My Dog.

First of all, let me start by sincerely apologizing for the lack of activity on this blog, which I started in the beginning of 2012 as a New Year’s Resolution, which clearly did not last. I think it’s made me realize that writing probably really isn’t what I want to do in life, if I can’t do something as simple (for writers, anyway) to keep a blog going. Anyhow, I had an urge to write last night, and not even a travel-related one.. well, perhaps it falls under a journey in life. Now, onto today’s blog…

Lulu in her favorite spot, sat below my Ma (you can see on the left)

Why does my dog, Lulu, hold an extra special place in my heart? She is only one of several dogs our family held as pets for at least the 26 years I have been in the states.

Cricket all decked out for Halloween!

Prior to Lulu, I had a chihuahua named Cricket- an adorable little guy who was tough- not the rail thin shivering kind. I loved him because he was the first dog I had since my father died in 2003. During his illness, the two dogs we had ran away and he was too sick to search for them. Cricket died after a fall in my new apartment down a flight of stairs.. It’s all kind of strange, but anyhow, he was only 3 when I lost him. I was completely devastated and felt I wasn’t ready for another dog for a while.

I adopted Lulu after a rough breakup in 2009. I visited the local shelter and she was a great fit. A runaway found on the 4th of July, she had no collar but was warm and friendly at first meeting. With all adoptees, there were ups and downs and glitches here and there, but overall she is a wonderful and smart dog, especially great around children.

Our first meeting at the pound!

Lulu does Halloween her way!

I obviously had no plans to leave to Dubai when I had adopted Lulu. The opportunity hadn’t risen until open days for my airline were taking place in early 2010. Nonetheless, my mom was happy to keep Lulu at home with her until I decided to move back home permanently. It was a great feeling to be excitedly greeted by her whenever I came back to visit.

Lulu loves walks.. she loves going rollerblading too!

When my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer, I immediately thought to quit my job and go home. The first thing my mother told me, right after the news and before I could say anything else, was, in fact, that she didn’t want me to quit my job. If you’ve read my previously entry about my mother then you’d already know my thought process and why I decided to stay.

It’s now been just over 1 year since my mother’s death, and I know by experience that healing takes time. I still think of my father 10 years after his death. But there are times when I feel like I’m ok, and still times where I feel completely devastated. Again, I’d mentioned in my previous entry that I felt guilty that I didn’t quit and go home to stay with her. And even though I still know it was a good decision for my future, that guilt still riddles deep within me.

What is so special about Lulu was how sensitive she was to our feelings, as I believe dogs are. She sensed when we were sick, sad, and stressed. And she was my mom’s only constant companion through the struggles of her illness.

Lulu enjoyed the simple things…

Lulu the babysitter.. don’t touch that socket!

A cousin of mine lived with my mom as he settled into a new place but worked evening shifts and so was on a completely different schedule. Friends and family always came by- my sister, probably the most frequently as she lived just down the street. But no one was there as my mom rose and slept like Lulu was.  I imagine Lulu would be sleeping in her kennel patiently waiting to be released as my mom woke, and sat by the couch at her feet all hours of the day. My mom did tell me she was getting too painful to constantly let Lulu in and out of the house, and thus I started casually looking for a new home for her. But I half-heartedly didn’t, because I somehow felt that Lulu was there in my absence.

After my mom’s passing, my godmother volunteered to take Lulu as we were going to let go of her house. I couldn’t bear the thought of putting her back in the shelter. At that point things were temporary because I’d eventually come back to the US… But this time I wasn’t sure when. When things between Lulu and my godmother’s own dogs weren’t working out, my aunt graciously arranged transport for Lulu for her new permanent home with them in Texas.

Lulu saying goodbye to her bff, my neice Camille, before going on her roadtrip to TX.

While I haven’t actually lost Lulu and she is still part of our expanded family, she was kind of the last bit of importance that we removed from my mother’s house. I knew she was watching over my mother for me, and she was very aware of her condition. Knowing that Lulu is being lovingly cared for by another one of our relatives is reassuring, as I know she must have had a lot of her own heartache over the loss of my mom. I’m not trying to sound like an idiot. Dogs know.

I’m definitely a dog lover, and not having a dog lately has been tough. But with my current situation of living in apartments and flying days at a time, it’s just not the right time. Plus, my heart still belongs to Lulu.

My So-Called (Abnormal) Life

I think it’s safe to say that I lead a life completely askew of the way most of the normal world does. Not only is the life of a flight attendant different than your average day job, but throw in relocating halfway around the world from the USA to the Middle East (“OMG! You’re going to die out there!” as was the general reaction to those I told the news to), mix in nothing but global destinations to 6 continents and making friends from different cultures, it boils down to being just about the most unusual and abnormal job you could possibly imagine (that doesn’t involve cleaning toilets… oh wait, why yes it does.)

Literally just stepped off the plane..

Back home, I see my friends and family updating Facebook with normal, everyday statuses about work, family, etc. But mine are usually something like: “Catching up with old friends in London!” or “Just hugged a giraffe in Kenya!” Not that I’m bragging (okay, I am, just a bit) but sometimes I have to step back and look at my life and remember that I am really alive and not dreaming.

My new BFF! <3

People who don’t work as crew always ask me almost this exact question very time: How many flights do you do a week? And there’s no specific answer; rosters are put out a month at a time and are prepared based on flying hours and includes things like legal rest times and required days off. So I always explain to them that I average about 80 to 90 hours a month, and that could be made up of several short flights or a few long ones. The funny thing is that I never ask them, How many days a week do YOU work? Because everyone already knows the answer to that question. Surprisingly, though, I find many people here in Dubai that work more than what’s considered normal in most western countries (5 days a week, about 40 hours a week). So I can totally understand when I ask them, what do you like the do in your free time, to get answers like, Go to Friday brunch or Go to bars/clubs. Often times I find myself in dire need to just let go and will admit that on many of my days/nights off in Dubai I will spend partying it up with friends. Lots of people back home may criticize or admire that fact, but hey, it is what it is and it’s how I choose to live my current lifestyle.

Sooooo I like to party!

Although, I will admit, that even I get tired of all the partying in my off hours. I’ve actually discovered things I now enjoy doing that I didn’t before when my life was, well, mundane. I’ve noticed I’ve become somewhat domestic, and if any of you know me you’ll find it to be a complete shock. But being domestic actually helps me feel semi-normal in my absolutely abnormal world. So what is it in the last year that I’ve developed as new “hobbies”?

• Doing the dishes. Strange, I know. I used to avoid doing dishes like the plague back home. If the dishwasher broke, all hell broke loose too! I share my apartment with 2 other lovely girls, so you can imagine with all of us coming and going, having people over and using the kitchen that dishes can pile up quite quickly. I’m sure they can back me up in that I find doing dishes almost daily puts my brain back on earth. My flatmates even ask me (without argue mind you) why I do them, and always try to volunteer. But I don’t know why I like doing them so much; except for the fact that seeing them accumulate in our tiny kitchen stresses me out a bit. And it is a good time to spend thinking things over- too many distractions.

• Ironing. I used to get in the habit of hanging every single article of clothing up (t-shirts and jeans included) as soon as the dryer was done to avoid ironing. And while I only iron my uniforms (and a few pieces of clothing if need be) it’s again that time spent doing a task that allows me to think. Also, having a job as extreme as taxing as being an international flight attendant is, many a time I spend doing absolutely nothing, usually with my bum implanted into the couch. But household jobs are so productive and have such a positive outcome. Yeah, I probably took about 20 years too long to discover this.

• Cooking. In my previous post, You Are What You Eat.. Hi, I’m Chicken Shawarma, I mentioned that I don’t cook. But lately I’ve been having a real urge to cook. I think it stems from me dealing with my ma’s death, which I’ve been trying to find new ways of coping. The only thing I really knew how to cook (other than little things, like pancakes and spaghetti out of a jar) was her chicken adobo. I’d kept a recipe and had only ever done it in her presence, so doing it alone was a bit nerve wrecking. But my first attempt, made for myself and my flatmate, seemed fairly successful, with room for improvement. Since then, I’ve also tried Filipino beef steak, or bistek, which is easy enough to do. I’d wanted to do it in her style, but lacking her recipe, I searched for various recipes online, namely from Feast Asia, and changed things from what I remembered watching my ma do growing up. The result came out pretty great to the delight of my friends (guinea pigs), and I am hoping to continue learning to cook more Filipino dishes (as it’s what I’m most comfortable with) and then branch out to other cuisine. I’ve discovered that cooking for people is so rewarding, and gives you such a feel good atmosphere. I always remembered how great my ma felt when we ate her food.

Very first Filipino beef steak

As far as having as normal a life as possible, there are things I admit I am still very lazy about, don’t know how to do or too lazy to figure out. And when I think about it, I feel a bit embarrassed (but then again, I don’t really care) that I still don’t know, especially when new people ask me for help and I am completely useless. Sometimes, it’s my weird job and lifestyle that fuels this laziness.

• Using the post. I have never mailed anything out of Dubai, and would have no idea how to do it if someone asked me. I’m sure there is an easy solution, but I just haven’t found it out. If I do need to mail out letters, I usually drop them off at the reception desk of the hotel I’m staying at on layovers, as I do when I mail postcards to my family. Unfortunately, I will have to figure it out quite soon as I’m preparing to send off my absentee voter registration in time for this year’s U.S. elections. This also goes for mail-order and internet shopping. I’ve had friends send me letters and postcards from home, and sadly some have gotten lost on the way. I’m so paranoid about losing something or it taking forever that if I ever want something, I time it with trips home, and have it delivered home. Plus, it does save on the shipping.

• Home delivery from shops/restaurants. Even though there’s a shop literally 2 steps away from my building, the fact that I have to get off the couch, put something decent on, and ride the elevator down 44 floors is definitely unmotivating. And another sad fact is that a lot of nearby restaurants (within decent walking distance) that I order from offer crew discounts, but only if you eat in.

Yes, I ordered sushi on delivery. It’s never as good as it is in the restaurant, though.

• Directions/knowing the city. Even though I do have a bit of an affinity for maps, I’m so lazy to learn my own way around the city, since my main mode of transportation is taxis (they are ridiculously cheap here in Dubai). Once in a while I will use a metro if it’s convenient, but taxi is usually the way to go. Sadly, Dubai doesn’t believe in addresses, so everything is by area, road, landmark, building name, etc. And if you have no idea where it is and the taxi driver doesn’t either, you are screwed. I still don’t know how to tell people how to get to my building if it’s a friend who’s driving.

As I’m going to be in Dubai for another couple of years at least, I’m sure things will change, but as it stands now, this is my life (other than the flying and traveling). It may seem weird and strange and definitely abnormal, but right now, I’m pretty content.

Two Weeks in the American Southwest

Okay, so California isn’t actually considered the Southwest as it’s known as the West Coast, but we’ll just pretend. The title is long as it is already. My company offered unpaid leave for the month of July, and since I had used most of my vacation days due to my family emergency and wanted to save the rest to visit in Thanksgiving, I jumped at the chance for another trip home. My brother informed me his family was making a few vacations in Southern California, so I planned my days to go back home!

I used to attend the San Diego Comic-con International often – I’ve attended in total 8 years, with the last 3 years before moving being consecutive visits, with my last visit being just one week before leaving the country. I was mortally saddened when I couldn’t attend last year; seeing all my geek friends dressing up and having all that geeky fun was tough to watch from halfway around the world. So when my brother mentioned he and his family were going to attend this year, I managed to snag some last minute time off AND a 4-day pass and joined them.

Oh Em Gee Lego Darth Maul!

Introducing my niece and nephew to Pinkberry, just where I discovered it the first time.

As I mentioned in my previous post about the Middle East Film and Comic-con, conventions were a staple for me back when I was a video game reviewer and geek blogger. Not only did this mean going back to my geeky roots a bit, but also meeting up with the friends I made while working in the video game industry who live all over the US, but always come together for a convention. I used to plan big costumes for these events, but due to the last minute planning and lack of resources in Dubai, I donned my Transformers pinup dress, and then later threw together a last minute costume from one of my favorite video games, Left 4 Dead, to join my brother’s family in a little impromptu costuming.

My brother and his kids, all of us dressed as the 4 survivors in the video game, Left 4 Dead

It ended up working nicely, a group of my friends put together a costuming group consisting of female versions of male video game characters, so I was able to join in the fun:

L-R: Meg Turney as Beserker from Borderlands, Raychul Moore as Nathan Drake from Uncharted 2, and myself as Louis from Left 4 Dead. Photo by Chanh Tang.

I also happened, by chance, to stumbled across an offsite signing for one of my favorite characters from The Walking Dead, Steven Yuen, who plays Glenn. I’d been carrying around a poster (yes, I really AM a huge nerd) each day in the hopes I would find one. For anyone who hasn’t been to SDCC, you have no idea how difficult it is to score autographs or check out really popular panels. They usually involve waiting in line before the sun comes up and throw in about 6 more hours before you actually get into the panel. Offsite signings and meet and greets are so hush hush you literally have to crawl everywhere to find them. I just happened to be walking in the downtown Gaslamp district (just across from the convention center, a hub for offsite events, dining, shops and evening socials) and passed a gameshop with a signing. The great part is, the wait in line was only about 30 mints (once he arrived) and there were so few people he actually spent a few minutes chatting briefly to every fan!

Awww, look, I made him laugh!

He didn’t even question the huge fake gun…

The best costumes the whole con. Found them while waiting in line for Steven. The dude mentioned he’d spent time in Dubai…

Check out this super cute mini Edward Scissor (knife?) hands!

 

On a different day of the convention, many of my industry friends put together a huge cosplay group – one that started last year and has grown this year. It’s the Superhero Disney Princess group – organized by my dear friend, Ashley Hay, costumes inspired by a popular fanart of what the princesses would look like as superheros, found here. Unfortunately, I couldn’t join the group due to short notice, but I may be joining next year in place of Jasmine (my friend Janessa) who may not be able to make it next year.

They made me an honorary princess!

Instead, that day I wore my Transformers pin-up dress – a retro style dress made out of old bedsheets I’d made with my mom for a group for SDCC  2010.

Photos by Eurobeat Kasumi

HelLOOOO Captain America!

AHHH Shaun of the Dead!

A massive cosplay group shot hosted by Deviantart.com

Awesome Chewbacca, posing with my friend Raychul Moore as Snow White

My coworkers from my blogger days at gen-online.com, L-R Candace, Becky, Ashley, Raychul Moore and Chrissy

In addition to meeting up with old friends from my gaming days, we spent evenings hanging out with our family in San Diego…

Niece Marilyn, Nephew Sebastian, and their cutie little cousin Miles

We headed back home to Phoenix, Arizona, after our 4 exhausting days of trekking the con. I only had a few days back in the valley before heading back out to Southern California again with my brother’s family for a round of amusement parks.

I squeezed in as much social time as I could – one of the best ways to do this is usually hosting a dinner party! (not by me though, by my dear friends

Mexican lasagna!

Kevin, who spent 2 years in the Ukraine for the Peace Corps ended up home the same I was, and Robert, on my right, DJ/photographer/cook and party host extraordinaire

Amy and Linda

Back en route to SoCal, the family had plans to hit up the various amusement parks in the area. Because I was short on time and wanted to see more friends in Phoenix, I tagged along for on day at Disneyland (because you can never have enough Disneyland!) and then took a quick flight back to Phoenix before heading back out to the middle east. Since I used to have a season pass the Disneyland when I lived in Phoenix, and have even been back twice more after moving, not many pics were taken…

The elusive Donald Duck!

Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters!

Back in Phoenix, we scheduled a long-awaited (at least for me!) trip down the Salt River. It’s a popular destination during the summer; high temperatures and chilly mountain water, throw in a few rapids and cold beers and it makes for a pretty great lazy day.

Andrea (and her well positioned waterproof camera cover), and Robert

And on my last day at home, I spent it with my sister and adorable baby niece Camille shopping and eating sushi…

We eat the sushi, she just eats the creampuffs….

Pooped after a long day of shopping!

All in all, it was a great trip back, and I managed to meet up with all my friends from all over the country, and catch up with my friends and family in Phoenix as well. It only made me excited to try and make it back to SDCC 2013 and future trips back home!

Also, check out all my talented friends’ pages:

DJ Robert Michael/Robert Garcia Photography

Ashley Hay - awesome graphic artist and costumer

Raychul Moore – Girl gamer extraordinaire

Meg Turney Cosplay

SuperHero Disney Princess Cosplay Group

Eurobeat Kasumi Cosplay Photography

Chanh Tang Photography

James Gilstrap Photography

 

Parading in Paris

I’d always wanted to visit Paris – yet another place I thought I’d never get to see (actually, I never really thought I would get to see the world, even though it’s the only consistent thing I wanted since I was young), and after almost 2 years flying, I finally got my chance last month. I’m taking a shortcut and posting a recent trip instead of backtracking because I’ve now been to Paris twice in the last 2 weeks, and already I have a ridiculous amount of photos.

Silly French.. the British never owned Hawaii.. they only wish they did!

I studied French for about 3 college semesters at the time I was dating a French guy, but I was too embarrassed to practice my French with my horrible American accent ruining it. I eventually ducked out of my French 201 class and never continued learning it, which I wholly regret. But being back in the land of love has got me itching to start again.. we’ll see if I actually follow through…

Starting with my journey, we woke up to a gloriously beautiful day in May, which was incredibly lucky since it’s supposedly the rainy season. My and several of our crew hopped on the train into town for a day of sightseeing. Our first stop: the world famous Eiffel Tower. How could you not pay a visit on your very first time in Paris?

The typical “picture under the tower” shot

As we exited the station, I wasn’t prepared for the feeling of excitement that would overwhelm me upon getting my first sight of the tower. I mean.. it’s just some really tall iron radio tower, right? But no, it is THE Eiffel Tower after all… and my under-anticipation was properly slapped in the face by awe and amazement. Again, Paris was a city I always wanted to visit and never thought I would, and I think seeing the Eiffel Tower in the flesh (or metal, rather) was quite the experience. Unfortunately, we didn’t wait to take the elevator up to the top – the queue was a minimum of 3 hours long, and for just a 24 hour layover, it’s not possible if you want to get in as much as you can in that short amount of time. Instead, we spent far too long taking photos with the tower.

When we finally managed to peel ourselves away from one of the world’s most iconic landmarks, we continued our walk through the warm and sunny weather.

Luxor Obelisk in the Place de la Concorde

Did I mention the beautiful weather?

Oh, and street dogs with French mustard.. yum!

We passed through onto the Musee du Louvre, but unfortunately did not have time to stop in. I did, however, make it through on my second trip, which you can see further below.

We continued on, heading toward the Notre Dame. On our way, we stopped at various street shops and kiosks to purchase goodies and souvenirs. We also came across a very peculiar bridge, that one being the Pont de l’Archeveche (Archbishop’s Bridge), in which the rails were covered in a mass of padlocks. Apparently these are Love Padlocks – a padlock is affixed to a bridge by two lovers signifying their forever love. You can find more about this practice here: Love Padlocks on Wikipedia. Quite the charming idea, although the cynic in my started to take over after reading a few too many padlocks and it sickened me! But it did make for some awesome photos.

                  

The end of our day tour finished with the lovely Notre Dame…

                  

My second trip was not more than 2 weeks later. We arrived just a day after a hard rainfall, and was blessed with another beautiful, sunny day. I set out with only one crewmember this time, whose first visit to Paris required a stop at the Eiffel Tower one again. It’s something about that tower that just keeps you locked in; we wasted yet again lots of time taking photos!

      

On the way to Musee du Louvre, I met a “real French poodle.. from America”. Hmmmm.

And as if my mom follows me wherever I go all over the world, I stumbled across a very familiar scent – a flower with the same smell of a candle she used to constantly burn. I can never remember the name of it, but it grows from a tree. Can anyone help me name it?

After walking for about 10 minutes, we opted to take a bicycle cab to save some time. I took a few quick snaps on the way.

We made it to the Louvre, with again, not much time to spare, so we hit up the big celebrities first, and then made it round to whatever else we could see.

They say that you immediately sense her either smiling or frowning, depending on how you are feeling in your life. Surprisingly, I thought she was smiling… on a side note, how funny that the example in WordPress for captions is “The Mona Lisa”

Nike, “Winged Victory”, the Greek Goddess of Victory

Venus de Milo, Roman goddess of love

You are what you eat.. Hi, I’m chicken shawarma.

I absolutely love food. No, seriously. And I get to eat it all over the world.

nom nom.

Mmm Ma’s homecooked chicken adobo and cucumbers!

My mom was an amazing cook – and I’m not just saying that because she’s my mom. Growing up, we usually ate a freshly cooked meal almost every night – as I got older she got in the habit of making massive p0rtions and reheating them later. She was a somewhat untraditional Asian mother – she both worked full time and cooked dinner most nights, although my Lola (grandmother) lived with us when I was young and generally helped out with the daily housework. Even so, my mom cooked up a variety of dishes – from typical Filipino fare to worldly recipes on the Food Network. Before the common use of the internet, my mom plucked pages from various magazines and whipped them up and let her children be the guinea pigs, much to the enjoyment of our filled tummies. I can’t remember one meal my mom prepared that wasn’t mildly delicious. And if she felt it was below her standards, it was still a yummy and memorable meal.

#9 at Carolina’s, my favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican food joint in Phoenix

That being said, my love for fast food didn’t develop until my teens when I started working part time, going to school full time, adding in extracurricular activities and grabbing quick lunches and dinners on my own. I was the youngest in my family of 4 children, so once I became a bit more independent, the family dinners started to wane. An also important note would be that I became so busy as a teen and young adult I never took an interest in cooking, and even to this day I’m not even embarrassed to admit I can’t cook anything more complicated than spaghetti, so I spent a lot of time around my hometown getting to know fast food joints, mom and pop hotspots and and trendy eateries. The food options around Phoenix were plentiful – although I think it’s best known for its almost authentic Tex-Mex, one of my all-time favorites. But, I have, however, started to find that desire to start learning to cook. 28 isn’t too late, is it?

Chipotle, always a must when visiting the US! Can’t wait till they go global.. past UK anyway

Not usually my thing, but delicious! While in Manila.

In general, I love food. I’m most definitely not a health foodie, and sometimes, yes, my eating habits are deplorable, but one of my favorite things to do on layovers is discover the local taste. There’s not much I don’t like. I will admit I’m not an overly adventurous eater, but I try and push my limits wherever my stomach can handle it. I tend to steer clear of any kind of mollusk, and duck, strangely enough. I usually avoid some foods if prepared alone, but will eat them if it’s already mixed in the dish (which most of these would most likely not be prepared alone) like peas, olives, eggplants and squash. And for some reason, I still have weird, sudden urges to try a clam or mussel, even though every time immediately afterwards I regret it. Other than that, I eat mostly anything.

Mussels in London.. these actually weren’t that bad.

Pad Thai in its motherland!

It’s difficult to name a favorite genre of food – I love Thai, Malaysian and Indian food, mostly for the spiciness. Growing up a few hours from the border of Mexico has  conditioned me to become addicted to tacos, rice and beans.  Sushi was a food that took me a while to enjoy – I was 14 when I was first instructed to stuff a whole roll in my mouth (insert x-rated joke here.. and then feel awkward because I was only 14) and it wasn’t until years later that I developed a love for all things sushi (minus the mollusks, remember) and even led me to a short stint as a waitress in a hip sushi joint in my hometown before leaving for Dubai. The restaurant was a locally owned chain that whipped up awesome sushi and food Japanese style with hints of southwest spiciness.

Can you tell I really, REALLY love sushi? Feasting in NYC

Indian samosa chaat… in Kenya

Nasi Goreng in Malyasia

Most of the time I don’t even know what I’m eating – before I moved to Dubai, I never knew the names of the Indian dishes I’d eaten and only learned them once I got here, since there is a huge Indian community in Dubai. Often times, when I’m in Africa, we go to restaurants with set menus or buffets, but everything available is incredibly delicious. But since moving to Dubai and traveling the world, my palette has been opened to a wide variety of new foods. A new favorite I discovered is the Malaysian Nasi Goreng, a spicy fried rice with seafood (usually shrimp) served up with chicken satay, fried chicken wing, and other little Malaysian snacks. And to add to that, I never fancied steak – that is, until I tried the steak in Johannesburg. The Meat Co, a chain restaurant also available in Dubai, serves up amazing delectable beef steak in varying sizes and forms, straight up with your choice of sides and sauces. No marinating, spicing or masking its original flavor. Africa in general is known to have extra tasty meats.

Steak and red wine in Johannesburg, South Africa

Eats in Hamburg

Dining in Milan

I seem to be giving a lot of attention to foods in Asia and Africa, but Europe has its fair share of good eats. When in Italy, don’t even waste a thought on the Olive Garden (a mediocre (but still tasty) Italian family restaurant chain in the USA), because real Italian food is nothing like that.  And while visiting Germany and nearby countries, it’s always imperative to try the sausages and schnitzels. Don’t forget to wash it down with a beer, of course. The only thing I couldn’t complete stomach was the goulash while in Prague, Czech Republic – although I was told it’s typically a Hungarian dish. It was tasty, but just a bit too heavy for my liking.

Hungarian goulash in Prague.. so much starch and heavy sauce

Famous Ravi’s Pakistani food in Satwa, Dubai

I also love it when I find amazing food from one culture in another country. It only makes you realize how big and mixed the world really is. In the US, we know where to find good food from different cultures – Tex-Mex in the Southwest, seafood in Seattle and along the coast, Asian foods in California, Italian in New York… but I found the most delicious Malaysian food in a hole in the wall family owned restaurant in Amsterdam, yummy pizza in a small Italian community in Melbourne, Australia, and tasty Indian food in Kenya. Even Dubai itself is an ultimate melting pot, with most foods from the world at an easy reach. My first taste of Pakistani food was just steps away from my building in an area of downtown Dubai; which left my tastebuds wanting more. To top it off, Dubai is well known for its Friday brunches – no, that’s not omelettes and mimosas at sometime between breakfast and lunch o’clock but instead a midday all you can eat and drink (yes, alcohol included) feast at many restaurants around town. And of course, my latest addiction is chicken shawarma. I eat far too much of it, and unfortunately the restaurant downstairs delivers until pretty late in the evening…

Great pizza with my Melbourne cousins

Irish roast dinner for Thanksgiving, by my lovely flatmate Natalie

Fajitas cooked by my good friend Robert back in Phoenix

Now, you must be thinking, this girl must waste so much money eating out. But somehow, I manage to be lucky enough to get my amazing friends from all over the world to cook for me. (Hmm, must be that cutesy Asian-American charm! Ha ha ha…..) But tasting a friend’s homecooked food just shows a different take on it, and of course, I am always happy to try it. From dinner parties back in my hometown during visits to helping host my first Thanksgiving abroad (and being the only American in attendance) to trying Iranian food for the first time (and absolutely loving it), having friends that cook well is definitely a blessing, but it does make me feel (um a TAD) guilty not knowing how to cook myself. Well, hopefully that will change soon. Every restaurant in Dubai delivers, and its a habit I just need to break!

Johnny Rockets Dubai.. probably the worst (and most delicious) thing to order from home

And because I’m Asian, you can see I take a lot of photos of food… so here’s some more pictures of worldly foods to get your mouths watering:

Giant bowl of ramen, from Orochan Ramen in Los Angeles, as seen on Man Vs. Food!

Sushi and sake at one of Dubai’s best sushi spots, Icho

Tilapia in tamarind sauce in Uganda

I don’t know what this is called, but it’s rice cooked in banana leaves and chicken, in Indonesia

Salmon tart at an English tea house in NYC

Chicken schnitzel and beers in Vienna, Austria

My first taste of shabu shabu in Manila

Hmm.. not very worldly.. but sometimes you just gotta eat shrimp flavored instant noodles drenched in Tobasco and a glass of wine..

Collection of Grand Slam breakfasts at Denny’s in Los Angeles

Adorable heart-shaped rice and penang curry at a cute Thai spot in Dubai

Hungry yet? Leave a comment and tell me about your favorite foods!

The Very Inspiring Blogger Award

Awww, Chris, the owner of the blog, Introspections During Quiet Time has graciously awarded me with The Very Inspiring Award!

I’m touched, and feeling a bit guilty that it’s taken me far too long to even update my blog! To be fair, I’ve been on vacation back home in Phoenix and spent a lot of time with my brother’s family in California, so blogging has just been on the backburner. I’m definitely trying to motivate myself to write consistently, and if anyone has an tips, they would be greatly appreciated!

As per rules to accepting the award….

1.Display the award logo somewhere on the blog.

2. Link back to the blog of the person who nominated you.

3. State seven things about yourself.

4. Nominate 15 other bloggers for the award and provide links to their blogs.

5. Notify those bloggers that they have been nominated and of the award’s requirements.

Here’s my contributions.

State seven things about yourself:

1. I used to be Miss Asia Arizona 2007, and it was an incredibly fun and life-changing year for me! Here’s a look at a year in the life of a pageant queen…

photo by Amy Smith.. my crown almost fell off during my walk :/

2. While I was visiting home, I purchased a Hello Kitty sewing machine, some supplies and patterns and packed it all up and brought it back to Dubai with me. I am hoping to get back into sewing regularly. My mom was a seamstress extraordinaire and could conquer any project and obstacle I presented her with. I hope I can somehow get to her same level of expertise.

3. I originally wanted to become a vocal music teacher, and teach in high school. My majors changed to theater performance, communications, and the last thing I studied was broadcast journalism.

4. I launched my first website when I was 13 years old called “The Jinx Pages”, and did everything myself – from graphics to HTML. It hosted a lot of my drawings, fanfiction, and general nerdiness. It was mostly anime/video game fueled.

A graphic I drew for the last rendition of The Jinx Pages, which obviously never got finished.

5.  While doing video coverage for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2009 for LagTV and my old employer, Girls Entertainment Network (GEN), we scored passes into the Adult Entertainment Expo, also happening alongside in Las Vegas, and covered that as well. Check out the video here!

She was cute.

6. When I was really young, me and my friends used to collect earthworms from our yards into a giant cup. One day it was um, “accidentally” knocked over on the sidewalk and the earthworm pile was ran over by a bicycle… :/ Hmmm, ok, not the greatest thing to admit, but hey, my childhood was fun and spent a lot of time outdoors! Not like kids of today who spend so much time on video games and the internet.

7. I am the lucky tita (aunt in Tagalog) to 3 adorably smart and funny kids! My brother’s kids Sebastian, age 7, Marilyn age 10 (whose  name is a mix of my and my sister-in-law’s mothers, Marie and Lyn), and my sister’s baby girl Camille. The photo below is by Erika Adelman, see her great photos at the link below.

L-R, Sebastian, Camille and Marilyn

Here are my 15 blog nominations in no particular order.. unfortunately I don’t have 15 to share, but here are my picks anyway.

1. Photography by Erika

2. Yannah The Wanderer

3. fotojournalismus

4. neaato – network of entertaining asian american talent

5. corners of the world

6. since she left

7. gelaikuting

Hmm… this probably means I should spend more time on awesome blogs than on random internet searches…

Surviving Sydney

My first step into the great Down Under was via a long multi-sector trip which started in Bangkok, landed in Syndey, operating a quick turnaround to Christchurch, New Zealand, and then back to Dubai, staying roughly 24 hours in each location. I was lucky enough to have gotten this trip over Christmas 2010- originally I was rostered a yucky turnaround Christmas evening, which would have prompted Christmas dinner to be a reheated flash-frozen airplane meal. Australia was one of those places I never imagined I would ever set foot in, and I think Sydney was a great place to start.

How do you didgeridoo?

The first day we landed in Sydney, the crew and I wandered down to the harbor, just a short walk from our hotel. The weather was amazingly beautiful – it was somewhere in the 80′s; my first experience spending winter in the southern hemisphere. Lots of people about the harbor – but since we’d just landed later in the day, we sat down to a lovely meal with a harbor view, and then moseyed on over to catch a glimpse of the Sydney Opera House.

Oprah was just here days before we arrived, and Hugh Jackman fell from the ceiling. Useless fact for ya!

And on the way back, we  explored a bit of the city scene:

After having completed our quick Christchurch turn and an amusing night out with the crew (we will withhold those pics for another time.. or possibly never), I ventured back out to explore more of Sydney’s beautiful charm on Christmas Eve. We purchased a ticket for a ferry ride across to Darling Harbor, which very much lived up to its namesake.

Luna Park. We wanted to visit, but unfortunately it was closed for the holiday.

Darling Harbor was filled with tourists and locals alike; basking in the delightful  pre-Christmas weather. We found a lovely Italian joint and sat down for lunch; I had a delicious pizza until a seagull made an unsuccessful attempt at stealing it while I was away at the toilet. There were also many festive harbor inhabitants decked out in flashy and (sometimes) barely there Christmas outfits, which we later discovered was fueled by a local bar’s costume (or lack thereof) contest.

Lego king of the sea at the Sydney Aquarium

Christmas day itself was actually spent laying in my hotel bed with room service watching “The Simpsons”. Maybe not the greatest Christmas day spent, but definitely much better than having to work a busy and exhausting turnaround. And on Christmas evening, we met Santa in the airport and headed back to Bangkok. Bangkok pictures soon to come!