Pssst: The 5 Best Secret Bars in New York For many out-of-towners, speakeasies are the things of history books and old-time movies, but for in-the-know New Yorkers, they’re where some of the best cocktails in the city are hiding. If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-path hang out or want to impress your out-of-town friends with your secret bar savvy, check out some of these New York speakeasies….but shh…please don’t tell!! By Kristen Hetland, Associate Web Producer, CBS Local. MORE: NYC’s 6 Best Spots For Affordable Happy Hour Deals Milk and Honey How to Find It: Go to Eldridge Street on the Lower East Side and find a store front with a suit hanging in the window and a sign that says, “M&H, Tailors, Alterations.” Address: 134 Eldridge Street (between Delancey and Broome Streets) – Map See Also: The 5 Best Wine Bars On LES Little Branch How to Find It: Go to the corner of Seventh Avenue and Leroy Street. Address: 22 Seventh Avenue S. MORE: NYC’s Top 5 Luxury Cocktail Bars The Raines Law Room PDT (Please Don’t Tell) Address: 113 St.
18 Great Sites To Learn A New Language Advertisement In Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, interstellar travelers had a little fish, called a Babelfish, that they could slip into their ear and make them instantly literate in any language. We normal, boring humans, however, do not have this luxury, which is why we must rely on the internet. Although there are endless resources to learn languages on the web, it is often difficult to find quality websites that offer structured lesson plans for free. BBC Languages BBC Languages’ site is very aesthetically pleasing, even though the organization is a bit confusing. However, for those inclined to pursue either French, Spanish, German, or Italian further, BBC Languages offers a total of six 12-week courses in those languages. LiveMocha As an incentive, LiveMocha uses a reputation system to encourage its users to submit flashcards and other teaching content, contact one another in order to practice speaking, and correct one another’s assignments. Babbel Foreign Services Institute Spanish
The 20 Best Travel Websites on the Internet - Golden Book Traveler Update: Visit the 2012 version of The 20 Best Travel Websites on the Internet I hope that everyone who attended my SXSW Core Conversation panel on How to Make Money Traveling Around the World enjoyed the presentation. As promised, I have a listing of my top 20 favorite travel websites (in no particular order). I’m still working on my eBook “70 Vacations in 7 Months“. The project has consumed most of my time of late. The Top 20! Couch Surfing Hands down my favorite travel website on the internet. Travellers Point Travellerspoint is a small travel community that features expert travel advice. Momondo How can a Danish aggregator feature cheaper flights within the U.S, than any American flight aggregator? Escape The City Escape the City is a new website that continues to grow like wildfire. Hostel World My go to site for anything related to hostels. Trip-it I build almost all of my travel itineraries through Trip-it. AirBnB Airbnb is great for people who enjoy a finer lodging experience. Flyer Talk
Coffee Break French Lesson 414 – Coffee Break French Introduction In this week’s edition of Coffee Break French, Mark and Pierre-Benoît discuss Sylvie’s latest email and cover a number of interest points of vocabulary and grammar including the expression tant que tu y es, the verb s’emballer, and the concept of jours de RTT. Listen to the lesson Premium Version The premium version of Coffee Break French Season 4 provides additional materials which will help you move forward more effectively with your French studies. Language Study audio show: in this bonus audio recording we provide a full analysis of the language used in each lesson. The members’ version can be accessed through our membership system. Subscribe links Subscribe in iTunes | RSS Feed | Purchase members’ audio and transcripts Podcast (cbf-podcast): Download Lesson 413 – Coffee Break French It’s time for a new episode of Coffee Break French and this week we’re joining Monique who is replying to Sylvie’s latest email. Accessing the Premium Version
Practical Tips from Four Years of Worldwide Travel As promised in my last post about homesickness and long-term travel, I wanted to publish a follow up about the more practical side of my time on the road. I started out having no idea if I had packed the right things in my bag, worried about losing my passport (I tend to be slightly scatterbrained on the best of days) and curious if I’d last the full year around the world. 4 years later, I’m still moving – though I’m doing so quite a bit differently than when I first started out. I’m travelling much more slowly, opting to spend more time learning and eating. Where possible, I rent an apartment for a few months to really get a feel for the place and to get work done. Over the years, I’ve found myself disagreeing with my initial packing strategy and also learning a bunch of tips that I keep using as I go. For those who are just starting out or reading from home or mulling over what they too have picked up along the way, some practical tips from 4 years of travelling around the world: 1.
The Zompist Phrasebook The Zompist Phrasebook By Mark Rosenfelder My thanks to Nicolas Duvernois and to my wife Lida for revising and nativizing the French and Spanish translations, and to Raphael Landeck for the German translation. The author and translators disclaim all responsibility for the results of use of these expressions under field conditions. Use in a well-ventilated area. Do not expose to open flame. The phrasebook in Russian, Italian, Danish, DutchThe phrasebook in Chinese General Expressions I wish to complain.Je veux porter plainte. It's better in the States.C'est mieux aux Etats-Unis. How much is that in real money? Don't you speak English? At the hotel Do all your maids smoke? I'm coming, you silly runt! How do I get Letterman? If you go to the USA, you'll find that a dime is a lot of money.Si vous allez aux Etats-Unis, vous trouverez que dix cents c'est beaucoup de fric. There's a corpse on the bed. The bellboy won't score me any coke.Le groom refuse de me procurer un petit peu de came. Making friends
The real (and unspoken) rules of US roads The United States is a very large place so driving cultures can be surprisingly, even hilariously diverse. Regional driving aptitude and situational awareness can range from commendable to terrifying, so stay on your toes when venturing into unfamiliar territory. Knowing the local driving laws and unspoken road rules are just as vital when undertaking a road trip. What's the speed limit on unposted roads? If someone flashes their high beams is it because your high beams are on and you're blinding oncoming traffic, or because there's a cop hiding around the next corner with a speed detector? If you give someone the finger, will you receive the finger in return or will gun-play ensue? Old school rules The first speed limit law in the US was set in Boston in 1757. Though rarely if ever enforced, there are aging, peculiar laws all over the country that confound reason, but are nevertheless still on the books. New rules to keep in mind The unspoken rules
Institut de français - Reviews - Learn French in France Most of the visitors to this site are learning French, and many would like to learn French in France. Readers often ask me to recommend a great French language program, but since I have only studied high-level French in France, I'm unable to offer beginning and intermediate recommendations. Fortunately, visitors to the forum often discuss their French learning, including various schools that they have studied at. liquidmac "I would advise you to take a look at Institut de français in the South of France; it has an impeccable reputation and the school, teachers, and town are great. Prinyer "I would highly recommend l'Institut de français. rivlinz "I finished almost three years of French at our local Alliance française here in Portland Oregon and then signed up last spring for a four week total immersion course at the Institut de français. When I got there I expected some 20-25 students, mostly commercial, learning French for their jobs.