Blog 4 - Research on Morocco

This week, I decided to do research on Morocco, a country in Northern Africa. I was able to learn about the best places to visit, the best dish to eat, and what souvenirs to get.

Some of the best places to visit are the Mosques in Morocco. However, very few are open to non-Muslims. One of the Mosques open to the public is the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca.




For the different foods, there is a spice called cumin which is used in everyday Moroccan cooking. In addition, at the end of festivals like Ramadan, when Muslims fast, they eat couscous.

Lastly, some of the best souvenirs that must be bought in Morocco include the intricate rugs, unique lanterns, and authentic argan oil.       

Reflecting on the past week, I was able to complete my research on Morocco. However, I got a little off track and didn't do my research until yesterday. Therefore, I will use next week, which is spring break in order to learn a bit more about Morocco since I felt that there is still more important things about the country of Morocco. In addition, over spring break, I will continue to do research on another country, Vietnam. I am extremely happy to do research on Vietnam because it is where my parents were from. I hope to learn new things about Vietnam as well as share what I already know about Vietnam's cultures, traditions, and holidays.

Blog 3 - Research on Spain

Plan
In the past week, I was on track with what I wanted to accomplish, so I have been doing doing research about Spain, a country in Europe. I have learned about their culture, traditions, and some of the best things to do while in Spain.





Action
One of the most famous things that Spain is known for is the Running of the Bulls. This event is celebrated in the beginning of July during the fiestas of San Fermin. At eight in the morning bulls are released and then they start to chase the runners for about 825 meters. This whole process usually lasts between three to four minutes.



Spain is also the country that hosts the "World's Biggest Food Fight." This is a tradition that has started since 1945. “One hundred metric tons of overripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets” and 20,000 people participate in the food fight.

- There are two famous soccer teams in Spain, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.
- Spain is home to some of the most beautiful buildings as well as beaches in the Mediterranean.
- Spain is known for its dish of paella and recognized for flamenco, "the most famous style of dance and music in Spain."

                         


Reflect
After doing this research, I can't wait to share this information with my peers and see how they react because I was very surprised at what I learned about Spain. I really enjoyed being able to learn more about this country, therefore, I am excited for the upcoming week because I will be able to do research on Morocco!

Blog 2 - Benefits of Traveling

In the past week, I have completed my research about the benefits of traveling. I took notes on this in a google document so that all my notes can be easily accessible. According to the organization, Green Heart Travel, a few main points that I learned about the benefits of traveling are being able to build up confidence, getting out of one's comfort zone, and possibly learning a new language.

                    

Based off of the research I did, I was extremely surprised at one of the sources that I found. There was an article about a study posted on Los Angeles Times, and this study was conducted by the The Global Commission on Aging, Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, and the U.S. Travel Association. They were able to find out several important results of traveling:

"89% of participants saw significant drops in stress." 

"Men who did not take an annual vacation were shown to have a 20% higher risk of death and about a 30% greater risk of death from heart disease." 

What makes this information important is because it will persuade people to travel more so that it can benefit their health. Now, I am excited and looking forward to finally get started on researching the cultures and traditions of Spain!

Blog 1 - My Plan

What? Why?
My hope for Genius Project is to inspire people to travel to other countries. I am interested in this topic because I have traveled to many places. Because of this experience, I have made many great memories and learned about different cultures.

How?
I plan to do this by:
1) Learn about the benefits of traveling abroad, which will help convince people to explore different countries.
2) Conduct research on several different countries, while also remembering to reflect on my progress through this blog.
3) Display everything I've learned in a infographic.

My progress? Concerns?

What excites me the most about this project is that I will be able to do research on countries in order to learn about their culture and traditions. A current concern that I have is how my classmates and teachers will react to my final product. I have decided to do research on Spain, Morocco, Vietnam, and the U.S. What inspired me to choose these countries is after reading an article titled, "The 20 Best Countries to Visit in your Lifetime," on The Business Insider. In addition, since my goal for this project is to inspire people to travel, or at least share their own culture, I want to do the same by talking about from where I'm from, Vietnam.