Monthly Archives: March 2015

Passion

New Zealand

4 Comments

I’ve personally always wanted to go to New Zealand. This is primarily because I spent about two years of my life in New Zealand. I was very young, about 2 years old, when we moved there. New Zealand is where I went to school for the first time. That’s right I started pre-school in New Zealand. I really don’t remember anything though. Anyway in preparation for a very much anticipated trip to New Zealand, I have compiled a list of things I must see! I got even more excited because for those of us who follow cricket (virtually no one in the US) New Zealand made it to the final match! They lost but it was still a great journey to the final match. New Zealand is actually making an active effort to create a safer environment for tourists. They are taking on the task of changing road signs and markers to allow for safer driving for all. That way when you go to visit you can be at ease when it comes to traveling around the country.

If you are a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings you will know that Hobbiton is located in New Zealand. Located on the North Island, Hobbiton is a huge attraction for even the slightest of fans. There are movie tours and even evening dinner tours. During the tour they bring you into Hobbiton and explain how the set was designed and built. The set is located on 1,250 acres of sheep farm land. You can see the Kamai range from the set. The tour takes you through the Hobbit Holes, the Green Dragon Inn, the Mill, and other structures built for the set. If you have always wondered what it would be like to walk around Middle Earth, don’t miss you chance!

imgres-1

Queenstown is a gorgeous resort destination. It sums up what New Zealand is truly about. The vast mountains and lakes will take your breath away. Since the seasons are flipped in New Zealand. Queenstown functions as a ski resort from June-August. From September to May, the resort is full of hikes, kayaking, biking, and so much more. It’s a great place to enjoy the outdoors. There are many great tours you can take around the area. There is also a great nightlife in Queenstown. The restaurants and entertainment per capita are some of the greatest in New Zealand.  One main sight to see is Milford Sound. A must see if you are in Queenstown. Conde Nast sums up Queenstown by saying, “…head all the way south to Queenstown, dubbed the adrenaline-junkie capital of the world, and you’ll find more than a few ways to look danger in the eye, while also checking out some of the most stunning views in the world.”

imgres-2

Milford Sound has been called the eighth wonder of the world. It was carved out by the glaciers that stood there before. The fjords are magnificent creations of nature. They are so huge you would think they are touching the clouds. Conde Nast Traveller exclaims, “Milford Sound is the magnum opus in the South Island’s repertory of landscape spectaculars.” Fiordland National Park is a great way to go around the area. There are many wildlife hikes they have mapped out. There are also several cruises you can take around the sound. There is also the Milford Discovery Centre. The discovery centre is a great place to learn more about the sound and its history. There is also an underwater observatory at the centre. You can experience the underwater life up close.

imgres

One place I think is really cool is the 90 mile beach, which happens to actually only be 55 miles. However, its still pretty awesome. It actually considered an official highway, but only 4WD cars are allowed on the sand. It’s supposed to be one of the best places to go surfboarding and there is even a five day fishing cruise that goes along the beach.

imgres-3

Overall New Zealand is a country full of natural beauty. It is place where you can just slow down and breathe. Kiwis (New Zealanders) are also supposed to be some of the kindest, most welcoming people around. I wish I could run away there right now, State College doesn’t always allow for slowing down!    imgres-4

http://www.hobbitontours.com/

http://www.milford-sound.co.nz/thingstodo/milford-sound-cruise/

http://www.queenstownnz.co.nz/information/tours/

http://www.northlandnz.com/destinations/ahipara_ninety_mile_beach

http://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2015-01-22/queenstown-new-zealand-the-adventure-capital-of-the-world-extreme-sports

http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2012-04-24/new-zealand-maori-lord-of-the-rings-alps-bay-islands-adventure-travel-susan-hack

Passion

Seattle: A City of Unknown Surprises

3 Comments

I have always wanted to go to Seattle. We used to live there when I was a baby. My mother and father talk about our time in Seattle with such fondness, I’ve wondered what it was like to live there.My mom says her favorite part was taking me on morning and afternoon walks around Pike Place Market. She talks about how beautiful the Sound looked with the sunset and sunrise. I can tell she misses it sometimes. So I thought it was about time I explored what made this city so sleepless. What is so wonderful about this mysterious city? We all know about New York City, Philly, LA, and Boston, but Seattle, where does that fall into play? Seattle is actually growing rapidly due to the tech boom being fueled by young tech geniuses who are looking for the next Silicon Valley. Seattle is providing a great platform for these young innovators to grow. The city is also getting a lot of hype because it will be the first pacific northwestern city to host the Golf ‘s US Open Championships. It is also going to be the recipient of the best IMAX theater in the world in the Boeing Theater. The technology consists of a 4K laser projector! Not to mention the Seattle Seahawks made it to the Superbowl this year!

I should start off with the most obvious reason this city sleeps so little. The first Starbucks opened in Pike Place Market in 1971. In fact since the entire Pike Place Market is a historic district the Starbucks looks exactly the way it did the day it opened. Starbucks is the reason that brought my family to Seattle. My father was assigned an engineering assignment for the company and we upped and moved. I guess that explains my growing love of coffee. If you are looking for more entrepreneurship, you can catch a glimpse of Bill Gates House on the shore of the Lake Washington. Apparently, a vast 60,000 square feet, the house is a spectacular scene hiding in the outdoors

.tumblr_lzpbm7q2nT1qb30dwo1_500

Microsoft’s influence expands to the Experience Music Project Museum. Founded by the co-founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen, EMP Museum is designed to showcase pop culture. It allows people of any age to explore the history of contemporary music, pop culture, and art. The building is a sight to see in itself. The building was designed by Frank O. Gehry. He wanted to capture the spirit of rock n’ roll. Conde Nast Traveller has the museum on their top five arts destinations for Seattle claiming it is a “shrine” to rock and roll lovers.

experience-music-project-seattle-wa-usa-2

Okay I know you’re wondering when am I going to mention the famous space needle. Well here goes the Space Needle is main feature in the entire landscape of Seattle. The Space Needle stands at 605 feet tall. The Needle also offers you the opportunity to eat at 500 feet above the ground at the Skycity restaurant. Another 20 feet up and at 52o feet above the ground, you are in the observation deck staring out toward the city.

Space-Needle

Another absolute must in Seattle is Pike Place Market. The market has been around for 108 years. It is filled with shops, stands from local vendors. You can find veggies, fruits, local art, tea and spices. Basically Pike Place has almost anything you could think of and its full of life. A traveller posted on tripadvisor, “I’m sure there a hundreds of reviews for the legendary Pike St. Market. Well, it is a must see/do/taste/smell type of place. It’s a narrow walkway that is pressed on either side by vendors of all sorts. And you will love it!” It sounds like a great place just to stroll around and take in Seattle’s buzzing culture and life. It is in fact one of the top tourist attraction on lists across magazines like Travel and Leisure, Conde Nast Traveller, and even on Tripadvisor’s website. Travel and Leisure says,Yes, it’s one of the Emerald City’s top tourist spots, but Pike Place is also a true neighborhood market bursting with gorgeous local produce, riotous flowers, and famous flying fish.”

imgres

A few other place you should definitely check out if you’re ever in Seattle are the Waterfront Park, The Chihuly Gardens and Glass, and the Olympic Sculpture Park. If you have some extra time make your way to one of the many museums in Seattle and don’t forget Mt.Rainer National Park!

images

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60878-d103584-Reviews-Pike_Place_Market-Seattle_Washington.html

http://www.seattle.gov/visiting-seattle

http://www.spaceneedle.com/home/

http://www.empmuseum.org/

http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/a-locals-favorite-seattle-experiences/5

http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2011-10-28/seattle-arts-culture

Uncategorized

Deliberation on Alcohol at Penn State

Leave a comment

I went to a deliberation on Saturday, February 28th from 1-3pm at The Commonplace. The deliberation was focused on the topic of alcohol use at penn state. It was put together by a group from Lori Bedell’s class. They started off with stating the main purpose of the deliberation was to figure out who is responsible for this excessive college drinking and to reach ideas to improve the atmosphere of partying and drinking on campus. The three main approaches were stricter policies and enforcement, changing the alcohol culture, and encouraging an alcohol-free lifestyle. There were a few students from different english classes and a member from the community who was running for a public office. Instead of dividing into smaller groups, we all stayed in one big group. In my opinion it was quite a good deliberation, although very differently formatted than our discussion.

The first approach was stricter policies and enforcement. The approach was introduced with a brief overview of the current policies and the type of enforcement that is related to those consequences. The biggest question was are these policies strict enough and do we need more enforcement? There were several comments on how RAs will sometimes turn their back on students drinking in residence halls. There was also comments on how the police is only able to go after the students that are excessively drunk and causing disruptions. In fact I learned that the town police had to increase their force by three times this weekend because of state patty’s day. This is very expensive for the police force, and the reason why usually they can only monitor so many of the students that go out on a regular weekend. I agreed with most students that the best approach was to educate students instead of stricter policies. If the policies are too harsh, students may protest. If educated more, students may refrain from drinking in the first place. The other solution was to give RAs better training, so they don’t feel “too cool” to report students to administrators.

The second approach was to create proactive rules and regulations. The main idea here was that penn state claims to be a dry campus, but there is over 76% of students that admit to drinking. Is this because penn state is not doing enough to prevent students from drinking instead of assuming students will drink? Throughout the topic we discussed what are some initiatives penn state could provide to students to steer them away from drinking. There were comments on the few activities that occur in the HUB and IM building such as late night movies, crafts, and sports activities. Unfortunately, many of these events become repetitive. We thought a good solution would be to have a special committee that can establish events on friday and saturday nights that would be fun like tie-dyeing. This will encourage students who are on the edge of going out to persuade their friends to do something else instead. There was a lot of discussion on the idea of positive peer pressure in this context.

The final approach was changing the alcohol culture at penn state. The issue is many people come to this school with the conception that we are a huge party school. It is expected that students will participate in drinking. The main cause of that is peer pressure. Students want to make friends and find one of the main way to make friends is through partying, which usually leads to drinking. Once students make friends who drink they are pressured into drinking because they want to feel included. This where the idea of positive peer pressure came back. We need students who are not into drinking to stand up for their values. This can influence their friends to do the same. There is also the problem of binge drinking. Underclassmen go to a party and feel like they have to get blackout drunk, since its their only opportunity to drink. To help solve this we need to educate students on what is the safe amount of alcohol to drink. Right now there is a program by the name of SAFE and AWARE, but there is no mandatory check on whether students have taken or not. That program needs to become mandatory for every student.

We concluded with going through all three solutions and the solutions we came up for them. We also discussed how important it is to continue making this safer and educating the students that attend it.