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More Grandchildish Behavior

I am drool resistant, attract dirt, love to wallow, don’t mind eating things off of the ground and sometimes need changing.

I fit right in with kids.

So… I guess I want grandkids more than Veronica does… CONTINUE READING >>

David Writes

I am drool resistant, attract dirt, love to wallow, don’t mind eating things off of the ground and sometimes need changing.

I fit right in with kids.

I am a sucker for the little buggers, most likely because a good part of me still is one. I can get down to and play at their level with no effort whatsoever. So… I guess I want grandkids more than Veronica does.

As she pointed in “Grandchildish Behavior,” she doesn’t want to push things and neither do I. I am a firm believer in letting our adult children live their own lives. But while I agree with her points in the essay, I can’t help thinking about how fun it would be to have some new little rug rats running ’round.

I think of the possibilities. Sofa cushion forts to be constructed, trash can lid dog sled races to be run, old lawnmower / tricycle / roller-skate / beanbag chair vehicles to be made and crazy mud-filled attempts at tunneling under the neighbor’s house to be dug.

All accomplished with nothing more than a sack lunch and a big idea.

A huge advantage to grandchildren, the icing on the face (oops, cake)… they have to go home at some point and Veronica and I get to go on with our GypsyNesting lives. All the fun without all that pesky responsibility.

Even better, since we’ve sold the nest, when the sippy cup does a slo-mo two and a half gainer with a lid releasing twist across the room, I would just be a spectator. I’d give it an 8.5 with wild applause.

That peanut butter and jelly face print on the hall closet door? Nice likeness.

The terrarium complete with amphibian wildlife in the bathtub? Cool.

That chemistry / cooking experiment involving chocolate pudding, Cheerios, a two liter bottle of diet Pepsi, a bag of frozen peas and the blender? Nourishing and builds character.

As long as I don’t actually join in on the mess making, something I’ve been known to do, it’s not my problem. I might offer to help clean up… but I don’t have to.

There is also an educational factor for our kids. No child ever really knows what their parents went through until they have children of their own.

No, I’m not wishing the old “I hope you have a kid just like you someday” revenge on them… actually, I hope they are that lucky. I’m just saying that it is, without a doubt, the world’s biggest learning experience.

So I definitely look forward to the day when I can roll all over the living room floor with my kids’ kids… at their house.

I will boldly face the possibility of projectile vomit all over my shirt (I certainly was a target for it in my daddy days), gum-based food products in my shoes, melted mystery candy-like substances in my pockets and the inevitable stains everywhere else. It’s nothing a little Tide and a Kenmore can’t handle.

I only hope my chiropractor can handle my achin’ back when the time comes.

David, GypsyNester.com

Need some great, cool, and different ideas on gifts to give to grandchildren? Here are 10, or  check out these incredible places to go together.

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Grandchildish Behavior

I’ve had two unexpected conversations recently that have given me pause for reflection. The first was with my father-in-law while dining over Mexican food in Kansas. While catching him up with our kids’ lives, he asked me if they were dating anyone of note. I told him that at the moment there were no significant others. Then, the bolt out of the blue,”Oh, you must be sad that you won’t be having grandchildren anytime soon.”

The next exchange was with my daughters, The Piglet and Decibel.

“All of our friends’ mothers are on crazy grandma patrol. How come you aren’t nagging us about having babies?”

It started out as gentle teasing, but… CONTINUE READING  >>

I’ve had two unexpected conversations recently that have given me pause for reflection. The first was with my father-in-law while dining over Mexican food in Kansas.

While catching him up with our kids’ lives, he asked me if they were dating anyone of note. I told him that at the moment there were no significant others. Then, the bolt out of the blue,

“Oh, you must be sad that you won’t be having grandchildren anytime soon.”

The next exchange was with my daughters, The Piglet and Decibel.

“All of our friends’ mothers are on crazy grandma patrol. How come you aren’t nagging us about having babies?”

It started out as gentle teasing, but during the course of the discourse I got the feeling that they might be getting miffed by my lack of interest. Even though I know – good AND well – that neither of the girls are even remotely at a procreating place in life.

In fact, one of them finds the birthing process so totally repulsive that she wants to be “knocked out like the good old days” should the event ever occur.

The truth is, if I were to start pestering them the slightest bit about producing a grandchild, I know I’d be in for a tongue lashing that only a resident of New York City could deliver. I’m not about to unleash that hound.

But I hadn’t really pondered the subject before, except in the abstract, so just the asking of the question got me thinking.

If I were to have a grandbaby, I think I would be the best grandma ever. That child would be the most loved and cherished little one on the face of the earth. I think David would be even nuttier, he’s crazy about kids and kids love him right back. It would be a battle just to pry the tot off of his aching, horsey back.

BUT, if I never have grandkids, that’s all right, too. I’m not one of those passing-along-the-genes/carrying-on-the-family name kinda gals. There’s no inherent longing in my breast – I actually view that stuff as sort of archaic. Maybe this is a backlash from the incessant hints my mother-in-law dropped as soon as David and I got hitched.

In her defense, David is the fourth of five children, and was the first to marry – she had waited a LONG time by then. All of her girlfriends were winning the Grandma Game back in a time when that baby tally really meant something.

Baby begging doesn’t seem to be as much a part of our generation’s psyche, but grandma pride seems to have survived in full force. Facebook has opened my eyes to that.

Once one of my friends becomes a grandparent, their profile becomes a never-ending barrage of baby pictures. They’re worse than the new mothers. I understand it though, I’ll probably be a photo posting maniac myself should the time ever come.

To be honest, one of the reasons for my lack of longing is unabashed selfishness. I like having my kids all to myself when we visit. No husbands, wives or diaper changes to disrupt my time with them. I feel I’m just getting to know them as adults, and I am loving the process. I don’t want to share.

Genetics may play into my thinking as well. My mother-in-law, as one might imagine, was wet-her-pants excited when I announced my first upcoming bundle of joy.

But my side of the family reacted a bit differently. My mother was properly excited, but you would have thought I purposefully dropped an anvil on my dad. He was dismayed. He had to know that I was at an age where this type of thing could happen, he just couldn’t believe that HE was.

“I’m too young to be a Grandfather!”

Like my goal had been to put the final nail in the coffin of his fading youth. Grandfatherdom seemed to be a direct affront to the vernal image he had of himself.

As taken aback as I was at the time, I have to admit that I get it today. Personality is something I’ve inherited from my Dad and – honestly – the idea of me being a grandma stings a bit. (Note to self: try to hide this little selfish feeling when you get the “I’m pregnant!” phone call).

Finally, I have to wonder how influenced by outside factors I might be. In our society, we are past the point where we need to quickly pump out babies to help out on the farm, carry on the family name, or populate our religious faith and the Wild West.

There are an awful lot of people on this little planet of ours and I have to say I’m glad we’re slowing down with the baby birthing bit.

My offspring should set their reproductive itinerary at their own pace. It is not something I need to stick my pointy nose into. The potential for disaster looms large if a person is nagged into breeding before they are prepared, whether by a parent, society or even a spouse.

If one of our babies feels the time is right to reproduce, I’ll be right there with helpful hints on nausea, mood swings, vomit stain elimination and the like.

Until then, I’ll be glad to have them all to myself.

One last thing, a quick message to my kids – are you EVER going to have a baby?! Just kidding (I think).

Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Need some great, cool, and different ideas on gifts to give to grandchildren? Here are 10, or  check out these incredible places to go together.

YOUR TURN: You’ve heard my opinion, how do you feel?

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A Brief History of Bitcoins

Bitcoin is there to stay, and it is time for investors to start investing their resources in these digital currencies and in return expect significant returns… CONTINUE READING >> 

Bitcoin is the main digital currency in the world. It is common currency, and its transaction framework depends on a general record based on a centralization agreement called blockchain that records all exchanges. Bitcoin was filmed in 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto, but it was the result of much research in blockchain and encryption and not just the work of one person. It was the ideal dream for cryptographers and organized trade advocates to have a limitless encryption currency based on the blockchain. Their imagination is a reality at the moment with the emergence of a growing homeowner and the various configurations around the world.

The digital currency was first sent across the blockchain by the agreement in 2009, and that year was replaced for the first time absolute. Come to July 2010, the cost of the bacon was only 8 pence. The number of contract and miners was much lower than the current number of thousands.

Within a year, the new digital currency rose to one dollar and turned into an interesting opportunity for what would come. Mining was fairly simple, and people made deals with good money and also sometimes played.

In half a year, the digital currency doubled again to $ 2. While the cost of Bitcoin is not fixed at a specific value point, the currency has shown this example of crazy evolution for a long time. In July 2011, the currency pattern became crazy, and the record high of $ 31 was achieved, but the market long ago realized that it was overvalued compared to the gains made and corrected to $ 2.

In 2012 December saw a vocal increase of up to $ 13 after a sufficient period, and the cost would explode. In four months until April 2013, the cost was expanded to $ 266 incredible. It was later corrected to $ 100, but this cosmic increase in value lifted its popularity for the first time absolute, and individuals began to joke about the real and reliable situation with Bitcoin.

During that period everyone knew the new currency. Everyone had questions; however, when we read about it gradually, it became clear that he was sure that money was there to stay where he had no one to control or impose himself on. Everything must end with a complete agreement, and this made it very free and powerful.

In 2013 the currency achieved a boom. Large organizations have begun to support Block’s recognition and the Bitcoin Revolution has publicly turned into a prominent theme of computer science programs. Many people at that stage imagined that the Bitcoin had met his need and now he would settle down.

The digital currency has become increasingly popular as the Bitcoin ATMs have been widely used, and various competitors have begun to take advantage of their muscles at different corners of the market. Ethereum is built up to blockchain for the main programming. Litecoin and Ripple began as less expensive and faster alternatives to Betquin.

The $ 1000 figure was first broken in January 2017 and has since been expanded several times already until September. It is a remarkable achievement for a coin that was only 8 cents for just seven years.

The Bitcoin coin also bore a hard fork on August 1, 2017, and has since risen by nearly 70%. Also, I have discovered the coin of PeteCorn fork on how to publish some achievement. Each last part of it is due to coin intrigue and outstanding blockchain innovation behind it.

While traditional business analysts claim that it may be a bubble and that the entire world of encryption will collapse, it is simply not true. There is no bubble because they have a fact in it, destroyed offers of paper cash forms and exchange organizations.

Final verdict:

Bitcoin is there to stay, and it is time for investors to start investing their resources in these digital currencies and in return expect significant returns. What’s going to happen is very good for bitcoin, and it’s never too late, where resources can be put into it, either for short moments or long distances. Although it is not advisable to invest all of your resources in this digital currency, no one is perfect enough to predict the future. Bitcoin has great benefits to an investor who is serious about the digital currency.

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Best Ways to Travel the World and Still Study Well

Traveling for students can be really affordable; however, most students do not know and are not sure how they can at the same time finish their college duties and travel… CONTINUE READING >> 

Students more than others have the opportunity to travel, get to know the distant hidden and exotic places, especially with countless discounts and other opportunities offered to them such as student flight, online learning, and the like. In today’s modern times, travel opportunities for students are innumerable and open to all. It is not necessary to devote your time exclusively to studies if you want to be successful, or to earning money if you want to travel – it is not necessary to choose one of the two when you can definitely have both. Traveling for students can be really affordable; however, most students do not know and are not sure how they can at the same time finish their college duties and travel.

First, let’s talk about financing

If you think that the trip is expensive and that for every trip abroad you need to save the entire fortune – you are wrong. One of the most popular options is student travel scholarships, but if you are not interested in that, there are other ways. You should check out the https://www.couchsurfing.com – a site where after you decide through which countries and cities you want to travel, you can contact people who are offering you to stay in their home – for free. The essence is not at getting free accommodation, but in meeting the city and people, exactly as they are. Student travel is the most popular type on this site, so most users are young, vibrant people.

On a trip, try to spend between an hour to three hours each day studying and doing the tasks you have made in advance in order to achieve your deadlines. Student travel does not need to be stressful at all, and should be a great experience and should offer you a lot of fun. With tools that can be found online such as literature, research, online courses, and custom writing sites, you should be able to not just stay on top of your obligations, but be one of the better students in your class.

What about your college obligations?

The next step is to make a list of the obligations you need to do in order to achieve the deadline – studying, doing research, getting materials, and so on. This list will keep you in check no matter which part of the world you are in. What can help you in many ways is https://customwriting.com that offers professional and academic support to all students. This site is widely used on travel trips, and when you are unable to fulfill the deadline by yourself. It is one of the most popular services that have great and high quality solutions.

Be sure to make a timetable of all your commitments and plans in one place. Create a calendar and enter all the obligations you have regarding colleges, such as taking exams and submitting papers and assignments. These are the obligations that you must fulfill so plan around them, especially if you want to take student travel scholarships because being in a new city can greatly disrupt your previous learning rhythm. Your studies shouldn’t suffer while you are on the road, nor should you limit your fun in order to keep up with tasks. The key to everything is a good organization and a little bit of time management.

For the trip, you need to pack everything you will use in order to fulfill the academic obligations that are ahead of you. This includes literature, books, scripts, notebooks, pens, markers, but also a laptop, mobile, chargers, headphones and everything you normally use when learning and doing your assignments. It is also important not to take too much with you. Get rid of the fear that you will need some of the tools that you have never used before. Student travel is one of the most popular types because that form of freedom is rare later in life. It’s not a goal to bring with you your entire room, but just the basic things you will need.

See the things in the read about in class

It is imperative that every person meet and explore the world around us. Don’t forget to visit specialized websites where you can find cheap air tickets such as https://www.cheapflights.ca and many others that offer student flight options that you can take full advantage of and save money. Travel is a great part of getting to know not only other cultures, people, art and beauty, but also getting to know ourselves and acquiring experiences and skills that are invaluable. Students have countless opportunities to travel, not just through student travel scholarships, but also in their own organization like we discussed in this article.

Author’s Bio:
Susan Wallace is a world traveler, and she wrote several of her best texts during her travels, primarily as a college freshman and sophomore when she traveled through much of Africa and Asia. She considers her journey experience to be crucial for the development of a person both in a spiritual and academic way. Susan thinks that college is the ideal time to expand the horizons, not only through books, lessons, and literature but also through personal experience.

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Say Si to Seeing Spain

How many superlatives can we use for one country? If the nation we are describing is Spain, then we’d say an unlimited number. So, as our fellow travelers plan their coming adventures, we highly recommend looking into a Spainish fiesta…
CONTINUE READING >>
 

How many superlatives can we use for one country? If the nation we are describing is Spain, then we’d say an unlimited number.

Beautiful, seductive, historic, engaging, exciting, dramatic, enticing, delicious, charming, alluring, appealing, captivating, fascinating, intriguing, inviting, enchanting, beguiling, mesmerizing, and… OK, you get the picture.

So, as our fellow travelers plan their coming adventures, we highly recommend looking into tours of Spain 2019.

Over the past few years we have come to appreciate the advantages of taking a tour as opposed to exploring on our own. First and foremost, the planning is so much simpler. With one contact everything is taken care of.

It also means never missing the most important sites, and benefiting from the expertise of people who have “been there, done that” many times before. It is so much easier when we can relax and see the destinations we want to see worry free.

In Spain that means Barcelona and Madrid.

Barcelona:

The Catalonian capital city certainly tics off every one of those adjectives we named before, and one important one we didn’t, unique.

We know it’s a cliché, but there really is no other place like it on earth. Responsible for that as much as almost anything is the presence of so many structures by the famed architect Antoni Gaudí.

There is one that stands out above all the others, literally and figuratively, the Sagrada Família. This massive basilica is without a doubt the pinnacle of his work, and we do mean pinnacle.

Huge spires rise into the sky over fifty stories high. These frame three entry ways decorated with incredible facades depicting the birth, death, and glorification of Christ.

Inside the cathedral is equally as engrossing. Gaudí set out to make his columns rising to the heavens feel like giant trees in a forest that split like branches to support the ceiling. After some time of gazing up at the enormous tapered pillars we couldn’t help but conclude that he was wildly successful.

More of this master’s work is scattered throughout the city, with a concentration at Park Güell. In this garden not only the structures, but the entire layout of the park was his design. The result is an amazing dream-like urban getaway.

Of course Barcelona has much more to offer than eccentric architecture, a visit wouldn’t be complete without stopping by the Gothic Quarter.

This is the oldest part of the city, where there are still remnants of the ancient Roman wall and several structures dating back to the thirteen hundreds.

If this is the heart of Barcelona, then the boulevard La Rambla must be the aorta.

Much more than just a street, the promenade has become like a giant open air theater for performers, artists, and especially human statues.

Madrid:

Culturally quite different from Catalonia, Madrid is quintessentially Spanish. Touring the town means visiting plazas, a palace, and the Prado Museum, because it is famous for all of the above.

From the Puerta del Sol and the bear that represents the city, to the Plaza Mayor with King Philip III at the center, to Plaza Cibeles around the amazing City Hall, each is a veritable smorgasbord for the senses. Architecture and statues galore grace them along with incredible sidewalk cafes. Whenever possible we made a point of stopping for tapas to take time to soak in the atmosphere.

Speaking of eating, we may have never seen an array of tempting taste treats like what we found at the Market of San Miguel. Much more than a typical market, Mercado de San Miguel is a place for gourmet appetites, where more than thirty vendors sell a variety of tremendous tapas with olives, artichokes, seafood, and ham.

The ham! How could we almost forget to mention the ham? Please, please, we beg of you, please do not leave Spain without trying the Iberian ham. Cured pork products will never be seen the same again once you have.

Madrid is the Spanish seat of government, and has been since 1561, so the Royal Palace reflects the status of the time when the empire was perhaps the richest on earth. However, the current Palacio Real, which is the largest in Europe by floor space, was built after a fire destroyed the original in 1734.

The Palace, with the Almudena Cathedral directly across from it, makes for yet another wildly impressive square in this city with no shortage of them.

There are only a handful of museums around the world so well known that they help to define a city, and we would definitely include the Prado on that list. While the Louvre may be more famous, it is widely held that the Prado has the world’s finest collection of European art because of the centuries of collecting by the Spanish Royal family.

None of these attractions should be missed, and every single one is a stop on the tours that we mentioned above. It is also possible to add Cordoba and Seville to the itinerary, but we have not had the pleasure of visiting them yet.

Hmmm, looks as though we will need to book another trip to Spain soon.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

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How To Wash Your Car Anytime At Home

When doing car wash chores a great protecting polish enhances your car’s paint and is also a good shine. The protecting agent is always the last step to achieve that great look… CONTINUE READING >> 

Practically you will not want to polish your car’s paint since washing and waxing is all you need to protect your cars beautiful finish. Since we do not live in a perfect world, your car still needs that deep and wet looking shine and this calls for a little more work on your side. This is part of your vehicle detailing for good looks and preserving the original paint work not forgetting car polish needs to be periodically done. When doing car wash chores a great protecting polish enhances your car’s paint and is also a good shine. The protecting agent is always the last step to achieve that great look. There are so many contaminants that come into contact with your car making your finish look less impressive. Car polish is therefore meant to remove defects like scratches, oxidation and swirl so as to enhance the car’s gloss that it deserves.

Car polishing process:

Car polish process depends on several variables which determine the polish you are going to use. There are some damages that can be repaired at your local garage and others are simply outside your individual skill set. Simply put, paint polish is basically used to work on your paint surface to remove unwanted substances and marks induced by the elements of nature. Note that, each polish is designed for different methods of application like repairing or refiningand may be applied using your hand or machine.With the evolution of buffing in vehicle detailing, the resulting finish is always perfect though continuous buffing removes some amount of paint during each stroke. This effect on your paint integrity film build might be compromised. According to experts of thanksforthehelp and bestonlineassignmenthelp paint polish removes small amounts of paint from your car surface though at microscopic levels and should not worry you much.The car polishing process is not as simple as you might be made to believe. To begin with you need to put into consideration your car paint condition and the paint hardness as this will require aggressive products thus more work. Some paint finishes are thicker than others and if yours is soft, you need less harsh car polishes. You should know that waxing can be the finishing touch of a long car detailing process. Check out a handy guide on the best car wax that will help you to choose the perfect one for your car.

Factors on applicators to consider:

My friends working with topassignmentexperts and essaywriter4u said, other factors to consider are the types of applicators or tools used. Some processes might end up messing up your car paint. Do not rush to polish before you assemble the right tools to commence the process and ensure you have ample time to get the best results possible. Your workspace should be enough to get the job done. The weather condition and your skill are other factors that contribute to the outcome of your car polish.There are various car polishes in the market and each come with different purposes. The best types naturally are the least abrasive ones. Some of these do not complete the job thus you may require a combination of two or more to do the job. Some commercials on TV purport to complete the job but you need to assess your need before settling on the correct product.

Steps you need to follow:

College assignment help companies paperdoers and onlineassignmentwriting majorly focused these points while writing automobile related assignment .First, for severe to moderate damages like heavy swirl, serious damages and scratches, you need to use moderately soft foam pad or soft leather which are available your local store as they do not damage your finish.Secondly, for normal swirl light to moderate water etching, oxidation and light scratches a foam pad will do the job and achieve the desired results.Thirdly for slight damages or normal car polish, soft clothes are recommended since you are not sealing any scratches or dents. As much as you can use your hands, dual polishers are better as they can work better than your hands.

Additional polishing tips:

Before polishing the whole car, do a spot test starting with the less aggressive car polish product and see if it gives you the expected results before moving to the more aggressive ones.
When you are positive about the spot results, replicate the process to the entire car.
Work on a small portion of your car body for maximum concentration at any given time.
If you are a beginner, move slowly thus making the polish works and sets in well.
Ensure the whole surface is covered by using slow and overlapping strokes either up and down or side to side; whichever you are comfortable with.
Keep your eyes on the pad not paint. The pad needs to be level for the best results.
Never attempt dry buffing as the results are not very pleasing Since now you have the basics at your fingertips, go out there and give your car the polish it deserves. When mastered, polishing is the best vehicle detailing you will love and you will enjoy it just like in wash car procedures.

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Stuff To Look Out For When Applying For AVE Canada

The AVE Canada is a type of travel document that you need if you want to enter the country for whatever purpose. When you are striving to get one, here are a couple of things to keep in mind… CONTINUE READING >> 

The AVE Canada is a type of travel document that you need if you want to enter the country for whatever purpose. This acronym stands for “Autorisation de voyage électronique”, which is French for Electronic Travel Authorization (more commonly known as the ETA Canada). When you are striving to get one, here are a couple of things to keep in mind.

Make sure you have all the necessary information

When you are applying for an AVE/ ETA, you need to do so in English (even if you are perfectly competent in French). You will need to state your name, date of birth, and the information about your passport (typically, your passport number).

There will also be questions meant to check whether or not you are eligible to travel: if you have any communicable diseases, and whether you have a criminal record involving certain kinds of offences, if you were arrested or convicted for anything, or if you have any history of deportation or your visa getting revoked in the past.

Finally, you will need to provide some of your credit card data, because the applicationfor an AVE does entail paying some predetermined fees. This expense will never exceed the sum of $7 Canadian (seven Canadian dollars), which is set by the government. If you are being asked to pay more, you are not applying via official channels and you may be in danger of a scam. Check out this link for some advice if you suspect that this may be your case.

Make sure to respect the deadlines for application

When you are planning a trip to Canada, you can submit your application forms for an AVE at literally any point before you set off. The general rule of thumb is – the sooner you do it, the better. Of course, you cannot always plan everything in advance and have it unfold the way you want to, and sometimes you will have to make a last minute demand for some emergency travel situation.

Do not worry, these are okay as well, and you will be covered, because an ETA request does not require that you have a specific travel plan in Canada. However, at the very least and if at all possible, you should at least provide the addresses of your destinations and your planned routes.

Be aware of the period of validity and re-application

To put it in more simple, everyday terms, your travel approval documentation has an expiry date stuck on it. In general, this will be five years, in the context of travel authorizations meant for Canada. If your passport should happento expire before those five years have passed, then your ETA automatically expires along with the passport and you will have to renew both.See this link for some advice on how to renew your passport: https://www.wikihow.com/Renew-a-Passport

There are five officially listed reasons for which you would need to re-apply for a new travel authorization through the ETA system. These are as follows: if your passport has expired and you got a new one, if you have changed your name, your nationality, or your sex/ gender, or if the circumstances that dictated your answers to the “yes or no” questions in your previous application have happened to change in the meantime.

However, while the validity period is still ongoing, you are completely free to come by repeatedly and visit Canada as many times as you like without putting in a new request.

Be aware that an ATE/ AVE does not guarantee you entry

Yes, we know, it seems counterintuitive. You were so careful to get all your papers right, and you got that authorized paper or emailed document, you planned your trip and survived horrible smelly feet in the airplane, only to be turned away a the border. Horrible image, right?

Unfortunately, a travel authorization will not necessarily guarantee you entry into Canada proper. It can only allow you to board a plane or get on a cruise ship without having a visa for Canada. Whether you will be considered eligible to actually enter the country is a decision made by the borderpost immigration agents.

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Food in Nepal is as Unique as its People

The dishes of Nepal are as unique as the backgrounds and ethnicities of the people, and there are major differences in regional cuisine. Here are a few dishes to try in the various regions of Nepal…. CONTINUE READING >> 

The dishes of Nepal are as unique as the backgrounds and ethnicities of the people, and there are major differences in regional cuisine. The three main geographical regions have a dramatic influence on what type of food is available. Here are a few dishes to try in each of the three topographic regions of Nepal.

Terai or jungle region of the south

The jungle lowlands in the south have the widest variety of agriculture due to the climate and abundance of water. Rivers provide fish, and steamy lowlands are striped with stacked terraces growing rice and millet. Fruit grows abundantly in this region, including mangoes, papayas, bananas, and jackfruit.

Dal Bhat

The true staple of Nepalese cuisine is dal bhat. The base of the dish is lentil soup with rice and a steamed seasonal vegetable, but it varies regionally based on what is available. In the lowlands, it’s served with sides like pickles, curry, yogurt, chutney, and fish.

Gundruk

Made by fermenting leafy green vegetables, this dish has an earthy flavor reminiscent of salty mushrooms. It is sometimes pickled and used as a garnish for curry or dal bhat.

The central hilly region

With a moderate climate throughout the year, the central hilly region diet is conducive to rice-based dishes. The original inhabitants of the valley have a distinct cuisine, architecture, and language. Agriculture varies wildly due to the microclimates, giving rise to many variations on a theme.  

Chatamari

A round crepe made from rice flour cooked with onions, meat, egg, and spices. Depending on the region and available crops, it can also contain local vegetables as a stuffing.

Mo mo dumplings

Steamed vegetables and meat make up the main ingredients of the dumplings, which are wrapped in a flour dough and steamed or fried. These tasty snacks usually come ten to a plate and are served with spicy chili dip. You’ll find these served alongside main dishes in restaurants or at street stalls as a standalone snack.

Himalayan and high-altitude regions of the north

The high-altitude growing conditions and food scarcity of the Himalaya area in the north shaped the dishes toward stews and other warm dishes and drinks. At the highest altitudes, food becomes limited due to short growing seasons and the lack of transportation. Potatoes and other root vegetables are staples in hot, nutrient-rich soups and appear fried with vegetables, cheese, and eggs.

Thukpa with mo mo dumplings

A thick noodle soup that can include meat, egg or just vegetables is indispensable in winter. Often served with an accompanying dish of mo mo dumplings, the soup starts with a carefully seasoned rich meat broth made from available meats. Visitors are encouraged to try garlic soup to battle the effects of altitude but should avoid meat because it’s unlikely to be fresh.

Pro tip

Taste the glorious flavors of each region on the Manaslu Trek. This unique circuit around the 8,000-meter peak takes visitors through each of the regions, allowing you to try each dish where it originated.

Conclusion

The influences of different cultures are best reflected in a country’s cuisine. Due to tourism and modern travel techniques, you may find each of these regional cuisines in a cultural center like Kathmandu but beware the temptation to sample these dishes before you arrive. The local preparation and ingredients add an element that can’t be duplicated elsewhere.

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