You're Flying to Auckland

I was watching The Soup this morning (don't ask), and I got to watch a clip from Kate Plus Eight where the ex-Mrs. Gosselin ends up picking a fight with the bungy-jumping instructor at Sky City because she thinks he's BS-ing her about her harness and all sorts of things worth whining about when you're about to jump off a building.

I hate heights, but I still have this to say: Shut up and jump, woman.

Speaking of clips from Auckland, here's an ad from the TourismAuckland channel.



And also: Miss J + NZ tourism >>>>>> Kate Gosselin.

How To Pack Your Carry-On

A friendly reminder from the United States Transport Security Administration:

Pack an organized carry-on bag using layers – a layer of clothes, then electronic, more clothes, and then any heavier items. This will help transportation security officers see what's in your bag. Innocent items can actually appear to be potential threats in an X-ray image, simply by the way they're packed. (Source)

Sweet Tofu Action

From Wikipedia:

Tahô is a Philippine snack food made of fresh soft/silken tofu, arnibal (brown sugar and vanilla syrup), and pearl sago (similar to pearl tapioca). This staple comfort food is a signature sweet and can be found all over the country.

Or, in my case, the most perversely awesome breakfast treat known to man.

 Yes, folks, I actually had THIS for breakfast.  

Don't knock it till you've tried it - just ask your Uncle Tony!



Or, better yet, ask these guys!



If you ask me, though, I would pay to watch this guy walk the streets of Manila for a piece of sweet tofu action...



(What, did you really think I was going to put up a Domesticity spinoff without at least one mention of the Smug Canadian Bastard Boyfriend himself? Hell no.)

A Short Story in Wrought Iron Form

Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights, Cleveland. June 2008.

Scene. 

Catalyst. 

Title. 

Food and Travel Hosts: A Basic Field Guide

Note: I'm about to get started on An Idiot Abroad soon, which explains the field-guide format for this list. Expect a review in the near future! 

Bourdainicity.



Zimmernicity.



Ianicity.



Jamie-nicity.



Drunkticity.



Smug Canadian Bastardicity.



To be continued... 

So, A Grown-Up Blogger Walks Into a Zoo...

True story.

Me: "Look, Scribey! What a strange-looking deer!" 

"And it's just crouching down on the grass, munching and munching on - hey, wait, what's with the tail?

Scribey: "Um, those aren't deer, Mei." 

Bird: "Odd human. Wouldn't know a kanga if it didn't look at her straight in the eye."

Me: "Oh, dear." 

And this, my friends, sums up my first experience with a fine mob of Australian marsupials.

Pictured: Bennett's Wallaby (first two pictures) and the Red Kangaroo (last three), taken at The Wallaby Walkabout in Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Happy Easter!

No eggs, bunnies, or sugar-coated marshmallows here. Just lots of fine nommage from the friendly neighborhood Food Hole in Cleveland. Perfect for post-Lent!

There's an app for that: Two kinds of artisanal bread with extra virgin olive oil. 

Springtime on a plate: Grilled asparagus with balsamic vinegar

Seared scallops with peas and bacon. Can't remember what the sauce is, though. 

That is definitely one gigantic meatball.

For Holy Saturday

A statue of the Virgin Mary, from San Guillermo Parish Church in Bacolor, Pampanga.

The Queen of Soul sings about the sisters of Lazarus, from Bethany.

For Good Friday

San Guillermo Parish Church, Bacolor, Pampanga.

The last sentence in this sign sums up why this church looks the way it does now.

These doors used to be the windows of the choir loft.

And this is more than half of the original window. 

For Maundy Thursday

From Wikipedia:

In the Philippines, most business establishments cease operations from Holy Thursday to Black Saturday. Most malls, however, only cease their operations on Holy Thursday and Good Friday and only opens on Black Saturday.* Terrestrial television and radio stations either go completely off-air during that period or operate limited hours where they broadcast special shows, usually themed for the Holy Week, which is not on their usual schedule. (Cable channels usually continue their normal telecasts as usual.) Newspapers usually have no issues during those days.

From a church in Pampanga. 

*Incidentally, this is the same Wikipedia that has a separate entry for Holy Saturday, which is the current term of choice for the day before Easter. Read the disambiguations for "Black Saturday."

Hot in Cleveland

Cleveland Botanical Garden, 2008.

Sorry, We Don't Sell Cougars Here

Resorts World Manila, Newport City, December 2010.

Carbs? What Carbs?

Vegetarians, avert your eyes!

Czuchraj Meats in Westside Market, Cleveland. Michael Symon is a big fan of their jerky... and because of this, the Czuchraj-related episode of The Best Food I Ever Ate has caused all sorts of pandemonium for the company.

Below: Your Uncle Tony visits Cleveland's Westside Market with food critic (and meat product expert) Michael Ruhlman.



Bonus feature: Your Uncle Tony buys more meat at The Sausage Shoppe.

Three Sweet Words for You

Duty Free Store.

Honolulu International Airport, July 2009. (Note the displays for Clinique and MAC; total Domesticity moment, there.)

Now, a Penitentiary

More awesomeness from Plantation Bay Resort and Spa in Cebu.

ALCATRAZ CONFERENCE ROOMS: To express sympathy for guests who have to be in our conference rooms instead of out in the sun, they're named after another place of confinement.

Roads Go Ever, Ever On

Welcome to the debut of Domestic Travel, a blog devoted to exotic and far-flung getaways where pictures speak louder than words. As you can see from the title, Domestic Travel is a spin-off of the original Domesticity blog, so expect lots of pictures and travel commentary with significantly less pesky talk about makeup, fashion, TV, and hot guys.

We begin with one of the most popular destinations in the world: The Shire!

...I'm kidding. This picture was actually taken in Cebu. But since we're already here, let's put on another traveling song for our playlist.