10 Unbreakable Rules for Traveling Gourmands
Weve learned a lot on the road. From years of trial-and-error traveling, we have made enough mistakes and scored enough successes to know the secrets to making sure our trips are as delicious and adventurous as possible.
Booking a trip can be a huge effort youve saved up to cover the flights and painstakingly chosen the best hotel, so why throw away a perfectly good holiday with horribly chosen eats? Of course, holidays where every last bite is to your liking can be few and far between. But following tips like straying far from too many English-translated menus and joining locals you see in line for foodstuffs will mean that the majority of meals will be local gems and worth a try.
So here are our 10 cant-break, tried-and-true rules for everyone who travels for foodhellip;
Rule #1: Bring a sense of adventure with you. That doesnt mean you need to eat fried insects or animal intestines (though we highly recommend them), but it does mean forcing yourself from your comfort zone, even if you try something once and never again.
Rule #2: Dont hunt for comfort foods that remind you of home. Spending time hunting down hamburgers in Tokyo is no way to immerse oneself in the local culture. If youre weary of exotic foods, have one meal thats more familiar and then jump right back in.
Rule #3: Be a food tourist. Have fries and waffles in Belgium, try pasta in Rome and pizza in Naples, eat fish and chips in London, and so on. You get the picture.
Rule #4: Dont be afraid to splurge at least once. Holes-in-the-wall are rife with fantastic food, but spending an evening in the care of a Michelin-starred restaurants chef and staff can be an unparalleled experience. (Photo courtesy of Flickr/localjapantimes)
Rule #5: Dont forget about your diet, buthellip; forget about your diet. All this means is, dont eat yourself sick or make yourself feel too gluttonous, but realize that you may not walk past that street vendor again or have the chance to dine at a high-end eatery again, so feel fine with indulging a little more than normal.
01.7.12Viewpoint: Lesnar Made Right Decision
A little less than two and a half years ago, Brock Lesnar was king of the hill.
As the centerpiece of the UFC 100 extravaganza, Lesnar dominated his rematch with Frank Mir in spectacular fashion, and the bout itself was just the beginning. Afterward, he taunted and flexed, spewing saliva toward the cameras that were fixed on the spectacle that this mountainous man had become. He dissed one prominent sponsor before informing the world of his post-fight plans with his wife.
The heel script seemed as though it came straight from the desk of World Wrestling Entertainment head Vince McMahon, and it elicited a strong reaction from those who resented the notion that a sports entertainment star could go from choreographed tough guy to legitimate champion in such a short time. Here was a monster, who, while weighing in the vicinity of 290 pounds on fight night, could redefine the heavyweight division with his frightening blend of size and athleticism. “He’s just too big” seemed a worthy explanation when forecasting Lesnar’s dominance for years to come.
It was polarizing. It was entertaining. It was fleeting.
On Friday, after succumbing to Alistair Overeem — who is nearly his physical equal — at UFC 141 in Las Vegas, Lesnar called it career. There would be no sound bites, no theatrics, no hoopla, just a man at peace with his decision.
“I’ve had a really difficult couple of years with my disease,” Lesnar said, referring to the diverticulitis that claimed nearly a foot of his colon. “I’m going to say that tonight is the last night you will see me in the Octagon. Brock Lesnar is officially retired. I promised my wife and kids if I won this fight that I would get a title shot and that would be my last one, but if I lost tonight … everyone, you’ve been great.”
Ardent followers of the sport are not typically fond of Lesnar, but they, too, always watched. Lesnar is responsible for three of the 10 highest-grossing MMA gates in Nevada, and his victory over Mir at UFC 100 is surpassed only by the second meeting between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz in 2006.
01.7.12AHFC Announces Funding for Statewide Rental Unit GOAL Grants
ANCHORAGE, AK, Dec 27, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) yesterday announced its
annual Greater Opportunities for Affordable Living (GOAL) grants that
will be awarded to five communities statewide for developing and
preserving 174 affordable rental units for low-income and senior
Alaska families. The GOAL program provides grants, federal tax
credits and zero-interest loans to project sponsors who build or
renovate affordable rental and supportive housing for low-income,
senior families and those with disabilities, as well as rental
housing that helps reduce homelessness.
The five projects are in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Seward, Sitka and
Soldotna.
— The Lumen Family project in Anchorage is sponsored by Volunteers of
America National Services (Alaska) and includes construction of 66
low-income townhouse-style units, a community building and an on-site
social services coordinator.
— Raven Landing Phase III in Fairbanks is a 20-unit senior development
sponsored by the Retirement Community of Fairbanks and includes
construction of 11 units for seniors with disabilities.
— Sitka’s Sawmill Creek acquisition and rehabilitation project,
sponsored by GMD Development, combines three separate properties into
one rental development that provides 56 units for low-income families.
— In Seward, Kimberly Court, also sponsored by GMD, is another
acquisition and rehabilitation project that will improve 24 units.
— Hillcrest Manor Phase II in Soldotna, sponsored by Kenai Peninsula
Housing Initiatives, is a new construction development that will
result in eight rental units for low-income families.
The 2012 program generates more than $28 million in construction
equity, which will be leveraged to complete $45.2 million in
development activities.
"We're very pleased with the 2012 program, especially the number of
applications received and how efficiently we managed to process them.
AHFC is looking forward to next year's GOAL competition, which opens
late spring," Dan Fauske, AHFC CEO and Executive Director said.
Interested applicants should go to
www.ahfc.us for more information.
AHFC is a self-supporting public corporation with offices in 16
communities statewide. It provides statewide financing for
multi-family complexes and single-family homes, with special loan
options for low- to moderate-income borrowers, veterans, teachers,
health care professionals, and those living in rural areas of the
state.
AHFC also provides energy and weatherization programs, low-income
rental assistance in 17 communities, and programs for the homeless
and those seeking to become self-sufficient. AHFC has contributed
more than $1.9 billion to Alaska's state budget revenues through cash
transfers, capital projects and debt-service payments.
For more information, contact:
Soren Johansson
public relations manager
907-330-8447
sjohansson@ahfc.us
SOURCE: Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
mailto:sjohansson@ahfc.us
Copyright 2011 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.
Ownership of Leafs, Raptors may change hands
Rogers Communications and Bell Canada, two giant communications firms, said Friday that they would pay more than $1.3 billion Canadian, or about $1.2 billion American, for the 80 percent stake in Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment, Canada’s largest sports conglomerate, which is owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment owns the Maple Leafs, hockey’s richest club; the Raptors of the NBA; Toronto of Major League Soccer; the Marlies of the American Hockey League; the Air Canada Centre; two specialty television channels; and Maple Leaf Square, a condominium development adjacent to the arena.
It is one of the world’s largest sports businesses, rivaling MSG, which owns the Knicks, the Rangers, Madison Square Garden and a sports network; and AEG in Los Angeles, which owns the Staples Center, the home of the NBA Lakers and the NHL Kings. The deal is the largest sports-related merger in North American history.
Rogers and Bell Canada, rivals in the telecommunications and media industries, will each own 37.5 percent of MLSE. Larry Tanenbaum, its chairman, will raise his stake to 25 percent from 20 percent. MLSE will remain an independent company, and Rogers and Bell Canada will be able to provide the broadcasts of Leafs and other sports games to their subscribers.
“I think our investment in the Maple Leafs is a perfect marriage of content and technology,” said Nadir Mohamed, chief executive of Rogers, which also owns the Toronto Blue Jays. “This is icing on the cake. This is access to iconic content.”
01.6.12Debris being thrown at cars traveling on I-890
SCHENECTADY– Schenectady Police need your help identifying the person, or group of people, who are throwing rocks, pieces of concrete and tree branches at passing cars along Interstate 890 through Schenectady.
The debris is being thrown from both wooded areas alongside 890 between exits 6 and 7 and from overpasses in the same area. Over the weekend six cars were damaged, one car had the front windshield blown out.
Most of the incidents have happened late at night. Luckily, none of the drivers have been injured but police say if this continues, its likely just a matter of time before it causes a more serious accident. Youre driving down a highway at 2-3 in the morning and all the sudden your windshield explodes, obviously there is a great risk for something tragic to happen, says Lt. Mark McCracken of the Schenectady Police Department.
None of the drivers have reported actually seeing someone throw the objects, many of them, according to police have panicked and pulled over immediately to assess the damage.
Schenectady Police have arrested young teens in the past for throwing debris at cars but at this point, they dont have much to go on.
Tony Fazzone who lives near one of the 890 on-ramps where the debris is being thrown from thinks it probably is young people looking for some excitement saying, the police will catch them, they always do, its not just that though, its breaking into cars and houses, the problem isnt so much 890 and policing it, its more the underlying problem of parental control and keeping the kids under control.
Kim Clark also lives nearby and agrees, Kids in this area need to have things to do so theyre not outside doing stupid stuff like this… they dont think about it but this kind of thing is scary, it could cause a lot of damage, not just that but it can kill people. she says.
Schenectady Police want to hear from anyone who may have any information on the suspect(s) or anyone who was travels through that area and had debris thrown at their car. The number to call is 518-382-5245.
01.6.12APFL Expands To Colorado, Oklahoma
Topeka, KS–The American Professional Football League announced the addition of two (2) expansion franchises to begin play for the 2012 season. The addition of the two (2) teams expands the league to eight (8) teams. The league now has teams in six (6) Midwestern states.
“We’re excited about the addition of our new partners,” said APFL CEO Ralph Adams. “Both franchises bring a committed ownership group dedicated to providing the best sports entertainment product in the Tulsa and Colorado Springs market.”
ABOUT LAMAR BAKER- OKLAHOMA DEFENDERS OWNER
The Oklahoma Defenders are owned by Lamar Baker. Baker was a former player/coach of the Arena Football League. He most recently was a coach with Tulsa Talons of the Arena Football League. Baker jumped at the opportunity to purchase a franchise when the Talons moved from Tulsa to San Antonio prior to the 2012 season.
The Defenders will play their home games at the Expo Square Pavilion in downtown Tulsa. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Expo Ticket Express at 918-376-6000. Season tickets can be purchased by calling the Defenders office at 918-403-9926.
All games are played on Saturday nights and the season runs from March- June.
ABOUT IDALE GRAVES-COLORADO LIGHTNING OWNER
The Colorado Lightning are owned by Idale Graves. Graves is well known in the football ranks in Colorado. He was involved with the Colorado Springs Flames Football Club.
The Lightning play their home games at the Colorado Sports and Events Center in Monument, CO. Ticket prices start at $10 and season tickets can be purchased by calling the lightning office at 720-435-9760.
ABOUT THE APFL
The APFL will begin its 10th anniversary season in 2012 and is the longest continuous operating professional indoor football league in the United States. The league is headquartered in Topeka, KS. For more information, contact the league office at (785) 228-0748
01.6.12One for womanhood
Devaki Jain is surprised that Malayali women are no longer mute and terrified. And its all because of her interactions with Kudumbasree workers. The highly respected development economist, who proudly carries the tag feminist (read feminist author), was in the city to attend a seminar on ‘Aspiring for Womens Full Citizenship in Kerala: The Kudumbasree Mission organised by the Centre for Development Studies.
There used to be a paradox you had matriarchy here, but, at the same time, women here were the most subdued in the country. But after I met the women of Kudumbasree, I saw a remarkable change, says the 78-year-old, who, for the last 35 years has been involved in womens movements writing for women and setting up organisations, networks and forums to highlight womens issues. Sharing her regard for Kudumbashree, she says: It is the best example of how a boring, typical handout scheme has been converted into a powerhouse. It has added to the value of the Panchayati Raj. Threats are there and if it crumbles, the unemployment figures would go up. Let it run, she says.
The lady, who floors one with her radiant smile and warmth and, of course, her CV, can give you the simplest explanation for feminism celebrating womanhood. Being a feminist means identifying myself with women and their struggles. I endorse my identity as a woman. I like what I am. The political part is that Im constantly looking for various situations where women are neglected.
Ensuring livelihood for women holds the key rather than just clamouring on about gender issues or discrimination. Thanks to the rising middle class, women are migrating to cities in large numbers as domestic workers. My argument is that if you have the MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), why not have an urban programme too, she says, adding: I would rename ‘Daridranarayan, coined by Gandhiji, as ‘Daridranarayani. Indian women are the poorest. And why do we refer only to the ‘aam admi (common man) and not the ‘aam aurat (common woman)? If every ‘aam aurat can earn her bread, that would be the first step towards alleviating poverty. Individual dignity is dependent on individual economy, she says.
India doesnt have a social security programme which provides the basic requirements free for the citizens, but the country produced the best economist Gandhiji. He not only developed the khadi industry, but also had the marketing strategy ready in the form of the khadi village industry, says Devaki, a Gandhian to the core.
Foray into feminism
Born in pre-Independent India (1933) as the daughter of a high-ranking civil servant, Devaki is still amazed about how she became a feminist. I grew up the conventional way. I call it the zenana life! But I always wanted to work. I didnt want to get married like my sister. And since I was studious (a topper throughout, she won three gold medals from Mysore University), it was difficult for my family to put pressure on me. In fact, I had not fought my way, I made my way.
A graduate in Economics from the Oxford University and a teacher at the Delhi University for six years, Devaki didnt foray into womens issues until she happened to work on a book Indian Women for the Government of India, in the mid-70s. Ensuing years saw her launching or working with many institutions such as Development Alternatives for Women for a new Era (DAWN), a third world network of women social scientists, Indian Association of Womens Studies (IAWS), Kali, a feminist publishing house, and the Institute of Social Studies Trust (ISST), a research centre for poor women workers.
The journey has given her many gratifying moments, she says. Surveys brought to light the state of affairs with many occupational womens groups, one being the plight of prawn peelers from Kerala who migrated to Gujarat. Being part of the South Commission was a great recognition. I was one of the 26 economists who were part of the Commission headed by Julius Nyerere, former president of Tanzania. Manmohan Singh was among them. Our agenda was to make the South an economic power. In some sense, that is happening now, she says.
01.6.12What the stalled US escalators and banned clotheslines point to
If Hollywood movies and interactions as tourists make us believe that all Americans speak like Californians and live in Manhattan, then the urban mass affluent Indians who reach US shores confuse them about who the real Indian is–the poor child with a tear in one eye they see in the ad asking for donation or this suave businessman negotiating hard for his company? Four months is long enough for an outsider to get an inside view. And when this time has the good fortune of being filled with some of the best academic minds, think tank experts, government and military officials and interaction with locals, you begin to tear through the facade of impressions and perceptions formed by more limited interactions and see behind the veil. My stint as a World Fellow at Yale got me to shift several worldviews. There are two at the moment that stand out and are possibly worth your attention.
Illustration by Shyamal Banerjee/Mint.
One, the infrastructure in the US. I’m used to complaining about infrastructure in India but I was unprepared to do a repeat in the US. When is the last time we faced a two-week power outage in the national capital or its suburbs? I can’t remember it. The capital of the US, its suburbs, suburbs of New York and other cities had areas that would be missing electricity, after either a hurricane or a huge snowstorm, for two-three weeks at a stretch. I got used to getting messages from the university gym offering free hot showers to those who could not bathe at home! The crumble in America in general, and public infrastructure as a symptom of that breakdown, is a part of the narrative of Thomas Friedman’s new book: That Used To Be Us. He read out a passage at a public lecture in October to illustrate the point. He said: “It took China’s Teda Construction Group 32 weeks to build a world-class convention centre from the ground up–including giant escalators in every corner–and it was taking the Washington Metro crew 24 weeks to repair two tiny escalators of 21 steps each.” He was commenting on the escalator standing still on the metro station he uses to get to downtown DC. But it isn’t just that escalator; I climbed others that have been turned into stagnant stairways in DC. You don’t expect bad infrastructure in a country that has a per capita income that is 45 times more than your own.
Two, that racism lives and is a deep, deep problem in the US. I took a quick straw poll on my return and found that most people surveyed did not think racism was a serious problem in the US. After all, Barack Obama was elected as the first African-American president, wasn’t he? But then that was the surprise–not only is the divide between the blacks and whites (they’ve cleaned up the language to not say black and white, but the real division is not so easy to erase) still in your face, the desire to keep it that way affects the way communities live. On a visit to Orange County California over Thanksgiving, I was intrigued to find my host running washing through a drier. The area has 11 months of sunny weather–why not dry them out? Well, the community had outlawed clothes being hung out to dry. I kept pulling at the string of “why” and finally got an answer. From a “white” immigrant professor who traced this back to the 1950s when segregation was being legislated out of existence but lived on in the hearts and minds of the citizens. The whites did not want blacks to buy real estate in their communities for fear of property values falling. Once the 1968 legislation banned discrimination in the sales of homes, other means were found to continue segregation softly. A clothesline, he said, is a very “black” thing in the minds of home owners and by ruling out the line, the community tried to keep the property values up. But, there is a twist in the tale. There are two lanes in the community where the uber-rich live, where this rule is not applicable. The very rich are all white, he analysed, and the possibility of a middle class person of colour being able to afford a house there was tiny. Not just in rules around home ownership, the racial divide is clear in the way crime is perceived on the streets. Inner city crime is mostly black and how people on the street react to the person on the street depends on colour, specially toward nightfall. The race issue is there in the one-point Republican agenda to get Barack Obama out. The grey hairs in the universities are free with their analysis of race being the real political issue in the election in 2012. The Republican attempt to push the blame of America’s economic crumble on Obama was so eloquently put in perspective by Elizabeth Alexander, the African-American poet, playwright and Yale professor: “you make a mess and then get a black guy to clean it up.”
Monika Halan works in the area of financial literacy and financial intermediation policy and is a certified financial planner. She is editor, Mint Money, and Yale World Fellow 2011. She can be reached at expenseaccount@livemint.com
Also Read | Monika Halan’s earlier columns
01.5.12"The Road to the Winter Classic" by way of Vince McMahon
Years ago, ages ago to the point I cant find a source on the Internet to verify this, World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment — or commonly referred to as the WWE) chairman Vince McMahon was supposed to have mused about how hed be interested in running the NHL — mixing the sport and highlighting the personalities of the game.
Thats right, the man who helped turn Terry Bolea into Hulk Hogan, popularized Stone Cold Steve Austin, Dwayne The Rock Johnson, and inserted Wrestlemania into the pop cultures psyche over the past 30+ years, wanted to try his hand at the proverbial coolest game on earth. At least, supposedly.
While I cant back it up with a link (turning the entire suggestion into hearsay), you can confirm that McMahon had ties to hockey in the past.
Of course, McMahon and the NHL never happened. Vince did try to remake the pro-sports game with his brand of sports-entertainment via the eXtreme Football League, but the XFL never got to the point in popularity to be seen as anything more than a gimmick at best. Thats not to say the XFL doesnt have legacies. Any time you see a camera dangling over the field of play (giving the view from behind center), or see reporters interviewing coaches and players during gameplay, or even camera views from the locker rooms during intermissions, thank Vince and company.
Flash forward to 2010-11 and the inception of HBOs documentary series HBO 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic and you were intimately introduced to the ins and outs of the National Hockey League, by way of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals. You were exposed to the banter, the blow-ups, and other aspects of the game and the sport that are usually out of reach for the fans. The Road To the Winter Classic isnt breaking new ground, as HBO has been running documentary-sport-entertainment series for a few years now (Im thinking specifically of Hard Knocks, which chronicles an NFL team during the training camp and the preseason), but it is a fresh take on a sport that doesnt get as much exposure as it could.
The novelty of 24 / 7 (in its second season) has bloomed with the antics of the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers. Ilya Bryzgalov turned into a household name, and a repeat reason to tune in to see what odd remarks hed be trumpeting in each episode.
Yet, Im troubled. Im not troubled at the idea of this series, nor the Winter Classic (which, actually, has nothing to do with my troubles at all). Its more about how the show is affecting players and influencing their actions.
Last Tuesday night (December 27th), we saw Scott Hartnell decide to venture over to the Lightning bench to find out what was going on in Guy Bouchers huddle. To say that something like this is a no-no in hockey would be an understatement. This isnt just something a seasoned veteran like Hartnell would momentarily forgot.
The entire motivation of the moment was likely for television. It was for 24 / 7. It was for the cameras and premium cable.
This brings me back to Vince McMahon, who specializes in manufactured incidents for the sake of the camera. Professional wrestling is an entirely scripted, manufactured contest between physical actors. The guys dont just perform in the ring (with predetermined outcomes to matches) and for the crowd, but for the television camera that films their moves.
For Hartnell (or any of the other Flyers, or Rangers for that matter) to do things on ice, during gameplay, to gain face-time during 24 / 7, doesnt that cheapen games (as well as the authenticity of the show)? Doesnt it cause a bit of doubt on the sincerity of the effort – how much they really care about the outcome of a game – if theyre trying to do things to gain face-time in an ongoing documentary?
Im not trying to be high-and-mighty here. Its not like players in the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NFL, or even college sports havent and dont do stuff specifically for the camera. Showmanship is one of the keys to becoming Sportscenter-worthy. Chad Ochocinco will do something outrageous, or an NBA player will embellish a slam dunk for the WOW factor of it… But these type of incidents dont lead to infractions that effect both teams, as the Hartnell incident did.
And its not like this should be a secret that NHL players do want to grab extra attention on the TV. Back on March 19th, 2009, Alex Ovechkins famed Stick on Fire incident during a game against the Bolts (where he scored his 50th goal of the season) turned heads and raised ire.
But Alex loved it. When asked how Hockey Night in Canada personality Don Cherry would react, Alex seemed tickled at the looming backlash:
Oh yeah, hes going to be ticked off for sure. I love it, Ovechkin said. I cant wait till he says something about me. Old coaches, old system, you know?
Players arent supposed to be robots, and while the Bolts didnt take kindly to Ovechkins antics – they also didnt react on ice. In the case of Hartnell, they didnt take things lying down this time around.
But in light of a lack of video evidence (except, perhaps, video from HBO 24 / 7 ), the entire incident turned into a he-said, he-said moment, where youre more likely to back the guy you root for, while further obfuscating what really happened.
And to that end, I guess Vince McMahon really did gain some control of the NHL. After all, this entire situation played out like a storyline anecdote from WWE Raw or Smackdown!, but well have to tune in to the next episode of 24 / 7 to know what really happened.
01.3.12New £5.5m funding for mental health help in Wales
Patients in Wales with mental health problems may be able to access more help from their GPs with new funding.
The Welsh government says its £5.5m investment will mean more patients have care plans tailored to their needs.
It is also expanding its advocacy service to help them understand their legal rights.
Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said the money would pay for some of the proposals in the Mental Health Wales Measure, which became law in 2010.
About £3.5m will go towards support at a local level.
SFC Iron Music Ideas Beautiful Beads
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