Dec 25th, 2012 at 12:00PM: With very few exceptions, I've spent the last 17-plus Christmases going out for dim sum. No matter where I'm living at the time, once December rolls around, I start researching the best places to indulge my har gow habit. Why? Because I've worked in the service industry for over two decades.
I've either waited tables or worked retail (usually in the food industry) since I was in my 20s. In ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Christmas posts
Dim Sum For Christmas: Creating A Holiday Tradition At Home
Dec 25th, 2012 at 12:00PM: With very few exceptions, I've spent the last 17-plus Christmases going out for dim sum. No matter where I'm living at the time, once December rolls around, I start researching the best places to indulge my har gow habit. Why? Because I've worked in the service industry for over two decades.
I've either waited tables or worked retail (usually in the food industry) since I was in my 20s. In ...VIDEO: Merry Kiwi Christmas
Dec 20th, 2012 at 3:00PM:
Tis the season for holiday-themed marketing videos, but this one is so charming, it's already on heavy rotation in my household. Pauanesia, the wonderful Auckland shop featured in our New Zealand-made souvenirs story, has just released this "Night Before Christmas" video starring their stuffed kiwi birds. The adorable and colorful birds, retro-simple stop-motion animation, and jazzy ukelele ...
Top Holiday Travel Destinations: Where To Go And Where To Avoid (If You Can)
Dec 20th, 2012 at 12:00PM: We all know that holiday travel can be a nightmare, with everyone and their mother flying home for the holidays. This holiday season will be particularly difficult, with both Christmas and New Year's falling just after a weekend, meaning that many travelers will opt to maximize holiday vacation with multiple trips.
But where are most people headed? It seems like warm weather is a major draw. ...VIDEO: Turkish Tannenbaum
Dec 19th, 2012 at 1:00PM:
"On Tane Baum in Istanbul" from Manzara Istanbul on Vimeo.
Want to feel some holiday warm and fuzzies? Take a few minutes to enjoy this Turkish video from Manzara Istanbul, a vacation apartment rental agency in Turkey's most popular city. The agency is run by a German Turk, who coordinated his entire staff to sing a not-exactly-stellar but very sweet version of the Christmas carol "O ...
A Visit To Macy's Santaland
Dec 16th, 2012 at 10:00AM: This week, in between a visit to the Brazilian consulate to apply for tourism visas, and working on the Gadling family travel gift guide, I decided to make a trip to the North Pole. Or rather, the one on 34th Street, where the most famous department store Santa resides at Macy's Santaland. Visions of David Sedaris dancing in my head, I decided if we were going to do this, I might as well do it ...A Video Tour Of Chicago's Christkindl Market And CTA's Holiday Train
Dec 15th, 2012 at 10:00AM: There is nothing quite like the smell of a Christmas market. Step anywhere near Chicago's Christkindlmarket and you'll pick up the intoxicating scents of grilled meats, roasting nuts, glühwein, sizzling potato pancakes and incense. It's enough to get even the biggest Scrooge into the holiday spirit.
Chicago's Christkindlmarket is a mini version of the Nuremberg Christkindlmarket in Germany ...Photo Of The Day: Cancun Landscape
Dec 13th, 2012 at 5:00PM:
There are certain images we see in our social network feeds over and over, especially at certain times of year: the Thanksgiving turkey, the decorated Christmas tree, and the vacation favorite: the bare feet on a beach chair (recently called "the loneliest pic in the world" on TV's "Up All Night"), alcoholic beverage in hand. Today's Photo of the Day is thankfully foot-free, though the image is ...My Own Personal Krampus
Dec 12th, 2012 at 10:00AM: I have a photo, printed from film, old school ... my husband and I are standing in a snowstorm in the Austrian alps. The flash from the camera reflects off giant fluffy flakes. The sky behind us is black – it's early evening, but an alpine evening, so it is dark. We are wearing big coats and big hats and big snow boots. We are surrounded by a group of Krampus, the alpine monster of the ...Antarctica's Tallest Peak Captured, North Pole Not So Much
Dec 4th, 2012 at 2:00PM:
Antarctica is our planet's southernmost continent and home to the South Pole, permanent manned research stations, penguins and an occasional adventure cruise ship expedition. This time of year, a lot of attention traditionally goes to Earth's North Pole, home of Santa and the gang. But NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory recently passed over Antarctica's tallest peak, Mount Vinson, as we see in this ...5 Hot New Holiday Markets In New York City
Nov 27th, 2012 at 4:30PM:
Come December, New York City becomes a veritable mecca of holiday shops, festivals and bazaars. Most tourists are familiar with the classic gift emporiums at Grand Central, Bryant Park and Union Square. But those markets tend to turn off the newer, younger, more independent brands with their hefty vendor fees and multi-week commitments.
For a different scene, check out some of the city's ...Cirque Dreams Travels The Country, Tours Military Bases Worldwide
Nov 8th, 2012 at 2:00PM:
The first-ever Cirque Dreams World Tour performed at 17 U.S. military bases throughout ten countries in January. Now, Cirque Dreams Holidaze promises to light up the 2012 holiday season transforming stages at five military bases in Korea and across the United States into a magical holiday wonderland.
This is not your mother's Christmas pageant either. The traditional elements are there but ...Send a holiday greeting from above the clouds
Dec 30th, 2011 at 4:00PM:
Procrastinated on sending Christmas cards this year? It's not too late to send a holiday greeting to say "Happy New Year" (or Mutlu Yillar in Turkish) with a travel theme. Turkish Airlines has a fun website for generating a virtual holiday greeting with a view of the wing. On Above the Clouds, you can choose a cloud image like a snowflake, Christmas tree, or angel and add a brief message ...Museum of European Cultures reopens in Berlin
Dec 27th, 2011 at 11:00AM: The Museum of European Cultures has reopened after a two-year renovation.
Located in Berlin, this museum focuses on the life of the common people of old Europe. While most museums focus on the famous accomplishments of the elite, this one looks at the everyday lives and traditions of regular people so often forgotten by the history books. Folklore museums can be found all over Europe and make ...Locked up Abroad: It's only Christmas, why are the shops closed?
Dec 27th, 2011 at 10:00AM: I'd never seen such a long line at a supermarket in my life. It was December 22, 2006 and I was hoping to buy a few items at a chain supermarket in Vienna, Austria. After waiting in line for about 15 minutes, it was almost my turn. But then an announcement was made, in German, the lights were dimmed and the people behind me in line dispersed- some left their items in their baskets, others took the ...Mutlu Yillar (Happy Holidays) from Turkey
Dec 25th, 2011 at 3:00PM:
Christmas Day has arrived, and here in Istanbul, it's just another Sunday but you could be fooled by all the festive decorations. Much of the city is festooned with colorful lights and ornamented trees, but with a Turkish twist. Most of the population is Muslim, while unlike in more conservative countries, many families will roast turkeys, decorate trees, and exchange gifts on New Year's Eve. ...NORAD tracking Santa on your iPad and smartphone
Dec 24th, 2011 at 9:00AM: As it has done every year for the past 56 years, NORAD is once again tracking Santa this holiday season. But for Christmas 2011, the military organization that watches the skies above North America, has added the ability to follow St. Nick's progress on your iPhone, iPad, and Android devices as well.
The satellite tracking went live earlier today and has been following Santa's sled as he's made ...A (not-very) special Czech Christmas
Dec 23rd, 2011 at 2:00PM:
As the last tiny fireballs shot into the tree, marking the end of this bizarrely belated Christmas celebration, my Czech friend's father, Ladia, looked at me and giggled nervously.
Was he happy we didn't burn down this bone-dry pine tree in their living room? Or was there something else I was missing. Did he know this was it--that I would be emancipating myself from this family and never be ...Video of the day: Season's Greetings from New York City
Dec 22nd, 2011 at 6:00PM:
We at Gadling love a good time-lapse video. Whether it's at a busy airport in Moldova or the many personalities on the streets of Laos, there's something about seeing life pass by at fast (or slow) speeds that's entrancing. With Christmas a few days away and Hanukkah in full swing, we especially love feeling festive without the crowds, the cold, and the hassle. Today's Video of the Day is ...
Boulder's mixology scene the place for holiday spirit(s)
Dec 21st, 2011 at 9:30AM:
By now, we're well into the Third Wave of the mixology craze. Cosmopolitans begat new types of martinis begat the revival of pre-Prohibition-era cocktails (which begat bartenders donning suspenders or dapper suit vests).
The revival of classic cocktails and trending toward intelligent, seasonally-driven mixology made with craft-distilled spirits has been driven by America's mania for all ...Video: Santa's elves take over an airBaltic plane
Dec 20th, 2011 at 4:00PM:
What a clever and creative way to bring holiday cheer to an airport. Santa's elves took over an airBaltic plane in Riga airport. ...
