Comments | amw: Pleasant Creek → Kalona

amw

Pleasant Creek → Kalona

Sep 30, 2021 09:00

I am now in a town called Kalona, amusingly pronounced exactly the same as Kelowna in BC. It's a major center of the Mennonite community and other Anabaptist movements in Iowa, but i didn't come here to buy furniture or pillows. I came here for Star Trek ( Read more... )

travel, bike, american dream

Comments 16

carriea31 September 30 2021, 15:22:03 UTC

I'm excited to hear about what you see and do in Missouri. That is where my family is from and where I lived until the age of 10, when we moved out here to AZ.

amw October 4 2021, 00:47:24 UTC

Well so far it's just been a whole lot of hills! I think i have been too preoccupied with the hard work of cycling through it to find the essence of the state. Although the people i've met all seem nice.

meowmensteen September 30 2021, 16:04:46 UTC

Both my former and current French bosses had never heard of cinnamon rolls before owning the bakery. The former claimed that cinnamon was not really a big thing in France. My current boss is hooked on them. The first time he saw one he was like, "What the shit are those things??" Now he gets all giddy when one of them gets messed up and he has to eat it since its too ugly to sell.

amw October 4 2021, 00:55:00 UTC

That's a great story!

I don't really associate cinnamon with French cooking either. It seems like more of a cold weather spice. In Holland they put it on the top of cappuccinos. They also sell a weird and wonderful candy called kaneelstok (cinnamon stick) which is a sort of a cinnamon candy cane. Holland has some great sweets and junk food.

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bennuheron October 1 2021, 01:40:27 UTC

I'm FROM Cedar Rapids, believe it or not!
And as someone from the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area, I can attest that Chinese Grocery stores with African owners is NOT that uncommon, as that area is home to a lot of Refugees from Haiti, Ethiopia and Somalia.

amw October 4 2021, 00:59:41 UTC

Do you know if there's a reason why they open Chinese groceries specifically? It seems like an odd mix to me.

bennuheron October 4 2021, 01:52:30 UTC

TBH I never thought about that...

fauxklore October 1 2021, 01:50:43 UTC

Unfortunately, Leila's Hair Museum in Independence, Missouri (just outside Kansas City) has closed. This displayed wreaths and jewelry made from human hair, which was a Victorian thing for remembering people.

amw October 4 2021, 01:00:09 UTC

My goodness that sounds bizarre! Our ancestors were a strange bunch.