There are plenty in the creative arena who scoff at the idea of sport, likening athletic competition as entertainment for uncivilized mongrels. However, when the chasm between brute force and artistic inspiration is bridged, some wonderful things can occur. The Lawn Series from Recess is a refreshing and original happening aiming to eliminate the gap between endlessly inventive artisans and the arena of athletics. For three glorious days during the sweltering NYC summer on Governor’s Island, playful pastimes will overtake the creatively inclined as they attempt to best one another in exhilarating events such as badminton, table tennis, and bocce. In addition to the flowing of the competitive juices, each event will be met with some pretty kick ass sponsors as the likes of Tretorn and Puma will be putting their stamp on the festivities while Biomega and Kronan will be on hand to offer bike test rides. Count us in and bring it on. The first day of competition is June 20th. We’ll see you there…unless you’re afraid of defeat.

Andrew Harper collaborated with Dunhill for this summer’s release of a luxury luggage collection worthy of his member’s only Hideaway Report. The Traveller collection, designed with and endorsed by Harper, is comprised of three pieces: a holdall, document case and rucksack. Each piece is made in a natural oatmeal canvas with tan leather trim detailing, keeping form and function in mind. Dunhill is also selling a limited edition Andrew Harper membership in an exclusive bespoke Traveller leather folder and accompanied by a Dunhill Sidecar ballpoint pen. Prices range from $1,200 for the exclusive folder to $3,070 for the holdall. Can you put a price on luxury? View the collection here.  Via Freshness Mag

It’s a nice day for an elevated stroll. Open today is the first section of High Line, a park built on out of commission elevated rail that JoshSpear.com has been following since the earliest stages its conception. Running from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 20thth Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues. Upon completion it will stretch all the way out to 34th, making it a mile and a half long. The design by James Corner Field Operations, with architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro will include some interesting seating, lighting, and other fixtures. Details of the design are on the High Line website, along with a schedule of events including the benefit going on there on June 15th. Getting a table will help fund the maintennance and overall upkeep of this ridiculously awesome urban park. It’s just $15k per table, who is in with me?

Along with the calm quiet of living in the countryside, suburban life is often accompanied by perks such as a standard issue country club membership and golf courses as far as the eye can see. But what happens when the spawn of suburbia makes their way to the big city. Where will they go to engage in sport and spectacle in a city without rolling green hills that end in putting greens? Fear not, for the hottest urban sport for the fancy set doesn’t need no stinkin’ fairways. Table tennis is all the rage these days, and SpiN New York is about to be the hottest new social spot for the sport. The idea that sprung from Naked Ping Pong’s SOHO loft party is now a fully operational recreational sporting venue complete with a 9,000 square foot room with 15 state-of-the-art tables, locker rooms, a pro shop, not to mention a bar and lounge area for your relaxation needs. Everyone from the celebrity set to those who simply love to play are ponying up for memberships to this club with a ritzy Park Avenue address in NYC’s Flatiron District set to open later in June. While initially only accessible by members, the public will be able to get their ping pong on in virtually no time for a price.

Amidst the dead-til-friday strip of bars in Philadelphia’s Old City, one store front boosts its allure with searing pink. Smak Parlour is the brainchild of Abby and Katie, two Philly girls whose aptitude for design brought to life their vision of girliness. The duo claims they found inspiration from the old school Barbie wardrobe; not hard to believe when you walk into Smak Parlour. In a domain of pink, a pallet of gaudy flare is harnessed to create designs that embody the Abby and Katie’s expertise, self-professed as all things vintage-inspired, girly, fun and flirty. Smak Parlour is at 2nd and Market Streets in Philly.   

A quick glimpse at some photos from Jordan as I’m going through all my photos from the trip. The city pictures are from a refugee camp in East Amman, the desert shots are Petra. More soon, I promise. Enjoy!

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It’s an unexplainable feeling, really. No, that’s not me– but it certainly could have been me floating in the Dead Sea reading the newspaper. After all the YGL sessions today, I popped down to the lowest place on earth (1,385 feet below sea level) for a swim, or maybe better described as a float. With 33% salinity it’s as close to swimming on the moon as I have ever felt. You can totally just do barrel rolls on the surface, a total lack of gravity– but watch your eyes, this water stings brutally bad and tastes as foul and salty as you could ever imagine.

Environmentalists guess that due to lack of fresh water (duh) the Dead Sea will likely be entirely evaporated in another 50 or so years. I recommend a trip to Jordan or Israel pronto to experience it! No word on the healing powers, although my skin does feel a little bit softer now.

I thought everyone would enjoy a little bit of a travel update! Fresh back from Vancouver, I’m headed to the Middle East shortly for the Young Global Leaders Dead Sea Summit. Earlier this year I was nominated as a YGL (press release here) alongside some pretty impressive individuals from all sectors, geographies and walks of life. Humbling to say the least. Having been to Davos and some of the other WEF events, I think I have a pretty good idea of what to expect– but am looking forward to this opportunity to meet new people, have stimulating conversations and see another part of the world, big time.

So, what do you do in Amman, Jordan? Float on my back in the salty Dead Sea? Not so sure. I’ll be making a day trip to Petra but otherwise my plate is pretty full with the pre-arranged sessions and activities. Anything bloggable and on the record I’ll be sure to share. Neighbored by Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Israel, I’m naturally looking into a visit to some of the surrounding countries if time (and security) permit. What should I do?

Many a potential tourist lines up their very first UK visit with visions of Buckingham Palace, Stone Henge, and Big Ben dancing around in their heads, but Britain is much more than that. In addition to the fish and chips, all those limey bastards across the Atlantic have so much more to show you than royalty, a bunch of old rocks and the River Thames. You might not necessarily have seen it in your precious guide books, but that’s okay because the fine folks at Ogilvyone Worldwide Singapore have launched a site to show you “the other Britain,” the Britain of cultural innovation and much, much more. From fashion to music festivals to football, it’s all on glorious display at their alternate tourism URL that champions all things united under the Union Jack for aspiring anglophiles to eat up on their impending holiday. Enjoy, mate.

A dozen lifetimes’ worth of collecting all things kitsch lines the high walls of Scenarium, a three story samba club in Lapa, the epicenter of Rio de Janeiro’s nightlife scene. The club is the manifestation of owner Plínio Fróes’ pledge to keep alive the tradition of samba as well as choro, a musical stlye born on the streets of Rio more than 200 years ago.

Clubs in Rio embody a distinct warmth that can be attributed to the attitudes of clubgoers, void of the too-cool dancefloor politics found in the major venues of any American city. Image goes out the window once the band starts playing, and it no longer matters wether you know the dance moves or not. Scenarium enhances this atmosphere with a space unlike any other. Carved into three ancient houses, it’s filled with artifacts from tacky statues of Christ to twisted metal grills of old facades, each set of items grouped in a cluster on a part of the wall. The second floor bar is particularly attractive; an old apothecary shop complete with hundreds of age-old medicine bottles with moth-eaten labels.

Scenarium is the whole experience, lounge to dancefloor. A Wednesday night will leave you room to marvel at the wall treasures, while a Saturday crowd will bring treasures of its own.

Interesting things are happening in the sneaker/partnering news department this week. Run-DMC’s abandoned their Adidas loyalty to Nike by releasing a Nike+ running soundtrack. And on the heels of that is Vice Brazil’s launch with partner Converse in tow. Kicking off Tuesday is The Way We Run, a multi-track of events spanning art, music, fashion and skate in Sao Paulo, like a meet and greet with team skaters and DJ sets, all taking place at various high-profile places for six weeks. The event ends with a surprise show. I met Vice Brazil publisher Tony Cebrian a few months ago, who told me he has big plans for the Vice empire’s South American version of the free magazine, including featuring stories that will knock any generalizations of Brazil right out of the water. Look for a translated version of those stories to wind their way to your copy of Vice soon. I’m looking forward, just as you likely are, of seeing some Dos and Dont’s from below the Equator.

It’s time to get the hell out of dodge. Yeah yeah, we know, we’re in a recession. But, on the other hand…airfares and hotel rooms are the lowest they’ve been in ages. Still can’t swing it? Ok, well…what are your thoughts on a free trip to Tahiti?

Tahiti Tourism just launched the Invest In Your Love contest and the prize is free airfare, inter-island transport, and six nights of deluxe accommodations on two of Tahiti’s breathtakingly beautiful - and relatively secluded islands. To ener, fire up your video camera and create a convincing video of how a trip to the island nation could “help you invest in your love” and post it to YouTube via their site.

Six contests are being staged, but if you want to attempt to win the first, be sure to submit your entry by June 11th! We’re so there it’s not even funny.

On Sundays, a walk just two blocks away from Ipanema beach reveals a bustling bazaar, where independent crafts-people selling an array of clothes, jewelry, hand-made artifacts and original artwork assemble to form the Feira Hippie, or Hippy Fair. Every stall boasts a variation of Brazillian inspired artistry, from canvases depicting abstract renditions of patchwork favela neighborhoods to clothes hand printed with the traditional patterns of Brazil’s indigenous tribes, with their creators (many of them distinctly hippy) manning their posts with laid back smiles and a mood for bargaining. An American buck goes a long way here, and it effectively beats out any tourist shop found anywhere between Leme and Flamengo.

Living the jetsetting lifestyle means you spend a lot of time above the clouds wishing you had some of the creature comforts that can usually only be provided when your two feet are on terra firma. That doesn’t mean your wishful thinking should go unrewarded and AirTran Airways agrees. As part of a their new campaign, they’re taking your suggestions on how to make the skies a bit friendlier on every flight. No matter how absurd your request, whether you wish flight attendants would give you bunny slippers on each trip or you simply want your own personal in-flight chef, they want to hear it. Suggestions will be ranked and rated by visitors to the submission site. Ultimately, the entire suggestion derby will lead up to a big announcement on May 12th where the company will shout a brand new in-flight addition from the mountaintops. Who knows, maybe you’ll get seated next to your own personal masseuse on your next AirTran flight. A passenger can dream…or participate. Glad to see the airline industry opening their ears online like this.

Vancouver is a fantastic city to explore and discover new restaurants – especially if you like seafood as much as I do. The access to quality ingredients would make any food connoisseur drool. It certainly had me blissed the whole week I was there.

I didn’t need to go far from my hotel for my first big dinner, and the experience at Yew Restaurant was certainly worth celebrating. After undergoing a massive renovation in the lobby of The Four Seasons ($4 million Canadian dollars for the restaurant alone, I’m told), a dramatic space was born, seating more than 128 guests. You’re dazzled in this gorgeous space by its massive 40 foot ceilings, a floor to ceiling fireplace, and a communal table formed from a single piece of western maple.

The Executive Chef, Oliver Beckert launched a dinner menu he calls No Passport Required, a way to lead his guests on an enticing culinary journey to far away destinations — all without the need to leave their comfortable downtown Vancouver seats. April was “Japan” month (my favorite, of course) so I gave up the reins and went for it.

My Japanese adventure started with King Crab Soup, a Sake based broth with Daikon and Shiso. Very simple, light, and tasty. Large chunks of King Crab which tasted like they’d been lifted out of the sea a few hours earlier. Soup was followed by a Miso-Marinated Black Cod served with Asparagus, Edamame and a Kombu Broth — a classic. Dessert was a Pink Grapefruit Parfait with Ginger and Vanilla Consomme and Almond Milk Caviar.

My guest loved his dish from the daily menu– the fresh wild Salmon, miso-broiled with Chinese Broccoli, Baby Shiitake Mushrooms, Squash and a Plum Puree. If you’re not up for food from the sea, they offer Wild Boar, Venison, or a pasta dish for the vegetarians.

There’s also an impressive wine selection with more than 150 bottles available by the glass– (yes, one hundred and fifty) and they’ll open nearly any selection you might want to sample.

Our Parfait was an ideal ending for us, but if you’re feeling especially brave, finish off with a selection of their Homemade Ice Cream and Sorbet’s – Nutella, Carmel Honeycomb, S’more Ice Cream — and then call the cardiologist! Delicious.