#TTOT Round-Up: Winter Travel

Every Tuesday, it's Travel Talk on Twitter! There are two scheduled sessions to join: 9:30am GMT and 9:30pm GMT. Follow the #TTOT hashtag on Twitter and join in on the fun!

Here's the round-up of this week's #TTOT on "Winter Travel!"

Q1 via RunawayJuno: Do you prefer winter travel to summer travel? Why or why not?

• Alan_Curr: I love winter travel in really remote places, adds to that sense of being in the wild. Must be well prepared though
• IsabellesTravel: As a beach lover I would opt for Summer Travel, but I can enjoy a winter break with hot chocolate too
• bushbirdie: Winter: has more options (hot or cold destinations) & often cheaper deals. Tho saying that nothing much beats a summer holiday
• PuzzlerT: I prefer summer travel. Travel often means waiting instead of moving. Would rather wait in the warm. On a beach. With a cocktail
• Jeszbelle: Winter because I spend my whole life living in tropical country, I love to see snow!
• kitwhelan: Though I love winter, summer is SO much easier for travel & packing
• eurapart: Winter: My deodorant, sunscreen and ice cream bill goes down

Q2 via Kelsey_Morse: What are your top two winter travel destinations?

• SophieR: Norway, of course - for heaps of fun in the snow! And Australia for warmth
• alpharooms: Canaries for winter sun and Paris, Hamburg or Prague for Christmas markets
• lakshmisharath: A place I would like to be ..Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh with frozen lakes in North East India
• Walsden_Mercers: UK seaside, wide open sand, salty rain and wind blows away the cobwebs. Paris, atmosphere in the short dark days is magic
• monchi26: Southern Africa (no time difference!) and New York I guess (Christmas shopping!)
• foodieintl: Whistler, BC. and Passo San Pellegrino, Italy. Good skiing, great food
• sarahwaffle: Love Disneyland for Christmas with all the lights & snow & love anything beachy
• RickGriffin: Park City, Utah for skiing
• traveldudes: Easy choice: The Alpes with great snow for snowboarding! And I would go for Cape Town or Havana to get vitamin D

Q3 via himalfootsteps: What's the best thing to do on winter travel?

• MyDestination: Without doubt snowball fights
• hjortur: Relaxing in a hot tub in the snow with a glass of wine or beer watching the amazing Northern Lights
• thearcticnomad: Uh, to ski and snowboard of course
• daremetotravel: Outdoor sighteeing! Its amazing in winter
• jasonalvinjacob: Relaxing in a hot tub with a book on the right hand and a tall cup of fresh coffee latte with whipped cream on the other
• UltimateTravelG: Go for romantic long walks in winter, wrapped in each other's arms. It cant get more romantic than this
• traveladdictgrl: It's a great excuse to turn your trip into a quest to find the most delectable comfort foods
• MiddleSeatView: Find a farmers market/holiday market, grab a cup of hot cider & shop at some local stores/vendors 
  

Q4 via TurquoiseUK: Where would you most like to escape to this winter? Why?

• nikkitahil: Diving in warm waters while the sun shines brightly
• NicoleTravelBug: I just want to see snow!!! Give me winter snow
• FionaHilliard: Marrakech for heat, just seems so exotic, the colors, the flavors, the noise
• WillJackJones: Antarctica or the Arctic - if you're going to be cold, might as well do it properly
• vsavellisgrant: Would like to be in NYC this time of year. It's perfect
• BMacJ: Above-water bungalows in Bora Bora. Always been a dream of mine to go
• KelseyIvey: Easy – South Africa – I’d surf all winter long…well or backpack around South America
• belizepost: I'm dying to visit Brazil! Why? helloooooo, it's Brazil 

Q5 via Nick Healy: What are your best and worst winter travel experiences? 

• SEA_Backpacker: Worst winter travel experience was when I stayed at home
• LateralMovement: Best: Drinking an Angkor beer and wearing summer clothes while the sun shone last winter in Cambodia
• katyabroad: Worst: School trip to Germany - 2 nights sleeping (or not) on bus, 1 freezing day at the markets
• TravelsceneUSA: Yellowstone in December - stunning. Bad part: a day driving 2 a closed entrance- had 2 turn back go around
• toffeebugs: The best would be Christmas in the Philippines
• TravelApprentce: Worst: -30C in Helsinki wearing jeans. Best: -30C in Helsinki with brand new long underwear
  
• Travelingeditor: I almost died of hypothermia hitchhiking in Germany
• mapthegap: Christmas in Barcelona was pretty cool - there was snow on the palm trees

And there you have it, "Winter Travel"! 

Next week's #TTOT topic is: "Bathroom Experiences Abroad!" Submit your questions HERE! And don't forget to follow the #TTOT every Tuesday at 9:30am and 9:30pm GMT to chat about all things travel!

As always, a HUGE travel community thank you to our #TTOT hosts and organizers: traveldudes, roniweiss, toddwassel, traveldesigned, insidetravellab, WildJunket, tbloggersunite and mobilelawyer!

Have YOU got anything to add to the "Winter Travel" discussion? 

© Connie Hum 2011

Review: Wimdu

During my trip to Taiwan in October, I had the opportunity to try out Wimdu, a travel accommodation website, for my stay in Taipei.  Wimdu encourages travelers to "travel like a local" by bringing travelers and hosts together and creating an opportunity for face to face interaction between the two. 

Wimdu is similar to CouchSurfing or other traveler hosting sites, except you may or may not be staying with your "host" at their home and you are paying for your accommodations. Hmm, not so sure what the benefits of Wimdu might be then? Me, too.

Until I tried it!

I wanted to try Wimdu because I didn't want to stay in a hotel. I find hotels impersonal and alienating, especially when traveling alone.

CouchSurfing is a great option for solo travelers looking to connect with others but I chose Wimdu because my time in Taipei was already packed with meeting various relatives, acquaintances, and fellow food and travel bloggers. I wasn't going to have much time to get to know my hosts and I didn't want to stay with someone merely for the accommodation.

The apartment I chose from the many options listed on Wimdu was perfectly located in the Daan district of Taipei. The location was incredibly convenient to the MRT, with plenty of shops, restaurants and bubble tea stands at my doorstep! The living space was very roomy and comfortable for me, and could have easily accommodated two or three additional guests, but I really enjoyed the fact that I had the whole place to myself. Plus, I loved the blue walls!

Upon my arrival into Taipei International, I followed the clear instructions that Roger, the property's host had emailed me. I arrived with no problems and Roger was so kind as to show me around the apartment and then take me out to lunch. Roger offered suggestions and advice on Taipei before leaving me on my own with an awesome apartment of my own in the center of Taipei.  

One small minor hiccup I experienced with using Wimdu was their messaging system. All correspondence between travelers and potential hosts are routed through the Wimdu site, making checking and responding to messages a tad inconvenient, particularly when you're traveling and constantly on the move. However, once a reservation has been accepted and a payment made, Wimdu allows hosts and travelers to contact each other directly so this inconvenience is a very short-lived one.

Overall, my experience with Wimdu was very pleasant and I would definitely use Wimdu again in the future when I want to have a local experience in my travels but still maintain my privacy and space. I truly felt at home at Roger's apartment and that's an incredible feeling to have when you're travel to a new and foreign place! 

© Connie Hum 2011

World AIDS Day 2011

December 1 marks World AIDS Day 2011 and M·A·C Cosmetics is participating in a week-long effort to help raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.

As an avid volunteer for humanitarian efforts, I love that M·A·C encourages its employees to volunteer to "break down barriers and build relationships within communities." Over 1,800 M·A·C employees from all over the world, including 40 M·A·C Artistes from Hong Kong, will participate in World AIDS Day as part of the M·A·C AIDS Fund (MAF) initiative.

To date, MAF has raised $228M USD through the sale of M·A·C’s Viva Glam lipstick and lip gloss. I had seen the celebrity-fueled Viva Glam ads but I didn't realize that 100% of M·A·C’s Viva Glam sales price is donated to help support HIV/AIDS organizations working in under-served regions and populations around the world.

That's pretty impressive work, M·A·C!

Help support World AIDS Day this year! Volunteer at a local HIV/AIDS organization or if you don't have the time to spare, go out and get yourself (and all your lip-gloss loving friends) a M·A·C Viva Glam product. Here's what ONE VIVA GLAM purchase can provide to help those living with HIV/AIDS:

• 2 nights of shelter for a homeless person living with HIV/AIDS
• 8 home-delivered meals for a person living with HIV/AIDS who cannot cook for themselves
• 4 HIV tests for newborn babies to determine their HIV status
• Medicine for 5 newborn babies to prevent transmission of HIV from their mothers
• HIV tests for 14 pregnant women
• Monthly transportation to/from medical appointments for a child living with HIV/AIDS 
• 1 crisis counseling session for a person living with AIDS who is also struggling with addiction and homelessness
• A six month supply of Omega 3 fish oil to help decrease the inflammation cause by the immune system’s battle against HIV
• 3 nutritious meals for 3 children affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa
• 254 male condoms to effectively prevent HIV transmission
• 24 female condoms for distribution by local Health Departments to prevent HIV transmission
• 32 safe sex kits that include condoms and lubricant
• 1 rapid oral HIV test
• One year of clean, sterile syringes for an injection drug user to prevent HIV infection

Looking good, feeling good, and now, with M·A·C Viva Glam, DOING good too!

© Connie Hum 2011

A New Standard With Hong Kong's Standard Vintage

My love for vintage fashion was finally quenched last month in Hong Kong when Standard Vintage's curator, Andy Chow, invited me to his studio for a private fitting. I was literally in heaven!

I spent the afternoon trying on some super cute Japanese vintage dresses Andy hand-picks for Standard Vintage's online boutique. Andy was great about understanding my love of color and helped me pick out some amazing pieces to try on. Personal styling tips and honest opinions were included!

What made Standard Vintage different from all my previous vintage shopping experiences was that Andy really knows his stuff. Andy can basically give you the history of almost any Standard Vintage item and he clearly loves each piece. I felt like I was handling precious heirlooms, and I guess in a way, I was. Instead of looking at heirlooms to store behind glass, I was looking at heirlooms to wear and look pretty in.

I was afraid the vintage Japanese pieces wouldn't fit since I'm not as petite as most Japanese women are, but I didn't have any trouble getting into most items. In fact, I ended up taking home FIVE vintage dresses that afternoon, including this gorgeous green vintage Valentino dress I fell in love with at first sight! I wore it the following week to Andy's birthday dinner. Isn't it amazing?

Photo courtesy of Harold Li

For those of you lucky enough to live in Hong Kong, Andy's taking his Standard Vintage pieces over to General Store the weekend of December 2 - 3 for Tea for Two. I'm pretty upset that I'll have to miss what will easily be Hong Kong's biggest antique and vintage event of the year (though I can't complain; I'll be in New York City). My loss can be your gain so don't miss out if you're in town!

Fret not, vintage lovers living OUTSIDE of Hong Kong, Standard Vintage has an online shop you can order from.

Keep up with any new findings from Andy, "Like" Standard Vintage on Facebook and follow Andy on Twitter.

I personally can't wait to see what other items Andy will find for Standard Vintage, and knowing Andy's high standard for vintage clothing, I already know they're going to be beautiful!

© Connie Hum 2011

#TTOT Round-Up: Time Zones

Every Tuesday, it's Travel Talk on Twitter! There are two scheduled sessions to join: 9:30am GMT and 9:30pm GMT. Follow the #TTOT hashtag on Twitter and join in on the fun!

Here's the round-up of this week's #TTOT on "Time Zones!"

Q1 via waphle: What are your secrets for fighting jetlag?

• flyingwithfish: Suck it up and keep moving, well that, and cans of Coke
• traveldaveuk: I always put my clock forward to local time once I've stepped on the plane
• Tony_Vino: Going east: sleep v little night b4 (4 hrs or less), have red wine w/ meal, sleep till morning food service & then I am good to go
• jeanettekramer: Melatonin & sleep when it's dark, get up when it's light. No napping in between!
• mygo2it: Travel so often that time differences don't phase you anymore
• SuuperG: I rarely experience it...because my travel adrenaline kicks in and I tap into it
• robbin_g: I don't drink alcohol on the plane anymore. Water, water, water
• landlopers: Natural light also helps mitigate effects of jet lag
• farebuzz: Always try to stay awake as late as possible. Generally feel rested the next day once I've finally slept

Q2 via runawayjuno: When & where were your worst time zone & jet lag experiences?

• ehalvey: BNA-HOU-SEA-Vancouver to turn around 36 hours later
• projectoneworld: London>Delhi>London>LA in a week My body didn't know what to do, it just stayed awake
• McMedia: Tampa, FL to Naples, Italy .. The champagne & limoncello didn't help my cause
• nygal33: Flying from NY-LA-SYD-Cairns without any long layovers
• annleewai: Woke from a dead sleep on an empty overnight train out of Rome to a standing room only commuter train. Everyone was staring
• MikeDJeremy: Sydney to Amman: No sleep and then straight to a wedding and served Mensaf- a sheep's head with its eyes
  
• BespokeTravels: NY to London to Dubai to Cape Town & back. I'm still sleeping that one off
• CaptainandClark: Korea to China. China to Dubai. Dubai to Bahrain. We saw every sunrise on our trip haha

Q3 via pommietravels: Have you ever missed something because you didn't change your clock to the correct time zone?

• LisaBrandush: Missed the cruise boat and ended up getting stranded somewhere in the bahamas
• plinthpics: Once woke up in Norway hotel at 2 o'clock, panicking thinking I overslept. It was 2am & 'midnight sun' was up
• GuestHouseIntl: Never missed anything but my friend called me at 4am to tell me she was engaged...lives in japan and forgot what time it was here!
• TravelatedRease: I slept through the hostel checkout time because I didnt know it was daylight savings. It happens in Uruguay but not Argentina
• FoodnFlowers: Not with travel but with daylight savings - frequently turn up late forgetting to change clock. My trademark
• LAbackpackrChik: I'm kind of a dumb ass i never change my time to the correct time zone...i like having it on home time LA
• kymri: My dogs try to convince me that I'm jetlagged when the clocks get turned back and they have another hour to wait for dinner

Q4 via Travel4Press: Should we scrap daylight savings? Why?

• OverYonderlust: I rather like having it light outside super late with daylight savings and the summer time
• AngelinaFoster: I don't think it's a hassle and love the summer evenings... keeps!
• worldtravelsite: Na, it's kinda fun, figuring out timezones, makes me feel more like i'm somewhere else
• hjortur: Absolutely. It's pointless and confusing. Move your working hours if you like, but not the clock
• RickGriffin: We live in the age of internet and electricity - time zones are obsolete
• kathegan: Gotta love that day in fall when you normally have to leave the bar, but then you get an extra hour
• kitwhelan: Probably. As fun as it is to time travel, we lose productivity worldwide, and it's confusing for international travel and business
• peglegmeg: But doesn't daylight savings just make us appreciate daylight more?

Q5 via HotelPRGuy: What's your most hilarious time zone confusion situation?

• WalkEatTalkEat: Finding I was meant to be at the airport, when I was on Isla Mujeres a taxi, ferry&another taxi away from airport. But made it
• TravelingEditor: 5 year old daughter 8 TZs away on phone. She didn't believe I was going to bed & she just arrived from school
• iamfrafuga: Spending half of every phone conversation w my mum trying2 explain what time it was where I was & why
• jessjwhitworth: My brothers had a great time getting straight on a flight after a heavy night out - air hostess wasn't impressed with the mooning
• travel_version: Going to bed at weird time in Australia because of jetlag, waking up at 7 and not knowing if it was am/pm so I went back to sleep
• AmbleResorts: Flight from Tokyo left at 7pm on Wed and we landed in Honolulu at 7am on Wed - Got to live that Wed twice
• earthXplorer: Waking up, showering, getting ready to go, walking outside, realizing it was 3am 
  

And there you have it, "Time Zones"!

Next week's #TTOT topic is: "How to Keep Travel in Your Life if You are NOT a Professional Nomad!" Submit your questions HERE! And don't forget to follow the #TTOT every Tuesday at 9:30am and 9:30pm GMT to chat about all things travel!

As always, a HUGE travel community thank you to our #TTOT hosts and organizers: traveldudes, roniweiss, toddwassel, traveldesigned, insidetravellab, WildJunket, tbloggersunite and mobilelawyer!

Have YOU got anything to add to the "Time Zones" discussion? 

© Connie Hum 2011

#TTOT Round-Up: Out of Your Comfort Zone

Every Tuesday, it's Travel Talk on Twitter! There are two scheduled sessions to join: 9:30am GMT and 9:30pm GMT. Follow the #TTOT hashtag on Twitter and join in on the fun!

Here's the round-up of this week's #TTOT on "Out of Your Comfort Zone!"

Q1 via iavravillaassoc: How would you describe your comfort zone? 

• pineywoozle: My comfort zone is the universe. I am only rarely shaken of my basic belief of the core decency of people & the splendor of nature 
• thetravelmav: Sitting in a bar with a cold beer, rucksack at my knees, hot weather, at the start of another adventure
• lethers: My comfort zone starts in a good cafe and ends when the adrenaline level reaches about 25%
• iamfrafuga: Comfort zone is a guaranteed bed, meal, hot shower... Everything you don't feel the need of when you're on an adventure
• Inga_Ros: My comfort zone is defined by the people who surround me
• TravelistaNina: My comfort zone is pretty wide because I love to try new things. But if I don't eat every three hours I'm not a happy gal

Q2 via crozul: Share your most memorable "out of comfort zone" experiences

• MyHotelGuy: When my host family in China took care of me when I was sick. I didn't speak Mandarin well..they didn't speak English. Humanity!
• JauntingKerrs: Paddling on a sufboard across a Croc-infested river mouth in Boca Barranca, Costa Rica
• Xplore724: Sailing down the East coast US in Dec. with 20 ft. seas & 50 knot winds was definitely out of my comfort zone
• WindstarCruises: Jungle huts in Africa (true story). No electricity, no running water. Just baboons beating on the walls at night 
• chippy2u: Bungy jumping the Nevis in New Zealand - 134 metres into a river gorge
• TravelApprentce: Quitting my career to travel Solo, that was huge the first time

Q3 via RobertKCole: What hotel experience left you furthest out of your comfort zone?

• CruiseBuzz: An eco-lodge in Ecuador's cloud forest. No electricity and big bugs
• faeyakof: Finding out there was no flush and no sink and the only thing separating the room and the toilet was a curtain
• daisy_cropper: Creepy hostel had the floor painted blood red with flecks of paint splattered up the walls... It looked a little too real to me
• travelfootprint: A hotel in Istanbul where the front desk checked someone else into our room after we had gone to bed, twice
• gregoates: Ecolodge in Iquitos, Peru in the Amazon. Tarantulas everywhere
• emeraldcitytooz: Very thin walls at older Paris Hotel. Must have been honeymooners next door

Q4 via Walsden_Mercers: Whats your best 'Won't be doing that again experience'?

• KWanderlust3: Probably eating scorpions yuck
• BespokeTravels: Thinking tiny green things in Thailand were peas & eating spoonful - they were hot peppers
• L_e_a_h: I won't be eating that corn ice cream in China again. Disgusting
• youngadventures: Eating fried guinea pig in Peru. Won't be doing that again
• WorldTravelWH: Bus ride from Agra to Jaipur & this dude decides to make his "own" bathroom in the back of the bus (which had no bathroom) 
• Bloggeries: Drinking shots of cobra snake whiskey along the Mekong

Q5 via danielmartinadv: How has being pushed out of your comfort zone changed you and your views on the world?

• thetravelmav: Taught me world is an extraordinary, magical, living thing... learn to take the knocks & shocks -feel more alive
• traveledearth: It's reminded me that life's too short to not love what you do each day
• roniweiss Being out of your comfort zone is why a lot of us travel. It makes you wiser & generally helps with patience
• habagatcentral: Curiosity--The World is Just Awesome! Made me humble and earned more respect for different cultures
• KathEgan: It has given me hope for humanity and the future
• katyabroad: It's taught me how to look fear in the face and overcome it
• traveldudes: "The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all!" (Richard Branson)   

And there you have it, "Out of Your Comfort Zone"!

Next week's #TTOT topic is: "Time Zones." Submit your questions HERE! And don't forget to follow the #TTOT every Tuesday at 9:30am and 9:30pm GMT to chat about all things travel!

As always, a HUGE travel community thank you to our #TTOT hosts and organizers: traveldudes, roniweiss, toddwassel, traveldesigned, insidetravellab, WildJunket, tbloggersunite and mobilelawyer!

Have YOU got anything to add to the Out of Your Comfort Zone discussion? 

© Connie Hum 2011

Rancinan Exhibit Opens in Hong Kong

Art in Hong Kong is set to take off in the coming years and it's a fascinating time to be living in Hong Kong. It's so inspiring to live in the midst of all the creative energy and talent in this city.

Last week marked yet another art milestone in Hong Kong with the opening of French photographer, Gérard Rancinan's exhibit featuring a selection of 30 photographs from his series: Metamorphoses, Hypotheses and Wonderful World at the Opera Gallery in Central.

The Raft of Illusions by Rancinan

At last Thursday's opening of the Rancinan in Hong Kong exhibit, art enthusiasts and collectors were given the unique opportunity to get up close and personal with the internationally-renown photographer and his startling images.

Rancinan speaks with guests about his photography

A guest takes in one of Rancinan's images

Several of Rancinan's famous portraits are also on exhibit at the Opera Gallery. One of his portraits that especially caught my eye was his portrait of Yan Pei-Ming. I found the palette incredibly simple, yet visually compelling. I couldn't stop looking this portrait!

Yan Pei-Ming by Rancinan

Rancinan in Hong Kong will exhibit to the public at the Opera Gallery for a limited engagement from November 11 to December 1, 2011. The exhibit will round out its Asia portion of Rancinan's world tour in Singapore and Seoul in early 2012.

Opera Gallery, 2-8 Wellington Street, G2 Floor, M88, Central, Hong Kong
(852) 2810 1208

© Connie Hum 2011

A New Buzz at caffè HABITŪ Coffee Academy

Hong Kong's very own caffè HABITŪ is celebrating its fifth anniversary in a big way with the opening of caffè HABITŪ Coffee Academy and Roasting Studio! As one of the world's first coffee appreciation studios available to the public, caffè HABITŪ Coffee Academy and Roasting Studio is hoping to cultivate the growing interest in coffee culture in Hong Kong.

Located on a relatively quiet street in Causeway Bay, caffè HABITŪ Coffee Academy and Roasting Studio is a perfect setting for an afternoon of coffee workshops and tastings. The gorgeous 2,500 square foot academy is a converted apartment on the second floor and the eclectic vintage decor gave the space a compelling and inviting atmosphere.

During my coffee tasting workshop, I had the opportunity to learn proper coffee tasting skills and try the world's most expensive coffee, the Kopi Luwak coffee. The unique way that the Kopi Luwak coffee beans are processed, namely through the digestive tract of Asian civets (those new to coffee like to call Kopi Luwak "cat shit coffee") and the added enzymes are what makes Kopi Luwak so prized among coffee aficionados. I do admit that the Kopi Luwak certainly did have a smooth and full-bodied taste to it, but I'm not quite the connoisseur of coffee needed to fully discern the appeal of these special beans just yet.

Luckily, the expert baristas of caffè HABITŪ were on hand to help us learn the basics of coffee cupping (the technical term for coffee tasting) and how to discern the different flavors and aromas of the different coffees we sampled. Here is a sample of what Johannes Pong, nightlife columnist for HK Magazine, learned from our Coffee Connoisseur's workshop.

The goal of caffè HABITŪ Coffee Academy and Roasting Studio isn't just coffee. The academy is looking to also promote art and a sense of creative community in Hong Kong. The studio will be hosting creative art sessions in conjunction with their coffee workshops, known as "Picasso Meets Espresso." It's a great idea and I love how caffè HABITŪ has optimized their studio space for this.

Coffee, art and creative workshops set in a lovely gallery-cum-dream living room space. I think I'm in love with caffè HABITŪ Coffee Academy and Roasting Studio.

Workshops and events at caffè HABITŪ Coffee Academy and Roasting Studio are available by appointment only. Events for private parties are also offered. Please check their website for details and class schedules. 

caffè HABITŪ Coffee Academy and Roasting Studio, 128-132 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
(852) 3104 0075

© Connie Hum 2011

#TTOT Round-Up: Museums

Every Tuesday, it's Travel Talk on Twitter! There are two scheduled sessions to join: 9:30am GMT and 9:30pm GMT. Follow the #TTOT hashtag on Twitter and join in on the fun!

Here's the round-up of this week's #TTOT on "Museums!"

Q1 via L_e_a_h: What is the most unusual museum you've visited?

• KiwiCollection: The Sedlec Ossuary or Bone Church in Kutná Hora, Czech Republic contains 40,000 to 70,000 skeletons
• ilivetotravel: The Doge Palace in Venice had a section on chastity belts that could have scared the devil herself! 
• SustainableTrip: There was a miniature museum in Lyon, France with miniature scenes of human life in EXCRUCIATING tiny detail. It was pretty cool
• ehalvey: I walked by the Leprechaun Museum in Dublin
• SmarterTravel: The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia is pretty weird: A collection of anatomical oddities
• emeraldcitytooz: The Umbrella Shop in Tasmania with a display of umbrellas used over the past 100 years
• CaptainandClark: Korea's largest penis park 

Q2 via BackPackerSteve: What's the most interesting museum to visit in your own "backyard"? Why?

• Inga_Ros: Ghost museum in Eyrarbakki in Iceland
• analopezct: Roman Theatre Museum, Cartagena (Spain). one of the most surprising archaeological discoveries of the city 
  
• TravelDesigned: In Chicago not famous but should be.... The National Museum of Mexican Art.... and it's FREE
• lpusastaff: Don't forget outdoor museums: UC Berkeley Botanical Garden & nearby Tilden Botanic Garden make for a fantastic day in the Bay Area
• emeraldcitytooz: Haven't been yet but the Bondi Shark Museum could be interesting
  
• HiddenFlorida: The World Erotic Art Museum. It's incomparable, primal & fascinating

Q3 via waphle: What's the coolest niche museum you've ever been to?

• familytravel4um: One of our fave museums is the Tata Shoe Museum in Toronto... Egyptian reed sandals to Elton John glitter heels
• CareerBrkSecret: The torture museum in Cartagena is cool. Creepy, but cool
• WillingFoot: The museum of Ham in Madrid
• littlegingerkid: Coolest niche museum is the comic book museum in Brussels
• YHZgirl: Coolest nitch museam - Voodoo Museam in New Orleans! Small but really cool
• jennifuchs: Parasitological Museum in Tokyo was quite cool  
• xcomglobal: BALL OF YARN MUSEUM 

Q4 via L_e_a_h What is the most impressive exhibit or item you've seen in a museum?

• analopezct: Robert Capa's Leica, at Science Museum (London). He died with his camera in his left hand, killed by a landmine in Indochina War
• SuuperG: I just love the statue Victory at Samothrace aka Winged Victory in the Louvre
• JaclynLiechti: Definitely the purple-marble bathtub at the Vatican (supposedly belonged to Emperor Nero)
• SwannySA: Slab of the Parthenon at the British Museum (should be returned to Athens)
• hjortur: Seen Mona Lisa, dinosaurs, meteors, space crafts, Egyptology stuff, but most impressive was Terra Cotta army!
• raelinn_wine: The Lady of Shallot by Waterhouse at the Tate Gallery in London
• RainyDayTravelr: The Killing Fields museum in Cambodia
• FareBuzz: Forgot about the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit. They have the chair Lincoln was assassinated in and Edison's last breath in a tube 

Q5 via TravelThirst: Most valuable things a good museum must have?

• StayAdventurous: One night with late access. maybe till 10pm
• evanwolf: Great museums have great signage, provenance, and explanations because we're all newbies compared to curators
• LAbackpackrChik: FREE is always nice
  
• SwannySA: Authenticity & atmosphere. Then add sights, sounds & space. Perfect!
• JimODonnell2: Mummies. And a coffee shop with those old time cakey donuts
• TendToTravel: Not too many valuable things in one museum. I don't like a sensory overload! the Louvre is great but too much for me!
  
• MalloryOnTravel: A good coffee shop or bar even

And there you have it, "Museums"!  

Next week's #TTOT topic is: "Out of Your Comfort Zone." Submit your questions HERE! And don't forget to follow the #TTOT every Tuesday at 9:30am and 9:30pm GMT to chat about all things travel!

As always, a HUGE travel community thank you to our #TTOT hosts and organizers: traveldudes, roniweiss, toddwassel, traveldesigned, insidetravellab, WildJunket, tbloggersunite and mobilelawyer!

Have YOU got anything to add to the Museum Travel discussion? 

© Connie Hum 2011

#TTOT Round-Up: Customs From Around the World

Every Tuesday it's Travel Talk on Twitter! Follow the #TTOT hashtag to see what all the commotion and Tweets are about! There are two sessions to join, one at 9:30am GMT and the other at 9:30pm GMT.

Here's the round-up of this week's #TTOT: 

Q1 via raintravels: What custom do you think is unique to your country?

• Jlowthrop: India ... my absolute favourite ... the head wiggle! Love it! Yes, no, maybe, go away, hello, come, ok... so many meanings
• AllyToullec: I'm from france, so I believe that being on strike for pretty much anything is one of our custom
• GFexplorers: Us Brits love a good queuing session preferably with fish & chips at the end of the line
• 25travels: Filipino time - which is meeting AT LEAST 1 hour later the actual scheduled time
• BryanCSnider: In the US we like to have ice in almost all of our beverages
• gogogasti: Yerba Mate at work
• backpackergurl: Tire d'érable - cabane à sucre, pouring boiling maple sap on snow and eating it
• claudiabia: Customs from Brazil - be super friendly, invite strangers to parties/ lunch in their houses, kiss in the cheeks and hug
  
• thesarahbot: Giving other people much wider personal space

Q2 via himalfootsteps: Did you adopt any custom you met on travels?

• LifesGreatAdv: I now tend to 'slurp' my noodle soup - much more fun, and i never waste the leftover liquid, always drink every last drop!
• MyDestination: The Indian head wobble.....although I STILL cant get it right!
• YHZgirl: I adopted drinking tea since moving to England
• traveldudes: I eat Asian cuisine with fork & spoon or chopsticks
• kymri: Beans on toast - breakfast of champions!  
• kookabar: Calling every person you meet by 1st name (even senior acquaintances). Still trying to get used to it
• JeffTitelius: Having a glass of wine each night after my first visit to Europe
• tarabradberry: Breakfast doesn't seem the same without black olives, since Turkey
• rickydurrance: Crouching down when waiting rather than sitting on a bench - picked that up in Cambodia, hence calling it the Cambodian crouch
• HolDesigners: Reaching for the hibiscus tea in times of stress! Our friends in Egypt assure us it lowers blood pressure

Q3 via cabanbury: What is the most unusual custom you have come across during your travels?

• lowcostholidays: The lack of driving skills required to be road worth in certain countries is always a shocker!
• walkflypinoy: Hanging onions on your door to drive way bad spirits
• sunshinesiestas: All Saint's Day in Spain, all my neighbors are cleaning off graves of their ancestors, and everything is closed
• petebouch: Eating with my new friend in Morocco, but only with the right hand, never, ever the left hand, ever
• evitravels: Love the bright, baggy, colorful, matching pajama sets as daytime garb in Cambodia
• sudhamathew: Hamam baths in Turkey and being roughly scrubbed by a woman older than your mom!
• earthXplorer: In Bali, when having a baby, the 'Dad' can't cut his hair until the baby is born
• TheMinuteTour: Haggling in Cairo
• HipTraveler: I had to pay for a squat toilet in China and that money was clearly not going towards maintenance

Q4 via insidetravellab: Have you ever come across any customs you disapprove of? How did you handle that?

• Meggerroo: Throwing trash on the ground in Honduras bothers me. I saved my water bags and trash until I could find a trash can
• jesswhitworth: Piling as many members of the family as possible, including pets, on to a tiny moped in Vietnam
• NomadTours: Customs that aren't cool - Female Genital Mutilation in North and West Africa, it needs to stop!
• MzansiGirl: The Swazi Reed dance, where the king get to pick his next virgin bride
• rickydurrance: The lack of effective queuing the world over
• zaira_newfront: The annual seal hunt - killing animals violently for pleasure and money disturbs me
• littlegingerkid: I don't approve of arranged/forced marriages, but I try not to disapprove of customs. Different culture & value systems 
• GQtrippin: Many people are shocked to hear that Vietnam puts ice in their beer. Who are we to judge how they like their Tiger beer?
• DangerousBiz: I could disagree with lots of customs around the world. But when they're not mine, who am I to judge?

Q5 via 20sTravel: What's the biggest cultural faux pas you've made?

• NomadTours: In Venice, it took us 3 attempts before we had all the clothing required to visit St Mark's Basilica in Venice... whoops!
• aussiegirlindia: Accidentally using my left hand to eat with (even though I swear it was clean)
• destinology: I almost passed out when a full cooked rabbit w/ floppy ears cut in half at dinner in Paris
• StefanoPedroni: Try to give the 3 Italian cheeks kisses and a hug to a Thai mate while she was bowing, total disaster!
• Ruthierolo: Siitting with the soles of my feet facing a monk on a temple stay. Opps!
• ChurnetValley: In Egypt I kept eating everything on my plate (good UK manners). Oops, a sign I thought hosts were being stingy
• gqtrippin: Snapping photos of the 'window models' in Amsterdam's red light district. Man did I learn my lesson
• rkerestes: Thinking I was dressed modestly (by Western stds) when I wasn't (by Eastern stds) before entering holy sites - major faux pas 
• FrankDiCesare: Asking for my steak cooked medium well in Paris. You would've though I insulted the waiter's grandmother

And there you have it, "Customs From Around the World"!   

Next week's #TTOT topic is: "Museums". Submit your questions HERE! And don't forget to follow the #TTOT every Tuesday at 9:30am and 9:30pm GMT to chat about all things travel!

As always, a HUGE travel community thank you to our #TTOT hosts and organizers: traveldudes, roniweiss, toddwassel, traveldesigned, insidetravellab, WildJunket, tbloggersunite and mobilelawyer!

Have YOU got anything to add to the "Customs From Around the World" travel discussion? 

© Connie Hum 2011

The Stinky Tofu Incident

Can you imagine eating something that smells like a cross between sweaty gym socks, sickly-sour vomit and rotten fish? Better still, would YOU dare to eat it? Believe it or not, this is a wildly popular street snack in Taiwan!

I'm talking about Stinky Tofu. Yes, Stinky Tofu. That is the actual name of this olfactory-attack of a night market staple.

Stinky Tofu has kind of been haunting me for quite some time now. Also popular in China and Hong Kong, I've been assaulted with the formented tofu's (ahem) unique smell many a time. In fact, I live just mere blocks from a Stinky Tofu street in Hong Kong. I've tried on numerous occasions to gather up the courage to try the local specialty but every single time, the smell just literally knocked me back. Believe me. It's scary stuff.

While I was in Taiwan, I decided I had to try the infamous Stinky Tofu and unlock the secret for myself of just what makes it so darn appealing.

When I made my way to my first Taipei night market with Brett of Our Tasty Travels, I told myself to be brave. I was really going to do it this time. As we approached the night market stall, I was silently vomiting in my mouth from the pungent smell already choking me. Before I had a chance to run away, Brett ordered a plate and placed it before me. There was no turning back now.

I grabbed my chopsticks and plunged into the dish before my brain had time to process the danger ahead.

The Stinky Tofu was finally in my mouth! I had done it! I started chewing the crispy, deep fried outer skin of the tofu and found the texture surprisingly enjoyable. You cannot imagine my relief to discover that the taste also proved to be pretty darn good! The tangy garlic sauce that the vendor had drizzled over the Stinky Tofu was amazing, particularly since I don't believe in the phrase: "too much garlic."

Then the smell came back. This time it was coming from my mouth and it pretty much ruined the entire experience for me.

I'm glad I tried Stinky Tofu, I really am. Now I don't have to wonder anymore. Overall, it's not as bad as you would imagine if you base your judgement on the horrendous smell. To be honest, I like the taste of Stinky Tofu a lot. Unfortunately, the pungent and often repugnant aroma comes with the territory, which is enough to repel me away for good. That, and the fact that the smell of Stinky Tofu remained in my mouth for the next three days! No amount of teeth brushing and flossing could get rid of it. It was basically torture, like the ghost of Stinky Tofu Past coming back to pay me a visit.

See, Stinky Tofu haunts me. Hopefully, now that I've met it face-to-face, I can lay Stinky Tofu to rest.

Thanks again to Brett of Our Tasty Travels for showing me that I don't have to fear Stinky Tofu anymore!

© Connie Hum 2011