MuscleEgg: The Best Way to Get In Shape
Best Use of Delta SkyMiles: Africa to America
Some would argue that any use of Delta SkyMiles is the best use of Delta SkyMiles. I’ve had my frustrations with booking an award ticket on Delta to the point that I just want to get rid of them. I thought I had an 80k business class award ticket booked to Mt. Kilimanjaro only to find out that it was a mixed cabin. Even if it was business the entire way, the AMS to JRO leg was on a KLM flight with angled seats. Frustrated, I Googled ‘Best Use of Delta SkyMiles’ and came across Lucky’s link. The one that stuck out was Virgin Atlantic from the US to LHR for 62,500 miles. Two years ago, I flew Virgin Upper Class from Detroit to London. It remains the best flight I have taken in terms of fun. While I had no interest in going to Europe, I wondered if Virgin Atlantic flew anywhere else. And that’s when I saw Johannesburg on the route map. Curious, I typed in JNB-SFO on Delta.com. I was surprised by the amount of availability. My excitement grew as I learned that the flight was aboard a 787 from JNB-LHR with an 8 hour layover in the Virgin Clubhouse. From there, it was another 787 long-haul flight from LHR-SFO. In total, the trip is roughly 31 hours of pampering. The actual retail price is $4,700 which is not that bad in comparison to Delta operated flights which go for $7,800. In points, the flight is 95,000 SkyKyat and $87. That’s a great deal. Now, I have to find a flight to Kili. I’m thinking Qatar in business on AA for 75k.
President Trump Can Learn from Bloggers
Let me start off by saying that it does not matter if you voted for Clinton or you voted for Trump. The election is over. Donald Trump is the President of the United States. The keyword here is ‘President’. And Presidents have to act, for lack of a better word, presidential. Today’s headline is how Trump is upset with a picture that contrasts the size of the crowds from Obama’s inauguration with his. He went out of his way in the middle of a speech to the CIA to criticize the media for misreporting the size of the crowds. Even his press secretary blasted the media accusing them of “deliberate false reporting”. As a points blogger, I write about trivial issues that do not affect the fate of mankind. You might not know that judging by some of the negative comments or tweets about me. Call a lounge ‘yuck’ and be prepared to answer a thousand questions on what the legal definition of yuck is. Give away a MS secret and get ready to have your manhood questioned. My knee-jerk reaction to these comments is to go on a tirade of expletives followed by an invitation to meet me in the parking lot at 3 o’clock. Instead, I show restraint and respond with a comment which may be snarky but is not insulting. Obviously, the right thing to do is to ignore the comments completely but this is a points blog and, in the words of Tom Brady, “This isn’t ISIS.” Only in the case of President Trump, it is ISIS. It is the world’s largest economy. It is the United States. If President Trump can’t handle the press or Alec Baldwin giving him hell then how will he respond to comments from real adversaries? Will he fire off an angry response like a rash blogger? Will he be a smart ass like TPOL? Or will he, after reading this post, appreciate that he is now the leader of the free world and act accordingly?
Park Hyatt Guangzhou: The Sweet Upgrade
The Park Hyatt Guangzhou Hotel Review is part of The Year of the Monkey Trip Report which covers the following places:
- New York, New York
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Guangzhou, China
- Hong Kong
- Shenzhen, China
- Sanya, China
Getting There: Follow my Uber China Workaround or take a metered taxi from the airport for 180 RMB.
Overview: Grand Hyatt vs. Park Hyatt There are Park Hyatts and then there are Park Hyatts. Unlike the Park Hyatt Melbourne or the Park Hyatt Toronto, the Park Hyatt Guangzhou falls into the latter category. Situated in the business district of Guangzhou, the Park Hyatt Guangzhou is one of the best Park Hyatts in the collection. (see all my Park Hyatt reviews here) The Park Hyatt Guangzhou dwarfs the Grand Hyatt Guangzhou. It literally towers over the Grand Hyatt. Since it opened in January of 2016, it is also equipped with the latest of the latest. The Remarkable Building Who doesn’t like tall buildings? In the middle of Guangzhou’s skyscrapers, you’ll find the Park Hyatt which occupies the top floors of this remarkable building. Less Is More: The Hotel’s Interior The hotel is massive but is not full of ornate decorations. That’s less work for me. I appreciate that and the beauty of such simplicity. Monkeys on the Bed I shirked my blogger responsibility when I stepped into the suite. Instead of taking photos of everything when it was in perfect condition, I, out of excitement, jumped on the bed. Here are the resulting photos of this fantastic room. The Suite Was this an apartment or a hotel room? Pick where you want to sit, enjoy your espresso, do some work, or do nothing. The View Look around, that’s the view of prosperity or an economic bubble. Either way, it’s glorious what man can build. Where’s the Mini-Bar? A man walks into a restaurant, you listenin’… I was looking for a wine key and stumbled upon the mini-bar. The Greatest Shower I need to redo my I Need a Shower: The Top 7 Spots to Lather up post to include this shower experience. Why have one rainfall shower when you can have two? Also, unlike many hotels, the hot water was hot, hot, hot. The Toilet You’re the son of a king, why shouldn’t you walk on the petals of roses? Roses and toilets go hand-in-hand. The gripe about my bathroom at home and on the road continues as I question why I don’t have a heated toilet that automatically goes up when I’m in the vicinity. The Happy Hour The Park Hyatt does not have a Regency Club but it did have a happy hour on the lobby floor featuring more soup and wine, my favorites. The Rooftop Bar I have already reviewed Where to Party in Guangzhou. On the top of that list and on the top of the hotel is The Rooftop Bar. It is the best and most convenient place to get a photo of the Canton Tower. Overall Stay at the Park Hyatt Guangzhou but stay for longer than one night, especially if you have a suite upgrade. A Video of It All Since I am out of adjectives to describe this great hotel, I will leave you with a video tour of the room.
Ganbei! The Guide to Making Friends in China
The Guide to Making Friends in China is part of The Year of the Monkey Trip Report which covers the following places:
- New York, New York
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Guangzhou, China
- Hong Kong
- Shenzhen, China
- Sanya, China
Nothing is better than going to a city for the first time. This is especially true if that new city happens to be in China. From Shanghai to Shenzhen, each city in China is different. The one constant is how easy it is to make Chinese friends by going out for a night on the town. Nightlife Overview Bring your earplugs because clubs in China are loud, really loud. Whether it is old school hip-hop or thumping trance, the music is bumped at unhealthy decibels. That advice will protect your hearing but you may get some weird looks, apart from the ones questioning why this Westerner is in a local bar. With that warning out of the way, I need to issue another one: Chinese clubs are different from those found anywhere else in the world. While the drinks will not be in short supply, the dancing will be. Chinese clubs are setup as follows: There are row after rows of standing room only tables surrounding the minuscule dance floor. Around those tables are booths where it is not uncommon to see bottles upon bottles of champagne and alcohol in Costco sized containers. At each booth or table, there will be groups of people who seem oblivious to the hoopla around them. Foreigners Welcome The first step to making friends is to realize that you’re not in Detroit anymore. The Chinese party different from we do at home. The second step is to embrace the novelty of your appearance. If you happen to be blond, prepare to pose for photos everywhere you go. If you go to the gym, even infrequently, prepare to be called Mr. Olympia. The third step is to go to the bar and get yourself a drink. Drink in hand, it’s time to have some fun. While bopping around the club, inevitably you will make eye contact with a stranger who will welcome you with a high-five or cheers your drink. This leads to the dangerous invitation to join their table. Ganbei! Ganbei! Is a phrase you will often here when you’re in China. It’s the equivalent of cheers but with a twist. Instead of simply toasting your drinking partner and having a cordial sip, you are required to consume the entire drink. You’ve been warned. After you’ve high-fived the whole table, the trouble begins as you are offered a drink in a rocks glass. Depending on where you are in China, this could be a number of things. In Shanghai, it’s whiskey. In Guangzhou, it’s cognac. In Sanya, it was beer. In Shenzhen, it was all of the above. Depending on the bravery of your drinking partners, it may or may not be mixed with a chaser, the most common one being ice (green) tea. While the music may be piercing your ear drums, the only thing you will hear is, “Ganbei, ganbei, ganbei!” After the tenth ganbei, you have proven yourself worthy of your Mr. Olympia title. Smoking In China, smoking is permitted in the bar and your drinking friends will gladly offer you a cigarette to curb your nicotine fix. Refusal to smoke is met with surprise. I do not like cigarettes but I have become addicted to fake smoking. Dice Game On every table, you will notice cups of dice. Each cup has five dice. These aren’t used to play craps. They are part of a Chinese drinking game where the winner ends up the loser and the loser ends up the winner, depending on your objective. Before I get to the rules, it is imperative to know how to count to ten in Chinese using sign. The loud noise makes it impossible to communicate otherwise. This should be mastered before you get to China. (see this link on how to do so, personally #8 is my favorite) With a grasp of numbers, you are ready to play. And here’s how the game goes: (I’m using two players in this example but it can be played with many more.)
- Each player puts the dice into an opaque cup and shakes it haphazardly. I shake the dice on the table but the Chinese do it in their hand, then flip it onto the table, while not dropping any on the floor.
- After a good shake, lift up the cup while making sure your opponent cannot see your dice.
- Now the game of confidence begins. It is your job to convince your opponent that between the two of you, there are, for example, five ‘threes’ in aggregate. The way to indicate this is to use your sign language skills and first sign the number ‘five’ and then the number ‘three’.
- If your opponent, believes you, he or she will see your guestimate of five and raise you, for example, six ‘fours’.
- This escalation goes on until someone calls out the bluff and the dice are revealed. The liar (loser/winner depending on how you see it) has to drink.
- 1s are wild which means they count as anything.
- Everyone cheats. While you are looking down at your dice trying to figure out who has what, it is likely that your opponent is doing more than looking down at his. With his right hand he lifts the cup, with his left, he is slyly flipping over the dice to accommodate his wager.
- If your objective is to drink for free, losing on purpose is obviously the best strategy. However, you probably want to win a few rounds in between before you are shunned from the table.
Where to Party in Guangzhou!
The Guangzhou Party Guide is part of The Year of the Monkey Trip Report which covers the following places:
- New York, New York
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Guangzhou, China
- Hong Kong
- Shenzhen, China
- Sanya, China
Overview China today is what I imagine NYC to be like in the 70’s and 80’s. The clubs are packed and the alcohol never stops flowing. While I still regard Shanghai as the best party city in China, Guangzhou comes in second. There are many places to go but I will start with the least crazy to see if you can keep up. The Roof Bar at the Park Hyatt Guangzhou The Roof Bar is located on the 70th floor of the Park Hyatt Guangzhou. It offers impeccable views of the city and the Canton Tower. If you’re staying at the Park Hyatt, make sure the hotel makes a reservation for a spot outside. A drink will run you around $16 so it’s best not to stick around too long. Also, the live entertainment was very weird. It was three expats singing top 40 off-key, “And I wish I never met her at all.” Nova Club The hotel recommended Nova Club. Apparently, many celebrities go there. When I went, it was empty and full of really young people. The only celebrity in the house was T to the Izz-o, TPOL. 7-Eleven (Intermission) If you’re hopping from bar to bar, stop at a 7-Eleven along the way. The drinks in Guangzhou can get pricey so it’s worth staying hydrated with Tsingtao beer when in route. Catwalk You better have a lot of energy if you plan on going to Catwalk. The place is insane. The first step is to get past the doorman who will hand you a card with a message printed in English that says that the club is at capacity. Act confused and just go inside. The Pearl River If it was last call in the US, it would be time to go home. In Guangzhou, this means that it is time to move the party to the Pearl River. I do not know all of the names of all the places that line the river but there are many to choose from. At one of the venues, we were given the same ‘capacity’ excuse. This time I flashed the Grand Hyatt hotel key and was personally escorted to the bar. The Aftermath Now that you’ve lost your hearing, it is time to have street food and make friends with the vendors.
Guangzhou Towers: Strain Your Neck Walking Tour
The Guangzhou Towers Walking Tour is part of The Year of the Monkey Trip Report which covers the following places:
- New York, New York
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Guangzhou, China
- Hong Kong
- Shenzhen, China
- Sanya, China
Given the number of convenient stores, Guangzhou is a dangerous place to play my Hong Kong Drinking Game, a clever way of exploring Hong Kong on foot. It’s also home to many tall structures whose rankings among the tallest man-made creations is hard to keep straight. I’ll start with the Guangzhou West Tower which was supposed to be part of a set. It is the 16th tallest building in the world and nicer to look at than its fraternal twin, the Guangzhou East Tower which is the 7th tallest building in the world. (It was #5 when I wrote my Lord of the Bling: The 10 Tallest Towers post in August 2014.) The East Tower is formally called the Guangzhou Chow Tai Fook Finance Centre. As of writing this post, it is the second tallest building in China with the Shanghai Tower coming in as number one. The Canton Tower is the tallest structure in Guangzhou and it is the 7th tallest structure in the world. It was the tallest tower in the world from 2009-2011 beating out Drake’s CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario. That title is now held by the Tokyo Skytree. Confused yet? I know I was which is why I just snapped pictures and hoped to figure out who was what when I got home. Beyond those buildings, there were many others that were equally captivating despite not ranking as the tallest this or that. Overall, it’s great to walk around the streets of Guangzhou and marvel at the amazing buildings. Just be sure to bring some Icy Hot for the inevitable neck strain.
Wagyu Pho in Guangzhou: Too Much of a Good Thing?
The Pho Kim Saigon Guangzhou Restaurant Review is part of The Year of the Monkey Trip Report which covers the following places:
- New York, New York
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Guangzhou, China
- Hong Kong
- Shenzhen, China
- Sanya, China
I know I’m supposed to eat Chinese food when I’m in China but sometimes I don’t feel like being local which is why I had this for my first meal there: While visiting the Guangzhou International Financial Center, I stumbled upon Pho Kim Saigon. I rationalized another culturally insensitive meal as something I had to do for the blog. (see all my pho reviews here) As I was flipping through the menu, something caught my eye. In addition to the usual pho offerings, Lil’ Kim also served up a bowl of pho with wagyu beef. I had mixed feelings about paying double for a bowl simply because it had wagyu. Here’s why: In a normal bowl of pho tai, the beef comes almost rare and is cooked in the broth. It is so thinly sliced that tenderness is not an issue. Wagyu, the Krug of the beef world, melts in your mouth like butter and is best served on its own. Still, I was intrigued with what the combination of top-shelf beef and my favorite dish would be like, so I ordered it. The Spring Rolls Before I get to the beef, I have to follow pho restaurant review protocol and evaluate the spring or summer rolls. Kim did not have any summer rolls leaving me with fried spring rolls that were good enough. The Broth With only seconds before the wagyu would be overcooked, I slurped a few spoonfuls of broth. In a rush to get to the beef, I could not sample it like a freshly uncorked bottle of wine. From what I remember, it was balanced and delicious. The Wagyu The moment had come to taste the wagyu to see if it was worth the price. Before adding the additional pho ingredients, I tried a naked piece of beef. It was certainly special. The Bowl As I began to mix the broth and add the right amounts of hoisin and sriracha, I realized what a dumb idea it is to order wagyu pho. The pureness of the meat was being contaminated by other flavors. Using wagyu in pho is no different from putting A1 on a great cut of steak. Having said that, I finished the bowl in no time. Overall I give Pho Kim Saigon the TPOL seal of approval, but next time I will just order a normal bowl of pho tai and not fall for the wagyu gimmick.
Grand Hyatt Guangzhou: It’s Great to Be Grand
The Grand Hyatt Guangzhou Hotel Review is part of The Year of the Monkey Trip Report which covers the following places:
- New York, New York
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Guangzhou, China
- Hong Kong
- Shenzhen, China
- Sanya, China
Getting There: Unless you followed my Uber China App Workaround, you will have to take a taxi from the airport. The cost is 180 RMB more or less. Turn on the meter.
Welcome to the Grand Hyatt Guangzhou, an impressive hotel with great customer service, a beautiful room, and an overwhelming breakfast. But for my stay at the Park Hyatt Guangzhou, I would recommend making this your home when you visit Guangzhou. The Location The Grand Hyatt Guangzhou is located in the ‘Shanghai Pudong’ part of Guangzhou. It’s in an area that is very new and, unlike most of China, very quiet. Within walking distance of the Grand Hyatt is the Park Hyatt, the W Hotel, and other major hotel brands. The local attractions are very close by metro so skip the hotel’s advice on taking a taxi. The Hotel Itself The lobby was beautiful as were the views from the city. What I really enjoyed was the Christmas decorations. The Room I used a diamond suite upgrade and found myself in a room that’s too big for one person, if not three people. The Espresso Machine And Amenities People in suites must drink more espresso because these rooms always come with more capsules than the standard room. Since I’m only one person, I take the extra ones home with me unless I go on a caffeine binge. The Bathroom Hotel after hotel, I found myself asking why my bathroom at home does not stack up to the ones in hotels. This one was massive and had a reflecting piece of glass which allowed me to look at myself. The shower was the standard rain but the tub was interestingly square. The Bedroom From the shower, I could see the king size bed. From the king size bed, I could see Guangzhou and its towering buildings. Count me impressed. The Breakfast I arrived very early and asked if I could have breakfast the day of check-in instead of the next day. The hotel said that would be fine and I spent the next hour eating plate after plate. The selection was a combination of Western and Asian. The best was the unlimited dim sum. The Gym China is not good for my health. I’m not speaking about the smog. I’m talking about the nights of drinking, fake smoking (it’s impolite to refuse a cigarette), and limited hours sleeping. This trip I made it a point to go to the hotel gym. While not as fancy as the gym at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta, this gym did have the necessities. Lounge My healthy routine was gym then lounge to eat and drink. The Regency Club was incredible. It was like going to a Super Bowl party. It had unlimited wings, fresh sushi, and top-shelf dim sum. Who needs to go out to eat? Overall The Grand Hyatt Guangzhou is a great hotel. At $125 a night, it’s not worth using points but it was worth upgrading to a suite.
The Uber China App Workaround
The Uber China App Workaround is part of The Year of the Monkey Trip Report which covers the following places:
- New York, New York
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Guangzhou, China
- Hong Kong
- Shenzhen, China
- Sanya, China
Each time I go to China, I am reminded of Al Pacino’s speech from Any Given Sunday. “You know when you get old in life things get taken from you. That’s, that’s part of life.” Each time I visit China, something also gets taken from me. Besides the lack of a VPN at some hotels, an increasing number of American apps are blocked in China. There are workarounds to access Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram , but it is impossible to use an American Uber account. In order to use Uber China, you must have a Chinese bank account. Good luck explaining to Uncle Sam that the reason you have a Chinese bank is strictly for a ride share program. The alternative is to download the Chinese version of Uber called Didi (Chinese for little brother and something else when used in slang form). That’s the easy part. The hard part is doing the following which may be worthwhile if you are visiting China for an extended duration.
- Activate Didi.
- Download WeChat, China’s better version of WhatsApp.
- Find a Chinese friend.
- Get that friend to send you a Red Packet, a Venmo feature built into WeChat.
- Open your DiDi app and input the Chinese address of where you are and where you are going.
- Pay the driver with WeChat.