(Why) I'm Not Too Proud for Group Tour, Part II

While I've already talked about the basics of my tour with Intrepid Travel in India, I never really talked about WHY I decided to do a group tour to India. Some of them are probably obvious, but I thought I'd talk about them a little:

I don't think I would have gone to several places on our itinerary. It's very easy when traveling in India to keep on the tourist trail in part because it's often hard to veer off of it. What I loved most about our tour was the fact that we stayed and experienced both large cities with major sites AND got a chance to see small, rural towns. Honestly, those experiences in more "off the beaten" path locations were really some of my favorite moments on the trip. Over the coming weeks, I'll share those experiences with you, but I know that I wouldn't have even thought of going to many of them. One place we visited wasn't even mentioned in my guidebook and barely comes up in a Google search.

Doing the washing in the town of Tal Waz (I think that's the name of the town. I'm not sure about the spelling.)

I knew being a woman traveling alone in India was not always going to be easy. I'm not trying to scare anyone, but I knew going in that my time in India was not always going to be hassle-free. I read a lot about the experiences of solo women travelers, and they were all a mixed bag. Mostly the answer was, "You'll be fine as a solo woman traveler, but....". Solo women travelers were a rarity (Black female solo travelers non-existent) in my three weeks in India. Our group did encounter or see a few women traveling alone, and there were moments where I felt like a little bit of a punk. Maybe I should have done this all alone? Maybe I can't hack travel like I think I can (I thought I'd overcome that insecurity with my solo trip to Brazil, but maybe not)?

On the streets of Jaipur within the Pink City walls

Can a woman travel alone in India safely? Totally! Would I want to travel solo in India as a Black woman for an extended period of time? I'm not so sure (I'll get into why in many posts). Also I did have 8 days of solo travel during the trip, so it's not like I didn't have the solo experience. I have to admit to you, though, that there were moments when I liked knowing that the men of Team Ozzie and our guide, Pancham, had my back.  I felt there were instances when I was alone that people (okay, fine, men, especially vendors) felt it was okay to a be a bit more aggressive than if I was walking with the male members of our group or Pancham. Although I'll have to tell you about the time I almost got into a fight in Darjeeling, but, that, my friends, is another story.

While we were on camels, our guide, Pancham, used another route. :)

Sometimes I needed to talk it out with someone. What I mean by this is that India can sometimes rattle you. I'd seen extreme poverty while traveling before. I've stood out as a traveler before, but India affected me differently than many places I've been. I call my time there "in your face, full frontal" travel. I think that's why I liked it so much. When I saw or experienced something, it was nice to have someone right there to say, "Hey, did you just see what I just saw?" I was processing so much between my travel journal (the first one I've kept in a long time) and writing e-mails to family and friends, but having someone who was experiencing the same things at the same time who could discuss it really helped me. I know that Team Ozzie and I may not have agreed about everything, but at least we could talk about it all together.

Me during a boat ride on Lake Pichola in Udaipur

For those who've been on group tours what were your reasons? Safety? Ease? A need for company? When would you NOT consider a group tour?

Dinner at Castle Hill Inn - A 40th Anniversary Celebration

On Friday, I mentioned on Facebook (Hey, are you following me on Facebook?) that this past weekend was going to be a special one for Husband J's side of the family. This weekend we celebrated my mother and father-in-law's 40th wedding anniversary at Castle Hill Inn in Newport, Rhode Island. I have to say that 40 years is a rare and beautiful thing in 2012. Congratulations to them!

I've actually written a little about a previous experience at Castle Hill Inn. This hotel and restaurant are perched on a great spot in Newport. Many people don't even bother to stay or eat here. They just come for the views of the water and cocktails.

The Castle Hill Inn Lawn 

Boats pass right by Castle Hill Inn's gorgeous lawn. It's a nice place for boat watching. 

By the way, I think it's time for my once per year "Please allow me to show you that I actually have some sense of style" picture.

Husband J cleans up well, too. Yes, I am taller than him in wedge heels.

While it was fun being waterside, we also came to get our grub on; and we sure did. The Castle Hill Inn has three types of menus: a three course, five course or eight course tasting with the possibility of wine pairings for each course. We kept it simple with the three course. 

By the way, I have to shout out to my family for always asking, "Hey, Terri. Did you get your picture?" before eating. They are too sweet. Plus, my sister-in-law J ( Sis-L J), I think gave some people the side eye when they remarked about me taking pics of food. It's good when the family helps out the cause. :)

We received an amuse bouche to start. 

Can I say that I didn't get the entire description that the waiter gave, so just trust me. I wasn't sure how I felt about this amuse bouche. It's actually a watermelon gelee, but it was a little rubbery. You don't really get the full watermelon flavor. I did like the parmesan.

We each ordered very different appetizers.

Pan-Seared Foie Gras 

 Pinto Noir cake, green grapes, foie gras ice cream, vincotto

Someone ((ahem!) got foie gras, but it was primarily because of the ice cream, which was really did taste like sweet foie gras. I would never think of cake and foie gras going together either, but it was really nice for all of the different textures and tastes in this dish (sweet, tart, and savory). Do you see the pop rocks underneath the ice cream? That was a super cool surprise. Many times I just let them pop on my tongue.

Confit of Wild Boar

 applewood smoked, yakitori glaze, candied citrus fruit, shaved radish

The small taste I got of this was awesome. What made it really special was the play between the smokiness and the sweetness of the glaze. Plus, the boar was really just buttery tender. 

Cheese Plate

with fruit jam, Marcona almonds, honey, and grilled bread

I can't believe this was supposed to be for one person. We all chipped in to help out Sis-L J.  

Three of us ended up with the same main course. We were in Newport where the fish is fresh. 

Pan seared Native Fluke

with a bouillabaisse, lobster "sausage", confit potato, and braised leeks 

I had to try the lobster sausage. It had a sweet finish. While not a traditional bouillabaisee, it was still nice to have the soup-like broth that was comforting for a cool, early evening on the water. 

Herb Roasted Elysian Fields Lamb

with Merguez sausage, falafel, spring bean ragout, Lucques olives

Duck Rohan 

roasted with gooseberries, foie gras and quinoa

I snagged a small piece of Husband J's duck, and it was cooked beautifully.

Since we were celebrating, we had to have dessert. 

Tres Leches Cake 

caramel corn, toasted marshmallows, popcorn ice cream

What you're not seeing are the pop rocks (again!). They were underneath the smaller pieces of cake, which had been drenched with thick dulce del leche-like cream. I even thought the little pieces of parsley actually added to the dish giving it an earthy edge. 

Belgian Chocolate Terrine

Cocoa nib coulis, caramelized white chocolate creme, feuilletine

Creme Brulee

Vanilla & Meyer lemon custard on top with poppyseed cake on the bottom, blueberry coulis

Not a bad way to celebrate....

I asked my mother-in-law the secret to staying happily married for a long time. In her opinion, she told me that she thought there were two things that have helped her and my father-in-law all these years:

1. Have a sense of humor - Be able to laugh with one another and at one another. I definitely have no problems laughing at Husband J. :)

2. Grow together, not apart - Over the course of time, we all change. Taking into account each other's best interests through the years and staying connected is important.

Great advice, no? 

Happy Anniversary to them!

Castle Hill Inn

590 Ocean Avenue

Newport, Rhode Island 

Hiatus

Hey, y'all!

I know that I came back, threw up a teaser full of Argentina pics, and then haven't posted all week. I'm taking a little bit of a blogging hiatus. This is actually all my fault because I just didn't plan well enough in advance to make sure that posts would be coming forth as I make some moves. Don't worry; things are good. :) I'll hopefully be popping up here and there in the next few weeks, and hopefully with some surprises. Allow me a few moments to be cryptic.

I hope all is well where you are.

Love,

T

Pictures of Me

I'm bad at making sure that I have pictures of me when I travel. I've been looking through pictures of our past few trips, and I realize I have very few good ones of me to add the TAO Facebook page now that it's switched over to timeline. Husband J is a great travel partner, but he is NOT good at saying, "Hey, let me make sure you have a picture of you in front of x spot." It's not really his fault. I could just ask more. I guess I have no one to blame but me?

I've never been into taking pictures. I don't mind taking them when I am at events or for special occasions, but it's not something that I go out of my way to do. I know some people who would take pictures of themselves all day just for fun. I found doing that a little frivolous, a waste of time and vain (Don't worry. I have others ways that I can be vain), especially when this was back in the day before digital cameras and the opportunity for unlimited shots. Waste an exposure on just me? Nah.

Well, I'm over it now. Bump that! I'm going to make sure I get better pictures of me on this trip!!

What about you? Are you the first in front of the camera? Do you shy away from taking pictures when traveling or otherwise? Do you take pictures of yourself just for fun?

Feel free to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and on Pinterest! I'd love to hang out with you there!

Encouragement

The tagline of this blog is "Exploring Food, Continents & Life," so this is one of those life posts.

For some reason this year, I've been feeling the urge to encourage people. Even though I'm going through my own "stuff" (aren't we all?), I really have the urge to say to someone (anyone) "YOU CAN DO IT!!"

Today is March 30, 2012. Even though we've got one more day left in March, it means that 2012 is 1/4 over...ALREADY. While that freaks me out, I think there's another way of thinking about it: You've still got 9 months to achieve whatever goals you may have set for yourself this year both big and small.

I've been obsessed with time this year. I think about how well I'm using it or how I may be wasting it. Perhaps it's that I'm getting older or moving closer to making larger life changes. Maybe I've just finally come to the deep realization that time is one of the biggest commodities I have in my possession right now. At this very moment, I have the time to make things happen for myself and for others.

Anyway, I thought I would share some words of encouragement and reveal some of the things I've been thinking about in the first 3 months of 2012 in Pinterest quotation form.

via Butler Party of 2

Lots of running

via Hands Free Mama

via We Avenue

(I struggle with this one)

via The Beauty in Mystery

via Pinterest

(I'm still learning this one)

If I ever change the tagline of my blog, it will be to this....

via A Note on Design

I created a Vision Board for 2012 with these quotations and more on Pinterest. Feel free to follow me there by clicking this link.

I know I'm getting a little Deepak Chopra/Yoda-like on you today, but the travel posts are coming. :)

I hope the next 3/4 of the year will allow you to learn more about yourself, accomplish goals and have experiences that you never imagined you would.

How has 2012 started off for you? Do you have any favorite quotations that help motivate and encourage you?

Happy Weekend!

Friday Brain Dump

Hey there!

I know that I've been pretty quiet here this week, but that's because I've been busy working (well, who doesn't get busy doing that?) as well as planning what is going to be a RIDUNKULOUS spring and early summer for me. I'm trying to finish out March as organized as possible, which means more work now and less blogging. More details about some of my plans next week!

Things I've been thinking about this week:

1. I was filling out a visa application, and I had to put my country of birth. I look at the drop down menu, and I see "Antigua & Barbados." Huh? I'm not from Barbados. I have friends from the lovely island and even dated a few guys from there, but I've never set foot on Barbados. :) Antigua and Barbados are, um, like, two separate countries.

Antigua

See where Barbados is? Not really close... :)

It's pretty in Barbados, too.

I tried to tell one of the women processing the application that they made a mistake on the application itself. It's Antigua & BARBUDA, Antigua's smaller sister island, which is pretty remote and beautifully unspoilt (and hopefully won't become overdeveloped as Antigua is becoming). I suspect no one has pointed this mistake out yet, and so they've had no real reason to change it on the application. I was just amazed that such a big glaring error has gone pretty much unnoticed and unchanged.

2. Sometimes the weather calls for a fruity cocktail with an umbrella in it. It was VERY warm this week in New York City (March is usually overcast, rainy and chilly), and everyone (including me) is having some major spring fever.

Topanga Canyon cocktail

Hibiscus Infused Absolut, Lychee Liquer, Raspberries, Orange Crush soda from Super Linda

3. Really?! Hmm....I wish her, her fiance, and the baby the best of luck.

4. For some reason, the Knicks won BEFORE Carmelo Anthony joined the team, and while he was injured. The same thing happened with his old team, the Denver Nuggets. I think he's bad luck. I'm sad Coach D'Antoni resigned. :(

When I think of the Knicks, I look just like you do now, Mike. Sigh...

5. I've been in a banh mi phase lately. Right now I'm giving a slight edge to Banh Mi Saigon in Manhattan over Hanco's in Brooklyn. I tried both of their pork sandwiches, and I think Hanco's bread is a tad better as well as their spice. I liked the seasoning of the pork on the Banh Mi Saigon version. Maybe I'll just have to try some more? :) Any other banh mi recommendations in New York City?

Hanco's Banh Mi via my Iphone

Happy Weekend!

Caribbean Map; Barbados; Snooki cover; Mike D'Antoni;

Money, Travel & Me - Financial Obstacles? (Part 1)

I've been writing this blog for an awful long time and one thing I have not discussed yet is money. I don't like talking about money (Does anyone?), but you can't really think about travel and not think about budgets, costs and personal finance.

I think the best way to tackle this discussion is to talk about how I financed my travels before Husband J. Honestly, with two incomes to pull from and another person's considerations and tastes to contend with, it has changed the way I travel. Also, with both of our salaries, it is/was easier to stay at nicer places and do certain types of activities that I probably wouldn't do myself. Husband J and even me, at certain points, have done well for ourselves financially through our jobs. I'm not going to lie to you about that. That being said, during my early travels, I had to learn how to work the little I did have and that taught me a lot about my priorities and how I wanted to handle parts of my finances.

In Rio de Janeiro, on my last self-funded trip

Before I talk about financial strategies both practical and mental that I used to figure out how to find the money to travel, I thought I would let you know that it wasn't always easy. I have had circumstances that didn't make it easy to fund traveling anywhere but to the grocery store and to my job much less to the places I've been.

Let me give you a picture of what my financial life was like in the past:

1. I had/have student loans. I still have outstanding student loans. I went to what many people consider a very good (well, I liked it) private university for my undergraduate degree as well as law school afterwards. Law school should actually be called "Loan school" because that's how most people finance their legal education. In the U.S. if we choose certain educational paths, we have to pay for it somehow, plain and simple.

Leblon Beach in Rio

2. I don't come from a family that is well off or even close. My mother is the bomb, and I don't know how she raised me by herself. She came to the U.S.A. without any immediate family and was the sole breadwinner of my small family unit. (Love you, Mom!!!) I tell people that I'm a poor girl that has lived a rich girl's life (without the nice clothes). It's true. Neither my mother nor has my family ever funded any of the trips I've taken. My travels have been because I found a way to do it on my own somehow.

At Maracana Stadium in Rio for a great soccer game. Read about it here.

3. I have had credit card debt (in the past). Lots of it. When you spend three years of your twenties trying to live on nothing, it's hard not to rack it up (See #1). I have no qualms saying that I used to have credit card debt, especially now that it's been paid off for years. At the same time, I didn't let it stop me from doing what I wanted to do.

I'm not writing all of these things for travel street cred, but to let you know that even not so great finances or lack of an inheritance should keep you from travelling. I also tell you these things because I hate reading travel blogs that don't mention any of these issues.

In the next post in this series, I'll let you know some of the strategies, opportunities and mental outlooks that I used to find a way to see the world. It's not necessarily rocket science, but I hope it shatters the idea that travel is only for some people. It's for you, too.

Stay tuned...

Traveling & A Clothes Purge

Hey there!

So, I know that there haven't been many actual "travel" posts recently. I just want to say that the travel is coming. If things work out the way I want them to, then April, May & June are going to be something of a whirlwind. Yippee! In the meantime, indulge me while I write some "travel related" posts.

Maybe it's a Caribbean mother thing, but my mother never allowed guests to see her home looking a shambles. I have inherited that, so it is even shocking to me that I am revealing what my closet and bedroom looked like when I did some spring cleaning and clothing purge last year.

EEK!!! My bed eventually did recover.

I just want to say that I feel as if I've grown as a person by showing this picture. :)

While I was aggressively performing my twice per year clothing purge, I finally decided to let go of some items of clothing that I'd been holding on to. Many of them reminded me of travels that I've taken or were bought while I was away.

Although the pic doesn't really show it, this is a black corduroy blazer that I picked up in South Africa. I arrived in Cape Town in late August, which is the end of winter/beginning of spring there. It was cold. Yes, South Africa is on the African continent, but it can get VERY cold. I was wearing a coat for my first month there. I bought this at a cute boutique a few blocks away from my internship's office. I think the women who owned the store loved me because I would drop money when I went (more like the equivalent of $20 or $30 USD, but at the time that was a lot of rand). It was nice being a student with access to US dollars when the rand (South African currency) was trading at $10USD to $1R. For a variety of reasons, I did a lot of retail therapy when I was in South Africa (breaking up with someone half way around the world deserves a shopping trip or three).

Status: At the Salvation Army. Hopefully someone bought it.

Until recently, these Merrell walking shoes were the only real outdoorsy gear I owned. I now forget when I actually bought them. Husband J grew up being very outdoorsy, so he gets a little excited when I buy outdoorsy things and resemble an L.L. Bean catalog model. I used these quite a bit during our trip to Turkey. These will get a lot of use this year.

Status: At the bottom of the closet, rearing to go.

I bought this shirt in a souk in Morocco. I obviously had much shorter hair then because I often don't wear this shirt because the sequins catch my hair. I'm always having to pull my hair from out of the sequins. I think I bought this and a longer dress-like thing for my Mom. She still wears hers.

Status: Not sure. It's probably gone to the Salvation Army.

I usually buy clothing and shoes with the intention of wearing them. What was I thinking even buying these? I love a nice, sexy shoe but I can't believe how high shoes are these days (Yes, I am an old lady). I can't wear this. I wore them for a little while during my trip to Las Vegas. I figured that I could look scandalous there, and it would be okay. I've never worn these again. They are so uncomfortable. I feel awful because it was a wasteful purchase, but I hope they get new life on someone else's feet.

Status: Salvation Army or on someone else's feet

I got this green pullover the first and only time I've been to Martha's Vineyard. Menemsha is a smaller fishing village on the island that doesn't get as many visitors as Oak Bluffs, Edgartown or the other more touristy summer towns. Husband J and I drove out there and enjoyed how quiet it was compared to the rest of the island.

Status: Still in the closet. I like this shade of green

By the end of the afternoon, my closet looked normal again.

I've always had my own closet since living with Husband J. I am convinced it is the key to a happy marriage. ;)

Do you have any clothes, shoes or other garments in your closet that remind of you places you've been or shopping you've done there?

SUPER

Wow. I'm still in shock from last night's Giants win. I compromised and watched the first half of the game. Despite some criticisms that she "should act her age", I really did like Madonna's half time show. It was over the top and had great guest artists. I didn't catch M.I.A's middle finger, but I did catch her expletive slip. Oh well.

Our helmet ornaments

I also didn't gloat. I won't until next week. Husband J laid out my little Giants helmet on Monday morning. My husband is too sweet.

This is how we did it food style in the TAO household for the Super Bowl.

There was only four of us, but with I wanted to make sure I got some veggies in. I made sure it wasn't too healthy, so we had blue cheese dressing on the side.

tomatoes, peppers, baby carrots, broccoli. The small bowls are from CB2.

We had a veggie pizza as well as half pepperoni and half cheese pizza.

Layered dip. I have never had this before and I was very glad that my friend made one. It's a layer of salsa, sour cream, refried beans, peppers, and tomatoes topped with cheese and black olives. Loved it! :) My friend said that she used all of the low fat versions of many of the elements. I wouldn't have minded either way.

We also had hot wings.

What's your favorite big game food?

I promise no more Super Bowl talk. :)

A House Divided

We're a house divided today. It's a little "tense" in the TAO household. As some of you may remember, I am a big sports fan. My favorite team in my favorite sport is playing in the biggest game of the season tonight. It's a little thing called the Super Bowl. That would be all fine and dandy if the opposing team wasn't Husband J's favorite team in one of his favorite sports to watch.

We have been acting fairly cordial all week. Husband J is still a little sad over his team, the New England Patriots, loss to my team, the New York Giants, back in January 2008. Back then he was Boyfriend J, and I thought I handled the Giants' unexpected win that year rather well. I didn't gloat until the day of the Giants' victory parade in New York City. I can only be so kind. This time, we're married, so I don't have to be so nice. **evil laugh**

There are lots of other underlying issues I have with this match up that have nothing to do with Husband J that also have me extra fidgety today. I am fairly supstitiuous when it comes to my sports teams. After the Giants lost a few years ago to the Philadelphia Eagles, in a game I watched in full, I haven't really watched many Giants games since. I swore off watching their last regualr season game before the playoffs this season in December and every playoff game since. You know what? It's worked! They're playing in the Super Bowl.

Some couple friends are coming over, and I have already warned them about my aversion/lack of desire to watch (I was partially rooting for a Baltimore vs. San Francisco Super Bowl because I'd be able to enjoy it). My friend is already making threats to tie me to my couch to make me watch.

One of the best Super Bowl catches ever made

The Giants are just as superstituious especially when it comes to their food. They had their favorite post work out pizza flown in from Long Island, New York to Indianapolis just for their Friday practice. By the way, I'm not alone in my craziness. Check out this article.

That being said, I will use the Super Bowl as an excuse to pig out just a teeny bit. We've got pizza, chicken wings, some seven layer dip (I'm not making it, but I promise a picture), veggies and maybe some homemade brownies on tap for tonight.

Anyway, for those of you who are laughing at me and my love of professional American football, go ahead. Just wait for the Olympics this year! Just kidding. :)

To DSLR or Not to DSLR

I am going through an internal debate that many bloggers and amateur or wanna-be photogs probably do at some point. I'm considering whether or not to get a DSLR camera. These bad boys are NOT cheap. Not in the least. Therefore, it means that I am going to be hemming and hawing over the decision to invest in a "fancy schmancy" camera as I'd like to call it.

While I enjoy using my "point and shoot", it occasionally bugs me. When you blog primarily about food and travel, you want the pictures to be as inviting as possible. I'm occasionally surprised at some of the shots I've ended up with like this:

From last year's wedding anniversary dinner. Check out the rest of the meal here.

Or this:

In Cappadocia, Turkey - no photo editing. Not too awful, right?

At the same time, occasionally I'd just like a little more camera power. I'd love to be able to take more pictures in settings with low light (Restaurants at night have mood lighting). I'd love to be able to get crisper photos. I want a little more, and I feel like you guys deserve more, too. Oh fine! Who am I kidding? I also have blogger envy. I want my pics to be pretty, too. (Insert pouty face)

My current camera

At the same time, I realize that it's not just about the camera. It's also about the technique. Is this just an issue of me getting more out of the camera that I already have? Do I need to learn about some of the manual settings on my point and shoot? They do actually exist. I'm not sure how to use them, though.

Here are some of the issues holding me back from making the DSLR plunge:

1. DSLRs are pretty big.

Did I mention that I am lazy? A DSLR may turn me into a pack mule, and I swear there is a cottage industry out there just for camera bags. Since I walk everywhere, especially when I'm at home and often when I'm traveling, the thought of adding yet another bag to my shoulders doesn't really seem so fun. I want a more powerful camera, but do I have to sacrifice my shoulders to do it? I like to throw my current camera into my purse or travel day bag, and just go. Plus, I find a big camera can scream "TOURIST", and sometimes I just want something I can hide away quickly when in certain places.

A cloudy day at Copacabana Beach. I liked not having the big "Look at me" camera in Rio.

One day after reading one of my favorite food blogs (especially for food photography), Cumi & Ciki, I recently found of out about micro four thirds cameras designed by Olympus and Panasonic. They have the power of a DSLR but are more compact and can fit suped up lenses just like a DSLR. I've been loving Cumi and Ciki's pictures now for months, and I was completely sure they were using a big honking DSLR. Nope. I was shocked when they revealed that they have been using an Olympus EP-3.

Olympus EP-3. Pretty, isn't it?

There's a nice write up on the relatively new Olympus micro four thirds Pen line here.

At the same time, I'm sure if you add a good lens or a special flash that might negate the weight issue, so maybe a micro four thirds camera might not be the answer?

2. Cost

Uh...retailers are not exactly giving these cameras away. Even the Olympus EP-3 isn't exactly cheap (EP-3s are actually the top of the line for Olympus micro four thirds cameras, so maybe it's not a good comparison). I recognize that to get more out of technology, I'll need to invest in it, but even I get a little nervous about big purchases (Don't shake my hands after I buy an international plane ticket. My palms sweat). Most DSLRs start at about $400 USD for older models but can go above $1,000 USD. I'm DEFINITELY not spending $1,000 USD on a camera unless I'm changing my name to Annie Liebovitz. Even $700 still makes me cringe a bit.

A Nikon D5100, another camera option

This Nikon D5100 above is retailing for about $650 USD for just the body.

3. Sweating the technique

As I mentioned above, if I'm going to invest the money, I guess I need to invest the time to learn how to use an expensive camera correctly. I know that buying a DSLR doesn't make you an expert photographer overnight. I've seen some pics taken with DSLRs, and let me tell you that I don't know if I really saw much of a difference from "point and shoot" quality.

Does this mean that I have to invest in a class or spend more time that I might not already have (or make sure that I free up the time) to learn how to use my future camera?

4. Everybody's got a favorite.

Sometimes I wish I could get a straight answer about which camera to buy. There's no right or wrong answer because everyone's got a favorite. One person swears by Canon, while another would never give up their Nikon.

So, I ask you, my lovely online community, do you own a DSLR? What brand? What you do like most about your DSLR? What do you like least about it? Any words of advice for a camera buyer? Anyone own a micro four thirds camera? I have to admit I might be leaning towards one of those....

Olympus Pen EP-3, Nikon D5100