Wonton Soup

Travel Theme #1: W Hotels

So, as I mentally formulate the list(s) of places that I would like to travel to, I have a nagging propensity for putting them together in relation to different themes.  If it doesn't fit a particular theme, then it won't make it onto that specific list - no matter how many recommendations and raving reviews I hear/read.  Of course, it may make another, but then that would require another theme in itself - and not some cop-out theme like "Other" or "Get Around to It".

I'll jot down some of these themes as they come to mind and perhaps edit them as additional locations spring into contention.

My first theme, as the title reveals, is W Hotels.

How can you look at the above image of the W in Barcelona and not want to go there?  If you read a previous entry of mine that included my dream companies to work for, you might have a hint now as to why I listed W Hotels as one of them.  I figure working for a company that has locations in most places I'll ever want to go would be a great benefit for my travel ambitions.

That aside, the hotels themselves are nice.  They aren't those motels you have to crash at when everywhere else is full so you lay the comforter down on the floor because you don't trust the carpet and don't want to walk around in shoes all night.  Their designs and interiors are bolder than the normal neutral/pleasant hotels frequented by business travelers or families.  They have a bit of flair and they're fun.  They're not cheap, but from their pictures alone, they look to be experiences in themselves.  It would definitely be a fun list to check off items on.  Too bad there isn't one in the Philippines; I might even consider trying to work there if it ever opened up.

Here are a few snaps from the Washington DC location I went to:

[Photos taken by me except the Barcelona image (obviously) and the J&G signage, both from the W Hotels site]

Feeling Blue

Most of my friends that don't drink vodka drink Jameson.  Yes, specifically that whisky.  You would think that my Korean friends would still prefer Crown, but at some point even they switched.  Okay, maybe they still keep that around, haha.  Jameson is definitely more prevalent around my friends than say a Maker's Mark, but I suppose it's Jack when we're in a pinch.  Jameson is smooth and I love it, so I'm not exactly complaining, but at some point, we're going to have to upgrade again, right?  This is that classy, SMOOTH ish right here:

I think I can chill with this for a good long while.  If I love Jameson, then I'm pretty in love with Johnny Walker Blue.  I believe Mr. Tony endorses this as his drink, as well.  Price of entry-wise, I can't really convert all my friends to this top shelf stuff just yet, but I do try to spread the word when I can.  Then again, I'm also the dude preaching the gospel of Four Loko.  

Everything has its place, I suppose.

This is no substitute:

Beer-wise, this is my current favourite:

Pizza Rolls and Readymade

After Vox went kaput and (conveniently) transferred everything over to TypePad, I haven't gotten back into the swing of writing out blogs.  I momentarily had to decide if I wanted to keep blogging on TypePad or on the Blogger account I made for when we had QLAQ going on.  In the end, the decision obviously went in TypePad's favour since I have much more of a history to build on, considering the Vox material transfer.

But that's semi-old news.  What's recent news is that I'm totally hooked on Totino's Pizza Rolls.  I didn't go grocery shopping while hungry and pick them up or anything.  My sister purchased some and I saw them in the freezer.  I was too lazy to find and cook something else, so I popped them in the microwave and had at them.  Of course, I already love pizza, so it was a no-brainer that I would like these.  I used to eat them all the time in high school, but I had thought I grew out of them - how wrong I was.  What drew me in even more was how quickly they were done in the microwave, even for microwave food standards.  They were so convenient and so delicious, how could I not keep eating them?  And so I did - for breakfast, lunch, dinner... sometimes, multiple meals of the same day.  I know I need to curb my enthusiasm for these pizza rolls, but with no discernable short-term penalties, it's tough.  Obviously, I know there are few health benefits from my meals being composed of these pizza rolls and gummy bears (oh yes, but that's a different story), but my budget is tight and my cooking patience/skill is low.  I'll move forward with a healthier diet soon enough, but for right now these pizza rolls own me.

Another new development stemmed from my sibling is the start of my subscription to Readymade magazine.  Despite the name's connotation to my favourite artist Duchamp (yet another different story), the magazine leans towards the crafty crowd with sustainability in mind.  It's has a similar feel to Dwell (another magazine I almost subscribed to), but is a bit more fun and accessible.  I will post when I actually partake in one of the magazine's suggested activities, but for now at least it's making me want to clean and make more space.  There are also some recipes I'm going to try when I get around to getting the needed ingredients, mainly: curried yellow split pea & carrot soup and mint chip cookies.  Sounds delicious, right??  Well, I'll get on track with that probably next year.  Sounds like the start of a New Year's resolution, but again that's a different story.

More stories to come; I just have to remember that I have a TypePad blog to use now.