GadlingTV’s Travel Talk 015: World drinking laws & Portland’s hippest destinations!

by Stephen Greenwood on

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk, episode 15 – Click above to watch video after the jump

In our continuation from last week, we continue to dissect drinking laws around the world – tune in to find out who is the most liberal (no regulation at all) and where in the world you won’t find a single bar.

We wrap up our Portland tour with a showcase of some of the hippest spots that the city has to offer – art, barcades, and the infamous Voodoo Doughnuts!

Stay tuned later this week as we bring you to entirely new destination full of sun, fairways, and sophisticated relaxation!


If you have any questions or comments about Travel Talk, you can email us at talk AT gadling DOT com.

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Links
When in Portland – check out the Ground Kontrol Barcade!
Check out the art scene with Portland’s First Thursday..


Hosts: Stephen Greenwood, Aaron Murphy-Crews, Drew Mylrea



Produced, Edited, and Directed by: Stephen Greenwood, Aaron Murphy-Crews, Drew Mylrea
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All music used in partnership with nonstopmusic.com

Photo of the Day (4.20.10)

by Stephen Greenwood on

Welcome to Asakusa in Tokyo, Japan – home of the Crying Sumo Baby Festival. Yes, you read that right. Crying sumo babies. The rules are simple: two sumo wrestlers face off in a ring and each is handed a baby. The babies are raised and whichever baby cries the loudest, wins. Brilliant!

This photo was taken by Flickr user Vyxle at the 2008 Crying Sumo Baby Festival. If you’re headed to Tokyo, this Asakusa guide lists the festival to be in ‘late April’, so keep an eye (and ear) out for the shrill sound of infant waterworks.

Click through below for a video from a Crying Sumo Baby Festival – a picture may be worth a thousand words, but there’s nothing like watching this cuteness in action.

If you have photos from an equally obscure festival, we want to see them! Join Flickr, submit them to the Gadling Pool, and it could be our next Photo of the Day!

Read signs in Japan, even if you don’t know Japanese – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Afraid to visit Japan because you can’t read the signs? Are you intimidated by all the Kanji? Don’t worry! First, buy a Nintendo DS, and then, buy a Japanese/English dictionary cartridge called: Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten.

No matter how bad your Kanji stroke order is, and no matter how sloppy your handwriting, this dictionary helps you read Kanji in a light and compact way. After you write the character, it will show you the various English translations.

It also breaks down the Kanji into hiragana and katakana for a simple read for those with limited Japanese language training.

Japanese sex clubs: Where flight attendant uniforms mean service

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Where is a flight attendant uniform synonymous with high-touch service? Well, you may encounter JAL duds in a Japanese sex club. Your hostess may not keep it on long, but you’ll be happy to know that your safety is her first priority, whether you’re dressed or not. When JAL fell into bankruptcy, the risk that flight attendant uniforms would fall into the wrong hands skyrocketed.

It seems that people will pay big bucks to get serviced by a “flight attendant,” as long as it doesn’t happen on a plane. Thus, the uniforms can fetch thousands of dollars, a sale made easier by employees falling victim to mass layoffs. Flight attendant uniforms popping up on the Yahoo! Japan auction site were on the block for more than $3,000.

Of course, there’s more to this problem than the illusion of freaky FAs filling fetish fantasies for sex club patrons. The airline also says that there’s a security risk, as uniforms can make it easier to access restricted areas in airports. JAL also suggests that here’s brand risk, with an airline spokeswoman indicating, “We also do not want people misrepresenting the company or damaging our image in any way.”

I guess the impact on the airline’s image depends on the talent wearing the uniform …

Photo of the Day (02.13.10)

by Mike Barish on
Sometimes I wonder if animals talk to each other. And if they do, is it just about food and migrations and defending themselves against predators? Or do animals gossip? This photo by Flickr user Ryukyu Mike only reinforces my belief that some animals are like the old ladies who speed walk through the mall every morning. Certainly these Black-winged Stilts in Okinawa, Japan are discussing whose mating with whom, who’s put on weight and who’s laid eggs fertilized by that sexy new bird in town. And did you hear about Ethel?! There has to be scandal in the animal kingdom and it needs to be discussed.

Have you caught animals talking behind each other’s backs Submit your images to Gadling’s Flickr group right now and we might use it for a future Photo of the Day.