BLOG 4 TECHNOLOGY

Hoverboard 

• Fictional levitating board used for personal transportation.
• It was first described by author M. K. Joseph in 1967.
• It was created by Robert Zemeckis.
• It was popularized by the Back to the Future film franchise.
• The Hoverboard concept has been used by many authors in various forms of media.

                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G4yiO1Cmv4

A hoverboard (or hover board) is a fictional levitating board used for personal transportation, first described by author M. K. Joseph in 1967 and popularized by the Back to the Future  film franchise. Hoverboards are generally depicted as resembling a skateboard without wheels. During the 1990s there were rumors, fueled by director Robert Zemeckis that hoverboards were in fact real, but not marketed because they were deemed too dangerous by parents' groups. These rumors have been conclusively debunked. The hoverboard concept has been used by many authors in various forms of media.

Guinness World Records recognizes the term hoverboard to include autonomously powered personal levitators. In May 2015, the Romania-born Canadian inventor Cătălin Alexandru Duru set a Guinness World Record by travelling a distance of 275.9 m (302 yd) at heights up to 5 m (16 ft) over a lake, on an autonomously powered hoverboard of his own design. On April 30, 2016, Guinness World Records recognized a new record of 2,252.4 m. The Flyboard Air was powered by jet engine propulsion, and its use allowed Franky Zapata, in Sausset-les-Pins, France to beat the previous record by nearly 2 km. Another method of achieving self-levitation is superconductivity, used by the Slide  hoverboard.

Price

It's impossible to say how much a real hoverboard, like the one seen in Back to the Future II, costs because none are currently commercially available. On the other hand, the prices for scooters calling themselves hoverboards can start from as little as $300. Prices of current popular models: IO Hawk $499.99.

        According to: http://selfbalancingreviews.com/hoverboard-prices/

Review

Hoverboard is one of the coolest technology especially for the teenagers. It is easy to function and is not at all complicated. I've used a Hoverboard once and I thought that it was super fun. These days it is very difficult to find a technology that is as cool and easy as this one. Therefore, I think Hoverboard is a nice technolgy and I would definitely like to use it again. 

BLOG 3 LIFESTYLE OR POP CULTURE

Momo (Dumpling)

I am an international student here at SAU. I am from Nepal, a landlocked central Himalayan country in South Asia. I've been here at SAU for two and a half years now. There are a lot of things I miss about home. From food, to various beautiful places, to the culture and tradition. I simply miss everything about home. In this blog I would like to mention one major thing that I miss about home. It is a food called MOMO.

What is momo?

Momo (Nepali : मम; Nepal Bhasa : ममचा) is a type of South Asian dumpling: native to Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim state and Darjeeling district of India. Momo is a type of steamed bun with some form of filling. Momo has become a traditional delicacy in Nepal, Tibet and among Nepalese/Tibetan communities in Bhutan, as well as Sikkim state and Darjeeling district of India. It is one of the most popular fast foods in Nepal. Momos have also spread to other countries like United States (some parts), UK and India.

How is it made?

A simple white-flour-and-water dough is generally preferred to make the outer momo covering. Sometimes, a little yeast or baking soda is added to give a more doughy texture to the finished product. Traditionally, momo is prepared with ground/minced meat filling, but over the past several years, this has changed and the fillings have become more elaborate. These days, momo is prepared with virtually any combination of ground meat, vegetables, tofu, paneer cheese, soft chhurpi (local hard cheese) and vegetable and meat combinations.

                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI-m_EHsQUU

Varieties

There are typically two types of momo, steamed and fried. Momo is usually served with a dipping sauce (locally called chutney/achhar), normally made with tomato as the base ingredient. Soup momo is a dish with steamed momo immersed in a meat broth. Pan-fried momo is also known as kothey momo. Steamed momo served in hot sauce is called C-momo. Newly formed types of momos are the green momos and open momos. 

Verdict

I personally love Momos. It is definitely one of my all time favorite dish. I can never have enough of it, ever. I went back home last winter for 25 days of vacation. When I was there for those days, not a single day of my vacation passed by without having Momos. I pretty much ate Momos every single day and sometimes twice a day. It was a good 25 days of my life. I had a great time. I would give 5/5 for this dish as it is my favorite.

BLOG 2 TELEVISION

Keeping Up with the Kardashians 

Keeping Up with the Kardashians is an American reality television series that airs on the E! cable network. It focuses on the personal and professional lives of the Kardashian-Jenner blended family.

•  Genre : Reality television
•  Created by : Ryan Seacrest
•  Original Release : October 14, 2007
•   Starring : Kris Jenner, Caitlyn Jenner, Kourtney, Kim, Khloe Kardashian, Kendall, Kylie Jenner, Scott Disick, Kanye West
• Number of Seasons : 12
• Number of episodes : 181
• Location : Los Angeles, California
• Running time : 22 minutes (season 1-6), 42 minutes (season 7-present)

Keeping Up with the Kardashians (often abbreviated KUWTK) is an American reality television series that airs on the E! cable network. The show focuses on the personal and professional lives of the Kardashian–Jenner blended family. Its premise originated with Ryan Seacrest, who also serves as an executive producer. The series debuted on October 14, 2007 and has subsequently become one of the longest-running reality television series in the country; the thirteenth season of the show premiered on March 12, 2017.

The series focuses mainly on sisters Kim, Kourtney, Khloe Kardashian, and their half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner. It also features their parents Kris and Caitlyn Jenner (previously known as Bruce Jenner), and brother Rob Kardashain. The significant others of the Kardashian sisters have also appeared on the show, including Kourtney's boyfriend Scott Disick and Khloé's ex-husband Lamar Odom. Caitlyn's son Brody made cameo appearances in the early seasons before joining the show to appear regularly, along with his brother Brandon, and Brandon's wife, Leah. Kim's friend Jonathan Cheban and Khloé's friend Malika Haqq have also been part of the show.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians has received very poor critical reviews since its premiere. It is often criticized for the high degree of emphasis on the "famous for being famous" concept, and for appearing to fabricate some aspects of its storylines. Several critics also noted the show's lack of intelligence, and described the family as "self-absorbed" and "desperate" for fame. However, some critics recognized the reality series as a "guilty pleasure" and acknowledged the family's success. Despite the negative reviews, Keeping Up with the Kardashians has attracted high viewership ratings, becoming one of the network's most successful shows and winning several audience awards.

The series' success has led additionally to the creation of numerous spin-off series, including: Kourtney and Kim Take Miami, Kourtney and Kim Take New York, Khloe & Lamar, Kourtney and Khloe Take The Hamptoms, Dash Dolls, and, most recently, Rob and Chyna. The network has also broadcast several television specials featuring special events involving members of the family.

Season 1 intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41C8CbMyFDo

New Season intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2Mbov0qht8

My view

I personally think that Keeping Up with the Kardashains is an entertaining show. People who like drama and full on entertainment should definitely watch this show. The series mainly focuses on sisters Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, and their half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner. Over the years, millions of things has changed in their lives. From the intro of their series to the people they are involved with, everything has changed in a vast manner. These type of changes tend to make the show more interesting. I used to watch this show when I was back home and I have continued to watch this show after I got here as well. The best part about this show for me is that the entire cast is funny and witty in their own ways. My personal favorite character of the show are Khloe and Scott. I think both of then are slightly more funny and entertaining than the rest of the clan. Overall, I am very much fond of this show and I hope it continues to entertain us further.