Attitude of Gratitude

Markus & I wearing traditional garb in the Louwenbrau tent

This past weekend I went to Oktoberfest for at least the 5th time (I’ve lost count). I always love going because I get to combine three things I love: Travel, spending time with good friends, and a good time! So, to take full advantage I flew down on Thursday to take part in the festivities. I stayed with my good friend Markus who lives within crawling distance of the entrance.

First, did you know that it takes most commercial airlines approximately 25 to 30 seconds to get off the ground? It takes slightly longer for the 747s and 777s, but generally it is between 25 and 30 seconds. I know this because I time it every time I take off, which has been 25 times in this year alone. Yes, I am a geek. And one travel tip, I always use Seat Guru to help me find the good/bad seats on a flight. It is especially helpful on those long international flights.

Second, I got to hang out with another one of my best buds, Markus. (You might remember him from last weekend's post as well.) He is German and has been hosting me for a few years of Oktoberfest now. Markus is the kind of guy who you can always count on to be a good friend and be in a good mood. I am happy that I got the opportunity to see him two weeks in a row.

Now, let's talk about Oktoberfest. In one word, HUGE! I don’t think people realize how massive the grounds are or the humongous amusement park that accompanies it. My impression is that most people see it is has an opportunity to get very wasted. While that does happen a lot, there is much more to it than that.

Some facts about Oktoberfest:

• There are roller coasters, fun park activities, and 15 huge beer tents that cover the grounds.
• The grounds are approximately 105 acres.
• It takes places for two full weeks including 3 weekends.
• It is the world’s largest fair with 6 million people attending annually (I can attest to the number of people!)
• It takes place mostly in September, even though it ironically called Oktoberfest.
• It tents opens at 10AM and stays open until 10:30PM.
• You must be seated at a table when inside a tent to get a drink. Therefore, you usually want to have reservations well in advance of attending.
• There are seating for 100,000 people in or around the beer tents.
• They serve liters of beer (that would be 34 ounces) called Mass.
• If you don’t want to drink beer you can drink radler, which is a combination of beer and Sprite.

And so here is an introduction to the grounds of Oktoberfest:

Me on the grounds

One of the many roller coasters

And a look at some of the tents from the outside:

Hacker-Festzelt

Augustiner

And a quick look on the inside:

Inside Lowenbrau

The Band

For the last two years I have been to Oktoberfest with Steph and her husband Bryan. It was great to go with them again this year.

Steph and I

Fes Medina

Once you get outside the hustle and bustle of the major cities of Morocco, the first thing you notice is the intense colors of the earth. It ranges from the richest reds to the blackest blacks giving you a clear indication of how fertile the earth is here. If the country received more rain everything would grow in wild abundance.

Other than that, when driving through Morocco you get the feeling you could be anywhere. As we drove along between Casablanca and Rabat, up to Meknes, and finally to Fes, I felt like we were driving through the southwestern states in the USA. The orange soil and cacti reminded me of places in Arizona. The rolling hills with mountains towering in the background looked like New Mexico. It was all very beautiful and alive with intense, deep colors. The only thing that gives away your location is the shepards leading their sheep and goats. The shepards usually being young boys.

Of course, everything changed when I got pulled over by the police. Apparently this is a fairly normal event in Morocco, so I was prepared based on what other people had said to do. The speed limit on the freeway is 120 kilometers an hour – which I did religiously – and the policeman told me I was doing 139 kilometers. He said that a radar gun was set up 5 kilometers back that caught me. I told him he was ill informed and asked for him to take me to the police station.

At this point, it got a bit confusing because he couldn’t understand what I meant and we were both repeating ourselves over and over – him telling me to pay 1400 dirham’s (140 Euros), and me telling him that I wasn’t speeding and to please take me to the station. Eventually, I tried to get someone on the phone who spoke French (they speak French and Arabic in Morocco) and he asked if I was a tourist – yes, while it was very difficult to tell that I’m not from there with my bright red hair – and he finally just let me go. I think out of total and utter frustration.

I don’t know why I continue to do this, but I chose to go to Morocco during Ramadan, which again means that you cannot eat, drink, smoke, or have sex in public in consideration of the locals. The hardest was not having sex in full view of the Moroccans, but after that I found it difficult to go the entire day without eating. This was more complicated than in Dubai where they were serving food in inconspicuous areas around the hotel. I was not staying at the caliber of accommodation as I was in Dubai, and thus pretty much no place in the entire city was serving food and no grocery stores were open. We were all practicing Ramadan together, whether we wanted to or not.

Thinking about the lack of sustenance right now is making me hungry. But I digress.

Immediately following Ramadan there is a week long festival, much like our Christmas, called Eid ul-Fitr . At this time everyone can eat again and all the children are dressed up and taken out in their finest. Unfortunately, during this time again most shops are closed and generally everything shuts down. Not good for the tourists.

It is rather unfortunate because I had heard so many great stories from friends about how wonderful the food is in Morocco, with the tasty tagines, mouth watering couscous, and delicate pastries. While I was able to get some of that, it wasn’t at the suggested locations and I don’t feel like I got the true “Moroccan” foodie experience.

I’m not trying to say that I didn’t like Morocco; I actually found it quite fascinating. In particular, I loved Fes where we stayed in the medina in a recently renovated riad, called Dar Bennis, which I kept accidentally calling it Bar Dennis. It was absolutely beautiful, not to mention huge, and situated right in the middle of the medina, so you literally got lost every time you tried to find it.

Donkey in Fes Medina

Blue Gate in Fes

Fes’s medina (old city) is a labyrinth of little alleyways, all quite narrow and crowded with people. It is truly a medieval working city that exists in the 21st century. There are donkeys and carts carrying loads through the narrow streets. And it is massive. To walk from one side to the other must take at least an hour, and if you know where you are going. One wrong turn and you can be lost and not find your way back home. After a few days I did get the hang of it, but only after spending time walking aimlessly on numerous occasions in circles trying to find my way home. Once, my little next door neighbor found me looking lost and exhausted, and led me home for a small tip.

Mosaic at Volubilis

On our way to Fes we stopped to see some pretty incredible Roman ruins in Volubilis. It is not incredible in the size of the amphitheatre or the coliseum, but the brightly colored and well preserved mosaics. I think it is incredible to think that was build in 40AD and has been sitting out unprotected in the intense sun and heat of Morocco and is still in such excellent shape. As a UNESCO site (the medina in Fes is also), I would think some effort would be put into better conservation tactics, but nothing appears to be in place during my visit.

Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca

Being that we were only there for 3 full days, we did not see much else. Some of the other items of interest as the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. It opened in 1993 and is the 3rd largest mosque in the world. It is massive. It sounds as if it was created to put Casablanca on the map. And quite honestly, it was the only thing of interest to see in Casablanca, in my opinion. The woodwork, painting, tiling, and marble carving inside are all exquisite and over 6000 artisans took part in its creation.

Granary in Meknes

In north in Meknes, one of the four Sultan cities (Fes, Rabat and Marrakesh being the others), there is a palace and mausoleum to be seen, however, not by us. Because it was Ramadan. We were lucky the granaries were open, however, that used to hold an impressive amount of… well… something! This enormous warehouse had under floor waterways to keep the temperature cool and was ingeniously constructed.

A final word on Morocco. I would love to go back. At a time other than Ramadan. I found the people to be personable and friendly, and they truly seemed to care about me and not just want to talk to me for your tourist dollar (or euro). The culture is one where family is important, and this is clearly evident when seeing how the people interact, and was noticeable even in the short time I was there. It is an extremely poor country, but one that is rich in spirit, love and energy. It was a joy to appreciate, if only for a short time.

Fancy buffet in Dubai resort

Anyone who knows me knows that I am passionate about food. Everything about food. I could sit for hours enthralled by The Food Channel watching everything from Rachel Ray, to Ina Garten to Bill Granger to Nigella Lawson. Well… not here… because I don’t get The Food Channel anymore. But I would if I could!

And I love fine dining. It’s a bit ironic because I will shop off the discount rack for clothes or ride my bike for miles and miles for the cheapest deal, but when it comes to food I lose all self control and will spend a small fortune on fine cuisine. I’m sure you’ve heard of people who have decided to quit smoking after they realize that with the money they have spent on cigarettes over the years they could purchase a car or other high priced item. That is how I am with food. I can guarantee that I have spent a small fortune on fine dining all around the world, and will continue doing so.

On a visit to London earlier this year I was struck by how many times I have been there for work and not taken advantage of the opportunity to eat at some of the world’s finest dining establishments. Therefore, I went to Claridge’s, a 3 star Michelin restaurant run by world famous chef Gordon Ramsey. It was truly one of the best (and priciest!) meals I have ever had the luxury of consuming. Every bite was like a party in my mouth. It waters now thinking of it. If you like food and you are in London, go there. And the glamorous folks go there – I believe Madonna took Guy Ritchie there for his birthday this year.

Another place I have enjoyed a few times in London is Arbutus in Soho. It is a much cheaper option if you don’t want to spend $200 per person on food at above said restaurant. This place has the most wonderful dessert ever! I am a huge chocolate lover and will hands down pick whatever chocolate concoction is on the menu. Arbutus sports a chocolate dessert called Chocolate Soup with Caramelized Milk Ice Cream. I didn’t think much of it as chocolate and soup are not something I generally envision going together, plus I don’t really care for ice cream. Oh my god. It changed my life. But don’t take my word for it – just go try it!

In Paris I like a fancy little number called Boeuf sur le Toit. For Paris I felt is quite well priced, has excellent food, and doesn’t have the pretentious French wait staff. A very enjoyable place to dine and relax in an art deco interior. And their chocolate soufflé… oh, the soufflé… well, it was literally mouth watering. Literally. That story is better left untold!

If you are in A’dam and feel the need to spend a bundle on food, I highly recommend Janvier. I have dined here several times and not once been left disappointed. The chef creates small packages of food and arranges several in artistic patterns onto large platters before delivering them to your table. It is ideally situated on a picturesque canal and has a large terrace out front where it serves during summer under enormous shading trees. Absolutely gorgeous.

Just outside A’dam in Ouderkerk on Amstel is Jagershuis. Hands down my favorite restaurant in the A’dam area. Ouderkerk on Amstel is an idyllic town located on the Amstel (duh!) that has one good restaurant after another lining its banks, but no doubt Jagershuis tops my list every time. The food here is amazing and the originality of the chef’s creations is limitless. Every time I go there I am pleasantly surprised with the tasty delights he produces. Definitely worth the drive from A’dam, but make reservations (also with Janvier) because this place is always packed. If you just want to stay there, attached is a very cutesy little inn.

In DC (Washington DC, USA, that is), the recently opened restaurant of Michel Richard called Central is a must visit. Michel is arguably one of the best chefs in DC, if not the US. His other famous DC restaurant Citronelle is fantastic, so I was excited to check out his newest creation. Michel calls Central a bistro, but it really serves more diner food, with specialties like fried chicken and hamburgers being served for a very pretty penny. The cheese puffs are incredibly light, delicate and tasty. I could not stop myself from eating every single one of them and would not go back without ordering them again. The oysters, which I don’t order often, are also exceptionally flavorful and well worth it. I am disappointed that I didn’t eat dessert. 

Anywho, all of this is an introduction to bring me to exactly this point. You now will not be surprised to learn that on my flight to DC I watched some movies about food. Two, in fact. And I liked both of them for different reasons. I also think that the lack of oxygen leaves you momentarily insane for what I’m about to write.

The first movie was No Reservations. You know…. that absolutely horrible looking movie with Catherine Zeta-Jones and some other guy working in a restaurant as chefs. I mean, Catherine Zeta-Jones as a chef is *so* believable, right??? Well, I hate to tell you, but I liked it. I don’t know what it was about it, but I loved the guy’s (who is that guy?) passion for food and how he could make something as simple as spaghetti look absolutely divine. I am determined to make spaghetti and meatballs as soon as I’m back in a kitchen. CZJ, on the other hand, just looked stiff and uncomfortable, but I guess that was her character. Feel good little movie that I enjoyed on a plane. I can’t think of any other reason to watch it!

The second was Ratatouille. Could there be a more delightful movie? How they created the most delicious looking dishes with animation (and a rat, no less) is beyond me. But I loved this gem of a movie. If you haven’t seen it, go!

I leave you with this: a recipe. One that you can impress your friends with but that is so easy, quick, and mouth watering that they will all be asking for the recipe. I stole this from Stacie who I believe stole from the Barefoot Contessa), but here goes:

Cheese Sticks

INGREDIENTS
• 2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
• 1 extra large egg
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 ¬degrees.
Roll out each sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured board until it’s 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the surface of the pastry. Sprinkle each sheet evenly with 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 cup of the Gruyère, 1/2 teaspoon of the thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and some pepper. With the rolling pin, lightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry. Cut each sheet crosswise with a floured knife or pizza wheel into 11 or 12 strips. Twist each strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned and puffed. Turn each straw and bake for another 2 minutes. Don’t overbake or the cheese will burn. Cool and serve at room temperature.

Barcelona Port

Barcelona is a city where the sun always shines…. well, at least it did for the 48 hours I was there last weekend. It is a beautiful coastal city that always seems to be bursting with energy and that never sleeps. Even when arriving at the hotel after 1am, the streets were bustling with people – lovers holding hands, friends laughing, and the occasional street walker displaying her wares.

Las Ramblas from above

Barcelona is a city of happy times. We stayed in the area called El Raval, right off Las Ramblas, a pedestrian walk that leads down to the port that is always a good source of entertainment from people watching. During the day it is filled with human statues, flower stands, artists selling representations of Gaudi, and cute outdoor cafes. You could spend all day here.

Lekker Seafood!

The After Photo

Barcelona is a city of great food. Nearby there is a huge covered market called St. Joseph’s La Boqueria that sells the freshest food you’ve ever seen. They had the most amazing selection of fresh vegetables, fruit, seafood, spices, meats, and the occasional pigeon or rabbit. Delish! Whenever I do move back to the USA I will really miss being able to shop at fresh food markets.

Cool Designs

Barcelona is a city of beautiful views. The port is also nearby, and while the port offers gorgeous views of the water and nearby parks, what I found most intriguing was the innovative designs on the pier. All around the city stands unusual art that adds that little something to the landscape. I think this is something that the USA generally lacks as Americans are somewhat more conservative when it comes to their art. But it is such a breath of fresh air here. Maybe it has something to do with this being the home of Gaudi.

La Sagrada Família - The Passion Facade

Barcelona is a city of great art. Antoni Gaudi has graced Barcelona with many beautifully architected buildings, parks, and churches. His influence surrounds you as others try to imitate his creations. The most impressive, in my opinion and of what little I saw, was his influence in the ongoing creation of the Sagrada Família. This basilica was started in 1882 and is still under construction. When I say under construction, I mean UNDER CONSTRUCTION! There is nothing inside at all except scaffolding and cranes as they continue construction on parts of the church. It was truly mind-blowing and almost inconceivable to see the creation of something so immense right before you eyes. To think of all the people who will have touched this project over its lifetime in the last 125 years makes one feel so insignificant. My travel bud, Jarl, and I decided to make a pilgrimage back together in 20 years upon its completion. The energy and spirituality that already exists there is almost overwhelming, so I cannot wait to experience it fully complete.

La Sagrada Família - The Nativity Facade

Barcelona is just a great city. I would highly suggest it to anyone. I was only there for a weekend, but cannot wait for my next excursion there!

My home away from home – The Portofino Bay Hotel

I am writing this on a plane from Orlando to DC after nearly 3 weeks of living out of suitcase in the US of A. Tomorrow I finally fly from DC back to A’dam. I’m sick of these clothes and I honestly believe they could walk without me at this point.

Since arriving in the USA I have made a few stops. First, I went to Boston to look for an area to relo. I’ve decided on South End – at least for today – anyone have any thoughts on that? I then moved on to Orlando where I’ve been staying for work for just over two weeks. I cannot complain because I have been living in a resort , but if I have to listen to another hotel employee speak broken Italian to me one more time I might just vomit. That, and I could never, ever eat another pepperoni, mushroom and Italian sausage pizza again and it would be a-okay!

My Boys, Tim & Wade

That all said, I did get to visit Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure with Tim & Wade which made my stay at the Portofino Bay a little more palatable. I will admit that I did feel a little guilty about going to the Universal parks because Jimmy and Stacie have worked long term for Disney and I have religiously visited Disney parks for the last 10 years with them. And I felt even worse when I really enjoyed the Universal parks – well, at least Islands! I could do without Universal Studios – except for the original Jaws boat ride, which still looks exactly as it did 10 years ago, which is not a compliment. I had to laugh because it was so bad. At Universal there is a new “experience” called Disaster. And let me tell you, it truly is a disaster. Trust me and don’t go to experience it yourself!!

Island of Adventure is a whole different story. It was all about the entire experience, as you moved though the park you travel through the Marvel Heros to Jurassic Park to Suessland, etc. And the detail they put into every facet of the park is truly spectacular, from top to bottom.

Tim, Dawn, & Spidey

My hands down favorite ride of the entire day was Spiderman. It was a mixture of rollercoaster and 3D movie and somehow made you feel as if you were bounding along the tops of buildings and swinging around the city. I don’t know how they do it, but it works and it’s good!

For the ADD part of you, The Hulk rollercoaster is one of the most extreme I’ve ever experienced. Perhaps I’m getting old, but I really felt discombobulated after it was over – and it is a long ride! – and took a while to fully regain my balance.

Enjoy amazing animatronics and a great time on the Jurassic Park ride, but look forward to getting wet. Do not believe the ice cream salesman right outside the entrance who says that you only get “a little wet”. I was soaked for the next few hours, and no one likes Dallas-style frizzy hair and walking around in wet underwear.

Pretty much everything at Islands was fantastic, and I would definitely recommend it to people visiting the area (just buy your tickets online!). I even loved the Dualing Dragons ride that encourages you to make sure you aren’t too fat before riding!!

Too phat

To top off the experience, there is always City Walk which offers a wide variety of deep fried foods that will fit with any diet, from Bubba Gumps to Margaritaville to Hard Rock to NBA City to NASCAR. Only the finest available at Universal! I honestly think that the food within the parks was more nutritious than what’s offered at City Walk. And after being there two weeks and eating at literally every restaurant at least once – if not twice – I am happy to wipe my face of all the grease and go eat some salads!

So for now, I'm A’dam bound!!

Dawn with Aya Sofya

The Turkish people are the friendliest on earth. When I went there on vacation in 2006 they were super hospitable and my unexpected trip there this week proved that nothing’s changed. I was required to go there for work and flights were 400 Euros cheaper to fly on Saturday instead of Sunday so I flew in early for the weekend. I was still jetlagged from being in the USA and therefore not looking forward to it.

That is, until I landed… then I was instantly reminded how welcoming and gracious they are and my unhappiness about losing my weekend in A’dam flew out the window. They are helpful and giving and always willing to help someone in need.

I was also reminded of my last trip here, and how on my birthday I thought I would visit a hammam (Turkish bath) as a present to myself. This outlines my first and only hammam visit:

I have always wanted to visit a Turkish bath. Since it is my birthday I thought about inviting my mom and aunt to join me in my own private celebration, but then decided to have some time alone since we have a long trip in Turkey planned together.

After finally finding my way to Cagaloglu Hamami, much talked about in my guide book as being one of the most beautiful hammams in Turkey, as well as being featured in an Indiana Jones movie, I decided to splurge on the Royal Treatment and paid 32 Turkish Lira (30 Euros in 2006 – but no longer!!) for the exfoliation, bath, and massage. I was led into a little dressing room where I changed clothes and they supplied me with a robe and platform wooden flip flops to wear during my hamman experience. I had no idea what was expected regarding dress since they gave me the robe so I threw caution to the wind and decided to not wear my bathing suit that I had so carefully packed, and instead would go naked wrapped only in the supplied towel/robe.

The first room I entered had many fully dressed Turkish women lying around on a marble bench for no apparent reason. Then you enter the main hammam room, whose shape reminded me of a four leave clover, and was very hot and steamy and covered entirely in intricately painted marble tiles. In the middle of the room sat a marble slab that was elevated off the ground. Located all around the room along the walls were individual wash basins with hot and cold running water. The woman who was going to lead me through the royal treatment led me to one of the wash basins and indicated that I should take off the wrap and wash myself with the water.

At this point I became to perspire. Not from the high humidity but because I noticed that there are only Turkish women in the hammam, and that none of them are naked like myself. Instead they are wearing bathing suits while washing and scrubbing themselves and each other. Figuring it was too late to turn back now I decided to go on naked. Surely it wasn’t a big deal to them. After all, this is a place to bathe. And it was my birthday and I would never see these people again. My American prudishness reared its head, however, when I started to strip down, and I tried to hide myself behind a marble column and wash myself off. During this process, my woman abruptly disappeared leaving me a little unsure and wondering what to do next.

After washing off I my robe back on and decided to try to relax while sitting on the enormous marble slab in the center of the room. It was then that I noticed the beautiful domed ceiling with star shaped holes in it, which I would imagine to be quite beautiful while dark with the night sky showing through. The humidity in the room was causing the water on the ceiling to drip down on me, and every few minutes I needed to go back to my basin and wash off and cool down. I found another room that was a dry sauna but found that I preferred the sweaty room. Perhaps it is because I am from Houston, Texas, where it is nearly 100% humidity every day, or maybe it is because the steam helped to hide my nudity.

After about 30 minutes, the woman reappears and motions for me to lay down on the large marble slab. I sit carefully, trying to situate myself and keep covered at the same time. When she came over she promptly off the robe and throws it just out of my reach, leaving me completely exposed for all to see. I think I heard an audible collective exclamation from all the Turkish women the room at my very pale bare skin. The woman ignored all of it and ruthlessly started scrubbing me down with a not-so-soft hand glove that really hindered my relaxation. And after my skin was good and raw, she then expected me to get up and walk across the room, naked and in front of everyone, and wash off.

It did get better then, because after that we went back to the slab where she lathered me up with soap. Lots of soap. So much soap you couldn’t see that I was embarrassingly naked while everyone else was happily chatting away in their bathing suits. And I can honestly say that I hadn’t been this clean in years, and haven’t so been since. She washed me several times, having me flip back and forth from one side to the other, much like a fish out of water, and she scrubbed, scrubbed, scrubbed. We both got a bath. It was joyous experience!

Then I got up again and walked back over to my basin – again in full view of everyone. On return to the slab, I then received an awesome massage. At this point I begin to actually forget my faux pas of being naked and am really starting to enjoy the experience. Seriously, how often is it that you get to go to a hammam that looks exactly as it did over three centuries ago? It was the best birthday present ever.

It ended with her washing my hair and face with so much soap I felt like I was doing a commercial for Mr. Bubble. And right when it was over I wished I could do it again.

As I was getting up to leave I see another white girl (or I should say - the only other white girl…) enter the room. She is wearing only her underwear and looking decidedly uncomfortable, and I had to chuckle.

Upon returning to my hotel, I decided to read about the culture of hammams and what you are supposed to where inside. And I realized then that I could have actually read the book before I went. The book said that in some baths it is okay to be naked, but in order not to offend anyone be sure you wear your underwear. I can add this to my collection my long list of faux pas in foreign countries. What can I say, if I didn’t do it I wouldn’t have anything to write in this blog entry.

But I will say this: I am glad I decided not to bring my aunt and mom along. I’ve decided that even though I am beginning to lose my prudish ways that I don’t think I need to see any of my family members naked.

Eating fondue

The water is glassy as I gaze over Lake Geneva from the window of the train. On the other side, the view includes a terraced landscape of grapevines in the Lavaux area, which is the result of planting vines in every possible location in a mountainous region. Across the lake, the mountains have eluded me for my entire visit, but today are just barely visible. This is in stark contrast to my last visit when the breathtaking view consumed me each time I glanced through a window. Although the weather didn’t exactly cooperate this trip, my weekend here was better than I could have imagined.

Coming back to Switzerland to visit D, an old friend from Texas, and his wife Manon is one of the few things I wanted to do prior to moving back to the USA. As the days draw closer to my imminent departure, I’m beginning to realize it might be the only personal trip I’ll be able to take. My departure is only a short month away now.

Eating raclette

D runs his own dojo teaching Aikido, so I had high hope for a long, relaxing weekend. They definitely delivered! We soaked our weary bones at Les Bains de Lavey, gorged ourselves eating fondue, and raclette, and attended a Japanese tea ceremony that D is learning to perform from his sensei. All attendees were mindful of the ultimate goal of relaxation.

D performing Japanese tea ceremony

The Japanese tea ceremony was quite interesting. It seems there are 1000s of variations, this one being the simplest, but beautiful and eloquent none-the-less. Each movement has a meaning and no doubt my uneducated ways broke every rule but no one brought my mistakes to light. This ceremony reminded me of a Chinese tea ceremony I went to in China when I was there for a month in 2000. I would never begin to say that they are in any way alike, but some of the traditions seemed similar, like the meticulous cleaning of the tea set before use. For the Japanese ceremony I was a fascinated participant with little to no knowledge of what was occurring around me. I am lucky that when I was in China I documented each step, it seems just for this day. Here is my tea ceremony experience in China:

“We walked from there across the street to a tea house called Gu Cho Cha Fang. I learned the proper "tea culture" here. This was a quaint little place that was absolutely gorgeous with swimming fish in bowls, Chinese paintings, and delicate tables within an open aired courtyard area.

This is the tea culture. You start off with a teapot, a tea holder (for when the tea is done, you don't want to leave it in with the leaves), some small cups, some tall cups, a strainer, a tea board which you put all this stuff on, and some tongs to touch everything with (no hands!).

The steps:
1) Light incense to promote peace and comfort, calm down and relax. Be happy.
2) Display the tea leaves to the guests.
3) Talk about the water. It should be fresh from a mountain steam.
4) Place the tall cups into the smaller cups.
5) Clean the inside of the teapot by pouring in boiling water.
6) Pour the water from the teapot into the tall cups which are situated within smaller, shorter cups.
7) Place tea leaves in teapot.
8) Pour water into the teapot, making sure you are pouring from a high distance in order to clean the tea leaves.
9) Swirl the top of the teapot around in the overflowing teapot to clean.
10) Pour water over the top of the teapot to increase the temperature of the teapot top so it matches the temperature inside the teapot.
11) Pour the water out of the cups (that already have water in them). The first filled teapot is never to drink; it is only to clean the tea leaves.
12) Hold the tall cup with tongs and pour the water inside of it into the smaller cup.
13) Clean the rims of the tea cup in the bottom cup’s water.
14) All of the steps before this were for cleaning. Add more water to the teapot and steep for one minute only.
15) Pour the new tea into the tall teacup filling it up only 70% of the way. Continue filling up each cup up to 80% one by one after that.
16) Put the small cups on top of the tall one covering it.
17) Turn over the tall cup (topped with the smaller cup) so that the small cup is now on the table.
18) Pull off the tall cup, spilling the tea from the big cup into the smaller cup.
19) Admire the scent of the tea remnants in the tall cup.
20) At this point you may drink the tea. You should hold the cup with three fingers only and drink the whole cup in exactly 3 sips (once you see the size of the cup you will understand how this is very easy).

We sat for several hours drinking tea and eating congee. The tea ceremony and the atmosphere were wonderful. The congee was pretty boring. After that we went to the Laozi Stone Statue. He was some philosopher from a long time ago. I've never heard of him. But the statue was cool.”

Flat Stanley chillin' on the couch with Spot & Bourbon

Dear Dawn,

In my kindergarten class, we have read a fictional book about a boy who got smashed by a bulletin board while he was asleep. His name is “Flat Stanley.” While flat, Stanley had many adventures. In one adventure, he was mailed to California in an envelope because he wanted to visit a friend and an airplane ticket or train ticket was too expensive!!! I am mailing Flat Stanley to you. PLEASE take him on an adventure in your city and then write me back at school to tell me all about his adventures. For example, since I live in Texas, I would take Flat Stanley to the Capitol building and send you a picture of me holding him in front of it if you had sent him to me!

This project is helping me in several ways. I am learning about addressing an envelope correctly, locating other cities, states and possibly countries on maps, and graphing where our class mails letters to (and hopefully receives letters from!). As we receive letters, we will display them near the map before we get to take them home. THANKS for helping me. I wish I could fold myself up and come visit you!!!

Sincerely, Anna
----------------------------------------------------

It is interesting how an exercise as simple as this can cause a person to view life differently. Suddenly the everyday things in life seem more exciting when seen through the eyes of a child. And it is also strange what happens inside you when you are responsible for creating an adventure for a piece of colored cardboard, lovingly called Flat Stanley, that should appeal to a group of kindergarteners. As I am sure you can imagine, Flat Stanley can be put into all kinds of compromising positions, but which ones do you share with a child?

And while Flat Stanley has enjoyed all kinds of the adventures that will be sent to Ms. Mendoza’s kindergarten class, there have been others that I do not think I will choose to tell. The most noteworthy thus far, and the one that is actually keeping me awake writing about on my 7:30AM flight back to Amsterdam, is that there was almost an unhappy and disastrous end to the story of Flat Stanley.

It occurred while in Portugal last night at dinner. The weather yesterday in Lisbon was picture puuurfect all day, and I was working in a brand new modern office made almost entirely from glass (or so it seemed), and with an excellent view over the water, the new casino, and the Expo area of Lisbon. I had taken Flat Stanley with me to work and had grand ideas of taking pictures of him sprawled out enjoying the beautiful weather or viewing the city from the excellent vantage point on the top of the building. There were numerous options before me.

Unfortunately, I was with a reseller in Lisbon and had several meetings lined up for the one day I was here, and none of my ideas came to fruition. We attended meetings until 9pm (or 21:00 for you Europeans). One might think that working that late might entail having dinner or continuing discussions over a cocktail. No, that is just the typical time for Southern Europeans to have meetings! For this Texan who is used to eating between 5 – 6pm and who has been told that eating after 9 is a big no-no (after all you might get fat!), I was shocked and just a little bit hungry (read starving) by the time the meeting ended. I don’t know about you, but I get just a little bit grouchy if I don’t eat at pretty regular intervals, and the lunch I had eaten at 2pm (yes, *2pm*) was long since digested and my stomach was being vocal about wanting more sustenance, and soon.

After finally getting back to the hotel, changing clothes and gathering up my belongings to go find a restaurant for dinner (what was the time now? 9:30? 10PM?) , I thought about poor Flat Stanley. Stuck in my bag all day long, dragged from meeting to meeting, not seeing the light of day or enjoying any of the adventures that Lisbon had to offer; I was sad for him. The least I could do was bring him out to dinner and try to find at least one pose to put him in to prove to Anna that he had visited Portugal. And so he came, still neatly placed inside the envelope as to not damage, or even worse, lose him. And yet, somehow, with all my good intentions, that is exactly what I proceeded to do.

Upon arrival to the restaurant, I was greeted by the waiters immediatly filling the table full of food. Apparently it is very typical in Portugal to place food on the table and if you eat it you are charged for it, and if you don’t eat it they take it away without charging you. As you can imagine I was pretty excited by this because I was starving. They had laid out a plate overflowing with parma ham, a substantial bowl of tangy green and black olives, a plate of stinky local cheese, and a plate of VERY LARGE (even for Texas standards) unpeeled shrimp. I dug right in, even before reading the menu. It was all delicious and I was in heaven.

With my tummy finally filled with at least a little bit of food I was able to take stock of my surroundings and noticed quite a large lobster crawling around in the aquarium next to me. Not feeling too creative, but feeling guilty at not having taken any pictures of Flat Stanley, I thought I’d get a pic of him and the lobster. It was then that I noticed that Flat Stanely was gone!!!!!! I fell into an immediate state of panic. He wasn’t in my coat, on the floor or anywhere around the table. I asked the waiter, who didn’t speak a word of English and didn’t understand why this woman before him was freaking out, if maybe they had accidentally thrown it in the trash. Even though he didn’t understand what I’d lost it was very clear that I had lost SOMETHING and that I was very upset about it. Imagine me saying over and over, “Where’s Flat Stanley? Where’s Flat Stanley?” I sounded and looked like a madwoman.

My dinner was immediately ruined. I felt like I had let Anna and her entire kindergarten class down. I began imagining how I’d take pictures of interesting locations and then Photoshop Flat Stanley in later. I mean, how could I possibly lose a freakin’ CARDBOARD CUTOUT for Christ’s sake? If I cannot even be responsible for Flat Stanley, I would never make a suitable mother!!! My apprehension was clear because even my co-worker began to try to make me feel better by making up stories of Flat Stanley running off with a Portuguese ballerina.

You are probably wondering why this was such a big deal, but I think the long day of stressful meetings, my hectic travel schedule, lack of sleep and my anxiety about moving back to the USA caused this to hit me hard. That said, somehow I made it through dinner.

The shaking, guilt ridden waiter wistfully brought over the menu asking if we wanted dessert. NO! I didn’t want to dessert… I wanted him to bring me Flat Stanley! And suddenly I had a thought – MAYBE FLAT STANLEY GOT STUCK IN A MENU! The waiter and I seemed to have the same thought because he immediately went over and started checking every menu for the envelope. It wasn’t looking good, but no kidding, folded into the last menu was Flat Stanley!!! A feeling of pure joy flooded over me. All my guilt, anxiety, angst immediately went away. Danger averted! I think the entire restaurant breathed a sigh of relief; I know the waiter did. Okay… maybe I *will* be a good mother!

To end our near disaster, my coworker, Flat Stanley, and I enjoyed a nice big plate of profiteroles drowning in chocolate for dessert. And I finally got that picture of Flat Stanley with the lobster! After paying our cheap 40 Euro bill (included all those appetizers, a meal, the dessert and a bottle of wine!) I lovingly put Flat Stanley into the envelope and carried him back to the hotel. All was finally right and well in the world. And Flat Stanley will luckily be around for another adventure.

Flat Stanley swimming with the lobster

And some other Lisbon pictures:

I have no idea what this is, but it is interesting and cool architecture/art in Lisbon

A mall

Nothing particularly interesting about this except that it was 11:30PM at night and all the shops were still open!!!!

This post was actually written about a month ago when I returned from Turkey prior to my move to Boston. The site has been down from the back end so I wasn't able to post anything for a while. Maybe that is a blessing in disguise! The move to Boston has gone fine, I'll send an update soon.

The bay at Bodrum

I was in Bodrum, Turkey this weekend for what I believe will be my last trip, for work or personal, before I move back to the USA. If you read my last post on Turkey, you realize that I love it. I find the people unbelievably friendly. So, I flew in for a short trip on Friday evening and back home today, Monday. The weather was gorgeous, the water clear and turquoise, the food exquisite. It was pure heaven. Nuff said. Oh yeah, and I saw flamingos in the wild for the first time ever. Pretty freakin’ cool.

On my way back, I flew through Istanbul where I had a layover of over three hours. I knew if I opened my computer I’d immediately start working, so I decided to indulge myself instead.

I first went to the shoe shine. Who would think that a shoe shine could be so relaxing? I love going to get my shoes shined. Perhaps that is because you cannot get your shoes shined (by an actual person) in Amsterdam. Why? Because they are too cheap. And I’m not kidding. When I asked around, everyone, and I mean the Dutch, told me that I should shine my shoes myself. Humph.

My shoe shine in Istanbul was divine.

I then decided to see if I could get a manicure. There was a hairdresser and since I wasn’t sure if people could understand what I was asking for I thought I’d go and see if they knew where I could get one. Apparently at the airport in Istanbul you can get a manicure at the hairdresser.

As I sat getting my manicure from a woman who didn’t speak a word on English, I watched Turkish women from all the different airlines come in to get their hair washed and styled. Or just styled. I found this very strange. I mean, usually when people go to the hairdresser they go to get a haircut. Not in the Istanbul airport.

As I sat getting my manicure I watched loads of women come in to have their hair styled. Being that I didn’t wash my hair this morning, I thought, what the hell, I’ll get my hair washed and styled by a male Turkish hairdresser. Why not?

I proceeded to get my hair washed and styled by the guy. And he spent at least 45 minutes drying my hair. Let me just clarify in case this wasn't clear already. I am a redhead. Redheads have the lowest number of hair strands of all the hair colors. For comparison sake you should know it takes a little more than five but definitely less than 10 minutes for me to dry and style my hair. But the stylist was very attentive. At one point I had three guys working on my hair. And the only tool the guy used was a hairdryer!

Final result didn’t look that different from how I do it, but it was nice to have someone pamper me for over an hour with frilly nails and hairstyling. And it only cost about 30 euros. I don’t think I could have gotten a manicure for that much in A’dam, much less the hair and the shoeshine! Heck, I couldn’t get the shoeshine at all in A’dam!

Monument to fishermen from Gloucester who have died on the job

Since moving to Boston my days and nights have been spent either on the road and not actually in Boston, working at the Starbucks on Tremont in the South End of Boston, or sitting in my depressing apartment that is filled with only an air mattress. I kid not, only an air mattress.

When I moved to Boston at the end of March, I quickly began my apartment search and found what I thought would be an awesome loft apartment (which they called the Penthouse) that was fairly inexpensive and included parking, which is key because my office is about 25 miles outside the city. Why didn’t I just find a place out near my work, you ask? Because that would have sucked. The office is in the middle of nowhere and there is nothing going on there but TGI Fridays and strip malls. Not my idea of an exciting time.

What seemed like a great apartment deal has ended up being an enormous headache. The apartment has paper thin walls and I can hear everything – and I do mean everything the people downstairs do and say. Up to their spoons hitting their bowls. In addition, they have newly graduated from college and like to entertain pretty much every night. Oh, how I remember those times… and I don’t want to relive them again.

I pretty much decided within the first few weeks that this “good deal” wasn’t going to work out and have been searching for another apartment endlessly since then. And traveling. Going to my “office” at the Starbucks. And hanging on my deflating inflated air mattress.

So, when a friend of mine asked if I wanted to go to Gloucester, Massachusetts for a day trip, I was totally psyched. The stress of everything has been a bit overwhelming, and I decided to go for it and put all that mess aside.

The Catholic Church

Just riding the train up there was relaxing. Gloucester is a magical little sea port in Cape Ann, and one of the first places settled in the USA. It has delightful buildings that prove it, including a European style looking Catholic church. We wandered around the tiny streets of the little town and admired the boutique shops and historic houses. During our walk I learned that the movie The Perfect Storm, was based on the loss of one of the fishing boats from here, and it has a long history of losing sailors since the 1600s.

We wandered around all day, basking in the delightful sun and warm weather that has only recently graced the Boston area. It is just the beginning of the season in Gloucester, but it is about to bust wide open with all the activity taking place to get the place ready to welcome the masses. We met some folks who are restoring a sailboat to give day trips to tourists and were able to check out the boat. We meandered around the oldest artist colony in the United States.

Artist Colony house

And we ended our day tour by finding the bar that was featured in the movie called The Crow’s Nest, which was filled with crusty old characters ready to tell fisherman tales. They revealed that the bar was not out on the dock as shown in the movie, and that they actually built a big set by the water instead. And I remember that bar from the movie, and I can tell you that the one in the movie had a whole lot more charm than the real one!

Colorful characters from the Crow's Nest

We didn’t stay there because I didn’t bring my ID – come on now! – so they wouldn’t serve me. We instead headed for another local favorite called Pratty’s, where we spoke to entertaining locals about the joys of Gloucester and I experienced stuffed clams for the first time. Both equally fantastic, and the clams only set you back a buck fifty each and the beers $2. I could go there every day!

Lekker stuffed clams

And, you know, good things happen to people who wait, because while in Gloucester I heard from another apartment I found that I do truly love, and they had accepted my application. So, I’m very happy, and now I have two weeks in the UK and Amsterdam, which leaves only one week more with my depressing air mattress before I move to my new home and buy new furniture. It ended up being The Perfect Day! And I'll be visiting joyful Gloucester again soon!

Still not sure what this phrase means on the menu in Japan

Another mystery

The first time you sit on a heated toilet seat in Japan it can come as quite a shock. I had forgotten what it felt like until I experienced it on this trip and did a double take. Toto, a manufacturer of Japanese toilets, has hit the mark when it comes to designing toilets complete with fun features. There are the always present spray and bidet features – please don’t ask me the difference between the two. Then they get more interesting with the heated seats and powerful deodorizer options, and range up to the ever more exciting flushing sound feature. At work, I entered the toilet and was met with the flushing toilet button being repeatedly pushed by the individual in the stall next to me. The Japanese are very private people.

Japanese toilet

Since arriving in Osaka last weekend, I’ve been quickly reminded of the many different aspects of the Japanese culture. The Japanese are the most organized, efficient and clean culture I’ve ever experienced (in stark contrast to the Chinese, their not so distant Asian cousins, would really couldn’t be more different, at least on the clean point.)

I had a great time noticing the reflections of these qualities in the everyday life of the people. I’ve included a few of these in the photos below.

Japanese vending machines offer cold AND hot drinks

Only the Asians have thought of creating an anti-fogging mirrior

The efficient way to eat - look at pictures and pay from a vending machine. You then take your ticket inside and receive your food

I am here working with my Australian colleague who is completely fluent in Japanese. He has been studying Japanese for the last 23 years and in the past lived there for several years. Having him with me made the experience so much easier because it can be very difficult to find your way around if you don’t speak any of the language. My grasp of the Japanese language begins and ends at “arigatou” (thank you), so he was most useful.

Given my colleague’s language skills, we could experience so much more of the culture of the area. Apparently the people of Osaka have a great sense of humor. We were in a taxi and asking what places we should go to in the area. The taxi driver said very seriously that we should visit Universal Studios. I responded that I really wanted to experience things that were Japanese, not American, like a tea house or a temple. He gave us directions to a temple, but said that no one ever goes there. He also said that he’s never been to a Japanese tea house and doesn’t know where there were any.

The next day we decided to make our way to the temple. We had to ask for directions along the way. The man we asked gave us directions and then asked, “Why would you want to go there? What are you going to do??” Then he mentioned some other areas of Osaka and said we should go there because it is a little rough and not very pretty, but more reflective of Osaka than the temple! Very funny guys.

People clean their hands before entering the temple

The Japanese guys have some exquisite hair. They obviously spend hours and hours in front of the mirror primping – more than the woman I think! I tried to be inconspicuous and get some examples, but these are not a true reflection of some of the true masterpieces.

We did see a few sites - Osaka is famous for the Dotombori area, which is filled with Japanese tourists all day and night:

Palazzo Suite Style Hotel Room

...stays in Vegas. At least I hope so. This one is for you, Anneke.

A few weeks ago I went to Vegas for a week for work and stayed in the brand spankin' new Palazzo hotel. It was beautiful. Thank goodness. Because it is the only thing I saw for an entire week.

I did not spend one red cent gambling, I did not see one show, and I did not go outside to see the sun. I just worked. And I caught a cold. Not so fun.

But from the 45 floor I had a great view!

View from floor 45

View of Vancouver

After visiting Las Vegas I had a small break in the quaint little town of Vancouver, British Columbia. Given that I travel so much for work I don’t typically get excited about going somewhere, but what a pleasant surprise Vancouver was! I had no idea. I decided to stop there to work out of our office and then take a few days off to hang with one of my good friends from Amsterdam, Jag, who has moved back home. Had I known that Vancouver had so much to offer I would have visited a long time ago.

I only took a few days off to visit the local sites, but squashed as much in as I possibly could into the short time I had. With the help of Jag, we frequented some of the finest restaurants and made the city our playground with all it has to offer.

My number one priority was to reconnect with nature. The Netherlands is the flattest place I’ve ever been, and does not offer much in the way of beautiful vistas, rough camping or uphill hikes. I was really ready to see some mountains, and had no idea what was in store, and that it was so close by!

Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge

Jag came through, and took me all over the place to get my nature fix. Lynn Valley is literally 5 minutes from downtown Vancouver and boosts a suspension bridge and tons of hiking trails up and down the valley, along with crystal blue waterfalls with cold water runoff from the mountains. I was in heaven. About 5 minutes away from there is another much larger suspension bridge, the Capilano Suspension Bridge, which also has a cutesy rainforest treetop tour which is eco-friendly to boot.

Much larger Capilano suspension bridge

Rainforest Treetop Tour

Whistler was next on our list, which is about 1.5 hours away, but you enjoy an absolutely incredible drive through the mountains along gorgeous lake areas all the way there. Whistler is obviously well known for its winter sports, but in the summer it has a variety of mountain biking trails setup and from the bottom of the mountain you can enjoy watching the mountain bikers come barreling down to complete some final death defying jumps before washing off their bikes at the bottom. It was fun to watch them all come in, and then take off their helmets and match the people to their bike skills. I’ve never seen so many people with random bleeding from all parts!

Mountain biking trails

The one place I had my eye on visiting that was such a letdown was the Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden. At $10 a pop, this place is a huge disappointment with such a small garden, especially when you can get into the Chinese park right next door for free. Serious letdown.

But it was more than made up for with my favorite natural getaway was again right around the corner from Vancouver, about 10 minutes away, at Grouse Mountain. I don’t know what it was about this place. Perhaps it was the enormous gondola that takes you up 4,000 feet up the mountain overlooking the city in a short 4 minutes! Or the adorable 2 grizzly cubs that are there to test a new way of rehabilitating orphaned beers into the wild? Or maybe it was the bird of prey show?

No, I know exactly what it was. Jag and I decided to do a 30 minute helicopter ride that took us through the mountain around Vancouver and then down through the city. We had incredible views of the mountaintop lakes and surrounding mountain range, as well as a bird’s eye view of the city of Vancouver. And luckily, the helicopter needed to fuel up so we stopped near the port of Vancouver right next to a docked cruise ship that was about to depart. We were watching the cruisers and they were watching us. They must have thought we were famous, and it felt like we were famous! Just stopping in to gas up our chopper and then we’ll be on our way! La te da!!

Our transportation

The helicopter ride was an amazing experience. You very rarely get to see a city from above so up close and so low. I feel like I got to do something really special. And there is no city I’d rather do something like that in – having a picturesque downtown with a backdrop of amazing mountaintops just moments away. It is an absolutely stunning city and I am so happy I experienced it.

Mountaintop lake

Mountains everywhere!

Downtown Vancouver

But it doesn’t end there! The food… ohhhhhh… the food. If you’ve read my blog you know that I have a fine appreciation for food. I would easily spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on a fine dinner and wear clothes off the sale rack. And we visited some of Vancouver’s finest. (I think Jag was using me as an excuse to check out good future date sites! Wink!)

View of Vancouver from Granville Island

Granville Island sports some great views of the city with the mountains in the background, and nice views of the major bridges leading into the city. It is a great way to hang out and watch the sunset and waste some time away, or during the day with the open market, which has some incredible offerings, from fresh produce to pastries to local artisan goods. We went to both Bridges and Sandbar. Sandbar had a fantastic view for the sunset, but Bridges had better food, in my opinion. Keep in mind that we only had appetizer and drinks at Sandbar, though.

We also went to Joe Forte’s for some classy service, elegant atmosphere, tasty seafood, and amazing dessert. If you like seafood and want to be treated like royalty this is the place to go.

Joe Forte's yum yum dessert!

Looking for great sushi? Try Kaide, where they don't fry anything (so no tempura), but instead use corn flakes to make their rolls crunchy. And don't leave without trying the spicy tuna sashimi. Hands down delicious.

But my fav place, hands down, was Brix in Yaletown. It is situated in a cozy, cute courtyard (with incredibly bad acoustics in certain locations) and the food, from beginning to end, is amazing. Jag had the lamb and I had the duck – both wonderful choices. I highly recommend this place.

Jag and I had a “mussel challenge” going throughout the city at Joe Forte’s, Brix, Cardero’s, and Bridges. They were all equally fantastic, and after eating mussels for years in A’dam, I can tell you that all of these beat Dutch mussels. They were the tastiest mussels I’ve had in years, and all cooked to perfection. Yummy.

And as if that wasn’t enough, I also just happened to be there during the yearly firework show where different countries compete against each other. On Wednesday night, Canada kicked it off with a 30 minute show which can easily be seen from the comfort of Jag’s apartment. The US of A made its premiere appearance on Saturday night, and I have to say that in my completely unbiased opinion that the USA was incredible and certainly did better than the home country. Apparently all this doesn’t matter, though, because the Chinese (who perform this Wednesday) win every year. Surprise, surprise.

USA represent

Needless to say, I am all about Vancouver, even with those proud, maple leaf touting Canadians. Just kidding! I don’t know what all the fuss is about regarding Canadians from Americans! The Canadians are a friendly, easy going bunch of folks! And I’m soooo going back, as soon as I can!

A Nantucket Lighthouse

After my outrageously expensive week in Vancouver living the high life, I thought I should go somewhere easy on the pocketbook the next weekend. A friend of mine from Amsterdam was visiting and after being on the road for so long I wanted to go somewhere nearby, relaxing, and relatively easy to get to. So, we went to Nantucket.

I have never been there and had no idea what to expect. The only thing I knew about Nantucket is that it is an island. And apparently it is the smallest island in the whole freaking world. Within a few minutes of being there, we literally ran into someone we work with from DC. What are the odds? And because it is such a small island we ended up running into him and his wife repeatedly over the weekend. So much for relaxation away from work.

Nantucket is a likable sort of place full of rich island people and cute little island mansions. In fact, all the houses and buildings looks the same. Every building erected has the same gray monotone wooden siding – from the houses to the schools to the churches. Slightly strange, but appealing in a way.

Typical Nantucket House

The Church

We spent the weekend hanging out. The town is full of boutique style stores that are pretty much too expensive to buy anything. It is also full of some really nice restaurants. I won’t bore you with the details, but we spent most of the weekend eating food and drinking cocktails. There just wasn’t much else to do there. But eating foods and drinking cocktails was fine with me!

Since we didn’t take a vehicle over, we rented a scooter and piddled around the island. We did stop and have lunch at a gorgeous hotel called The Wauwinet, at their restaurant called Toppers. It was delicious, but you have to be prepared to part with a few bills to eat there. Check out these desserts though – Candied Cherry Tomatoes and Sugared Thyme, and other lusciousness.

Candied Cherry Tomatoes

Sexy Desserts - Yum!

They were a party in my mouth! More adventures soon!

I have recently been trying to get a visa to go to China and it has been nearly impossible because they have reduced the number of visas they are giving out with the Olympics currently taking place there.

The process has been a bit painful, but I finally did get one after several trips to the Chinese consulate last week. I had problems with one question on the form: "Have you ever been arrested in China?" I ended up saying no, but I did get detained by the Chinese military the last time I was there. Does that count? I like to think it doesn't.

My last company sent me to Xiamen in China for the month of March 2000 to cover for a woman who was out on maternity leave. It was an incredible experience that has long since stuck with me and left a sweet spot in my heart for China and its people. I am absolutely thrilled that I am going back, if only for a few days. I hope I get to see some of my old friends while there.

But this story isn't about the good times, it is about how an American gets held in China at a military base for 7 hours.

"Day, 18: Saturday, March 18th, 2000:

I get up real early to go out of town with Kelly and his girlfriend Candy to his hometown of QuanZhou (pronounced Chen-zou). We took a bus there and I slept most of the way, but not before Kelly telling me that 80% of Chinese people are farmers, but they are only given 2 hectors (however much that is... I am assuming it is very small) per family. So, most people are very very poor and just want to make a better living for themselves. They will do this any way possible - selling your rides, selling trinkets, selling
food, etc.

Once we got to Hui'an City, we took a bus to another city called CongWu Town. Apparently in this area it is well known because there is a special dress the women wear here. They dress almost fully covered, xcept for their stomach during hot weather (75 degree weather is still considered cold and a reason to wear long sleeves!) and pull their hair back tight and wrap it wonderfully with colorful bows and ribbons. Apparently their husbands left for Taiwan and they are waiting for them to come back (or something like that).

Also, this area is known because the women do all the work instead of the men. They are out working while the men take care of the home. And this region is also known for its cut stone. They have a ton (literally - ha ha!!) of stone factories.

We decided to go see this HUGE statue of a typical woman from this area. To get there we found a tricycle with a little bitsy cab on back that we could all squash into and she gave us a ride to another little village. She let us off near the ocean and we were instructed to walk up the hill.

As we walked up the hill Kelly and Candy told me that there was a military base and that we would go a different direction up the mountain to this statue. Pretty ironic since the Taiwan elections are going on today and they are electing a man who wants to separate Taiwan from China...

Anyways, I take some photos of this statue. In one of them I make Kelly to stand on the foot of it to show how huge it was. Then I sit down to eat an orange. It is then that I notice that the guys from the military base are looking at me with binoculars, so I wave at them. No harm in being friendly, right? I didn't understand why they were staring at me, but didn't think much of it because it isn’t unusual for people always stare at me here.

About this time a soldier walks up with a rifle and asks if we wouldn’t mind going with him. We go and they being walking us to their military base. Kelly tells me they just want to find out who we are and that this will only take a few minutes. I'll never fall for that one again! We go into a room and are asked to sit down and they are very hospitable and bring us some tea and say that they have to go get their guy in charge. No big deal. The time is 1pm.

An hour passes. They are sitting around chatting with us. I am drinking tea, going to the bathroom, reading a book. Bored. They are all talking in Chinese, so I don't know what is going on. About an hour and a half after we get there they ask for my passport and my camera to make sure it is real. It is at this time they tell me that you are not supposed to take pictures of this statue. They take my camera away with them. They tell me they are going to develop the film because this is a military area and there might have been radar equipment in the photo. I told them that I intentionally left out their building because it would have ruined the photo of the statue. The time is 2:30pm.

Another hour passes. Some more people show up in cars. The time is 3:30pm. The guys are just going to ask us a few questions. They take Kelly and speak to him alone for an hour. They give us peanuts and some other strange nuts I’ve never seen before to eat. Candy and I played around with a basketball to pass the time. Then feed us some noodles. Then they take Candy and she is gone for about an hour before they bring her back. By this time I see them outside the window and they have developed my photos and can see there are none of the military base. But they still won't let us go. Luckily I had only taken 3 pictures so far on that roll, so there wasn't much for them to look at.

At about 5pm they start asking me questions. Since no one speaks English and they won't allow Candy or Kelly in the room and they had to bring in an interpreter. They are apparently not convinced by this time that is this all an accident and that I didn't know I wasn't supposed to take pics. It went something like this for about 45 minutes:

1) What is your name?
2) What is your birthday?
3) What is your address?
4) How long have you been in China?
5) How long do you plan on staying?
6) Where do you work?
7) When did you come to this city?
8) Why did you come here?
9) How do you know these people?
10) What are their Chinese names?
11) How did you find out about this statue?
12) What did you do today?
13) What all did you take pictures of today?
14) Did you know this was a military base?
15) Did you see the sign saying that you can't take pictures?
16) Did you know you weren't supposed to take pictures?
17) Didn't your friends tell you?
18) Did you see people at the military base while you were taking pictures?
19) Did you wave hello to them?
20) Do you feel bad for what you have done?
21) Did they offer you tea when you came to the military base?
22) Are you telling the truth?

I figure out at this point that my waving hello to them have gotten them all worked up! And when they asked me if I read the sign telling me not to take pictures I laughed at them and told them I didn't because I obviously can't speak Chinese, I suggested putting a sign of a camera with circle and a line through it if they wanted foreigners to understand not to take pictures. When they asked if I felt bad for what I had done, I laughed again and said that of course I didn't feel bad because I hadn't done anything wrong. And yes, I am telling the truth because I don’t have anything to lie about!

All this time they have an interpreter asking me the questions that some angry guy chain smothing cigarette is asking while trying to look intimidating. Instead of recording my answers, or using anything from the 20th century, the angry guy wrote everything out in Chinese, based on what the interpreter was saying, with other people writing it all out also. It was crazy, and totally inefficient and a waste of time. Then they made me fingerprint all over all the pages with this red ink and sign my name on something that I can't even read! It was unbelievable.

After this I think that they certainly have to let us go now. After all, we had been there for hours, they have interrogated each of us separately so it was clear that everything is just an accident and that the pictures didn’t show the base, but they didn’t. I was seriously beginning to think they just wanted to keep us there!

Finally at around 6:30pm I am beginning to get impatient and all of a sudden they want to search all our stuff. I let them search my stuff, but I wasn't too happy about it, but Candy refused to let them search hers. At this point they forced her to read a book on National Security. After that we wait. And wait. And wait longer.

Finally at about 8pm they say we are okay to go. By this time they have to give us a ride back to town because the public transportation is no longer running.

Come to find out afterwards that they had their equivalent of the CIA in the States come out to interrogate me, as well as their National Security, the military police, and Foreign Affairs all present. During the detainment, I had no clue who these guys were. All I know is that I just was sick of waiting there! I can think of much better ways to spend my time, especially in China!

My personal opinion about the Chinese military..... I thought they had no reason to detain us that long and that they just wanted to keep us there. They were incredibly inefficient and could have finished all this bullshit in about an hour, but they chose not to. They didn't seem like they had anything to do, and my showing up taking pictures must have been some real excitement the day of elections in Taiwan. Not only that, they seemed to want to practice their English.

In this particular base they were living in pathetic circumstances. They have the worst outhouse style bathroom without electricity that I have seen yet (and I have seen plenty so that is saying a lot! At some point I even had to borrow a lighter from someone to go to the bathroom when it was dark. They have one rotary phone, and something that looks like a Morse Code machine for all outside interaction. They had one TV, and it was all fuzzy because they didn't have a satellite - they couldn't even get normal TV!! They looked bored and played basketball to pass the time during the day. They have a garden and it looks like they have to grow their own vegetables. They just looked like they were happy to have visitors. They look like they live in much worse conditions than the normal Chinese civilians I’ve visited and it makes me wonder why anyone would willingly chose to go into the military!

Afterwards we went back to the hotel and didn’t do much else in the city. I think we were all a little exhausted by being detained by the military all day and happy to have that over and done with."

I hope she massages my meet-a-great-guy pressure point!

Last night I arrived to a very hot and sticky Hong Kong after 24 hours of travel door to door. Even after not sleeping on any of the flights, I felt pretty refreshed and excited when I landed, having not been to HK since 2000. What I remember of HK is shopping, shopping, shopping.

Today I decided to go see if that was still the case, given that I won’t have any time over the next three days straight of meetings. I’m staying at the ostentatious The Luxe Manor hotel, which is conveniently located in the heart of Kowloon within walking distance of Victoria Harbor and the shopping district.

Walking outside is like walking into a humid bathroom after a shower. But I braved it, strolling along Nathan Road where you can find numerous perfumeries, designer clothes shops, and electronics stores. I was hassled by shopkeepers at every turn, but surprisingly they were Indian instead of Chinese. They wanted me to buy custom suits, leather purses or watches. I was drenched in sweat and would duck into various air conditioned shops to get some momentary relief from the salespeople and the heat.

I made it to down to the Intercontinental Hotel which 1000 Places to Visit Before You Die says has “one of the most visibly stunning lobbies in the world”. After walking in I soon realized it isn’t the lobby that is impressive but the view. One side is completely glass with uninhibited views of the impressive Hong Kong skyline. Too bad it was misty outside, but I imagine on a clear day the view with be amazing.

I walked along the Avenue of the Stars, the Hollywood Boulevard of Chinese actors, which also has a great view of HK. I don’t know if it was the heat or jetlag, but as I began walking back I got hassled by one too many Indian salespeople and was very irritated and felt like I needed to immediately escape.

Mr. Chan has small hands

What's that? Do I see an oasis in the middle of HK?

It is called: The foot massage.

There was only one word to say: "Word."

My mind was instantaneously flooded with memories of Thailand where I got a foot massage on the side of the road for $2. Could this be the same? I was sold. I went straight inside.

The first thing I noticed was that I was not on the side of the road, but instead in a dimly lit, air conditioned, zen filled room that was decorated with dark stones, running water and soft music. I immediately assessed that the price for this foot massage was going to be nowhere near $2, but I didn’t care. I was in air conditioning and away from the pesky sales people. I was in heaven!

At Top Comfort foot massage at 45 Carnarvon Road, I was given a restaurant style menu of options to pick from. I immediately said I wanted just a foot massage. They had one for 50 minutes for 218 HK dollars (US $28). That was what I wanted. But wait – today’s special included a 10 minute foot soak, 15 minute neck and shoulder massage, and a 60 minute foot massage for only 358 HK dollars (US $46). I thought about that poor woman having to massage my smelly feet after I’d been walking all day in the pea soup outside. Done – I got the more expensive one.

Before we started they wanted me to get into some shorts so my legs would be exposed. The very nice Chinese man picked out one pair of shorts for me, but the little Chinese woman immediately put those back and dug around for the larger size. You know, for the fat American woman. I hung my head in shame, and shuffled into the bathroom to get changed.

The 10 minute foot soak was in one of those pedicure chairs that you find at any nail salon… except it was the super hero of all pedicure chairs! It had purple neon lights, heat, and massage balls that rolled into every crevice in your back. It was awesome. (I cannot believe I’m writing about the chair.)

But it gets better! The 15 minute neck and shoulder massage was on one of those standard sitting massage chairs at every mall or airport. But that woman massaged, poked nerve endings, and twisted me up like a pretzel in ways I didn’t even know I could move while in that chair. It was pure delight.

And then the foot massage. It wasn’t so much as a focus on the feet as it was the entire leg area. I’ve never had so much attention focused there, and it was absolutely divine.

I left there walking on water, feeling completely relaxed and did not even notice the crazy salespeople on the way home. I’m still basking in the relaxation now. I once had a psychic tell me that this time around on earth my soul is here to live the good life. I am beginning to believe that is true, and for that I am eternally grateful…

Check out those teeth! I wouldn't want to meet him under water!

Me promoting peace at the Paralympic games

I’ve been to a couple of places over the last few weeks to Hong Kong, China, and then Australia – I’ve had a mixture of business travel and some holiday as well. I have had lots adventures to write about, and will start with having the incredible opportunity to visit the Paralympics while in Beijing. It was a wonderful opportunity and such an amazing experience it nearly had me in tears a number of times.

China was hugely proud of sponsoring the Olympics and Paralympics in 2008, and it is easily seen across the city. Olympic flags line every street, enormous banner drape buildings, and huge statues are strategically placed all around the city. And as just about everyone on this earth knows, they spent millions upon millions of dollars on just the opening ceremony.

Beijing buildings show their Olympic pride

The Korean team was staying on our hotel, The Wenjin Hotel, which was fairly close to the Olympic complex. Our hotel housed a fancy Korean restaurant, which is why I think the Koreans chose it as their Paralympic headquarters. Throughout my week stay there, there were Korean Paralympic red carpet events and the Korean team wheeling around. I tried to get into some of the events, but they didn’t let me in. I don’t know how they could tell I wasn’t Korean.

But I was lucky enough to meet one of the Korean world champion’s while in the lobby with most of the Korean Paralympic planning team. They were very friendly and happy to get some pictures with some crazy red headed American.

Me and the Korean Paralympic Team

But seeing the Olympic complex for the first time takes your breath away. It is so grande that it would take one at least an entire day to wander through it all. I had not expected it to be that massive, with several uniquely architected buildings covering miles and miles of ground. In my mind, the complex only held the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube. No way… there are remarkable buildings in every direction as far as the eye can see. Each building held different sports arenas, from wheelchair tennis, to ping pong, to swimming, to running. The Bird’s Nest is HUGE and reminds me of the futuristic time travel machine out of the movie Contact. All of it was spectacular and the excitement in the air that was nearly palatable.

A small section of the Olympic complex

Chinese stick figure guarding the Olympic complex

The Water Cube

As you wander through the park, there is also an entire section of large tents dedicated to each of the provinces in China – 22 all said, I believe. They show the special things from each region and some of them were spectacular, showing painted caves and carvings, bright paintings, and interesting dances and traditions (like the frog dance, where people dress up and hop around like frogs – still not sure about that one).

And the tents cover was just a small area of the huge complex. There are other areas that had cool looking car displays, different sports clothing ads – oh, and the food for the champions was sponsored by none other than McDonalds. That’s right, only the best for our Olympians! We only offer the highest quality in nutrition and sustenance, starting with double Big Macs and supersized fries and ending with an extra large shake. The food courts were strategically located throughout the campus, and the one we went to was the largest McDonald’s I have ever seen in my life, with two floors – just for good measure – which were both bursting with people.

Olympic sized McDonalds

And I was fortunate enough to obtain tickets to a wheelchair basketball game where South Africa played Sweden. It was incredible – that is all I can say. And you feel so happy for the players – you just want all of them to win!! They are incredibly agile, racing expertly around the court (with wheelchairs that have up to 6 wheels). And the way they maneuver, not just when wheeling around, but when they fall over, and somehow manage to bounce right back up.

Sweden vs South Africa wheelchair basketball

But all too soon it was over. I could only stay a few hours because I had to catch (another) plane. No rest for the weary. I can tell you that it was an unbelievable experience and one I won’t easily forget.

Dawn - The Pilot

On my flight back to the USA from Australia I sat in the hump on a Boeing 747. Before we took off, I went to the toilet, which is located right near the cockpit on this aircraft. I poked my head in to say hello and they invited me to take a quick look around.

Apparently there are at least two of every button, and in some cases up to 4. Nice to know there are several backups! One of the pilots also mentioned that if one of the four engines were to go out we wouldn’t even know it in the back.

All the buttons

Upstairs in a 747

Luckily, we landed safely in the USA after 13 hours in the air. No backups needed, I hope.

Entrance to Oktoberfest

Some of you might remember that I try to make the yearly trek to Oktoberfest in Germany, and after missing Queen's Day in Amsterdam this year, I was going to make damn sure I didn’t miss going to Munich for the festivities.

Last year I tried to appear witty in my blog and write cutesy little anecdotes about Oktoberfest, but this year I’m just going to let the pictures show the story. After, it really is just a big beer drinking festival.

One thing that always perplexes people... why does Oktoberfest actually occur in September?

We weren't in our usual tent, Louwenbrau, but instead inside the Spaten tent. Which is awesome. Who doesn't love Spaten?

I heart Spaten

Inside the beer tent

The usual suspects were there, Markus, who lives in Munich, and his girlfriend Katrin, and then my good friends Marcell and his partner Irka also joined in from Hannover. A good time was had by all.

Markus & Katrin - Texas style

Irka and I

Good times, good friends, good atmosphere. What more could you ask for?

Our bill at Oktoberfest. Yes, those are all beers

After Oktoberfest, we always go and eat Haxen at a restaurant near Markus's house. I swear they have the best haxen I've ever eaten, and I've eaten my fair share of haxen.

Haxen with my absolute favorite, kartoffelknoedel

Good friends Markus, Marcell, and Irka tired at the end of a good night

Tiny needles I left in for several days

US Airways is cheap. And I don’t mean cool, inexpensive cheap, I mean cheap cheap, like Southwest Airlines or JetBlue. I am flying right now and did not realize that they have unfortunately gone the way of the low cost airlines who charge for absolutely everything, even water. I usually fly United Airlines, but in order to get a reasonable flight from Boston to Orlando (and by reasonable I mean less than $500) I decided to take fly of their partners. I don’t think I’ll be flying them again the foreseeable future. Luckily, most of my flying isn’t domestic, so this isn’t a huge concern.

But that isn’t what this entry is about.

I have a new favorite thing. And yes, it is one of those woowoo, tree hugging, spiritual activities, and I won’t make any excuses for that. I will just tell you, in my logical ESTJ way, why I’m hooked. You can think what you like.

I am a new fan of acupuncture. I have only gotten acupuncture one other time in this lifetime a few years ago I was having problems with one of my hips. It would begin to ache if I walked too long, and I’d have to sit down for a good while to let it recover before moving on. This became quite an ordeal living in A’dam where people walk absolutely everywhere. (But it did mean that I enjoyed the relaxing café lifestyle quite a bit.)

I went to a several doctors and no one could find any reason I was having these issues with my hip. As a last result I went to the acupuncturist not really expecting any real positive result. I received one treatment where he put a few needles in my hip for 20 minutes. All I can say is that I never have had the hip pain again, and that was over 2 years ago.

That experience, even though it was quite significant and changed my daily life, didn’t make me a convert. I never thought I had any reason to go back to an acupuncturist.

But when I was in A’dam a few weeks ago and I was deathly ill with a cold/flu, I felt like I’d give it another try when I just couldn’t knock my sickness. I was thinking about going to the normal doctor, but I figured they just tell me to eat more brown bread, so I decided to try the acupuncturist.

She was a likable enough character, looked very bohemian, was about my age, with an almost British accent which I take is from living with her Irish partner. I explained to her that I had a lot of congestion and had to get a on a plane the next day and didn’t want my head to explode, and could she do anything about that? And, while she was at it, I’ve been experiencing some insomnia and general anxiety from lack of sleep.

And then the needles went in – 4 or 5 in the crown on my head, 1 in my forehead, and about 5 in each arm and the same in each leg/foot. I laid there for about 30 minutes and then she said I should go home and surround myself with feelings of calmness and relaxation.

I promptly went to happy hour.

I may have written here that I cannot sleep on planes. And you might know by now that I fly internationally a lot and take plenty of red eyes to get to different locations. So not being able to sleep on planes can be quite an issue.

Well, the next day I got on a Lufthansa flight (EXCELLENT service, food, and seat recline!) to fly back to the USA, and instantly fell asleep. I know this might not sound like a big deal to you, but it was HUGE for me. It is probably the first time in 5 years that I’ve slept on a plane for any great length of time. I was in shock when I woke up. I decided that I really had to watch a movie (what a normally do all during flights) in order to make sure I’d be able to sleep when I got home that evening.

I watched about half of the movie and could not keep my eyes open!! I went back to sleep for a few more hours.

I was certain that my napping on the daytime flight would negatively affect my sleep that evening, especially given the insomnia I’d been experiencing. Each night I would get into bed and think about HOW to fall asleep, and lay awake for hours counting sheep or looking at the patterns my ceiling. But that evening I fell straight to sleep.

And I’ve slept every night since then. In fact, nighttime rolls around and I cannot keep my eyes open. And the only thing that has changed is the acupuncture. I don’t see any other logical explanation. I still travel a lot, have quite a bit of stress, and have a busy job. So, the result has been most surprising and wonderful. All I can do is smile!

I don’t know if acupuncture treatments “build” on each other, but I will be going back – soon. And I’m a convert. I heart acupuncture!

Burj al Arab

I avert my eyes when I’m here. I get stared at a lot. I guess red hair is something to look at when many women here wear burkas and in some cases are covered from head to toe, without even a slit for the eyes. Underneath all that, however, they seem to be wearing very hip outfits. I’m not sure how that all works.

The last time I was here in September 2007, it was god awful hot. It was like being blasted like a heater even in the shade. This time of year it is just wonderful, about 75 degrees (24 C). Absolutely wonderful, after freezing my butt off in Boston.

Cranes everywhere in 2007

This is a short trip, arriving after a 13 hour flight on Friday night, and flying back out again on Monday night. But enough time to realize that things are much different this time around. Last time, there were building cranes in every direction, as far as the eye could see. It was a city under construction, with a seemingly unending amount of money. This time, all that construction has stopped. They seem to have been affected by the economy just like everyone else.

I understand from a colleague that any building that isn’t at least 60% completed has been forced to stop construction all together. But they mustn’t leave the building looking like it isn’t completed or they get fined. And apparently, the expats aren’t fairing well either. There are rumors that when they cannot afford to live here anymore, they drive their fancy cars to the airport, leave an apology note, and fly out of the country abandoning their car and life here.

Last time I was here, I took in the luxurious side of Dubai, staying at the Medinat Jumeirah hotel, getting pampered and staying in a hotel room bigger than my apartment. This time I still stayed in a hotel that was bigger than my apartment (I don’t think smaller ones even exist), but it isn’t nearly as extravagant, and it is still pretty freakin' nice! I stayed at the BurJuman Rotana, which has a business tower and upscale mall attached. The mall was filled with places I couldn’t afford – Chanel, D&G, Fendi, Versace – and apparently neither could anyone else in Dubai. It was empty every time I walked through.

Living Room in the hotel

Bedroom at the hotel

Can someone explain how this work? Do you sit on the toilet then move to the bidet?

I did notice a place selling upscale burka’s there. I was dying to go in and see how much they cost, but thought they might be offended that some whitey was curious about that sort of thing. I have no interest in offending anyone, especially in a somewhat conservative Islamic country.

View of Burj Dubai

From the business tower, you have a great view of the Burj Dubai, the tallest building in the world. It is absolutely amazing looking, towering over all the other buildings and at least twice the height. It looks like something out of BladeRunner or The Fifth Element. It is supposed to be 160 floors when completed in September 09, but they claim to be hiding the details so they can keep adding to it if need be.

Nope, cannot navigate there!

Even though it is a modern city, you are reminded how conservative it can be all the time – by the way people dress, the juxtaposition of historic mosques against the tall buildings, and the inability to view websites that are used everyday by the typical American. There is a Prohibited Content Categories that outlines how you cannot view information on “Learning Criminal Skills” (like lock picking, stalking, buying pirated material), internet dating, illegal drugs, or porn. I don’t know what I was looking at when I got stopped, but it was something completely innocuous, and I am sure I was instantly turned into the government and won’t be granted access to Dubai the next time I attempt to visit!

The last time I came here it was Ramadan. It is difficult to find places to eat during the day or get a drink during that time, but since the Medinat Jumeirah is a luxury hotel with an attached upscale souk (market), bars were eventually found. This time, we happened to be here on Mohammed’s birthday. No kidding, there was not one place that served alcohol in the entire city (believe me – I feel like I called them all!)! After a long day of working with my co-workers, you’d understand why I wanted a drink! I cannot believe that I just happen to be here at times when you cannot get a drink. My co-worker and I are convinced that lack of alcohol is why there is so much stress in the Middle East. If they could have a drink and relax a bit, everything would be fine!

I’ve just arrived back in the USA. It was a 15 hour flight back, and we arrived almost an hour early in DC at 5:30AM. In DC, customs don’t open until 6AM, which means we had to sit on the plane and wait. Just excellent. Then when we got to customs, we discovered that the flight from Kuwait had arrived before us. I believe there were about 8.1 million people on the Kuwait plane waiting in the customs line. And – this is no joke – there was *1* custom’s officer to process all of us.

Forget this, I’m going back to Dubai!

At the Bar Dubai Souk

I was in Brazil most of last week, and pretty much the only part of Sao Paulo I saw was from a taxi. And that was only back and forth between work and the hotel. I was staying in what seemed the nicest part of town at the Renaissance Hotel so I did not get any real perspective on the town or the country.

City

in

every

direction

What I can say with some amount of confidence is that Sao Paulo ain’t no Rio de Janeiro. There is city, skyscrapers, and cars in every direction for as far as the eye can see. I was staying on the 22nd floor and literally couldn’t see a place not covered with concrete. I did not see the beautiful countryside and the charm that so many people rave about when they speak of Brazil.

It rained every afternoon. A lot. The first day we arrived there was a torrential rainstorm that afternoon, and it flooded many parts of the city and knocked out power in many places. Two days after the storm, there was still not any phone service at the hotel. I am not sure how we weren’t affected, because this video of it looks terrible.

It was also the first time in my professional career I worked with Latin men and for the first time felt like a second class citizen and that what I did held no value or interest to them. I’ve worked and lived in Europe and worked extensively in Asia, and never have I been treated like that. It was very dissatisfying and quite shocking, actually. I clearly need to read a book on the working culture of South America so I can get a handle on how to deal with this better.
I have looked forward to coming to Brazil for some time now, and I must say that I was disappointed. And I am saddened by that because I know it was just my experience – staying only in Sao Paulo and for a short of time – that makes me feel like this. I need to give it another chance. I will say, however, that for all the work travel I do, I always am pleasantly surprised by something in each place. I cannot necessarily say that in this case.

Enough of that.

Each of these was as tall as my leg

It wasn’t all work. We did go to a churrascaria restaurant one night called Fogo de Chao. It has locations in the USA too, but supposedly they aren’t nearly as good as the original one that we went to. Churrascaria is Portuguese for “eat an entire cow and then continue eating more”. I have never seen so much meat in my life – everywhere – and they bring it on whether or not you want it. I was absolutely stuffed when I left.

And this was when I was done!

I was really looking forward to Thursday night where we planned to go out and enjoy the fantastic nightlife. Everything you read about when it comes to Brazil is how hot the clubs and bars are. I was excited to check it out. It didn’t quite go as I had imagined.

First, we went to a private club where we apparently had a contact to get in. Not really. I don’t know if we did or not, but we ended up standing around while the guys negotiated with the door staff in Portuguese for about 30 minutes and never got anywhere.

Take two. We get to another club that looks promising from the outside. Chic, fashionable people on the outside. And it costs 60 real (~$25) to get in, so I figure this has got to be decent. But the music isn’t sounding so great from the outside…. I’m getting leery.

We get in. The club is called Disco. And the music they played? You guessed it. I really wish I could find a link so you could see this club. It literally looked like something out of the 70s (even the people!). In fact, they played videos of John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever on the screens. I think that was the most entertaining part of the club.

No one in the club was younger than 45, I kid you not. The average age was probably between 50 and 55. The people I was with didn’t seem to notice that (which is confusing to me, because they are all about my age), and got to dancing. I think the caparinias were affecting some more than others, that’s all I can think. Needless to say, by 2:30AM I got sick of watching Travolta reruns and decided to go.

That was pretty much my last sad image of Sao Paulo.

Must. Give. Brazil. Another. Chance.

Hong Kong skyline by day

Hong Kong skyline by night

I spent last week in Hong Kong. I have been there a few times before, but only on this trip did I feel like I really got to get to know the place and “get” why others love it so much. I really enjoyed this trip, especially taking in some of the local sights and activities.

On my first night here, I decided to eat at the sushi bar called Senzuru in the hotel because I was completely exhausted after sitting in economy class of the airplane for nearly 24 hours of travel. I can tell you, I was in a foul mood. And I thought a quick meal of delicious sushi would make me feel better before I crawled into bed.

When I had first walked into the hotel, every member of the hotel staff welcomed me on my short stint up to the registration desk. That continued when I got to the restaurant where I was welcomed by every member of the waitstaff upon arrival. And as I would get plate after plate of sushi delivered to my table, they would rearrange everything for me – down to my chopsticks – in order to accommodate all the dishes. I was absolutely amazed by the level of service. It was most noticeable to me when I lifted the last piece of sushi up with the chopsticks and even before I could insert it into my mouth, the plate was whisked away at an alarming speed. No pickled ginger for me!

That kind of service was evident throughout the trip. You can imagine my dismay when I got on the flight back to the USA and saw the American flight attendants whose idea of service amounts to them throwing a coke at me that I had just pay for!

Swine Flu information giving at airport

Closed water fountains

Asians also seem to be obsessed with the Swine Flu, as they should be. With so many people piled on top of each other they could so easily spread disease. As such, people with face masks are everywhere, hand sanitizer is in many public places, and there are signs everywhere encouraging people to wash their hands and protect themselves.

Disinfected carpet

In fact, in Hong Kong’s English newspaper, The Standard, they mentioned repeated that the threat of swine flu spreading was from the USA and that we have “lost control of the situation” and are “exporting the disease to the rest of the world”. Which seems to be true, at least there, because every case that has come to HK has been traced back to the USA. It does certainly seem that they are taking the situation more seriously there, with temperature tests when you arrive at the airport, a form you must fill out about your health, plastic covering anything that numerous people touch, and signage saying that carpets are disinfected every hour.

Lost in Translation

And one other thing that I got a kick out of. They had a story about a woman wanting to get a vanity plate reading ILVTOFU, because they thought that the meaning could be something different than just loving tofu. They also would not approve OBITEME, 2EROTIC and PASSGAS. Now those I can understand!

Oh, and just for fun, here's me starting my new career...

Karaoke singing

Anneke and I outside the absolutely fabulous restaurant

This weekend I decided to head off to NYC to visit with some great friends that I haven’t seen in ages. One was a guy friend whom I know from Amsterdam where we met in a gay bar. The other is my girlfriend, Anneke, that I know from work when we lived in DC, who lives in NYC now but only for one more week, when she will move back to DC. Make sense?

Anneke had asked if I wanted to get a massage at Yi Pak in Koreatown during my visit, and that sounded right up my alley. I’ve been traveling quite a bit and when I found out it were just over $100 for a 2 hour massage, I was sold. I wasn’t quite sure what I got myself into, however…. If you remember my Turkish bath experience you’ll understand where I’m going here….

We signed up for the two hour package, which included:

• Shower
• Steam Sauna
• Full Body Scrub (Exfoliating)
• Facial with Refreshing all natural cucumber pack
• Hair Washed and Rinse
• Finishing Rinse
• Dry Sauna
• Full body Massage

When we got there, we were asked to strip down to our birthday suits and put on one of their very fashionable paper thin robes. We were then shuffled into a completely tiled white room (no, really, completely tiled - floors, walls, and ceiling) that had showers on the walls, white plastic massage tables in the middle, and water around everywhere in buckets and tubs. This is a place that sees a lot of water.

As soon as we stepped into the room we were invited to take off the flimsy robe that we’d just put in (why did we even bother?), and get under one of the showers and wash off. They then had us go into a small room that housed a hot, humid sauna where we were to lie down on towels and sweat for the next 10 minutes or so. I must say that it felt very much like a full lifetime because it was so damn hot in there, especially as hot droplets rained down on you from the ceiling.

At the point of nearly losing unconsciousness, we were asked to step out into the big room by Korean ladies in very sexy bras and panties and asked to lie face down on the plastic massage tables in the middle of the tiled room. Trying to navigate onto this table is somewhat difficult given that it is soft plastic and we had a thin coating of slippery sweat on our bodies. Oh, and we were very naked, did I mention that? Any ideas of modesty fly pretty immediately out the window when you enter this place.

After getting a quick soaping by the woman it is then washed off by buckets and buckets of warm, relaxing water, and the “full body scrub (exfoliating)” begins. I was a little stunned when it first started, because I was sure that I was being “exfoliated” by a hard wire brush, but come to find out it was merely sandpaper she was using to sheer off the top layers on my skin. And she was a true professional! She not only scrubbed once, but at least 2 or 3 times over every nook and cranny of my body.

And that was only while I was lying on my stomach! After about 20 minutes on that stomach and getting sloshed all over with warm water (to wash away the layers of skin sluffed onto the table, no doubt), she had me turn to my side where the torture continued, but now on the more sensitive parts of my body, and with even more wild abandon! No rest for the weary, she made sure every area was scrubbed down several times. More water. After side #1, I had to flip to the other side, and then finally on my back, where I am sure my entire body was a bright red from being rubbed raw. (Anneke said I actually had welts on my back – I believe it!) You are completely soaked during all of this.

You then get a cucumber mask applied to your face. Now, this was interesting. Usually when you get a mask it is some kind of clay based mask or even a smooth mask that is applied to the face and left to dry. This mask was actually more like a cucumber salad, chunky and feeling like 2 or 3 crushed up cucumbers had been applied to your face. When she was applying it she had to do it in sections to get it to stick, and I could eventually feel clumps running down my face and falling onto the massage table. I must say, I was pretty hungry at this point and it smelled so good I was tempted to actually lick some of the chunks off my upper lip. I was able to contain myself, but only because I knew we were going to the absolutely fabulous French restaurant, La Grenouille, for dinner right after this.

Finally we are allowed to get off the table – again, very carefully – because you are so damn slippery and a little discombobulated from having your skin scrubbed off – and go under the shower. I swear, when the water spray hit my body it felt like needles piercing my skin.

After that, I went hopefully over to my robe to cover my lobster red, naked bruised and battered body, but was quickly swatted away to go sit in the dry sauna now. After sitting in there for 10 or 15 agonizing minutes and again becoming covered in sweat, I came out to finally be able to put on my robe. For about .5 seconds before I had to take it off again for the massage.

Ah the massage…. We are whisked into a dark “couples” room where our now clothed and somehow completely dry Korean ladies are there to dry us off. (At this point I’m wondering where I can get one of these women to help me during daily cleanings.) I am instructed to lie face down on the massage table and am expecting a very relaxing soft massage, after all, these ladies aren’t that big.

Well, first off, the moment the massage oil came in contact with the gaping welts on my back it hurt like all getout. And on top of that, this woman was up on the table and straddling me to put all her weight into crushing her elbows into every muscle on my back. Pure torture. And that was only on the first side!

By the end of it all, I was covered in massage oil and everything was sticking to me, and I had to get ready to go out to a fancy restaurant with my fresh raw red skin. Most embarrassing. But I must tell you, it was one of the most pleasurable things I’ve done in a long, long time. I would do it all the time if I lived in NYC (and had enough layers of skin to handle it). You end up with the smoothest, softest skin, and completely relaxed. I would highly recommend it, hands down.

I was later able to ask a guy friend who has been there if they got treated by woman in bras and panties. Yes. And did they get a happy ending? Apparently for the guys, they touch “sensitive” places and ask, “Is this okay?” before taking it to the next level. I’m just wondering why they don’t offer that service for the women? We deserve the same treatment as men!!

But the wonderful day didn’t end there. We immediately followed this up with some fine dining with friends at La Grenouille. I really wanted to go here because it had sweet breads and fois gras on the menu, two of my all time favorites.

It is rated as one of the top 10 restaurants in the city, and had impeccable service with servers running around the restaurants like ants, immediately taking your plate and refilling your glass. The food was phenomenal. I had the sweet breads to start, the duck as a main, and the chocolate soufflé for dessert. The portions were quite big for a fancy restaurant and I wasn't able to finish either my main or my dessert, which was a shame because it was totally delicious. The atmosphere was also nice, with everyone dressed up (jacket required) and a fancy and sophisticated art deco décor. It reminded me of the nice restaurants in Paris. Delightful end to a glorious day.

It was followed up last night by an impressive early morning lightning and thunderstorm. And that might be an understatement. I actually thought the storm was inside the house, it was so loud. It reminded me of the storm in Ghostbusters when they were about to encounter the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. It was ominous and scary, even for a grown adult. But I wouldn’t know anything about that. ;-)

It was great to see my friends in NYC and I appreciate Anneke's hospitality and letting me crash at her place. I cannot wait to go back!

Dracula biting me

The only thing I knew about Romania before I went there was the Dracula was from there. I got really excited to find out that one night we would have dinner at the Count Dracula Club, where you have dinner and Dracula himself makes an appearance for a short show.

Once arriving in Bucharest, you find out much more detail about Dracula – how his name was actually Vlad Tepes – or Vlad the Impaler – and that he had been a fearless and brutal ruler in the 1400’s. He had apparently spent several years as a teenager in a Turkish prisoner where he was tortured by unspeakable means. This led to him then showing them the same respect when they attacked Transylvania, and apparently staked them through the anus in such a way that it hit none of the vital organs and took the prisoners two excruciatingly long days to finally die. Meanwhile, he enjoyed having his lunch while watching them flail around. Not a pleasant thought.

That aside, the Romanians seem to think quite highly of him. He was the first leader ever able to actually fight off perpetrators and have them stay away. I don’t know, but the stake story alone would keep me as far away as possible.

Palace of the Parliment

But the respect they apparently have for Vlad does not translate over to their nearby neighbors, the Russians. The Romanians have nothing good to say about them at all, and in fact are quite negative towards them. The fact that their country was clearly torn apart at the hands of communism appears to play a large part in this. In the 1980’s, the communists led by Nicolae Ceausescu, leveled thousands of beautiful homes and buildings to put in large, communist style bloc apartment buildings. The most prominent of which is the Palace of the Parliament, which was built at the cost of razing 1/5 of the city. It is enormous, with 330,000 sq meters, and is the 2nd largest building in the world after the Pentagon. Additionally, Ceausescu starved his own people in order to pay off the debts of his country. He exported most of the agricultural and industrial products which caused a drastic shortage throughout the country. He had many grandiose schemes in mind that thankfully were never brought to fruition, but the results are still evident throughout Bucharest.

This is the back of the Palace of the Parliment - all looks well from the front, but unfinished behind

Places everywhere under construction

For example, we saw huge one story buildings that had been built solely for the intent of having the inhabitants go there for meals. There was not enough food so they wanted them to commune in one place. One of my peers who is the same age as me remembered that you could only get 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) of meat PER MONTH. It was also difficult to come by sugar and fruits. Sounds very much like how my dad describes the situation during WWII in England. The Romanians also had rations on electricity and TV was only broadcast for two hours a day. And this was just a few years ago! It makes me really grateful that I’ve never lived under these conditions, but also gives me the feeling that people today feel quite entitled and don’t understand real suffering.

Romanian countryside church

Romania still seems to be struggling with this dark history and there is no escaping the lingering effects: grey Communist style high rise apartments, third world type construction everywhere, and obvious poverty (stray dogs and gypsies). I was told by my co-workers that they have only really had the money to purchase cars since about 2000 (so THAT is why they drive like complete maniacs!) Much of the city is in bad repair and in need of a makeover. That said, the parts that weren’t destroyed during the war or during communist times are quite beautiful and there are some wonderfully amazing sites throughout the city – quaint Orthodox churches and sculpted historic buildings – of course, surrounded by poverty and litter. But if you look past it all, you see a city struggling to resuscitate itself, and can certainly see why it was once called the “Paris of the East”. It has an amazing amount to offer.

The lovely Mamaliguţă, a corn mush

The food, however, is not one of them. A typical meal consisted of starters that included fresh vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, green onion, for example) and a variety of cheeses. And then the main was well done, overcooked meat. And lots of it. On several occasions I was presented with wild boar, venison, and bear!!!! Usually we are worried about bears eating us, but not in Romania! They also have a traditional food called mamaliguţă, which is a cornmeal mush that is traditionally served topped with a very strong sheep’s cheese, and sometimes a homemade sour cream. If that description doesn’t turn you off, I don’t know what will. I made the mistake of ordering that as my meal once. I can tell you, it wasn’t good! I think I may have lost that 5 lbs I’ve been working on!

Historic Stavropoleos Church

Generally, though, I found my trip to be absolutely delightful. I would love to explore more of it, and discover more about the private, highly religious people who seem to be struggling to rebound from their past. I would definitely go again, to observe a cultural evolution occur before my eyes.

Watching life fly by

New horizons

Yesterday I got back from my two week vacation. Because I travel so much, I wanted to stay local, which meant stateside to me. I wanted to do absolutely nothing, not think about work, and just relax and catch up with good friends. I’d say I achieved that and more.

Stacy, Jimmy, and Bella on Catalina Island

I went to California to visit some of my peeps. I have some great friends there, including Jimmy and Stacy, and their new edition, Bella, who live in LA, as well as a host of others who are in the California area. I have been there many times, and felt like it would be a great place to fully relax and try to decompress.

Sweet Bella

And I learned a lot on this trip. I have never gone on a vacation with nothing planned, like… ever! I am the kind of person who takes a trip to some exotic location with a purpose and explores and immerses myself into the local culture. But since I travel so much for work – particularly this year – the last thing I wanted to do was any of that. I wanted to just sit. And relax. And listen. And talk. Lesson Learned: Everyone needs downtime, even a huge extrovert like me.

I also realized that I work A LOT. I know I visit many interesting locations, but I discovered that working is pretty much all I do. I saw that the people I visited have a healthy work life balance. Work life balance is something that I always thought I have (I do play hard when I’m not working), but seeing others lives helped me truly understand that I am nowhere near achieving it. Balance means that the scale is not heavily tilted in one direction, like it is for me. Just because I play hard doesn’t mean that I’m not working way more than I should be. Lesson Learned: I will begin tilting the work/life balance scale back to center starting now.

Steph and I in Pacifica

I also grasped just how important great friends are. I have always felt like I have the most wonderful friends – all over the world – but this trip sharpened that picture for me. I cannot begin to express how appreciative I am of all the people I visited while in CA (especially the ones I stayed with a long time – Stacy & Jimmy/Steph & Bry) and for all the lovely things we experienced together. We talked, laughed, cried, shared, relaxed – all together. It sounds corny, but we created memories that will last us a lifetime and I truly enjoyed every moment I spent with each person.

Soon into my trip I noticed that I was not just on a vacation, but on a baby-cation. Many of my friends have recently had kids (or are about to have them), so this was my opportunity to spend some quality time with the parents (and parents-to-be) and get to know the kids as well. It was wonderful getting to see there new lives and live it (for a little while) with them.

What I grasped is that it isn’t the things you do, but the experiences you have that are important. Every person I stayed with said the same thing, “My life has really changed now that I ______” (have a child, am pregnant, am working, fill in with whatever). I didn’t care about that – what was essential to me was spending time with my amazing friends. Therefore I didn’t mind doing whatever it was I was doing at the time. Be it: Spending time watching a toddler get excited over a puppy. Listening to a newborn wail. Talking about the adventures and craziness of pregnancy. I can honestly say that at that moment, I couldn’t imagine any other way I’d have wanted to spend my time.

So my biggest lessons learned: Remember to be present in the moment. And cherish your friends. I wouldn’t change anything about my trip. I experienced exactly what I wanted. And thanks to each of you who helped me have a fantastic vacation. You guys are what made it great!!