Some Q & A

I challenge you to see how much you know about other cultures and their traditions with eating.


Click>>> Don't gross out the World

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Great Lakes, Great Times

Lake Kimball at Camp Henry, MI

So it most certainly has been a long time since I have updated but let me tell you that I have been one busy fella. With working at camp in Maryland, to having attended 3 weddings (one being my sister's) it has been a great summer with friends and family.
Now as of last month, I landed a job as a program specialist at a camp in none other than 'pure' Michigan. That's right, I've moved my adventures out west a little bit and so far it has been a beautiful experience (minus the 10 and 1/2 hour drive.) Camp Henry rests right outside of historic Newaygo, just miles from Grand Rapids and sits quaintly along Lake Kimball. This too has quite a bit of history behind it, which I am still learning.
What makes this place so great to me is that it reminds me a lot of home, walking through wetland trails, seeing many alluring lakes and country sides that are pretty fantastic. I haven't done a lot of exploring yet but I'll be sure to keep you updated.
As for other lakes, I had the pleasure of joining two of my very good friends for a camping trip in Raystown, PA last week. Considering I have been up in that area quite often, this is my first time to Raystown Lake. This place is no joke, absolutely breathtaking. My friend Tori's 'pop' took us out for the day in his new pontoon boat and we swam around the clear waters and even did some cliff jumping...pretty stellar. As we were out on the lake, I was learning a little bit about the lake and how it is covering an old town that was cleared out to help prevent flooding for the other towns and cities further down the state. Tori's great relative actually lived in the town before it was flooded and they were paid a pretty penny for their property, pretty neat, eh?!! But as we were floating about, we could see trees still standing in the water...kinda creepy if you ask me, but cool at the same time. Later in the evening we camped out right by the water and enjoyed the sunset by the fire and just began to appreciate the finer things in life. But nothing can beat a gorgeous day on the lake with a cold one and some beef jerky ;) A perfect getaway.
Until next time, cheers.

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España dos

I would have to say that the night life was our favorite part of the trip. Like I mentioned before, the schedule is a little different than what we're used to so staying up late is something we do well as college students. It was an objective to try as many different foods and beverages while we were out. I tried multiple Spanish brewed beers such as Mahou and Cruzcampo and I can't forget about the sangria! We heard about this place that is a must when visiting Madrid called El-Tigre. Basically, you pay 5 euro for a beverage and you get plates upon plates of free tapas. Talk about a good deal! and the atmosphere was a lot of fun too. We managed to do a bar crawl one evening and would try the specialty drinks at each place. One shot that I won't forget is called the Chuck Norris Roundhouse kick to the face. This involved, jager, whiskey, vodka and tobasco sauce. Suprisingly it wasn't that bad....

Halfway through the trip, we decided one evening to take a trip to another city for a quick visit. The next morning we hop on a train and head for Valencia. This city is known for its beaches and we got the opportunity to sit on one and dip our feet in the Mediterranean.

We didn't get the chance to the visit Aquarium due to lack of time which was very disappointing. This Aquarium is the 2nd largest in the world (Atlanta, Georgia being the first) and a majority of it is outdoors! Bugga. Aside from that we managed to do a lot of site seeing including the City of arts and sciences, Colosseum Valencia, and Torres de Serranos, which were the official gates to the city.

We traveled back to Madrid to spend our last few days and had a really great time visiting the royal palace of Mardrid. We weren't allowed to take photos in the palace but we snuck a few in very discretely =p This palace was just incredible! Every room was so overwhelming with the amount of intricate details put into them. Later that evening we went to the Prado which is one of the most famous art museums in the world. We only went from 6-8 because it was free and that was definitely not enough time. It was so neat seeing a lot of the works that I've been studying in my classes at school, brownie points for me with my professors! =)

I plan to write a few more entries focusing more on certain topics but I just wanted to give a broad over view of my trip. It's been a crazy fun time and I just want to thank Jordan for hosting and helping us make it through the week with his Spanish speaking skills. Cheers guys.

El-Tigre

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A fiesta in Madrid

Hola! So the Spain trip was a great success and I am already missing it.

Right off the bat of entering Madrid, we did not waste any time in exploring the city. Upon our arrival, we managed to catch the end of the Rastro Market, which is held every Sunday. A number of streets are closed down and filled with vendors and it was a perfect day for it. They seemed to have everything imaginable for purchase but I only got a pair of sunglasses which were much needed.

On a side note, we picked a good time to visit Spain because it was their 'Carnaval' season. Carnaval is a long span of festivites celebtrated before Lent. The main event is a  huge parade along the Paseo de la Castellana. There are things such as 'old time' fancy dress competitions and an evening concert in the Plaza Mayor. The end of Carnaval on Ash Wednesday brings on the traditional 'Burial of the Sardine' parade, with the participants all dressed in black carrying a cardboard sardine in a coffin which is theatrically and mournfully buried at the Fuente de los Pajaritos, marking the beginning of the fasting and reflection associated with Lent.

Throughout the first couple of days, we did a lot of exploring such as walking and enjoying siesta in Madrid's most popular park, Retiro Park. We also took pleasure in seeing the Palacio de Cristal (Crystal Palace), the Royal Botanical Gardens and just being baffled by all of the cool, old buildings. What I love most about this city was the cleanliness and beauty of all the architecture.

On the other hand, I can't say that I disliked the food. I'd say most of my money was spent on cerveza (beer) and food. Prior to the trip, I had talked to Jordan who is living in Madrid and he was informing me on the difference between Spain's time schedule compared to ours in the U.S. For example, breakfast is eaten at its normal time, but lunch is held around 3ish and dinner is around 10 or 11pm. In between meals it is common to eat 'tapas', which are small appetizer-like foods. This did take some getting used to considering our normal lunch time is during their siesta ( kind of like a long lunch break where one often leaves work to relax or nap. The lifestyle just seemed much more breath easy and time doesn't seem to be an issue.

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Rumbo a España

capital

Hola, buen dia para usted (I think that's right =p). So for my spring break, a couple of friends and I decided that we are going to visit my best friend Jordan in Spain. He is currently living in Madrid with a family where upon he is tutoring them in English.. As a college graduate, it is really cool for him to have this opportunity. Not only will he be getting a true cultural experience but at the same time he will be educating others of our American culture, and giving a better light towards our society that can often be looked down upon.
 I can't begin to describe my excitement to travel again. As always, I am going in with an open mind and not really having an agenda, but for the little time I am there, I want to see as much as I can. From the plazas to the castles and museums, I just cannot wait. My Spanish speaking skills are not the greatest, but I always manage to get by. Basically, I just need to know how to order food...and beer=p
I'll be sure to post updates on my adventures and most definitely pictures.
What a great way to start off the Spring season! Cheers everyone!

Leia Mais…

Just like Dr. Seuss says,"Oh, the places you'll go..."

I came across some random yet bizarre facts about our human world. I for one am a fun fact kinda guy. It is just amusing to see all of the random and ridiculous actions that people/places throughout history have done. Some of these I have discovered through my collections of Guiness world record books, and other I've have learned from the travel channel such as bizarre world with Andrew Zimmerman.  Enjoy:

-There are no clocks in Las Vegas casinos.

-The Great Pyramid of Giza consists of 2,300,000 blocks each weighing 2.5 tons.

-Dublin is home of the Fairy Investigation Society.

-George Washington grew marijuana in his garden

-During the reign of Elizabeth I, there was a tax put on men's beards.

-The Dutch in general prefer their french fries with mayonnaise.

-The Turk's consider it considered unlucky to step on a piece of bread.

-It is illegal to be a prostitute in Siena, Italy, if your name is Mary.

-Native American Indians used to name their children after the first thing they saw as they left their tepees subsequent to the birth. Hence such strange names as Sitting Bull and Running Water.     

-In the 1970's, the Rhode Island Legislature in the US entertained a proposal that there be a $2 tax on every act of sexual intercourse in the State.

-Ancient drinkers warded off the devil by clinking their cups

-China banned the pigtail in 1911 as it was seen as a symbol of feudalism.

-St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was not Irish.

-The 'Hundred Years War' lasted 116 years.

-Julius Caesar wore a laurel wreath to cover the onset of baldness.

-It is a criminal offence to drive around in a dirty car in Russia

-The national flag of Italy was designed by Napoleon Bonaparte.

-It was the custom in Ancient Rome for the men to place their right hand on their testicles when taking an oath. The modern term 'testimony' is derived from this tradition.

-More money is spent each year on alcohol and cigarettes than on Life insurance.

-Hindu men believe(d) it to be unluckily to marry a third time. They could avoid misfortune by marring a tree first. The tree ( his third wife ) was then burnt, freeing him to marry again.

-Between the two World War's, France was controlled by forty different governments.

-It is illegal to play tennis in the streets of Cambridge.

-The childrens' nursery rhyme 'Ring-a-Ring-a-Roses' actually refers to the Black Death which killed about 30 million people in the fourteenth-century.

-There are over 200 religious denominations in the United States

-The magic word "Abracadabra" was originally intended for the specific purpose of curing hay fever.

-The Puritans forbade the singing of Christmas Carols, judging them to be out of keeping with the true spirit of Christmas.

-Albert Einstein was once offered the Presidency of Israel. He declined saying he had no head for problems.

-Coffee is the second largest item of international commerce in the world. The largest is petrol.

-In Ancient Peru, when a woman found an 'ugly' potato, it was the custom for her to push it into the face of the nearest man.

-St Nicholas, the original Father Christmas, is the patron saint of thieves, virgins and communist Russia.

-King Solomon of Israel had about 700 wives as well as hundreds of mistresses.   

-One of Queen Victoria's wedding gifts was a 3 metre diameter, half tonne cheese. 

Are there any outrageous facts that you know??

Leia Mais…

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.

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