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[Hvictoria432]

I have been to Paris for a week and we went to disneyland Paris, a few years later I went to Majorca for two weeks and it was very hot. Three years ago I went to Lazorote for three weeks and it was very very very hot!
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Healer Huntley
Muggle Illness floor
St Mungo's Hospital

[thyme_of_change]

Lol, the only other country I have been to is Canada. I have a huge fear of flying. How ever once I get a hold of some floo powder or learn to apparate, I would love to visit Italy, Ireland, and many other places.
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[Lambda]

I've been to Guadalajara Mexico, to a very poor and decrepit town. The people are very humble and sincere and no single person refused to offer their hospitality. The food is amazing, as well as the evening entertainment when the entire town (or most of it) would gather at the public square to chat, snack and spend time with friends and family. I think it is very interesting that so many citizens of superpower countries think it is exotic to visit beautiful beaches like in Acapulco and the like, amidst so much suffering and injustice. I have never visited any tourist attractions in Mexico nor have I had the pleasure of staying at a local resort, but I have slept on cold cement floors, showered in less than favorable bath water and learned to live and survive like a third world citizen. There really is no better expedition than that.

Prof. Roxie: Your post was very informative and thought-provoking for me. Mostly, I got to thinking about the Philippines and how it compares to Guadalajara as you described it. In the Philippines, poverty is all over the place in varying degrees. In the place where my parents have a house built for us to go to every time we go on vacation out there, people are mostly lower-middle-class or outright poor. The town we live in is getting more and more developed, but there are still a lot of rickety metal shacks around and people squatting around next to them. There are still people who live next to the dirty river by our house, and sometimes the children go swimming in that dirty brown water when it gets really hot. Even in Manila, the busy, bustling capital city of the Philippines, poverty and industrialization go hand-in-hand. It's not just about seeing homeless people shuffling along, or seeing children knocking on tinted car windows and peering into those cars to beg for money for their parents. The rickety shacks still basically stand alongside the houses. It's a strange sight--here in Chicago, anyway, the homeless are mostly restricted to standing around and/or begging or selling copies of Streetwise. The city makes an effort to keep up appearances and, therefore, keep the poor and homeless swept under the rug so we don't really see them. Compared to this, it's a strange thing to see the poor and/or homeless people right alongside the middle class the way they are out there. And the rich are nowhere to be found, unless all the rich people are on TV. *shrugs*

[Lambda]

And to answer the actual question:

Five things that are different in Mexico:

1) Fast food, like McDonald's, is tailored to fit local tastes. Hot sauce is offered, etc.

2) Large cities are scary to be in. Mexico City is not a place you want to find yourself alone in vs. Denver where I feel at home and somewhat relatively safe.

3) Hospitals and clinics in Mexico are quite sad. Very, actually. It makes me wonder why people in life-threatening situations visit them at all, since they probably only accelerate disease and contribute to pain, etc.

4)Schools are very different. Grade school children have a couple of hours off during the school day when they go home to nap or eat lunch, and then return for the remainder of the afternoon.

5) There is no such thing as public laundromats!!

Prof. Roxie: All of your five things remind me of the Philippines, too. One of the first things that baffled me where the white "ambulance" minivans that would get stuck around town. It's like there's no point in getting taken to a hospital in an ambulance when traffic is clogged everywhere and it doesn't seem there's anything in the Philippines' traffic rules about pulling over to the side to make way for emergency vehicles. I figure that you're more likely to die in the ambulance before it makes it to the hospital, or else the medical crews who work in those ambulances are trained to work under these kinds of circumstances, but I don't know offhand. But the one thing that amazed me was your comment about laundromats. We don't have them either in the Philippines! Actually...it's more like, if you have the money to spend on it, you can take your laundry to, say...a neighbor...or someone who manually washes clothes and cleans houses for a living...and have them do the laundry for you.

5 Galleons to you--nice job.

[*Harry Potter*]

Bahamas:
1. Drug pipes are sold at mostly every store.
2. Busses are the main form of transportation. Not many cars.
3. The water is BLUUUUEEEEEE there!
4. The have jet ski taxi's
5. The aforementioned punch pop.

Prof. Roxie: Wow...drug pipes are sold at almost every store?? I, um...I guess they aren't for drugs that we consider legal in the US, right? Anyway...hehe...5 Galleons to you. Nice work.

[fbg]

I can do you two comparisons because I"ve had major stays in both the UK and now Australia where I"m currently residing on a working holiday visa for the next...10-ish months or so.

Britain:

1) Pubs: It's really a place to hang out no matter if you're young, old, or in between. In Canada they always seemed like a place where everyone wants to get drunk and they're either for the young boozing crowd or the old boozing crowd.
Oh! The most important part of a British pub is that they serve real food. Not your nachos and your fried mozzarella sticks but like chicken pot pies and Sunday roast..on Sundays of course. Mmm. With Yorkshire pudding and gravy!

2) Subway: Yes, there are Subway restaurants pretty much everywhere in the world. Cheap and cheerful and familiar is where it's at.

3) Enough about food let's talk about language. Ever heard of someone carrying a torch around in their pocket? Means flashlight, for those not versed in Brit-speak. Also if you walk into a department store to look at pants, they will most likely direct you to the lingerie as pants mean underwear rather than trousers or jeans.

4) Transportation: Most people know about the London tube. But there are a lot of trains to take into account when travelling across the UK. It's amazing to see the system in action. So efficient, I've seen trains come in 3 minutes before they are scheduled to leave again, and that's in main stations! You had better know your stop, because if you don't get off in the 30-second-whistle-stop then you're out of luck until the next station!

5) There is no such word as "block" to refer to street or road in the UK as unlike their former colonies, they are not based on grid patterns. Take New York as a very plain example: Very easy to navigate you just follow street and avenue numbers until you get to the correct intersection. But thank goodness there is the tube and their maps to read, otherwise it's very easy to get lost on twisty small dark alleyways spinning off in every direction from every main center. It's a bit dodgy at night....make sure you have your torch with you!


Australia:

1) Food: Mayonnaise tastes sweeter. I discovered on perusal of the ingredients that it's got milk solids in it, probably condensed milk to sweeten it. Ever heard of sweet rather than tangy mayonnaise? Maybe it's a Canadian difference, I don't know.

2) Language: A few expressions I"ve come across that are repeated over and over to me, that I've been getting used to. "How are you going?" = How are you? or How is it going? And "You're alright" instead of That's alright or That's okay.

3) The seasons! While North America and almost the rest of the world are enjoying their summer months, we are having winter. The days get shorter and colder [relatively ] While in our summer months it is the height of winter everywhere else.

4) Pop or soda pop is instead called "fizzy". The most common drink is a cross between a British lemonade [which is actually a fizzy drink. Don't get me started...] and a North American lemonade without the carbonation. Basically it's like a lemon soda. I've not had anything like it, but I'm sure enjoying it.

5) Attitude: Everything seems to be quite laid back in this friendly beach culture. Except for hectic places like Sydney. But large cities are the same the world over. Sandals are the footgear of choice for almost any day of the year and almost any outing.

...It's weird trying to cite the differences, because after 2 months here and 3 months in the UK, I start to feel like myself melding into the culture. Like the gaps are closing and it's hard to tell where they once were.

Prof. Roxie: Wow--you've got quite a list of differences for two countries! There are a couple of things, at least, that I can identify with in terms of what I've seen in the Philippines. One of them is language and some of the slang that Filipinos have used/created with English words. A bathroom is called a "CR" or "comfort room." If you want to say "thank you," you could get away with saying "TY" a few years ago. (I haven't heard it used so much nowadays, though....) Restaurants are "restos." Cell phones are "celphones."

In the Philippines and throughout much of southeast Asia, mayo and sandwich spreads are sweet. Actually...a lot of the savory food out there combines sweet with some other kind of flavor (ie salty or sour), which is why it's no surprise that lots of people out there are now diabetic.

I don't know if this was because I was on vacation out there, but I felt that time goes a LOT slower in the Philippines compared to the States. Even when you're just sitting around, it seems like there's not nearly enough time to spare here in Chicago. But out there in the Philippines, it seems like there's more than enough time to do everything and then some. It's strange.

Anyway...I wish I could award you more than 5 Galleons for your post because you sure worked hard for this one! Unfortunately, that's the limit for this particular question, sorry. You're getting full credit--5 Galleons--for this post. Excellent work.
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[Ana Weasley]

Same but different
Different
Ok not being that much of a traveler I will speak of what I can
Barbeque
I once orders barbeque chicken down in South Carolina and was asked what type of sauce I wanted. Being a northern I was clueless see up here we only have one type of barbeque sauce but down there they have a ton. I felt really silly until the waitress led me in the right direction.

Same
Down the shore. Even when you get here you are not at the shore you, are down the shore this occurs even if you are coming north to get here. This is pretty much the same for everyone who comes here.
Different
Hoagies
If you are not from around here you will have no clue what they are. When we go on vacation we crave them because no one can make them better.
Other places call them subs
Well subs to me are teachers that can come in for you when you take the day off, not something you eat.
Or boats that can go underwater.
Heros are another name, but again I would never eat a hero, that would be disrespectful!

Prof. Roxie: Um...I'm sorry, but I'm pretty confused about what this post is referring to, so I can't grade this. 0 Galleons
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[Roxie Ravenclaw]

Hiya!

Because it's so down to the wire--this lesson will be over by midnight tonight, MNI time--I'm going to offer a question worth 7 Galleons max (aka one "O" homework grade) and I'm going to offer another chance to set up a Herbology blog and earn some extra Galleons that way.

First--Herbology blogs. If you want to earn some extra Galleons, you can do the following for me:

Go here and look around, particularly at the three stickied threads. If you're interested, you can go ahead and send me your information so I can set up a blog for you. Just making this blog will be worth 5 Galleons.

Next, make this specific entry in your blog: Talk about the absolute best vacation you've been on, then talk about the worst one. Talk about it any way you'd like and say as much as you want. I'll give you at least 2 Galleons for your entry, though if you really wow me with what you write, you could maybe earn up to 5 Galleons.

(NOTE: If you already have a blog, then just make the entry about the best and worst vacations you've ever been on. You are still eligible for earning anywhere from 2 to 5 Galleons.)


Secondly, here's the 7 Galleon question. If you answer less than 7 questions, then you earn 1 Galleon per question. (So, for example...if I wanted to answer this question and put five things down for my answer, I'd only get 5 Galleons.) If you answer all 7 questions, you earn full credit. Here goes....

Please think back to any vacations you've been on, preferably vacations that involve being far enough away from home so that you encountered some new things, then give me a list of any or all of the following:

--the most interesting place(s) you ever visited
--the best food you ever ate and where you got it from
--the absolute best thing(s) you ever encountered while on your trip
--the absolute worst thing(s) you ever encountered
--the one most valuable travel tip you could give to anyone thinking about going out of town this summer
--things you've missed about these place(s) you have visited
--things you haven't missed

As an example, I'll answer this question with answers regarding my vacation last month:
--Most interesting place visited: the SM Mall of Asia, which is said to be the largest mall in Asia. It would take three days (!!!) to get through the entire mall...which is why a hotel is now being built very close to the mall.

--best food I ever ate: the Chinese food at Mr. Choi's...uh...something-something. Can't remember the entire name of the restaurant. But we Americans sure have no real idea of what real Chinese food is. I got a much better idea of what real Chinese food is like from this restaurant at one of the malls in the Philippines.

--absolute best thing I ever encountered while on my trip: a certain marketplace area in Greenhills SM Mall that sells, like...EVERYTHING.

--absolute worst thing I ever encountered: the lack of cousins my age who could take me sightseeing or shopping. I got pretty lonely out in the Philippines, actually, because all of my cousins were busy. Some had work but most of them now had families and little ones to take care of. So I was stuck just sitting in my room watching TV a lot of the time...like I do here in Chicago, where I live. Except in Chicago, I'm more than free to walk around and do my own thing if I want. There, I couldn't just up and leave the house unless I wanted to get lost and/or kidnapped and/or some other kind of serious trouble.

--my one most valuable travel tip: If you want to go on a really long plane trip (ie 15 hours or so), and you can't splurge and at least get yourself business class tickets if you're flying with Northwest Airlines, then you have to master the art of sitting upright in just the right way while flying. If you don't master this art, your...uh...backside...will end up hurting and/or going numb because you've been sitting around for one or two or fifteen hours too long. My trick is this...when the plane reaches its proper cruising altitude and the seatbelt sign goes off, immediately recline your seat all the way back, then slouch in the chair. Don't sit straight in the chair and don't lean back so it's against the back of it. Just...slouch. I've found that this does wonders for saving my butt, literally. And if possible, take your seat belt off for best results. (If you can't do that, then loosen it enough so that you can slouch better.) I know this tip might not look like much now, but it'll come in handy if you're in for a really...really...REALLY long flight.

--things I've missed: I think I'll answer this in terms of the three general places I've been--the Philippines, New Jersey/New York, and Canada....
Well...in all four locations, I'll miss my relatives. Here in Chicago, we have no nearby relatives. So one thing I always miss, when leaving to go back home, is my family. In the Philippines, I'll miss my cousins Homer (yes, Homer, like Homer Simpson ) and Grace. In New Jersey I'll miss my Uncle Joe and in New York, I'll miss one of my aunts who's a doctor and medical school teacher in Brooklyn. In Canada, I'll miss my uncles and aunts.

To get a little less personal...in the Philippines, I'll miss the HUUUUUUUUGE malls out there. My goodness...I thought I knew what malls were until I saw how enormous all the malls are out there. Compared to what they have, we have very dinky, unimpressive malls in Chicago.

In New Jersey, I'll miss the ethnic neighborhoods, particularly the thriving Filipino neighborhood out there. I'll also miss the kindness of the people out there. They're so friendly and easy to talk to.

In New York, I'll miss Broadway. I saw RENT out there a couple of years ago or so and it was great. But I miss seeing all those theaters out there. I miss just walking along and looking at all the theaters where all the shows are playing.

In Canada...hmm. Not sure I've missed anything out there.


--things I won't miss: Well...in the Philippines, I KNOW I won't miss the ants and bugs everywhere. I especially won't miss the freakishly large beetles. And I don't miss the apprehensive looks I got from the Canadians in London, Ontario. If they want to look at me like a freak because I'm Asian, I'll stare at THEM like they're a bunch of freaks, then.
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Clicky!

[*Harry Potter*]

--the most interesting place(s) you ever visited---bahamas, my sister's dorm, my uncle's mansionish house
--the best food you ever ate and where you got it from---some really good grilled salmon at my aunt memorial day picnic
--the absolute best thing(s) you ever encountered while on your trip---private island!
--the absolute worst thing(s) you ever encountered---scary bus rides
--the one most valuable travel tip you could give to anyone thinking about going out of town this summer---bring entertainment in the car; the rides to the place can be horrible
--things you've missed about these place(s) you have visited---unlimeted food at dinner on cruises
--things you haven't missed---the trip to Florida in a hot, boring car

Prof. Roxie: 7 Galleons

[Ana Weasley]

the most interesting place you ever visited
New York City I know it's not that far, or leaving on a jet plane but it is by far the most interesting to me and very very different for me.

--the best food you ever ate and where you got it from
oatmeal from a cafe in new york, I know it is simple but I crave it a least once a week and some summer mornings when my parents have my kids I take the train ride up and get a bowl!!! mmmm

--the absolute best thing you ever encountered while on your trip
My children's reaction to NYC the first time they saw it. My son saying "hey that's not how it goes" during the broadways Grinch. My daughter gaining a love for New york and asking, "wow when can we come back."

--the absolute worst thing you ever encountered
"losing my son's hand on the busy streets. He is 4 and it was for a moment but it seemed like years. He was taught to go right over to the building and that is what he did Thank God

--the one most valuable travel tip you could give to anyone thinking about going out of town this summer
Remember not ever one is on vacation
Please be nice to the locals

--things you've missed about these place(s) you have visited
I miss the sand of the bahamas and the water. I miss the smell and beauty of California, and the beaches of NC, I miss the ski trails of Vermont and the changing leaves. The hustle and bustle of The city(NY)The smell of the mountions in the pocono's.

--things you haven't missed
the smell of New York City

Prof. Roxie: 7 Galleons
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[silvermoon]

--the most interesting place(s) you ever visited
That would definitely be the Himalayan areas of West Bengal and Nepal. It was something you really can't describe in words... Everything was shrouded in mist, and you felt like you were in an entirely different world...
--the best food you ever ate and where you got it from
I don't know if this was the best food I ate, but it's what came to my mind. My classmates, our guide, and I were trekking from one village to another, sometimes in India, and sometimes in Nepal. For most of the journey, we didn't see a single other human soul... We were starving, and we had lost our guide, when we came upon this tiny village, where our guide was waiting with a steaming plate of homemade momos (I call them dimsum, but they're called momos there)... It tasted AMAZING...
--the absolute best thing(s) you ever encountered while on your trip
This again, would be on my trip to the Himalayas, when we saw India's highest peak, Kangchendzonga , at around five in the morning... It was so clear, and felt so close!!! Ican't wait for my pictures to come out, I took some really good ones...
--the absolute worst thing(s) you ever encountered
Lack of, ahem, bathroom facilities... I could live with the 'no electricity' bit, but the toilets were AWFUL... And the fact that I had an upset stomach for the first few days didn't help
--the one most valuable travel tip you could give to anyone thinking about going out of town this summer
Always make sure you have PLENTY of water wherever you go... Dehydration is the worst thing that could happen when travelling...
--things you've missed about these place(s) you have visited
The thing I miss most about my trip to the Himalayas is the purity of the air, and the AMAZING scenery... You could actually breathe properly, and have a lot of space to yourself... I also miss the friendliness of the people. They were always ready to help, even if they didn't understand what you were saying
The things I miss most about Muscat are my cousins and aunt (duh), The amazing malls and stuff, and the beautiful, beautiful Beaches along the Arabian Sea, which is WAY prettier than the Bay of Bengal, along which I live...
--things you haven't missed
I definitely won't miss the food in Nepal... It was basically just potatoes, potatoes, and more potatoes...
I won't miss the heat of Muscat, and somehow, it just seemed a bit less lively than I'd like...

Prof. Roxie: 7 Galleons
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[thyme_of_change]

--the most interesting place(s) you ever visited

Probably when my sister and I took an unplanned trip to New York State to go caving. We had a lot of fun and learned a lot about the formation of caves, minerals, crystals, and just the spectacular beauty of it all. I sound like such a geek, lol.


--the best food you ever ate and where you got it from


When I visited my sister (yes again) in North Carolina and she took me to the best BBQ place, it was so succulent. I wish I could remember teh name of it!


--the absolute best thing(s) you ever encountered while on your trip

Finding a Native American arrowpoint, it is part of my heritage and is one of my personal treasures now.


--the absolute worst thing(s) you ever encountered

Dead rat in the toliet at a campground I stayed at.

--the one most valuable travel tip you could give to anyone thinking about going out of town this summer

Drink plenty of water. You don't realize how much you need. Always carry some with you, because you may not be able to find a store or stream that is clean.


--things you've missed about these place(s) you have visited

I love meeting new people and learning about what they have found about the area you are in Everyone views it differently, so you might hear of an attraction or place to visit that is not on your list.


--things you haven't missed


unpacking!

Prof. Roxie: 7 Galleons
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[fbg]

--the most interesting place(s) you ever visited
Gosh. I've seen so many places in the last few years it's really hard to choose. Venice, Italy is the most amazing city. Travelling almost everywhere by vaporetto boat which is kind of like a little bus on water, was really cool. Although it goes fast, it's not choppy like a motorboat and doesn't make you queasy. The architecture is something else. Really ornamental and yet at the same time quite simplistic and beautiful.
Then there was Vienna, Austria which was my favourite cosmopolitan European city to be in. It has ten times the advantage over Paris, if you ask me. So much riches in cultural history and the arts, especially music and theatre. If you are into music, Vienna is the place to be. Where you can see full opera in the world famous Opera House for 2-euros standing ticket!
I also have to mention the little trip I did in the UK. I went to Northern Cornwall to visit the supposed site of King Arthur's castle, now in ruins: Tintagel. It's a lovely little village by the sea that is a little bit hard to get to, but so worth it. The hiking up on the ruins is wonderful, just watch your step and don't fall down. It's quite a drop. The sea is crystal blue. I could just imagine what it would have been like to be part of Queen Igraine's legendary court, playing host to her famous son who was King of all the realm.

--the best food you ever ate and where you got it from
This is a difficult question. I've been to many places, and I'm not afraid to try new things. But Singapore has to win this round. They have the best food, and for so cheap! All you have to do is go into any mall or group of market stalls where you can buy a full meal for 3-Singapore dollars or less. It's made right in front of you by the handy hawkers, in only a few minutes. Sometimes they even butcher the meat in front of you. Singapore is all about food. So if you are all about food, especially Asian cuisine, this is the place to be. They've got every kind of Asian cuisine you could ever want: Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, even Indian including Halal and everything in between.

--the absolute best thing(s) you ever encountered while on your trip
Seeing the Vienna Philharmonic play in the Opera House.
Watching the Royal Ballet perform in Covent Garden's [London] Royal Opera House.
Listening to the Chinese Orchestra perform in Singapore, it was quite a novel experience for me.

--the absolute worst thing(s) you ever encountered
Food poisoning in Brussels. Enough said. It lasted through my 7-hour bus ride to Paris. Throwing up in the streets of Belgium wasn't my idea of a good time. It also meant I couldn't enjoy any food in Paris while we were there.

--the one most valuable travel tip you could give to anyone thinking about going out of town this summer
Avoid dairy? Seriously, it's homogenised differently in other countries and you could be in for a rough time if your body isn't used to it.
Also, to add to Thyme's helpful tip because water is very very important: you might want to bring along some effervescent or iodine tablets just in case you're unsure of the safety of the water wherever you're travelling.
Finally something I saw on the blackboard at a hostel in Sydney: "When packing for your trip lay everything out on your bed, and take half the clothing and twice the money."

--things you've missed about these place(s) you have visited
I miss the atmosphere in Israel. Such a different place to the rest of the world. There is a lot of conflict just below the surface in everyday life, if you aren't living in a specifically targeted place. There are checkpoints everywhere. Most of the people you see, young and old have been through army service and seen many scary things. It's so sad to see a place where it is common for parents to bury their children instead of the other way around.

--things you haven't missed
Being away from home and my sparse collection of friends. Now that summer is happening in North America and everyone is free, where am I? A million miles away in Australia. Nothing really to complain about, just I do miss people. It's different moving to a different country and not having a social outlet to meet lots of people my age. Uni is one thing, but emigrating even for a year is completely another. The farther away from home I go, the more I miss it.

Prof. Roxie: 7 Galleons
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