While I was living in Guatemala for the last five months I met over 20 adventure motorcyclists who were all traveling south (does anyone go north?). Most of them were making a several month trek from either Canada or the USA and heading to various destinations in South America (most[…]
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Many first time tourists to Guatemala are confused by several features of Guatemalan bathrooms. Typically they are frustrated by cold showers, clogged toilets and have questions like, “where is the hot water knob?” I have been living with a Guatemalan family for about five months now and think I’ve figured[…]
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I didn’t do it, but I’m intrigued by the idea. This last week I was in my Spanish class and talking to my instructor about the art of medicine in different cultures. My instructor has issues with migraines and some occasional stomach issues. That was when she brought up that[…]
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One of the more entertaining and interesting things we saw were kids dressed as police wearing rat masks and tails. The kids would approach you and in very rapid and stern tones scolding you that you had done something wrong or illegal. They then demanded you pay them a bribe[…]
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I was in the checkout line at a local supermarket and noticed the cashier was sitting down far enough for me to see the bald spot on his head. I guess I hadn’t really noticed that in the States all the cashiers are standing. The next store I went in[…]
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Only kids wear helmets in Europe–I’m not really sure why, but adults never wear helmets unless they are racing bikes in a marathon or something like that. In America, if you aren’t wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle, people more-or-less think you are stupid and just asking to have[…]
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The other day I was walking down the street when a man wearing yellow road a yellow bike past me. He stopped a few doors ahead of me and I noticed he had boxes attached all over his bike and a large double kick stand that he set in place[…]
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The other day I was looking around and it dawned on me that something was strange. All of the soft drinks and beer in the super market were in bottles. In fact everything was in either bottles with only a few items in plastic. The only exception was milk and[…]
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I had absolutely no idea that anyone caught doing the Nazi salute (or Hitler salute) in Germany would be fined and thrown in jail. At the time of the Nazis it was common to hold the right arm at an upward straight angle and utter the words “Heil Hitler!” and[…]
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I just returned from my short trip to the super market to buy some food for my new flat in Berlin. I was so excited to finally be able to cook my own meals and save some money. Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat out, but it can[…]
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I have no idea of other parts of the US have this gadget I am seeing everywhere in Europe, but this newspaper holder is simple and brilliant! I can’t even remember how many times a newspaper has become separated or disorganized while I was trying to read it. In Germany[…]
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I honestly had no idea I was in the way when someone on a bike started ringing their little bell and yelling at me. Darn it! I was walking on the side walk–or so I thought. After the biker wizzed past, giving me the European equivalent of the finger, I[…]
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