So Long...

Looking back, my last blog entry was in October last year. What has happened since then? Well, I went to Madrid in November and Barcelona in March. I've officially fell in love with Spain and its cuisine. I would go again on a heartbeat if the airfare is priced right. 

 

Oh yeah I also went to Mayday's concert in Atlantic City a few months back and Wonder Girls' conert in Hammerstin Hall in NYC earlier this month. The latter absolutely crushes Mayday's in terms of guest, atmosphere, and performance. It's a show worth attending.

Zurich

So I'm back from Zurich... with lots of Chocolate, probably gonna take me a few months and a few LBs to consume them all. There are really two things you can call cheap in Zurich: Milk and Chocolate. Milk there tastes better than milk I've had anywhere else, yep, better than what we have in the US of A, no wonder they have world-reknown chocolate and spectacular cheese. Other than that, the cost of living is sky high in the most well-known city of Switzerland. Mercedes Benz are all over the street, except they're taxis for hail. FYI, Zurich is not the Capital of Switzerland. I believe that honor goes to a small town called Bern not far from Zurich. The exchange rate from US dollar to Swiss franc is close to 1:1 (to be specific, we exchanged $400 USD for $396 CHF), but for comparison's sake, let's assume it's 1:1.

 

My palate is truly blessed as I live in New York where there's no shortage of delicious cheap eats. To give you an idea of how expensive things are in Zurich, the $1.25 for 4 pork buns in Flushing near the #7 train will cost you $11 in Zurich. 7 small steamed veggie dumplings (smaller than the $1 for 5 type of fried dumplings in Chinatown or $1.25 for 4 type in Flushing) will set you back another $11. And the pork buns and veggie dumplings aforementioned all come from a small Dim Sum place close to my hotel (I stayed at the Marriott in city center, yuck, expensive) that the locals dubbed it as one of the best cheap eats in Zurich. To me, they don't taste all that good and is certainly far from being cheap. Those who know me, I have an extremely healthy appetite, almost in a scary way. In other words, I can eat, especially on the road. I spent 4 days in Zurich, and I think I had about 10 wursts (Swiss version of sausages) since they're large enough to fill me up and are among the cheapest street-stand food in Zurich (about $7).

 

Of course, I didn't travel across the Atlantic Ocean to skimp on food, I did dine at Zeughauskeller, a place recommended by many on the web that serves up local specialties at affordable prices. Let's see, my order consisted of Hungarian goulash soup, pork shank, and Kalbsgeschnetzeltes (essentially just sliced veal and mushroom in a creamy white wine sauce served with 'Rosti', the menu says it's a must try when in Zurich). So 1 soup and 2 entries, tap water, no complimentary bread basket like what we're used to in the great US of A cost us $80. Not terrible I will say, but my verdict on the food is: too salty, I can do better in NYC. I guess I'm not used to Swiss cuisine, I'll stick to the Chilliwurst at the central train station.

 

On my last day of my stay in Zurich, I decided to load up on food before heading to the airport as I'm not expecting much from the my flight back to NYC. So a brunch consisted of 1 order of pork buns, 1 order of veggie dumplings, 1 order of chilliwurst. Ka-Ching, $29 bucks of food right there. I tried the Dim Sum place mainly because of my curiosity. My interpretation on Dim Sum is really those Morning Tea sessions at a Cantonese restaurant, and should include items such as Har Gow (shrimp dumplings), Siu Mai, congee, chicken feet, etc... It turned out this place only have buns and veggie dumplings, not even tiny juicy buns/soup dumplings, what a big let down. You have to know that after 3 days of wursts, I was really looking forward to some quality Chinese eats. Oh well, it really makes me appreciate the abundance of good tasting cuisines we have in NYC and reminds me again just how spoiled I am to have access to all these foods and still complain there's nothing to eat from time to time. What a Brat! Now I truly understand the pain and feel for all those people who live in the Midwest (or middle of nowhere), especially those with a Chinese (or in this case Asian) stomach.

 

No trip is complete without souvenirs. So what did I bring back? You guessed it! Things you can put in your mouth. In addition to lots of chocolate, extra fine milk and dark as per my momma's request, I also went to the famous Confiserie Sprungli and got some Luxemburgerli and limited edition truffles. Granted, they're pricey, but hey who knows when I'll be back in Zurich.

 

Allah, I did done more than just eating in Zurich. I visited a couple of historic sites, churches, buildings, architectural structures, witnessed a wedding @ lindenhof, toured the shopping district, took a stroll along the Limmat river as well as got on a boat to cruise the Zurich river, even unsuccessfully went to look for a gay bar, yep Zurich has a very sizable gay population. But I'm sure these have been covered by all the touristy guides out there, so I should just limit myself to what I'm most fond about: FOOD! Oh FYI, almost all the stores in Zurich are closed on sundays, but there usually will be some kind of street fairs, I caught myself in one of them.

 

P.S: Oh yeah forgot to mention, public restrooms ain't free in Zurich, it'll cost you $1 to get into the facility and it's super clean. Wow, we need that in China and India. Also, it's weird to see alot of the supermarket cashier ladies are Chinese, interesting... And I do love the curry potato chips I got there, taste different but delish nevertheless. 

                                                                                                     

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Hmmm... Filet Mignon

Went to Wall Street to meet up with my friends last night, it's been a while since we last saw each other... Our original plan was to hit theMercantile Grill on Pearl. However, we soon found out Goldman was having an drinking event there, so we ended up in St Maggie's on Wall.

To me, food is just as important as catching up with friends. Aside from our usual sarcastic remarks
towards each other(hahah, that's our way of communicating love and care), the food was fantastic
as well. I had the daily special Filet Mignon served with Lobster & Crabmeat Ravioli and White
Truffle Sauce ($26)... Yeah Yeah I know, for that price, it better be good. Otherwise I'm never
going back again. But it's always good to have a perfectly done steak(medium rare is how I like it).

On the flip side, the small portion reminds me of the days in Argentina, where I can get 10X amount
of meat for half the price. I can't help but wonder where the Argentinians get their beef from.
Seriously, they serve like it's free... I still recall once my guy co-worker asked for the half portion,
the waiter was like:"Um... Sir, you sure about that, that's really for a girl..." Hahahah, that has
been noted in the team forum, and we haven't stopped teasing him ever since...

Bario Chino on Saturday

So I ventured out to the little known Chinatown in Buenos Aires on Saturday. It was indeed tiny, only 2-3 blocks with a couple of restaurants, grocery stores, and other small shops selling miscellaneous stuff. Me and my colleagues just wandered around and had lunch at 'Lai Lai', the food was quite oily, but still... it was good to have something other than steaks and empanadas. Then I got myself some 'oriental' snacks such as cup noodles, milk tea, sushi rolls, and sweet congee, etc... Believe it or not, the supermarkets actually carry alot of stuff from Korea and Japan, I recognize alot of brands I'm used to getting back at home. Anyway, depends on how long I'll have to stay in Argentina, I might go back for more. Bario Chino is a bit far from my hotel, and it is such a hassle to get around here if you can't speak espanol. So far, my spanish vocabs are only limited to food items... That is such a shame consider I took one year of spanish in junior high. 

Chila on Thursday

An upscale restaurant near the hotel, expensive for the amount of food you get. 

Clockwise from top left: starter on the restraurant, deer loin (my first time having deer meat, it was 

delish!), black risotto with shrimp, mussels, scallops, and lumpo roe (for the money I was paying, 

I would've expected more than 2 shrimps, oh well...), filet of sole with tripe juice (couldn't really 

taste the tripe juice, fish was alright, nothing to write home about).

Verdict: The deer loin is the winner here, I never had game before, so it was something different. 

The risotto was done right but lacks in seafood. The ambiance of the restaurant was excellent, 

but price was steep.

International Progressive Cuisine

Went to La Vineria de Gualterio Bolivar for chow last night. The type of food served at this restaurant & bar(which was featured in Time Out Buenos Aires 2008) is categorized as international progressive, that's the first time I heard such a fancy term for food. We had the signature tasting menu which composed of 11 small plates(7 appetizers, 2 main courses, 2 desserts), we also got 2 bottles of agua sin gas(water without gas) and 2 bottles of reds (malbec & cabernet sauvignon), all for $140 Argentinian pesos per person (that's less than $50USD). Even though the portions were alot smaller than the tapas I'm used to in NYC, but boy were they excellent. Each dish had its own unique flair to it and they were all so beautifully presented. I give the meal 5 stars in terms of taste, presentation, creativity/originality, and the use of ingredients, on top of great service and ambiance. The head chef of the restaurant Alejandro Digilio is my new idol in the world of culinary arts. You can tell he puts alot of heart into his food, I would've chatted with him if my spanish wasn't so broke. Anyway, I just cannot recommend the dining experience @ this place enough. Whoever has a chance to visit Buenos Aires should definitely give this restaurant a try. 

Lots of beef = Indigestion

Since Argentina is the cattle capital of the world, beef makes up 80% of people's diet. 3 meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you just can't escape it. I'm not a picky eater myself, as long as it tastes good, I can pretty much eat anything... So last night, we went to this restaurant next to the hotel. Thank god we had someone who speaks spanish, so ordering wasn't a PITA. Let's see...we ordered some appetizers including empanadas and grilled kidneys(Yuck...), steaks(Duh...), and wine(red of course to go with the steak...). I had the filet mignon, I was in absolute disbelief when it showed up. Are you f$cking kidding me? That cut of meat has gotta be at least 20OZ, I've never seen that big cut of steak in my life before. But oh boy, was it good, so juicy and flavorful, done medium just the way I like it. And the red wine Malbec is so easy to drink, I think I'll bring a couple of bottles home. The whole meal was only $60 pesos, that's like less than $20USD. I can't even get a bottle of wine for that price in a NYC restaurant, forget about a good cut of steak... Man, this job is spoiling my pallet BIG TIME. Too bad my waist is not appreciating my efforts. Guess you just can't have the best of both worlds.

5PM

Apparently tomorrow and Friday is holiday in Costa Rica, so I will be working at the hotel for the rest of the week. Tres bien (French: very good)! I can finally sleep til 8AM again, then just roll and get up and work in my pajama (well I don't wear pajama, but that's not the point here).

 

Anyway, last weekend the whole team went to volcano Arenal, it was nice but I've never been big on sightseeing. The country inn we stayed at was a bit shitty, I think I had bug bites all over. Oh boy was it hot, I think I'm much darker than I was two weeks ago. India gave me some color, now Costa Rica, maybe I'm destined to get a tan this year. Who knows where I will end up later this year... maybe some scorching hot places...

Week 2 in India

So last Saturday, I went shopping with the group on MG Road. Even though I didn't buy anything, it is still better than staying at the hotel. This Saturday, we went to Mysore (yeah, that's the correct spelling) to tour the famous palace and shop. Again, I didn't buy anything because I don't think I'll wear those in New York and I'm not exactly into craft works. It was a long drive from our hotel, but I made it in one-piece, didn't throw up thank god! Sunday me and a colleague went to the state government building near our hotel to take some pictures then walked to MG road where I had my beloved KFC. KFC in the US cannot compare to those in Asia. The ones in India have many vegetarian options, but they ain't for me. I was just curious how the chicken taste, so I got the original and the hot & crispy chicken pieces, plus a Zinger burger which is just hot chicken sandwich. God I was FULL, but Oh Boy, do they taste good, just like the ones I had in China. After 2 weeks of Indian food, that's what I was craving for, who cares if they're bad for me. Anyway, I'm ready to go home. I think I'll have to go to Baltimore next month. 

P.S: There are advertising boards everywhere on the streets of Bangalore. I expecially like the ones by 

Canara Bank, an Indian bank. Their slogan is 'we all change for the ones we love' and 'together, we can'. 

I can't help but feel empowered by looking at their ads. They might sound cliche but they are also true 

in many cases. After all, we do do things for those around us, more for the ones we love, less for the 

those we could care less.

First week in India

Ok, get ready for this. On wednesday, when we got back from work, the hotel was surrounded by guards, our vehicle was not allowed near, so we had to get off and walk. Walking in Bangalore is not fun, because traffic does not stop for you and there's dust everywhere. Anyway, when we got to the hotel, we had to go through a metal detector, like the one in the airport. So nosy like me, we had to find out what's going on at the hotel. Guess what, the Hungarian prime minister and the Dalai Lama just checked into our hotel. Rumor has it that DL was celebrating his birthday there. Holy Moly... Ok nobody cares about the Hungarian prime minister, but Dalai Lama? I've only heard of that stuff on TV. The floor where DL was staying was guarded by security personnel with guns, too bad I was not on that floor. So that was day 1. Day 2, when we left for work in the morning, people lined up outside of the hotel, so we figured DL was probably receiving them. I couldn't go line up and get DL's blessing cuz we got work to do. Then on Friday, we saw red carpet on the floor in the lobby. Apparently the Dalai Lama was ready to check out. And we got lucky, we got to see the Dalai Lama in person! My colleagues took some really nice pictures, I was stupid enough to leave the camera in my room. Anyway, I'm just touched, I would never able to experience what I'm experiencing now if it's not for this job. Yes there're instances where I complain about my work, but who doesn't? I'm just so so glad how this job has really opened up my eyes.

Landed in Bangalore

So here I am, sitting in my hotel room...sleepless. Haven't seen the city yet, the only thing I can tell is that the airport is so shitty, I've never seen such a crappy airport in my life, so much worse than LaGuardia. Geez, I was the only asian (CJK looking) on my flight... And also why do so many people wanna help me? Ok, I know I don't look like a local, but I'm not handicapped. I think I'm tipping too much... But I don't know how much is enough! 

IF

IF - Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you 
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; 
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, 
But make allowance for their doubting too; 
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, 
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, 
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating, 
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; 
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; 
If you can meet with triumph and disaster 
And treat those two imposters just the same; 
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken 
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, 
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, 
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings 
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, 
And lose, and start again at your beginnings 
And never breath a word about your loss; 
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew 
To serve your turn long after they are gone, 
And so hold on when there is nothing in you 
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, 
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch; 
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; 
If all men count with you, but none too much; 
If you can fill the unforgiving minute 
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run - 
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, 
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!