Guest Post - Photo Tour: A Blink On Japan

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Japan. A country currently under so much pain and uncertainty. Despite its unfriendly climate, I've always felt attracted to it. Mainly because of its architecture, it really fascinates me. From my point of view, the country seems to have so many peculiarities - not only the known ones, like sushi, sake and zen gardens, but also less obvious ones, such as their built-in bidet systems or their art of preparing fugu (a very poisonous blowfish). 

Anyway, since I can't go to Japan right now, I brought Japan to my blog in means of my first ever Guest Post! Today's guest blogger is Lauren. She's the proud creator and owner of The Blog You're About to Read, where she usually writes about random topics with a touch of humor - I'd recommend you to check it out! Lauren went to Japan last year with her family, for her brother's wedding and this is what she found... enjoy the photo tour!

Las year I went on a trip to Japan for my brothers' wedding. In Japan, most weddings are in the afternoon and are immediately followed by the reception. After the wedding we changed back into our street clothes and headed for the subway to return to our hotel - on foot. My brother led us to a local street fair. These are very colorful, and consist mainly of a lot of different food choices, games, hand-made jewelry and all kind of sweet treats. 

At the end of the street fair, we came out to a busy street intersection. 

Even the most regular buildings were interesting to see, because of their unique architecture. 

After walking for a while, we found our way down to the subway...

...and rode to the hotel after this wonderful day. During the following days, we visited other beautiful sights of the country. The day we went shopping, we found a plaza full of blooming cherry trees. 

On another day, we visited the Osaka Aquarium, one of the country's most spectacular aquariums, and...

...afterwards rode on a huge ferris wheel in Odaiba - which reached 115m height. 

At the end of our trip, we went hiking up to see a beautiful waterfall. 

Aside from some difficulties I had on my flight home, we all had a wonderful trip. At times, it was frustrating not being able to communicate with locals since I do not speak Japanese. But most of the time, we were fine - my brother was an excellent personal translator. 

Now head over to Lauren's blog to see what else she's got!

April Challenge: Blog Spring Cleaning

Vineyards in Lavaux region, Switzerland

I've realized that over the last few months the number of readers increased a lot compared to my 2010 levels and wanted to first thank you a lot for reading!  

While some of you may have started the annual spring cleaning at home, I'm taking a new challenge: 

I'm going to clean up my blog and, oh, my social media life in general. 

From simple tasks such as changing passwords and updating the list of pages I've registered into (I'd recommend you guys do this from time to time, too - it's good to know who's got information on you) to more time consuming changes, such as creating my own domain, transferring my posts, comments and followers successfully and coming up with a new web design. I think I've got some work to do, right?

Anyway, what implications does this have? If you're following me on Facebook, Twitter or are subscribes to my RSS feed, there should be no problem problems. Even using Google Friend Connect should be ok - it's just an additional widget. I'm a bit more concerned about the reader I get from google searches, but I'm sure I'll figure that out. 

My own domain!

I've got so excited that I've already purchased my domain and installed wordpress. This will make it much easier to find, as I'm switching over to www [dot] 100mileshighway [dot] com !! In case you're wondering, I've used Bluehost to buy my custom domain and set up a hosting account - I felt attracted to the fact that they have 24/7 technical support (which by they way, I've already made use of - and up to now, I'm happy with their service). 

Redesign

About the blog design or, well, theme, I haven't made up my mind yet. There are just too many options available! The first theme that comes to my mind is Thesis (the one that everyone uses and everyone recommends) - but I have a really limited knowledge of webpages and I'm afraid I would no be able to hold up it - I may just need something simple. I am considering a theme which is more suitable for highlighting my pictures... Do you have any recommendations?

New features

The content will stay the same, although I've been thinking about adding two new features (both related to travel and expat life), but I'll give you more information on this when the time is right. In any case, I would only start working on this once my transfer to Wordpress and the new blog design is all set up. 

These are the major changes that will take place during the next couple of weeks of spring around my blog. I will still post continuously (now I only hope that you'll be informed about that!). 

Do you have any plans on spring cleaning your blog this year? 

Oh and btw. I guest posted at Christine's blog, Christine in Spain, about the different alternative plans for Tenerife, Canary Islands (besides for the sun and fiesta, of course), go and see!

What Makes an Unforgettable Music Festival

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Source: Flickr

It was July 2009. My first (but hopefully not last) massive music festival. We had two tents for 6 people, and had shopped enough to feed and drink 50 others. I arrived later than the rest, I came straight from having my interview in Switzerland for my current job. I stood at the entry of the festival in a silk dress and heels, hoping that one of my friends could make his way out and hand me over a more suitable outfit. After about 30 minutes, my friend arrived without any kind of attire. Oh, well. Who needs clothes anyway. 

We left my business stuff in the car and I walked into the crowds wearing his T-Shirt - hey, it was long enough to be a dress! 

The next four days were wild. I had never lived in such bad conditions, and I'm seriously not sure if I'd do it again. But it surely brought some moments that I will never forget. 

Stay up until dawn

On the first night, I stayed up until the sun rose. Doing what? Well, dancing to techno music in an alternative tent, faking interviews to anyone around and trading beer for a portable BBQ.

Survive a fire and a hurricane (all on the same day)

Ok, you got me. It wasn't really a hurricane. But on the second day of the festival, the wind started to pick up and this caused something like the end of the world. One of the stages fell apart, all concerts were cancelled for the rest of the evening, the camping place was a big mess with people having lost their tents, metal structures having fallen apart and toilets turned over. To make things even worse, a fire started near the camping and was quickly approaching us. But hey, we survived the night! We slept in the cars and our tents stayed in its place because of the 50 beers we had stored inside. Clever, I know. 

Drink hot beer

It was a great idea to store the beers and the food in our tent. But we should have thought about bringing along a cooler. Benicassim is located on the spanish mediterranean coast side, where temperatures in July usually range 35ºC - 42ºC, already starting early in the morning. A tent amplifies this heat even more - which is why I lived in a bikini to run to the cold showers every morning at 7:00am and go back to lie on the towel, and also is why our beers tasted like hot tea with bubbles. Cheers!

Fall asleep in a rock concert

I like The Killers. I had already seen them live in Germany a couple of years back. But when it was time for their show, on the last evening, I fell asleep while standing in the crowds. I'm not sure how long I slept. I just know that Jenny was a friend of mine woke me up and brought me back to life!

Join hundreds of people dancing a waltz

After surviving The Killers and Rinôcérôse (without needing another nap), while the technicians were removing the equipment from the Green Stage, a waltz started to play and hundreds of people began to dance to its tunes (me included, of course). It was definitely my favorite part of the whole festival. 

Have you ever been to a festival? What made it unforgettable?

Want to see more pictures of Festival Internacional de Benicassim? Check out their Flickr Group!

Friday's Five - Another 5 Latin-American Expressions I've Mastered at Work

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I usually don't talk a lot about my job in my blog. Really. However, in last few months I've been given an increasing amount of responsibility and, now that the deadline is near - I'm even dreaming of work (and that's when you know you've got a problem). Fortunately, I don't usually have nightmares related to work (except for one on which I drove to a meeting and feel down a bridge right into the lake and got trapped in sea weed *shudder*). 

Anyway, give that I couldn't fit all of my newly adopted vocabulary in on my last Friday's Five, consider today's post a completion of my literate expansion at work. 

1. Hinchar. Literally: to inflate. It is commonly used when something or someone is getting on your nerves, like the continuous actualizations you are asked to install every morning when you turn on your computer. Well, that's actually not that bad - as I take that time to prepare my morning coffee. The same is used when you're concentrated on work, trying to meet a short deadline and someone is loudly chatting just next to you. 
2. Dar Bola / Dar Pelota. To take someone seriously or pay attention to someone. As in "No le des bola" (meaning something like "Don't give a shit") - Someone telling me not to give shit about someone else's comments or arguments. 
3. Pajero. Besides for being a Mitsubishi car model, pajero also means wanker (which explains why Mitsubishi changed its name for spanish-speaking countries). However, nowadays it's used as a light insult to someone lazy. As per this definition and working in a fast paced industry, you can get a picture of how many pajeros I have to deal with every day.
4. Forro. If someone is a forro, he's a betrayer. Someone who won't help you if you ask for it, a person you can't trust. I'm happy to say that I haven't encountered many of these yet, but colleagues did. If I ever cross paths with one, I'll know what he is!
5. Quilombo. A big mess. Used when there is a large number of people copied in an e-mail chain that seems to have no beginning and no end. Also, when someone sends a revised document without using Word's mark up option but doing it all manually, or when there have been so many changes that it's impossible to follow a line of action anymore. Yes, this is the word one I use more frequently (together with pelotudo). 

Have you heard of any of these before? 

Outlining Lac Léman (Switzerland)

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Lac Léman (aka. Geneva Lake)

On Sunday, I woke up early - the sun was shining on my face. It was the first day of spring and it felt great! After lunch, I took the chance to discover my city and its surroundings by taking a walk along the lake towards Montreux. 

Montreux is 27 kms away from where I live, which was quite optimistic for a random Sunday afternoon. I told myself I'd walk until I got hungry, tired or cold. And so my walk began.

First signs of Spring

The path next to the Lake

The little Port of Lutry 

After 11 kms outlining the lake, when I reached the center of Cully, I wasn't tired nor hungry. However, the sun wasn't as warm as it was after lunch and a cold breeze was coming through my light spring attire. Turns out that a clear sky and bright sun in march does not automatically mean you can unpack your swimsuit, at least not in Switzerland! 

When the sun comes out, its nice to be a tourist in your own city or region. Walk. Take pictures. See what surrounds you with different eyes, don't just assume that you've seen it already. Fall in love with your city (again). I really recommend it.

Have you ever tried being a tourist in your city or region? Have you grabbed your camera and searched for this alternative angle?

Want to see more pictures of my walk from Lausanne to Cully? Visit my Flickr Gallery!

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring!

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View of Matterhorn - In Zermatt, Switzerland

This winter was a tough one. 

Switzerland experienced a very heavy snow fall back in November and December, the  strongest I had ever seen. Luckily, Switzerland is prepared for these kind of snow attacks - at the time I left to work, streets and walking paths were already cleared! I was amazed to see parents pulling their kids' sledges on the way to the market, or even people taking out their skis to ski in the park. There were people skiing, sledging and snowboarding down Le Petite Chêne (check from minute 1:00 onwards), a very steep pedestrian street in Lausanne. This was, in fact, what encouraged me to take snowboarding lessons this year - I want to be one of those people next time there's the chance to slide down a path!

Then, of course, Switzerland's cold winter wasn't enough for me - I wanted something more extreme and headed over to New York for the snowmageddon this January, where temperatures reached -18ºC. That was the coldest I had ever felt so far and I'm not sure if I could ever stand lower temperatures than than those ones (I'm not quite sure if I want to try out). This turns Winter 2010/2011 into the most extreme winter I've survived so far. This wasn't easy coming from an island where temperatures are around 25ºC all year round. 

Although I've now been in Switzerland for one and a half years, I think I've only learned now how to appreciate and profit from its winter. And I'm going to miss it (did I really just write that?).

What's Spring going to bring to me?

Flower in Tenerife, Canary Islands

I'm obviously also excited about spring. Spring means flowers, bright skies, green fields, and people drinking and eating on terraces. A lot of Switzerland's attractions and hiking trails that will reopen during spring as well and my mission this spring is to get the most out of it. I want to really immerse in the country's culture and enjoy its natural landscapes so, unless weather is very bad, you can expect more posts on Switzerland coming in the next couple of months!

I'll obviously continue with my usual travels around Europe - next stops are Frankfurt and Düsseldorf this upcoming week, and Tenerife in about a month from now, so there will be no time for getting bored!

Do you have any plans for spring? 

What are you specially looking forward to this spring?

The Unexpected Switzerland

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What first pops into your mind when you think about Switzerland? 

You may think of skiing in the Alps, followed by some hot cheese fondue. Maybe you first thing is chocolate, cows and Heidi running down a green meadow. People carrying army knifes with any possible application (yes, there are gourmet army knifes just to cut food and open wine and beer bottles, in case you were wondering!). Or maybe what you think of is luxury - expensive watches and lots of private bank accounts. And bankers, obviously - lot's and lot's of bankers. 

Well, I'm not going to write about what you already know. There's so much more to Switzerland than the cheese, army knifes and watches! 

The Lakes

A View from Lausanne on Lac Leman (unofficially known as "Lake Geneva")

Switzerland encompasses a huge diversity of landscapes on only little more than 41,200 km2, ranging from 195 m to 4,634m above sea level. No wonder that, besides for having some of the greatest mountain scenery Worldwide it also houses a surprising amount of lakes. There are more than 1,500 lakes spread across the country, although only 16 of them are larger than 10 km2 (being Lac Léman the largest one).  

Wherever you are, you will surely not be far from a lake. During summer, Switzerland's lakes are flooded with sailing boats that go out to enjoy the late afternoon and watch the sunset on the quiet water. When I first moved here, I wondered why someone would own a boat in Switzerland when you couldn't get anywhere with it. But now I've learned that for the swiss it's not about going somewhere, but about enjoying quality of life - which includes drinking wine on a sailing boat watching the sun set behind the mountains. You can be sure that taking a sailing course this summer is on my bucket list... 

No wonder that Allinghi, Switzerland's yacht racing team, is the two-time winner of the America's Cup, the most prestigious trophy in sailing! 

The Wines

Lavaux Region and its Vineyards kissed by the afternoon sun 

When thinking about Switzerland, very few minds (if any) will picture a country of wine. Lying in the shadow of its neighbors, France and Italy, swiss wine is almost inexistent outside of the country. Although annual production can reach 150 million bottles, only about 2/100 are exported. Putting this into perspective: with a population of 7 million people, each person would consume 21 bottles of swiss wine per year. This turns Switzerland one of the top wine consuming countries Worldwide!

The country houses around 20,000 winegrowers many of which have small productions that serve personal use. It's not rare to meet people who own a little vineyard in the back of their house, specially in Canton Vaud. 

Switzerland may have several wine growing areas, but my favorite one is Lavaux Vineyards  which besides from producing high quality white wine, it offers one of the greatest views of Lac Léman and the Alps. 

The Cheese

A whole variety of cheese

Ok, cheese might be nothing new to you about Switzerland. But when you google swiss cheese, you get more than 3 million imagines, out of which most of them are of the cheese with the holes in it. Yes, that's a swiss cheese. It's called Emmentaler. But this is only one of the more than 450 varieties of cheese this country has to offer!

Other swiss cheese you may have come across in supermarkets worldwide are Raclette cheese, Gruyère and Appenzeller. Most of the cheese is made out of cow milk, but you can also find it made of goat milk or sheep milk. Every region has its own local cheese. One of my favorites from the canton Vaud is Tomme Fleurette, which is made out of raw milk (a real speciality). Swiss cheese range all prices imaginable and can be filled or topped with fine herbs, mushroom mousse, pepper, or truffles (among many others). And believe me, the truffle one - delicious!

Did you know about these facts on Switzerland?

Which were / are your preconceptions about Switzerland?

Don't forget to hop over to Happy Homemaker UK to  enjoy more expat posts all over the World!

Not That Kind of Traveler

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A Gourmet Weekend
 with friends in Huelva, Spain

During my trips, I came across many ways of traveling. Hostels are mostly visited by backpackers, as it is a great way of getting to know more people in the same situation. Flashpackers may also be found in some hostels, but will probably prefer the peacefulness and individuality of a Bed & Breakfast. There are tourists for which traveling equals vacation, which again equals to lying under a palm tree at the beach, with an unlimited source of caipirinhas, taking a cruise across the Caribbean or any other activity that doesn't involve taking many decisions. And then , of course, there is the luxurious traveler who wants and will combine comfort and adventure, no matter the price. Examples for this may be some luxury safaris or spending two weeks sailing. 

Obviously, these are only a few types of travelers - There are many more. Each of them are equally considered traveling. 

I've been each of the above at some point. But after I came back from Edinburgh, I realized that my traveling has evolved in the last two years, and now is difficult to classify in any of the above. A couple of months back, I thought I was a Flashpacker. I traveled on a budget and didn't mind spending part of it on tasting local food, but I do not like to travel with my laptop. It distracts me. Maybe I'd do so if I traveled for months, but since the longest I'm away is 3 weeks, I'd rather spend those 3 weeks doing anything else but staring at Blogger and Facebook. 

This has got me wondering: Is it even possible to put travelers into categories? 

A Cultural Weekend
Inside a Parador, in La Granja de San Ildefonso, Spain

I don't think so. If you're like me, you don't follow a pattern. You don't always travel to all inclusive resorts or look for the ultimate party hostel. Some times you spend more, other times you spend less. One holiday may be a Spring Break kind of vacation, other times you may prefer to enjoy a peaceful meal in cafe around the corner. One day, you may feel adventurous and want to try something local, another day, you'll search for a familiar taste.

What makes traveling so unique is that it is practically made for everyone. It's just a matter of finding what suits your own preferences and budget at any time. 

Backpacking Mexico
Coolest Hippy Hostel in Zipolite, Mexico

Do you believe in travel categories? If so, in which one would you include yourself?

Photo Essay: Extraordinary Colors of Edinburgh

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Evening Light in Edinburgh

Whoever said that it always rains in Scotland was probably right. But for an adventurous traveler, this shouldn't be an obstacle, right? Despite Edinburgh's bad weather last weekend, I got myself on my feet to make my way through this mysterious city. 

I must admit that, when I glanced outside the hostel's window and saw the snow, the simple thought of spending the saturday jumping from cafe in cafe felt really appealing. 

Soon after, the snow turned into rain, which made things even worse. How could it rain the only day I had in Edinburgh? (Ok, I know; this seemed less obvious when it only was in my head). After debating if I should simply order another warm coffee and keep on watching people suffer outside in the cold, I decided that I wasn't going to let weather come in my way.  

And I'm glad I did so. During my walk through the city's streets and alleys, I realized that rain suits to Edinburgh - It emphasizes the city's charm and character, and deepens its multiple colors. 

Little Alley starting on the Royal Mile

Edinburgh's Multiple Cafes and Bars

Wet street path reflecting the shops lights

I usually prefer classic buildings to eco-modern structures - the kind of structures you learn about in University - and Edinburgh's stone paths and buildings with colorful bars, restaurants and shops on the ground floor are like food for my eyes. Despite the rain, I couldn't stop smiling. 

For today, some facts that will hopefully open your mind to this beautiful and mysterious city.

1. In October 2004, Edinburgh became the first UNESCO City of Literature. Its world-famous authors include JM Barrie (Peter Pan), Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) and Kenneth Grahame (Wind in the Willows).
2. Greyfriars Bobby is the bust of a dog (as well as the name of the bar in front of it), who spent 14 years guarding his master's grave in Greyfrienrs Kirkyard back in the 19th century. This is probably one of the most photographed monuments in the city!
3. Edinburgh's Old and New Town were announced as Wolrd Heritages 15 years ago. 
4. The Royal Mile deceived its name because it's a mile long street with two royal buildings on each end - on one side, Edinburgh Castle, on the other, Holyroodhouse Palace 
5. Edinburgh's Castle stands on the plug of an extinct volcano. After, the force of a glacial erosion created a crag and tail formation - being The Castle Rock the crag and the Royal Mile, the tail

What about you: Have you been to Edinburgh? What do you think about tourism when it rains?

Want to see more pictures of Edinburgh? Visit my Flickr Gallery!

Oh! And by the way, lovely Lauren from The Blog You're About to Read just hosted a guest post of mine about My homeland, Tenerife!

Friday's Five - 5 Latin-American Expressions I've Mastered at Work

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When weighting a job, I give a lot of importance to the work atmosphere. And that, precisely, was something that really caught me when I was interviewed by my present employer - Many of my colleagues were spanish speakers (mostly argentinians and chileans)! This made it easier for me to decide to settle down in a country where I did not speak the language. They have helped me out, cheered me up and have made me feel a tiny little bit closer to home. 

I've realized that, during this year and a half, I have not only learned about the business itself and its technicalities, but I've also been exposed to a whole new range of regional vocabulary that has slowly grown into my day to day expressions. I guess that's one of the advantages of an international work environment - We unconsciously learn a new language (or in my case, a new slang!). 

The following words are now part of my daily vocabulary:

1. Cachafaz. Someone cheeky, shameless and impertinent. Often used to refer to the counterparty, when it comes up with an unacceptable condition or price in an ongoing negotiation. 
2. Pelotudo. A dumbass. Used to describe yourself when you realize that you've left to lunch break without your wallet or that you forgot an important appointment. 
3. Che. Che is used to call a friend. It's almost a habit to start every question with a "Che" now. If I don't, the sentence feels empty!
4. Poronga. Now this one is tricky, and shouldn't be used too liberally as it has a double meaning. Let's just say, I use it as a derogatory comment - to high-hat something, such as the excel model that I had been working on for hours and suddenly turns the expected result into one fat error. 
5. Boludo. If you are a boludo, you are not very bright, pretty dumb or just plain clueless. However, it's also used among friends, without being offensive. Mainly used... well, all the time. 

What about you? Have you acquired some "foreign" words into your daily vocabulary?

Photo Essay: Little Havana, Miami

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Calle 8, Little Havana - Miami

Besides for the beaches, the art deco buildings and the huge shopping malls, Miami is known for its multicultural essence. When I visited Miami back in December 2009, I knew I wanted to take a walk through Little Havana, which has been home for many cubans (and other hispanic cultures) that escaped Castro's regime. 


Little Havana is geographically and culturally close to Cuba. It's architecture is nothing to be compared to La Habana's colonial buildings, but the essence of the country is still latent among the locals - men playing domino and chess in one of the neighborhoods parks, paintings representing Cuba's starts, and a constant smell of cuban cigars coming out of every corner. It all transported me to another time, another place. 

Cuban Cigars

Man smoking cigar and, in the background, men playing domino and chess

Colorful Wall paintings with Cuba's most international artists (including Celia Cruz and Tito Puente)

Although we stayed for a short time, it gave me many thoughts on the history of Cuba - US relations. But don't worry, I won't get all political on this. Instead, I've prepared 5 things you may not know about Miami's Little Havana:

1. In recent years, Little Havana has received many Nicaraguan immigrants and now has an area called Little Managua, in a tribute to the Nicaraguan capital.
2. The US biggest street party (and one of the biggest Worldwide) takes place in Calle Ocho. The Festival de la Calle Ocho is 15 blocks long and takes places this sunday 13th of March. 
3. In 1998, The Festival de la Calle Ocho set history in the Guinness World Records for the longest conga line, which contained almost 120,000 people. 
4. Little Havana has stands with Cuban Coffee, which looks like espresso but has a sweeter taste. This should not be mistaken with Cuba's arabica production, which is, by many, considered one of the best coffees Worldwide. Unfortunately, this coffee is exported to other countries and cuban import a cheaper one for their own consumption.
5. Last Friday of each month, Little Havana celebrates "Viernes Cultural", which is an artistic, cultural and social arts fair that offers visitors diverse flavors of the Latin community. 

Have you visited Little Havana in Miami? Which were your impressions?