Archive for September 12th, 2009

Blending Cultures is the Key to Frisco’s Greatness

Saturday, September 12th, 2009

Cultural activities and events abound in the great city of San Francisco. There are even plenty of museums that not only promote awareness of the diverse cultures of this great city but also celebrate the contributions of these people to what this city has become. If you are planning to visit San Francisco, you will be robbing yourself of a real treat if you fail to visit some of the museums devoted to the cultural history of this city.

Below you will find museums dedicated to the great and diverse people of a city that is only as wonderful as its citizens. San Francisco truly is a melting pot of cultures, beliefs, philosophies, and ideals. If you are looking in from the outside it may not be as obvious to you as to someone who has made a great study of it, however, it is still there. The differences of people here are celebrated rather than duly noted. It’s a different world here and I think it’s an example that the rest of the world would do well to follow.

One of the first such places that I will mention is The San Francisco African American Historical Cultural Society. The goal of this society is to instill a sense of pride in African Americans of all ages, but particularly the younger generations, for their history, culture, and most importantly their heritage. The society offers art exhibits, educational workshops, cultural performances, and a vast wealth of knowledge to people of all cultures who come to learn about not only the African American heritage of San Francisco but around the world as well. This is definitely worth a visit especially for the library, which holds around 5,000 books written either by or about African Americans.

The International Museum of Women is a favorite of mine for many reasons. First of all, it’s a museum that celebrates the contributions that women have made throughout history while celebrating our roles as individuals, mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, friends, and wives. The International Museum of Women celebrates the many responsibilities that women face in the world today, not only to themselves as individuals but also to other women around the world. One of the primary goals of this museum other than celebrating the history of womanhood is to educate about the problems that women around the world continue to face on a daily basis.

The Contemporary Jewish Museum is another place you can go to see yet another of the many cultural faces of this great city. The Contemporary Jewish Museum offers a place where people of all cultural backgrounds can come together and learn about the history of a people whose history is so epic and so tragic and yet so full of hope. I think this museum is a great way to showcase each of these things while celebrating life itself, the one thing that all of the people of San Francisco have in common.

There are other museums and cultural centers that will work to showcase the diversity of the people that make San Francisco the wonderful city that it has become as well as the important roles that every culture has played in the making of this city that is known around the world. Whether you share the culture of any of the groups represented or simply shares the humanity of us all, there is much to be learned from all cultures represented.

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Saturday, September 12th, 2009

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Eating Italian Food during your Italy vacation

Saturday, September 12th, 2009

Italian food will be very important to you during and after your Italy vacation. Most people are usually surprised by the diversity of food in Italy especially if they expect to eat pizza, pasta and spaghetti during their Italy vacation. You may get your fill of these classics while you are in Italy but you will also want to make sure you get your fair share of local delicacies too. Make sure the food you eat is made from locally grown ingredients and make sure you pair the food with some great wine and you will be experiencing Italy at its best.

Italian food is classed into 3 regional types. Northern, Central and Southern. While visiting Northern Italy during your Italy vacation, you will find that the food here is less “Italian” than you would expect. For example they use less olive oil and more butter. They also eat more rice and corn polenta here than pasta and tomato sauce is not used very often. Northern Italian food also includes a lot of use of wild game found in the countryside. These include wild fowl, rabbit and quail. Northern Italy also has some coastal towns and some towns and villages near streams and rivers. So if you visit Northern Italy during your Italy vacation you may eat a lot of seafood and fish.

What we know as “Italian food” comes from Central Italy. Olive oil, cheeses and rich tomato sauces all hail from central Italy. The coastal areas here are also well known for seafood. Italian cooking was said to have been born in Tuscany which is a region in Central Italy so to be sure to visit this area during your Italy vacation. Some of the best olive oil comes from Southern Italy. But very little of it is exported so make sure you sample the olive oil here during your Italy vacation. Naples, a city in this area is well known for its pizza and southern Italy as a whole grows a lot of citrus fruits and has many vineyards. Some of the best wines in the world come from Southern Italy.

You may eat at several local restaurants during your vacation in Italy. However one of the best ways to sample some of the different food that Italy has to offer during your vacation in Italy is to take a cooking class or make your vacation a culinary one. Many of these classes and culinary vacations include going on a winery tour or wine tasting events. Cooking classes can range from a few hours to half a day and they range in price from about $150 to $250. Many of these are hosted by families in homes or small inns and bed and breakfasts. Some of these classes are taught by excellent chefs many of whom have written Italian recipe books and manage restaurants. They will teach you which food goes with which wine to make for a delicious meal. During your Italy vacation you can learn how to make your own homemade spaghetti and authentic tomato sauce.

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