Buffalo -> Toronto -> London
Highlight
- Last day, at last. As expected, they got my laundry bill wrong, but then they didn’t end up charging me for breakfast anyway. It took ages to fix everything up, but I believe it’s all sorted now.
- Sun is out again, but it’s on the cold side than before.
- Not as crazy as the rest of the week has been, went to some actually meaningful meetings.
- Actually got to sit down to lunch for once. Had the clam chowder which was not that great. Note to self, stop listening to Lee San.
- Had a really great stir-fry at the BA Lounge at Toronto, probably the best Chinese food I’ve had for a long time!
- Alas, didn’t get entertainment on demand again. The movies were crap and I tried to sleep, but couldn’t for very long. At least there was no delays getting back, not counting the customs line.
Food
- Hyatt breakfast:
- porridge with dried fruit and nut
- poppy seed and sour cream cake
- fresh fruit
- clam chowder
- BA lounge:
- brie, Leicester blue with cracker, dried apple, berries
- cheesecake
- mixed salad
- Thai green curry stir-fry with chicken and tofu
- clam chowder
- BA snack:
- hot chocolate with warm chocolate chip cookie
- BA breakfast:
- fruist smoothie
- raspberry yoghurt
- fresh seasonal fruit
- warm bacon roll with tomato ketchup
- croissant
Buffalo-> Toronto -> London
Highlight
- Finally, the last day. It started off badly. I couldn’t sleep and woke up early.
- As usual they got my dry cleaning bill wrong so I had to redo it.
- At least it didn’t rain and I lugged my suitcase to work.
- Andrew did his normal annoying thing so I walked out of a meeting with him. Well, he wasn’t physically there so I didn’t’ really walk out.
- We had donuts and brownies and cookies today, so I ate a lot to cheer myself up.
- Nothing much happened, spent another fun lunch with Vince gossiping about work.
- Said goodbye to everyone and went to catch my ride. It was the same quiet driver again, so I actually managed to read and sleep on the ride back, which had absolutely no traffic.
- I got to the BA lounge before 5pm, so had heaps of time to enjoy the good food again. The variety was totally different to last time and very yummy as usual.
- Well, I finally got entertainment on demand, so I watched the beginning of The Reader that I missed before, and then watched Milk, which was very good actually. I also managed to get through about 1/3 of Bride Wars, which was actually not as bad as I thought – possibly because it was set in NYC and I could try to reconginse all the places I’ve been to.
- The service though, was terrible. I didn’t eat food but asked for hot chocolate, which they didn’t even deliver. I waited and waited, and finally I had to ask. It turns out that they gave my hot chocolate to someone else?!?!
- They also didn’t have my coat ready when we got off so I had to wait around while they got it and missed the first connecting bus. Luckily there was no line and we landed on time, so I managed to get home just after 8am, using the iris scan of course.
Food
- Hyatt breakfast:
- yoghurt with dried fruit and nuts
- blueberry muffin
- fresh fruit
- clam chowder
- chocolate brownie
- BA lounge:
- boccochini and tomato salad
- tuna and bean salad
- Caesar salad
- tortellini with alfredo sauce, vegetable, sausage and chicken
- lemon slice
- brie, Leicester and blue with fruit and crackers
- BA snack:
- hot chocolate with warm chocolate chip cookie
- BA breakfast:
- fruist smoothie
- fresh seasonal fruit
- warm bacon roll with tomato ketchup
- croissant
Buffalo
Highlight
- The weather didn’t improve at all, so I caught the tram to the office.
- Back to the boring breakfast buffet.
- Tried to do some more slave labour of rules entering but then got so bored. I was relieved to be going to meetings.
- Was going to head to Papaya again, but instead headed to the Saigon Café (where I paid again of course). The food there was actually not bad, well, seems better than the crap from London, or maybe my taste has been demented.
Food
- Hyatt breakfast:
- porridge with dried fruit and nuts
- bran muffin
- fresh fruit
- Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap
- chocolate coated strawberry
- grapefruit juice
- The Saigon Café dinner:
- coconut juice ($2.95)
- Crispy Calamari ($5.95)- Tempura calamari rings served with tangy Thai tamarind sauce
- Chicken Satay ($4.95) - 3 Skewers marinated in Thai herb, charbroiled and served with peanut sauce
- Vietnamese Pancake ($6.95) - Crispy Vietnamese Pancake stuffed with shrimp, pork, onions, bambooo shoots, bean sprouts, scallions over a bed of lettuce, sweet basil leaves, and sweet garlic sauce
- Pattaya Catfish ($13.95) - Fillet catfish tempura, stir fried with lemon grass, onion,red and green peppers, scallions, and basil leaves in house special chili lemon grass with a touch of coconut milk
Buffalo
Highlight
- Used my full breakfast coupon so I didn’t have to eat the same bland stuff again.
- Got stuck doing the stupid data entry again. I can’t believe it, I hate this job.
- Stayed very late entering the rules, but the gym was so full I didn’t even stay for long. There was no space to even do testing.
- Went with Fred and Vince to another barbeque place. The ribs were really nice and the other meat decent, but I think I am beginning to get tired of all the American food.
- The weather has turned bad again, it was bucketing down when we left.
Food
- Hyatt breakfast:
- crab cake egg benedict
- orange juice
- mixed salad
- cranberry and grape juice
- Fat Bobs dinner:
- 2 meat platter with Memphis Pulled Pork Butt and St. Louis Pork Ribs
- Sweet Potato Fries
- Cornbread
- Great Lakes Conways Irish Red
Buffalo
Highlight
- Well, AS is back to work so I had another frustrating and annoying day. Luckily I was able to arrange a few conference calls with IT without AS’s presence, so I actually learnt something.
- Had a nice meal for lunch afterall.
- Found out that Fred is here so at least there is a few more people to socialise with.
- Went to the gym, didn’t do much, but made it to the monthly Hyatt party, where I met the travel relations manager and a whole bunch of frequent travellers. Good thing was that now I have a lot of contacts if I have a problem with my room or if I want some company. We had quite a good time just chatting, and Fred joined us as well.
Food
- Hyatt breakfast:
- yoghurt with dried fruit and nuts
- orange juice
- blueberry bagel with cream cheese
- fresh fruit
- Spanish Pork Chops with Refried Beans and Roasted Corn
- Cinco de Mayo party:
- tacos
- tortilla chips with guacamole, sour cream, salsa
- cheese tortilla
- margarita
New York -> Buffalo
Highlight
- It was still raining this morning when I stepped out. Luckily my flight wasn’t delayed as a result.
- Managed to check into the Hyatt (they gave me a noisy and disabled room even though I asked for a quiet one) and made it to work before 9am. The slow check-in chick in training didn’t help matters.
- Luckily work was not v busy as it was public holiday in both UK and HK.
- Nothing at all to eat for lunch, so I had a chilli.
- Everyone has been banned from travel this week, so there is absolutely nobody in Buffalo. I managed to make it to the gym for once, and then just had a quiet, but very nice dinner (especially the crème brulee) at EB Greens. I don’t know why no one likes EB Green.
Food
- orange and cranberry muffin
- Jamba Juice Pomegranate Pick Me Up - A healthy Smoothie made with Promogranate Juice, Mixed Berry Juice, Real Whole Strawberries and Blueberries, Raspberry Sherbet
- chilli with biscuits
- EB Green's:
- garlic bread
- house salad with blue cheese, walnuts and mandarin
- Queen Size Prime Rib 16 oz with baked potato
- Crème Brule
New York
Highlight
- The rain didn’t let down at all, and it was so miserable out. We didn’t head out until after 11am, and the first place we visited was the Buttercup Cake Shop. There was not too huge a selection of cupcakes and other desserts, but everything looked super nice. I ordered half a dozen to go, and they were very yummy.
- Tried very hard to get money out of the ATM and only just managed. I don’t know why I have been having all these problems with my card.
- Went to a huge Johnston and Murphy store but couldn’t find that bag anywhere. At least I tried.
- Went over to MoMa since today is definitely a museum day. Unfortunately they wouldn’t let me in unless I had photo ID, and I didn’t want to pay the $20 entry fee when it could be free.
- Giving up on that, made a long track to the Met. I got distracted along the way actually, and went to look at the futuristic Guggenheim instead. Unfortunately most of the space was being renovated or closed, so I finished there in about ½ hour. Luckily I didn’t have to pay the $15 entry fee. There were a few gems among the collection though the $3 I paid for the audio guide probably wasn’t worth it.
- Tried to get into the …. But it wasn’t free. They did have an excellent gift shop though so I spent some time on that.
- Finished up at the quite excellent Jewish Museum. The displays were very informative and great. I managed to finish the 4th floor and most of the 3rd floor only though.
- Took the very long subway ride home. It must be the dire weather, as I managed to have a subway carriage all to myself and took a picture of it as evidence.
- We stayed in and ordered Oaxacan for dinner. The great thing about NYC is that you can get all sorts of great stuff for take-out. The food was actually quite expensive and you don’t get much, but at least it tasted very good.
Food
- jerk chicken, rice and beans, mixed vegetables
- Jerk Leg of Lamb – boneless leg of lamb stuffed with Jamaican jerk spices and roasted to a spicy climax.
- The Buttercup Bake Shop cupcakes:
- Red Velvet - yellow cupcake with a hint of cocoa, dyed a deep beautiful red (tastes like a light chocolate cake). Frosted with cream cheese icing
- Lady Baltimore - An almond-flavoured white cupcake filled with coconut, candied cherries, cookie crumbs and almonds. Frosted with meringue and topped with coconut, cookie crumble and a cherry
- Sour Cream Spice - A dense cupcake packed with all your favourite spices, filled with walnuts and raisins. Frosted with cream cheese icing.
- hot chocolate
- Chilies and Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen:
- corn chips
- Mole Negro chicken ($18) Made from dried chiles, chocolate, sesame seeds, plantain, and tomatoes, served with rice
- Rubbed Meat with Pork, salad and guacamole, wrapped in tortilla
Buffalo -> New York
Highlight
- Got up really early to catch my flight, but everything went smoothly and there was no delay.
- I decided to catch the Air Train instead of the local bus since East NY is supposed to be a rough area so it was best not to look like a tourist there.
- The subway system was so antiquated, even worst than London or Sydney. They don’t have indicator boards telling you where the trains are going and when the next train is. The signs for the station are really small and you can’t see, and the subway is dirty and old.
- Somehow I was on some express service (that I didn’t know about) and it didn’t stop at the station I wanted, so I had to back paddle and wasted 20 minutes in the process, since the subway was so infrequent.
- Took 1.5 hours to get to Helen’s place, and costs me $9.
- We hung around her apartment and met her flatmate and generally caught up. We were waiting for her friend to come and meet us and for that horrible rain to die down before we went out.
- Well, we didn’t end up heading out until 3pm, and by that time it seemed the sun has decided to come out. This also meant that there was a huge line of people who just seemed to have materialised to go to the Cherry Blossom Festival in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens.
- Before we joined the huge line, we stopped off to pick up some delicious The Jamaican takeaway of jerk chicken and a huge pile of rice.
- We waited in line for ½ hour, but found out we could have skipped it with our employee free pass.
- Finally we were able to witness a whole swamp of weirdos all dressed up in manga character, people in kimonos, and every mum dad and dog all admiring the cherry blossoms that were in full bloom.
- Stopped by the street trolley for some “Italian ice” and then took the long subway ride out to dinner.
- Dressler was very busy, and we were squashed into a little space. I was not that impressed with the menu as it was very typical American and not at all imaginative. I ended up having 2 entrees as I was still full from my 3pm lunch. The food though was excellent, especially the smoky sauce in my ribs.
- We finished pretty early since there was another table after us and we were absolutely stuffed.
- Went to hang out at the Lower East Side, first to Mason Dixon, the only bar in NYC with a mechanical bull. We watched for 2 hrs everyone getting on and getting thrown off.
- Then off to Fat Baby, another bar on the hip Rivington St area, where I had a beer and we got chatted up by a bunch of weirdos.
- Called it a night around 12:30, and then had to take a long subway ride home, so I didn’t sleep until 2am.
Food
- raisin bagel with cream cheese
- hot chocolate
- The Islands lunch:
- jerk chicken, a Jamaican delight. Spicy delicious chicken baked with this unique combination of spices from the island, rice and beans, mixed vegetables ($10)
- plantains ($3)
- rainbow Italian ice
- Dressler dinner:
- BBQ St Louis Ribs ($14)
- Bourbon Glaze Pan Roasted Diver Scallops ($15) – Stoneround Grits, Salsify, Wild Mushrooms and White Truffle Oil
- Troegs Hop Back Amber Ale ($7)
- Blue Light beer
Buffalo
Highlight
- The weather was terrible, raining and foggy.
- Everyone was having a really relaxing day since there were no testing, and I didn’t do anything, since I have to wait for Andrew to respond anyway.
- Had a v long lunch with Vince, gossiping about work. I had the fish fried too, which was much better than the stuff from the London office, but otherwise uninspiring.
- Everyone knocked off at 4pm, and I didn’t want to hang around, so actually went back to hotel to swim and pack stuff and get stuff ready before going off to see Seinfeld.
- Shea’s Performing Arts Theatre was packed to the rafters, and people seemed very determined to have a good time. Some random guys started talking to me and asking whether Seinfeld actually played the saxophone?!?!
- Anyway, Seinfeld, I thought he wasn’t that funny with his scripted material, but the parts where he interacted with the audience was great. He’s a very smart guy, and I can’t believe he’s actually 55. The show lasted about 90 minutes, with Jerry on for about 60 of those. I probably won’t go and see him again but at least I can tick it off the list.
- Afterwards, Hans took me to the Chinese restaurant that he said is the best in Buffalo. It turned out to be a buffet…but I ordered from the menu. The food was very Westernised Chinese, but at least it was fresh.
- So my plans for an early night didn’t eventuate, but I enjoyed myself anyway.
Food
- Hilton breakfast:
- fresh fruit
- waffle with blueberry jam and cream
- vegetable mix
- fried fish with coleslaw and chips
- New Fuji Buffet:
- Stir-fried chicken with broccoli and rice
Buffalo
Highlight
- Another crappy day at the office, but at least now Andrew has left, so you can actually hear yourself think.
- They issued a travel alert warning, so everyone else’s trips are all cancelled. So, I am by myself next week.
- Went out with Joe and Vince for dinner at Bacchus again. I didn’t mind since I like Bacchus. What I wasn’t pleased about was Joe ordered a $75 wine and then ordered the most expensive meals, then we had to split the bill.
- I left the guys to drink at Darcy McGee’s and went back for a swim with a whole bunch of teenagers (not fun at all), but at least I got some exercise in after all that eating.
Food
- Hilton breakfast:
- fresh fruit
- orange juice
- omelette with cheese, tomato and mushroom
- raisin scone with cream cheese
- pizza with tomato
- cauliflower
- Bacchus:
- Porcini Mushroom Soup ($7)
- Duck ($26) - duck confit / boneless breast, mango and greens salad, sesame reduction
Buffalo
Highlight
- Someone from the UK called me at 3am, so I was really tired the whole day.
- Got called “too aggressive” at work when I was just trying to say one thing, so just shut up for the rest of the day.
- Went to a few meetings and had a nice lunch with Vince, without Andrew interrupting for once.
- Dinner with some work people at Hutch’s, which was recommended to me by a few people. The food was not disappointing and the service was great. The only down side was listening to Andrew being worshipped like a god.
- Got home very late. No time for gym at all.
Food
- Hilton breakfast:
- savoury scone with bread sauce
- vegetable mix
- fresh fruit
- orange juice
- range chicken wrap
- minestrone soup
- Hutch’s:
- Half Rack of Ribs char-grilled pork ribs with Hutch’s barbecue sauce ($11.50)
- Escargot with garlic butter ($9.95)
- Beef Tartare
- Norwegian Salmon over creamy polenta, sautéed spinach and fresh tomato ($26.95)
- Crème Brulee
- Chocolate Cake
Buffalo
Highlight
- Jet lag was not too bad, only got up at 4:30am.
- Met everyone at the office again, only a few new faces.
- Usual business at work. Andrew overtook everything and I was kept busy.
- Met up with Ravi for an uninspiring lunch.
- Went to Anchor bar and had some very disappointing wings. Asked for Hot sauce which wasn’t even hot. The servings were the usual huge size.
- Went for a swim at the v nice pool after dinner. It meant I didn’t get to sleep until late but it was worth it.
Food
- Hilton breakfast:
- fresh fruit
- pecan muffin
- scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, vegetable mix
- orange juice
- grilled chicken burger
- Anchor Bar:
- Hot Buffalo Wings ($10)
- Veal Parmigiana – Breaded Veal Covered with Sauce and Topped with Mozzarella Cheese, with Spaghetti Side ($18.00)
- New York beer
London -> Toronto -> Buffalo
Highlight
- Not very impressed by BA, as usual. The lounge had the same sorry state of food, but this time was much more crowded. The massage therapist was much better than last time though and gave me some free samples.
- We got a v old plane. They didn’t even have first class. The seats on Club World weren’t even the new seats and you can’t make them totally horizontal, so you still have to sleep with a tilt. Needless to say, there was no entertainment on demand and I had seen just about every movie they had on offer. I only watched The Reader (it was good!) and that was it. What’s worst, they haven’t even changed the menu from the last time on the flight, and I wanted to order the chicken this time but they didn’t have it available. Food was the same old boring.
- The limo driver this time around was very non talkative, and didn’t even tell me his name. That’s fine by me as I got to read on the way to the hotel.
- Hilton Garden Inn is nothing exciting, but at least it’s a change from the Hyatt I suppose. The room is older, but pleasant enough. I think the good thing is it’s quiet and there aren’t any colleagues staying here.
- Because I was so stranded, I had to order room service for the first time…I wasn’t hungry, but luckily the chilli was really good.
Food
- BA lounge:
- pain au chocolate
- grapefruit juice
- mushroom and tomato baguette
- yoghurt and fresh fruits
- ginger stem biscuit
- BA snack:
- BA lunch:
- Seared Scallops with Fennel and Pesto
- Fresh Seasonal salad served with vinaigrette
- Wild Mushroom Risotto with Broad Beans
- Perigueux Goat’s Cheese and Cropwell Bishop Stilton Served with Savoury Biscuits
- BA snack:
- apple
- Salad of Marinated Feta and Chilli-Roasted Aubergine
- Fruit Scones served Warm with Clotted Cream and Strawberry Preserve
- Sachertorte
- Peppermint Tea
- The Great American Grill:
- Buffalo Chilli ($4.99)
- grapefruit juice ($2)
