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!

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.

Cambodian pictures of Siem Reap and more!

warning: this is a bit miscellaneous. I have no idea how to put pictures in order

I'm sorry :)

enjoy!

A sleeping buddha

a vegan meal at Bodhi Tree

A meal at Peace Cafe!

a vegan breakfast at Bodhi Tree

a vegan breakfast at Bodhi Tree

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Mystery Tour!

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Mystery Tour!

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Siem Reap

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Peace Cafe

Bodhi Tree Buddhist Blessing

Bodhi Tree Breakfast adventure

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Bodhi Tree Buddhist Blessing

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