I was in Amsterdam for a brief business trip/training.  And one thing I really look forward to in any business trip is the airplane food — especially if I get to travel on business class (and those are the times I usually get to travel on business).  Here was what I had on board:

MNL-TPE leg: 1st dinner of Pineapple Chicken with noodles

TPE-AMS leg: 2nd dinner of Chicken with a black bean sauce with fried potatoes and mixed vegetables.  Dessert was a really good almond mousse.

Breakfast:  Savory meal (omelet), cornflakes, flavored yogurt, cheese and fruits

AMS-TPE leg: Appetizer: a shrimp salad.  Main Course: Dinner chicken with mashed potatoes, tiny onions and bacon.  Dessert: A mango cheescake.

Breakfast: sweet meal (crepes), granola, flavored yogurt, cheese and fruits

TPE-MNL leg: Dinner fish with a curry sauce served with noodles and vegetables.  Dessert was a mousse.

As usual, I wiped out most of my food (except for the chicken with mashed potatoes… I think I was too sleepy to finish my food).  Yes, I really love airplane food ;D

Airplane Breakfast

The flight from Saigon to Hue takes just over an hour, but is just long enough for a cold snack in the business class cabin.  The flight attendant spread a gigantic linen pale yellow cloth across my tray table and then moments later breakfast appeared.  Thankfully I was not all that hungry.

Two small slices of French bread held two polar opposite compilations of dubious meat.  I zeroed in on the piece of raw fish sitting atop lettuce and a mayonnaise based sauce.  Now I am skittish enough already when it comes to eating sushi in Vietnam as I have peeked inside the backdoors of kitchens all across this land.  Trust me when I say dining out anywhere, sushi or not, is generally not a showcase for the latest advancements in hygienic innovation.

Seat 2A on an Airbus A320 hardly looks like a sushi joint to me.  So receiving raw fish on top of that orange colored mayo caused my better judgment to circle the wagons and keep this gastrointestinal intruder at bay.  Who knows that that sliver of fish has been subjected to on its journey from the ocean to my seat.  The dill added a nice decorative touch but still, no way.

I did eat the processed ham and that familiar saltiness and slick texture was just like any hermetically sealed meat product in Vietnam.  What gives there?  Every time I buy some at the grocery store it arrives in its airtight package soaked in some suspicious briney liquid.  Only a careful rinse with bottled water makes it even halfway edible.

The mango induced some forgotten but horrible memories.  In the past I have tried this highly irregular tasted sliced papaya, and unfortunately it reemerged with this meal.  How do they even mess up papaya?  Better yet, what does this mutant papaya tree from hell look like?  The mushy fruit tastes how I would imagine a diaper full of baby squeeze.  Yes, it is that vile.  Now my tastebuds require some intense 12 step program to heal.

That’s ok though.  I reclined my chair and enjoyed the view of green mountains passing below.  I dreamed of all the amazing street food down there and what lay ahead in Hue.

I just got back from a fabulous trip to Costa Rica! The sandy beaches, blue water and clear sunny weather were just what I needed in a summer vacay, but I’ll be the first to admit that I struggled with eating healthy! Whether it’s not-so-hot airplane food or saucy & fried hotel fare, avoiding the 2-3lb vacation weight gain can really be a challenge!

Here are a few tips I used to stay on the healthy track while on vacay: 

1. Ask your hotel about food substitutions.

When you’re ordering at your hotel, be sure to ask about healthy substitutions for certain dishes. For example, if you’re ordering a meal that contains sauces or is fried, ask about having the protein steamed or getting the sauce on the side. Also be sure to ask for smaller portions of starches and larger portions of veggies! Most hotels will want you to enjoy your stay and should accommodate your request(s)!

2. Watch your drinks.

I found that at my hotel there were a lot of free fruit drinks/smoothies offered with meals. Beware!! Often these drinks contain unnecessary sugars and calories. And let’s be real: a heavy, frothy fruit drink is the last thing you need when you’re trying to look cute on the beach! Instead of getting a fruit juice/smoothie, I’d recommend asking whether the hotel has any unsweetened iced tea available. Then -if you wish- you can add a sweetener to your tea for a little flavor.

3. Stay active!!

Shake things up! If you’re vacationing at a hotel that has a gym, pack your sneakers!! If your hotel/resort doesn’t have a gym, hit the beach! (Or even bring a workout DVD with you like I did!) I also went swimming, snorkeling and boogie-boarding while I was in Costa Rica and worked muscles I forgot I had! If you’re feeling less adventurous, try going for a walk along the beach or go explore your new surroundings. A brisk walk each day before breakfast or dinner can help keep those unwanted vacay pounds at bay.

Last thing: While healthy eating is important, I’d also say it’s important to enjoy your vacation! A few splurges here or there on vacation aren’t a crime- just ask that piece of Tres Leches cake I had! Enjoy your vacation but always keep an eye out for ways to keep it healthy and fun!

Pura Vida!
CFC

*** Where are you headed for summer vacation? Do you have any healthy vacation tips? ***

Photo Credit: http://forladiesbyladies.com

The dreaded 18-hour flight was better than I expected. Cathay Pacific has always been known for their excellent service, and this time I got to see it for myself and I must agree with the repution. Having just experienced the terrible microwave dinner the American Airlines served during my trip to Europe, the Asian cuisine was quite a contrast! I’m amazed how they managed to keep the rice soft, the meat moist, and the fruit fresh. The flight attendants weren’t rude and obnoxious like most domestic American airlines, and were prompt upon request. I’ve flown United, Delta, Southwest, American, China, Malaysia, and EVA, but Cathay has officially won a spot in my heart as my favorite airline. I gotta give a shout out to those folks!

I’ve tried to get myself emotionally ready for Taiwan’s intense heat and humidity, but the moment I walk through those double glass doors has always been unexpectedly extreme. There’s the immediate full-body persperation, the sudden condensation on all objects (especially my phone), and an abrupt realization of how itchy your scalp feels after not showering for 30 hours. It doesn’t help that in the city, there is no such thing as a “breeze,” just movement of incredibly warm air.

Heat-trauma aside, we were fortunate enough to visit Kenting the morning after I arrived. I shoved my jetlag and new-found culture shock aside and enjoyed the tourist town of beaches, floral pants and flip flops. We’d generated a whole group to go, which unforuntately meant it had to be a Saturday. If you don’t know much about Taiwan, learn this fact: Don’t go anywhere that “attracts people” on weekends.

This is what an average beach looks like on weekends:

The sad part is, this was the LESS popular beach. And it was also May 26th, meaning summer vacation wasn’t even gonna start for most Taiwanese students until a month from then.

Here are some weird things that Taiwanese people love to do at the beach:

1. Lay a giant watermelon on your friend and slice it open with a Kendo sword as you yell insults at him.

2. Run around in a speedo and pretend you’re superman as your friend takes pictures of you.

3. Show some patriotic spirit. (For those who don’t know, that’s the Taiwanese flag.)

3. Take pictures with the coast guard in their awesome bright orange uniforms. (this was taken a week later, when there was a typhoon warning and they came to kick everyone out of the water.)

4. Shamelessly stare at other people.

5. Play with your expensive technology.

 6. Play with other people’s dogs.

All weirdos aside, we were able to stay at the local temple in a room that could fit 10 beds for only NT$3000 a night (US$100). We could only gather 7 people total, but it was still a great deal after we split it. It was meant for worshipers who travel long distances, but we could tell they were used to tourists taking advantage of it, being only 30 minutes from the beaches.

The room was literally a huge row of beds, and the bathroom had a row of five sinks and four stalls.

Fried Fish With Dill and Hot Sauce

Let’s change gears here and embark on a jet fueled field trip 38,000 feet above the Vietnamese streets normally providing so much tasty variety.   Unlike most of the western world, complimentary meals on domestic flights in Vietnam are a given on full service airlines.  And I will have to say for the most part this is usually a halfway edible affair.  Or is it just the combination of thin air and hunger playing sinister tricks on my tastebuds making everything a bit more palatable than otherwise warranted?

Does anyone even remember back in the day when US airlines served “meals” such as those sandwiches the size and hardness of a hockey puck?  Yes, think hard and dredge up memories you thought you had long digested into oblivion.  I vaguely remember the overly salty processed turkey adhering to the insides of some tasteless roll paired with a red apple bruised into mealy submission.   The chosen few on longer flights had the pleasure of picking through a tin of tasteless lasagna accompanied by a piece of limp iceberg lettuce and withered cherry tomato while hurtling through the air at 550 miles per hour wedged into a space barely wider than elbows and hips.

Breakfast With A View

Peeling back the tin foil lid over here is much like the eager anticipation of tearing through a Christmas present’s gift wrap.  Some prove to be crappy duds like that sweater from grandma.  Others like shrimp and rice noodles hit the spot on the fourth flight of the day.  In any case I do appreciate a free meal that cuts through the hunger from a long day of flying.

Somewhere near Danang our purser delivered our crew meals, and I couldn’t wait to break into the warm aluminum container labeled “captain” just for me.  This portion of steamed rice and fried white fish nuggets with an infusion of sour dill in the sweet batter seems such an unlikely choice for a breakfast meal served in the pointy end of my state of the art piece of aluminum tubing.  Maybe it’s the novelty of eating with the best view in the house that elevates an airplane meal to such a nice diversion.

Whatever it is this fish wasn’t all that bad, especially with its hot sauce glaze.  Some stir fried bok choy lining the bottom of the pan and side portions of yoghurt and fresh fruit slices somewhat cancel out the fried fish’s attack on the heart.  At least that’s what I tell myself.  I got to thinking what a disaster serving this mouth scorching spicy delight would be on a domestic flight in America.  I can’t even imagine the drama unfolding somewhere high over Osceola, Iowa as Grandma Mavis chomped down and melted her dentures and scorched her gums with a little hot pepper.  Living in a country where “bland” does not even seem to be a concept, even on an airplane, is one amazing perk indeed.

Abandon expectations all ye who travel.

The itinerary said breakfast.

That would be the itinerary printed directly from United Airline‘s emailed confirmation of our flights to and from England. Breakfast on the return flight, the document said.

That seems logical, right? Breakfast on an am flight out of Heathrow?

Well, on Friday morning — after getting up at 5:45 in order to reach the airport on time — breakfast sounded even better. Check-in and security had been slow, leaving not enough time for even a cup of tea.

“Would you like beef or chicken?”

Huh?

“Beef or chicken?” the flight attendant repeated.

We’d reached cruising altitude, and the cabin crew was starting to serve the morning meal.

My husband asked about breakfast, pulling out our copy of the itinerary to show that’s what had been promised.

“Oh, we always serve dinner on this flight,” she replied.

Dinner. Beef or chicken to be exact, complete with salad, at 9 am.

Now, I’ll admit I can be a little picky about what I eat, but I like to think of myself as a good traveler, able to accept, and even enjoy, the little unexpected events of a trip. But I just couldn’t face either beef or chicken at that time of the day.

My husband D. couldn’t either, though he took a meal and tried to eat it.

What on earth is United Airlines thinking to serve dinner first thing in the morning? It would be different if they were following the time at the flight’s destination. But the US is five hours behind the UK so it was even earlier in Newark.

I’ve crossed the Atlantic many times — mostly on the same trip to and from England — on a variety of airlines and have never ever been given dinner for breakfast.

It’s always some little omelette or a breakfast sandwich or even a croissant. Not beef or chicken, no matter what that flight attendant said.

Continental Airlines Breakfast from Hong Kong to Newark. Economy Class. More photos, on http://www.airplanefood.net (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I made do with D’s roll and butter.

And a cup of coffee with Bailey’s. That I can drink any time.

Eventually, we arrived at the Newark Airport. I won’t go into details about our experience with the United Club there except to tell you we were turned away. We’d been worried our daughter S. wouldn’t be allowed in because she’s under age. Nope. Turns out S. wasn’t allowed in because we only had two passes. She would need one even if she was only two years old, the United gatekeeper said.

Except the passes state you must be twenty-one to use them.

Hmm … seems like United Airlines is having some communications issues.

Here is where I remind myself — and you — how important it is to keep things in perspective. Part of travelling is being able to roll with the punches, and I’d gladly trade a dozen breakfasts for a safe flight.

Besides, when the other flight attendant spilled juice on my arm, he gave me a complementary beer. And to be fair, I must admit  our United flight to England was great, with probably the best flight attendants I’ve ever met. The head of the cabin crew actually greeted each and every passenger.

Still, next time, I’m packing my own breakfast.

Airplane Chicken

Though this entrée is quite normal in an aluminum tube 39,000 feet high above Vietnam, I am not so sure it would fly in America.  First off, I had eschewed the fish for chicken in hopes bird served on a plane would be a lot different than miles below on the street.  Now I am not complaining at all about free food.  I am just reporting things as I taste them.

The Vietnamese lap up these fine delights like there’s no tomorrow, and I even see customers carting the tin foil containers off the plane.  Why do they feel so compelled to save some mess that likely will have been festering in that e. coli temperature sweet spot for hours on end by the time they arrive home with risk of eventual gastronomical distress?  An inquisition into this need to hoard a tiny piece of fish is a story for another day though.

Typical Vietnamese Chicken

Our purser delivered our meals to the flight deck, and I eagerly peeled away the finger burning hot tin foil lid.   The Vietnamese exclamation “Choi oi!”  was all I could think when I stared at the bird blobs.  With surgical precision I cut away the fatty layers that even still contained vestiges of their host such as thin hair.  Even the goose pimple texture made me question why this was a good choice.  Oddly enough the fat peeled right off.  Normally it adheres to everything with superglue tenacity.

A small bone bursting forth from a chunk of flab incited me to expel another round of choi oi, choi oi, choi oi.   I got to thinking what if this had been a flight in America.  First off, the customer, and most likely a customer of size, would swallow the bone and choke while complaining the meal was too small.  With the bone firmly lodged in his throat, the plane would divert somewhere.  Then the TSA would be all upset the customer had secreted a dangerous bone deep inside him that could potentially be used as a weapon.

The media would hype it while congressional hearings further exposed the dangers of bones.  After people sued anyone and everyone and special interest groups feigned their supposed outrage, the TSA would mandate security screenings for chicken shivs.  Yes, a chicken bone in an American meal would be a disastrous menace to the public welfare.

With all this potential drama swirling around in my head, I gave thanks the bone had landed in my meal and that I alone had the power to save the world by placing it in the trashbag.  I took one bite of the remaining dry meat secreted between two layers of glistening, juicy, opaque gelatinous fat.  Slices of red hot chili peppers adhered to the fatty outer layer and I tried my best to transfer them to the more edible meat portions.  What can I even compare this taste to?  I know…remember those fried chicken patties in school lunches?

The steamed rice, vegetables and spicy sauce were all quite decent.  But that chicken…I just put the lid back on it and called it a day.

Delicious, I believe this meal was called Japanese surprise or something like that…

Perhaps my new favorite in flight feature- cool and refreshing.

Unfortunately, my dad did not get the memo and woke me up at 8am.

So the adventure began. I switched bags, electing my dad’s monstrous suitcase over two of my small ones. We drove to Target to pick up a slew of travel-sized amenities, like a collapsable toothbrush and two-ounce tube of face wash. Next was the shoe shop to buy a pair of comfortable walking shoes and flip flops for use in the communal shower. And finally on to AT&T to buy a new phone – my first touch screen. I know I’m a bit behind, but I’ve never liked touch screens. My old phone didn’t have international calling capabilities, and we’d decided to nix the satellite phone in favor of an international calling plan; the new phone was essential.

My dad considered taking back his tablet since the new phone had all the same capabilities as his Asus tablet, but it’s a good thing I disagreed. But I’ll get to that later.

Time sped by, and before we knew it, it was already 2pm – time to leave for the airport. I kissed the dogs goodbye and loaded up: I was on my way to Africa.

My dad parked in the short-term parking lot, something he’s never done on the many flights I’ve taken without him. He helped me gather my belongings, and he walked me to the front desk, offering any help I needed along the way. My bag was checked (and charged for being overweight,) and my boarding pass was printed. The next step was security.

My dad continued with me to security, even standing in line until I reached the dividers and a sign that read “Passengers Only Beyond This Point.” A woman behind us agreed to take a picture of us together before we had to part ways. My dad walked along the sides of the line until just before I reached the employee checking boarding passes and passports. Even though I was nothing but excited, I couldn’t help but feel empathetic towards how my father felt about losing me for three weeks to a faraway country.

When the plane finally boarded, I found my seat – an aisle seat that I had requested because of my insane fear of plane crashes – next to an elderly couple. Minutes later, a family sat next to us with a young child. “Just wait,” the older gentleman mumbled to his wife as he shook his head in the direction of the child. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself: I’d been thinking the same thing.

I flew on a Delta flight operated by AirFrance, and it was one of the more comfortable flying experiences I’ve had. The seats weren’t great, the space was small, but it was better than many other experiences. Until the screaming started.

“I told you,” the old man muttered to his wife as the child screamed. Again, amusing, but it didn’t help the problem. In fact, the child was the result of the parent’s rubbish parenting skills, and she did not stop acting out the rest of the flight. The only way her mother could subdue the screams was to wave an iPad in her face. As long as she shuts up, I initially thought, but no. The parents allowed her to play a game at full volume that could likely be heard at the very back of the plane. Sitting next to the child, it sounded like a TV turned up all the way.

I should add that when we prepared for landing, another battle ensued over whether or not the mother was allowed to put the iPad away.

Before the dinner cart made its rounds, a flight attendant stopped and asked me if I had requested a special meal. Yes, vegetarian. She handed me a tray of food and pulled a piece of tape off of my seat. So there are perks to being a difficult eater. The food was mediocre, but it was better than I expected on a plane.

I did not sleep on the plane, though I shut my eyes and tried very hard. I considered watching movies, but the credit card swipe underneath the screen scared me away – I didn’t really feel like pulling out a credit card and paying to watch anything when I should be sleeping.

Finally, I could see the sun peeking through the clouds. Red at first, and distant. Slowly, the light grew, and the sky again looked like day: we were fast approaching Paris.

I had one more special vegetarian meal, a breakfast loaded with breads to make up the calories lost in all the fruit and yogurt I was served.

As we looked down at the approaching city, try as I might, I could not actually see the Eiffel Tower. I did not realize until later what a remarkable feat this was considering the tower’s enormous size. And then came the turbulence.

I have never once become ill enough on a plane to use the doggie bags provided in each seat, but I’ve never come closer than on this flight. The plane shook and dropped in countless air pockets for at least fifteen minutes, and I regretted eating even a bite of that breakfast. To make matters worse, the child that had been screaming laughed gleefully at the plane screaming happily that we were going to crash. It was the only time the mother took control and stopped her from acting out. Finally, the jolting halted and we approached the runway.

It was 8am, though my body said it was 2am. I looked out the window, the sun hidden by clouds. I had arrived in Paris.

I am not sure if I have mentioned this prior or not, but my parents moved to Qatar this past year and this past week was the first opportunity I had to use up 80% of my vacation days of the year to pay them a short visit. Since Qatar is on the opposite end of the universe from Portland, Oregon I had a daunting 30-something hour itinerary involving a stopover in San Francisco, an UNPLANNED detour to Chicago, another painful stopover in Frankfurt…and then finally the beacon of light at the end of it all- a nonstop to Doha (the capital) on a thankfully much more luxurious and service-oriented airline than the prior several flights.

I am not going to go over the first few painful flights I endured (think a Bangalore-bound six year old seat neighbour who repeatedly mistook my ass derriere as a pillow and a shortage of quality foods which resulted in the ingestion of a pretzel packet which included hydrogenated soybean oil on it’s ingredient list), but as soon as I got to Germany I trekked myself past my random security check number three to the Lufthansa Business lounge, took a half shower, had several Espressos and a quark pumpernickel sandwich and then tweeted about the lack of traveling businesswomen in the world (since I was after all the only female slash person under 36 in the entire lounge).

Was that a run-on sentence or what?

Anyhow, finally the moment of glory came- it all started with having a fellow Finnish woman print my boarding pass and us thus engaging in some amicable shared ancestral bonding and then with the very very dashing personal steward I had once I boarded the nearly empty Qatar Airways Doha-bound jet. Yes, personal steward. He sadly lacked a name tag but he was German, looked like a Dietrich or a Franz and pronounced the names of all the French chardonnays he let me taste quite fluently.

He also brought me an armful of goodies…namely some Qatar Airways-logo socks, a massive Menu book, noise canceling headphones, and the little Salvatore Ferragamo toiletries bag as pictured above (which does include several Ferragamo lotions and other scented products which may or may not be unisex)

This was the supper menu; there was a separate wine and other beverages menu; however I didn’t photograph it simply because it was too many pages and I kept feeling self conscious that Dietrich/Franz would think that I was odd for photographing pages of wine lists…

…Regardless, prior to take off he gracefully noted my order. Normally I do not drink alcohol on flights simply because of the already dehydrating state air travel puts one in (and how pallid it makes your face look…not even the best Kiehls moisturiser can solve that); however my mother sent me a lovely text asking me to have champagne on her behalf…but since champagne was not a proper paring for my choice of meal, I ended up with a glass of Chardonnay with my palate pleaser:

Roast beef horseradish rolls

I started watching a film, Safe House I believe, but really I was far too distracted by how ridiculously delightful the food was to even get so much as a grasp on the plotline. Also, at this point I had been awake for a good 26 hours or so

Upon polishing off the palate pleaser, I was brought my appetiser of choice, the Arabic Mezze. Though the caprese with bresaola and the celeriac soup sounded delicious, I will ALWAYS select Mezze when on the menu. This one in particular consisted of the usuals, small bowls of Moutabel, fresh tabbouleh, hummus, and Arabic bread

Of course, I was also brought silverware, miniature S&P, some French butter and a bread basket featuring pretzel, ciabatta roll, and a scrumptious sundried tomato loaf which made a fine pairing with the remaining moutabel

Oh yeah…and if you’re wondering that’s Evian in the other wine glass; gotta stay hydrated, remember?

Main Course: Grilled breast of chicken with Arabic style rice, grilled asparagus, and mixed vegetables

This was restaurant quality, and I am not just saying that because I was sleep deprived and had been subsisting on manufactured packaged carbohydrates. The rice was full of coriander and cumin and meshed quite nicely with the “Arabic” ratatouille of aubergine and onion- and this is coming from someone who normally won’t touch rice due to it’s high levels of boringness and fullness-inducement.

For dessert, I was given two options: Ice cream or “Varm Austrian Cake.” Dietrich/Franz seemed v. enthusiastic about the cake (maybe he’s Austrian after all…), however since I do hold half of my genetics from one of the world’s highest per capita ice cream consuming nations…I went for the ice cream. Mango and vanilla with berries and some chocolate covered strawberry. Not disappointing. Plus Dietrich/Franz probably got to have an extra cake for himself since I was one of THREE other people in the entire cabin.

Post-supper, I decided to stop pretending I knew what was going on in Safe House and choose something a little more…trashy? Engaging? Well I ended up choosing “Gone” starring Amanda Seyfriend, probably because it takes place in Portland and I was already missing Portland

Dietrich/Franz was quite attentive to my penchant for staying hydrated so he just quit with the Evian wine glass and brought me the first of several bottles of Vittel…that and some Godiva.

I eventually finished the chardonnay, passed out (after pressing pause of course) for two hours, woke up to complete the film, watched an episode of Mad Men and then freshened up in the generously sized full-length mirror laden lavs and proceeded to arrive safely in Doha. I even got to go in my own immigration queue (all by myself…again) and endure the uncertain limbo that is baggage claim before finally meeting my elated and adorable parents.

And now if you’ll excuse me, I have a pre-bedtime Skype date with the bird from the Lion King.

Ever had a good experience with airplane food?

What’s the longest distance you have ever travelled at once?

]]> http://thevegetablecentrickitchen.com/2012/06/02/headed-to-new-york-city/ Sat, 02 Jun 2012 23:12:13 +0000 Rande McDaniel http://thevegetablecentrickitchen.com/2012/06/02/headed-to-new-york-city/ Hello from 30,000 feet! I’m currently on my way to San Francisco, a brief stop before NYC! I’ll be attending Natalia Rose’s Advanced Detox Certification Training and could not be more excited to meet Natalia in person as I’ve admired her for years.

I’m also pretty darn jazzed to be connecting with Renae, Ana and Lola while I’m there, I know we’re just dying to hit up the bar scene…the juice bars that is

Thank you Virgin America.

I’m stocked on treats for the trip: delicious olives, radishes, nori sheets, baked sweet potatoes and dark chocolate.

Airplane Snack Love.

Excitement abounds. I’ll keep you posted.

One chillaxed but very excited Flight Attendant.

Having just returned from a 2-week trip that included car and air travel, three different hotels, one family stop over and an all-day meeting for my job, I was pretty proud of myself to get home, having only gained one pound. It took planning and some new travel accessories.

Before leaving home, I purchased a small Hamilton Beach blender, intended to be portable. I packed my little blender and my gram scale into my suitcase along with my protein powder, zip lock bags and assorted snack foods. The first leg of my journey was by car so I had the luxury of a cooler filled with pre-weighed sliced chicken, a container of salad, a small bottle of white balsamic vinegar, cold seltzer drinks, apples, steamed veggies, low fat cheese and almond milk for my smoothies.

The first stop was a hotel with a small frig in the room. I learned to ask when making my room reservations if there was a frig and if they had a workout room. When I was settled into my room I went on line to the restaurant where I would be eating that night and planned my meal. I had been able to guess what might be available and had to make only minor adjustments to the remainder of the day.

Go online in the morning when you are planning your day and know you will be eating in a restaurant. Many restaurants post their menus on their web site and you can figure out what to order ahead of time.  Look for broiled or grilled chicken or fish, steamed vegetables and salads (dressing on the side). Keep in mind that restaurant food is not prepared like you do at home. Many meats are pre-cooked and contain quite a bit of sodium. Often fish and chicken is breaded and/or fried. Salad dressings are quite high in fat and sodium as well. If cocktails or wine are in the plans you can order a sparkling water or seltzer with a wedge of lemon or lime. If it is a cocktail party, ask for your drink in a wine glass and you will feel like you are part of the party too. Just do the best you can.

My next stop was in a family member’s home but involved a day of plane travel with a 4-hour delay. I packed some low fat cheese and rice crackers, apples, nuts and steamed broccoli. I carried two 2.5oz cans of tuna in my carry on but never had the nerve to open it until I was at my destination. The days of air travel are definitely the most challenging.  If you know the airport you can look up menus on line for restaurants and plan your meals. I avoid these due to some bad experiences in the past.

Several restaurants later I landed in an eastern college town. I stocked up my room (no frig this time) and used the ice bucket to hold some frozen blueberries for my smoothies.  I frequented the local market to keep some food in my room and came up with another idea for a place to eat the night pizza was suggested!

My final stop was an all-day meeting where I brought one of those little tuna cans from a nearby market to top off a salad I ordered in place of a sandwich for lunch. I had a frig in my room with a freezer compartment so I restocked my cooler for the final leg driving home.

Most trips aren’t quite as complicated as this one but I learned a few tricks along the way. I was glad I had a couple of months experience with Genesis prior to this trip so I had some food ideas already handy. The smoothies are a true foundation to the whole day, especially when traveling.

Exercise is pretty easy if you know you have a workout room in the hotels where you are staying. Otherwise, I always travel in my walking shoes, take a brisk walk in the airports and walk every morning before the day gets into full swing. Many hotel workout rooms have hand weights so you can keep up with strength training. Most have a bike of some sort and a treadmill. My heart monitor tucked into my suitcase without taking up much room and came in handy when exercising in unfamiliar territory.

It’s a challenge but with a little pre-planning each day it is possible to not stray too far off your plan.  Happy traveling!

Dimmie

Jackson, WY

When I was above land and water, I ordered the Tenderloin Steak with mashed potatoes. It was so delicious, I could even take a second round off of that. At first I did not know if I made a good choice, since the steak is quite thick and I was hesitant if it will be too chewy or hard. However, I gave it a go and did not regret that decision. The steak was very tender and not hard to chew at all. The sauce/gravy on it compliments the tenderloin really well. It has a not too sweet or salty taste, as it balances well with the steak and mashed potatoes. The sauce/gravy does not overpower the rest of the foods. The knife can easily slice through the meat and it tastes even better with the mashed potatoes. Compared to the tender steak, the mashed potato has a very soft and silky texture. If it was lumpy and grainy, then it would not be as much of a compliment to the steak. The silky smooth texture of the mashed potatoes join well with the steak and the sauce. When you eat all three of them together, it tastes like a piece of heaven. No joke.  If you all are planning to go somewhere overseas long distance, I would recommend you all to try EVA Air as an option as their food is by far one of the best I’ve eaten above land and water.

Rating: 8/10

There were beautiful women waiting on me hand and foot (Seriously, British Airways has some hot flight attendants. And they were just as good looking on my flight back to Togo after a month in America, so you can’t just blame it on the fact that I had only seen 6 American girls total in the year before that). They were giving me free booze and asking me if I wanted three cheese ravioli or beef over brown rice with vegetables. I realize that most of you are reading this thinking, ‘Eww, airplane food is terrible, I wouldn’t serve that shit to my dog.’ I mean thats pretty much a universal truth right? Right next to death, taxes, and that a trip to the DMV is sure to make you want to shoot yourself in the face. I now realize this after spending a month in the ‘real world’, and I wholeheartedly agree with you. But at this point, after eating a diet consisting of nothing but rice, beans, pounded yams, and thick, gooey, flavorless grits, with the occasional treat of dried fish or chunk of mystery bush meat, I felt like I was eating at a Michelin starred restaurant. Seriously? Three cheese ravioli? Thats two and a half more cheeses than I’ve had in the past year. I sat there trying as hard as I could to not just scarf it all down like a gluttonous madman. But you bet your ass I practically licked those little plastic and tin containers clean. Peeking my head over to the people sitting next to me, eyes wide and hopeful, and probably just a bit crazed looking, like ‘Hey man… you gonna use that butter packet?’

And it didn’t end there. I had my own personal TV? With direct TV and movies? Shiiiiit, if I walked down the street in Togo and some roadside shack was playing a dubbed in French version of Godzilla from the 70’s on a TV that was even older(Stop laughing, I’ve actually done that. Multiple times. Give me a break, its apparently the only movie they have there), I was fucking enthralled by it. So having my own personal ‘entertainment system’ was pretty awesome.

And the bathrooms? Don’t even get me started on the bathrooms. Actual flushing toilets with working sinks, fully equipped with soap, toilet paper, and paper towels? After spending a solid 30% of the past year… moving my bowels, in Togolese ‘bathrooms’ I was pretty goddam excited by this. Yes. I know. I warned you at the beginning of this that Togo has made me weird and culturally inappropriate. And if you’ve read anything else that I’ve written, you know that pooping, shitting, diarrhea, toilets etc. is a big part of my life here, and therefore a big part of what you get to read about when you ask me for any ‘exciting and crazy stories about Africa’. So shut up and deal with my shit or stop reading(bad pun intended). Seriously though, at that point, those little airplane bathrooms were glorious.

At first I think I was just in my own little world, soaking in every little bit of this awesome high class experience as I could, but by the second leg of the trip I started to catch onto the fact that I was pretty much the only one enjoying the trip and little airplane meals as much as I was. I quickly realized that everyone else was cautiously and very apprehensively picking around at their little tin containers of food. More so just pushing things back and forth with scrunched up noses, and looks of expected disappointment on their faces than actually consuming anything. And honestly, I kind of felt bad for them, aaaand kind of wanted to ask them if I could have their leftovers.

But fast-forward about a month and I was one of them. After being pampered half to death by the glory that is America; Cold micro-brews, bacon cheese burgers, sushi, air conditioning, maple syrup, pizza, bacon, paved roads, bloody marys, real Mexican food, bacon, italian delis, bacon (I kind of have an obsession with food if you haven’t caught on to that yet, I actually gained like 15 lbs. during the month that I was home, and I genuinely thank all who had a part in that). Back to the story though, my flight back was nowhere near as great and luxurious as the flight from Africa. It was still British Airways (and yes, the air hostesses were still really hot), but that extra something, that sense of wide eyed wonderment and blissful excitment was long gone. And it made me realize something, those flights were pretty much identical, they didn’t have shittier bathrooms on the way back, the food was of the exact same quality, and the seats definitely hadn’t shrunk in size, but my experience couldn’t have been more different. On the way back I felt like I had been downgraded to a dark musty third class interior room at the bottom of the Titanic.

What I realized though, was that sometimes, it has nothing to do with what you have or don’t have, but your ability to appreciate what you have when you have it, rather than constantly comparing it to something better. After all, chances are that your seemingly inadequate situation, is actually someone else’s idea of first class.

Be grateful for what you have, and just maybe you’ll get the chance do a little tapdancing on tabletops while you’re at it.

On The Way to Vietnam

korean air prestige class (dinner)

korean air prestige class (dinner)

This time we started off with an appetizer of Roasted Eggplant with Chicken.  It was slightly bland, but the sauce helped.

korean air prestige class (dinner)

The salad was Parma Ham with Melon and Baby Salad and Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil Dressing.  For my bread I opted for a Bao.  The salad was quite lovely.  The parma ham was nice and salty, which was a great contrast to the sweet melon and I just dipped the tender salad greens in the dressing for a light splatter of flavor.

korean air prestige class (dinner)

Since I ordered a western entree I also was given an extra appetizer, the Pumpkin Cream Soup.  Now I love pumpkin and I love soup, so this was a treat!  Creamy, sweet, savory goodness.

korean air prestige class (dinner)

My main was the Seared Prawn and Scallop with Chinese Black Pepper Sauce served with Egg Fried Rice and Vegetables.  Um…the prawns were definitely over-cooked, although the sauce was good, and the scallops?  Oh….i thought they were mushroom stems…..those were scallops????

korean air prestige class (dinner)

We got to choose between ice cream and fresh fruit for dessert.  Haggen Dazs ice cream?  Uh, no brainer!!  I absolutely love these individual-sized cups.  Perfect!

Terminal 3

We got to see sunrise on the plane while we having our breakfast <3

Love airplane food Mine low calories meal and they provide zero calories sweetener for my coffee.

Lynne’s low fat meal. Mine look nicer lol.

Lynne sleeping after the breakfast I think. Put this picture up because of the stewardess’ butt behind! hahaha

Forever looking for toilet after the flight landing. :/

Kansai airport!  Nice and simple airport, didn’t manage to see any duty-free shops there though.

Getting on the subway to our hotel. THE SUBWAY IN JAPAN IS OUR NIGHTMARE! It is freaking a maze plus the language barrier, we got lost a few times. Totally can’t imagine how people can survive there without knowing japanese.  Lucky I got Lynne who can ask for the directions at least.

Why Singapore MRT no pink gantry?

Dotonbori in Osaka

Only in Japan will there be a whole rack dedicated for hello kitty and one piece.

We got in a pet shop and all the puppy and kittens are so fluffy that I’m going to die! They are like  Disney babies, cuter and smaller version of dogs and cats.

Chopper and Kitty remix!

Okay I shall end my day 1 abruptly here.

off i go now, my dears, to the new world!

three flights and a day later, i hope to land on the beautiful island of kona, hawaii. as most of you know, i’ve been planning this trip for some time now, and am so grateful that God is allowing me to take this step. every prayer you say is needed, of this i assure you! please remember the fellows teaching, preaching and sharing the gospel and the wonder of inspired activism during these next few weeks. strangers we are now, but together we are part of the body of Christ, and we are willing and wanting to go forward so that his name be heard. i’ve come to know healing through our heavenly, and i am so thankful that God has called us together for this time.

this seminar is all about letting justice roll, about letting love flow, about setting those free who suffer and die under the pressures of this world. 27 million – to some this number sounds familiar. i’ve written and i’ve dreamed about that number. it stands for the hearts of women, children and men who are held captive against their will, and who we have chosen to sacrifice for our desires and empty demands. please pray that the warmth and beauty of humanity shines through the cracks during this gathering, that we are all reminded of what God had planned for us.

i ask you to pray for the let justice roll down seminar, for the participants, for those leading us, for our travels and preparations. thank you for all that love and support. it’ll all come back to your door manifold.

Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer : and attend to the voice of my supplications.

In the time of my trouble I will call upon you : for you will answer me.

Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord : nor anything like your works.

All nations you have made will come and worship you, O Lord : and glorify your name.

For you are great; you do wondrous things : and you alone are God.

We who believe in freedom : cannot rest until it comes.

To get to America, I flew Korean Air from Manila-Incheon then Incheon-Seattle. It was my first time to take a long flight aboard Korean Air and I was surprised to find that they served us even bigger meals. Looking back, I guess I should’ve expected it, but I’ve always felt really full from the short trip meals! It amused me so much that I took pictures of the food to compare them.

1) Short Flight

Bibimbap toppings, plain rice, kimchi, miso-seaweed soup and Jeju water. I like being able to control how much rice and gochujang goes into my bibimbap. I usually mix 3/4 of the rice in and eat the rest on its own. It might sound weird to eat rice by itself but hey, I like the texture and how rice holds up the slightest bit of resistance before giving in to its true, chewy nature. Highlights of the meal for me: the crunchy, refreshing kimchi and smart packaging of the Jeju water.

Dessert was a cup of ice cream; I think they go for flavors familiar to the origin of travel because it was ube flavored. So Filipino!

2) Long Flight

For long flights, you get a noticeably fuller tray. The rice pack is smaller but comes mixed with veggies, the water is in a bottle and the gochujang comes not in a squeeze-tube in a scoop-out-tub. Unlike the short trip’s miso-seaweed blend, the soup here was a clear seaweed broth. I liked the one with miso better, but it was still alright. You also get an extra pack of green chilies and steamed veggies and extra dipping sauce. Highlight of the meal: pineapple! It was sweet and came in a little compartment of its own.

Combine their food with the awesome entertainment package (I got watch Hugo and build a playlist of songs) and it’s not hard to see why I love Korean Air. What about you–do you have any airline favorites?

Preparation for the longest flight in the history of the universe usually goes like this… Book flights at least 6 months in advance, spend the next 5 months 29 days worrying about the flight, spend the day of the flight coaxing myself out of panic attacks, board the flight with as much bottled water as I can carry, armed with sleeping tablets I know wont work, calm myself in the seat and choose lots of cheesy feel good movies to placate me until I can get off the tin bird a zillion hours later.

As mentioned I didn’t have the 5 months 29 days to stress and because of this the flight went more like this…spent the day of the flight coaxing myself out of panic attacks, boarded the flight with as much bottled water as I could carry, armed with sleeping tablets I knew wouldn’t work, calmed myself in the seat and chose lots of cheesy feel good movies to placate me. This time I actually enjoyed sitting there watching the cheesy movies, I didn’t get stressed that the sleeping tabs didn’t work, I convinced myself I actually enjoyed this process. Amazing what 5 months and 29 days of not over thinking the flight can do.

So, to the important stuff, the food.

Board 11.30am London to Singapore.
We were served peanuts and drinks then the meal, starter was some kind of fish concoction, main was Prawn Curry or Shepherd’s Pie. I had the Shepherd’s Pie which was really rather delish, it came with carrots and cabbage. Having not eaten the starter, because of my fishy aversion and avoiding the bread roll, after some time I was really rather hungry. I went to the galley to see what snacks were on offer, nothing low carb as you can imagine. I opted for a small finger sandwich trio. One was Salmon, so I had the other 2, Smoked Bacon and Tomato and a Cheese, both were enjoyable, the bread was nice and fresh and it filled the growing spot. What felt like an age later we were served breakfast. The options were Poached Eggs or Pork Noodles. I have a fear of over cooked egg yolks, I have been known to throw a small tantrum when poached eggs are served so hard they could literally bounce. I felt like technically this was to be my dinner so I went for the Pork Noodles. Obviously by now the low carbing truly went out the window, but what’s a girl to do, I have to eat! The noodles were really delicious and very satisfying, they were coated with a sweet hoisin style sauce and the minced pork spread evenly through gave satisfaction with each mouthful. Disembark Singapore 7.20am ish local time

Board Singapore to Brisbane 9.50am ish local time.
I had resisted the tempting Burger King (B.K) neon sign on my little stop over, so by the time I got on the plane I was really famished. I was dying for the menu to be brought around, but am pretty sure the whole plane heard my sigh when I read it. We were to be served lunch, obviously following on from the breakfast on the previous flight, which I had considered my dinner. The options were Pork with Vegetables in a Lemon Grass Sauce or Asian Style Fish, as the trolley started to move through the cabin my insides began to churn. The smell from the fish dish was extremely over powering and nearly brought on my gag reflex. I was starving so tried to block the smell of the fish as I opened the silver lid on my tray. What faced me was a piece of bone dry pork loin and some over cooked veges. Eeek! I had less than 1/4 of the pork and about the same of veges, luckily the starter was a perfectly tasty Chicken Waldorf Salad. I had the bread roll and by sheer starvation was forced to eat the chocolate cornetto served as dessert. To my horror this was the only meal to be served, the only other snack was a choice between a Tuna Crossaint (yak) or a Pastrami Ciabatta. Of course my choice here was easy. Unfortunately though the bread to meat ratio was way off kilter and it was like biting into a huge brick of white hard bread. One bite was more than enough. Disembark Brisbane 7.45pmish local time

A week in Brissy passes

Board Brisbane to Singapore 11.45pm local time
I was feeling full from the nosh up Mum had served for dinner. Lamb cutlets with Aubergine Ratatouille. I was expecting good things, catering out of Australia should be decent. A quick scan of the menu and I wasn’t disappointed. The light meal to be served first, choice of Curry Beef Pie or Shrimp and Chicken Noodles, to be honest I didn’t eat, the lamb cutlets still satisfying me so I can’t really comment. The lady next to me had the beef pie and it looked decent. Luckily the noodles didn’t stink out the plane either. Breakfast was served closer to landing, options were Eggs with Mornay Sauce and Veal Sausage or Noodles with Pork Dumplings. I was temped to go low carb here and try the eggs, but having not eaten for the last 10hrs or so I couldn’t risk being hungry so opted for the noodles. The noodles were a vermicelli with a side of chilli sauce, there were some small slices of mushrooms and cabbage. Not the most exciting noodle dish, if you didn’t eat chilli you would have found it extraordinarily bland. Served along side the noodles were 2 pork shu mai. The dumplings were moist and flavoursome but 2 simply didn’t cut it, I could have done with 4. Disembark Singapore 5.45amish local time.

I was slightly concerned about the food on the next leg, because of the disastrous meal on the way out of Singapore. A bit of forward thinking coupled with greed and the knowledge that the low carbing defo starts hard core the Monday I get back, drove me to B.K. Faced with choices I hadn’t seen before on a breakfast menu, I was excited. I ordered a crossan’wich with egg and turkey bacon. Oh my, I was not disappointed. I felt these carbs really lived up to the rep, sweet, soft and buttery pastry filled with egg, cheese and crispy crispy turkey bacon. Homer Simpson would have been in heaven. I gobbled this down and headed to the gate.

Board Singapore to London 9.05am ish
So I have been sitting here thinking about what I ate on this flight. For some reason I just can’t think of one of the meals. This is very unusual for me, as my memories are usually founded on food. I can recall the food I have eaten in pretty much every restaurant Mr Rossen and I have been to. What I do remember is this… There was a breakfast served, the only option I can remember had egg, sausage and baked beans. I didn’t have this option, but I clearly remember looking at the guys next to me. Whatever I had it clearly was not memorable! I can’t even remember if this was the first meal or the 2nd! I had eaten my delightful crossan’wich though so maybe that explains it, as the memory of that taste it very clear to me. All I know is, I began to get hungry between the first and second meal, off to the galley. No sandwiches this time so I had a very evil little bag of mini choc chip cookies and a packet of salted chips. Meal number 2, or maybe it was the first I just cant remember, I am attributing exhaustion to the memory loss, had 3 options, Beef Brochettes with Mash, Chicken Biryani and Marinated Fish with Mushrooms. I went for the chicken, a deep dislike for bone dry meat and the memory of the pork dish I had out of Singapore last time factored into choosing chicken over beef. Oh dear, FAIL! The dish was heavily spiced with whole cardamon pods, the chicken looked like it had died at the ripe old age of 90 and I just couldn’t force another mouthful after the first. Luckily we were served fruit and a selection of snacks after the meals. The vegetarian sandwich, some kind of Indian inspired cauliflower mix with sultans was very tasty. I washed this down with a small bar of toblerone. Thank god for the snacks and my trip to B.K, without that I think I may have starved.

My overall experience with Singapore was a good one. The seats are comfy, the staff friendly and the food, although it could be improved out of Singapore, was decent. Next time I fly I may give the low carb meals another go, but from experience it is risky. Tips from me to you for a pleasant journey are:

1. Inflatable neck rest pillow, the filled ones aren’t as comfy, you can control the amount of air in the inflatable ones, which means you get a position that suits your neck
2. Plenty of water. Take on a large water bottle, at least 750mls, once you have finished it keep the empty bottle, the hostesses will fill it up for you. You can’t take liquids on in Singapore so keep the empty bottle to take back on the plane. You can fill it up in the gate before you get on.
3. Choose easy watching movies. Movies that get your blood racing and anxiety levels up are never good when you are confined to a small space, keep it light and cheery.
4. Don’t over think the flight, view it as a great time to relax, catch up on movies and read your fav book.

Airport Noodles

Way back when in the beginning we sampled some fairly decent fried rice (#5) from the Pleiku airport in the central highlands.   Typhoon Pakhor even spawned an emergency meal there cobbled together from leftovers and ramen (#109).  Back we go for another meal straight from the same customer buffet in the gate area.   Don’t worry…this is not some greasy repeat of the recent Buon Me mess (#136).   Passing through Pleiku always means a free meal that does quite well in a hunger induced pinch.   And we pilots do love free food.   Well, most free food.  In a perfect world free food is preferably in somewhat of an edible and recognizable state.

Now I know we don’t travel for a Michelin rated dining experience, but over here flying is like traveling back in time  to the friendlier skies when meals were served all across the US at 40,000 feet.   Remember how everyone complained about them back in the day yet nowadays these same travelers yearn for the experience of grazing out of an aluminum tin perched precariously on a dirty tray table while bouncing around in turbulence?

Home of Free Food

If this nostalgia has tempered your memories of what airline food really tasted like once upon a time, come on over to Asia where complimentary meals are still de rigueur on full service airlines.  Even on the shorter flights the galley burps up at least a  sandwich or pastry.   Complimentary hot meals at the gate rather than on board some shorter flights is an interesting twist here for us, and having boxes of this food delivered to the crew planeside is a nice treat I know my friends back home probably cannot even comprehend in their world of pretzels and peanuts.

This vermicelli concoction is actually ok, especially with the hot sauce.  It’s like what I’d expect from Panda Express at a mall near you.   Besides a runny sunny side up egg I quickly discard, what makes this one interesting and thoroughly Vietnamese is the fatty sausage stir fried into the noodles.   This is how I would imagine mating a cinnamon stick with a tube of summer sausage from that store in the mall.  What’s it called?  Hickory Farms or something?  In any case this sweet sausage is an acquired taste indeed and one living in Vietnam has somewhat developed for me.  Leave it to an airport in Vietnam to introduce a new sausage to me.

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