Emergency Landing

I was in the middle of admiring the nighttime view outside the plane  when the stewardess made an announcement that scared of all us.

“We’re going to have to call this an emergency landing. We lost a flap, so you’re going to have to go on emergency landing position.” She held her hands up and crossed her wrists on top of each other, right over left. She told us to brace onto the seat in front of us in that position when it was time for us to land.

The captain confirmed to us that we’re going to have a rough landing. He explained that we were descending faster than normal and that after we land, we will be hearing a loud sound from the engines since the thrusters needed to be reversed.

At that point, I thought,  I know that I’m just so darn under dressed for an Iowa winter right now. But, please let us land safely so I can have a chance to step out of this plane. I promise I won’t complain if it’s snowing.

The stewardess cued us to get in emergency position. Everyone braced themselves for what seemed to be the longest 30 seconds of our lives as we landed onto the airport tracks. Thank goodness to the American Eagle crew of flight 3579, this LA girl is back in Iowa in one piece. With a friendly face, my orange down jacket, and a thick scarf waiting for me at the CID terminal, I didn’t complain that it was a cool 30^oF outside. I am just glad to be back.

Hot Vit Lon

Ever watch Anthony Zimmern and think, Hmm. That looks strange, but I want to try to eat it anyway? I know I do.

From bugs in Santa Monica, live octopus tentacles latching onto your tongue in Koreatown, and roe from a freshly opened sea urchin with spines waving at you on a styrofoam plate in Redondo Beach, it’s easy to replicate a Bizarre Foods experience in Los Angeles. Social networking review sites, like Yelp.com and Chowhound, and food bloggers made it easy for me to do this in L.A.

But I live in Iowa now. With foodie web 2.0 less prevalent in Iowa City, did this LA girl give up her hobby?

Of course not!

It is a challenge to find where the strange foods are around here, but it is also an opportunity to be the first to share with everyone when I do find something interesting.

Here’s my first tidbit of this sort: Hot vit lon, a.k.a. balut.

Tony Bourdain explains what this is very well:

Lucky for daring Iowa City folk that they don’t need to travel to Southeast Asia to try one of the creepiest foods ever; they could just go to Bai Jia in Coralville, IA where they have a rack of hot vit lon in their refrigerator:

It’s been a very long time since I’ve eaten one of these and like Bourdain, I do have my reservations. One of these days when I’m feeling more adventurous, I will buy one, warm it in a boiling pot of water, and quickly devour it in complete darkness….one of these days…

FYI, just in case you want to have your own version of Fear Factor in your own living room:

Bai Jia

906 2nd St.

Coralville, IA

P.S. Know where I can eat something new or strange near Iowa City? Post your suggestions in the comments!

Ever watch Anthony Zimmern and think, Hmm. That looks strange, but I want to try to eat it anyway? I know I do.
From bugs in Santa Monica, live octopus tentacles latching onto your tongue in Koreatown, and roe from a freshly opened sea urchin with spines waving at you on a styrofoam plate in Redondo Beach, it’s easy to replicate a Bizarre Foods experience in Los Angeles. Social networking review sites, such as Yelp.com and Chowhound, and food bloggers were my BFFs informing me what to check out next.
But I’m in Iowa now. With foodie web 2.0 less prevalent in Iowa City, did this LA girl give up her hobby of trying new foods?
Of course not!
It is a challenge to find where the new and strange foods are around here, but it is also an opportunity for me to share with everyone when I do find something.
Hot vit lon.
Tony Bourdain explains what this is very well:

Lucky for daring Iowa City folks that they don’t need to hop on a plane to Southeast Asia to try one of the creepiest foods ever. They could just go to Bai Jia in Coralville, IA where they have a rack of hot vit lon in their refrigerator:
It’s been a very long time since I’ve eaten these and like Bourdain, I do have my reservations about this one. One of these days, I will buy one, warm it in a boiling pot of water, and devour it…in complete darkness.
FYI:
Bai Jia
902 1st Ave
Coralville, IA
P.S. Know where I can eat something new near Iowa City? Post your suggestions in the comments and I might just go there to eat!Ever watch Anthony Zimmern and think, Hmm. That looks strange, but I want to try to eat it anyway? I know I do.
From bugs in Santa Monica, live octopus tentacles latching onto your tongue in Koreatown, and roe from a freshly opened sea urchin with spines waving at you on a styrofoam plate in Redondo Beach, it’s easy to replicate a Bizarre Foods experience in Los Angeles. Social networking review sites, such as Yelp.com and Chowhound, and food bloggers were my BFFs informing me what to check out next.
But I’m in Iowa now. With foodie web 2.0 less prevalent in Iowa City, did this LA girl give up her hobby of trying new foods?
Of course not!
It is a challenge to find where the new and strange foods are around here, but it is also an opportunity for me to share with everyone when I do find something.
Hot vit lon.
Tony Bourdain explains what this is very well:

Lucky for daring Iowa City folks that they don’t need to hop on a plane to Southeast Asia to try one of the creepiest foods ever. They could just go to Bai Jia in Coralville, IA where they have a rack of hot vit lon in their refrigerator:
It’s been a very long time since I’ve eaten these and like Bourdain, I do have my reservations about this one. One of these days, I will buy one, warm it in a boiling pot of water, and devour it…in complete darkness.
FYI:
Bai Jia
902 1st Ave
Coralville, IA
P.S. Know where I can eat something new near Iowa City? Post your suggestions in the comments and I might just go there to eat!

[Back in LA] The View Below

Iowa kids grow up with the clear view of the stars and sky above, but this L.A. girl grew up looking at the view below.

Outside of my window is this sea of stars. Every year, a myriad of shooting stars from this sea defy gravity and burst into flowers into the sky above on the day the metropolitan celebrates its nation’s  independence. Sure, I was happy when I saw fireworks in Iowa City, but this is one of the things I really miss about L.A.

[Back in LA] Identity Crisis

The passengers in the airplane stood in anticipation to step out into terminals of LAX.  After a day of delays, everyone was excited that they are finally going where they need to get to.

I waited from my window seat for my turn to reach for my pink flower-printed Jansport backpack in the overhead cabin. As I looked towards the back of the plane, I overheard  an old couple conversing with the man seated next to them.

Wife: “…University of Iowa is a great school! They have a top dental and medical program. That’s where my employer came from.”

Man: “Oh, really? Ah, so you folks are from there?”

Husband: “No, we’re actually from Mason City, IA.”

Iowans were seated behind me all along? What a big coincidence! I was so excited that I wanted to engage in random conversation with them.

Really? You folks are from Iowa too? I just came from there. Iowa City, in fact. How about them Hawkeyes? I totally want to see them play in the Rose Bowl, so I was sad last weekend!

I thought about saying all that. Then I remembered: I’m in L.A. now. L.A. folks don’t usually talk to strangers as they easily do in Iowa.

Reverting back to my old L.A. habits, I stopped myself from joining a random conversation with strangers. I’m not quite Iowan yet, but I smiled at the Iowan couple, grabbed my backpack, and went my way. This L.A. girl is back home.

Slowly Becoming an Iowa Hawkeye

We were talking about this past weekend’s football game when he rebutted, “But, Iowa did win this past weekend. Let’s see…the women’s basketball team won. Oh! And the Cyclones won too.”

“The Cyclones?” I momentarily sat in silence at his mention of the word in this town. “Who cares about them?” *laughs* (kidding!…or not)

Living in this town sure does reinforce this L.A. girl’s innate rivalry loathing for red and yellow.