Food weekend in Laguna Beach

Every beach town has its own personality, and Laguna’s is laid back, health-conscious, and well-to-do. Seriously, I have never seen so many obscenely expensive cars and surgically altered women. Even without the plastic surgery, California is just full of attractive people that make you hate your life, but to top it off, they don’t just have the genetics, they have the money, too. So that naturally wind-blown-curl look was actually painstakingly styled at one of the city’s many “Blow out” salons, which does nothing except styling (not cuts or color or anything else…because apparently you can make a living having a salon that does nothing except perfectly blow dry people’s hair).

Despite clearly caring too much about appearances, this town wins everyone over. Seriously, everyone who visits Laguna wants to move there. I want to move there.

My friends already DID move there after visiting, and subsequently getting married there. Now Maci and Jeff live an amazing life of dog parks, beaches, ubiquitous amazing food and almost perpetually perfect weather.

(This makes me ponder why we humans insist on living in climates where the only way we can survive is by conquering nature? We are clearly not biologically designed to occupy northern Europe. If we all lived on a beach we’d be living off avocados and oranges that we didn’t buy because it just grew next to our little hut, which is the only shelter we need because it’s between 60 and 80⁰ F year-round. What the hell is wrong with people?)

What really distinguishes this coast from other beach areas you can visit, in my opinion, is the food. It’s glormazing (which is what happens when something is so glorious and amazing it needs its own adjective). And, as a vegetarian, it is one of the friendliest places I’ve ever been. I have no trouble finding vegetarian food in most of the US, however having not one, but dozens of purely vegetarian and vegan restaurants to walk into almost puts me into a joy coma. Only someone with big dietary restrictions can understand the euphoria of walking into an eating establishment and realizing “Wait…I can order anything…ANYTHING on the menu???” Thankfully my hosts knew how great this novelty would be, and took me to as many vegetarian and veggie-friendly places as possible, and there are many others we could have patronized with enough time.

Our first stop was Veggie Grill, a more or less fast food joint that focused on whole foods, but had enough deep fried comfort food on the menu. I had a Grilled Chickin sandwich while the mister ordered the “fish” tacos.  And let me tell you, tacos are where it’s at on the west coast. The mister successfully negotiated for tacos every single day during our stay, and we weren’t event in town for Taco Tuesday (which is totally a thing and every restaurant advertises it and I’m devastated I have never experienced)!

Los Tacos had really decent veggie tacos, as does Coyote Grill, but La Sirena, the Mexeco Eatery, was disappointing. The ingredients were fresh, sure, and they did put fresh cabbage on the taco, which I love, but there was no sauce, no cheese, no flavor. Fell short of delicious.

But one taco place exceeded all expectations. Anyone in Orange County must must must must try the Taco Asylum. Novelty and traditional street tacos made from healthy ingredients (whole foods, no preservatives, all the fresh avocado you can stomach). The mushroom and brie were our favorites, though the meat eaters informed us the PB&J (where B stands for bacon) was the best.

We found this gem at The Camp (also called the “anti-mall” and the “Lab” which got very confusing so you might hear it referred to as any one of those). All the restaurants and shops emphasized eco-friendly, ethical and sustainable food and fashion choices. It was heaven. Pretty much every chocolate bar in the bakery was fair trade, there were at least two entirely vegan restaurants, and they have a Wine Lab. They have a lab. For wine.

At the Wine Lab, the tastings come in test tubes and are mostly organic wines from California. The cheesecake also deserves honorable mention, but is the only dessert we tried there, so I can’t say whether or not the rest of the menu will blow your mind.

In Laguna itself, two gelato places stand out: Gelato Paradiso, which is high quality and the largest variety, but Dolce Gelato has – I kid you not – Jameson-flavored gelato.

Another trend that is taking off in California and sure to make its way inland is the Acai Bowl or Banzai Bowl. It’s basically a parfait with smoothie. The smoothie has an acai base, and from there it’s topped with granola and whatever the heck else you want to throw on top. Again, fresh fruit, whole ingredients play a big role in this dish.

Brunch is another high point in Laguna. Many places have it, and you can eat it waterfront, but obviously for a price. Las Brisas is well-known but a bit out of our budget, so we went to C'est La Vie. It was perhaps a little overpriced for what it was, but I have not a single complaint about the Eggs Oscar (an avocado-based take on Eggs Benedict) and a champagne or mimosa comes free with your meal.

The ethnic food other than Mexican is the only thing that disappointed a bit. The Thai was more or less tasteless, and the Indian food, while tasty, did not blow me away. I’ve had better of both in Kansas City pretty much any time I’ve ordered.

Clearly I could not hit all the vegetarian-friendly places or do all the wine tastings, or taste all the gelato in four days, so I would go back to Laguna in a heartbeat, budgeting much more for eating out. Totally worth it.

How to use a squat toilet (in 10 easy steps!)

Somewhere between Europe and Asia, plumbing becomes sketchier. While I haven't traveled much in Central Asia, I know that Istanbul sported both the flush and squat varieties of toilet, while India and Nepal mostly boasted that infamous hole in the ground with a couple of indications on either side vaguely shaped like shoes.

If you are thinking this is ridiculous, actually, it's quite efficient. It makes perfect sense if you've grown up with it. More than once, in more modern bathrooms in Nepal and India, I would find footprints on the toilet seat of a flush toilet from locals who had never though of SITTING on one before. So the confusion goes both ways.

Upon first encounter, this can be daunting for westerners. But have no fear. In a few simple steps, you can master the squat toilet. Trust me, a white American girl who managed to not only do it, but do it in a sari, without soiling herself. (Please note: Sari-peeing is expert level. Do not attempt until you have spent several months practicing with traditional western clothing). My instructions will be most helpful for women, though I imagine men will find this useful in certain situations.


Step 1: Assess the paper situation.
This step really starts before you leave your home/hotel/hostel. ALWAYS take care to have extra tissue/toilet paper in your purse. Paper is either an optional or precious commodity, depending on the city.

When you arrive at the commode, examine the surroundings. Is there paper? Is it adequate? If not, and if you forgot to bring some, it may be necessary to borrow from a kind neighbor. This is possible in Turkey, but in India you are out of luck. You will have to adopt the traditional hand-and-bucket method if you forgot to bring your own.

Step 2: Arrange belongings for optimal squatting success.
Your toilet may not have a hook for bags. It may not even have a door. This is easily handled by draping the purse/handbag/sack around the back of the neck, like so:

Note: do not hang the purse strap around the FRONT of your throat. Not only is this a choking hazard, but if the strap is long enough, the purse is likely to dangle in something unpleasant as you are squatting.

Step 3: The warm-up.
With clothes on, place your feet on the (hopefully) textured rim of the toilet, and squat over the intended target. Bend the knees and assess placement of the corresponding exit and entrance holes. As in classic squat: chest up, tailbone pushed back, knees directly over ankles, like so:

Those with weak quadricep muscles may find this step challenging, but I encourage you to power through. If possible, train prior to traveling. If not possible...just remind yourself what lies directly below your precious parts, and call upon inner resolve.

Step 4: Disrobe.
Not entirely. In fact, as little as possible. Bring whatever needs to come up to the waist, and whatever needs to go down to the knees and NO FURTHER! Dropping trou is a classic rookie mistake. But look at that floor. Do you want your unmentionables touching that...unmentionable? You do not. Bend the knees and tuck the clothing nicely into the crease behind them.

Step 5. Squat.
Do what you came to do.

Step 6: The Clean Escape.
Do not-I repeat, do not come out of squat. Wipe, drop, wipe again, and then FIRST pull up the clothing at the knees, THEN pull down the clothing at the waist.

Step 7: Dismount.
Do not touch anything. Seriously, I don't care how bad your balance is, call on your inner yogi and step off that toilet without supporting yourself.

Step 8: Touch nothing.
This is actually the beauty of the squat toilet. You do not need to contact anything other than your own body parts, if performed properly.

Step 9: Use hand cleanser anyway.
I mean, you just did your business. Be polite. I recommend tea tree oil, which does not kill good bacteria, and is a natural antiseptic.

Step 10: Check for trailers, drippers, and clingers before leaving.
Assess the location of the wipe. Is it down the hole? Then you're golden. Are clothes in their proper place? Any damp spots that may need to be addressed?

Reposition the purse in your preferred location, smile, and continue on your touristy way.

We did the ice bucket challenge OUR way

Donate to VERONICAS VOICE INC at Razoo

Istanbul: Where Europe and Asia kiss

Istanbul, the Eurasian city split by the Bosporus, has long been at the top of my "Bucket List." Friend after friend has visited and emphatically informed me how vital it is that I go. "Titia, you HAVE to go to Istanbul! You HAVE to!" I was certainly not going to argue, but finding time and funds for that trip (Turkey is not as cheap as it used to be!) took me a while. But, with a partner who was as eager to see the city as I was, it finally happened.



General thoughts:
First of all, they were right. You HAVE to visit Istanbul. Secondly, it really is where Asia and Europe meet, in both the geographic and cultural sense. As someone who has lived, studied, and spent ample time on each of those continents, my head spun with the overlaps I saw everywhere.

Plus there's just this vibe, wherever you go that is a distinct blend of European and Asian. I don't know how to articulate it. It's in little gestures, little smells, the way stores butt up against each other, the way the old men look, the way the young women walk...it is neither Europe nor Asia, yet it is both.

We encountered European technology and architecture surrounded by the "boy clubs" (as I call the clusters of men that sit and smoke  in the squares or play games while they hover over tea in tight t-shirts and jeans) that I was used to seeing in India and Nepal. Women stayed mostly out of sight in the Muslim neighborhoods, and when they emerged, wore hijab. This is not typical, from what I understand, of the whole city, just our neighborhood.

Contrasted with the strict Muslim observances (our innkeeper would not even drink the wine I offered in public because he knew the other shopkeepers would see and be angry with him), are things like the nightlife, which REALLY starts to get going around midnight, and doesn't quiet down until 3 AM or later on weekends. The square where our inn was located had a fish market nearby and boasted some of the poshest seafood restaurants I've seen. Every night musicians circled the little piazza, dancing around the fountain. Diners, both local and tourist, sang and danced and threw tips to them.

Another Asian remnant is the street dogs and cats that wander the city, but in contrast to Hindu and Muslim countries, they are rarely beaten or poisoned. They coexist in a fairly friendly manner with the tourists, while still looking suspiciously mangy enough not to pet. Some of the puppies are just asking for it, but I refrained!

One of the most evident dissonant harmonies of the city is the fight between Muslim and Christian history for dominance. The most famous monument to this controversy is the Hagia Sophia, a Byzantine church which was converted to a mosque, and is now a museum. There is a conservative faction in Turkey who would like to convert the museum back to a mosque, as a holy religious site, but the moderates argue that as a museum it represents the secular history of Turkey, not allowing one narrative to dominate. If you have been following Turkish news at all, you can see that that fight for the dominance of Islam over secularism is hardly over.

Is it dangerous?
One impression I've picked up repeatedly from people in the US is that Turkey is dangerous. I suppose it is if you are alone in a bad neighborhood and don't know where you're going...but so is London, and New York, and Tokyo. Frankly, I'm not sure how Turkey got this reputation, unless it's the simple justification from Americans who really have no desire to visit and this is the only excuse they know how to articulate.

While I was never by myself in Istanbul, I never got the impression it would be more scary than any other place if I were. We stayed predominantly in the tourist sections of the European side, riding public transit and walking. At no point would I say we were at risk.

In fact, the people we directly encountered could not have been kinder. Our innkeeper, Volcan, was a chatty, sweet, conscientious guy who loved hanging out with guests on the patio of his hotel. (Lancelot Hotel, for those who need a place). One man saw us trying to figure out what this was:

so he bought us some! (Turns out to be a seasoned bean patty)

Then there's the impromptu dance party I had with the vendors who sold me tea and Turkish coffee cups:

In fact, Istanbul is probably better, in many ways, than much more famous cities I've visited. The touts are aggressive as you walk by restaurants (understandably as the competition is fierce and they are all 6 inches away from each other), the water is not potable (although no one in Europe drinks tap water anyway) and there is a struggle for the dominance of a fundamentalist religious faction. But in terms of a visit, it was stimulating, exciting, completely unique (versus London, New York and Paris which are all kind of the same city with different accents) and it's one of the few cities I will tell you: yes, you MUST go. There's actually no place like it that I have found.

Grand Canyon, Southern Rim. Meditating on Majesty.

This year has marked more domestic travel than I have ever done! Every month I am in a different locale, either for work, volunteering, or seeing family and friends.

Now living in Richmond, I go to DC often, and have also visited Baltimore, Delaware, Philadelphia, NYC, upstate New York, San Diego, Seattle, Knoxville, Pompano Beach in Florida, and most recently, the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Below are pictures of my Grand Canyon visit, but I will tell you now that if you have ever seen the Southern Rim, you know how laughably insufficient these are. If you have not, look at the pretty pictures to prove I was actually there, but understand that you MUST experience it firsthand. There is no image I have seen to date that captures the majesty of that place.

It is comforting, in a way, that this can be true. Sure, you look at the photos and wish they were a better representation of the grandiose beauty that made you lose your breath. But at the same time, I'm kinda glad. Glad that that moment only exists because I was THERE. Presence is a prerequisite to this experience, and of how many things is that true in this age? I work from home because everyone I need to interact with and all the information I want is online. I can watch movies on my phone in an airport. I can see aerial shots of festivals, wars, and geological wonders such as the Grand Canyon. So really, there are few things in my life that require me to be physically present in order to appreciate the experience.

Thus it is surprising, and refreshing, when you realize that no picture you have ever seen did it justice. That view is yours, and yours alone in that moment. It is awesome in the way awesome is meant to be used. It conjures the inexplicable feeling of both the infinitesimally tiny, and the ungraspably huge. You can physically descend into the greatness, and be swallowed by colors you don't understand or know how to describe.

It is no wonder, then, that the Grand Canyon is the most visited Natural Wonder of the World. It has to be. So while many tourist traps may bring a sigh of disappointment (the mosque in Córdoba) or a shrug of acceptance (the Leaning Tower of Pisa), the Grand Canyon is one destination, I have to say, that lives up to the hype.