Andy has been a street performer for over fifteen years. He’s originally from Britain, but he’s called Berlin his home for the last four of those years. We watched his show at a festival in Berlin’s Westend neighborhood this past weekend. In his performance, Andy combined juggling, balance and slapstick – all suffused with his dry British humor. His finale: fire juggling on a tightrope held by members of the crowd.

While I enjoyed the wit, the feats, and the crowd reaction, it was a post-performance chat with Andy that really left an impression. Continue Reading »

Earlier this summer, Uncornered Market celebrated its third birthday. So, it’s no longer a toddler; it’s beyond the “terrible twos.”

While the layout of Uncornered Market has remained the same all this time, we and the nature of Uncornered Market have evolved. So it’s time to spiff up the virtual home we’ve built and bring it up to date.

And we’d like to get your help.

First step: we’d like to hear your thoughts on how we can improve and grow Uncornered Market. Continue Reading »

Ear cleaning, mahjong, and ladies gossiping: just another ordinary day at a tea garden in Chengdu, China.

Pick up a tea cup with your favorite type of tea leaves inside, grab a seat at a table and enjoy the scene of life playing out in the tea garden. Men with large copper kettles filled with hot water make the rounds to ensure your cup is never empty. Continue Reading »

Patagonia: the home of otherworldly landscapes, uplifted granite, glaciers, unrelenting wind, and the toughened skin of a Pinot noir grape. At the region’s northern reaches, where fabled mountains yield to desert flatlands, there are wineries.

We couchsurfed and hitchhiked our way to find them, and when we did, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we had them virtually all to ourselves.

Adventurers, read on. For those of you interested in the details of do-it-yourself wine touring in this area, read Patagonia Wine Tasting, a How To. Continue Reading »

Article Series - Wine Tasting in Argentina

1. Patagonia: Hitchhiking the Wild West of Argentine Wine
2. Red Rocks and Wine Tasting: Cafayate, Argentina
3. Wine Tasting in Mendoza, Argentina: Going Beyond Malbec and Loving It

How do you fit a thousand words on a business card?

This is the story of how we did it. Continue Reading »

When you hear “German wine,” what comes to mind?

For many it means “Riesling, white wines, sweet.” With the help of VDP (Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter) and their 100th anniversary celebration, we aimed to better understand what German wines are all about.

The roster: 200 of Germany’s best wineries. The backdrop: 70 of Berlin’s trendiest art galleries. Continue Reading »

“I haven’t traveled much. Where should I go?”
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Say you moved around when you were growing up, or maybe you were raised in one place but moved away and frequently changed locations as an adult. Then you take a trip and someone asks you, “Where are you from?”

How do you answer? Continue Reading »

Sea lions doing yoga? That’s what it looks like.

Open the panorama below to full screen and take a look around to find the sea lions stretching up to the sun and you’ll see what we mean. A white sand beach next to crystal clear water: not a bad place to practice that yoga, either.

Panorama: Sea Lions on Santa Fe Island in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

For best panorama viewing results, press fullscreen (four arrows) and navigate around with your mouse.

Continue Reading »

As we look out the window of our sublet in Berlin today, leaves are changing colors, temperatures are dropping, and intermittent rain storms are battling with a sun that struggles to peek through the clouds. No doubt about it: summer is fading away in the northern hemisphere.

So we offer a suggestion on how to hold on to the taste and freshness of summer: Vietnamese summer rolls. Good thing is, they’re easier to make than you think.

Continue Reading »