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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Sent Wirelessly from My CrackBerry.

Home Exchange

I sipped a glass of Cabernet at the bar while waiting for my ex-colleague to join me for dinner at Rex Cafe tonight. The couple sitting next to me asked for entree recommendations - so we struck up a conversation. It turned out they were from Australia (the guy) and New Zealand (the girl, she wore braces, too!), but live in Hong Kong. They are in San Francisco on vacation, and they got free lodging via Home Exchange! Just like what Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet did in the movie, the Holiday. In fact, HomeExchange.com did indeed sponsor the movie. Now, how cool is THAT!! The couple they are exchanging homes with owns three properties in the States, in San Francisco (Pacific Heights), Napa Valley, and New York City (must be a nice life!). We had a nice chat - I told them how much I loved VB (Victoria Bitter, an Australian beer) when I spent a week in Sydney last summer. They told me how many similarities they found between San Fran and Sydney, and that he travels to Beijing for business all the time, and that they plan to visit China next year during the Olympics. All in all, a very cool, collected couple.

So guess who paid the annual fee of $99.95 and became the newest member of HomeExchange.com as soon as she got home tonight? :)

I'm flying to Belgium at the end of July, then taking the train to Spain. It'd be great to stay in a local residence, rather than in a hotel, for obvious reasons:

• Hotels are expensive.
• Staying in a hotel screams "I'm a tourist!". Staying in a local residence spells C-O-O-L.

I hope someone on that site wants to visit San Francisco!

The Rain in Spain

....Falls mainly on the plain. Or does it?

I'll find out soon enough! Just booked my flight to Brussels in July. Then taking the train to Spain! Woohoo! Thanks Chris, for inviting me to your wedding!

Death & Taxes

Taxes make me want to die. OK... maybe not quite. But taxes definitely make me miserable.

I'm proud to say I'm 90% done with the filing. Only next steps left? 1. Call the doctor's offices in the morning to figure out exactly how much medical expenses I incurred in 2006, and 2. TurboTax it! So, if you haven't done your taxes yet - don't forget to include expenses on disposable toothbrushes (considered medical supply, I hope), mileage driven to medical facilities, parking, x-rays, and of course, prescriptions. Get back as much as you can. Heck, the lot of us here have certainly spent enough on braces and surgery (another whopping deduction for 2007, I'm sure).

I promised myself to absolutely get it done before Friday. Because I have a business trip to New York City next week, and another one to Portland immediately after. But I WILL have time for some fun towards the end of April, when I visit a friend in Vancouver, B.C.

On that note, a former colleague of mine invited me to his wedding in Spain this August - he and his future bride, who grew up there, were even generous enough to offer me free room and board (thanks Chris!). I'm so psyched! But I want to get the most out of the trip and add another country to the itinerary, somewhere I've never visited before. After mulling over a map of Europe for almost an hour and checking airfare, I've narrowed it down to three cities: London, Amsterdam, and Lisbon. Which one will it be? I'm so torn. Decisions, decisions!!

I won't book the flight until I'm done filing the taxes. Now THAT's motivation. ;)