An interesting, if a bit rambling,
piece in Wired by Momus, in which
he rhapsodizes about visiting Japan and finding more than cloyingly sweet drinks in the machines there. The vending
machines in Japan, we learn, serve green tea as well. OK, so that’s cool. But then Momus launches into a pondery (my
word) about the nature of, well, things. That is, consumer items. He wonders whether the green tea he has found is
there because of consumer demand or whether the large Japanese corporations have largely decided for consumers what
they want, what they will get. Who determines taste in a society? This leads him to consider the matter of payola and
music, and he offers up a fascinating tidbit from David Byrne’s
blog about how the talking Heads singer discovered that the popularity of Burning Down the House (and remember how
popular that was?! I do. Damn song was in my head for months.) was likely due to corporate influence. To payola. It is
a very interesting question, hence the reason I’m posting about it. It just got me to wondering about the nature of our
desires, how much they are the product of our own want versus the scheme of some cabal of marketing execs in a
boardroom. Food for thought, that’s all.
Things to do in Queens
If you’re traveling to Flushing to catch some US Open Tennis
(which officially kicks off August 29), be sure to check out New York Magazine’s list of 50 things to do in
Queens, which I found tucked at the bottom of their Guide to the US
Open.
The list was
published in their July 18 issue as a “pre-gentrification” list, warning folks to get to Queens before it becomes the
next over-populated ultra hot spot. Some of their suggestions are perfect fillers between matches, and a good
opportunity to see more of what some are calling the next “it” borough. Here are just a few items from the list:
Food: Eat at Rizzo’s (Pizza), Sripraphai (Thai) or Cevabdzinica Sarajevo (Bosnian)
Art: Visit the Sculpture Center, Noguchi Museum or
Fisher Landau Center
Shopping: Browse at Newman Gifts or the Greek markets on 30th Avenue in Astoria
Outdoors: Spend time at Juniper Valley Park,
Sunnyside Gardens or Hermon A. MacNeil Park
Further details about all these places (including phone numbers, addresses, etc.) are in the article. And if the
tennis really doesn’t interest you, then catch a game at Shea Stadium! The
Mets are home
against the Phillies for a mid week series 8/30 – 9/1.
???iŸ%Ÿ% his wife Catherine loved to travel.
The halls of the hotel are lined with black and white photos from the early 1900’s, showcasing the company’s
manufacturing operations, as well as their trips abroad to places like Egypt and Spain. The $2 million hotel, built in
1932, was modeled after a similar one the couple had vis???TŸ%Ÿ%the Mediterranean. Rooms like the Iberian Lounge and
Castilian Ballroom are decorated with lush carpets, towering palm trees and handsome furnishings. According to hotel
literature, famous world-traveler Lowell Thomas described it as, ”…a palace that out-places the ???šŸ%Ÿ%of the
Maharajahs of India.”
The hotel is a unique and popular spot for weddings, but it also clearly attracts many vacationing families, drawn
to the hotel’s extensive offering of outdoor activities, including t???uŸ%Ÿ%ing pools, tennis and bocce courts, nature
trails, two championship golf courses and a fitness center.
I took an hour to tour the nearby 23-acre Hershey Gardens (http://www.hersheygardens.org/), which includes
a Butterfly House, a Japanese garden, and a replica of Mrs. Hershey’s original rose garden. Hotel guests receive free
admission to the gardens and the Hershey Museum (http://www.hersheymuseum.org/). Another perk that may be
worth the hefty hotel price is that
Hersheypark (http://www.hersheypa.com/attractions/hersheypark/index.asp) opens an hour earlier each day for
hotel guests only. The free chocolate ba???UŸ%Ÿ%heck-in was a welcome treat ???yŸ%Ÿ%
Bourdain Does Jersey
Reason #3 that I need to get cable: While on the road recently, I caught an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s
No Reservations, which Erik
mentioned last month. Bourdain’s take on the Garden State
was refreshing, edgy and full of facts I was surprisingly unaware of, having spent a good portion of my life
vacationing, attending school and visiting relatives throughout NJ.
During the hour long program he eats seafood at Klein’s in
Belmar, makes cheese at the fascinating Bobolink Dairy in Vernon, shops
Japanese style at the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater,
learns about soft tofu at a Korean restaurant and buys cannolis at
Gencarelli’s Bakery in Bloomfield. He visits a unique combo of places
in a state that gets a lot of slack for being nothing more than the shore. Here’s some additional insight from the man
himself: Bourdain’s personal take on
Jersey.
Repeats of this episode, Off the Jersey Turnpike, will air again in early Sept., and other episodes are still
rolling out on Monday nights. Here is a
schedule
of upcoming episodes.
The Hotel Hershey
At $300+ a night, this hotel may be more appropriate
accommodations for fans of Luxist, but since I just returned from a weekend
wedding here, I thought I’d share some details that may be of interest to Gadling readers as well.
The Hotel Hershey is by far the
most elegant attraction of the chocolate oasis that is the town of Hershey, PA.
Once you get past the roller coasters, theme parks and endless supply of chocolate
Kisses, it is easy to discover that the Hershey
legacy is a rich one, full of interesting historical tidbits and European influences, which can be observed by walking
the grounds of this central Pennsylvania mirage.
Milton Hershey and his wife Catherine loved to travel.
The halls of the hotel are lined with black and white photos from the early 1900’s, showcasing the company’s
manufacturing operations, as well as their trips abroad to places like Egypt and Spain. The $2 million hotel, built in
1932, was modeled after a similar one the couple had visited in the Mediterranean. Rooms like the Iberian Lounge and
Castilian Ballroom are decorated with lush carpets, towering palm trees and handsome furnishings. According to hotel
literature, famous world-traveler Lowell Thomas described it as, “…a palace that out-places the palaces of the
Maharajahs of India.”
The hotel is a unique and popular spot for weddings, but it also clearly attracts many vacationing families, drawn
to the hotel?s extensive offering of outdoor activities, including two swimming pools, tennis and bocce courts, nature
trails, two championship golf courses and a fitness center.
I took an hour to tour the nearby 23-acre Hershey Gardens, which includes
a Butterfly House, a Japanese garden, and a replica of Mrs. Hershey?s original rose garden. Hotel guests receive free
admission to the gardens and the Hershey Museum. Another perk that may be
worth the hefty hotel price is that
Hersheypark opens an hour earlier each day for
hotel guests only. The free chocolate bar upon check-in was a welcome treat as well!
Going Global at Epicurious
Do you know what Zoroastrianism or
Chelow has to do with Persian cooking? Hmm… How about
Bunny Chow and Peri-Peri in South African cuisine? (Hundred bucks to the
first person who can tell me the answers – okay times up!) First words I learn when going to an exotic
destinations are those concerning the dishes and the way they are cooked, holidays you’d fine some rare and special
treats, and a couple to help me find out what all the ingredients are. For instance in Zoroastrian cooking the
duality of good versus evil is balanced between sweet and sour flavors. Bunny Chow, today is a beloved takeout dish
consisiting of a quarter or half loaf of white bread hollowed out and filled with either a spicy chicken, lamb, or bean
curry. In years somewhat long ago the dish was used to bypass some of South Africa’s race laws keeping African patrons
from dining inside Indian and Malay establishments.
If you’re looking to increase your vocabulary today skip Merriam-Webster for a chance and hit the international
cuisine scene. Going through large language books or even the tiny phrase books can be a little unnerving at times
especially when you’re trying to nail phonetics, but Epicurious has
provided a sweet and simple glossary to culinary terms in several areas of the globe. Seeing so many and how brief they
were I looked at them all and my mind is already starting to bubble. Plus there are several popular destinations
I am sure many are taking off to in the near future like Peru, Australia, Argentina, Portugal, Vietnam and Oaxaca to
name a few.