Friends and International travels....

One thing I cannot get enough of is international travel. Unfortunately it is the most costliest as America is not close to either Europe nor Asia. Granted Europe is closer, the gas prices of the recent past year and Euro have not made travel to this region affordable.

I recall my first international trip outside North America with my friend Soumaly. We met up in Heathrow (she from NYC) and we went from London to other places (Bath (I adored this town), Stonehendge, Salisbury, Leeds Castle, Dover Cliffs etc) and via the Eurostar to Paris. Our only trip outside city limits Versailles (unfortunately a rainy day so no garden strolling for us) and we meandered the lovely Parisian streets and soaked in all the great art. Granted we had our moments of getting lost, not being able to communicate effectively but we persevered!
Angelina's hot chocolate (my the melted chocolate with the pure whipped cream to cut the thickness was dreamy) or the multitudes of crepes we devoured whether savoury or sweet was amazing! We had baguettes with ham and great cheeses, chocolate croissants to enjoy while in Paris.

Later that year (after the above trip), I quit my job to go with friends to Asia. Only to have them back out last minute. I ended up going alone to Hong Kong and Taiwan. Thanks to my great friend and lifesaver Tina, I was ok and had great hostesses and hosts in Taipei and Hong Kong. I even got to take a tour of Singapore and Malaysia while I was at it plus I checked out Macau too. This was after the Hong Kong airport changed locations back in 1998. This three week trip was amazing and I met some great people. Lawrence and Tiffany were great as well as Mei and I was very lucky and spoiled.

I loved the satays I tried in Singapore and a type of BBQ pork there (I adored---yummy). Plus the Mee Goreng and fresh fruits such as rambutan, dragon fruit, mangosteen were abundant, sweet and delicious---I had to eat my fill before coming back to the US. I have to admit, durian (a prickly looking fruit that smells unsavory but to enthusiasts it tastes divine) was not my fave. Plus having it in the main cabin on the 6 hour flight from KL to Hong Kong did not help me enjoy this odoriferous fruit. Or one soup I enjoyed while in Singapore and Malaysia's was the Bah Kuet Teh (Medicine Bone Tea---literally in Chinese) was amazing and flavorful, though I have had it in the US I crave it this soup alot.

In Taiwan, I had "smelly tofu", "nui ro mien--beef in noodle soup" and some other great Taiwanese food. Lawrence was a great host taking me to the famous sights and making sure I had a great experience from Karaoke at Cash Box to going to Shih Lin night market for the food stall eats!

Fast forward a few years later, one dream destination of mine since watching SHOGUN (on TV back in the day) was to go to Japan. I finally did after visiting my gal Jen in Oahu (after my travel pal had to bail) I went from deciding to explore the Hawaiian Islands to checking out Oahu and spending a crazy 6 days and 5 nights in Japan. From my former roomie Michiyo san and college friend Hiroko san and my pen pal's mom Nishimura san, I was treated well! I had a blast on the shinkansen (bullet train) trying okonomiyaki (Japanese style pancake famous in the Kyoto region) or the kobe beef (infamous marblized beef from the practice of feeding these cows beer and massaging them) while I was there. I got to garble some karaoke while in the land of the rising sun. Kyoto was a beauty while Yokohama's Chinatown was amazing. I went to two restaurants that had a tie to a fave Food Network show of mine---Iron Chef (Tetsu jin Riori)! I got addicted to the Germany influenced Baum cake that my pen pal Mayumi chan adores!

Hawaii is the land that loves SPAM! Plus they enjoy tons of gravy and two scoops of rice for their rice plates. I love the melange of cultures that influences the Hawaiian cuisine palate. From the old fashioned poi (well ground up tarot root) to various local fish ceviche (fish "cooked" in citrus juices) are available to try and consume as well as the typical burger.

Two years ago, I got to go to China. Land of my heritage and land full of mystery and wonder for me as it was a concentration for me during my college years. I got to utilize my rusty Mandarin skills successfully (phew). I ventured alone one weekend in Shanghai. I indulged in afternoon tea on the BUND (the view of the opposite Pudong Area (the modernistic TV tower) and overlooking the Huang Pu river was lovely. I had "xiao lung bao" (soup dumplings) and noodles and lots of pickled and preserved vegetables to try. I treated myself to a nice meal to try the local fare. YUMMY from a Shanghainese dim sum sampler offering to a lovely Shanghainese dinner in a lovely beautiful hotel in the Pudong area I ate well.

Then I flew to Beijing, where I met up with my friend Grace and her parents. I am thankful to have such great friends. Grace and her parents (as well as friends, family and old colleagues proceeded to show me and her guest around Beijing. We had a blast! I dined where prior royalty ate at in "Bei Hei Yuen" or had astounding Beijing Duck! I tried Hakka food in the "Hou Hei "are (lots of expats and bars abound in this area). I enjoyed seeing the Forbidden City, Badaling Portion of the Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Tiannamen Square were the mandatory historical sights to take in and they were magnificent! If I can,I always try to visit some colleges too. I caught Ching Hua University and Beijing University (both are located near each other). Both have brilliant reputations as excellent institutions of learning (as my host Mr. Chen said---the Harvard of China!!!!) Plus Grace's aunt was a savvy shopper and she lead us to great flea markets, great food and her time and generosity were appreciated! I had a blast enjoying some massages too while in China. *It was wonderful after a long day of walking and soaking in the sights and just what the doctor ordered.

Last year I visited Belgium and Holland and I appreciated my former colleagues Andree for being the hostest with the mostest. I am forever grateful for her pride and knowledge of Belgium history and her generosity to drive me around her lovely country from the Coast, Bruge, the Ardennes Mountain region (along with her lovely mom), Brussels and Antwerp. Also a thanks to Johan who gave me a lovely time visiting upper Brussels and some local smaller towns. Frank and his wife met us in Antwerp to have mussels (a must have) and a fine brew in an underground bar (around for for a few centuries was a kick!). I got to sample amazing beers from trappist monk beers, to kriek (fruit flavored beer in this case cherry) to scrumptious chocolates. I am an addict of Leonidas (a chain in Belgium but the quality is wonderful). Artisan chocolates are great too such as a small shop called Marys in Brussels was to die for or the small one in Bruges that had cherries with cordial inside the truffle--a wonderful experience indeed! The vegetables were top notch and I liked the in season white asparagus (yum). Or the tiny shrimps caught from the coast served simply with mayo lettuce and tomatoes were divine!
A side trip to Amsterdam, I met up with my friend there and his family and we went to Keukenhof (tulip gardens) with his lovely family (he has fraternal twins and they are adorable!!!!). One day is too short but I got in the major sights including Anne Franks House (I recommend going at night to avoid the crowds during the day----it is worth it!), Van Gogh's Museum, are just a few sights to see. I enjoyed strolling around the many bridges over the canals. I got addicted to Schweppes bitter lemon soda.

These trips would not have been worthwhile if it weren't for the hospitality of friends, colleagues and friends of friends. One example, Rynn was a great hostess, she is the old roomie and good friend of the cousin of a friend of mine. She gave me a wonderful behind the scenes view of the Forbidden City (where the normal tourist cannot roam into) after we met up at the Starbucks located inside (yes I was shocked to hear that too). Or to Andree, Johan and Frank they were excellent hosts to me to further enjoy and learn alot about their homeland Belgium. To the Chen Family, Beijing would not have been what it was for me from their homemade meals, planning our itinerary to warmth and generosity created a wonderful and memorable trip for me! Japan was a blast with the Tsuboi-Friedmans, Michiyo san, Nishimura san (Kansai cooking is delicious!!!)giving advice on food, culture and the sights to me made my experience more memorable. Or to Smithies Michelle, Charmaine and Tiffany (many thanks to her especially) for a great time in Hong Kong... it was appreciated from the grand opening party for a club, to checking out the American and Shanghai Clubs to an excursion to Ocean Park or visiting Kowloon I saw and experienced alot. Thanks to Yeuk Ching's friend for being kind to help me get a travel agent to trek to Singapore and Malaysia and her other pals for meeting up with me to eat out too. Tina---with out you and your family, I would have had a disaster on my hands but you salvaged my Taiwan trip. For that, I am forever indebted and blessed to have such a great friend in you.

I am constantly counting my blessings... more so in my last big trip this past fall.