I finished my first week of class and decided to sign up for a second week. I feel like I’m learning a bit, but I’m definitely getting value out of just talking out loud more. It’s one thing to think the words in your head, it’s a whole different thing to make your mouth make the right noises. It’s funny; they use the same alphabet as we do, but since the pronunciation is different, sometimes it’s hard to make the sounds come out right, and I still stumble over big words, like “adolescencia”, “enamoramiento”, and “antidisestablishmentarianism”.
Learning Spanish in Spain
The instructor shut the door and said in Spanish, “Today we’re going to spend some time learning slang. There are some slang phrases that are common throughout Spain and some that are unique to Málaga. To help with the common phrases, we have a guest teacher today.” He turned to the projector, turned it on, and started a video on his laptop. Our surprise guest instructor was a YouTube video of Antonio Banderas teaching us Spanish slang.
Taste Of America
You can learn a lot about a country by their food. Cultures that use every part of an animal or plant in whatever way they can usually have a history of poverty or scarcity, and some of the recipes they come up with are ingenious. Some things that sound disgusting to an American palate can end up being surprisingly tolerable when properly prepared. But just like you can learn about another culture based on what they eat, it stands to reason that you can see what other cultures think of America based on what we eat. So when I saw a store called Taste of America, I had to check it out.
Mykonos
Take everything you’ve heard about the beauty of Mykonos and forget it. It’s all wrong. All you’ve heard grossly understates how beautiful this little island is.
Greek Ruins In Athens
City laws in Athens prohibit the building of tall buildings, either for commercial or residential purposes, so as not to disturb the view of the Acropolis. As a result, this 2,500 year old group of temples and monuments can be seen from all over Athens. Do you find yourself at a spot known for its good views? There’s the Acropolis. Are you at a restaurant for lunch or a mid-afernoon beer? There’s the Acropolis. Walking down a random alley because you’re lost? You’ll probably be able to find the Acropolis and use that to find your way home.
Songkran in Chiang Mai
Often billed as the world’s largest water fight, the Songkran Festival in Thailand has its roots in centuries-old Buddhist traditions celebrating the new year. But when you allow people to splash water on each other in 95+ degree heat in a popular tourist destination with a low cost of living, you have to expect that tradition will be quickly sidelined by tourists out to have a good time.
Personal Services in Southeast Asia
From massages to manicures, and from haircuts to handjobs, whatever you want someone else to do to your body, it can be found in Southeast Asia for cheaper than you’d think.
Khao San Road
Both loved and loathed, sometimes by the same person at the same time, Bangkok’s Khao San Road is a must-see for any tourist or visitor. Depending on your age and travel group, you will spend anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 days walking the 4 block stretch.
Fun With Food
One of the fun things about traveling to new countries is trying the food, and everyone has a different tolerance for new things. I have friends that will eat anything, in any country, with no concerns. I have another friend who packed a duffel bag full of Pop-Tarts to eat for every meal while was on vacation in Cozumel for a week. To each their own. It’s one thing to try something new when you’re at your favorite Mexican restaurant at home. It’s completely different when you’re trying random street food in Southeast Asia. Sometimes you have to push yourself a little, and you may be pleasantly surprised. Other times you may realize that you should have trusted your gut and gone to McDonalds.
Thailand’s Full Moon Party
Take 5,000 people or more, add a half-dozen bars blasting music ranging from hip hop to techno, throw in booze that’s literally sold by the bucket, put it all on a beach in the gulf of Thailand, and what do you have? The full moon party in Koh Pha Ngan.