Returned from Ohio yesterday; my first foray into the flat, green fields of the American Midwest. Quite beautiful… as was the smorgasbord of chain restaurants. Taco Bell. Wendy’s. Chik-fil-freaking-A. Golden Corral. Bob Evans. Steak and Shake. Cracker Barrel (!!!). At the groom’s house the day before the rehearsal dinner; hamburgers, beans, macaroni & cheese, and […]
Living Overseas
In the Heat of the Moment
So my camera’s broken. Dead. Kaput. No return. My third arm as a travel blogger – gone. And it’s all my own stupid fault. Picture it: Düsseldorf, 2010. American girl tries to balance her camera upright on a shaky wooden table in an attempt to perform a feat of self-timer derring do. It was a […]
Amster… DAMN! That’s a Dirty City.
One of the highlights of my recent visit to Germany was a day-trip to Amsterdam. City of canals and free puff. Amsterdam is about a 2.5 hour drive from Düsseldorf, on the Autobahn all the way. Zum zum. At our first approach into the city, we noticed the lovely houseboats moored on the canals, and […]
- Food Culture
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Some Like It Raw: Mettbroetchen in Düsseldorf
On my second day in Düsseldorf, my friends Hans and Marie took me to a series of Düsseldorf brauhauses. If you’re religious, you know that a brauhaus is where good beer drinkers go after they die. Beer hall/beer garden, flowing with home brew. No need to head to the bar as a waiter makes frequent […]
Sidestreets of Düsseldorf and Cologne
“Facebook just sounds like a drag. In my day, seeing pictures of people’s vacations was considered a punishment.” – Betty White Consider this yours. You’ve done something. I don’t know what, but you’ve done something to deserve this. It’s no secret that my love for side streets has blossomed since I’ve moved to Europe. Winding, […]
How to Play With Your Friend’s Child When You Don’t Speak the Same Language
Bring a gift. I don’t know. Candy. A video game; how much do they cost these days? A stuffed animal – perhaps a small white lamb with an orange-and-green scarf around its neck and a four leaf clover stamped on its ear. ‘Cause lambs are symbols of Ireland, you know. Where daddy’s former host sister […]
- Food Culture
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When Worlds Collide
Grow up in America and you might equate potato pancakes with Hanukkah. Here in Germany, however, potato pancakes – or Kartoffelpuffers – are eaten year round by all; usually at streetmarkets, enjoyed with a glass of cold wine or beer. In Cologne, where we’re spending the day, they call ’em Schnibbelkuchens. Me? I call ’em […]
Someone’s Knocking at the Door… in Dublin
They tell you that Dublin is a dangerous city; rough and full of crime, like New York City used to be before Giuliani turned it into the Disneyland of your twenties. Listen, people say. You’re not to go wandering about the seedier parts of town, where the knackers in their track suits are running about. […]
Stats Relative
Weight The US: 95 lbs Japan: 43.2 kg Ireland: 6 stone 11 lbs Height The US: 4’11” Japan: 149.9 cm Ireland: 4’11” Shoe size: The US: 5 Japan: 22 Ireland: 3 Pants size: The US: 2 Japan: Large (!) Ireland: 8 Ethnicity: The US: Biracial; Hispanic and Italian Japan: Foreigner Ireland: American Guatemala: American Italy: […]
You Can Take the Girl Out of Japan ….
… and she’ll still find a way to gorge herself on delicious Japanese food. Here, we have a cup of umeshu and the sashimi appetizer at Ukiyo on Exchequer Street : Followed by orders of kimchi, kimchi chigae, rice and bulgogi (which are, obviously, not Japanese, but that’s what we ate after the sashimi. 美味しいかった!) […]