Ricky's @ Rosarito Beach BC

Ricky's bar seems like a Mexican bar from the 1980's with relatively impressive sound system. It is very quirky and seems weird at times.

There is Halloween decorations and a X-mas Tree, random signed dollar bills, ladies underwear and bras on the walls. Could it be that fun a place?

Then comes Ricky, a man in his 60's with a cowboy hat and a unique laughter that brightens up the place. Ricky can go up and down the pole all night long! And the crowd continuously cheers him on!

Going to Ricky's is definitely an experience, and the drinks is cheap. There is live entertainment as the patrons sometimes participate in the "festivities"

Its Christmas, Halloween and what ever thing you want to celebrate at Ricky's Bar all year round!

If you are at Rosarito Beach, Baja California, MEXICO, do come by and check it out.

-- Robin Low

 

Don Quixote

Art by David Silvah 

Don Quixote is considered the most influential work of literature from the Spanish Golden Age and the entire Spanish literary canon.

And incidentally, it is also one of my favorite stores in Japan.

It sells all sorts of random stuff at a relatively low price.

Well, I really love the various art done in Baja Galley on Don Quixote and was wondering if there can possibly be a collaboration for some real Don Quixote products to be sold in Japan?

I think it will be a hit!

-- Robin Low

Tecate - The beer and the town.

I tried Tecate and rather liked the flavor. And I traveled to a small town in Baja California to visit Tecate.

Tecate is surrounded by hills and mountains, and the road is windy and interesting, and drive is enjoyable.

When I arrived at Tecate, the Beer factory is there!! And of course it is easy to find Tecate Cerveza everywhere. In the middle of the town, there is a beautiful town square, where you can find cafeterias, ice cream shops and craft stores, along with a beautiful park. The park is kinda small, and there are amigos serenading in the street corner.

Tecate is famous for Bread and Beer, a strange combination, which I am not sure if you should have them together.

Tecate Brewery also offers a brewery tour, but you need to make sure you check with them as they only open for specific hours.

Its a very beautiful place  and the journey is relaxing. Great place to chill and visit!

-- Robin Low

Bacon Pancakes.

 

Bacon pancakes, makin' bacon pancakes,
Take some bacon and I'll put it in a pancake,
Bacon pancakes, that's what it's gonna make,
Bacon pancake!




Bacon Pancakes are awesome!

Receipe:

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 8 slices bacon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, and egg. Whisk flour mixture into buttermilk mixture just until moistened, with small to medium lumps remaining.
   
   
2. (Do this while singing the above song) In a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet or on a griddle, cook bacon over medium heat until fat is rendered and bacon is browned on one side, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook until golden and crisp on underside, 1 to 3 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels; pour off all but 1 teaspoon fat from skillet (reserve for another use).
   
   
3. Heat skillet over medium. Pour 1/4-cupfuls batter into skillet and top each with a bacon slice. Cook until some bubbles appear on top of pancakes and a few have burst, about 2 minutes. With a spatula, carefully flip pancakes and cook until browned on underside, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter, bacon side up, and loosely tent with foil. Keep pancakes warm in oven and repeat with remaining batter, adding more bacon fat if needed. Serve with pure maple syrup if desired.
   

These bacon pancakes are simply amazing! They will change your life!

-- Robin Low

Samuel Adams -- New World Beer Review

Sam Adams -- New World is a limited edition beer -- A Golden Tripel with Notes of Spice and Tropical Fruit.

This is a pint of beer with a 10% alcohol content. (There is yeast in the bottom, so this is an ale)

Color: This beer is pale golden color, clear.

Smell: You can get a whiff of herbal hops, and tropical fruit, like pineapple and some spices. If you have tried the Sam Adams Boston Larger, this beer smells quite similar with an added fruit smell.

Taste: Refreshing and flavorful. Very Smooth. Definitely taste some sweetness and little bitterness from the hops. It does not taste like a 10% beer at all, but after a pint, you can definitely feel it. There is also a fine layer of yeast at the bottom of the bottle, so the bottle can still age if you don't drink it, but it is definitely tasty and will not stay long in your collection.

This is a limited edition beer available at the Sam Adams Gift shop in Boston by the Brewery.

Try it while it last!

Almost Perfect, one of the best beers I've tasted!

-- Robin Low

Jack Reacher (2012) Movie Review.

Jack Reacher is a fictional character created by British author Jim Grant. (Child Lee)

Tom Cruise is Jack Reacher and this movie turned out to be actually a pretty good action comedy! Starting the movie with a sniper scene, the movie starts off as a crime investigation as you do see the sniper and someone else getting blamed.

Yes, the plot was a little predictable, and there are some obvious bad guys that you don't get to know much about just that they are "bad people". However, there are some scenes that are genuinely funny! Tom Cruise tries to intimidate people throughout the movie and nobody really cares. In this case, Jack Reacher is a really dangerous man, and could deliver his threats, but as he is short, his threats were simply ignored.

Robert Duvall's role as an old rifle range owner is also hilarious as he was supposed to support Jack Reacher in the final assault, but his shooting skills was questionable as he was an "old man" He also brought a weapon for Jack Reacher -- a knife, where his opponents had automatic weapons. So yes, Tom Cruise brought a knife into a gun fight.

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More about Jack Reacher (Comic Character)

Jack Reacher is a former United States Army Military Police Major. He was born on a military base in Berlin in 1960. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he served 13 years in the Military Police, during which time he became part of a fictional military police unit, the 110th Special Investigations Unit, formed to handle exceptionally tough cases, especially those involving members of the United States Army Special Forces.

Though he was demoted from Major to Captain in the prequel novel The Enemy, he regained the rank of Major by the time he mustered out in 1997. He received many military awards during his career, including the Silver Star, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Soldier's Medal, the Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in the bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983.

Since leaving the Army, Reacher has been a drifter. He wanders throughout the United States because he was accustomed to being told where to go, when to go and what to do for every day of his life from military childhood to military adulthood. He also felt he never got to know his own country, having spent much of his youth living overseas on military bases and at the military school West Point. He usually travels by hitchhiking or bus. As a drifter, the only possessions he carries are money, a foldable toothbrush and, after 9/11, an expired passport and an ATM debit card. He has never possessed a driver's license.

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Overall, the pace and action is actually pretty good. The movie is rather enjoyable and the unexpected comedy is hilarious.

Rating 7/10


-- Robin Low

Southwest Airlines Review

South-Worst Airline.

I've flown over 100k miles this year, and this is my first time taking Southwest Airlines with checked in Luggage.

I flew BOS-DEN-SEA on Dec 7 and I arrived more than 2 hours earlier at Boston Logan to check in.

"First and second bag checked free", So I checked in 2 bags and proceeded to board the plane with a small camera bag (1 DSLR and 1 lens) and a 5 ft long scroll tube and a 8"x10" framed photo. They all fit into a plastic bag until I got to the gate to check in and the staff informed me that my 5 ft long scroll tube was too long for the plane and I had to check it in.

I informed her that there were people with bigger and longer carry on bags and someone just went on board with a tripod that is longer and bigger than my scroll tube and she said that the plane was now full and there was no more space for the tube.

I agreed to check it in and she delayed me for another 15 minutes and when everyone else has checked in, she told me that I already had 2 checked in luggage, a 50 Ibs bag and a small 10 Ibs bag. and I would have to pay $50 for the additional scroll tube.

I informed her that I've been flying many different airlines and this has always gone on the plane with me, and I was never charged $50 before, but she insisted that it is my decision whether to get on the plane or not, and that tube is not getting in. As the gate was closing, I had no choice but to pay the $50 to check in the scroll tube.

Almost all airlines I took would be customer centric. The tube could fit into the luggage compartment and I felt I was singled out. I've flown more than 70 flights this year, and in all my life, I've never encountered anyone that unreasonable and sticking to the rules instead of listening to reason.

My trip was to raise funds for Relief 2.0 Survivors in Haiti and Japan after the disaster and I informed the staff but she did not seem to care.

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On my return trip, I flew SEA-MDW-BOS

I arrived about 50 minutes before take off and there was a long line at the check in counter. The staff at the check in counter in Seattle seemed very chatty and the line was not moving fast. I approached the staff to ask if I had enough time to board the plane and to my shocking horror, they said if I was not A-List Preferred, I would have to be in line.

When I reached the counter, there was less than 20 minutes to board and surprisingly at the TSA counters, they let me through fast as I explained my situation to them. TSA was more understanding than the counter staff at Southwest.

I ran and finally reached the gates and luckily there were people still at the gates and I managed to catch the flight.

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I've never experienced such bad customer service at the check in counters or the gates until I flew Southwest, and I promised that unless the fate of the world depends on it, I will never fly Southwest again.


Robin Low
Delta - Gold Member
Cathay Pacific - Silver Member
Singapore Airlines - Silver Member