Joa’s blog

i just read this fun msn article and it reminded me of a pizza hut chain in seoul where they had kimchi as a topping. of course, i had to try it. it was just okay. didn’t taste that good combined with the cheese to be honest with you. or non-food related, when i was in paris, their ikea had some cool funky items not even on the website. my POINT IS….it’s OK to go to familiar food chains/chain stores in other countries because it will still be a cultural experience! i know there’s the mentality that when visiting other countries, trying “local” food is important. but think about it, chains are catered to their locale!

for example, starbucks in tokyo seem to have more tea varities than ever found in the states. or this cool coffee jelly drink that reminds me of boba/bubble tea. i’m totally trying that soon. sweet <3

oh – that foodspotting website is cool! lots of stuff to look at and ponder about. many food adventures ahead for me!

i’ve been trying to figure out a way to make my suitcase stand out more. it’s a dark blue kenneth cole one. certainly can get lost in the shuffle. it has orange lining on the inside but obviously, on the luggage belt, it probably won’t stand out enough. i was thinking neon duct tape and a unique ID tag (something weird such as this one…?). we’ll see. i just want something that stands out, is easy to describe in case it gets lost, and manageable/durable.

while searching around, i stumbled upon this site  - it is so fun for me mostly beacuse  i have wanderlust. so i daydream a lot about being a jetsetter, world traveler. oh, and also because they have some interesting ideas in general. such as this water “bottle” that is easy to carry around, fold up, BPA-free! or perhaps you think your passport needs some (surface) personalization.

the shop is a bit expensive – you can often find similar items at target or amazon for less. though, i cannot vouch for the designer items at flight001 or the case for quality (target partner brands suck at quality sometimes). related to this, i cannot really justify buying most of the items on this site. nothing is all that necessary aside from government documents and some luggage when traveling - but i can see how some of these trendy items can be fun to have or give as gifts.

also, the flight001 website has an entertaining page about flight facts.

i have very little money saved in my “travel fund” due to my fairly recent relocation. but that’s okay, give it another 2-3 years and i might be able to go on a trip! until then………………….

in no particular order, i present to you, my travel list! places i have yet to go!  it’s still in the works and i can’t type much because i’m on my break at work.

location : estimated cost (including spending money) : time
[  ] new york city : ~$2650 : 1 week, fall season
[  ] japan (tokyo & surrounding cities +  country side) : ~$4600 : 2 weeks, spring season (sakura blossoms….! how do you time this?)
[  ] hawaii : ~$3000 : 1 week, summer season
[  ] italy : ~$4500 : 10 days : fall season
[  ] peru (machu pichu) : ~$3000, 1 week: spring season
[  ] spain :  ~$4500 : 10 days : fall season
[  ] india (mumbai/delhi) : ~$3000 : 10 days :  holi season? do i dare??
[  ] thailand : ~$3000 : 10 days : fall season

places i have been and want to revisit:
seoul, korea
paris, france
prague, czech republic

i typed in “design” at translate.com, a sub-site of dictionary.com and here’s what i got (sorry about the poor image quality):

i’ve always been interested in designs from around the world so it’s nice to know how to say “design” in other languages…though, i cannot pronounce any of these except korean, french, japanese, and english.

….in 2006, i came across these cute little things while i was in paris. i dont remember where i found them. but it looks like one of the little bottles (of alcohol) has a website written on it. weeee. anyway, i thought the labels were really cute! voila!

website on the glass: http://www.ampelidae.com/

finally! my little domain….
more to tweak but that’s the fun part, right? ^^

here, you will likely find a plethora of packaging design, print, pattern, graphic design, and all around art and music inspired details. they say i have an artistic temperament and i am happy to share it.

my belief is that even the most humble or seemingly puny gifts can be made extra special with the right thought and packaging.

along with all the above, i will try my best to give insight to who i am too~yay.