History Schmistory, March 21. Francophile joins the Cabinet
Friday, March 21, 2025
1790. Thomas Jefferson reports to President Washington in New York as Secretary of State. Jefferson would later live in Paris where he would become a movie star.
History Schmistory: St. Patrick’s Day
Monday, March 17, 2025
St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17 because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17 in the year 461 AD.
GO THERE! …or wait until it’s finished.
Thursday, February 20, 2025
The Sanctuary of Truth is a temple in Pattaya, Thailand, visualized by Thai businessman Lek Viriyaphant in 1981. The sanctuary is an all-wood building filled with Visionary art carvings based on traditional Buddhist and Hindu motifs. A team of 250 carvers contribute to the project, which is technically not scheduled to be completed until 2025. But at this point we think it’s awesome enough to check out as is.
Art Stop: Trucking Around the World
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Russian artist, Andrey Gordeev takes us on a unique journey with his series, Â Around the World in Twelve Months, where we see the world from the perspective of the indispensable truck driver. Stereotypes lovingly included 🙂
Valentine’s Day Around the World Video!
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Learn how they celebrate love in Scotland, Japan, Korea, France, Germany, Denmark, Singapore, Finland, England, and Italy!
Culture Buzz: Wax Off!
Thursday, February 6, 2025
In the bustling cities of many Asian countries, including China, India and Japan, you are likely to run into an ear cleaning station here and there. Yes, the meticulous ear cleaners of Asia will, for a small fee, use an array of specially crafted instruments to clean the insides of your brain, (at least that’s what it feels like.) Don’t try it at home, you can really mess things up in there! America has not yet caught the street-side-ear-cleaning buzz, probably because they couldn’t hear it, -with all the wax up in there. But, who knows? Someday ear cleaning stands may become as common as taco trucks. Just so long as they never mix the two 😛
GO THERE! Hope you like stairs!
Saturday, January 25, 2025
In central Burma, high atop Mount Popa, nestles the Popa Taungkalat Temple, a shrine to the 37 “Nats”, (spirits of the Burmese Buddhist faith.) It’s a popular place to check out during the full moon of Naylon, (May/June) when the Thingyan Festival is held.
Just be prepared; before ascending all 777 steps to the top, you will be asked to remove your socks and shoes. The Nats aren’t crazy about footwear. Also, don’t wear red. Or black. Or green. And definitely do NOT bring meat, especially pork. You don’t want to get the Nats all up in your face, do ya? Besides, the masses of local monkeys will harass you all the way up the mountain with that bacon in your pocket.
![By Ed Brambley (originally posted to Flickr as Mt Popa) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/449px-Mt_Popa_Myanmar.jpg)
By Ed Brambley (originally posted to Flickr as Mt Popa) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
GO THERE! And you thought the holidays were over!
Saturday, January 4, 2025
Grab your broomstick and pointy hat and fly out to Italy this Monday, the best place to be for the Epiphany
Maggas at en.wikipedia [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
Happy St. Nicholas Day!
Friday, December 6, 2024
Did you put your shoes out? Now that’s change you can believe in!
