March 24, 2005
On the Road Again
I'll be heading off on another little trip tonight. This time, Atlanta, London and Iceland.
It'll be my first trip to Hotlanta, and hopefully it won't be all that hot. And while I've been to Iceland a few times, this will be my first visit in the spring.
Should be a fun time.
Posted by Samer at 07:13 AM | Comments (1)
November 30, 2004
Finally!
Okay! It has taken too long, but I am finally done with posting my vacation pictures.
Go... Look... Fawn...
All the pictures from the trip are under the SamerFest link. You can also see all the pictures for each city (San Francisco, Eugene, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver), each state (California, Oregon, Washington) or each country (USA, Canada). We slice, you decide.
Posted by Samer at 11:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 26, 2004
Exit
I'm sitting in seat 8A. On the CRJ this is the emergency exit over the wing. I've sat in this spot on CRJs before, and I've sat in window exit rows on countless other planes. I've never been given instructions as clear and focused as those given by the Air Canada crew.
The stewardess sat next to me, explained everything (from what the pilot would say, what I should look for before opening the exit and even the mechanics of what the door would do once opened). Then she looks at my bemused face and asks if it was too much information and if it was making me nervous.
I wasn't nervous, but I gotta say, I wish more airlines would tell people exactly what will be required from them instead of treating the exit row as seats with more leg room.
Posted by Samer at 12:15 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Flying to DCA?
In case you didn't know, when you are flying from Canada you "preclear" US customs and immigration at the Canadian airport. That means, particularly if you are flying through Toronto's Pearson International, make sure you leave plenty of time.
And if you happen to be flying to Washington National, well, prepare for the most annoying and repetitive search and security procedures. After you clear customs they ask you to tell them if you are flying to DCA, and tag your bags accordingly. From there, you head off to have your bags x-rayed. That's apparently enough to enable you to fly to Dulles, or any other location, but to DCA you need to get your bags scanned for bombs using the sniffer. Once that is completed, they will hand search your bags. Right, that's three screenings, in addition to the screening at Vancouver.
But, just in case you were starting to feel comfortable and confident, you now have to go through security yourself. Because you go from one terminal to another, you need to clear security again. Metal detector, carry-on x-ray, jacket searched, wand, the works. Whew, glad that's over with.
So you start down the long (385 meter) path to podium "U". On and on down the hallway that won't end. You pass the people at podium "T", comfortable in their area not having been made to take off their shoes as they are headed to IAD. Finally you see the last gate. Before you can get to a seat, your boarding pass and passport are required. Then you are ushered into another room.
You wait your turn and then your bags get searched, again. This time by hand. Same for your jacket. You are made to unbuckle your metal belt buckle. You are wanded from the front and from the back, asked to sit down and the soles of your feet are wanded too. Your shoes are also searched. And you have to give a card with your name on it to the airline for them to turn over to the TSA to do God-knows-what with.
Sounds really good and secure, right? But why go through all this? I think the answer is obvious: you want to make sure no one can jack the CRJ and fly it into the White House or Capitol or someplace else. Not a bad idea, but, again, we have more "security theater".
Sure, this flight is secure. Probably well secure, what with the thirty minute from landing seating regulations and all. But what about that flight to IAD? That's likely a bigger plane than the CRJ, too. Dulles is 22 miles from the Capitol and less from the Pentagon. Why are we risking that? What about other locations? New York City? Boston? Chicago? Why are they not getting the extra security? I hope it isn't because our government cares more about protecting itself than protecting its citizen. Surely, that can't be it, can it?
Posted by Samer at 12:14 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Airline Food
Yuck.
I can see why most people don't complain about the lack of food served on flights these days: most of it is just awful. Air Canada served us something very orange in color as a salad (I tasted it, and it vaguely tasted like julienned carrots and raisins in some sort of a creamy mixture), pasta with an okay tomato sauce, but with really crappy cheese and herbs on top, and some leaden, gelatinized excuse for a sweet bread as the dessert.
Inedible dreck. And how ironic: the in-flight magazine's focus is food.
Posted by Samer at 12:09 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 25, 2004
Rain
Vancouver is a great city. Not just because the views are spectacular, the food is good, or the architecture cool. It rains here. It rained every day I've been here. I like the rain.
I think I want to move here. It is like a cross between San Francisco and Portland. There's a lot of hustle and bustle in downtown, but you can also go two miles and be in a rain forest. Did I mention the views are spectacular. I hope to have pictures up from here in the next few days.
For now, I'm homeward bound. Happy Thanksgiving to those of you living in the USA.
Posted by Samer at 10:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 24, 2004
Internet Access
"Is there internet access in the rooms," I would ask. "Unfortunately there is no broadband in the rooms, sir," was the reply. "But you can use dialup," she said helpfully.
Listen up hotel operators of the world: it is 2004. There is no excuse not to have free wireless internet access. None. It costs pennies and is a valid criteria by which a hotel will be judged. In fact, for me, it is going to be the number two criteria after location.
Your hotel needs internet access anyway, so that broadband pipe should already be there. Share it. I know, you make some money off idiotic $10/day internet access, but that does turn off a not insignificant number of people.
Then there's the business center. At the Crowne Plaza in San Francisco, internet access could be had there on an old computer that cost $3 to set up and $0.89 per minute. What are you people thinking?
The Homewood Suites in Seattle was the only place to have free broadband. It rocked. The only downside to that hotel was that the windows don't open. I'll take that tradeoff. But there really is no excuse for the likes of a four star hotel like Le Soleil to not have it. Inexcusable that the Double Tree in Portland, probably the most wireless city in America, has $10/day wired access.
Get your acts together, people.
Posted by Samer at 01:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 23, 2004
Cascades Service
I've completed the train part of my trip. I've travelled on the Starlight Express from San Francisco to Eugene, and from there on the Cascades to Portland, Seattle and Vancouver. I'm pretty impressed.
The Starlight Express starts off in Southern California and goes right up the coast. It is a slow, lumbering train, that often gains a lot of delays on the way up. LVH and AB both warned me that it would likely be late and just get later. But the train left Emmeryville just about 10 mins late and, almost 15 hours later, arrived in Eugene.
Yeah, 15 hours is a long time to be sitting in a seat. But that's just one of the great things when you compare Amtrak to flying. For one thing, you don't have to sit in your seat: you can get up, walk around, go to the dining car or the lounge. The views are spectacular, even in the fog. Your seat mates are sometimes a fun bunch, and sometimes just crazy. Oh, and there's no long security lines or annoyances that make flying a pain in the ass.
Here's a shocker for those used to dealing with Amtrak's NE Corridor and big city staff: the staff on the west coast are just amazingly nice people. They were all helpful, even to the annoying people on the Starlight Express.
There's decent food at not too high a price, the seats are comfortable, and did I mention that there are no body cavity searches? If time is on your side, what's there not to love?
Posted by Samer at 07:12 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Ed Crane
Here I was wandering the Pike Place Market in Seattle when I spotted a nice view out a window. I walked down there, and an affable older gentleman was sitting sipping on some coffee and reading the paper. He welcomed me with a booming voice. It was the sort of voice you don't forget, you know? Deep and authoritative. A broadcast voice.
He asked where I was from, and I told him "DC". He smiled and told me he knew DC quite well. He'd been the traffic reporter for a bunch of radio stations, including WTOP, WMAL and WRC. We talked for about ten minutes, and he shared the story of the closing of Pennsylvania Avenue, and how he basically broke that story that sad morning in 1995.
It was pretty cool to hear his stories and remember the old days in radio and TV. Thanks for the memories, Mr. Crane.
Posted by Samer at 03:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 22, 2004
Portland Rocks
Portland is great town. I want to move there. It is a nice small town, with all the amenities of the big places. It does not feel like it is missing anything.
I met up with AB and we went out to McCormick and Schmick's. where they have a special after 9.30 bar menu. $2 gets you hummus or a cheese burger. Apparently they do these deals depending on the location, so I'm going to have to check the local M&S...
One of the most beautiful things about this city is its closeness to amazing natural things. AB took me to Multnomah Falls and then for a drive around Mt. Hood. What a spectacular view. It really is amazing. Pictures are forthcoming, trust me.
It was cool to hang out with her, though she says I should come up there in between semesters when she can spend more time hanging out. Perhaps I will.
Posted by Samer at 01:01 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 21, 2004
Traveling Alone
I enjoy traveling alone, at least I have prior to this trip. I've met up with some friends on this trip and it's been a lot of fun. But as soon as they leave, I get a sad feeling.
I don't know why, but I'm really down when alone, lately. Probably has to do with all the stress recently, but I really have been craving human contact. In some ways, while this is a fun trip and I am enjoying myself, I sort of want to be home.
Posted by Samer at 11:50 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
November 17, 2004
Skinner Butte
LVH told me to go up to Skinner Butte in Eugene. Lots of nice views of the city from up there, and will give me something to do while she was at work. She warned me it was a steep climb to get there.
So I found Skinner Butte and started looking for a road or a clearly marked trail. I did find a not well kept hiking trail that seemed to go straight up. Never being one to shy away from a good view, I started up the trail. The mud and leaves made not falling a tricky proposition and I had to find a stick to help steady me.
Each leg led to a fork, and each fork led to more up hill trudging. Slowly but surely I could see the peak and was waiting to crest and see this amazing view. Not really all that amazing. It seemed to be filled with more trees and some highways. Nothing really eye popping or worth the effort.
Then I noticed the hippies. Three of them, a baby and some Chinese food. They looked like they had driven up -- no mud or sweat or any indication of a tough climb. Huh, well look over there. A road. How did I miss that?
I start walking down it, when I notice a look out point. Wow. What a view. Very nice. Well worth the hike, though a walk up the road would have been much easier.
Posted by Samer at 09:56 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Live from the Cascades
I'm on board train 504 Cascades from Portland to Eugene. I'm posting this live using Bluetooth to the phone and the phone's internet connection.
It is slow, but how cool is that?
Posted by Samer at 12:13 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
November 16, 2004
The Coast Starlight
I took the train from San Francisco to Eugene, OR. It really was a cool experience and not one that seemed as dreadful as you might expect from a 15 hour overnight train trip. Much more comfortable than flying ever will be.
I also learned, but to no useful purpose, that the sleeper cars can be had for considerably less if you buy on board, rather than before your trip. Of course, you may not be able to, as the sleepers might be sold out. No matter, really... The seats are comfortable enough to sleep in.
And, it turns out, all the crazy people in the world ride the train, especially through Oregon. You should be well entertained.
I highly recommend the train.
Posted by Samer at 12:45 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 15, 2004
Odd Town
San Francisco has an odd aura about it. It is a great fun town, with a lot to do and see, but it is very quirky.
Other cities, big cities like New York and London, all have their quirks, their oddities. But in most of those places "odd" is an undercurrent. It pops up here and there, like in Soho in London, or the Village in New York. But for the most part you only notice the odd when look for it.
Not so in San Francisco. "Odd" not only seems to be in the mainstream, it seems to be work like a badge of honor. And it makes for a great fun city. What's so odd about San Francisco? Well, let's begin:
On a typical day walking through downtown you will run into hundreds of possibly homeless people. I say possibly because you can't really tell in this town who is and who is not homeless. People walk around, shabbily dressed, talking to themselves. Constantly. Some sing, some have conversations, but most are just nattering on about something or the other to an uncaring audience.
On one day, on one bus ride, I saw a dozen people try and sneak onto the bus by getting on at the back door. The best part of it all was the bus driver. He's wearing the MUNI brown uniform and it looks a bit like a communist state military outfit. He's also of Asian origin and was wearing huge "Blu-Blocker"-style glasses. He looked like a caricature of the North Korean leader. And he would get up and yell at these people, and they, in turn, would try and haggle with him. That was a fun bus ride.
Another oddity about the city is that in the heart of its tourist center, all the bars seem to close at midnight. Well, all the bars that you want to drink at, that is.
Posted by Samer at 08:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 14, 2004
One thing
If there's only one thing you should do before you die, well, I'd highly recommend putting walking across the Golden Gate Bridge up there.
I took a bus to Golden Gate Park on Saturday. Hopped on a different bus and wound up at the foot of the most magnificent piece of architecture and design, all in one. To see this monster of a bridge spanning across the Golden Gate is almost as moving as seeing the aurora. A living, breathing monument to what we, as a people, can do when we decide we need to. The whole thing was built in 52 months. It opened in 1937. 1937.
I walked across the bridge and took some good pictures, and when I got to the other side, I climbed up into the Marin County Headlands. I stood there, with most of the bridge beneath me. One of the most beautiful and amazing sites that I've ever seen.
Posted by Samer at 04:02 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Magnolia
One of the great things about traveling is that you get to taste a lot of good stuff that you would not normally have access to. Beer, mostly. Magnolia is a great little brewpub up in the Haight, close to Ashbury. Yeah, that selfsame Haight/Ashubry that was once the mecca of the counter culture but now has a GAP and a brew pub. Go figure.
I stopped into Magnolia after my little walkabout Golden Gate Park on Friday. I was thirsty and hungry. The other good thing about traveling is that you meet the nicest people. The bartender here, just as at Toronado, was most helpful in picking out food and drink.
First up was a nice cask conditioned bitter. This was the first time they had brewed the Pearly Baker's Best Bitter, and it was really nice. Resiny, with a noticeable hop aroma and profile, this dark straw colored beer was very smooth and enjoyable. Quite the thirst quencher.
I followed it up with the Cole Porter, a very dry, quite roasty porter that was very enjoyable after lunch. Lunch was an excellent beef brisket sandwich with horseradish mayonnaise. Another great suggestion from the bartender.
I managed to get Ben the brewer to show me around the very small brewery underground. The pictures, when they get posted, will show you just how tiny the place is. He had just finished wrapping up the third brew that week.
Ben also gave me a taste of the 7% abv Proving Ground. This beer has a 100 IBUs and is pretty well balanced for having so much hops in it. Shame it was only mid-day and I had an entire afternoon and evening ahead of me, as I'd have liked a pint or two of that.
Posted by Samer at 02:22 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Sloooooow
I'm in a hotel that does not seem to understand what it means to do business in the 21st century. I mean, not only do they not have high speed internet in the rooms (WiFi, what's that?), they don't even have access for free in the business center. They charge $3 to set up the connection and 59 cents per minute. To use the internet. In the most wired city in America. Really guys, it might be time to pack it in and see if having something your clients want and use might make them come back.
Luckily I've got plan B. What's that you ask? Well, a GPRS connection over my GSM P800 phone. Enough acronyms? Using Bluetooth, I can make a wireless connection to my wireless phone. The phone has internet connectivity, and the computer can use that. Unless, of course, the stars are not just so.
The problem with this solution is that it is slow. S. L. O. W. That makes blogging pictures a tad difficult. Roundtrip times between me and some servers here and there are all over a second, and most over two. That makes FTPing a picture to the server very difficult, if not impossible.
I am blogging offline (I'm writing this as I wait for a friend to show up so we can go drink), and as soon as I get me some high speed, I'll post. So look for a flurry of stuff on Monday morning.
Posted by Samer at 02:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 13, 2004
Toronado
Went to Toronado last night. It wasn't what I was expecting, but I'm not sure why not.
A grubby, dive-y kinda place located on the Haight. You enter through the front door, which is split so only the bottom is closed. There's a long bar to the right and a bunch of tables to the left. There's a small seating area in the back.
Immediately you notice all the freaking taps. Holy hell, they have a lot of beer. But they also have tons of taps adorning the walls. To say this place has character would be an understatement: The bartenders are all colorful and very informed. I was quite happy to let them pick the beers for me. All I asked was that they be somewhat local. Of course, that means I missed some great beers, but they have so many it would be hard not to.
First up was the Speakeasy IPA, a nicely hopped strong IPA which really hit the spot. Then I had the Russian River ESB, and that was smooth and really nice. Vinnie, the owner of Russian River, is at RFD for a couple of days, so I'm sad to have missed his beers there. Lastly I got a pint of the El Toro Duce, a very hoppy, flowery double IPA. Quite strong, too.
They don't serve food at Toronado, but there's a sausage place next door that will let you order and take food in there. Zagat says of the Sausage Grill: "They do one thing and they do it perfectly." Who am I to disagree? Their Hungarian smoked was very tasty and wonderfully smoked -- next time, I will try it alongside the Alaskan Smoked Porter which they had on tap. The Italian hot was fantastic. Hot enough to feel it, but not hot enough to overwhelm every other taste.
Posted by Samer at 04:43 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 11, 2004
Rainy Day
Got to San Francisco this morning and it was raining. Took the shuttle from the airport to downtown, it only set me back $30, which is better than having had to navigate the BART and go up Powell Street with my luggage.
The hotel is nice, though they lack internet access in the room. The Crowne Plaza is among the dozen or so hotels that have locked out their janitorial staff over the latest contract. Apparently the hotels want a five year deal, which is what it always was, but the union wants a three year deal.
The city is great. The buzz of this town is kinda cool. Even in the rain, it has an energy that seems pretty unique. I stumbled on the Apple Store here, and Union Square is kinda nice, even if it is filled with the same cookie cutter shops like Starbucks and the Cheesecake Factory.
I think I'm gonna head to the Haight and try and have a few beers at Toronado.
Posted by Samer at 10:34 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
jetBlue
Flew to Oakland on jetBlue. They are quite nice. The free on board DirecTV was a bonus, but not really worth all the hype. Watching Mario Batali cook up Italian food at 35,000 feet is just not all you would expect it to be. Or maybe you would.
The leather seats are comfortable, the staff attentive enough, the airplanes clean. We took off on time, and it looks like we'll land on time or early. Yes, I know I'm a geek cause I'm blogging at cruising altitude. It is either this or "I Love Lucy". Again.
They offer snacks, but no meal. Come to think of it, do any non-international flights offer meals anymore? Carr's Table Water Crackers, process cheese spread (what the hell is that process?), Biscoff biscuits and a Creme Saver. Bottled water, sealed, so you don't have to worry about contamination. Right. All this, and low fares.
For a 06.30 flight, damn it is packed. Once I figure out how to get the hotel (I'm told BART is the answer), I think I might get a bite to eat and a nap. All they need is some massaging chairs. Wonder why no one's thought to do that?
Posted by Samer at 07:30 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Fly Naked
Security was a breeze at Dulles. Well, the line moved quickly.
Honestly, there's just no dignity in flying anymore. You want to know why airlines are losing money? Just go to a major airport an see the cattle call that airport security is. "We recommend you take off your shoes because we're scanning for thickness," said the TSA drone. What the fuck does that mean? Is there an approved thickness for shoes? Did she mean we're scanning for explosives? Say what you mean, dammit.
So, shoes, jackets, sweatshirts, belts, laptops, keys, phones and everything else gets tossed on the belt. slowly, ever so slowly, it moves past the disinterested x-ray technician. Oooh! She's spotted something. A small keychain Swiss Army knife. These things are dangerous items. Very very dangerous. So much so, the supervisor had to be called over to explain to the fine gentleman what a grave danger to national security it was to bring that along. For crying out loud, you can't cut through duct tape with that thing, much less take over an airliner.
His options were to have it confiscated or to go back out and check it into the hold. Why is there not an option to fill out a card and have the item shipped to you, at your expense if need be? Why is there forfeiture without a trial, without a judicial order? Why are airports special?
Well, mostly it is because what I've heard referred to as "security theater". The visual of trained officials doing something, anything, is apparently what we want. Meanwhile, we're not any more secure, just a lot more harassed. Airlines are sinking into mounds of debt and when they go under, some of the blame surely has to go at the feet of the "security at any cost" crowd.
One woman, who was getting dressed after going through the line, noticed me doing the same and said, "we should come naked to the airport, next time." Not a pretty image.
Posted by Samer at 07:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 10, 2004
Whirlwind Vacation
I'm off to see the west tomorrow. I'm headed to San Francisco then to Eugene and Portland, OR and Seattle before winding up in Vancouver. All this, and I'll be home for a very late Thanksgiving day dinner.
Follow along here and over at the new photo blog to see where I am.
Posted by Samer at 09:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 15, 2004
Maine Bound
I'm off to Maine in a little bit. Going to have a grand old time. Staying in Acadia National Park in one of Rockefeller's old homes. Hiking. Walking. Talking. Going to a burn party. A dinner party.
And, get this: I'm not taking my laptop. That's right. For the first trip in five years, I am not taking my laptop. And my cell phone won't work on the island. Yippee!
Gonna be fun.
Posted by Samer at 04:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 31, 2004
Acadia
I'm heading up to Acadia National Park in April. Gonna be a fun time...
I had met this cool woman in Iceland. She turned out to be a Park Ranger and she works at Acadia... She's been kind enough to invite me up and she's going to host me while I am there...
Really looking forward to a few days off.
Posted by Samer at 11:09 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
December 22, 2003
Headed Home
I'm off to the airport in a few minutes to head home. What a shame this has trip turned so negative.
Portland, Seattle and Eugene are all nice towns. Sadly, I'm not so sure I will remember them for how nice they are, but rather for the pain that I suffered here.
I hope one day to come back and experience happier times.
Meantime, for the first time in a long time, I am ready to be home and around friends.
Posted by Samer at 10:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 19, 2003
Need Drugs?
After talking to 'A' in the morning, I went and walked down the river front. It was a really beautiful day, sunny and bright with a nice breeze. Temps in the 50s made it better.
Ten minutes in the park and some "dude" on a bike comes up to me and asks me if I wanted any drugs! At 10.30 in the morning! What sort of town is this?
But, as if to make matters better, he says, "No offense, man. Nothing meant by it," after I told him I'm not interested. And then he wants to be my friend. So he starts talking to me and all I want to do is tell him to fuck off. But he really was genuinely nice and happy to chat about his town and mine and Saddam and all the rest.
People out here are just too damn nice. Even the drug dealers.
Posted by Samer at 01:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 26, 2003
Beautiful Day
What an amazinginly nice day today was. Bright sunlight, though the sun did not rise until 11.20. Even then, it sort of hung in the air like it might be too cold to actually get up off the horizon to say hello.
We went to see Gullfoss and Geysir. There are some amazing pics that I got, and will hopefully be posting them this weekend.
It was brilliantly cold as well... I´´m finally happy -- snow and cold in one trip. It was about -8 Celsius (do the conversion yourself).
Posted by Samer at 01:39 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 25, 2003
Snow, Wonderful Snow
So I´m in Iceland for the fourth time, and this is the first time I´ve had significant snow.
Walking around, the place is covered in a two-three inch layer of white powdery snow.
It is wonderful. Makes you love being alive.
Makes this place even more inticing and inviting.
Posted by Samer at 07:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 24, 2003
A Little Down The Road
I've finally finished my plans for going to Oregon. The tickets are bought, the hotels are booked, and the plans are in place.
I'm nervous to meet "L" and, at the same time, I am extremely happy. I really cannot wait for December 12 to roll around.
Here's hoping it all turns out well. Cheers!
Posted by Samer at 04:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 23, 2003
Up Next
Iceland.
Headed there from London tomorrow... Going to run into these fine people there...
I think it will be fun...
Posted by Samer at 02:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 20, 2003
Scottish Fare
Is it a wonder the Scots have one of the highest levels of heart problems in the world?
A sampling of the food I had in the last 24 hours: fish and chips for dinner; haggis, neeps and tatties for lunch; and a deep-fried Mars bar for dessert.
Firstly, they fry everything here. Everything. The chip shop, in addition to the batter fried fish and the chips, also batters and fries: hamburger, cheese burger, spring rolls, pizza, chicken, and, of course, desserts. We'll get to that in a minute.
The haggis was damn good and people should stop fearing it and get along and have some. The taste was very meaty and a bit peppery. Very nice with the turnip mash and mashed potatoes. The sauce was superb.
Dessert, though, was the most amazing thing I've seen done with a candy bar. Take one Mars bar (the kind found in the UK, not the US variety), dip in batter, deep fry. Allow to cool slightly and then devour.
The taste of this treat is remarkable as the chocolate melts and mixes with the rest of the bar. The coating on the outside is nice and tasty and allows the chocolate to ooze out slowly. Yum!
Posted by Samer at 08:09 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
November 18, 2003
Train Trip
Took a train trip up from London to Edinburgh today. It was a lovely trip up through rolling hills and wonderful farmland. The English countryside is every bit as wonderful as you would think.
But this family got on at York. A small kid, maybe five, a woman far to young to be a mother and grandma. The kid was out of control. Yelling, screaming, throwing his toys around. He'd mutter "Christ, the trains stopping again!" and things like that.
They proceed to give him some sips of coffee!?!
That really helped. Argh. Almost three and half hours of that bouncing, loud out of control kid. Urgh.
But I got here and went and had a pint. That made things better.
Posted by Samer at 04:29 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Misplaced Driver
I took the train last night to Kent to see my other cousin there. On the way down, the train splits in two -- the front goes off in one direction and rear goes off to the place we were going.
After five minutes of waiting for something to happen, the announcer comes on and says "We're sorry for the delay, but it isn't our fault. They seem to have misplaced the driver of the other train."
Misplaced, we agreed, was a euphemism for "he popped off for a quick drink and didn't tell anyone".
Earlier in the day, we heard the announcement on the Tube that one of the lines had been delayed "due to pedestrian action", which apparently means someone jumped on the tracks.
Posted by Samer at 04:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Getting Out of Dodge
Looks like I got the hell out of London just in time. Our esteemed president is finally there and traffic and everything else looks to be soured.
What a bloody nightmare: 14,000 police in London, another 2,000 in Blair's home town. Shrub is bringing about 700 of his own people with him.
Ken Livingston, the mayor of London (more people voted him into office than any other British politician, I believe), called Bush the greatest threat to the world. Brilliant.
Hoping it all dies down before I get back on Friday.
Posted by Samer at 04:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 15, 2003
Visible
Got to London yesterday and finally got a chance to see my cousin's new bar and lounge, Visible.
I really like the place a lot. Nice red and blue colors on the wall, exposed bricks, fireplaces, cancels lighting up the rooms. The bar is nice but a little cramped.
The seating area is a lot of couches and low stools around low coffee tables. Makes it really comfortable for small groups to gather round for a couple of drinks.
Their drinks menu is kind of impressive. The beers include Guinness and Stella on tap, as well as Duvel and Liefman's Kriek and Framboise in bottles. But they excel at the cocktail. I had a port wine based drink they call the "Smoking Jacket" to start off the night. Very nice, deep drink. Satisfying on all counts.
I was then convinced to try the Lavender Martini. Now I am a martini purist -- good gin, stirred, olive or twist, nothing else -- but this thing surprised me. It was well balanced and sweet, and while the smell of lavender was muted, once you sipped it there was no mistaking it.
One of my good friends came out to meet me here and we had a blast. I miss not having her around Washington, but if we get together one more time before I leave, I will have seen her more often than I did when she was in DC.
I'll have a more full look at Visible later.
Posted by Samer at 12:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 11, 2003
Vacation Time
Well, it is time to pack up the bags, load up the camera and check out what's new in other parts of the world.
I'm off to merry old England on Thursday. I'll be back on Thanksgiving day. In between, I'll hit London, Edinburgh and Reykjavik.
Never been to Edinburgh before, and seriously looking forward to it.
Yes, the trip is shorter than normal, but I want to save some vacation time and money. For a reason, look to the previous posting.
I'll try and put a few things up on the blog while I'm away, but I will not be updating the main pictures site until I get back.
Posted by Samer at 09:12 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
October 05, 2003
Austrian Air
My grandma was in the hospital last week and my folks, who were visiting me, decided they needed to get back to Beirut as soon as possible.
They had flown here on Austrian Air through Vienna. They called the airline on Tuesday and explained the situation to them.
They were told to call back the next day. They were booked to depart October 8, because that was the first available flight. But they were told to head out to the airport anyway and they would be placed on priority standby.
I got a call from the gate agent for Austrian telling me that they had made it on board. They arrived safely in Beirut.
The amazing thing is how kind the Austrian Air staff were to my folks. Not only did they give them priority standby, and they called me to tell me that they had departed, but they put them in first class.
This, my friends, is what customer service is all about. Thank you Austrian Air.
Posted by Samer at 10:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 30, 2003
Flying High
As some of you know I have a fascination with all things Iceland. To that end I get Iceland Daily News e-mailed to me every day. This story, from today, caught my attention:
Iron Maiden’s Singer a Pilot for Iceland ExpressThe singer of heavy metal band Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson, is one of Iceland Express’ pilots and has flew to and from Iceland numerous times. As is the custom, pilots introduce themselves to their passengers on the flight, and thus many passengers figured out that the world-famous singer was flying their aeroplane.
Ólafur Hauksson, spokesperson for Iceland Express, says that Dickinson (who specifically works for British airline Astraeus, which Iceland Express leases planes from) will not be flying again until next fall since Iron Maiden will be on tour this summer.
Dickinson is a multi-talented man. In addition to being the frontman and songwriter for Iron Maiden, he has written books and competes in fencing (and is indeed excellent at it). Whether he will sing ‘Aces High’ for his passengers in the future, only time will tell.
I can't wait for my next trip there.
Posted by Samer at 02:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 16, 2003
Blacksburg, Here I Come
Off to Balcksburg, VA this weekend for a surplus auction. Never been to one of these, so it should prove interesting.
I'll let you know if I come away with anything good.
Posted by Samer at 03:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 03, 2003
Iceland
I was out last night at happy hour. Met some interesting and quite fun folks. But they could not understand my fascination with Iceland.
I'm obsessed with it. Really. If you want to see some cool pictures from my last few trips there, check out my main site.
Let me know what you think in the comments...
Posted by Samer at 03:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack