Imagine that you’ve come to NYC, and you need a local. (I’m not sure why, since Google Maps is so wide-spread, but let’s say you need one.) Here’s how to differentiate the locals from fellow visitors and recent transplants: 1) They wait to cross the street in the street. New Yorkers don’t like to wait. Unlike the…
I fly a lot. Even over the past 2 months, while I was attempting not to travel, I took 10 different planes across multiple continents. I’m not trying to brag; despite what many think, the actual process of traveling can be tedious, frustrating, and tiring. Instead, my goal is to save you time and rage by sharing the top thing…
We only moved to London for 11 weeks, but in that time, I managed to acquire some very British mannerisms. They say that it takes about four weeks for muscles to atrophy. So perhaps it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that it took that long to lose the habits I had picked up there. For example: 1)…
This is only a travel post if you consider memory lane to be a destination… When I was in sixth grade, I discovered writing. Don’t get me wrong: I wrote before then. In fact, I recently found my school journal from third grade and cringed through page after page of descriptions of my favorite color (pink?!?) and my…
We spent an afternoon exploring Sharon, PA, because why not? Philadelphia Candies: (Technically, this is right over the Sharon “border” into the adjacent town of Hermitage, but I’m going to count it.) This is a big candy store, with everything from chocolate-covered potato chips to chocolate bars in the shape of cows or fancy truffles. I enjoyed the hazelnut…
B is from northeast Ohio, near the border with western Pennsylvania. And while I’ve lived in this region of the US (the Midwest) for ten years and in eastern Pennsylvania for another four, I’ve found that people here have unique characteristics. If you ever need to spot someone from this part of Ohio, here’s what to look for: Needs Done: People…
On our only Saturday in Philly, I woke up early. B had gone to sleep late, so I showered and left without stirring him. Whether because of the hour (past nine, mind you) or the area I strolled through, almost no one was out to admire the city streets with me. I walked in the sunshine from…
My last name isn’t very long, and it’s not super unusual. But it’s not exactly “Smith” or “Brown:” it’s an “ethnic” family name. So, when asked for my name, I always spell it with phonetic references – as in, “McAdams, that’s M like mom, C like cat, A like apple…” (Last name changed to protect the not-so-innocent.) Given the…
I have a friend back home who’s afraid of flying. Though I’ve never actually discussed it with her, I imagine she thinks I don’t understand that feeling at all. After all, I’ve taken at least a few dozen flights just this year! I also tend to argue for flying over driving, and I don’t take…
There are bright-colored flowers all over the country, even though much of it is in the desert. Hot pink ones seem particularly common, and they often appear along the roadside. Many (non-Muslim) Israelis seem to have dogs – especially small ones. There are also many stray cats. They are neither aggressive nor timid: they mainly…
Over the course of this year, we have visited over a dozen countries in which English is not the primary language. In each one, we’ve tried to learn some basic vocabulary to help us get around and communicate with locals. What not to learn One thing that complicates this effort is that when you Google for things…
I love words. Maybe I have an innate appreciation for them, or maybe my affection was born of necessity – because I was an immigrant and never wanted to be behind. Either way, I’ve been interested in language and vocabulary since my early teens. Even so, learning vocabulary can be tedious – even for a logomaniac (my word-of-the-day a…
If you say “Japanese food,” most Westerners think of sushi. But it turns out that sushi is only one of a broad range of Japanese cuisines. They include: Izakaya: This is like the Japanese version of BBQ. These restaurants are known for their meat grills: common offerings include kushiage (skewers of deep fried meat and vegetables) and…
There is a restaurant in the Nakano neighborhood of Tokyo that you need to visit if you go to Tokyo. We didn’t see it in any guide book or site; we just happened into it one day. And then we came back twice more, despite the fact that Nakano wasn’t near much that we wanted to…
We only ate at one place in Krabi Town, and that was the outdoor food market at the Chao Fah Park Pier. It is at the intersection of Chao Fah Alley/Road and Khongkha Road: If you see this pea pod-looking sculpture, you’ll know you’re in the right place: There are a few dozens stalls and stands…
