The Donkey Balls Tradition

Many of my friends here in Huntington Beach, CA grew up together. They have known each other for years and many had lived together under the same roof in a particular townhouse on Delaware Street, often affectionately referred to as the “Delaware House”. I currently live in the Delaware House, and since moving in almost three years ago, I have been introduced to many of the customs and traditions that were handed down over generations of residents of this house.

One such tradition is the birthday Donkey Balls shot. Rumor has it that the Donkey Balls tradition began a few years ago while celebrating a birthday out in the town. A few guys decided to buy the birthday boy a shot. But in a weird sense of camaraderie and male bonding, they decided that the shot must not only be the strongest one imaginable, but it should also taste terrible and be something so unique that you cannot find off a menu. Thus the Donkey Balls Shot was born.

A Donkey Balls shot is basically a variation of a Three Wise Men shot – with a splash of Jäger. That’s right. The recipe consists of equal parts Jack Daniels Whiskey, Jim Bean Bourbon and Johnny Walker Scotch Whiskey, and topped off with Jägermeister. Lately, a south of the border version of the Donkey Balls has also made an appearance. In this version, one of the whiskeys is substituted with José Cuervo Tequila. I’m not sure who came up with the name “Donkey Balls”, but it pretty much sums up the taste of this shot: disgusting!

Somehow in spite of it all, the tradition of the birthday Donkey Balls shot has stuck. I had the pleasure torture of a first hand introduction to this shot a few months ago while celebrating my birthday. While many more after me will continue to experience this tradition, just know that no matter where your dinner lands, or how your head feels the next day, you had a wonderful time celebrating your birthday with the boys of the Delaware House!

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Only in Vegas

What is it about Las Vegas that always seem to suck the energy out of you? Even without trying at all, a weekend in Vegas always results in too little sleep, too much food, and a hole in my pocket!

Here are some random thoughts that came up over the weekend:

1. There are people whose job is to dress up as a pirate or a Roman gladiator every single day! I wonder how long they stay on those jobs? Will Halloween ever be the same again?

2. How many glasses do the casinos lose everyday from people just walking out with their drinks?

3. How many people are hired in the city to hand out dial-a-stripper cards? Click, click, click. Are they paid a) by the hour; b) by the number of cards handed out; or c) by the number of calls made to the number on the card? (Not that I ever considered a career in that field!)

4. Cirque du Soleil is definitely enjoying a lot of success in Vegas. I have personally seen three different shows, and can easily name off another three. So between all of the Cirque du Soleils and other shows around Vegas, on any given day, there must be 300 or so individuals walking the street that could pick their noses with their toes.

As a side note, visiting Vegas this time of the year is slightly cheaper as it is considered the low season. Best of all, there are hardly any crowds to deal with, and barely a wait for a table at meals. And yes, the $4.99 Prime Rib dinner actually does exist, and it’s surprisingly tasty.

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A New Pair of Eyes

A week ago, I elected to get refractive surgery, or otherwise known as LASIK, done to my eyes. For almost two years, I had wanted to get this procedure done, but a combination of procrastination and a busy schedule prevented me from taking that leap…until now.

I chose to get my surgery done at TLC Laser Eye Centers in Newport Beach, CA, based on a recommendation from my roommate who had his procedure done there two years ago. Dr. Tom Tooma, Medical Director, TLC California, would be my surgeon. According to his profile, Dr. Tooma was the first in California to perform LASIK Surgery and has personally performed over 80,000 procedures. And judging by the many autographed pictures and personal notes of gratitude from athletes and other celebrities on the walls throughout his clinic, quite a few of those 80,000 procedures were performed on the who’s who in the sports and entertainment industry!

A few days prior to surgery, you are required to go through a series of very thorough eye examinations. In particular, there are three machines that you sit through in succession. The first, I call: “peep hole with cartoon on the other side”. Is that a house I see? A tree? The cartoon image goes from blurry to clear, blurry to clear. Now you see it, now you don’t. The next machine can only be described as “psychedelic lights and circular swirls”. It reminds me of that game in amusement parks where you are made to stare at a spinning wheel with radiating swirls before attempting to walk across a plank without falling over! Well, except here, they don’t make you walk the plank. And finally, I’m convinced the last machine is only there to test how long you can keep your eyes open without blinking. “Alright blink for me…now keep your eyes open…five…four…three…two…two and a half…two and a quarter….” Yup, you get the idea!

The actual surgery itself was surprisingly quick and painless. Upon arrival, you get to have your eyes checked all over again just make sure all of the readings are accurate. You are then led into a waiting room with lounge chairs quite like those you find at an up-market spa. “Do you need anything? Water? A blanket?” The nurse asks. “Wow, this is like a full service spa.” I reply. “No, I’m fine thanks. But I could really use a foot massage!” She laughs.

The one thing that puzzled me was a procedure that was done right before I went under the laser. In this step, a nurse takes what looks to me like a Sharpee marker, and places dots on the whites of your eye. Sure, by this time all the drugs have taken effect, and you don’t feel a thing, but think about this for a minute! You are trying to focus away from a bright light shining down your eye, and all you see is the pointed tip of a marker closing in. I think God gave us eyelids so that we can shut them when long pointed objects come towards your eyeballs! With each attempt at dotting my eyeballs, I uncontrollably blink just as the marker is about to touch my eyes and I get a dot placed on my eyelids instead. I can sense the frustration of the nurse growing as each unsuccessful attempt puts another dot on my eyelids. Many dots on my eyelids later, the nurse is finally happy with the dots that actually made it onto my eyeballs, and waves me off to the next station. I guess this full service spa also provides eye makeup services!

A week into these new pair of eyes, I enjoy them very much. No more fumbling frantically for my glasses. I can jump straight into bed after a late night out. Recovery took no time at all. The day after surgery, I was tested at 20/20 vision, and now a week later, I reckon it is even better. My only regret is not having done this sooner. All of the doctors and nurses at TLC Laser Eye Centers in Newport Beach, CA were very friendly and professional. I could not have had a better team working on my eyes!

Right after completing surgery, and as I was helped off the laser table, Dr. Tooma asked me to take a picture with him. “Sure!” I said. Wow, does he do this with every one of his patients? Does he want my autograph too? Is he going to put my picture up on the wall? Hey, I’d like my picture put up right there….yeah, right there in between Troy Glaus and Tiger Woods.

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‘Tis the Season – Great Gifts for the Global Backpacker (Part Two)

Here is Part Two of my gift guide for the global backpacker. Be sure to check out Part One for the rest of the list.

6. Netbook: A netbook is a very small (10” Screen) and light (usually 2-4 lbs) laptop computer whose primary function is to get onto the Internet. If you are traveling for 30 days or less, you probably will not need one, but for longer trips, this can be a lifesaver! Increasingly, wireless wifi is available for free at many hostels and cafés around the world. A netbook will allow you to conduct research, update social networking sites or blogs on the go – without having to wait in line for a computer at the hostel, or pay to use one at an Internet café. Another benefit for the netbook over a handheld like the ipod Touch is that you have a full keyboard to type on, and you can download pictures from your camera for editing and posting. Now, if only Apple were to make a MacBook this size!

7. Phrase Book: It is always handy to know how to order food or ask for the bathroom in the local tongue. Lonely Planet has phrase books and mp3s in over 50 languages for download. However, because I know that I will be spending some time in South America, the Rosetta Stone Latin America Spanish Set is what I really want for Christmas.

8. Money belt: This is not your parent’s money belt! I hate the old style money belts that fit around your body under your clothes. The Eagle Creek All Terrain Money Belt looks like a regular belt, feels like a regular belt and works like a regular belt. The secret, a zipper pocket on the inside of the belt. The only downside is that other than cash, it is too small to hold just about anything else.

9. Multifunction Watch: This watch takes the world “multifunction” to a whole new level. Besides telling the time and having a sturdy waterproof built, this watch also doubles up as a compass, altimeter, barometer, and thermometer.

10. Quick Dry Travel Towel: I already have one of these, but I could use a bigger one. Ultralight and quick drying, this towel does not have the same plush feeling as a terry cloth towel, but otherwise does its job pretty well.

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‘Tis the Season – Great Gifts for the Global Backpacker (Part One)

As I begin to put together a list of all the stuff that I am going to need want for my trip, I figured I might as well post my Christmas list out there so that in the remote chance that Santa comes across this blog, he’ll know exactly what to bring! Hint* Hint* 

When on a backpacking trip, anything that I take with me has to meet three basic criteria. First, the item must fulfill a specific function that I cannot do without. Second, it has to weigh as little as possible, and third, the item should ideally either fold or collapse into itself and take up as small a volume as possible. Each of the stocking stuffers listed below will meet one or more of those criteria.

1. Ipod Touch: The 3^rd generation ipod Touch makes this list because it is so full of features! Not only will it come in handy as a form of entertainment during long plane or bus rides, but it has thousands of apps for download (which I will discuss in a later post) and wifi connectivity (great for checking email and updating social networking sites and blog entries on the go). What really convinced me to buy an ipod Touch is that Lonely Planet now offers their guidebooks as PDF files, and you can buy them by the chapter. So instead of carrying large guidebooks for all the places I plan to visit, I can download just the chapters I want, and load it onto my ipod. Check it out here. Music player, computer, guidebook, all in one! Brilliant!

2. Joby Gorillapod: Every avid photographer needs a tripod for those long exposure shots, or simply to get yourself into the picture when you are traveling solo. With the Joby Gorillapad, you (and your camera) can now go where no tripod could go before.

3. Princeton Tec Quad Headlamp: Lightweight and very compact. Great for navigating through a dark hostel room in the middle of the night to get to the bathroom, or attempting to pack your stuff at 4am to catch the first bus out. 
4. Lightweight Daypack: I need a daypack that is sturdy, durable, and lightweight to carry everything from my camera, a rain jacket, to a bottle of water as I go about sightseeing during the day. The Vaude Mini Rock Comfort Pack fits the bill. Best of all when it is time to move on, it stuffs into its own lid for easy, compact storage! 
5. Leatherman Pocket Tool: The Juice XE6 combines everything you will find on a Swiss Army Knife plus a full size pair of pliers and wire cutter. When not in use, it folds up nicely into its own leather pouch (sold separately).

Be sure to check out Part Two for more perfect gifts for the global backpacker!

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Why I Travel

Traveling has always been a big part of my life. Some of my earliest and most cherished memories involved getting onto an airplane, and going off to somewhere far and exotic. Starting in the spring, I am planning on taking a trip around the world. With little more than a backpack, I hope to spend the next 6 months traversing the globe.

Is there such a thing as a travel gene? A desire to experience other places, languages and culture that is passed down from generation to generation? Both my parents are avid travelers and most of my immediate family have studied or lived abroad at one point in their lives. Growing up in Singapore, weekend outings to the airport was a family affair. Till this day, I enjoy staring at the departure boards at large international airports, dreaming about the romance and excitement of jetting off to some faraway place. I still frequently pick large wide-bodied jets when I fly, even on short domestic trips when they are available, as I associate large planes with long exciting trips to a foreign land. Could it be that our adult lives are shaped and determined by positive experiences at an early age when we were at our most impressionable stage in life?

Ever since the summer of 2002, when I spent 6 weeks backpacking through Europe, did I first encounter the pleasures of staying in hostels, meeting like minded travelers from all over the world, and experiencing the concept of budget traveling. Any apprehension that I had going into that trip was cast aside the first night in Paris, when I met a rowdy bunch of backpackers at my hostel. After a few beers and cheap wine, we caught the Métro to the Eiffel Tower - stopping briefly to get more cheap wine – before claiming a spot on a grassy park, and swapping stories of love, life and travel adventures till the sun came up. That trip marked a turning point in my travel habits, an evolution from tourist to traveler. Visiting a place now goes beyond just taking in the sights and landmarks that it is famous for. A true traveler goes off the beaten track; they see a city both for its grand boulevards and dirty alleys; live with a local – with no climate control; and eat what is considered a delicacy – even if it does not look all too tasty. Could this one experience conceivably change my entire outlook in life and the way I travel?

The great American novelist Mark Twain once wrote, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Maybe all I want is to fulfill a lifelong dream. Maybe I need to live with no regrets.

Perhaps the attraction to travel extensively is not just due to one’s upbringing, or the result of a past travel experience, but rather, it is a combination of all those reasons brought about by an intimate desire for self-discovery. Will I find what I am looking for? Uncover my El Dorado or perhaps my inner Atlantis? Or maybe, just maybe, instead I might discover within me a little piece of paradise…

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