10 things I am thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! (I'll need to find pictures for these)
Here is what I am thankful for:

1. Most importantly my family!
2. My family from my honour society
3. The food I get to eat every day and clean water
4. My friends who support me.
5. The fact I live in a country where there is a holiday specific for being thankful.
6. I have had the opportunity for a post-secondary education
7. I have been able to view a portion of this beautiful world
8. I was born into a loving family.
9. All of my animals, who have become my babies. I do really refer to them as my babies, some people look at me weird.
10. Coffee, I am very thankful for coffee especially since it has gotten me through college.

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'Ode to Joy' Flash Mob

So, I was looking around the internet for some distraction. I found distraction in the form of classical music with this video. In 2012 there was a flash mob of a bunch of musicians playing Ode to Joy, one of my favourite pieces used by Beethoven in his 9th Symphony. Beethoven brought the song to the equivalent of 'cult status' because it was deemed as a failure by its original writer and composer in 1785. This flash mob occurred in a Sabadell, Catalonia which is a city close to Barcelona. The bank pictured in the background hired an orchestra to celebrate their 130th anniversary.
What is unique about this flash mob is that while this type of artistic expression is normally associated with Generation Y there are some members who appear not to be of this generation. Also what is unique is that most flash mobs are usually choreographed dances to contemporary music, Ode to Joy is not contemporary nor is an orchestra a dance. Some of my favorite moments in the video: 0:19, 1:57, 3:07, 3:41, 4:10

To imagine it all began with a coin.

P.S This makes me want to learn to play my flute again

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St. Augustine, Fl, USA- Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse Part 3

Previously mentioned was the statues at the schoolhouse commemorating men important to Latin America's history. These are the pictures of the statues with their flag and the inscription! This was a request!

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St. Augustine, Fl, USA- Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse Pt 2

As mentioned previously the schoolhouse is the oldest wooden schoolhouse in the U.S and has stood since the early 1700's but the last class graduated in 1865. The compound contains the schoolhouse, a kitchen, an outhouse, several statues commemorating important figures in Latin American history, and a well. It is important to note that the teachers would live with their family in the second story of the schoolhouse. The kitchen was separate to ensure both ventilation and that if there was a fire it would be easily contained.

Okay moving on to the best part! The pictures!

Peruvian Liberator!

Honduras!

I tried to get a picture of the whole compound

The last class of the schoolhouse in 1864!

That girl in the purple looks like Wednesday Addams

Furniture the teacher owned or may have owned.

If you behaved badly you were sent to the cupboard beneath the stairs. Made me think of Harry Potter.

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St. Augustine, Fl- The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse Pt 1

As the name would suggest the Schoolhouse is the oldest wooden school building in the U.S but not the oldest school building, I presume the oldest is made from stone or brick. It is located on St. George St near the old City Gate. The Schoolhouse was built sometime after 1702 because that was the year the British burned all the wooden structures in the city to the ground. Its date of construction therefore is unknown but its first appearance in tax records was in 1716. With that being said it was built sometime within that 14  year time span.
Florida is well known for hurricane season so the structures within the area are anchored down to ensure that it isn't blown away when a hurricane does come to call. It has been restored numerous times over the l 300 or so years and this has ensured its survival.

The complex contains the actual schoolhouse, a kitchen, an outhouse, several statues commemorating men who helped build the city.

View from the main street

That's a mannequin

The kitchen

The well

Meditation room aka the necessary aka the outhouse

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St Augustine, Fl, USA- St. George St

    St Augustine is the oldest continually occupied city in the U.S and was founded by the Spanish in 1565 as a military outpost. Much of the city's architecture reflects this Spanish heritage. St. George street is one of the many streets that make up the city's historic downtown district. In the early days of the city this was the main street and the heart of the city. It is a pedestrian only street so one doesn't need to worry about getting run over by a car or trolley. Between the old City Gate and the Cathedral on the other end you will find many historic attractions, restaurants serving delicious food, candy shops, bakeries, galleries of artisans and shops. There are also many public restrooms available.
    From certain areas of this street one can see the Castillo de San Marcos (S Castillo Dr) in the distance. Historical attractions along St. George street include the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, Dr. Peck house, Colonial Quarter, and the City Gate. There are many more attractions just outside the street as well! Those include the Authentic Drug Store (Orange St), Lightner Museum (King St), Spanish Military Hospital (Aviles St), Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park (Magnolia Ave), Mission of Nombre de Dios (Ocean Ave), and Flagler College (King St).
    Parking lots are located nearby and cost approximately $10 for the day. Metered parking is also available along the curb but we opted for the $10 a day pass. It is well worth paying the $10 because otherwise you'll be driving around for a while to find suitable parking.
   

An arcade of shops, and restaurants.

Dr. Peck House

The old city gate in the distance!

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St.Augustine, FL, USA: Food edition - La Columbia

One of my favourite restaurants. Normally when I visit I just get dessert and Cuban coffee but we decided to eat lunch there. The dessert and coffee were amazing, the food was good but my Momma's cooking is a lot better.  I'll probably stick with her food (I still tell her to open a restaurant). This company has 5 restaurants within the state of Florida and is family owned; it is currently operated by the 4th and 5th generations of the original owners family. The first restaurant was founded in 1905 in Ybor city and is Florida's oldest restaurant.

Cuban Bread <3

This looks similar to what my mother makes. The restaurant calls it Shrimp Criollo

Salteado - influenced by Chinese immigrants in Cuba

Guava Cheescake! The best dessert ever!

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My Travel Bucket List Part 1 (Top 5): Asia And Egypt

I know that I am a new traveler when compared to the likes of those who have backpacked across the world. Which is my dream to do one day, perhaps in the near future. This is a list of what I want to do if I ever visit these countries. Note: these pictures do not belong to me. Not in any particular order.

1. Egypt- My dream is to go to Cairo and Alexandria and see  the old Egyptian ruins and another dream is to work in Egypt conducting research. I would love to be able to read the ancient hieroglyphs, see the pyramids, experience the cities.

2. China- Apparently 5K where you run a portion of the Great Wall. I want to do that! Even though I am horribly out of shape.

3. South Korea- I am an avid watcher of Kdramas, especially the historical ones. I'd love to go to some of the old palaces and eat some legit kimchi.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

4. India- This country has so much history and the culture is so colourful! All the saris, the food, although it is real crowded. I once read a book on Mother Theresa and that made me want to visit Calcutta and see all the work she did, also be able to help a little (if they let me). There is also the ancient temples that are so intricate and beautiful, what a sight it would be to behold!

Khajuraho

5. Thailand- This country has a lot of history, formerly known as Siam, they have so many exquisite temples. I have been told it is really cheap to travel around this country. 

Stupas at Ayutthaya

Note- I would love to visit every country in Asia, but these are the ones I have heard the most about!

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