It's hard to say goodbye...

During my last day in London by myself, I walked around the area where I lived in Canary Wharf - through the Dockland's sailing center to Asda to buy some chocolates and gifts for people, looked at the boats, the weird looking water fowl floating about with their white beaks, dark feathers and beady red eyes, and tried to let all of it sink in.   The Thames river by my house that day wasn't spilling over into the wharf area behind my flat.  Usually when that happened you'd get all sorts of delightful gifts from the river like old tin cans, a shopping cart, and plastic drink bottles.  It was just part of the charm of living where I lived. 

I took my last ride on a double decker bus as a resident.  I believe it was the D7 that I usually took to go to Bricklane and Mile end so I could take the Central line to town and walk to China town/Leicester Square area.  I rode on the top, of course in the front right corner so that the branches would hit the front of the windows as we went (as American's would say) on the wrong side of the street. 

I wanted to visit Borough market to get some Monmouth coffee - the best coffee ever really - but I think they were closed at the time because it wasn't yet the weekend.  They have this all you can eat Paul's baguettes, fresh butter, and preserves for 2 pounds 80p that was so delicious with their lattes.  So I just walked around the closed borough market and remember how thrilled I was just walking through, hearing all the accents, looking at all the wonderful veggies, pastries, and cheeses, and feeling like I was a visitor to a wonderful new world.

 I realized that I felt more a part of London than I felt a part of any other city I've ever been in.  I think part of it is my sense of adventure.  London is a great place to travel to any other part of the world.  Within 45 minutes I could be in Ireland.  Within 2 hours I could be in Rome. TIckets cost anywhere from 30GBP to 90GBP per roundtrip.  How amazing was that?  Another reason is my ties with how multicultural the city was.  I know a lot of people think that cities like Chicago and New York are multicultural.  But really mostly it's Hispanic, Black, and White.  In London it's S. African, Australian, Kenyan, Nigerian, Sri Lanken, Mongolian, Polish, Russian, Korean, Malaysian, the list goes on.  It just made me feel like I could easily blend in and I love meeting different people (and eating) all the fun foods there. 

I walked along the Thames by London Bridge and saw Saints paul cathedral along the river path looming across the water.  I saw the London eye and house of parliment.  It just didn't feel real that this city that I have come to love and loves me was no longer going to be a big part of my life anymore.  Sure I can visit.  But it's different.  It's just so...difficult sometimes to not be there.

I really want to wake up and be in my old bedroom, say hi to my flatmates James as I walk out the door, and go see jugglers at Covent Garden while perusing the little shops.  I want to duck into Pineapple studios for a butt kicking day of dance workshops, and then run over to Chinatown - Hong Kong Cafe to meet up with Sarah for cheap dinner while she scrunches her nose at my sweaty salt crunchy self.  I want to go to Marks and Spencers for an overpriced but completely delicious and worth it fruit salad.  I want to be able to go over to Amelia's house for a S. African Brai and get too hungry as they get the fire going and end up eating ramen while the chicken wings are being grilled. 

I want to have the entire city shut down with 3 inches of snow on the ground so that my friends and I can stay home and make snow forts and inappropriate snowmen/women. 

I want to be able to say that I want a weekend in Vienna and be able to do it the next weekend.

Why can't I just let it go?

Some travel is better than none...right?

Since moving back to Chicago from my beloved London, I haven't had a chance to travel as much as I would like.  It's just so darn hard to get out of the US!  A flight from the Midwest to the East coast is around 2.5 hrs and a flight from the Midwest to the West coast is around 3.5 hrs.  If I want to go out of the country, unless I am flying to Canada or Mexico - it takes at least 8/9 hours.  There goes my weekend trips to other places!

I was asked to go on this project in Ohio a month ago, so I have been flying to Columbus, Ohio and staying in a small town of Dublin, Ohio.   Not knowing much about small towns, Dublin is actualy quite a pretty town!  There is a cute high street area, some shopping, a few malls around, but what is really gorgeous is the river that runs through it.  It's one of those lush tree lined, water sluicing over boulders, people in small boats, fishing - kind of rivers.  The building that my client is at actually has an enclosed walkway and confernce rooms over the forest and river. 

I split my weeks between Chicago and Dublin, whenever I am in Dublin, we typically always go out to eat. So far I've eaten at:
- countless Indian buffets (mostly vegetarian) as my coworkers are Indian
- BD Mongolian Grill
- Boston Market
- Blue Ginger Asian Fusion
- Windchimes Chinese restaurant
- more Indian buffets
- Max & Ermas
- Jeni's Ice Cream

Here are some pictures of Dublin:

Singapore and Malaysia trip - Part I

I love destination weddings.  I know that they are expensive and everything, but what a better time to go visit a city that you've always wanted to visit but never had a great reason to go to or put off going in lieu of a place that is closer, cheaper, or more familiar? 

Obviously when I found out my friend Amelia was getting married in her home country of Malaysia, I leapt at the chance to go celebrate the nuptials of my little sister from another mister as well as explore the island of Penang where she grew up.   

Of course I can never let an itinerary just BE, I always need to add other trips and adventures to it, and accomplish that I did!  I figured, I'd fly to Singapore first to look around for two days or so and then take an overnight train to Penang the 2nd night rather than pay for a hotel and hang out on the Island, eat at food stalls, walk around on the beach, get splendidly golden, meet a studly foreigner who would sweep me off my feet and feed me custard apples and mangosteen while gazing into my eyes...what? I was single at the time and it was a nice thought if nothing else!

I am not going to prattle on too much about the lows of the trip - but I will warn you that if you DO decide to take an overnight train from Singapore to Penang, make sure you do not take a shower and not change into anything too comfortable before you pass through border patrol on the Malaysian side - they WILL make you get off the train and march to the building with dripping wet hair and a towel or whatever you are wearing.  Also - the temperature in the cabin may not be ideal...so make sure you have enough clothes to keep warm enough to sleep.  Truth.

Onto the pictures!!!!!

Travel that I need to update on!

Goodness me, it’s been almost a year since I last wrote an entry…how sad is that?  I need to start building blogging into my schedule so that I don’t slack off and not post something.  I typically always have something to say or display…

I need to update on so many things – my goal for tonight is to update on Singapore and Malaysia (before I pass out because I have been up since 4am today).

The other posts I need to update on are:

-          Italy, Rome

-          Italy, Naples

-          Hamburg, Germany

-          Vienna

In between, I’m sure I’ll rant in rave about something of no significance. ;)

Watch for the Singapore/Malaysia one tonight!

15 Fun Indulgences

I recenly read this article on Yahoo regarding the 30 fun indulgences that won't break the bank.  This is great considering everyone is scrimiping nowaday.  I know that I am at least. 

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/the_conscious_consumer/147/30-fun-indulgences.html

Among some of the suggestions they had - the article said:

1. Go out to brunch. Enjoying a meal in the middle of the day can be just as much fun as eating dinner out and a lot less pricey.

2. Get a foot massage. A good foot massage might not be quite as relaxing as a full-body rub, but it's pretty darn close and easier on your wallet. Just walking into a spa can lift your spirits. 

3. Have a themed movie rental week. Clear your calendar. Pick a time period or a genre and watch a movie every night. Don't forget about the local library as a source of free movies. In fact, more people borrow movies from the library than rent from Netflix, Redbox, or Blockbuster.

I got to thinking what little indulgences that I let myself have.  In no particular order:

1) Once a week get a fancy coffee drink with whole milk because really that skim stuff is awful.  Vary this up with Soy.

2)  Have a night in every two weeks where I walk my pup to the closest Red Box for a movie and then spend a lazy night cuddled on the couch and filling my brain with mush.

3)  Make pancakes for dinner just because

4)  Cook a big dinner and invite friends over for a hot meal

5)  Try out new recipes that I cut out of magazines or find online

6)  Add a ton of clothes, candy, makeup, and other items I don't need to my online shopping cart and then not buying anything

7)  Allow myself to plan out all the countries I want to visit in my lifetime and buy tickets to an international destination every year

8)  Sending my boyfriend a gift just because I miss him since he lives so far away

9)  Buying a chapstick for myself even though I own about 2 dozen just because I forgot to bring any of them with me

10) Learning a little of a new language through workbooks and poring through manuals in Borders.

11) Relax with a mug of hot chocolate on a rainy day and do absolutely nothing

12) Concerts at Millieum park with friends - with snacks and drinks

13) Lose a good half a day at Blicks arts and craft stores because I WANT EVERYTHING IN THAT STORE

14) Buying very expensive candy in small quantities just to say I've tried it

15) Making an attempt to eat food from around the world one restaurant/stall/food truck at a time.

What's yours?

Chicago - Explore and Eat Task #1: Lawrence Fisheries

I've been back in Chicago for close to ten months now and I have yet to explore around Chicago like I did in London and get into all the different neighborhoods.  I need to find a new routine for weekends anyways to keep boredom at bay (at least once I get my condo all clean) - so I decided that I'll give myself tasks of places/areas to explore in Chicago and a place that I MUST go for a meal in that area and take my camera along for the ride.  Then I'll update the blog with what I thought and fun pictures.  Sound like a plan?

First stop:
Lawrence Fisheries:
2120 S Canal St, Chicago, IL 60616(312) 225-2113
http://lawrencesfisheries.com/

I have heard really good things about this place and their sushi for a looonnng time even pre-London.  It is oh so close to Chinatown even though I haven't explored the area where the fishery is located at.  I know it's very industrial - so there should be awesome pictures from the trip.

Where else would you go to?  I am thinking Task 2 will be a bakery in Andersonville.  Any recommendations?

Quick update - more to come - promise!

Why hello there readers (I'm sure there is pretty much only 1 or 2 people reading this) - I've been completely MIA for a while haven't I?  Yes I know, I've been a bad bad bloger...here is a quick run down of the things that have happened that have prevented me from writing:

1)  MOVING - this one was huge.  The one month running up to me leaving London and returning to Chicago was crazy.  Wrapping up work, seeing friends, walking through my favorite parks, going to the food markets, seeing friends, packing...it was a bit crazy
2)  Readjustment time - so there is this thing called Culture Shock for when you move to a new country and adjusting to a new life style.  There is also this thing called Reverse Culture Shock which is much much worse.  I figured that because I would have my friends and family there that I would be okay - but I was pretty much in a three-four month slump of suck.  I won't whine here - but in short while I love Chicago and everyone here, I miss my London life dearly
3)  Family problems - less than a few days after I moved back I recieved some stressful family news.  Dealing with that took a few months and I didn't have the mental space
4)  Readjustment time - sorry I have to reiterate how much this reverse culture shock affected me. 
5)  Work - Americans just work more hours in general - enough said
6)  Other personal issues
7)  A lack of fun things that have happened - there has been a lack of traveling or maybe just a lack of posting anything.  That should change though. :)

That was my quick update!  I'll post some new things very soon!

Hugs,

Travel-Eat-Play