Hello, Dubai!

Floating on a Sea of Bubbles: The Opening of Jumeirah Etihad Towers

2012-01-28T22:31:00.000+04:00

In the Emirates people often lament that there isn't a lot of "old" stuff around town. We don't have a lot of old main streets or squares, buildings or shops - but we what we do excel at is new. There is always something new opening up and if we are lucky sometime we get invited to check out some of the brand new digs around town, and this time around we were really in for a big treat.

Matt and I were invited to attend a private event in the new Jumeirah Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi the evening before it opened for business to the public. The occasion was to mark the first dinner in the hotel with the help of a private tasting of Dom Perignon vintage. Anyone knows that bubbles are pretty much my favorite accessory for an evening out - so this was like wearing the crown jewels! The hotel was in top notch, untouched form as we entered the spacious foyer - greeted by a bell hop who said "welcome to the Fairmont!" with enthusiasm and then upon realizing his mistake said, "sorry sir first day in the new job". It's so new the staff haven't even said the right name yet!

It was a beautiful and memorable evening where we had a chance to sample some of the finest years on offer from the house of Dom Perignon, proving that pairing something old with something new is a winning combination.

The beautiful lobby is a great open space with a water feature built right into the floor.

All smiles when Dom is on the carte du jour.

The specialty of house comes with it's own luggage. This is a hand crafted champagne fridge that was brought in from France for the event. Even the flutes must travel in style.

Our fabulous hostesses for the evening from Duty Free Shopping.

I was admiring the craftsmanship (and adding to my dream Christmas list)!

As a former clarinet player, I'm always happy to enjoying the music stylings of a fellow woodwind.

The table center pieces were simple stunning - hello secret garden.

Every good party sends you away with favors! We each received a Dom champagne preserver. Ironic - who wouldn't finish a bottle of Dom!

The meal from the team at Etihad was fantastic. Each dish was designed to pair with the sparking from the specific year. It was a wonderful treat!

Class is in session! Learning about the history of champagne makes Benedictine monks look like party animals!

Dirty Jobs, Dubai Edition: Cleaning a Skyscraper

2012-01-23T17:37:00.000+04:00

For anyone, it's a bit disturbing to hear a knock on your window. When you're a few hundred feet off the ground, and the knock is someone's foot, it's a bit freaky.

Mike Rowe, eat your heart out - this is a "Dirty Job" that your producers will never let you try!

Cleaning skyscrapers is big business - every tower has a window-washer basket that lowers from the roof. In the olden days (2010), people would hang out in these baskets - it wasn't a job for the faint of heart:

Apparently, they're not very efficient - so now buildings hire teams of dozens of rappelling window washers, that cheat death every day. Enter "Spider Washers" - a company that is taking over the market in the UAE and scaring residents every day. Here they are invading my balcony (I knew somebody was stealing our outdoor pillows!)

Back From The Holidays!

2012-01-21T12:54:00.000+04:00

For 2012 Matt and I both have a lot of New Year's Resolutions, one of which is trying not to procrastinate on putting up our blog posts, so if this holiday wrap up post is any indication we are not off to a good start! As we enter our 5th year in Dubai - yep, we've graduated from Senior year and are working on a post-grad degree - we've got a lot to be thankful for and a lot of high hopes for the year to come.

Our favorite time to prepare for the coming year is naturally spending Christmas with both of our families and ending up in NYC for New Year's Eve is becoming quite a tradition as well. This year we were lucky that we were almost able to squeeze everything in - although it never feels like quite enough time before we head back to the land of sand and sun. So long story short - who's coming to visit us in 2012?

See ya soon!

Wade and Ryan are completing to see who will be the next Brawny man.

Chris is even better than one of Santa's elves! He set up a cookie decorating station so I could express myself with icing as soon as we arrived!

This was some of our best work!

And then as a Christmas gift he prepared an authentic Iron Chef crab cook off for Matt and I to compete in!

With Chris and the family as judges the competition was stiff - here I am trying to get a leg up on Matt's dish. In the end we tied and now I'm already planning a strategy for next year's rematch.

This is what make your own pizza night looks like in the Mueller household.

Ringing in the new year at the Chatwal Hotel in Times Square. Here's in 2012!

Of course a visit to FAQ Schwarz was in order and we both found things we wanted, for Matt it was a giant sized Rice Krispy treat.

For me it was the Statue of Liberty made out of legos!

The weather was so mild we even when to the Central Park Zoo where Matt got friend with a goat at the petting zoo.

Waking up to this view of Central Park was a great way to send off 2011. Can't wait to see what the next year has in store!

Chivas Legends Dinner with Sir David Frost

2012-01-17T22:47:00.002+04:00

And...we're back! What a hiatus - we came, we saw, we drove, flew, and walked all over the world, and are finally back in Dubai to focus on what counts - working off those extra holiday pounds.

Step one - exercise those fingers with a little blog typing! To kick things off, I'd like to bring you some photos of a little thing called the Chivas Legends Dinner, this year held at the Burj Khalifa's Armani Hotel, with guest Sir David Frost:

He's a bit of a firecracker, having an illustrious broadcast and reporting career spanning The Nixon Interviews (he's the Frost in Frost/Nixon), The Week That Was (a 1960's Daily Show), and

apparently being one of the most frequent fliers on the Concorde.

The evening was a blast all around - good food, good Chivas, and good fun - and a great way to cap off a great 2011.

And, no that's not a famous person in front of me - just a guy who was apparently erroneously told that it was a "casual" event, and not to wear clothes from work. True story - rather than step it up, he went khaki (and, yes, I'm laughing at him).

Of course, a hangover wasn't the only thing I had to worry about the next morning. I've had to apologize for leaving Katie at the apartment to watch TV during my "Gentleman's Evening" - for that, you'll have to wait for our holiday festivities in the next blog posts!

Our Own Flash Mob at Dubai Airport!

2011-12-06T10:53:00.000+04:00

Airports aren't really known for their "fun" factor especially during holiday travel. As Matt and I prepare for the 14 hour trek home for Christmas I'm already mentally preparing myself for the minefield that is the holiday flight to JFK. However, it turns out there are a few ways to make people smile in airports: upgrade them to business class, a sale at duty free, tell them the plane will be arriving early, and a flash mob! Terminal 1 played host to an energetic group of Fly Dubai air hostesses, Duty Free staff, passerbyers, and a few crazy kids who joined forces to bring us our very own flash mob in the Dubai (DXB) Airport.

If you are looking for some fun and to put a smile on your face I highly recommend the below five minutes! The other great observation is the mix of people not only participating but watching the mob. This is a a great spot-check on the diversity of people that Dubai plays host to - and it's pretty awesome they all seem equally delighted - turns out there are things that bind us all and a flash mob might be one of them! Heck, if this happened at Christmas I might be willing to miss my flight - who am I kidding I would have joined in!

I lost my RedBall in Abu Dhabi

2011-12-05T15:59:00.001+04:00

Has anyone heard of RedBall before? Well, I hadn't - so I thought nothing of the giant plastic toy wedged into the new Sheikh Zayed Bridge in Abu Dhabi.

Then it was on the Corniche, the road right next to the water. What kid is so irresponsible as to leave his giant ball all over the city?

Apprently, Kurt Perschke is - and it's not just in Abu Dhabi. He's been absent-mindedly leaving his ball everywhere - in major cities all around the world. It shows up when anything interesting is happening - New Year's Eve, big elections, or in our case, the 40th Anniversary of the UAE's Independence in 1971.

In the artists own words:

Appearing in entranceways, basking beneath bridges or wedged into alleyways, the irresistible RedBall sneaks into well-known places and half-noticed spaces, transforming the City into an unexpected canvas of possibilities.

Photograph it, touch it or bounce against its slick soft surface. This award-winning project from New York artist Kurt Perschke pops up in 15 locations throughout the Festival, in Perth and the Great Southern. Keep your eyes peeled and your camera ready.

Which is precisely what happened crossing the bridge into Abu Dhabi. Everywhere it goes, it takes on its surroundings - in this case, in true UAE tradition, causing rubbernecking and accidents on the highway!

The UAE turns 40!

2011-12-05T00:48:00.000+04:00

The United Arab Emirates turned 40 on Friday and she wears it well. Where as some of her fledgling country counterparts might be find approaching Over the Hill status a bit more challenging, the UAE slid into middle age with grace and style and I must say it looks good on her (although I swear she is using botox)!

And how does the UAE celebrate her 40 years? With a national holiday, parades, classic car shows, and the wielding of swords for the most part, and the dancing...we have fireworks and hotdogs, but the Emaratis have a pretty good tradition of dancing for celebrations (with the aforementioned swords). The dancing below features Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, son of the beloved Sheikh Zayed, the first President of the UAE who is the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The crowd seems pretty excited to have him participate!

Read on for a little history lesson.

Dr. Fatma Al Savegh, professor of history at the UAE University offers this brief us history lesson:

When the United Arab Emirates was created in December 1971, few outside observers gave it a chance of success. Many concluded that the UAE was "an artificial creation that stood to have no chance of success and that its evolution was largely an artefact of British colonial policy". Contrary to all these views, local observers saw in the creation of the UAE the embodiment of their long-time dream. Many believed that the creation of the UAE came as a natural outcome of the prevailing political, economic, social and cultural conditions of the area.

Until their union, the shaikhdoms of the then "Trucial Coast" remained politically fragmented. They were disparate in size, ranging from small to tiny. Their lack of political and economic coherence increased their poverty. Against this background of differences, it is remarkable that the new polity was able to embrace an attitude of established nations.

The UAE, a federation of the former seven Trucial shaikhdoms, followed the termination of British treaties of 1892. These treaties had stipulated that Britain would defend the emirates and conduct their foreign relations. Since 1892, the British thus maintained security by discouraging any foreign powers, European or regional, from intruding into the Gulf.

In the early 1960s oil was first pumped from Abu Dhabi and in the late 1960s Dubai became an oil producer too. Negotiations for the British withdrawal also began and negotiations for the UAE's unification also started. All in all, the 1960s proved to be one of the most profound decades in the UAE's history.

Locally the oil boom coincided with the increase of national feelings. In the sudden switch from tribal seclusion to international limelight, the shaikhdoms readily rose to the challenge and rapidly implemented the social responsibility to aid the more needy shaikhdoms. On his accession as president of the UAE in 1971, Shaikh Zayed was intent on rapid modernisation and generously distributed the newly acquired oil wealth equally among all emirates. It was due to Shaikh Zayed's generosity that the UAE entered a new era of development.

On December 1, 1971, the British flag was lowered, and the next day, six of the seven emirates united. The seventh, Ras Al Khaimah, joined the union on February 10, 1972. The rulers convened their meeting as the Supreme Council. During this meeting Shaikh Zayed was elected the state's first president.

And volia!

Happy Chicken Day?

2011-12-02T18:10:00.000+04:00

There are a lot of great events that happen during the fall and winter, when the weather turns nice and everyone heads outside to enjoy the seasonal festivities. However, Thanksgiving is sadly not one of those events. People get jazzed for Christmas, heck they even like the Fourth of July (all that BBQ) but unless you find yourself an American enclave and bag of Pepperidge Farm stuffing then the day can slip by with very little notice.

For starters it's a work day here, so the holiday mood can be challenging when you wake up at 7:00am to hit the office. My feeble attempt at some Tday cheer was a hot cup of cinnamon tea and a nutri-grain apple bar - mmm, apple crisp (sort of). Matt and I had hummus and pita with halloumi salads for lunch - no turkey there...and I was just beginning to give up hope of properly celebrating one of my favorite holidays when our friends John and Lynze used their powerful Americandar - it's just like radar but for Americans (my battery must have been low)! To find out that the organic food restaurant next to our apartment was indeed making some festive treats!

Yes, that's Matt's arm participating in the giving.

Yearning for any semblance of the Thanksgiving spirit we joined them at the restaurant, who has the notable distinction of being right on the water where the fountains perform - not bad if you don't have football to watch - and a list of tasty tidbits just for the holiday.

We could choose from apple cranberry sauce, homemade stuffing, grilled sweet potatoes, roasted chicken....uh...did you say chicken?

Yes. Apparently Baker and Spice are so true to their organic mission that they would not serve turkey because they were unable to find any organically raised, so chicken was the order of the day. At that point my heart was yearning for turkey so bad I didn't care if it was raised next to a nuclear power plant - but I commend them to sticking to their guns (sort of).

So chicken with all fixings it was to be. And because our meal was a bit non-traditional so were the thanks, we all decided to talk about a technology that changed our life - contact lenses, flight, and electric tea kettles were the order of the day.

I thankfully was able to find some pumpkin pie!

But I'll say this now, I'm making a plea for a Christmas turkey - hold the ham this year! I'm way under my quota now and I'm a pretty angry bird if you know what I mean!

Itching for a Trip? Go to Ischia!

2011-12-01T11:39:00.001+04:00

Every once in awhile it's great to unplug. Matt and I enjoy staying connected through the blog, our Facebook status, and checking in on FourSquare but sometimes is great to not let anyone know where you are going. Which is why two months ago when we were blessed with a four day weekend after Ramadan, Matt's nimble fingers found their way to Jetsetter.com and snagged a last minute deal for us to go mingle with the awesome Italians. Blissfully unaware of all the trip details, I only asked that we actually find some time to relax (our vacations generally tend to be shall we say...aggressively scheduled). As with all things touched by Matt, the trip began to take on a life of it's own. We needed to book a car to drive down the coast to Naples (he naturally chose a convertible, despite having no trunk for the luggage), catch a ferry with our car to the island, and then upon return he threw in another night in Rome, before returning to Dubai. Matt's motto - if you can't do in 4 days, what you could accomplish in 8 - why bother?

Our little getaway was looking a bit more complicated, but as they say: when in Rome! We checked in with our parents when we touched down ("you are where?" my Mom says exasperated) and headed down the coast to enjoy some fun in the sun.

A little bit about Ischia. It's on the West coast of Italy, off the coast from Naples. Most people know her much more famous cousin Capri, but she can hold her own. The volcanic island is home to natural hot springs that mix with the sea water on the coast and her very own castle. The island has shown up throughout history since about 730 BC in literature as a major trading point and as land of strategic importance between warring city-states. And is absolutely beautiful!

Happy as a clam driving to Naples.

Italians think that people who don't eat carbs are crazy - I tend to agree!

These people can definitely do food right. This was a little "snack" of lemon sorbetti, they promised us it was not too big.

We stayed at the fantastic Terme Manzi hotel on the island. It comes highly recommended. This was this indoor hot springs pool, the mineral water on the island is known for it's healthy and restorative properties.

On our first night I really wanted to try this local restaurant that was recommended but it was on the other side of the island. We called to inquire about reservations and the guy on the other end said - "Where are you? Be ready in 20 minutes I'll come and get you." Nice! Door-to-door service from the youngest brother of five who own the family run business. They sat us in the lemon grove, where the trees are literally dripping with lemons, they were falling on our table all night!

Yeah, we'll have the pizza.

Mamma Mia! My hand is fully extended over my head and this string of cheese from the pizza will not break. Don't worry I wasn't afraid to use my teeth. But who says you can't play with your food?

The next morning we had plenty of stored energy to explore the island. So my Prince Charming and I headed strait for the castle. The Castello Aragonese is a medieval castle which stands on a volcanic rock, it is the most impressive historical monument in Ischia, built by Hiero I of Syracuse in 474 BC. In 1441, Alfonso V of Aragon built a stone bridge which connected the rock to the island, and fortified the walls in order to defend the inhabitants from the raids of pirates. Here we are standing on the stone bridge that connects the island to the castle rock.

The walk to the castle is filled with all kinds of fantastic stores! When life gives the Italians lemons - they make limonchello!

Finally at the top of the castle you can see the island behind us and the stone bridge below. If you have any sense of how far this camera is from us for a self timed picture, you'll appreciate how fast Matt had to run in 10 seconds (and down a flight of stairs) to be in it!

Going to the hot springs was such a unique experience! This is a rocky outcropping at the southern point of the island where the soil under the water hides cracks where the thermal water comes up. It mixes with the sea water and the end result is a natural jacuzzi in the ocean!

You have to be careful! If you slip and fall in you could be severely burned. Some of the water closest to the shore is almost near boiling so you have to gingerly make your way out to cooler temperatures.

The Terme Manzi has a Michelin starred restaurant the Gli Ulivi and we decided that our anniversary was close enough around the corner for a treat. This was truly a 'feast for the eyes'. It was some of the most stunning presentation that I've seen.

The sunset on the last day in Ischia gave the impression that now, the island was just showing off!

If this isn't a testament to accruing hotel points, I don't know what is! We stayed for one glorious night at the St. Regis Rome (on points!) It is classic and beautiful, and a total jewel from a bygone era. When it opened on January 11, 1894, it was Le Grand Hotel, the newest venture of Cesar Ritz, the Swiss hotelier whose name was to become a synonym for high style and found its way, some decades hence, in the Irving Berlin tune: “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” The inaugural gala which featured a concert conducted by a leading maestro of the time.

Each room is named for the hand painted mural that sits behind the bed. And while I could have laid in bed for the rest of the afternoon just staring at the room - it was time to hit the streets!

Rome has a very special place in our hearts. Matt and I took our first trip together here six years ago. Three months after meeting he whisked me away to the Eternal City and we both tossed a coin in the Trevi Fountain.

Six years ago (almost to the day)!

Our wishes must have come true, as we celebrate six happy years and our second wedding anniversary!

Love it. Every time. The incomparable Pantheon.

Summer night in the Piazza della Rotonda (the Pantheon).

No trip to Rome is complete without a trip to Giolitti. We always skip dessert and come here for gelatti.

Piazza Navona.

Wonder if the Pope lets you make house calls this time of night?

Spanish Steps.

We are a little obsessed with Bernini's sculptures and this fountain was no exception. The hotel fittingly decided to go with the brand.

The Arch of Constantine built 315AD.

This one needs to introduction.

Amo l'Italia!!

November Sunsets Bring December Showers

2011-11-22T17:48:00.001+04:00

So, it's finally getting nice outside - and by nice, I mean "not sweaty". Sure, it's snowed a few inches just about everywhere else already, but now is the time in Dubai when most people come out of their air-conditioned hibernation, and the rich folk fly back for the winter. We've even had a drizzle ourselves already, but with only two seasons a year (Summer, and REALLY HOT Summer), it's hard to remember what it's like when it's nice out.

Some people watch the thermometer, but I tend to wait for the clouds - and lately, we've started to get a couple:

Beyond morning fog from The Day After Tomorrow (that's actually a photo from Abu Dhabi yesterday by Pavel Janosik), you can tell because the sky is suddenly clear (read: not full of sand) and you the great sunsets start. Katie and I recently brought along a camera on our evening walks, and snapped a couple good ones. Enjoy!

Time Out Dubai Crowns Young Chef of the Year

2011-11-22T14:16:00.000+04:00

If the world of culinary arts has a caste system, then its young chefs are well on their way to being Masters of their craft and our tummies, of course, our happy to help contribute to their success.

Last week, Matt and I joined a group of friends to help Time Out magazine judge which one of four chefs, all under the age of 30, would be crowned the Top Young Chef in Dubai. It was grueling work, and a thankless task to serve as a judge - it was all we could do to eat delicious food for a few hours and offer our humble critiques (what a strain)!

All the ingredients were standardized across the chefs and provided by sponsor Galleries Lafayette, but chefs could use them for any course that they wished. We saw some really fantastic showmanship, beautiful presentation, and had our taste buds tickled while we watched the chefs perform in a shared open kitchen.

At the end of it all, there was just one point separating first and second place, and just four points between first and four - talk about by the skin of your teeth!

All said and done it was Chef de Cuisine Wesley Berghoff who won the night (third from left above).

Wesley did it with a starter of slow-cooked salmon and cured red snapper, a beef consommé soup with braised topside, a main course featuring sous vide lamb and saffron lamb jus, and a dessert of roasted white chocolate, pandan parfait spiced berry jelly and coconut cream.

Here's just a few of the courses the competitors whipped up. There may have been only one chef that could take the prize, but all the diners definitely left winners!

USS Stennis: Not Your Average Cruise Ship

2011-11-19T13:23:00.001+04:00

Dubai is a pretty nautical town, so it's not uncommon to be invited out on a boat for the day by friends and colleagues, but when the US Embassy asks you if you want to join them for a reception on a boat - and you find out that that "boat" is the aircraft carrier USS Stennis, you definitely say yes!

In honor of the Dubai Airshow being in town (check out "Boeing Secures Record Emirates Deal") there are a lot of government officials and current and ex military folks who have all converged upon our little city for the next week for all things - flight! So Matt and I were pretty delighted to keep them company while we hung out on floating city that's over three football fields in length. USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) is the seventh Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier in the United States Navy, named for Senator John C. Stennis of Mississippi. She was commissioned on 9 December 1995.

Supercarrier? I'd say so. The experience of being on the carrier was like none other, because, of course, I have nothing to compare it too! We had a great evening exploring the boat with our Navy escorts, who gave up their leave to attend as staff for the event. It was all fun and games for us, but I have to say it really gave me pause to think about the men and women who live aboard that ship and the time they sacrifice with their family and friends to sail around the world doing good work for the US. It made me very proud.

The ship wasn't too hard to identify in port - oh yeah, it was 10 times the size of anything around it!

Matt thinks is this funny. I didn't realize that I'd have to go below deck for the ladies room, and let's just say a pencil skirt and heels didn't make the ship too easy to navigate. I wonder if they have any standard issue stilettos?

There were a lot of impressive guest in attendance including our own Ambassador and Consul General, and foreign defense ministers from the UAE and Italy (to name a few). As an aside, I've never been called "ma'am" so much in my life. A gal could get used to that kind of thing.

And there was cake. Every hear the phrase "it's enough to feed an army?" This was the Navy, but you get the idea.

The Stennis broadcasts her identifying number for all to see. Imagine my surprise when I thought carriers had around five to ten aircraft on board. Yeah, it's a plane parking lot and I had no clue. In this case it's the boat that make the planes look small.

Big boy toys.

I asked Matt what this plane does, and twenty minutes later I was still learning about the nuances of radar.

It was really cool to be able to go on deck to get up close and personal with the planes. It was every thing I hoped it would be after seeing Top Gun.

You can't see it in the picture but I'm humming Kenny Loggin's "Highway to the Danger Zone".

Go on you know you want to:

Now you enjoyed that, didn't you?

Oh yeah, the cool kids get to park inside of course, a dozen planes and 500 guests - no problem for a boat that can double as a basketball arena ("Hoop Deck").

You never know when you are going to meet a hero. (Check out Matt's grin!) I was standing at the end of the gangplank thanking the sailors for a great evening when Matt took off from my side and ran, literally, after a side-burned man in leather jacket. One minute later he reappeared and yelled "Katie come quick!" He looked like a kid on Christmas morning and I couldn't imagine what had him so enthralled. That's when I was introduced to Burt Rutan. I can't say that I knew exactly who he was, so here's the wiki brief:

Elbert Leander "Burt" Rutan is an American aerospace engineer noted for his originality in designing light, strong, unusual-looking, energy-efficient aircraft. He is famous for his design of the record-breaking Voyager, which was the first plane to fly around the world without stopping or refueling, and the sub-orbital spaceplane SpaceShipOne, which won the Ansari X-Prize in 2004 for becoming the first privately funded spacecraft to enter the realm of space twice within a two week period. He has five aircraft on display in the National Air and Space Museum: SpaceShipOne, the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, Voyager, Quickie, and the VariEze.

Geez, why is this guy such an under-achiever? Matt's idolized him for a long time and this was an extra, extra, special treat. He was a very friendly guy, for a total genius, and Matt was delighted.

Moral of the story, when someone invites on to an aircraft carrier, you say yes!

HGTV: Living Abroad!

2011-11-13T00:55:00.000+04:00

Lights, camera, action! When I visions of being on TV as a little girl I pictured delivering a line like, "I'm ready for my close up Mr. Deville." and not "I really love our granite counter tops!" Alas, when the small screen came calling we decided not to be picky.

Back in August we were approached by a casting agent who contacted Matt and I through the American Business Council, to see if we might want to participate in a program that showed how Americans live abroad, how we make homes in far away places and adjust to different cultures. Any follower of this blog knows that we don't miss a beat to share our experiences however weird or wacky, so of course we were happy to oblige.

After two months passed and we survived several casting rounds but hadn't heard anything more, we weren't counting on the call that happened at the beginning of last week when HGTV called and asked if we were ready to shoot at 7:00am in four days time! Well...that pretty much put a stop to our weekend - let's put it this way, there is clean and then there is ohmygosh there is a camera crew coming to my house "clean". After making sure you could eat off our floors, and stocking up on some fresh flower we were ready for our close up!

A crew of 10 arrived bright and early to set up all the equipment necessary for the shoot. I have a new respect for how much work it must be to produce these shows.

All the additional lighting was great around the house, I was sad to see it go!

Cameras and crew everywhere!

Matt getting mic'ed up for his interview.

Apparently the mic gets clipped to your ankle - clever.

With the host Chi-Lan Lieu.

Cool big boy toy alert - get a dolly to roll through your living room!

Trying to look natural (and not 10 pounds heavier) on camera!

The crew asked if we could show them the conveniences available in high rise living in Dubai. I told them I could order a cup of coffee at Starbucks and their eyes lit up! Not only did they want to see us make it happen they decided to film a segment on it - 45 minutes later we had Starbucks, Burger King and Tasti d-Lite delivered to our door.

We had a blast with the filming and are looking forward to seeing how the 30 minute show turns out. It's set to air around March so be sure to keep an eye out on your basic cable channel and hopefully we didn't say or do anything too embarrassing!

The Burj Residences Block Party

2011-11-02T19:18:00.000+04:00

Welcome to the first annual Burj Residences block party! We've been residences in the Burj Khalifa/Downtown area for four years now (spanning two decades!), but this is the first time that we've been able to get the neighborhood together.

Credit goes to our new homeowners association, one of the first in the area that can actually stand up to the all-powerful developers! Of course, as with all things Dubai, it wouldn't be an event without merchandising, merchandising, merchandising! Burj cupcakes and pizza (thank you Marzano), Burj moon bounce (thank you MoveOne), and my personal favorite, Burj cholestorol and blood sugar tests (thank you Burj Dubai Medical Center!). It's been a while since I went to a neighborhood block party as a kid, but I definitely don't remember needles!

If you're wondering, we passed with flying colors (but I would recommend against having two cupcakes right before a blood test).

The kids seemed to love the party, with balloons flying away every few seconds, bingo for the adults, and of course, great weather. Now we just need to make sure that Tasti d Lite sponsors the next event...

Mad for Mad Men!

2011-10-24T23:16:00.000+04:00

Every morning I wake up and think of my mantra - WWJD - what would Jackie do? The epitome of high-style, grace and poise, I like to channel her when I throw on a pencil skirt for work, or attempt to bring wearing a hat in public back in fashion. Jackie O aside, I love the swinging sixties look, which is why I was jazzed to receive an invitation to a Mad Men Affair party this weekend. I immediately found my teasing comb and gloves, while Matt pulled out the grey suit (it really helps to own your own suit making company) and skinny tie avec tie clip, of course.

While I don't really look like any of the Mad Men gals I was hoping to embody the style of Betty, the assertiveness of Joan and the brains of Peggy, and Matt - he just actually makes a pretty good Don Draper, lucky him. We felt very chic as we left the house and then quickly realized that we might have looked a little out of place when we stepped directly into a crowded elevator! 27 floors later (and a few weird looks) and we were at our destination. With a martini in hand, we joined the rest of the Mad Men fans and had a great night. Hot topic of the night - who are you going to vote for Kennedy or Nixon?

Our host and the man of the evening - Rooman "Draper"

Don, is that you?

Stepping back in time for the night.

SocialCirclesUAE.com - Just When You Thought You Couldn't Have More Friends!

2011-10-21T01:12:00.000+04:00

It's always great to know that you can meet someone new in Dubai. After four years gallivanting around town, we are lucky to have a good group of friends and acquaintances - who without any prior planning you are pretty much guaranteed to bump into during a night out on the town. Dubai can sometimes be a small town that can act like a big city, so it can be easy to fall into a comfort zone.

Thankfully SocialCirclesUAE.com was able to remind us that there are more fish in the sea! We were delighted to receive an invitation to their annual anniversary party and after two years they have built up quite an impressive group! Social Circles is the brain child of fellow American (woot) Rachel Morton, who started the group two years ago to connect people with like interests across the UAE. They host great events for working professionals and socialites alike, and even have special interest groups for people to participate in like - I Love Movies, Dubai Party Lovers and Flirty 30's.

If the party was an indication of how fun this group is - then sign me up! It was a fantastically organized event at the brand new Republique lounge. It was elbow to elbow action as people participated in raffles, raced to compete in a few fun games and enjoyed some great gift bags. If our camera reel is any indication, we had a great time! Four hours later we had not taken one photo, we were so business meeting the great group there! Thankfully, fishfayce had us covered. A local fun photographer who can keep things lively.

The evening was a great reminder of how many future friends we have yet to discover and just how much fun it is going to be to find them!

With some new friends! I've always wondered what I would look like with silicone lips!

Warning: these glasses might be regularly sized if my 3rd grade photos have anything to say about it. Matt with the 'stache might work if he always pairs it with the fez.

The lady of the evening, with Social Circles founder Rachel Morton!

Kyoto: The Final Stop

2011-10-15T21:30:00.001+04:00

Kyoto is the crown jewel of Japan and one of the world's most culturally rich cities. It's where you will find the Japan of your imagination: raked pebble gardens and bamboo groves, arcades of vermilion shrine gates, geisha disappearing into tea houses, and temples that float on water. Kyoto has 17 Unesco World Heritage Sites, 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines. Most of the sites that make up the popular images of Japan are from Kyoto.

Here are just a few of our favorites.

The formal dining room in the Nanzen-ji is a beautiful example of bring the outside in.

The evenings in Kyoto were simply stunning. The weather was warm and it was a great time to stroll along the Shijo-Qhashi bridge and enjoy dinner on the water. The lights twinkled on the Kamo-gawa and it has a great effect on illuminating the tea houses that hovered over the water

We celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary while we were there and these was our divine desert!

The zen garden at Kyoto's Imperial Palace was, you guessed it - zen!

Our guide, Tammy,showed us the best udon place in town and we learned all the tricks of chowing down the homemade noodles - slurping is not only tolerated but encouraged!

Kyoto's Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) was originally built in 1397 but in 1950 a young radical monk set fire to it because he believed that the temple would be most beautiful in fire! This reincarnation was rebuilt in 1955 and it is completely covered in gold leaf from Kanazawa.

After cruising downtown I turned my back for one minute and Matt was gambling! The Japanese are big fans.

From one vice to another, we checked out the local sake breweries. It was fascinating to learn about the process of turning rice into liquor. It is a lot more complicated than you might think! I'm standing in this picture just for scale - check out how big those special occasion bottles are!

These are just of the varying jugs that they need to complete the many steps in making sake. They are all bigger than her!

There were a lot of taxis driving around down with "M&K" in a heart on the top. Apparently that is the name of the company, but I thought it was just a nice way to celebrate our anniversary!

Not real geisha - but wannabe geisha. Still love the outfits though.

In front of the steps leading to Kiyomizu-dera temple.

The old neighbors in Kyoto have lots of surprises.

The Fushimi-inari Taisha has over 30,000 individually crafted vermillion torii. It's like an optical illusion!

We couldn't have passed up a chance to learn a little about Japanese cooking and we found Emi! She runs classes right from her own home in Kyoto and we had an amazing afternoon with her learning how to prepare rice and fish, tempura, and grilled veggies.

If you are ever in Kyoto make sure to visit Emi at www.kyotouzuki.com.

The puffer fish is extremely poisonous to humans, but the Japanese like to live a little dangerously and remove the poison and consume the fish (which can still end in fatalities if not done properly), I like them better with this friendly look.

The Nishiki market was a great place to pick up anything your heart desires, fresh food is everywhere.

A parting view of Japan, Kyoto by day...

...and by night.

Osaka and Hiroshima: From War to Wonderful

2011-10-09T23:27:00.000+04:00

Osaka and Hiroshima were both prime targets during WWII and so the story of how two war-ravaged cities turned out to be some of the most fun, energetic, and colorful places we visited is a testament to the resilience of the Japanese and their focus on rebuilding after the Second World War.

Osaka is the beating heart of Kansai, the central prefecture in Japan. It's know for good eatin' and great people watchin' - it's a work hard, play hard town that is even more charming at night as the neon city comes to life. It's a major port city and the 2.65 million residents are impatient, sometimes gruff, and always colorful. The city has a true energy about it - a pervasive beat that you can feel as you walk down the sidewalk under the glaring light and the constant noise. After mediating in the Buddhist temple that morning - this definitely woke our slumber!

Dotombori is Osaka's liveliest nightlife areas. This is a the view from the famous Ebisu-bashi (bridge). It's packed with people and energy, and it's hard not to draw references to Times Square.

Osaka nightlife can turn you into a real hermit during the day, but we were insistent on seeing her top historical site Osaka-Jo (castle). Founded on this site at 1583 the castle has been rebuilt 3 times! The story inside depicts a fierce battle for dominance between Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu to unify Japan.

Only a few several tons, Matt was kind enough to get the door for me.

Thank you hotel points. After sleeping on a hardwood floor in a temple, the room at the St. Regis seemed to suit us just fine! The hotel had a lovely patio on the 17th floor where they maintained their own zen garden.

Of course we could have stayed at one of the local "capsule" hotels - but I don't think our luggage would even have fit! These hotels are famous for usage by Japanese businessmen who have worked so late (or drank so much) that they missed their last train home to the suburbs.

One of Osaka's top attractions is their world-class aquariums, I'm sorry was I saying something - can't concentrate when I'm in a fish tunnel!

Here are just a few of our favorite critters:

The stately Empire penguins.

He's a little camera shy. (Probably because most people consider him lunch!)

This baby sea otter was getting a lot of attention from the girls and he seemed to want to flirt back.

The giant spider crabs look like aliens invaders, but I don't think they would be so scary if they were crab cakes?

Always weird and wonderful.

Reaching new heights! The pier at the aquarium had a giant Ferris wheel -it's said to be the largest in the world at 112 meters tall. From here you can see both Osaka and Kobe - where's the beef?

The Dotombori-gawa (river) is lit with lanterns the entire length of the city. Sometimes Osaka is so bright at night it's hard to remember what time it is!

On to Hiroshima!

After a night in Osaka we were headed South to Hiroshima. A two-hour train ride isn't bad when you can grab a beer and fresh gyoza at the train station. Why can't plane food be this good?

As soon as we checked into the hotel, I went to check out our view and the Mazda Zoom-Zoom (yup) Stadium was front and center. I immediately checked the schedule for the Hiroshima Carp (you know those terrifying large goldfish) and we were in luck! I scored two tickets for the following night.

Imagine my surprise when I arrive at the game to find the Philadelphia Fanatic's estranged Japanese cousin. It was so strange! Apparently they love to copy mascots from MLB teams. Of course, the Fanatic is a top choice. Imitation is the highest form of flattery!

Then it just got weird. The only sign in English in the whole ballpark and it's for a Philadelphia Cheesesteak. I wish I could tell you I took one look at that picture and turned away in digust. No, I promptly ordered one (it's my duty) - and only then could I confirm my disgust - gross!

During the 7th inning stretch they sing songs and fire off balloons. Only after perfectly sequencing the count-down. Honestly, these people can put order to anything!

I traded in my imitation cheesesteak for a steaming bowl of fresh udon noodles. Now that is a ballpark snack! Oh yeah and the "beer girls" sell sake instead!

The next morning we woke up early to travel to the island Miyajima, a Unesco World Heritage site, which was ranked one of the top three views in Japan. The vermilion torii (shrine gate) of the Itsukushima-jinja is considered one of the most beautiful sites in Japan. In ancient times the island was considered sacred and commoners could not step foot on the land - they could only sail a boat through this "floating" gate.

The island is home to a lot of friendly (and well fed) white-tailed deer. Some of whom (right) really like to test their limits.

Hiroshima is famous for its okonomi-yaki, a savoury pancake with veggies and meat or seafood cooked on a griddle and served with noodles. The serve them up fast and hot and you can't find a seat during lunch time! I think just one is all the energy you will need for a week!

Matt's good at taking pictures of everything else, but this trip my specialty was happy Japanese kids - they are adorable, plentiful and easily delighted. Great subjects! This gal was splashing around in mock tidal pool and was having fun man handling a giant snail. You go girl.

A shot of the torri just as the tide started to come in and the fog started to lift.

For most of the world Hiroshima means just one thing. The city will forever be remembered for the terrible instant on August 6, 1945 when it became the target of the world's first atomic-bomb attack. There are few words to express the heaviness in my heart as we approached ground-zero almost 66 years to-the-day of the attacks. It was a bright and clear, August morning for us, which was the same weather report from the bombing - in fact one of the reasons the city was chosen that day. There was an eerie sense of responsibility and sadness, but also a sense that to the Japanese this was history and the people of Hiroshima don't want this event to define them.

The bomb exploded almost directly above the Gembaku Domu, now known as the A-Bomb Dome. It is stunning that it is still standing after all the other materials vaporized. It was build in 1915 and served as a industrial exhibition hall. The city has decided to preserve it as a stark reminder of it's tragic past.

On the other side of the Motoyasu river stands the Peace Memorial Park and this cenotaph which contains the names of all the known victims as well as the Flame of Peace, which will only be extinguished once the last nuclear weapon on earth has been destroyed.

The Children's Peace Monument contains thousands and thousands of folded paper cranes from children around the world. The display was inspired by leukemia victim Sadako Sasaki. In 1955 at 11 years old she was diagnosed with the disease. She decided to fold 1000 paper cranes - the crane is the symbol of longevity and happiness - and she thought if she could reach her goal she would be cured. She sadly passed away before achieving her goal, but her classmates finished folding them for her. Now children around the world send their cranes to the memorial every year.

I was extremely touched when we came upon this field trip of Japanese school children, learning about the bombing. Their teacher was not angry or resentful, and she did not lay blame. She explained to them how important peace was in our world, and that their jobs were to make sure that something like this never happens again.

I saw a lot of peace signs during my time in Japan, but this was one place where I did not hesitate to flash one of my own.

Koya-San: Buddhists Unite!

2011-10-01T19:20:00.001+04:00

After many days of a fully packed itinerary, it was time to slow the pace a bit and get in touch with our spiritual side. Koya-San is the place to go to get your Buddha on. It is a mystical place in the mountains surrounded by eight peaks. It is home to the headquarters for the Shingon school of Esoteric Buddhism. Buddhism was brought to Japan in 816 when a young priest named Kobo Daishi returned from a trip to China with the new teachings. Every since Koya-San has been the place to find your enlightenment.

Adding to the mystique is the fact that when you arrive on the train platform you actually then transfer to a cable car which then hoists you to the top of the mountain where you are engulfed by mist. I half expected Yoda to be levitating at the summit!

We spent the night at Shojoshin-in a working Buddhist temple in order to get the authentic experience. We woke up at 5:00 to join the monks in their daybreak chanting, and indulged in the strict Buddhist cuisine, shojin-ryori. It was a great experience, and we left feeling peaceful (abeit craving a little Hida beef)!

The main attraction is Oku-no-in. Any Buddhist worth their salt has a portion of their remains here. It's a fantastically lush and gorgeous place set amongst huge old trees and stone pathways. It's a great time to walk through and ponder on your thoughts this life and the next.

These deities are for the protection of children and pregnant mothers. People often make sure that they are dressed and fed in order to keep them happy!

The path of cedars creates a dense canopy of trees that blocks most sunlight and drops the temperature a few degrees from outside the cemetery - it definitely has the feeling of a lot of souls milling about.

We happened upon a grooved tree stump where people had made small offerings. Matt found the one coin that was not like the others.

Worshippers ladle water from the nearby river and pour it on the Jizo statues as an offering for the dead.

The size of the trees and the shines are huge and can make you feel very small, it's a good time to think about your place in the world. (I was also sure that his one was an ent). There is a neighboring, more modern part of the cemetery where companies place very interesting monuments based on souls loss in their industry, or at their jobs. This rocket ship was for those perished in the space program. One of the most entertaining monuments is the White Ant Memorial, which was build by a pesticide company to expiate its guilt for the murder of legions of little critters!

Our temple's central zen garden made for a great view.

East Asian "Buddhist" cuisine differ from Western vegetarian cuisine in one aspect, that is avoidance of killing plant life. Buddhist vinaya for monks and nuns prohibit harming of plants. Therefore, strictly speaking, root vegetables (such as potatoes, carrots or onion) are not to be used as this will result in death of vegetables.

The meditation area in the temple was certainly a place where you could find some peace.

This was our temple room, we slept on the tatami mats with small futons. There were no locks in the temple and the rooms can be adjusted just by moving the paper screens. Slide that door in the corner and we would be in our neighbor's room.

I told Matt that I did not think that creating an electrical fire in a temple would bode well for us. He insisted that this was perfect safe. As if I was not worried enough about being a future arsonist, I also encounter a few unwelcome guests in a our room. These monks are worried about murdering vegetables, so I did not think that squashing this intruder would bode well for my reincarnation. Matt thankfully delivered it to much more comfortable surroundings outside.

Not a bad view to wake up to if you have to be up at 5:00am!

One hour of monotone chanting in Japanese, was not the most stimulating time of my life, but at least I had a front row seat!

Who needs a pet rock? This is a herd! This is the largest rock garden in the world. It is located in Kongobu-Ji the headquarters of the Shingon school. According to the artist it is supposed to give the effect of a throng of worshipers eagerly listening to a monks sermon.

These are probably the only pets we are qualified to keep!

We said goodbye to Koya-San by visiting the Dai-to or Great Pagoda.

Kanazawa: The Marsh of Gold

2011-09-25T22:35:00.000+04:00

The name Kanazawa literally means 'marsh of gold' and that name certainly held true as this wonderful city was a treasure trove of interesting things to see, do and eat! Situated on the coast of the Sea of Japan and bordered by the Japan Alps, this busting city is home to half a million people who are able to enjoy a city full of life since the early days. After 1583 the Maeda (you might not know Maeda but you might know their chief retainers - Honda) clan took power over the province and it's bountiful rice harvests made it a pretty rich area, today it retains the best remains of the original samurai district and geisha tea houses. The city was also spared in WWII leaving all the good stuff untouched - lucky us!

The age old question: can you be a 'Japanese tourist' in Japan?

Walking through the Higashi Chaya-Gai district is like stepping back in time. Many original tea houses dot the cobblestone lanes. This is a famous geisha house name Shima.

The Normura samurai house is one of the most impressive ones left standing. Samurai houses share a similar basic pattern: a single-floored residence, usually fairly square or rectangular in plan, surrounded by a garden – both the vegetable and the decorative kinds. The roof was gabled, and faced the road. This was the most beautiful central garden we saw on the entire trip.

Here you can see that the house is built to accommodate a view into the garden from almost every angle. People also often moved around on the walk ways outside of the rooms and then entered, rather that traveling through the house.

Once again Japan gets me on a bike - and I couldn't be happier! I'm also on my way to one of the top rated Japanese gardens in the world!

Kenroku-en, means the Six Attributes garden. The six Chinese attributes for perfection are: seclusion, spaciousness, artificiality, antiquity, abundant water and board views. They certainly hit this one on the head! The garden is an absolutely stunning site, which each detail hand picked by it's creators. It started in 1676 as the garden of an outside villa from the Kanazawa castle, but the liked it so much they annexed it!

The garden has many claims to famous but one of it's proudest is that is has the oldest working foundtain in Japan, operated by natural water pressure. (And a lot great photo ops, naturally!)

Many of the old trees have taken on a life of their own, twisting and turning over the years - the effect is really spectacular.

Prince Yamatotakeru was a Japanese legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Keikō of Yamato, a legendary monarch who is traditionally counted as the 12th Emperor of Japan. The tragic tale of this impressive figure is told in the Japanese chronicles Kojiki and Nihon Shoki.

The Japanese know how to lend a hand, er, stake. Just when the trees get too big for their britches they build them supports to hold up the weight. Isn't it a little ironic to pop up a tree with another tree?

These gardens don't maintain themselves. They've got a whole dedicated troop tending the yards - in orderly fashion of course.

The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art is really a must see. There are so many neat exhibits that are both entertaining and provoking.

The grounds of the art museum have these trumpets that come up from the ground that have a 'match' somewhere else. The idea is to facilitate communication across boundaries.

I tried to not be offended when no one talked back!

There was a great art piece called The Swimming Pool by Leandro Erlich. When seen from the deck, the pool appears to be filled with deep, shimmering water. In fact, however, a layer of water only 10 centimeters deep is suspended over transparent glass. Below the glass is an empty space with aquamarine walls that viewers can enter. You can look at the people from the bottom of the pool and they can see you from below. It's really a bit mind bending.

The optical illusion is compelling. Doesn't it look like he could climb out?

I was also really taken by this sculpture that stands on the museum's roof. The Man Who Measures the Clouds by Jon Fabre. For some reason it really touched me, and made me feel very optimistic :)

Kanazawa is known for it's lacquer and wood working, and it took all my strength to leave without these hand carved rice bowls. The richness and color of the wood was really beautiful. The Japanese tend to think that everything should look harmonious and lovely - which should explain how somehow I became obsessed with wood bowls during this souvenir stop, everything just looks so great together.

Not called the 'golden marsh' for no reason, Kanazawa produces 99% of Japan's gold leaf. This merchant dedicated to wallpaper a tea room with it - no biggie.

After a hard day's site seeing we found a friendly local izakaya (Japanese pub) to practice our pantomiming skills at - no English, of course. The bonus was the option of floor and regular seating in one. If you look at the table over Matt's shoulder you'll see mats on the floor, but your notice they are sitting above a cut out around the table, so you can actually sit with your legs extended - like a Western table - but still look like you are sitting on the floor. I want one!

Shirakawa-go: Definitely-Go!

2011-09-21T11:01:00.000+04:00

There are some places in the world that just look exactly the way you hoped they would. For me, the only thing missing from Shirakawa was Mr. Miyagi. It is the so-quaint-it-will-make-you-sick kind of beautiful - a remote mountainous town that small in size and big on charm. After this aerial view I couldn't wait to see the town below.

The only way to access the village is a rope foot bridge. Yup, I intrigued.

Although there are a number of travelers who come to see the village, there are just 600 people who live here and they each keep a beautiful garden.

It was like nature was just leaping out at us - literally! Just as we arrived a little green frog promptly hitched a ride on Matt's backpack. I like his style, zero carbon footprint.

Everything was so pretty, I couldn't bear to pick them (though tempted).

I'm a tree hugger, this cedar really deserved some love after surviving 600 years!

Serene or not, it was still extremely hot in Japan everyday we were there, so when Matt had the chance to soak up some of the run off from the cold mountain stream, kicked off his sandals and jumped right in.

No, it's not cream of wheat, much to my dismay! This is a special and extremely rare unrefined sake made with sake mash. It's not for sale anywhere, it is is made by the monks of the Hachiman Shrine in the village and they make a limited number of casks for personal consumption and ceremonial reasons. It's so thick and creamy that bits of rice are still floating in it! At about 30 proof it is surprising sweet and goes down like a sake-milkshake!

The famous architectural legacy of this mountainous area is the gassho-style farmhouses. These houses are known for their tall, steeply-sloped thatched gable roof with an angle of about 60 degrees. This roof shape, which looks like one's hands put together with the palms facing inward, is the origin of the name of the architectural style, "Gassho", which means to join one's hands in prayer. As it snows heavily in winter in this region, this steeply-sloped roof helps the snow to slip off and prevents the house from being crushed. And the whole house is held together with pegs, grooves, and ropes - no nails! They would rust with all the moisture from snow and rain.

The entrance to the Hachiman Shrine was a beautiful sight set amongst the ancient cedar trees.

The alpine forest ensured that the breeze actually smelled like pine needles!

You can see how many floors that steep roof accommodates, they need all the space they can get during the hard winters, where everyone lives inside - even the livestock! Yup, they are on the first floor next to the kitchen. Don't have to go to far for your milk.

Matt and I are wondering what the real estate market is like in the village...(is this a good school district?)

If you look really closely I think you can actually see Mr. Miyagi in the window - perfection!

Takayama: It Rhymes With Yo' Momma

2011-09-19T22:16:00.002+04:00

You've heard of planes, trains and automobiles; but in Japan it is trains, trains, trains - and the occasional cable car. By now we were really settling in to our train travel and enjoying grabbing lunch at the station and slipping into our seats just a few minutes before departure. The freedom and convenience was great, and it really helped us see a lot of Japan - literally from our window!

Takayama is basically an alpine mountain town that is sleepy in the summer and booming in winter. We didn't mind slowing down the pace just a bit to enjoy this area. Now, we felt like we were really in the country side. The city is best known for its inhabitants' expertise in carpentry. The town and its culture, as they exist today, took shape at the end of the 16th century, when the Kanamori clan built Takayama Castle. About a hundred years later the city came under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate. However, the high altitude and separation from other areas of Japan kept the area fairly isolated, allowing Takayama to develop its own culture over about a 300-year period.

We stayed at another ryokan and it was a great, albeit, very traditional experience. We dined at the inn for both nights and it was an experience!

Although we were a bit surprised when we were seated in the corner table on the first night - amongst no other foreigner, natch, and there was an American flag on our table. I was delighted and Matt was mortified. Normally I would see his point, but lets face it there was no way we were blending in here!

God Bless America, and sushi.

The appetizer...generally I don't like my food looking at me, but I was willing to let that slide. I started gingerly picking at the meat from the sides of the fish (making a big mess) when Matt pointed out that everyone else had simply taken the whole thing down in two bites. The whole thing? When I asked our waitress, she confirmed that this is how it was meant to be eaten. "But the teeth!" I said. She looked at me like I was the crazy one, shrugged her shoulders and said, "calcium."

And in this corner weighing in at 8 oz, is the most delicious, stupendous, fabulous meat you've ever had in your life, Hhhhhhhhhhhhida Beeeeeeeef! Hida beef (my mouth is watering as a write this), is the most amazing beef I've had in my life. You've heard of Kobe beef? Yeah, that's the stuff they are willing to part with for export. Hida is the stuff that never makes it out of Japan - and it's an experience. The cattle are massaged, and fed beer and sake in their feed, to get the optimal aka insane amount of marbling.

We had some of the beef in sukiyaki, which is kind of a Japanese pot roast. It actually looks like Swiss cheese when the fat cooks off.

Such a gem! This is a little Mexican restaurant in town, and as soon as we saw it we had to try it. Alas, it was closed for 2 days, and on our last night there we saw it was open and popped in. It was just us and the owner/chef, and he was adorable. We really lucked out that he spoke a little English and he told us that he has run the restaurant on his own for 16 years, and that he closed for two days to take his son to college. We asked, "Why Mexican in Japan?" And he said, "I was there twice and I thought the food looked easy to make." Fair enough! He proudly showed us his mention in the Mexican Business Council's Japan guide to restaurants, but the proof was in the pudding. The guac was stellar.

Sometimes when we take a break from eating we do some site seeing, who knew? This is a shot of the Yoshijima-ke, it is an extremely famous house in the architectural world. It is known for it's traditional style: large rooms separated by paper screens, a central garden, all wood construction (no nails, they rust!) and minimalism. Here the teapot is suspended over the indoor fire pit for cooking.

I really fell in love with the Japanese architecture. This is a view into the central garden from the living area. Most Japanese living in this style have a huge storage facility behind their house that keeps a large collection of furniture and art work which is changed for its utility, the occasion and the season. They don't have a "bedroom" or a "living room" - these areas could switch around daily. According to them a room is defined by the objects in it, it doesn't define itself. I found that a really neat concept.

These are some of the 23 yatai, or floats that are used i the annual Takayama Matsuri parade. They were build in the 17th century and can take up to 50 people to operate. The original lacquer and gold still look brilliant.

This is a little art piece I call: Japanese kids staring at me in the rain. A flash thunderstorm started and we had to take shelter under an awning.

I felt like I was on display! These cutie pies clearly haven't seen many white people in the flesh and they all stared at us. It was like being in a zoo!

Yeah, like I said, they are afraid to tackle French food. Here's the neighborhood Boulangerie.

Nothing like remembering how to use a ten speed! We rented a few bikes and headed toward the Hida-No-Sato, which is a traditional village with preserved old houses.

But we got distracted along the way! The only cooler than a late summer beer tasting...

...is that is comes from a 100% solar powered micro-brewery!

We burned off some energy watching the sun set on the Sakurayam Hachiman-gu shrine. It is dedicated to the protection of Takayama.

Here's to the protection indeed! It needs to still be on the map when I go back for the beef!

Fuji: You Know the Film and the Apples, Now Meet the Mountain.

2011-09-17T22:41:00.000+04:00

We traded in the city lights of Tokyo for the great heights of Mt. Fugi. The area at the foot of Mt. Fugi and Lake Ashi is absolutely beautiful. It's lush and green with flowering plants and babbling brooks. Its one of the most idyllic places in Japan and it's renown for its beauty.

The area surrounding the Mountain is known as Hakone, and for the day you can take a tour around the whole area via five modes of transportation: cog railway, cable car, boat, bus, and rope way. We were hoping for a peaceful day hoping around the sites...but, you might emember that Obon holiday I mentioned in the last post - well this day happened to be the official public holiday,which meant that everyone and their brother had traveled from Tokyo to Hakone for the day. Not, really the romantic day we had planned - unless you want to share a cozy train ride with a hundred strangers.

This is how the day started, a little close for comfort...but one hour later we were on this...

...a little bit more breathing room in the cable car. We are soaring over the back side of the valley which is steaming with sulfur vapor from the ground below. Mt. Fuji is known for her natural hot springs which the locals build bathhouses called onsens over, so they can soak up the steam.

The Black (red) Pearl? The boats that traverse Lake Ashi are all built like old pirate ships. They are quite the spectacle.

Not what you would wear on a boat? Looks like the skirt could be used as a flotation device! These are cosplay girls (short for costume play). They dress up like their favorite anime or comic book characters and try to stay in character throughout the day. It's a huge sub-culture in Japan. It was explained to me that often these young people feel like they have dull lives - long commutes, boring office jobs - so they like to take reality breaks and its exhilarating for them to play someone else for awhile.

This was my prop for the day. On the boat this woman handed me her baby and started snapping photos of the rare "white lady". No joke. Actually joke was on me as I was hoping to keep him - cutie pie!

After a full day of sightseeing, we were delighted to check into our first ryokan, which is a traditional Japanese guest house. Shoes off, clothes provided, dinner at 7 in your room - it was a lot to take on, especially with a hefty language barrier! The Hakone Ginyu ryokan was stunning. This the second floor of our room which was done is all lacquered woods and paper screens. Now I really felt like I was in old Japan!

The view from the balcony was stunning...

...but the bathtub was the real star. Mineral water strait from the hot springs pours right out of fish's mouth. I'm sold! As an aside, this was the only shower, so we really got 'back to nature' when it was bath time. Can't get much closer!

We were promptly encouraged to change into our yukata which is a type of causal dress for the Japanese (don't call it a bathrobe - they don't find it funny). After changing into our garb we couldn't help but bust out a few Japanese peace signs - yeah, now I can say from experience they do this in about 80% of every picture they take.

We were served dinner seated on the floor, naturally, and were treated to the chef's specials. A tasting menu with 12 courses. Just like Dasher, Dancer and Prancer, I can't remember all of them, it was just too overwhelming! Thank goodness we are people who take pictures of their food...yep, those people.

I have a little bit of a Princess and the Pea problem, so I was a little worried about the traditional sleeping arrangements. We slept on futons on the tatami mat floor. They were incredibly comfortable and we both slept great!

Who needs to sleep in when you get to wake up to this?

A birds-eye view of our breakfast table the next morning. There are almost forty plates on this table. Each one with an individually prepared 'taste' of something for breakfast. I ate granola with chopsticks and Matt braved some morning squid!

Now that we have our energy - time for Takayama!

Lost In Translation: Tokyo

2011-09-16T02:32:00.002+04:00

When we first told people we were going to Japan, we got a lot of different reactions but the most frequent one was, "why now?". Yeah we see your point. They are suffering huge infrastructure damage in the North, still dealing with a radioactive melt down, and Tokyo is still experiencing tremors from the tsunami this March. The Imperial East has been on our wish list for a very long time and when saw how steadfast the Japanese were in the face of this disaster we wanted to make sure that our tourist dollars were put to good work. Sadly, all of the areas not affected directly by the quake and tsunami are also suffering from the perception that they are in the disaster zone - it's not so and I hope our accounts of being there paint a picture of the quiet, proud and resolute Japanese people who showed us experiences of a lifetime. Our guide in Kyoto said when the first tourists came back in June she burst into tears. We were delighted to do our part to turn that frown upside down.

Let's start in Tokyo. It's everything you thought it would be and more: weird and modern, traditional and technological. When you step off the plane in Tokyo, you realize the joke is on you. All the weird and wonderful is just everyday to them, and at over 12 million strong, they get to write the book on what is 'normal' - not you. We spend most of our day in laughing fits over how out of place and ridiculous we appeared and acted. There's no 'blending in' in Tokyo, or Japan for that matter. It's the most homogenous place I've ever seen. Looks aside, there is also a uniformity of thought and action on behalf of the Japanese. No one ever crosses the street without a walk sign. Everyone stands to the right on the escalators (awesomeness). No one looks you in the eye on the train. And yes, everyone bows. It was clean, orderly, polite, and efficient - a little slice of heaven for my Type A brain!

The fun started within the first five minutes in our hotel:

This is the basic owners manual for our toilet. You thought going to bathroom was simple? Just wait until you add UV light bowl color changing options, along with a fake 'privacy flush sound' (think about it), and the drying function. I must say the overall experience is far superior! :)

Then it was straight to the Tuskiji fish market. It is the largest wholesale fish market in the world, employing over 60,000 people and processing over 400 types of sea-products. It is home to the famed tuna auction that happens every morning. The highest price ever paid was $173,600 for one sushi-grade blue fin tuna.

Once the tuna is purchase it is cut frozen with huge ban-saws, watch those digits!

The only crazier than the size of the tuna is the size of their eyes - and that's a bucket of 'em! Apparently the meat around the tuna eye is the most prized, and it's cut away leaving these peepers.

I couldn't leave without a few tools of the trade! These babies cut through paper (I've been through a few reams already, it's just too fun...)

After seeing the fresh fish we had to try some, so we went to a traditional sushi counter lunch in Tokyo. No English - just fish. Point and eat, was the name of the game and it was absolutely delicious! They charge by the plate so that should give you some indication of how much we liked it!

This is the road leading up to the Senso-ji temple. We visited Tokyo during the Obon festival which honors the dead. Its a chance for families to come together, and it also means that they swarm to see the same sites. Our guide said that the Japanese have to value harmony and patience, because other wise no one would tolerate so many people in their personal space!

Nope it's not Halloween. She advertising a 'maid cafe', which is a place were grown men pay a big cover charge to go in and have a coffee in a cafe, while these girls talk in baby voices and serve them children's meals while singing nursery rhymes. It is weird! The fetish is that many Japanese feel that childhood was the happiest time in their lives, before the pressures of working and supporting their elders, so they like to pretend they are children again. Yes, we went to one, and yes, it's weird!

Naturally, I also needed to dress up. We knew we being influenced by the culture when Matt and I actually liked this look.

When I say nerd paradise, I mean it. We then got to head to the Sony headquarters to test all of their beta stuff.

A picture of an LCD that is featuring a picture of us with facial recognition captured from a new video camera - I think we just entered a worm hole!

A serene moment at an odd time - at the Tokyo museum there was station where people were creating their own kimonos on paper with stamps of different designs. I got in on the the fashion design! It was great to see adults who were enjoying this art exercise - peaceful and contemplative and very choosy about the art they were creating.

Getting ready for a night out on the town at the Michlein starred Chez Tomo. It was divine. The important thing to know about the Japanese is that the they love their food, and they also love a good challenge. In their quest for mastery of any subject - especially cooking - they become passionate experts of french cooking and great chefs!

A few highlights:

This is what salmon tartare looks like at Chez Tomo.

The deconstructed 'salad' course and yes, I ate all my vegetables!

We went to a hot spot in Ropongi Hills and this bar was playing some great old school hip hop. I promptly entered and found my way to the DJ booth to commend him on his style. He's from Brooklyn - of course!

We went shopping in Ginza and they have everything, even square watermelons, for the bargain price of $1000!

The imperial Gardens, a lot more structured than your average pumpkin patch.

A beautiful view of the Imperial Palace.

We took a dinner cruise on Tokyo bay for our final night, and we were treated to a beautiful sunset!

Yeah, there are some thing on that sushi boat that I simply cannot verify...some went down easy, others were a bit more difficult to get down!

The summer evenings were really incredible in Japan, and especially beautiful on the water.

What is the Eiffel Tower doing in the middle of Tokyo? The tower was built in 1958 using the same designs as the famous landmark in Paris. It doesn't have nearly the majesty of it's sister tower, but it provides a great view of the city - and it's 13 meters taller than Eiffel. I told you they are competitive!

Lights, lights, lights - Tokyo by night.

Nest stop: Mt. Fuji!

Disgusting: The Storm Trooper sea cockroach

2011-09-04T09:55:00.002+04:00

Japan loves all things seafood - and aquariums are no exception. We found very modern and well-stocked exhibits across the country - in Osaka (one of the most famous), on a tiny island off of Hiroshima, even in the Sony discovery museum. They have everything - whale sharks, robotic fish, oyster farms, and stone crab tank that was more like watching a UFC championship. But hands down, the weirdest thing we found was this nasty crustacean. About a foot long and looking like just the tail from a lobster, these things seemed boring at first.

But then we got a close up look:

Its eyes were straight out of an Oakley catalog, and the face was a cross between a horrible insect and Darth Vader. With tons of legs capped with claws, it was freaky to watch, even through 3 inches of plexiglass. And you thought bedbugs were bad!