Freaky Food

Whenever I travel internationally, I never know what kind of food to expect. Especially when I am at JCI events, during the extremely busy days, you never know when and what you are going to get to eat. I always have granola bars stuffed in my bag, as those of you who know me, know that a hungry Michelle is a crazy Michelle!

On my first JCI trip to Turkey I was out to dinner with the Senators and we all ordered fish, the house specialty. The fish arrived alright - complete with head, tail, and skins. As I sat there staring at the fish, lots of thoughts were running through my head. Maybe I should have paid more attention to my father when we was cleaning fish when I was growing up. Maybe I should have ordered steak, but what would I have got on my plate? How was I going to do something with this fish without drawing a lot of attention to my discomfort? As I sat there contemplating, one of the women grabbed my plate and skillfully boned and beheaded the fish in under 30 seconds. After thanking her profusely, I was able to enjoy the rest of my dinner with no issue.

Then it was off to Malta. After an awesome day with the Board of Directors on the island of Gozo, we headed off to eat dinner. We started down this bumpy dirt road that was literally on the side of a cliff. Had these people seen deliverance? Was I that unpopular? Would I ever get home and marry Tom in 2 weeks? After 20 minutes, we came to a clearing where an outdoor restaurant against the cliffs with the water crashing proved to be absolutely gorgeous! This was one of the best meals of my life after I realized I was going to love to eat my dinner!

Finally, I was in Switzerland this summer and we were sick of walking around looking for a restaurant so we stopped at this famous restaurant and asked for a menu. The menu only had dessert and wine on it, so I asked for the dinner menu. The waitress perfunctory told me that there was no menu, there was 1 entree - steak and fries for $40. Exhausted and famished, we said fine. What arrived was a small piece of steak (less than a palm size piece) and a heaping plate of fries. Given that we had paid $40, we all ate everything on our plates. While we were waiting for the check, another plate of steak and fries showed up at everyone place. You get 2 servings so they fries don't get cold while you are eating. Who knew?

As I travel around the world, food is always interesting. I have had Green Tea McFlurries in Korea, McMarsala Burgers in India, tofu dishes and other dishes where there is no American translation. I have tried shark (it tastes like chicken), snake (it takes like chicken), fish crackers (they do not take like chicken) and everything in between. I have tried sushi in Panama, pizza in India as well as Korean BBQ in Korea.

Whether I like it or not, I will always try new things. Who knows, I might find my new favorite food, or my most memorable meal ever?

How Do I Get Myself Into These Situations?

Spas are cool. I love to get massages, facials, manicures, pedicures. If I were rich, I would definitely be there multiple times a week. Wherever I go, I try to find new and unique spas to try. Spas are suppose to be serene and calming but often times drama ensures. Go figure!

Let's start with Lucky Nails in Cypress (L.A.) where Wendy and I visited frequently. We became their regulars and they badgered us every time asking "Do you want flower?" No, we do not want freakin' flowers on our toes. We want a plain pedicure and we want you to stop talking and laughing at us in Vietnamese. We do not have ugly feet, we keep up with our services, we are not circus freaks.

Moving north in California to Napa Valley, my ex and I decided to go to mud baths. Bad idea! I do not like sand in my bathing suit at the beach and I certainly do not like mud in all my bits and pieces. There was nothing romantic is sitting in mud baths (that are probably reused) and then trying to get all the mud removed. It was excruciating and I do not recommend it to anyone! Do a couple's massage instead.

Off now to Las Vegas with Wendy and another friend where we went to Dejanel Spa. Given our excitable nature and the fact that we like to talk, we were yelled at and told "Girl's go to the meditation room!" We are paying you to yell at us? Really? As we sulked in silence and tried not to laugh out loud, the other guests rejoiced in our silence.

Finally, in Turkey I went to a hamman at the World Congress hotel in Anatalya. I chose the wet massage. After struggling to convey to the masseuse that I was going to keep my bathing suit ON for this service, it was an adventure. Water, bubbles, and towels were flying in this coed massage room (where there were many naked people who really should not have been naked.) I was massaged within an inch of my life and I was poked and prodded. When I was done, I swear I was married to my masseuse in at least 7 countries!

I long for a spa where I get the serenity and peacefulness of what they all promise! I want to relax and not get yelled at, not have to dig mud out of places where it should have never been and I want to keep my clothes on that I want to keep on! I want the blissful experience!