Play Crave Reader at Honda

Basically it asks you a series of questions, until it has delineated the possibilities into a likely guess. It’s pretty addictive so be forwarned. It is very hard to trick this nifty piece of artificial intelligence.

Alright enjoy and don’t blame me for wasting your afternoon!

Low Denver Fares and That’s No Bull 4-Day Sale! Round-Trip Flights from $125 with Frontier! > Exp. 8/6/08

They’ve even got a great deal from Denver to Cancun for only $300 roundtrip. Who wouldn’t love a cheap flight to Cancun?

I’ll try to post these last minute airefare deals when I get them. Hopefully I’ll have one for the destination you have in mind. Enjoy!

Here are some sample promo rates from the Virgin America fare sale, no promo code needed as long as you are an Elevate Member (Virgin’s frequent flyer program)

The Virgin America fare sales only come around every so often, so if you’ve got somewhere to go in the next few months, make sure you book it now at Virgin.com. Cheap airline tickets are hard to come by right now, with many airlines going belly up and laying off their forces.

Virgin America  is by far my favorite airline, regardless of their great promo codes and sales where they practically give away tickets. Virgin not only offers great prices, but also excellent service with a swanky interior that’s more like a hip lounge than an air bus. My favorites are the mood lighting, leather seating (even in coach!) and personal tv screens.

You can also check for the lowest flight deals at Travelocity. Click below to see the cheapest flights on Virgin America and other airlines:

Being from Northern California, maybe Napa has spoiled me. The Santa Barbara wine scene hasn’t impressed me, except for Carr Winery. They’re a real standout from this region, and I especially like their reds. The winery is a converted half dome shaped warehouse amidst an industrial looking row. Don’t be put off, the owners are lovely and they have a friendly rottweiler.

This is a very small production winery, some varietals they only produce 100 or so cases! So get it while it lasts.

Here’s all the details:

Carr Winery Futures Tasting: 3 Barrel Samples

2007 Pinot Noir Turner Vineyard
2007 Pinot Noir Lindsay’s Vineyard

2007 Pinot Noir Yard Vineyard

Sunday June 22, 2008 4:00pm – 7:00pm
414 N. Salsipuedes Street 805.965.7985

$20 Tastings, $10 Wine Club Members
This Sunday winemaker Ryan Carr will be pouring barrel samples of his 2007 Pinot Noirs.  These wines will be available to order in both cases and six packs at a 30% discount.

Current releases will also be available for sampling at our barrel top tasting bar.  Wines will be accompanied by light appetizers from Mondial and live music by Al Vafa.

The 2007 Pinot Noirs will be available for purchase online at the 30% discount for one week only starting Sunday, June 22nd.

If you’re in need of a Disneyland hotel deal or want to getaway to Laguna Beach, we’ve got 9 great Orange County hotel deals for you starting at just $99 per night PLUS a $25 gift certificate towards Gas or Airfare and $25 in restaurant gift certificates for each night you stay! Expires 9/30/08. Click through for details…

Costa Mesa is conveniently located to many of Southern California’s hottest attractions, such as Disneyland (use this deal if you go), Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, SouthCoast Plaza and more.

As if those rates weren’t low enough, guests also get a $25 restaurant gift certificate for each night they stay. Choose any of the participating 13 Costa Mesa restaurants. Guests also receive $25 gas or airfare reimbursement.

Details: The special, available through Sept. 30, does not require a minimum stay. Hotel guests receive one $25 dining certificate per night for each reservation; the gas or airfare reimbursement is mailed a few weeks after your stay.

Participating Restaurants: Bristol Palms California Bistro, Le Chateau Garden Bistro, Darya Fine Persian Cuisine, Finbar’s Italian Kitchen, Hanfords, Hemingway’s, Karl Strauss Brewery, Nello Cucina, Pinot Provence, Royal Khyber Fine Indian Cuisine, Savannah, Scott’s Seafood Grill & Bar, Skosh Monahan’s, TerraNova, and Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill.

Call 1-866-918-4749 for more information or contact a participating hotel for your reservations today!

Enjoy!

O-Toro Tuna Belly Sushi, Tsukiji Tokyo

Look at that beautiful sushi bowl of O-Toro (fatty tuna belly) sashimi, several layers deep. This was my sushi breakfast on my first day in Tokyo. This much O-Toro would cost over $100 USD in America, but at the Tsukiji Market in Tokyo it’s only $30! And the fish was only a few hours old, and when you eat sushi that fresh, it’s probably very different (1GOOGLExBetter) than any sushi you’ve been served in America. See more pictures of my Tsukiji market sushi experience, after the jump.

Day 1 in Tokyo. Jetlag worked in our favor, and we shot out of bed at dawn to catch the excitement at the largest fish market in the world. We were on the hunt for some good, fresh sushi for which the alleyway restaurants in Tsukiji are famed. Little did I know that this adventure would be so memorable.

The day starts early for fishermen, so we were already “latebirds” as we strolled over at 8 AM. Most of the auctions and action had already ended, but the energy of the market was still hectic and crazy. I can’t even imagine what peak hours would be like. Pedestrians had to be careful because of these motorized carts that whiz around with general disregard for people on foot. Felt like I was in Rome for a second, haha. The urgency at which this city treats the freshness of fish is really amazing, they expedite the day’s catch as if they were ambulance response!

The fish market is broken down into various sections for fish auctions, wholesale purchasing, and retails shops and eateries. It was very confusing because everything was in Japanese (duh) but we just kept walking until we saw lots of touristy looking people standing in line. And there we were, Tsukiji “Restaurant Row”.

A few sushi restaurants here have gained international fame for mention in various travel guides. But we weren’t down for the 1 hour wait, and with fish this fresh, how much of a difference would it make? (Turned out to be a good choice on our part). So we went to the place right next door to one of the famous places called Tsukiji Don Taku, and sauntered past all the fish fiending tourists at the famous Daiwa sushi line. We got a seat at the counter immediately and they had a picture menu up on the wall. Hooray for that.

The restaurant was basically just a counter, where you sat facing the sushi chefs. Our joint could fit maybe 10 people max, nice and cozy. My husband opted for the O-toro bowl which is his favorite type of fish, and I got the combo bowl with a little bit of everything. It was beautiful, layer upon layer of my favorite things including uni, ikura, clam, and more. They didn’t skimp on anything. For only $30 bucks, I definitely felt like I got my money’s worth.

The fish honestly tasted much different from any other sushi I’ve ever had. When it is served within hours of being caught, the fish has a sweet and firm texture, with a nice crisp snap when you bite into it. Most people don’t like uni because it is fishy, but this uni was so delicate and fresh, that it reminded me of a decadent creme brulee. I am ruined, I can’t eat sushi in America anymore now that I’ve had this.

If you ever visit Tokyo, please try to visit the Tsukiji Market. I caution you however, because the moment the sweet taste of Tsukiji fresh fish hits your mouth, nothing will ever compare.

Shinjuku district, Tokyo Japan, (MVO ©)

I’ve recently returned from an amazing trip to Japan (which explains the short hiatus of my postings). One of my favorite things to do when I travel, is to pick up on little differences in lifestyle and cultural habits and share them with others when I return. Did you know that it is rude to hand your money to the sales clerk at the store? Or highly offensive to blow your nose in public? Respecting these little things can make your experience with the locals much more pleasant. See my list of cultural observations after the jump.

My Guide 2 Japanese Everyday Life and Culture

Keep those germs to yourself! (MVO ©)

1. Blowing your nose in public is highly offensive. Wait until you can find a bathroom.
2. Never hand your money directly to the salesperson at a store. Place the money in the little tray on the counter and they will pick it up. I made this faux pas multiple times out of habit, and they would not accept my money until I put it down on the tray!
3. Never tip at a restaurant, the service fee is already built into the price of the meal. Tips are considered insulting, maybe even be interpreted as if you pity the waiter/ess.
4. Hold on to your garbage until you get home. There are NO garbage cans anywhere in Tokyo (except maybe a few in the bathrooms of a fancy department store). This was implemented to reduce waste and litter in the city and it seems to be working because Tokyo is spotless for such a populated city.
5. The garbage rule applies to cigarettes as well. You can’t throw your butt on the ground and there are few public ashtrays but everyone smokes! People carry around these odor-proof cans made for personal cigarette disposal, and they empty it when they get home. Genius!
6. No Kleenex or Napkins in public. This was really weird to me. Kleenex is not readily available unless you buy it and carry your own stash around, so people still carry around handkerchiefs. At some restaurants, even fancy expensive ones at the top of grand department stores, do not have napkins to wipe your hands! You get a little damp towel at the beginning of the meal and that’s it. I suppose this is where the handkerchief comes into play again.
7. Sometimes, Americans make an exaggerated bowing motion with both hands outstretched to hail a person’s greatness, like if they make a great shot in a basketball game. In Japanese culture, this motion is only done to express extreme sorrow and apologies for a wrong doing.
8. Japanese women wear high heels even though they walk all day. Either they have really high pain tolerance, or the Japanese have invented a super comfortable stiletto.
9. Geishas are not prostitutes, though that idea has been highly dramatized in Hollywood. Geisha are highly respected and trained in traditional Japanese arts, they are revered as the cultural guardians who preserve the arts. It can take many years to become a Geisha and it is a great honor to become one. They still exist and you can hire a Geisha for party entertainment for price that ranges from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. Geisha may get married, but are expected to leave the practice.

   

10. An Oiran” is a prostitute originating from the Edo-period (1603-1868) that purposefully mimicked the Geisha look with similar, but less elaborate dress as the Geisha. This may have caused the notion that Geishas were high class courtesan, due to confusion with this black market copy-cat. One way to easily tell the two apart: Oirans wore their obi, or kimono sash, tied in the front, and Geshia had theirs tied in the back.

11. The diamond symbol on American highways that usually means “carpool lane” means that a stop sign is approaching on Tokyo roads.

12. Americans are fascinated with Harajuku and the district’s outlandish fashionable teens. But not everyone in Tokyo dresses this funky, as some may stereotype, nor do they think this is “cool”. Mainstream Tokyo-ites generally view these Harajuku kids are dorky teenagers that are so embarrassingly dressed. When I told my Tokyo friends that I wanted to see this phenomenon, they replied “Why!?”. Thus, the district was filled with American tourists, like myself, gawking at these wannabe style mavens

13. You can buy anything in a vending machine in this country. You can find over 15-20+ kinds of drinks (makes it hard to choose!), beer, cigarettes, steaming hot ramen and udon bowls, magazines, used underwear (so gross, I’m not even going to explain this). Vending machines are also everywhere, in the most random places, even in between dark back alleys.

    

That’s all I could think of for now. If you have anything else to contribute to the list, feel free to comment or shoot me an email!

Discounts on Disneyland tickets are usually only 5% off when you buy a package, but this deal can get you a ticket for 100% off. How? Southern California residents can buy 2 Disneyland tickets for the price of 1. It works like this, buy 1 ticket for Disneyland and get another day free for the California Adventure park! The offer is called the“2fer” cheap Disneyland ticket deal and you have to buy the ticket before you arrive at the park. One caveat, you have to come back to visit on a different day for the discount Disneyland ticket. And you also need to buy the ticket before you get to the park. Here are some places to get it: Disneyland Resort Hotels, Vons stores, Southern California Disney Stores, South Coast Plaza Disney Desk and Disneyland.com.

More Details after the jump.

Offer extended! Southern California residents can buy a “2Fer” ticket that features admission to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure on two different days, for the price of a regular 1-Day park admission!

The “2Fer” ticket provides one admission to Disneyland and one admission to Disney’s California Adventure, on two different days. The special ticket is available at Disneyland Resort Hotels, Vons stores, Southern California Disney Stores, South Coast Plaza Disney Desk and Disneyland.com. It costs $66 for guests age 10 and older, and $56 for guests age 3 to 9.

2fer Tickets are valid for Southern California residents within ZIP codes 90000-93599 and Northern Baja California residents within ZIP codes 21000-22999. Proof of residency required for admission. Admission valid for one day at Disneyland park and another day at Disney’s California Adventure park, but not for both parks on the same day.

Tickets are valid 30 days from first use. First use must occur between 1/07/08 through 5/22/08. Each day of use constitutes one full day of use. May purchase up to eight tickets per person per day with valid ID. Tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial use. Offer may not be combined with other discounts or promotions. Offer not valid before 1/07/08. Subject to restrictions and change without notice.

Southern California 2Fer Park Hopper Ticket

Upgrade your 2fer Ticket! For $25 more, you can upgrade your 2fer ticket to a 2-Day Park Hopper. Visit both parks on the same day for two days. Ticket rules are otherwise the same as for the 2fer Ticket. You can purchase the upgraded version for $91 (adults) or $81 (kids) at Disneyland.com. If you’ve already purchased the regular 2fer and want to upgrade, take your 2fer Ticket to a ticket window at the park.

*In case this deal is already over, click on the coupon code below to get $10 off at a Disneyland hotel, when you book on Travelocity.com:

Vacation_Save $10 when you book 2+ nights at a Disneyland hotel with a ticket purchase! > PROMO CODE: DISNEYLAND10

Photo from www.lululemon.com

Guide 2 the Good Life has another great, free deal for you! Lululemon Athletica clothing store in El Segundo is offering free yoga classes during March! The free yoga workshops welcome all levels of yoga experience, as a promotion for the YogaWorks studio that will be opening in the same plaza. Here are the details and dates…

The free yoga classes begin at 9:30 AM inside the Lululemon store, be sure to get there a little bit earlier to get settled in. Yoga may be something you have always wanted to try, but never got around to. Now here’s your chance!

The Free Yoga Works Class Dates

March 9 -YogaWorks instructor Tulsi will lead an all levels yoga class

March 16 -YogaWorks instructor Melanie Lori will lead an all levels yoga class

March 23 – YogaWorks instructor Al Tavera will lead an all levels yoga class

March 30 – -YogaWorks instructor TEmily Maupin will lead an all levels yoga class

Lululemon Athletica, Plaze El Segundo, 2008A East Park Place @ Sepulveda and Rosecrans

310-640-9476

Virgin Airlines has yet another great promotion! I highly recommend flying this airline, pictures of my flight with them are soon to come. Here is all the information about the promo.

Check out these great fares:

Book your flight on Virgin America today, click on the banner below!

*in case this deal is over, check out some current hot offers at Travelocity! Click below to see the latest cheap flights on Virgin America and other airlines, as well as hotel promos!