These are a few of my favourite things: wine and spicy South Asian food
This week, the blogosphere was so busy with stories and photos about so many things I love and/or dream about that it was like people were posting just for me. And so, in the name of totally self-absorbed blogging, this weekend’s roundup has a theme: Me!
My favourite food: Thai
The Fearful Adventurer’s photo essay on Thai cuisine has me fantasizing about pad thai. And coconut soup. And red curry. And mango salad. And, OMG, somebody order me some sticky rice right now!
My favourite drink: Coffee
Wanderlass’s hunt for Alamid coffee – the world’s most expensive coffee – on Mt. Malarayat in the Philippines sounds amazing. I’m rarely without a coffee or tea in-hand, so I’d love to try the stuff… I think. I’m still trying to decide if I’m ready to drink poop.
My favourite school subject: Languages
I’ve always loved learning new languages. In school, French and Spanish were by far my best subjects, and I’ve always regretted not learning more. And while I try to use my French and Spanish when I travel, I’m usually too self-conscious, afraid of butchering the language and/or saying something ridiculous – like LegalNomads’ awesome flub in Thailand. Thankfully, the closest I’ve ever come to a similar faux pas is wearing a Roots Canada logo in Australia and having my Aussie friends mock me for not knowing what “root” is slang for.
My favourite way to travel: Roadtrip! (Blogger’s Note: the word “roadtrip” must always be pronounced with an exclamation point at the end.)
I deal with a wretched rush hour commute every day (not sure if you’ve heard, but Toronto ranks as having one of the longest commuting times in the world). So, the fact that my ideal vacation involves driving seems absurd. Yet almost all of my favourite travel memories took place in a car – Iceland’s Ring Road, Australia’s Great Ocean Road, driving the desert from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon, roadtripping across northern Ontario, hitchhiking in British Columbia, and breaking down in Australia. And, as Marsha at SingleOccupancy so eloquently writes, there’s something magical about opening yourself to the open road.
My favourite indulgences: Wine and Chocolate
Gasp! There’s a “Chocolate Valley” in Tuscany? And a chocolate festival, too? All with deliciously wonderful Italian reds everywhere for the drinking? Travel Diversions with Doreen, your job sounds dreadfully stressful. If you ever decide you just can’t take another chocolate bite or wine sip, I’ll gladly take on the burden of one of your trips for you.
My favourite dream job: Archaeologist
I wanted to be the female Indiana Jones when I was a kid (okay, actually, I wanted to be Harrison Ford’s girlfriend, and we’d be kick-ass archaeologists together). I took an archaeology course in university and loved it so much I considered switching majors – until I realized I’d probably never discover anything as cool as the Lost Ark or Temple of Doom. But if I had become an archaeologist, how awesome would it have been to discover one of these Ten Most Strange Ancient Objects, courtesy of Cool Pictures?
So that’s what I’m reading. What about you? Any good posts to send me for a weekend escape?
#1 by Lilliane/wanderlass on February 26, 2011 - 12:57 am
Thanks for the inclusion, Tammy. You are ready to try Alamid/Civet Coffee! I cannot afford to drink it on a daily basis but I definitely would from time to time. It is really good though not sure it is worth the price tag, but I’ll be thinking of the coffee pickers when I do. As for the idea of poop. Haha.. u just have to trust water and fire did their job in killing whatever organism you’re afraid of.
#2 by Tammy on February 26, 2011 - 8:42 am
I think I’m ready to try it, too. Can you buy it in North America? If not, it may be time to book a trip to the Philippines…
#3 by Marsha on February 26, 2011 - 5:07 am
Thanks for including me in your roundup Tammy! I’m so happy to have found you! Can’t wait to hear more about your adventures!
#4 by Tammy on February 26, 2011 - 8:45 am
Happy to have found you, too! I love roadtrips, so your post really resonated with me. I’ve never had the courage to do a roadtrip solo, though, so, to me, it’s extra impressive that you covered all those miles on your own.
#5 by shakesyear on February 26, 2011 - 5:09 am
I love that Wanderlass’s hiking guide touted the superiority of free-range Alamids over caged–but don’t let that get out in Brooklyn (or at BlogTO), or we’ll never hear the end of it! The hipsters will go to war over who has the best Alamid beans. Though come to think of it, we could always do with fewer hipsters.
And since genuine Alamid beans are, as the post makes clear, so extraordinarily rare, it’ll be like the time Penn and Teller filled a bunch of fake water bottles from a garden hose, served them in a restaurant, and sat back to watch the customers rave about imaginary minor differences in tap water with all the authority of wine snobs
#6 by Tammy on February 26, 2011 - 8:50 am
I’m actually surprised no coffee shop has come out with an Alamid brew knock-off just so they could jump on the hype and the price.
#7 by shakesyear on February 26, 2011 - 11:29 am
It can only be a matter of time–vendors have been doing that with Blue Mountain and Kona for decades. And I’m sure you know that those mad scientists at the University of Florida have figured out how to make artificial Kopi Luwak. Coming soon to a Crema near you!
#8 by Doreen Pendgracs on February 26, 2011 - 11:16 am
Thanks for including me in your round-up as well, Tammy. What a great idea you’ve come up with! A very individualized approach to the i-papers people are putting out from Twitter. Hope to visit you again here (and on Twitter) soon. And thanks for dropping by my blog. We’ll be having more sumptuous chocolate travels this week (look for the new post on March 1st or 2nd.) Don’t miss it!
#9 by Tammy on February 26, 2011 - 6:27 pm
Well, I can’t actually take credit for the idea, as I stole it from Nathan Bransford’s “This Week in Publishing” posts (http://blog.nathanbransford.com), and I know some other travel writers who do it, too (notably, http://www.SingleOccupancyBlog.com, who does a great “Weekend Intelligence” roundup). Anyway, I figured it was a good way to give some fellow writers some much deserved recognition.
I’ll keep an eye out for your next chocolate post!
#10 by Jane Langille on February 27, 2011 - 2:58 pm
Nice post, Tammy. I also hate driving in the GTA congestion but love a road trip, especially to explore somewhere new. Do they drive on the other side of the road in Australia like in New Zealand?
Funny you mention it, I was researching kopi luwak coffee a week ago for an online article for Best Health called 10 freaky facts about food (posted soon). I couldn’t find any recent Canadian sources or references, so I didn’t include it in the list of strange food facts that make you think twice about ingesting.
#11 by Tammy on February 28, 2011 - 9:29 pm
Yep, they drive on the left in Oz. I was surprised, though, that it wasn’t that difficult to adapt. Once you’re sitting on the opposite side of the car, driving in the opposite lane feels pretty natural. (Although, when it was one of my friends’ turns to drive and she reached her first roundabout, she screamed hysterically.)
You’ll have to let me know when your Best Health post it up.
#12 by George on March 2, 2011 - 3:02 pm
Hey, really great blog post… I’ve enjoyed reading through your blog because of the great style and energy. I actually work for the CheapOair travel blog. If you’re interested, we would love to have you on as a guest blogger. Please send me an e-mail: gchristodoulou(at)cheapoair(dot)com, and I can give you more information. Looking forward to hearing from you.