Well a lot has happened since the last travel flakes. The Coronavirus has continued to spread with severe outbreaks in Iran, Italy and South Korea. It’s making a big dent in the travel industry and even led to the a last-minute cancellation of one of the world’s largest travel conferences (ITB Berlin) which is supposed to get under way yesterday. Have you or anyone you know had to cancel any travel plans this year because of the Coronavirus?
If you also told me three weeks ago I’d have a Mexican girlfriend, I wouldn’t have believed you. She doesn’t speak any English and my Spanish speaking level is lower intermediate. It’s been quite a challenge. We still manage to communicate pretty well but I admit I have been using Google Translate a lot. I ended up starting my online Spanish lessons again with my Spanish tutor from Medellin for obvious reasons. Having a Mexican girlfriend is probably one of the best ways to improve your Spanish really quickly.
There are some things I learned pretty quickly when it comes to dating a Mexican woman (and is probably true for many Latin/Hispanic women). She wants to let everyone know you are her man so the PDA (Public Displays of Affection) here is very noticeable compared to countries/cultures. They also might get a bit jealous if you start talking about other women (besides your mother or sister).
Another difference I also found out here is that if you’re walking with her on the sidewalk, always make sure you (the man) are walking closer to the outside of the road than her. It’s the gentlemanly thing to do but I didn’t realize I should be doing this until after our second date. I corrected myself after that and she seems to appreciate this gesture.
Another thing I realized (at least with my girlfriend) is that when she is making some delicious Mexican food for you in the kitchen, let her do her thing. I was trying to have fun and help her make chimichangas but she was not too happy about that and let me know about it after dinner (in Spanish of course). I clearly got the message.
That’s my experience so far of having a Mexican girlfriend. Feel free to share your experiences with dating women in Latin America or any other regions around the world.
Anyways...onto Flakes.
Frosted Flakes
Nebraska WBB vs Michigan Big Ten Tournament Preview | Basketball | Corn Nation
The Wolverines own a 7-4 record since suffering a 74-71 loss to Nebraska in Lincoln on Jan. 19. The Huskers went in the opposite direction, going 3-8 since that game. The Wolverines adjusted to the loss of a starting player to a knee injury, while Nebraska misplaced their offense.
2020 Nebraska Football Preview: Quarterbacks | Football | Corn Nation
If anyone had doubts as to why Scott Frost always wants 4-5 scholarship QB’s on the roster, 2019 provided a stark example as to why that’s the case. Adrian Martinez, Noah Vedral, Luke McCaffrey and Andrew Bunch all saw action due to injuries to the top three.
Mailbag: Spielman Reaction, Wedding Cakes and a Game of Would You Rather | Sports | Hail Varsity
Hail Varsity staff members Mike Babcock, Jacob Padilla, Greg Smith, Erin Sorensen and Brandon Vogel tackle your questions about the latest news in Husker Nation.
Padding the Stats: March Madness is Here | Basketball | Hail Varsity
Nebraska’s season is in a free fall as the Huskers’ loss to Northwestern—their 14th in a row—means its more likely than not Nebraska will lose out to end Fred Hoiberg’s first season in Lincoln. If Nebraska couldn’t beat Northwestern, how will the Huskers be able to knock off Michigan or Minnesota or whichever team they play in the Big Ten Tournament?
The Huskers Worked Really, Really Hard on Free Throws This Week | Basketball | Omaha World-Herald
National records go back 10 years, but during that time, Nebraska is the first team to shoot better than 35% from 3-point range and worse than 30% from the line. The 26.7% tally was the worst free-throw shooting performance with at least 30 attempts.
Four Huskers Qualify for NCAA Indoor Nationals | Track and Field | Lincoln Journal Star
Alencar Pereira (men’s weight throw), Burger Lambrechts (men’s shot put), George Kusche (men’s mile and 3,000-meter run) and Kristina Insingo (women’s shot put) will represent the Huskers. All four will be making their first appearances at indoor nationals.
Two Huskers to Compete in NCAA Championships | Swimming and Diving | Huskers.com
Juniors Madison Coughlen (100-yard and 500-yard freestyle) and Autumn Haebig (400-yard individual medley) were officially invited to the NCAA Championships on Wednesday, March 4, by the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Committee. Sophomore Audrey Coffey (1650-yard freestyle) was one of 10 swimmers listed as an alternate selection on Wednesday and will find out at a later date if she will be included in the championship field.
Huskers Set for Five Games at ASU Invitational | Softball | Huskers
NU begins the trip against Oregon State Friday at 10 a.m. CT followed by a game against Wright State at 12:30 p.m. CT. On Saturday, the Huskers will play Lehigh (3 p.m. CT) and host-school Arizona State (5:30 p.m. CT). Nebraska will conclude the tournament on Sunday with a game against New Mexico State. First pitch against the Aggies is set for 11 a.m. CT.
Kelsey Griffin Captures Another WNBL Title | Basketball | Huskers
In 19 games this season, Griffin led the Capitals with 10.8 rebounds per game while ranking second on the squad in scoring (15 ppg), assists (2.7 apg) and steals (2.4 spg). In her eight-year WNBL career, Griffin has totaled 2,690 points and 1,593 rebounds.
Travel
7 Ways to Avoid Germs on a Plane | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler
Ultimately, experts are still learning about COVID-19, but for now, the CDC notes that it likely spreads similarly to most other viruses, via close person-to-person contact and respiratory droplets. To stay healthy on your upcoming flights, no matter what you’re up against, take these seven precautions, which are effective in keeping many respiratory illnesses at bay.
How U.S. Airlines Are Reacting to the Coronavirus Outbreak | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler
Among the U.S. carriers that have begun suspending flights into northern Italy is American Airlines, which has stopped its flights to and from Milan’s Malpensa Airport to Miami and New York JFK. Those operations, which consisted of one daily flight to and from each city, are currently scheduled to resume on April 25.
Launching new airline routes that no one is interested in flying is not exactly good for a business. That’s why airlines spend years analyzing and forecasting how popular a particular destination abroad would be with passengers. This means examining tons of factors to get a handle on what a destination’s travel patterns look like.
How Airlines and Cruise Ships Are Disinfecting During the Coronavirus | Travel | Travel and Leisure
Despite the common belief that airplanes are just recirculating the same air, Delta says all of its international planes and many domestic are equipped with “state-of-the-art air circulation systems” with air filters which “extract more than 99.999% of even the tiniest viruses, as small as 0.01 micrometers.” For reference, coronaviruses range in size from 0.08 to 0.16 micrometers and are filtered out by the system.
Bunk Beds in Economy? Air New Zealand Plans to Make it Happen | Travel | Lonely Planet
Air New Zealand announced this week it had filed patent and trademark applications for what it is calling the Economy Skynest. The Skynest, which looks like a pod hotel, would contain three rows of beds with two beds on each level, like a bunk bed.
On 13 February, French president Emmanuel Macron announced a plan to limit access to Mont Blanc, curbing the number of ascents allowed and introducing a protective zone around the heavily-trafficked tourist favorite.
Mysterious French Stone Might Finally Have Been Deciphered | Travel | Lonely Planet
The town of Plougastel-Daoulas might finally have an answer to its more than two-centuries-old stone-engraved mystery. The writing on a rock that is visible only during low tide, has got a potential translation after the Breton town announced a contest and a €2000 cash prize to whoever could decipher the message on the stone.
Spain’s Mysterious Underwater ‘Stonehenge’ | Travel | BBC
Thought to be more than 4,000 years old, the Dolmen of Guadalperal was “invisible” for almost 60 years – until it unexpectedly reappeared.
Lord Howe: Australia’s Most Exclusive Island? | Travel | BBC
Everything about Lord Howe, a reef-rimmed tropical island 780km north-east of Sydney, is laidback – except for the fervour with which its locals protect their paradise.
Can Appalachia’s World-Class Rafting Help Coal Towns Thrive? | Travel | National Geographic
One such community is Fayetteville, West Virginia, bracketed by the New and Gauley Rivers, which plunge through billion-year-old gorges. Here, each morning for 22 days every fall, the U.S. Corps of Army Engineers opens the gates of the Summerville Dam, unleashing torrents of water that attract thousands of rafters from around the world to “Gauley Season.”
More Stories Worth Reading
Is This the End of Oversharing | Technology | WIRED
Amidst the millions of social media users is a sizable chunk well-acquainted with what I’ll call “post-post anxiety.” It’s a dreadful malady, really; with symptoms that come on after you’ve fired off a tweet or pic that is, on second-thought, offensive or unflattering. Once this anxiety has taken hold, even your most haphazardly created content can feel like a stand-alone representation of you.
How Big Oil and Big Soda Kept the Plastics Crisis a Secret for Decades | Culture | Rolling Stone
Over the past 70 years, we’ve gotten hooked on disposable goods and packaging — as plastics became the lifeblood of an American culture of speed, convenience, and disposability that’s conquered the globe. Plastic contains our hot coffee and frozen dinners. It is the material of childhood, from Pampers to Playmobil to PlayStation 4. It cloaks our e-commerce purchases and is woven into our sneakers, fast fashion, and business fleece.
An artist’s 3-D recreation of the immense mammal probes the paradox of efforts to bring such animals back in the lab.
A Boat Fire Killed 34 People, and We May Never Know Why | Tragedy | Outside Online
On Labor Day weekend 2019, the ‘Conception’ left Santa Barbara, California, for a diving trip to the Channel Islands. Six months later, authorities are still trying to determine how what should have been a routine excursion became one of the deadliest maritime disasters in U.S. history.
How a Shipwrecked Crew Survived 10 Days Lost at Sea | Survival | Outside Online
On November 25, 2019, Chris Carney and his two-man crew, Pete Brown and Jun “Sumi” Sumiyama, set off from Japan on their way to Hawaii in a 42-foot sailboat, the Coco-Haz III. They had four weeks to cross the world’s largest ocean.
Survivor’s Guilt in the Mountains | Survival | The New Yorker
Alpinists are intimately familiar with death and grief. A therapist thinks he can address the unique needs of these élite athletes.
The Brutal Reality of Life in One of the World’s Most Polluted Cities | Environment | WIRED UK
One morning in late August 2018, Carolina Astudillo was leaving her house in Quintero, a Chilean coastal town just two hours from Santiago, when she noticed a change in the air around her. As she reached the end of the block she was already coughing heavily. She felt sick, a numbness in her limbs.
Elon Musk, His Rocket and the Grand Scheme That Tore Apart Boca Chica | Space | Esquire
SpaceX is dismantling a remote beach community at the southernmost end of Texas, one house at a time. Some residents took its money. Others refuse to leave. Still others are sticking around to see what happens.
Last But Not Least
Coronavirus instructions.
— Rex Chapman (@RexChapman) March 4, 2020
Wait for it...pic.twitter.com/WvnKBwKUtb
We’re doomed... pic.twitter.com/X5XzSUTAUQ
— Rex Chapman (@RexChapman) March 4, 2020