BRB

I'm writing this from the free internet kiosk at the airport as I wait to board my flight to Amsterdam. Never in my little Inglewood street days did I ever imagine I'd actually be going to Amsterdam and less so to the other destinations on my trip: Dublin, Paris, Germany.

I won't be blogging much during my trip [and I haven't been doing much of it before the trip either] but whenever I can I'll try to upload pictures or short snippers to my twitter account @ramosisms.

See you in February.

Xmas in January

I've won at xmas

Shortly after arriving in Singapore I discovered reddit, a site that has since taken over most of my free time and even some of my non-free time. It would possibly take a whole post to descrive why reddit is so awesome but let me just share one of its awesomenesses, secret santa...

Yes, worldwide secret santa. You sign up for the exchange, get paired up with another user [you can specify that you want to be matched with someone from within the country too] and then the fun starts. After I received my own match, I scoured his user profile taking notes on posts, comments, weather patterns, anything. I made a profile of the person I believed my giftee to be, then I gave him a marijuana cook book, because I care.

In order to be timely with everything the reddit gift system sets up datelines to try to ensure that everyone gets their gift on time. I managed to mail my gift on the last day of the deadline and having done that all I could do was play the waiting game.

A day or two passed and I didn't get notification that my present was on it's way to me, no biggie I thought. More time passed and still, nothing. A little disheartened about the reddit community I continued to live my life, gaining solace in the fact that my gift had reached my giftee and he seemed to enjoy it.

But then, an orangered [reddit-speak for message]. It seems my secret santa hadn't realized he had a giftee, apologies where issued and a promise that a gift would be sent was made. I was content. Shortly before christmas I finally got the notification that my gift was on its way, hooray! However, the timing was tight and I wasn't sure I'd get it before the 25th. No biggie, I had bought myself a gift just in case [yes I realize how sad that might sound]. After xmas I checked the tracking information and found out that there was an attempt to deliver my package on the 23rd while I was at work, d'oh.

I checked at home and there was no "sorry we missed you" note, so I was at a loss for what to do and was saddened by the thought of my gift sitting in a cold warehouse, cold, alone. But then, just as I was ready to march into the central post office branch and demand action, I got my note. Better yet I could forward the package for re-delivery, having the benefit of experience I decided to have the package delivered to me at work.

The day of the delivery came, I glanced at my phone every 31 seconds hoping for a call from the delivery man, nothing. I occupied myself with work, still keeping one eye on my phone hoping I'd get a call from the mail room, nothing. The end of work neared and I checked first with the mail room and then the fron lobby, still nothing.

Sad, broken, wet from the rain, and a little hungry I went home.

Waiting outside my door was a box, could it be? As I approached it, out of the corner of my eye I noticed there was an alien in a box printed on the package...

This also is reddit goodness

I rushed the box to my room where I cut it open like Han Solo cut open that ton-ton on Hoth [clearly the excitement was making me hyper-geek-ventilate]. Inside said box I found win, pure unadulterated, uncut, Colombian win, and lots of it:

Budweiser Serving Tray and Grilling Sauces
18pc iWork tool set
2011 Zombie Pin-Ups Calendar
Classic Sport Table Top Tennis Set
Man vs Wild DVD
Flask/Funnel Set
Coleman Campers Utensil Set

And a note that read:

I didn't have much to go on from your description of "I'm a guy." So, here are a few "guy" things. Enjoy and go do some "guy" stuff!!!

This gift was so good it retroactively turned my "pretty good" xmas into "awesome" xmas, that's how powerful this gift was, it has time travel capabilities.

And that is why reddit and my secret santa are awesome. so. awesome.

Casa Latina

Carnitas

I went to Casa Latina a while ago, shortly after visiting "Señor Burrito" which left me with a craving for more Mexican food. I had heard of this place before but it was only after a friend went and sent me the picture above that I decided it was time I tried the food for myself.

After sitting down and looking at the menu I realized two things. One, the place was a bit pricey; two, they serve real Mexican food. The menu read like things my mom would suggest for dinner: carnitas, chile relleno, pozole, flautas, milanesa, etc.

There was so much I wanted to try I decided before I even got my food that I would be coming back to try most of the menu. However, for my first time I went with the carnitas and a bucket of coronas. I was there with my roommate so I'm not a drunk.

The carnitas came on a skillet and were served with tortilals, limon, and two salsas. The amount of carnitas you get in an order justifies the price, and you will most certainly be full. The carnitas were well done [although they could of used a little more manteca] and the tortillas were soft warm, and made me happier than food should. As I was eating my food, I was informed that although that unlike the rest of the staff the chef was Mexican.

The one disappointing of Casa Latina was the drink choice, especially after I'd had jamaica at Señor Burrito. They didn't have any aguas frescas, jarritos, or even a lot of Mexican beer. They did have the regular cocktails, margaritas, and the Coronas.

However, my disappointment as the lack of horchata in Casa Latina was short lived as I looked at the dessert  menu. They had flan, and if that wasn't enough they had tres leches cake. We ordered both and shared, mostly due to my insistence that my roommate try tres leches. Both desserts were good, and the tres leches was a pretty big portion.

Casa Latina is now my serious Mexican restaurant and I will definitely be going back, next time probably for the pozole.