Honolulu International Airport, ladies restroom sign
Friday, October 8, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Doughnut Plant, NYC
Opted for the Carrot Cake since they don't make the sunflower seed doughnut anymore :-( (carrot cake is good though)
Monday, July 5, 2010
June Jury Duty
Well, okay, that may not be all I did in June. But when you get selected for Jury Duty Service that lasts 4 weeks, you're going to remember it. And although I am definitely not allowed to talk about the actual cases, I did find the experience not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Sure you have to deal with opinions (good, bad, and sometimes even silly and/or stupid), but that's life. Being downtown for 4 weeks straight did allow me to explore pockets of this city that I probably would have never really done.
I'll go into a bit more detail about my City Exploration on my NYC section of my travel blog, but for now let me just say that I never realized how close Soho, Chinatown, and the Courthouses were too each other. Made for some great walking and vietnamese sandwiches (I miss Bale).
Also in June, and also about eating, I not only had the chance to enjoy some "Japanese BBQ" with some colleagues, but who would have thought my cousin would like the exact same restaurant on the other side of this country. Yup, in one month I ate at Gyu-Kaku in NYC as well as Gyu-Kaky in California. I wonder if they have other locations I need to hit up. Their food is definitely good.
And just in case my mom is reading this, I have also had the chance to keep up with my runs in Central Park. I used to think that the sun in NYC was different from Hawaii and Guam because I couldn't really get dark in the summer over here. But now I think it was just because I hardly went outside. With all this time around the Central Park Reservoir, I'm not trying to figure out how to avoid these tank top tans.
So I know that June kinda looks like a slow month. But hey, living in NYC, you need to take it slow every so often.
And I almost forgot...although it did happen towards the end of May...I did have my mini MHS reunion with Tim and Mitchell in the LES. And here we are.
So until the next time...
[iz8p.blogspot.com]
I'll go into a bit more detail about my City Exploration on my NYC section of my travel blog, but for now let me just say that I never realized how close Soho, Chinatown, and the Courthouses were too each other. Made for some great walking and vietnamese sandwiches (I miss Bale).
Also in June, and also about eating, I not only had the chance to enjoy some "Japanese BBQ" with some colleagues, but who would have thought my cousin would like the exact same restaurant on the other side of this country. Yup, in one month I ate at Gyu-Kaku in NYC as well as Gyu-Kaky in California. I wonder if they have other locations I need to hit up. Their food is definitely good.
And just in case my mom is reading this, I have also had the chance to keep up with my runs in Central Park. I used to think that the sun in NYC was different from Hawaii and Guam because I couldn't really get dark in the summer over here. But now I think it was just because I hardly went outside. With all this time around the Central Park Reservoir, I'm not trying to figure out how to avoid these tank top tans.
So I know that June kinda looks like a slow month. But hey, living in NYC, you need to take it slow every so often.
And I almost forgot...although it did happen towards the end of May...I did have my mini MHS reunion with Tim and Mitchell in the LES. And here we are.
So until the next time...
[iz8p.blogspot.com]
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Stuff in May
So aside from a trip out West for work, all went pretty well in the NYC. I conquered a few dishes in the kitchen, and due to their success I started a new blog called "dirty dishes" to chronicle my triumphs in the kitchen. Feel free to subscribe to my feed or follow me on OnSugar. Most of the meals are a bit on the heavy side, but my favorite accomplishment was my terryaki chicken dish.
Other things that I found fun in May were 1) the start of my Central Park runs and 2) my first visit to The Highline.
I used to do a run now and then around the Central Park Reservoir, and at one point in time was able to complete the run without walking. I can no longer do that :-( but hopefully as I progress and make these runs more of the usual as opposed to the once in a while, I'll get back into the swing of things.
And The Highline? Well, I've been meaning to make a trip to check it out, and I finally did during Memorial Day weekend. And what a great day it was to walk The Highline. It was sunny, breezy, and just a great photo taking day. I have a few shots up on Flickr, but the real shots (real = taking on the dSLR) will be uploaded shortly.
Oh yeah, and the last bit of May news....I got pulled and selected for Jury Duty. Grand Jury Duty to be exact. I'll update everyone on how that went in my June post. Well, I'll update as best as I could, since of course everything that we actually did in Jury Duty is confidential. I guess if anything, you'll just hear all about how I discovered the Chinatown area during my Jury Duty service. Sounds fun already, right?
until the next time...
[iz8p.blogspot.com]
Other things that I found fun in May were 1) the start of my Central Park runs and 2) my first visit to The Highline.
I used to do a run now and then around the Central Park Reservoir, and at one point in time was able to complete the run without walking. I can no longer do that :-( but hopefully as I progress and make these runs more of the usual as opposed to the once in a while, I'll get back into the swing of things.
And The Highline? Well, I've been meaning to make a trip to check it out, and I finally did during Memorial Day weekend. And what a great day it was to walk The Highline. It was sunny, breezy, and just a great photo taking day. I have a few shots up on Flickr, but the real shots (real = taking on the dSLR) will be uploaded shortly.
Oh yeah, and the last bit of May news....I got pulled and selected for Jury Duty. Grand Jury Duty to be exact. I'll update everyone on how that went in my June post. Well, I'll update as best as I could, since of course everything that we actually did in Jury Duty is confidential. I guess if anything, you'll just hear all about how I discovered the Chinatown area during my Jury Duty service. Sounds fun already, right?
until the next time...
[iz8p.blogspot.com]
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Travels with Mom: Day 4, Last Day of London
To properly ensure we didn't miss anything in London, and also to make proper use of the 24-hour hop-on/hop-off bus tour, we woke up early to meet one of the first buses out in Leicester Square. We lucked out and got bus number 2, which brought us to the British Museum (the oldest museum in the world), and then made our way to Kensington Gardens to visit the palace where Queen Victoria and Princess Diana once lived.
From there we took the bus tour towards Westminster Abbey (we had to transfer to another bus), rushing to ensure we get there in time, Westminster Abbey closes at 130pm on Saturdays.
We just got there in time to enter and was it worth the morning rush. The church is not only huge, but there is a lot to see and hear - audio guides are free. I didn't get a chance to go through the Cloisters, but I can only imagine seeing Julie Andrews' as "Maria" and the nuns doing their "How d you solve a problem like Maria" number.
Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel to take a final look at the surroundings and to say farewell to Regent Street. I got a chance to finally go into a Boots store (think Duane Reade/Long Drugs of the UK). But I really do heart their stuff. The only place you can get Boots skincare is at Target, and they don't carry half the things I saw when I was in London.
[iz8p.blogspot.com]
From there we took the bus tour towards Westminster Abbey (we had to transfer to another bus), rushing to ensure we get there in time, Westminster Abbey closes at 130pm on Saturdays.
We just got there in time to enter and was it worth the morning rush. The church is not only huge, but there is a lot to see and hear - audio guides are free. I didn't get a chance to go through the Cloisters, but I can only imagine seeing Julie Andrews' as "Maria" and the nuns doing their "How d you solve a problem like Maria" number.
Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel to take a final look at the surroundings and to say farewell to Regent Street. I got a chance to finally go into a Boots store (think Duane Reade/Long Drugs of the UK). But I really do heart their stuff. The only place you can get Boots skincare is at Target, and they don't carry half the things I saw when I was in London.
[iz8p.blogspot.com]
Friday, April 16, 2010
Travels with Mom: London, Day 3
So yesterday there was a major volcanic eruption in Iceland which has affected travel particularly heavily in London as the volcanic ash is rendering all flights cancelled. Sigh. This is what I get for not booking our EuroStar tickets when we should have, because now there are no open reservations from London to Paris on the Eurostar. Yuck!
But aside from that...day 3 was pretty fun. We woke up to bring ourselves to a ~2 mile walk from Trafalgar Square all the way to the Tower of London, walking through the actual City of London. We got a chance to see quite a good number of sites that included the The Temple Bar Monument (marking the border between the City of Westminster and the City of London), the Temple Church (think Dan Brown), St. Paul's Cathedral, "The Monument", and views of the Tower Bridge (so much more magnificent than the London Bridge).
When we got to the Tower of London, we were given a tip to go straight to see the Crown Jewels first, to avoid any additional long lines. And good thing we did, as when we got out from seeing the jewels, that line was already out the door and growing.
Making sure we didn't miss any other sites since we only had 1 day left in London (maybe, sigh on this volcanic ash), we decided to do one of the Sightseeing Tour buses. Although we did have the option to hop on and off, we only did so when it was time to get off to look for dinner. Other than that, this tour was well worth what we paid as it broght us to all other sites all on one sitting. It would have been worth more than we paid if we got on earlier, since the ticket lasts 24 hrs and this bus company provides various routes as part of the ride, you could easily see all of London on of these double decker buses. I wish we had more time on it, but we got on a little too late in the day.
Dinner found us in a particularly interesting cafe, located in the cypt area (sort of...I think) of st. Martin-in-the-Fields. It was a recommendation from the Rick Steves travel guides as an expensive place to eat good food..and he was right. I'm definitely going to keep on looking at his dining recommendations.
Got this well balanced dish for 7 pounds.
[iz8p.blogspost.com]
But aside from that...day 3 was pretty fun. We woke up to bring ourselves to a ~2 mile walk from Trafalgar Square all the way to the Tower of London, walking through the actual City of London. We got a chance to see quite a good number of sites that included the The Temple Bar Monument (marking the border between the City of Westminster and the City of London), the Temple Church (think Dan Brown), St. Paul's Cathedral, "The Monument", and views of the Tower Bridge (so much more magnificent than the London Bridge).
When we got to the Tower of London, we were given a tip to go straight to see the Crown Jewels first, to avoid any additional long lines. And good thing we did, as when we got out from seeing the jewels, that line was already out the door and growing.
Making sure we didn't miss any other sites since we only had 1 day left in London (maybe, sigh on this volcanic ash), we decided to do one of the Sightseeing Tour buses. Although we did have the option to hop on and off, we only did so when it was time to get off to look for dinner. Other than that, this tour was well worth what we paid as it broght us to all other sites all on one sitting. It would have been worth more than we paid if we got on earlier, since the ticket lasts 24 hrs and this bus company provides various routes as part of the ride, you could easily see all of London on of these double decker buses. I wish we had more time on it, but we got on a little too late in the day.
Dinner found us in a particularly interesting cafe, located in the cypt area (sort of...I think) of st. Martin-in-the-Fields. It was a recommendation from the Rick Steves travel guides as an expensive place to eat good food..and he was right. I'm definitely going to keep on looking at his dining recommendations.
Got this well balanced dish for 7 pounds.
[iz8p.blogspost.com]
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Travels with Mom: London/Canterbury Day 2
Day 2 took us out of London to canterbury, and then back again. My mom wanted to visit the Canterbury Cathedral, despite the 1.5 hrs of travel to this town outside of London. So off we went on the Southern railway headed to Canterbury.
Once there I soon realized that not only is this a place for the devout and religious, but it's also one major shopping area for teens, tweens, and anyone elswhere and in between. With a shopping area called the Whitefriars, there are back to back to back stores for shopping.
Trying to keep the trip short (we had a lot of other things to check out back in London), we headed straight to the Cathedral and then planned to stop over to see the Greyfriars (one of the oldest buildings built by the Franciscans), and then quickly check out the Canterbury Tales. And although we did stick to the plan, we still didn't make our first train because the Cathedral was a lot more magnificent than we had anticipated.
But, due to the slight delay heading back to London, we did get a chance to grab a bite to eat, and Fish & Chips it was. And it was pretty darn tasty. And filling. We could have easily shared one order.
Back in London we were able to walk all abouts starting through Green Park to the Buckingham Palace, then through St. James Park to Parliament Square (where Westminster Abbey, the Parliament Houses, and Big Ben are), then across the river to hop on the London Eye. Even typing it makes it sound like a long walk. And it definitely was.
We had an ambitious agenda to walk up Whitehall street as well, but my feet just couldn't do it anymore, and we tabled that for the next day.
[iz8p.blogspot.com]
Once there I soon realized that not only is this a place for the devout and religious, but it's also one major shopping area for teens, tweens, and anyone elswhere and in between. With a shopping area called the Whitefriars, there are back to back to back stores for shopping.
Trying to keep the trip short (we had a lot of other things to check out back in London), we headed straight to the Cathedral and then planned to stop over to see the Greyfriars (one of the oldest buildings built by the Franciscans), and then quickly check out the Canterbury Tales. And although we did stick to the plan, we still didn't make our first train because the Cathedral was a lot more magnificent than we had anticipated.
But, due to the slight delay heading back to London, we did get a chance to grab a bite to eat, and Fish & Chips it was. And it was pretty darn tasty. And filling. We could have easily shared one order.
Back in London we were able to walk all abouts starting through Green Park to the Buckingham Palace, then through St. James Park to Parliament Square (where Westminster Abbey, the Parliament Houses, and Big Ben are), then across the river to hop on the London Eye. Even typing it makes it sound like a long walk. And it definitely was.
We had an ambitious agenda to walk up Whitehall street as well, but my feet just couldn't do it anymore, and we tabled that for the next day.
[iz8p.blogspot.com]
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Travels with Mom: Day 1, London
So we got to Heathrow just fine...that is until we reached Immigration, Customs, Border Patrol...whatever you want to call it. Was that line long. I guess it helped make sure that the luggage was on the carousel when we got out, but really...that was one long line. So long that the hotel and cab company had to call to make sure we landed and were still at Heathrow.
The drive to the hotel wasn't too long, but it definitely wasn't short. It did allow us to see various sides of London, and I guess just like any major city, the part closest to the airport just isn't a part that I'd make an effort to visit.
After freshening up, it was time to explore our neighborhood, at least to get a bearing of what's around us. And what we found was pretty surprising. Our hotel is right off of Regent Street, which meant quite a good number of shops to keep us company. Walking further South brought us to Picadally Circus, and walking East (I believe) brought us through Leicester Square, Covent Garden, The Palace Theatre, and then back around to go through Chinatown and then up Carnaby Street back to the hotel. Lots, lots, LOTS, of walking.
Pretty good though as we had quite an agenda ahead of us.
A few key things I realized from Day 1...there are a good number of places within walking distance from us. Maybe not entirely an easy walk, but still walking distance. Covent Garden is NOT a garden, so don't go looking for one. Look for some entertainers, a restaurant and signs about a Produce Marketing instead. Finding St. Paul's Church will also help you, since it's right alongside of Covent Garden.
Off Leicester Square
Picadailly Circus
[iz8p.blogspot.com]
The drive to the hotel wasn't too long, but it definitely wasn't short. It did allow us to see various sides of London, and I guess just like any major city, the part closest to the airport just isn't a part that I'd make an effort to visit.
The hotel was actually quite nice, and our concierge was very helpful...I think I'll right a note to the hotel (that's how helpfule he was). In true European fashion, the beds were definitely small...twin size, but the room itself was pretty decent. Practically matching the size of a standard American hotel, though, we did stay at a Doubletree so maybe that had something to do with it.
After freshening up, it was time to explore our neighborhood, at least to get a bearing of what's around us. And what we found was pretty surprising. Our hotel is right off of Regent Street, which meant quite a good number of shops to keep us company. Walking further South brought us to Picadally Circus, and walking East (I believe) brought us through Leicester Square, Covent Garden, The Palace Theatre, and then back around to go through Chinatown and then up Carnaby Street back to the hotel. Lots, lots, LOTS, of walking.
Pretty good though as we had quite an agenda ahead of us.
A few key things I realized from Day 1...there are a good number of places within walking distance from us. Maybe not entirely an easy walk, but still walking distance. Covent Garden is NOT a garden, so don't go looking for one. Look for some entertainers, a restaurant and signs about a Produce Marketing instead. Finding St. Paul's Church will also help you, since it's right alongside of Covent Garden.
Off Leicester Square
Picadailly Circus
[iz8p.blogspot.com]
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Mom in the City - Day 3
Another full day with Mom & Co galavanting the city on their own, but today they went on the Hop On/Hop Off double decker tourist buses. Yes, completely touristy, but I actually find them a good way for tourist to get a nice tour of the city. Plus, the day was great and I wouldn't have to worry about them getting lost.
I had planned to meet them for dinner to take them to Junior's for a quick bite, and most importantly for some New York cheesecake, but car issues prevented me from making it to dinner with them. At least I made it back into the city to go through Macy's with them (particularly to show them the Macy's Flower Show".
And most importantly, on time to meet them to see Billy Elliott.
I never really knew how popular this show was until I saw how crowded the theatre was, and also explained why our seats were not the best. Now I truly understand what "Partial view" means. But overall, we still had fairly decent seats (they weren't too far back) and I'd like to think everyone enjoyed themselves.
After all, the show was pretty fantastic.
I had planned to meet them for dinner to take them to Junior's for a quick bite, and most importantly for some New York cheesecake, but car issues prevented me from making it to dinner with them. At least I made it back into the city to go through Macy's with them (particularly to show them the Macy's Flower Show".
And most importantly, on time to meet them to see Billy Elliott.
I never really knew how popular this show was until I saw how crowded the theatre was, and also explained why our seats were not the best. Now I truly understand what "Partial view" means. But overall, we still had fairly decent seats (they weren't too far back) and I'd like to think everyone enjoyed themselves.
After all, the show was pretty fantastic.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Mom in the City - Day 2
A bit backlogged, but I was able to convince my mom to do what I deem the 5th Avenue stroll while I got in some work in the morning. I always find a stroll along 5th Avenue a good tourist attraction/distraction as you hit a lot of major sites like St. Patrick's church, Rockefeller Center, and all those stores.
When their walk was done, I met my mom and her peeps at The Plaza hotel for some high afternoon tea. It was quite the experience, (I'll Yelp about it soon.) and my mom enjoyed it so much, that she went on to have 2 teapots of The Plaza black tea.
Afterwards it was on to the West Village for some Italian food at Morandi.
It was quite a dining experience as I personally didn't like where we were seated (will have to update my last Yelp review), but being seated so close to the bread cutting station served as a source of entertainment for the diners. I mean, there was quite a lot of bread and the restaurant was so busy (even for a Wednesday evening) that there was non-stopping bread cutting going on.
My mom and her friends were getting a bit tired after such a long long day of walking, so they turned it in right after dinner, with no dessert from Cones for them. Too bad, I thought they would have really enjoyed it.
[iza on blogger]
When their walk was done, I met my mom and her peeps at The Plaza hotel for some high afternoon tea. It was quite the experience, (I'll Yelp about it soon.) and my mom enjoyed it so much, that she went on to have 2 teapots of The Plaza black tea.
Afterwards it was on to the West Village for some Italian food at Morandi.
It was quite a dining experience as I personally didn't like where we were seated (will have to update my last Yelp review), but being seated so close to the bread cutting station served as a source of entertainment for the diners. I mean, there was quite a lot of bread and the restaurant was so busy (even for a Wednesday evening) that there was non-stopping bread cutting going on.
My mom and her friends were getting a bit tired after such a long long day of walking, so they turned it in right after dinner, with no dessert from Cones for them. Too bad, I thought they would have really enjoyed it.
[iza on blogger]
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Mom in the City - Day 1
Mom's in the city. Woo hoo!
Well, she's gallavanting the city with her BFF as I finish up some work for the week prior to the larger trip across the pond. But today, she came in Shel, Baby Lucas, and I went to get her and her BFF at Newark. First part of the day was just getting to the airport, which wasn't so bad. We were pretty much on-time with their flight arrival schedule, but still a little too early considering my mom's luggage didn't want to come off the plane and Shelly and Baby Lucas had to circle the airport a few times.
Once in the city the hotel room wasn't ready, and sadly, it wasn't even the room of choice. Apparently Hilton decided to overbook on their 2-bed rooms, but at least they were able to give my mom a high floor...so my mom wasn't forced to stare directly into her neighbors windows. She can just look down on them.
We had lunch at Shilla in Korea town, since it was a quick walk from the hotel while the room was getting ready. And despite the numerous plates you see here, this didn't include the actual barbecue beef and chicken. Yum, yum, yum.
After going back to the hotel to officially unpack, I took the ladies downtown as my mom wanted to shop at Century 21. We briefly stopped by St. Paul's Chapel so my mom can go in and start her side trip of "Tour de la NYC churches", and then found a few deals at Century 21.
To end the evening, we had a decent dinner at Mesa Grill, though I was hoping for something better :-(
All in all though, I came home exhausted and ready to finish up the day with some work emails and documents to get out. Day 2 they are on their own for the first half of the day...as they make their way through 5th Avenue shoping.
Well, she's gallavanting the city with her BFF as I finish up some work for the week prior to the larger trip across the pond. But today, she came in Shel, Baby Lucas, and I went to get her and her BFF at Newark. First part of the day was just getting to the airport, which wasn't so bad. We were pretty much on-time with their flight arrival schedule, but still a little too early considering my mom's luggage didn't want to come off the plane and Shelly and Baby Lucas had to circle the airport a few times.
Once in the city the hotel room wasn't ready, and sadly, it wasn't even the room of choice. Apparently Hilton decided to overbook on their 2-bed rooms, but at least they were able to give my mom a high floor...so my mom wasn't forced to stare directly into her neighbors windows. She can just look down on them.
We had lunch at Shilla in Korea town, since it was a quick walk from the hotel while the room was getting ready. And despite the numerous plates you see here, this didn't include the actual barbecue beef and chicken. Yum, yum, yum.
After going back to the hotel to officially unpack, I took the ladies downtown as my mom wanted to shop at Century 21. We briefly stopped by St. Paul's Chapel so my mom can go in and start her side trip of "Tour de la NYC churches", and then found a few deals at Century 21.
To end the evening, we had a decent dinner at Mesa Grill, though I was hoping for something better :-(
All in all though, I came home exhausted and ready to finish up the day with some work emails and documents to get out. Day 2 they are on their own for the first half of the day...as they make their way through 5th Avenue shoping.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
November Updates
This year is so quickly coming to an end. I'm finding it a little hard trying to remember what I did in November, let alone keep y'all updated on a monthly basis. Sigh.
I'll definitely give it a shot though.
Generally speaking, lots went on during November, but that primarily had to do with my work project. That's one thing to give thanks for....my work project has been launched. Phew. Aside from that, November found me hanging out with long-time friends in New York and coworkers in Chicago.
Adj came to town and only having one night of a mini-MHS reunion, we took in some authentic New York Cheesecake at Junior's with Mitchell and Jonelle (c/o 96). We even took in a comedy show in Times Square...my first actually in New York. It was overall a pretty good evening.
I went to Chicago to help with a work event at the Chicago Lights Festival, which consisted of varous day festivities...which was where I lended a helping hand...and culminating with an evening parade. Obviously, this being my first, I was told this annual parade was where Mickey (yes, the Mouse) would come down a somewhat dark Magnificent Mile, and as he pointed at the various buildings, the lights would turn on. Kinda Fantasia like...and hence the name the "Lights Festival".
I honestly was a bit concerned about November in Chicago being a bit too cold for me, but thankfully Chicago was also hit with some non-standard November temperatures, and all was well with me and my fleece jacket and scarf.
Other than that, all was well and did the usual while back in NYC.
Until the next time....
[iza on blogger]
For more on Chicago, check out my Chicago Yelp list here.
For general November Yelp Reviews, visit my Yelp page.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Happy Birthday Grandma.
This is my grandma. And one of her sisters. I adoringly call them the smoker (my grandma) and the drunk. But again, with affection and love. I...we miss her. My grandma that is. She would have been 81 today (I hope I got her age right).
Did I mentin they are pretty hard core?
Happy birthday. We miss you.
Did I mentin they are pretty hard core?
Sunday, November 8, 2009
My Xmas/Bday Wish List...as of 11/29 :-D
Cause family and friends continue to believe that I am hard to shop for...here is my annual Xmas/Bday wish list. Hope it helps....I've even provided pictures :-)
Please note....list subject to change ;-)
Please note....list subject to change ;-)
- Coach Turnlock Valet Keyfob, White $48 - Style 92529
- BuiltNYC Market Tote, Nolita Strieb/Aruba Blue $40
- Flight 001 Go Clean Shoes bag, Navy $20
- Silicone Brownie Squares (this one's on Amazon.com), $9.99 (BOUGHT)
- PreCut Brownie Pan Set (this one is listed on Amazon.com), $29.98
- Silicon Square Savarin with Cavity (this one's on Amazon.com), Red $21.95
- And if all else fails.....a Visa/MasterCard/Amex gift card will suffice :-)
Happy Belated Halloween ;-)
Usually October is all about Halloween, costumes, and candy....but sad to say I didn't partake in any of those activities. I just found myself hanging out in San Diego, getting lost in Jersey, and enjoying more of New York's dining finest.
So work brought me out to San Diego on a really last minute trip to help out at one of our usual trade shows. Despite being a demo monkey for 3 days and partaking in mediocre food for those same 3 days, I did get a chance to hang out with my friend Camille. It's been a while, and again, though the food was kind of blah, we did have fun ourselves. Her little boy is such the talker, but really fun to be around.
One of the very few places I did enjoy while in San Diego (actually it was the only place) was Confidential.
And yes, that is the name of the place....because I original thought the name was a secret so people were just saying it's confidential. Yeah, a blonde moment for me on that one.
Back in New York, my mom had a brief overnight layover from her trip from Rome. So I decided to take her to see little Baby Lucas and the Tingler clan...as well as to treat her to some rice and filipino food. Since they don't serve rice in Rome, and after 3 weeks, her entire travel group had built a craving. And despite getting lost getting to her hotel by Newark airport, we made it to the Tinglers ready to say hi to Baby Lucase. Just not sure he was ready for my mom.
And to end the month, I did have a memorable dinner at Sfoglia....part of the memories is that I had to make this reservation like 6 weeks in advance, so of course the thought is that it better be that good. And it was. Phew. We did discover a good white organic wine, that I now need to hunt down in Whole Foods or something.
until the next time......
[iz8p on blogger]
For more on other spots I visited while in San Diego, check out my San Diego Yelp list here.
Or to just read more on the places I've reviewed, check me out on Yelp.
For more pics, check out my photo site, www.meakika.com
So work brought me out to San Diego on a really last minute trip to help out at one of our usual trade shows. Despite being a demo monkey for 3 days and partaking in mediocre food for those same 3 days, I did get a chance to hang out with my friend Camille. It's been a while, and again, though the food was kind of blah, we did have fun ourselves. Her little boy is such the talker, but really fun to be around.
One of the very few places I did enjoy while in San Diego (actually it was the only place) was Confidential.
And yes, that is the name of the place....because I original thought the name was a secret so people were just saying it's confidential. Yeah, a blonde moment for me on that one.
Back in New York, my mom had a brief overnight layover from her trip from Rome. So I decided to take her to see little Baby Lucas and the Tingler clan...as well as to treat her to some rice and filipino food. Since they don't serve rice in Rome, and after 3 weeks, her entire travel group had built a craving. And despite getting lost getting to her hotel by Newark airport, we made it to the Tinglers ready to say hi to Baby Lucase. Just not sure he was ready for my mom.
And to end the month, I did have a memorable dinner at Sfoglia....part of the memories is that I had to make this reservation like 6 weeks in advance, so of course the thought is that it better be that good. And it was. Phew. We did discover a good white organic wine, that I now need to hunt down in Whole Foods or something.
Oh yeah, and I got a chance to see Jersey Boys at the Wilson Theatre. Fantastic Show! Despite feeling like the youngest ones there (we caught a Thursday show and it felt like night of the old people) AND sitting next to a woman who really needed 2 seats for herself not one (i'm talking body spillage onto me and my personal space), the show was entertaining enough to tune her out.
But really, not being mean or anything....if you know you can't comfortably sit in a center row seat, please know the person next to you won't be comfortable either, so just do yourself and everyone else a favor and sit by the aisle. Those are my words of wisdom for October.
But really, not being mean or anything....if you know you can't comfortably sit in a center row seat, please know the person next to you won't be comfortable either, so just do yourself and everyone else a favor and sit by the aisle. Those are my words of wisdom for October.
until the next time......
[iz8p on blogger]
For more on other spots I visited while in San Diego, check out my San Diego Yelp list here.
Or to just read more on the places I've reviewed, check me out on Yelp.
For more pics, check out my photo site, www.meakika.com
Friday, October 9, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
All Things DC
Planning a trip to our Nation's capitol from New York doesn't require too much planning, but knowing where you want to go and what you want to see within a 2 day (weekend) time frame is definitely key to ensuring you won't miss out on anything.
The general plan: Take the Greyhound bus. Check out some museums. Get a cupcake at Baked & Wired. Head back to NYC with a new-found appreciation for the Nation's capitol.
This is how it really went down....
The Greyhound bus ride was longer than anticipated. I mean about almost 2 hours longer. I understand that it was Friday and we hit traffic and rain...but really? We left NYC on the 12noon bus and got to the hotel at about 7pm. It also didn't help that in the dead of summer, we conveniently caught the bus who's bus driver either despised air conditioning...or the A/C just wasn't working.
We stayed at the Renaissance Washington Hotel, which wasn't too far from most of the places we wanted to (ended up seeing). The location of the hotel was great as it was merely blocks from Chinatown and a good number of restaurants, and a nice walk to the museums and Capitol Hill. Since we got there later than anticipated we opted for some dinner at the Rosa Mexicana's and then rested up for a long day ahead.
Day 1 (or Saturday) was actually pretty filled since we were catching a 2pm bus back to NYC on Sunday. So we opted for a morning self-tour of our 3 museums of choice, followed by a Segway Tour of the rest of the city and its major sites.
The Air & Space Museum was the primary museum visit for the trip, which is why we went there first. Despite arriving there a few minutes before opening hour, there was still a good number of people there. Thank goodness the museum was pretty big that you couldn't really tell how many people were waiting outside.
The same could also be said about the National Museum of American History. You will notice a wait at the President's Wives exhibit (where they show you the ball gowns) and the pop culture exhibit...it took me a while to realize I was staring at Dorothy's ruby red slippers even as I stood in the line. I did think it was pretty cool to have seen the original Abe Lincoln top hat.
I thought the International Spy Museum would have been fun...but I stand corrected. Particularly since you had to pay...it wasn't worth the hype. Not at all.
What I would highly recommend though, is the City Segway Tours. Even with what some may deem as a hefty price tag of $70, it's well worth it. It definitely covers a lot more tourist ground in 3 hours than one could do it on foot...and it's extremely fun. They don't go to the Lincoln Memorial though...to which I would recommend you go at night anyway. Lincoln just looks more majestic and regal at night.
Sunday morning allowed me to take a cab to the deeply awaited Baked & Wired cafe.....though I can't say I went there for the coffee. The strawberry cake cupcake was definitely worth waiting for.
Blogging about it right now makes me want to go back for more. I think on my next visit back to DC, we'll head to go old Georgetown.
For more of my thoughts and reviews on All things DC, check out my DC list on Yelp.
For a full view of the our segway route, click here and here. :-)
[iza on blogspot]
The general plan: Take the Greyhound bus. Check out some museums. Get a cupcake at Baked & Wired. Head back to NYC with a new-found appreciation for the Nation's capitol.
This is how it really went down....
The Greyhound bus ride was longer than anticipated. I mean about almost 2 hours longer. I understand that it was Friday and we hit traffic and rain...but really? We left NYC on the 12noon bus and got to the hotel at about 7pm. It also didn't help that in the dead of summer, we conveniently caught the bus who's bus driver either despised air conditioning...or the A/C just wasn't working.
We stayed at the Renaissance Washington Hotel, which wasn't too far from most of the places we wanted to (ended up seeing). The location of the hotel was great as it was merely blocks from Chinatown and a good number of restaurants, and a nice walk to the museums and Capitol Hill. Since we got there later than anticipated we opted for some dinner at the Rosa Mexicana's and then rested up for a long day ahead.
Day 1 (or Saturday) was actually pretty filled since we were catching a 2pm bus back to NYC on Sunday. So we opted for a morning self-tour of our 3 museums of choice, followed by a Segway Tour of the rest of the city and its major sites.
The Air & Space Museum was the primary museum visit for the trip, which is why we went there first. Despite arriving there a few minutes before opening hour, there was still a good number of people there. Thank goodness the museum was pretty big that you couldn't really tell how many people were waiting outside.
The same could also be said about the National Museum of American History. You will notice a wait at the President's Wives exhibit (where they show you the ball gowns) and the pop culture exhibit...it took me a while to realize I was staring at Dorothy's ruby red slippers even as I stood in the line. I did think it was pretty cool to have seen the original Abe Lincoln top hat.
I thought the International Spy Museum would have been fun...but I stand corrected. Particularly since you had to pay...it wasn't worth the hype. Not at all.
What I would highly recommend though, is the City Segway Tours. Even with what some may deem as a hefty price tag of $70, it's well worth it. It definitely covers a lot more tourist ground in 3 hours than one could do it on foot...and it's extremely fun. They don't go to the Lincoln Memorial though...to which I would recommend you go at night anyway. Lincoln just looks more majestic and regal at night.
Sunday morning allowed me to take a cab to the deeply awaited Baked & Wired cafe.....though I can't say I went there for the coffee. The strawberry cake cupcake was definitely worth waiting for.
Blogging about it right now makes me want to go back for more. I think on my next visit back to DC, we'll head to go old Georgetown.
For more of my thoughts and reviews on All things DC, check out my DC list on Yelp.
For a full view of the our segway route, click here and here. :-)
[iza on blogspot]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)