Travel question? Ask the New York Times travel editor

by Anna Brones on

At Gadling, we like to think that we are pretty smart in regards to all things that relate to travel, but it never hurts to go to other professionals when it comes to travel advice. One of those professionals is the New York Times travel editor Stuart Emmrich. This week, April 7-11, he is answering questions from readers. So shoot him an email with your toughest and most complex of travel queries and see what you get for a response.

Click here for Emmrich’s email address. And when you’re done, send your question our way and you can compare answers.

A Passover Seder in Taiwan (and other places)

by Jamie Rhein on

One of the more interesting aspects of living in another country, I think, is going to a cultural event that is not part of ones own culture or the culture of the host country. In each place I’ve lived, there have been people from other countries who are also transplants who have brought aspects of their own cultures with them. Such was the case with the Passover Seder I went to at the American Club in Taipei. I’m not Jewish, but a good friend that I taught with in Hsinchu is, and she asked if I wanted to go.

The American Club was merely the location of the event. One didn’t have to be an American to go, or a member of the American Club. There were Jewish folks from all over the world. If I hadn’t been living in Taiwan, I wouldn’t have had this experience–not because there haven’t been Seders that I could have gone to before this, but because it’s so easy to become routine in ones habits. Living overseas gets one out of the routine and, at least to me, opens up other possibilities for cultural exchange.

With Passover coming up, April 19-27, I was reminded of this experience. Here’s a Web site of the Chabad-Lubavitch where you can find Seders to attend all over the world, as well as, a variety of activities and info about Passover. The International Seder Finder lists 2,000 Seders. This link leads to descriptions of the cultural significance of each of the foods shown in the picture.

Can’t afford Europe? Head to a theme town!

by Catherine Bodry on

With the dollar dropping into a bottomless pit, there will likely be fewer US visitors to Europe in the coming months. But if your hunger for polka and liederhosen can’t be satiated, head to a theme town to get your European fix. When researching this post, I discovered that most themed towns rely on Oktoberfest and architecture to draw tourists there, so if you like beer, brats, and wood you won’t have to travel across the Atlantic to get them. Here are a few European “villages” the States has to offer:

Solvang, CA

This California-wine country town was founded as the center of a Danish academy, and those roots can still be seen not just in the Danish architecture, but in small details like immaculately-kept gardens. The name Solvang means “sunny field,” and the town’s website promotes a “bright happy cheery feeling.” You might recognize the town from its appearances in both The Simpsons and the movie Sideways.

New Glarus, WI

This “Little Swizterland” isn’t quite as authentic as Solvang, though the Chamber of Commerce’s web site boasts that many Swiss tourists visit the town (isn’t that a little like Americans traveling to Switzerland to visit Wal-mart?). Though it was a Swiss settlement, after WWII, a faltering agricultural industry gave way to the tourist sector. Swiss-styled architecture began popping up, and the alpine meadows created a perfect backdrop for a Swiss-themed town. Today, you can partake in Oktoberfest activies or hear polka bands honking their horns.

Helen, GA

Helen is a completely re-created town. You won’t find much European heritage here — in fact, the town is celebrating a meager 35 years as “a mountain community with a touch of Bavaria.” Complete with cobblestone streets and specialty shops selling everything from cuckoo clocks to schnitzel to wooden toys, Helen is a European stereotype at its tackiest. The town holds a two-month celebration of Oktoberfest, complete with a beer hall housing live polka music. You can also visit the Christmas Shoppe year-round (and it just wouldn’t be a European town if something wasn’t spelled “shoppe” or “olde,” would it?)

Leavenworth, WA

I grew up visiting Leavenworth, and to be honest the Bavarian-modeled village actually was my first taste of “Europe.” Granted, it’s a cheesy reconstruction, much like Helen, Georgia, but it was always fun to visit during Oktoberfest. Much as you would expect from a town that decided to model itself after a stereotypical German mountain village, you can hear live polka, eat bratwurst, visit a nutcracker museum, and shop in “quaint” wooden toy shoppes. It’s a nice town to visit during the winter, when ski trails cross town and the mountains are packed with snow.

Photo of the Day (04/07/08)

by Iva Skoch on

We haven’t featured any socialist realism photos here for a while. This one caught my eye.

Taken by Damiel in Berlin, we are looking at the backs of Karl Marx and Fridrich Engels, possibly the world’s most influential “utopists.” The composition is what makes the photo: mixing the old with the new. Juxtaposing the TV tower with the old Rathaus (Town Hall), set on the bed of white fluffy clouds and, of course, concrete. This must be how utopia is born.

***Have a photo to enter? Post it in the Gadling Flickr Pool. Make sure it is not copyrighted.***

Absolut Vodka causes a stir with Mexico ad

by Anna Brones on

Absolut Vodka is known round the world for its creative ad campaigns. With the most recent campaign however, the Swedish company managed to cause an uproar from U.S. consumers who threatened to boycott the vodka after seeing the “In An Absolut World” ad which depicted the Southwestern U.S. as a part of Mexico.

The ad only ran in Mexico, but when it was posted to a conservative blog, it began to spark a heated debate, feeding on the controversial issues of illegal immigration from Mexico to the U.S.

In response, Absolut pointed out that the ad was designed for a Mexican audience and intended to recall “a time which the population of Mexico might feel was more ideal.”

Swedes like to stick to their neutral roots, and Absolut ended up releasing an apology. “We are sorry if we offended anyone. . . As a global company, we recognize that people in different parts of the world may lend different perspectives or interpret our ads in a different way than was intended in that market. Obviously, this ad was run in Mexico, and not the US — that ad might have been very different,” stated Paula Eriksson, Vice President of Vin & Sprit. Can’t wait to see what the American version of the ad campaign might be.