Ha Long Bay [Visiting Vietnam]

Greetings all!

One of the most beautiful places I have ever visited was Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, which Lonely Planet describes as “emerald waters and islands.” This popular destination is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can enjoy a leisurely cruise, go kayaking, or visit caves – and whatever you do there, the beauty around you takes your breath away. 

Ha Long means “descending dragon” - according to legends, after the dragons saved the country from hostile invaders, giant emeralds scattered along the bay. Believed to be the dragons' teeth, they created a barrier against future invasions. After many centuries of peace, these emerald barriers became the many beautiful islands that we can enjoy today.

Watch this short National Geographic video to get a glimpse of the spectacular scenery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpOWgms2uto.

Image from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ha_Long_Bay_in_2019.jpg

Image from 

https://www.visithalongbay.com/insight-guides/the-legend-of-halong-bay.html

Image from 

https://www.visithalongbay.com/insight-guides/the-legend-of-halong-bay.html

Image from 

https://pixabay.com/photos/vietnam-halong-halong-bay-sea-1614725/

SOURCES:

• https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/how-to-visit-halong-bay
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%E1%BA%A1_Long_Bay
• https://www.visithalongbay.com/insight-guides/the-legend-of-halong-bay.html

What did you think? Drop me a line!

Boozy Hot Chocolate

Greetings all!

The weather is perfect for this hot drink! 

Image and recipe from https://www.totalwine.com/cocktail-corner/boozy-hot-chocolate

Serves: 1   

Preparation Time: 5 minutes   

Difficulty Level: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 mug prepared hot chocolate
• 1 oz. Irish cream
• Whipped cream, marshmallows, and chocolate shavings or chips to garnish

Instructions

• Pour Irish cream into mug of prepared hot chocolate and stir.
• Top with whipped cream, marshmallows, and chocolate shavings or chips.

Bon Appetit! Let me know how you like it! 

Happy New Year!

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something.

So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it.

Make your mistakes, next year and forever.  

~Neil Gaiman (http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2011/12/my-new-year-wish.html)

How Many Bubbles Are in A Champagne Bottle and Other Fun Facts

F. Scott Fitzgerald said, "Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.” What an interesting thought! 

Greetings all!

Image from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pouring_champagne.jpg

All Champagne sparkles but not all sparkling wines are champagne! As we are approaching the New Year celebrations, many of us will ring in 2020 with a glass of bubbly but did you know: 

• December 31 is celebrated as the National Champagne Day in United States of America!

• Champagne can only be produced in the Champagne region of France; everywhere else it should be called sparkling wine.

• The most popular sparkling wines are:
• Prosecco (Italy)
• Cava (Spain)
• Cremant – non-Champagne region of France

• Marylin Monroe allegedly bathed in 350 bottles of champagne.

• In a 750ml bottle of champagne, there are 49 million bubbles.

• Each second champagne emits 30 bubbles.

• The pressure in a champagne bottle is 90 pounds per square inch, which is three times the amount of pressure than the tires on a car.

• More people are killed each year by flying champagne corks than bites from poisonous spiders. A popping champagne cork can travel at a speed of 55 MPH.

• Sabrage is opening a champagne bottle with a saber – DO NOT TRY AT HOME (although I have seen it done with a dull butter knife!). Watch the Master here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ2vU3lvwx0

• Christening ships with champagne started in Babylonia where the liquid was poured over the hull to check for holes!

• There is a job called “Riddler” – this person twists champagne bottles 1/8 of a turn every day. Hmm, carpal tunnel? 

• Research shows that champagne might help prevent memory loss. I am available for additional clinical trials!

Sources:

- https://www.seriousfacts.com/champagne-facts/

- https://revuezzle.com/wine-clubs/articles-wine/wine-fun-facts/15-fun-facts-about-champagne/

- https://www.glassofbubbly.com/death-by-champagne/

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabrage

What did you think? Have a glass of bubbly and drop me a line!

Thought of the week - Accomplishment [celebrating my 100th Post!]

Image from https://www.pexels.com/photo/accomplishment-action-adventure-challenge-461593/

"Always believe in yourself and always stretch yourself beyond your limits. Your life is worth a lot more than you think because you are capable of accomplishing more than you know. You have more potential than you think, but you will never know your full potential unless you keep challenging yourself and pushing beyond your own self imposed limits."

~Roy T. Bennett (as read here: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/accomplishment)

Find Your Silence [Breathing Technique]

If you leave the noise of the city and arrive somewhere quiet, your mind might still be busy and loud. To resolve the conflict between the stress in your head and the tranquility of your location, start with a couple of long exhales. Then make the choice to listen to the sounds of nature around you rather than the noise in your brain.

Ease into it by listening to your surroundings for a moment and then to your thoughts as you breathe gently. Go back and forth until you feel your mind slowing down to adjust to the quiet.

Know that this silence lives inside you all the time. The effect is simply settling into the peacefulness.

~ Margaret Townsend (as read in the October-2019 issue of Real Simple magazine)

Do You Want to Save the Changes?

As seen on https://www.pinterest.com/