Zion and Bryce Foregone

If a last minute plan took place, I would not have been in Carrboro this weekend.

Wee Loon and I discussed a possible weekend trip to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, the state where he is spending his remaining time in the United States. This possibility came out when we were chatting on Skype. Even though I have been to cities in Utah (Salt Lake City and Park City), I have yet to explore national parks there. The thought of a almost-free trip beckoned me.

Almost-free because he has a huge apartment for me to sleep over, and I have enough miles to redeem an award ticket.

I called Asia Miles customer service (Asia Miles is Cathay Pacific’s frequent flier program; both American Airlines (AA) and Cathay Pacific (CX) are part of OneWorld global alliance) to inquire about miles redemption. Since AA does not have direct flights from Raleigh-Durham (RDU) to Salt Lake City (SLC), I expected to transit at their hub at Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW). The CX/Asia Miles representative later confirmed my surmise (i.e. RDU-DFW-SLC).

However, to my despair, there was no seats available for redemption for this weekend.

Disappointed I was, but at the same time I was not so surprised since last minute award ticket is usually scarce. Quel dommage! It’s a shame that we have to ditch the plan. After all, this mini national park trip would have been perfect — fabulous company and exciting destinations, non?

An Unpleasant Flight

My DCA-RDU (Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Raleigh-Durham International Airport) flight was delayed 2 hours. The wait was particularly boring and I was so grateful that I had an iPhone to kill time.

The otherwise uneventful flight turned disastrous as I boarded the tiny Canadair Regional Jet 200. Initially, I felt crammed in a full petit aircraft. With time, the almost incessant air turbulence caused nausea. A baby who refused to take a break from crying did not help. I felt weak. The disposition to vomit gradually engulfed me.

Halfway through the flight, I knew that I was seriously not feeling well.

But it was a short flight. So I decided to just bear with it and convinced myself that I would be fine after landing. During the remaining half of the flight, the baby seated three seats behind me was determined to wail until landing, and I began to experience slight numbness on the tip of my fingers. I felt like I was about to faint.

I rushed to the front of the aisle as soon as the seatbelt sign went off. At that point, I just wanted to get myself out of that extremely confined area as soon as possible. As soon as the aircraft door was opened, I walked on the jet bridge to the gate in a frail manner. I felt afloat with the I-could-pass-out-anytime-now sensation. This prompted me to seek help. Without much hesitation, I approached the Delta representative over the gate counter to request for wheelchair assistance.

There goes my first time being pushed on a wheelchair in an airport terminal.

District of Columbia

For a complete photo album, please visit my Flickr page at http://tr.im/washingtondc. Wee Loon’s take can be read here.

Seal of the President of the United States (by Wee Loon Ong)

Wee Loon and I spent two full days in the nation’s capital. As we promenaded the city under the generally pleasant summer weather (when compared to Chapel Hill, NC of course), we attempted to cover as many places as possible on our itinerary.

Hilton Hotel in the Dupont Circle neighborhood (Wee Loon Ong)

I managed to get a pretty decent deal — three nights at Hilton Hotel situated in Dupont Circle, a vibrant local neighborhood with chic shops and fancy restaurants.

Starbucks at Dupont Circle (by Wee Loon Ong)

This is one of my favorite Starbucks cafés in the U.S., which is situated right at the roundabout in Dupont Circle. The green-house like design provides a nice view of busting traffic outside. I had been there during my first trip four years ago with Steve, and I had continued to get my coffee every morning before Wee Loon and I hopped on the subway at a nearby station.

National Archives (by Wee Loon Ong)

Even though this is my third visit to Washington DC, I have to say that this trip is by far the most educational, as far as I am concerned. We kicked off our first day with National Archives where the three important documents are preserved — the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and U.S. Constitution. We were greeted with a long queue; nonetheless the line was worth queueing for the Rotunda access.

The Rotunda in the National Archives (by Wee Loon Ong)

Visitors are seen to be busy perusing important archives of the nation. The Rotunda is where those three important documents are exhibited in the National Archives.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (by Wee Loon Ong)

We stopped by (at the entrance of) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) building for a photo shot. The building is conveniently located diagonally across the street (Pennsylvania Avenue) from the National Archives.

Outside of the Library of Congress (by Wee Loon Ong)

We marched (hmm… actually we took the subway) to the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. The architecture within the building was impressive. My lack of jargon in art/architecture impedes my attempt to describe it to you. Through a guided tour, we visited a viewing deck where we were able to get a bird view of the main reference area of the library, called the Main Reading Room. Plaster female figures can be seen supported on gigantic marble columns that surround the room. They feature eight civilized notions, namely religion, commerce, history, art, philosophy, poetry, law, and science.

Library of Congress (by Wee Loon Ong)

We made a short stop at the Supreme Court before we concluded our first day. On the second day, we toured the U.S. Capitol. They have the strictest security clearance for visitors! A lot of items were not allowed, in particular aerosols. I had to leave my sun screen and disinfectant spray at the hotel as a result.

U.S. Capitol (by Wee Loon Ong)

Apart from the annoying security clearance, the guided tour in the U.S. Capitol was very educational. I learned a great deal about the history of the United States, as well as its government. There were so much aspects of the House of Representative and the Senate of which I was unaware. Trivia were shared by the tour guide from time to time as we walked around the majestic building. Wee Loon and I had the opportunity to see the auditorium where the House of Representative debates take place.

The dome in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol (by Wee Loon Ong)

Of course we did not miss the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!

The White House (by Wee Loon Ong)

The weather was unbearably hot when we were about to leave the White House for the memorials. We ended up calling it a day earlier instead. A mediocre Italian dinner at a seemingly fancy Italian restaurant marked the end of our trip, as well as our petit reunion after five years of not seeing each other.

The One-Day Road Trip

For a complete photo album, please visit my Flickr page at http://tr.im/baltimore. Wee Loon’s take can be read here.

On Monday June 29, Wee Loon and I woke up early to begin our 5 to 6 hours drive to the Baltimore and District of Columbia (DC) area. After having the delectable cheesecakes from Cheesecake Factory, we left the apartment at approximately 08:00.

I was delighted to drive a full-size car (Chevrolet Impala — one of my favorites by the way), as to the compact-size vehicle that I initially reserved. When I was picking up the rental car, the receptionist was particularly kind to offer me a two-tier upgrade (i.e. compact to mid-size to full-size) at no cost.

Along Interstate 95 North (by Wee Loon Ong)

We abandoned the initially planned Shenandoah Cavern stop en route. It was too ambitious (time constraint wise) and practically almost impossible to achieve. So the drive was a direct service to Baltimore, MD. The drive provided an opportunity for us to really catch up, since we were busy touring the Carrboro and Chapel Hill area the day before.

Inner harbor of Baltimore (by Wee Loon Ong)

It was half past one when we arrived at Baltimore. The downtown area was overwhelmed with crowds and it was rather a challenging task to look for a parking garage that did not have the Full sign.

Colorful fish in the National Aquarium (by Wee Loon Ong)

After a quick lunch at Chipotle, we bought our admission tickets into the National Aquarium. Overall, the aquarium was okay. I would personally give it a B+. As far as my aquarium experience goes, I think that Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, IL is the best. They secure a solid A from me. The second best aquarium I have been to is the KLCC Aquaria in Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia. I certainly award them an A-.

A lazy crocodile enjoying the attention it is getting (by Wee Loon Ong)

Back to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD. The total experience package (for the admission ticket) includes general admission as well as the penguin dolphin show and a 4D immersion theater admission. As usual, the penguins’ dolphins’ ability to perform acts was impressive, and the 4D show was at times unpredictable especially with all the sense stimulations. Sprays of water were being directed right into our faces when the ocean scene came up and our legs were tickled when the film moved to a rattlesnake take.

Wee Loon and I at the National Aquarium, Baltimore (by Wee Loon Ong)

We decided to adjourned to Washington DC for dinner at about 18:00. We took several pictures outside of the aquarium before leaving. The photo on top was taken at the main entrance of the aquarium, while the one below features a special pedestrian crossing. The crossing has a real pedestrian light and the special pedestrians are jellyfish!

Jellyfish crossing? (by Wee Loon Ong)

On our way to the car park, I stopped by Barnes and Noble to get my Starbucks fix. Jason called from Britain and greeted Wee Loon while I lined up to order my drink.

A collection of tea in Starbucks (by Wee Loon Ong)

By the time we returned the car, had dinner, and checked into Hilton Hotel, we listlessly took a refreshing shower and dived into our dreams on those comfortable beds.

Anticipation

Wee Loon, an old buddy of mine, is scheduled to arrive at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) 4 days from today.

I  look forward to his U.S. visit. I more than happy to host his stay in Carrboro for the first 2 days.

Then, we are going to spend a whole afternoon on a mini road trip from the Research Triangle area to the capital Washington D.C.. We are going to make stops at two tourist destinations en route — namely the Shenandoah Caverns and the National Aquarium. Two full days will be spent in the capital before we part — Wee Loon is going to New York City while I travel back to Carrboro.

I am so excited about our meeting. The last time we saw each other was August 23, 2004, which is almost 5 years ago, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Wee Loon et al sending me off at KLIA on 8-24-2004.

Random Stuff in Manhattan

Even though the main purpose of my recent trip to New York City was food-oriented, I did some other random stuff too. It would be impossible to solely eat on a trip, for the fixed capacity of my stomach and the fear of obesity will eventually deter me from doing so.

Grand Central Terminal.

I had been trying to look for collar stays (UK: collar stiffeners) for quite some time; I lost some of mine and I was having a hard time purchasing them. I inquired at various Gap and Banana Republic stores (in Chapel Hill and New York City), but to no avail. I finally found it at the Grand Central Terminal Banana Republic Store! I only needed 2 or 3 pairs, but apparently they sell such accessories in “bulk.”

Times Square.

I wondered around Times Square, too. There was not any big noticeable change, except for the newly erected TKTS ticketing booth on Broadway.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.

Check out the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company! It would be nice if Forrest Gump is dining in there…

Apple Store on fifth Avenue.

Most definitely did I not forget to drop by the impressive Apple Store in New York City!

Muji.

Muji is one of my favorite stores. They carry innovative and often practical products that usually come in handy. This is the first U.S. Muji store I visited. My previous Muji shopping experience was at Hong Kong International Airport and Singapore City.

Union Square.

I was having my street-food lunch (shish kebab with rice) at the Union Square Park when several pedestrians admired the horses (or the policemen actually?).

New York City

My last-minute spring break trip to New York City was rewarding! I managed to meet up with some of my friends and pampered myself gastronomically.

JFK Terminal Five.

I arrived at JFK Terminal Five, the new terminal for JetBlue Airways. Among other U.S. airport terminals, I have to say that JFK T5 was pretty impressive — with space, simplicity, and functionality. So what did I pamper my stomach with? I started with one of my classic, favorite entrée – the barbecue roasted pork (with chicken). I dropped by Yee Li Restaurant (1 Elizabeth St, New York) in one mid-afternoon.

Barbecue Roasted Pork with Chicken.

To be frank, despite the appealing presentation, the roasted pork was so-so — I guess it was because of my patronizing at 1500 in the afternoon, which was way after the peak lunch hour at 1200. The pork was a little stale. It was not terribly bad though, maybe my expectation was too high after living in Chapel Hill (read: severe lack of good food in Chapel Hill). This place seemed to be a restaurant that serves decent chinese food.

May Ying and I at Kyotofu Restaurant.

May Ying (University of Chicago) and I did meet up at a Japanese fusion-themed restaurant which she recommended — the Kyotofu Restaurant (705 9th Avenue, New York). The dessert was simply amazing. This restaurant specializes in desserts. The portion may be petit, but the workmanship was definitely exquisite and the taste was thrilling. The nowhere ordinary complex flavors in the dessert brought satisfaction to a different level. With its relaxing décor and ambience, this is no doubt a nice place to have a chat and catch up with friends.

My dessert.

I do not remember the name of the desserts we ordered, but they surely look mouthwatering?

May Ying and her dessert.

I was excited to have found a new Malaysian restaurant (by new, I mean a restaurant that I had not been to) in Chinatown. Edmund (University of Michigan) and I went to the Skyway Restaurant (11 Allen Street, New York) to enjoy some good home-tasting food. But we were downright disappointed.

Java Noodles

We were excited to spot Java Noodles on their menu, since it is more of a Northern cuisine (a lot of Kuala Lumpur residents have never even heard of it!) and most Malaysians restaurants in the U.S. do not serve it. However it was a below-average entrée. The presentation was once again okay, but the gravy was too sweet and tasteless at the same time, that is the lack of flavor. It almost felt like a pure combination of corn flour and distilled water. I won’t even bother to post pictures of nasi lemak and the war tan ho (Cantonese style flat noodles in egg-starchy gravy) that were equally disappointing.

Beef Rendang and Kangkung Belacan

Lucky me, I did find the courage to try out another new Malaysian restaurant. This time, Edmund and I, along with his roommate Vernon (Cornell University), ventured to Sentosa Restaurant (3907 Prince Street, Flushing). This place exceeded my expectation. The food was not only good, but fairly authentic I have to say. We made our stomach bloated by ordering three dishes, namely the beef rendang (a South East Asian flavor of curry), kangkung belacan (stir-fried water spinach, Ipomoea aquatica if you will, with shrimp paste and chili), and asam fish (steamed fish with tamarind).

Asam Fish.

During the weekend, we had above-average Hong Kong Dim Sum with a bunch of friends, before we caught a film The International at an AMC Theater at Times Square.

Dim Sum on Saturday.

Golden Unicorn Restaurant (18 East broadway Street, New York) serves a variety of dim sum. It was quite crowded when we got there; I took it as an indication of good food! (Picture, from left: Wooi Yang Chang, Binit, Jon San Ng, May Ying Ng, Melissa Lee, Eric Fu aka me, and Edmund Ooi.)

Pad Thai with Shrimp.

Another worth-mentioning restaurant is Pongsri Thai Restaurant (244 West 48th Street, New York). Here, I tasted truly authentic Thai food, not only the rich flavors per se, but also the level of spiciness. Here, you can bypass the Americanized “spicy level” and opt for the true Thai spiciness. The papaya salad that Edmund, May Ying, and I savored was enough to turn on my tongue with its subtle, yet  not negligible tinge of spiciness.

Grilled Chicken à la Thaï.

The main entrées were heavenly. I would say that this was the best Thai experience in all of my culinary Thai delight in the United States. We got ourselves the standard pad thai with shrimp, grilled chicken (Thai style), and some really spicy minced pork whose Thai name I forgot.

Spicy Minced Pork.

Danny Ng’s Restaurant (34 Pell Street, New York) offers palatable Hong Kong cuisine. Moreover, I had a good bee bim bop at a Korean restaurant, that is the Hanbat Restaurant (53 West 35th Street, New York). I shall not forget the crunchy Korean style fried chicken at Bon Chon (314 5th Avenue, New York). Neither shall I miss mentioning some good street foods in New York City too; try the shish kebab at Union Square (or pretty much any street hawker you see; they should be equally good) and also the one buck (used to be three quarters) Peiking duck bun at Main Street and 40th Road (right next to the Long Island Rail Road station). The Taiwanese bubble tea at Ten Ren (13518 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing) was delightful, too.

An amazing trip! Even though this is my fifth trip to Manhattan, I do not discount the possibility of the sixth or seventh trip for the diverse, delicious food!

For a complete collection of amateurish photos taken throughout this trip, visit my Flickr NYC set.

Spontaneity

My spring break was supossed to be an uneventful yet somehow relaxing week in Chapel Hill. I had no intention to travel as air fares are ridiculously expensive lately. Flying from coast to coast, for example, could cost about 600 U.S. Dollars if you are unlucky. Deals still exist, but they are hard to come by.

Fortunately for me (or rather, unfortunately for my wallet), I was informed of an extraordinary deal by Airfarewatchdog, a site whose RSS I subscribe. JetBlue Airways was having a one-day sale and I managed to secure a 80 U.S. Dollars roundtrip ticket to New York City. Edmund had graciously agreed to letting me stay over at his cozy, luxurious-looking apartment.

Albeit on a short notice, I managed to get a ride to the airport from my colleague Daniel Orr. It was certainly very kind of him. So on Wednesday, March 11, I departed from RDU (Raleigh-Durham International Airport) to JFK (John Fitzgerald Kennedy International Airport). I had transited at JFK en route to YUL (Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport) two summers ago, but this is the first time I fly into New York City via JFK. Somehow I had the impression that JFK is not too far away from Manhattan, but boy I was wrong! I traveled for more than an hour on the AirTrain and the subway to get to Manhattan.

As a fairly financially restrained graduate student, I have decided to keep an eye on my spending. For starter, I said no to a Broadway musical and imprudent shopping. This trip shall solely be a palate trip — I am in a dire need to pamper my palate because of the severe deprivation of ethnically diverse cuisine in the town I currently reside in, that is Chapel Hill, NC. In my next post, I shall share my food experience in this city that never sleeps.

P/S: I was thrilled to know that the temperature in NYC for the period of my stay is pleasant, at about 10 degrees Celsius. This is definitely favorable when I compare to the 30-degree-Celsius climate in Chapel Hill in early March. I am not mentally ready for such high temperature in early March. That’s just ridiculous.

The Pacific Northwest

This Christmas, I decided to explore the Pacific Northwest, a region in the United States to which I had not been. The initial plan was to visit Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia. However, Steve and I had to make some changes to our travel plans when his Canadian visa application got rejected.

Hence an international trip was humbled to a vacation with domestic flair. Portland, Oregon supplanted the Canadian city. I was still looking forward to this trip because I would be able to meet up with Yun Xin, a long friend of mine.

My flight to Seattle on December 20 was at 0600, and I had to wake up at 0400 in the middle of the night to catch this super early flight. Oh well, since this flight is almost free (I redeemed my Northwest WorldPerks miles and paid taxes only), I shall not complain. It was not a direct flight; the layover at Detroit Metro Airport was short but I managed to have my breakfast in the terminal before boarding the connecting flight. The snow scene in Detroit reminded me of my hearty enjoyment of snow.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

I met up with Steve who flew directly into Seattle from Chicago O’Hare and we took a bus shuttle to our hotel — Best Western Loyal Inn. Expecting to see a raining scene, I was greeted instead with snow in Seattle. Confounded I was, yet I did not care much as I was tremendously excited to see snow and feel the subzero (in Celsius) breeze. Only during the check-in at Best Western did the front desk receptionist told me that Seattle was hit by a severe snow storm.

Apparently the last time such a “severe” snow storm beleaguered the Pacific Northwest region was more than 30 years ago. Such inclement weather was therefore considered an anomaly and the entire population seemed panicked and did not know what to do. The city of Seattle has only 27 snow plowers. As a result, it took them more than a few days to clear the streets. The city municipal further refused to use road salt, arguing that it will cause unsought pollution in the Puget Sound. Hence there was no effective snow removing throughout our stay in Seattle.

This in turn impeded our travel as more than half of the city bus routes were cancelled until further notice. We had no choice but to surrender the opportunity to visit the Capitol Hill region — St. Mark’s Cathedral, Volunteer Park Conservatory, Water Tower Observation Deck, and the Seattle Museum of Mysteries. With the extra time in hand, Steve and I went to the cinema (AMC theaters) and watched Transporter 3 and The Day The Earth Stood Still.

On the second day, we made an effort to wake up early for the Pike Place Public Market visit. We strolled to Pike Place, which is situated about 1 kilometer away from our hotel. We stumbled upon a beckoning French bakery shop (la pâtisserie française) on Pike Place. The delicious-looking pastries on display lured us to have our second breakfast (Best Western provides guests with complimentary continental breakfast).

Le Panier dans la rue Pike à Seattle

Aptly named as Le Panier (literally, it means “the basket” in French), the bakery is located right across the street from the famous Seattle Public Market and a few shops away from the first Starbucks in the world.

Un croissant aux abricots

We ordered two items — an apricot croissant and an apple tart. They were so good that I went back to Le Panier for breakfast on the following morning.

Une tarte aux pommes

All pastries were labeled in French, and it felt good to be able to understand those labels! I even tried to converse in French with la caissière (the cashier), but she replied that she rather not as she did not speak much French.

Seattle Public Market

The Public Market was certainly one of the highlights of the trip, I shall say. There, I witnessed a scene of local vendors bustling around, forming a unique community of local producers. There was an impressive seafood stall right at the left entrance of the market. The Pike Place Fish Market had a variety of seafood, including the fresh parrot fish and monk fish!

The Pike Place Fish Market

Here’s the fresh parrot fish…

The Fresh Parrot Fish

… and the monk fish — Don’t be afraid, boys and girls!

The monk fish

Check out the fresh jumbo scallops (from another merchant):

Gigantic scallops

And of course, fromage (cheese) too!

Fromage

Then, I dropped by the first Starbucks café in the world! I mean, how could I miss it, being an avid Starbucks fan? Notice the pioneer logo:

La première café Starbucks

I got myself a Pike Place Starbucks Collection Series mug as a souvenir. Can you correctly guess which one?

Starbucks merchandise

Before we left for Portland, we ascended the Space Needle for a bird view of the city. Also, we took a short tour around the University of Washington district and had a Vietnamese lunch there. I was very impressed by the UW campus.

Seattle Space Needle

We spent some of our time (especially me) shopping along Pike Street and Pine Street. Consequently, my wallet is squirming now.

Bon-Macy's at Pine Street

En route to Portland, we had to endure our Amtrak experience. In Portland, due to inclement weather, we did not get to visit parks and gardens. However, we did spend some quality time with Yun Xin and Yusuke. Together we visited the Discovery Museum at the World Forestry Center. I enjoyed learning from the exhibitions there.

Les forêts pour la vie. Les forêts pour les peuples.

In the evening, Yun Xin pampered us with a simple, yet wonderful Christmas dinner (on Boxing Day). It was technically a full-course meal with appetizers, main entrées, and dessert. The dinner, which was totally a fusion meal, started off with a Japanese appetizer, followed by rice with Asian dishes as the main entrée, complemented by mashed potatoes and miso soup as side dishes, along with a bottle of Californian wine. At the end, we made our already bloated stomachs even more bloated by savoring a cake from an Italian bakery as well as some chocolates. We chatted for so long that Steve and I missed the last bus back to our hotel!

A fusion Christmas dinner

The trip ended 8 days later. I flew back via Minneapolis-St. Paul back to Chapel Hill, awaiting the new semester to commence on January 12.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

My Amtrak Experience on Christmas Eve

Yesterday, Steve and I boarded the Portland-bound Amtrak train at Seattle King St Station. The train departed at 1420 and was scheduled to arrived at 1750.

My first experience with Amtrak did not go very smooth (Chicago-Ann Arbor). Hearing bad experiences from others made me expect nothing much from Amtrak.

And it happened. We were stuck in the train for about five and a half hours.

Thank goodness I brought a demi baguette and some cheese with me from Whole Foods at Seattle before boarding the train. The supposedly 1800 dinner was impossible; and at 2000 (after checking in the hotel), restaurants that were opened on Christmas Eve had closed by then. In such circumstances, we were grateful to find some microwavable burritos in the Market (the convenience store in the hotel).

What a way to spend my Christmas Eve, I said to myself.