A Russian Bachelor Party

by Adrienne Wilson on

Joshua K. Hartshorne, a contributor in this month’s Go World Travel made my day with this great
cultural piece on bachelor parties, the Russian way. Who knew? The title let’s us
know we’re in for a ride,
“How
to Survive a Russian Bachelor Party with Your Kitchen Intact.”  The first rule, which should be the first
rule to any party, (aside from house warming parties) is to avoid throwing the party at your own apartment. 
The second rule: Don’t combine alcohol with fire. This of course is only the beginning to this story.

Having a good bachelor party in Irkutsk involves your hanging with the guys at the banya, a Russian
bathhouse resembling a sauna.  The air in a banya is very humid compared to the dry air found in a sauna and banya
are also well stocked with birch sticks.  The sticks are used to take turns hitting each other. 
Joshua obviously wasn’t too hip to this idea so they switched it up a bit, but none the less, the party remained
entertaining. 

Can’t say how much this is a great, great cultural goodie to read if you have the time, not to mention all the
useful information he provides on Irkutsk, Russia. 

Dining at Hyangmi

by Adrienne Wilson on

Some probably wonder why I post so much about restaurants found in some remote parts of the
globe?  Well what’s remote to myself, may not be as unfamiliar to
another and really it’s a small world after all!  So in case you’re poking your nose and sniffing around
South Korea intentionally or unintentionally, here’s a culinary jewel in the Chinese community just outside of
Seoul.

The Korea Times writes about
the “Flavor of Homeland,” better known as Hyangmi, a Chinese restaurant serving various authentic Taiwanese dishes like
Paigufan, Niuroumian, and baozi.  The food is characterized by it’s impressive fragrance and plenty of
spices. Okay, spices rule!  I agree. They also serve authentic Chinese, which wins both Koreans and
Chinese over as much as the unique Taiwanese dishes. Great food knows no boundaries and doesn’t that beef soup
look so tasty? Mmm…

Vitamin D or Sunscreen?

by Adrienne Wilson on

When you head to the beach this summer there are a few things you should consider and maybe
some others to reconsider. 
NPR has a great piece from a few days
back on the “Sunshine Vitamin” also known as Vitamin D and how many of us aren’t getting enough of it.  A
whole lot of research on the vitamin has a couple of cancer research folks in a frenzy.  And it appears Vitamin D
just maybe a little more helpful than sunscreen in preventing several cancers which include: colon, stomach,
breast and prostate cancers. 

Of course they don’t want you to burn on the beach, so use sunscreen, seek shade, or wear protective clothing if the
objective isn’t getting a beautiful bronze tan.  What was interesting about the report is, people
aren’t putting enough sunscreen on anyway so there may be no need to cut out the sun protective lotion, but you do want
to give your body the right amount of Vitamin D.  So if your summer dining plans don’t include a lot of cod
liver oil, sardines, salmon, milk or cereal you may wish to seek out a bottle of the “Sunshine Vitamin.”  Being
good to the body is just supreme!

Homage to the Backpacker

by Erik Olsen on

Those of us who have spent time traveling to distant locales with nothing but a backpack know well the thrill of
experiencing new places and the people who innhabit them. There is an indescribable joy to entering a new town or city
or village for the first time. This is the essence of travel, all the wonderfully fresh input to your senses in seeing
a place that you’ve never known and may perhaps never visit again.
This article by a veteran backpacker does a
nice job of ennumerating the thrills you get when you’re on the road, and it gets to the heart of the backpacker
experience. It talks about all the new things that you encounter, the people, the sometimes bizarre connection they
have with a place and the fascinating story behind how they got there. The stories (briefly) told here are going to be
familiar to anyone who has backpacked, but sitting here reading it, some of my best memories came flooding back to
me.

Matisse & Jack’s Homemade Energy Bar Mix

by Adrienne Wilson on

What happens when you go out to hit the slopes and notice some idiot was either too much in a

hurry or so recharged from the energy bar they ate that they couldn’t throw the wrapper in
the trash?  Instead, they throw it on the ground, littering a beautiful snowy landscape.  You pick up the
wrapper, but you become so irritated by the sight that you create something bigger, larger, and greater than anyone has
before.  That’s basically the gist of what happened to Sarika Singh one day in Tahoe.  She took her
frustrations to the lab and after a couple years in the making Sarika and her colleagues introduced a Homemade Energy
Bar Mix.  High-five gang!


Dirt World Has the dirt on the homemade energy snacks that do far more than save the world from mindless
litterbugs.  Apparently the mixes contain a variety of wholesome ingredients and make the kitchen smell more
delicious than the energy bars dumped out of the box.  People like the idea of fresh baked goods, which adds that
extra ‘umph’ to making them on your own.  It’s not hard, in fact it’s very easy, healthy, and a little bit better
for the planet. 

The mix can be purchased at Matisse & Jack’s online where
you can also find some nutritional info on the goodies.