Colombia Travel

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from the ProExports Colombia to attend an event to find out more about Colombia as a MICE (meetings, incentives, congress, expo) destination. A few people that I work with have gone to see rose growers in Colombia and have expressed what a beautiful destination it is. While they never had any fear for their lives, they understood that the concerns were there.

Someone please tell me that they've got other things than just FRIED stuff in Colombia!!

I was waffling on whether or not to attend. I just didn't see it as a safe destination for my group - you've heard it all: shootings, kidnappings, murders, muggings, robbery, drug trade, civil wars...the list goes on and on. However, my curiousity of the unknown got the best of me and I decided to attend.

Preserved Fig in Arequipe (dulce de leche)

Let me explain something - I hate going to industry events. Don't get me wrong - they're always well run with free flowing booze, food, prizes and take aways. The problem is that I'm a department of one and as such I have to attend these big events by myself. And since I'm on my own, the only people for me to talk to are the vendors. I'm not big on small talk (I'll generally ask all kinds of personal questions that are none of my business within 5 minutes of meeting you) so these types of functions actually kill me slowly and painfully.

As Eli Gorin, CMP from Miami was giving the presentation from a US meeting planner's perspective, I started to perk up. Benefits:

• about 8 hours or so from LAX to Bogota
• 2 1/2 to Cartagena from Miami
• produce and foods grown/produced locally without relying on imports (cost savings if you do events)
• strong dollar
• no tax for foreign companies
• PADI 5 scuba diving, water sports, culture, history, shopping

Did I mention the strong dollar value??

As for safety, I'm no dummy. I realize the challenges that are faced there. I also realize that some of it really relies on the common sense that you would use when you travel anywhere. Don't wear flashy jewelry, don't flash the cash, lay low, and be respectful. Why wouldn't you follow that premise where ever you go?? Kidnappings in Bogota are usually of government officials, military officers, wealthy businessmen, etc etc. It's not going to be some meeting planner from LA. I'm poorer than the kidnappers. By the time the presenation was over, I was totally on board and thinking about visiting Cartagena or Medellin for my vacation this year!

That's when it happened: I answered a question correctly and won a 2 night stay in Medellin! Woah. That never happens! A few minutes later, they announced that they were going to do the grand prize drawing - Airfare AND hotel at the Intercontinental...and they picked ME!!! I won a trip to Medellin, Colombia!!! Dates are still TBD but I'm actually excited about going! (despite the "don't get kidnapped" comments I've been receiving.) Incidentally, I'll probably get some sort of insurance - I'm not completely out of my mind.

**Incidentally, the only thing that I know about Medellin comes from watching Entourage and, as I was reminded, Clear and Present Danger...sad, I know...

Experience traveling...

I've been traveling from as far back as I can remember - first in those dreaded (now looked upon with fond memories) road trips in the station wagon with my brothers, then on my first flight to Japan, first solo trip (sans parents) to Hawaii, and beyond. Through all my years traveling, I've learned the difference between being a spectator and being a participant. It took me a heck of a lot of years to know the difference and to finally understand why being a spectator isn't nearly as much fun as being a participant (i'm very, very slow).

So my new resolve was to try to experience something unique about the region I'm traveling to. It's what I do for my incentive trip guests, so why shouldn't I travel that way on my own?? It's crazy not to!!

Take this photo below, for instance. This was in Langhirano, home of the Prosciutto di Parma festival...all tours conducted in ITALIAN only. Do you think Erin & I understood Italian? Heck no. But once the owner's son clued into the fact that we didn't understand a word of what was going on, he ran to get his girlfriend so that they could walk us through step by step! Wonderful couple, wonderful experience!

Mixing perfume has got to be one of my favorite things to try! I discovered that while I don't have a "nose", I can at least mix up something that I like...and I finally came to understand how perfume is made and what I like!

No visit to London is complete without having High Tea. It was probably the most expensive meal of our trip, but so worth it! Lots of food...lots of pretense...lots of fun.

Ok, admittedly, this next one did not pan out well. I hated paddling and i just didn't have the leg strength to stand up. As you can see, it was pretty sad overall. I had high hopes for myself that one day I'd be the Big Kahuna of surfing. All I became was...well, Big.

Dancing at my cousin's wedding was truly a privilege. It was great because I didn't really have a call to be nervous. After all, I didn't know most of those people at the wedding and those I did know, I was related to so stress levels were very, very low. How often can you say you've danced in a kimono (worth more than my car) in Japan at a wedding??

Oh, ziplining in Costa Rica. Now THAT experience is the top of the top. I'm terrified of heights but thankfully, I didn't let that stop me. My fear would've forced me to miss out on one of the most breathtaking (literally) views and activities I'd ever had in my life. I had a great time traveling with these friends (former co-workers) and I will always cherish our quick weekend in Costa Rica together!! ahhh...the memories!

I love parmesan. Why wouldn't I go and visit the factory where the original big mama was made?? Of course I would!! Wow. I was considering stuffing one under my protective clothes but those suckers are HEAVY. and expensive.

Ok, we all know I don't know squat about cooking but seeing as how I love Italian food, it also made sense to me to learn how to make it in ITALY! It gave me a chance to meet other people from all over the world!! and now I know how to make Gnocchi!!
I don't know how this mess became gnocchi, but it did. Best gnocchi I've ever had!!

All that to say, it's great to just go with the flow and VIEW the historical monuments, famous paintings, temples, churches, blah blah blah...but be sure to schedule some time to interact and experience the real culture and lifestyle of where you are visiting. It's never been easier to gather up free, timely information off the internet! Even for obscure locations, you'll be surprised how much information is out there. Go forth and conquer!

Good luck and happy travels!

WLA Obon

Normally, I avoid the Obon season like the black plague. I hate running into people I haven't seen in years...mostly because I can place a face, but not always a name to a face. Oh and the small talk. I hate the small talk. It's always the same: "So, how are you?" [Fine]; followed by, "What have you been up to??" [ummm...not much...work...travel...enjoying life...]; followed by "so do you have kids? married?" [someday I will say, yes, 7 kids, all with different fathers but not married to any of them, just to see their expressions]

Obon in Japan, is the celebration/honoring the departed spirits of my ancestors [not just mine...]. It's typically celebrated around August 15th and I will inevitably get a call from my family in Japan as they gather to participate in Ohakamaeri to clean the graves and honor the deceased. What follows after usually consists of food, sake, and if the timing is just perfect, a trip to the Obon. In the US, it's about gathering around and seeing people you haven't seen in years, eating, dancing, and playing games.

Here's the thing, two of the most adorable kids came over to attend the WLA Obon and I just couldn't say no. Look at them...could YOU?

Another reason I do like to go is to eat [shocker, I know]. I slurped up my udon so fast I didn't have time to take a photo of it, otherwise, I'm sure I would've added that to the photos below. The teriyaki chicken leg was surprisingly moist unlike the dried out chicken I get from other carnivals.

Ok, let me be super honest...the real reason I like going is for the item below. Shave Ice. I love this simple, cheap summertime treat. It's super easy to do but it's such a treat for me since I refuse to buy a snow cone maker.

I thought about breaking out my alter ego, Fujima Yumie, to dance bon odori [I can teach anyone who's interested!] but it was way too crowded for me to have enough patience to deal with it. Plus, they took out all my stand by dances that I used to know!! What on earth? Granted, it was super easy, just not as much fun as I remembered.

Incidentally, I did go back for another Snow Cone on Sunday. It was just too tempting to pass up.

Why Jenny should not be allowed to surf the interweb...

There's a reason why people like me should not be allowed to surf the internet. One, my house is a disaster and I really need to tame it before it overcomes me and eats me alive. The other reason is that I find sites like White on Rice and surf around on their site. Do you know what I found??? the Victory Garden. Darn them and their stupid pretty photos...and their inspirational quote, "We started off our garden on our balcony..." Wait...wait, i think to myself...i've got more than a balcony...I've got a whole backyard to fill. My backyard could someday look like theirs!!

So I'm willing to bet you can guess what I did this weekend. Yeah. I gardened. When I say "gardened", I mean I bought some crap and repotted it. That's about as fancy as I get. But what's crazier is that I bought 3 half wine barrels to use as a planter (thank you, craigslist). They are so beautiful - and Gregory, the guy who sold them to me, brought them down from Napa and carried about 20 of them up the steepest set of stairs (and 3 back down for me!). If only I wasn't too lazy to lift the 50 pound barrels to see what wineries they were from. I'm giddy that I have them but seriously...these things are HUGE!!

See photo below...do you notice what my plants aren't in? Right, the wine barrels. I got overwhelmed with "location, location, location" of the plants because these suckers weight 50 pounds WITHOUT anything in them so I froze...and ended up using pots that I had purchased previously on my last run of "I'm going to be a home gardener" mode.

Clockwise L - R: heirloom tomato; sweet basil; lemon grass; tomato; arugula; cilantro; french thyme

...and incidentally, my house is still a mess.

Napa Eats!

I'm one of those people who is usually just one (or 5 steps) step behind any trend. I'm usually pretty suspicious of anything new and need to scope, study, research, hold, smell, shake, and kick it until I'm absolutely sure. Well, that's pretty much what happened with the Girl and Fig in Sonoma. I've heard about this place for years but just didn't feel it. Inspiration struck this time around and with no other plans in place, this was the first real meal of the trip!

We started with a cheese plate. I have this love-hate relationship with Cheese. I love it, it hates me. (hmmm....i'm not waxing philosophical on that so back off, friends.) Darn Lactose. What good has it ever done me?? Moving along, I really can't explain why I chose the Mussels in a Pastis butter sauce. I hate Pastis due to its heavy licorice flavor. Oh...and I actually hate mussels - they creep me out. I used to see them clinging on to dear life beneath the Venice Pier...and all the locals know how polluted THOSE waters are. Overall, we found that our meal was really heavy handed with the salt (as evidenced by the pitcher of water I drank) but that wasn't the fun part of the evening. It was the people surrounding us.

On one side, we had the romantic couple, a young lady with the little girl voice who (loudly) professed her love and adoration to the relatively bland and uninteresting fellow she was with. No joke, people...i had to stop the gagging noise coming from deep within my throat from coming out into the big wide world. On the other side, we had a hysterical...i mean hysterical, travel writer from the New York Times who insisted on sharing her dessert with us. She saved the night for us. Thanks, Laura...you rock!

Whenever you hear the words, "The BEST" in relation to food, you know that many times it's totally subjective. Case in point: Boon Fly Cafe's donuts. I dragged Erin to go to this place because I heard the donuts were the "Best". They were ok. JUST ok. I can make better donuts than this. I had the chilaquiles which I devoured. Now THAT was great!

Personally, I thought that the best meal of the trip came from Ad Hoc. Ad Hoc is a Thomas Keller restaurant that started off as an experiment! Due to popular demand they kept it the way they had it - why mess with a good thing??!! I'm really into family style dining, and "pre-fixe" menus, especially since I really have few food restrictions and I have a hard time making up my mind. They do ask if you have any allergies and I know that they have alternative meals available for those with allergies or those who wish a vegetarian option (they like to be notified in advance).

We started with a salad...and the biggest hunks of applewood bacon I've ever consumed by myself. We moved along to the Kansas City Steak - this meat just MELTED in my mouth. How can meat be so rare but still taste perfectly done?? I must know this secret...for those in the know...please share!!!

I don't normally like au gratin but the way they prepared it was perfect (not pictured)!! We finished off the evening with a chocolate mousse and a cheese plate. I had to stop myself from licking the bowl clean. Such restraint, I know...

We were tipped off by our bartender at the Wine Merchant about this place, Bistro Jeanty, after he had to pry the finished bowl of tomato soup from my hands. I swear Wine Merchant at the Oxbow Public Marketplace has the BEST european style (rustic, not thin....and not thickened by cream) Tomato Soup outside of Europe. Chef Miguel Sanchez ROCKED THAT TOMATO SOUP. Sorry. ok, back on track. Bartender...Bistro Jeanty. The only thing more intriguing than the BEST TOMATO SOUP outside of europe was PUFF PASTRY over creamy tomato soup (even if it was the thin runny kind). That's all we had with a salad. And i promptly gained about 15 pounds right onto my @$$. *SIGH*.

One would think I stopped there. Oh no...

With Bouchon Bakery just a few blocks away, how could I ignore this destination? This lemon tart made me cry...and wish I had the foresight to buy TWO!! Oh well...something to look forward to!!! Clearly, I couldn't even be bothered to wait to take a picture before devouring half of it. It was worth the wait to find a parking space AND to get into Bouchon Bakery (no joke, the line was out the door).

Ok, seriously...let's not act all shocked if I die of diabetic shock. I actually downed 6 of these bad boys all by myself. They were delicious. And also available at the Oxbow Public Market.

The Girl and the Fig

110 Spain St

Sonoma, CA

707-938-3634

The Boon Fly Cafe

4048 Sonoma Hwy

Napa, CA

707-299-4870

Ad Hoc

6476 Washington Street

Yountville, CA

707-944-2487

Bistro Jeanty

6510 Washington Street

Yountville, CA

707-944-0103

Bouchon Bakery

6528 Washington Street

Yountville, CA

707-944-2253

Oxbow Wine Merchant

610 1st Street

Napa, CA

707-257-5200

Northern California Food Markets...

Ferry Building Marketplace, San Francisco

In an attempt to find Andante Artisan Cheeses, I stumbled across the Ferry Building Marketplace. Miette, Ciao Bella, Frog Hollow, Boccalone Salumeria, McEvoy Ranch Olive Oil amongst many other vendors. This is the first (and only) place we hit in San Francisco on our way up. While I probably would never shop here on a regular basis with these prices, it was perfect for a vacationer like myself.

I managed to get out of the Ferry Building with just a couple of packages of salami from Boccalone Salumeria (YUUUUMM!!), peaches from Frog Hollow (sweeeet!), Cocoa Nibs/Chocolate powder from Scharfenberger and macarons from Miette (crispy outside, chewy inside).

Oxbow Public Market, Napa

Another place I wanted to visit if there was time was the Hog Island Oyster Company in Tomales Bay. You could tour the area and visit the oyster farms. They also have a picnic area where you can actually enjoy the gooey bites of deliciousness (reserve ahead). Unfortunately, going out to Tomales Bay would have really interferred our plans of doing as little as possible. The next best thing was going out to the Oxbow Public Market in downtown Napa. Turns out that the Founder/CEO was the Project Manager for the Ferry Building Marketplace.

I ended up with only 6 pcs...it was pretty pricey for what it was at $18 for an assortment, otherwise I would've done a dozen. Go on Tuesday or Wednesday from 5 - 7pm and you can them for a buck each!

After strolling around downtown Napa we decided to come back to the Oxbow (well, for one, our car was here) to have dinner at the Wine Merchant. They've got the best Tomato Soup outside of Europe - thick, chunky and NON creamy! Our barkeep referred us to Bistro Jeanty for a creamy tomato soup that's covered in puff pastry...anything in puff pastry can't be bad, right???

Sadly, I never did find Andante Artisan Cheese but that's just one more thing to anticipate for future trips!

Wine Tasting...

This was vastly different from my other trips up to Napa/Sonoma Wine Country in that it wasn't a back to back race from winery to winery. Instead, E and I visited only 3 wineries: Peju, Frogs Leap, and Ravenswood.

I wanted to restock some wines from Peju so we headed down there and were lucky enough to see Alan, the rapping, yodeling, representative of Peju. Luckily, I had called them ahead to let them know I'd be showing up so they were expecting me. I don't know how we did it but we walked out of there with a CASE of various wines. Personally, I think it was the rapping that sold me.

E brought up Frogs Leap so I called to see if we could come in for a tasting. $15 got us a flight of 5 wines and a cheese plate. Frogs Leap is one of the original pioneers of organically grown grapes and ecologically sustainable farming techniques in Napa. Please note that there is a difference between organic wines (which do not have a long shelf life) and organically grown products used in wines - the wines can't call themselves "organic" probably have sulfites that have been added. The staff there were extremely friendly, knowledge and helpful - we had a great time learning about the valley, relaxing on the wrap around porch and enjoying the tasty nibbles!

One experience that I had planned in advance was a wine blending class at Ravenswood with Peter Griffith. Peter got back to my email right away and noted that I was a dying breed (an employed CMP). He normally only did the class for groups with a minimum of 6 but he kindly offered it out to me - I only hope that I can get a group back out there soon!! It was a fantastic experience!

Peter managed to dumb this down enough so that even I could understand it. The Zin provided the fruits, the Carignan provided the acid, and the Petite Syrah the body. Not so surprisingly, I really liked it heavy on the Petite Syrah. We started out to with the knowledge that whatever we "mixed" together, it needed to add up to 20ml. Problem number 1: i can't add. It took me a few tries but with the help of my fingers and toes, I somehow managed to get it done!

We used the pipettes to measure out each of the 3 types of wines to blend the perfect wine for each of our palates. It was a lot like perfume making in that the sense of taste (like the sense of smell) got tired after 3 - 4 tastings. Problem 2: After a while, I just got tired of trying to figure out which i liked so I went with my best last tasting.


One thing I was excited about was doing a barrel tasting - never got to do that until that day. We sampled a barrancia 2008 (YUM!). Problem 3: We were strongly encouraged to spit. I never spit because I just find it a waste of good wine. We did enough tasting where this was actually a good (and valid suggestions, after I was informed that if I were intoxicated while riding a bike, I would still get a DUI. *SIGH*) We also had the opportunity to taste other wines, including some of the wines from the library collection. It was a great experience, one I highly recommend to give you a broader understanding of wine structure!

Peju Province Winery
8466 St Helena Hwy
Rutherford, CA 94573
707-963-3600

Frog's Leap
8815 Conn Creek Road
Rutherford, CA 4573
707.963.4704

Ravenswood Wine
18701 Gehricke Road
Sonoma, California 95476
707-933-2332
peter.griffith@ravenswood-wine.com (to sign up for the blending class!)

Experiments in Photography...

My first attempt with movement...wind through the reeds...

I took some photo classes about 10 years ago. It gave me all the basics I needed to know about aperture, depth of field, f stops, etc. All it ended up doing was confusing the heck out of me. I was so wrapped up in the technical knowledge, I lost any desire to do anything creatively.

Last year, I went out and bought a preeeetty new Canon 40D to bring with me on vacation hoping I'd be re-inspired. Not so much - Secretly, I actually hated it from the moment I brought it home. I was frustrated by it and was convinced it was broken. (I was convinced that my film SLR camera was broken after my class, as well). Last week I decided, "what the hey...i'm bringing this bad boy with me on vacation and I'm just going to play with it." Screw the aperture, depth of field, f-stops, ISO, etc and just concentrate on the shot.

Funny thing happened. I re-discovered the soft fuzzy backgrounds (above)...and movement (below)...

Oh yeah. Water movement. Wait...what was the rule for photographing water?? ummm...vague recollections of something...ummm...well, whatever...just keep playing...i'll get it eventually.

Wait...seriously??? BIRDS??? i never get that lucky!!! Of course, I was totally focused on the bushes in FRONT of the fountain. GAAAAR! Oh well...the point is that I acknowledge that I need to be faster but at least I have re-discovered my love of photography!!! Who knew? I know myself well enough to know that I won't just take photos around my neighborhood but hopefully, I can take a day here and there to shoot around! Otherwise, it'll have to happen during my vacations...and who knows when my next one will be!!