Cheesefest 2010

Well, we had a fun Cheesefest 2010. We headed over to the neighborhood grocery where they had a very large cheese counter with workers that give out samples of the cheese. At this location (compared to where we went last year for our purchases), the store had 3 employees working the cheese counter, and we finally got to test the Mimolette Cheese which the whole thing would be about $380 and it’s about $10 a slice. It was really good cheese, but we decided not to include it in this year’s cheese fest.

We enjoyed the evening with friends and neighbors and had a good selection of cheeses. Some of the cheeses were repeats from last year, and some were a first try.

Baguettes and specialty bread was also an addition which enriched the sampling.

We had the following cheeses that we or other guests brought:

• Jarlsberg from Norway
• Butterkase from Germany
• Brie from France
• Vermont Sharp White Cheddar
• Smoked Gouda
• An Ireland Cheese (can’t remember the name)
• Cheese cake
• Mild Cheddar
• Cheese Dip
• Cheese Ball

Brie was one of our favorites that we discovered in Paris, France.  We found that if you put a small slice in the microwave for a few seconds, it helps to soften it up, and put on a baguette, tastes excellent.

Read More

Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point Gardens

Tiptoe through the Tulips was our adventure yesterday exploring the paid gardens at Thanksgiving point. The gardens are huge, and there are different themes throughout the gardens.

I believe the gardens are home to the largest man-made waterfall feature.

We saw French influence in the gardens, Italian influence, and other themes.

We even found a secret garden hidden behind a long tunnel of trellis. An old wooden door kept the secret from the outside world.

Autumn and Megan having fun inside the Secret Garden.

The Italian Garden.

On top of the waterfalls.

There were holes in the rock where the kids could reach through and touch one of the smaller falls.

Fun day!

Read More

China Trip 2009 – Guangzhou & Shenzhen

I’ve been in China for just about a week now.  We flew in Guangzhou in mainland China, and went to the Import/Export Fair (Canton Fair).  To put the size of the convention center into perspective, it’s where football fields could get together to play football by themselves.  The place is massive!  

The weather was quite temperate.  It can get really hot out here and it’s pretty humid.  It rained quite a bit, but fortunately, we were inside the convention centers during most of the rain.

Amazingly in a place this big, there was free wireless access throughout the whole place, so I was able to check emails on the G1 Android phone and not incur any data roaming charges.

One interesting thing is that we saw only a handful of Americans there, and I mean a handful out of perhaps 100 to 150 thousand people.  Good news for us, less competition for back home!

I’ve typed some short captions below each picture:

This is Hall B shown in the distance.  There are A, B, and C Halls, with several floors in each.  Huge, huge, huge.  It makes any sports arena look like a Happy Meal toy.

Inside one floor, and not even all the way to the end.  However, look how far down the booths go in the picture.  Those are the starts of the aisles.

A shot from up above.  This section may have been a little smaller, but there are 3 floors in each hall.  This is section 4 on floor 1 (4.1).  The hall would a room 1.1, 2.1, 3.1….8.1….12.1.  Think about it…B.I.G.

More booths, but see the security guard?  They were at the end of each aisle.  Military officers walked throughout the show.  The military officers were very young, perhaps not even 19.  

This is looking out and down from our hotel at the Guangzhou Hotel.

Picture from the same spot but looking up into the city.

We visited a few factories, one in Shenzhen and decided to stop for 30 minutes (busy schedule) at the Windows of the World exhibit.  We stayed the previous night in Donguang, in the most amazing hotel I’ve ever been in, and it was about $70/night.  

Windows of the world quite large; I was envisioning 3 foot replicas, but the place was big, but not everything was to the same scale.

We hopped on a little cart/open air electric car that took us around the place in 25 minutes giving us 3 minute stops at about 4 spots.

Yep, it’s leaning.

Venice, Anyone?

 

Ah, Paris…Notre Dame.   That was fun to see, brought back good memories.

The Arc.

Let’s throw in a little bit of Rome.

Can’t forget Egypt.

Yep, you can ride it if you want to pay a little extra.

Rome.

Probably somewhere in South America.  We didn’t have a lot of time to read the signs.

Now, New York, only got 4-5 foot models, what’s up with that?

The Japanese gardens were huge and very beautiful.  You can see, these fish know what’s up.

Japanese gardens.

It wasn’t raining, and the sun actually came out, so I got a little sun-burned, but it was fun.  After this, we were off to Hong Kong for two more trade shows.

Read More

Celebrating the Music in All of Us

The day I purchased the G1 Android phone, I saw on the phone an application to view YouTube videos. The first video that I tested on the phone was the video featured below. It celebrates the music in all of us all over the world and is pretty cool.

 

 

The videos are from the Playing for Change Foundation. From the Foundation’s website:

The Playing For Change Foundation (PFCF) is dedicated to connecting the world through music by providing resources (including but not limited to facilities, supplies, and educational programs) to musicians and their communities around the world.

The “Don’t Worry” video features artists from all over the world:

• Nancy, France
• The Congo
• Kathmandu, Nepal
• Chennai, India
• Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Tel Aviv, Israel
• New Orleans, Louisiana USA
• Barcelona, Spain
• Umlazi, South Africa
• Dharamsala, India

The video below is also from the foundation. It starts with one performer, and then really builds.

 

 

The “Stand by Me” video features artists from :

• Santa Monica, California USA
• New Orleans, Louisiana USA
• Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Zuni, New Mexico USA
• Toulouse, France
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Moscow, Russia
• Caracas Venezuela,
• The Congo
• Guguletu, South Africa
• Barcelona, Spain
• Umlazi, South Africa
• Pisa, Italy
• Mamelodi, South Africa

I recommend listening with a good set of headphones.

Read More

Cheese Fest 2009

On the 8th, we enjoyed hosting the continuation of Cheese Fest with Cheese Fest 2009.  A number of years ago, we enjoyed Cheese Fest year after year with one of our good friends from college.  After moving away from college, we didn’t continue the tradition of Cheese Fest until now.  We didn’t have the traditional “Cheese Stick,” but we had a good time.

Cheese Fest is a chance for friends to get together and to enjoy different types of cheeses.  We asked participants to bring some sort of cheese product or snack.  We found out that our local grocery store had a separate section dedicated to fine cheeses.  It was fun to see the different cheeses at the store when we were selecting the cheeses we wanted to bring.

 

At this year’s Cheese Fest we had a wonderful variety of cheeses brought to the festival:

• Belletoile Brie imported from France
• Gjetost imported from Norway (Ski Queen Brand) great on Wheatables
• Dofino Smoked Gouda Cheese Wheel from Wisconsin
• Sharp  Cheddar  aged 180+ Days from Wisconsin (Kaukauna  Brand)
• Smoky  Cheddar  from Wisconsin  (Kaukauna  Brand)
• Fontina Cheese from Denmark
• Smoked Gouda
• Smoked Cheddar
• Sharp White Cheddar from Vermont
• Cheese Fondue (cream cheese, Parmesan cheese)
• White Frigo String Cheese
• Cheesecake
• Cookies made with a hint of Cottage Cheese

The Gjetost cheese was rather interesting cheese and one that we wanted to go out on a limb and try.  Gjestost is made in Norway and is a brown cheese that is reminiscent of caramel.  We tried it on a couple different crackers and bread and found that it went best with Wheatables.  We were told at the store to cut it in thin slices, and so we wondered if it was really good.  The store owner said it is good cheese but to take it in small slices.

 

We had grapes, grape juice, a berry/sherbet ice cream drink, and plenty of crackers.  One of the most popular cheeses we had there were the two Brie wedges.  And even though it’s said that Americans don’t know real cheese, I still love sharp Wisconsin  Kaukauna Cheddar.  Mmmmm good!

We also had a cheese quiz and cheese books available.  It was fun to look at descriptions of the different tastes that the cheese have.  

When we were selected the cheeses we wanted to bring, we came across a big ball of Mimolette.  It smelled so good and may be my most favorite cheese I’ve never tried.  The cheese was quite expensive, but I can’t wait to try it someday.

 

We had a good time, and can’t wait ’til next year’s cheese fest!

Read More