Sir is that a monkey serving my hot towel.
Why yes, yes it is.
Of course, that will only be the case if you head to Japan! Yes, these cute little monkeys are helping in the restaurant of their owners.
And their tips? Soy beans!
I can already see employers’ minds already spinning!
So here’s your fun Thursday video to lead you into this three-day holiday weekend in Bermuda. Enjoy!
Rolling around in the Thar desert
What do we have from our wanderer Nicola this week? Well last week we were taken around the world in sunsets and this week….. dogs!
Man’s best friend comes in all shapes and size, levels of domesticity, can be housesat or even beggars on the street and Nicola takes us from France to India and……..
Who let the dogs out? Does the dog in the desert in your little corner of India believe he will be fed if he hangs around on the camel safari? Can we be won over so easily by his cute tricks and the rolling around in the sand? Should we touch him or is there a risk of rabies, fleas or aggression? Should we call him Sandy or is that name too simplistic?
Amongst other animals at the Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve was this wild canine
Who let the dogs out? When you are in South Africa, big cats are the main attraction – but do wild dogs also feature in your “must see” animals at a game reserve or on safari? Do you joke that your sweet & lovable domestic dog comes from an ancestry line of African wild dogs? Can you pretend you are in a special edition version of the Lion King movie and start singing Hakuna Matata in the your dusty jeep?
Jonah? Nice to meet you
Who let the dogs out? When your friends are away on holidays and ask you to house-sit, are you allowed to let the dog sneak into the living room? Can you resist those adorable puppy eyes, or should you be stern and leave him outside the sliding glass doors to watch you watching TV? Do you make references to Jonah and the Whale? Should you pronounce his name Joe-nah or John-ah? Does it even matter – isn’t it just your love and attention that he is after, after all?
Just another day at the French markets...
Who let the dogs out? How do you react when a child sitting next to you in a cafe exclaims, in great jubilation, “Maman, maman – c’est un SAINT BERNARD!!” [Mom, mom, it's a Saint Bernard!!]. Does your mind automatically think of Beethoven circa 1992? Do you then start to think about other dog movies, such as All Dogs Go to Heaven, or Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey? Have you ever even seen a Saint Bernard before? Is it tonnes cooler knowing you will always say “Saint Bernard” in a French accent… San Bernar? Do you ever wonder if the dog has any relation to the real saint, Bernard? Does the scruffy man who you occasionally see in your French town know what an awesome pet he has?
The attack of the puppies
Who let the dogs out? Do you melt when you see a puppy, even if you are a cat person or not so fond of bigger dogs? Does it make you really wish you had your own dog, or give you great flashbacks of your own childhood four-legged friend? Why does the puppy that has his leash tied to a chair in a restaurant look like a fuzzy bear furball?
Before the big purple dinosaur, there was Barney the dog
Who let the dogs out? Do you look back at photos of your family trips to the US and see not just your outdated clothing and hairstyles, but also your lovable childhood pets? Do you laugh like crazy thinking about the time when your friend (who just moved to America with her family, including her curly-haired dog) sent you some dog fur in a zip-lock bag when she wrote you a letter? Do you remember when both you and your best friend had dogs and you used to pretend they were brothers/sisters, or cousins, or related by forces stronger than you knew (just like you and your friend)?
Feta cheese, olives and (hot) dogs.
Who let the dogs out? What crosses your mind when you think of hot dogs – would it bring up images of dogs in Greece, lying around in 35°C (95°F) heat? While you are exploring Athens (with Grease Lightning on repeat in your head), do you come across dogs sprawled all over the steps of the Acropolis or the front stoop of bank buildings? When you rest from the afternoon heat wave, sipping iced tea and eating baklava, does a scrappy dog sniff around for leftover food like a gold-digger? Do you witness one dog lobbing bricks off a cliff at another one in a dog fight? Do you wonder why there is a dog on the Athenian roof, when you were under the impression that it was roosters that adorned rooftop?
Your childhood best friend
Who let the dogs out? Do you proudly tell people that your dog’s name was unique – Chipo, a name of Zimbabwean origin, meaning “gift”? Can you remember when your dog ran right through the screen dog in your living room and left a huge hole behind? Do you laugh knowing that even though your dog was what you lovingly call a sidewalk specialty from the SPCA, he would tear the ligaments in both hind legs as an overexuberant puppy and have to wear plaster casts for a month? Did you take him for walks to the beaches in Bermuda and watch him run away from the waves like a scaredy-cat… I mean, dog?
Get ready for your trip!
Sunday is a funday and luckily we have our latest post from Emily Ross to entertain us today! Lost in the world of school she is back and ready to tell us how she prepares her packing!
Step One
Step Five
Step Six
Step Seven
Step Eight
Step Nine
Step Ten
Alcatel for $39.00!
Bermudians are many things and one of those “things” is hosts. The island is always inundated with family and friends who travel long distances to stay for free in our homes.
Otherwise we sometimes (and there should be more) these travelers choose guest houses. Even Cruise Ships. The problem is, that when these visitors come from so far away they still want to stay in touch with home.
So what are you supposed to do with the guest who comes to Bermuda and forgot to bring their phone or is so worried about roaming that they never use it?
You could buy a Sim Card, but then that’s a waste if the person doesn’t have a phone that works in Bermuda.
The other option? Cell One has come-up with this great phone plan for any visiter: $2.50 unlimited text and calling service on a daily basis.
How does it work? Good Question.
Step One: Buy a phone like the Alcatel OT-355, which costs $39.00. Of course there are plenty of other phones to choose from and before you do visit here to see the prepaid options!
Step Two: Because the phone automatically comes with $10 credit you can start using it right away. Even better? The phone is yours to keep, which is great for guest houses and Bermudians with plenty of visitors to reuse these devices.
Step Three: Any day that a text or phone call is made then the $2.50 is automatically deducted and the phone user can then communicate to an unlimited amount.
Don’t use the phone for a day? Don’t get charged!
If you are texting overseas then there will be an additional charge, however, all local calls/texts will be free after the initial $2.50.
Step Four: If you need to top-up then there are plenty of convenient locations around Bermuda to do that. Check out these locations here.
What more could you want? I thought this sounded like such a cool deal I couldn’t resist featuring it today for Tuesday! What do you think?
Walking a dangerous bridge with broken sneakers and a trash bag
It was 7 a.m., dark, very cold and threatening rain, but he arrived at our bus in torn jeans, broken sneakers and a leather jacket.
I didn’t even bother to comment. There would have been no point.
We began the drive to the beginning of the Torres Del Paine National Park hike in Patagonia, Chile and the closer we got, the darker it got.
Of course when the bus dropped us at the ferry stop for the ride to our path, the clouds decided to cry and my travel buddy looked like he was about to; not an inch of his 6’2” frame was waterproof.
Me, you ask? Oh, I had rented waterproof pants, had my waterproof, warm ski jacket on and was wearing hiking shoes so I was not too worried.
But you must have had more time to prepare for your five-day hike, Robyn.
You would have thought so, but actually I had arrived in Punta Arenas (the launch pad for the hike) the night before. The difference between me and my travel buddy? I listened to the advice of the hiking enthusiasts at the rental place.
Luckily we met a Belgium couple who gave my hiking buddy a rain poncho to try and protect some of his leather jacket and backpack.
Which brings me to something I have been thinking about for a while and a conversation I had with a fellow wanderer last week: why are some of the best known travelers men, when men can’t travel?
Am I being sexist? Perhaps, but then she told me about a man she met in Laos who had his passport torn apart in India.
Why? Because he placed his passport in one of those scanner bins before going through security. One of the workers saw his passport all alone and ripped-out pages for use in a fake passport. The traveler was thrown-out of India and had to return home.
Of course he then turned around and headed back to India, but what was he thinking in the first place?
Where is your passport, sir?
Should I go on? Ok, I will.
The two of them had just arrived in Cusco, Peru for a two week holiday from Boston so sun, well, was not their friend.
Day one in the hills behind Cusco, one man became bed-bound with a sun burn. Don’t ask me, I don’t know how you go to Cusco and end-up with a sun burn that looks like its from the Caribbean, but he did.
The next day his buddy threw his body down a cliffside as we biked through the hills near Cusco. Seriously, how were these two men going to make it out alive?
Ok, I did have one mishap. I wore shorts to Machu Picchu and the bugs bit, but I was fine.
My question is: why are men the travel writers? why are men the ones featured on travel shows? Where are all the women?
Before you even try to answer these questions with: but isn’t there Elizabeth Gilbert? I will stop you. She was never traveling.
Elizabeth Gilbert was on some self-defined quest with a very scripted journey and it ended with a love story. Travel is not that.
Which makes me wonder: why is the only story from female travelers one that ends with a love story?
Where are the female, Bill Brysons? Or the Michael Palins? Why, when I turn-on the Discovery Channel, is every single show led by a man?
Why does National Geographic only have one female columnist? Why is the one show that everyone raves about right now: “An idiot abroad” and it features a man? Ok, sorry it would have to be a man.
Women can travel to!
Before I move-on, one last question I have for you is: why when I “google” women travelers all I receive are warning signs!
“BE CAREFUL” “DON’T GO” “WHATEVER YOU DO TRAVELING MAKE SURE YOU DON’T DIE!!”
Look, I am not so silly as to think women do not have to worry when they travel. Of course they do. They also have to worry when they are at home. When I walk down the street at home I am usually scanning to make sure I do not have to worry about the man in front of me and I always think before I go running by myself.
Women just have to have these natural defenses. It’s sad, but it’s true.
Now when it comes to traveling, as long as women do not let these defenses down, there really is no greater problems for women on the road than at home (unless, of course, you are planning a visit to the front lines of a war. Then, well, you might want to take added precautions).
It’s sad. It’s sad that women have two choices when it comes to representing themselves in the traveling world: through love or through fear.
Seriously, are there no women out there who travel simply for travel’s sake? Well I’m one and I know there are others. I have two who write regularly for this blog.
So where is out travel show?
Oh, perhaps, you say, it’s because men have all of these crazy mishaps that women will only have travel shows if they wear bikinis and run around beaches. I mean each sex has to play to their strong points!
Biking through Thailand
Well, I went for a three-day, motorbike trip through Northern Thailand that took us through mountains of mist and water-covered roads.
I even skidded-out on the road to the long-neck village! Isn’t that exciting? Don’t I belong on the Discovery Channel?
I wasn’t going to take a bus and having ridden a motorbike since I was 16-years-old (not counting the rides on my parents’ bikes from two-year-old) I was no slouch!
So where is my show? Where is my book?
Well Robyn you have to survive in the wilderness like Bear Grylls.
Surviving Patagonia
Ok I will. I did survive the wilderness. Sure, I didn’t sleep in a camel or eat some ridiculous bug, but I was ready to walk through the wilderness of Torres del Paine National Park for five days by myself.
It was coincidence that a guy in the rental place needed a partner for his trip. Then he showed-up in jeans better suited for an 80′s concert.
Sure there are women out there traveling and writing. There are women traveling for adventure.
Why are they not famous? Why are they not famous TV presenters? Why, if we can travel, keep our passports, have fun, be adventurous and wear totally appropriate clothing are we not the main presenters on the discovery travel?
And last thing: if men have so much trouble getting around the world, as I witnessed, where are all the sites warning men about travel? Don’t leave your passport alone! Don’t wear broken sneakers through Patagonia…..
Just a few tips to start.
The Tribute in Light, the annual remembrance of the September 11 attacks
For my generation it was a day we will always remember: 9/11/2001. Me? I was in Rome, Italy teaching at a boarding school and was taking a nap; I wan’t feeling well.
The kids woke me up, yelling and screaming in the hallways. Downstairs we had one TV with satellite and everyone was gathered watching with disbelief, horror and fear.
Today, on this tenth anniversary, our wanderer Nicola remembers where she was on 9/11 and the hair cut that changed the way we should all help:
Even a decade later, the majority of us can probably still remember where we were on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
On that Tuesday, I was in Bermuda, on the morning volunteer shift at the hospital. It was one of my last summer shifts before returning to school on Thursday. When I reached home nobody else was there, so I promptly turned on the TV. The footage and the breaking news was captivating, and I could not believe the shocking events unfolding before my eyes. Needless to say, my family and I were glued to the news for the next few weeks.
The events of 9/11, now in their 10th anniversary, seem like both a lifetime away and a moment ago. I am grateful that my family is a bunch of Broadway nuts, as we were lucky enough to visit New York City several times before 2001.
The NYC experience for us included musicals, shopping and sightseeing… and New York-style cheesecake! Having stayed in a Marriott hotel just blocks away from ground zero, and having walked through the lobbies of the majestic Twin Towers in person, visiting post-9/11 New York made the stories from TV very real. This weekend, the 10th anniversary will mark the unveiling of the 9/11 Memorial in lower Manhattan.
A family trip to NYC in 2005 included a visit to ground zero
Yet, just as Elie Wiesel said, hope can be given from one human being to another in an effort to combat the despair. From the ashes of 9/11 comes stories that are full of hope, wonder and awe. The Miracle of Stairway B is one such story – you can read or watch the incredible story of how these 16 people survived the collapse of the North Tower 10 years ago.
Fast forward to Saturday, September 11, 2010.
Hope was certainly alive among my family and friends exactly one year ago. We had a great reason to celebrate, and I know that the date of this special event that coincided with 9/11 was not a coincidence.
My older sister, Katie, had decided to cut her long, golden locks to donate to a British charity, Little Princess Trust, who provides real hair wigs to children suffering hair loss due to cancer treatment. Not to be left behind (as any younger sibling knows), I joined her not only in her fundraising efforts, but also in the haircut donation!
Katie and Nicola's hairstyles "before"
In Katie’s own words, she explains her grand haircut scheme and why she was eager to donate her ponytail:
From our fabulous haircut weekend in England in 2010, let me recap several of the highlights (no pun intended!):
As Katie was living in England, she had done her hair homework: she had scouted out the perfect salon, met with the lovely hairdresser, and organized for a local journalist to join us on September 11th (here is Katie in her local newspaper). My mom was home in Bermuda, sadly missing out on the haircut action… but at airport on September 10th, my dad surprised her with a plane ticket so she could join us for the weekend! What a delightful surprise for us all! To further celebrate at the salon, our aunt pulled out a picnic basket with none other than champagne for us and our groupies… a bubbly toast to celebrate the exciting new looks.
First Chop: Katie bravely took the first cut, with the photographer well-placed to snap some photos. As the hairdresser, Chris, chopped off a good 12 inches, the shocking “Wow!” moment was evident in her slight hyperventilation… tears of joy, indeed! All these months of long braids and now she had to learn to style a bob plus a fringe.
Katie's drastic yet beautiful 12-inch chop
Second Chop: My haircut was second, and as my hair was juuuust long enough for the required 10-inch donation, Chris cut my hair bit by bit, from one side to the other, collecting the strands for a ponytail. I was left with a sideways mullet for a few moments. It was all I could do not to burst into a fit of giggles! I felt… very… light-headed. The pixie look agreed with my face shape… what a relief!
Nicola sports the "mullet" style - oh, the horror!
And last but not least, Katie and I were joined by the best cheerleading squad ever. Besides our parents immediate family, we were surrounded by Bermudian friends living in England, as well as British and South African friends… quite the international group. The salon hairdressers were delightful, and if you ever find yourself in Brentwood (just east of London), and yearning for a haircut… go to Hub Hairdressing. It’s a great find.
The after-party celebration for Katie and Nicola, the "Little Princesses" of September 11, 2010.
A year later, we have a dual reason to remember 9/11. While we honour the fallen and remember the miracle stories that came out of September 11th, or pledge monetary and hair donations to support children suffering from cancer, the common denominator is that hope rises like a phoenix from the ashes.
Emily needs to stop looking at my food photos.
I hope you ate your breakfast this morning because our wanderer Emily Ross is opening her food photos from around the world!
Her move from pastry in Amsterdam to pad Thai in Thailand will entice the tummy and, hopefully, your tastes for traveling! Annnnd it’s on to Emily:
Aaaand Emily emerges from the darkness yet again.
Bermuda has an effect on me, causing me to procrastinate yet simultaneously make obsessive compulsive routines. God forbid I go a DAY without my Lindo’s hummus, but my suitcase remains unpacked and the blog remains neglected.
It’s time for me to get off the island. Getting out of Somerset (one end of the island) is feeling like sightseeing, let’s be honest. I’m off to Toronto this weekend to visit the younger sibling and MAN, am I psyched. I’ve been googling Chinatown restaurants with mounting anticipation.
Go to Amsterdam for the pastry Whove thunk it
I truly hope you all take some time to watch the brilliance that is ‘An Idiot Abroad.’ Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant send their idiot/idiot-savant radio colleague Karl Pilkington on a journey to the Seven Wonders of the World and document his reactions to travel.
Before he begins his journey, Pilkington expresses concern at the prospect of travelling to China because he worries he may develop a ‘taste for toad’ and then not be able to get any toad when he returns to the UK. Brilliance. And, I find upon my return to ‘the West’ – a fair point.
There are SO many foods I miss. I had a rather pitiful experience late night in London’s Chinatown – I bought dumplings from a random restaurant and well…they were ALL wrong. Sigh. I miss the Asian respect for the eggplant. I miss chopsticks. My aunt gave me a family set of chopsticks for my birthday but they seem so misused when applied to roast chicken and peas. Woe.
My kingdom for xiao long bao
Toronto has a reputation for being one of the most multicultural cities in the world and the food scene really reflects the demographic diversity. The fact that there are restaurants sporting xiao long bao, my beloved soup dumplings, truly bodes well for my quest to find The Foods That I Miss. We’ll see if I’m disappointed.
Perhaps I subconsciously find certain products or foodstuffs to fall in love with when I travel so that I have a greater incentive to return.
Peru – Ambrosoli mint toffees. Oh, the pain when I finally ran out of the stash I brought home.
South Africa/Botswana – All Gold Tomato ketchup. That stuff brings Heinz to shame. Oh, and impala and warthog weren’t half bad either.
France – Speculoos spread. As magical as the name implies.
These barrel pastries in Prague were amazing. Still need to find out the real name
Czech Republic – Activia Aloe Vera yoghurt. Thankfully I can find this in other European countries.
Germany – So. Much. Haribo.
Spain – There was this beautiful, beautiful pasta dish which was SO simple – just a runny fried egg, salt, pepper and pasta. You broke the egg yolk and mixed it in with the pasta to make a ‘sauce.’ Sure, I could make it at home but I could never recreate the pasta my host mother made for me.
I will never forget this pad thai.
If I continue my descriptions into China and Southeast Asia I think I’ll depress myself. Hopefully I’ll find the answer to my cravings in Toronto.
And I suppose if not…well, I have no choice but to return.
Right?
The sunshine came, it burnt, and now it's on its way out.
A Bermudian in Canada for the summer? Oh yes it is true. Our wanderer Nicola Arnold found herself not swizzling away her summer on a pink beach at home, but surviving Canada.
So how did she do it? Well here she is to tell her tale:
Labour Day Weekend? I guess that means it is time to tell you “How I Spent My Summer Vacation”… hmmm. Let’s spice it up a bit, shall we?!
Backtrack to summer for a minute – the warm, breezy months of laissez-faire attitude – what’s not to love? While we may no longer be walking around in itsy, bitsy, teenie weenie, yellow polka dot bikinis (or other such outfits that stave off the heatwave), the summer-lovin’ kids from Grease treated us to this back-to-school hit to remind us of our sweet summer nights. And speaking of that itsy, bitsy, teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini… voila!
Summer 2011 was particularly interesting for me. Why? It was my first Canadian summer! Despite two getaway trips (to Boston and a family reunion that took me to Bermuda, South Africa & Croatia), I spent a good 3 out of 4 months here. I learnt that I can, indeed, pass a summer in Canada and live to tell the tale. Here goes…
11 Ways That I Survived (I Mean Enjoyed!) My Canadian** Summer:
1. Getaway for a weekend on Porter Airlines: A hop, skip and a jump away from downtown Toronto, Porter Airlines flights take-off from Toronto Island. Very quick & easy, as I jetted off to Boston for a long weekend in May to visit friends (several school friends from Bermuda, in fact). From Chicao to Halifax, Porter’s “fly refined” motto was definitely true, as who doesn’t like a leather airplane seat and a complimentary glass of wine?
A trip to Boston is not complete without tasting as many Dunkin' Donuts as possible!
2. Chill out for a day on the Toronto Islands: Whether you wish to hit the beach, rent bicycles or a boat, pack a picnic, or visit the children’s amusement park or the farm, you just need to jump on the ferry from Toronto Harbour. TheToronto Islands are far enough away from the city to exude peacefulness… provided you beat the rush of summer camps & birthday parties! Alas, my friend and I found two things out the hard way – make sure you have enough cash (no ATM), and do NOT forget the sunscreen.
3. Seek thrills at Canada’s Wonderland: Until this summer, I had never been able to enjoy the rides at Canada’s Wonderland, as it’s usually only open from May-October. I was delighted to go not once but twice this summer with different pals – and bonus, we got good deals! As it has been awhile since my last roller-coaster experience, I was not sure what to expect from myself: Screamer? Eyes wide closed? Nope. My “oh-my-gosh-I-cannot-breathe-I’m-laughing-so-much” coaster reaction was a hit among my friends.
The Behemoth, guaranteed to make you scream, cry, gasp... or laugh!
4. Explore the Elora Gorge: Elora, a small town so close to Guelph yet so far… without one’s own car. I was able to convince my friend (with a lovable dog) to join me in exploring the Elora Gorge. The Grand River proved to be a fantastic place to walk said lovable dog, eat a picnic and watch the brave kayakers battle the rapids.
5. Canada Day… in London (?): Celebrated on July 1st, I thought this would be my first authentic Canada Day. Lo and behold, my Canada Day 2011 was indeed Canadian… but took place in London, England! On the journey back to Canada from my family reunion, we passed through London. While killing time before watching Les Misérables, we strolled to Trafalgar Square for some people-watching. It turns out there were a lot of people to watch… both Canadians & Londoners! From Sleeman beer tents to Tim Horton’s coffee & donuts stalls, it felt like I was in my (adopted) home away home.
6. Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games: As I mentioned in my kilt blog, I had the joy of attending the Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games in August with some family friends of bona fide Scottish descent. It was a superb round-up of highland games, dancing, taste-testing, and all-round jolly festivities. If only I had been brave enough to try haggis…
Great Scott!
7. Canoeing/kayaking the Speed River: While the rapids at Elora Gorge may be a tad too rapid for me, I persuaded several different friends to go canoeing at our local Speed River. A few had never canoed before, which made for some very entertaining trips – it appears that some people cannot steer & talk simultaneously… but the fun stems from rocking the boat!
8. BBQ/dining al fesco: Barbecuing is synonymous with summer. If it’s warm enough to fire up the grill, you might as well enjoy the balmy evenings. But on top of the BBQ, one thing that was a real treat (coming from Bermuda, where the weather is either summery or rainy, but never snowy), was the late spring/early summer patio season. Canadians hop outside to enjoy some sunshine and, voila, al fresco dining hits the ground running. ‘Tis glorious when it’s at last permissible to sit outside with a burger & beer!
9. Ribs, Rhythm & Rotary: For a finger-lickin’ good time, it’s worth a taste of Ribfest. If you desired, you could wind your way across the province for a summer full of Ontario Ribfests. Besides choosing our flavour of ribs and taste-testing each others choices, my friends and I were able to enjoy the car show, the children’s amusement rides and wash down the ribs with a trip to the beer tent, the ice-cream truck, or the lemonade stand. Don’t forget the lasso training. Yee-haw!
Hmm... so many ribs, such little space to put them!
10. Check out a dazzling Air Show: The city of Waterloo may be known for RIM’s Blackberry, but did you also know there is a Waterloo International Airport? I was invited to go to the Air Show with some friends and I happily accepted, as I have fond memories of air shows in Bermuda. We were dazzled by the talented Canadian Forces Snowbirds, fighter jets, parachute teams, and even witnessed an acrobatic plane land on top of a moving RV – stunning!
11. Mosquitoes x100: I survived my summer of mosquitoes. Instead of battling Bermudian cockroaches that fly right at you, the combat this summer was against blood-sucking mosquitoes. After a few failed attempts at lazing in the Arboretum due to the revenge of the mosquito, I realized that sunscreen plus bug repellent are summer must-haves in Canada. Ah, the sense of adventure!
(** in my case, Canadian = Southern Ontario)
So… “Did you miss Bermuda?”
Swizzle, I missed you this summer
Yes, some days I wished for Bermuda-style beaching & boating adventures, or a happy hour at Hamilton Princess overlooking the harbour. Instead, I chose to bring Bermuda to Canada: As you can buy Gosling’s Black Seal in Ontario, I introduced friends to some “makeshift” Dark ‘n Stormies. And I mean makeshift, as I ever so irritatingly left my case of Barritt’s Ginger Beer at the airport baggage claim. Solution? I had to taste-test several other “Caribbean-style” ginger beers… what a hardship! While all were incomparable to Barritt’s, one was sufficient enough to weather the Storm.
These past few months have been a treat. Even if summer is drawing to a close… there is no need to fall apart. Little by little, we will switch up our iced coffees for spiced chai lattes and enjoy the coziness of the autumn.
What?!
It’s Friday and it has been a while since we’ve had a photo of the day so……well why not today? Can’t think of a reason so….what is it?
Good question. The photo of the day comes straight from the Netherlands where I recently spent about three weeks trying to eat as much chocolate sprinkles for breakfast as I could and as much cheese for lunch as I could. Mission accomplished.
I also discovered why the Dutch are not all 500 pounds on a diet that starts with chocolate for breakfast: biking. Yes it’s cliche and everyone knows about the bikes in Amsterdam, but have you seen the way they leave their bikes?
Well, that brings us to the photo of the day: a bike rack. Have you ever seen one like this before? Me neither, which is why I had to take a pic! These weird contraptions hold the bike’s wheels and help keep down the chaos that these bicycles could create in a country where 86% of the population owns one!
Want some crazier numbers? Well there are about 16 million bicycles in Holland and 1.3 million new ones are sold each year. That is more bicycles than inhabitants!
No wonder I got dirty looks for walking everywhere. Common pedestrian!
Sometimes, the words you speak just don't add up!
Happy Sunday everyone! We are well into the end of the weekend (unless you are traveling like me. Sorry it had to be said!), but good thing we have an amusing little note from our wanderer Nicola.
Nicola, this week, is applying for a job (sacrilege!). Have no fears…the position would still be in our traveling world and hopefully she will continue writing. Before we can jump to that position, however, a job interview had to be completed. Been? heard? Have I confused you? Well let Nicola explain:
Shoulders squared, legs folded to one side, sitting up straight, hands clasped. Smiling but not grinning, enthusiastic yet not overly excited. The job interview was progressing nicely, when all of a sudden I realized that the words flowing out of my mouth were wrong. Horrendously wrong. WHAT did I just say??
Luckily my brain was able to catch the error, which my mouth then sought to rectify. Sending out a ripple of laughter in an interview room is a great way to calm the nerves… careless mistake turned comic relief. What was my faux pas?
In an effort to say “I have never been to Kenya or Ecuador”, I had actually uttered the phrase “I have never heard of Kenya or Ecuador”. Riiiight…
I've monkeyed around in South Africa... but have never heard of Kenya!
Clearly, that is not the case! As a university graduate, fervent traveller and someone with a keen interest in country geography… I have INDEED heard of Kenya and Ecuador.
I've stood in front of a door... but I've never heard of Ecuador!
But you never know… perhaps being quick-thinking and righting your wrongs scores you points in an interview. Heck, if I get the job I will know more about Kenya and Ecuador than ever before – and hopefully get a chance to visit these exotic destinations! All shall be revealed in due course…
