Beginning next year Dutch Airline KLM is introducing a program called Meet 'n Seat which will allow travelers to use social media to check in and choose their seat alongside other passengers based on technology profiles. We've all been on long flights where the person next to you just won't shut up about their grandchildren or some other stupid thing you have no interest in. I myself have drooled on a man I met in Amsterdam and went home with. Rephrase - We traveled stateside on the same plane and I fell asleep on his shoulder only to wake up drooling on him.
Imagine if you could hand select the person you sit with for endless hours of confinement and you actually have something in common. Maybe it's a business connection, maybe a love connection or maybe just interesting conversation to pass the time. Recently on my flight to San Fransisco I sat between two young people and had fun and informative chats with each of them. This union was serendipitous but in the future you won't have to rely on chance.
Below is a synopsis of the offering. Be sure to watch the accompanying video.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/international/6168776/Meet-n-seat-mile-high-matchmaking
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Home Away From Home
I've written about San Fransisco before, not only because it is a place I frequent but because there's so much to write about. In this recount I'm combining the last few visits since I've been remiss. Preliminarily, I want to mention how ecstatic I am that Virgin America is in my neighborhood. This is bar none the best commercial airliner in this galaxy. I first flew them years ago to the UK and wished I made more transatlantic flights just for the superior service. The mood lighting on these sexy planes makes you want to lose your "virginity" to the mile high club.
A stunning masterpiece in its own right, the DeYoung museum curated a collection of masterpieces from Le Musee D'Orsay in Paris, France earlier this year. I had to see it knowing before I go back to France I want to visit Argentina, China, India, Russia, and all the other "ias" and "inas". Post-impressionists en mass and their exorbitant bodies of work were stuffed into the basement crowded with hoards of admirers. The only respite is a pub crawl through North Beach.
The 1st place I ever had my signature sidecar cocktail was at Rose Pistola. And it's still the best, if only for the memorabilia. Too much cheer later and we exit through the back door only to see Tony Nik's right across the street. Comfy, casual, cool. So much so that it garners a repeat the next night with an introduction to the "dark and stormy". But one of our favorite watering holes is the Cafe Meuse run by our friend Eric Meuse. It's a quaint spot on the corner of Hyde and Pacific, on the cable car line, boasting a palatable wine menu, small plates and homemade desserts. The last time we were in town Eric was giving a Chilean wine tasting and many of Damon's old friends turned out to pay a visit. Our friend joshes that he's a rock star on that corner.
Man cannot live on liquor alone so it's lucky that SF is also a culinary mecca. The lobster bisque at Hyde St. Seafood and Raw Bar will leave your head spinning. Their specialty is Dungeness crab and other fresh catch prepared en papillote (cooked in parchment paper). The garlic blossom at Liverpool Lil's in the Marina will render you unapproachable for a week and if you take in the French Onion soup loaded with cheese so will be the toilet bowl. The cheese pizza at North Beach Pizza, sauce and crust perfectly complimentary, soaks up any excess alcohol you may have imbibed. As SF is walkable there are restaurants on every block, many of them exceptional. Bix is one such place downtown in the Financial District. Located in an alley illuminated by only a small sign indicating it's exclusivity, Bix takes you back to another era. Posh art deco decor, decadent continental menu and nightly jazz makes this modern day supper club such a hot spot that reservations well in advance are compulsory.
Years ago some friends introduced us to a Vietnamese restaurant called the Slanted Door which was somewhere out near the Castro. This may have been my first experience with Vietnamese food and it's now one of my favorite genres. They have since moved to the Ferry Building down on the Embarcadero, which has become a popular spot for specialty shops and restaurants. I had never been before so I walked down from Union Square while my friend was working planning on getting some pho. It was a gorgeous afternoon on the bay - warm and only slightly breezy. Boats and ships puttered in the harbor, farmer's were out for market and the place was bustling. With so many choices, Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant being one of them, I opted instead for a glass of California Pinot accompanied by a platter of Cow Girl Creamery cheese and epi baguette from Acme Bread. Oh so delish.
The Occupy San Fransisco encampment was right across the street so I felt obligated to at least walk through it. My first impression was that that these people are NOT the 99%. Not even close. These dirty, dread locked, pot smoking hippie types represent only a small opportunistic fraction of the percentile touting the Fuck Wall Street agenda And Their Washington Cronies too. Admittedly it was the tail end of the national movement but by then the message was diluted (and deluded).
My latest infatuation in San Fransisco is the Kabuki Springs bath house in Japantown, near Pacific Heights. Step inside and be transported. You can feel your heart rate slow and worldly concerns melt away. Strip down - this is not an experience for the modest - and enter the communal relaxation room of slate covered floors, warm teak ceilings, and diffused lighting. Essential aromas envelop and caress you as do the gentle ambient sounds of the ancient orient. Every appointment is perfectly placed and well designed. It's modern, classy and spic 'n span - not dodgy like some other baths. Pots of hot peppermint tea and cool water surrounded by bowls of ice, lemon, cucumber and mint can be spotted throughout the room. An icy dunking pool is strategically placed amid chaise lounge chairs, and jacuzzi at center with sauna and steam rooms on the perimeter of one end, bathing stations and showers on the other completes the space. Zen is a good word in sum.
My friend lives adjacent to Union Square above Cafe Royale and we endearingly refer to it as her living room. Despite the bartender's "I'm too sexy for my shirt" flippant attitude this is a great place to linger over a pint from a decent selection of local micro-brews. Each month various Bay area performing artists entertain. From poetry readings to Jazz quartets there's performance art practically every night of the week behind a gallery wall featuring local artists' works. No cover.
Journaling over a stiff and frothy cappuccino at Cafe Trieste rounds out a nice morning. It's a high traffic coffee house in North Beach and table sharing is common which makes it really convenient for meeting people and finding out what their weekend was like. I love this kind of vibe because you share ideas, discover things you didn't know and voila your next trip is already planned!
A stunning masterpiece in its own right, the DeYoung museum curated a collection of masterpieces from Le Musee D'Orsay in Paris, France earlier this year. I had to see it knowing before I go back to France I want to visit Argentina, China, India, Russia, and all the other "ias" and "inas". Post-impressionists en mass and their exorbitant bodies of work were stuffed into the basement crowded with hoards of admirers. The only respite is a pub crawl through North Beach.
The 1st place I ever had my signature sidecar cocktail was at Rose Pistola. And it's still the best, if only for the memorabilia. Too much cheer later and we exit through the back door only to see Tony Nik's right across the street. Comfy, casual, cool. So much so that it garners a repeat the next night with an introduction to the "dark and stormy". But one of our favorite watering holes is the Cafe Meuse run by our friend Eric Meuse. It's a quaint spot on the corner of Hyde and Pacific, on the cable car line, boasting a palatable wine menu, small plates and homemade desserts. The last time we were in town Eric was giving a Chilean wine tasting and many of Damon's old friends turned out to pay a visit. Our friend joshes that he's a rock star on that corner.
Man cannot live on liquor alone so it's lucky that SF is also a culinary mecca. The lobster bisque at Hyde St. Seafood and Raw Bar will leave your head spinning. Their specialty is Dungeness crab and other fresh catch prepared en papillote (cooked in parchment paper). The garlic blossom at Liverpool Lil's in the Marina will render you unapproachable for a week and if you take in the French Onion soup loaded with cheese so will be the toilet bowl. The cheese pizza at North Beach Pizza, sauce and crust perfectly complimentary, soaks up any excess alcohol you may have imbibed. As SF is walkable there are restaurants on every block, many of them exceptional. Bix is one such place downtown in the Financial District. Located in an alley illuminated by only a small sign indicating it's exclusivity, Bix takes you back to another era. Posh art deco decor, decadent continental menu and nightly jazz makes this modern day supper club such a hot spot that reservations well in advance are compulsory.
Years ago some friends introduced us to a Vietnamese restaurant called the Slanted Door which was somewhere out near the Castro. This may have been my first experience with Vietnamese food and it's now one of my favorite genres. They have since moved to the Ferry Building down on the Embarcadero, which has become a popular spot for specialty shops and restaurants. I had never been before so I walked down from Union Square while my friend was working planning on getting some pho. It was a gorgeous afternoon on the bay - warm and only slightly breezy. Boats and ships puttered in the harbor, farmer's were out for market and the place was bustling. With so many choices, Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant being one of them, I opted instead for a glass of California Pinot accompanied by a platter of Cow Girl Creamery cheese and epi baguette from Acme Bread. Oh so delish.
The Occupy San Fransisco encampment was right across the street so I felt obligated to at least walk through it. My first impression was that that these people are NOT the 99%. Not even close. These dirty, dread locked, pot smoking hippie types represent only a small opportunistic fraction of the percentile touting the Fuck Wall Street agenda And Their Washington Cronies too. Admittedly it was the tail end of the national movement but by then the message was diluted (and deluded).
My latest infatuation in San Fransisco is the Kabuki Springs bath house in Japantown, near Pacific Heights. Step inside and be transported. You can feel your heart rate slow and worldly concerns melt away. Strip down - this is not an experience for the modest - and enter the communal relaxation room of slate covered floors, warm teak ceilings, and diffused lighting. Essential aromas envelop and caress you as do the gentle ambient sounds of the ancient orient. Every appointment is perfectly placed and well designed. It's modern, classy and spic 'n span - not dodgy like some other baths. Pots of hot peppermint tea and cool water surrounded by bowls of ice, lemon, cucumber and mint can be spotted throughout the room. An icy dunking pool is strategically placed amid chaise lounge chairs, and jacuzzi at center with sauna and steam rooms on the perimeter of one end, bathing stations and showers on the other completes the space. Zen is a good word in sum.
My friend lives adjacent to Union Square above Cafe Royale and we endearingly refer to it as her living room. Despite the bartender's "I'm too sexy for my shirt" flippant attitude this is a great place to linger over a pint from a decent selection of local micro-brews. Each month various Bay area performing artists entertain. From poetry readings to Jazz quartets there's performance art practically every night of the week behind a gallery wall featuring local artists' works. No cover.
Journaling over a stiff and frothy cappuccino at Cafe Trieste rounds out a nice morning. It's a high traffic coffee house in North Beach and table sharing is common which makes it really convenient for meeting people and finding out what their weekend was like. I love this kind of vibe because you share ideas, discover things you didn't know and voila your next trip is already planned!
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