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One of the biggest problems in our country today is general laziness or apathy when it comes to exercise and physical activity. We are blind of how truly beneficial a good day’s exercise can have on both our physical and mental health. However, there is an opportunity for change for three separate weeks this summer.
 Photo from: http://visitmo.com/listing/?ContentGUID=471E4D4A-41AE-4F6D-BAB2-5E2436F7BF92 The city of Columbia, Missouri, will be hosting the “Show-Me State” games during the weeks of June 11-14, July 16-18, and July 23-25. The games are an Olympic-style sports festival with more than 40 competitive sports for Missouri amateur athletes of all ages and abilities. The idea behind the event is to promote healthy lifestyle, a social environment and sportsmanship. Last year, over 37,000 athletes participated in the games year round. A wide variety of games are played including baseball, kickball, basketball, as well as the always-popular synchronized swimming.
Now, I’m a pretty a big sports fan. I’ve made that known in some of my previous blog posts, especially the one about my love fest for the St. Louis Cardinals. Not only that, but I’m always up for playing any type of sports. Even in college, I play a variety of sports ranging from basketball to beach volleyball. So, obviously, I find this to be an awesome idea. A lot of the events that I’ve written about this semester have consisted of events where the attendee merely watches or tours a venue, but this event provides the attendee to get involved with the event that they are visiting. Plus, it provides a great opportunity for people to get to know each other through a social atmosphere of competition. So if you’re bored this summer, you should check out the Show-Me Games in Columbia. See full post
Tags: Sports & Games, Events, Entertainment
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I don’t know how many people can say they went to a feminist rally/parade in Spain and carried one of the protest figures, but I can.
It began when I saw a poster for what appeared to be a feminist event at my university, but I wasn’t very sure what this implied for the Spaniards. I had no face that popped into my head when I imagined a Spaniard feminist. That soon changed. It was the International Day of Women, (or something like that, I was translating from the poster), and the galegas y galegos (citizens of Galicia) celebrated it right.
 Photo from: http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper309/stills/8dfi14o9 Intending to stand back and observe, a woman came up to me and asked me to help carry one of the protest dolls that would be marching at the front of the parade. I was then commanded by another woman to make the doll dance with the drum beats and to chant whatever they were saying in galego. This resulted in me uttering nondescript noises and then yelling the words I did know. See full post
Tags: Language, Events, International
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During my spring break visit to Chicago, I stayed with a Chinese family (my friend is Chinese), ate authentic Chinese food, and shopped at Chicago’s Chinatown. Turns out that the Chinese take good care of their elders, don’t waste food and often send their kids to Saturday school to learn Chinese. They also make some excellent dishes which are much more flavorful and succulent than the cold buffet junk at your local “Chinese” restaurant. No, these places are filled with Chinese people. And my friend who recommended it gave me all the credibility I needed.
 Photo provided by: Michelle Martin In Chinatown I ate a relatively cheap eggplant and tofu dish that surged with fiery tanginess. The eggplant was utterly tender and irresistible. Plus, you can stuff yourself on one dish and still have at least one more meal to eat later. After eating, I accidentally stole a box of crushed placenta (sold for beauty purposes) from a Chinese herbal shop, which I promptly returned once I saw I had carried it out. I swear I only picked it up because the idea of selling placenta fascinated me.
Apart from Chinese food, we managed to find a few interesting nooks within the vast fabric of the city, from a hookah bar called Ambrosia to a multicultural/gay-friendly club called Berlin. Ambrosia had a rich, exotic atmosphere complete with purple drapes and flowing brass decor gracing the walls. The owner, generous with his smiles and kindness, even gave me a free mint tea! The peaceful atmosphere of Ambrosia dissipated when we stepped into the dark and crazy beats of Berlin, where bare-chested men sporting leather-studded suspenders were common on the dance floor. The Madonna songs blasting throughout the place were a pleasant change from the typical rap and R&B I always hear in parties. However, I felt like I was the only one dancing while everyone else was kind of jolting to the beat. So depending on your tastes, these might those of you dwelling in or visiting Chicago. See full post
Tags: Urban, International, Food and Drink, Events, Culture, Vacation
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The countdown to the Shanghai World Expo has begun. The endeavor expects to attract more people than any of the other 150 world expositions: 70 million. Event organizers project about 200 countries to participate in this six month showcase of ways to tackle urban living in the future, with the theme “Better City, Better Life.”
 Photo from: http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/overtb/US%20Pavilion My China travels will take me to the transformed streets on either side of the Huangpu River to the well-anticipated expo, and I hope to see that the U.S. and other major economical players have big plans in store for urbanization. Environment, culture, space, and finances will serve as major factors for both developed and developing nations as nearly half of the world’s population has migrated toward city living. With China on the fast track to full development, its government has made this expo an open forum for conversation between nations to build healthy and peaceful connections benefitting all populations.
Media attention seems to have pivoted far away from these seemingly genuine goals, and understandably so as Congress plays tug-of-war with health care reform and Haiti and Chile are in states of complete crisis. See full post
Tags: International, Events, Environment, Culture
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After five years of successfully hosting the Himalayan Night, Namaste Nepal, the Nepalese student association on campus, is back for another year.
The event is a way of showcasing the Nepalese culture to the Truman and Kirksville, Mo. communities. The show consists of a wide array of Nepalese dances, skits, fashion show, presentations and food. Given the diverse nature of the Nepali society and Nepalese students in Truman, Himalayan Night is a must go event for diversity enthusiasts. The show provides a unique opportunity to experience a completely different culture. Through the show, the Nepalese students attempt to educate while entertaining.
 Photo from: http://namaste.truman.edu/Gallery/Pages/Himalayan_Nite_09.html#8 Himalayan Night is a good opportunity for people to experience diversity who have not had a chance to travel around the globe. As an international student from Nepal, I recognize the importance cultural events play for both the audience and the hosts. While Himalayan night offers a chance for Nepali students to represent their roots, it gives the domestic students a chance to appreciate it. It is a refreshing break from the sometimes mundane way of life in the flatlands of America. And although the show is hosted and organized in the heart of the Midwest, the students manage to provide a pretty authentic replica of the Nepali culture. The food provided is prepared from scratch by the students. The dishes selected for the event range from a simple day to day meal to a dish prepared solely during festivity. The dances are performed by students who are trained and semi-proficient in genuine Nepali dancing. See full post
Tags: Culture, Events, Food and Drink, International, Entertainment
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The sixth annual Sock Monkey Madness Festival is this weekend in Rockford, IL.
 Photo from: http://photos.amazingsocks.com/500/6851-2-original-rockford-2-pr-pk-red-heel-monkey-socks-13335 This odd sounding event takes the people of Rockford back to the city’s roots by celebrating the once thriving knitting industry of Rockford.
The Nelson Knitting Company of Rockford produced and sold Rockford Red Heel work socks from 1932-1992. During the Great Depression, these socks were transformed into dolls, and the sock monkey was born. In fact, the company even began putting monkey patterns in with each pair of socks sold starting in the 1950s. This part of America’s pop culture has not died though. You can still find sock monkeys at department and specialty stores all over the world, or you can head to Rockford this weekend to enjoy all the wacky sock monkey festivities you can handle. See full post
Tags: Events, Clothing
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The city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, holds a maple syrup festival every year during the first weekend of March. Events featured at the festival include tapping a tree, gathering sap, and boiling sap into delicious maple syrup. There’s also a delicious pancake breakfast which includes sausage, juice, milk, and coffee. When I read about this festival, I was a little confused. Maple syrup? The Midwest? Things just didn’t seem to add up.
 Photo from: http://www.roadfooddigest.com/image.axd?picture=WindowsLiveWriter/ParkeCountyMapleSyrupFair_6D5/spile_3 Whenever I think about maple syrup, I think the dense, rich forests of the New England country side, not the middle of the flat farmlands of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I discovered there is actually a rich history of maple syrup in the Midwest. Many Midwestern Native American tribes produced maple syrup and even today, many Midwestern states such as Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan host maple syrup festivals on an annual basis. Though it is primarily produced in the Northeast because of the high concentration of maple trees in the region, maple syrup can be produced anywhere there is maple trees and good weather conditions, which clarifies why there is still a high amount of maple syrup produced in the Midwest.
Maple syrup is usually harvested by tapping a maple tree through the bark and into the wood, letting the sap run into a bucket. It is required that sap collection (which takes places daily) occurs primarily during the months of February, March and April. This would explain why the maple syrup festival in Cedar Rapids is held every year in early March. Anyway, this festival looks like a good way to learn about an unorthodox Midwest export. If nothing else, you can enlighten people from other regions about another exciting Midwest entity about which they might not have known. See full post
Tags: Food and Drink, Events, Culture
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Kathmandu, Nepal is buzzing with tourists from all over the world every mid-February. Hindu pilgrims flog the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu to celebrate Shivaratri (the Birthday of Lord Shiva). Pashupatinath temple is one of the most important shrines for Hindus, and is located in the heart of Kathmandu. Pashupatinath means the Lord of Animals; and since Shiva is the Lord of Animals the temple is dedicated to him. Shivararti is a very important night for Nepali Hindus. Shiva is seen as a protective deity, almost an unofficial state deity, by many Nepalis.
 On Shivaratri, millions of worshippers attempt to pray in the main temple complex, but with the monstrous lines, not all are able to worship. However, not all come to the pray. Shivaratri also provides a good day for families to come to the temple complex and enjoy the festivities. The temple complex is bustling with performers, small bazaars, snake charmers, and magicians. The day is marked by parades and also giving to the poor. Free food for the poor is provided by various charity establishments, but the line leading to free food can be as long as the one leading to the temple.
Shivaratri also has a cultural significance. Lord Shiva is known as the god of mystics, a god of the underworld, of dance, and intoxication. The Shivararti night is marked by inviting friends and family to a bonfire, food, singing and drinks. See full post
Tags: Religion, Events, International
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One of the most popular tourist attractions in the great city of Branson, Missouri, is the Titanic Museum. For those of you who don’t know what the Titanic Museum is, it is a permanent two story structure shaped like the Titanic itself. It is built to half-scale of the original “Titanic,” and contains 400 artifacts from the original shipwreck.
 Photo from: http://detoursmagazine.com/images/branson-titanic_Mobile This month, the prototypical month of love, the Titanic Museum is hosting “Sweetheart Month.” Now, you and your significant other can renew your vows or pop the question on the Museum’s fabulous grand staircase. The ship’s own Captain Smith even presides over the ceremony.
I’ve never been to Branson, Missouri, nor have I even heard of the Titanic museum. In all honesty, the only I thing I associated Branson with is Andy Williams. But the whole idea of a museum dedicated to the ship Titanic seems really cool to me. That just might be my personal fascination with the luxury liner, but regardless. See full post
Tags: Events, Entertainment
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 Traveling the Midwest on a budget? Who isn’t? Being a tourist isn’t cheap.
Here are a few attractions that caught my eye. You should check them out. (I know I will.)
 Photo from: http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/display/9d2ecf9c-e500-4f51-bcec-56a647c8a693
See full post
Tags: Landmarks, Events, Entertainment
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