In a previous post, we introduced one of our very favorite street festivals in the world—La Tomatina. If that article whet your appetite, then you are surely excited today, as the date of the next rendition is fast approaching–next Wednesday (the 28th) to be exact. We’ve complied a checklist of things you can do to make sure you make the most of La Tomatina.

1. Don’t wear your Prada suit: Yes, your clothes will be destroyed. Dress accordingly.
2. Do bring an extra shirt (unless you were lucky enough to find a  place in ____,): They won’t let you back on the train without one, and your original shirt is probably destroyed by that point.
3. Don’t wear flip flops: Your feet will be stomped on, stepped on, and not to mention, slippery. Spring for some cheap shoes or wear a pair you don’t mind throwing away.
4. Do take advantage of the generous locals offering a cold shower from their garden hoses before you head back to the train.
5. Don’t bring anything valuable—jewelry, hats, glasses, keys, cell phones, etc. You’ll either lose it or it will be spitting tomato guts for months to come.
6. Do put your money and (if applicable) return train ticket in a plastic bag, if you ever hop to use it again—or just carry lots of coins.
7. Don’t throw any tomatoes before you squash them: The idea is to laugh, get messy, and have a jolly old time—not to break some poor girl’s nose.
8. Do be careful with the lorries going through the village: See Point #7.
9. Don’t throw anything else besides tomatoes: See Point #7.
10. Do bring a waterproof camera: If you actually expect your friends at home to believe how much fun you had, this is an essential!

Yes, my friends….Green Day is in fact more than a band. Every 14^th of the month is celebrated as something special in Korean tradition, and this time around is the day for couples to dress in green and take a walk through the woods.

As with Kiss Day in June, I’m not sure that this is much more “tradition” than it is an opportunity for couples to camouflage themselves and make out publicly in outwardly-conservative Korea, but it is what it is.

For those of you who are single today, you are free to drown your sorrows by drinking a green bottle of soju…good for the senses!

Last time we were in Melbourne, we saw a series of Queensland Rail signs that jumped out at us. There is no way they could have been intentional–you’ll see why in a minute–so we did some research to find the original signs as they were intended that had been altered.

Here is the ninth in our series of Queensland Rail parodies (see the last one here), straight from the train platforms of greater Melbourne…

As we saw it:

We could not find the original image of this one…if you have it, let us know!

Last time we were in Melbourne, we saw a series of Queensland Rail signs that jumped out at us. There is no way they could have been intentional–you’ll see why in a minute–so we did some research to find the original signs as they were intended that had been altered.

Here is the eighth in our series of Queensland Rail parodies (see the last one here), straight from the train platforms of greater Melbourne…

As we saw it:

As it was intended:

Today’s post is a little tribute to one of the great parties the world has ever known: The Love Parade. Three years ago today, a crowd surge led to 21 deaths and 500 injuries at the last gathering in Duisburg, Germany, and the party would be forever canceled.

Starting with a gathering of just 150 in Berlin in 1989 to celebrate love through music, the Love Parade was usually held in the capital (but occasionally other cities) and became one of the biggest and most unique electronic music festivals and parades in the world. Called “the greatest amateur circus on earth” due to the images of people sitting and dancing on streetlamps, trees, signs, telephone booths and whatever other obstacles may be in their way, the once-a-year gathering consistently attracted more than one million people, with a peak of 1.6 million in Dortmund in 2008.

While we may never see an annual party like this again, the party spirit of Germans in general, and particularly Berliners, is still alive and well. And in addition to the memories, the Love Parade left us with one of the great all-time logo designs in the world, below:

Since every 14^th in Korea has to be something, why not celebrate silver on one of the special days? Couples in Korea are supposed to exchange gifts made of silver today…maybe not for the faint of pocket.

Ironically enough, it is also the norm for the couples to ask friends for money to celebrate this day, which is where it’s “AKA” name has grown from: Free Date Day!

Last time we were in Melbourne, we saw a series of Queensland Rail signs that jumped out at us. There is no way they could have been intentional–you’ll see why in a minute–so we did some research to find the original signs as they were intended that had been altered.

Here is the seventh in our series of Queensland Rail parodies (see the last one here), straight from the train platforms of greater Melbourne…

As we saw it:

As it was intended:

Last time we were in Melbourne, we saw a series of Queensland Rail signs that jumped out at us. There is no way they could have been intentional–you’ll see why in a minute–so we did some research to find the original signs as they were intended that had been altered.

Here is the sixth in our series of Queensland Rail parodies (see the last one here), straight from the train platforms of greater Melbourne…

As we saw it:

As it was intended:

The world famous Wimbledon tennis tournament begins today, so in its honor, we are proud to present this photo.

Featuring a tennis ball and a District Line train (in case you don’t know, this is the line that whisks you off to Wimbledon from Central London), I found this image to be fitting for Wimbledon in so many ways.