Experiencing Art

Very rarely are you able to experience art... I mean fully become immersed in a universe of color and light such that every sense experiences something new. Strangely enough, a seasonal art exhibition in Tokyo has figured it out... We discovered this strange exhibition in the middle of a parking lot at a Japanese version of a carnival... The admission to the carnival itself was about $20 USD, but the exhibit was free, as long as you were willing to wait in line in 90 degree weather for 50 mins.... Turning into a boiled lobster was definitely worth it. This immersive exhibit was DMM. Planets Art by TeamLab.

When you first enter the tent, you are required to place everything (shoes, purse, sunglasses, etc. excluding your phone) in a locker. They give you a waterproof phone holder on a lanyard and then you enter the maze.... Your first step is highly Japanese.... a foot bath. Japanese culture is somewhat germaphobic when it comes to feet, so the cleansing of your bare feet is essential, and probably a good thing with that many people barefoot... Gross. Once your feet are clean you follow the pathways. The paths fade into darkness where you have to touch the walls to keep moving forward. The ground and walls gradually become padded and softer until you realize you are knee deep in padded ground. Each step into this wonderland was new and interesting and incredibly weird....

The next room you gradually pulled yourself towards was a room of mirrors and lights hanging in every direction. The lights would dance around the room and surround you completely changing color and direction and honestly giving the Osborn Lights at Disney World a run for their money....

Each room was different from the last. One was filled with water with lights projecting fish and flowers that interacted with each person "touching" them. Another had a heated floor with projections showing on a dome that made it feel like you were moving with the flowers floating above you... each room created a new sensation and left all of us feeling a bit woozy when we finally managed to escape.

This exhibit was incredible and one of the coolest things I've done in Asia. I'm still amazed at how it all worked, especially in such a temporary location....

Here's a video to show you just how weird some of it was because words truly cannot do it justice...

Love, Alison

Owls and Cafes...

Cafes around the world are subtly different.... Usually there's a bar for coffee and snacks with cute little tables spread around... Tokyo tends to take it another step....

ANIMAL CAFES. You read that right. ANIMAL CAFES!!!! Essentially, tiny little cafes around the city where you can pay for a drink and the experience of seeing animals... Incredibly weird and would most likely be shut down by PETA in about 5 seconds if ever considered in the USA. 

Needless to say, I love animals and coffee, so yah... I found those mysterious little cafes! There are a ton of different cafes throughout Tokyo; cat cafes, rabbit cafes, menagerie cafes, random animal/wilderness cafes, HEDGEHOG CAFES (that's next on the list in case you missed the subtly), and of course, owl cafes. 

My friend and I set off and found Harajuku Owl Cafe & Bar on the 4th floor of a tiny little apartment building. When you walk in, it's a little room with windows everywhere, a counter where you order drinks, and a wall of windows separating the cafe from the owls. You order your drink and relax for a bit to give the owls a break from all the people, and then when it's your time, they bring you into the room and introduce you to the animals. There were about 10-12 owls throughout the room ranging in sizes and ages. The caretakers briefly went through an introduction of each owl, it's name, what kind, where to pet them, and how to handle them... They then just kind of set us loose and let us take pictures like the crazy people we were!

One of the caretakers handed me a glove and just put the owl on my arm with very little warning... Neither the owl or I were prepared for it... The pictures clearly prove it was not a match made in heaven.... 

                      Exhibit A:

The next few owls were more forgiving... And my fear of getting pecked to death slowly began to evaporate. 

              Exhibit B & C: 

Overall, the experience was incredible and one I would definitely do again. I highly recommend it if only to say that you held owls and pet them in Tokyo. They we generally adorable and ridiculously soft.... I'm not gonna lie.... I fully considered trying to stuff one in my purse and smuggle it home with me.... Luckily, the cafe thinks of that and gives you a tiny owl souvenir to take home with you instead of the actual live animal..... 

I got to snuggle owls. Yup. Here's a bonus video to prove they are cuddly if you didn't believe me... 

Love, Alison 

Tokyooooooooo

Konichiwa! 

TOKYOOOOOOO! Almost every single person I've met says Tokyo is a highly overrated city. It's expensive, crowded, and genuinely has no redeeming qualities. My message to all the senior mama's too good to fly there, KEEP THINKING THAT! I've had the privilege to flying to Tokyo at least 15 times and each time, I discover something new. 

The best part about Tokyo, is the FOOD. If you know me, you know that I basically work to afford delicious food in copious amounts. Honestly, I would be the greatest fat person of all time if authentic food from around the world could be brought to me on a platter.... Alas, good food means you have to walk for it... and Tokyo in the summer means you SWEAT for it. 

The best places for food are obviously the ones without any English; the least touristy, most authentic Japanese cuisine.... But somethings in Asia are better known, like what you are eating.... Generally I tend to migrate towards the places that at least have pictures or plastic food in a display case so I can at least know if it's got legs or is still alive or something.... Ramen is DELICIOUS no matter where you go, and the boiled eggs on top are usually seasoned and absolutely scrumptious. 

My absolute FAVORITE restaurant in Tokyo is near Shibuya, the busiest intersection in all of Japan. Uobei Genki Sushi Co. is amazing. It's definitely an experience in itself to eat there seeing as it's pretty high tech, and totally different than any restaurant in the USA. When you enter this restaurant, you tell them how many is in your party, and they give each person a tiny clipboard with a seat number. Each seat sits in front of a high speed conveyor-belt with an iPad and little boxes full of condiments. You simply press English and explore all of the delicious sushi options. Each plate comes zooming out to you on the conveyor-belt and is pretty decently priced. You can help yourself to green tea at your seat with instant hot water, courtesy of individual tiny spigots and powdered matcha mix. The fresh albacore tuna with the wasabi-mayo was my absolute favorite... and I may have eaten the entire fish by myself.... such was the deliciousness.... Pretty sure my bill only came out to about 1,200 Yen or $12.00 USD!

I still have dreams of that sushi... And when I return, I will get my grilled corn sushi, wasabi-mayo french fries, and spicy albacore tuna. 

Love, Alison 

Happy Fly-iversary!!!

Today marks a year. 

A year since I left Colorado. A year since I moved to Houston to live in a hotel for 5 weeks. A year since I started this crazy job. A year since I decided that traveling makes me happy. 

In the past year, I've learned a lot. I've learned that people aren't just idiots once they land at their destination (I tend to live where people vacation), they are idiots ALWAYS. People are crazy... absolutely positively crazy, BUT that's also what makes this job interesting. People are amazing. They tend forget their brains at home, forget their socks when using the lavatory, and forget that hurtling at 500mph through the sky in a tin can means they can't have some things... But for every crazy, obnoxious, certifiably insane person, there are always a few incredibly interesting ones to make up for it, and if there aren't any interesting people, we tend to hope for at least one attractive person to ogle at per flight...

I've also learned that traveling non stop means I never fully unpack my suitcase. I basically empty out all of the dirty clothes directly into the washer and then they go back into my suitcase the second they are clean.... 

My suitcase (aka my entire life) consists of: 

     -Clothes. Fashion is basically non-existent and essentially is whatever folds the smallest and layers the best... The more layers, the more destinations you are already packed for! Singapore in the summer to Montana in the winter is currently what my bag is prepared for.... Yes, there is a swimsuit and a down jacket in there.... 

     -Travel-sized items are my new favorite thing. Everything is miniature sized... plus, they are fun and CHEAP! 

     -Miniature bottles of clear nail polish are essentially a life saver with pantyhose and galley carts... those carts snag EVERYTHING. 

     -Tiny spray bottles filled vodka are essential to happiness. No, it's not for drinking (although that would also be quite happy), but it can take the smell out of anything while hanging in a steam shower. Who needs an iron or laundry service in a hotel anyway? (Cleaning your pantyhose while wearing them in the shower is another life skill...One that most people REALLY shouldn't pick up... But a skill nonetheless.)

     -Shoes. You can really go anywhere with 2 pairs of shoes. One pair of sneakers and one pair of flip flops.... Granted, I like shoes.... So there may be more in there.... 

I've learned that traveling means jet-lag is never ending. On every single flight, someone asks me how I handle jet-lag.... The truth: You don't. Jet-lag handles you. You just hope that massive amounts of coffee and concealer for those dark circles is enough to keep you from joining the living dead... Also, Facebook and social media should never be trusted to find the correct date.... I somehow miraculously wish people 'Happy Birthday' either a day early or a day late EVERY TIME. 

I've also learned a lot about myself. I've learned that I am comfortable traveling a ton of different places, meeting amazing and different new people, and trying food that I am not convinced is actually dead or cooked.... I've learned how to get around the metro in Tokyo without a map in English, how to ask directions in pure mime, where to find the best food when you are about to keel over from hunger, how to tell the difference between 10 different types of currency and where it's from when mixed all together (poor life decision really.... now they are all in separate bags), how to transfer from boat-to train-to bus-to taxi in Sydney to go pet a kangaroo, and how to drink wine looking out at a sunset at a magnificent winery and marvel at life in Auckland. 

This year has been absolutely crazy. And I've pretty much enjoyed it all. I've managed to see my friends more than I did when I actually lived in the same city, visited my parents at home or even camping in the middle of nowhere, and even finagled my days off to have Thanksgiving with my entire family for the first time in 8 years. This job has given me the freedom to see the world and that's something I will never regret. This past year I spent 15 days in Tokyo, 3 in Taipei, 9 in Sydney, and 9 in Auckland. Next up is Shanghai, Singapore and who knows where else! 

Love, Alison

How to behave on an airplane 101

You'd think this would be pretty self explanatory, but I swear some people were raised in a barn.... Airplanes are public spaces. They are not your house, car or bathroom. Please act accordingly. 

This means anything that you normally wouldn't do in a public space, you REALLY shouldn't be doing on an airplane, and yes, these are real life examples... This includes, but is not limited to: 

- Clipping toenails (They fly everywhere even if you insist they don't...) 

- Waxing or plucking eyebrows/ mustache hairs (especially the waxing... And especially if you tend to lose track of the wax strips and have to rip them off the poor unfortunate soul next to you) 

- Barefeet touching everything, including but not limited to airplane lavatory floors (seriously?!? GROSS!!!) 

- Changing dirty diapers on tray tables (people eat there, come on...) 

- Regularly crop dusting the people around you (Please for all of us unfortunate souls, avoid the beans before getting on an airplane) 

- Joining the "mile high club" (Lavatories are gross, please remember that... And blankets are not publicly acceptable coverage while trying to get it on in your seat...)

- Becoming ridiculously intoxicated (it is not a bar, and to get that drunk is seriously expensive, your credit card will thank me later...)

-Puking, peeing, or pooping anywhere but in a toilet.

        - This is including but not limited to: 

          1. Puking in your hands and running up to me expecting me to do something about it besides kicking the lavatory door open for you... 

          2. Pooping on the floor. (Self explanatory, but seriously people, it's not a funny prank, it's a biohazard) 

          3. The combination of any of the above in your seat (at least let a flight attendant know on the way out, but I'm not cleaning it up, sorry...) 

-Wearing Japanese paper face masks with characters on the outside, particularly zombies (Paper masks are slightly creepy in general, but please at least warn me before you turn into a zombie while I'm walking through a dark cabin with a full tray of drinks... Unless you'd also like a shower....)

-Naked children. I understand you see this as innocent, but they wear clothes when you go outside right? So why not a plane....? 

-Losing your pets. If you pay extra to bring your dog with you, that's one thing, but please keep it in its carrier at all times... People have allergies and irrational fears. And please don't ask me to help you find your cat that you somehow miraculously managed to sneak on the plane. (Seriously, how did you get it through security and customs just to lose it now!?!) 

-Lose your children. (We've all seen Flight Plan, but seriously,  why did you decide to play hide and speak with your child on a plane with 180 other passengers trying to sleep and then panic and start screaming their name when you can't find them? Don't worry,  we found them about 12 rows back underneath some someone's legs...) 

-Unleash toxic diarrhea in the lavatory before the plane even takes off. (I understand there are questionable noodles and soup in some countries, but really? You want to take the toxic hell you just released into the lavatory WITH you on a 15 hour flight!?! Please no.) 

Yes, these were all real life examples of what happens daily on a plane. My only plea to you is to act like a regular human on a flight. Please realize you are in a public setting, and yes, people are judging you even if they say they aren't... And your friendly flight attendant sees all.... 

Please keep that in mind. WE SEE ALL. 

Now go forth, fly friendly, and pray for natural selection. 

Love, Alison

Traveling Smart?

Since I was little and started traveling, it seems like everyone always tells me to "travel smart." Now that I'm traveling more and more, it seems like there really isn't a good definition for what exactly that means... From what I've deduced, that definitely means pack light and try to blend in with the culture you are visiting. That is usually easier said than done... 

Part One: Packing Light

First of all, it truly is impossible to pack light without forgetting something you need. And this is from someone who lives out of a carry-on size suitcase. 

-My goal, LAYERS. Especially for the plane... Little secret, if it's turbulent, The heat gets turned all the way down. Warmth and bumps leads to a lot of people turning green and using those tiny little blue bags... 

-Another thing I've learned is to always pack a jacket. You might be on your way to Hawaii, but seriously, you never know. Always pack one and if you don't need it, hurray. but seriously, just pack it, you can thank me later. 

-I also always pack a charger in my purse. You never know if your bag is going to be with you on the plane or if you're going to be squashed next to the fatty on the plane and can't squeeze past to grab it, so a charger in the purse is always a good idea. 

-Shoes. I always throw a pair of comfy sandals in the back pocket of my bag along with a pair of sneakers or flats. Limit it down to one pair of shoes that are comfy enough to walk in and a pair of sandals. That's it. You do not need more than two pairs of shoes. Period. 

-Toiletries. Be smart about these. You have super limited room here, especially in some countries that are extremely strict. The hotel will have shampoo and conditioner, and chances are, if you forget anything essential here, the front desk or a convenience store down the street will have what you need. 

-Medicine. I have a pretty impressive first-aid kit hiding in my purse. People are gross on airplanes, and germs are everywhere!!!!!!! So, remember your vitamins, Advil, and cold meds. And hand sanitizer. Don't go anywhere without it. And I mean ANYWHERE. Some countries bathrooms don't have soap, so just trust me here... 

My motto when packing, it's all replaceable, so just make sure you have the necessities. Passport, phone, wallet..... And hand sanitizer.... 

Part Two: Blending In

For those of you who don't know me, I'm fairly pale, blonde, and blue-eyed girl. Lately, I've been traveling a lot to Asia... Not gonna lie, there aren't a lot of natural blondes there...

Last year, I met a random stranger I believe was named John(?) at the Louvre. He has a philosophy of being unapologetically American. For him, that was his reasoning to be exactly who he was. He was respectful to other people, as knowledgable about the cultures surrounding him he could be with his wardrobe and actions, and he made a point to at least learn a few words in the local language to help him get by, but he refused to travel and look like a ridiculous tourist with those white sneakers, and he refused to apologize for being American. I like that philosophy. I'm proud to be an American, and I refuse to attempt to blend in to the point of sticking out like a sore thumb. Sure, I will do my best, like wear darker colors in Europe and avoid those hideous white tourist sneakers, but there's only so much I can do in Asian countries. I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb regardless, so the least I can do is attempt to soften the stereotype against American tourists being ignorant and disrespectful. 

I think I fully came to this conclusion in Taipei. My hair is quite long right now, and if I'm being quite truthful, it looked AWESOME that day. Well, walking through the Taipei airport, I definitely felt like I was on America's Next Top Model. I walked by and people stared... To the point where my whole crew noticed. That trip I was the only blonde and the only woman at that.... One of my crew members just looked at me, said "Work it," sassily snapped his fingers and strutted away. 

So, if you can't blend in, be unapologetically American and work it! *snap* 

Love, Alison

Questionable Foods....

The motto in my house growing up was: "You know what we call picky eaters in this house?" "HUNGRY."

I was taught from a very young age to try everything at least once, and if you didn't like it, fake it till you make it.... The first time we traveled to Europe, my mother basically threatened my sister and I saying that even if we didn't like something, we eat it with a smile and ask for more. That has worked WAY too well for some of these foods, but at least it has instilled a bit of adventure when it comes to food. I will try anything once. (I feel I should probably clarify that to not include living things because this will undoubtedly come back to bite me in the rear later....) 

Well, Japan certainly puts my theory to test. Everything you eat there looks ridiculously strange, and seeing as I don't speak any language remotely close to Japanese, it's all a gamble. I generally just look at the pictures and hope it's tasty! 

Well, as any gambler will know, eventually your luck will run out.... I've been extremely lucky with everything I've eaten so far, seeing as it all has been delicious, but one of my fellow flight attendants was not so lucky, and she decided to share that unluckiness with me.... 

It all started out when she wanted a simple sushi roll to snack on for the flight back. So she went for the simplest looking roll, one with beans and presumably pork. Unfortunately for her, we discovered it most definitely was not what she thought.... The beans were correct, although they weren't just regular beans, they were fermented beans.... And the pork wasn't pork, it was pickled plum.... 

If you've ever smelled wet shoes, you know the ones I'm talking about; the shoes that you probably should've thrown away YEARS ago because they smell so bad, and then you wear them through a thunderstorm because you know they have already had a good run, so then they smell like WET SMELLY GROSSNESS? Those shoes.... Well, in case you've never smelled fermented beans before, now you know the smell. And the pickled plum smelled like anything pickled, but was indistinguishable under the massive odor of the beans.... 

Being the good friend I am, I dared my fellow flight attendant to eat it, and she handed it right back to me, so we both decided to try something new under the basis of "How bad can it be?" Famous last words. 

Well, she cut it into pieces for us to taste and the fermented part of the beans turned into a sticky almost cobweb like substance stuck to the knife... Quite tasty looking.... So we counted to three and downed the foot-smelling-bean-roll.  

Unfortunately for us, one of our fellow flight attendants from Japan decided that was the time to discuss the fermentation process of beans and how they basically rot in their own liquid ALL WHILE THE ROTTEN BEAN ROLL IS IN MY MOUTH. I quickly went through all my options of how offensive it would be for me to either spit it out or puke on the spot, all while trying to keep my gag reflex in check and discovered it would be hell to pay if I chose either of those options.... Another flight attendant decided that would ALSO be the optimal time to start ribbon dancing with the fermented cobweb still attached to the knife.... And I repeat, the rotten beans were still in my mouth. In desperation, I grabbed for basically anything to help wash it down and was lucky enough to snag a can of coke to be the chaser for those foot-smelling fermented beans.... All the while, impervious to my distress, they are still discussing rotting foods and dancing with the remaining cobwebs of those beans.... Delicious right? 

I'm still unsure how the other flight attendant did with her own tasting of terrifying sushi seeing as I was ultimately focused with keeping my own down.... 

Now I know what NOT to buy at least.... But hey, I tried it once! 

Love, Alison