http://www.sidestep.com/air/
I have chosen my airline... it's Delta.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Packing Stuff
Packing stuff is pretty important. What to pack. What not to pack. I have recently come back from a 2 week business trip and I didn't have any checked luggage at all. How is this possible? I was able to do laundry in Chicago at a laundrymat. I didn't even wear a few of the clothes I had with me, which means I over packed. I also purchased quite a bit of stuff to bring back with me, which brings up the question, "how the hell do we get stuff back here?"
Here are my tips:
- Pack light. Clothes are dirt cheap there, if we need something, we can buy it there.
- Check an empty or semi empty bag. We'll use either the beach house or my Dad's house as a base-of-operations. Every excursion we return from we can drop stuff off in our empty bag and check it when we fly home.
- Toiletries. We can probably bring the bare essentials. From what I remember toothpaste tastes a lot different there, so we might want to bring our own.
Those are all the tips I have for now!
Here are my tips:
- Pack light. Clothes are dirt cheap there, if we need something, we can buy it there.
- Check an empty or semi empty bag. We'll use either the beach house or my Dad's house as a base-of-operations. Every excursion we return from we can drop stuff off in our empty bag and check it when we fly home.
- Toiletries. We can probably bring the bare essentials. From what I remember toothpaste tastes a lot different there, so we might want to bring our own.
Those are all the tips I have for now!
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Racking up frequent flyer miles...
I am planning to rack up some more frequent flyer miles this summer as I travel quite a bit for work. In working a lot... and getting miles, I'll be able to overwhelmingly afford vacations like Thailand. I was hoping to fly together on the flight to Bangkok, but I guess I'll settle with flying with Danielle, if she's still interested in going.
I'm going to buy my ticket in 2 months. Trying to keep a level head and logical approach so that I can plan out my route and make sure I won't have to also visit Vietnam, making it a working vacation.
I'm going to buy my ticket in 2 months. Trying to keep a level head and logical approach so that I can plan out my route and make sure I won't have to also visit Vietnam, making it a working vacation.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Stuff to think about + TWOTD
I figure this summer we should all get our passports. If I remember correctly, the fee to get passports is $80 bucks. Perhaps it may have gone up since last year, but probably not. Morgs and I had a conversation about VISAs. She's thinking we should be alright with the standard visa.
Today's Thai word is chai. It doesn't have a sound like chai tea, but more like an exclamatedaye! So you add the CH in front of that. It means right. So if you're responding to a question, you'd say, "Chai, krup," (for a man) or "Chai, ka" (if you're a girl).
Pretty easy stuff.
Today's Thai word is chai. It doesn't have a sound like chai tea, but more like an exclamatedaye! So you add the CH in front of that. It means right. So if you're responding to a question, you'd say, "Chai, krup," (for a man) or "Chai, ka" (if you're a girl).
Pretty easy stuff.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Money
In one trade show, I've made enough money to travel to Thailand for 2 1/2 people. It was my goal to make as much money as possible and now I have!
A note about tickets: I read that it was a good idea not to buy your tickets too early because buying tickets too far in advance could actually be more expensive since airlines don't actually know availability until a few months before the trip, so the best time to purchase your tickets are 2-3 months before your international flight--unless you can get some dirt cheap tickets! The previous fare I posted was for roundtrip at a cost of about $1,300 after taxes. I don't remember the website though.
Chris spoke of a cheap international fares website he uses when he travels to China and Vietnam for business. I think we will use that.
Going to work now.
A note about tickets: I read that it was a good idea not to buy your tickets too early because buying tickets too far in advance could actually be more expensive since airlines don't actually know availability until a few months before the trip, so the best time to purchase your tickets are 2-3 months before your international flight--unless you can get some dirt cheap tickets! The previous fare I posted was for roundtrip at a cost of about $1,300 after taxes. I don't remember the website though.
Chris spoke of a cheap international fares website he uses when he travels to China and Vietnam for business. I think we will use that.
Going to work now.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
A good airfare found... not the best, but not too shabby...
This fare gives us a 7 hour lay-over in Tokyo, JP. A bonus trip!!!
Leave
Thu, Dec 21
Delta Air Lines 8953
operated by China Airlines -- CI 0007
Delta Air Lines
Depart:
1:15am
Arrive:
6:10am
Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
Taipei, Taiwan (TPE)
2 stops in TPE
* 12hr 55min
* | Boeing 747
Change Airline. Time between flights: 2hr 40min
China Airlines 641
China Airlines
Depart:
8:50am
Arrive:
10:35am
Taipei, Taiwan (TPE)
Hong Kong, Hong Kong (HKG)
* 1hr 45min
* | Airbus A333
No plane change. Time between flights: 1hr 5min
China Airlines 641
China Airlines
Depart:
11:40am
Arrive:
1:25pm
Hong Kong, Hong Kong (HKG)
Bangkok, Thailand (BKK)
* 2hr 45min
* | Airbus A333
Total duration: 21hr 10min
This is an overnight flight.
Return
Thu, Jan 4
All Nippon Airways 916
All Nippon Airways
Depart:
11:45pm
Arrive:
7:30am
Bangkok, Thailand (BKK)
Tokyo, Japan (NRT)
1 stop in NRT
* 5hr 45min
* | Boeing 767
Change Airline. Time between flights: 7hr 25min
Delta Air Lines 7871
operated by Korean Air Lines -- KE 0001
Delta Air Lines
Depart:
2:55pm
Arrive:
8:40am
Tokyo, Japan (NRT)
Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
* 10hr 45min
* | Boeing 777
Total duration: 23hr 55min
This is an overnight flight.
Leave
Thu, Dec 21
Delta Air Lines 8953
operated by China Airlines -- CI 0007
Delta Air Lines
Depart:
1:15am
Arrive:
6:10am
Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
Taipei, Taiwan (TPE)
2 stops in TPE
* 12hr 55min
* | Boeing 747
Change Airline. Time between flights: 2hr 40min
China Airlines 641
China Airlines
Depart:
8:50am
Arrive:
10:35am
Taipei, Taiwan (TPE)
Hong Kong, Hong Kong (HKG)
* 1hr 45min
* | Airbus A333
No plane change. Time between flights: 1hr 5min
China Airlines 641
China Airlines
Depart:
11:40am
Arrive:
1:25pm
Hong Kong, Hong Kong (HKG)
Bangkok, Thailand (BKK)
* 2hr 45min
* | Airbus A333
Total duration: 21hr 10min
This is an overnight flight.
Return
Thu, Jan 4
All Nippon Airways 916
All Nippon Airways
Depart:
11:45pm
Arrive:
7:30am
Bangkok, Thailand (BKK)
Tokyo, Japan (NRT)
1 stop in NRT
* 5hr 45min
* | Boeing 767
Change Airline. Time between flights: 7hr 25min
Delta Air Lines 7871
operated by Korean Air Lines -- KE 0001
Delta Air Lines
Depart:
2:55pm
Arrive:
8:40am
Tokyo, Japan (NRT)
Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
* 10hr 45min
* | Boeing 777
Total duration: 23hr 55min
This is an overnight flight.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
TWOTD + Thai Tea Recipe
Today's word is wan ang-kahn. Wan means day, as ang-kahn refers to Tuesday. So wan ang-kahn means Tuesday day. You can use the prefix of wan to every day of the week, in fact, it's proper Thai to do so. Yesterday was wan jahn as wan nee (today) bpen (is) wan ang-kahn (Tuesday).
As a special treat (literally), this is a recipe for Thai Iced Tea.
- Boil 8 cups water.
- Place 8 to 10 tablespoons tea mix in a large pitcher or pot.
- Pour boiling water over the tea and let steep for 5 or 6 minutes.
-Use a strainer to strain the tea into a second pitcher (this removes most of the loose tea), then use a coffee filter or the stainless/muslin filter offered below to filter it back into the (rinsed) first pitcher.
- Add sugar to taste (recommend at least 1 cup, as Thai icetea should be very sweet), stir and let cool then put in the fridge.
- Pour chilled tea over ice (prefer crushed ice) and top with evaporated milk (or half and half).
- Let the milk float on the ice and slowly sink into the tea.
Alternatively, I used to make it this way:
Take a coffee maker and put about 2-3 filters in the grounds vestibule (that place where the coffee goes). Put 8-10 table spoons and just let the coffee maker go wild. It'll come out piping hot, but you'll need to chill it in the fridge for a few hours. Before you chill it through, put some sugar in the pot and stir it in real well.
In about 2-3 hours, you'll have awesome Thai Iced Tea. Pour it over ice and put a splash of milk on it. It's amazing.
I don't have much to add, except that Thailand is still very much on my mind. I'm leaving for Vegas in a few days, so I will be absent for awhile.
Chogck dee!
Eddie
As a special treat (literally), this is a recipe for Thai Iced Tea.
- Boil 8 cups water.
- Place 8 to 10 tablespoons tea mix in a large pitcher or pot.
- Pour boiling water over the tea and let steep for 5 or 6 minutes.
-Use a strainer to strain the tea into a second pitcher (this removes most of the loose tea), then use a coffee filter or the stainless/muslin filter offered below to filter it back into the (rinsed) first pitcher.
- Add sugar to taste (recommend at least 1 cup, as Thai icetea should be very sweet), stir and let cool then put in the fridge.
- Pour chilled tea over ice (prefer crushed ice) and top with evaporated milk (or half and half).
- Let the milk float on the ice and slowly sink into the tea.
Alternatively, I used to make it this way:
Take a coffee maker and put about 2-3 filters in the grounds vestibule (that place where the coffee goes). Put 8-10 table spoons and just let the coffee maker go wild. It'll come out piping hot, but you'll need to chill it in the fridge for a few hours. Before you chill it through, put some sugar in the pot and stir it in real well.
In about 2-3 hours, you'll have awesome Thai Iced Tea. Pour it over ice and put a splash of milk on it. It's amazing.
I don't have much to add, except that Thailand is still very much on my mind. I'm leaving for Vegas in a few days, so I will be absent for awhile.
Chogck dee!
Eddie
Sunday, April 30, 2006
TWOTD (Thai Word Of The Day)
Mâi ben rai, phrase: Don't mention it, or it's nothing. When someone says thank you, in English, we often say, "you're welcome," or "don't mention it." In Thai, mai ben rai means nevermind. It's kinda like saying "forgedda-boud-it" if you're a mobster.
Quick random fact: Nirvana's second album Nevermind was called Mai Ben Rai in Thailand.
(Okay, I lied, it was still called Nevermind)
Mâi means no.
This webpage Danielle found has a good lsit of phrases: http://www.learningthai.com/useful_phrases.html
We have a good idea of where we plan to go and who we want to visit. Now we need to hammer out some dates for the plane ride. Hopefully we can get a good idea of costs and a timeframe of when we're going to be there, as well as how long.
HINT: Our friends Danielle and Joe need to start posting a little something. =o)
Bonus: Friend in Thai is puen, pheonetically pêu•an. The U sound is similar to O in oven. I think that's right. Anyway, We gotta get moving on narrowing down the dates, so we can purchase tickets and get everyone passports.
Quick random fact: Nirvana's second album Nevermind was called Mai Ben Rai in Thailand.
(Okay, I lied, it was still called Nevermind)
Mâi means no.
This webpage Danielle found has a good lsit of phrases: http://www.learningthai.com/useful_phrases.html
We have a good idea of where we plan to go and who we want to visit. Now we need to hammer out some dates for the plane ride. Hopefully we can get a good idea of costs and a timeframe of when we're going to be there, as well as how long.
HINT: Our friends Danielle and Joe need to start posting a little something. =o)
Bonus: Friend in Thai is puen, pheonetically pêu•an. The U sound is similar to O in oven. I think that's right. Anyway, We gotta get moving on narrowing down the dates, so we can purchase tickets and get everyone passports.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
A letter from Dad.
I guess I forgot to mention my father lives in Thailand and part of this trip will be to visit my family. I have not seen my father in 4 years. I've also not seen my step-mother and grandmother in 10 years. I've never met my half brother or half sister. This bit excites me and I'm even more motivated to go.
I received a welcoming letter from my father earlier today:
I didn't even know I had a female cousin... I didn't even know Dad had an older brother?
Looks like this trip is highly feasible. 5 bucks a day works out to be $70 each--or 2660 Baht. That's a lot of baht! I doubt we'll really spend that much on food since we'll be staying with relatives some of the time and if we decide to eat cheaper than cheap, we can hit street vendors that charge about a dollar a plate. Thai people put Mexican street vendors to shame. A full meal and an orange Fanta will cost a buck or less! I fucking LOVE orange Fanta.
I digress.
I had a good conversation with Danielle tonight. She's quite jazzed about the trip and has been learning Thai in bits and pieces. I try to help however much I can over the internet. It's quite challenging though since you need to learn the tones that go along with the word. I figure I'll keep eating Thai food and have her order in Thai. It'll be the easiest way to learn... though not quite the cheapest hehe.
Alright, I've gotten so excited, I stayed past my bedtime. So long, goodnight.
I received a welcoming letter from my father earlier today:
25.4.2006
Eddy
Sound good to me about the trip
Cheing Mai trip will be no problem I will set up a place to stay free of charge for you.
And Pataya your auntie Jessie has a place you can stay free. Use that as your base camp to travel one day trip or so.
In Bangkok, all of you can stay in my condo free too, but bring your sleeping bags.
All you need is plane and food money . In Thailand if you can survive on noddle and fried rice, I say $5 /day is what you will be spending. And all your relatives will like to have you and your friends to stay with them. Your uncle, my elder brother, who has a daughter staying with aunt Jessies back East, is always asking about you.
So I will be see you
Love,
dad
I didn't even know I had a female cousin... I didn't even know Dad had an older brother?
Looks like this trip is highly feasible. 5 bucks a day works out to be $70 each--or 2660 Baht. That's a lot of baht! I doubt we'll really spend that much on food since we'll be staying with relatives some of the time and if we decide to eat cheaper than cheap, we can hit street vendors that charge about a dollar a plate. Thai people put Mexican street vendors to shame. A full meal and an orange Fanta will cost a buck or less! I fucking LOVE orange Fanta.
I digress.
I had a good conversation with Danielle tonight. She's quite jazzed about the trip and has been learning Thai in bits and pieces. I try to help however much I can over the internet. It's quite challenging though since you need to learn the tones that go along with the word. I figure I'll keep eating Thai food and have her order in Thai. It'll be the easiest way to learn... though not quite the cheapest hehe.
Alright, I've gotten so excited, I stayed past my bedtime. So long, goodnight.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
The Awesome Thailand Blog Post 1
We are approximately 6 months away from our trip to Thailand.
A little background:
I've always wanted to go to Europe. Backpack. Travel. See stuff. I asked all my friends for advice. Last November, I had my heart set on visiting Europe for spring break in April. Life really got flipped, turned up-side down and thus I never got to Europe.
Morgan had always told me about how much she wanted to go to Thailand and how, on past trips to Europe, people raved about how amazing Thailand is--and I agree having been there numerous times as a child and teenager.
Lindsay Morgan and I are not strangers to traveling. A few years back, Morgan, Markee and me journied to the long lost city of Bellingham, Washington. We dropped Markee off in Oregon because we didn't want her anymore. We traveled by car, a bitchin' camaro, now deceased. We have proven to ourselves we can travel cheap and live on couches. Of course, I was afraid of rats and fleas, but that didn't stop me.
Back to present:
We somehow got the crazy idea we'd both go to Thailand. I'm not really sure when, or how it happened, but I do know that last Sunday, Morgan and I got serious about it. We went to look for plane tickets, books on travel, translations--everything. We mapped out our stay and chose our travel companions. She said her roommate Joe really wanted to go. And I thought of Danielle, the person I would love to travel with the most because she's the most fun to be around in any situation--especially when everything else feels awkward, she makes me feel upbeat and positive.
So we have our four travel companions.
Joe - The Bodygaurd.
Morgan - The Cultural Advisor.
Eddie - The Translator and Navagator.
Danielle - The Innocent "Mary-Ann-type" who will get us free beer and possibly hookers. (Just Kidding)
---
I'm brushing up on my Thai. I used to be fluent. I can definitely understand it. I can speak it a little better than a 2nd language learner. I can also read some letters.
The biggest hurdle will be getting us there and back. We'll need passports and money for the plane tickets. This means I'm going to work my ass off to save up at least 2000 bucks. I know I can do it. I can take on whatever odd jobs I can find. I also get a paid vacation, so I should do my best at my current position as a Marketing Director. Maybe I can sell the Porsche if I have to.
This is going to be a great time. I feel like I have a great team. I'm going to need some Indiana Jones clothing and an elephant.
I'm ready.
A little background:
I've always wanted to go to Europe. Backpack. Travel. See stuff. I asked all my friends for advice. Last November, I had my heart set on visiting Europe for spring break in April. Life really got flipped, turned up-side down and thus I never got to Europe.
Morgan had always told me about how much she wanted to go to Thailand and how, on past trips to Europe, people raved about how amazing Thailand is--and I agree having been there numerous times as a child and teenager.
Lindsay Morgan and I are not strangers to traveling. A few years back, Morgan, Markee and me journied to the long lost city of Bellingham, Washington. We dropped Markee off in Oregon because we didn't want her anymore. We traveled by car, a bitchin' camaro, now deceased. We have proven to ourselves we can travel cheap and live on couches. Of course, I was afraid of rats and fleas, but that didn't stop me.
Back to present:
We somehow got the crazy idea we'd both go to Thailand. I'm not really sure when, or how it happened, but I do know that last Sunday, Morgan and I got serious about it. We went to look for plane tickets, books on travel, translations--everything. We mapped out our stay and chose our travel companions. She said her roommate Joe really wanted to go. And I thought of Danielle, the person I would love to travel with the most because she's the most fun to be around in any situation--especially when everything else feels awkward, she makes me feel upbeat and positive.
So we have our four travel companions.
Joe - The Bodygaurd.
Morgan - The Cultural Advisor.
Eddie - The Translator and Navagator.
Danielle - The Innocent "Mary-Ann-type" who will get us free beer and possibly hookers. (Just Kidding)
---
I'm brushing up on my Thai. I used to be fluent. I can definitely understand it. I can speak it a little better than a 2nd language learner. I can also read some letters.
The biggest hurdle will be getting us there and back. We'll need passports and money for the plane tickets. This means I'm going to work my ass off to save up at least 2000 bucks. I know I can do it. I can take on whatever odd jobs I can find. I also get a paid vacation, so I should do my best at my current position as a Marketing Director. Maybe I can sell the Porsche if I have to.
This is going to be a great time. I feel like I have a great team. I'm going to need some Indiana Jones clothing and an elephant.
I'm ready.
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