off with a volunteering session at KiwiHarvest’s Auckland warehouse at the end of March.
Peter Gordon joined KiwiHarvest as its very first ambassador in 2021. Internationally renowned chef, Peter has a repertoire of highly acclaimed restaurants under his belt, from Sugar Club, to Providores and Tapa Room, to his current focus, Homeland.
“Although we have plenty of kai in Aotearoa, many people are still going hungry. Helping KiwiHarvest show this was why I came onboard, but I realized that I needed support in spreading the message. I asked some of my favorite Auckland chefs and foodies to help me, and with our combined voices I believe we can reach a much wider audience and get food where it needs to be more easily,” explained Peter.
The first of the new recruits is the brain and talent behind Meredith’s and Mr. Morris, Michael Meredith.
“KiwiHarvest has done so much good in trying to improve the way we deal with such an ongoing problem, one that we face every day. My involvement in the collective is a stepping stone to contribute some new ideas and to collectively raise more awareness,” says Michael.
Second to join is Chief Executive Chef of the 5-star Park Hyatt Hotel, Brent Martin. He has played a pivotal role in the success of the hotel’s restaurants (including The Living Room, The Pantry and now, Onemata) and is excited to make real social change within our communities.
“It has always been at the top of mind to use my culinary connection, knowledge and passion to drive support for those who need it across Aotearoa – a cause that is way bigger than me. Food sustainability has become the forefront of what we, at the Park Hyatt, do on a daily basis. We even have set targets for food waste and food donations each year.”
“I want to feel connected to the community, and by collaborating with an organization like KiwiHarvest, I feel that I can make a real impact on people’s lives,” added Brent.
Cook, author and preserver, Kylee Newton is known for launching London-based preserving company, Newton&Pott which produced high quality jams, pickles, and chutneys with a focus on minimizing food waste.
“My good friend Peter (Gordon) first alerted me to the great work KiwiHarvest was doing in reducing food waste and how they distributed it among people in need. This is the main issue that surrounds my ethos in cooking; preserving food is at the heart of using up seasonal gluts, and giving food longevity so it doesn’t go to waste.”
“With increasing food costs, what better time to address this issue for the future of our community, and for the health of our planet. Awareness starts within the home and I will do all I can to spread this message – I see the KiwiHarvest Collective as a perfect platform to do so,” said Kylee.
And finally, UK-born Alfie Ingham has signed up, having worked in some of the best restaurants in NZ. He was part of the award-winning Hugo’s Bistro team, and prides himself in partnering with smaller local growers, farmers, hunters and fishermen, to highlight the hard work that goes into producing quality, sustainable food.
“I’ve always believed that good food should be accessible to everyone, and the more I learned about food waste and food insecurity, the more I wanted to help an organization do the right thing. I’m excited to meet the amazing people working hard behind the scenes and I’m hoping to make a real tangible change with food insecurity in New Zealand,” concludes Alfie.
Why now?
The lingering impacts of Covid-19, rising costs of living and natural disasters have meant more people than ever are doing it tough in Aotearoa – including those who wouldn’t stereotypically seek out food support.
KiwiHarvest Founder, Deborah Manning, pictured top right, said, “Our hope is that by teaming up with these culinary experts, we can raise more awareness about the issues right here in our backyard and offer practical solutions for people to take action.”
“Each of them brings enormous value to the table and the overall Kiwi Harvest mission. Together, we can amplify the important mahi being done by our partners, volunteers and other food rescue organizations to make sure every Kiwi has access to nutritional kai before it goes to waste,” Deborah concludes.
To launch the KiwiHarvest Collective, the team volunteered at KiwiHarvest’s East Tamaki warehouse, getting stuck into the hands-on work of sorting and packaging donated and surplus stock (including apples, carrots, feijoas, and other fresh produce), to be distributed to recipients all over the country.
Spotlighting Past Hall of Fame Inductees
Recognized for being industry pioneers, inductees to the HFTP International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame are the individuals behind much of the hospitality industry’s technology developments. Since 1989, 51 innovative and influential professionals have been selected to be a part of this venerated group, and this Spring, nominations are once-again being accepted for 2023 nominees. The deadline to apply is April 17, with inductees recognized at the upcoming HITEC Toronto on June 27.
Jeff Edwards, also a 2023 inductee, said, “Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a true career honor, as it is a recognition by my industry peers. I am pleased to be alongside a group of outstanding professionals, each with their own specialties all culminating in the excellence and progress of the hospitality technology industry.”
Inductees are a true encapsulation of the past, present and future of our industry, having been extensively involved in the role technology plays. Because of this, we asked inductees to discuss their perspective on the industry. We talked about the challenges — old, new and ongoing — what technologies have had an impact and which will continue to bring change to the hospitality industry.
What follows is an insightful conversation with a group of inductees. Participants include: Dave Berkus; Richard Brooks; John Burns; Fraser Hickox; Ted Horner; Jon Inge; Michael Kasavana; Douglas Rice; and Harbans Singh. [Original interview conducted in 2015, edited and shortened for HFTP Connect.]
Notable IT Challenges
There is no question that change is one of the defining features of technology, and as professionals who started in this industry more than four decades ago, many of our participants went from zero to 100 percent integration. In the early days, if you can believe it, one of the largest hurdles to overcome was getting management to visualize the benefits of technology tools.
Brooks says, “Perhaps the greatest consistent challenge I encountered was just the acceptance of technology in our industry. For many years technology was viewed as a ‘necessary evil,’ or a tool that had not reached sufficient functionality and maturity to be a truly competitive asset to hospitality managers.” And because there was not sufficient support for technology, it took some time for technology companies to gain a foothold and stay in business long enough for their products to gain acceptance.
Time and technology did move forward, with technology developments leading to a size reduction of hardware — hello PCs and mobile media — and the improved functionality of systems. The challenge then came in the form of disconnected systems: the POS didn’t match the CRM, etc. Rice explained, “We operate in a world with hundreds or thousands of vendors, most of whom don’t play by common architectural rules that would make it easier for hotels to bind them together in a cohesive way. So there are lots of loose ends that each hotel group (or even individual hotel) needs to try to tie together as best they can, which often isn’t a good or cost effective solution.”
Never-ending Challenges
Today technology is an essential business element and with its ubiquitous qualities, it also brings ongoing challenges. Not surprisingly, high on the list is data security, if the news is any indication. “Security is an obvious one, though not so much that it doesn’t end, as that we didn’t use to worry about it at all. Now we have to, and the problem will continue to get worse every year,” declares Inge.
Then there is the fact that technology development still moves at lightning speed. There continues to be the challenge of keeping up with changes, maintaining functionality with upgrades and convincing executives to continue to make the investments.
“Each seven to 10 years, there is a new generation of technology that challenges suppliers of systems to upgrade or rewrite in orders to remain current and fend off new competitors who are starting with a clean slate and no massive user base to service, a reality that distracts R&D developers of current solutions from concentrating upon only the next generation,” explains Berkus. “Hospitality technology vendors and users must learn to be agile and adapt to change — or suffer a loss of leadership or even relevance. This form of creative destruction has continued to ravage the industry from its technology beginnings and provides openings for new companies with new ideas periodically to shake up this industry.”
Keeping up With Technology Innovation
In a discipline that has been experimental, new and evolving; keeping up-to-date depending on information sharing amongst practitioners.
Horner explains, “The only way to stay current is to attend as many industry events as possible, as face-to-face contact is the best way to liaise with industry colleagues and get the information you want directly. HITEC is the first date in my diary and this year is my 27th in succession.”
He further explained, “Methodology to solve problems only comes with experience and if you have a good global network of contacts this helps as you can reach out to discuss with them what they did to solve a problem. Also, I have found common sense is a great starting point in looking to solve issues and sometimes this is lost in the desire to solve a problem quickly.”
Singh agrees, “In terms of problem solving, the key issue is to identify what the problem is. It seems like a no brainer, but many times the problem is not understood. The key to solving the problem is to look for the right resources, knowing who can help you address the issue; or if not, point you in the right direction.”
Another notable way to build knowledge is to accept the guidance of others. Hickox says, “I am fortunate to have a number of mentors who would freely exchange their thoughts on what was evolving from their labs. With this information I was able to undertake further research and determine how it may be applied within the industry.”
Final Reflections
As participants wrap up the conversation, they have some final thoughts to share:
Kasavana said: “Nothing can impact the way a hospitality business is planned, conducted or managed than a sound technology roadmap.
The industry has a promising future given the progressive evolution of sophisticated property management systems, food service management systems, and guest and non-guest operated interfaces.”
On hospitality professionals, Burns is intrigued by, “The need by hotel management staff for strong leadership, mental agility, despondency and a willingness to repeatedly reinvent their teams and their objectives.”
Read this full interview in the HITEC 2015 Special Report.
Nominate a technology pioneer for the 2023 Hall of Fame by April 17, 2023.
The Balinese status quo
After reading a story in the Australian Financial Review about the Bali digital nomad community yesterday, I decided to take a look at PARQ, north of Ubud. The owners of the place bill PARQ Ubud as a city of the future on their website. The article billed it as a Russian and Ukrainian enclave, full of digital nomads, setting up camp in Bali to escape the war in their neighborhood. The place is enormous. Someone obviously spent a lot of dollars or rubles to put it together, but I didn’t feel threatened by it, nor the people there. In fact, it’s all rather suburban, like a shopping mall with accommodation.
It’s a complex of apartments, swimming pools and restaurants. There’s also a flash gym. But the main thing is the peaceful people. There’s no aggression, just people going about their business – most probably digital business like everywhere nowadays. There’s even a hint of sadness at these people’s plight.
There are other complexes around the island inhabited by Australians, French or Germans, maybe not as big, and like them, I wouldn’t feel threatened.
Bali has an inclusive environment that welcomes all to its shores. Just like Aussie bogans or Pommy hooligans everyone has to learn the local way and feel the local energy if they want to settle here. I expect these new settlers will eventually do the same.
The world and Bali is changing now at a rapid pace and there is no holding it back. Fortunately, we have a banjar system on this island that will keep the status quo the same as it has been for centuries, as was seen with recent deportations of unruly wannabe new settlers.
At sunset there weren’t so many people around the complex. A friend said there were more punters about at lunch. We took off down the hill for dinner in town and had a pleasant evening in Ubud.
More about that later.
Molly Shannon makes a superstar return as host
Hey there — it’s SNL in Review time, and this week we have a special host. one of Saturday Night Live‘s happy graduates have come home. It’s nearly impossible to consider the history of prominent female cast members without evoking Molly Shannon. From “Delicious Dish” to “Mary Katherine Gallagher” to “Dog Show,” her character work represented a key contribution to SNL during a time when the show was finally beginning to give female voices more prominence.
I am joined tonight by former SNL cast member Robin Duke, who is co-starring in shelved, which just premiered on CTV. On Shannon, she notes: “I love her I’m 50 character, Sally O’Malley. It’s so true and great. It’s out there, I like how bold she is with her characters. She’s a good actress too, which helps really. As big as her character can be, her acting grounds them. There’s a truth there that is really identifiable.”
Exactly! With Duke as an obvious precursor, there’s an argument that Shannon’s boldness, alongside the likes of Cheri Oteri, liberated future women in the cast to be as wild and brash as any of the male performers. Do you get Kristen Wiig or Kate McKinnon without Shannon paving the way? I do not see it. And since SNL, Shannon has carved a wonderful niche for herself on TV and in independent dramas. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the only one in a similar lane. Right now she’s appearing in the third season of The Other Two as well as in the Showtime comedy series I Love That for You alongside fellow former SNL alum Vanessa Bayer. She is also co-starring in A Good Person opposite Florence Pugh.
NBC Molly Shannon hosts ‘SNL’
Yes, she is indeed a SUPERSTAR! Quite the range. Keep scrolling below and find out what’s good for you.
Cold Open
In honor of Easter this weekend, we join Jesus at the Last Supper. The iconic painting comes alive with Mikey Day as Christ and Molly Kearney as Judas. “A famous, wonderful man arrested for no reason at all,” interjects James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump. Ah, that’s one of those cold opens. again. Trump keeps comparing himself to “Jesus of Azkaban” with Ron DeSantis as his Judas. As he goes on to note the rest of the students are frozen behind him.
This sketch has a lot of potential, but even with JAJ’s very amusing Trump take, I’m not sure I can recommend it.
Monologues
Shannon last hosted back in 2007, but she’s since returned to the show a few times to comeo. “It’s so great to be back,” she says in her monologue, reflecting on her kids and the memoir she put out last year. It was a frank book about some of the troubles she’s experienced throughout her life. This leads to an excellent Broadway rendition, in which Shannon calls on various cast members to air their issues. Kearney says they are not in the show much; Bowen Yang is attracted to his therapist; Kenan Thompson is addicted to buying roles; and Andrew Dismukes still dresses like a little boy.
Shannon goes beyond the cast for admissions from the audience. Lorne Michaels alert! Shannon calls on him but he doesn’t have any problems. But Martin Short ran out Ozempic. Nice use of the cast, a Superstar call-out, and a fun guest cameo. Watch this!
“Valets”
Dismukes is coaching three new recruits (JAJ, Shannon, and Thompson) on the ideal way to retrieve a customer’s keys. He has three core rules to follow: lil joke, lil bow, lil jog. You won’t believe this, but the recruits just don’t get it! JAJ makes a tiny penis joke. Shannon says she was catfished by a middle schooler. “Actually I’m in love with you,” she keeps confessing. Thompson talks too low.
“Netflix Live Promotion: Jeannie Darcy”
Oh hell yes, they brought back Jeannie Darcy! Debuting way back in 2000, Darcy was an uninspired stand up comedian with a mullet. Her catchphrase, in case you can’t tell is: “Don’t get me started, don’t even get me started.”
I love this. It’s a fun, sly spoof, and worked perfectly in this context (riffing on Chris Rock’s live special). Here she is back in 2007. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if Darcy Shannon’s Mr. Saturday Night style recurring character.
“Pregnant Co-worker”
Susie is glowing in maternal instinct. She is excited to start maternity leave too – until a loud audible fart diffuses her womb. This is dark! Check it out.
Please Don’t Destroy’s “Molly Shannon 2K23”
Molly2k23 is a game about Shannon’s life. Discovering this, the real deal falls into a rabbit hole.
I like this a lot! We have our second Superstar reference of the night.
The Daniels play
Devon Walker is excited his girlfriend has published a play. But to his horror, the show, A Year of a Thousand Men, is about her extensive sexual history and true feelings about him. In her eyes, he’s a dork. He was the 1000th man. Joe Jonas has a small role here.
Jonas Brothers – first musical performance
“Waffle House” is the second and final single from the Jonas Brothers’ sixth studio album, The Albums. The song “was born from a simple but powerful idea: When you sit down with the people that matter most, anything is possible. This song isn’t about a restaurant, it’s about coming together with the people you love,” the group told Good MorningAmerica.
“Weekend Update”
Subjects include the Harlow Crow-Justice Clarence Thomas scandal, and Trump’s arrangement. A bit muted tonight, though Michael Che is increasingly unhinged. This week, DeSantis has escalated his feud with Disney, threatening to impose taxes on its hotels and roads that lead to the theme park. To comment: Jafar from Aladdin (Which). Turns out a lot of Disney characters are gay. He has pointed words for “the boy” DeSantis.
Earlier this week, Angel Reese (Punkie Johnson) said neither she, nor her team, would be visiting the White House after the Tigers defeated the University of Iowa Hawkeyes 102-85 to win their first NCAA women’s basketball national championship. Reese also made a gesture towards Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Your coworker who is busy doing nothing Crystal (Heidi Gardner) also appears. She is criticized but is on to discuss a recent Labor Department report regarding increased in-person work. “Hello Caesar,” she frantically says, greeting her salad. First time she’s eaten in a month! Very funny reveal on her job: she is Che’s assistant!
“Drugs Commercial”
A spoof of commercials that use euphemisms and upbeat settings/music to suggest they treat vaginal issues. Shannon is concerned that her costars’ energy levels are “mid” while filming an ad for Vagerted. “This product sounds really awful,” says Ego Nwodim. They were wrong in the monologue, there’s actually a lot of Kearney tonight!
Jonas Brothers – second musical performance
Another recently released song from their latest album, “Walls,” is the last track. The Jonas Brothers previously appeared on the show in 2009 and 2019. (And “The Oldest Jonas” remains a classic.)
Sally O’Malley
The Jonas Brothers want a new choreographer. They are not a teen band anymore and want a more mature stage act. Cue, to applause, Sally O’Malley. She’s still kicking – literally!
“The grand canyon has nothing on me!” says O’Malley as she hikes up her outfit. Still proud after all these years. Oh boy, legacy act/victory lap time, the Jonas Brothers show up also dressed up as O’Malley. “Kick, stretch…”
Okay, I love Sally. But shoehorning this as a 10-to-1? This feels rushed and half assed.
“CNN App”
People have based their entire personality around hating Trump. The anxiety over the indictment is too much. “In your mind he’s already in jail,” the app reassures.
I like Shannon as Maggie Haberman. And Sherman as Wolf Blitzer. I’m generally a bit underwhelmed by all this, but it’s a funny concept.
Final thoughts
-What did you think? Vote here or weigh in below!
-I feel underwhelmed. This never really got its foot, right?
-Go watch shelved! Thanks again to Robin Duke. She noted to me that the transition from a sketch background to a sitcom can be “difficult. I have to be very careful with this character [in Shelved]. I need to get the laughs out of an honest place. Not a judgmental or critical place – it must be identifiable. That kind of character on stage could be a wackadoo, but that’s not what I’m doing on shelved. I’m trying to find who that person is, and what if it was me? How would I be in that situation? I would want a sense of humor about where I was, but also defensive, which I think that character is. She doesn’t want anyone to get close to her right now. She has a lot of walls up. There’s a bit more history behind this character than I would do in a sketch.”
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Luxurious Hulbert House returns to Brooke Serene portfolio –
Brook Serene Boutique Hotels has announced the return of Hulbert House to its luxury hotel portfolio.
Brook Serene Boutique Hotels opened and managed the Qualmark-rated 5-star Enviro Gold luxury hotel from 2016 to 2020 and has resumed management of the property from 1 April this year.
Hulbert House is nestled in the heart of Queenstown and is a beautifully restored Victorian villa that offers six luxurious rooms, each uniquely designed with modern amenities and breathtaking views of Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding mountains.
The hotel’s commitment to sustainability is reflected in its Enviro Gold rating, which recognizes its efforts to reduce its environmental impact and promote eco-friendly practices.
“We are delighted to have Hulbert House return to our portfolio of boutique hotels,” says Bruce Garrett, Managing Director of Brook Serene Boutique Hotels.
“This iconic property perfectly aligns with our philosophy of providing highly personalized service, a tranquil ambience and rich local flavor to our guests in unique and stunning destinations.
“We are excited to bring our expertise in boutique hotel management to Hulbert House and continue to provide exceptional experiences for our guests.”
“We are confident that the management transition will be seamless, and we look forward to once again working closely with the dedicated team at Hulbert House to maintain the hotel’s reputation as a premier luxury destination,” added Mr Garrett.
Brook Serene Boutique Hotels is a boutique hotel management company known for its distinctive properties in unique locations around New Zealand. With a focus on providing exceptional guest experiences and personalized service, Brook Serene Boutique Hotels offers a collection of carefully curated hotels that embody luxury, style and authenticity. For more information, visit www.brookserene.com.
The 10 best luxury hotels in Anzhou, China
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If you’re looking to treat yourself, a high-end hotel has that extra something to make your trip all the more memorable. These 5-star properties feature luxuries like on-site restaurants with sweeping city views, in-room massages, and spacious private terraces. They’re often situated in central locations, which makes exploring a destination’s main sights a breeze.