Orlando – The fun capital of the USA
Welcome to one of America’s most popular and fun-packed holiday destinations – Orlando! Home of the theme park, it’s also got some of the world’s best shopping with designer goods sold at discount prices, a vibrant and diverse nightlife and international cuisine to suit every taste and budget. What’s more, the beautiful beaches of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are a short drive away making it the perfect choice for those wanting to combine a lively week or two with some time relaxing in the sun.
A brief overview of Orlando
Area
Located in central Florida, Orlando lies just 50 miles from the Atlantic Ocean and 75 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and is divided into 4 counties: Lake, Osceola, Orange and Seminole. Read more…
Sailing and sunbathing on New Year’s Eve
Guest post by Cristina Banu
Last year was the first in which I did not see any snow in the period around New Year’s Eve. Why? Because I spent that special time of the year on a cruise in the Caribbeans.
It was a very nice experience, being on such a big ship – Mein Schiff, on a tour provided by TUI. The best thing about cruises is that you sleep at night relaxed in your bed while the ship is heading to the next island. In the morning the ship arrives in the harbor and you have the entire day to go sunbathing, sightseeing, shopping, sailing, diving, basically whatever you want to do on the islands.
The ship had very good food and lots of it! When you go on such a cruise, you need to be careful not to eat too much. It isn’t easy though, if you enjoy eating as much as I do 
. I went to the gym everyday to make sure I stay in shape.
New Year’s Eve was celebrated with lots of food, drinks, deserts, all arranged in shapes of castles, the Eiffel tower and other such architectural landmarks. I could hardly decide which one to try first. At midnight all passengers and crew gathered on the deck to watch the beautiful fireworks. Read more…
The Story of the Traveling Book
There was once a book with a purpose. Its purpose was to travel the world and entertain people while flying, while taking the train, the ferry or while lying in the sun, in their bed. It has been passed from the lovely Suha of Smores in Arabia to yours truly.
It has already traveled a little, Asia and Europe if I’m not mistaken. But its time with me has come to an end. And the traveling book needs to resume its journey. It’s quite upset with me anyway, because Kayla, my dog, was so taken with the book that she stole it and chewed on it a bit
But I’m not leaving anywhere soon. So if you are, just let me know, I’ll send it to you. Just comment and tell me where you’re going. I’ll send it to you and you can then give it to someone else. There’s always not enough room while traveling, and circulating such a book is far better than everyone buying new ones. Less paper used
Before you give the book to someone else, don’t forget to add your name or nickname to he list!
How to Become a Fanatic Baseball Fan
For most people coming from outside the US, baseball is this weird looking sport that they know nothing of. This is also true for Romanians, although their local Oina is thought to be the “ancestor” of baseball. If we start at the dawns of Oina, baseball is a really old sport. Oina was first mentioned around 1346, meaning it had been around for a long time before that.
Bun enough history lessons! Baseball is played on these huge stadiums and fans are wild and everything seems fascinating to a clueless outsider. But would you watch TV long enough to understand it, get to love it then join a fan club? I doubt it.
There are a few things you need to instantly fall in love with baseball. The first thing that would help is seeing your first game live. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll see it as I did, from a nice little VIP suite. Try to get decent seats. But after my experience, I don’t recommend the high class ones. You need to be at the heart of things to really feel the passion of this game. So concentrate on a good view and get mixed in the local cultural blend.
The next important thing is the right company. You need someone who knows baseball to explain the rules and everything. If you’re lucky, they’ll tell you a little about the history of the teams, trends and stadium costs. Yes, building one costs a huge fortune.
Don’t even try to understand why there’s a World Series! An almost exclusively US game (there’s one team in Canada) should not have a World Series. It sounds way to condescending for the rest of the countries who are not part of the game .
The third thing: food! You need the right food, bought from the right place. So take a stroll around the stadium and get yourself a hot dog or the spicier version, a chilly dog. And drink some coke or a Bud, or anything very, very American.
Team branded gifts! Yes, the all touristy activity is to buy Washington Nationals or Philadelphia Phillies t-shirts when it’s your first game and you have no idea who you support! But it’s a great part of a game, especially when you’re a rather short girl and want a t-shirts that at least tries to fit you.
So, on your next trip to the US, find out if there’s a baseball team near by, preferably major league, check the game schedule and get some tickets. You won’t regret it, not even for a second! Oh, and if you know a certain someone that can get you on the field, to run around like crazy, please, please give me his/her number!
