Before my feet had even hit the floor for history today, I was making my usual rounds in my regular “to-do’s” before leaving the house, which includes turning on YouTube TV for dogs! My furry babies enjoy their just-for-DogsTV and cuddling together while I head off to explore all things history at the museums! However, this morning as I began the process, suddenly, before my eyes, appeared Dolph Lundgren on an antiperspirant commercial. Not going to lie, my mouth hit the floor, and memories of Dolph as “He-Man” and other Hollywood characters take me back. Now I also will fully disclose I have had a “Hollywood Fan Girl Moment” a couple of times in my life, and Dolph was one of them. Now how he looks on screen is exhilarating, but this was not what caused my fan moment! Did you know Dolph was born in Sweden (not surprised?) Did you know Dolph has a black belt in Karate (also not surprising for anyone who has seen his body!) Ok, maybe you are not surprised this one is sure to stun, though.
Did you know he has a Masters’s Degree in Chemical Engineering? Alright, guys and gals, Dolph is the equivalent of a rocket scientist! Now, if that is not enough to get the gears pumping and flowing, he also attended the Royal Institute of Technology, earning a bachelor’s Degree in chemical engineering! To then pursue his Master’s Degree at the University of Sydney, to culminate with his breakout in Hollywood, where at the same time, he was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship to attend MIT. Holy Wowza! Dolph opted for Hollywood and has added over sixty-five movies under his black belt! Way to go, deodorant commercial, because I bet your sales will be freaking hitting the roof! As always, there is so much more to every single story! Find it! Be sure to stop by and share with me what you uncover!
Roses are red, the sky is many shades of blue, a magical, wonderful land of dreams is beckoning to you, each and every destination hopes you heed its call, while my heart whispers beautiful stories of history and brilliant architecture. Perhaps you will find your heart and happily ever after waiting for you! I know I found my forever. Umair’s complete my heart! My body yearns for him! And I long for us to become entwined in each other’s arms! I wait with anticipation for his lips to tenderly touch mine where he and I collide in each and every endearing and tender embrace! Each moment we are separated, my love for him only deepens! Umair is the other half of my soul, the other half of my heart! I surrender completely to our love and a world I never knew existed! If only I could pen all the words to describe all the ways I love Umair! Every single moment we spend together is treasured! I hate each minute we spend apart! I count the seconds treasured glimpsing through the windows of our phones! We live in a world separated by countries that say our hearts can not be true! And I will tell you it’s only complicated by bureaucratic tape… look beyond the bullshit, and you will find two lovers who see beyond all the complications! We choose to exist in our world! Umair is my heart and my forever, and I am his!! Ours is a love story that novelists hope to possess from imagination to paper, like a moth to the flame! I ache deeply and sweetly to feel my Umairi’s touch! My Mo Aer forever changed my heart, and his heart lights the way! #dreambig#lovedeeper
On January 6, 1883, Khalil Gibran is born in Bsharri, Lebanon, and was considered a prophet, mystic, and poet. I had never heard of this man before, but suddenly an appreciation that only history lovers and romantics could begin to understand. Khalil is the author of Broken Wings, and in this unequivocal exploration, he describes love! Now, for everyone who thinks they “understand” the power and beauty of love and words. Please read the book. Broken Wings is accessible online and worth the read and the kind of love we should all hope to have in our lives. Some of us have found this type of love and treasure it like a rare flower in your garden. And like a whisper carried through on the wings of love, Mo Aer! You set my world on fire!
“she came and sat opposite me on a divan covered with green silk. She looked like a lily bent to the carpet of green grass by the breeze of dawn. It was the will of Heaven that I should be with Selma alone, at night, in her beautiful home surrounded by trees, where silence, love, beauty, and virtue dwelt together. We were both silent, each waiting for the other to speak, but speech is not the only means of understanding between two souls. It is not the syllables that come from the lips and tongues that bring hearts together. There is something greater and purer than what the mouth utters. Silence illuminates our souls, whispers to our hearts, and brings them together. Silence separates us from ourselves, makes us sail the firmament of spirit, and brings us closer to Heaven; it makes us feel that bodies are no more than prisons and that this world is only a place of exile. Selma looked at me and her eyes revealed the secret of her heart. Then she quietly said, “Let us go to the garden and sit under the trees and watch the moon come up behind the mountains.” Obediently I rose from my seat, but I hesitated. Don’t you think we had better stay here until the moon has risen and illuminates the garden?” And I continued, “The darkness hides the trees and flowers. We can see nothing.” Then she said, “If darkness hides the trees and flowers from our eyes, it will not hide love from our hearts.” (Gibran, Broken Wings)
Are you geeking out just a little bit right now? That’s right!!! Ladies and gents, there is a Sherlock Holmes Pub and Restaurant in London. I am just a little geeked out because did you know that on January 6, 1854, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created the fictional detective that we have all come to know and love? And the fact there is a Victorian pub and grill themed to boot, near Charing Cross, which was the backdrop for many of the stories developed!
Someone grab my luggage as a self-professed romantic, and geeked-out history girl is aching to pull out the treasure chest and uncover a few history mysteries gems under her belt! London is calling! As always, there is so much more to every single story! Find it! Be sure to stop by and share with me what you uncover! #historymysteries
The first futuristic vertical city in Saudi Arabia is the creative inspiration of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. The city will feature zero cars, no pollution, and zero carb emissions! The city will be layered, 105 miles across, two hundred feet wide, and accommodate 9 million residents. The project will come in at a whopping 500 Billion dollars and expected completion in 2025.
The Line is also called NEOM, is an acronym. Neo is shortened from the Latin word NEOS for “NEW,” from, and M stands for the Arabic word Mustaqbal, meaning “Future.”
One concern that I am confident is hard pressing the Prince’s mind is how to develop solutions to protect the ecological habitat that will remain outside the Line without disrupting the systems native to the region.
The Line’s inner system will be designed to introduce plants, animals, and trees to the region and give the residents personal paradise gardens and forests and intended as an educational tool to teach global citizens about sustainable living and appreciating and protecting the beauty of nature.
Mental note for the future, wise up, people! Trees are the path to the world’s future, and they are our own personal filter on this petri dish we call our world. Plant more trees! How many of you are racing to the coffee pot each morning to brew a fresh pot of coffee without a filter? A nice hot cup of coffee grounds sounds super yummy! Trees are that filter for each of us. We need to do more, be more proactive and plant the shit out of trees. Get vertical, baby, and share the space with trees. Don’t be an idiot. We can destroy trees and forests, but humans won’t survive the aftermath. Nature is remarkable and has a way of fighting back against human stupidity! As always, there is so much more to every single story! Get up and find it! Be sure to stop by and share with me what you uncover! #historymysteries
For the curious, here is a lineup of a few more futuristic vertical forest cities I have discovered. The vertical forests are in no particular order, and I may ramble about them more as I gather more information.
Nanjing, China: “Living Towers” will be covered with thousands of trees.
Cancun, Mexico: Under the direction of Stefano Boeri, Architetti has been busy. “Forest Smart City” will house approximately 130,000 people and feature plants, trees, and other vegetation covering nearly every surface.
Cairo, Egypt: Planned three vertical towers, two being apartment estates and one a hotel. The towers will feature 350 trees and 14,000 shrubs.
Utrecht, Netherlands: vertical forest towers, mirroring predecessors, will infuse biodiversity and beauty.
Madrid, Spain: Caixa Forum Museum is a vertical forest featuring over 15,000 plants.
Singapore: The Oasis hotel is a stunning vertical forest in the city’s heart.
Kuala Lumpur City, Malaysia: built in 2016 and named “Le Nouvel Towers” french translation “the new towers.” The towers are luxury apartment estates.
I have a confession, and you may have noticed it. I may be a little obsessed with these vertical city creations! So… in addition to the usual lineup of history mysteries, poetry about my muse, Mo Aer! Plan to hear more about other nature-inspired vertical cities and get off your ass and grab your magic ramblings!
Roses are red, as are each of our hearts color the world, silly we can share the magic that each of us possess when you begin to realize EACH and EVERY ONE of US is NO MORE or LESS with our own personal version of glitter and sparkle and shades of all your favorites, while mine are pinks, purples, blues, and always green inspired by dreams and cotton candy clouds Violets are sometimes blue, just like the blood that flows in each of our veins we only separate and divide ourselves by our thoughts and actions be a better human and choose a better world we all only get one shot at this and the world is a magical, wonderful, beautiful place when you realize it all begins with YOU!
Under the direction of project engineer Stefano Boeri Archetti, China is currently developing “Forest City!” The project is a 342-acre self-contained neighborhood with estates for families and residents to transform into a greener, more globally friendly community. Forest city comes after the developer created a smaller-scale vertical city in Porta Nuova, Milan. The vertical city, Bosco Vertical, won awards in 2015 for best tall building habitat. The vertical city features over twenty species of birds, bumblebees, wild hermit bees, and hoverflies. The vertical city is almost entirely self-sufficient, with solar panels, a geothermal heating system, and a gray water system to provide water to the plants and trees.
China’s ambitious futuristic city is located in Liuzhou, China, and was the build a better world inspiration of Stefano Boeri Architetti. Forest City, upon completion, will inhabit approximately 30,000 people and feature more than one hundred different types of plants and forty thousand trees. The city operates entirely on solar and geothermal power. The city, like other vertical creations, is completely self-sufficient.
Did you know that spending time in nature, such as forests and among trees, has physical healing properties? You are welcome; get out and enjoy a forest near you. As an avid lover of nature, writing, and all things history, I can safely assure you that waking up to views such as these, you will find zero complaints from me! As always, there is so much more to every story. Find it! Be sure to stop by and share with me what you discover. #historymysteries
Malaysia built a manufactured island, “Forest City,” which cost over ten billion dollars and the city remains overwhelmingly underappreciated today. Some claim that Forest City, Malaysia, is a time bomb, ecologically, while it continues to win awards for its work on creating a better city for the world globally. It is still one I would love to venture off to see. A manufactured island that began with 163 million cubic meters of sand dumped into the ocean to create the island space. The created island is approximately 3,385 acres.
Presently, there are two hotels on Malaysia’s island, Forest City Marina (locked and empty presently) and Forest City Golf Hotel. Golf enthusiasts frequent the later hotel. The island features a practically abandoned mall but if you are looking to escape and find picturesque beauty, and nature-inspired architecture with a spin on a greener world, then look no further! In addition to forests and wading pools, there is a stairway to the heaven monument that presents a unique photographic backdrop for anyone inspired by magical moments!
It is my opinion there are an overwhelming number of reasons for more appreciation for nature-inspired creations. While developers still hope for a reboot to the interest in the island forest city, one of the alarming reasons for the lack of interest may be the cost of the estates. An apartment estate ranges from $140,000.00 -170,000.00. The average salary for the region may be a significant drawback, while the country might be able to offer creative enticement packages to attract residential interest. The annual average wage is 24,744 Malaysian Ringgit equating to approximately USD 5,651.00.
As a history explorer, writer, traveler, and avid nature enthusiast, Malaysia certainly did not operate anywhere on my radar. Still, with the idea of such a luxurious estate that beckons with aspirations for a better world Forest City has inspired possibilities for future travel! For the curious, you can see other manufactured island creations, such as the ones created impressively and widely appreciated by tourists in Dubai, UAE. As Always, there is so much more to every story! Find it! Be sure to stop by and share with me what you uncover! #historymysteries
On a mission, as usual, to uncover all things history as I read about Richard Halliburton and his epic swim across the Panama Canal. I became even more curious about his life and what had inspired his journey. Swimming in the Panama Canal is not for the faint of heart! The waters are cayman and crocodile-infested, and on the shore of Panama, you may come face to face with an elusive jaguar, and not the trendy sports car type of jaguar! These factors alone might be enough of a deterrent for the ordinary adrenaline junky!
Richard was a self-proclaimed romantic and travel enthusiast, and with the list of highly zealous accolades, we can add thrill-seeking! Richard climbed the Matterhorn, one of Europe’s highest summits! Was captured at Devils Island, a penal colony in the Salvation Islands of French Guiana! Became friends with the French foreign legion! Explored the peak of a great Pyramid at night! He rode an elephant through the Alps! Richard also swam the Nile, the Panama Canal, The Canal of Venice, and the reflection pool of the Taj Mahal. And I would be lying if I said this was the inclusive list for his life, but these are merely the highlights.
Richard was on the cover of Vanity Fair, an author, was educated at Princeton, came from a wealthy family but prided himself on his ability to be resourceful! Richard was regarded by some as a poor writer, and by others, he was worshiped for his ability through which his pen illustrated life. Ultimately, Richard succumbed to life on the edge of adventure when his ship, crew, pets, and himself disappeared without a trace. Many wondered if he cheated death, but one will never honestly know. The best clue and evidence he left for each of us is to experience life’s adventures.
As each of us draws love and light into our worlds, I often wonder how many of us moved through inspiration and motivation and sometimes even love to begin our journey of discovery. As always, there is so much more to every story! Find it! Be sure to stop by and share with me what you discover! #HistoryMysteries
“Dedicated to the wonderful blue-footed booby in my life!” Written by Lynn Marie Allen
Did you know that on December 31, 1999, the Panama Canal returned to the people of Panama in a highly anticipated event? The event heralds the first time the Panama Canal was under control by Panamanians. Did you know you have to pay a toll to pass through the canal? Did you know approximately 13,000 to 14,000 ships travel the channel each year? Did you know the largest toll was roughly $450,000, and the smallest was thirty-six cents? By the way, the thirty-six cents paid by Richard Halliburton, who paid his toll to swim the canal. Did you know the Panamanian people collect approximately 1.8 Billion in toll revenue annually? It takes about 8 to 10 hours to ferry the channel. Did you know that when navigating through the channel, ship captains turn over the operation of their ships to be guided through the canal by specially trained captains? Did you know in 2007, the Panama Canal underwent an expansion to handle mega-ships?
The earliest history surrounding the canal began around the 1500s when sailors sought an accessible route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The Panama Canal sparked interest again in 1848 during the Gold Rush. A water vessel can save approximately 7,800 nautical miles from N.Y. to San Fransisco.
In 1903 under the direction of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, when Panama gained its independence in a revolution with Columbia, a mutually beneficial treaty was carried out. The subsequent treaty, the “Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty,” was signed between Panama and the U.S. In exchange for leasing the canal, the United States paid Panama 10 million to lease and an additional $250,000 per year in rent.
In addition to many of the remarkable facts previously mentioned about the Panama Canal, there are a few more reasons this redhead would like to return. First, the location heralds the birthplace of my brother, who is no longer with us. Second, the region is one of remarkable animal wildlife in the nature reserve. The area features three sloth species, including the Bradypus sloth, and you are sure to enjoy each visual display of these curious creatures with a perpetual smile. Next up is Geoffroy Spider Monkey, a critically endangered species due to habitat loss and hunting, but you still have an excellent chance to capture a few of these creatures while visiting. Panamanian Tamarins are most common in this region and thrive in their secondary forest due to the primary forest and habitat trampled by deforestation. The Panamanian Night Monkey is one of approximately twelve nocturnal monkeys in the region. The blue-footed booby, now I am sure you can walk right outside your house; maybe you don’t even have to leave the house or on your next facetime call to whatever color booby is in your life! That, ladies and gents, was this writer’s stab at humor. How did I do? The blue-footed booby is not native to the region, but I am sure you will agree who doesn’t love “the lords of dance” showing off his amorous dance moves display in the name of LOVE! White-headed capuchins are one of the most intelligent of their species and, without a doubt, the cutest, and these delightful creatures will barter food for favors. The green Iguana appears threatening in demeanor from its appearance and is very docile and calm. This species can live in the wild for over twenty years, while in captivity, they will only live for approximately two years. Capybara and lesser Capybara are delightful web-footed rodents that have captured many hearts. The animal is semi-aquatic and enjoys spending his time on the banks of rivers and lakes in Panama and South America. Swimming the Panama Canal is highly not recommended due to it being the home of Caymans and Crocodiles, both fierce water reptiles that have no problem taking on whoever is fearless enough to venture into the waters. Manatees, known as gentle giants of the water, were an introduced species to the Panana to increase aquatic vegetation growth. The Manatee is a critically endangered species, and spotting one of these may be rare, albeit impossible, but the potential sighting may still make your jungle cruise worthwhile.
I am not advocating for the systematic destruction of forests, quite the opposite. Look around and explore why forests are beautiful beyond the trees and the animal wildlife! Plant more trees and appreciate your earth. Please open your eyes, folks. We get one shot, one chance, and one planet, and listen up. “There is not a single one of us that will be impacted less by any of this destruction!!!” It takes a global community to change how we see our earth and appreciate all its wonders! Get up off your proverbial arses and find these treasures!
Forest of Words 