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There came a time in Beijing when I no longer strolled with my mouth hanging slightly open.
Instead, I whizzed through hutongs on the gravel road, my tires dodging rocks, bricks, and dirt piles, fruit and vegetables and people, but most of all, other bikes and cars. Squeezing between pedestrians and cars took more aggressiveness than skill because freezing like a deer in the headlights would turn one into mincemeat.
 Photo from: http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2008/02/20/va1237292741026/Beijing-trafficReuters-5898689.jpg Merging into traffic, my thumb consistently placed near the bell (I loved using that thing) on my handlebar, I wound around busses and taxis, careful that other bikers passed by safely. I sped up to avoid being sideswiped or cutoff, but when I realized that I was not comfortable trying to fit three bikers between a stopped bus and oncoming vehicles, I chose the sidewalk. See full post
Tags: Culture, International, Urban
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The east coast is famous for seafood, and when I think of food from the south, fried chicken is where it’s at. However, the cuisine of the Midwest is much more diverse. With its strong German and Italian influences and its rich agriculture, food in the Midwest takes on many forms.
 Photo from: http://www.frontiersoups.com/images2/products/cincinnati-chili.jpg Head to Cincinnati, Oh. and taste their Skyline Chili. This is not your typical spicy Texas Chili though. Here it is made with ground beef and features different seasonings including cinnamon, and it is often served over spaghetti with cheese and onions. Skyline Chili was invented by a Greek immigrant in 1922.
Other Midwest favorites include sandwiches. In Indiana breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches are prized. They are served on a bun with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and mustard. The Midwestern state of Nebraska is also home to a treasured sandwich. The Runza sandwich, brought to Nebraska by German-speaking immigrants from Russia, is made from baked yeast dough that completely encases a filling of beef, cabbage or sauerkraut, with onions. A final famous sandwich in the Midwest is the Chicago style hotdog. These are usually beef based hotdogs that are never served with ketchup. They are often sold from stands around the city’s many streets. See full post
Tags: Urban, Food and Drink, Culture
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Throughout the entire semester I’ve been writing this blog, my main focus has been on small events throughout the Midwest, primarily located in small towns. I’m going to shift gears this week and focus on something going on not in a small town, but rather a large city. In fact this city, Chicago, Ill., is the third-largest in the United States.
 Photo from: http://www.theskydeck.com/theledge.asp The Sears Tower, now known as the Willis tower, has always been a striking structure. Standing at an immense 108 stories, the tower is the tallest building in the United States and is currently the fifth-tallest building in the world. The building towers over the Chicago skyline, providing a breathtaking view for tourists and local Chicagoans alike.
Recently, the tower opened a new set of glass balconies for the general public viewing. Nicknamed “The Ledge,” the structure suspends 103 stories in the air, and is complete with transparent walls and ceilings, making it easy for tourists to look down upon the magnificent city that is Chicago, Ill. Though the structure may be seen as potentially dangerous, it can hold up to five tons on its transparent floor, putting to ease those problems. See full post
Tags: Landmarks, Vacation, Urban
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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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It’s a mystical sort of a night in Kansas City for me, though simply a run-of-the-mill Tuesday. Nothing is open past nine, save a few bars, gas stations and select coffee shops. My friend and I linger in one of these coffee shops (Westport Coffeeshop) until the employees start shuffling around with their closing duties. But our conversations are riveting and soulful tonight, and we aren’t ready to stop talking. Alas, the city is starting to go to sleep and there’s no place open. He suggests a place I haven’t heard of before, an outdoor overlook.
 Photo from: http://www.kciionline.com/Nighttime%20Downtown We get there (take the first right turn after Broadway Bridge, going south) and walk up a ramp toward a mini-oasis of light foliage, beige stone stairs, and sculptures. There’s something comfortable and serene about this random getaway in the midst of Kansas City’s endless apartments and streetlights. An atmosphere edged with soft and silent calm subtly accompanied the stunning view of night-time Kansas City sprawled in all directions.
This photo was not my precise view. Someone seems to have added some glows and touch-ups here and there. But there you are, Kansas City from above! See full post
Tags: Culture, Environment, Urban
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 I’m told I talk funny. My name is Molly. I’ve had that name my whole life; yet, going away to college people say I don’t pronounce it right. Everyone thinks I’m saying Ally instead.I personally think that however I say my own name must be the right way because it is mine, but nonetheless, my South St. Louis accent seems to get me in some trouble here up north.
Let’s conduct a little test shall we? Say the following words out loud how you would normally pronounce them: forty, mostaciolli, and wash.
Now if you said “farty” instead of “forty,” “muskacholli” instead of “mostaciolli,” or “warsh” instead of “wash,” you are probably from St. Louis or at least somewhere in the Midwest. See full post
Tags: Urban, Language, Culture
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Being born and raised in St. Louis, similar to most of the Truman population, I know all about Forest Park, Anheuser Busch, Imo’s Pizza, and the Cardinals.
As an employee of Metro, the owner of the St. Louis Arch and Riverboats, along with the most of public transportation in the city, I also know about the history of St. Louis’ most famous monument—the Arch. For example, the Arch was designed by Ero Saarinen and finished in 1965. It is 630 ft. tall and can sway up to 18 inches depending on the weather. Every year, more than one million people take a tram ride to the top.
You see, I spend my summers working in the gift shop and ticket booth on the St. Louis Riverboats located on the riverfront directly across from the Arch. Because I am affiliated with the Arch, I also can tell you all about how it works. See full post
Tags: Landmarks, Urban
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 Patrick Lynch, Blogger As I was preparing to leave St. Louis and head away to college, I thought it would be a good idea to visit the architectural wonder that has defined my city for the last 40 years. Every time I’m in downtown St. Louis, I can’t help but view that giant, steel structure that prides itself as the “gateway to the west.” The city has even past legislation that prohibits buildings in the downtown area from being taller than the arch.
But, despite living 18 years in St. Louis, I had never been able to see it from inside. It just never appealed to me and was really more of a tourist attraction.
Needless to say, I probably would’ve had more fun doing something else. The museum in the arch was drier than the history textbook from my junior of high school. The tram ride to the top could not have been scarier, and, unless you enjoy staring at the Millennium Hotel, there isn’t much to look at other than the Mississippi River. See full post
Tags: Culture, Urban, Landmarks
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 From the autumn months of October to April, the city of St. Louis gets a rare opportunity to listen to some of the most influential people in the world speak on a wide range of topics from history and international affairs to politics and current events. From what I’ve witnessed throughout my life, the rest of the country doesn’t exactly view St. Louis as a cultural touchstone of America. Granted I am biased in that assessment. But nonetheless, the idea of St. Louis attracting these big names indicates that my hometown is more than just a baseball team and a giant arch.
I’m not going to make out St. Louis as being drenched culturally as say a New York or Los Angeles, but I’m sick of the media portraying St. Louis as rural town with bigger buildings, a pinnacle of “fly over” America. The event is usually held at Powell Hall and features seven speakers over the course of the season. Past speakers included Robert Redford, Maya Angelou, Ken Burns, and Margaret Thatcher. The speakers for the 2009-2010 seasons include Laura Bush, Mia Farrow, and Pulitzer Prize winning commentator Thomas Friedman. Another speaker is world-renowned oceanographic film producer Jean-Michel Cousteau.
 Jean-Michel Cousteau, Film Producer
See full post
Tags: International, Urban
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