I just woke up in the hotel after being in and out of airplanes for 20+ hours. I like Korean Airlines better then Northwest Airlines that I usually fly. Wonder if anybody knows why.Anyway, once I landed at Greensboro at about 4pm, I headed straight to my hotel which I planned to rest up proper until I head into the market the next day.
As I entered my room, I realised one thing. I don't have water. I forgot to buy a bottle before hopping into the hotel shuttle. Darn.
Here are my options:
1) No water
Forget about drinking water until the next day when I get into the market. I am sure I won't die just because I don't have water for the next 18 hours right? It may feel miserable but I am sure I would survive.
2) Step out to the nearest quickie-mart to buy
In the US where it is sometimes impossible to get around without a car, I was fortunately to have a convenience store without 10-minutes walk but all that journey for a lousy bottle of water? Bear in mind, it's 10 minutes to get there and another 10 minutes to get back. I can't guarantee I won't get mugged en route too.
Anyway, it's raining quite heavily so no deal.
3) Go into the restaurant and order a bottle as a take-out
A very expensive option since restaurants do mark up quite exorbitantly on water, assuming they have bottled ones.
Well, I fell asleep as soon as I get into my room only to wake up at 10pm, way past restaurant hours already.
4) Water From The Tap
While it is true that tap water in the US is safe to drink but that is based on the assumption that the building's plumbing and piping is up to standard. My hotel has been around for years and I don't feel safe drinking it straight.
4a) Water From The Coffee Maker
If tap water isn't safe to drink, then boiling the water would be a better option. The trick is to pour tap water into the coffee maker and turn it on without adding coffee. Problem is that while you are able to kill off some of the germs with the boiling, you get a hint of coffee taste in the water. This stems from the fact that the housekeeping maids don't really wash the coffee makers properly. What you are tasting is essentially coffee from a previous pot from some other stranger.
4b) Water From The Ice Machine
Because they are already in the form of ice cubes, you feel safe psychologically since they seem to have been processed by a machine i.e. untouched by the human hand. Still, it is still very much the same water from the very same source but different outlet.
5) Vending Machines
Problem with this is that more often then not, sugar-loaded sodas are all they have to offer.
Well, in the end, I went for this option thinking that Diet Coke would be the lesser of the evils. Then I realised that I don't have small change as the machines takes only singles ($1 notes) and coins.
I guessed I was lucky to be made to go down to the lobby to break a 20 when I found out that the vending machine in the lobby stocked Aquafina water. I was saved!!
Ok, so I guess I caught a small break there.
Note to self: Remember to grab a couple of bottles of water from my clients' showroom at the market before heading back to the hotel.
Bottoms up!
Image Credit: http://www.pepsicobeveragefacts.com
- Voxeros
1. Jaschoco left...
Thursday, 27 April 2006 8:37 pm
Ke lian...
2. koreanhousewife left...
Hmmm...the water topic. Lately me and TIAN AR! were at a berri established fancy cake shop (dont wish to highlight name). I ordered a pot of peppermint tea and dark chocolate brandy cherries cake. She wanted a pot of lavender tea and tiramisu. We wanted plain water, however was told tat the place does not serve tat. Askin us: How abt some sparkling water? Yup, I refuse to order. Is it tat hard to serve plain water?
Anyway, U are overseas... Eat well and take gd care of the well being. I care...
Friday, 28 April 2006 1:47 am :: http://www.koreanhousewife.blogspot.com/
Fountain of Youth, Hmmm...the water topic. Lately me and TIAN AR! were at a berri established fancy cake shop (dont wish to highlight name). I ordered a pot of peppermint tea and dark chocolate brandy cherries cake. She wanted a pot of lavender tea and tiramisu. We wanted plain water, however was told tat the place does not serve tat. Askin us: How abt some sparkling water? Yup, I refuse to order. Is it tat hard to serve plain water?
Anyway, U are overseas... Eat well and take gd care of the well being. I care...
3. akk left...
Friday, 28 April 2006 9:50 am
wah lau!!! so much thought for a bottle of water! Shall I get you a water bottle? Fill up before flight, fill up after flight and ta-daa....water for hotel. :) heheheh...but i'm glad u did not take 1st option. I'd like the convinience store option, cos i'd buy more than water.
4. X|a_m|_m| left...
But..erm...grabbing a few more bottle from client's office...well..don't really sound like a good idea lei.. =S
Friday, 28 April 2006 9:58 am :: http://xia-mi-mi.blogspot.com
Yupz...drinking boiled water will be the best..buying those mineral water is just too expensive for the long term.. =) But..erm...grabbing a few more bottle from client's office...well..don't really sound like a good idea lei.. =S
5. kim left...
Friday, 28 April 2006 10:56 am
wah piang. i really take my hats off your blogging skills -- all for a bottle of water. hahaha.. For me, I always bring a bottle of water with me when I fly overseas, then attempt to save every last drop 'cause the water overseas don't taste the same. haha..
6. JayWalk left...
Jaschocolate: Not that kelian lah.. just part and parcel of traveling.
KoreanHouseWife: Try going to a restaurant in France! Sparkling or Still water, both from the bottle. They absolutely refuse to serve water from the tab.
Akk: Problem with some of these convenience store is that they sell water by the gallon (3.8l) and then lug it back!
Xia Mi Mi: Grabbing bottles of water from the clients' place is actually the standard practice for everybody. So no harm done there.
kim: With more than 20+ hours of flying, I don't think 1 puny little bottle will last. So how may bottles are you willing to lug?
Jaschocolate: Not that kelian lah.. just part and parcel of traveling.
KoreanHouseWife: Try going to a restaurant in France! Sparkling or Still water, both from the bottle. They absolutely refuse to serve water from the tab.
Akk: Problem with some of these convenience store is that they sell water by the gallon (3.8l) and then lug it back!
Xia Mi Mi: Grabbing bottles of water from the clients' place is actually the standard practice for everybody. So no harm done there.
kim: With more than 20+ hours of flying, I don't think 1 puny little bottle will last. So how may bottles are you willing to lug?
7. Sallie left...
Friday, 28 April 2006 5:09 pm
i think it's the case of most european countries won't serve water from tap. when you say water please, they'll say 'sparkling or still'. that's my experience anyway, in Germany, Italy, France and even some eastern european places. in the UK, it's getting less common to have tap water, unless you specify.
8. JayWalk left...
SALlie: Over here in Ch1na, tap water is strictly for washing only. We use bottle (Big ones lah) mineral water for cooking.
Not sure about the restaurants though.
SALlie: Over here in Ch1na, tap water is strictly for washing only. We use bottle (Big ones lah) mineral water for cooking.
Not sure about the restaurants though.
9. ris left...
Friday, 28 April 2006 9:51 pm
hehe, toilet water not an option? but isnt the taste of coffee always hard to get rid of from a coffee maker?
10. Mum2One left...
Friday, 28 April 2006 9:53 pm
Hahaha...Don't they have bottled mineral water in their minibar in the hotel room for you to put on tab?
11. winter left...
lol
Friday, 28 April 2006 10:43 pm
i feel thirsty hearing bout the water lol
12. jaschoco left...
Saturday, 29 April 2006 11:00 am
Got diff between sparkling and still? Sorry, i sua ku..
13. Zhe Bin left...
Saturday, 29 April 2006 12:03 pm
Eh I think ask AKK not to get you water bottle. Cos everywhere also not safe to drink one the water. Just ask her to get you a kettle. = )
14. JayWalk left...
ris: Coffee taste is hard to get rid of, especially when the coffee maker has been the same one in that room for years!
p.s. Hey, I am beginning to see you a bit more often here. Care to intro yourself a bit more to the rest of us? :)
Mum2One: Ahh.. you spoilt little princess! Over here in this ulu town where got mini bar one? Big city hotels got lah. Over here, the fridge is for you to buy stuff and store them inside one.
Winter: Go go! Go drink more water. Good for your complexion and then you can be more swee swee when I come back. :P
Jaschocolate: Sparkling means got gas inside one like Perrier, LaCroix or San Peregrino.
Still means your normal plain water like Evian, Aqua, Vit, etc...
ZheBin: Mai lah... kettle so unglam!! Another way is the nuke it with the microwave oven lor.
ris: Coffee taste is hard to get rid of, especially when the coffee maker has been the same one in that room for years!
p.s. Hey, I am beginning to see you a bit more often here. Care to intro yourself a bit more to the rest of us? :)
Mum2One: Ahh.. you spoilt little princess! Over here in this ulu town where got mini bar one? Big city hotels got lah. Over here, the fridge is for you to buy stuff and store them inside one.
Winter: Go go! Go drink more water. Good for your complexion and then you can be more swee swee when I come back. :P
Jaschocolate: Sparkling means got gas inside one like Perrier, LaCroix or San Peregrino.
Still means your normal plain water like Evian, Aqua, Vit, etc...
ZheBin: Mai lah... kettle so unglam!! Another way is the nuke it with the microwave oven lor.
15. koreanhousewife left...
Sparkling or still, I dont like both. When I oversea, I hate the fact tat I missed soya bean milk, JJ liang teh, grass jelly, honey lemon and all the local local kind of drinks. I am totally not into gasy (heng, no ego bloat). So I ended up drinkin alot of milk, hot chocolate or milkshakes. When I was in Swiss I see my GF kid (2yo) always only wants milk and juice. Her hubby also Juice, coffee or coke. In office, most boys also starbucks and coke, now the vain one go for diet coke:P To find one who still go for plain water is rare. Anyway, must drink alot of water so tat the skin stay hydrated and dewy. I think lately my skin condition damn bad, cos cry too much like a tap, CMI:P
Saturday, 29 April 2006 7:43 pm :: http://www.koreanhousewife.blogspot.com/
The only drop left, Sparkling or still, I dont like both. When I oversea, I hate the fact tat I missed soya bean milk, JJ liang teh, grass jelly, honey lemon and all the local local kind of drinks. I am totally not into gasy (heng, no ego bloat). So I ended up drinkin alot of milk, hot chocolate or milkshakes. When I was in Swiss I see my GF kid (2yo) always only wants milk and juice. Her hubby also Juice, coffee or coke. In office, most boys also starbucks and coke, now the vain one go for diet coke:P To find one who still go for plain water is rare. Anyway, must drink alot of water so tat the skin stay hydrated and dewy. I think lately my skin condition damn bad, cos cry too much like a tap, CMI:P
16. Jaschoco left...
Saturday, 29 April 2006 7:43 pm
Wau lao.. water only need to be so chin mah.. Weirdos...
17. koreanhousewife left...
Saturday, 29 April 2006 7:48 pm :: http://www.koreanhousewife.blogspot.com/
Anyway the water issue was brought up by Jason Hahn (8 days foodie writer). I forgotten which issue, but tot wat he wrote was extremely well-written. Kudos!
18. ris left...
Saturday, 29 April 2006 8:13 pm
19+f hey, have you ever come across those hotel mini bars with drinks that are impossible to put back once you pull them out!? it was so embarrassing to explain to them that i just wanted to see how the bottle looked like -.-
19. JayWalk left...
KoreanHouseWife: Let me break this down so that you can see it properly.
Soya Bean Mile - Sugar
JJ Liang Teh - Sugar[[br[[ Grass Jelly - Sugar
Honey Lemon - Sugar
Milk - Ok, you get away with this one!
Hot Chocolate - Sugar
Milkshakes - Sugar
Juice - Sugar
Coffee - Sugar
Coke - Sugar
Starbucks - Sugar
Dehydrated because cry too much? Cry only? What else? :P
Jaschocolate: Ahh... the little naive one. Water of course chim ok!!
Never hear before? Still Water Runs Deep Deep?
ris: Some of the hotels have sensors in the minibar fridge where they know what you have taken out even without needing to check the fridge physically.
KoreanHouseWife: Let me break this down so that you can see it properly.
Soya Bean Mile - Sugar
JJ Liang Teh - Sugar[[br[[ Grass Jelly - Sugar
Honey Lemon - Sugar
Milk - Ok, you get away with this one!
Hot Chocolate - Sugar
Milkshakes - Sugar
Juice - Sugar
Coffee - Sugar
Coke - Sugar
Starbucks - Sugar
Dehydrated because cry too much? Cry only? What else? :P
Jaschocolate: Ahh... the little naive one. Water of course chim ok!!
Never hear before? Still Water Runs Deep Deep?
ris: Some of the hotels have sensors in the minibar fridge where they know what you have taken out even without needing to check the fridge physically.
20. koreanhousewife left...
*pinched, twisted* Also read yr blog over here and laugh until I cry, cannot is it? (eg, the kettle joke damn funny!!! Hehe)
Dont know lei, at oversea, people seldom boil water. Like my Aussie mates (photographers & crews) everytime only drink coffee, coke and beer.
Aiyo, if kettle unglam, U can get those mini flask lei, wont take up too much baggie space one. Then U can ZU KAI SHUI in yr hotel room lor.
*pinched, twisted* U die, U told the whole world wat I do at yr blog! So bad!
Sunday, 30 April 2006 8:05 am
Remember to water the plant, *pinched, twisted* Also read yr blog over here and laugh until I cry, cannot is it? (eg, the kettle joke damn funny!!! Hehe)
Dont know lei, at oversea, people seldom boil water. Like my Aussie mates (photographers & crews) everytime only drink coffee, coke and beer.
Aiyo, if kettle unglam, U can get those mini flask lei, wont take up too much baggie space one. Then U can ZU KAI SHUI in yr hotel room lor.
*pinched, twisted* U die, U told the whole world wat I do at yr blog! So bad!
21. koreanhousewife left...
Sunday, 30 April 2006 8:13 am
wat I mean is, at yr ex blog. U wrote wat my trade is! Alamak!
22. JayWalk left...
Mini flask damn leceh lah. I travel very light one. Can pack everything including samples, color panels and clothes for 2 weeks into 1 mid-size luggage case one. Never more than that.
p.s. Change your trade in the other comment liao. Sorry. My bad.
Sunday, 30 April 2006 4:58 pm ::
KoreanHouseWife: Laugh until cry ah? Orh. Can. Can. Mini flask damn leceh lah. I travel very light one. Can pack everything including samples, color panels and clothes for 2 weeks into 1 mid-size luggage case one. Never more than that.
p.s. Change your trade in the other comment liao. Sorry. My bad.
23. koreanhousewife left...
*Tsk. People provide U with solution, U say leceh! Can die! I am talkin abt tis kind:
http://www.benefitsnowshop.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?item=338§ionId=77
How much baggie space can take up? Anyway tat day TIAN AR! was only 5 mins late from missin her flight to Melbourne:( They didnt let her board the plane. So she scare to go back home, scarly might get scoldin from her mom. So I ask her to come my humble place and overnite. Then also asked her to repack. Only 5 days trip, like bring a whole MOUNTAIN!
I also like to travel light, then come back can bring back more presents mah:P My last trip from Swiss brought back 40 bars of chocolate, 12 pairs of shoes and alot alot of other presents. Damn killer:P
Sunday, 30 April 2006 5:15 pm
Fill up my bath tub, *Tsk. People provide U with solution, U say leceh! Can die! I am talkin abt tis kind:
http://www.benefitsnowshop.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?item=338§ionId=77
How much baggie space can take up? Anyway tat day TIAN AR! was only 5 mins late from missin her flight to Melbourne:( They didnt let her board the plane. So she scare to go back home, scarly might get scoldin from her mom. So I ask her to come my humble place and overnite. Then also asked her to repack. Only 5 days trip, like bring a whole MOUNTAIN!
I also like to travel light, then come back can bring back more presents mah:P My last trip from Swiss brought back 40 bars of chocolate, 12 pairs of shoes and alot alot of other presents. Damn killer:P
24. koreanhousewife left...
Ok, seriously, I get U the flask lah...
Sunday, 30 April 2006 5:22 pm
Ok lah, dont complaint lah. When U come back tis year end, I give the mini flask to U as present lah! In exchange, I want want want the victoria’s secret Heavenly angel perfume, coach bag and 42 huge reese’s cupcake from USA! Dont care! Muhahahahah.... Ok, seriously, I get U the flask lah...
25. JayWalk left...
KoreanHouseWife: Thanks for the kind thought but please don't get the flask. I only lagi headache one.
When I say, I travel light, I really mean I travel damn LIGHT one.
KoreanHouseWife: Thanks for the kind thought but please don't get the flask. I only lagi headache one.
When I say, I travel light, I really mean I travel damn LIGHT one.
26. winter left...
my complexion is so far so good *touch wood*
cos i got drink more than enough water :P
Monday, 1 May 2006 9:47 pm
haha my complexion is so far so good *touch wood*
cos i got drink more than enough water :P
27. aloe left...
usually travel with half full luggage.... cos arh... things I buy can stuff into luggage, no need to hand carry, which is GOOD! haa!!
Just remember to bring mineral water with u next time loh. Can throw away the the bottle when u finished too.
Too bad that airlines usually provide water in a cup hor. If it's in a bottle, then can keep liao.
Tuesday, 2 May 2006 9:18 am
i think i would have walked to the convenience store.... I like... Otherwise, if I'm feeling lazy I would go for going without or buy from vending machine bah. usually travel with half full luggage.... cos arh... things I buy can stuff into luggage, no need to hand carry, which is GOOD! haa!!
Just remember to bring mineral water with u next time loh. Can throw away the the bottle when u finished too.
Too bad that airlines usually provide water in a cup hor. If it's in a bottle, then can keep liao.
28. JayWalk left...
Anna: Airlines do serve water in a bottle as well.
I make a point to insist on that as the on-board filtration system for drinking water can be quite disgusting.
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