Looking at world population [map]

world_population_map

The Earth’s population now sits at around 7.2 billion.

Half of those people, 3.6 billion, live in just a half-dozen countries, according to the United Nations.

China remains the world’s most populous nation at 1.4 billion people, followed by India with 1.3 billion, according to UN figures. The United States, Indonesia, Brazil, and Pakistan combined all have just under 1 billion people. See the map above.

According to Pew Research Center, the world’s population grew at a rapid pace from 1950 to 2010. Globally, the population tripled, and the US population doubled.

But growth is expected to slow down over the next 40 years as the global population ages.

Urbanization

The world’s urban population has also grown rapidly in recent years, with more than half the global population now living in cities. In 1950, 746 million people lived in urban areas compared to 3.9 billion in 2014, according to a new UN report.

By 2050, India is expected to top the charts with 404 million urban inhabitants while China will come second with 292 million urbanites and Nigeria third with 212 million.

Here is an updated list of the world’s most populated cities, according to the UN:

1. Tokyo, Japan (38 million)

2. Delhi, India (25 million)

3. Mexico City, Mumbai and Sao Paulo (21 million)

4. Osaka, Japan (20 million)

5. Beijing, China (just under 20 million)

6. New York-Newark area and Cairo, Egypt (18.5 million)

By Sarah Wolfe, GlobalPost
This article is syndicated from GlobalPost.

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How well do you know British slang?

Ticos could learn from the Chinese

1. Old age doesn’t have to mean less energy.

Exercise is very common among the Chinese elderly. Whether early in the morning or late at night, old women and men run, dance, do tai chi, or play hacky sack outside — anywhere. They don’t need a gym, an iPod, or a special trainer. I even dare to say that I’ve seen more people of age than young ones sweating it off. Maybe this is their secret to an increasing life span?

So tell your Tico grandpa and grandma (or your parents, or yourself) to be more like the Chinese the next time there are complaints about having to walk to the grocery store on the corner.

2. The wisdom of traditional medicine.

I’ve heard of Ticos going to their clinics at work and being prescribed a shot of dexamethasone just because they have a cold. Other Ticos take strong pills for backaches that stem from the fact that they are stressed or just need a bit of exercise. Ticos value time so much, yet we don’t ever seem to have time to get better.

Traditional Chinese Medicine practices, using Chinese herbs and acupuncture, look at the patient in a more holistic way, treating not only the disease but the underlying cause of it. Many Ticos reach for pharmaceuticals with side effects that might cause more damage than good to our bodies. So next time you catch a cold, Ticos, skip the pharmaceuticals and look into taking some natural herbs.

3. Have a good understanding and appreciation for our culture.

The Chinese are very knowledgeable about their customs and traditions. Many can recite famous poems or share old legends. Identifying with your culture keeps it alive. Even though Costa Rica is a small country, we have a lot to rescue from globalization’s brushfire.

Can us Ticos mention at least 3 Costa Rican painters? Writers? Can we name all the aboriginal groups living in our country? Are we familiar with their traditions? Sadly, most of us are more ignorant than the average Chinese person when it comes to local culture.

4. Appreciate the freedoms that you now have.

China’s political system doesn’t allow for its citizens to exercise many of the rights us Ticos take for granted, like freedom of association or demonstration. In Costa Rica we can still openly challenge political views. It’s sometimes sad to see some Ticos shouting not very nice things at demonstrators, not even knowing why they are out on the streets in the first place, but every Tico can exercise their right to protest.

Another right we can enjoy is freedom of speech, and we can use the powerful tools of social media without been prosecuted. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and many other platforms are banned in China — so enjoy what you have easy access to, Costa Rica!

5. Fresh, clean air.

China has some of the most polluted cities worldwide. You might be familiar with the apocalyptic image of people wearing face masks — the Chinese would love to have the air we have in Costa Rica! In Costa Rica, whether you are in the jungle, at the beach, or in the middle of bustling San Jose, you can still open the window and take a deep breath without worrying about the 2.5 PM. So go on, Ticos, breathe your O2 and appreciate how clean our air is here!

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12 people you’ll meet at Sun Valley

Sun Valley snowboarder

Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Resort

1. The Adventure All-Star

Sun Valley is home base for some of the most hard-core adventurers on the planet. From National Geographic cinematographers to mountain climbers, kayakers, endurance athletes, expedition guides, documentary filmmakers, conservationists, and conflict photographers, the list of Adventure All-Stars is a long one. These people are the true Sun Valley celebrities, and their occasional slideshows or film presentations — usually produced pro bono to benefit one charitable organization or another — routinely fill local theaters. At times animated storytellers, at others quiet with a far-off look in their eyes, the Adventure All-Stars travel all over the world but come home to Sun Valley because of the community here, and the support that community offers.

2. The White Buffalo

Ski legends never die, and there are quite a few legends still skiing Sun Valley. If you’re lucky enough to spot one of these ski heroes, you’ll know it from the flowing long white hair that never sees a hat or helmet no matter how cold it is. An old pair of glacier glasses, long poles, and some narrow skis they designed themselves will help you identify them in the lift line. On the slopes, all you’ll see is a shadow of white stampeding down the bumps under the lift, a huge smile on their face. These are the guys who made Sun Valley cool; make sure you give them a hoot from the chair.

3. The Wall Street Refugee

Burned out by the rat race, the Wall Street Refugee often arrives toting a young family, chasing the dream of small-town mountain life. Their chic city outfits of mostly black stick out amidst the sea of plaid, as do their substandard abilities and enthusiastic attitudes on skis and boards (and road bikes, in season). Always in danger of applying their big-city standards and type-A personalities to their new small-town life, the upside is they keep the local galleries and theaters well supported.

4. The Skittle Thugs

Easily spotted in their bright orange, pink, and yellow helmets, these pint-size rippers descend on the mountain and terrain park every weekend. Skiing in packs at breakneck speeds, hopped up on pizza and candy, the Skittle Thugs aren’t to be trifled with. Keep your eye out for them flying through the air around snow guns and huddled around Irving’s hot dog stand at the base of Warm Springs.

5. The 55-year-old who’s way fitter than you

They start their day with a casual hike up Bald Mountain’s 3,400 vertical feet to watch the sunrise, followed by a dozen or so laps in Sun Valley’s quad-torching bowls, another dozen on Warm Springs, a quick trip to the gym for a two-hour workout, and then swimming a couple miles in the pool. If they can squeeze in 20 or so kilometers of cross-country before dark, they’ll consider it a good day. It can be difficult to get a good look at the 55-and-fitter-than-you crowd, but trust me — here in Sun Valley, 60 is the new 30.

6. The Local Olympian

Sun Valley Super Pipe

Photo courtesy of Sun Valley

Like the Adventure All-Stars, these are the real Sun Valley celebrities. There are 56 Olympians that call Bald Mountain home, and while some are higher profile than others, their impact on Sun Valley is a substantial one. This is currently the official Olympic Training Site for Nordic skiing, after all, and international teams from countries like Norway and Sweden come here to train. It’s not uncommon to see US Ski Team gear on the slopes and trails of Sun Valley.

7. The Celebrity A-lister at the table next to you

An old Bald Mountain standby, the A-lister has always been attracted to Sun Valley. Movie stars, politicians, and celebrities of all types have been coming here since Averell Harriman first started offering free trips to Hollywood stars in the ’30s. If you see an A-lister in the Warm Springs Lodge or at the Pioneer Saloon, do them and the rest of us a favor and keep your cellphones and selfie-sticks in your pockets. There’s a long-standing Sun Valley ethos of ignoring or, if you must, politely acknowledging these A-listers. They’re here for the same reason we all are, to play in the mountains; playing paparazzi is probably the least cool thing you can do.

8. The Blue-Collar Ripper

Their gloves are covered in duct tape. Their camo jackets are the same ones they use in hunting season. Their pants are covered with dirt and grime from their construction gigs. Their goggles are years old, along with their skis and boots. But when you see these guys on the hill, they’re absolutely ripping. No frills or fancy tricks, just high-speed, non-stop shredding in any type of snow conditions.

9. The Powder-Stache

Sun Valley powder

Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Resort

This devoted local character can be fairly elusive and difficult to follow. Relying on their intimate knowledge of every nook and cranny on the mountain, they’re somehow able to find powder turns even if it hasn’t snowed for weeks. The only real telltale sign of the Powder-Stache are the bushy caterpillars they keep above their upper lips, forever caked in snow.

10. Employees of the proverbial Playtex Corporation

A bit of an enigma, employees of the Playtex Corporation flutter in and out of Sun Valley constantly. Intentionally vague about what they actually “do,” they always seem to be going someplace exotic or just getting back into town. You’ll find these masters of the leisure lifestyle at the Zenergy Spa, having lunch at upscale restaurants like Cristina’s, sipping lattes at Velocio, or working out and hardly breaking a sweat with their personal trainers.

11. The Baldy Blur

Sun Valley’s Bald Mountain is built for speed, and you’ll find no shortage of fast skiers tearing down runs like Warm Springs, Canyon, and Mid-River on any given day. Truth is, you never really get a good look at the Baldy Blur. The side-by-side train-track trenches their skis leave in the snow is the main evidence of their existence, along with a flash of their mirrored goggle lenses and the back of their helmet.

12. The Perma-Grin Local

Sun Valley pond skimming

Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Resort

This group represents the majority of people you’ll meet in Sun Valley. They come from all walks of life, each with their own story of how they ended up here and what they do in order to stay. They’re the chefs, bartenders and waitresses, lift operators, ski and yoga instructors, and everyone else who works to live here and preferably keeps their days free so they can ski or ride as much of their waking lives as possible. You’ll recognize them by their wide smiles, goggle tans, and that sparkle in their eyes. They’re living the dream; their life is your vacation.

Sun Valley logoThis post is proudly produced in partnership with our friends at Sun Valley Resort.




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Epic canyoneering in Spain, Portugal

Editor’s note: As a lifelong kayaker, I’ve often said that paddling is all about getting access to places you couldn’t reach otherwise: deep box canyons, a single peaceful eddy in the middle of a turbulent boulder garden, remote stretches of river, views from the lip of a waterfall.

A few years ago, however, while in Patagonia, I tried canyoning or “canyoneering” and realized that this was yet another — perhaps even more accessible way. Canyoning is essentially traversing a river canyon or steep creek minus a kayak. Teams use a mix of climbing techniques and equipment, then swim, climb, rappel, scramble, and sometimes jump to descend the terrain. Over the last year, MatadorU alumnus and full-time photographer Rui Romao has traveled to epic gorges in Spain and his native Portugal to bring these 12 views into canyons that few people ever get to see.

1

In this section of the River Lordelo, Server do Vouga, Portugal, our group slows down to deal with a series of rappels. This was a good opportunity for me to climb to a point of view where I could take a wider photo, showing the scale of the terrain. In canyoning, you’re constantly tackling objectives together as a group, which leads to a strong sense of teamwork, accomplishment, and friendship.

2

On this waterfall in the River Lordelo, we improvised a second rappel line, which helped us descend the obstacle in half the time.

3

This is the last of a sequence of nine rappels on a route that was physical and technically demanding. Happy to be almost through this tough section, Luis lets out a smile before descending a face in Ribeira do Ferreiro.

Intermission

1

This is the sickest ski video we’ve ever seen

by Matt Hershberger



A photographic journey through the Torres del Paine, Patagonia

by Michael Marquand



28

21 more crazy party hostels around the world

by Tom Gates

4

The Ribeira Funda Da Ponta Ruiva is on Flores Island in the Azores, Portugal. The entire archipelago of the Azores has islands with intense volcanic lakes and cliff-lined coastal areas.

5

Canyoning involves challenging swims, such as ferrying from one section of the river to another, or shooting upstream. Here, a climber prepares to enter deep water after descending a waterfall in Ribeira Funda Da Ponta Ruiva.

6

Sometimes the terrain is such that instead of rappelling you can just jump into pools. Here on the Margarida, in Corga Da Fecha, Spain, we found a jump.

7

As part of canyoning, however, you must constantly assess options. Prior to making the jump above, another member of our team rappelled down to the pool to check conditions. There was no debris, such as rocks or tree trunks, but the landing area was no more than two square meters. One-by-one, we tossed our backpacks down so we’d have more agility for the jump.

8

We found this little frog halfway down a canyon in Galicia.

9

When packing to explore a new canyoning, canyoneers carry a drill and plenty of “spits” for equipping anchor points.

Intermission

46

22 reasons why we should all be moving to Barcelona right now

by Elisa Stutts-Barquin



2

8 of the finest clothing-optional hot springs in Nevada (and how to find them)

by Kristen Bor



134

The 22 craziest party hostels around the world

by Matt Kepnes

10

Seasoned canyoneer Rui Borges replaces old and rusty anchor points on a waterfall that feeds into the ocean on the Flores Island in the Azores, Portugal.

11

Canyoneers must pack in all provisions, and the constantly fluctuating weight of your pack changes the way you navigate the terrain.

12

At the end of a climb in the Flores Islands, we descended an incredible waterfall to the ocean, where a boat was waiting to take us back to dry land.

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You know you’re in Vietnam when…

You spend the night drinking on a tiny plastic stool.

If you’ve visited Vietnam, you know. If not, imagine tiny, red or blue plastic chairs arranged on the sidewalk and street like an oversized game of music chairs. You sit and wait for a second, before smelling the cart of dried squid passing by. Then your bia hơi arrives. What’s bia hơi? A beer found all over Vietnam, brewed daily and served up street-side. Big deal, right? Not so fast. Each glass of beer typically costs 15-to-25 cents. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself spending an hour or two nightly on tiny chairs, knocking back bia hơi with friends and strangers alike.

Crossing the street involves dodging no less than 35 motorbikes.

According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport, there are 37 million registered motorbikes in the country (compared to roughly two million registered cars). How do you cross the street, you ask? Well, start walking. With confidence. Not too fast. Not too slow. Don’t hesitate. Don’t stop in the middle of the road. Just. Keep. Walking. Drivers will zip past you on their motorbikes, dodging you in the process. The name of the game is trust, because frankly, traffic doesn’t really stop. If you’d prefer not to risk it, well, enjoy your side of the street.

You quickly learn not to bat an eyelash at public urination.

It might be surprising the first or second time you see someone pull their pants down and start using the restroom in a public area (street, square, you name it), but you’ll quickly get over it. And don’t worry — if you’re in Vietnam long enough, you will see it. With that said, you might come across public defecation, too. No word on if you’ll ever get used to it, though.

You manage to offend a local via your broken Vietnamese.

Think the Vietnamese language might be easy because it’s written with the Latin alphabet? Think again. Instead, think diacritical marks, diphthongs, triphthongs, and offglides. Any mark above or below a letter can change the sound or meaning of a word. For that reason, you’ll likely think you can read every street sign, but chances are you’ll pronounce them in a completely incorrect manner. Or you might just happen to make a local’s eyes widen when you make an unsuccessful attempt in telling them in Vietnamese that the pomelo they just offered you was delicious.

You get a haircut on the side of the road.

If you’re in Hanoi and you need a cheap, quick (and good) haircut, you could always go to a nearby barbershop. But who needs barbershops when you have barbers running their businesses street-side? Walk up. Get a haircut. Pay. Walk off. Sure, you might become a tourist attraction for the 10 to 15 minutes that you’re getting your haircut, but it’s worth the experience. Besides, you probably don’t get to enjoy the nice weather while getting a haircut very often back home, do you?

You witness several mattresses being transported — on one motorbike.

If seeing thousands of motorbikes daily wasn’t enough culture shock on your first visit to Vietnam, make sure to take a look at what’s being transported on them (and they’re not giant Harley Davidson bikes, mind you). Several pigs. Several mattress. Tires upon tires. Dozens of goldfish in plastic bags. Entire families. And every time you see something giant being transported via motorbike, you’ll shake your head in disbelief, feeling as if you’re watching a Cirque du Soleil balancing act.

It’s karaoke time. Enough said.

Karaoke is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in Vietnam, but the experience isn’t your typical karaoke night at Applebee’s. You’ll go out, have beers, hang out with some people, and drunkenly belt out tunes all night. You may or may not get to do this on a junk boat in Ha Long Bay. While many of the karaoke bars are awesome, keep an eye out. You might end up hanging out with some cool, friendly girls and having a great time almost by “coincidence,” but you won’t be quite as excited when it’s time to pay the bill.

You’re invited into a local’s home after knowing them for 10 minutes.

If you’re visiting Vietnam for the first time, chances are that you don’t have too many connections within the country. Lucky for you, everyone is pretty damn friendly. Eating a banh mi prepared by a couple as the rest of their family hangs out in the background? Don’t be surprised if you’re offered (yes, offered not sold) tea, fruits, and an impromptu Vietnamese lesson before going on your way. Trying to bargain with the hotel concierge while booking a Ha Long Bay cruise last minute? Well, you might not necessarily get a huge bargain, but you may end up being treated to homemade rice wine, rice liquor, and hot pot by the hotel employees. Not such a bad deal after all.

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A guide to trekking Central Laos

Boy in Laos

Photo: James Handlon

Central Laos does not get many travelers, and the tourism office in the provincial capital of Tha Khaek has done a good job of designing treks that alleviate poverty in isolated villages without disrupting local culture.

Travelers get a chance to experience a beautiful part of rural Laos where the locals take pride in hosting foreign guests – a happy balance that does not always exist in more heavily touristed regions of Southeast Asia.

Basics

The two-day trek costs about $65 per person for a group of at least 3 people — more for couples or single travelers. This is a fair price, and much of the money goes to local villagers who guide groups through the mountains and cook delicious meals.

Travelers start out in Tha Khaek, a medium-sized town on the Mekong River that’s about halfway between Vientiane and Pakse.

I would recommend booking the trek in advance at the tourist information centre in Tha Khaek. Guesthouses like the Travel lodge in Tha Khaek can also book it for you.

Remember that the wet season is from July through October. It is best to take on this trek between November and March when the temperatures are pleasant and the weather is dry. April and May bring the hot season, during which the many swimming holes along the way will make the trek very enjoyable.

Phu Hin Bun National Protected Area

The trek explores the Phu Hin Bun National Protected Area (NPA), an isolated region of jagged peaks and clear, turquoise streams that looks like a classical Chinese landscape painting. The sheer mountainsides are refuges for several species of endangered primates, and tigers stalk the deepest parts of the jungle.

The villagers who live in the Phu Hin Bun NPA are largely self-sufficient, growing rice, fruit and vegetables, and raising water buffalo, pigs, chickens, and cows. While many treks in Laos visit ethnic minorities, the villagers here are mostly lowland Lao.

Eat, Walk, Swim

I LOVED the food on this trek. Fresh catfish grilled with garlic over a campfire on the banks of a stream was served alongside sticky rice, mountain vegetables, eggplant, and traditional pastes of herbs and chili.

For dinner we ate water buffalo laap, a Lao dish of minced meat with herbs and spices. Vegetarian options were limited, but available.

The walks through the forest were broken up by frequent stops at spectacular swimming holes, including a sacred wellspring of turquoise water called Khoun Kong Leng.

Other highlights included a cave that links two valleys by cutting straight through a mountain, and an old temple where the prayer bell was made from the shell of a 500-pound bomb. This bombshell was a poignant reminder of the massive U.S. bombing campaign of rural Laos — a war that the White House kept secret from both Congress and the American people.

Cultural Respect

Visiting this part of Central Laos is a privilege, and travelers should take care to respect Lao customs. Understand that Lao people are extremely non-confrontational and place a premium on smooth social interactions.

Be gentle, kind, patient, and appreciative. Showing any sign of frustration or anger is extremely rude in Laos, so if you don’t like something it’s better just to smile and, if you must, gently inquire about alternatives. The head guide will speak reasonable English, but speak slowly and try to learn some Lao words. Everyone will be thrilled to hear you make the effort.

This article was originally published on April 11th, 2009

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8 Irish expressions you need to know

irish-expressions

Photo: benessere

THE LAND OF SAINTS AND SCHOLARS has been pioneering the written and spoken word ever since the English outlawed education, forcing our countrymen to squat behind hedges listening to some auld fella shite on about Catholicism or bread or whatever cos we weren’t allowed to use books. But even being bestowed with the ability to chat your arse off does not necessarily mean that the complex lexicon of Irish-isms is navigable. Here’s a quick guide to Irish idioms that will save you from any embarrassing lost-in-translation scenarios.

1. State = Disgrace

Outgoing as we are, years of repression by either England or the Catholic Church has left us somewhat reliant on the social lubricant of booze to keep the banter flowing. However, this crutch is a cruel mistress, and can often leave us cowering under a duvet on Sunday, the fear induced by the inevitable loss of dignity the night before.

Usage:

“Fucking state of you last night, you puked on my cat.” = “You were a disgrace last night, you were sick on my cat.”

“Oh my god, she’s was an absolute state. Did you see her taking a piss in front of the Garda station?” = “Oh my god, she was a disgrace. Did you see her going to the toilet in front of the police station?”

2. Session = Party

This is a blanket term for any kind of social gathering that has the potential to get a little loose. How loose will depend on the demographic. If we’re talking trad session, expect typical Irish music played by some auld fellas with bodhrans whilst the auld ones croon “She walks through the fair” to a reverential silence. If we’re talking college students frequenting the Pyg, then expect copious amounts of Class As and a queue for the early house on Tara St. Ew.

Usage:

“Fair auld session last night there lads, great to get the lock in.” = “Great night of merriment and music last night boys, delighted to be able to stay after hours in the pub.”

“Fucking chewed the face off myself at that session last night.” = “I gurned a lot at that drug-fueled party last night.”

3. Shite on / Talk the hind legs off a donkey = Talk at length

We can talk. About anything. Give us a topic; we can talk about it. Again, the degree of shiting on is determined by age and / or consumption of alcohol / drugs. Usually used in a negative context, like someone going on and on and on and on and on and on…

Usage:

“God yer one would talk the hind legs off a donkey.” = “That girl would bore you to death with her incessant talk.

“He spent the whole night shiting on to me about his gout. Insufferable bastard.” = “He talked to me the whole night about his gout. Insufferable bastard.”

4. Shift = Kiss (with tongues)

This phrase was popularised in more rural parts of Ireland and entered into common usage in the ‘90s. Often heard at discos, down the tennis club, or at lunchtime if you were lucky enough to go to a girls’ school close to a boys’ school (If you were lucky enough to go to a mixed school, this was probably the only word you ever used, ever), the mere mention of this word would set pheromones secreting and pulses racing, and eventually, saliva swapping.

Usage:

“Here, will ye shift me mate?” = “Hey, will you kiss my friend?”

“Yer man’s a great shift.” = “That guy’s a really good kisser.”

5. Yer man / Yer one = That guy / that girl

Everything will make so much more sense once you understand this. The Irish always have a wide circle of friends, and there are about 2 degrees of separation between every member of the population. So you can see how it could be challenging to remember everybody’s name. To compensate for this, we have come up with a useful shorthand for describing someone that you may know, but can’t think of their name, or for referring to any stranger in general. Enter yer man / yer one.

This causes the most confusion when people think that these are actually people’s names. Just ask any Polish immigrant how long it took before they realised that Yerman wasn’t some social wunderkind who was connected to absolutely everyone they met.

Usage:

“You know yer man, the ginger fella who’s friends with Cathal.” = “You know, that ginger guy who’s friends with Cathal.”

“You know yer man, he’s going out with yer one.” = “You know that guy, he’s going out with that girl.”

“Jaysus, yer one over there is looking fairly rough.” = “Wow, that girl over there has seen better days.”

6. Ride = Good looking person / sex

So important a word they gave it two meanings. Get your coat luv, you’ve pulled.

Usage:

“Did ye get the ride off yer one last?” = “Did you have sex with that girl last night?”

“OMG, Brian O’Driscoll is suuuuuuuuuuuuch a ride.” = “Brian O’Driscoll is hot.” (Most likely heard in Dublin 4)

7. Good man / woman yourself! = Well done!

We love a bit of auld reflexive pronoun action to illustrate how much we really mean something. It’s all about emphasis. That coupled with a bit of well deserved praise for, say, winning the ploughing championships on an banjaxed Massey Ferguson, results in shouts of the above as well as lots of back slapping.

Usage:

“Jaysus bai, you did well there, good man yourself!” = “Jesus man, well done, congratulations!”

“Sure didn’t you look great in the Lovely Girls contest, good woman yourself!” = “You looked great in the rural beauty pageant, congratulations!”

8. To score the face off someone = To kiss passionately

Every sexual act needs a euphemism because Catholicism has beaten us into a repressive state of denial about our libidos. This particular idiom sounds slightly aggressive, and it can be, so watch out for that ginger stubble. Ouch.

Usage:

“My mouth is red raw, he was scoring the face off me for hours at Coppers.” = “I have sandpapered my skin off my passionately kissing someone for hours in the local meat market.”

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Fall in love with Caracas [vid]

Hacé clic para leer este artículo en Español. Tambien podés darnos un “me gusta” en Facebook!

“PERSPECTIVAS” (Perspectives) is a timelapse project about the city of Caracas done by Diego Mojica between 2012 and 2014. It required an astounding 25,000 shots to put it together! And the result achieves the director’s goal: pause the speed of everyday life to appreciate one of the most beautiful cities in Latin America.

It doesn’t matter if you were born and raised in Venezuela, if you visited the country in the past and loved it, or if you are interested in traveling there soon, I am sure this timelapse of the extraordinary and multifaceted Caracas will leave you wanting more. The soundtrack to the video is enjoyable, but those of you who need an extra dose of Venezuelan music today, check out these 10 songs dedicated to the country.

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