It’s been about a month since I received my iPhone (courtesy of Mike Yurechko, who gave me an early Christmas present). During this past month, despite my promise to myself that I would fully disconnect from the world, I managed to stay in touch and on top of many things (particularly, Mental Health Camp – which is a cause that I definitely needed to be monitoring – and a request for an interview asking for my expert opinion on environmental policy by CBC On The Coast). The really funny thing to me now is that, despite the fact that I am now almost 99% of the time connected (I don’t have a data plan, so I download my email, FB updates, sync my calendar and download my tweets using the connect-to-wireless properties of my phone), I don’t see it as an annoyance for the most part.
Follow this link:
Life in a post-smart phone era
With the clink of midnight champagne still ringing in our ears (not New Year’s Eve – we just like champagne), the Smith Travel Blog comes skipping into 2010 with a fistful of resolutions, most of which involve getting more stamps in our passport, more hotels in our collection, and more gin in our martini. We’ll let you know how it goes. To start the year, over to our very own TuneSmith, DJ Rob Wood , the brains and ears behind our albums , to make his first monthly recommendations of the decade… ————————————————————————————– ALBUM OF THE MONTH Splendor in the Grass by Pink Martini When
Go here to see the original:
Listen up: TuneSmith’s musical recommendations for January
Warm Salmon Mousse with Garlic Bread Have you ever stood at the foyer of HDB Hub in Toa Payoh and looked at their map of Singapore? It can be quite unsettling to see all the housing estates taking up much of our island and identifying all the places that you know and have been to. I guess we all know that Singapore is a small island and that space is a premium.
The rest is here:
Galley by the Straits: Ulu as Ulu can be
At long last, the Burj Khalifa* has opened at a cost of $1.5 billion. We’ve been keeping tabs on its construction over the past five years as the spire reached higher and higher; Conde Nast Traveler has even nominated the building as one of the “new seven wonders of the architecture world.” As the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa soars 2,717 feet above the ground, allowing views of 60 miles for lucky visitors to the top floor.
Read this article:
Burj Khalifa, Dubai Opens as the World’s Tallest Building with First Armani Hotel
Thanks to years of catastrophic civic mismanagement, the collapse of almost every industry the city was ever famous for, unemployment, riots, stereotypes and ridicule, Liverpool somehow, tragically, fell from what was something approaching the capital of the world in the late 19th century to a depressed and dangerous place by the 1980s. The central Liverpool of my childhood was windswept and forlorn, and lucky though I was to live in relative comfort in the outer suburbs and only occasionally venture in on the Merseyrail, braving gangs of marauding scallies and dark, unpoliced underground stations, I found very little to admire in the boarded-up offices on Castle Street or the graffitied abandoned pubs that outnumbered the inhabitants. There was no such thing as a rush hour in late 80s Liverpool – you could drive in and park wherever and whenever you pleased (if you were brave enough) and the trains, unreliable and squalid as they were, were never busy.
More:
60 Hope Street, Liverpool
After a mini-scandal two years ago, and slightly later than initially programmed (the whole thing was supposed to be finished for December 2009) Daniel Buren ’s iconic and controversial installation at Palais Royal (you know, the stripy columns thing) will be inaugurated this week after a long – and expensive – renovation project. photos : JasonW For as long as I have been visiting Paris and living here (over 20 years), I have regularly visited the intriguing Buren columns at Palais Royal. Placed in what used to be a car park, the 3,000m² listed courtyard was transformed in 1986 with ‘modern’ installation art made up of 260 different columns, two streams and special coloured lighting at night
More here:
The Buren columns at Palais Royal restored at last! Inauguration Friday 8th January 2010
Après une mini-polémique il y a deux ans, et avec un peu de retard (on l’attendait pour décembre 2009), l’installation de Daniel Buren au Palais Royal sera inaugurée en version restaurée cette semaine. photos : JasonW Dès mes premières visites à Paris il y a plus de 20 ans, je suis allé voir les colonnes de Buren à Palais Royal. Anciennement un parking, la cour de 3.000 m² avait été transformée en 1986 en installation ‘moderne’ avec 260 colonnes, des cours d’eau et un éclairage spécial la nuit.
Read more here:
Les Colonnes de Buren enfin restaurées – inauguration le vendredi 8 janvier 2010
Inside Jar. [Photo: Yelp ] MID-CITY — The line’s been dead for quite some time with no updates on Suzanne Tracht’s Suzpree . LAW interviews the Top Chef Masters contestant to reveal that the forthcoming “Bangkok-inspired oyster bar and noodle house” is still a go and will probably be in the same ‘hood as Jar.
Read the rest here:
EaterWire: Suzanne Tracht on Suzpree Plus LAX Venture, Surya Still Open, Scott Conant Claims NY’s Table 8
Eater National highlights the items of note from last night’s Iron Chef America extravaganza that featured Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse squaring off against Bobby Flay and White House chef Cristeta Comerford . Special guest star Michelle Obama looked fab in her cameo, Alton Brown was full of his usual zest and zeal, the secret ingredient was the White House garden, Flay/Comerford won , and Sam Sifton has been freaking out about it all day. All in all, it was quite the television spectacle and great coup for the Slow Food movement, but was Dr.
See the article here:
Iron Cheffage: Eater National highlights the items of…
“Illegal small ads on the street will be abolished on December 26 while owners of illegal large advertisements will be fined. Do Dinh Hong, vice chief of the Hanoi People’s Committee Office, said that this time the city will resolutely deal with illegal small ads by deactivating the phone numbers ithey listed small ads and cut the power supply to individuals and organizations posting illegal small ads
Here is the original post:
Illegal small ads will be abolished in Vietnam Dec 26
Yesterday it seemed as if everyone returned to the city to check it out and take advantage of the after-Christmas sales and movie or theatre matinees. The crowds on the high street were incredible! Three things I wanted to do: have lunch at Thai Square – the popular Thai restaurant close to Trafalgar Square, go to John Lewis store on Oxford Street and to pick up some ingredients at the Japan Centre for a favourite Japanese dish. As always lunch was sumptuous and arresting..
Continue reading here:
Food Etc
Telephone, internet subscriptions surge sharply | Look At Vietnam : “The number of telephone subscribers in Vietnam, a country of over 80 million-strong population, reached 130.4 million with an average of 152.5 sets of telephones for every 100 citizens. The Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) reported on December 30 that of the figure, 85 percent are mobile phone subscribers, representing a 152 percent increase year on year. The Internet subscription has also surged sharply to 26.2 percent of the national population
More here:
Telephone, internet subscriptions surge sharply | Look At Vietnam
In savory recipes, A1 Beef Stew from $5 Dinners, Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew from A Dash of Sass, Golden Mushroom Soup with Creme Fraiche & Crispy Shallots from A Feast for the Eyes, Gnocchi with Roasted Butternut Squash, Spinach and Goat Cheese from A Food Coma, Brioche from A Series of Kitchen Experiments, Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole and Gorgonzola Filled Meatballs with Creamy Tomato and Onion Gravy from A Taste of Home Cooking, Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup from Adventures in My Freezer, Puerco Pibil from Adventures in Shaw, Prosciutto-Stuffed Gorgonzola Chicken and Really Gouda Cauliflower Soup from The Alchemist Chef, Mexican Chicken Kiev from All That Splatters, Claypot Chicken Rice with Lap Cheong (Chinese Sausage) from Almost Bourdain, Potage Parmentier (Potato & Leek Soup) from Always Order Dessert, Welsh Rarebit Souffle from Amuse Bouche, Rocket Risotto with Scallops and Crispy Ham from Antics of a Cycling Cook, Za’atar Chicken from Around Britain with a Paunch, Beet Risotto from Bay Area Foodie, Salsify Cream Sauce from< Beyond Salmon, Queso Fundido with Beer from Big, Bold, Beautiful Food, Kuih Bom (Fried Sesame Balls) from Bites and Pieces, Pizza Muffins from Bread & Wine, Tuna Tartare Tower from BrokeAss Gourmet, Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage, Walnuts and Brown Butter from Cafe Johnsonia, Parmesan Knots and Chicken Cacciatore Risotto from Cassie Craves, Shrimp Monterey from Cheat Day Cafe, Creamy Mushroom Soup from Cherry on a Cake, Pumpkin Risotto with Shrimp and Pancetta from Chi-town Cooking Creations, Fried Eggplant and Mozzarella with a Roasted Marinara Dipping Sauce and Roasted Butternut Squash with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Crispy Fried Sage from Closet Cooking, Sun Dried Tomato, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Quiche from Cooking and Eating in the Windy City, Chili Rellenos Casserole from Cooking My Way, Mom’s Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole from The Crispy Cook, Layered Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole from Cucina di Harwood, Fig and Blue Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Maple Butter and Eggplant Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Pine Nut Sauce from The Culinary Chase, Goat Cheese-Manchego Ravioli with Chipotle Cream Sauce from Cupcake Muffin, Braised Pork with Caramelized Leeks and Apple Cider and Squash Risotto with Blue Cheese and Crispy Sage from Daily Unadventures in Cooking, Linguine with Creamy White Clam Sauce from The Days are Just Packed!, Chap Chae (Korean Mixed Vegetables with Beef and Cellophane Noodles from Deep South Dish, Honey-Glazed Cipollini Onions from Dine O Mite!, Roast Bone Marrow with Parsley Salad, St.
Go here to see the original:
October 2009 Roundup
We wish you a happy 2010 full of joy, love and great trips! And for those of you who need some inspiration, here are some cool tweets about New Year’s travel resolutions : Travel Writing : Martyn Taylor shares a link to a nice blog post from A Traveler’s Library entitled “ 10 Travel Literature Resolutions for 2010 “. Fun-filled Vacation : ExtraValència suggests to add “Take a trip to Valencia for Las Fallas in March” to your new year’s resolution list. Adventure Travel : Vagablogging tweets about his travel resolution for 2010 which is to try new things on every trip
Go here to read the rest:
New Year’s Travel Resolutions on Twitter
M ay this year and the years to come be full of L ife L ove H ope L uck Here’s a charming recipe I found: Take twelve fine, full-grown months; see that these are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor and hate, cleanse them completely from every clinging spite; pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, see that these months are freed from all the past—have them fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of Time. Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot this way) but prepare one day at a time.
View original post here:
The Choicest Four-Letter Words
Happy New Year 2010 everyone! Overall, 2009 was quite a sad year for the world. Let’s hope 2010 will be a good one! Mention Bidor and food like duck thigh noodle, chicken biscuit (Kai Jai Peng) and ‘Sat Kei Ma‘ (squarish, sweet dessert made of flour and chicken eggs) immediately come to mind
View post:
Duck Thigh Noodles @ Pun Chun Chicken Biscuits & Restaurant, Bidor
Here’s to a Happy 2010 New Year!! As 2009 winds down, I am amazed at how quickly the year has come and gone. Just over the last 2 months, I flew over 30,000 miles traveling to Shanghai, Beijing, Boston, Seattle, San Diego, back to Seattle and Las Vegas, completed and presented various final projects for grad school and of course at the same time attended all the important things of my work place and found a little time in between for friends and family. It’s been busy, but I’m not complaining.
See the original post here:
Here’s to a Happy 2010 New Year!
Oysters on the half shell Hood Canal, Washington State Half Dozen 13 Chilled Appetizer Maine Lobster & Blue Crab Salad Blood Orange, Fennel, Apple, Basil 15 Hot Appetizer Pan Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras Buttery Brioche, Hachiya Persimmon, Candied Walnut, Foie Gras Caramel 17 Grilled & Marinated Octopus Harissa Spiced Chickpeas, Piquillo Pepper Pimenton-Sherry Vinaigrette 11 Entrees Pan Roasted Wild Striped Bass Roasted Sunchoke, Hedgehog Mushroom, Arugula, Sweet Red Pepper Coulis 29 Grilled Texas Wagyu Teres Major Mixed Baby Carrots, Fingerling Potato, Black Truffle Vinaigrette 42 Rathbun’s – One of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America Kevin Rathbun Steak – One of Details best New Steakhouses in America Krog Bar – Selected as The Best Wine and Tapas Bar in Atlanta
Go here to see the original:
New Years Eve Specials
Vietnam Airlines has announced that from January 1, 2010, airfares will increase by between 14,000 and 81,000 dong on domestic trips using economy tickets. As a result, travel firms have also immediately announced adjustments for tour fee.The airfare increase has been explained by the fact that as a result of Value Added Tax Law, which took effect on January 1, 2009, the airfare bears the VAT rate of 10 percent instead of five percent as currently applied.In general practice, the Ministry of Finance always releases circulars to guide the implementation of new laws
See the article here:
Vietnam Airlines announced airfares increase for 2010
Come ring in the New Year in a healthy and fun way! Costumes welcome! Runners, walkers and all paces welcome! 2009-2010 NEW YEAR'S EVE FUN RUN presented by Brooklyn Road Runners Club and Slope Sports 3 MILE FUN RUN Prospect Park, Brooklyn DATE/TIME Monday, December 31, 2009 — 11:15pm start NEW START/FINISH LINE Start/Finish line is at the 9th Street, inside the Park ENTRY FEE $20 before December 31, 2009 ($15 for Brooklyn Road Runners Club members) $25 on Race Day ($20 for BRRC Members) No refunds and/or exchanges. Race will occur rain, snow or shine. NEW COURSE 3 mile course
Follow this link:
Fun Run: Around the Park on New Year’s Eve