Travel’s Downside, II

A drawing of a suitcase with the word "TR...
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I’ve been thinking almost all day of travel’s downsides and I think I’ve hit on a solution.

(Things like missing my own bed or dealing with unfamiliar surroundings I really can’t do much about, I’ll just have to live with them.)

My solution is to create a ‘travel bag’ so I can use on my next trip. It’ll be the bag that will contain the essentials: moisturizer, lotion, deodorant, etc., phone and laptop chargers, adapters, batteries, memory card for my camera, cable and whatever else I tend to need when I travel. So next time, all I’ll have to do is pick up my travel bag and put it in my suitcase. Kind of like those little portable inner bags they’ve been promoting to women who change their bags, so they don’t forget anything.

What do you think?

Besides forgetting your essentials, what are some of your travel downsides?

I’m curious to know.

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Tasty Thursdays: Fish and Chips

I love fish and every now and then, I’ll make fish and chips. But on my third trip to London, I realized I’d never had fish and chips there. I decided to remedy that.

After browsing books and talking with authors and sellers at the London Book Fair at Earls Court, I decided to head upstairs for lunch. I was pleased to see fish and chips on the menu and placed my order.

Fish and Chips for lunch in London
Fish and chips

How to Make Fish and Chips

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 Cod fillets

1 3/4 cup All-Purpose flour

1 cup Guinness

1 egg, beaten

1/3 tbsp. salt

2 tbsp. milk

1 large russet potato

Vinegar or Tartar sauce

6 cups vegetable oil

The Chips

Rinse and peel potato. Cut up thickly, like steak fries.

Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in large skillet or a deep fryer.

Season potato with salt and pepper to your liking.

Cook potatoes in skillet 4-5 minutes or until crispy and golden brown, turning over to ensure that they cook evenly.

Remove potatoes from oil and allow them to drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Place potatoes in baking dish and keep warm in the oven.

The Fish

Combine 1 cup of flour, egg, milk, seasoning, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and Guiness in a large mixing bowl.

Whisk ingredients together until the mixture is creamy and without lumps.  You can add more Guinness to thin out the batter, if necessary.

Place remaining flour and salt in a shallow.

Season cod fillets with salt and pepper.

Dip cod into shallow flour dish, making sure to fully coat each fillet.

Dredge cod through batter mixture and back through shallow flour dish.

Fry fish in the same oil you used for the chips for 4-5 minutes or until crispy and brown.

Remove fish from oil and drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately with chips and tartar sauce or vinegar.

Enjoy!

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Travel’s Downside

Sometimes, one of travel’s biggest downsides for me is having to be someplace else besides my own surroundings. It makes me feel quite discombobulated.

Whether it’s a trip I’m looking forward to or one of necessity, when I get to my destination, initially, I long for things I left at home.

Home is where I can walk around (almost) blindfolded because I know where everything is.

It’s where I don’t have to unpack.

It’s where I know how everything works and if I can’t find what I need, like the tea or a towel, it’s because I’ve put it someplace else (or I need to do the laundry!).

Home is also where I know how to get around, almost without thinking about it.

No matter how well I plan, how many lists I make, there’s alway something I forget – and it’s usually something I really need. Like the time I forgot my toothbrush. Now, that might not sound like much, but it really caused me stress until I could locate a drug store and buy one.

What did I forget this time? My moisturizer. And I know exactly where I left it too! So I’ll be in the drug store first thing in the morning trying to find one, preferably one small enough to fit TSA guidelines.

Please don’t read this and think I hate to travel or I’m letting little things spoil my trip. I don’t and I won’t. I love it! Each trip, no matter how short – whether in distance or time – teaches me something about myself, the world and people, relaxes and re-energizes me. It’s just the first few hours of adjustment to a new place when I don’t have the trappings of my life to support me.

As long as there’s a store, I’ll find what I need.

Sometimes though, it’s not as simple. Like tonight when I tried to log in, the wifi connection wouldn’t work. Thankfully, I was able to get hooked up with a dial-up modem or I would have had to miss my post for Wednesday.

So what downsides do you face when you travel and how do you handle them?

Let me know.

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Interview with Blogger, Ozias Sanchez, First Year of Freedom – Part 2

Interview with Ozias Sanchez, who’s also called “Mozes,” First Year of Freedom, Part 2

Tell me about some of the people you’ve met while working on your blog?

Well, I don’t spend too much time going around from blog to blog, so the only blog I look at regularly is Marcia’s blog: Inside Journeys. And I have to say, although I really don’t have a particular interest in traveling, her blog is a lot of fun to read.

Name some of the bloggers whom you look up to and why?

Well, like I said, I don’t actually read other people’s blogs, so I don’t know anybody in specific I look up to, but I’d have to say anybody who gets more than 1000 views a day.

Do you think Pagerank plays a vital role in a blog’s life?

Any blog that wants a steady access of new viewers, yes.

What would you prioritize? Content? SEO? Traffic? Readers?

In all honesty, content. I don’t really care if tons of people read my blog or not. I mean, yes, it’s nice to have people stop by every once and a while and leave a comment, but I’m more concerned with practicing my writing than actually getting people to come see it.

What’s the best thing a blogger can give to his/her readers?

Something that they can read to get away from the world, or relate to. Nothing beats the feeling like somebody who feels the same way you do.

A lot of people are interested in blogging for the money earning potential. What are some tips for people interested in making money from blogging? What are some realistic expectations in regards to what can be made?

Money from blogging? If this is your goal, don’t get your hopes up, this is definitely a hard goal to reach. All I have to say is, if you want to make money from blogging, you better have an interesting opinion on controversial subjects, or be an expert at something used every day. Unless you’re somewhere along those lines, don’t expect much.

What was the most challenging moment in your blog content development process and why?

Probably the theme of the blog, because it’s the biggest part about your blog that you have to keep consistent, so I was having trouble deciding something like that.

Everyone has a favorite/least favorite post. Name yours and why?

My favorite post is my Lady Gaga one, because it got tons of views, and I’m really proud of it, and my least favorite one is probably the one about the aliens. I had nothing to write about, so I had to pull something straight out of my… well, never mind. I mean, the post is still truthful.

What’s your take on sponsored reviews?

Don’t pay to do something that can be easily done on your own for free.

If someone was interested in blogging, what would be a few things you would suggest?

Don’t blog about what you had for lunch, unless it was still alive.

Any final thoughts?

Nope, just thanks to Marcia for the interview!

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Interview with Ozias Sanchez, First Year of Freedom – Part 1

Ozias Sanchez aka “Mozes,” who blogs as First Year of Freedom is one of my blog buddies. Mozes and my other buddies have been very supportive in helping me stay on track on this Postaday2011 blogging challenge.

A few weeks ago, I did an interview with Mozes. Here’s what he had to say about blogging, writing and Lady Gaga. Since the interview is a little long, I’ll post it in two parts.

Here’s the first part of the interview:

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in Kansas City, MO, but I’ve been living in Colorado since I was 8. While I don’t meet the technical definition, I like to consider myself a Colorado native. I’m also very mature and pretty soft spoken.

Are you a full time blogger?

Well, I’m part of post a day, but I do what I can. While I see blogging as a chore, it’s also fun at the same time. Just one of those things, I guess.

What do you do when you aren’t working on your blog?

Actually, a really big hobby of mine is collecting postcards. But since the post office has very inconvenient hours, and I don’t own a car, I’ve not been able to trade as many as I’d like. So, I just play Xbox or something.

How did you first get involved in blogging?

If I remember correctly, the real reason I got involved into blogging was through myspace. Myspace lets you have a blog as well as a profile. I always looked at it, but I never knew what a blog was. One day, I finally looked it up and got really interested in the idea of keeping an online journal.

How do you keep coming up with material/content for your blog?

Oh, let me tell ya, it isn’t easy. Actually I’m constantly paranoid about running out of ideas for my blog. But to keep on track, I’m always writing questions and interesting things that pop in my head throughout the day; one idea could be extremely different from the next, but both are interesting.

What do you find most challenging about blogging about your topic?

Well, until my “official” topic of blogging about college actually comes around in August, I think the hardest part is actually sticking to one topic. I’m the kind of person that finds something interesting in everything, and I don’t know if I could not write about something for the sake of sticking to a specific topic. Well, as long as I don’t have to write every day that is. As for college, I think the hardest thing will be finding the time to blog, and having something interesting about college everyday that’s more than just college drama.

How do you describe your blogging style?

I write exactly how I talk, so I’d consider my blogging style (just like my topics) very relatable.

Do you find it more difficult (or easy) to write about personal topics as opposed to what’s in the news?

That’s a good question. I’ll have to go with personal topics, because though the news can have a lot of interesting things to write about, I commonly find some topics, like a state election, or the revolution in Egypt, boring (but still important).

What’s your strategy with your blog in general?

Would I find my own entry interesting if I came across it? And I usually try to make it more than 400 words.

What has been your strategy for creating visibility to yourself and your blog?

Commenting random people’s blogs can get me quite a bit of views, but I usually just advertise of Facebook.

Read Part 2 of the interview with Ozias Sanchez here.

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Soulful Sundays: Sting

Sting at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival for th...
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All the music in my collection have a personal backstory. Sting‘s Ten Summoner’s Tales CD has special resonance for me as it is the music that helped me through a stressful transition.

I knew about Sting from his days with The Police but something about that particular CD made me really take notice. Each track spoke to me in different ways. It accompanied me on the way to and from work. If it had been in the days of vinyl, I would have worn a groove into all its tracks.

I played it so often, I knew all the lyrics and could identify key guitar licks. Of course, as far as I was concerned, Sting was singing only to me. You couldn’t convince me otherwise.

So, take a listen to Sting’s Shape of My Heart. I love this version – it’s so spare, so clean, so Sting.

Enjoy!

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Old

"Mrs. Ples"

Discovered on April 18, 1947 by Dr. Robert Broom and John Robinson, Mrs. Ples is the nickname given to the most complete skull of an Australopithecus africanus specimen ever found in South Africa. Mrs. Ples is estimated to be about 2.05 million years old.

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Barcelona 1977

I blame Mrs. Anderson, my high school Spanish teacher, who planted the idea in my head. She had studied in Spain and brought back fascinating stories that she shared in class.

Paseo de Gracia corner Mallorca, March 1977

So when I discovered that my university had a semester abroad program, I signed up right away. Three months in Spain? I knew there would be adventure ahead.

Our group of about 15 arrived in Barcelona on January 5th. My friend Gloria and I were selected to stay with the Rodriguez family, a busy household with boarders from Southern Spain.

(I still remember how Sra. Rodriguez would go food shopping everyday — and I thought my grandmother was just disorganized — and how Sr. Rodriguez would call us to the table, “Al ataque!” basically, Come and get it!)

I fell in love with Barcelona. It appealed to me on several levels: the food, the architecture, the wines, museums, the cathedrals, the Ramblas, and it was difficult for me to leave.

Each week, we visited a different museum, and every other week, we traveled to a different city. Weekends were free so we spent the time exploring Barcelona on our own. I still have very fond memories of these places:

When I look back now, I’m surprised by how few photos I took and how grainy they are. Had I done that trip today, I would have had thousands of photos, everything I saw would have been documented. But I have very good memories and I hope someday to return to Barcelona to see how much of what I remember remains.

Ciudadela Park, 1977

I often wonder what happened to the other students on that trip. We were all at different stages on the road to graduation and didn’t have the same classes. Gloria and I did and we still keep in touch.

I don’t think I ever thanked Mrs. Anderson for putting the bug in my ear, or Prof. Lopez-Saiz for facilitating such a wonderful program. (I always said I wanted a job like his: half year in Spain, half year in Canada – the best of both worlds.)

I lived a lot, learned a lot and loved a lot in Barcelona. After those three months, I promised myself to do a few things the next time I travelled:

 

 

 

  • Stay off the beaten path
  • Learn the language (or at least learn to say hello, good morning, thank you, etc.)
  • Talk to the people
  • Always take 3-month vacations (Ha!)

What lessons have you learned from your travel experiences?

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Tasty Thursdays: Easter Bun (and Cheese)

When I was growing up in Jamaica, certain foods were associated with certain religious holidays, days of the week, etc. For example, rice and peas were reserved for Sundays and special occasions, like weddings, parties, etc., rum cake at Christmas, and Easter bun for, you guessed it, Easter. Now, the Easter bun can be found in most grocery stores at any time during the year, rice and peas has become an everyday and rum cake can be bought at any time.

I didn’t always like Easter bun. learned to like it when I was away at university. And I started making it myself a few years ago. It’s not particularly difficult to make. I found two recipes that I liked in The Real Taste of Jamaica, by Enid Donaldson, and combined the ingredients I wanted in my bun.

So here’s my recipe for a popular favorite – our answer to the Hot Crossed Bun.

How to Make Easter Bun

Ingredients

3 cups flour
4 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. lime juice
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup cherries (you can also use mixed fruits)
1 cup Guinness  stout

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees
  2. Over low heat, dissolve sugar, butter, spices in stout.
  3. Mix flour and baking powder.
  4. Beat egg and mix all the ingredients together
  5. Pour into a greased loaf tin and bake for 1 hour.
  6. Remove and allow to cool.

Easter bun’s usually accompanied by a processed cheese that’s close in taste to Chedder but use the cheese you like. It also works with American cheese. Some people substitute butter for cheese.

Hope you can try this out and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

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