Ho-hum, I went to Geneva

I went to Geneva for work. Everyone seems to think travel for work can be glamorous since you are traveling to a new place, but realistically, it's so boring and tedious.  The only benefit is the airline/hotel miles and, if traveling to Europe, duty free chocolate.

It was a very short trip. I flew in on Monday and had some meetings with colleagues. Tuesday and Wednesday were all-day workshops and I flew out on Thursday late morning. So here chronicles my trip:

My flight was leaving Sunday night and lo and behold, there is a Shake Shack in JFK. So of course, I had a Shackburger for dinner. 

Swiss airlines - 6+ hours from JFK to NYC. Slept most of the way.

Getting ready to take off.

The Swiss airlines safety drawings are very boring compared to the Brussels Airlines version. The woman looks so neutral.

Woke up and we were there.

Bravo for picking up your dog's poo! The US needs these kiosks.

Nomi didn't miss me. (She had a sitter)

I went to Cafe de Paris Chez Boubier (if you watch Super Fun Night then you would appreciate knowing that it is a real last name) for l'entrecôte. This is the only entree on the menu.  So you better like meat.  It was delishous.

And I had the Toblerone mousse.

And I had the Toblerone mousse.

Geneva in the morning.  A colleague who was staying at the Hotel Cornavin told me that the restaurant where breakfast was served had the most amazing views.  And it did.

And of course, being Korean-American, I find a Korean restaurant.  My parents would be proud. (and probably eat there)

I didn't feel like Korean or more steak so I had Italian. Nothing to write home about.

And because it was so beautiful I went back to Hotel Cornavin for breakfast.

My colleague also had a business lounge pass so I got to have more coffee and oddly enough Haribo gummy bears. They were lined up for the coffee bath.

Me in the lounge






















And then back on the plane Thursday late morning for JFK. I stayed up for most of this flight since I was arriving during daytime during the snow storm.  Oddly we got there right only an hour behind schedule.

So that was my short, uneventful trip to Switzerland.  Food, plane, hotel, conference, food, hotel, food, conference, food, hotel, food, conference, food, hotel, food, plane. Work travel is sooooo not glamourous.  But I did get chocolate with iconic pictures of Switzerland. 

Second office move

So when I first started working at my job I had an office by myself with a window. And I was told early on I would be moving to cubical land. But then I got into this office which I shared with a very funny lady.

And we had a window. But hierarchy being hierarchy we got moved to cubicle land.

So now I sit at at D. Sigh. I think I need to print a giant window for this corner. 

Cat rising

http://youtu.be/g-KIcQSWSmQ

New Year's Cards Past

Every year, I have created New Year's cards which have a bit of a twist.  As I find more (I am still digging out bags of the past), I will post them.

School grades in 1979

I have been digging through family archives (bags of stuff) and found these school reports for my brother and myself from February 1979.  My brother did "outstanding work" and I "need to pay more attention." :) I still need to pay more attention.

I hope they never take down this video

Nomi Overload

Inspirational art by Mica and Myla Hendricks

(C) Busymockingbird.com

My friend Franiel shared this article, "When an artist allowed her 4-year-old daughter to finish her drawings, something awesome happened," by Megan McCormick in deathandtaxesmag.com, and I had to share it here. 

The artist Mica Angela Hendricks and her young daughter Myla draw together and make the most amazing art.  Mica starts the image and Myla adds to it, and together they make magic.  

At first, Ms. Hendricks wouldn't let her daughter draw in her sketchbook, but her daughter said, “If you can’t share, we might have to take it away.”

Right on, Myla.

Here are some of their art, which if I had money, I would totally buy.

(c) busymockingbird.com

(c) busymockingbird.com [image arrangement from deathandtaxesmag.com]

Morning on Tokeh Beach, Sierra Leone

Cutout dresses are back!

So the store has been closed for a while but they've restocked with new cutout dresses. 

Again, I'm not making fun of this store or of its clothes. I'm just incredulous at the sheer number of dresses they find that have panels to show skin. You have to have a lot of damn confidence to wear these dresses and I applaud anyone who does. The only problem is I haven't seen many people buying anything. 

Minus Sauce

This is from my local supermarket. When did mayonnaise breed into so many different kinds of mayonnaise?  I just wanted mayo.  I couldn't find just Hellmann's mayo.  There were just these different, non-basic choices.  So I chose Canola, which doesn't taste like the regular mayo.  You'd think they'd leave at least one called "Classic" like Coke did when they stupidly or brilliantly changed the formula and people became outraged.  Personally I think it was a marketing move.  A very smart, but expensive one.

And another thing about mayonnaise. Pre- and post-war Koreans used certain terms for items.  For example, Let's go to mongomerry.  Translation: Let's go to Montgomery's (for those young'uns out there, that's like a Target without the supermarket part).  Or bahbarrie coat.  For years I knew that the Korean word for trench coat was bahbarrie.  But it didn't dawn on me until much later that bahbarrie was Burberry. 

So this brings me to mayonnaise which has a great name:  minus sauce.  I have no idea how mayonnaise became minus sauce.  My guess is that it was lost in translation.  Either way, it's a great word for a product which seems to be no longer carried in my supermarket.

Dog Tries Until he Succeeds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_qcn_Tt3ak

I'll admit it

You know I am a cute animal fanatic. Dare I say insane. But I couldn't help myself. I had to buy this weather background. Come on! It's Lil' Bub!

Nomi won't get out of bed

She so lazy

Can't help myself

Wealthy Nations WAKE UP: FUND THE GLOBAL FUND!

http://www.globalcitizen.org/Content/Content.aspx?id=d621eb48-f915-48b9-b0cc-7d3bfdaec23f&rby=76ce593d-472d-4fa6-9ae2-f545770cb5d4

In my neighborhood, in my neighhhhhbooorhoood!

In your neighborhood?
In your neighborhood?
Say, who are the people in your neighborhood?
The people that you meet each day...

...who put this awesome sticker on the back window of their car.

Pasta wars - Boycott Barilla!

<3 a="" against="" bertolli="" for="" hatred="" real="" stand="" taking="">

Barilla really screwed themselves over this week.  Personally I never eat Barilla.  Tastes like pasty flour.

Tweet from girlladyfriend (@girlladyfriend)

	girlladyfriend (@girlladyfriend)
9/25/13, 7:42 PM Crazy week but loving every minute of it pic.twitter.com/OF2PrtEskp

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Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse any spelling/typing mistakes. 

Tweet from girlladyfriend (@girlladyfriend)

	girlladyfriend (@girlladyfriend)
9/25/13, 7:39 PM At UNFPA Big Debate! It's about maternal health and deaths across the world due to preventable deaths. pic.twitter.com/xCb9vqIR5S

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Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse any spelling/typing mistakes. 

The Frat Boy Diet

Because of my work schedule this week, I have been just grabbing whatever food is around, if there is time to eat. So mini candy bars, bagels have been staples. I've also been attending lots of luncheons where it seems that there is a giant factory in NYC making fancy greens salads with grilled chicken and round, single serve desserts. Yesterday, I gave my ticket away to someone senior, and the group hosting were generous and said I could sit wherever I wanted. However I had work to do so I didn't have the salad with chicken and round red velvet cake. So instead, after the luncheon, I had chocolate chip ice cream for lunch.

Today I gave my ticket away but I got to sit and have the salad with chicken and the round, ridiculously thick cheesecake. (I only ate most of the chicken, the tomatoes and some of the greens. I am not a fan of frisée.) And lots of water.

Oddly, this diet has made me lose weight. But it is also making me very tired. I wonder why? (rhetorical question)

I can't wait for tomorrow's luncheon. I wonder what round dessert I will get this time. I know what the entree will be.

Clouds

Fren's in town

Had dinner with Fren, wonderful college friend, at BCD Tofu. I took this photo to make our other college friend Frannie jealous. It worked.

Fren

Popping tags at Goodwill: current finds not purchased

She stole my spot

Vatan, vegetarian Indian all you can eat, Murray Hill

Vatan is an all you can eat vegetarian Indian restaurant. The last time I went the service was bad and the place seemed run down. But they've turned this place around. Definitely try it. Warning things can be very spicy. 

Appetizer

Condiments

Thali

Rice and raita

Kulfi and chai

Update: cutouts

So the store has kept its clothes a little more conservative but the cutouts are back!  Seriously though, where do they find so many clothes with pieces cut out?