One of the most popular posts ever on newelty has been our list of top iPhone apps, so it’s no surprise that I received a request for the best iPad apps from a friend. Having made it happily from Seattle to Nairobi to Copenhagen back to Seattle again–and having found this travel easier and more [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Novelty'
16 Best iPad Apps for Travel
September 6th, 2011 · No Comments · Blog posts by Lia, Good design, Novelty, Transportation bliss
Tags:apps·awesomeness·convenience·iPad·photography·time zones
The “Real” Nairobi
August 8th, 2011 · No Comments · Africa, Blog posts by Lia, Novelty, Recommended sights
I recently started reading and enjoying the blog called “Sociological Images,” which I find to be provocative and insightful. But a recent post by Lisa Wade gave me pause. From the post: Sadie M. sent in an example of the reproduction of the idea that “Africa” is an arid, desolate place where nature still dominates [...]
Club World Has Ruined Me for Life
April 24th, 2011 · No Comments · Blog posts by Lia, Novelty, Transportation bliss
I am in love with British Airways. There’s no other way to say it. I’m obsessed (having signed up for a credit card with them to get more miles). I spend time thinking about them, and how to fly them next. It’s like the worst high-school crush ever, and all because of Club World. Betty [...]
Tags:airlines·airplanes·British Airways·happiness·Heathrow·London
Great Ideas: Send a New Yorker to Shoot Milan Fashion Week
February 24th, 2011 · No Comments · Blog posts by Lia, Novelty
New York Magazine has a fascinating photo series by Jeff Mermelstein, who normally takes super-earth New Yorky photos like this one: How great is she? I also love this couldn’t-be-more-New-Yorky-shot: It was a brilliant juxtaposition to send him to fashion weeks all over the world. How often have you seen photos of the front row [...]
Tags:Milan·New York·photography
Good Bye, Waxy Lenin!
February 17th, 2011 · No Comments · Blog posts by Lia, Novelty
No, this post isn’t about our #6 favorite travel movie of all time, but about the actual Vladimir Lenin. As you probably know, he’s been on display as a kind of tourist trinket-slash-semi-religious icon since his death, in Red Square in all his waxy glory. But possibly not for much longer. I went to check [...]
Tags:online voting·Russia
Would You/Have You Slept in a Pod Hotel?
October 21st, 2010 · No Comments · Blog posts by Lia, Good design, Novelty, Obsessed with Japan
The closest I’ve come to a pod hotel is some unfortunate bunks in hostels in my early 20s and the Citizen M (a.k.a. the hotel with the toilet in the middle of the room).
I want to stay in a real pod hotel soon, and Kyoto seems like the place to do it. Cabbage Rose had a write-up of 9h (a.k.a. “9 hours”) which looks well-designed, sharp, and hyper-clean.
Tags:good design·hotels·Japan·Kyoto
Shop Talk: Mr. Lee’s General Store & Haberdashery
October 12th, 2010 · No Comments · Blog posts by Lia, Good design, Novelty, Shop talk
Vancouver is one of my favorite cities, because although it is a big, sprawling city, it doesn’t feel that way. There’s still room for little funky shops like the previously raved-about Regional Assembly of Text and a new favorite find, Mr. Lee’s General Store & Haberdashery.
Obsessed with Dutch Design
October 11th, 2010 · No Comments · Blog posts by Lia, Good design, Novelty, Obsessed with the Dutch
When I talk about loving the Dutch design aesthetic, what I mean is a spectrum that includes the crazy modern stuff like the kind Droog creates. I actually have a set of these bikes straps to use in your house. I have no idea what I’ll use them for, mind you, but I just love the idea of taking something so practical and making it a design element on the wall. Plus, hello novelty!
Shop Talk: The Otherist
October 1st, 2010 · No Comments · Blog posts by Lia, Good design, Novelty, Shop talk
I love the Otherist.
I’ve loved this shop since it was named Egg Merchantile a few years ago. I asked the owners–Americans, although the shop is in the tourist heart of Amsterdam–why they changed the name. People thought it was a literal egg merchantile, ignoring the beautiful displays of jewelry and oddities. That funny story just makes it better, to me.
My Daily Dutch Commute
August 26th, 2010 · No Comments · Blog posts by Lia, Dutch bikes, Dutch language school, Euro-style cycle chic, Good design, Novelty, Obsessed with the Dutch, Transportation bliss
I had a vision for my time at the Regina Coeli Language Institute (a.k.a Dutch Princess School), and that vision involved biking to and from school, in order to give myself a physical break after a long, mentally challenging day. I admit that almost an Eat Pray Love-style cliche, but I don’t care. I’ll own that’s it’s something almost exactly like this European fantasy.
I searched the Google maps nearby towns looking for a B&B, and mapped out my route using Google street view. It looked like the total commute time by bike would be 30 minutes, 45 tops. After my freakout about how it would work and my test drive in Delft, I found out that the Netherlands really makes biking easy, no matter where you are.
Video of my daily ride after the jump.
