Word for the Travel Wise (01/27/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

It looks as though I went delving into the Korea.net site a little too late for this Ice Festival event which ultimately is a celebration for the people of Hwacheon for the abundance of mountain trout in the waters. The last day of the event is tomorrow, which makes it close to impossible for any of us to make it there, but if you’re interested in reading about the cultural festival head on over to the site anyway.

Today’s word is a Korean word used in Korea:

pakke – outside

For more vocab words found on the menu check out Korea infogate. Several more words in the Korean alphabet with excellent pronunciation guides can be found at Mr. Oh’s Learn Korean website. It’s a fun place to start to learn the basics. KBS World Radio has a three part, 30 chapter online learning guide all for free. I can’t get the Hangul text to show up, but they’ve got sound clips of all the sample conversations available. Learn Korean dot net has most of the aforementioned along with a forum to meet other speakers both fluent natives and beginners. For a list of Korean language programs in the country click here.

Past Korean words: shik-sah, sollongtang, yuh heng, mollah yo, hullyunghan, chuhwangsaege, shigan

Photo of the Day (1/27/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

I’ve never been in a rush to find a knight in shining armor to rescue me from my free-spirited ways of globe trekking to entrap me in a kitchen to cook salmon croquettes and rice pilaf, but this smiling bride on her wedding day and her absolutely contagious smile makes me think differently. Perhaps conjuring tasty dinners for the hubby every night isn’t so bad and just maybe I won’t have to give up my days of traversing the globe.

Ah, but yes, this isn’t about me and my sad romantic tales or what not. This is about the beautiful woman to my right named Thushita. Photographed by E-R-G-O on her wedding day in Sri Lanka he notes that a wedding photographer asked why he wasn’t using a flash to get rid of the shadows. He says… “I wanted a bit of the real world and that has shadows.”

Shadow or no shadow the joy spread across her face is a bursting ray of light. Congrats to the glowing bride and glad to see E-R-G-O placing these jewels in the Gadling Flickr pool.

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of January 21

by Adrienne Wilson on

With so many new bloggers it’s getting harder and harder to keep up with who’s who and whose blogging what piece of scrumptious travel news and oddities from around the planet, but fear not. I’ve read line by line through every post this week here on Gadling and now I give you this brief summary of five from some of the newbies and the old to while away your Friday night.

5. Introducing Gadling’s “Video of the Week”:
Newcomer, Justin Glow does a fab job of bringing a new category to Gadling. Even though we’ve showcased a video or eight in the past we’ve never honored or singled out one for “Video of the Week.” Now is your opportunity to have your travel footage featured on Gadling! Dark Havana alleys, bustling Bangkok markets, or mellowing out on la playa in Ibiza – you’re the driver and the director so you call the shots. Now where are we gonna go?

4.Bad Drivers with Bad Directions:
Speaking of drivers, Dave points us to a great post on man vs. the machine. The machine is the ever-so-popular GPS device man has decided to place all confidence and common sense into while driving on the road. The combination of the two sometimes leads us safely to our final destination or sometimes it simply causes us to ram up against a telephone pole.

3.Travel Theory #124: Travel is Good for the Ego:
Need to boost your spirits and confidence? Why not hit the seas, the road or take a hike? It’s no secret that a good week long vacation away from your home digs does wonders on the mind, body and ego. Take a look at the list at how travel can be just what the doctor ordered and start planning your escape today.

2. Permafrost Disappearing, Siberia Terraforming:
I don’t know if I’m directing you to the post or some of the surprising comments it seems to have generated. Overall, it is this plug on global warming and its effects on Siberia that is most certainly worth a glance. The planet is crying. Can you hear it?

1. New Passport Rules Tomorrow:
Here is a friendly reminder to get your passports my fellow American travelers. Travel by air to Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas or any nation in the Western Hemisphere will require a valid U.S. passport. Afraid to fly or too darn lazy to get a passport? Apparently these rules only apply to air travel, so you can still enter Canada with your driver’s license by car according to the Canadian border patrol officer I spoke to this week. Both land and sea dates keep getting pushed back, but if you travel by air you sure better have one.

Word for the Travel Wise (01/26/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Hungry? Stop off at one of these to satisfy your taste buds with some Turkish treats.

Today’s word is a Turkish word used in Turkey:

büfe – snack bar

Prepare ahead of time by visiting this Turkish Class site. Membership is free and you’ll get a lot more than some of the basics they already have listed. Online Turkish is good too, but you’ll have to register and pay to get anything more than hello, how are you and I love you. Stick to the first site and check out this Turkish vocabulary list of body parts. Wiki has an excellent starters piece on background, history and a short list of words. Scope out phrasebooks from Rough Guides, Lonely Planet or grab both.

Past Turkish words: merhaba, iyi volculuklar, sabirsiz, lokanta, ezan, gece

On Sale Now: Canned Air from a Thai Mountain

by Justin Glow on

Remember that scene from Spaceballs where President Skroob (played by Mel Brooks) pulls a can of “Perri-Air” out of his desk drawer, pops the top, and takes a deep whiff of clean air? Classic!

Taking cues from American comedies from the 1980s, no doubt, Thai national park Doi Phu Kha has started selling cans of natural mountain air to tourists as souvenirs. Once again, I can’t help but think of ways to pinch a penny and take your own mountain air home without paying the inflated cost of nature’s most abundant (and typically free) element.* Couldn’t you just sneak a mason jar up and bottle your own?

Alright, I’ll stop being a cheapskate, but just this once. The Bangkok Post reports that “proceeds were being used to help villagers who had encroached on land in Doi Phu Kha National Park find new livelihoods,” so if you make it up the mountain, support the cause; leave your mason jar at home!

*I have no idea what nature’s most abundant element is. This is a guess.