<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
 
The Shamrock Dublin Gazette- Issue #11
Kennedy High School, La Palma, California 90623
 
Monday, March 1, 2004    
Countdown to Departure: 10 Days
 
Current Email Subscribers: 103
 
Current Temperatures & Time 5:32am Here & 1:32pm There
Dublin: 46 Degrees-Cloudy-Wind at 13 mph-Humidity 48% 
Limerick: 46 Degrees-Cloudy-Wind at 14 mph-Humidity 59% 
London: 43 Degrees-Sunny-Wind at 6 mph-Humidity 48% 
 
Henri Soucy, Editor 
http://www.kennedyband.org
 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
 
IN THIS ISSUE
 
(1) A Word from Henri
(2) Central London Parking Space Cost: $187,500
(3) London - Chief Sights and Attractions
(4) Limerick - Bunratty Castle
(5) A New Way to View London: From a Toilet
(6) Schedule of Events
(7) Fund-Raising Review
(8) Frequently Asked Questions
(9) Show me the Money
 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
 
A WORD FROM HENRI:
 
I'm sorry I didn't get this sent out on Friday as usual.
My wife and daughter took me to the hospital Wednesday
night and I was off from work Thursday and Friday. I'm
fine now. 
 
We're working an issue that has come up with some of the
instruments and boxes we're asking the airlines to
transport. Our tubas, sousaphones, bass drums and uniform
boxes exceed the airlines standard measurements and
weights. Since 9/11 a lot of things have changed. So we're
waiting for a quote from a freight forwarder instead of
using Virgin Atlantic, British Midlands and Aer Lingus.
The cost potentially could be the same or less than what
the airlines want. Plus a major headache would be avoided
by not having to take instruments on every leg of the trip.
In past years the instruments were sent directly to Ireland
and back. This made things so much easier. 
 
Your son or daughter should have brought the School,
General Trip, Hotel rules two-page form for you to sign as
well as the themselves. Also we sent home the parental
delegation of authority to consent to medical treatment.
Both sets of forms have to be returned by all 108 students.
If a student does not return the forms, they cannot board
the plane. That may seem a very severe consequence but it
protects the school and the school district. 
 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
 
CENTRAL LONDON PARKING SPACE COST: $187,500
 
A car parking space is for sale in central London for
$187,500, fueling a favorite obsession of Britons: talking
about property prices.
 
The space in an underground car park near the luxury store
Harrods in Knightbridge, is thought to be one of the most
expensive in Britain. 
 
Price of parking spaces and individual garages have risen
steadily in rent years as motorists seek ways to avoid
parking costs of up to four pounds an hour and tickets from
zealous traffic wardens.
 
Spaces are an investment and, for the sort of people who
live in the area is not that much.
 
A recent boom in property prices has pushed the average
price of a home in Britain to just over $261,000.
Knightbridge is one of the most expensive parts of London,
where properties routinely sell for a millions of dollars.
 
Our hotel isn't to far from Harrod's. It's a quick
underground ride. I remember when I was in London a coupon
years ago, that the streets are narrower so when people
park along the street half the car was on the street and
half on the sidewalk. 
 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
 
LONDON - CHIEF SIGHTS AND ATTRACTIONS:
 
MSNBC had an article on the chief sights and attractions
for London. Depending upon the time a person would have
there are at least 150 important museums, vital sites,
historic structures to visit, and contemporary institutions
to see; you could extend your stay for several months, and
still not cover them all. I've listed their short list if a
person only had a couple days. Which is us.
 
Tower of London
The London Theater
The London Eye
Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
The British Museum
The National Gallery
St. Paul's Cathedral
Harrod's, the world's best department store
Piccadilly Circus
Hatchard's Book Shop, the world's greatest
An Auction at Sotheby's or Christie's
The Victoria and Albert Museum
Windsor Castle
Tea at the Ritz, or any other top-class hotel
Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens on a fine day 
 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
 
LIMERICK - BUNRATTY CASTLE:
 
This is included on our tour. The marvelously restored
15th-century Bunratty Castle was built for the O'Brien's in
1425, earls of Thomond, and its restoration includes
furnishings that look as though they've been here since the
days of those first residents. Enter across a drawbridge
into the vaulted Great Wall, the center of the castle life
where elaborate feasts are served nightly just as they were
in the days of yore. Some of the restorations in the Folk
Park include a recreated village street, a blacksmith shop,
post office, draper, tea room and a tiny pub.
 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
 
A NEW WAY TO VIEW LONDON: FROM A TOILET: 
 
Visitors to Britain will find a new stop on London's site
seeing route this spring: a useable public toilet enclosed
in one-way mirrored glass situated on a sidewalk near the
River Thames. The contemporary art exhibit, which allows
the user to see out while passers-by cannot peep in, toys
with the concepts of privacy and voyeurism. 
 
The exhibit, entitled "Don't Miss A Sec," is on display at
a construction site across from Tate Britain, the national
gallery of British art from 1500 to the present. 
 
As museum-goers inquisitively press their noses to the
reflective glass, and construction workers mill about, it
isn't difficult to see why people would feel uneasy about
using the glass outhouse. 
 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
 
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
 
MANDATORY BAND PRACTICE<=>
 
Tuesday, March 2nd (7pm-9pm)
 
A Special Open session on Monday, March 8th (7pm-9pm). The
band will be performing all of the songs to be played in
Ireland. All families are invited to come and listen to
the globetrotting Shamrock Regiment Ireland Band strut
their stuff. 
 
 
FINAL "ALL HANDS" MEETING<=>
 
On Monday, March 1st 7pm-9pm we will have the final "All
Hands" meeting for everybody going on the trip. We'll be
going over the itinerary. The chaperones will be
introduced. The foreign currency will be distributed for
the parents that asked us to procure the Euros and Pound
Sterling on their behalf through Bank of America. This will
be your best opportunity to ask questions. 
 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
 
FUND-RAISING REVIEW:
 
The success of the request for donations you've sent out
has not surprised me because of the prior success for the
Australia trip in September of 2000. Back then the
families, friends and professionals really supported the
students. 
 
For this adventure since mid January, 148 individual
donations have come in from your sending out the letters to
your family, friends and professionals. The grand total
donated is $11,969. The donations have come from all over
California. The states outside of California include
Arizona, Florida, Nevada, Texas, Maine and Illinois.
 
I will have available tonight at the "All Hands" Meeting
the list of all donors by student. I know all of you that
have received donations would like to sent out letters of
thanks to your relatives, friends and professionals. 
 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
 
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
 
(Q1) We're about to go buy suitcases for the trip. What's
the maximum size? 
(A1) It's 62 inches. You would add the length + width +
height. If those 3 measurement added together are over 62
inches, you've exceeded the airline standard. 
 
Normally questions will be answered in the weekly
newsletter. If the questions require an immediate response,
I'll send out a special email. 
 
mailto:henri.soucy@ngc.com?subject=questions
 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
 
SHOW ME THE MONEY:
 
$100 US Dollars = $51 Pound Sterling (Great Britain)
$100 US Dollars = $77 Euro (Ireland) 
Rate valid as of: 03/01/2004 
 
Currency conversions are based on Yahoo and CNN Currency
Conversion data. They are wholesale rates. I've adjusted
the rates for what you'd likely pay which would be the
retail rate. I assumed a 4% increase. But to be honest
retail is whatever the market will bare. If you went to
Disneyland you'd find their rates a tad higher than Bank of
America. That's because foreign tourists are exchanging
their money there. 
 
I read an article called "Saving Money when you change
Money". It points our once abroad, you'll discover to your
horror that most exchange offices charge both a fee and a
commission, in addition to imposing a hideously-weighted
(in their favor) exchange rate to convert your travelers
checks and currency. Calculated even conservatively, those
fees and commissions can often add to as much as 8%.
Especially at those one-person booths called "Bureaux de
Change" that are scattered about Piccadilly Circus and
Leicester Square. 
 
I will have ready tonight the foreign currency for the 54
people that responded by Feb 23rd. I have 10 more of you
that requested this conversion. I am working with Bank of
America on those requests. I will distribute to those 10
people at the Monday, March 8th Band Special Open Session. 
 
Lists will be posted on which 54 people that I have the
currency for. Plus I will include the list of 10 people
that I will not have the currency until the following
Monday. I don't want you to have to wait in line
unnecessarily. 
 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
 
You can subscribe by sending an email to: 
mailto:henri.soucy@ngc.com?subject=subscribe
 
You can unsubscribe by sending an email to:
mailto:henri.soucy@ngc.com?subject=unsubscribe
 
You can give feedback by sending an email to:
mailto:henri.soucy@ngc.com?subject=feedback 
 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
 
Thank You For Your Readership!
 
 Henri Soucy, Editor
 12903 Belcher Street
 Norwalk, CA 90650-3329 
 Telephone: 310-332-3239
 Pager: 310-232-4458  
 http://www.kennedyband.org
 Email Address: henri.soucy@ngc.com
 
 Bob Anthony, Kennedy Band Director
 Telephone: 714-220-4119
 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>