Dune Bashing in the Arabian Desert

Greetings all!

How about this for a travel idea? “Trade in the concrete of the city for the sand dunes on a Dubai desert safari.” (https://www.localdubaitours.com)

For an exciting, different, and unforgettable travel experience, how about dune bashing in the Arabian Desert! After the ride, you can hop on a camel, watch performances by a whirling dervish and a belly-dancer, and eat some delicious food as the sun sets behind the sand dunes!

Three images above are from

https://www.viator.com/Dubai-tours/Outdoor-Activities/d828-g9

Two images above are from

https://www.localdubaitours.com/dubai-desert-safari

Piece of advice - do not eat before the ride! What did you think? Drop me a line!

Ablaut Reduplication or Why Clocks say ‘Tick-Tock’ and Not ‘Tock-Tick’

Greetings all!

Do you like grammar?! The rules, the logic, the exceptions – the fascinating world of the language! For example, do you now why clocks say ‘tick-tock’ and not ‘tock-tick’? Read on (reprinted from BBC)?

"You are utterly familiar with the rule of ablaut reduplication. You’ve been using it all your life. It’s just that you’ve never heard of it. But if somebody said the words ‘zag-zig’, or ‘cross-criss’ you would know, deep down in your loins, that they were breaking a sacred rule of language. You just wouldn’t know which one.

Image from http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160908-the-language-rules-we-know-but-dont-know-we-know

All four of a horse’s feet make exactly the same sound. But we always, always say clip-clop, never clop-clip. Every second your watch (or the grandfather clock in the hall makes the same sound) but we say tick-tock, never tock-tick. You will never eat a Kat Kit bar. The bells in Frère Jaques will forever chime ‘ding dang dong’.

Reduplication in linguistics is when you repeat a word, sometimes with an altered consonant (lovey-dovey, fuddy-duddy, nitty-gritty), and sometimes with an altered vowel: bish-bash-bosh, ding-dang-dong. 

If there are three words then the order has to go I, A, O. If there are two words then the first is I and the second is either A or O. Mish-mash, chit-chat, dilly-dally, shilly-shally, tip top, hip-hop, flip-flop, tic tac, sing song, ding dong, King Kong, ping pong."

SOURCES:

• https://www.sunnyskyz.com/blog/2666/The-Reason-Clocks-Say-Tick-Tock-And-Not-Tock-Tick-
• http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160908-the-language-rules-we-know-but-dont-know-we-know
• “The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase” book by Mark Forsyth

I found this fascinating! What did you think? Drop me a line!

Listful Thinking [Be More Productive, Highly Successful and Less Stressed]

Image from https://www.flickr.com/photos/rog2bark/3437630552

Greetings all! 

Don't you wish we all had to-do lists like this?!

I recently finished a great book by Paula Rizzo called “Listful Thinking.” Loved the title, loved the book, and highly recommend! Here is Paula’s start guide that I have found extremely useful (https://listproducer.com/start-here-2/):

1. Just Write it Down: It’s easy to forget things that you don’t have right in front of you. So write down any task you need to do as soon as you think about it. It doesn’t matter if the list is in any particular order right now – just write it down.

[My Note: I think this saves a lot of brain space as once it is out on paper, you do not have to worry about forgetting it!]

2. Organize Your List: Once you know all the things you have to do — organize this list. Break it up into categories: work, home, kids, play, etc. Each area of your life should have its own list. Don’t mix — it will just overwhelm you and then you will ignore your list.

[My Note: Divide and conquer!! A list of 3 items is less overwhelming and probably will be done faster than a list of 30 to-dos!]

3. Prioritize: Once you have your separate lists – go over each item and order them by deadline or importance. This will help you stay on track and only focus on what needs to be done right now. Sure there may be other tasks that are easier to do but might not be as important. Reject your temptation to jump into those tasks first just because they are easy – it will just put you behind schedule.

[My Note: I like organizing my lists along the lines of High/Medium/Low priority. Sometimes, I do complete an easy task first to give me a sense of accomplishment and get something crossed off my list! But then I move to the urgent/important tasks!]

4. Re-Write: Now that you’ve organized your list by category and decided what’s most important – rewrite your list. By making a clean list that is easy to read you will be more likely to refer to it and check things off in order.

[My Note: Even though it might seem like a waste of time, do it! A clean list is visually and psychologically much more appealing]

5. Repeat: In order to get things accomplished – make as many lists as you need to make. I make a list every day and then add to it. Sure it’s like a little cheat sheet – but it will make you more efficient.

[My Note: I agree! This step keeps your priorities on top!]

Now before you get overwhelmed remember this secret to getting a TON done:

Delegate: I don’t know why people have such a hard time with this one.  It’s the most fun!  Turn to your friends, family, co-workers and get more done.  If you ask for help and look for ideas, resources and another set of hands — you can be much more efficient with your project.  You will save time and money too by doing a little research and getting the best person for the job.

[My Note: Just because you can do it faster and better does not always mean you should do it yourself!]

What did you think? Drop me a line!

Quote of the Week - Success is how you collect your minutes

Success is how you collect your minutes. You spend millions of minutes to reach one triumph, one moment, then you spend maybe a thousand minutes enjoying it. If you were unhappy through those millions of minutes, what good is the thousand minutes of triumph? It doesn't equate... 

Life is made of small pleasures. Good eye contact over the breakfast table with your wife. A moment of touching a friend. Happiness is made of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently. If you don't have all those zillions of tiny successes, the big ones don't mean anything.

~Norman Lear

Croatian Moussaka [A Quick and Tasty Meal]

Greetings all!

I recently tried a great potato-and-meat casserole recipe - and what an an easy and delicious meal it was! Moussaka (and its many variations) is popular in the Balkans and Greece, as well as other places.

If you have ever seen the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you might remember the part where the school girls were laughing at Toula’s lunch – she was eating moussaka! Funny name perhaps, but a tasty dish! 

Recipe (in Russian) and image from https://www.povarenok.ru/recipes/show/155672/

Ingredients (based on your preference):

• 1 lb (~400 g) of mushrooms
• 3 lbs (~1.5 kg) of potatoes (I used 4 large potatoes)
• ½ lb (~200 g) of ground beef (I used 1 lb)
• Salt and spices to taste at any step (I used fresh parsley)
• 4 tbsp of sour cream or yogurt 
• Your favorite cooking oil

Instructions: 

• Brown ground beef in a little bit of oil
• Dice and sauté mushrooms
• Slice potatoes
• Layer everything onto the baking dish: potatoes, ground beef and mushrooms, and top with another layer of potatoes
• Cover with foil and bake at 350°-400° until potatoes are ready (40-60 minutes)
• Remove foil
• Spread sour cream and bake for another 5-10 minutes 

Variations: 

• Try sour cream+egg+shredded cheese instead of just sour cream
• Try eggplants and tomatoes instead of potatoes
• Try lamb or ground pork instead of beef 
• Try this much more involved recipe:                                          https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Moussaka 

Here is the Wikipedia page with interesting information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moussaka

Bon Appetit! I hope you like it!

Picture Perfect [Visiting Santorini]

Greetings all!

If you are looking for a picturesque and relaxing travel destination, consider Santorini. This popular Greek island is a quick flight (or a longer ferry trip) away from Athens, and its beauty defies words.

Enjoy stunning sunsets in Oia, walk along the caldera (volcanic crater), go on a donkey ride, explore the beaches, and taste good food – quite a few things to do there! 

Here is some links (with great pictures) to help you plan your trip: http://www.visitgreece.gr/en/greek_islands/santorini

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/greece/cyclades/santorini-thira/travel-tips-and-articles/santorini-for-first-timers/40625c8c-8a11-5710-a052-1479d2762d9d

 What did you think? Drop me a line!

Are We There Yet? [How to Prepare for a Fun Trip]

Greetings all!

Do you ever have trouble deciding what to do on a trip? If you use a travel agent or go on an organized trip/a cruise/to an all-inclusive resort, a lot of activities are planned for you. But what about your free time on such trips? Or what about when you travel independently?

Do some research before you leave so you can save time, energy, and money on your trip. After all, you want to enjoy your vacation and not worry about how the metro works!!! 

My advice is to have a general (or detailed!) plan of what you want to do/see but also allow for spontaneity - do not overplan! Here are some ideas:

GENERAL: 

1) Hop-on / Hop-off bus: One of my all-time favorite activities in a big city. Typically, you can buy a ticket for 1-3 days, and it is an excellent and very affordable way to explore the city and also save on transportation. Usually, there are several routes that cover pretty much everything a typical tourist wants to see. 

As the name suggests, you can hop off at any stop to see an attraction and then hop on the next bus. The headset commentary is in several languages and is very informative.

Bonus: Your ticket might include a booklet with various discounts (e.g., a boat ride on the river Seine in Paris, delicious goulyash soup in Hungary, or a T-shirt in Barcelona).

2) Local guide (with/without a driver): Great for beginner travelers who are not yet comfortable exploring on their own, or when you are pressed for time, or interested in unique, off the beaten path, destinations, or just want to have a personal guide. 

Bonus: You do not have to worry about transportation, and they take your pictures!! Also check if there are free local guides – many are enthusiastic college students who want to practice the language. Just remember to tip them!!

3) Day tours: A good way to see the surrounding areas especially if you are based in one location. Compare prices in advance as some companies might charge much more for a similar tour. 

4) Be flexible and have a Plan B in case things go wrong. Uffizi Gallery is closed due to a strike in Florence? Go shopping on Ponte Vecchio!

5) Learn 5-10 basic words/expressions in the language of your destination. Say “Hola” (Spanish for “Hello”) in a restaurant in Madrid and most likely you will get a smile and a more patient attitude in return. In fact, smiling in general helps things go smoother!

6) If there is something you really want to see, research hours and free days. You don’t want to come to Louvre to find it closed (currently Tuesdays). Plan carefully – and your visit might be free (save 17 Euros in Louvre).

7) Have a basic idea of the public transportation and get a city map (many hotels provide for free).

Bonus: Buying a pass (1-day, weekly, etc.) might save you money while providing a lot of flexibility.

8) City Pass: Many cities have a tourist discount pass that includes access to multiple attractions/transportation/fast track entry. Word of caution: visiting so many included attractions can be exhausting and actually prevent you from enjoying your vacation!

9) A MUST: Read multiple reviews if you are considering a new tour operator or see if your friends can provide recommendations. 

RESOURCES:  

As part of my trip planning, I peruse reviews/tips/ideas/forum discussions from these sites:

• https://www.tripadvisor.com/  
• https://www.frommers.com/ 
• https://www.ricksteves.com/
• https://www.lonelyplanet.com/
• https://www.viator.com/

Bonus: You can learn quite a lot from reading reviews: 

• Your hotel might offer wine and cheese afternoons so you can skip lunch.
• Another traveler might mail you unused metro tickets. 
• Some hotels provide free/low-cost airport shuttles. 

Hope you enjoyed this post! Happy travels! Drop me a line!