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The Mapless Traveler
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
H Mart (Gaithersburg, MD)
No trip to Cat and Rob's place is complete without a visit to H Mart, a Korean American grocery store and marketplace chain. H Mart carries tons of imported East Asian goods and food, including live eels, crabs, turtles, and fish (for consumption), and also has a nice selection of Latin American items. Here's some of the things you can find there.
Some of the ladies hawking chocolates in the store had me sample these, explaining "Japanese chocolate sweeter than American chocolate, but no sugar!" It definitely tastes less sugary. If you like pocky, you will love these - biscuit sticks dipped in huge blobs of chocolate to look like mushrooms.
This stuffed Flying Goomba caught my eye in the imported goods shop at H Mart. Now he angrily waits for us to get back to Super Mario, already!
These are packages of veggie and sweet red bean buns, respectively. You keep them in the freezer, microwave them for about 50 seconds, and you have a delicious, steaming hot mini-meal. The buns are larger than they appear, and you get three per package.
Cafe Bustelo espresso is unbelievably yummy, and it will wake your sleepy behind right up. I like mixing mine with soy milk and a little bit of sugar. Eric's family drank this when he was growing up. Unlike most of the other items shown here, you can probably also find this one in your local supermarket. (We buy our cans at Giant, in the ethnic foods section.)
Another drink from Eric's childhood that we enjoy is called Malta Goya, which is probably best described as a super-malty, dark soda. (I've found most people do not enjoy the taste of it.) We typically purchase it from the local grocer as well, but at H Mart we found this six pack of "Pony Malta" which is supposed to be the super energizing version. Eric doesn't like the taste nearly as much, and I think it's just okay.
I love tea! I picked up a big box of oolong, a "Special Relaxing" herbal infusion with valerian, scullcap, catnip, and chamomile, and a brown rice green tea.
Meltyblend chocolate cubes, which literally melt away in your mouth and are ridiculously yummy. Mmmmmmmmm.
I've always loved wasabi peas! This particular brand is very crunchy, but not quite as spicy as I prefer.
Nestle Milo is a chocolate drink mix powder with added vitamins that was originally Australian and is very popular in some Caribbean countries, and probably others. I saw it standing next to some of my favorite European Ovaltine and couldn't resist giving it a try. It's more chocolately than European Ovaltine, but not as sweet as American Ovaltine. It is very hard to mix with cold soy milk, but like Ovaltine, there are many different ways to drink it. Maybe I'll make some hot Milo in a minute. :)
This is a cat.
Some of the ladies hawking chocolates in the store had me sample these, explaining "Japanese chocolate sweeter than American chocolate, but no sugar!" It definitely tastes less sugary. If you like pocky, you will love these - biscuit sticks dipped in huge blobs of chocolate to look like mushrooms.
This stuffed Flying Goomba caught my eye in the imported goods shop at H Mart. Now he angrily waits for us to get back to Super Mario, already!
These are packages of veggie and sweet red bean buns, respectively. You keep them in the freezer, microwave them for about 50 seconds, and you have a delicious, steaming hot mini-meal. The buns are larger than they appear, and you get three per package.
Cafe Bustelo espresso is unbelievably yummy, and it will wake your sleepy behind right up. I like mixing mine with soy milk and a little bit of sugar. Eric's family drank this when he was growing up. Unlike most of the other items shown here, you can probably also find this one in your local supermarket. (We buy our cans at Giant, in the ethnic foods section.)
Another drink from Eric's childhood that we enjoy is called Malta Goya, which is probably best described as a super-malty, dark soda. (I've found most people do not enjoy the taste of it.) We typically purchase it from the local grocer as well, but at H Mart we found this six pack of "Pony Malta" which is supposed to be the super energizing version. Eric doesn't like the taste nearly as much, and I think it's just okay.
I love tea! I picked up a big box of oolong, a "Special Relaxing" herbal infusion with valerian, scullcap, catnip, and chamomile, and a brown rice green tea.
Meltyblend chocolate cubes, which literally melt away in your mouth and are ridiculously yummy. Mmmmmmmmm.
I've always loved wasabi peas! This particular brand is very crunchy, but not quite as spicy as I prefer.
Nestle Milo is a chocolate drink mix powder with added vitamins that was originally Australian and is very popular in some Caribbean countries, and probably others. I saw it standing next to some of my favorite European Ovaltine and couldn't resist giving it a try. It's more chocolately than European Ovaltine, but not as sweet as American Ovaltine. It is very hard to mix with cold soy milk, but like Ovaltine, there are many different ways to drink it. Maybe I'll make some hot Milo in a minute. :)
This is a cat.
Glowelle
One product I've been very interested in lately is Glowelle. I was excited to try a 3-stick sampler pack of their product recently, but disappointed when only one stick was included in the little Glowelle carrying case. And the flavor they sent, pomegranate lychee, tasted like chalk mixed with fruit flavoring, and was just as gritty. I'd really like to try their 30-day pack, but it costs almost 90 bucks. Having had problems with my skin for the past couple of years, I took a look at the ingredients after reading how well other people fared with this product. It seems I can find most of these in basic vitamins or, you know, fruits and vegetables, and of course drinking lots of water every day is always great for your skin. So what's so different about Glowelle? Nothing that I can tell, other than making it easier (but way more expensive) for me to get some of my vitamins and minerals. My skin is doing much better ever since I all but eliminated dairy from my diet, but some part of me would still like to try the product again.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Book Thing of Baltimore
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a ridiculous bookworm. I will try to read just about anything, and I have a stupidly huge collection of books that takes up way too much room. Some people collect coins or stamps. I collect books (and lip gloss). It's easy to see that this hobby is inherited from my parents (especially my dad), that my sister also inherited it, and that my brother-in-law shares our "problem." (My aunt is probably only safe from this syndrome because she has a Kindle.) Now, my sweet boyfriend is way too patient for his own good and did not even roll his eyes when I excitedly informed him that we would be visiting The Book Thing with Cat and Rob as part of a litany of Valentine's Day weekend events. He deserves much credit since he has tripped over, stubbed toes on, cleaned, moved, and glared at literally thousands and thousands of tomes. He even smiled at me when I told him I would be painstakingly giving away 30 books that I have never read and probably never would (because they look pretty bad) away to The Book Thing.
Uh, so what is the big deal if we go to a book store? Well, The Book Thing happens not to charge anything for any of its books. They are mostly used, but many are in fine condition, and you can take as many as you like. Uh oh! This particular visit, we wound up with 45. (Six of those were Eric's.)
Well, enough babbling. Let's take a look at a few of the funkier things we got this time. And please visit The Book Thing's website at http://bookthing.org/index.html.
I was really excited to see this book. Unfortunately, it's mostly just lists of things people believe, not explanations of why they believe. It's still fun, so I took it! (Snopes.com does the dirty work of debunking many of these for you anyway!)
I have always had a thing for old textbooks (okay, math, not so much). This is a fourth- or fifth- grade level reading text. There was a huge box of them next to the kids' books bins, where a man ran up and frantically threw books up in the air as he plowed through all 10 bins. Hmmm!
This is an independently published collection of essays about society's view of women's beauty, and how companies push their beauty products on women, among other things. There were about 50 of these in a box. It was published by the Center for the Study of Responsive Law and has a 1986 forward from Ralph Nader.
This book is part of the Opposing Viewpoints series, which presents exactly what it sounds like. This edition focuses on the hotbed topic of abortion and the many and varied opinions of the subject. One of my favorite parts of the newspaper has always been the letters from people who feel differently about various topics than I do, so I was drawn to this like the proverbial moth to the flame.
In my youth, I had a hard time knowing how to tell someone something negative. Working in certain difficult environments and going to college certainly changed that, but I could always use help with less-than-pleasant situations. But some of the suggestions sound rather ... well, scripted. This book is guaranteed to at least be entertaining!
I had heard of this book, but never bothered to check it out. I certainly could've used it at a certain point in my life. It's based on the idea that people go through a quarter-life crisis along with a "mid-life" crisis. People in their early- to mid- 20s face uncertainty about what to do with their lives, and how to "figure it all out." I still face this at 28, as do many people I know who are far older than me, so I don't think it's restricted to any one age range. There's a corresponding website: http://www.quarterlifecrisis.com/.
I LOVE old pulp fiction art! Yes, this is a collection of tawdry paperback covers from yesteryear! And, they are all magnetic postcards! I can't get any to stick to my fridge though. Despite the cover's appearance, nothing in here is really dirty, just funny!
I loved Anna Quindlen's newspaper/newsmagazine writing, although I've never read any of her novels. This ought to be a cool read.
I was really excited to see this book. Unfortunately, it's mostly just lists of things people believe, not explanations of why they believe. It's still fun, so I took it! (Snopes.com does the dirty work of debunking many of these for you anyway!)
I have always had a thing for old textbooks (okay, math, not so much). This is a fourth- or fifth- grade level reading text. There was a huge box of them next to the kids' books bins, where a man ran up and frantically threw books up in the air as he plowed through all 10 bins. Hmmm!
This is an independently published collection of essays about society's view of women's beauty, and how companies push their beauty products on women, among other things. There were about 50 of these in a box. It was published by the Center for the Study of Responsive Law and has a 1986 forward from Ralph Nader.
This book is part of the Opposing Viewpoints series, which presents exactly what it sounds like. This edition focuses on the hotbed topic of abortion and the many and varied opinions of the subject. One of my favorite parts of the newspaper has always been the letters from people who feel differently about various topics than I do, so I was drawn to this like the proverbial moth to the flame.
In my youth, I had a hard time knowing how to tell someone something negative. Working in certain difficult environments and going to college certainly changed that, but I could always use help with less-than-pleasant situations. But some of the suggestions sound rather ... well, scripted. This book is guaranteed to at least be entertaining!
I had heard of this book, but never bothered to check it out. I certainly could've used it at a certain point in my life. It's based on the idea that people go through a quarter-life crisis along with a "mid-life" crisis. People in their early- to mid- 20s face uncertainty about what to do with their lives, and how to "figure it all out." I still face this at 28, as do many people I know who are far older than me, so I don't think it's restricted to any one age range. There's a corresponding website: http://www.quarterlifecrisis.com/.
I LOVE old pulp fiction art! Yes, this is a collection of tawdry paperback covers from yesteryear! And, they are all magnetic postcards! I can't get any to stick to my fridge though. Despite the cover's appearance, nothing in here is really dirty, just funny!
I loved Anna Quindlen's newspaper/newsmagazine writing, although I've never read any of her novels. This ought to be a cool read.We also got various other books on science, animals, philosophy, psychology, physics, health, travel, crime, and mythology, as well as several novels. It's like Christmas! ;)
Monday, February 15, 2010
Traveling to the Land of Nod: Dream Water
As an a devoted lover of the Land of Nod who sometimes has trouble getting there, I am always eager to try new products that promise a safe trip there. Dream Water is an interesting twist on the concept: flavored water with a few extra ingredients to help you sleep well. With flavor names like Snoozeberry, Lullaby Lemon, and I Dream of Kiwi, I would hope no one would grab one of these thinking it's a good thing to chug before working out ... or driving. I had the chance to sample a 2.5 oz. "shot" of Snoozeberry (blueberries and pomegranate flavor) Dream Water (also available in 8 oz. beverages for a slower route to relaxation) and enjoyed its sweet, slightly tartish flavor. I wasn't sure if it would do what it said it would, so I just forgot all about it ... until approximately 30 to 40 minutes later, when I was about to pass out cold. I couldn't even keep my eyes open, I was so sleepy. I conked out and slept for a good 9 hours straight, and had pleasant dreams about kittens. This stuff does what it says it will.
The lowdown: Dream Water has zero calories. The label states it will take about 30 minutes to work, but times may vary. Since I wasn't paying attention to time, I have no idea how long it took for me to get sleepy, but I think 30 minutes sounds about right. Its ingredients are filtered water, L 5-Hydroxytryptophan, Gamma Amino Butyric Acid, Natural Flavors, Sodium Acid Sulfate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Melatonin, Sucralose (the same thing as Splenda), FD&C Red #40, and FD#C Blue #1, in that order. It's available in Duane Reade drugstores all over New York, so if you live where I do, you will have to order it off the company's web site, www.drinkdreamwater.com, for now. You can also try a "shot" of Lullaby Lemon for $2.95 shipping and handling. And, while none of these ingredients are particularly strange or out of the ordinary, Dream Water asks that you please check with your doctor before you try it if you are taking any other medicines or supplements, or are pregnant, nursing, or ill. And for the love of all that's holy -- DO NOT take this before you do anything but go lay down. It will knock you out, sucka.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
A Few Things
Thank you for your comments about Blogger. I have to agree it's not really working out for me or my readers. I'm currently researching Wordpress.com (thanks Evan) and it looks like an easy option. I really just need to take the time to play with it a little, and I also want to see how hard it would be to switch all of my old entries over to the new server; I hate to leave them behind. I'll let you know when I make the switch and post the new address here.
Second, the snow is melting away. As much as I love it, I'm secretly glad so I can get out and do some stuff this weekend -- like getting my oil changed, and seeing my sister. I also hope my textbook will get here today or early tomorrow -- uggghhh.
Third, check this out! Eric spent a lot of our snowed-in time working on new artwork. Here is his interpretation of the 2010 Monster Blizzard, which he's also placed on overpriced mugs and T-shirts at Zazzle: http://ericdanerd.deviantart.com/art/Monster-Blizzard-2010-153663962
(Blogger hates my HTML tags and is somehow blending them with the middle of the blog, but I swear I'm doing it right. I'm too annoyed to screw with it right now, and I have to get back to work anyway!)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Blizzardous
It's a full-on blizzard out there, AGAIN, with wind blowing up huge snowdrifts in our parking lot. I'm still not complaining, although the dreams of a biscuits and gravy breakfast at the local diner that I had last night were totally out of the question when I woke up this morning (although still tempting...). I am permitted to telework today, which is awesome because there are some things I really needed to get done. The cats are snug and warm and have no idea how lucky they are. Occasionally they will park themselves by a window or the balcony door and stare at the sheets of white outside, but even that has started to bore them. Domino is presently chowing down at the food station and Sumo is curled up in my fake-suede jacket, which he adores more than I do.
These are Eric's version of snowshoes for trekking around outdoors. They hold up pretty well and keep his feet dry. The first day he went out like this we got lots of stares, but now we're running into tons of other people who had the same idea.Time to go take some medicine and get back to work.
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