Flying Business Class Across the Pond

My work (and holidays) entail quite a bit of flying and on occasion, I am fortunate enough to ride in Business Class across the pond.   I have ridden in Business Class on several of the major domestic carriers in
America and with this experience, I found it interesting to compare and contrast my first Business Class flight on a domestic carrier I have not flown for 8 years.  

Several minor differences were noticeable which made me completely unimpressed with this particular carrier (keep in mind some of these may just be part of the bad luck that follows me):

• No lounge inside security which is standard at every other major airport to which I have been – business class passengers are entitled to free admittance to the lounge to relax prior to flight but this particular airlines did not have a lounge by the boarding gates – you had to go out of security to go to this which is extremely poor
• No bottled water for pre-flight hydration – staying hydrated is very important and this is the first airline I have flown that did not provide this basic necessity
• No writing utensil in the ‘business class care package’ that includes socks, lotions, toothbrush, etc.. – at some point in the flight you need to fill out your customs forms and again seems like a simple item to include to provide convenience for the passengers
• The food portions and quality of food were not different from what they served in coach (I rode in coach on the return trip so I know this for a fact) – for what the ticket costs, you would hope they would not skimp on the food –  an example is the plentiful fruit plate served with breakfast – it included 3 halves of strawberries and 4 very small slices of melon or the salad that had 4 pieces of lettuce and a small cherry tomato

To be fair, there were a few things I noticed that were nice:

• The pre-dinner snack of warm collection of nuts also included pistachios which is a first for me
• The airline provided each business class passenger a set of Bose noise reduction headphones for use during the flight

All in all though, this particular unnamed airline was quite disappointing.  Fortunately since I did not pay for the flight out of my own pocket, I have nothing about which to be concerned.  However, when compared to my experiences in Business Class on other
US carriers, this one falls well short.

Weekend in the Big City

Being that I work so close to New York City, from time to time I stay there on the weekend.   Part of my strategy is to stay during the colder months as this is not high tourism season and thus you can find several affordable hotels.   This particular trip, I had no tourist plans so I devoted my time to discovering new places.  

First of all, I discovered a neat hotel in a really good location – The Mansfield – located at 44^th and Lexington.   This hotel was a short walk to Times Square, 2 blocks to a Subway stop and very close to Grand Central Station.    I actually found this on Expedia at a rate about $70 less than what they were offering via their reservation line. 

My first new discovery was from venturing into the Meatpacking District.  I had been to a fantastic little restaurant there before called 5ninth and during that trip noticed what appeared to be quite a few nice looking places.   So I chose one called Vento – an Italian restaurant in a V-shaped building a major intersection where 3 roads merged.   The atmosphere at this place was nice and the food was good and it was definitely a popular spot.  Whilst there I learned of several other places to check out at later dates.  

Later that evening I met a colleague and friend of mine at a small NYC dive bar called Rudy’s.   This spot on 44^th and 9^th is easily found due to the 8 foot tall pink pig standing guard to the entrance.   Once inside I found that this place had lots to offer for a cool spot – $7 pitchers of beer, free hot dogs and surprisingly friendly patrons.   Definitely a fun place if you are just into inexpensively enjoying yourself and meeting some interesting and nice people.  

The next evening I found my way to a Swedish restaurant called Ulrika’s – located on 60^th between Park and Lexington.   On my flight back from Iceland in February, I sat next to a delightful bird who was originally from Sweden but now teaches voice in NYC.  Being that she was Swedish, I inquired with her about a good authentic place in NYC.  She did not let me down.  I am by no means a Swedish food connoisseur but this place was good from a purely food perspective.   First of all, it was very crowded which for a restaurant is always a good sign but not overly crowded so that it was unpleasant.   Also, my ears noticed a large amount of foreign language resonating which if I were to guess was definitely Scandinavian in nature and most likely Swedish – another good sign that this place was authentic.   My buddy and I dined on some nice gravalax (salmon) for an appetizer and we both tried the Swedish meatballs for a main course.  Fantastic.   I also ventured into the world of Aquavits (a flavor infused alcohol similar to vodka) trying a four flavor sampler.  

The last stop of this evening was to meet a friend at a Moroccan Tapas Bar/Lounge called Kemia.   This was located at 44^th and 9^th as well and was in a basement area beneath a restaurant with the entrance being off 44^th.   Immediately upon descending the stairs I found myself in the kind of space I thoroughly enjoy.  It was dimly lit with small candles providing some light and a very nice décor.   The main area was small stools and couches for lounging about.   Apparently my timing was good because not more than 15 minutes after I arrived, there was a belly dancing show.   The belly dancers first performance involved belly dancing but with a round tray with 8 lit candles resting on her head the entire time.  Now to me, belly dancing and the accompanying music is very beautiful due to the sheer grace.  Couple that with the dancer maintaining a tray of candles on her head the entire time and it was quite an extravagant performance.  The belly dancer continued for 3 or 4 more songs and even involved some of the onlookers into the performance.  Fortunately I evaded selection for this participation.   This place was definitely a gem of a find.

Breaking up the Routine

The type of consulting I do is such that I am in one location for 3 months up to 3 years.  This particular assignment in Islandia, NY is one of the longer term opportunities.  As you can imagine, living in a hotel precludes any home cooked dinners.   And after a while, going to dinner gets to be a little monotonous.   Recently some colleagues of mine and I decided to try something new.   Near where we work is one of those gaming / dining places called Dave and Busters.  You can eat there, sit at the bar and watch sports or go in their good sized game room and play all types of video games and other fun things.   Well, no D&B would be complete without the Pop-a-Shot game where you try to make as many baskets as you can.  Like many games there, you can compete against others.   So hopefully you can see where this is leading.

After a very busy day, one of my colleagues brought up the idea of going for a little Pop-a-shot throw-down.   He plays basketball in the company’s intramural league and me being of Indiana descent where basketball is in my blood was up for the challenge.   Some pre-game smack talk flew back and forth and our other colleagues wanted to come witness this.   We all went and had dinner there first and then as they say, it was time to ‘let the games begin’.   We had a warm-up match and then the real thing.  Best of 3… The first match I was soundly beaten.  The second match I gave the sound beating.  The third and decisive match saw me receive an even more soundly beating.   After all the smack talk, I received a sound whooping and it made it worse as 3 colleagues witnessed it.   

After that we moved on to the NASCAR racing game where up to 6 people can race against each other.  This is definitely another great way to let off some steam and have some mildly competitive fun.  

Editor’s Note:  2 weeks later the wife of one my colleagues was even talking some post game smack about my defeat at Pop-a-shot.   Apparently word had traveled far and wide… 

City Night #3

Having already tried Brazilian and Americana BBQ, it was time to come up with something brand new.   The whole concept of the city trips to go out was becoming very popular.   And in an effort to maintain the uniqueness of my attempts to educate and create new experiences for everyone, I chose to pursue a trip to a Russian restaurant.   A colleague on the project is Russian so I solicited his assistance in picking a place.   Due to the need of authenticity, he chose a spot in Brooklyn.   So not only would everyone experience Russian cuisine for the first time, they would also get a chance to go to Brooklyn which was also a new experience! 

We went with a fixed price menu which is the typical way to enjoy a Russian dining experience.   This particular restaurant – Café Izba – was completely empty as our group of twelve was seated.   The cold appetizers were our first course and these completely covered all available space on the table.  These ranged from seafood to sliced cow’s tongue.    It was during these first courses that the true meaning of the experience was introduced – drinking a shot of Vodka.   The Vodka started coming out at different intervals but the idea was to have a shot and eat food and then eat more food, have another shot and eat more food.    The second course of hot appetizers also hid the table beneath with the bountiful delicacies – one of which was a small piece of bread with a half pineapple slice on top and covered with a small portion of cooked calf liver and marinated with strawberry sauce.   Let me say this was fantastic.   After more Vodka and more food, the main courses appeared which included Chicken Kiev, ground Lamb kebabs and rabbit.    By the time the main courses arrived, a lot of Vodka had been drunk and most people were already filled up from prior courses.   However, the eating continued.

By the time we walked out the door 3 hours later, I think everyone had eaten and drank more than they ever thought humanly possible.   The proprietors of the restaurant noted that we were the wildest group they had ever had in their restaurant.   Good thing we were the only ones in that night!

Saga of Iceland

I am half way there already in this year for reaching my annual personal goal of visiting at least 2 new countries each year.   Being in New York makes winter European travel very accessible for 3 reasons – a bountiful number of available flights on every imaginable airline, the cheapest fares known to North America during winter for European flights and of course, the journey time from New York is the shortest (or close to it) in North America.

This weekend jaunt to Reykjavic, Iceland met all 3 prescribed criteria – direct flight on Iceland Air, $400 round trip and under 5 hours over and approximately 5.5 hours back.   One word sums the planning up – fantastic.

I arrived on Friday morning at 6:30 a.m. and with a very short flight, one can imagine not a lot of sleep was gained.   It was still very dark on the bus ride to my hotel.  Normally Hotels do not allow you to check in until the afternoon but after only waiting for 1.5 hours, I was able to get a room that had become available.   It was nearing 10 a.m. and the dawn was just occurring on this windy and rainy day.   During the course of my hike around Reykjavic, I noticed a few peculiarities.   All the cars were making loud clickity sounds as they drove by me.  After a brief moment of thought, I realized that they were all wearing special metal studded tires to enhance winter traction.  Iceland being surrounded by water is very damp and thus with cold temperatures and dampness, roads and sidewalks are invariably very slick.    The other thing I noticed was that a lot of the places that I went into had automatic doors.  You would approach the door to walk in and it would just start opening.  Or you would start to pull it open and soon it was occurring by itself.  I had to adapt so I didn’t look so startled each time this happened.  The sun disappeared from the sky around 5:00 p.m.   During the shortest days in winter, the sun does not rise until 11 p.m. and sets at 4 p.m. However, on the reverse, the longest days in summer contain 24 hours of light so they experience both extremes with daylight.

Saturday involved hopping on a tour bus for a journey around the island to see some of the plethora of natural phenomenons.   One of the first facts we were presented was that Iceland is the youngest European country as far as the existence of the land mass.   It was formed by volcanic activity well after the main continent had formed.   The topography of the island was carved by the glaciers as they melted and moved off to sea.   This is definitely evident as you drive around the island.   Strangely you notice the lack of forestation everywhere.  This is explained by the unsuitable soil – lava rock – that covers the majority of the island.   However, they have successfully begun planting several forests in an effort to provide more trees.   With this current lack of trees, the uninhabited parts of the island make you feel as if you are the moon where you would see very little natural life.   Another stop was the Gulfloss waterfall which was amazing.   We then went to the sight of some active geysers.   The main geyser – strokkur, remains active today pouring forth bursts of water every 3 to 4 minutes.   I believe it is the 4^th largest (height of water spouting) in the world.   We continued on to see the riff caused by shifting tectonic plates that separate the European shelf and the North American shelf.   At one point you can see where the European shelf is sinking.  It is quite amazing to see.

Of course, no trip would be incomplete without sampling the local dining. The first evening, I went to a restaurant in my hotel which is one of the best in all of Iceland.   I already knew that whatever they had on the menu that involved Lamb, would be selection.   The lamb (and other animals) are raised on the island and are free of any kind of hormones.  Also, Iceland maintain s very strict laws about absolutely no other animals are allowed to be brought to the island in order to prevent the introduction of diseases and other petulance.  This combined with the natural pure and pollutant free environment, produces some of the best, if not the best, meat in the world – especially lamb.   You will know you have arrived when you have a lamb shoulder butchered, packaged and overnight via air to you for use at a party you host!    Surprisingly another item considered a ‘must-have’ was a good old hot dog!  Yes, these are everywhere and it is in all the tour books that you have to have a hot dog.   I of course indulged and will say that they are good – the casing gives the ‘crunch’ when you bite into much like an authentic Chicago-style Vienna hot dog would.   Unfortunately due to one not being in close proximity of where I was, I was unable to sample the local McDonald fare. 

The return flight was delayed a bit due to mechanical issues but also due in part to the 20 inches of snow that New York received late Saturday and Sunday morning.   Thus, my next entry will most likely involve the challenges of returning to my home country in the throngs of a blizzard and trying to travel 45 miles to a hotel.  Stay tuned…

City Night #2

The second trip of the year into NYC for a new ‘cultural’ experience for us was at a BBQ place called Virgil’s.   The recommendation for this came from a Texan who moved to NYC so I figured it was a safe bet if someone who knows good BBQ recommended the place.   The group for this outing grew to 14 people.   It was a diverse group again and we even had one courageous person who was a vegetarian tag along just for the entertainment factor.   Of course, no one was shy when it came to ordering food so we had many plates of the trifecta – Memphis ribs, Carolina pulled pork and Texas brisket.   Let me tell you this was a feast that most mortals could not finish which was my situation for the evening.   However, after much carnage being consumed and a few beverages, this evening ended with another successful social outing to the city.

Slovenia in New York City

Tonight I made a trip to the city with a colleague and friend of mine for dinner at a restaurant in the Meatpacking District called 5ninth.   We arrived prior to our reservation so we went to the bar to order a glass of wine before dinner.   Upon perusing the wine list, one particular wine caught my eye – a Merlot from Slovenia.   Needless to say I was very excited as this was the first time that I had ever seen Slovenian wine on the wine list anywhere I had been in my homeland.  

For those of you that know me, Slovenia is very near and dear to my heart.  I have very good friends there and even wrote a monthly article for a magazine in Ljubljana for 2 years.   My very first trip to Slovenia involved an evening of sampling the indigenous wines that Slovenia produces.  One particular variety is called Teran.   In subsequent trips to Slovenia I was able to explore some of these vineyards as well as sample the local wine in some of the countries finest restaurants.   I am definitely not a Wine Spectator wine scorer but definitely felt that some of the wines I had there were fantastic.   So the next time you are dining if you come across a wine list that has wines from Slovenia, give it a shot.

Destination Sacramento

As part of my continual travels, I attempt to make it to California for some weekends.   One important consideration to California trips is how long I can be there.  If it is a normal weekend and I fly from New York, I will arrive late on Friday night and have to return on a mid-morning Sunday flight unless of course I take the Sunday evening redeye.  This presents a dilemma – be in California for little over 36 hours or get that extra full day on Sunday but pay the price with very little sleep and a full work day on Monday.   To solve this dilemma, I try to schedule my flights out to California or the West Coast over long weekends.   This way I can enjoy the entire weekend and return East on Monday.   Otherwise I would have to take a vacation day and that makes it too easy.   Maneuvering to maximize a travel experience while minimizing time away from work is half the fun of planning.

The weekend was very fun as I was able to spend a lot of time being worn out by my non-stop playing 16 month old niece!   The good part for me is that spending so much time playing with her and at this age where she is picking things up quickly, only gives me hope that she may actually know who I am at some point!   My proudest moment of the weekend was when I taught my niece to say ‘shadow’.  She was walking out of the lighted kitchen into the dark hallway and saw her shadow.  She then began saying shadow and pointing at her shadow.  

City Night #1

Working on the road entails quite a few nights (every night) eating at a restaurant or some other food providing establishment.  Well, since I am working a mere 1.5 hour drive in good traffic from New York City, I took it upon myself to organize dinner trips to the city.  The rules are simple – carpool in, try different types of restaurants and enjoy yourselves.   The first type of food selected for this group outing was a Brazilian Churascerria.   This is the place where you indulge in more meat that should be acceptable.    You basically sit at your table with a small coaster size device that is red on one side and green on the other.  When you are ready for the waiters carrying kebabs of meet to stop, you show the green side.   They will bring many varieties of beef, pork, chicken and lamb for you to try.  When you have your fill, you simply display the red side.   The key to this is to pace yourself.   Otherwise you can become easily overwhelmed and end up eating way too much.   However, this is a very fun experience.  The first dinner group totaled 10 people and a good time was had by all.   Part of our experience was enhanced by having 3 Brazilian Portuguese speakers with us who are very good critics of their homelands food.   This language benefit also aided us in getting better service from the predominantly Portuguese speaking waitstaff.

History in the Harbor

Today I had the opportunity to explore 2 very historic landmarks of the American culture – The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.    Now both of these have very storied pasts.   However to get to experience them first hand was very stirring.   As I meandered through Ellis Island, I could only wonder if any of my ancestors came through there.  To me history is very fascinating especially in light of the imaginative contemplation that occurs trying to mentally picture what things may have been like back then.  Considering the mass of humanity that paraded through Ellis Island, it is no surprise that New York City is so culturally diverse and maintains diversity unlike any other city in the United States of America.   Some interesting facts that I learned during this tour were that Ellis Island shut down in the 1950’s and lay in a state of disrepair until renovation began in the early 1980’s.   At the peak of immigration in the late 1910’s and early 1920’s, ships from around the world would weeks to disembark their passengers due to the high volume of traffic.  Also, Ellis Island expanded quite a bit over the early years of its use primarily from dirt excavated during the building of the New York Subway system.   

The Statue of Liberty Tour was quite fascinating as well.  Although we were only allowed to go to the Observation Deck at the base of the Statue, it was still fascinating to learn some interesting facts.   First of all, the Statue was originally constructed in France piece by piece and then disassembled and shipped to New York.  The ship carrying the disassembled statue almost sunk prior to arriving to New York.   The face of the Statue was created in the likeness of the mother of the architect.   One very amazing view was from within the statue looking up.   You could see the extensive internal frame that supported the Statue.   It was quite a contrast to what you see on the outside!

One side note was that it was COLD that day but very sunny.   However, I would encourage everyone to take time to go see that as it is indeed 2 of the more famous pieces of American history.