Friday Funny: The Onion

by Erik Olsen on

I laughed out loud to myself on the subway as I read this. I picked up a copy of the Onion as I
was on my way to work and saw the story at the bottom entitled:
Fritolaysia Cuts of Chiplomatic Relations with Snackistan.
That alone is funny…on so many levels, too. But then you get into the article itself and, well, how can you not bust a
gut:

Relations between the two countries grew stale in 1994, when Fritolaysian rufflelutionaries crossed zestablished
borders and forced Snakistan to dispatch cheesekeeping forces. The late-night SALTY talks held at Snakistan’s Kuler
Ranch, however, cooled the spicy conflict with the signing of the historic Buttermilk Compromise, which established
bilateral chiplomacy and regulated trade flows by setting the international Rold Gold standard of currency.

Thank God for the Onion on these cold, dreary fridays.

Paris Food Tour

by Erik Olsen on

For the amateur gourmand, getting around Paris and knowing the places to go and the things
to order can be rough. So here’s an idea that canhelp: a site and program called
Edible-paris creates personalized
food-based intineraries (AKA foodtineraries) for Paris-bound eaters and Francophiles. The site says that “Your
custom itinerary will include the bistros, brasseries and restaurants that perfectly match your tastes.” Meaning that
you tell them what you like and they will then send you an itinerary along with a map locating the shops and
restaurants that fit the bill.

Destination December: Oaxaca, Mexico

by Adrienne Wilson on

It’s certainly time to quickly warm things up again after the last couple of chilly destinations.
Though the month often brings thoughts of powder white snow, skiing, and scarves, not everyone
wishes to endure these wintry delights on vacation. So if your compass points south this December
consider heading to Oaxaca. The city is not only
known as the State Capital, but is also a famous World Heritage site. Mostly due to the architecture, richness of
cultural traditions, indigenous villages and year-round spring-like weather, the city is a non-stop tourist
spot. For a full fill on everything to do and surrounding Oaxaca including the large variety of typical
foods, click here.  

Though I’m not going nearly in-depth as I should be to give credit to this amazing destination just picture
this – sun, sand, cool turquoise water varied in greens and blues only a stone’s throw away from your palapa.
 The only thing missing is (insert your complete vacation package here.)

Destination December: Norway

by Erik Olsen on

I know. You’re saying to yourself, how can he recommend one of the coldest places on earth during
December. Well, it’s Christmas time, folks, and nothing, perhaps with the exception of the North Pole (and skydiving
it) says Christmas as much as Norway. You know Norway is where Santa summers? Yup. That’s a fact.

Here is the local English-language version of
Aftenposten, a newspaper for Norway. Filled with articles
about what’s going on and even some Norway webcams, this is a good
place to get an idea for things to do. For example, how about visiting the
Munch museum or  kicking back and
checking out the Lucia parade. Of course,
you can’t really hit Oslo without checking out a few of the bars
(remember, alcohol is pricey in Scandinavia). But also, here is a very impressive
Norway guide from the folks at the Norwegian Tourist Board. Seriously, for a government site, this is amazing. For
tour ideas, maybe take a look at what you
can do between Oslo and Bergen. Or if you’re looking for great winter events in Norway, check out
this site, which lists great things to do from skiing to all the Christmas
parties going down in the country.

What about getting there? Well Finnair has flights to Oslo from New York for
less than $500. So consider heading out later in December, getting yourself a nice cup of Glog and say Skol!

L.A.’s Taste Asia Without the Bird List

by Adrienne Wilson on

I’ve gone as far as posting two blurbs on Los Angeles this evening so why not continue with a
third? This time I went dipping into the
LA Weekly for a glance at where to eat now. This
week’s list is perfect if you’re in the mood for say, Chinese or Thai, but the bird is not the word. Don’t feel like
chicken tonight? Drop into Mandarin Deli for delicious square-cut noodles resembling fettuccine on
steroids or if that description of a possibly fantastic noodle-dish sounds a bit disturbing try the pan-fried
pork dumplings. Orris is described as an Asian “tapas bar” while Simpang Asia has a large collection of Japanese candy.
Overall, a very well comprised list for a taste of
Asia minus the bird.