Going to Guatemala!!

Hey Everyone!!

From March 22nd to April 15th I am going to Guatemala! I'm going to travel throughout Guatemala as well as do a yoga retreat. I promise to write about as soon as I get back. Also I'll try, TRY, to do some videos but I won't promise anything.

A Really Late Post

This post is so late it is pathetic. I really have no excuse. I truly think the reason behind it was that I didn't think about writing about my english experience but instead I was fully focused on transitioning into a vloging environment. However, I became a bit self-conscious so I decided not to venture into that world. So in the end, I didn't do anything and my mind wandered off. Only until I saw a badly written yelp review did I realize I didn't do what I should have done. I didn't write about being vegan in another country.

So, like always, I apologize. I should have "been on it" but I failed. So since I want to have something to write about I'll write about the couple of restaurants I ate at when I was surviving in Yorkshire England, and also the worst restaurant I ever went to.

So let's start off with the worst.

Here is my review of the Tribal Cafe in Leeds.

I was extremely excited to go to Global Tribe Cafe. It was the number one place I wanted to go to. I thought that if the trip to England sucked then at least I would have had one thing to use positively in memory.

I was so wrong.

Global Tribe Cafe presents itself as a new age hippy restaurant offering Vegan/Vegetarian options. It has a small shop that sits under it and the overall theme of the store seems like a new age hostel. I was so excited. The food seemed like a mixture of healthy/ homely vegan food and I thought it would be a great place to be "me". My whole day was centered around eating there for lunch. In my mindset, I would go christmas shopping in Leeds and then I would feast right after.

Now, to their defense, what I have been told is that the English are notorious at being TERRIBLE for customer service. However my only argument is that what happened to me seemed to so idiotic and inhumane. But, to be civil, I might have had a cultural mishap. 

When I arrived I was so ecstatic. I ran upstairs and then I was instantly disappointed. It was full and small. My dad was a bit defeatist and decided to leave but I wanted to give this place credit. I mean this was going to be my everything. So I went up to the waiter and asked if there were any seats available; he looked at me with disdain and said "no". 

"No". He just said "no" like I was some sort of inconvenience. Nothing like, "well let's see what we can do", or, "I'm sorry we're full right now but if you wait a couple of minutes we can get you a seat", just "no".

He just said "no".

So I asked how long the wait will be and he replied, "thirty minutes". He never once ask, "shall I get your name down?" or anything like that he just said, "thirty minutes", like 

I just took a shit right in front of him. Like I said before, I became the inconvenience for him. I believe I told him that I would be downstairs and will wait and he said that was ok. I also believe I asked him if I could put my name down and he said they didn't do that. I had never experienced a restaurant that didn't have a waiting list but I thought this is England so I can't judge.

So I decided to wait a couple of minutes downstairs. I knew I could wait a couple more minutes so I thought I would go up in thirty to see if I can get a table. This was going to be good. This was what I was waiting for. 

However as I waited I noticed several people went upstairs and never came down.

They got tables.

I went upstairs and finally got to speak to someone else. She was a lady who kind of realized how upset I was. I asked how the fuck I was going to get a table and she asked me IF I WANTED TO WRITE MY NAME DOWN. Now maybe that guy was having a bad day, but he needed to grow up. He was working for a company and he brought his weird prejudice with him. When I said yes I asked how long it was going to be and she said, "forty-five minutes".

The problem with this restaurant is that they do not want your service. If you come from another country, maybe from another English county, they do not want your kind here. They do not care about service they just care about their own. I never felt so insulted and rejected in my whole life. I am privileged to experience being a white woman but for the first time in my life I felt judged for who I was. If you want to experience vegan cuisine I HIGHLY recommend that you DO NOT COME HERE. 

However I'm not here to bash England. They're not a country of idiots. I actually did eat at some good places. One of the restaurants I did enjoy was Wagamama.

Wagamama is a asian inspired franchise that spans from the UK to the USA. It became my last resort after the fiasco at Global Tribe Cafe. Wagamama is a bench lunch style eatery that offers all diet food. It also is an ASIAN FUSION. I repeat, ASIAN FUSION.

Now I am currently living in Los Angeles. I know a lot of restaurants that have authentic Asian food and a lot of Asian inspired fusion food as well. Now I have to make the statement that Wagamama is an English- Asian fusion restaurant. It is very English, very very English. 

However I have only nice things to say about Wagamama because the one I went to was on the ball with my morals. After the fiasco with Global Tribe Cafe, I found Wagamama on the top of the Leeds mall. Our waiter, I'm sorry but I don't remember what her name was, was the nicest. When I said I was a vegan she quickly got the nutrition menu and found me several meals for me to eat. She even took an initiative to separate my meal from other areas where meat was cut and cooked. 

At Wagamama I had the Yasai Pad Thai without egg. Comparing it to a lot of the thai food I had, (I live above thai town in Los Angeles), I would say this was so-so, however I did go twice and I did enjoy the meal. Needless to say, not all is lost in England.

Closer to home was also the Rob Royd Farm Shop which was very helpful towards my lifestyle. 

From what I've been told Rob Royd is a famous farmhouse that converted itself into a shop/restaurant. Now my family lives near Rob Royd and my Great Aunt Nora LOVES, and I mean LOVES, Rob Royd so we went a couple of times. Every single time I went they made me a meal especially for me and they were always really kind to my great aunt who is 97 years old. I always had a salad, but every single time it was always good.

England had some good and bad moments when it came to vegan food, however if you manage to ask, they are usually knowledgeable to help you out. Being vegan in England is not as impossible as some might think.

The next post I'll write about were goods I prepared for my vegan christmas dinner and foods I manage to buy at the local shops.

Going to England for Christmas!

Hey everyone!

So around the Christmas time I am going to go to England and see family and friends. I've decided to do vlog videos for the trip. So I think I'll create more of a video presence. 

STAY TUNED!

My Trip To San Francisco and The Vegan Meals I Had

Last week I went to San Francisco for a work related trip. I managed to travel a bit on my free time, and I also was able to try a few vegan eateries.

In San Francisco I stayed in the East Bay in a hotel called Hyatt House. The hotel is a adequate hotel located in Emreyville, California, right next door (literally) to the train station. The premise of the hotel is to be your home away from home with a kitchen and everything which meant that there wasn't a need for room service. What they had however, was the "H Bar Sip + Savor".

In the "H Bar Sip + Savor" there was a wide selection of comfort foods. Vegan wise, there was sort of one item.

What they offer vegan wise is the "H Bar Fries". The "H Bar Fries" is a chipotle seasoned french fry that came with a mayo chipotle "ketchup". 

On one brutal night when I came home at 9:30 pm and crumbled at the idea of going out again for dinner, I ordered this as my meal. The french fries were good, I was just disappointed that the ketchup was a joke.

The first vegan meal was a failure.

           

I was feeling a bit down about not getting what I thought I was getting. Northern California was always considered to be the haven for vegan health. It was the hippy nation, so why wasn't I able to get a dish? I had began working for a couple of days having to omit lunch and breakfast, and having catered plain salads for dinner. My goal of finding Northern Californian vegan meals were not happening.

That was the case until I got to have Shangri-La Vegan.

After one night of my jobs I was allowed to go home early. Since I was staying in Emreyville I looked up vegan foods on yelp. About six or so miles away from the hotel there was a place called Shangri-La Vegan.

Shangri-La Vegan is a organic vegan only hideaway located at 4001 Linden St, Oakland, CA 94608. It is a relatively big building situated in a residential district of Oakland.

Inside, the decor has a semi-Asian esthetic. The chairs and tables are plain, but there are some tapestries on the door and some pictures of Asia. There is a big counter in the front where you can order your food, and a nice little man waiting for your order.

Truth be told I can't tell you what I ordered. There seems to have had a massive communication error between us because by the time I came to order, the man already did it for me. The only thing I can tell you is there are two size options, medium (which is massive) and large (which could probably feed a family of six).

The meal is what I believe vegan meals should be however. As much as I love comfort food I have a hard time seeing the point of eating fake meat. If you want to be a advocate for animals, why subjugate yourself into eating fake meat? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

This meal is a concoction of vegetables to create an erotic surge of health and flavor in your mouth. The meal is that sort of meal where you feel satisfied with your life right after. It has the feeling of a salad without having to EXPERIENCE a salad. 

So far I was successful with one meal.

There was a place I went to which I never took a picture of. It was a great example though of the level of vegan acceptance San Francisco has. 

At the Westfield Mall on Market Street there is a Loving Hut. Loving Hut is a vegan franchised fast food industry all over the world. I have been to a couple when I used to live in Korea, so I was excited to see one in San Francisco. 

The Loving Hut is not a fancy place, but not a lot of the places I've went to were fancy either. However, Loving Hut is a place to go to when you want cheap, easy, comfort food. For the size of a small child you pay around $8.00 for food. 

I enjoyed Loving Hut so much that I had it twice. It really offered a substantial amount of food for a reasonable price.

I should mention that throughout this whole trip I had to rely on one major company as a large provider of food source for me...

That's right. Trader Joe's was right next door to the Emeryville Hyatt House. As much as I have a hard time with Trader Joe's I had to put my prejudices aside and accept that I had a place that could provide me vegan options.

What I relied a lot on was the Trader Joe's Veggie Wrap. Even though earlier this year Trader Joe's had a massive hummus recall, the wrap was good. I also had almond milk, onion ring chips, guacamole, and vegan cookies. When I needed something, I had trader Joe's to rely on.

While Trader Joe's might have a hypocritical premise, it does provide cheap options for food diets and health. While in Emeryville I have to say that Trader Joe's was my go to place. 

                                                                                 

Near the end of my trip I managed to make it to one place that was a normal/vegan hybrid. 

Super Duper seems to be on Mission and Market. It seems to be a comfortable burger/sandwich joint. 

I ordered their veggie burger and it was ok, just ok. It was a rice-ish burger with bits of corn and onion inside. I omitted the thousand island dressing and cheese and put in a mashed avocado. The flavor was alright, but not powerful. I feel like at home I can make a better burger. New article perhaps?

However the atmosphere was great. It had a real bustling crowd with a soft sound of music. It was a good place to kill time and people watch.

Food wise I have to say I wasn't astonished with the grub but I think I have come to a conclusion. There is no denying that San Francisco/ East Bay is a very liberal area. It has been since it was established. While in Los Angeles the vegan diet has been glamorized to a beautiful delicacy, in San Francisco/ East Bay it is as average as white bread. The vegan lifestyle has been in the San Francisco/ East Bay life forever so it isn't as magical as it is in Los Angeles. They have elite vegan, fast food vegan, good vegan, and crap vegan. While I wasn't impressed by the food here, I have to say that coming here I never dealt with any major issues with my lifestyle.

Trip wise, my experience in San Francisco/ East Bay was different than what I expected. Truth be told I wasn't on vacation so I feel like I can't be so critical. However I did have some moments that I felt I should address.

One of the major things I think you should not bring or rent is a car. If you are planning to do both San Francisco/ East Bay then you will probably need the car for the East Bay, but in San Francisco cars are so pointless they should be banned. 

Most of the people in San Francisco are so (I assume) tired that they should not drive. In one day I witnessed five people drive through red lights. I saw one man cut off me and another man just to block us. Driving is insane and is nearly impossible for a town like this.

Even my Siri was going insane...

San Francisco seems to have changed a lot since its flower power persona in the 1960s. Hippies as well as the homeless (which in truth is basically the same thing) are mean and aggressive. I've seen several homeless people get into fights with others, including me, on the street, and I had one hippy try to shoot me, while I was driving, with a Nerf gun. Maybe because the weather is so cold, but the people here are mean. 

However in the end I got to go home. I had dealt with a week of San Francisco/ East Bay. Even though I it wasn't so bad, I felt had conquered a big hurdle.

Going to San Francisco Next Week!

From August 21-31 I will be in San Francisco. I will be mostly working but I'll try to snap some quick pictures, some reviews of some restaurants, and some observations about San Francisco. Stay tuned!

Places I Want to See in the next Two Years

I want to do a list of places I would like to see in the next two years. I don't plan on seeing all of them, but I think it would be good to have a little list to get my hopes up, or even yet, to encourage me to be and look my best for when I go.

  1. Brazil

Brazil is a tropical paradise that has food that I have never seen. I mostly want to come here for two reasons; one is the food, and the other reason are the beaches. I think the people here must be friendly and nice, and overall I think Brazil would be amazing to go to. 

Plus I am aiming to see all of the current seven wonders so I think seeing the Christ is the Redeemer statue is a must. Also, the Amazon Rainforest would be fantastic.

  2. Cuba

If there is a country that I want to see, Cuba would be it. Because I'm American and Cuba is "the sworn enemy" from 1950s, I can't go legally. However I have been hearing rumors on how friends have cheated the system and gotten in. I would be so happy if I can get in. I promise I wouldn't even buy anything. I just want to see it.

  3. Aurora Borealis 

I had only one transcendental experience which was at Macchu Picchu. In one short moment I felt so small yet so important to life, the world, and human existence. I felt so special and that I was in the center of all that is "now". I nearly cried realizing how beautiful the world was and how I was wasting it away. I feel like the Aurora Borealis would give me a chance to have that feeling again. 

Now there are 10 places where I can see it, and generally the borealis comes out around the fall equinox (September 23).

                *. Alaska

                *. Denmark

                *. Scotland

                *. Canada

                *. Greenland

                *. Finland

                *. Iceland

                *. Norway

                *. Russia

                *. Sweden

  4. Statues of Easter Island (Chile)

Who wouldn't want to see mysterious massive statues?

  5. Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)

It would truly be amazing to see some rare animals as well as to see Darwin's inspiration and realization of evolution. It was the start of it all, and it would be wonderful to see that. 

  6. Venice (Italy)

I've been reading that the city is slowing sinking and will be lost forever. I need to see it before that does happen.

   7. Oaxaca (Mexico)

I really would love to see Mexico. From all the rumors I heard, and from my parent's hesitation, I never got a chance to see my next door neighbor. I think I would have to go with someone in order for this to happen but I would love to go and see what Mexico has to offer.

There are also two other countries I would like to see but because of their political issues I don't think I can.

* Egypt

I can't go there right now until their government gets fixed.

*Jordan

I wouldn't go to Petra by myself as a young single female. 

So these are the places. All I have to do is get some money and get crackin'.

My Trip to Massachusetts

The previous week I went to Massachusetts. Yep, I went to Massachusetts. I wanted to what it had to offer, and if I could still be a vegan.

I did, and I could.

This is what happened.

Massachusetts is one of our oldest states. Growing from a land connected strongly with the harbor, Massachusetts seems to be evolving into a state that is a cross hybrid of two extremes. A relatively democratic state it seems to be a clusterfuck of extremely new aged liberal interests mixed in with 'Merica stereotypes.

My first meal was something I made myself however I think it demonstrates how being vegan is quite easy in the bay state. It was a vegan bagel sandwich. With a mixture of hummus, avocado, kale, and tomatoes I managed to enjoy my day with a healthy vegan meal. 

I had previously bought these items at the store quite easily. There wasn't any trouble buying organic, nor were any of the items scarce. What makes the states so unbelievably easy being a vegan is the powerful magnitude of American supermarkets. While you might not be able to get vegan only products (except in this case you can) you are easily able to devise a happy healthy meal. 

Cous cous salad with a side salad

Salad mixture from Whole Foods

Vegan shortbread with organic strawberries

While I did go to two restaurants, I found them both to be quite bland. I went to a thai restaurant in Plimouth and had the standard Pad Thai, and I went to a Indian Restaurant in Cambridge that was, in kinder words, mediocre. Both had labels that promoted their vegan knowledge about their meals, but both were not as good compared to my own cooking.

However traveling as a vegan in Massachusetts would be simple. If buying food at the supermarkets are impossible, going around to different restaurants would be easy. The new age thinking of vegan liberal thought seems to be quite possible here, and to step away from the American stereotype of obesity allows a lot natives to ask for the impossible, making it possible for you. 

While there seems to be a shift towards a more liberal thought, Massachusetts is also contains the stench of conservative 'Mericanism. 

I am proud to be an American. It is where I was born and it is my automated response of what my nationality is. (To those that didn't know, I am American and English. I have dual nationalities.) However my American nature was raised in a freakish environment compared to everyone else. I come from the land of misfits and rejects. My moral compass leans more on the side of liberalism, and overall I cringe seeing conservative aggression. 

Massachusetts, despite being new aged, still contains a strong conservative prejudice. In Massachusetts, people go "huntin'", people project their views on pro life wherever you go, and people saying "that's so gay" and the "N word" seems to be ok to them. 

But this state is friendly. Which is why this becomes a complex series of emotions for me. How do I judge a group of people who at one hand completely disgust me, and on the other, win over my heart? What seems to be the issue for MA is that you have to come here open, and you have to refresh yourself every day. Don't allow yourself to latch on the immoral aggression of the area, it is their thought, not yours. This is also the state that killed a bunch of people who they thought were witches. So it seems quite difficult to assume they are just like you.

Massachusetts is archaic and young. It shows you how this country came to be, but also where it is going. Coming to Massachusetts as a vegan is easy so don't worry. Just sit back and enjoy yourself, and experience the weirdness that is the bay state.  

For now, I'm on hiatus

Hello

As much as the title screams horror to you readers it is true; for now, I'm on hiatus. There is no traveling with me because right now I have finished my contract in Korea and returned home. So I will not write stories and observations of the world because right now, I have none. 

However I did create a blog that talks about home.

So for right now I will be focusing on the blog, Living with Woffke, or http://woffkeinla.blogspot.com/. This will incorporate reviews, historical stories, and observations about liking in Los Angeles, but mainly Hollywood.

When I go on a trip, I promise I will come back to this blog.

However check out my other one 

http://woffkeinla.blogspot.com/

Summing Things Up In One Post

So I have been a bit quiet for a while. Mostly because I lost all hope in life.                  















just kidding.



















Actually the real reason behind my silence is because I lost my interest in the blog. It didn't seem fun anymore. It was tedious. The concept that I had to write about my travels and repeated things other travel journalists had written simply didn't excite me anymore. I didn't feel like I was writing in my voice but instead I was regurgitating something that wasn't natural. I couldn't be bothered to do something that made it feel more like a chore than a privilege.

However I don't want to feel like a quitter so I, for right now, will take an initiative to write more. This is a quick summary of what has happened so far since my last post.

In September I went to Japan (Kyoto and Tokyo) and celebrated the freedom of being a young adult on my own in a different country. However, despite my feeling of growing independence it did not discount the fact that felt, needless to say, lonely. Most trips are not fun if you don't share them with anyone. However Japan has a special place in my heart. It is a beautiful place with people who generally want to get to know you. Throughout my trip in Japan I had people talk to me about their country, had people physically walk me to the right bus stop despite the aspect that it was not at all where they needed to be, and overall, I met people that were welcoming and kind. Japan is a country with depth and personality that no country can compete with. Overall Japan is one of the best places I went to this year. Japan is like a happy face spider. It might look just like any other bug, but man it is has some awesome traits you'll never notice until you really look. 

I have also done several things in South Korea. I went to a place called Nami Island, I went to an abandoned mental hospital, I went to Busan, and I tried to enjoy myself with the MANY days I have left. What I keep trying to do is make my weekends FANTASTIC so that my weeks would seem better. 

I had a birthday which was awful. My boss yelled at me and I cried. Next year should be better. 

Pretty soon I will go to Thailand. I am doing a yoga retreat there. After that I got a month then I will go to India.

I will try to write what inspires me. Since that is the only way I can write about things.

A little bit of Japan and a lot more of my feelings

hello world,

I don't aim for this to be a discouraging post but I feel like it's necessary for the truth. 

I first should apologize for the absence in my "diligent writing". It seems like every single post tends to be a "I promise to write more" post but at least I am trying. See, for a while, I became discouraged living in Seoul. I understand not everyplace is easy to live in everyday, but for me, I found myself bored and somewhat defeated. See, in the past month or so I've been feeling quite eager to leave and go someplace else. There hasn't really been much to do here, and my ambivalence in being hungover has been outweighed with my want to drink something so I wouldn't have to deal with the incessant hammering from any foreign teacher or any foreign person on why they think seoul is really great. I am not saying I'm a alcoholic. 

Not yet

That goal is for the future when I live a loveless marriage while having an affair with the cabana boy that cleans my pool.

fingers crossed

But really I have been struggling at being inspired. I've been battling this struggle by reading, but that too seemed to have gone away. I've been in this haze of boredom, and this blog was the thing that got affected due to my slight depression. 

However I am going to try again cause if there is anything I learned about growing up is that we must try, try, and try again. But then again, isn't there a contrary proverb for every proverb?

ahh crap now I have no idea what to do

I think I got my sudden jolt of excitement from Japan, which has become the launch of my fantastic travel adventure. I know I went to china, but Japan has made me excited again. I was so enthralled in being in a new country and I finally felt the adventure I wanted oh so badly was starting.

So last weekend I went to Japan. I went to Harajuku, saw the band Ego Wrappin' preform live at Hibiya outdoor theater, and I generally became lost in translation. I found Japan to be so much more different than South Korea, and overall I felt a sense of peace and happiness throughout the trip. Japan breathed life into my veins, and now I see the world in a more excited and energized way.

I arrived in Japan around one in the morning. The hostel I stayed in was Ace Inn Hostel in Shinjuku. The hostel is comprised of a series of small cubbies as beds. While this might seem like a horror, it actually wasn't too bad. I could easily sit up in the bed, there was a shelf, and there was plenty of room to move around. 

the hostel front

my locker

the beds

my bed

The hostel wasn't amazing but it wasn't shit either. The beds were roomy but the people that stayed there were loud. I guess the volume of the place needed to be a given due to the fact that it was a hostel, but I like my sleep. The hostel was in a great location and it was comfortably air conditioned. The design of the hostel was for the traveler, and it really did what it was designed to do. 

I also managed to make it to Harajuku, and that became the start of my love for Japan. Japan has a sense of wonder and spirituality that South Korea murdered long ago. Japan displays a sense of serenity in the hustle and bustle of the everyday, while South Korea reconstructs a fabricated sense of modernity. South Korea's need to change its identity into a country of modernity has led to to become a city of plastic. Japan, however has continued to have a beautiful and fantastic image.

The other shots I took around Japan were things of nothing, yet for me, were things about everything. It might not seem interesting to you, however it all spoke worlds to me.

I don't have a lot of stories to tell since I was in Japan for basically a day. However I seemed to have collected a series of small snippets to declare to fun of my trip. 

One of the snippets was this small shrine that I found while I was lost. It wasn't very noticeable, and it wasn't very big. I did not even know it was a shrine until a saw a small man slowly walk up to it. He was plainly dressed with a white shirt and black pants, and he carried with him a small dark brown briefcase. He walked up to the shrine and put the briefcase under his right arm. He donated a small coin or so into the offering pate; he clapped his hands, bowed, and walked away.

While this might seem nothing to you, I loved it. I devoured it. It was everything I wanted to see and more. I have never found so much humility and serenity in one small moment. I have never been religious, but I have always wanted to see religious moments like those. 

Life is so quick and so boring having a moment like that stops it all and lets the world zoom in on that single instant. Have you ever taken time out of your day and thanked something, ANYTHING, for what you got? I have always seemed to show my thanks around Thanksgiving, but not every day. Yes I might not have a deity in my life, but man I still respect those that do just because they show their thanks for what they have.

Another moment was when I went to the concert for Ego Wrappin'. While I think I was the ONLY white person there, I wasn't treated as such. Everyone that sat around me was super friendly, and even at the end of the concert, people were slapping me fives. By the way Ego Wrappin' live is fantastic! I highly recommend seeing them live. They demonstrate all the energy and life of Japan, and they play amazingly.

I am going to go again in September. Even though I haven't said much, I feel like I have finally FINALLY got some wind on this trip. I am finally inspired, and I don't feel like this is a waste.

As for the veganism, throughout the trip I remained true to my beliefs  For breakfast and for dinner on saturday I had a bag of nuts, and for lunch as well as breakfast on sunday I had a daikon radish onigri. It was quite hot throughout the trip so I lost my appetite a lot. 

the next two weeks I'll be a bit silent because I am planning my trip to Cambodia. I leave July 27th and come back August 4th.

<3