October 1999
What are all those stripes on the sidewalks? The white stripes have been painted to increase visibility of junctions and openings in the concrete walkways. This is a policy borrowed from industry that serves as a safety feature to increase our awareness of changes to the walking surfaces.
As for Villa Monterey, I have found it to be a great place to live. Everyone I have met has been friendly and I can't think of any especially negative experiences over the past 2+ years. There are several dogs in the area, but the only problem I have heard regarding pets are the reminders in the "Monterey Message" for owners to be sure and clean-up after their pets in the common areas. I also haven't had any problems with noise - in fact I don't think I have ever heard any voices from the next-door neighbors through the walls. I have been told that Villa Monterey was one of the first condominium projects in San Diego and, as a result, the developers were very conscious of making the "experience" as positive as possible. They therefore did a lot of "overbuilding" by making the common walls "soundproof" and designing the floor-plans to minimize noise transmission.
I really do believe that Villa Monterey is one of the nicest projects in San Diego - at least from the ones I viewed (my realtor and I visited over 20 different locations when I was looking).
Excerpt from a letter
Kramer, named after a popular TV show character, is a two-year-old Lhasa-Apso mix, who weighs in at thirty pounds. Though owned by Donna, Jim seems to do most of the heavy-duty walking. Among Kramer's favorite activities are savaging furry toy animals to get at their squeaking mechanism - that is, when he's not seeking ways around his restricted diet. In particular, he likes to ride down to Blockbuster on Saturday nights to rent a great movie - like BABE. And he never objects to riding up the Coast to sign in at his favorite Bed and Breakfast - they have a resident cat. Quite possibly, Kramer is the most spoiled animal in Villa Monterey.
Visiting Jordan this summer was like going back in time. So many things that make you think that you are living in the past. In Jordan, there are ruins that you can go visit, and take pictures of.
When I went to visit these ruins, I could imagine them the way they looked a long, long time ago, as if I was there when it stood up all together, in one piece.
You really feel that you are living in the past, when you pass many families living in tents in the middle of nowhere, with sheep, camels, cows, horses or other herds of animals, like people many years ago. Arabic food was what I liked. My favorite was Mansaf, which is whole stewed lamb, cooked in a yogurt sauce and served on a bed of rice.
Jordan is a very small country of five million people. It is ruled by king Abdullah II. The Jordanian flag is black, white, green, and red.
De Portola Middle School 7th grader
We recently had a wonderful trip to Turkey and experienced the wonders, sights and smells of the that region of the world. Our excursion took us to Ephesus, that ancient city in which Paul lived. To walk the streets and touch the buildings he walked and touched was memorable indeed. We were not prepared for and were overwhelmed by the wonderful restoration of this archeological site. The library was massive and the amphitheater could hold 20,000 persons for events of all types. Also, in that region we visited the ruins of St. john's Basilica and the single remaining column of the temple of Artemis, known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Istanbul proved to be a highlight of the trip as we visited such wonderful and historical sights as the Blue Mosque, a massive and beautiful edifice; the Topkopi Museum where the ancient relics and the treasury were particularly impressive. The Hagia Sophia Museum (no longer used as a Mosque) was being surveyed by a Japanese team since there is a growing concern that the movement of this massive structure by earthquakes past and present may have seriously impaired its foundation. The Dolmabahee Sarayi (Palace) was exquisite. It was built to resemble Versailles and it lives up to that goal. Incidentally, it boasts the largest crystal chandelier in the world weighing in at over two tons. What a sight! You cannot visit Istanbul without experiencing the Grand Bazaar of the Spice Market. Both are indelibly etched in our minds with the stalls of rugs, jewelry, leather goods, pottery, clothing, food and oh those spices! Saffron everywhere!
We heard stories of the disastrous earthquake, but we did not see any damage in Istanbul proper, although we were told that in the outskirts of the city the damage was readily apparent. If you plan on visiting, take plenty of greenbacks, since they will exchange in like currency. You'll feel like a millionaire dealing in Turkish Lire. For example it cost 3,000,00 TL to see the Dolmabache Palace. About $6.75! They don't, however, like to deal in American Express Travelers Cheques.
© Copyright 1999 Villa Monterey HOA
Return to Newsletters Index