m8888888's Blog

A bishop in London said that Flying on holiday is "a sin," since it pollutes so much. Fascinating!

Here's another article from an environmental magazine talking about it, and asking how we decide which things are important enough to fly to:

One of the things that I found hilarious, but I really liked in Korea was the fancy toilet seat in my apartment!

It was very futuristic- it looked like it belonged on a spaceship! Some hotels and restaurants had them, too, and I saw a lot in Japan. You could warm up the seat, wash your bum when you were finished going...

I get motion-sickness on buses and trains, in cars if I'm not driving, on small boats, and occaisonally while I'm walking (just kidding about the last one!). I do like the subway, except when it's too hot or crowded. But it's one of the only places I don't get sick- I guess because I can't see the passing scenery, and there aren't many sudden stops and starts or curves. Flying is the best- I've only been sick once while flying, and I'm pretty sure I had...

Before I went to Korea, I thought Korean food would be pretty much like other Asian food I'd eaten- rice and stirfried veggies, some chicken, some fish, things like that! In any case, I was comletely wrong and unprepared! Korean food is pretty special. Most things are quite spicy, there isn't very much chicken (except for fried chicken, which is quite good, but only once in awhile!), and there is A LOT of fish. I hate spicy food and fish, which rules out...

I have about a million pictures that I've taken out of the airplane window!

My photos from Airplane Windows

I just love the views from above! Yann Bertrand has a beautiful book publish with photos taken from the air.

I was an exchange student in Lund, Sweden for a year and a half in college. I was only supposed to stay for a year, but I liked it so much that I stayed for one more semester. I had so much fun! The first month or two I was there, when it was summer and there weren't many Swedish students around, I hated it! I wondered what I was doing there, and why I had signed up for a whole year. Once school started, though, I had a blast!

I had to take Swedish classes in the beginning,...

This was definitely the best way to get around Budapest. It's quite cheap, and you get free entry to most museums, free public transport, plus discounts on things. It was so nice not having to worry about tickets on the subway, because they had a strange system where you had to choose how many transfers you would have before you got on the train, and stamp your card when you switched trains. On most subways, you just buy a ticket, and it's good for one whole ride, even if...

In Korea, they have something called a "DVD Bang." It's a place where you pick out a DVD, and get a room with a couch to watch the movie with your friends. These are known places where couples (who usually live with their parents until they're married) can go to be alone! But it's fun with a group of friends! It's like going to the movies, but much cozier. You usually get a free drink when you pay, but you can bring in your own snacks...

"Konglish" is what English-speakers in Korea call the funny Korean English that we sometimes get. I think it's great- it would be boring if everyone could speak English, or spoke it perfectly! It gave me incentive to learn some Korean, too!

I worked as an English teacher, and my job would drive me crazy by making tests for the kids in my classes without having me proofread them first. Sometimes the multiple choice questions would have 2 answers, and sometimes none of...

What kind of souvenirs do you usually buy from a place? Is there something you collect that you try to find in every place you go? Or do you try to get something unique from every place? What are the weirdest souvenirs you've ever gotten?

I try to get my parents a gift wherever I go, but I usually don't find anything for my dad, and only sometimes something for my mom. Most places just have really cheap, crappy plastic souvenirs that I can't imagine anybody would...

I'd heard a lot about capsule hotels, and I was dying to stay in one when I went to Japan. I finally got the chance last year, and stayed in one in Fukuoka. There aren't very many that take women travelers; most of them are strictly for men. But I found one that had a floor for women. I went to check in, and you take your shoes off in the lobby, and get a locker to keep them in. No shoes inside! There were about three floors for men, and one for women, plus a bathing floor for...

Norebang!

Norebang is Korean for "Singing Room." It's where you go to sing Karaoke. Karaoke is incredibly popular in Korea. You can rent small rooms at the Norebangs by the hour, and go there with your friends. There are thousands of Korean and English (and some Spanish and German and probably...

Spam giftset for Chuseok.

I went to the store one day in Korea, and I was suddenly overwhelmed with all the spam! It hadn't been there just a few days ago, but suddenly there were multiple giftsets featuring Spam, mainly, and tuna and olive oil in lesser amounts. Spam is the canned pork shoulder and ham mixture,...

Koreans seem to have a very large affection for sweet pickles. With almost every meal, you get a side of pickles. Pizza, steak, soup, it doesn't matter- you get pickles. I'm not a fan of them, although I love dill pickles. Kimchi is the other dish that you get with almost every meal, and it is really a symbol of Korea. It's cabbage with spicy sauce that has fermented for awhile. There are other side dishes that you usually get for free when you eat at restaurants- pickled...

Midsummer, the longest day of the year marking the middle of summer time (aka the Summer solstice) is a holiday in Sweden. A lot of people go to their summer houses, or to some nature-y place with their friends and families. There is often a big pole, decorated with flowers and leaves that people dance around and sing songs. The pole was originally a symbol of fertility. The most famous song is Små Grodorna, which is about small frogs. It's also an excuse to have a...