Culture Nuggets 🌍

I decided to host a Halloween party this year. We had pizza, cupcake, cider and candy. We took pictures, had a costume contest and did a few hustles. We even had a disco light and music. It was loads of fun and a great way for my family and my boyfriend's family to get to know each other better. I can't wait until next Halloween!

https://creationmuseum.org/ I decided to take a quick day trip to Petersburg, Kentucky to visit the Creation Museum. This museum is not the average museum by any means! They have a café with vegetarian/vegan options, a 3D theatre, lecture hall, interactive exhibits and a petting zoo. They even have zip lining and camel back riding! I went for the first time in 2013 with my grandmother and a campus Bible study group. This time around was a great reminder of how cool this place actually is. It's a Christian museum that focuses on the teachings of creation in Genesis. So if you're a new Christian who wants to learn or an experienced Christian that wants a deeper understanding of the Bible, I highly recommend this museum for a fun, interactive, biblical adventure!!

https://www.frankenmuth.org/ Frankenmuth, also known as Michigan's little Bavaria, is so underrated. There's so much to do here! Us Michiganders should totally take advantage of the wonders of our great lake state! I've visited Frankenmuth more times than I can count but this time around I visited the cheese Haus where we saw a puppet show and purchased some strawberry cream cheese and blueberry cream cheese. We also went to a wine tasting and a coffee shop called the Kaffee Haus. We saw a live band playing classic American "oldies but goodies" songs at the farmer's market and we even visited the Michigan Heroes Museum which has many displays honoring military veterans from Michigan. I also got some collector's charms for my bracelet at the Pandora store. What a cool local day trip! It's only a two hour drive from Detroit.😁

So for those of you who know me know that I've been obsessed with Chinese culture, clothing, language, etc since I was a little girl. I bought so much stuff in Chinatown this day!! I've been to Chicago's Chinatown twice but this was my first time to California. If you know of any other Chinatown's in other US states, please tell me about them in the comments. Until next time, PEACE!!!

During my week vacation in Las Vegas, Nevada I did everything but gamble 🎰(shocker). The first full day was very interesting. I woke up and had breakfast and then made my way to the Erotic Heritage Museum. There were many pictures, mannequin exhibits and short films. Long story short, I saw and learned a lot about sex (although I thought I was am expert) LOL.  The second day was spent on The High Roller which was a large Ferris wheel. Instead of sitting in seats like a regular Ferris wheel, the High Roller has room sized pods where you can stand or sit and see the view of the city. Then we went to a restaurant called Nacho Daddy where they have scorpion shots. That's right, the shot of tequila has a 🦂 on it. Of course I didn't do it but I cheered my friends on while squirming in my seat (I have bug-o-phobia)! This restaurant even has a vegan menu, so I ordered Vegan chicken tacos.  The third day we went to Gordon Ramsey's steak restaurant in the Paris Hotel Casino resort....

During my trip to California I got to dance on the Santa Monica Beach, jumping in the waves in the Pacific ocean, shop in  Chinatown, and drive through the mountains. It was very sunny and beautiful. There were palm trees everywhere and everyone wore short shorts. I stayed with my best friend in a town called Panoramic City in the valley of Los Angeles. This town has a huge Mexican population so I had several opportunities to practice my Spanish. A few native speakers complimented my Spanish speaking abilities which motivated me to keep striving to become fluent. I even got to visit my God mother in Inglewood. I hadn't seen her 5 years so I surprised her at her job to hug her. The end of my trip to LA ended with a road trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. We drove the historic Route 66 and sang Beyoncé songs in perfect harmony. What a great vacation!! My best friend relocated to LA 2 years ago So he was my tour guide.

So I decided to try doing a podcast about the different cultures, cuisines and friends I've met during my time living in Spain! Check it out by clicking the link below the video!!! https://anchor.fm/culturenuggets

Unfortunately I haven't had much to post due to the pandemic. This blog was dedicated to my Adventures overseas. Now that I'm back home in Detroit, Michigan I'll be blogging about fun things to do here! Most places have reopened this past Monday so hopefully I'll be going on a few local adventures so I can get back to blogging!! Stay tuned.....

During my anniversary week in Morocco, I went for an hour camel ride through the desert. It was super fun! I made new friends, rubbed the cute camels and practiced my basic Arabic. I used an agency called Civitatis. They organize trips and events in several destinations around the world. Here's a link to the Culture Nuggets podcast about my time in Morocco: https://anchor.fm/culturenuggets/episodes/The-Evil-Eye-and-The-Forbidden-Hand-eevn9a https://www.civitatis.com/en/marrakech/quad-biking-camel-riding-tour 🙋مايا لاما 

Ciao bella! Rome was super fun! I spent a week here for my 28th birthday. I visited historical monuments that I learned about in ancient history class at Wayne State! I was so into that class and to actually visit these places just blew my mind away and made that knowledge come to life!!! In this video clip you will see the Colosseum. Here's a link to the Culture Nuggets podcast episode about my visit to the Colosseum: https://anchor.fm/culturenuggets/episodes/Fight-to-the-death-Gladiator-Style-ej0jkr

I roamed around so much, I started to learn my way around the city without a map or asking for directions. I'd like to think that whenever I go back for a visit I'll still remember my way around but, only time will tell. Here's a quick snippet of my trip to Rome. 🇮🇹

I love couscous, what more can I say? LOL 🧡 Couscous  is still known as the Moroccan national dish.  Couscous  is made from semolina, which is the hard part of the grain of hard wheat. Water is used to bind two different sizes of the husked and crushed semolina. Unlike other types of pasta you may be familiar with,  couscous  resembles small pellets. Here's an episode from the Culture Nuggets podcast about Moroccan couscous: https://anchor.fm/culturenuggets/episodes/The-Evil-Eye-and-The-Forbidden-Hand-eevn9a https://www.wonderopolis.org › wh... What Is Couscous? | Wonderopolis

A Flamenco show at Cardamomo with Paella, sangria and this guy was the perfect way to celebrate Valentine's day in Madrid!!! https://cardamomo.com/en/                                                                         ¡Que guapo!

I visited Poland to volunteer for a program called Angloville. This program is designed to give people that are speakers of other languages the opportunity to practice English with native English speakers. They provide conversation prompts, games that are centered around specific phrases, words and topics, fun activities and more. They also provide the hotel accommodation and 3 meals a day for the entire week of the program. I made so many new friends, tried Polish cuisine, played a trumpet concerto during entertainment hour one night and relaxed in the Jacuzzi during my lunch break. I even tried slivovitz (Polish vodka at 70% alcohol)  Best vacation ever!!! https://angloville.com/

During my weekend in the Netherlands I visited Amsterdam for a day and stayed in Utrecht for 2 days. I was there for a Teaching English as a Foreign Language class. I met many cool people, tried yummy foods and learned a lot about different teaching methods. I can't wait to put what I learned into practice in an American classroom!

All of this nature and adventure for the whomping price of 30 euros. You can't beat a deal like this! I love booking my adventures with Civitatis. I've used them for different events in many countries and I'm never disappointed. The events that they hosted in Morocco were by far my favorite experiences while living abroad. Click on the link below to check out the offer and experience this very same adventure! https://www.civitatis.com/en/marrakech/ouzoud-waterfalls-trip Here's a link to the podcast episode to hear more about my experience in Morocco: https://anchor.fm/culturenuggets/episodes/The-Souks-eevogf 

Flamenco dance  is a highly-expressive, Spanish dance  form. The  flamenco  is a solo dance  characterized by hand clapping, percussive footwork, and intricate hand, arm, and body movements. The dance is  usually accompanied by a singer and guitar player. I went to a Flamenco show in Madrid at a nice venue called Cardamomo. I enjoyed the live music, dancing, the cultural atmosphere and the delicious paella (a traditional Spanish dish). What an amazing night! https://cardamomo.com/en/

 During my week in Morocco, I decided to go on an ATV desert tour. These things were so fast and fun. They gave me an adrenaline rush that I never knew I needed. It was so cool to the the live stock walking through the desert, seeing the beautiful  mountains and the gorgeous African skyline! This was definitely worth the heat!! I always use the same agency when looking for fun, adventurous activities in each country I visit. Their prices and services are top notch! Thank you Civitatis for this lovely vacation! https://www.civitatis.com/en/marrakech/quad-biking-camel-riding-tour

The town markets in the Market Square is similar to a Farmers Market back home in Detroit, MI. They have them in most towns here in Spain. There you can find anything from peaches to shoes, pajamas to coats, purses, to bras, etc. I love the town market. Things are usually much cheaper than going to the super market, clothing boutique or shoes stores. Here in Alcasser, the market is every Tuesday and Saturday morning (a lot more often than my old city: Mostoles)

This is an audio recording of a Tuesday night choir rehearsal with the Alcasser Polyphonic Chorale. During my two months stay in this town, I participated in choir, wind symphony and a parade drumline. I had to put my American music degree to use here in Spain!! #WSU #CFPCA #WSUmusic

During my two months living in Alcasser, Valencia I decided to enroll in Spanish at the local adult vocational school. Below is a video clip of me studying for my Spanish class in Alcasser, Valencia at the Adult School. These classes have been very beneficial for me. Since I've started attending classes, my Spanish grammar and pronunciation have greatly improved. My goal is to be able to read a children's chapter book by Christmas 2020. I hope to be able to reach this goal with success!

It was very exciting to see the Pope and hear his message translated into several different languages!! I really enjoyed myself in Italy and hope to go back again someday. Check out the Culture Nuggets podcast episode all about The Vatican: https://anchor.fm/culturenuggets/episodes/The-Little-Holy-Country-egd6f2

Expat Life in Spain  In this video I will be discussing a few important processes such as banking, shopping, natural hair care, nail salons and more. If there is something that you would like to know about that I did not cover, please let me know in the comments. Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel! Use the link below to hear about my "culture shock" experience: https://anchor.fm/culturenuggets/episodes/Culture-Shock-eln2rp

There are 11.2 million people currently living in Brussels, Belgium. 62% of Belgium's population is immigrants. Belgium is the #2 place for immigrants and expats. Here are the top four places in the World people relocate to: 1. Dubai 2. Brussels 3. Ontario 4. Amsterdam * If you could choose to relocate/start over in any place in the world where would it be??????

                                                                                                          Madame Tussauds Museum There were several interactive exhibits here at Madame Tussauds. This was by far my favorite!! I was greeted at the door by a French fashion designer yelling, "Are you the model because you're late now get dressed the crowd is waiting jeez. And I can't believe you showed up in sneakers! Don't forget this year's theme is butterfly magic." https://www.madametussauds.com/amsterdam/

This video clip was taken In Amsterdam at The Madame Tussauds. This was one of several interactive exhibits. I was greeted at the door being asked, "are you our fill-in for today? I'm not sure why our regular host didn't come in today, no call no shows are a no-no in show biz. So we'll get your teleprompter ready because we're running behind and we need to be on air in 2 minutes. Our topic for today is Lady GaGa. You're on in 3-2-1-ACTION!!" It was soooooo realistic and exciting. I've gotta go back! Subscribe to the Culture Nuggets YouTube channel & visit Madame Tussauds online by clicking this link:  https://www.madametussauds.com/amsterdam/     

        Bringing in the New Year in Europe! I am thankful for the opportunity to be living in Spain and traveling the continent of Europe. I have made many friends in Spain, Portugal and Belgium. 2019 was very fun and full of many interesting surprises. I am excited to see what 2020 has in store for me!!  Please comment below with the highlights of your 2019 and your goals for 2020. Thank you.