Romanticize My Life

I met this cool dude Ross when I was in New York this past August. He is good friends with Flowerhead. He posted a couple of pics I took on the trip to Montauk on his blog that he share's with some other folks. This was taken at the Memory Motel which inspired a Rolling Stones song. This one was taken on the hammock behind our hotel. Please follow Romanticize My Life.

Watch a movie, take a dump, and you're home

Pastry School

I went for a little informative meeting at International Culinary School at the Art Institutes the other day and ended up registering. I started today. This morning at 7am was my very first class. There was no wasting time. We got the beginners course (pun not intended) on stocks. I have made stock before from left over turkey carcass, but I had no idea of the precise technique and procedure. I guess my adventure begins. On Wednesday I have my first actual cooking class in the kitchen.

Best Music Video EVER! OK, this ones for real.

It's hard to believe the same people that introduced me to Jan Terri followed her up with this. This is utterly fantastic. I was told I would not be able to get Jan Terri out of my head. No! It is this I cannot get out of my head.

VIA: Frazier and Nose

Best Music Video EVER!

The vintage UA at the end is just the icing on the cake of this little honey of a video. I heart you Jan Terri!

VIA: Frazier and Nose

The Longest Way 1.0

This guy's hair grows really slow!

Congratulations Ellen & Brian

I was just looking through the pictures I took at the wedding; oddly none of them are a closeup of the bride and groom. I do, however, have pictures of everyone's shoes.

It was quite an interesting adventure. The wedding was in Vail. Gail, Matt & I headed up Thursday. We were invited to the rehearsal dinner, but after a dress crisis involving scissors borrowed from the front desk to remove said dress we decided to stay in. The hotel bar was debuting their new fruity sparkling wine cocktail for 50% off, so being that we are in a recession we drank fruity sparkling wine cocktails all night. Vail is at 8,000 feet versus Denver which is at 5,280. Believe it or not 2,720 goes right to your head, or we are just a bunch of fruity cocktail drinking lightweights. Around 11pm the wedding party showed up. I tried to set one of Brian's friends up with Gail, but there was some disconnect.

The next morning I awoke to another crisis. This time someone had drank one of Gail's contact lenses. There was lots of shouting and finger pointing. In the end we do believe she drank her own contact lense, but we may never find out. I suggested that she wear her glasses, but she gave me a very stern look like I had just poured sugar in her gas tank. There was Gail, running around Vail, with one fracken contact lense. She was actually quite subdued. I have figured it out. The rule to calming Gail down is to drink one of her contact lenses.

The wedding was awesome. It was in this quaint chapel right in the middle of Vail Village. It was short and sweet. There was a priest representing Ellen's catholic family and Brian's Lutheran Minister. The priest came all the way from Nicaragua for the wedding. Ellen had practiced medicine in the same village that the priest lives. She made quite an impression on him. The minister is form Washington Park. I had no less than five people approach me to tell me that they think the minister is a homo. I am not exactly sure what they want me to do with that information but, none the less I told them I would check the gay directory for him. Later at the reception I got a chance to chat with the minister. It turns out he is not gay, he is just a hipster. I can see how the two can be confused.

The reception was very nice. It was at a beautiful log pavilion along the creek. The food was good. The asparagus was cooked perfectly. Absent was the cake, in its place was a marble slab ice cream station. A lovely time was had by all.



Ellen & her father about to walk the plank


at the altar


Gail's shoes


Ruth's shoes


Matt, Gail & Michael


I like this picture of Kaiya

Biblical Marriage Explained

Swine Flu

Is this how Swine Flu spreads from pigs to humans?

Why does the chicken cross the road?

Seoul Picture Album

Seoul Picture Album

Vietnam Picture Album

Vietnam Picture Album

Hong Kong Picture Album

Hong Kong Picture Album

Last Night in the Orient

Tonight is our last night in Seoul. We have decided against going to Singapore. We are ready to go home! Tomorrow we will depart Incheon at 3:15pm and arrive in San Francisco at 8:20am the same day. It's a time warp.

Today we visited Gyeongbokgung also known as The Palace of Shining Happiness. I found it odd that this monstrous estate shared the same name as my 500 square foot condo in Denver, Colorado. This place is huge. It was originally built in 1395 but has been destroyed and rebuilt a few times. It is a true Asian expression in architecture. I say Asian because it borrows from Chinese, Japanese and of course Korean style. Inside the walls of the palace are 13 individual structures that embody the palace. I would guess the size of the estate to be about 80 acres. We had perfect timing on our exit because as we were leaving we got to see the changing of the guards ceremony.

We decided to head up to Seoul Tower. The tower sits atop a hill in Namsan Park. We had to take a gondola to the summit. I have a bit of a fear of chair lifts. I am not as scared of the chair lifts as I am of the cable breaking. I was a bit tense about riding the gondola. I am happy to report that the cable stayed intact. It was a bit unnerved when the gondola took off and all I could see was Seoul sinking below me. I just looked down and pretended I was on the subway. The ride down was much better because it was dark, and for some reason that is easier. Anyway, We made it to the top of the hill. We then, of course, took a elevator the rest of the way to the top of the tower. The view from the top was awesome. Seoul is huge. It helped me understand how the city is laid out. The bathrooms up there are super cool. The urinals face the window, so while you pee you have a spectacular view. We sat and enjoyed a couple of beers while the sun set. We met a very nice German guy named Andrew. He is in Seoul fixing a piece of medical equipment. We talked to him for a couple of hours.

After the gondola ride down we headed for dinner. We had Korean Barbecue at Itaewon Galbi. It was very good. We ordered two big slabs of meat. The waitress stood right there and cooked out meat for us. Along with the meat came 7 side dishes. They love their sides up in there. One of the side dishes was Kimchi. Kimchi is fermented cabbage. I just don't think fermented and cabbage belong anywhere near each other. Koreans love red chili paste. It is everywhere and comes on everything. I really like it. Angi does not. Even on the flight from Hanoi to Seoul the flight attendant handed us each a small tube of red chili paste to accompany our meal. I thought is was an awesome and fitting last dinner for us to have in the Orient.

Greetings from the DMZ

I saw North Korea today. Angi and I took a tour of the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone.) The DMZ is, of course, the buffer between North and South Korea where the truce is held. Unfortunately, the tour that we wanted to go on, which included a chance to actually stand in North Korea for a minute or two, was not available because of some sort of state function that was occurring. We did however get to stand on a hill look through a binoculars and spy into North Korea. It was a very hazy day so all we would really make out was the ginormous flag pole complete with a 300lbs North Korean Flag. Yes, the bitch weighs 300 pounds. Could you imagine trying to raise that thing. The whole tour took all morning. I had no idea that Seoul was so close to the border of North Korea, but the distance is only about 40 miles. We met three other people from Denver on the tour, There were 9 of us on the tour, and one of the guys live at 4th and Pennsylvania... what so 6 blocks away. Small world!

Well I haven't blogged since Vietnam. We left on the red eye Asiana flight to Seoul. Their service is outstanding! We were treated like we were in first class and we were not. They served a full meal and it was really quite good. It was probably the best service I have ever had in couch in my entire life. I am VERY impressed with Asiana.

We arrived in Seoul at 5am Wednesday morning. Incheon Airport was dead. We found our way to the train to the city. We were the only ones in our train car. We took the train to Gimpo Airport and connected to the mainline Seoul metro system. It was starting to get busy as rush hour was starting but we thought we could make it to our hotel before it got too hectic. We were sorely mistaken. I have experienced some of the worlds busiest subway systems, but nothing was like this... NOTHING! The car would be full and I mean packed and some how at every stop another 10 people would cram themselves into the car. Mind you... we each had luggage with us. There was a while there where I wasn't holding onto anything. I was just smashed in there. The train would accelerate I would feel like I was going to lose my balance but there was no where to go so I wouldn't. It was awful and I hope to never experience that again. From the time the plane landed to the time we checked into our hotel was almost 4 hours. Our hotel is beautiful. It was another priceline name your price thing. Thank you Matt! $70 for a 4 star in Seoul. It is heavenly after the hotels we stayed at in Vietnam. Each of our beds has 4 pillows. After we checked in we crashed and took a nap.

We woke up around 4pm and decided to go find something to eat. With the blessing of Lonely Planet and our hotel concierge we headed for Gogung (Restaurant). This is where we learned the most important lesson about Seoul. Are you ready for this shit!? They do not use street names nor have addresses. "Use landmarks" is the sage advice of the Lonely Planet folks. This is what the book says Um, what!? The book continues So, now you are wondering how these people find anything anywhere. Every time they don't know where something is they call for directions. Every time Angi and I have asked where a certain something is a phone call for directions is made. Very strange indeed! We found the restaurant. It was very good. I had Bibimbap. The Koreans love there side dishes, so we order, and here comes about 7 side dishes. We had a regular ole feast at hand. Tomorrow we are going out for Korean Barbecue.

So far, Seoul is a nice contradiction to Vietnam. I think we both had a bit too much time in the city. We should have gone to the country to truly enjoy Vietnam, but I will go back. Angi says she will not. Seoul is modern, clean and oddly Korean. The Vietnamese were always willing to walk right up to you and become your best friend, and this is when the sales pitch would start. The Koreans won't make eye contact, but when they talk to you are the most pleasant people around. I am glad we are here. Tomorrow is the last day of our trip.. I think. There is some talk of going on to Singapore, but I bet that won't go anywhere.

Last day in Vietnam

Another public use comb was discovered at the restaurant/bar/travel agency that we ate at last night. This time it was red. I'm glad I didn't steal the one at the last hotel we stayed at because I would have been compelled to steal this one too.

Yesterday, we explored Hanoi. This city is such a tangle of roads it is hard to know where you are or where you are going. The street names seem to change every 300 feet. After our first day in HCMC we really didn't need a map to find our hotel. Hanoi is different. Hanoi reminds me of Paris with its short curved roads. Unlike HCMC, Hanoi, does not have a grid system at all. Last night, we stayed out late and drank some beer. We first stopped at Tunnel Bar which is very clean and shiny but the wait staff was too ambitions. We moved on to the Funky Monkey. This is where we met Dat. He is a very spunky little waiter that took a liking to Angi. The entire time we were in there he sat next to Angi. His boss didn't seem to mind. His English is extremely good. I would say out of all the Vietnamese we have met Dat's English is the best. As we emerged from the bar there were no less than 6 motor bike drivers vying for our business. We turned them all down. At night Hanoi can be a daunting place. All the doors are closed and locked. Curtains are drawn at establishments that are open late and very few street lights are lit. This all seems to happen in a matter of minutes. I think there is a curfew of some sort, but I haven't figured it out. Angi and I were sitting next to the front window at the Funky Monkey and all of a sudden Dat hurriedly closed the curtains. We gave him a funny look and he said "The police are in front." Apparently the police were lingering outside the bar and Funky Monkey was projecting too much light. Hanoi has a very communistic feel to it at around 1am. When we returned to our hotel we were greeted with a large metal gate. We found the doorbell and were let in.

Today is our last day in Vietnam. We have had a wonderful stay here, but I think we are both ready to move on. Tonight we fly Asiana Airline from Hanoi to Seoul. We are going to stay in Seoul until Saturday and then return home. We are both looking forward to Seoul, but it is much colder there than it is here. I did not bring a jacket, so today I am combing the streets of Hanoi in hopes of finding a knock off North Face. See you in Seoul!

Hanoi

We have outgrown our bags. We headed to the Ben Thanh Market to haggle for a bag. We found a cheap duffel bag and worked our way down to $3us. Back at the hotel we packed our stuff up in preparation for leaving HCMC. We really moved into our hotel room. Now it was time to move out. I can’t say we were that sad to leave HCMC. I won’t miss constantly perspiring. We flew Vietnam Airlines to. It was a completely full 777. There were no less than 16 flight attendants on the 2 hour flight. On a domestic 777 flight in the US you would see half that amount of staffing. Much to our surprise Hanoi is much cooler than HCMC. Hanoi looks like your average quaint city in Europe with a big bucket of Asia poured over it. We checked into our hotel and it was a complete shit hole. It was not without its amenities. In the bathroom we found a complementary bar of soap and a comb. The comb was not wrapped in plastic nor was it new. It was a large, green, public use comb. Don’t worry... I took a picture of it. We decided to go hotel shopping. We have found a very nice, clean, well furnished hotel for twice the price of the dive. We are now paying $40 versus $18 a night. It was time for a beer. We found a nice bar with a rooftop patio. We relaxed and drank the beer of Hanoi... aptly named Hanoi. While getting our drink on a group of Brits sat at the next table. Before we knew it we were all in a big circle talking about our travels. We made fast friends. It began to rain, so we all moved next door to a small pub. We had a really great time last night. Thankfully the Brits were staying at the hotel next to ours so we all helped each other find our respective bases.

We just checked into our new hotel and we are starving. Off to find some good Hanoi Cuisine.

In HCMC... Still here... Still hot!

I didn’t think it was possible for it to get hotter in HCMC. It rained today. Holy crap it’s humid here!

Being the creatures of habit we are we returned to our favorite French bakery for breakfast. With some food in our belly we headed to Notre Dame Cathedral. It is the smaller much more watered down version of its French predecessor. We saw two wedding parties having their pictures taken out front. The bride’s dresses were no good at all. In total, on this entire trip, we have seen 8 wedding parties. Last Saturday in Hong Kong we saw six. After trying on my suit coat, last night, I decided it was too big. We headed back to the tailor fomr some alteration. After some pins were placed and some chalk marks were made we finally found the proper fit. The alterations would take five hours, so it was time to take in another sight or two. We headed to the Jade Emperor Pagoda. This truly was an amazing sight! The beautiful and intricate woodwork was amazing. I tried to capture its beauty with my camera, but I think this is an impossible task. The incense permeated the interior and made for a very exotic ambiance. After our holy experience we headed back towards the market area. On our return it began to pour rain... and I mean pour! We ducked inside a restaurant, had a seat, and ordered some beer. Neither Angi nor I speak a lick of Vietnamese. Our waiter spoke hardly any English, but some how we started a very slow conversation with him. He would stumble through a question; we would translate an answer. This went on for quite some time before his friend who spoke better English joined us. It wasn’t too much longer before the restaurants manager joined the conversation. It was still slow and steady. It was like a scene from The Foreigner. Before we knew it there were six restaurant employees standing around while we tried to make conversation. It was quite a spectacle. I would ask them a question... there would be lots of chatter amongst the group... The waiter that spoke better English would answer our question and ask one in return. Angi and I would chatter amongst ourselves and then answer their question. This went on for quite some time. We could have sat their all night, but my finished suit jacked was waiting, so it was back to the tailor for us. It ended up raining for about an hour.

Tomorrow we depart HCMC at 2pm bound for Hanoi. I think we are both ready to leave this cluster fuck! I want to get a T-shirt that says: I went to HCMC and didn’t get hit. Anyone that has been here before will understand. Crossing the street here is a grueling and heart pounding experience. The traffic never stops there are only lulls. This means you just have to cross with traffic rushing around you. This was very unnerving the first three days we were here, but now it is almost fun to cross the rushing river of mopeds, busses and bicycles.

If you can't take the heat, then get out of the kitchen!

After a quick snack at our favorite French bakery it was off to cooking class. After a twenty minute cab ride we arrived at The Vietnam Cookery Center. Our teachers name was Jasmine. Luckily, there were just four of us in the class Angi, me and a really nice couple, Monica and Cam, from Perth. We prepared three courses. I am proud to announce that I now know how to make spring rolls, and I have the certificate to prove it. The second course was sour fish soup and the third course was caramel fish. Our creations were delicious; however they gave us sour stomach. We both find it ironic that the only time we have cooked in the last week made us feel icky. The class was a wonderful experience that we will soon not forget. After class we headed back to our room for some reprieve from the heat. At 5pm we had an appointment to pick up our garments at the tailor. I now own a suit. It’s very classic and sharp. Tonight, we had a craving for bland western food. A couple we met from Missouri during our fitting at the tailor shop recommended Mogambo. The restaurant is owned by a loud, heavy set Vietnamese woman who once lived in Honolulu. The place was full of white people from all over the Northern Hemisphere. Angi and I both had chicken cordon blue and a 7up. We feel much better. Tomorrow is our last full day in HCMC, but we do not have any plans yet. I am sure some new and exciting adventure will find us!

Hot & sticky in Ho Chi Minh City

We are in Ho Chi Minh City. We departed Hong Kong on Tuesday evening at about 9:30pm and arrived in Vietnam at 11:00pm. We got to experience the new international first class seat and internment system. It is really nice! The entertainment system is a huge improvement over the current system. I think we both suffered culture shock upon our arrival. Going from clean, couture Hong Kong to this mess is a shock to the system. After checking-in at the An An Hotel we were ready to test our beds. They worked.

We awoke Wednesday morning ready to tackle HCMC. The city is as tangled up as the phone wires that hang above every sidewalk (a photo will be posted to explain upon my return to US.) We did not have to look far to find the French influence. Breakfast was at a smart looking French bakery not far from our hotel. After a lovely Croque-monsieur it was off to the Ben Thanh Market. It was here that I found the perfect tailor to make me a suit. After discussing fabrics and styles we were escorted across the street to a small tailor shop not far from the market. Rebecka aka Flowerhead had sent me a picture of a classic looking simple suit. I showed the tailor the picture and specifications and left the rest in his capable hands. I pick the finished product up tomorrow at 5pm. After measurements were taken we headed towards Reunification Park. Unfortunately, the park was not open yet so we headed to a nice restaurant for refreshments and spring rolls. I forgot to mention this but it is ficken hot and muggy here. Even the Vietnamese say its hot and they are accustomed to this shit. After our light lunch we headed back to the park and to Reunification Palace. The palace once was the capital of South Vietnam. It was built in the 1960’s and the architecture portrays that. After 1 one hour tour it was off to the War Remnants Museum. It is a documentation of the Vietnam War told from the Vietnamese prospective. I must admit some of the pictures, portrayals and stories are hard to swallow others are purely communist propaganda. After the very heavy experience of the war museum it was off to the Rex Hotel for beer and what turned into an improtu bland dinner. I had been feeling queasy all day so I had a club sandwich. It was terribly bland, but probably right what I needed. After dinner, it was back to the tailor for a quick fitting of the jacket which was half done. We were back in our room by 9pm. Time to relax in an air conditioned environment.

Today we awoke with plans to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. We boarded a large tour bus with about 30 other people and began the 1.5 hour journey to Cu Chi which sits just a short distance from the Cambodian border. The Cu Chi tunnels are a series of tunnels built by the Viet Cong during the war to hide from the Americans, The tour was very interesting. We got to see torture devices devised by the VC to use against the “aggressors.” On the bus ride back to HCMC we met a couple of guys from Farmington, MN. They were on a two month long journey through Asia. Sharing stories of all of our travels abroad helped the bud ride zip along. Back in HCMC we headed back to the tailor so Angi could have a tunic made. While she was discussing the design I got to try my finished pants on. Oddly, they fit like they were designed specifically for me. Dinner was at Quan An Ngon, a delicious Vietnamese restaurant. Angi accidently ordered crab. Getting the meat out of the crab shell is an obscene amount of work, but it was delicious. We ate the crab as an appetizer. I had beef and noodles and Angi had shrimps. The food was very good. After dinner we decided to head to the Caravell Hotel. The Caravell offers cooking classes. We must be in class tomorrow morning at 9:30am. I am really looking forward to learning some Vietnamese cooking technique. As we were leaving the hotel we ran into this group of four kids from New Zealand that we had met at the tailor yesterday. We all decided to have a drink at the top of the Sheraton. The bar sits on the 23rd floor and the Sheraton is one of the highest buildings around, so the view is quite good. We certainly enjoyed the company of our new kiwi friends. Another lovely day in Vietnam!