Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: N

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If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Namibia

    • English
    • Afrikaans (national language)
    • German (regional language)
    • Oshiwambo (regional language)
  •  Nauru
    • English
    • Nauruan
  •  Nepal
    • Nepali
  •  Netherlands
    • Dutch (de facto, statewide)
    • West Frisian (in Friesland)
    • Limburgish (regional language)
    • Low Saxon (regional language)
    • Papiamento (on Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire)
    • English (on Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba)
  •  New Zealand
    • English is a de facto official language (statewide)
    • Maori (statewide)
    • NZSL (NZ Deaf community)
    • Tokelauan (in Tokelau)
    • Cook Islands Maori (in Cook Islands)
    • Niuean (in Niue)
  •  Nicaragua
    • Spanish
  •  Niger
    • French
    • Hausa (national)
    • Fulfulde (national)
    • Gulmancema (national)
    • Kanuri (national)
    • Zarma (national)
    • Tamasheq (national)
  •  Nigeria
    • English (official)
    • Hausa (national)
    • Yoruba (national)
    • Igbo (national)
  •  Norway (Languages of Norway)
    • Norwegian (statewide) (Bokmål and Nynorsk are the official forms, and municipalities choose between them or a neutral stance)
    • Sami (indigenous language in vast areas from Engerdal to the Russian border, official administrative language in Kautokeino, Karasjok, Gáivuotna – Kåfjord, Nesseby,Porsanger, Tana, Tysfjord, and Snåsa)
    • Kven (national minority language, administrative language in Porsanger)
    • Romani (national minority language)
    • Scandoromani (national minority language)

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

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Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: B

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If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Bahamas
    • English
  •  Bahrain
    • Arabic
  •  Bangladesh
    • Bengali
  •  Barbados
    • English
  •  Belarus
    • Belarusian
    • Russian
  •  Belgium (Languages of Belgium)[12]
    • Dutch (Official only in Flanders, including Brussels)
    • French (Official only in Brussels and in Wallonia, though not in the German-speaking Community of Belgium)
    • German (Official only in the German-speaking Community of Belgium)
  •  Belize
    • English (Official language)
    • Kriol (the lingua franca)
    • Spanish (Minority language spoken on the border with Mexico and Guatemala)
  •  Benin
    • French
  •  Bhutan
    • Dzongkha
  •  Bolivia
    • Spanish
    • Aymara
    • Quechua
  •  Bosnia and Herzegovina
    • Bosnian
    • Croatian
    • Serbian
  •  Botswana
    • English
    • Tswana (national)
  •  Brazil
    • Portuguese (national, all cities)
    • German (in Pomerode, Santa Catarina)
    • Pomeranian (in Pancas[14][15] and Santa Maria de Jetibá, in Espírito Santo)
    • Hunsrückisch (in Antônio Carlos, Santa Catarina)
    • Talian (in Serafina Corrêa, Rio Grande do Sul)
    • Nheengatu, Baniwa and Tucano (in São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas)
    • Guarani (in Tacuru, Mato Grosso do Sul)
  •  Brunei
    • Malay
  •  Bulgaria
    • Bulgarian
  •  Burkina Faso
    • French
    • Fula (national)
    • Jula (national)
    • More (national)
  •  Burundi
    • French
    • Kirundi
Info retrieved from Wikipedia.
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Memes, Signs, Tips!

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en2 Like everyone else, I love a good meme. Every few days I’ll be posting some favourites I’ve made and seen. Some will actually be photos I’ve taken on my travels. If you spot any, check out the next in the series to see if you got it right :-) !  Also, check out the helpful tips below. The memes may be funny but their significance could mean the difference between a great or terrible trip!
es2Como la otra persona, me gustan memes! A veces, voy a publicar mis favoritos: algunos he visto y algunos he hecho. Vas a ver unos fotos de mis viajes. Si tú ves estás fotos, puedes adivinar de donde las tomé. Voy a responder en la próxima entrada de Memes, Signs, & Tips!. También, hay consejos relacionados debajo. Algunos son la diferencia entre un viaje bueno o malo!

Memes

London tube anyone? :D
I hate when people feel the need to stand up the second we land, especially when I’m forced to get up for them.
LOL. I just thought this was really funny.
This becomes very annoying when you have to walk up stairs thinking 2nd floor is one flight up!
Living abroad (for any amount of time) is great to put on your job application.

en2

Tips

  1. Do not assume numbering systems at home will be the same in your destination countries.
  2. Be prepared for a few snags in your well-planned travel schedule. Public transportation is usually efficient, but during rush hour, you shouldn’t expect to just hop right on.
  3. Prospective employers love to hear about your travels. Especially if you’re able to connect it to some job skill.
  4. I hate when people feel the need to stand up the second we land, especially when I’m forced to get up for them.

es2

Consejos

  1. Los sistemas de numeros podrián ser diferentes en el país destino que en tu país de origen.
  2. Debes preparar para errores in tus planes mientras estás viajando. El transporte público es usualmente eficiente, pero durante las horas pico no debes esperar a saltar justo al metro o los autobúses.
  3. Empleadores posibles les encanta escuchar sobre tus viajes. Especialmente si puedes conectarlo con una habilidad laboral.
  4. No me gusta cuando la gente se levanta el instante en que el avión toca el suelo. Luego, sobre todo no me gusta cuando estoy obligado a levantarse para ellos.
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Karlskirche

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en2 St. Charles’s Church or Karlskirche (German) is a marvelous church I visited while touring Karlsplatz, Vienna. With dark rich wood, gilded lines, frames and flowers, and soaring marble columns all wrapped in warm sunlight pouring in through deliberately placed windows, the church exemplifies the majesty that is baroque architecture. Fittingly dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo and begun by Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, the glorious building serves almost as a testament to the saint’s association with the Counter-Reformation (a 16th and 17th century movement aimed at bringing protestants back into the Catholic fold with an emphasis on rich theological and architectural traditions). In a theatre of agony and triumph, powerful imagery inevitably leads one to consider one’s insignificance in the grand scheme of things: no doubt one of its principle purposes.

Even from outside, one is drawn from far and wide but the large dome that sits atop a tower betwixt two pillars carved from top to bottom with religious references. Its facade is rich with diverse elements. You can readily identify the Greek temple-inspired portico and the adjoining baroque towers. Two angelic beings carrying instruments of the Passion loom over pedestrians on their way to the front steps where saintly figures dot the roofing high above.

The church was undergoing renovations, so there was an elevator that workmen used to access the lattice hoisted beneath the ceilings for cleaning the paintings. I was able to see the beautiful works up close and then had a wonderful view of the city from the rooftop. Decorating the inside of the cupola is an image of the Holy Spirit descending as a bird. Saint Charles Borromeo is seen interceding, the instruments of the Passion, and people fleeing the light of the Church and the Eucharist. You’ll also notice that along both walls in the nave, there are many chapels dedicated to various saints or biblical events. You’ll notice the Rising of Lazarus and what looks like Pentecost depicted in two of those I photographed.

es2 La iglesia de San Carlos (se refiere como “Karlskirche” en Aleman) es una iglesia maravillosa he visitado cuando mientras visitaba Karlsplatz, Vienna. Hay oscura madera rica, flores y marcos dorados, y altas columnas de mármol, se cubren en luz de sol desde muchas ventanas especiales. Estos son unos de los elementos típicos de la grandeza que es el estilo barroco.
La iglesia se dedica a San Carlos Borromeo y su contrucción se empezó por Sacro Emperador Romano Carlos VI. San Carlos se conoce por su influencia en la Contrarreforma, un movimiento católico en siglo 16 y 17 contra los conquistas protestantes en Europa. El movimento utilizó las tradicciones ricas en teologia y arquitectura importancia. Cuando ves la exhibición de agonía y triumfo con las imágenes poderosas, considerarás tu insignificancia. Este es quizás uno de sus propósitos.

Cuando afuera, puedes a ver el domo desde muy lejos. El domo está entre dos columnas que se cubren en escenas biblicas. La fachada tiene un pórtico como un templo griego y torres magnificas adyacentes. Dos ángeles altas tienen los instrumentos de la crucifixión y vigilan la entrada principal. Tambien, hay algunos santos encima el tejado.

La iglesia estaba en reformas y había un ascensor que los trabajadores utilizan para la limpieza de las pinturas. Tuve la oportunidad ver las hermosas obras cerca y entonces tenía una maravillosa vista de la ciudad desde la azotea. En el interior de la cúpula es una imagen del Espíritu Santo descendiendo como un pájaro. San Carlos Borromeo se ve en intercesión; los instrumentos de la Pasión, y unas personas huyen de la luz de la Igelisia y la Eucaristía. También te darás cuenta en las paredes largas de la iglesia, hay muchas capillas dedicadas a varios santos o eventos bíblicos. Se dará cuenta de la resurrección de Lázaro y lo que parece Pentecostés en dos de mis fotos.

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: T, U

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If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Tajikistan
    • Tajik (national)
    • Russian (for interethnic communication)
  •  Tanzania
    • Swahili (national)
    • English
  •  Thailand
    • Thai
  •  Togo
    • French
  •  Tonga
    • English
    • Tongan (national)
  •  Trinidad and Tobago
    • English
  •  Tunisia
    • Arabic (national)
    • French
  •  Turkey
    • Turkish
  •  Turkmenistan
    • Turkmen (national)
    • Russian (for interethnic communication)
  •  Tuvalu
    • English
    • Tuvaluan (national)
  •  Uganda
    • English
    • Swahili
  •  Ukraine
    • Ukrainian
  •  United Arab Emirates
    • Arabic
  •  United Kingdom and overseas territories
    • English,with the following specifications:
      • English (in Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Indian Ocean Territory, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Montserrat, Northern Ireland (de facto), the Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena and Turks and Caicos Islands)
      • Cornish (minority language in Cornwall)
      • Dgèrnésiais (in Guernsey)
      • French (in Guernsey and Jersey)
      • Irish (in Northern Ireland)
      • Jèrriais (in Jersey)
      • Manx (in the Isle of Man)
      • Pitcairnese (in the Pitcairn Islands)
      • Scots (in Scotland)
        • Ulster-Scots (in Northern Ireland)
      • Scottish Gaelic (in Scotland)
      • Welsh (in Wales)
  •  United States
    • No official language nationwide, English is the de facto but not the de jure official language (at the federal level). Spanish is the second-most commonly used language in the U.S. and many forms and documents are published in both languages.
  •  Uruguay
    • Spanish
  •  Uzbekistan
    • Uzbek (national)
    • Russian (for interethnic communication)

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: V, Y, Z, & Others

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If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

 

  •  Vanuatu
    • Bislama (national)
    • English
    • French
  •  Vatican City
    • Italian (de facto—see Languages of Vatican City).
  •  Venezuela
    • Spanish
  •  Vietnam
    • Vietnamese
  •  Yemen
    • Arabic
  •  Zambia
    • English
  •  Zimbabwe
    • English
    • Shona
    • Northern Ndebele

Partially Recognized States

  •  Abkhazia
    • Abkhazian
    • Russian
  •  Kosovo
    • Albanian
    • Serbian
    • Turkish (regional)
  •  Nagorno-Karabakh
    • Armenian
  •  Northern Cyprus
    • Turkish
  •  Palestine
    • Arabic
  •  Sahrawi Republic
    • Arabic
    • Spanish
  •  Somaliland
    • Somalian
    • Arabic
    • English
  •  South Ossetia
    • Ossetian
    • Russian
    • Georgian (regional)
  •  Taiwan
    • Chinese
    • Taiwanese (recognized regional language)
  •  Transnistria
    • Moldavian
    • Russian
    • Ukrainian

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: O, P

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If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Oman
    • Arabic
  •  Pakistan
    • Urdu (national Language; official)
    • English (official Language)
    • Sindhi (provincial language of Sindh)
    • Other major languages like Punjabi, Balochi and Pashto have no official recognition
  •  Palau
    • English (statewide)
    • Palauan (statewide)
    • Sonsorolese (in Sonsorol)
    • Tobian (in Hatohobei)
    • Japanese (in Angaur)
  •  Panama
    • Spanish
  •  Papua New Guinea
    • English
    • Hiri Motu
    • Tok Pisin
  •  Paraguay
    • Spanish
    • Guaraní
  •  Peru
    • Spanish (Official)
    • Aymara (co-official)
    • Quechua (co-official)
    • All native languages in areas where they are spoken by the majority of people
  •  Philippines
    • Filipino (statewide) (national)
    • English (statewide)
    • Arabic (Recognised as “voluntary and optional” statewide)
    • Spanish (Recognised as “voluntary and optional” statewide)
    • Bikol Central (Recognized as “auxiliary official” in Luzon)
    • Cebuano (“auxiliary official” in Visayas and Mindanao)
    • Chavacano (“auxiliary official” in Basilan and Zamboanga Peninsula)
    • Hiligaynon (“auxiliary official” in Visayas and Mindanao)
    • Ilokano (“auxiliary official” in Luzon)
    • Kapampangan (“auxiliary official” in Luzon)
    • Kinaray-a (“auxiliary official” in the Visayas)
    • Maranao (“auxiliary official” in Mindanao)
    • Maguindanao (“auxiliary official” in Mindanao)
    • Pangasinan (“auxiliary official” in Luzon)
    • Tagalog (“auxiliary official” in Luzon)
    • Tausug (“auxiliary official” in Mindanao)
    • Waray-Waray (“auxiliary official” in the Visayas)
  •  Poland
    • Polish (sole official language of state)
    • Kashubian (recognised regional language and auxiliary language in part of Pomeranian Voivodeship)
    • German (minority language and auxiliary language in part of Opole Voivodeship)
    • Lithuanian (minority language and auxiliary language) in Puńsk commune, Podlaskie Voivodeship
    • Belarusian (minority language and auxiliary language in Hajnówka commune, Podlaskie Voivodeship)
  •  Portugal (Languages of Portugal)
    • Portuguese (official)
    • Mirandese (regional, in Miranda do Douro)

 

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

thCANBN26C

Memes, Signs, Tips!

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en2

Like everyone else, I love a good meme. Every few days I’ll be posting some favourites I’ve made and seen. Some will actually be photos I’ve taken on my travels. If you spot any, check out the next in the series to see if you got it right :-) !  Also, check out the helpful tips below. The memes may be funny but their significance could mean the difference between a great or terrible trip!

es2Como la otra persona, me gustan memes! A veces, voy a publicar mis favoritos: algunos he visto y algunos he hecho. Vas a ver unos fotos de mis viajes. Si tú ves estás fotos, puedes adivinar de donde las tomé. Voy a responder en la próxima entrada de Memes, Signs, & Tips!. También, hay consejos relacionados debajo. Algunos son la diferencia entre un viaje bueno o malo!

Memes

en2

Tips

  1. You’ll recall some of my posts regarding batteries. 
  2. Always do some light research on the countries you are visiting. You’ll want to impress the locals rather than embarrass yourself or insult them!
  3. Spelling isn’t really too important, but any way to show your knowledge of linguistic or cultural treasures are a plus.
  4. If you stay in a hotel and you use any of the disposable products, take the remainder with you. Hotels often throw away opened lotion bottles or soaps. These items often can come in handy long after you’ve left your pampered accommodations. Don’t take the towels though. They count those and you could end up with a disproportionate fee attached to your bill!

es2

Consejos

  1. Tengo unas entradas de las pilas.
  2. Siempre, investigar sobre las países donde que vas a vistar. Impresiona a la gente! pero, no se avergüence o insultarlos en el proceso!
  3. La ortografía en realidad no es demasiado importante, pero tu conocimiento de los tesoros lingüísticos o culturales son un plus.
  4. Si te quedas en un hotel y usas alguno de los productos disponibles, tomar el residuo contigo. Hoteles con frecuencia tirar botellas usados de loción o jabones. Estos artículos a menudo pueden ser muy útil mucho tiempo después de salir de tu alojamiento mimados. Sin embargo, tú no debes tomar las toallas. Cuentan esos y  podrías recibir una multa desproporcionada en tu factura!
Schönbrunn1

Schloss Schonbrunn!

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en2Today I visited Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace! It is truly one of the most beautiful places I have seen on my travels. The main palace structure itself, its massive gardens complex, and lakes and hill combine for an awe-inspiring experience. Baroque has always beenone of my favourite architectural styles, but this former imperial summer palace made me love it even more! With its elaborate and dramatic ornamentation, it is one of the most important cultural monuments in Austria. Its structure served to highlight the Habsburg imperial power.

Some unique points include the Vienna Zoo (located on site), which is the oldest recorded zoo in the world. Also, Mozart’s first concert was performed at the age ofsix for the Empress in the Mirror Room. The French garden is perhaps the most fascinating: it is an intricate maze.

es2Hoy he visitado el Palacio Schönbrunn de Vienna! Es realmente uno de los lugares más bonitos que visté en mis viajes. La estructura principal del palacio, su complejo de jardines masiva, y lagos y una colina se combinan para ofrecer una experiencia impresionante. Uno de mis favoritos estilos arquitectónicos es el Barroco, pero en este antiguo palacio imperial de verano me gusta mucho más! Con su ornamentación elaborada, es uno de los monumentos culturales más importantes en Austria. Su estructura destaca el poder imperial de los Habsburgo.

Algunos puntos únicos incluyen el Zoo de Viena (que se encuentra en el complejo), que es el zool más antiguo en el mundo. Además, cuando Mozart tenía seis años, él tocaba para  la emperatriz en el Salón de Espejo. El jardín francés es quizás el más fascinante: es un laberinto intrincado!

Helpful-Tips

Travel Finds: Farting, Antarctica, Sleeping Pods, and Soloshot

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Here are some great articles about great travelling goodies, places, and discoveries that I’ve stumbled onto recently. I thought you would be interested :D !

Passing Gas Mid-Flight Is Good For Your Health, Doctors Find.By McLean Robbins

A new study from a group of New Zealand physicians has confirmed something we’re rather certain most people would rather not know: it’s not only OK, but preferred, that passengers pass gas mid-flight.
Read more…

Napcabs Debuts Sleeping Pods at Munich Airport. By Deanna Cioppa

We’ve all attempted it—the quick nap between flights at the airport, wedged betwixt a row of chairs and a recycling bin, our carry-on for a pillow. Not the most restful sleep, is it? Well at Terminal 2 of the Munich Airport, passengers can snooze in style via napcabs. When we first heard the term, we immediately thought of some sort of large van with cots (a la the “Relaxicab” from Friends), but as it turns out, napcabs are stationary pods one can rent for some quick Zzz’s or just some peace and quiet

Read more…

Five Things You (Probably) Don’t Know About Antarctica. 

By 

MATT LONG

This is the latest post in my series about Antarctica. The trip was made possible thanks to Adventure Life, the small group adventure tourcompany that specializes in, among other things, Antarctica cruises.

Read more…

Soloshot “Automatic Cameraman”: Like Traveling with a Film Crew in Your Daypack. By MIKE RICHARD

If you’re not the sort of well heeled travel photographer/videographer who rolls with an entire film crew, the new Soloshot is for you. Billed as an “automatic cameraman”, it’s designed for solo recording and capturing of photos and video when you haven’t got a backup crew or friends to do it for you. It mounts between your camera and any standard tripod, then automatically tracks and follows your movements via a radio transmitter armband like so:

Read more…

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: Q, R

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If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Qatar
    • Arabic
  •  Romania
    • Romanian (statewide)
    • Armenian (minority language)
    • German (minority language)
    • Hungarian (minority language)
    • Romani (minority language)
    • Serbian (minority language)
    • Slovakian (minority language)
    • Turkish (minority language)
    • Ukrainian (minority language)
  •  Russia (Languages of Russia)
    • Russian (federal; official)
    • Abaza (in the Karachay–Cherkess Republic)
    • Adyghe (in the Republic of Adygea)
    • Agul (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Altay (in the Altai Republic)
    • Avar (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Azerbaijani (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Bashkir (in the Republic of Bashkortostan)
    • Buryat (in Buryat Republic)
    • Chechen (in the Chechen Republic and Republic of Dagestan)
    • Chuvash (in the Chuvash Republic)
    • Dargin (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Erzya (in the Republic of Mordovia)
    • Ingush (in the Republic of Ingushetia)
    • Kabardian (in the Kabardino-Balkar and Karachay–Cherkess Republics)
    • Kalmyk (in the Republic of Kalmykia)
    • Karachay-Balkar (in the Kabardino-Balkar and Karachay–Cherkess Republics)
    • Khakas (in the Republic of Khakassia)
    • Komi-Zyrian (in the Komi Republic)
    • Kumyk (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Lak (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Lezgian (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Mari (in the Mari El Republic)
    • Moksha (in the Republic of Mordovia)
    • Nogai (in the Karachay–Cherkess Republic and in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Ossetic (in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania)
    • Rutul (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Sakha (in the Sakha Republic)
    • Tabasaran (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Tatar (in the Republic of Tatarstan)
    • Tati (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Tsakhur (in the Republic of Dagestan)
    • Tuvin (in the Tuva Republic)
    • Udmurt (in the Republic of Udmurtia)
  •  Rwanda
    • English
    • French
    • Kinyarwanda

 

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

Vienna6

In Vienna …And Some Long German Words

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en2I set out early my first day in the Austrian capital. It was bright and sunny so I felt really excited about exploring. I was able to test out the train system, which I quickly realised depended a lot on trust. There were no turnstiles, I didn’t notice any guards, and many of the stations I visited were unmanned. I visited downtown Vienna for a few hours where I was able to buy a few souvenirs. Although I visited Berlin, I didn’t stay long enough to really take in much German. Even in cologne I was able to find an English version sign pointing to whatever I needed. But in Vienna, I noticed one of the most interesting things about German first hand. Like some English words, German likes compounded larger words from simpler words. But, the practice is on a whole other level in comparison. It’s done even to the point where a word can be over 21 letters long. Like the sign on a building near my hostel read bedienungstankstelle, which translates to “easy gas station.” I only knew that after using Google Translate haha! Umweltverschmutzung refers to pollution. Rindfleischetikettierung-süberwachungsaufgaben-übertragungsgesetz (translation: Rind (cattle) Fleisch (meat) Etikettierung(s) (labelling) Überwachung (supervision) Aufgaben (duties) Übertragun (assignment) Gesetz (law)) refers to the German-state law related to the labelling of beef and cattle. Sometimes graphics help, but other times they don’t. I noticed a sign on the train (pictured below) saying bitte nur mit beißkorb und leine meaning, “please only with muzzle and leash.” When I saw the graphic, I thought at the time that it meant dogs start dissolving on the train! I don’t know how I thought that made any sense at all!
es2El primer día en la capital austriaca, me fui temprano. Era un día brillante y soleado! Me sentí muy entusiasmado por explorar. Usé el sistema del tren, y vi que se basaba en una confianza fuerte en la gente. En muchas estaciónes, no había seguridad: no guardias, no barreras, y sin trabajadores. Fui al centro de la ciudad por unas horas y compré algunos recuerdos. Aunque yo visité Berlin, no me quedé mucho tiempo para oír realmente el alemán.
 Aún en Cologne me encontré señales en íngles en todos lugares. Pero, en Vienna, me encontré una de las cosas más interesantes sobre la lengua alemana con mis propios  oídos. Como unas palabras en íngles, Alemán es muy famoso para su palabras compuestos. Unas palabras son componen de muchas palabras pequeñas  y pueden tener hasta vientiún letras. Había un señal cerca de mi albergue que tenía “bedienungstankstelle.” En español, es iqual a “fácil gasolinera.” Y sólo sé por usando Google Translate :) ! Umweltverschmutzung significa “polución.” Rindfleischetikettierung-süberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz (traducido: Rind (vacas) Fleisch (carne) Etikettierung(s) (etiquetado) Überwachung (control) Aufgaben (obligaciónes) Übertragun (asignación) Gesetz (ley)) se refiere a la ley alemana que regula el etiquetado de la carne y el ganado. A veces, los gráficos son útiles, pero otras veces no es así. Vi un señal en el tren (en la foto de abajo) con la frase “bitte nur mit beißkorb und leine.” Significa “please only with muzzle and leash.” Me pareció que dijo algo acerca de la disolución de perros :D !
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Vienna1

Nach Österreich, Nach Wien!

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I boarded the train at Budapest Keleti station at 15:10 bound for Vienna (Wien) WestBahnoff in Austria. I arrived at 18:00 after falling in and out of sleep along the way. I was able to see that the Austrians were greatly invested in renewable energies such as wind and solar. I wasn’t able to get too many clear shots because the train was traveling too fast, but I’ve included a shot of only of the many wind farms I saw along the Austrian countryside. I don’t remember if I was still stuck in sleep mode, but the subway station confused me. Perhaps I was to accustomed to the London model, where subway lines rarely, if at all, share the same track. But there was the green line and the brown line, both on the same track, in German.

Possibly helpful tip: Make sure you’re really awake before leaving a station :-) !
I stayed at the Wombat’s City Hostels Vienna At The Naschmarkt. It was a one of the nicest hostels on my entire trip, comparable to the MEININGER Hotel at Berlin Hauptbahnhof. It was set out more like a hotel than most of the other hostels I’d stayed at during my travels. With many floors, roomy elevators and large security doors dotted along the wide hallways, everything just seemed so much cleaner and happier (although I’m not quite sure how buildings can be happy, you’ll know what I mean when you’ve experienced it). Any additional cost in comparison to the other hostels in the area would’ve been completely justified, but the hostel was reasonably priced below most of any nearby competitor, outshining others in value and ratings. It’s really close to the Kettenbrückengasse rail station. Needless to say, that night I took advantage of the proximity and headed off to a nice shopping district nearby.

I also probably shouldn’t say, but this was another stop at which I committed the travel sin of eating at an American fast-food chain. This time it was McDonald’s and ordering my trusty Big Mac, I didn’t even bother looking for Austrian menu inclusions!

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: I

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If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Iceland
    • Icelandic
    • Icelandic Sign Language
  •  India (Languages with official status in India)
    • English (statewide)
    • Hindi (Central Government, ten states, and Delhi, Chandigarh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands)
    • Assamese (in Assam)
    • Bengali (in Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, parts of Assam and West Bengal)
    • Bodo (in Assam)
    • Chhattisgarhi (in Chhattisgarh)
    • Dogri (in Jammu and Kashmir)
    • French (in Pondicherry)
    • Garo (in Meghalaya)
    • Gujarati (in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Gujarat)
    • Kannada (in Karnataka)
    • Karbi (in Assam)
    • Kashmiri (in Jammu and Kashmir)
    • Khasi (in Meghalaya)
    • Kokborok (in Tripura)
    • Konkani (in Goa and Mangalore)
    • Maithili (mentioned on the 8th schedule but no region specified, spoken in Bihar)
    • Malayalam (in Kerala and Pondicherry)
    • Meitei (in Manipur)
    • Marathi (in Maharashtra, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu)
    • Mizo (in Mizoram)
    • Nepali (in Sikkim)
    • Nicobarese (in Andaman and Nicobar Islands)
    • Oriya (in Orissa)
    • Punjabi (in Punjab, Himachal pradesh, Haryana and Chandigarh)
    • Sanskrit (in Uttarakhand)
    • Santali (in Jharkhand)
    • Sindhi (not regionally specified)
    • Tamil (in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Pondicherry)
    • Telugu (in Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry)
  •  Indonesia (Languages of Indonesia)
    • Indonesian (national and official)
    • Acehnese (in Aceh)
    • Batak (in North Sumatra)
    • Minangkabau (in West Sumatra)
    • Javanese (in Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java)
    • Buginese (in South Sulawesi)
    • Banjar (in South Kalimantan)
    • Malay (in Riau, Jambi, West Kalimantan)
    • Sundanese (in Banten and West Java)
    • Balinese (in Bali)
    • Betawi (in Jakarta)
    • Madurese (in Madura)
  •  Iran
    • Persian
  •  Iraq
    • Arabic (statewide)
    • Kurdish (statewide)
    • Assyrian Neo-Aramaic (in assyrian areas)
    • Iraqi Turkmen (in Turkmen areas)
  •  Ireland (Languages of Ireland)

    • English (national)spoken by the 99% of the population
    • Irish (national) spoken by the 0.5% of the population
  •  Israel
    • Hebrew (de facto official)
    • Arabic (co-official)
  •  Italy (Languages of Italy)
    • Italian (statewide)
    • Albanian (in some parts of Southern Italy)
    • Catalan (in Alghero, Sardinia)
    • Croatian (in Montemitro & Acquaviva Collecroce & San Felice, Molise)
    • French (in Aosta Valley)
    • Friulian (in Friuli)
    • German (in South Tyrol)
    • Greek (in some parts of Apulia and Calabria)
    • Ladin (in some parts of Belluno, Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol)
    • Sardinian (in Sardinia)
    • Sicilian (in Sicily)
    • Slovene (in some parts of Friuli-Venezia Giulia)
    • Venetian (in Veneto)

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: D, E, F

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If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Denmark
    • Danish (statewide)
    • Faroese (in the Faroe Islands)
    • German (protected minority language in Southern Jutland)
    • Kalaallisut (in Greenland)
  •  Djibouti
    • Arabic
    • French
  •  Dominica
    • English
  •  Dominican Republic
    • Spanish
  •  East Timor
    • Portuguese
    • Tetum
    • Indonesian (constitutionally enlisted as working language, and still in widely used after 23 years annexation)
  •  Ecuador
    • Spanish (Quechua or Kichwa and Shuar are official languages of intercultural relation, ancient languages are official in their territories.)
  •  Egypt
    • Arabic
    • Coptic (de jure language of the Coptic Church)
  •  El Salvador
    • Spanish
  •  Equatorial Guinea
    • Spanish
    • French
    • Portuguese
  •  Eritrea
    • Arabic (working language)
    • Tigrinya (working language)
    • English (official)
  •  Estonia
    • Estonian (nationwide official language)
    • Russian (de facto minority language)
  •  Ethiopia
    • Amharic (working language)
  •  Fiji
    • English
    • Fijian
    • Hindustani
  •  Finland
    • Finnish (statewide, except in the Åland Islands)
    • Swedish (statewide) (in the Åland Islands where Swedish is spoken monolingually)
    • Sami (minority language in Enontekiö, Inari, Sodankylä, and Utsjoki)
  •  France and overseas departments and territories (Languages of France and language policy in France)

    • French (statewide)
    • Corsican (in Corsica)
    • Breton (in Brittany)
    • Tahitian (in French Polynesia)

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

foreign-travel

On spotting mountains and climbing them

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A really reflective poem by P. Alford reminds us that traveling, like many other things, isn’t only for the very rich or a select few. You can do almost anything if you put your mind to it. Limitations are self-created, self-preserved!

Climb the highest mountain,
Swim the deepest sea,
Always aim to be,
The best that you can be,
Love with all your heart,
Laugh with all your soul,
Enjoying every day you live,
Should be your daily goal,
Remember you are special,
Unique in every way,
Let no one on this earth,
Stand in your way.

Here’s an article I drifted onto the other day. It’s on 10 Spectacular Volcanic Plugs & Natural Monoliths. My hope is to ascend El Peñón de Guatapé in Colombia one day!

http://www.freewallpaperpic.com/viewer/wallpaper.php?/rio/1280/Sugarloaf_Mountain-ccbysa-PaulMannix

Sugarloaf Mountain, Brazil

El Peñón de Guatapé

El Peñón de Guatapé

http://www.holidaycheck.com/fullscreen-Penyal+d+Ifac+Pe%C3%B1%C3%B3n+de+Ifach+Calpe+Costa+Blanca-ch_ub-id_1156031368.html

Penyal d’Ifac, Spain

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Le_Puy-en-Velay,_%C3%89glise_Saint-Laurent_et_Aiguilhe_PM_48569.jpg

Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe, France

Photo descriptions and source files here: http://www.theworldgeography.com/2012/12/plugs-and-monoliths.html

Underground.svg

From the TOLB: Happy 150th Birthday London Underground: 30 reasons we love the tube

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So, I was reading a piece by the The Time Out London blog in celebration of the London Underground’s 150 years of existence. Just thought to offer it for my readers to look at. I would agree with many of the points as to what makes the system so great such as convenience (#1) and the alternative the costs of car ownership (#3) or cab service (#26). I also love taking naps on the tube (tube is how Londoner’s refer to their subway system). I do also like their take on “extended bedroom,” (#19) where we can tidy up a bit more on our way to some important gig or catch up on some sleep (#14) than if we had to drive their ourselves.

 

One thing I would have to disagree with, however, is #27:

 

27. British queuing
There’s no greater example of British properness than witnessing a queue at a tube station. At the front of the queue during rush hour at Canary Wharf? No need to worry about being pushed out of the way, and if you are, there will be a volley of people speaking up for you.

 

I rarely see any acts of “British properness” when queueing in tube stations (queueing is how the British refer to “persons forming a line”). People are usually hell-bent on trying to board the next train, even if they only joined one of the small crowds swarming around the potential next stop of the upcoming train doors.

 

Read more here:

 

http://now-here-this.timeout.com/2013/01/09/happy-150th-birthday-london-underground-30-reasons-we-love-the-tube/

 

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: G, H

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If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Gabon
    • French
  •  Gambia
    • English
  •  Georgia
    • Georgian
  •  Germany
    • German (nationwide; official)
    • Danish (in Schleswig-Holstein) (minority language)
    • Lower Sorbian (in Brandenburg) (minority language)
    • North Frisian (in Schleswig-Holstein) (minority language)
    • Romani (nationwide) (minority language)
    • Saterland Frisian (in Lower Saxony) (minority language)
    • Upper Sorbian (in Saxony) (minority language)
  •  Ghana
    • English (statewide; official)
    • Adangme (in Greater Accra)
    • Dagaare (in the Upper West Region)
    • Dagbani (in the Northern Region)
    • Ewe (in the Volta Region)
    • Ga (in Greater Accra)
    • Gonja (in the Northern Region)
    • Kasem (in the Upper East Region)
    • Nzema (in the Western Region)
    • Twi (in Akuapem, Akyem, Ashanti, Fanteakwa, Fante, and Kwahu)
  •  Greece
    • Greek
  •  Grenada
    • English
  •  Guatemala
    • Spanish
  •  Guinea
    • French
    • Fula (national)
    • Maninka (national)
    • Susu (national)
  •  Guinea-Bissau
    • Portuguese
  •  Guyana
    • English (official)
    • Guyanese Creole (national)
  •  Haiti
    • French
    • Haitian Creole
  •  Honduras
    • Spanish (official)
    • Garifuna (in the Northern Caribbean Coast)
    • English (in the Bay Islands)
    • Miskito (in Eastern Honduras)
  •  Hungary
    • Hungarian (official)
    • Croatian (minority)
    • German (minority)
    • Romanian (minority)
    • Serbian (minority)
    • Slovak (minority)
    • Slovenian (minority)

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

Helpful-Tips

Why Power Outlets Look So Weird in Other Countries

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 By Andrew Tarantola at Gizmodo

 Getting foreign gadgets to play nice with the local power grid is a nightmare any time you travel internationally. Here’s why every country on the planet (except yours) totally screwed up indoor wiring.

In the early days of the electricity craze, just after Nikola Tesla and the Westinghouse company wiped the floor with Thomas Edison’s DC power scheme, inventors around the world began working on ways to harness the fantastical energy for household work. Everybody had a different idea of how to do so. In fact, when Westinghouse standardized its operating frequency 60 Hz, it snuffed out nine other potential frequencies. The same is true for the worldwide standard of 120 and 220-240V systems—these two beat out ten other options to become the de facto voltages.

However, Germany paid little heed to the US’s choice of a 60 Hz frequency. They instead decided on a 50 Hz standard because that’s what was already being used by the BEW company, which held a monopoly on German power generation and transmission, in 1899. The 50 Hz scheme spread through Europe while the 60 Hz spread through North America. They became competing, nearly-universal standards—120V at 60Hz in North America, 220-240V at 50 Hz in Europe.

The other problem with early electrical systems: There was no easy way to tap into the power supplying small appliances. If you had a table lamp or a hair dryer or some other low voltage gadget, you’d have to knock down a wall and hard-wire it into the house’s electrical grid. Amateur inventor Harvey Hubbell is credited with creating the first appliance with a “Separable Attachment Plug.” However, instead of the cord remaining attached to the device, it would be hard wired into the system and would disconnect from the base of the gadget.

While Hubble’s preliminary plug and socket design prevented access to live wires from the home grid, many other inventors stepped up to improve his pioneering design to reduce shock and fire risks through the inclusion of grounding and electrically insulated pins, polarized shapes, and additional cut-off switches.

The most momentous of these added features arrived in 1928 at the hands of Philip F. Labre. Until then, it was uncomfortably common to receive an electrical shock when removing plugs because the pins (or prongs) would short easily short when the plug was partially pulled out of the outlet. The electrical current could travel through the person into the ground. By integrating a third pin slightly longer than the other two, Labre was able to direct all potential short circuits safely to the ground rather than through a person.

The problem with Labre’s design is that the triangular plug can be inserted into the socket in three different ways, two of which are wrong. This creates what’s known as an unpolarized plug. So engineers developed plugs that could only be fully inserted into a socket when properly oriented, thus guaranteeing a safe, polarized connection.

There are a few ways to design such a plug. [...]read full post here.

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: C

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If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Cambodia
    • Khmer
  •  Cameroon
    • English
    • French
  •  Canada
    • English (federal; de jure official language)
      • De jure official language in the provinces and territories of Manitoba, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon.
    • French (federal; de jure official language)
      • De jure official language for the provinces and territories of Manitoba, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec and the Yukon.
    • Chipewyan (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories)
    • Cree (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories)
    • Gwich’in (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories)
    • Inuinnaqtun (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut)
    • Inuktitut (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut)
    • Inuvialuktun (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories)
    • North Slavey (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories)
    • South Slavey (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories)
    • Tłįchǫ (regional; de jure official language in the Northwest Territories)
  •  Cape Verde
    • Portuguese (official)
    • Cape Verdean Creole (national)
  •  Central African Republic
    • French
    • Sango (national)
  •  Chad
    • Arabic
    • French
  •  Chile
    • No official language, Spanish is the de facto official language. (the languages and dialects of ethnic groups are also official in their territories)
  •  China
    • Chinese (statewide)
    • Bai (in Dali, Lanping, Yunnan)
    • Blang (in Shuangjiang, Yunnan)
    • Bonan (in Jishishan, Gansu)
    • Daur (in Morin Dawa, Inner Mongolia; Meilisi Daur District, Heilongjiang)
    • Derung (in Gongshan, Yunnan)
    • Dong (in Sanjiang, Guangxi; Qiandongnan, Yuping, Guizhou; Jingzhou, Tongdao, Xinhuang, Zhijiang, Hunan)
    • Dongxiang (Santa) (in Dongxiang, Jishishan, Gansu)
    • Evenki (in Evenk Autonomous Banner, Evenk Ethnic Sumu, Inner Mongolia)
    • Gelao (Klau) (in Daozhen, Wuchuan, Guizhou)
    • Hani (in Honghe, Jiangcheng, Mojiang, Ning’er, Yuanjiang, ZhenyuanYunnan)
    • Hlai (Li) (in Baisha, Baoting, Changjiang, Ledong, Lingshui, Qiongzhong, Hainan)
    • Hmong (Miao) (in Pengshui, Xiushan, Youyang, Chongqing; Chetian, Liangshui, Rongshui, Guangxi; Daozhen, Guanling, Qiandongnan, Qiannan, Qianxinan,Songtao, Weining, Wuchuan, Yinjiang, Zhenning, Ziyun, Guizhou; Baoting, Qiongzhong, Hainan; Enshi, Hubei; Chengbu, Jingzhou, Mayang, Xiangxi, Hunan; Jinping,Luquan, Pingbian, Wenshan, Yunnan)
    • Jingpho (Kachin) (in Dehong, Yunnan)
    • Jino (in Jinuoshan, Yunnan)
    • Kazakh (in Aksai, Gansu; Barkol, Ili, Mori, Xinjiang)
    • Kyrgyz (in Kizilsu, Xinjiang)
    • Korean (in Changbai, Yanbian, Jilin)
    • Lahu (in Lancang, Menglian, Shuangjiang, Zhenyuan, Yunnan)
    • Lisu (in Sudian, Weixi, Yunnan)
    • Maonan (Anan) (in Huanjiang, Guangxi)
    • Mongolian (in Subei, Gansu; Weichang, Hebei; Dorbod, Heilongjiang; Inner Mongolia; Qian Gorlos, Jilin; Fuxin, Harqin, Liaoning; Haixi, Henan, Qinghai; Bayingolin,Bortala, Hoboksar, Xinjiang)
    • Monguor (in Datong, Huzhu, Minhe, Qinghai)
    • Monpa (in Gongri, Jiba, Lebuqule, Mama, Pailong, Tibet)
    • Mulam (in Guzhai, Luocheng, Guangxi)
    • Nanai (Hezhen) (in Bacha, Jiejinkou, Sipai, Heilongjiang)
    • Naxi (Nakhi) (in Yulong, Yunnan)
    • Ngac’ang (Achang) (in Husa, Jiubao, Nangsong, Yunnan)
    • Nu (in Gongshan, Yunnan; not a specific language)
    • Nuosu (Yi) (in Weining, Guizhou; Ebian, Liangshan, Mabian, Sichuan; Chuxiong, Eshan, Honghe, Jiangcheng, Jingdong, Jinggu, Luquan, Nanjian, Ninger, Ninglang,Shilin, Weishan, Xinping, Yangbi, Yuanjiang, Zhenyuan, Yunnan)
    • Oroqen (in Greater Khingan, Oroqin Shibazhan, Inner Mongolia)
    • Palaung (De’ang) (in Santaishan, Yunnan)
    • Pumi (in Lanping, Yunnan)
    • Russian (in Shiwei, Inner Mongolia)
    • Qiangic (in Beichuan, Ngawa, Sichuan)
    • Salar (in Jishishan, Gansu; Xunhua, Qinghai)
    • Sarikoli (Tajik) (in Tashkurgan, Xinjiang)
    • She (in Jingning, Zhejiang)
    • Sui (in Sandu, Guizhou)
    • Tatar (in Daquan, Xinjiang)
    • Tibetan (in Gannan, Tianzhu, Gansu; Guoluo, Haibei, Hainan, Haixi, Huangnan, Yushu, Qinghai; Garzê, Muli, Ngawa, Sichuan; Tibet; Diqing, Yunnan)
    • Tujia (in Pengshui, Shizhu, Xiushan, Youyang, Chongqing; Yanhe, Yinjiang, Guizhou; Changyang, Enshi, Wufeng, Hubei; Xiangxi, Hunan)
    • Uzbek (in Da’nan’gou, Xinjiang)
    • Uyghur (in Xinjiang)
    • Va (in Cangyuan, Gengma, Menglian, Shuangjiang, Ximeng, Yunnan)
    • Vietnamese (in Jinping, Jiangxi)
    • Xibe (in Qapqal, Xinjiang)
    • Yugur (Western, Eastern) (in Sunan, Gansu)
    • Zhuang (in Lianshan, Guangdong; Guangxi; Wenshan, Yunnan)
  •  Colombia
    • Spanish (the languages and dialects of ethnic groups are also official in their territories)
  •  Comoros
    • Arabic
    • Comorian
    • French
  •  Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • French
    • Lingala (national)
    • Kikongo (national)
    • Swahili (national)
    • Tshiluba (national)
  •  Republic of the Congo
    • French
    • Lingala (national)
    • Munukutuba (national)
  •  Costa Rica
    • Spanish
  •  Ivory Coast
    • French
  •  Croatia
    • Croatian (statewide)
    • Italian (at regional level in Istria county)
    • Serbian (in some municipalities)
    • Hungarian (in some municipalities)
    • Czech (in some municipalities)
  •  Cuba
    • Spanish
  •  Cyprus
    • Greek
    • Turkish
    • Armenian (minority language)
  •  Czech Republic
    • Czech
    • Slovak
    • Bulgarian (minority language)
    • Croatian (minority language)
    • German (minority language)
    • Greek (minority language)
    • Hungarian (minority language)
    • Polish (minority language)
    • Romani (minority language)
    • Russian (minority language)
    • Rusyn (minority language)
    • Serbian (minority language)
    • Ukrainian (minority language)

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

DWEJRA, GOZO

Christmas Interlude: Malta (III) To Gozo!

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I spoke before about the way religion permeates the country’s life. In the U.S. for example, there are always court cases during the Christmas season with people suing for the removal of religious symbolism or the inclusion of as many major symbols of other faiths as possible. This issue didn’t seem to exist in Malta as there were nativity scenes in almost every public or government building. The airport, the hotels, sidewalks, and church and public squares were all bedecked with a manger, Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. The elaborate detail included in some was simply astounding. There was one in a hotel that had an entire village with walled buildings and several floors with running water and tens of inhabitants. Almost all the harbour-side streets were draped in Christmas lighting as well.

To Gozo

Malta is actually made up of two islands in addition to that of Malta: Gozo and Comino. I was lucky to visit Gozo with a very adventurous friend who decided to climb cliffs and go diving off of them. I would have too! but it was too cold for my Caribbean taste :D ! Below are a few of the places I visited while in Gozo. You should be able to spot the sites in the labelled photo gallery below.

MĠARR - This is Gozo’s main harbour with its many fishing boats, yachts and ferry boats.

RAMLA BAY - Its golden-reddish sand makes this beach different from all others in Gozo and Malta. Its real Maltese name is Ir-Ramla il-Ħamra – the RedSandy Beach.

SAVINA CREATIVITY CENTRE - Cool place where local creative products are created, packaged, and sold.  such as taffy, sea salt, and olive oil.

MARSALFORN – A popular seaside resort. Reputed spot where St. Paul was shipwrecked on the way to Rome from Malta.

TA’ PINU SANCTUARY  - Basilica of Ta’ Pinu.

DWEJRA – With its famous Azure window. This is where my adventurous friend decided to jump off a cliff into the treacherous waters below to climb a big rock amidst the waves.

VICTORIA (known locally as Rabat)- Visited the Citadel, which one of the highest points on the island.

XEWKIJA -  A church dedicated to St. John The Baptist and is the Seat of the Knights of the Order of St. John.

Languages

Traveling Languages Series Post: A

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If you’re thinking of traveling to other countries, it’s interesting to see the languages officially used there. I’m hoping this series will help you plan which countries to visit to practice, study, or hear a rare language or simply just to know which languages are official in which state.

  •  Afghanistan

    • Pashto (statewide) (official)
    • Dari (statewide) (official)
    • Uzbek (statewide) (third official language in areas where spoken by majority of population)
    • Turkmen (statewide) (third official language in areas where spoken by majority of population)
    • Pashai (statewide) (third official language in areas where spoken by majority of population)
    • Nuristani (statewide) (third official language in areas where spoken by majority of population)
    • Balochi (statewide) (third official language in areas where spoken by majority of population)
    • Pamiri (statewide) (third official language in areas where spoken by majority of population)
  •  Albania

    • Albanian (based on Tosk dialect)
  •  Algeria
    • Arabic (official and national)
    • Tamazight (national)
  •  Andorra (Languages of Andorra)

    • Catalan
  •  Angola

    • Portuguese
  •  Antigua and Barbuda
    • English (de facto official)
  •  Argentina
    • Spanish (de facto)
    • Guaraní (co-official in Corrientes Province)
  •  Armenia
    • Armenian
    • Kurdish (Minority language)
    • Russian (Minority language)
  •  Australia
    • No official language, English is the de facto official language.
  •  Austria
    • German (official statewide)
    • Croatian (official in Burgenland in areas with a Croat minority) (statewide minority language)
    • Slovene (official in Carinthia and Styria in areas with a Slovene minority) (statewide minority language)
    • Czech (statewide minority language)
    • Hungarian (in Burgenland) (statewide minority language)
    • Slovak (statewide minority language)
    • Romani (statewide minority language)
  •  Azerbaijan
    • Azerbaijani
    • Armenian (Nagorno-Karabagh)

Info retrieved from Wikipedia.

Mosta

Christmas Interlude: Malta (II)

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Being a small country, Malta has served as a neutral territory for meetings between the Cold War rivals George H.W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Upon Independence the country retained the British Monarch as head of state, but eventually became a Republic, although remaining in the Commonwealth to the present. Interestingly, the Knights Hospitaller when expelled by the Napoleonic forces asserted their claims to sovereignty and under international law is one of the few sovereign entities not to possess one of the traditional perquisites of statehood: land (much like the Holy See before the establishment of the Vatican City State). Today it is a permanent observer at the United Nations.

The rules for alcohol consumption were also less struck than they are in the US. I was never asked for ID and even the tour boats and buses sold beers on while in transit. Food was simply splendid! It ranged from very expensive fresh seafood to cafes and daily-baked pastry goods.

It was really cool to have a colleague from university who’s Maltese, spoke Maltese, and was home for the break with us. She was able to arrange a tour with some really important people from the Maltese Parliament. The tour provided me with much information about politics and culture in Malta. Quite interesting was the possible extinction of the Maltese language or culture due to the ever-encroaching dominance of languages like English and increasing globalisation. Part of the history of Malta revolves around it’s involvement with the Allied forces during WWII. When visiting the city of Mosta, I was able to view the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady where a German Luftwaffe bomb dropped though its dome but fell to the floor amidst Mass with 300 worshipers unexploded. The church’s dome is the third largest in the world after St. Peter’s in Rome and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Local legend attributes the miracle to intercession of the Virgin and a replica of the bomb is held on display within the church’s sacristy and its entry spot in the dome is painted a faint yellow against the otherwise white ceiling. The church, like many others in Malta was simply inspiring in composition and decoration. I’ve always enjoyed deciphering latin inscriptions and biblical paintings hidden within the ubiquitous iconography.

Merchant Flag of Malta (white Maltese Cross)

Christmas Interlude: Malta I

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I haven’t written anything in quite a while! I’ve been extremely busy with my vacation-turned-Masters-degree trip to Europe :( :D .

Well, I’ve finally got a break for Christmas and enjoyed it with a few good friends in the Mediterranean on the island of Malta. At less than £90 round trip, the flight there was a really good price. I used Thompson airlines, which offered a holiday service to the island and was allowed one checked bag and one carryon. Some of us stayed at a really cheap hotel that checked in at about 115 Euro for the full 7 days. The weather was beautiful and sunny: a wonderful >10 degrees more than London’s frigid 8-10°C. My hotel, nor the other hotel used by others in my group provided complimentary wi-fi, but free wifi was easy to find at numerous cafes and food stands along the coast where we stayed in Sliema. In the first few days, I was able to visit other cities (really little communities more than distinct cities) of Valleta, San Giljan (St. Julian), and Gzira. In Malta, the official languages are Maltese and English. Many of the signs were written in English to my simultaneous relief and chagrin. I learned the word for “street” in Maltese is “Triq,” which prefixes streets’ proper name (Triq Tas-Sliema = Sliema Street).  In Malta, tourism is a big source of GDP. There were lots of hotels, tours, and cheap easy transportation to and from the airport.

The Island’s history is filled with conquest and occupation including that of the Spanish, the Knights Hospitaller, French, and the British. Many of the things to which I have grown accustomed in the UK were present in Malta such driving on the left, and the chunky three-prong wall socket. There were traces of Arab and European (mainly Italian) influences in the language and family names. Being a 98% Roman Catholic country, the people proudly referred to themselves in a cultural and national way as “Catholic” and crucifixes visibly graced their shops and public buildings. Churches dominated the landscape, with domes and bell towers on almost every horizon and their monuments regularly consisted of crosses and hagiography, with almost every other site bearing a name related to Christ or the saints.

On Christmas day at noon, the entire country it seemed was awash with the sounds of bells in celebration of the Christian high feast. It was a really beautiful experience, that really filled me, as a student of political science, with awe at a modern Western democracy so actively claiming a visible religious identity. Even when we went to watch a movie, the theatre featured a Christmas choir with the most melodic voices! -> I’ve attached a short vid!

In the short while I was there I learned so much about Malta’s history and elements it shared with other countries. Many older Maltese churches had two bell towers with a clock on each, one with the right time and the other with the wrong time, historically, to fool the devil about what time the mass was to be held. You should be able to see this architectural phenomenon in some of the photos I’ve uploaded.

One of the coolest things about visiting places with such a rich and ancient history as Malta is its ability to recall its past through preservation and awareness, while at the same time introducing modern conveniences into the process. For example, you’ll see shiny metal elevators running on electricity alongside ancient limestone fortresses or a gargantuan oil rig sitting for repairs in the middle of a centuries-old harbour.

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GA- Food8

Food Series Post: London

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Doner kebab

One of the first things I noticed in the part of London where I frequent, is the ubiquity of the doner kebab shop. Not sure what that is? Well, I wasn’t either until I saw the servers cutting the meat from the vertical spit. It’s basically any seasoned meat that’s shaped into an upside down cone and slowly spins while cooking on a vertical spit. Pieces of the meat is then carved off in thin slices and served in various dishes. This beef or lamb dish finds its origins in Turkish gastronomy. You may hear similar words for the type of meat, such as doner, gyros, shawarma which all relate to the rotation or “turning” of the meat in Turkish, Greek, and Arabic respectively. Slight differences include the seasonings used such as Tzatziki sauce in gyros or the type of bread or accompanying sides (e.g. pita, flat-bread, tomatoes, onions).

Above the delicious taste, there’s the added benefit of reasonably low prices!

In Budapest26

Budapest continued

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I learned some interesting things about Hungary and Budapest on my tour through the city.
Like the Czech Republic, Hungary too had a king that was canonised as the first confessor king. St Stephen I of Hungary is recognized as the first king and the founder of Hungary. He, also like the Czech royal St. Wenceslas had a royal family member who was also canonised, his son, Saint Emeric of Hungary.

The Holy Crown of Hungary

An interesting tradition in Hungary exists wherein the Crown of St. Stephen I was regarded as a distinct legal person and was the true head of state, or the state itself, and that the king ruled in the name of the crown. The crown was a coronation crown and was used only for that purpose. It could only be touched by two people: the person who placed the crown on a pillow and the Archbishop of Esztergom, who allow possessed the right to crown the king. The object alone conferred legality (with the authority of the archiepiscopal coronation) on the kings of Hungary.

The Hungarian Parliament Building (Országház)

I think that buildings that house the seat of government are always intended to be beautiful, or at least impressive in an effort to convey the majesty of the state to citizens and visitors alike. Hungary proved to be no exception to this with its marvellous Országház (Hungarian for “house of the country”). The Hungarian Parliament Building sits majestically on the eastern bank of the Danube.

  • architectural style: Gothic Revival
  • one of Budapest’s tallest buildings
  • largest building in Hungary

Fun fact:

For a time, the Hungarian throne was inherited through agnatic seniority. This succession arrangement prefers the male siblings of the last monarch in order of age to his sons and the sons of this brothers by age. It is the form used in the Saudi Arabian line of succession today.

GA- London23

“Gradventures” in London: Departure

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On the day that I was ticketed to leave for London, I had planned numerous last-minute errands such as closing a bank account, returning a few unused items to Wal-Mart, going to the barber shop, and getting a refund on a Big Mac I had ordered a few weeks before that was missing its meat patties.

Of all these, I was only able to obtain the refund on the burger, which I wish I had done before because the manager gave my two vouchers for free meals. I had totally overestimated the amount of time that existed between 8am (the time I naturally wake up) and 2 pm (the time I had decided I would head to the airport for my 5pm flight).

So, what held me back from completing, better yet, starting, the tasks I had once thought so able to easily completed? Well, around 11:00, in a feverish effort to create more confusion and anxiety than I had already been able to muster, I decided to re-pack my bags. The alleged motive was, of course, to properly classify the items I would be most willing to part with should need to lessen my luggage load at the counter. Instead, I just created so much stress that I was unable to eat breakfast or lunch AND basically left my apartment in a messy whirl of packaging and once-cherished knickknacks.

I had also decided that taking the clothes I had worn to work the day before was essential and that they needed to be clean as well. So, I loaded up my washer and then my dryer, knowing full well their egregious track record on timeliness! I also spent a half an hour participating in a wholly inaccurate alteration of my usually accurate way of obtaining the weight of my luggage. What I usually do is weigh myself with the small body weight scale that lives beneath my bathroom sink and then weigh myself while holding my luggage in my arms and then dividing the difference between the two. I knew this wouldn’t work this time because, in addition to my total exhaustion from stress and lack of food from the evening before, the bags were simply too oddly shaped and cumbersome for me to hold while balanced on the scale. I decided some home that a scale designed precisely to absorb and measure the impact of two human feet on its surface could somehow measure a suitcase that could only balance by laying it long-ways (and subsequently, touching the floor).

Well, it’s good I made preparations contrary to the false hope I created by my dreadful unreliable assessment. If you recall the stress filled rearrangement I mentioned earlier, I’d like to say now that the stress was perhaps worth it. With my vacuum-sealed effects sorted into tier-two essential and I-will-have-a-panic-attack-without-these categories. Why? Well, at the ticket counter, after heaving my larger bag* onto the scale and making it balance long enough not to fall over, I was horrified to see it read 98 pounds! The smaller bag provided no assuagement either, with a reading of 70 pounds!

I had my ride to the airport waiting outside in case of this very possibility and was luckily able to offload some of the items back into the car. I was also able to put some of the items in my Rick Steve’s convertible carry-on backpack that you might remember me describing for my European backpacking trip.

After leaving Orlando, I had one layover in Philadelphia with scheduled arrival in London at 5am EST/ 10am GMT.

Here’s a bunch of airport photos for my readers that love airplanes and airports!

*(when I say larger, I mean large in an absolute sense as in, I could fit in this bag)

In Budapest3

Budapest

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It was such an interesting feeling to wake up refreshed from a great night’s sleep miles away from where I had closed my eyes. The Hungarian sun peeked eagerly though the edges of my window shutters, bidding me to explore another of Europe’s most interesting cities. At one point, an Ottoman administrative centre and at another, a royal metropolis, the city plays host to a myriad of syntheses. Turkish and oriental designs amidst imposing baroque provide a vibrant architectural symphony almost as rich as the city’s historical ethnic diversity. Even its name and borders give testament to such prominent combinations. In 1873 the cities of Buda and Pest were united to form the present-day jurisdiction we know as Budapest. Situated on both sides of the Danube, the city has historically been a large centre of culture, trade, industry, and subsequently political influence. Here, we once again view the mark of the Hapsburgs, who reclaimed the territory from the Ottomans in 1686. Under their rule, the city witnessed a general increase in population and development.

Dual-Monarchial City

As you would have read in an earlier post of mine, the Hapsburgs ruled the Austrian Empire. That is, until 1867, when the empire was internally reconstituted as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Hapsburgs ruled Hungary as King of Hungary, a crown distinct from their Austrian one. This led to the Hungarian capital achieving more autonomy in its affairs.

Hősök Tere (Heroes’ Square)

Millennium Monument

In Budapest’s Heroes’ Square stands an impressive construction I had only seen in glancing travel photos before. The Millennium Monument stands as a testament to ”the memory of the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of our people and our [Hungary's] national independence.” It features seven kings from medieval Hungary, the Renaissance King Matthias, and Janos Hunyadi, who fought the 15th-century invading Ottoman armies. The Archangel Gabriel stands atop the column centrepiece and holds the Holy Crown of Hungary in one hand and the other, the Hungarian Apostolic Cross (a Latin cross with an additional bar).

The 1956 Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence Monument

This other interesting resident at the site is dedicated to the Hungarian revolution against Soviet oppression in 1956. Hundreds lost their lives in a failed attempt at declaring independence from the Communists when over 2,000 tanks and numerous divisions of the Russian army were sent to crush the insurrection. This monument is quite different from others I’ve seen and is built where the statue of Josef Stalin was once erected when the Communists bulldozed a catholic church that stood on the site. The rusted steel pillars are arranged to form the triangular blade of a knife. It is an abstract, ultramodern monument.


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In Praha62

Video Post: My First Night Train (Prague to Budapest)

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Although it would be my last time traveling through the Prague subway, I was so excited that I would be traveling on my first night train! My next stop was Budapest, Hungary, and although there were many earlier trips I could have chosen, I decided to pay the 14 euro reservation fee for a bed in a couchette on the overnight train. I don’t know what the full fare would have been, but I’m happy I had a Eurail pass and didn’t have to worry about that :-) . My main reason was to cut lodging costs. I needed to get to Hungary and I needed to sleep: night train solves all. Cheaper than the cost of a hostel stay, I was able to save all around on money and time and I recommend it to anyone who’s interested in backpacking.

The only negative in my plan was the long wait I had in the train station between my last scheduled daylight activity and the train that left almost at midnight. Being closer to the North pole in the summer meant that the “day” was much longer throughout all my European adventure than it would have been in Florida at the time. At least, that sounds like something I remember from high school geography that sounds like it’s right!

Well, after paying to use the restroom and finding that one of them had been closed for the night (I have no idea why, if you have to pay to enter any way), and being offered narcotics while thinking that I had lost my luggage to a closed storage facility, I finally saw my train on the arrivals board!

Given permission to board the train, I searched the door tags for my room and found to my surprise that the other bed would be left unoccupied that night. I made a video of my exploring the amenities offered in the sleeping cabin that I hope will convey the comfort and utter awesomeness I felt that night!

 

In Amsterdam49

Food Series Post: Amsterdam

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Picture this. I’m in Amsterdam and really hungry. I don’t know where I want to eat, but I decide that it must be a nice-looking restaurant. So I found Mario’s. It’s a nice little place with a great view of Centraal Station. I sat down, enjoyed the wonderful scenery, and waited to be served. When the nice waitress came to me I learnt that “closed” in Dutch is “eindigen” and that “open” is, well “open”! When I asked her what was the most Dutch thing I could have, I also learnt that the restaurant I was so comfortably sitting in was in fact Italian, and only served Italian food. I was stuck with a pizza. Well, stuck is a bit insulting, seeing as it was absolutely delicious! I hardly drink alcohol, but decided that in the name of cultural exploration, I would have a sample of Heineken. If my solid food was going to be Italian, I could at least sample the most Dutch of beers while I was Holland!

Cheers to Amsterdam!

 

 

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Prague Castle

Video Post:The Prague Castle Complex

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Parts of this sprawling medieval castle compound, the largest Europe, can be spotted at almost any point in the old city.

 According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Prague Castle is the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000 m². [1]

Although collectively referred to as “the castle,” the many buildings that make up this mega-fortified mini-town include at least four churches, four palaces, over five gardens, and is home to shops, government offices, and museums. Today, the castle is the seat of the President of the Czech Republic and represents as the historical and political centre of Prague and the Czech state.


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One of the churches: Basilica dedicated to St. George

  • Main Architectural Style: Romanesque / Baroque (facade)
  • Extras: Benedictine Convent
    • Abbess possessed the right to crown the Queen consort of Bohemia
  • Royal/Sacred tombs:
    • Prince Vratislav
    • Boleslav II
    • St. Ludmila

St. George’s Basilica, Prague, Czech Republic – See if you can spot it in the video!

The Cathedral of St. Vitus, St. Wenceslaus and St. Adalbert

  • Main architectural style: Gothic
  • Designations:
    • Roman Catholic Cathedral, Seat of Archbishop of Prague
    • Basilica
  • Famous:
    • Biggest Church in Czech Republic
  • Curiosities:
    • The church is owned by the Czech government
    • St. Wenceslas:
      • One of a small group of royals to have been canonised by the Catholic Church
      • He is one of the patron saints of the Czech state
      • He is the “good King Wenceslas” mentioned in the 1853 Christmas carol by John Neale
      • He died a Duke of Bohemia, but was raised to the dignity of a king after his death by Holy Roman Emperor Otto I

St. Vitus – Prague, Czech Republic

I didn’t have enough crowns (Czech money) left to purchase a trip up the bell tower and they wouldn’t take credit cards or Euro. Everywhere else took Euro (with a slight fee), but those volunteer girl guards weren’t budging for poor littles tourists like myself. :-(

Video I made of walk through much of castle complex:

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The Loreto Church

Sightseeing: Praha

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Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is one of the largest and, in my opinion, most beautiful cities of Europe. I was able to see much of the city’s wonderful architectural diversity in the few hours I was there.

Anyone who likes history is probably at least a little interested in the systems of dynastic rule that governed european affairs for much of the period beginning with the medieval era. For over 800 years, an interesting arrangement existed in the north of the Continent, with the existence of a vast empire whose succession was by law effected not through hereditary right, but by virtue of election by the German prince-electors known as Kurfürst. This Imperium Romanum Sacrum, or Holy Roman Empire, was was at one point ruled by the King of Bohemia (a kingdom which is much of present-day Czech Republic). This imperial connection bode well for Prague as her importance and inheritance were increased tremendously. She received such endowments as Central Europe’s oldest university, Charles University and the world’s largest castle complex.

Zizkov District TV tower, Prague

 I was able to stop by this interesting transmitter tower that features 10 massive ebony babies climbing its three legs. The tower was built during the Communist era and is referred to by many as Jakeš’s finger in reference to the ousted community leader. My tour guide explained that some say that the longest vertical extension is his index finger, while others maintain that it is in fact another of his digit, extended in a far less genial hand gesture.

I was able to visit a museum that had a baroque exhibition for only 2 euro after I presented my International Student Identification card (probably they only time I’ve used it on my entire trip).

The Loreta Church

Beautiful buildings hide around every corner! Here is the Loreta Church. Built by Jesuits, it features a distinctly baroque main facade.

Prague Castle

Prague Castle

Here’s a photo of the gate I entered to Prague Castle. I video-recorded most of my walk through the enormous complex. You should see the video post appearing shortly.

Tips:

  • Always take photos in the highest quality possible. You can always reduce the quality for size or other reasons later. I had forgotten the name of a place in a photo and was able to zoom in on a small street address sign and then use Google maps to find my way.
  • Going off of the first tip, try to take photos regularly, even if you don’t see something of interest, that way you can re-trace your steps using a map even after your memory’s fizzed out.

 

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In Praha10

Arrival in Praha

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When arriving at the Praha hlavní nádraží station, you’ll almost immediately see the juxtaposition of the ancient and the modern.  The station (shortened on routes and maps as Praha hl.n) contained vestiges of its past glories as an important kingdom of the Austrian Hapsburgs (it was originally named in honour of Franz Josef I. In the new entrance, there is a distinctly more modern touch.

Your “money’s worth”

The Czech Republic is a part of the European Union, but is not a part of the Euro zone, and therefore not replaced their local currency with the Euro. If I had researched that before I had arrived there, perhaps I would have been less confused! One Euro is the equivalent of about 24.5 crown (koruna). This meant that every time I looked at a price, I would multiply it by about 0.04 to understand its relation to Euro. Although this was helpful for a budget (to keep me from spending all my money in one instance), it was highly impractical in trying to connect that value of my labour with the value of the item, as is usually done when one shops for goods and services. During both exchanges to crowns, I had lost some value of my US dollars to the exchange spread (a currency exchange’s difference between the value of a sold and bought currency). The value of each currency had fluctuated as well, distorting any easy translation in my head. Of course, I could have prepared an Excel sheet detailing the amounts lost and gained by exchange rates and costs, but I decided that wouldn’t be an efficient use of my time.

Money to blow

Please excuse the song reference, but the title aptly describes the way that I imagined the Czechs must have thought of my and anybody else for that matter. As I was keeping properly hydrated, I needed to use the restroom (the toaleta or toilette as it’s called in Czech and French respectively) more than 3 times while in Prague. For each time, including the one where I could barely make it up the stairs from holding it in so long, I had to dig in my pocket, count the crazy money and pay someone! Another time, there was this lady who held the keys to the “public restroom” on the hill near Prague Castle. She grumbled that I was disturbing her from her purchasing groceries in the store next to the toilets. She then swung the door open and angrily pointed to the sign that stated that I would have to pay 10Kč or 0.50 Euro. Now, anyone with half a mind can see that paying in crowns would save me the most money. The problem was, the idea of whole tens values on coins was still confusing to me. So seeing 10.00, while thinking how big that number seemed, while sifting through the Euro I had in my pocket only added to the confusion. Surprisingly, the lady for the first time in our encounter seemed nice and offered to count out the 10Kč for me. She quickly snapped up what I knew to be a 20Kč piece! I asked her to see it, pretending like I wanted to know how it looked for next time. She held it back for a while and shoved me to the restroom. I stood my ground and demanded to see it. She then flung it back at me and rudely pushed me out of the doorway and put the door in my face. I won’t write the thoughts that rushed through my mind at that moment, but I will say that I was happy to find an outdoor toilet that accepted 5Kč for 15 minute admission (I only needed 1 minute!).

Buyer beware

I purchased some groceries from a little food store located at the Praha Hlvani train station. I was trying to see how long the Czech currency I had bought earlier would last, so any time I could buy something with Euro or my credit card, I did. With mutual smiles and laughs, I left the register with food in hand, not bothering to understand what the gibberish on my receipt meant. Well, after walking upstairs and deciphering it, I realized that the sum she gave me in cash and the sum listed on the paper were off by about 100 crown. I immediately marched back down to levels to retrieve my missing money from her to the manager. Getting my money, even without understanding a word the other was saying, I was able to get the manager to have one of the cashiers give me the money. I am still a bit curious as to why she didn’t suspect me of lying, seeing as I had been from the store for a good 15 minutes, and she had not witnessed the sale herself.

Finally, I must caution you about any tour buses you pay for when you visit Prague. The bus service I used had a schedule of stop times, but clearly I must have either I been reading the list upside down or they simply didn’t care about customer satisfaction after a certain time. I stood at one of the last route locations with 3 more stops left for the day, after two of the times had passed, I realised that I had been gypped. You can see my lonely spot in the attached gallery (last photo).

Tip
  • When you exchange currency at a bank, exchange centre, or as a part of the purchase of commodities, always remember to properly examine your receipt. Languages are as different a they come, but mathematics will always make sense in any part of the world. Don’t leave the counter or the immediate room until you have verified your money.
  • 1 crown consists of 100 hellers (haléř), abbreviated as hal.Heller coins have not been in use as of September 1, 2008, but hellers are still incorporated into merchandise prices. The final price is always rounded off to the nearest crown value.The approximate value of 100 CZK is 4 EUR/6 USD. [cited from]
Please stay tuned to my posts or follow my Facebook to find out what I bought in the grocery store to eat that day.
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In Praha2

Odchod Berlín pro Praha (Leaving Berlin for Praha)

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Once again, I woke up four times to disable the four alarms that I had set on my phone to wake me up on time. It’s a wonderful yet clearly horrible thing to know that your train station is situated two minutes from your hotel door! I woke up 3 minutes after my intended train had left. Anyone that knows me know that I usually wake up in a way that mimics someone being pulled out of the virtual reality system from the Matrix movie franchise. Instantly my head started buzzing and I wondered if I had the wrong time in my phone and added another hour to it and decided that I only had 20 minutes to get ready and leave for the next scheduled train. When I got downstairs I confirmed that the country had not mysteriously added another timezone while I was asleep! Even though it was brightly shining, it was still only 7:45am and I knew that many food places would be closed. Read about my crime against traveldom here.

On the train to Praha from Berlin, I hadn’t made a reservation because it wasn’t mandatory. I was happy to find that there was an unreserved seat near the door I entered. The seats on this train were different from all the others I had been on. The seats were situated in sets of six separated by walls with private doors. After a few minutes of loading onto the bus, three young men filled the remaining seats in my cabin.

About 10 minutes into our journey three women of Asian descent alerted us that those three seats had been reserved by them. Two of the men were asleep and the third pretended like he didn’t understand. So unlike myself, I sat there and waited with the ladies for a train officer to come and clarify the situation. He finally came and ordered the men to leave and give the women their seats.

A few stops before we left Germany, German police officers came down the cabins to verify nationality. As he spoke in German I couldn’t help but smile as I sat there in total ignorance. I had to ask to other passengers I had been chatting with for the majority of the time I had been awake on the train. One of them was American and the other was German.
The police took a long time checking the passports of the three asian women in the cabin (one of them specified that she had French nationality). He didn’t bother asking for those of the other two men or mine though. After the police left, the German explained that countries have those immigrants they love and those they don’t really like too much. I was, understandably shocked and hoped that wasn’t the reason he had taken so long on their passport check. But, then again, he had only taken the word of the German that the other guy and I were American. On the other hand, seldom encountered passports (like the ones the women may have had) would be subject to greater scrutiny, in addition to the fact that they pretty much handed him their passports without his really asking.

As we neared the German border, we rode parallel to the Elbe River near Bad Schandau Station on to Praha. The scene was exceptionally beautiful. The river had carved a valley into the barren rock that now lay jutting out of lush green forestland. Houses big and small were also perched up in the hills and on the banks of the river, adding to the picturesque ambiance.

After the two men left the train, one of three women started a conversation with me. She was originally from Laos like the others, but lived in Iran and had previously acquired French nationality. She spoke fluent French and was very good with English.

Tips: 

  • Place your wake-up alarm device in a place not immediately accessible to your sleeping area. I will try putting my phone deep in my backpack at night and let you know how that works out.
  • Get friendly with the German (or other local) guy in your train cabin.
  • Keep your passport in a well-protected, but easily accessible place in your luggage when you’re crossing any national borders, including those within the European Union.
EuroTrip201266

My “German” Breakfast

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The first commandment of travel clearly states that “thou shall not eat from large American fast-food chains when traveling abroad.” – Exploration Abroad

Being next to a train station has its perks. I was able to walk into an onsite Burger King and order breakfast. This German version of one of my favorite menus was quite interesting (inclusive of prices, which weren’t anywhere newer low). First thing I noticed was that there wasn’t an option to get hash browns and the “meal” consisted of what I’ve always defined as a bastardization of that title: one sandwich + one drink. What is a meal without a side? Well, I guess I could have paid for the hash browns separately, but that didn’t make much economic sense at all!

In order to justify my crime against discovery, I had to purchase a non-regular menu option. I ended up getting a breakfast burger made with eggs, tomatoes, cheese, a beef patty, and light mayo (I ordered it light) on a sesame seed bun. I would never have thought to put those things together, but knew that it would be wonderful. And it oh, it was!

The savory goodness of the beef mixed so nicely with the juicy tomatoes. No breakfast is complete without eggs, and they added the nice protein kick I craved. The nicely toasted bun was kept nice and soft with just the right amount of mayonnaise. I was feeling a bit on the sick side, seeing as I hadn’t slept enough (8 hours) in a few days. What I’ve discovered is drinking lots of orange juice keeps my immune system boosted and really staves off colds and coughs early. The natural sweetness is also unmistakable better than all the processed sugars in sodas and other popular drinks. But of course, this is a fast food joint and wasn’t included in the meal (meal is coffee, no choice). So I paid an arm and half of leg for one of those small kiddie juice boxes. But it was so good, and so necessary. So, all was well with the world :)

In ending this post, just so that we’re clear: I know this sandwich sounded so good, and you may be tempted to go to Germany (or where ever else they sell it) and buy one, but once again, I’d like to point out that I do not endorse companies or their products on my website.

In Berlin4

Berlin Part Two (Video Post)

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Night Wandering

I had made free reservations to see the Bundestag (yes, you need reservations to go inside the cool glass dome). Because I had arrived a few hours later than originally planned, I wasn’t able to take the tour and only got to see the German federal government buildings from the outside. I know I missed something special, but I was not to disappointed, because as I continuously discovered, the Germans sure know how to impress! Outside the Hauptbahnhof (on the Washingtonplatz side) there was a huge area for events that had large photo displays with work from local artists set up like a maze. There were also two outdoor bars with flashing neon lighting (I like flashing neon lights, that’s why I mentioned this). I crossed the bridge near the plaza (Friedrich-List-Ufer I think it was) that had a man-made beach area under it on the other side. It was too packed for me to order anything, especially because everyone there seemed to be in groups.

I ended up strolling down the “pier” and ended up in an open area with two large walls on either side. To this day I don’t know what those two walls were for, but they seemed to funnel your attention, and large crowds perhaps, towards  a really tall building. Not until I went closer did I realize that that building and the others that were emblazoned with light were the ones I had always read so much about. To my right was the Bundeskanzleramt (Germany’s head of state is a Chancellor or Bundeskanzler, his staff are housed in this building). To my left was the Paul-Löbe-Haus, a building associated with the Bundestag (German federal lower legislative chamber) that has extra office space for MPs. In the video, this is the building that is in the final freeze pane. Walking further, I was able to pass over the wonderfully manicured lawn with fountains in front of the majestic Reichstagsgebäude, the German Parliament building for the lower house, the Bundestag. My camera doesn’t take great night video or photos, so I didn’t take that many, but I think the ones I posted didn’t turn out too badly.

As I walked down Dorotheenstraße, I saw the amount of building space dedicated to parliamentary purposes was astounding, considering most office spaces I’d seen for the same before were relegated to one square or block. Now that I’m looking at the Google map, I can see what I was unable to at night: that the building is divided into sections and each section has its own courtyard. Turning onto Unter den Linder from Wilhelmstraße I was able to see what I considered the most beautiful sight of the night: the Brandenburg Gate. A restored former wall of old Berlin the old city.  It reminded me of other triumphal arches around Europe I had seen, but the neoclassical design, sheer size (up and out), and brilliant lighting led me to believe that it must have been a modern creation. Further research proved otherwise: Wikipedia.

As I knew I had an early day ahead of me, and the fact that everything was so quiet in the darkness, I decided to head back to the hotel with no stories of sordid drinking and revelry or the like.

Tips for next time:

  1. Don’t rely on tour guide maps being available after dark.
  2. Plan out night spots (events or photo ops) so you don’t wander aimlessly in the dark without knowing where the nightclubs or fun spots are.

Below is a very short video of me snooping around the train station outside the Bundestag. Pretty audacious having it so close to government buildings. Also thought it would be cool to show a bit of the opulence dripping off the smoothly polished stone. Standing by my opinion that Berlin knows how to impress!
Also, I uploaded the Germany Facebook album just now. Get it here.

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In Berlin1

Berlin Part One

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On the way to Berlin, the night had crept thickly over the landscape and I could barely see anything outside. The city lights were a welcome guest to my bored eyes, and I was excited to be at the end of what felt like my longest leg so far.

 

Arrival

The second I stepped off the train, I was reminded that Germany was the powerhouse of the EU. Berlin Hauptbahnhof is simply amazing! With 5 levels, 54 escalators, 6 panoramic elevators, a 1,800 m² solar roof, the station forms fitting testament to Germany’s industrial or economic might. Trains whizz above and below you with their tracks floating on almost invisible structural supports. It all looked like something from a set of a futuristic space hub. The stations that I had seen before either centred around an outdoor or indoor design. This station took both to a whole other  level and them combined them!

Putting my bags away

Not only was this station the most brilliant I’d seen thus far, but it’s surroundings were no less impressive. I knew my nightly accommodations were close by, but couldn’t have imagined that it was effectively attached to the station! The Meininger Hotel Berlin Hauptbahnhof was exemplary in every way and was my favourite accommodation thus far. It was a pity I only stayed for a single night though. The company’s website poses the question, “so what exactly is the difference between a hostel and a hotel?” and showed me that there can be as little difference as the company chooses to emphasize. I will give details during my hostel/accommodation post series. But I will say that I paid the price of an upscale hostel and received the service given at a regular hotel, in addition to proximity to the centre of things as much as many a 4-star property.


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Don’t forget, more photos are included in my Facebook fan page gallery(click here)

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In Koln2

Headed to Berlin!

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Leaving Cologne, I was a bit upset with the difference between the long-distance trains I had so far used on the Continent with those I had used in Britain. The one I had used to travel to Cologne from Amsterdam didn’t have a charger port for my computer, and now the one I am using to get to Berlin only has one. (I know #first-world-problems right?)

I had paid for a train reservation online before I left London for the trip connecting Berlin and Cologne. I had overslept in Amsterdam, however, and missed the two early morning connections to Berlin. Because the train to Berlin from Cologne is over 4.5 hours, the time I planned to spend in Berlin would have been devoted to after-dark activities. This meant that in order for the time in Cologne to be worthwhile, I had to leave on a later train than the one I had previously reserved.

Headed to Berlin 3 hours off schedule, I hoped for the best!

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House number 4711, brand of Eau de Cologne by Mäurer & Wirtz, a subsidiary of the Dalli Group owned by the Wirtz family. - Wikipedia

Why is cologne called cologne?

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So, I didn’t actually think about this until I was almost leaving cologne. Yes, even after having been on a tour that spoke about medicinal water from the city that began to be used for its aromatic qualities. The city gives its name to Eau de Cologne or as Germans say, Kölnisch Wasser (water of Cologne). This was a perfume created by an Italian who was born in Cologne. The composition of his fragrant mixture has been copied the world over and now refers generically to the perfume type that consists of about 3-8% aromatic compound in a water/ethanol-based solvent.

So, there you have it! The cologne (that you put on your body) has its name because of this nifty city in Germany! I was able to spot one of the famous cologne/Cologne brands 4711, which is named after the building where it was manufactured and still is sold pictured below. The store had a fountain of cologne for visitors to place their fingers and/or cups under.

Some other cities that have given their name to our daily mainstays are:

  • Bologna –  the “seasoned smoked sausage made of mixed meats, such as beef, pork, and veal 1” is named after Bologna in Italy.
  • Sardine - the small fish is named after the Italian island of Sardinia.
  • Brussels sprout – most likely originated in Brussels, Belgium
  • Tangerine – originated from adjective associated with Tangier
  • Wiener - The word Wiener meansViennese in German. The sausage was invented by a butcher from Frankfurt, who had moved to Vienna, which is why in Vienna the sausage is calledFrankfurter. – Wikipedia
  • Sandwich – Well, this one is a bit different, as John Montagu, the 4th earl of Sandwich, gave his name to the Sandwich Islands and the food item. Sandwich, still being the name of the town (Sandwich, Kent, UK) associated with the earldom, let’s this food make the list.

House number 4711, store where the famous brand of Eau de Cologne by Mäurer & Wirtz, a subsidiary of the Dalli Group owned by the Wirtz family.

1 Bologna. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.

EuroTrip2012 Food16

Food Spotlight: European Grocery Shopping

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In England I experienced my first grocery store experience. It didn’t seem like much difference or highlight in my journey until I began to look more closely at the shelves. For instance, I love orange juice with high pulp. In Britain, however, it’s not called pulp, but bits. One thing that you should notice right away is the amount of country labels plastered over all the shelves! I don’t mean to sound negative (because I don’t really have a solid side on any of these nationalism debates), but I do think it was a bit excessive in some areas. There were bag of chips (or crisps as the Brits call them), water, or milk that kept emphasising their “Britishness.” Being a political science major, I am quite interested in the relation of expressions of nationalism to globalisation, american hegemony, and economics. That is: are the bottles of water labeled as “purely British” as a marketing gimmick to sell the brand OR was it due to deeper socio-cultural notions of superiority or incompatibility? Great paper I could see myself writing in a few months. I’ll let you guys know how that goes!

It was interesting to see familiar brands, but with slightly different labelling along with discovering new products with weird and outlandish flavours. In addition to different names for similar food attributes (eg. bits/pulp), there were things like roast chicken and garlic flavoured chips and orange-cream-filled chocolate bars that immediately caught my eye. The way the food was stored was also a bit of a surprise. Things like eggs weren’t always stored on refrigerated shelves, but were instead being kept at room temperature. Also, growing up by the sea, I’ve seen seafood on ice, but never so far away from the sea and in such quantities (I lived near a market street that was lined with all types of meat and seafood sitting in open-air displays).

For the most part, I’m still alive and the food is delicious, so maybe all the extra-sterile advertisement in the U.S. isn’t as all that it’s hyped up to be?

Koln2

Video Post: Cologne Cathedral

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Fast facts:

  • Prevailing style: Gothic
  • The Diocese of Cologne was founded before 314 AD
  • 509 steps lead to the top of the towers
  • Special designations:
    • UNESCO World Heritage site
    • Seat of Catholic Archbishop of Cologne
  • Was once the world’s tallest building (and still remains the tallest building in the city except for a residential skyscraper)
  • Present records: world’s largest church facade

Here’s a short video I made of the inside of the Cathedral during prayers. It is amazing to hear the ancient surround sound technology in action. The minister’s voice can be heard echoing off the walls in a way that makes it hard to ignore him when he is speaking. Also, I love the sound of German, so that’s probably what made it even more beautiful!

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In Koln3

From Amsterdam to Koln

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My Morning

Because my train left early in the morning, I decided to go to bed earlier than previously planned (about 1am or so). I woke up to the sound of rain, a horrible sound to hear when one knows that a heavy backpack and suitcase will be trudging with you through the maze-like streets of Amsterdam after only about 6 hours of sleep!
The hostel where I stayed had a weird policy, where the front desk was closed until 8:15. I know that people have to sleep, but I’m sure this is why shifts are used everywhere else, and besides, 8:15? That’s really late for a business that caters to people who are backpacking and want to make the most out of their day. So, after enough rambling [which I'm sure it looks like I'm doing again in this post] I went out into the cold morning.
I decided that one of the trams that whizzed about the streets would be my best option for getting to the station on time. I would best sum up my spending policy as “spend only in case of near death.” But, that was not to be for my train to Cologne as I spent almost 3 Euro (USD$ 4.50) on the tram! Note that the price wasn’t bad in and of itself, because if I had been able to use the ticket for the full term of its validity I would have realised the savings. 

Photo notes:

  • Tram in Amsterdam
  • Station in Cologne
  • Me after hurriedly throwing on “warmer” clothing for the wet, chilly morning
  • My camera created this weird two-photo, two-tone image. I thought it was cool. I wish I knew how to replicate the effect.
  • Amazing camera/souvenir shop that unfortunately didn’t have my size battery
  • Excavations
  • Glimpse inside Kölner Dom

Don’t forget to check out my Facebook album for extra photos! Here.

Arriving in Köln*

If you have been tuning into my endonyms and exonymns series, you will remember that Koln is the German name for the city that we refer to in English as Cologne. 

The rail lines seem to have been built intentionally above the entry/exit platform, forcing you to walk downwards to ground/or below ground level when stepping into the sprawling square outside. You feel the station with its trains high above your back, but in front of you, a bit off to the side, off of the train at Köln Hauptbahnhof (main station) I was immediately greeted by the overwhelming facade of Cologne Cathedral, or Kölner Dom as it is known in German goes. A prominent set of steps glossed by the rain led their way up to the building’s towering expanse that seemed to embrace the heavens. Needless to say, I was awestruck. I was confused. How was this obviously old structure supporting itself and why weren’t the brown stone blocks falling to the earth? Of course, I’d read about the load bearing flying buttresses and all the artsy physics details, but to this moment, I feel like that guy from the Discovery Channel and would like to say, “aliens!”

The doors of the great cathedral were lined with figures of saints and biblical statuary prodding one with fear or familiarity. From my constant religious and historical research, I knew most of them by name and bid them a happy “Guten Tag” as I walked through the celestial portals they guarded. I was welcomed by the church’s treasury and the guard that let me know it was €8 to view its wonders. Lover of history that I am, I paid, and was able to visit rooms filled with reliquaries, bishops’ regalia, altarpieces and crucifixes. All photography was expressly prohibited and I haven’t uploaded any photos of the underground museum lined with ancient and probably priceless religious and historical artefacts.

One of the most important of these artefacts is the Dreikönigsschrein, the tomb housing the bones of the three kings who travelled for Christ’s nativity in the New Testament. Being the largest reliquary created in the western church, it is truly the most prized possession of the cathedral. The main part of the cathedral was closed in the morning and opened in the afternoon for mass. I will be posting the footage from inside in a later post.

 

Cologne souvenir: I bought a rosary made of red wood with stainless steel inlay.

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Travel Update: In Amsterdam

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Travel Update

When arriving to Amsterdam via train, you will most likely exit from the Amsterdam Centraal Station. Centraal Station dominates the landscape its established atop, can be seen from many places in the city, and is probably the best marker on any map of the city you’ll use.

Click here to like the Facebook page for access to the full gallery and videos

Of course, markers and maps are only as good as your ability to apprehend your present position in relation to those previous and/or your ability to decipher the names of streets or important landmarks nearby. In Amsterdam, I found my self either to be sufficiently lacking, or the city to be an all-powerful and omniscient conspirator against my cause.

Like me, you will come to see, my friends, that booking your hostel before you arrive at your destination is best. It secures your accommodations against unscheduled uncertainties, it locks in a reasonable price, the required deposit acts almost like a savings mechanism to help your toward achieving your total trip goal, and most of all, it makes you aware of where you’re going when you step off your plane, bus, boat, or train. In all these points, except the last, my journey to Amsterdam mirrored these ideal benefits. When plotting the location of my hostel, I had saved google maps as PDFs to give me directions from the station. Well, somehow, I was walking around for at least two hours looking for the hostel walking this way and that and ended up asking people who thought they knew where it was and people who didn’t.

When I discovered the general location of the hostel I almost jumped into the canal out of anger. The Google rendition was horrible as it had placed the hostel on a main street, when it was actually on a side street branching off from it. But Google wasn’t fully to blame for my protracted detour as much as the city planners were! The city is designed in a way that makes walking long distances when looking for unrecognizable places totally necessary (unless you can get your hands on one of the many bicycles for rent). Within the bounds of the old city, a large amount of its streets are placed in a semi-circular pattern radiating from the area of Centraal Station. The distinctiveness of the area is also enhanced by a very handsome and ubiquitous element, the canal system. Although aesthetically pleasing, however, the canals that run through the middle of each street in this section, make answering the perennial question of “why did the chicken cross the road?” really easy: either he was really into walking two-block distances or  he liked swimming.

To be continued…


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Country Spotlight: Chile

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One of my jobs at the university involves researching information about different countries. It’s smart to know a little background information about countries you want to visit. I thought, what an excellent series posting for Exploration Abroad! In this series, I will be giving a light summary of some amazing countries, with special attention to their flags or other national symbols. For Spanish-language countries, I will also be practicing my Spanish, so corrections are welcome :D !

The Country – El Pais

Located in South America, the Republic of Chile shares its eastern border with the Argentine Republic to the south and Bolivia to the north. Its western border consists of coastline bounded by the Pacific Ocean. The Republic’s capital is established in central Chile, in Santiago. Wholly located within the UTC-4 time zone, the country is one hour ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time.

Administratively, the country is divided into 15 regions or regiones. The country possesses a tripartite system of government consisting of a bicameral legislature (Congreso Nacional), a president, and an independent judiciary (Corte Suprema) appointed by both branches. The President is directly elected and acts both as chief of state and as head of government.

With an area of 756,102 sq km and a population of 17,067,369 (CIA, July 2011), Chile has a population density of about 22.6 inhabitants per sq km. Its major ethnic group is white-Amerindian, which comprises about 95% of the total population. Languages widely spoken in Chile include Mapudungun, and German, with Spanish having official status. The country is over 86% Christian.

The Flag – La Bandera

Star- La Estrella

 la unidad del estado y el hecho que el pais no esta una republica federal, pero una republica centralista.the unitary nature of the state as opposed to a federalist one like the U.S.

Blue-Azul

 el cielothe sky

White

 el nieve de las montañas de Andesthe snow of the Andes Mountains

Red

 la sangre de los patriotas en la lucha para independenciathe blood of the patriots shed for Chilean independence

Language

Getting Around Chile:

Culture

*The name of this country as pronounced in its official language, sounds like “CHEE-LAY” as opposed to the food “chili.”

Note: I originally posted some of the information included in this post at 
my university's studyabroad office website: http://studyabroad.ucf.edu

Amsterdam

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Holland vs. Netherlands

When I called my credit card company and had them authorize my card for international purchase, I had to list every country I wanted to use it in. When it came to this northern European state, I took a pause, as I was accustomed to the use of either name given in the section heading. Well, for the credit card company, for future courtesies abroad, and for my own personal increase, I decided to do a bit of research. Typing in Holland in many fact-finding web sites will redirect you to the page for the Netherlands, but there has to be a difference right? Well, the answer is both yes and no. Holland properly refers to the geographic region presently occupied by two western Dutch coastal provinces: North Holland and South Holland. The word is commonly used as a pars pro toto (a term describing a concept called by the name of one of its lesser parts), with this region of the Netherlands, being used to refer to the whole.

Dutch in other provinces, understandably, do not like this designation, and as far as possible, the country should be referred to as the Netherlands when visiting. The Netherlands is notable in that Amsterdam is established by the constitution as the country’s capital. However, Den Haag (The Hague) playing host to the parliament, government, supreme court, and embassies and international organization headquarters,  is the seat of government.

Pedestrianism

One of the things that will immediately strike you is the amount of road space dedicated to bicyclists. Check out the upcoming video post!

The Coffeeshops

You will definitely see many coffeeshops (written as one word in Dutch) in the Netherlands. Although it is illegal to sell the drug in the country, they are licensed to sell cannabis in small quantities to consumers without fear of legal reprimand. They must, however, operate within limits (e.g. they cannot sell to persons under the age of 18).  As recently as April of this year however, the ban of the sale of such products to foreigners has been upheld by Dutch courts.

 
Link to Facebook gallery for more photos

The Street Names

The streets in Amsterdam were often confusing to find on a map. Asking for directions was also a chore, seeing as I had no idea at first how to pronounce the German Eszett (“ß”). Hint: It’s pronounced like a long or double s. Even when words looked simple enough, like the street sign pictured in the gallery, the locals weren’t able to understand me.

The XXX Symbol

This symbol that you will see emblazoned across many a street or sign has nothing to do red light districts or the sort. What appear to be x‘s are actually Saint Andrew’s Crosses like those that appear in the coat of arms of Amsterdam and on the Amsterdam official Flag. There are different theories as to their meaning, but one says that they were derived from the coat of arms of a noble whose estate once covered a large part of the city.

Heineken

As you may or may not know, Heineken, one of the most awesome beers ever brewed [not an endorsement] is Dutch. In Amsterdam, the old brewery has been transformed into the Heineken Experience, a great tourist attraction that I was unable to visit due to my short stay in the city.

Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/

Knowing what to say, T, U: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms

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In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!

T

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Taiwan
(See “China (ROC)” entry)
Tajikistan Dushanbe Tojikistan
Тоҷикистон		 Dushanbe
Душанбе		 Tajiki-Persian
(Cyrilic)
Tanzania Dodoma English
Thailand Bangkok Mueang Thai, Prathet Thai, Ratcha-anachak Thai
เมืองไทย,ประเทศไทย, ราชอาณาจักรไทย		 Krung Thep Maha Nakhon
กรุงเทพฯ, กรุงเทพมหานคร		 Thai
Togo Lomé French
Tokelau English
Tonga Nukuʻalofa Tonga Nukuʻalofa Tongan
Trinidad and Tobago Port of Spain English
Tunisia Tunis Tunis
تونس		 Tunis
تونس		 Arabic
(Arabic script)
Turkey Ankara Türkiye Ankara Turkish
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Nicosia Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti Lefkoşa Turkish
Turkmenistan Ashgabat Türkmenistan Aşgabat Turkmen
Turks and Caicos Islands Cockburn Town English
Tuvalu Fongafale (in Funafuti) English

U

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Uganda Kampala English
Ukraine Kiev Ukraїna
Україна		 Kyїv
Київ		 Ukrainian
(Cyrillic script)
United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Al-’Imārat Al-‘Arabiyyah Al-Muttaḥidah
الإمارات العربيّة المتّحدة		 ‘Abū ẓabī
أبوظبي		 Arabic
(Arabic script)
United Kingdom London United Kingdom
Y Deyrnas Unedig
Unitit Kinrick
Rìoghachd Aonaichte
Ríocht Aontaithe		 London
Llundain
Lunnon
Lunnainn
Londain		 English
Welsh
Scots
Scots Gaelic
Irish
United States Washington, D.C. United States or America
Estados Unidos or
Ta-Te
or América
États-Unis or Amérique
‘Amelika-hui-pu-’ia or ‘Amelika-hui		 Washington D.C.
Washington D.C.
Washington D.C.
Wakinekona or Wasinetona		 English
Spanish
Cajun French
Indigenous
Hawaiian
Uruguay Montevideo República Oriental del Uruguay Montevideo Spanish
Uzbekistan Tashkent O’zbekiston Toshkent Uzbek

Source:wikipedia

Photo retrieved from http://ccel.ca/2012/02/29/conversation-club-2/

Knowing what to say, V, W, X, Y, Z: Endonyms, Exonyms, and Toponyms

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In linguistics, the name used to refer to a place in a foreign language is known as an exonym. The name used to refer to a geographical feature in its native language is an endonym. When visiting a foreign place it would be helpful to know both. Here’s a brief list of toponyms (names of places), some of which I plan to use while I’m in Europe!

V

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Vanuatu Port Vila Vanuatu Port-Vila English
Vatican City Vatican City Civitas Vaticana Latin
Venezuela Caracas Spanish
Vietnam Hanoi Việt Nam Hà Nội Vietnamese
Virgin Islands, British Road Town English
Virgin Islands, US Charlotte Amalie English

W, X, Y, Z

Country (exonym) Capital (exonym) Country (endonym) Capital (endonym) Official or native language(s) (alphabet/script)
Wallis and Futuna Matâ’Utu Wallis-et-Futuna Matâ’Utu French
Yemen Sana’a Al-Yaman
اليمن		 Ṣan‘ā’
ﺻﻨﻌﺎﺀ		 Arabic
(Arabic script)
Zambia Lusaka English
Zimbabwe Harare English

Source:wikipedia

DSC02341

VideoPost: Leaving London

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About Tickets

One of the things that I hadn’t thought much about was trains/train companies and the way they decided who used which set of tracks. I’m still really not all to sure, so if you understand it all, I would be happy to hear from you. I have noticed, however, that many of the lines in England have a single service provider. I am to sure if that is a result of certain rights peculiar to certain companies (government contracts for example) or if those companies have delegated those right via group bargaining process between all parties involved. Or perhaps, it is simply a factor of demand and the amount of supply the companies can provide while maintaining efficiency. What if I wanted to start a rail company what would be the process and how would I receive access to the lines, would I pay a private entity or would I be responsible only to the government? I like asking questions like these (sometimes much to the exasperation of those around me at the time). And sometimes the answers to what some of my closest friend would deem as “non-important questions” become all too important for people like me in deciding whether to continue with your travel plans as (half-)planned.

You see, I was made aware that there were only a few options available for me to get from London to Brussels, Belgium that didn’t involve feathers and Icarus-like aspirations or scuba gear and waterproof luggage. Planes involve too much hassle and the prices weren’t looking to good either. However, the epoch of the BritRail pass and British trains had ended for me. No, not because a giant body of water separates the British Isles from the Continent, but because that modern marvel of human engineering, the Chunnel, was serviced by Eurostar and not the British national rail. This meant that that journey would require another train purchase beyond the amounts paid for the BritRail and Eurail passes. Luckily, I had some knowledge of this beforehand and had made provisions in my budget. What may please you as much as it did me was the large discount I got simply from having a Eurail pass when purchasing my Eurostar ticket.

The Justification

As you will learn, I need to justify expenditure to myself through careful examination of alternatives and sufficient understanding of the prices offered for products or services. Going back to musings at the beginning of this post, I researched and saw that the Chunnel had resulted in quite a large cost to the company that had headed its construction and maintenance. The ‘separate jurisdiction’ accorded the Chunnel (i.e., not accepting passes from either of the national territories it operated through) seemed only fair in light of this information and subsequently, I had no regrets in buying the ticket.

The Absentmindedness

I had purchased my ticket about a week before my travel date and had, for the most part, forgotten about my departure. Not smart! The night before I left, I was feverishly packing and searching the internet for tips related to my journey seeing as I wasn’t sure when I would have internet access again. This led to my two-hour bit of shut-eye commencing at 2AM and ending at 4AM. It’s not a good feeling having two hours of sleep for an early morning in which you have to check out of your hostel, walk to a bus top you have never seen, to get to a train station (London Bridge) that did not open until 5:30 (fund this out after I rushed there for 5AM). Through all these worrisome incidents, however, I remained calm and arrived at King’s Cross station just in time to walk across to St. Pancras International Station, which both share practically the same address. Its beautifully ornate red-brick facade was a welcoming sight in the dim dawn light. I was able to quickly find the Eurostar ticket-printing machine and head to the international boarding area. Customs wasn’t too much of a hassle, and I was able to find WiFi a nice seat in the packed waiting lounge…

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