Well, just when all the happenings in Syria and East Asia point to an eroding of democracy and fundamental freedoms, Burma shows us that hope does spring eternal........
Aung San Suu Kyi and her party seem to have swept elections in Burma and will be a force to content with in bringing about change and democratic reform in a country ruled by an iron-fisted military junta (that seems to be loosening its grip thankfully)
Let's hope this is indeed good news, and that the government respects the will of the people!
Here is the BBC article.
There is always hope......
Monday, April 02, 2012
The Best Fleischküchle
Spring is here, which means it's time to go visit Straußenwirtschaften again!
We biked through the Hexental, past Staufen to Grunern, to go to the Schleifsteinhof of Weingut Probst, up on the hill with a great view of the nothern Markgräflerland and the ruins above Staufen.
The food was amazing! Specializing in badisch specialties, I had the most amazing Fleischküchle ever since I arrived in Germany....Betty's Zwiebelbraten was also super-tender. The sauce was great, with fried onions giving it texture.
We biked through the Hexental, past Staufen to Grunern, to go to the Schleifsteinhof of Weingut Probst, up on the hill with a great view of the nothern Markgräflerland and the ruins above Staufen.
The food was amazing! Specializing in badisch specialties, I had the most amazing Fleischküchle ever since I arrived in Germany....Betty's Zwiebelbraten was also super-tender. The sauce was great, with fried onions giving it texture.
That's opening the Straußi season with a bang!!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Touch Icing
The most moronic rule in the NHL has to be the touch icing rule. It's a way of adding almost-negligible excitement to icing at the risk of injuring defencemen and forwards who are hustling their asses off for the sake of the team.......
Why do GMs insist on putting their greatest assets (the players) at risk? That's why it's finally good news to see that the NHL is considering changing this idiotic rule, and implementing something much safe (like hybrid icing), according to this Globe and Mail article.
Let's hope the NHL rule custodians stop being morons, and start protecting the players that make this the greatest game on earth......
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Three Man Booths
I'm watching the broadcast of the Divisional Playoff matchup of the Saints @ 49ers. It's a three-man booth of Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa (albeit on the field).
It's enough to make me realize that two-man booths (like those employed by CBS) are superior to three-man booths. Albert does a decent job with the play-by-play, but the commentary of Siragusa is really annoying, and Johnston, while less annoying, isn't really providing real insight. (If I have to listen to one more comment about how much confidence the Saints offence has, then I'm gonna puke)
I think NFL broadcasts should just wake-up and realize that three-man booths are exasperating to listen to, and go back to traditional two-man booths......
It's enough to make me realize that two-man booths (like those employed by CBS) are superior to three-man booths. Albert does a decent job with the play-by-play, but the commentary of Siragusa is really annoying, and Johnston, while less annoying, isn't really providing real insight. (If I have to listen to one more comment about how much confidence the Saints offence has, then I'm gonna puke)
I think NFL broadcasts should just wake-up and realize that three-man booths are exasperating to listen to, and go back to traditional two-man booths......
Thursday, January 05, 2012
The Best Subway System in the World
I've been to my share of places, and usually, when exploring, I make use of the public transportation system. I now declare, hands-down that Madrid has the best subway system in the world.
Totally unexpected if you ask me.....Spain is not exactly known for efficiency and punctuality, yet the extensive system, which covers a large area was amazing. The stations were clean, the system unified, the electronic ticketing system easy, and the most I ever had to wait for a subway was 3 minutes. And it only costs 1.50 Euro for a single ticket, and 9.30 for 10 trips!
It has many lines, that intersect in useful places, and even has a circular line (Line 6), which encircles the downtown area in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions.
It really was a treat to take the metro in Madrid, it walks away with the best subway system in the world!! (For sure it kicks Toronto's ass, speaking of which Toronto may have one of the worst systems in the world, as far as I can tell)
Totally unexpected if you ask me.....Spain is not exactly known for efficiency and punctuality, yet the extensive system, which covers a large area was amazing. The stations were clean, the system unified, the electronic ticketing system easy, and the most I ever had to wait for a subway was 3 minutes. And it only costs 1.50 Euro for a single ticket, and 9.30 for 10 trips!
It has many lines, that intersect in useful places, and even has a circular line (Line 6), which encircles the downtown area in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions.
It really was a treat to take the metro in Madrid, it walks away with the best subway system in the world!! (For sure it kicks Toronto's ass, speaking of which Toronto may have one of the worst systems in the world, as far as I can tell)
Friday, December 16, 2011
About time....
It's about time that airlines in Canada stop deceiving travelers with their fare advertising given the new regulations. Entirely misleading, advertising fares without service charges and taxes and extra fees, the advertised fare can be at times a third of the real price.
The only question is why this took so long to implement?
The only question is why this took so long to implement?
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
CERN webcast
Here's an excerpt of what I view as a funny conversation:
friend: so who was that KFC guy on the webcast?
me: what do you mean?
friend: you know, that Colonel Sanders guy?
me: oh, you mean the Director-General of CERN?!
friend: so who was that KFC guy on the webcast?
me: what do you mean?
friend: you know, that Colonel Sanders guy?
me: oh, you mean the Director-General of CERN?!
Friday, November 11, 2011
Corporate Christmas
One thing I really find sad is North America's two month obsession with Christmas. After Hallow'een, shopping malls break out Christmas decorations, and we are bombarded with commercials about Christmas gifts, and one has to listen to incessant Christmas carols.
Two months of this stuff! This is one sixth of the entire year! Come on, isn't there anything else that corporations can concentrate on, other than spoiling a once quaint and nice traditional holiday?
Two months of this stuff! This is one sixth of the entire year! Come on, isn't there anything else that corporations can concentrate on, other than spoiling a once quaint and nice traditional holiday?
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Charles Dickens Classics?
I'm sorry, maybe I'm just an uncultured brute, who doesn't appreciate the subtleties and artistry of the 19th century English authors like Charles Dickens and his contemporaries....
But really, after reading a few pages of Great Expectations or a Tale of Two Cities, I have to say: those books are really, really boring. I'm not sure how they got to be venerated as classics of English Literature, but I have to say that 19th century English Literature has no way of competing with 19th century French Literature, or 20th century English Literature.
I'll read Catch-22 or For Whom the Bell Tolls instead anyday.......
But really, after reading a few pages of Great Expectations or a Tale of Two Cities, I have to say: those books are really, really boring. I'm not sure how they got to be venerated as classics of English Literature, but I have to say that 19th century English Literature has no way of competing with 19th century French Literature, or 20th century English Literature.
I'll read Catch-22 or For Whom the Bell Tolls instead anyday.......
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Tap water in Germany
So the tap water is very clean in Germany. Why can't they just give people tap water in restaurants, or at least not look at you funny, when you order tap water? Water is the most natural thing to drink!!
In North America, most restaurants will bring a glass of tap water right away, and if they don't, asking for water is no problem. In France, ordering a "carafe d'eau" is also quite normal.
Why do Germans think that ordering "Leitungswasser" is weird? What's with them and their stupid carbonated water, anyway?
In North America, most restaurants will bring a glass of tap water right away, and if they don't, asking for water is no problem. In France, ordering a "carafe d'eau" is also quite normal.
Why do Germans think that ordering "Leitungswasser" is weird? What's with them and their stupid carbonated water, anyway?
Friday, October 07, 2011
Monday, October 03, 2011
Mi Vida Loca
BBC's video course Mi Vida Loca is really one of the most well-designed introductory courses I have seen.....whoever designed it really did a top notch job.
The course enables you to practice listening and speaking, in an interactive way, in the context of a mystery storyline that takes place in Spain. With the suspense, it motivates you to keep going to the next lesson, to find out what happens. With the video, you also see nice pictures of Madrid, the Spanish countryside, and the Canary islands. You practice things like checking into a hotel, renting a car, ordering in a restaurant, and buying groceries in a marketplace, all in an interactive way.
An interactive phrasebook helps teach you the things you need to say, and you can click for reminders as well (in the event that you forget what you need to say). Helpful phrases are written and spoken for you, and you can click again to hear it multiple times, and toggle back and forth between Spanish spellings and English equivalents.
At the end of each unit, there's a review that's also interactive, that takes you through grammar, vocabulary, and additional practice. You learn the language in its natural context, and rather than feeling forced, you are able to pick up useful phrases without bland and repititious memorization.
I highly recommend it. You know those Taiwanese methods of learning languages? The ones that make those poor students do countless grammar exercises without focusing on real conversation and real-life situations? The ones that result in Taiwanese kids not being able to say a single word, because they are too afraid to express themselves in the foreign language?
This is the exact opposite. Language learning made fun, and effective - in real-life useful and interesting contexts, rather than bland grammar and memory lessons. Kudos to the BBC!
The course enables you to practice listening and speaking, in an interactive way, in the context of a mystery storyline that takes place in Spain. With the suspense, it motivates you to keep going to the next lesson, to find out what happens. With the video, you also see nice pictures of Madrid, the Spanish countryside, and the Canary islands. You practice things like checking into a hotel, renting a car, ordering in a restaurant, and buying groceries in a marketplace, all in an interactive way.
An interactive phrasebook helps teach you the things you need to say, and you can click for reminders as well (in the event that you forget what you need to say). Helpful phrases are written and spoken for you, and you can click again to hear it multiple times, and toggle back and forth between Spanish spellings and English equivalents.
At the end of each unit, there's a review that's also interactive, that takes you through grammar, vocabulary, and additional practice. You learn the language in its natural context, and rather than feeling forced, you are able to pick up useful phrases without bland and repititious memorization.
I highly recommend it. You know those Taiwanese methods of learning languages? The ones that make those poor students do countless grammar exercises without focusing on real conversation and real-life situations? The ones that result in Taiwanese kids not being able to say a single word, because they are too afraid to express themselves in the foreign language?
This is the exact opposite. Language learning made fun, and effective - in real-life useful and interesting contexts, rather than bland grammar and memory lessons. Kudos to the BBC!
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Zum Storchen
Schmidhofen is a little community about 3 km south from Bad Krozingen, but surprisingly, there's a Michelin starred restaurant there, called Zum Storchen.
Excellent food, here's what we were able to sample....
Betty's appetizer: Gebratenes Zanderfilet auf Rotkrautsalat Apfelvinaigrette
and her main dish: Entrecote vom Schwarzwälder Färsenrind mit weißer Pfeffersauce, Schnippelbohnen und Schupfnudeln
A nice way to spend a Sunday lunch!
Betty's appetizer: Gebratenes Zanderfilet auf Rotkrautsalat Apfelvinaigrette
My appetizer: Variation von hausgemachter Gänseleberterrine, Blätterteigtarte mit Zwetschgen
and Betty's in-between course: Perlhuhntortellini auf Kürbisragout mit Petersilienwurzelpüree
and her main dish: Entrecote vom Schwarzwälder Färsenrind mit weißer Pfeffersauce, Schnippelbohnen und Schupfnudeln
while I was able to feast on: Filet vom Schwarzwälder Bauernkalb auf geschmortem Kalbschwanz, Vichykarotten und Schupfnudeln
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Dad: Cheese Lover Extraordinaire!
Not only are they tapas fans, and not only is Mom a beer guzzler, but Dad is a Cheese-Head Maniac!
How else do you explain his fondue cravings in Chamonix?
And Tapas too?
And who'd've thought that they're also big tapas fans as well?!!!
Casa Espanola in Freiburg.......good place to go for tapas cravings....
Sunday, September 04, 2011
Mom and Beer
Here's Mom again, drinking huge amounts of beer......
We never knew that she was such a Beer guzzler.....
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Another Black Forest Secret
We took the Höllentalbahn to Schluchsee, and hiked about 2 km away from there, where a nice lookout tower was built.....called the Riesenbühlturm.
What a great view of the Fischbachtal and the Schluchsee - moreover, we were the only three people there! Away from the tourist throngs at the Titisee.....it just goes to show, if you're willing to hike 2 km, you can reach some great gems, with hardly a soul in sight, especially in the Black Forest.
What a great view of the Fischbachtal and the Schluchsee - moreover, we were the only three people there! Away from the tourist throngs at the Titisee.....it just goes to show, if you're willing to hike 2 km, you can reach some great gems, with hardly a soul in sight, especially in the Black Forest.
Rain in Graubünden
Look at these two courageous souls, braving the wind and rain in Graubünden. Are these hard core hikers or what?
Honestly, I've never been to Graubünden before, but from their description, we should be putting this place on the list.....it's a nice place, with less North American / Asian tourists....rather, it seems to be frequented by European hiking enthusiasts, who are much less insufferable ;)
Honestly, I've never been to Graubünden before, but from their description, we should be putting this place on the list.....it's a nice place, with less North American / Asian tourists....rather, it seems to be frequented by European hiking enthusiasts, who are much less insufferable ;)
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Schwarzer Adler
In the midst of the Kaiserstuhl in a little town called Vogtsburg, lies a nice restaurant called the Schwarzer Adler:
A great restaurant, recognized with a Michelin star......the meat was oh, so tender.....
Three of us went for a lunch on a Saturday afternoon, and look what we ordered.
This came with a set menu: Stück aus dem Vorderwälder Rinderrücken mit Spätburgundersauce, Bohnen & gebackenem Kartoffelknödel
and some Lamb: Filet vom deutschen Weidelamm mit Gremolata Paprika-Tomaten-Mousse, Artischocken und Parisienne-Kartoffeln
This one was the best of them all: Filet "Rossini" vom Kaiserstühler Kalb mit einer Sauce von schwarzen Périgord-Trüffeln Blattspinat und Kartoffelravioli
A great restaurant, recognized with a Michelin star......the meat was oh, so tender.....
Three of us went for a lunch on a Saturday afternoon, and look what we ordered.
This came with a set menu: Stück aus dem Vorderwälder Rinderrücken mit Spätburgundersauce, Bohnen & gebackenem Kartoffelknödel
and some Lamb: Filet vom deutschen Weidelamm mit Gremolata Paprika-Tomaten-Mousse, Artischocken und Parisienne-Kartoffeln
This one was the best of them all: Filet "Rossini" vom Kaiserstühler Kalb mit einer Sauce von schwarzen Périgord-Trüffeln Blattspinat und Kartoffelravioli
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