Happy Birthday St. Basil's!

Today is the anniversary of St. Basil's Cathedral. It is 450 years old this year!

St. Basil's, Tourists and Construction

I learned something interesting about its name. In English it is usually called "St. Basil's", but in Russian it is called "Собор Василия Блаженного" - "Saint Vasili's Cathedral."

"Василия" is the possessive form of the Russian name "Василий" - "Vasili" (which has a short, informal form "Вася" - "Vasya.") The character "В" in Russian actually sounds like "V" in English, a hard English "B" sound in Russian is made by the character "Б."

So the Cathedral can be called "St. Basil's" or "St. Vasili's." :-)

Red Square

I also couldn't help myself -- I had to take a quick flight around the square.

Meeeeee!

Yours,
Michael TheMonkey

ToyHop's Flying Toy Photo Contest!

Hi Everybody!  No traveling toy will want to miss this opportunity!

ToyHop's Flying Toy Photo Contest

Make your toy Hop and WIN FABULOUS PRIZES!!! For International Toy Tourism Day 2011, we are holding a Flying Toy Photo Contest! Send us a fantastic picture of your toy leaping over a famous monument, scenic backdrop or local hangout and you’ll have a chance to win an exclusive ZooHop Toy, ToyHop T-shirt (featuring Michael TheMonkey!) or one of our new ZooHop Collectible Postcards!

Your photo submissions will be accepted until International Toy Tourism Day on May 17th, 2011. Voting on submitted photos will take place beginning May 17th and ending May 20th, 2011.



It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

1.) Take your toy to a special place and photograph him/her soaring over it.

2.) Send us an email at contact@toyhop.org by May 17th, 2011. Include your toy’s photo and the following information (DON’T put your info on the photo, we’ll do that!):

• your toys name,
• the location where the photo was taken,
• the date (month/year) when the photo was taken, and…
• your name and email address.

3.) We’ll certify your photo as a contest entry* and post it to the Flying Toy Photo Contest album on ToyHop’s Facebook page, where you’ll send your friends to vote for your photo by clicking the Facebook “Like” button. The photos with the most “Likes” by the 20th will win**!!! Winning photos will be displayed on the ToyHop website, my blog and on Facebook!



To find out about * and **, visit the Flying Toy Photo Contest Rules and Guidelines. Please be familiar with the rules and guidelines before submitting your photos!

I hope you and your friends will participate, it will be lots of fun!!!

Yours,
Michael TheMonkey (Contest Sponsor)

Visit the Contest Webpage

Into the air again!

Hi Everybody!

As you might have guessed, I've learned to leap and I'm starting a new photo series! Look for more soon!

Yours,
Michael

April in...

Paris!!!

I've got my pilot's license!!! No really, I've been practicing flying into photos, look for more soon!