Love traveling, hate flying

By • October 20, 2010 • Musings, The Daily Dish

It’s no surprise that most folks hate flying.

I mean, what’s to like? You’re stuck in cramped quarters, virtually rubbing elbows with strangers without enough room to pass your neighbor to get to the bathroom, which is smaller than most closets (and some refrigerators). The food is barely passable. The entertainment isn’t as good as the games on your iPad. And the entire time you’re just hoping you don’t catch avian flu.

Last year the U.S. Department of Transportation reported a spike in passenger complaints for 2008. In fact, it was the second-worst year in the past seven for consumer complaints to the industry’s federal regulator.

Fliers complained about everything from airline delays to lost luggage to a lack of empathy on the part of airlines staff when a crisis — even a personal one — occurs.

And lately the complaints have been geared toward added costs such as paying extra for check-in luggage.

To top it off, several airlines just announced it was eliminating or reducing rows in their first-class cabins. Prices will likely remain — but the benefits will be far less than before.

So what’s a desperate traveler to do?

The problem is we can’t do much. Airplane transportation is the fastest way to get anywhere. So you have to put up or shut up, as the saying goes. There’s no way around it.

I can’t say that I enjoy flying, either, especially when you’re traveling from Honolulu to Paris — with stopovers in San Francisco and Minneapolis — en route to a wedding that requires another three hours on a train once we landed in France. We spent a total of 20 hours in the air. That’s way too long for any human with an appetite for real food.

But we did notice a big difference between domestic (Delta Airlines) and foreign airlines (Air France):

• The seats on Air France were noticeably bigger and the area more spacious
• The food on Air France was decidedly better. Portions bigger and — get this — we didn’t have to pay extra for it!
• The pillows — I know, sounds petty — were actually better on Air France, too. It makes a difference in Hour 10, trust me.

Anyone else notice a difference between domestic and foreign service? Anyone actually like flying? Got any alternatives? I’m all ears!

***

To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at [email protected].

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'H50' no reality show

By • October 18, 2010 • Musings, The Daily Dish

A cell phone works hundreds of feet under water — and in a submarine, no less.
An entrance stamp from a nightclub is readable by black light on a dead woman’s wrist.
And “Heroes” star Masi Oka is a medical examiner named Max Bergman.

The list of unbelievable things happening in CBS’ “Hawaii Five-O” makes for, well, interesting TV.

Last night’s episode, “Nalowale,” was no exception.

Hawaii has already been a center for terrorists. Now we have a sex trade ring right in Waikiki. And to top it off, the teenage daughter of the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines is found dead off the coast of Waikiki — suspended like a mermaid and witnessed by tourists aboard the Atlantic submarine, no less — with an international Filipino terrorist group behind it.

Hmm.

Apparently, I’m not alone in my thinking.

On the Pop Watch blog on Entertainment Weekly online, Darren Franich wrote about a (hilarious) “Hawaii Five-O” bingo game.

“Scientists estimate that something ridiculous happens on ‘Hawaii Five-0’ roughly every five milliseconds. Every episode features hot chicks, hot dudes, malevolent gangsters, car chases, and shots of the Hawaiian coastline that will make you weep with envy. Daniel Dae Kim rides around on a massive motorcycle, Alex O’Loughlin executes some sort of incredible athletic feat of strength, Scott Caan snarks off, and Grace Park inevitably goes undercover in some sort of skimpy outfit. Lessons are learned. Family values are upheld in the most risque manner possible.”

So you can play bingo with the show. Mark it off whenever O’Loughlin shows off his abs. (This episode, check.) Or whenever anyone says, “Book ’em, Danno.” (Check, check)

I suppose it’s just entertainment and I need to accept the show as that — and only that.

And with this new bingo game, I now have a new purpose: to win blackout.

Highlights of Monday’s show:

• Scott Caan’s retort about Ms. Pac-Man and what level he’s reached: “Triple banana, bitch.” Love it.
• The Hawaii Hula Chair’s infomercial goes national — again
• O’Loughlin’s sister, played by Taryn Manning, gets abducted. Twitter from @harrycovair: “Save the sister, save the world.” Made my night.

***

To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at [email protected].

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Top 10 best memories of Europe

By • October 18, 2010 • #CatTravels, Musings, The Daily Dish

It’s nearly impossible to narrow down my favorite 10 things I saw, did and ate in Europe.

There were just too many.

From seeing the famous Rosetta Stone in the British Museum to noshing on paprika-flavored chips (or crisps) while waiting for the metro, my European adventure provided so many memories. I loved walking along the tree-lined Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris and riding around London on double-decker buses. It was fascinating to watch the members of the House of Commons in London debate over a blood contamination case or witness a traditional French wedding reception in Avignon.

These are unforgettable experiences, for sure.

But in the spirit of Nonstop — we love our lists! — I’ve put together a list of my Top 10 best memories of Europe, in no particular order.

I hope you enjoy this one last look at Europe as much as I did putting this gallery together!

First off, breakfast!

Image 1 of 33

I never ate so many breakfast items — like this cinnamon swirl — than on this vacation. It's not the best habit, I'm sure, but so far, it's working for me.

***

To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at [email protected].

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By • October 17, 2010 • Musings, The Daily Dish

It’s hard to believe this nine-day, whirlwind tour of France and England is about to end.

It feels like we’ve been here for weeks — considering all the things we packed into this relatively short time — but it also feels like we could have stayed here months longer. There were so many things we just couldn’t do because of time, weather or lack of GPS. (In some cases, terrorist alert.) It would have been great to gaze at Paris from atop the Eiffel Tower, for example, or sip Pimm’s in an 800-year-old pub by the Thames. But we just didn’t have the time.

In all, it was quite the adventure, from missing our Eurostar rail from Paris to London — luckily we could catch the next (and last) train across the English Channel — to getting rained on as we walked toward Emirates Stadium to watch the Arsenal soccer team play. But all these expereinces — from sipping the world’s best hot chocolate in Paris to mastering the Underground in London — added up to a European adventure I’ll never forget.

Thanks to everyone who followed me — whether it was here, on Twitter or via Facebook — and made this once-in-a-lifetime trip that much more meaningful.

Next stop: Australia?

Gare du Nord

Image 1 of 34

We stayed one night in a small hotel near the Gare du Nord ("North Station") so we'd be close enough to Sacré-Cœur Basilica. The station, which sees about 190 million travelers every year, is within walking distance from the iconic Catholic church on the hill.

***

To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at [email protected].

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By • October 14, 2010 • Musings, The Daily Dish

The weather hadn’t improved on our second day in London. But we weren’t deterred. We were on a mission to meet the Queen, whether she knew it or not.

Since we didn’t rent a car — and I wouldn’t recommend it — we decided to walk everywhere. We mapped out a walking tour of Westminster, which included Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and the House of Parliament — all an easy walk from each other.

But, like on any great adventure, there were a lot of unexpected sights, shops and restaurants, too. Who knew that you could buy a Cornish pasty in a convenience store, for example, or tonkatsu in a Korean restaurant off Oxford Street?

We didn’t know that — but now we do.

Here’s what our second, exciting day in London looked like:

Calm before the storm

Image 1 of 11

I took this photo yesterday morning, after a nice swim in the pool at the W Taipei. Hard to believe how quickly the weather would change.

***

To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at [email protected].

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