Love is in the air

It has been a while since I have posted. This can be blamed on my new class schedule which is keeping me busy, but it is very interesting thus far. I am taking a lot of literature classes from medieval lit to Shakespeare and 20th Century British lit. I'm sure I'll have plenty to write about with these...
Without further ado, Happy Valentines Day to all! Some may hate this day and others can't wait for it to come. Their are many unique traditions and stories of Valentines Day and it's fun to hear about how people go about spending it. This day is a celebration of love and a time to spend with your 'sweethearts'. It is often tradition for a young man to present his beloved with flowers and chocolates (or jewelry) on February 14.
 Just to throw out a couple, one country I know I'd like to spend Valentines Day with is in Japan. Not only do they celebrate on the 14th of February, but the festivities of love continues until March 14, known as the "White Day". On the first date, women present chocolates or gifts to the men they love to express their feelings for them.But it's also common for women to give chocolates to any man close to them. Men who receive chocolates or gifts on Valentine's day are supposed to return the favour to the women on March 14, exactly a month after Valentine's Day. Also known as "White Day", this is the time when men are to give back a gift to the women who gave them gifts just a month before.
Taking a different approach, Denmark enjoys using an old fashioned tradition. A Danish Valentine's Day custom is to send pressed white flowers called Snowdrops to friends. The season of love is also a time for fun what with many Danish men sending to their ladylove a form of valentine known as a gaekkebrev (or "joking letter"). This gaekkebrev is a type of romantic letter that contains a rhyme penned by the sender himself. The fun part of this custom is that the letter doesn't have the name of the sender. Instead, the lover signs the message with dots...one dot for each letter in his name. If the lady whom he sends the gaekkebrev correctly guesses his name, he rewards her with an Easter egg during Eastertide.
As much as I like the traditional approaches, I always love to try new things and be creative with how my significant other and I spend this alluring holiday.  So it'd be cool to hear; How did you spend your Valentines day?...Cheers.

Leia Mais…

All for me grog...

With the many different types of alcoholic beverages we have provided to us, and with all of the places that they are made, it just makes traveling all the more worth while. Here is a unique selection of drinks that make the globe-trot an extra rewarding experience.

The most recent drink I had was at a sushi restaurant a couple days ago, 'sake' . Normally called 'nihonshu' in Japan, sake is a rice wine with a higher alcohol content like wine. Prior to the first sake brewery being established at Kyoto's Imperial Palace in the 7th century, sake was consumed in a form that resembled porridge, with the rice primed for production by the chewing in your mouth method. I've only drank this warm and it goes down quite smoothly, perfect to sip with almost any meal.

In addition to the wine factor, I've discovered that visiting vineyards is a new favorite activity of mine. I've tasted many good wines from a lot of different places but one in particular that my friend's family enjoys is Burgundy wine. I'd have to say that after my tastings and doing some research, it is the place where some of the best wine is made. It would have been really cool to have been able to visit one of the vineyards during my time in France a couple years ago, but unfortunately I had to stick to the schedule I was given. It's obvious to say that the wine is made in the Burgundy region of eastern France from a variety of grapes. They possess particular qualities attributable to the region’s 400 soil types. White Burgundy is essentially a chardonnay, with an added touch due to the limestone soil in which it’s grown, while red Burgundy is a pinot noir. I suggest you try it.

Moving on, the alcohol that we all 'attempt' to avoid because apparently it "makes our clothes fall off" is tequila. Made from the blue agave plants grown in Mexico’s tequila region. This a very beautiful part of Mexico to visit. (Although my family doesn't know I made a special trip to this place during my spring break) Tequila, is a great place mainly because of the tours that are available of the 3 big distillers; Jose Cuervo, Herradura and Sauza. A place that I didn't get to the chance to visit is to the east of Guadalajara which are the more...rugged towns of the Highlands region such as Arandas. Towns like these are believed to make the best tequila. Unlike Tequila (the town), which is geared toward tourists, this is for more of an adventurous traveler to discover. It is a lot of fun no matter where you go.

Over the holidays, 2 of my good friends, John and Rue, had the opportunity to take a trip to Tennessee for a work conference.

After hearing their stories, It has become a new destination on my bucket list of travels. Now one of the main reasons is to visit the famous Tennessee whisky distilleries. Two in particular are Jack Daniels and George Dickel. I have tried both and I really enjoy George Dickel. Just a tid bit of information I picked up, back in 1870, George Dickel discovered that whisky made in winter was smoother, so then added a lengthy cooling step to the production process to perfect his taste. He also refined a special combination of mashed corn, barley and rye to use as base ingredients. Double-distilled and aged in charred white-oak barrels for up to 12 years. I just find this kind of stuff so cool and interesting!

Now for my favorite, the place that has been a dream of mine to visit, Dublin, Ireland. Home of the Guinness. I've been stumbling upon a lot of sites that focus on Guinness from the special process it takes to make this delicious porter, to ways of surviving your first Guinness in an Irish pub. It takes 119.5 seconds to pour the perfect pint. The famous ‘surge and settle’ should be done in a two-part pour. Based in Dublin, the Guinness brew is a heavy malt porter (dark, sweet ale brewed from black malt)  it is the favorite beverage of porters and it certainly puts hair on your chest.

There are a few other cool places to visit such as Belgium for its beer, Absinthe in the Czech Republic and the vodkas of Poland. It's impossible to visit another country without attempting to experience the  beverage of choice by the locals. It will make the experience all the better. Cheers everyone.

Leia Mais…

The Sweetest Place

“The more beautiful you make something which people can see and use, the more enjoyment they will get out of it…” stated Milton S. Hershey. It has been an absolute privilege to be working here at the Theatre. I've have been learning so much about this place and it has been a lot of fun, especially the part of actually performing in one of the shows.

The Hershey Theatre was brought to life by Milton S. Hershey in the early twentieth century during the Great Depression.  Hershey felt that providing leisure and entertainment to his workers and other people in the community was important.        

Lancaster architect C. Emlen Urban was hired by Hershey and shortly began conjuring plans for the theatre in 1915; however, he did not start the construction until 1929 due to the first world war. Eventually, a near six hundred workers, who were all unemployed due to the Depression, worked on the theater until completion in September, 1933. This new theatre, which cost an influential three million dollars, may have been one of the best investments.          
With this, you can see that Milton had a true liking to Venice, Italy which is what the theatre's design is based off of.  Tan stone bricks are neatly lined in a row and for each doorway there obtains an arch over it with relief sculptures such as a seashell.  The roof is an adobe style with red clay tile often used in Italy.  As for the interior, it feels like a whole new world.  Although the theatre only caps twenty-five percent of the entire building, it has rakes in forty percent of the buildings expenses.  Towards the front of the theatre, a proscenium arch over the stage resembles the “Bridge of Sighs”.  Behind the curtains, hangs an original watercolor painting of Venice’s Grande Canal is portrayed. This Theatre is highlighted by its intricate painted ceilings of mythical and pastoral visions, including the option of an atmospheric projection to make guests illusion a starry night. Meanwhile, the main lobby consists of a ceiling with images of Apollo and Assyrian war chariots. Some Greek architecture is involved as well.  Pendantives are seen in the lobby with it’s many

archways too.  Something you may not notice are the Lion heads that are placed throughout the inside representing the symbol of Venice.  With this, the walls that these lions heads rest on are made of four different types of marble that accent an array of arches replicating the Byzantine castle. Now looking down, most of the floors are laid with varnished Italian Lava rock.
The entrance of the building involves two massive brass doors that leads under a “canopy of gold” arched tile, modeled after St. Marks Cathedral in Venice.  During the night of a performance, the lighting gives everything certain sheen and gleam .  My favorite part of the theatre is the gold and blue Persian mosaic design that was created by two German artists. They labored for two years laying each tile by hand.  It is just amazing to me how much detail is put into this place and the use of materials from all over the world are situated in it. 

                   This theatre is a remarkable place to visit.  When I entered the theatre, it put me in a position where I felt like I was in a castle.  The amazing craftsmanship and rare materials are the reason I enjoy coming to this community center. Today, Hershey Theatre is conducted by the M.S. Hershey Foundation, which was established in 1935 to extend education and cultural opportunities to the community.  Decades later, this place is still one of the top attractions in Hershey. 

The Theatres mission still remains, and that is to keep bringing entertainment to central Pennsylvania.

Leia Mais…

Tarapeke: Our Kiwi

I had recently received an update about the kiwi bird my group from New Zealand had adopted. Tarapeke was born in April '10 at Rainbow Springs Kiwi Encounter and we got to visit her back in August. Tarapeke means in Maori – “Ants in Pants” because she was a very ancy and wiggly chick.

These nocturnal creatures are very unique because although it is a bird it has more characteristics of a mammal.

-It has tiny wings, almost like nubs, but cannot fly

-It has feathers that are more like fur

-It is the only bird in the world with nostrils at the end of its beak

-Its sense of smell is second to none

-It has no tail feathers, but does have whiskers, like a cat

-It has marrow in its bones, just like a human

-Very unusually, females have two ovaries, most birds have only one.
Kiwi's are the national bird of New Zealand and are endangered because they are such helpless animals that are easy targets to their predators. However, since the formation of conservation habitats such as Rainbow Springs, the number of kiwi birds have been increasing due to their incredible works.

A little bit of history of Tarapeke is that after birth, she stayed in an incubator for two days before moved to a brooder (an artifical habitat).  In the brooder she had the chance to stretch her legs and probe around in soil while she learned to eat the artificial diet.  Since the kiwi chicks hatch with such a large belly full of yolk, they feed off this for about a week before they need to start foraging for themselves.  Kiwi’s don’t need to be taught to probe for food in the ground by their parents as all of their behavior is instinctive, but usually are in need of some guidance to learn to eat the artificial diet! Tarapeke has been a pretty good chick thoughout her time being raised as she learned to eat the food relatively quickly.  She was in good condition at the regular five day health check.  Tara has been active in the brooder and is walking/standing well. It has been decided that she is ready to be released out in her natural habitat of the New Zealand bush where she can live the normal life of a kiwi.

Tarapeke

 Rainbow Springs Kiwi Encounter

A l
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Leia Mais…

We Three Kings

Happy Christmas Eve to all! The lights and decorations are up, the carolers are out spreading holiday cheer and the overwhelming amount of cookies are filling my stomach... it is certainly putting me in the good Christmas spirit!

On Wednesday, I had the great pleasure of performing on stage with the 'Handel's Messiah Rocks' tour group at the Hershey Theatre. Although it is a rock show much like the Tran-Siberian Orchestra, this rendition of Handel's Messiah cantata was incredible! I could not believe the power in the music, singing and feeling of connection that I experienced. My favorite moment during the show was when we sang the Hallelujah Chorus and the entire audience was up and moving around feeding off of the energy that was in the theatre. I do recommend seeing it next year if you get the chance!

On another note, throughout this month, I have been taking a more in depth look at 'Christmas', not only at what it's all about, but how everything wraps together through various celebrations and traditions. With this, I have been asking friends how they commemorate the occasion and it's been fun sharing stories and what not.

Aside from this, I came across this really interesting article about the three wise men. We all know they are kings that came bearing gifts but this video discusses the mystery of who they were. Check it out!

>>The Mystery of the Magi 

Also, just for kicks:

>>Santa's Time Machine 

Have a Merry Christmas!

Leia Mais…

Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Feliz Navidad, Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto

The holidays are right around the corner and most Americans are busily preparing to enjoy their favorite Christmas traditions. Our country is so rich in various cultures and religions that no two households celebrate the holiday in the exact same way.
Although there are many cultures/religions that do not celebrate Christmas, it seems the entire world finds something to celebrate around this time of year. Some interesting facts that most of our traditional holiday celebrating originates is from ancient pagan (pre-Christian) rituals and feasts to honor the rebirth of the Sun during the Winter Solstice. The holiday was called "Yule" and modern advocates still use some of the ancient customs with modern traditions during the Christmas season.
Also, the Roman pagans celebrated the solstice by starting with a holiday called 'Saturnalia' on December 17, to honor their God, Saturn. This festival lasted until December 24. Brumalia was then celebrated on December 25, in honor of the Sun, and completed the solstice festivities.
 I'm just going to take a look at a few other holiday traditions from around the world:
Traditional celebrations throughout the British Isles are very similar to the American style of Christmas. Although, it is interesting to note that gift giving was done in Britain on New Year's Day up until the 19th century. At that point, gift giving was switched to Christmas Day.
The day after Christmas is known as the Feast of St. Stephen or Boxing Day in Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It is almost more popular than Christmas. It is a holiday which started in medieval times when the lord and lady of an estate would give their workers their annual distribution of clothing, tools and a small money donation. Today, employers still traditionally give their employees gifts of turkeys and money. Distributing funds to the poor is also an important theme of the day.
In the past, gift giving and card sending was observed on New Year's Day in France. Today, gifts are given to children by Pere Noel (the gift giver) on St. Nicholas Eve (December 6) and baby Jesus on Christmas (December 25). However, adults wait to exchange gifts on New Year's Day. Few homes in France will decorate a tree, infact, the focus in the household is the nativity scene or 'creche'. Epiphany or Twelfth Night is another French celebration. The twelfth day after Christmas is marked as when the wise men or 'magi' arrived to give Jesus his gifts.
In Italy, St. Francis of Assisi is renowned with the popular 'Nativity Scene'. He asked Giovanni Vellita of the village of Greccio to make a manger scene as a backdrop to his ceremonies for Mass. This dramatic scene of the Nativity produced so much interest and devotion in Italy that the creation of the figurines or pastori has become a traditional folk art.
A strict fast is observed for 24 hours before Christmas Eve. The fast ends with a celebration feast that includes a Milanese cake called 'panettone'. Gift giving is done on January 6, to honor the Feast of the Epiphany.
Christmas in Egypt is celebrated through the Coptic Church. In the Orthodox Church and in the Coptic Church Christmas is celebrated on the 7th January. Advent is observed for forty days and during this period people are expected to fast eating no meat, poultry or dairy products. Some people only do this during the last week of Advent.
On the Eve of Christmas everyone goes to church wearing a completely new outfit. The Christmas service ends at midnight with the ringing of church bells, then people go home to eat a special Christmas meal known as 'fata', which consists of bread, rice, garlic and boiled meat.
On Christmas morning people in Egypt visit friends and neighbors. They take with them 'kaik' which is a type of shortbread, which they take with them to give to the people they visit and eaten with a drink known as 'shortbat', I think I'd enjoy that =)
I've never gotten the chance to experience any other traditions besides my own yet, but it seems like something that would be a lot of fun doing.
Cheers!

Leia Mais…

Tis the Season

Happy first day of December! that means the true countdown to Christmas begins! I have many fun things to share with you through out the holiday season but for now I want to show something that I've always loved to see around this time. A part of my holiday tradition as we build up to Christmas day is to wonder throughout the communities and look at the all of the Christmas lights that everyone has displayed. It is really cool to see some of the creativity that people put forth and it really gets you in the holiday spirit! I stumbled upon a few really cool videos that highlight some pretty outrageous lights. I one day hope to do this when I have my own home.
more links>>>

         Coca Cola Christmas

                                                 I gotta feeling  

                                                                              Carol of the Bells 

Leia Mais…