Nighttime New York

This past May, when I went to NYC, I wasn’t really allowed to experience much (okay, any) of the city at night, being all of fifteen years old at the time.  But from what I did see, the only thing better than New York City during the day, is New York City at night.  They don’t call it “the city that never sleeps” for nothing.

Night skyline over the water

I’ve always had this idea that as much as any city is always alive, at night is when it wakes up.  I don’t know what it is about it, but the noise gets louder, the lights get brighter, the dark gets darker, and everything is that much more vivid.  I guess when the sun sets, everything else rises.

What do you think?  Do you think this is true, that nighttime is the best time?  Or do you think cities are most alive under light of day?  When does the metropolis come to life for you?

Fighting the Language Barrier

A frequent objection to travel I hear is “oh, well I could only go somewhere that speaks English.  I’m no good at foreign languages.”  Well that’s just silly, I say.  Here’s why:

I maintain that no one is bad at language.  They simply haven’t learned right.  Language is thought to be the only human instinct we still have.  Most people don’t know how they learn most effectively.  There are four main ways of learning: verbally (written word, taking notes, etc.), visually (images, patterns, etc.), aurally (hearing and reading), and tactile (motion, sense of touch).  One of the first steps is learning how you learn.

Language incorporates a little bit of all of these.  All of my teachers have said that there are four parts of fluency in any language: reading, writing, speaking, and listening, which all add up to immersion.  So in many cases, some people are stronger in some parts of language than others.  I know some who, after hearing a few sentences begin to pick it up, but are helpless when they see it written out and vice versa.  But as you gain skill on some areas, others follow naturally.

Maybe you’ve done this.  And maybe you’re still just not learning as fast as you would like to.  This is a bone I would like to pick with the educational system.  In many places, language education doesn’t begin until around age 12 0r 13.  I have always insisted that this is idiotic, because the language centers of your brain are most elastic (and therefore make it easier to learn) around age 5, and they harden up as we get older, making it more and more difficult as time goes on.  That’s not to say learning a new language later in life is impossible – far from it. It’s just a bit harder for you (I’ve always said that I’ll be raising my kids bi- or trilingual from birth – it’s such a massive advantage that it would be stupid to go without in this globalizing world; it’s smart of you to want to learn that second language).

Now, if I can make a few suggestions for learning any language:

• Find a friend who also wants to learn – it’s much easier if you have someone to practice your speaking and listening skills with.
• Practice every day, no matter what – set aside a half hour each day.  You can’t expect to become fluent with no practice.
• Every time you learn a new word or phrase, think about how many times in a day you might use it in English.  Every time you do use it in English, repeat it in the other language a couple times.
• Don’t focus on making complex sentences or getting every word translated exactly.  Focus on getting your main idea across until you become more advanced.
• When you travel, even if you only know a couple of phrases, use them!  In many cases, the effort will be appreciated and reciprocated.

Universal Healthcare

One of the most important effects (and  sometimes, causes) of travel is awareness of what’s going on in the world.  Recently, a controversial healthcare bill passed to the U.S. Senate.  Here’s my deal with it:

The core tenet here shouldn’t be controversial.  Everyone should have access to healthcare.  End of story.  Anyone who says otherwise, that people should be denied a basic human right based on income or social status, is basically a prick.  I honestly don’t see how such people can defend that stance and think that they’re right.  But that’s just me.  I acknowledge that I am very opinionated and sometimes prone to be judgmental based on that.

Now, I live in the North.  Maybe 45 minutes away from the Canadian border.  We basically compare everything politically to being better or worse than Canada, simply because it’s so easy for us to get there.  Canada, as I’m sure you know, has a universal healthcare system.  If you’re not sure how it works, in simplest terms, taxpaying Canadian citizens pay a tax that goes to providing healthcare.  And then for most medical procedures, it’s free for you (this is vastly oversimplified, I think, but you get the idea).

In most arguments I hear against universal healthcare, something is said along the lines of “oh, well I heard that in Canada, you have to wait like 6 hours just to get seen in the emergency room!  It’s all universal healthcare’s fault!”  Well for one thing, that is pretty much just the most extreme cases.  It’s funny that no one who argues against it ever so much as acknowledges successes of universal healthcare systems.  I’ve heard counts of travelers in need of medical treatment who were treated quickly and efficiently and who got away with no more than an equivalent $60 bill (and that only because they were a foreigner) for procedures that likely would have cost upwards of $1000 in the U.S.

What boggles my mind is – why?  Why does it seem like other countries can make it work and we can’t?  This Matador post makes an excellent point.  Socialism, a harmless word in many countries, is the dirtiest of all political curses here.  Want to tear down an opponent’s political campaign?  Just throw out a few communist and socialist accusations and your work is done.

I think it’s plain to see that something needs to be done about this, sooner rather than later.  So, I leave you with this – if socialism in America is such a scary idea, why do we believe in so many socialist ideas, like a minimum wage, child labor laws, Medicare, food stamps, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and social security?

Additional reading: Becoming A Socialist Nation – very interesting article.

CouchSurfing

Hi everyone!  Sorry for the lack of content as of late; I’ve been slammed with schoolwork.  Here’s a brief post for today and the regular posting schedule should be back soon.

In my blogroll, there is a link to a site called CouchSurfing.  Allow me to explain:

Travel can be very pricey.  I think we can all agree on that.  This alone is enough to turn some people away from traveling.  Well, if money is your main obstacle, I think this can help.  From their website:

“CouchSurfing members share hospitality with one another. These exchanges are a uniquely rich form of cultural interaction. Hosts have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world without leaving home. ‘Surfers,’ or travelers, are able to participate in the local life of the places they visit. We also give more people the chance to become travelers, because ‘surfing’ lowers the financial cost of exploration.”

You see, when you host people, you offer a bed (couch, futon, what-have-you) to travelers from around the world for free.  And then when you travel, you stay with others, greatly reducing the cost of your trip.  You also get the added benefit of making great friends, and getting an insiders view of wherever you may be.

I know what you’re thinking.  “This sounds a little skeevy, doesn’t it?”  And it did to me too, at first.  But they have an extensive means of verifying people as safe people to stay with.  If someone isn’t verified?  You don’t have to stay with them.  You can choose to stay with anyone with a verification level that makes you feel safe.

Happy CouchSurfing!

Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre

One of the most famous Roman Catholic basilicas in Quebec is the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre.  It started as a simple shrine to Ste. Anne to provide a place of worship to the new settlers flooding the region.  During the construction, the first miracle of the church was performed.  One of the workers walked with crutches, but after placing 3 stones on the altar, he was able to walk freely again.  As news of this and other miracles spread, more and more pilgrims flowed into the region for healing.

The current basilica, after remodeling.

In 1876, the shrine was expanded to a full basilica to accomodate the mass amounts of worshippers.  This original basilica was burned down, but was compeletely rebuilt in 1926.  Ste.-Anne-de-Beaupre is still widely visited for miracles and healings and receives about half a million pilgrims each year, peaking around July 26th, the feast of St. Anne.  Pillars near the entrance of the church are covered in crutches, braces, canes, and other signs of disability that have been discarded after miracles.

Interior of the Basilica

Ahoy, me maties

This morning, my parents set off on a cruise to the Caribbean.  Now, if you’ve ever taken a cruise, you know that it’s a great experience.

You see, cruise ships are basically floating cities.  There’s shops, restaurants, nightclubs, theaters, pools, sports centers etc.  Anything you might want to do is available.  Cruises hold anywhere between 1,000 to 4,000 people, which means there’s tons of opportunities to meet people.  Or not, if you so prefer.  That’s the thing.  You can do as much or as little as you want.  There’s always something going on, or you can just chill out.

Virtually all cruises have multiple stops.  It’s a great way to sample cities and ports for a day each.  No, you don’t get to get in-depth into the city/port.  But remember, the thing with cruises is: you’re not looking for a long term affair with the places you visit.  You’re looking for the quickie, the fling.

It’s also more affordable than other modes of travel, considering all you get to do.  When you start getting into the add-ons and the extras, yeah, it drives the price up.  Isn’t that the way with everything though?

One of the more common reasons not to go that I’ve heard is seasickness.  Except on such a massive ship, you don’t feel the motion at all.  On the rare few days when you can, they sell tons of products to fight the seasickness, or you can bring your own.  Another reason is that they have small children and it’s not safe for them or they would be bored.  This is just not true.  There are rails and watchful crew members everywhere, and there are day programs for kids of all ages, from 1 – 18.  Another reason, exactly the opposite, is that they don’t want to go alone.  Well that’s silly.  I’d prefer to go alone, myself.  For one thing, the small cabins are more comfortable for just one person.  For another, it’s so easy to meet people.  You’ll make friends, I guarantee.

So basically, I guess what I’m saying is, if you get the opportunity to go on a cruise, you should do it.

You know you want to...

Dog Sledding

I mentioned in my Quebec post that we’ll be going dog-sledding while we’re there.  We’ll each get a chance to drive the sled for a while, which I think will be incredibly exciting.  So here’s a bit on the history of dog sleds:

Dogs have been used for transport in arctic regions since the 10th century.  It’s believed that without such means, we never could have explored or inhabited such snowy climates.  They’ve been used to transport everything from people to mail and medicine, and other supplies.

The first recreational dog race was believed to have been held sometime in the mid-to-late 1800s.  In the 1920s, gold miners brought dog sledding back to New England, where it boomed with popularity.  By 1932, dog sledding was a demonstrational sport in the Winter Olympics of that year.  It was featured again in 1952 at the Oslo Olympics.

Since then, interest has seemingly waned, but every year, many dog sled races are held across the world.  The Iditarod, for example, is a grueling 1150 mile sled race across the wilderness of Alaska which draws worldwide attention.

Crepe Recipe Trois!

Alright, here’s the third and final crepe recipe (for now…).  This one might be my favorite.  There’s a few more ingredients than the other recipes, but it’s still very simple, and the directions are still the same.  I give you…Spicy Dessert Crepes!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon light molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 ground nutmeg

Directions:

In bowl combine flour, milk, eggs, sugar, oil, and salt.  Beat with electric mixer until blended.  Heat a lightly greased 6-inch skillet.  Remove from heat.  Spoon in 2 tablespoons batter; lift and tilt skillet to spread batter.  Return to heat, brown on one side.  Invert pan over paper toweling; remove crepe.  Repeat until all the batter is used.  Makes 16-18 crepes.  Fill with whatever you want.

Now, if all this talk of crepes has made you want to try making them yourself, I would recommend this crepe maker here.  It’s way easier than trying to make them the same way you make pancakes (crepes are very delicate, remember), and this set up is quick and simple to use.  It took me all of about 5 minutes to get it today (although there is a bit of a trick to getting the crepes off the pan – you’ll get the hang of it pretty fast).

For more recipes, click here.

Recipe 1 and recipe 2.

Crepe Recipe Deux!

‘Ello all!  This is part 2 of my 3 part obsessive crepe posting.  This second recipe here is for chocolate crepes.  It has the same instructions as the first one, just a few changes in the ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup pre-sweetened instant cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• If you prefer, substitute 1 1/4 cups chocolate milk for the milk and cocoa powder

Directions:

In bowl comine flour, milk, eggs, sugar, oil, and salt.  Beat with electric mixer until blended.  Heat a lightly greased 6-inch skillet.  Remove from heat.  Spoon in 2 tablespoons batter; lift and tilt skillet to spread batter.  Return to heat, brown on one side.  Invert pan over paper toweling; remove crepe.  Repeat until all the batter is used.  Makes 16-18 crepes.  Fill with whatever you can imagine.

As much as I love regular crepes, these ones are particularly delicious.  I’d recommend them to anyone with a big sweet tooth like me!  They make a great dessert, or you could even make them for breakfast (I can’t imagine a better way to start the day).

For more recipes, click here.

Recipe 1 and recipe 3.

The 50 Best Foods in the World and Where to Eat Them

I’m sure this is open to a great deal of debate, but the list is here.  Sounds like a hell of a destination list to me.  What do you think?  Agree or disagree with anything on the list?  Is there a place that you feel does something better than anywhere else?  Post it in the comments!