Around the World: I Found That Beer!

Posted at 8:12 pm by Patrick under Around the World

After my upgrade debacle, I needed some liquid therapy. Thai Airways to the rescue!

I was just reading about Singha — Thailand’s biggest national brand — in my Lonely Planet guidebook, and wondered if I could score one on board. As you can see here, that would be a capital “chai” (or “yes” to us farang).

It’s crisp and hoppy, super pale and packs a 6% punch — just what I needed to settle things down. I’m not sure if the brewery is open for tours, but you’ll see it here, if it is, with amore detailed write-up.

The best part of that delicious beer? It was free! I’d forgotten that almost all non-American international carriers don’t charge for alcohol on their flights.

Hmmm. Might have to have another.

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Around The World: Emirates Travel Sucks

Posted at 1:42 pm by Patrick under Around the World

Let me add a few more words to the 1000 already here.

On a lark, I thought I’d try to upgrade my ticket on Thai Airways to business class. Apparently there is only one counter in the *entire* airport (after security, anyway) where this could be done. Like most other things in this country, it’s staffed by a part of the Emirates conglomerate. In this case: Dnata.

I should’ve known it would end poorly when it took the poor woman *45* minutes to conduct the transaction in front of mine. Not deterred by the excrutiating wait (or the B.O. eminating from the *7* Iranians who were buying last minute tickets home), I asked for the fare difference — 380 dirhams (about $120).

Score!

I plunked down my card, and signed the receipt. “Go to the other counter to check in,” she said. And I did, rather tried to.

The check-in man, another Dnata agent, said there was a problem with the ticket. “Follow me,” he said.

It appears our ticket-selling friend got the currency wrong, and it’s $380, not 380 Dirhams. She said she needed to collect the difference. I asked to talk to her supervisor, claiming it was their mistake, and they needed to honor their sale price. No dice. No supervisors in Dubai. Pay up or get a refund.

Awesome.

So, Dnata is not on my holiday card list, and I’m in row 51 on my way to Bangkok. I hope this flight has good beer on it — I need one!

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Around The World: The Dubai Bling Market

Posted at 10:51 am by Patrick under Around the World

Actually, it’s called the Gold Souk (market), and Jacob the Jeweler’s got nothing on this part of town.

One of Dubai’s nicknames is the Gold City, after all of the markets like this one, not because they mine it or refine it here. The Gold Souk is an open-air affair with shops lining either side of a roofed passageway. Not only can you get wares like these and rings galore, but Anglo visitors also get the occassional local gent who will walks up side by side for a gfew stride while he mutters “Mister, look. Fake Rolex, Breitling…come look.”

As much as a Feau-lex might be attractive to some, I had to pass.

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Thanks for your patience!

Posted at 10:43 am by Sean under Around the World

Seems that even the best laid plans run aground from time to time — as you can see, the site has not been updated since I left Atlanta. Rest assured, I’m OK (great, even) and about to leave Dubai for Bangkok.

Since the laughingass.com tech problems may not be fixable from the road (we’ll see in Thailand), you can follow the same photos and captions on Flickr, the site I use to forward my pics to the site. If you want minty fresh photos and commentary (or just to check on my whereabouts), try this URL:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughingass

Worse case, I’ll republish the photostream once I get the plumbing work again.

Thanks for your patience!
-p

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Around The World: Indian lunch in Dubai

Posted at 6:24 am by Patrick under Around the World

Today’s lunch comes from a local multi-location outfit called Kwalitee. Name aside, this was a solid recommendation from my Lonely Planet guide.

For starters, a crispy flatbread served with 2 sauces, a cardamom-laced yoghurt, and the other a green curry that will make you grab the water glass.

The entree is a dried goat curry kebab, one of the chef’s specialties. It was seriously tasty, and at 30 dirham, a bargain compared to other purchases here.

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