sydney

When you think of the Australian outback, images of dusty plains and heat-scorched tundra are probably your general expectation. However, the vibrant continent can provide travelers with more than just contrived expectations of crocodile wrestling and kangaroo chasing. Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, Australia, is the perfect stop on a tour of the Southern Hemisphere. Sandra Bradshaw, summertime explorer and adventure seeker, claims that Sydney, Australia, is one of those places where you can get the best of both worlds. “It’s more of an off-the-radar vacation, because people tend to go to Europe,” she says. “You get the city life and the outback here. It’s a two-for-one special.”

Chinese New Year celebrations vary around the world.Chinese New Year, a holiday steeped in folklore and tradition, originated from an ancient Chinese legend. As the story goes, the beginning of each New Year brought the Nian, a terrible beast that preyed on livestock and villagers alike. After much suffering, the villagers discovered that the Nian feared loud noises and the color red, so on the first day of the New Year, they lit firecrackers and red lanterns, and hung red paper throughout their village. From that day on, the Nian never plagued the villagers again.