Saturday, March 22, 2008

The Jet Lag Journal, part 1

One half of Homespun Urban is on vacation. I won't say where, but let's just say it's a place that uses lots of vowels in their native language (which rules out Wales). This little piece of paradise was going to keep me off the blogging, but since it's about 6 hours out of my time zone, I have the unfortunate habit of waking up every morning around 3:30. My sleep loss, blogspot's gain.

Before I left, I got wrapped up in "Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares" on BBC America. I love this show not only for the copious amounts of swearing, but also watching crappy restaurants (that remind me of many places I used to work) get turned into workable joints. Gordon tends to do the same thing to each place, but it works: get rid of complicated menu items, simplify, and have the food reflect the location and type of restaurant. There's not many places that can turn out sea urchin foam on broiled rabbit's foot, so why even try? Stick to fish and chips.
The place whose location I will not divulge features a cuisine that's big on fish, pineapple, and spam. Spam not withstanding, I felt a little like ol' Gordo when we went out for our first meal. Some of the food was what you'd want on vacation, but there was also a beef tenderloin with blue cheese creme fraiche and garlic mashed potatoes. Let me tell you, people don't travel to this place (which I can't tell you where it is but it rhymes with "Mawaii") to eat garlic mashed potatoes. Or so I thought. After husband and I had a good time imitating Gordon and swearing rapidly about the menu, the table next to us ordered everything we had just made fun of.
I guess people like the food that makes them comfortable, and who I am to judge? Sometimes the "eat what the locals eat" backfires- like the burrito I had during my layover in Phoenix (Southwest, makes sense, right?) that left me exploring every bathroom in the airport whose name I can't mention, but I can tell you I received a type of flower necklace that sounds like something dirty.
Aloha from the mystery vacation spot. See you at 3:45 am.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I never thought it was a good idea to eat a Burrito anywhere but home!!
Are you in Tahiti?
Love,YoMama

Unknown said...

P.S. Or is it Samoa? Or Bali? YM

Anonymous said...

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