To France and Italy!

After having an amazing time in Spain, it was time to go catch my next flight to France. Only costing me $46, it was less of a travel to get there since the flight was less than 3 hours. Arriving in Paris, I took a taxi to the hotel I would be staying at, the Hotel La Tamise.

Again, another beautiful hotel I was happy to be staying at. I arrived during the day and wasn’t so tired, so I decided to start touring around early to go sightseeing. The first place I decided to go see was the Luxembourg Gardens. The flowers surrounding the area made it so much more vivid, filling the grass with colors everywhere. IT was an extremely kid friendly place, including a fenced in sand pit and a merry go round where kids could catch rings and spin around all day.

The next night, I decided to go and visit the world famous Eiffel tower. I wanted to see it at night so I could see it with the lights turned on and really capture the beauty. For 15 euros, it was definitely worth the wait.

I was definitely going to get hungry in Paris, s one of the new things I decided to try was escargot, or snails! One of the best places to get escargot from is L’Escargot Montorgueil. They also have plenty of other choices to offer, incase I don’t end up liking snails.

After spending a long week in France, it was time to take my travels to my next destination: Italy! I took another flight to Venice, which cost me $35. When I arrived in Venice, I took a cab to the Hotel Moresco, where I would be staying for the last part of my journey.

The next day, I decided to venture out to see what Venice had to offer. I decided to visit Saint Mark’s Basilica. This is one of Venice’s famous cathedrals, so I wanted to see what it had to offer.

I can not just visit Venice without taking a gondola ride! So I decided to go for one of those next.

Being in the gondola gives you a different experience on how to view everything around you. It proved to be pretty spectacular to me.

Since Venice mostly has sights to offer, I decided to go grab something to eat and see how it would be. I was quite excited to try some authentic Italian food. I decided to go eat at Dal Moro’s since you are meant to take the food with you to go. The lines were quite long, but after receiving the food, I can see why. People are not lying when they say that pasta in Italy is better than anywhere else!

My last stop in Italy before my trip would come to an end was to go see show at Teatro La Fenice. I always wanted to see an opera show live, so I figured why not!

As my travels come to an end,  I can say that I truly had a great time going from country to country and seeing many sights that most people spend their whole lives without seeing. It was a marvelous experience that I would definitely do again!

Madrid, Spain

For my first stop in my travels I will be visiting Spain, mainly Madrid. A one way ticket from Newark to Madrid will cost me $1,707. After a long 12 hour flight, I finally reached my first destination of my travels. Since I would be spending a week here, I thought I would splurge and stay in a nice hotel. I chose to take a taxi to the Hotel Atlantico Madrid for $119 a night.

The hotel offers everything from continental breakfast to breathtaking views. Not to mention that it is also less than a mile away from some of Madrid’s most popular tourist locations! After my long flight, I had experienced major jet lag and wanted to get some rest so I could fully enjoy my first day in Spain.

After doing some research, I knew that the one thing I wanted to do while I was in Madrid was shop. So I went to none other than Gran Via, translated to “Great Way”, located in central Madrid. This street contained most of the action, also being nicknamed the street that never sleeps. Most of my shopping was done at the upscale stores on Gran Via. While shopping, I had the pleasure to see many new sights such as the beautiful Metropolis building.

The next day, I decided to go back to Gran Via to just sightsee. I could not get enough of how many beautiful, tall buildings Madrid has and all the history behind them. Such as the Plaza de Espana, where I happened to see a lot of tourists.

The next day, I took a hike to visit the Prado museum, where I could see some famous paintings in person and truly take in their excellence. 

It was truly an amazing experience. I was able to see such beautiful paintings such as “las meninas” by Velazquez.

Of course while going to all of these different places, I’m going to start to feel hungry. I chose to go to Alright, where I was served some of the BEST food I have ever eaten. They had multiple courses served to me, at one point I felt like I was going to explode. The food was somewhat similar to things seen in the US, such as burgers with fries or ribs, but the flavors and the presentation made me feel like I was eating at a five star restaurant! It was truly amazing.

One of the last things I decided to do in Madrid was to take a tour of the Bernabeu Stadium. It cost me 44 euros but it was exciting to see the stadium where all of the intense soccer games are held. 

On the tour, they took us to see everything in the stadium since we had no limits. I was able to go through the tunnel where all of the players run out of to go on the field, and I was able to run onto the field! It was such  fun experience to me since I used to play soccer when I was younger. Never would I have thought that I would set foot on one of the most famous soccer fields in the world.

With my trip to Madrid ending shortly, I decided to pack all of my things the night before to prepare for my next destination: France!

Packing for my travels

For my month long journey, I’m going to need a spacious backpack to carry all of my cargo in. I have decided to purchase this backpack for my travels.

This backpack has many features that will be beneficial for carrying excessive cargo. These features include:

• Harness and hipbelt made specifically for women
• Highly breathable trampoline back panel
• Fully adjustable thoracic carriage for custom fit
• Dynamic frame delivers maximum movement and control
• Reflective hits
• Top loading pack
• Over eight pockets throughout frame pack
• Floating lid
• Two tool holders
• Expanding beaver tail

Considering I will be away for 21 days, I’m going to need to make sure I pack enough to last me through that time, but not too much that I will be carrying unessential items. For this journey, I have decided to pack:

• gps
• first aid kid
• sunscreen
• refillable water bottle with a filter
• hair brush and hair ties
• dental hygiene items
• shampoo and conditioner
• body wash
• tampons
• insect repellent

As far as clothing, I would bring:

• 25 pairs of underwear
• windbreaker
• 3 pairs of jeans
• 4 pairs of shorts
• 2 dresses
• 10 shirts
• 15 pairs of socks
• 1 pair of sneakers
• 1 pair of sandals

I attempted to pack clothing to benefit the hot weather that my destinations tend to have. Since I have never traveled outside of the country before, I wanted to make sure I bring enough so that I will not run out of something while I am out of the US. No matter what, I plan on having a great experience  and enjoying myself throughout this trip.

Through Spain, France, and Italy I go.

For my 21 day backpacker trip, I would start in Spain, travel through France, and end in Italy. I would spend a week in each location taking in new sights and enjoying the time I have alone. I’ve always been interested in the sights that these places have to offer from watching movies that showcase their most vivid places to hearing about them in the news. To start off my trip, I would start backpacking in Spain. Spain has many things to offer such as Barcelona and Madrid. I would want to learn more about the soccer teams and hopefully be able to watch a game. Since I’m going to be there for 7 days, I would obviously take the advantage to try some traditional Spanish food.

The next stop on my trip would be to France. Of course in visiting France, I would have to go to Paris, also known as the city of love. In my time there I would want to go visit the Eiffel tower and gaze at its breathtaking beauty in person. Also, I’m extremely interested to see what delicacies France would have to offer.

To end my journey, my last destination is Italy. For my last destination I have so much to go visit! I would want to travel through Rome, Venice, and Sicily. My main interest would be to see all the history that Italy has to offer. Oh and of course to try some authentic Italian dishes!

This trip will be one to remember, so I want to try and make every moment of it amazing and worth it.

Feature Article: Nicki Minaj

1. The Passion of Nicki Minaj
2. Vanessa Grigoriadis
3. New York Times
4. Fans of Nicki Minaj or people that want to learn more about her.
5. The author wrote this article for anyone in the Nicki Minaj fanbase that wants to catch up on their favorite artist or anyone wanting to learn about pop culture.
6. The second paragraph in the article states “Nicki Minaj is the world’s biggest female hip-hop star, a top pop star and the first woman to achieve success in both genres.” which shows that she is obviously famous in the pop music industry.
7. The article hooks your interest by explaining how she obtained her success on her own, so you become curious and read to find out how she did it.
8. What makes this article interesting is all the opinions of other celebrities on their views of the pop music industry and their famous lifestyles.
9. One of the main strong points in this article is the fact that the article is based on Nicki Minaj and her success but also goes on to mention other views from other celebrities.
10. After offending Nicki Minaj, the author and Nicki both went their separate ways and the interview ended. This made the author truly see that Nicki wasn’t afraid to back down, even in an interview.

Feature Article 1: Rihanna

1. A Very Revealing Conversation With Rihanna
2. Miranda July
3. New York Times Style Magazine
4. Fans of Rihanna
5. The purpose of this article is for Rihanna fans to read more about her and possibly find out some interesting facts about her. Also people who don’t know much about Rihanna can find out how she is as a person.
6. When Rihanna first met up with the author, she greeted the author with compliments on her eyes and was open to conversation.

‘‘Your eyes are amazing,’’ she told me, pulling her chair closer. ‘‘I’m staring at you and I feel like my eyes are gonna blur because all I can see are those tiny dots.’’

7. The writer puts detailed descriptions of how Rihanna looked and presented herself. Also, the topics she talked about in her interview were brief which drew readers in to finish the article.

8. Features the author used in the article are captions and pictures of Rihanna.

9. “I’m turned on by guys that are cultured. That’ll keep me intrigued They don’t have to have a single degree, but they should speak other languages or know things about other parts of the world or history or certain artists or musicians. I like to be taught. I like to sit on that side of the table.” This shows what type of man Rihanna desires and it shows a lot about her character.

“Guys need attention,” she explained. “They need that nourishment, that little stroke of ego that gets them by every now and then. I’ll give it to my family, I’ll give it to my work – but I will not give it to a man right now.” This shows that Rihanna is focused on herself and works on her own success. She doesn’t need a man to give her attention when she is making music and staying at the top of the charts.

10. She ended the conclusion with answering the Uber driver’s question from the beginning. The author now has a great memory from interviewing Rihanna.

 

International Political Cartoon: Democrats VS Republicans

This cartoon shows exaggeration by depicting a boxing match between the donkey representing the Democratic Party and the elephant representing the Republican party. Both parties are being declared the winner and they are both shown to be smiling even though they are exhausted. This cartoon is explaining how candidates like Donald Trump lead the Republican polls and candidates like Bernie Sanders lead the Democratic polls, so no one has a clear idea of who will be elected yet.

Artist: Kal The Economist

Country of origin: London, England

International Political Cartoon: Zika Virus

This cartoon shows both exaggeration and labeling. They exaggerate world health as a doctor with the head of a globe and the Zika virus as a giant mosquito. They also label the mosquito as “Zika virus”. The Zika virus is a new virus found in mosquitoes affecting inhabitants of Central America, such as El Salvador. It has gotten so bad to the point that they are now asking women of El Salvador to not have babies for the next two years due to the birth defects caused by the virus.

Political Cartoon Analysis

1. What is the event or issue that inspired the cartoon?

The upcoming presidential election with nominees Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, etc.

2. Are there any real people or places in the cartoon? If not, what images are portrayed in the cartoon?

The United States is there, represented by Uncle Sam.

3. Identify the specific artistic techniques used in the cartoon (i.e., symbolism, analogy, exaggeration, labeling, and irony). What is the artist trying to show the reader by using these techniques?

One specific technique used is exaggeration. The artist is trying to describe the election as toxic and deadly with the ridiculous things that have been done.

4. What is the cartoonist’s point of view about the topic portrayed in the cartoon? Give examples to support your interpretation.

The cartoonist’s point of view about the topic in the cartoon is that the 2016 presidential election is pretty much dooming 2016. The cartoonist is comparing the election to toxic waste, which clearly shows that this election isn’t going well.

5. Is this cartoon persuasive? Explain why or why not.

It is persuasive considering the cartoonist has a point. This election hasn’t been going well due to Trump having majority of the vote from Americans and his extreme racism towards Muslims.

6. What other techniques could the artist have used to make this cartoon more persuasive?

To make this cartoon more persuasive they could’ve shown the candidates for the election and show how Trump has more supporters than any other candidate.

Source: The Week

Thanksgiving? No thanks.

For a while now, I’ve come to not care for Thanksgiving. It’s the one time of the year where everyone is supposed to come together and give thanks for everything and everyone in their life, but my family does the complete opposite. We treat it as if it’s a normal day but with extra food. For as long as I can remember it has always been difficult for most of my family outside of New Jersey to come together to celebrate a common holiday where you are supposed to come together and give thanks.

Since my family doesn’t really see Thanksgiving as a holiday of much celebration, we don’t sit around a table giving thanks to everyone and showing everyone how much they are appreciated. Instead, we serve ourselves our “Thanksgiving dinner” and leave to eat in the privacy of our rooms. It’s not so much that I hate Thanksgiving, I just see no point in celebrating it. My brother is married so he celebrates Thanksgiving with his wife’s family, my sister recently moved back to her mother’s house so she celebrates with them, and I sit at home stuffing my face with pernil and rice since I hate turkey. Thanksgiving just isn’t the same as I could remember it when I was younger.

I remember my family would all come together and have a big dinner with everyone laughing and eating at the dinner table, enjoying each other’s company. But I guess over the years it’s become difficult to travel to my house since they have other families to spend Thanksgiving with, such as their spouse’s.

Although I don’t really celebrate Thanksgiving, that doesn’t mean I’m not thankful for what I have. I’m thankful for the loving family and friends I have in my life. I’m also extremely thankful to live a happy and healthy life. Sometimes Thanksgiving isn’t completely about celebrating and eating massive plates of food, it’s about remembering what you have been blessed with in your life and being thankful for the fact that you have that.