Today’s edition of “the Wednesday Who” introduces us to Igor Sikorsky. Sikorsky was born on 25 May 1889 in Kiev, which at the time was part of the Russian Empire. According to Britannica, his mother’s zeal for Leonardo da Vinci helped pave the way for his interest in engineering and mechanics; this was first demonstrated […]
History
The First Tuesday of Taste: Airline Food
Welcome to the first Tuesday of Taste (Tasty Tuesdays was already taken by the rest of the world). Every Tuesday, we will explore some combination of food and travel, whether it be an airline meal, a local dish, or a story about an ingredient that has found a comfortable home far away from its point […]
Catfish and Earthquakes
Take a stroll around the Yaesu exit (八重洲口) of Tokyo train station along Sotobori St (外堀通り), and you might notice a seemingly bizarre graphic on one of the road signs: Looks like a chuffed catfish, right? Well, if you’ve traveled a bit around Japan, you might have mistaken the image for one of the myriad yurukyara (ゆるキャラ), or […]
Architectural Spotlight: Cinema Rossiya in Yerevan, Armenia
Discovering what I would consider to be unusual examples of architecture is a major plot point in how I create itineraries. Whether it’s random geodesic domes and Ferris wheels, religious structures that can’t make up their minds, or tackily-colored eyesores, I have made many a pilgrimage to these types of (subjectively?) zany attractions. To wit, […]
The Wednesday Who of Airport Names: Jacqueline Cochran
In this week’s Wednesday Who of aviation history, we’ll be learning about the name behind Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Coachella Valley, California. Born on 11 May, 1906 in Muscogee, Florida, Bessie Lee Pittman grew up in poverty, and with very little in the way of schooling. At eight years old, her family moved to […]
Guangzhou Circle: Modern Chinese Architecture
I wax nostalgic for taking long walks around Chinese cities, appreciating their overzealous appreciation of geodesic domes, bumper car facilities, and some of the most bizarre ideas ever constructed. Today’s specimen: the 138-meter (just under 453 feet) Guangzhou Circle (广州园大厦), located in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. Completed in December 2013 by Milan, Italy-based architect Joseph di […]
The Wednesday Who of Airport Names: Sabiha Gökçen
In spite of experiencing delays, cancellations, airport takeovers, pandemics, and erupting volcanos, I still get excited about flying. Checking off new airports and revisiting old ones is an unrelenting hobby … but just whom is that airport named after? More and more airports are being named for people, whether they’re local or national heroes, religious […]
Language Lunes: Heaven and Hell
There are three big reasons why I enjoy foreign languages. The first stems from wanting to understand what to order on worldwide menus; it’s less to avoid ordering certain things, and more to learn what I’d want to order again. The second reason is because I appreciate the art of spontaneous conversation. Simple as that. […]
