Culture
Cultural facts, history, traditions, events, festivals, foods and more from a location.
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On Location: Experience Italy – 10 Creative Adventures to Discover the Essence of Italy
Seeing the top tourist sites when traveling to a country is definitely important, but it is not the only way to experience a new destination. I love the idea of living creatively by traveling creatively as well. Trying out new things, tasting new foods, learning a cultural tradition, these are all things I seek out when exploring a new locale. Below is a list of 10 creative adventures to help you explore Italy beyond visiting the famous Roman Colosseum or Leaning Tower of Pisa. 10 Creative Adventures to Discover the Essence of Italy 1. Shoot photos on the streets of Milan and spot the latest fashion trends. Pretend to be…
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Culture: A World of Flavors – Moroccan Spice Mix
From the pungent odor of the leather tannery, to a serene mosque decorated with intricate tile work, wandering through the old medina in Fes was a feast for my senses. My trip to Morocco was a whirlwind, but I will never forget the experiences I had that day while exploring this historic area of the city. We dutifully visited a rug shop, and watched leather be dropped into antiquated vats of dye. I peaked into shops and was decorated with a gorgeous henna design on my hand. But like most experiences while traveling, it was the flavorful lunch that is etched so vividly in my mind. After we dined on an aromatic tajine, I…
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Type + Place: A Free Font Inspired by the Amazon – Amazonía
I’m so glad hand lettering is in fashion these days! I am definitely smitten by the trend. So much so that, as part of my New Years resolution to create something every day, I’ve chosen to devote Wednesdays to typography. Today, as a fun exercise, I chose to make a font inspired by a location. Randomly, I pointed to a world map and landed on the Amazon in Brazil. Imagery of this wild and beautiful location flew through my head – from soaring trees and dense rain forests to tribal tattoos and exotic bird feathers. Using the app (on my iPad) called iFontMaker, I hand drew the upper case letters to this font below.…
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On Location: American Delicacies? Adventures at La Grande Épicerie de Paris
We were off to have a quintessential Parisian summer picnic at Jardin du Luxembourg. I had done my research and had a list of the best places to shop in the 6th arrondissement to find the perfect delicacies for our lunch. First up was Poilâne bakery. Being one of the oldest and most famous bakeries in Paris, it was worth getting lost down a few streets so we could stock up on some bread. Next stop was Le Bon Marché department store, which includes La Grande Épicerie de Paris on the bottom floor. I had read this was one of the best gourmet food markets in all of the city,…
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Culture: New Years Food Traditions from Around the World
New Year’s is a time of resolution and new energy. It’s a time when people from around the world sit down and list their hopes, aspirations and dreams for the upcoming year. To make these hopes come true, many cultures are quite superstitious and eat certain foods. There are foods to eat for good luck, and foods to eat for prosperity. There are foods to eat for progress and foods to eat for longevity. Whether or not you believe in these superstitions, the tradition of serving certain foods on New Year’s are quite ingrained for some. My mom has always been insistent that we eat black eyed peas on New Year’s Day. As a…
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On Location: Portraits of Tucson, Arizona
With a population of over a half million people, there is definitely no shortage of portraits to be painted in Tucson, Arizona. Even with a burgeoning number of inhabitants, to a non-desert dweller, I was drawn (literally) to create portraits of the other population in Tucson, the cacti! The majestic saguaro cactus is hard to miss around town. Not only are they quite tall (some can grow to be over 70 feet tall), but they also could easily hold the title for most recognizable icon of the Wild West. Ironically they do not grow throughout the West, but Tucson is lucky to be one of the few regions it thrives. In fact, it is so prevalent in…
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Culture: Fresh Dungeness Crab in San Francisco
There are those who methodically create a stock pile and then there are those who dig and devour every morsel they find. There are leg men vs. body people, garlic butter dunkers vs. lemon mayonnaise dippers. Head to most restaurants during the Winter and early Spring months in San Francisco and you are sure to spot this motley group of people. Who are they? They are devoted dungeness crab eaters. Crab is not only a meal, but also a ritual for San Franciscans. Ask most seafood loving locals, and they will tell you a story or two of long nights with friends gathered around a table filled with cooked crab. A dungeness…
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Culture: Turkish Coffee in Istanbul
It’s no secret. I love coffee. It’s a daily ritual I can’t live without. At home, I tend to stick with my espresso in the morning and drip coffee in the afternoon, but while traveling, anything goes. I’ve enjoyed a steamy bowl of café au lait in Paris, and strong Italian pressed coffee in Venice. I’ve even tasted a good old fashioned percolated cup of Joe in a diner in Tennessee. So naturally, when we traveled to Istanbul, I was very excited to try my first Turkish coffee. Of course I knew the taste would be different (all use different types of coffee grounds) but I also found it interesting how different the tastes could be just based…
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On Location: 9/11 Reflections
We all know where we were when the planes struck. Some of us were across the country, some across the world, and some right next door. We all know someone who was deeply affected- a loved one killed, a friend who died, a coworker who didn’t make it home, a friend who mourned a loss, a hero who helped saved lives. There will never be a September 11th that passes where we don’t take pause, take time to reflect. On a recent visit to New York City, I toured the 9/11 Memorial site. I was not quite sure what to expect. Could a memorial evoke the intense emotions and feelings…
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Type+Place: 35+ Fonts Inspired by Italy
As we wandered through the narrow streets of Venice, Italy, I couldn’t help but notice all the different store signs. Many of them had such quintessential Italian style with the use of typography. The stylized scripts, clean, modern fonts and even the traditional serif fonts all made me think of classic Italian graphic design. To celebrate the look, I decided to compile a list of fonts that celebrate Italian style. Below is a list of the fonts used in the image above. Note: These fonts may be free or may have a charge to download. Be sure to read the usage rights as well, they may vary per font. Mingo…