It's Official!

WE ARE GOING TO SWEDEN!

(Right to left: Kellyn, Monica, Me) :D

This is actually an announcement that I have wanted to go "public" with for a while, but the time never seemed to be right. However, yesterday we, Kellyn and Monica (my friends who will be joining me on this adventure to Sweden), and I, made an appoint to go get our International Driving Permits (IDPs) from AAA together. It was a fun experience to share with them, and we are more than excited for this trip!

Exploring Asheville #1

This afternoon I got to go back into Asheville for a few hours, as a friend who had a function to attend let me accompany then into town. Now obviously there is way more to see in Asheville than what a few hours could afford, but on the drive into town I decided to Google some food venues within walking distance of where my friend would my friend would be.

So today, I made up my mind to visit Vortex Doughnuts and Noble Kava Bar.

First I went to Vortext Doughnuts. This is a really trendy little coffee house type place that, as the name suggests, specializes in doughnuts. Not being familiar with their offerings, I was hoping to get my usually jelly filled doughnut. However, as they were in their last hour of business for the day, they were out of the filled kind. So with some guidance from a very friendly staff member, I picked ... and ... I ended up getting two of each because as the guy behind the counter explained they don't use any preservatives, so all doughnut are BOGO during the last hour of business to limit what has to be thrown out; I really appreciated this, as wasting food was a top level sin in my family.

Over all, I highly recommend this place. The prices are reasonable, the dining area is clean, the atmosphere is great, and the staff is really friendly. It is also worth noting that they have a selection of vegan doughnut offerings equal to the regular non-vegan selections.

My second venue for the day was Noble Kava Bar. I had heard of this place before, but was unaware of its location, but as someone who has spend a few months in Vanuatu, the word "kava" got my attention. However, despite my time in Vanuatu, I had never tried kava... for multiple reasons this posting is not meant to discuss. So I was actually pretty excited to see what they had to offer, and to see if I could get my first taste of kava.

Now for those of you who are unfamiliar with kava, it is the root of a plant native to the South Pacific, and it is used by native peoples to make a drink. Please note that this is a non-alcoholic drink. However, the drink contains a compound from the root known as kavain which can have a numbing effect on tissues it makes direct contact with.

If it wasn't for the brightly colored sign, I might have just walked right past the place. As it is a very "hole in the wall" type venue. The atmosphere was quiet, and the lighting reduced, but inviting overall. After looking over the menu, I asked the cashier his recommendation for a first time Kava drinker. He said just try a regular double shot (again non-alcoholic) which is the price of a single for first timers. He ladled kava into a glass and garnished it with a slice of pineapple.

I took a seat off to the side and prepared to have my first taste of kava. The color looks a lot like ice coffee. However, know that this drink will not be sweet or chocolaty like a McCafe. Kava has a very unique taste that I can't quite describe other than to say it is kind of mineral-y. The place is trendy looking hangout, and I would encourage you to stop by if for nothing else other than for the cultural experience of saying that you have drank kava.

Jargon of the Appalachian Mountains

This a great article courtesy of my mom over at: http://appalachian-treasures.com! As someone who once lived right "Smack Dab In The Middle" of Western North Carolina I can personally attest to many portions of this article.

"First, a bit of history to enable you, the reader, to better understand the jargon/dialect of the people of Appalachia: those wonderful, Majestic Appalachian Mountain people!


Most importantly: prounouncing the word "Appalachian" - it is "app" - "uh" - "latch" - "in" (not "App - uh - lay - shin)

Until the 1960s, when the Interstate highway system  really made travel in and out of the mountains easy, the Majestic Appalachian Mountain jargon/dialect had been fairly well preserved since the 1700s.  Linguists noted that there were words and  forms of speech found there that were very closely related to Elizabethan English forms, and that did not exist anywhere else in the world.

Probably the one aspect of the Majestic Appalachian Mountain Culture that is misunderstood the most is the way the people of Appalachia talk.   They still speak in the purest form of "Virgin English."  Their  dialect developed as a result of the merging of four British dialects when America was in it's infancy.

Not long after the first settlers landed at Plymouth Rock,  it didn't take long for the east coast to become overcrowded and the migration westward began.  Europeans began  flocking to the Appalachian Mountains.  The Appalachian Mountains were rugged and hard to cross.  During this crossing many people found that the mountains were abundant with wildlife and the valleys were rich in minerals and were perfect for farming.  They decided to end their travels, stay and build their homes.

 

The early settlers to the Appalachian Mountains area were mostly Scottish, Irish, German, and English.  Thus the merging of all these dialects combined with the isolation of the area has caused the  Appalachian Mountain jargon/dialect to be labeled in many phonetics and language studies as "Virgin English:" a form of English that has changed very little since the settlers first came.

The relative isolation of the mountains  insured a quality of life in the people of the Majestic Appalachian Mountains reminiscent of their earlier way of life.  Life in the wilderness and the continuing isolation have made the  Appalachian people different from most other Americans.  The Appalachian value system that influences attitudes and behavior is  different from the national norm.   The more important values of the Appalachian Mountain people are religion,  family solidarity, individualism, self reliance,  pride, love of place, modesty,  being oneself,  sense of  beauty, sense of humor,  neighborliness and patriotism.  The Appalachian Mountain people have learned to combine the wisdom of the old ways of living with the technologies of the new.

Even with the modern day Interstates traversing the Appalachian Mountains, life  is still slow to change; the laid-back and slow way the people of the Appalachia still speak is testament to this.  By studying the dialect in different regions of Appalachians, one can find subtle differences in the pronunciation of words and phrases.


Even the meanings of some words and  phrases will vary from region to region.  The dialect is rhotic and characterized by distinct phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon.  It is mostly oral but can also be found in some writings.   Author John A. Blankenship has some interesting reading about the Appalachian dialect.

The original settlers, the English speakers, that settled the area came mostly from West Anglia, the Scottish Lowlands, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland via Northern Ireland in the middle 18th and early 19th centuries, and their speech forms the basis of the dialect.   Along with German immigrants, these groups populated an area which is still largely homogeneous culturally.   Like many regional dialects it is used most often or most characteristically in discussing cuisine, in storytelling, or when discussing native industries (i.e., coal mining, forestry: logging).   The characteristic syntax and morphology of Appalachian English gives way to more standard forms in schools, public speaking venues, and courts of law, but the phonology is likely to remain the same.    The Appalachia language is considered Shakesperian from the days of Queen Elizabeth I.

  

Speakers of Appalachian English have little or no trouble understanding standard English, but even native speakers of other dialects can find it somewhat unintelligible, and foreigners can have significant trouble understanding it.   For instance, the hard R that is used is a product of the Irish dialect, and the way the people of Appalacia run two or more words together, such as "jeat" instead of "did you eat" is  a product of the Elizabethan English influence.   The hard "K" and "ch" sound we use is attributed to theGerman influence.

For this author, the most distinctive feature of the Appalachian dialect is often the double, even triple negatives, the very flat vowels, the odd words and colorful phrases, such as:
 *  Adorable:  "cuter than two speckled puppies"
 *  Something not straight: "crooked as a dog's hind leg"
 *  Soda in a can: "dope" -  I've heard the elderly use this            one: "sody-dope." I personally use the generic word "Coke."
 *  One who has difficulty  an ins truction: "couldn't pour piss out of a boot with the instructions written on the heel."
 *  Reference to either 'up' or 'down' the road: "over the road."
 *  I haven't seen you in a long time: "haven't seen you in a coon's age" (referring to a raccoon, not as a racial slur)
 *  Everyone: whereas in the deep south one hears "y'all," the common Appalachia term is "you-un's."
 *  A long way - a Distance: a "fur piece."
 *  Did you eat yet?  "jeat?"
 *  Hot "fire" will burn: "far"
 *  How far away was the fire? "How fur was the far?
 *  Children:  "chillin"
 *  Young Children:  "yung-uns"
 *  "You:" The person that I'm specifically talking to: "chu"
 *  What are you doing?  "whachu doin?"
 *  Pretty:  "purty"
 *  Potato:  "tater"
 *  A person without any clothes on:  "nekid"
 *  A tire on a vehicle:  "tar"
 *  To be sleepy:  "tard"
 *  If you were the youngest of five children:  You were "the least" of five "kids."  (They really do mean children, not 'kids' as in baby goats!)
 *  A person who lives "locally"or in the neighborhood is someone "from around these parts."
 *  You checked books out from your local "liberry."
 *  If you picked a "mess" of beans, you had enough for a meal.
 *  Children are told to, "go out and pick me a pound and half of beans" and they would know exactly how much to pick!
 *  Or if one is going to the garden to pick some beans and gather some turnip greens they would say, "I'm fixin to head down thearin to pick me some pole beans and creasy greens."
 *  Stay a "spell" means to stay and visit awhile.
 *  A stocking cap as a "toboggan."
 *  "Yonder" is to designate some place "over there."
 *  A mite means a little bit of something.
 *  "His people" and "her people" were relatives.
 *  One's family is "our people" or "their people."
 *  Being in the midst of an issue, controversy or conversation or to be right on target is to be "smack dab" in the middle.
 *  Daylight savings time is "fast time."
 *  One does not drink a can of soda.  They drink a can of "pop."
 *   If someone was not telling the truth:  "There goes Pete Brown tellin' another one."
 *   Or if a child was one to easily cry:  "There goes Lizzy Jones goin' to cry another river."
 *   A pregnant woman is a woman who "Is in the family  way."
 *   When one is going fishing at the creek it is said, "I'm goen fishen down the crick."
 *   To "eyeball" something is to measure a given distance with one's eye.
 *    And listen to the "or" as a substitute for "a" - I have to WORSH some clothes.
 *    And listen to the adding a "c" to words that begin with "h" - "Out CHERE in the woods."
*     She got pregnant: "She got KNOCKED UP."

*     To "eyeball" an area:  To give an approximate measurement to a given area simply by looking at it.

[I have] travelled the world over and has lived in many countries, currently maintaining a summer home in the Majestic Appalachian Mountains.   When one is in an "English speaking" environment, psychologically, one expects to understand what they are hearing.   However, such was not the case in my early days of living amongst the people of the Appalachia.  I felt I had literally stepped off of a plane, into a country, where everyone spoke a  language, totally foreign to my own ears.  I had little or no understanding of what the people of the Appalachia were saying!  When I first went to the Appalachian Mountains I opened a Thrift Shop.  During that first, extremely cold winter many customers came in asking if we had any "toboggans."   Not having  any SNOW  SLEDS in the store,  the customers were told "no, toboggans."   All the while I did not understand why our massive shipment of "knitted stocking caps/hats" were not selling!

I felt so blessed to find a wonderful church!  The Pastor was  from the Appalachians however he had spent a significant number of years "outside the mountains."  Though his sermons were sprinkled with words that were 'foreign' to me, it was  nothing  like his Assistant!  All feelings of being 'blessed' totally diminished when the Assistant was asked to bring the Message of the Hour!  Seemingly every 12th word or phrase the Assistant spoke was either one that was "foreign" to my ears or was spoken with such a heavy accent that I did not understand what was being spoken!  I found myself mentally 'stuck," laboring over the understanding of what I'd just heard.


The speaker says, "Back in those days I thought I knew it all - I was going to set the woods on far!"
Me:  I'd learned "far" was "fire" - so why would he commit ARSON?

The speaker says, "We got a Johnny Cracker for a penny."
Me: What is a Johnny Cracker?
Meanwhile, the speaker had continued speaking.   I'd momentarily set aside that word/phrase and attempt to focus on what was currently being spoken.  Within two or three words,  I'd find myself once again "stuck" on another "foreign" word or phrase.  This  "mental gymnastic" continued through the whole sermon!   The feelings of frustration were beyond  description!   Why didn't I sit in the back of the church so I could  just slip out and go home without being noticed??!!

As in all of my foreign travels, I was determined to conquer the language.    Today, I still have some Appalachia language barrier challenges.  However, they aren't accompanied with the deep frustrations that they used to be and they all are the ingredients for wonderful humerous conversations.   And few laugh harder than the Pastor's Assistant!

Rather than think of the people of Appalachia's jargon or dialect as some kind of curse or sign of stupidity they should be looked at as a distinct cultural trait and embrace it as a proud, unique and special preservation of the past.


A visit to the Majestic Appalachan Mountains and  conversation with  the people of the Appalachia will indeed prove to be memories that you will cherish a lifetime!"
Article Source: http://appalachian-treasures.com/Jargon.html

Sam's Travel Memories #3: Holding My Tounge

As I have stated before, I travel with Allegiant Airlines fairly often for domestic trips. Since Allegiant charges ($50 or more) for carry-ons and checked bags, I have learned to how to stuff my back-pack (about the only thing I can take on their planes free) with all I need and mail  home what I buy.

So this particular time I was traveling back up to Asheville, NC for a couple weeks with an exceptionally stuffed back-pack. On my way through the normal security line a TSA guy took my bag out of the x-ray machine and with a smile made the comment, "That bag looks like its' ready to burst!" I thought for a second (anyone who knows me knows that I am very quick witted with funny sarcastic quips) and I almost said, "More like explode!" However, I ended-up holding my tongue. In all honesty I don't think any TSA agent would have found such a remark very funny... :P

It was probably a good thing that I held my tongue that time, I would not have wanted to get delayed or miss my flight. As it turned out, I would have missed the joy of eating squirrel soup for the first time. It tastes just like chicken (I thought it was chicken soup at first) in my opinion! LOL :D

New Orleans, 10 Years After Katrina | The New York Times

VIDEO: New Orleans, 10 Years After Katrina | The New York Times



I remember when Hurricane Katrina hit. I was in Asheville, NC at the time but, I still stayed with family in Mobile, AL every year during the winter months. No one in my family thought that Katrina would be that bad, after all we had slept through Hurricane Ivan the year before, which directly hit Mobile, AL, I remember the calm as the "Eye" went over us.



Upon returning to the Gulf Coast, I could tell that there was going to be a LONG road to recovery. To be frank, New Orleans' recovery has not only been a long one but, it is still in recovery. However, the spirit of the people there is strong and I still love visiting that city whenever I can. Though I have not visited NOLA since my family moved to FL back in 2011, I miss our almost monthly visits. The sights, smells and sounds of NOLA are amazing. I strongly encourage anyone who has not yet been there to visit NOLA, you will not forget it!

Back to Ohio

Next month I will be traveling up to Ohio for Heart Camp, as I usually do every September. I have been attending Heart Camp every year (excluding years 2012 and 2013 due to other travels) since I was 7 years old, first as a "Camper" then as a "Counselor" when I turned 15.

While Heart Camp and family/friends are the reason I want to go up, Allegiant Air is the reason I can go up. Allegiant Air is my favorite domestic airline as I am always able to get REALLY cheap flights. Their main East-Coast hub is about an 1hr north of me in Sanford, FL (SFB). They have direct flights from SFB to Asheville, NC (AVL) and Columbus, OH via the Rickenbacker Airport (LCK).

The key to keeping costs low while flying on Allegiant Air, is to NOT use any of their paid features. Such as, skip their online seat selection (I let the computer assign me at check-in), do not have any checked or carry-on bags (I only use a school sized backpack which they consider my free "personal item"), skip priority boarding (a really pointless waste of money) and most recently check-in online via their phone app to get a digital boarding pass or online via a link they send to your e-mail and print out your boarding pass (they now charge $5 for check-ins as the airport and boarding pass print outs). Oh, I almost forgot, use a debit card! They will charge a fee for credit cards and even with a good rewards card it is NOT worth it. Also, I guess this does not need to be said but, I will say it anyway: DON'T buy snacks and drinks on the plane, so NOT worth the costs. They will give you a free cup of ice if you ask though.

So, those are some tips for saving money on airfare. I strongly suggest that you see if Allegiant Air flies to an airport near you. Do remember that they do not do connecting flights, only direct flights.

My Favorite City!

This is probably not what many of you, who don't know, might be expecting. You probably think that with all of my travels, my favorite city in the world is some far off exotic destination. Well, not exactly.

My favorite city is Asheville, North Carolina. I had lived in the area for a good portion of my life. And though I am hanging my hat in the Orlando, Florida area right now, my heart is still truly in Asheville.

I do fly up to visit Asheville at least once a year sometimes more, Allegiant Air has direct flights, I will post about them later. However for the time being, I have not planned-out a "return to the promise land" strategy.

Here is a YouTube video that will help you see part of the reason why I just love Asheville so much. You might just decide to live there yourself!

#florida
florida
carolina
#carolina
#pathers
pathers