The Few Month Itch

I need to travel.  The last time I was away was in April.  I miss it.
The the joy and anxiety in packing a suitcase, the hustle and bustle of the airport, the possibility of having a drink in an unknown locale, the thrill in driving a new road, the anxiety of sleeping in a strange room, the oddness of finding a spectacular bargain in a most unexpected place, the excitement in trying new dishes, the newness, the expectation in meeting old friends reciting in yet another foreign place, the strolls in exotic promenades.  I miss it.
At to my dear amusement so does my little A.  He said the other day that he was yearning to fly in an airplane again.  Then, the other night, when I told him about our upcoming trip next week, he shouted "finally!  SFO again".  And then was profoundly sad when I told him it was going to be a car trip not more than 5 hours away.
I was pondering again how my main motif to work, first and foremost, is the ability to travel and to vacation with family.  I would be delighted to find my little angle is also one day yearning for travel as much as A does and as much as I do.

A and I en route to Edmonton, AB - June 2012

A in cockpit

My First Train Ride in the USA

I am on board on Amrak, Pacific Surfliner, from San Diego to Santa Barbara.  Departing right at 4PM, on business class for $62!  The commute is supposed to take about 5 hours 40 minutes.  We shall see.  I have read delays with this train but so far smack on time.
I am going to take time site seeing while we still have daylight.  Then I have a ton of emails to catch up with.
San Diego was nice this trip.  We got here Thursday afternoon and I had to meet a customer than night.  I worked on Friday too but then we got to take A to Legoland and Sea World and he had a blast.  He rode the Mini City Car Ride in Legoland 7 times; the ride he couldn't get on last year since he was not fill 6 years old.  He rode the coasters a couple times too with daddy.  I was the bystander for most of the rides; ok, all of the rides except the Sky Rider in the Sea World.
We got to meet my dear R.A. Her mom had brought me a pearl set from India which was so sweet of her.  She then gifted a hand knitted blanket to the baby girl.  It was fantastic catching up with her, try her great Chai again, and just chat even though too short of a time.
We had brunch at Cafe Chloe in the Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego.  Totally recommended.  Great food, nice ambiance, and polite and welcoming servers.
A and I really liked San Diego like always.  Hard to leave now.  Especially since M and A left by plane back home and I am on my own to Santa Barbara.  Well, baby girl is keeping me company so quietly for now :)

A Few More Hours in Budapest

Got an hour of boat tour on the Danube.  It was very cold and not much enjoyable but still I got some sun burn.  Beauty of it was that I floated on Danube for an hour which sounded very romantic.  Got to see some old buildings from afar and mark the places I would like to explore when I am here again with my family enshala.
Walked back to the hotel from the pier using the internal streets.  Two blocks eat of the river there was a promenade for a few blocks that was really charming to walk in.  I found a souvenir shop in an inner alley which was also an antic shop.  It was really interesting exploring the old china and dolls and medals from communist era.  The first thing that caught my eyes was a Hungarian doll I fell in love immediately.  It was very bizarre as I never played with dolls growing up but now expecting a baby girl I thought I wanted to buy it for 2000 Hungarian Flute, $8.  I also got to buy a hand rafted table cloth with needle works and crochet.  I found A a hand made wooden game of balance I hope he enjoys experimenting with.  Wish I could find M a decent present but alas.  But got our household a bag of paprika and a couple porcelain small dishes I hope he enjoys.
These kind of promenade is exactly what I like about Europe.  Especially in cheaper places like Budapest.  I hope to go back one day with my family.  In fact a colleague from the area recommended that I should combine visiting Prague, Vienna, and Budapest in one trip and I liked the idea.  Until then.

Me, the Baby, and Budapest

The meeting I am attending is in Sofitel hotel, Budapest.  It is a nice hotel actually and what makes it nice is the service.  People are super friendly.  The waiters at the breakfast buffet smile at you and watch for your every need.  I thought may be it was only in the hotel but even outside people are not afraid to ask if you needed direction if you were looking on the map.  People seem relax and feeling safe.  And those who serve, don't act as if you are burden.  It is refreshing.
Yesterday the ladies in the Event team asked me if I wanted anything especial in my room, being pregnant and all.  I requested fruit graciously and received and enjoyed it.  Today in the elevator I got to meet a waiter who asked if I liked my fruit!!  I must be the only pregnant lady in the whole hotel.  It is kind of neat now actually as I feel like a celebrity.  My international colleagues are also really careful and complementing which is real nice.

Exploring Budapest for 2 Hours

Got to explore the center of the city a little bit.  In fact, only the Pest side of the city.  Apparently the name Budapest is composed of the name of the two cities neighboring the Danube: Buda and Pest.My colleagues and I got a Hop On Hop Off bus tour for $25 that is valid for two days and allows you take a boat tour as well.  I thought it was quite a good deal.
We embarked after the general sessions of the Sales Meeting I am attending and presenting at during this trip. Got to visit a couple monuments and few buildings that looked old, but were only from 1800s.  One of my colleagues, K.C. and I, hop off at Heroes' Square to explore on foot.  There were some statues and then a bridge below which, on the frozen platform, people were ice skating.  It was real neat to watch. Then there was a garden with a few old buildings and a church, all old looking but only from 1800s which was interesting to me.
When we got back to the station K.C. realized that he had lost his ticket.  So we got to explore some sections of the city on foot.  It was right around noon and not too cold so it actually turned out nicely.
We had a quick lunch at a Turkish Halal buffet-like place.  At the counter the guy said marhaba to me, meaning welcome in Arabic.  So I responded back: marhaba.  And ordered a large Turkish tea as I was somewhat freezing.  He asked if I was Iranian!  I confirmed but asked how he knew and he responded from the color of my skin and my accent!!  I had hardly said anything and I was sure compared to the rest of European and Middle Easterners I had a more American accent than not.  So was puzzled until I realized the accent he was referring to was my Arabic accent in saying marhaba.  The food was real good and I got to chat a bit deeper than ever with K.C. which was real nice.
Close to the hotel there was a park with a local market we got to go through with no cash in our pockets.  Otherwise there were many interesting things and delicious looking foods we had to pass on.
I have a more appreciation for the city now.  I hope to come back with M and A and the baby enshala.

Iran and America Through a Different Lense

A photographer from New York embarked a journey to Iran in December.  I admire his vision and his fact-finding nature in not limiting himself to political media to learn about Iran, especially at this time out of all times.

Enjoy his blog as I absolutely enjoyed every word and every picture!