Memories of Osaka

While I haven't yet made it back to Osaka since my trip last April, I got a little taste of the city last night with a delicious home cooked meal.  I MAY have mentioned to a family from Osaka that my favorite Japanese food comes from their home city. And MAYBE the husband just happens to be a professional  chef. But truly it was just coincidental that they invited me over for a home cooked okonomiyaki dinner.  I'm sure it had nothing to do with me drooling each time I said the word Okonomiyaki in front of them.

The fixin's before they go in the batter

Veggies and seafood to go in the Okonomiyaki

Almost ready!

But seriously, it is so kind when a family invites you into their home and shares their food, their culture and their hospitality with you.  I got to eat Japanese food, drink Japanese beer, and listen to the rapidly spoken langage while trying to pick out the few words I remember from my college Japanese classes.  What a great night of food, friends and adorable children (the family has three kids plus two more than came with a family friend.

Okonomiyaki - the finished product

For those who've not had the chance to try Okonomiyaki, I always describe it as a savory pancake mixed with whatever meat, vegetable or seafood you like then once its cooked in a frying pan, its covered with a slightly sweet brown sauce and mayonaise.  At an Okonomiyaki-ya (okonomiyaki restaurant), you are given the batter and the ingredients you order to go in it and you cook it yourself on a hot grill at your table, so its very casual and everyone gets involved.  While I left the cooking to the chef last night, it was still a very relaxed and laughter filled atmosphere.

And one to make you smile

Smiles all around

A huge thank you and Arigato gozaimas goes out to the Ueda family for the delicious food and for making me feel so at home.


And after my great night of food from Osaka, I had another Osaka surprise waiting for me when I got home today. Last year, I lost one of my favorite earrings in Universal Park - Osaka.  Without any hope in the world, I filled out a Lost and Found report and believe it or not, they found it the next day.

Reunited!

Unfortunately, I had already left the city for Kyoto, but my friend held on to it for me for months.  When one of her friends from California came for a visit she gave her the earring to bring back to me and after a trip via mail from Gardena to Culver City, the long-lost, well traveled earring is finally back home with its mate. I may not know what I'm wearing to work tomorrow, but I DO know that I will be wearing my returned treasures

Book of Memories

As an avid traveler, I am often posed with the "What's your favorite_________?" question.  I always find this type of question difficult to answer. What's your favorite city? What's your favorite airline? What's your favorite type of food from around the world?  What's your favorite beach? There are so many great places, transportation choices, foods and beaches just in the US alone.  How could I possibly settle on just one in the world?

But there is one "favorite" question that is fairly easy for me to answer.

What's your favorite souvenir? 

That one I can answer without too much internal debate.  My favorite souvenir wasn't actually made in any one country.  It's not terribly expensive, but it is priceless in my eyes.  I didn't buy it in a small market or at an high end fashion house. And though it represents my travels through so many countries, I actually I got it right here in the US.  Yep, its my passport.  

Passports and Visas

From my experience I think its quite normal for regular travelers to get attached to their passports. I can flip back through the  two passports I currently have and remember trips and adventures based on the ink I see stamped across its pages.

I am writing this Ode to my Passport tonight because in the morning I'm heading over to the Los Angeles Regional Passport Agency to renew my passport. It doesn't actually expire until August, but as many countries require a minimum of 6 months left on your passport to enter their lands and I plan to do a lot of travel in June, I wanted to get it taken care of now.  The last thing I need is to get to an airport, all excited about my trip ahead, only to find out my unexpired passport is not going to get me through customs in my destination.

And I'm a going to pay the expedite fee and process it in person rather than mail it in for renewal as is the norm.  I've heard way too many stories of people not getting their expired passport back.  My passport tells a story and I would hate to lose it due to an administrative error or postal system glitch.  Plus, I still have 8 good years on my Brazilian visa in my current passport which will still be valid even when I'm carrying the new one.

It will be quite strange to see my newest passport brand spanking new - no stamps, no memories, no indication that I'm an avid traveler who's traveled to over 50 countries. But that's OK - I'm looking forward to breaking it in and to start the long and immensely pleasurable practice of filling it up again.

Learning to be Uncomfortable

The other day I read a sentence about travel that made me stop and think.  I don't remember the exact quote, but it was about how one of the best things about international travel is the chance to feel uncomfortable.  At first that may sound a bit strange.  Who wants to spend hard-earned money, use up vacation time and travel for hours only to feel uncomfortable? Hmm...I could stay home for that.

But the truth is, I can't get that kind of curiously-inspiring, uncomfortable feeling while I go about my daily routine. I'm not talking about out and out fear or stress where you are worried about your health or safety, but rather being pushed to the edges of your comfort zone and maybe a little bit beyond.  Trying to utter a few phrases in a language you're just starting to learn. Spending 30 minutes attempting to decipher menu choices only to end up with an oddly shaped piece of meat.  Trying to remember which hand gestures are friendly and which ones will likely get you into a bar room brawl. 

I was definitely feeling a little uncomfortable about the "American with Devil Sauce"

For me, my comfort level is challenged every time I have to strike up a social conversation with folks I don't know.  Though it can be lonely at times, I'm actually more comfortable traveling on my own rather than face the possible rejection by strangers.

Tasks that barely register a thought at home, like crossing the street or shopping at the market, take on a whole new level of awareness when you're unsure of traffic rules or exchange rates. Sometimes you can celebrate a little victory like finding your way through the unmarked back streets of a small village. Other times you get a full adrenaline rush from something like riding on the back of a motorscooter through the tight alleyways of a Vietnamese market going what appears to be the wrong way.

What experiences have you had when you travel that have made you feel uncomfortable. And once you got past the 'uncomfortable' feeling, were you glad you had that experience?

TSA Precheck

On the day I was supposed to fly back to Los Angeles from Atlanta, I received an unpleasant phone call in the wee hours of the morning. In a sleepy haze, I heard an airline agent explain that my flight had been canceled and if I wanted to make it home, i had to be at the airport in 90 minutes to get rebooked on another flight.  Only partially packed and only 45% awake I went into "scramble mode".  I woke my ride to the airport, threw last minute things in a bag in the dark because everyone else was still asleep, donned my last clean outfit and ran for the car.  For a woman who usually takes a minimum of 45 minutes to get out the door in the morning, I was a model of efficiency.  Thankfully I only had carry on luggage and there barely any traffic on the freeway...I was going to make my flight!!!....until I didn't. Where did I go wrong? The security check line.  They get you every time.

How many times has this happened to you? You check in online, skip the queues waiting to talk to an agent and print your boarding pass at a bank of empty kiosks.  You're sailing through the process and you start to fantasize about strolling to your gate after having a leisurely $8.00 cup of Starbucks coffee (that would only cost $4.25 if you were anywhere but the airport) and perusing the magazine racks for the perfect inflight reading selection. Suddenly you come around the corner and you stop dead in your tracks as you take in the 5-mile long snaking line of people inching along as if they were in a funeral procession.  Not only will you not be able to get your cup of overpriced coffee, but now you have to start stretching out for the dead sprint you'll have to do if you have any chance of making it to your gate in time.

...and you're gate closes in 10 minutes. 

Well, that's pretty much what happened to me that morning.  There were two major things standing between me and my gate:

1.  My inherent shyness and
2.  My lack of TSA Precheck privileges

If I was more demanding, I would have started asking people to let me go ahead of them because my gate closing time was fast approaching.  Instead I just kept looking at my iphone clock and willing people to not have laptops to take out or complicated shoes to undo.  I did ask one of the security guards policing the line if he thought I would make it to my gate. He assured me I'd be fine...he was wrong.

But, if I had the elusive TSA Precheck privileges  I could have made my flight which in actuality pushed back from the gate just as I was shoving my 3 oz bottles of liquids back into my bag.  TSA Precheck is like a frequent flyer's VIP handling service.  No long lines, no need to strip down or haul out your electronic devices. I've even heard you can take liquids with you...OVER 3 ozs.  Gasp! Amazing.  But as I said, this privilege is also elusive.  This is not a program you can sign up for on your own.  Like the best parties in high school, you're either invited or your not.

I think I WILL keep my shoes on, thank you very much.

After reading up on it a bit, it sounds like airlines decide which of their regular flyers will be bestowed this status then you find out at the airport if you can waltz through security without a care in the world or if you have to slum it with the rest of the commoners.  I haven't been flying enough on the same airline this year to even get on the radar, but I plan to change that in the near future (you hear me, United Airlines???).  Unfortunately, TSA is only for domestic travel, but that's still worth it if you can get it.

 It can be a bit complicated because even if you get to use the TSA Precheck line on one flight, it does not mean you'll always be invited to use it.  According to the TSA Precheck website, if you are selected, it will be updated in the barcode of your ticket and you'll be told at a designated check point if you can go through the expedited line or not.  Since it isn't guaranteed, its a little chancy, but I have to imagine that once you start getting access to TSA Precheck, you're liable to stay on that magical list.

Or there's always the Global Entry program that I'm thinking of applying for and will probably blog about in the near future...that little gem whisks you through customs for international flights AND gets you on the TSA precheck list domestically.  Definitely the difference between boarding your flight to get home at a decent hour and staring at a stand-by list for hours while blowing all of your vacation money on $8.00 cups of airport coffee.

Happy Travels all!

Music 2 Travel

Sitting in my little cubicle hovel, having not seen the sun since I walked out of the parking garage at 7:35 AM, I put the iPod on Shuffle and the first song that comes on is “Trapped by Love” by Manu Chao. If you haven't heard of Manu Chao, do a quick search on iTunes and listen to a track or two. While they may not be my favorite band in the wrold, they were (and maybe still are) the soundtrack to every backpacker's journey about 12 years ago.  

From Office Cubicle to Guest House Patio

20 seconds into the song and suddenly I’m thousands of miles away at a rustic but brightly colored youth hostel in South Africa. Or maybe it is a simple Guest House with a communal patio area in Laos.  I know I did have cares back at that time – was my malarial medicine really doing the job?...where was I going to sleep now that the guest house listed in Lonely Planet had closed down 6 months before?...had I split my money up into enough stashes in order to avoid being totally wiped out by a less than honest hostel mate?... -  but those cares seem so much lighter in retrospect. And so much more "alive", if that makes any sense. 

Its amazing how quickly and completely the right music at the right moment can change your whole perspective. For a minute there I was almost believing that it is normal to spend a whole day indoors squinting at a spreadsheet. While it may be common and even expected, it doesn't mean its good. 

On Sunday I randomly found myself listening to this video a friend posted on Facebook. 

Oohh...bad idea. Within 2 minutes I was searching for flights to Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Bahia. Take a minute. Play the video. Close your eyes... and listen. Whether you've been to Brazil 100 times or if you've not gotten any closer than buying a pair of Havaianas at your local department store, don't you just want to go? The rhythm is so up beat, the mixing of genres that come together so...I won't say perfectly, I'll say beautifully, the improvising of instruments (the credits at the end credit one musician for playing the "Box of Matches") - all of it captures the essence of Brasil. I'm transported from my kitchen table to a friend's house party in a small Brazilian town.  

Whether its Lebanese rap, Italian opera or Cuban salsa, if I get that right music I find myself traveling and I am reminded of what it is that makes me excited about life.

*Side Note: I'm reminded that I haven't updated my "Flight Plan" playlist with new songs in quite a while. The songs on this list remind me of far away places and the joy of travel. If you have any favorites you think I should add to the list, please add a comment below or on my blog's Facebook page.  I plan to do a lot more travel in 2013 and I'd love to have some new songs for the journey. 

And the Good News Is...

In last Thursday's post I hinted that I had some good news to share.  Actually, I included a very subtle hint in that post that no one picked up on.  After over 200 posts where I've only written in black text with the occasional highlight in purple, my "random" choice of color text may not have been so random.  OK - the hint may have been waaay out there, but I wanted to see if anyone was paying attention.  I chose to write last week's post in RED, BLUE and ORANGE. Do you know what else is RED, BLUE and ORANGE?

The matching clue

The flag of Armenia. Yep! The good news is that I'm going to Armenia! And that's only part of the good news. The other part of the good news is that I am going because this blog was selected as a contest winner and I will be a guest of the Armenian Tourism Board. I will be taken on an all expenses paid trip to Armenia to visit their country and blog about my experiences for one week this summer.  I am so excited to visit a country I've only ever heard about and I am honored that the blog I've been working on for nearly 2 years has been selected for this trip.

The Armenian Capital, Yerevan

How exactly did I win?  I entered a contest called the Silk Road Ch@llenge that was looking for bloggers who had written about food and drink from one of the countries along the Silk Road which includes Armenia, Lebanon, China and Azerbaijan, just to name a few. I had recently written two posts about Lebanese and Armenian food from my experience in Beirut, and one of them, about making the Lebanese dish Moghrabieh, ended up being selected.

I am still waiting on the exact details of the trip, but I'll be travelling there for 5 - 7 days in August.  Keep an eye out here on the blog as I'll post more about my upcoming trip, where I'll be going and what I'll be doing.  And for anyone who's ever been to Armenia, please drop me suggestions in the comments section below or on my blog's Facebook Page for great landmarks to visit and food and drink to try.

Good News Is Coming

OK - I'm going to be honest with you all today because...well...I normally am. My mother likes to tease me that I say things here on the blog that I normally wouldn't divulge to anyone in "real life".  Maybe that's true, but in any case, the truth is... tonight...I'm tired.  And even worse, my creative juices just aren't flowing. 

I worked until nearly 11:00 last night for my "9 - 5" then I did 3 more hours of personal work before I had to be up again for a 6:30 AM conference call. Do I have it harder than everyone else? No! Have I worked harder that someone who has two or three jobs and a family to care for? HELL NO!  So I'm definitely not here to complain. I'm here because it is Thursday and I've made a commitment to myself and this blog which I take seriously. Even if my mother is the only one to read this blog, I do want to keep it going because, unlike my creativity some nights, my love for travel never wanes. 

Oh! And there's one other reason I'm here.  It is to tell you (assuming you're not my mom because she already knows) that I have some VERY GOOD NEWS to share for my next post on Monday.  Its something I am very excited about and that I can't wait to share...just as soon as my brain is functioning again. In the meantime, I hope you don't mind my "random" choice of text colors.

Soon she'll be functioning again

Happy Weekend to you all and if you're going anywhere fun or exciting this weekend, leave me a comment and let me know where.  I'm staying in L.A. this weekend so I will live vicariously through you all.