Matador Network's Blog, page 2093
June 27, 2015
10 signs you need to pack your bags and travel
Sundays
If this terrible excuse for a ‘routine’ sounds like it describes your day to day, it’s time to pack your bags and take to the road. Anyone who considers wishing their days away a formidable excuse for living seriously needs to reconsider the purpose of life. Now I’m not saying you shouldn’t look forward to your weekends, but if you’re stuck with the Monday blues or find yourself watching the clock until knock-off time, perhaps you’re not making the most of your time on earth.
2. You need more than two coffees before noon to make it through your day
Anyone that relies on caffeine (which might I add is a drug) to make it through their day clearly needs to rethink the method to their madness. Sure, we all have to work for a living… but just how much are you actually living.
3. You have your daily routine written on paper or mentally cemented in your mind
Your 6am alarm clock buzzes in your ear and you stumble out of bed in a sleepy daze as you make your way toward the shower, turn on the taps and shock your body with a splash of cold water that reminds you how little time you have to undertake your morning routine and walk out of the day at a quarter to eight.
You then complete your ‘working day’ only to go ‘work out’ in the gym to negate the effects of sitting at an office desk all day. You then return home to the kitchen to feed yourself, perform a few household duties, prepare yourself for the following day, and do it all again.
Photo: Brooke Saward
4. You stop eating your morning cereal half way through because it is as flavourless and dull as your 9-5
If you ever find yourself gulping down spoonfuls of cereal and milk as you attempt to simultaneously button your shirt or brush your hair, chances are your life is as flavourless as your crunchy oats. Sure, money doesn’t grow on trees… but if the purpose of life is to live a life of purpose, perhaps we should reconsider how many hours in a day we are devoting to our happiness as opposed to that of others.
5. The most cultural experience you had in the past year was Chinese takeout
Once you’ve had pasta in Italy or pad Thai in Thailand you will understand just how much you’ve been missing out on. If the last ethnic experience you recall is a Chinese takeout selection on a Friday night, you need to hit the road and try the real thing.
6. You live vicariously through your friends’ travel snaps but make every excuse not to book a trip for yourself
Have you used the little emoticon with the love hearts in his eyes lately? Perhaps you’ve proclaimed ‘you’re so lucky’ on your friends’ latest Facebook check-in or used the word ‘jealous’ to describe your reaction to a new photo album. But let’s face it, there’s nothing stopping you that you can’t overcome… it’s time to stop living through the eyes of others and experience things for yourself.
7. You drive to work with a temptation to veer away from your daily commute and hit the open road
Ever found yourself cruising along the highway (freeway for ye Americans) and a song comes on the radio that immediately gives you that ‘screw it, I’m takin’ off’ attitude? Of course you have…
Photo: Brooke Saward
8. Your clothes have travelled further than you have
‘Made in China’ reads the tag….. hmmm China…. I’ve never been to China….
9. You spend your time looking forward to the future or reminiscing about the past instead of creating a life that you don’t need to escape
One of the most common traps we fall into in life as humans is ‘doing life’ instead of living it. We get so caught up in the technicalities of life — earning money to save for material possessions, pay off the dream house, etc. etc. that we forget the golden rule — you can’t take it to your grave.
10. You’ve read this post and it’s made you feel something
Go on, just go. 
by Brooke Saward, World of Wanderlust
This article is syndicated from WorldofWanderlust.
This is how much of New Zealand you can pack into 96 seconds
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BEN STEENSELS and his buddies covered New Zealand’s entire South Island in 6 days. This epic video is what he came back with.
Directing/editing: Ben Steensels
Shot by Ben Steensels and Rob Antill
Music by Wim Mertens 
How to become an English Northerner in 22 easy steps
Just to reaffirm what you have said, like.
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2. Develop a habit for chips with garlic sauce, gravy and cheese.
Eat them, adore them, get addicted to them… You’ll now fit in somewhat.
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3. No warm clothes for a night out.
Wind, rain or snow… you’re still gonna be wearing short skirts and T-shirts.
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4. Live and work for the weekend.
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5. Put into practice some new vocabulary…
Dinner and supper are now “tea.” Small children are now “bairns.” Food is now “scarn.” Fizzy drinks are now “pops.” Cigarettes are now “tabs.” You should now refer to your little brother as “our kid.” And you should better stop looking for a job and get a trade!
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6. Find your dive and live by it.
Your local pub is your local pub, but a dive is just personal.
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7. Religiously eat Yorkshire puddings on a Sunday.
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8. Know your parmo.
A Teesside delight that should go international.
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9. Go get a haircut.
Short back and sides with a bit on top or -- contrastingly -- an indie mop. It’s pretty much one or the other here.
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10. Go to a major UK music festival per year.
Leeds or Creamfields… your choice.
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11. Grab a flight to Spain or the Caribbean for your annual sun fix.
Either Jet2 or Ryanair are good budget options.
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12. Enjoy an evening of tea with biscuits while watching Coronation Street.
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13. Grab a lemon top as soon as the sun shows up.
It doesn’t matter if it’s only five degrees outside, if the sun is out, it’s ice cream time!
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14. Maintain a weekly routine of using sunbeds…
All year round, until you are so tanned you don’t need to filter your Instagram photos anymore.
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15. Learn to appreciate Greggs.
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16. Shorten your words until you sound a little like this:
‘Av you now? Tha urt’s tha dunnit?”
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17. Be less individualistic and more patient.
You ain’t Southern.
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18.1. Shave your stubble regularly (guys).
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18.2. Over-dress on any occasion (ladies).
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19. Acquaint yourself with white wine and cider.
Nothing as Lambrini and Cider for a nice and cheap drinking session.
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20. Take any media coverage of the North to heart.
Even if it’s light-hearted, untrue or simply just the truth… take it personally. That’s the Northern way.
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21. Learn to talk football.
Football is a religion here. So you better talk sense and keep up to date with the latest news or you’ll be soon found out.
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22. Give and take banter whenever you can.
That’s what Northern friends are there for. Right?
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June 26, 2015
8 epic spots in Germany even most Germans don’t know
You’ve partied in Berlin. You’ve practiced your Deutsch in Munich. Maybe you’ve flown into Frankfurt and stopped in Hamburg on your way north. But the rest of Germany? It’s pretty off the radar and there are zero good reasons why. As the bigger German cities get more and more predictable, it’s the smaller ones that offer more of a sense of adventure. Here’s eight spots even some Germans don’t know about:
1. Bietigheim-Bissingen
Bietigheim-Bissingen (or “Bi-Bi”) is framed by steep vineyards and rolling hills that line the rivers Enz and Metter, or, in other words, it’s ridiculously picturesque. Take a walk along “Central Park” and the Viaduct along the River Enz to get some killer views. For history buffs, though, Bi-Bi has over 1,200 years of history – you’ll feel like you stepped into the Renaissance. When you enter through the Unteres Tor (the original 14th century gate), make sure to note the modern art you see around practically every corner — an interesting juxtaposition to the town’s architecture.
Just be sure to end your day with a stop into Hotel Romantik for some red currant pie — a local delicacy that’s an “everyday thing.” That’s right: pie every day. Is this heaven? Nope, it’s Bietigheim-Bissingen.
2. Besigheim
Photo: Roger W
While Bi-Bi and Besigheim have a lot in common, Besigheim is smaller and feels more contained. Perhaps it’s the 13th-century towers at either end. Once you’re there, take a walk down the pedestrian Kirchstraße to get your fill of middle-age architecture, and don’t miss the dreigiebelhaus, which is one of the oldest half-timbered houses in the area. After that, peek behind the town hall (15th century), for a view of the River Enz, lined with houses built on the original town wall. Don’t leave before you experience two things: the witches hung in the locals’ doorways and the little red man climbing up a wall. The locals clearly have a sense of humor.
3. Schorndorf
Photo: Rob124
Schorndorf is a city that’s seen a lot of change. It used to be a big deal — centuries ago. Then the 30 Years’ War happened and a grand total of 440 people survived. It also has 15th century churches that have gaping holes from where statues were torn down during the reformation. However, it’s been responsible for a lot of change, too, as it’s the home to Gottlieb Daimler, the inventor of the high-speed petrol engine. Maybe you’ve heard of Daimler-Benz?
Car and science enthusiasts will particularly enjoy this town, as a solid afternoon can be well spent at Daimler’s home, the Daimler museum down the street (think beautiful antique cars at every turn), and by 2017, the largest, most expensive science center in all of Europe. Ch-ch-changes.
4. Esslingen
Photo: Ken Hawkins
This place has a castle, vineyards, and three original towers keeping watch from above. There are three churches (as old as the 13th century) within spitting distance of each other and the oldest front of half-timbered houses lines the altstadt, where you can imagine onions and strawberries being sold and women hanging out second-story windows, yelling to their husbands down windy, cobblestone streets.
If you don’t want to evoke the image yourself, come in the weeks before Christmas for Germany’s largest Medieval and Christmas Market. It’s a sight to see with steaming cauldrons of soup, pigs roasting on spits, rows of craftsmen, carvers, and scribes, jugglers and traveling entertainers — even the town clock is put back 600 years.
Traveler’s tip? Stay at the Hotel Ochsen, and have dinner from one of the best chefs in the area. Make sure to ask about the white asparagus. If it’s out of season, quell your woes with the dessert called “Hot Love.”
5. Blaubeuren
Photo: Ralf König
The thing that clearly puts Blaubeuren on the map is the Blautopf — a limestone spring 21 meters deep that’s a bright greenish-blue. It’s tucked a bit off to the side, lined with hanging trees and vines, and simply perching on a nearby bench will feel like a romantic getaway. If the wind is calm, you’ll see the spire of the nearby monastery reflected perfectly in the pool. That should be your next stop, as the grounds are pristine, the cloister, church, and bathhouse are perfectly preserved, and your view of the valley carved by the Danube can’t get much better. Top it off with a Schnapps tasting at Brennerei Rössle and you’ve got yourself one hell of a day.
Just make sure you look up at some point — there’s a subtle WWII memorial on the peak of the rocky hills called the Ruckenkreuz.
This story was produced through the travel journalism programs at MatadorU. Learn More
6. Biberach an der Riß
This town has a definite hedonistic flair. Take a minute to step into what may be one of the oldest, well-preserved houses in the country (1318), and then go for luxury. Join all the locals in their afternoon gelato, stop into the famous Café Kolesch for a macaron (or eight) and a cappuccino, and then scurry off to the Kolesch Tannery for a tour. It’s the last place in the world where you can find naturally-tanned leather, no chemicals, no processing. Then finish your day with a beer and an order of Seelen — Germany’s delectable answer to the baguette — at Goldener Rebstock (they’re famous for it). Just don’t ring the bell at your table — or you’re responsible for buying everyone’s next round!
And, nope, it’s not a town named after Justin Bieber. Phew.
7. Pfullendorf
Wander through this town via hundreds of staircases that shuffle you through the cobblestone streets and in-between half-timbered houses. It’s quite hilly, making you feel like you’re on the edge of some other world. Behind the Rathaus (town hall) offers a particularly Instagramable view of the city, which is still entered by a double gate to this day.
Pfullendorf is also a city of stone. Step off the staircases and into the large, estate-esque 700-year-old Altes Haus, and you’ll see why. Once you’ve wandered through the maze of timber and rock, go for dinner at Felsenkeller — and underground “dungeon” restaurant, completely lit by candlelight and chandeliers, adorned with red satin tablecloths, and a tunnel that doubles as a bar. Order a lager as the family that invented it lived here — be sure to stop by the Kronehaus, where they once lived, for a quick thank you.
8. Meersburg
Photo: Jessica Gardner
Look to your left and you’ll be gazing out onto Lake Constance, where you can spy on Austria and Switzerland with ease. The entire boardwalk is lined with idyllic cafes and wineries practically begging you for a taste testing (if you cave, try Staatsweingut Meersburg). Look to your right and you’ll be face to face with two castles: one from the 1200s and one from the 1700s. Meersburg is where postcards and paintings must’ve been invented.
To get the most out of this city, try coming in October. The locals call it “golden time.” Hop on a ferry and scoot on over to Mainau, or just take a joy ride — Meersburg’s motto should be “you’ll never want to go back home.” Because you won’t. 
2 new tools for next-level panoramas
Photo: coda
I LOVE PANORAMAS. They give us the ability to see an entire environment, the whole ‘world’ from a particular point of view. I love to capture panoramas in photo and video in an attempt to communicate what it looks/feels like to be at a certain place at a certain time. Whereas a regular photo has narrow field of view a panorama leaves nothing out. The ground, the sky, north, south, east, and west. There is a wholeness and totality to the images that I have grown to admire.
Here are two brand new panorama tools that are blowing my mind right now.
GALILEO
Galileo is my GoPro’s new best friend. No, not the bearded, long dead, telescope-wielding 15th-century astronomer — I’m talking about the 2-axis motorized panorama gadget designed for smartphones and GoPros. Said GoPro/phone is inserted into the top of the Galileo which swivels up and, when powered on, rotates in 4 possible directions at a variety of speeds.
Translation: buttery smooth panoramas and time-lapse videos with your cell or GoPro.
Up until this point I had been attaching my GoPro on an IKEA kitchen timer, a popular poor man’s hack. This is obviously a huge step forward for me. Developed by Motrr, the Galileo has 2 basic modes of control: D-PAD where you set the direction(s) and speed and the device rotates accordingly & JOYSTICK a manual modes that allows for total freedom of movement, but in my hands tends to be more chaotic.
The device is velvety smooth to the touch and creme colored and about the size of two stacked hockey pucks. It charges via USB port and is operated via bluetooth and the smartphone / tablet app.
I created this short demo video to show some of the places I’ve used the Galileo in recently.
ROUNDME
RoundMe is taking mobile panorama interaction to a new level. Create a panorama and upload it to the RoundMe app — it’s now apart of their geotagged global data base and is populating your slick profile. As reported by TechCrunch here, RoundMe has recently raised $3 million in funding — hence the incredible website and UX and mobile capabilities.
There are other panorama hosting services, but what makes RoundMe so kick ass is that it allows users to link panoramic images together creating interactive movement to a new/linked panorama by clicking its icon. You may upload photos with descriptions and other information to your RoundMe panorama that are embedded as interactive icons. The finished product, from a visitor’s point of view, is the most immersive and interactive panoramic experience to date.
For travel storytellers, RoundMe creates a whole new space to create interactive content. I think RoundMe is a precursor to next generation media experience — think about the implications of experiencing RoundMe like environments through VR headsets. You’ll be able to move through Angkor Wat room by room, temple by temple.
Example:
This is the RoundMe I created of the Manhattan Beach Pier. It’s my first one so far. You will notice that I have 3 photos ‘embedded’ within the panorama and accessed through the icons floating in space. I really like this feature — I was able to upload some pics I had posted on Instagram of the pier with captions, making the panorama a much richer media experience and expression.
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ROUNDME is free, get it here —> https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/roundme/id839493812?l=ru&ls=1&mt=8
GALILEO by Motrr is not free, get it here —> http://motrr.com/store.php 
Google’s new vertical street view lets you climb Yosemite from your couch
On Wednesday, Google unleashed an exciting new project for extreme sports nuts and nature enthusiasts alike: vertical street view. And what better way to launch the new format than by capturing the 3,000-foot ascent of Yosemite National Park’s infamous El Capitan?
To pull this off, Google and the National Park Service approached seasoned climbers Lynn Hill, Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell, who paired with photographers Brett Lowell and Corey Rich to bring the world something truly unprecedented: a fully interactive virtual climb.
Presenting, the inaugural Google Vertical Street View:
Click around, you know you want to…
On your ascent, you’ll encounter the team in various stages of their climb:
Here, Tommy and Lynn pose victorious on their way to the top.
And here, Alex flirts with death by hovering thousands of feet above the ground, suspended only by his rope.
And though the product is spectacular, the project was not without its major hurdles:
(via)
According to the Google Blog, one of the main challenges was trying to figure out just how to map the cliff face with camera gear that, frankly, was never meant for this purpose.
In the post, Tommy Caldwell noted: “Doing anything thousands of feet high on a sheer granite face is complicated, but everyone up there had spent years of their lives on a rope and knew exactly what they were doing. After some testing, we used our tried-and-true climbing gear like cams and ropes to make sure the camera wouldn’t fall to the ground in the middle of our Street View collection.”
To learn more about the project and the climbers, check out the documentary here:
And be sure check out the Google Blog post written by climber Tommy Caldwell, and their new Yosemite Treks page.
h/t: OfficialGoogleBlog
Feature: Youtube 
4 American habits I lost when I moved to Tanzania
Space is a funny thing in Tanzania. There were mornings that I walked across wide fields to get to work, the face of the Uluguru Mountains the only thing in sight. At other times I walked alongside my neighbor, Mama Hamissi, hand-in-hand because we were two friends heading in the same direction — so why not hold hands?
Most of the time space was not something I thought about, even on those excursions into town, where I found myself jammed with 10 other people into a six-passenger dala dala — silently praying to the torn seat in front of me that we would arrive safely at our destination. In those moments, I didn’t care that my shoulder rested in the crook of the sweaty armpit next to me. I didn’t care about the tightly twisted braids bouncing a few inches from my face. I didn’t even care that my left foot was falling asleep underneath somebody’s enormously heavy duffel bag. There was no point in caring because there was no way around it. So I learned to do what everyone else did. I learned to just snooze as our 14-year-old driver careened us down the highway.
2. Being grossed out by my own body
I left for Tanzania in February with a nasty, lingering Maine cold. My throat was sore, my body achy and my nose runny. Getting off the plane I felt the warmth of equatorial sunlight and the rush of relief from my limbs. I also realized quickly that I had no tissues. I paid 100 shilingi (about 4 US cents) to use the bathroom and rolled up as much toilet paper as I could find. But that was the last time I used that precious paper on my nose.
My Couchsurfing host, Simon, taught me how to blow snot rockets on the side of the road. From then on I would duck behind the closest mango tree and blow the Maine cold out of me.
It took some getting used to and once I even felt that I needed to apologize for a particularly noisy ejection of snot, but Simon just looked confused. “Why are you sorry? It’s normal,” he said.
And so I settled into my body. My razor collected dust in the corner of my suitcase. I didn’t wear sunscreen, seeking shade instead. I only used my dwindling supply of Dr. Bronner’s occasionally. I stopped wearing a bra. I pooped while squatting, often in the dark of a banana leaf hut, and didn’t worry about what insects might be curled in the corners.
When I first arrived, my first host family always commented on how skinny I was. They told me I needed to get “African fat!” When I went back to them to say goodbye, before leaving Tanzania for good, they said, “Finally! You look like a real African!”
The funny part was, I had actually lost about 20 pounds. But I was so utterly comfortable and confident in my skin that I was radiating, just like the Tanzanians.
3. Needlessly spending money
The average American spends $94 a day, excluding routine bills. In M’Sangani I spent an average of $3 USD a day on things like a cold soda from the military bar or oil for my lamp. Back home, I’d had no problem spending $4 on a coffee before heading to my second job. And a $10 six-pack of beer before heading home? That was no problem. A $15 book that I saw through a window and suddenly HAD to read? Duh. I’d get it.
In Tanzania, even my $3 a day was much more than what others around me were spending. So I stopped carrying money with me. In fact I didn’t carry much of anything besides a water bottle and a notebook. It was freeing, to spend my days without that constant monetary exchange.
Once I asked a friend of mine to climb a coconut tree and get one for us to eat. It was the closest thing to an impulse buy that I felt the whole time I was there. And the coconut was free, at the expense of my friend’s acrobatic exhaustion.
4. Relying on a vehicle
Growing up in rural Maine, driving was a necessity. I quit soccer in high school so I could take driver’s ed as quickly as possible. My nearest friend lived about five miles away. With my license and the heft of a Grand Wagoneer I was finally independent.
In M’Sangani five miles was nothing. Simon and I went everywhere on foot — it was never a question of whether or not we would get a piki piki. Every so often we would climb into the bed of a rusty truck and squat for some suspension as we jolted over the pot holed road into town.
But most days we preferred to walk and it turned into a cherished habit. We walked to visit other local schools. We walked to visit friends or parents of our students. We walked to seek out families with kids who needed to be students. We walked to soccer games, to tea huts, to the snake charmer’s house. We walked to greet newborn babies and to congratulate their mothers. We walked to check on elderly men tending their livestock. We walked to visit the sick and offer them our prayers.
One time the entire boy’s soccer team convinced me to follow them. I didn’t understand what they were saying, but I followed anyway. As it turned out they needed their soccer ball repaired. The 9-mile walk was a small price to pay for a game of soccer. 
17 signs you're from Dubai
Photo: leandromuller
1.You don’t bat an eyelid at the fanciest cars.
Lamborghini, Maserati, Ferrari and Rolls Royce — you grew up seeing these fancy cars cruise along in Jumeirah every day. You don’t get what the fuss is about when out-of-towners want to take selfies with them.
2.You’ve watched at least five Bollywood movies in the cinema, even if you aren’t Indian.
You might have never fully understood the rationale behind the singing and dancing around trees, or the love for Shah Rukh Khan, but you did find yourself trying by watching at least a few Bollywood movies at Lamcy Plaza or Strand Cinema.
3.You know when it comes to desserts, kunefe is the most sinful of them all.
Crispy pastry. Cheese. Sugar syrup. Pistachios. Rose petals. Kunefe perfectly combines sweet and savory tastes. If poetry could be a dessert, kunefe would be it.
4.You discuss the highest temperature of every summer as if it were a contest.
You’ve probably fainted in exhaustion or from dehydration on a scorching summer afternoon at least once in your childhood. Every summer, you excitedly discuss the highest temperatures with your friends and colleagues as though it were some sort of contest on the lines of ‘How high can it go?’ This involves taking screenshots of your weather app showing 48°C when you’ve mustered up the courage to step outdoors in the afternoon.
5.Words like ‘Habibi’ and ‘Yallah’ have crept into your daily vocabulary.
Even though you’re not Arab, ‘Habibi’ is what you naturally use to express yourself when you’re in a good mood or trying to gently present your case in an argument without coming across as too strong. On the other hand, you find that ‘Yallah’ perfectly describes your impatience when rushing your friends to do something.
6. You don’t know how to look sloppy.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re going to the supermarket or for a walk in the park, you have a minimum level of acceptability when it comes to how you look when you step out of your front door. You know how to work it even in a sweatshirt.
7. Hummus is another word for happiness.
Hummus is among the top five things you think of when hunger strikes, the other four being shawarma, manakeesh, falafel, and fattoush. You’ve been in countless arguments with your friends and colleagues about which place serves the best shawarma. (It’s obviously Al Reef Lebanese Bakery where you’ve been going since you were twelve.)
Abroad, when you order hummus, you know it can never be as good as back home, but you still do it out of curiosity and a deep sense of longing.
8. You’ve subjected yourself to dizzying rides at Global Village.
During your teens, you spent several weekends screaming your lungs out on the rollercoasters at Global Village. You’d be there every weekend with your friends, trying to show them how cool and adventurous you were and how those nasty rides didn’t scare you, when all you really wanted was the cotton candy from one of the stalls.
9. You bring out the big guns on Thursdays.
On Thursday evenings, you leave home looking like you stepped out of a Lipsy London photo shoot. High heels? Check. Airbrushed skin? Check. Mac Lady Danger? Check. Hollywood glam curls? Check.
Why? Because when we up in the club, all eyes on us.
10. Your weekends center around the three Bs — Beach, Brunch, and Barasti.
Fridays and Saturdays are focused around the three Bs that have come to define weekends in Dubai — Beach, Brunch, and Barasti. The order might change depending on how hungover you are from Thursday, but no weekend is complete without these necessary elements.
11. You were crazy excited when Ski Dubai opened up.
We get to ski and have a snow fight when it’s 44°C outside. We’re badass like that.
12. You know that a pot of Moroccan tea is the perfect end to a day.
There isn’t a better way to end a long tiring day than over a pot of Moroccan tea and light-hearted conversation surrounded by friends at your local shisha café.
13. Seeing camels anywhere gets you excited.
You could be on your way driving to Ras Al Khaimah or in Rajasthan on holiday. Seeing a camel always gets you excited and even you can’t fully pinpoint the reason why taking out your smartphone to take a video is your impulse reaction to a camel sighting.
14. ‘Winter is coming’ always sounds good.
While the rest of the world can’t wait for summer to begin, in Dubai you’re actually making travel plans to escape summer. On the other hand, you’re posting selfies from the beach during winter when your friends elsewhere are layering up.
15. You move gracefully between different accents, cultures, and cuisines.
You’re no stranger to cuisines ranging from Vietnamese to Brazilian because the city is home to the best restaurants serving food from around the world. You’ve even attempted traditional Irish dancing at a St. Paddy’s celebration at the Irish Village and pretended to speak German after one too many beers at Dubai’s version of Oktoberfest, but failed miserably at both.
16. You have the highest respect for those observing Ramadan.
You know how hard it is to go through the entire day without a single drop of water, especially in summers as brutal as those in Dubai. You’re always careful about never eating or drinking in public during Ramadan or in sight of someone who is fasting. You do this purely out of compassion and humanity and not out of compulsion. You disapprove of tourists or others who are ignorant, indifferent, or careless and chew gum or drink water in public during Ramadan.
You love the spirit of benevolence in the city during this time as is evident by various community initiatives to distribute free Iftar meals to the underprivileged.
17. You get annoyed at ignorant comments about Dubai.
When you tell someone that you’re from Dubai and hear them respond with an ignorant comment often based on hearsay, you can’t stop yourself from rolling your eyes and asking them to come experience the city for themselves. You know growing up in Dubai was awesome and are proud of how far the city’s come from its humble beginnings. 
Beer threatened by climate change
Photo: Shreveport-Bossier
FOR MANY OF US, THE REALITY OF CLIMATE CHANGE is still an abstract one. We see it as a far-off catastrophe that will be felt primarily by future generations rather than ours. If this is how you’ve been looking at climate change, it’s finally about to get real: climate change is already threatening our beer supply.
According to NPR’s The Salt, many breweries have already felt the pressure of climate change: In California, the recent drought has forced breweries like the Bear Republic Brewing Company to pull back on distribution. Water is one of the main ingredients of beer (along with hops, yeast, and barley), so any places experiencing similar water shortages will have the same problem.
These problems are obviously not limited to beer — droughts and extreme weather are going to have an adverse impact on all sorts of crops, not just the ones involved in the production of beer — but hops in the United States are primarily grown in the Pacific Northwest, which has experienced rising temperatures in recent years, which has resulted in smaller crops at a time when demand is on the rise. This has meant that climate change is also likely contributing to increases in the cost of beer as well.
Many breweries have been doing their best to become green in response, either by brewing their beer in green buildings, or by using green energy to power their operations. You can help, too, by buying local beers that have lower carbon footprints than beers imported from out of country or out of state. I, personally at least, will be damned if I let the oncoming climate apocalypse cut into my beer consumption.
h/t: Grist
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