Their Itinerary is Your Menu

New York has so much to offer - it makes it hard to decide where to go, what to see and what to eat on a short stay.  Now perhaps these New York food tours would make it a little easier. 

 

I really love New York.  One of my friends is about to move there for a new job next month.  I want to go, too!

 

The timing is right.  The braces are almost done and I don't need to be chained to my ortho and oral surgeon.

 

The timing is wrong.  I just started a new job two weeks ago.

 

I am, however, going to New York for a weekend in October.  My second trip there this year, and maybe the sixth visit overall.

OUCH

I want to cry.  The rubber bands hurt SO badly.

 

Took two extra strength Tylenols before hopping on the red eye to Boston last night, which is saying a lot, as I have a very high tolerance for pain.  But it wasn't enough.  It hurt so badly I couldn't drift to sleep and I wanted to rip my mouth off.  Well, that wouldn't be a good idea, so I ripped the rubber bands off instead.  My ortho had told me it'd feel a little sore.  But this was not a "little sore".  It was FULL-ON PAIN.

 

I don't know how I'm gonna survive the next six days.

Snap!

Crazy rubber bands? You can say THAT again!

My ortho cut down the wires (hard to see, but now they only cover the front teeth, not the entire archs) today, and zig-zag'd "crazy rubber bands" up and down my entire mouth to tighten up the bite. I have to wear this for a whole week. Then remove the rubber bands and roam free for another week. Then go see her again to make sure there are no relapses. Then she will - drum roll, please - remove the braces!

This snapped me all the way back to the weeks immediately following surgery. My jaws are, in essence, wired shut again. AARRRGGGHHHH! The difference? This time I can remove the rubber bands when I eat. AND, yes, I can eat. Woohoo!

The timing couldn't BE any better. In a few hours I'm jetting over to Boston on a redeye (the price I pay for keeping my ortho appointment and saving two weeks) for training. Which means, my colleagues won't see me like this but for one day on Friday. Yep, I'm THAT vain. :) Plus, it's near impossible to "talk" through clenched teeth.

I wonder how anyone managed to understand me over the phone this afternoon. Bless their hearts!

Discolored Teeth?

I'm getting the braces off in about a month's time. Hooray!

But now I have a new concern. What if, after the brackets come off, it turns out they've left white spots on my teeth, while the areas around the brackets are stained? Am I making any sense? I'm just worried that my teeth would look discolored to the point where you can see where the brackets have been. Has anyone encountered this problem?

Red-Eye, Metal-Mouth

I need to go to Boston (I live in San Francisco) for business training week after next. The class starts on Tuesday at 9 am and spans across three days.

I won't land until 6:30 am on Tuesday and will drop off my luggage at the hotel (hopefully they'll let me freshen up), and head straight to the class. Yes - I'm taking a redeye.

Why wouldn't I fly out on Monday, the day before?

Good question.

It's because I don't want to reschedule/postpone my orthodontist appointment on Monday and wait two extra weeks. I have an ortho appointment at noon on Monday, August 27th. They tell me if I reschedule that one they won't be able to squeeze me in again until September 10th. No, no, no, no, no.

Suffer redeye for one night, or endure braces for two extra weeks? Now THAT's a no-brainer (at least for me)!

IF, if if if, everything works out as planned, I should be "debanded" on September 17th. Woohoo!

Six Months!

The photo on the left was from my company Christmas party in January, about two weeks before my surgery. The one on the right was in Madrid, taken on August 2nd, six months after the surgery. Funny how I never thought there was a problem with my upper jaw, too.

Photos from Europe

I've posted some pictures from Brussels, Amsterdam, Madrid, Tafalla, and London on my photo blog.

Sensational

They pass out tabloids like these for free in the streets of London.

De ja Vu

Unbelievable. My outbound flight from PHL was delayed not one, not two, but EIGHT hours on my way to Belgium two weeks ago. We were supposed to take off at 8 PM, but never did until 4 in the morning!

Now it's two hours after our original departure time out of D.C., and back to San Francisco. And what happens? Nothing. We've been simply sitting here, in the plane, waiting.

Finally, another two-hour delay before the takeoff. What's going on with US Airways and United?

On a separate note, JetBlue had a very minor delay on one of my trips a few months ago. They promptly emailed me a $25 voucher within days. What a pleasant surprise!

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One V or Another

I'm due to report to my new job at 8 Friday morning, for sales training (I'm in marketing myself).

Until then, I have about 24 hours to relax, unpack, and get over the jetlag.

This has been a wonderful trip, my first solo journey to Europe. People typically react in two ways when they hear that I travel alone - 1. Wow you're brave, or 2. Wouldn't you rather travel with friends?

I'm not brave. I don't consider traveling alone "brave". Well, it depends on where you're going. South America? Yes. Western Europe? No.

The second comment contains the hidden implication of "don't you have any friends?". Not many, but sure, I do. And I enjoy traveling with them as much as flying solo. In fact, this trip, my first journey to Europe on my own (though I met up with friends in Spain for the wedding), was a better experience than my last two trips there with friends.

Why? No waiting around for each other. No need to negotiate and compromise on agendas. No flared tempers because of stress. I was completely selfish and did exactly what I wanted, WHEN I wanted. Some planning, and a lot of doing it on a whim. It was really liberating and fun.

My next trip, however, I'd do something completely different. Vietnam (where the $ would be considered a strong currency), OR Vienna, and with a friend or two. :)
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American Accent

We are onboard. The Captain made an announcement. His familiar American accent meant one thing to me: home. Funny how much you appreciate that after two weeks of foreign language. :)
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Voila!

Two weeks, four countries, and five cities later, the travel bug is out of my system. Dare I say, that I'm in fact ready to go home? The Land of the Free.... waters and bathrooms. :)

The officer at the airline check in asked me how come I'm traveling so light - all I have is a North Face backpack stuffed to the nines and a small messenger bag. Well, I said, I've been to Europe before and had a suitcase but really didn't need it. So this time I've learned. And trust me, the backpack is not "light". It is heavy. But of course, I kept that one last bit to myself. There's no humor in joking with an officer that hasn't quite mastered the Engish language.

I'm waiting to board my flight out of Brussels, now armed with two boxes of truffles and a box of dark chocolates. But the best purchase? A fridge magnet showing two beer mugs that says - "Two beer or not to beer? Shakesbeer.". :)

I'm homebound! :D

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Re: Tea, English Tea

On a 2nd thought, if I skipped the tea, I'd probably have fit into some of the clothes, and solved at least one of the two problems. :P
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Tea, English Tea

It's 4 PM in London, and I'm having tea, complete with the finger sandwiches and sweets, on Regent street, their equivalent of Market street in San Francisco, or Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

I'm not impressed by either the shopping or the tea.
The shopping... Well, maybe I should've gone to Harrod's, but I didn't want to rush, and Regent street was closer. None of the clothes I tried on fit me. At 5'7" (170 cm) and 140 lbs, I usually wear size medium, or 8 on top, and 6, or sometimes a 4 on the bottom. But here in Europe, what they label as US size 8 are so tight they make me look like a wrapped-up mummy. Three possible explanations: 1. I've put on weight during my vacation (but the clothes I rought with me still fit the same), 2. The European sizes aren't true, or 3. We have been very liberal/forgiving with sizes here in the States. In any case, it's depressing not being able to buy cute clothes because I can't fit into them!

Now, the tea. Honestly, high-end hotels in San Francisco, New York, and Canada all make MUCH better tea and sandwiches than this Caffe Concerto in London. But then again, you get what you pay for.... This just goes to show location doesn't matter, in this case. As a side note, the tour guide on the sightseeing bus said the Ritz serves tea for a whopping £36 per person (as opposed to the £9 I'm paying here), you need to dress up for it, AND book six weeks in advance. Maybe when I'm filthy rich. :)

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London!

It's raining hard in Paris. I've hopped on the train to London instead, waiting for the departure. I've visited Paris twice already, but never London yet, so this shall be exciting!

The 30-something businessman sitting down opposite me in first class seems in a foul mood. Well, I suppose I'd be too, if I were traveling for business on a Monday morning, not to mention the bad weather. Nonetheless, I smiled and said "Bonjour", to which he muttered a reluctant "morning". A few minutes later he accidentally dropped a piece of paper on my foot, looked embarrassed and said a hasty "sorry". "no worries," I replied. That got him to do a quick double-take. Hahaha! Did he think I was French? : )

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On the way to Paris!

Long story short, I was finally able to get out of Tafalla by the way of Hendaye. On the overnight train to Paris right now, lying in bed and furiously typing on my BlackBerry.

Feeling ambitious at the moment. Tomorrow I might head to London. : )
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The Grass Isn't Always Greener....

Traveling in Europe makes me miss the little things I take for granted in the States:

1. We get water free of charge at restaurants.
2. Our airport bathrooms are free. You don't need to pay €1 to use them.
3. No language barrier. DOH!
4. No one stares at Asians on either coasts (although it would be a different story in, say, Kansas). Here in the tiny town of Taffalla, Spain, I suspect I'm the first Asian many of the locals have ever seen, judging from the gawks.
5. Air conditioners - and yes, we USE them. : )

On the flip side, Europe boasts many enviable traits:
1. Many Europeans speak multiple languages. So far, based on my experience (disclaimer: sample size of ONE), Belgians speak the most English, then the Dutch, the Italians, and the Germans. The French are actually not as snooty as their reputation suggests - and yes, they understand you almost perfectly. Spain seems to be the most helpless, even in Madrid, which I found surprising. Let's just say I would hesitate to venture back here again without learning some serious Spanish first.
2. Generally speaking, their public transit systems are really convenient. Amsterdam tops the list in that department. Love their trams!
3. Their trains! Enough said. Japanese bullet trains are still the best, though, bar none.
4. Their life style promotes walking.
5. Businesses stay open late.

Everything said and done, I'm partial to San Francisco, New York, and Sydney.... And now perhaps adding Amsterdam to the list. Brussels and Frankfurt fall into the BORING bucket. Venice has the most vibrant colors, hands down. Rome? Charming, sure, but also polluted and dirty. Berlin - clean, minimalist, and efficient. Madrid? Nah, not expecting a repeat visit anytime soon. And forget Taffalla, I just don't find small towns appealing. I'm glad I came here for my frienda' wedding.... But I'm also eager to see it in my rearview mirror - hint, hint.

That leaves....Paris. The only European city I've visited multiple times. How could anyone resist the Louvre? Or the outdoor cafes? Or the soft sounds of French? I know, not original reasons at all, but they are good reasons nonetheless. : )

Now I need to go buy a train ticket to Paris, leaving tomorrow night. Fingers crossed it's not sold out! I really couldn't sustain another night in Taffalla.... Wish me luck!

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Uh oh....

I swallowed a tiny rubberband.

My ortho asked me to wear a single rubberband that stretches from the backside of a top molar to the outside of a bottom one so that it would move out a little.

After a few days I'd completely forgotten about it - until just now, after a few hungry bites into a breakfast churro, when I realized the rubberband was gone.

Uh oh. I'm gonna die from rubber indigestion. How glamorous. : P
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Bloggers Unite!

"Chinderella" and I met at Plaza Mayor in Madrid for drinks this afternoon, which then extended into shopping and dinner. It was absolutely cool to meet a fellow blogger and jaw surgery patient in person! And, half way across the world, considering that she lives in London, and I live in San Francisco! Photos later, IF I have the permission to reveal her identity. :)

Update on August 9th: "Chinderella" posted this on her blog, complete with a photo! Yes, we had a great time talking about everything from surgery to insurance coverage to drinks to shopping. She is a hell of a cool lady - elegant, easy-going, and very cosmopolitan. Bravo, M!

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I'm "sleeping" my dream!

I'm on an overnight train from Paris to Madrid, in a 4-bed sleeping compartment. The lights are off and I can hear the even breathing of my fellow messengers in the perfect darkness - well, except for the glow of my BlackBerry.

Speaking of which, the French businessman sitting next to me on the earlier train from Brussels to Paris also had a BlackBerry Pearl, that looked exactly like mine. We had a good laugh about it. : )

Been reading Cold Moon, another murder mystery by the same author, Jeff Deaver, who wrote the Bone Collector. Gruesome, but a thoroughly smart and entertaining book. It involves the same two characters from the movie, so as I read I can't help but picture Danziel Washington and Angelina Jolie. It's like watching a sequal! : D

Curling up in bed with a mystery novel in a sleeping compartment onboard an overnight international train to Spain. I feel so grateful that at the moment, life is so good.

And I know I'll always remember this fondly. : )

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Kids!

Overheard in the streets of Amsterdam(father to boy): "no, it's just Euro, not Euro dollars.". : D
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