watching a youtube video with our friend (well, alexander's friend since forever, but i've known him for years now) Anatoly and his autogenerated English voice sounds so much like him it's a little creepy? not EXACTLY and he has a bit more of an accent, but v close! www.youtube.com/watch?v=uebW...

confusing language, at least for me -- imho they could leave out the first sentence. (there is a indeed charge for a seat assignment, and i hope if i buy a flight i won't have to sit on the floor.) "A seat is included in your fare. You are not required to purchase a seat assignment to travel."

Very excited the “real” exits will soon be opening which means long maze will be going away, but these signs aren’t a big help because NO ONE knows where North and South are.

Every year I’m disappointed by how many people do not wear green on 3/17 (and yet it’s not socially acceptable that I pinch them)

the worst vegetable is baby corn. i will not be taking any questions.

semi-related: granted i was a student 30 years ago (ugh) but i swear The Rock looks smaller and smaller every time i see it. you'd think it'd be growing in size based on its ever-increasing layers of spray paint? (maybe that's just part of growing up, like how things seem bigger when you're young?)

also, maybe i need to rewatch my favorite norwegians in prep for this trip. omg can you get emotional from a gif? because i am.

i have a flight operated by SAS Connect in a month and idk much about this subsidiary but uhh, sounds like it's (was?) a hot mess. also 👀: "chief instructor...forced to resign in protest [because] he had 'too high' standards for safety" (8 years ago in its previous incarnation as SAS Ireland)

UI designers, let's not do this. mute speaker icon but text that says Sound and then a toggle that is on or off, but does not change the text or the speaker icon. is sound muted or not?!

"'Love Language' redirects here. Not to be confused with Romance languages." 😂

My first celebrity sighting* at the airport! Just saw the Korean Mama (and the son)! *Though tbh it only halfway counts because I actually have met the son several times at parties (he’s a friend of a friend).

Doing a shift at the airport before Alexander arrives (yay!) and there is, I think, a sniffer dog in training with like 3 handlers. My guess is they are trying to acclimate it to the hustle and bustle of the airport and uhh, let’s just say this dog has so much energy!! (Luckily not bothering pax)

Lately I’ve been thinking how I can no longer take it for granted that my body is (for the most part) still fully functioning— that when my brain wills something, my body is able to comply.

took my 1980s point and shoot camera to taiwan; photos (scans) finally came back.

AYFKM? "a double cheeseburger, fries and a fountain drink at the Tesla Diner came to nearly $40" www.sfgate.com/la/article/t...

i just saw this short video and truly there is no other place on the planet quite like new york city. www.youtube.com/shorts/Zkws1...

Rabbit hole: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WlM...

just learned about these (prototype?) airport buses from the 80s, i believe all from the Serbian (then Yugoslavian) company Ikarus

Speaking of Hong Kong, my aunt is visiting from there but she’s staying in Sherwood which honestly might as well be Hong Kong given how far away it is from here — 27 miles!!! Which is long haul when it comes to Portland! Like honestly Sherwood is practically a clearing in a forest afaik.

Bless these people who are going on an Asia cruise who happened to let spill they were going to Singapore and wanted recommendations for post-cruise but also did no research lol. “Gardens by the Bay, was it?” “It’s called *Sentosa*?” “Hawker what?”

I appreciate that folks will come up to me (I’m working at the airport) and speak Spanish and I’m able to help them out with my limited vocabulary. (At least I understood this lady wanted to know how to exit to the street.) Anyways here’s a better view of the new opening to E from my new spot.

i've semi-committed to going to my high school 31 year reunion (i don't know what happened but i'm not sure if the 25 happened and i guess 30 fell through so they're doing a 31? idk lol) like, i really loved HS only because the nerd clique i was in was awesome. no big desire to see everyone else.

doing some training by the local cvb (about being a resource for visitors to the city) and they have a whole section dedicated to "the tough questions" 😁

No more DE bypass! (I think this opened last Thursday—was kind of hoping it would be a bit longer so I could work opening day but it’s cool to go through as a passenger so soon after opening.)

It was a lovely day to fly out of SFO.

Yikes the poor folks on this flight (my plane back home) waiting for our gate to open up, occupied by a very delayed flight to Tampa. Been waiting there for like 45 minutes.

I haven’t been following the news but I thought there was no Global Entry but at SFO the kiosks are not working but there is a separate speedy lane (manual picture taking, “anything to declare?”, and that’s it) 🤷🏻‍♂️ not bad and through in about the same amount of time (=no wait)

Very trivial thing in the grand scheme of things but i finally managed to get a pair of Polaris pajamas 🎉

Was wondering what “New Spirit of United” meant and I guess it means I’m going to be flying on their very first 77W.

The guy next to me at the gate blew his nose into a handkerchief, proceeded to shake it out, then fold it up and put it into his back pocket. I think I just don’t like the idea of a handkerchief as something you basically carry around your snot in all day. No thanks!

Someone needs to alert this lounge that Christmas music probably is not appropriate at this point. Unless God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is based on a year-round tune that is appropriate when played on chimes? 🤷🏻‍♂️

For some reason there is a scale in this hotel room and against my better judgment I used it. Gonna tell myself it’s all muscle from the walking I did. Yeah that’s it.

Ugh this trend has apparently made it to a boutique hotel in the middle of nowhere Central Taiwan. It’s even worse because the glass doesn’t even go all the way to the floor!

I’m glad I splurged on this hotel room because if I have to come back early and work on my one day off this trip, I might as well do it with a view.

I may be a sweaty, out of breath mess, but it was worth the trek up from the lake and up the pagoda. (Sun Moon Lake, Ci’en Pagoda)

I know enough Mandarin to understand “you don’t speak Mandarin?”

At a museum dedicated to the 7.3 earthquake that hit in 1999. It’s wild how much they preserved (lot more on my Instagram). WILD and SCARY.

not a sponsored post, but i got this very randomly at Donki last week and have been using it daily -- and today my coworker asked if i did something with my hair (in a good way) after a teams call 💅 (screenshot google translated from japanese)

This must be one of the prettiest stores I’ve ever been to. (Miyahara in Taichung)

Tried to get some JINS glasses but because I have an old people progressive prescription it will take 2 weeks womp womp

My chariot has arrived.

Have some time before my train so I’m visiting the city’s other railway museum, as one does. How lucky are they to have TWO?!

Going on the most popular day trip group tour on Klook for Taipei and there are 4 buses with at least 4 different guides. Whew, what an operation! Also, it’s a holiday weekend so I’m predicting it will be a hot mess of people in general. 😅

Good luck to me! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luosife...

At the railway museum and bought a ride on the retro diesel train but I don’t have a clue as to what’s going on because it’s in Chinese only. Only knew to stand up and swing the seat backs to the other side at the end of the line because everyone else got up and did it lol

Why yes I did make a special trip to the Starlux 7-Eleven.

Bus drivers here in Taipei (albeit based on my small sample size) are…well, I don’t want to say *reckless*, but they are very clearly *on a mission*.

Trying to get to the National Palace Museum and man they don’t make it easy.

i'm sure it makes sense at some level, but every allergy shot visit i have creates a new "account" (of which i am the "guarantor"). fine, except i switched insurance so they gave me an estimate of $167 for my allergy shot under this new insurance, which i paid before that visit. 1/2

Got a weird sad mac icon in Teams, on Windows.