by C.D. Gill | Oct 29, 2014 | Blog, Culture
Since 1902, New Zealand has had its current flag to symbolize their nation. Adopted around the time of the South African War, New Zealand’s 1902 version replaced the Union Jack that was being flown over the country since the mid-1800s. These days New Zealand is...
by C.D. Gill | Oct 22, 2014 | Blog, Culture
Have you ever gotten so excited about learning a new language that you went out and decided to plunge in immersion style? You really wanted to learn Chinese so you went to China-town and sat in a sushi bar for hours trying to make some sense of what people are saying...
by C.D. Gill | Oct 21, 2014 | Blog, Travel
While boarding an international flight, I’ve often eyed others wondering what type of infectious diseases they carried that could be passed on to me in the space of an 8-hour flight complete with recycled air. Paranoid? Absolutely. But you know the kind...
by C.D. Gill | Oct 20, 2014 | Blog, Exotic Foods, Travel
Cafe du Monde is world famous for their French beignets. Beignet means doughnut in French. It’s fried dough covered in powdered sugar. When we first sat down at Cafe du Monde, we were unimpressed with the lack of menu. It’s not your typical cafe. All Cafe...
by C.D. Gill | Oct 16, 2014 | Blog, Travel
Can we all just pause for a moment and realize that Katrina was in 2005… almost 10 years ago!!! Yet there are still obvious reminders of the devastation that rocked New Orleans’s world. Trees are bent. Roofs are patched. Water lines are still visible on...
by C.D. Gill | Oct 10, 2014 | Blog, Culture, Travel
A recent news article sparked my interest in banned dog breeds across the world. While the US doesn’t have a country-wide breed ban in place, a lot of countries do. Canada, for example, is considering law but only has laws on a province-by-province basis. Below...
by C.D. Gill | Oct 7, 2014 | Blog, Travel
Early this year, I came upon an amazing discovery (albeit online)–rainbow-colored mountains. How this has been so hidden I have no idea. When looking at the mountains, you might mistake it for the picture your kids painted you last week. Except it’s real....
by C.D. Gill | Oct 3, 2014 | Culture, Travel
Here for your reading pleasure is another round of Jumbled Jargon– words that mean something different in the UK than they do in the US. Have you had any joy? I have my father-in-law to thank for introducing me to this phrase. My husband got a good laugh at me...
by C.D. Gill | Sep 30, 2014 | Blog, Culture, Travel
Getting the bill at the end of your meal in a restaurant is a process we often take for granted. We understand how we do it where we live so that is how we do it everywhere else we go. 1. In North America (yes that includes you, Canada), the waiter or waitress will...
by C.D. Gill | Sep 25, 2014 | Blog
Guess what–India is on Mars. For the first time in space history, India claims a coveted title–“the first time a maiden voyage to Mars has entered orbit successfully and it is the cheapest,” BBC news says. What are they looking for? Martian...
by C.D. Gill | Sep 19, 2014 | Blog, Culture
In honor of the Better Together campaign succeeding and Scotland not leaving the UK. Here’s 10 things you didn’t know about the Queen. You know you love the monarchy for no other reason than because it’s fascinating. Share...
by C.D. Gill | Sep 17, 2014 | Blog, Culture
With one day to go, the world is watching the tension ramp up in Scotland before they vote on Thursday to potentially leave the UK. Big deal, you say? Scotland has been a part of the UK since its inception in 1707. You know all those history books who just glibly...
