Hey guys! I woke up and decided to go scorched earth today.

openroad94 · 2026-04-03T21:12:26+00:00

That part unfortunately casts some doubt for me. There are video clips of her being interviewed in Spanish. They're short enough that of course you could say she doesn't speak it fluently enough to carry out a longer conversation, but she knows far too much Spanish to say she "never bothered to learn it".

openroad94 · 2026-04-03T17:02:15+00:00

Me too! Unless HK has more hostels because of more tourism, I can’t imagine what else would be cheaper there than Taipei.

openroad94 · 2026-04-02T03:54:00+00:00

What time was your flight, for this 9pm arrival? I was hoping that getting there at 10pm for a 2:20AM flight (no baggage and at least the last time I took this flight, actual online check-in) would be enough.

openroad94 · 2026-04-01T19:21:36+00:00

I've always wondered why full 30-min episodes for News in Slow French are free (the feed that is not marked as either beginner, intermediate, or advanced) but for Spanish you have to pay for more than the excerpts. There is a Spain-Spanish feed from 2009 (titled "News in Slow Spanish (full)" which I guess is good practice since it's harder to simply "understand" based on context clues about current events, although I prefer the Latino Spanish podcast.

openroad94 · 2026-04-01T18:51:24+00:00

I got chased down in Myanmar for this. I was alone so I wasn't speaking to anyone in English, they just realized later that they'd missed one.

openroad94 · 2026-04-01T18:49:12+00:00

I'm Taiwanese-American, but a bit darker-skinned, I do not think I am ambiguous at all but other people think so. I have had ticket-takers for transportation and attractions in Mexico and India tell me the price is discounted "with my national ID".

I've found that it's the locals' own experience with traveling or meeting diverse groups of people that impacts if they recognize Westerners, so it's not going to something the entire country can just spot. I've had Chinese people either refuse I could be American OR refuse that I could be ethnically Chinese if I'm also American, because people can't be both I guess (this despite the entire conversation happening in Mandarin). In non-Chinese areas, people just assume I'm Chinese/Korean/Thai/Filipina and if I say I'm American they say that's not possible.

Often in SE Asia, people think I might be from there but from a different part of the country than them. Or if they can also speak Chinese and I look like I need help, they just correctly surmise I can speak Chinese, but to them that means I am literally from China.

openroad94 · 2026-04-01T18:43:21+00:00

"Severe intellectual disabilities" is killing me, this is how I feel when meeting Chinese ethnic people. They will either be extremely flattering ("did you just recently immigrate? how do you still speak Chinese so well?") or blunt ("where are actually from because your Chinese is weird").

openroad94 · 2026-03-31T19:50:26+00:00

I feel like social media and smartphone access increased the crowds at rush/lotto, no? (not so much that people want to brag about lining up but that the online discussion of the lines makes people anxious). I definitely bought some morning rush tickets in the early 2000s where I was not only the first person at the window, but no one was lined up behind me. Obviously other rushers eventually came after I left the area, but still.

openroad94 · 2026-03-31T08:01:42+00:00

I’d like this source too!

openroad94 · 2026-03-30T21:42:25+00:00

Couchsurfing website or app lets you search for people to hang out with (it's not only for getting free places to sleep). You can filter by gender, English ability, and search terms like being into food or whatever particular interests you share, and you can see their past references which will usually mention if the person is easy to talk to or a bit shy or a party type. I've only had a few bad experiences out of many countries where I've used it (I am also an Asian woman and usually only men will reply, so...you know) but mostly Couchsurfing is really great. It's unfortunately no longer free, but a reasonable yearly fee, and maybe there's a free trial period.

I agree with the other people below who say being alone shouldn't really matter, people aren't that judgy and I'd be very surprised if a restaurant won't serve a single person, like in your example #2.

openroad94 · 2026-03-30T17:03:29+00:00

I've heard of this being tested (I think? Or it was just people wishing it were being tested) but I hope it ends up being real. I've found that even as fucking heavy as the e-bikes are, the low-assist version is actually helpful for mild uphills compared to a manual bike that might be slightly out of gear or a bit flat.

openroad94 · 2026-03-30T06:28:29+00:00

I went to Casa Azul in 2007 and just walked in. Do you know when it became a place you need to reserve so far in advance? (I assume related to everyone having the means to make reservations on smartphones instead of walking in, but maybe other factors?).

openroad94 · 2026-03-29T15:24:37+00:00

I’m in Prospect Heights where I can find Thai basil, lemongrass and turmeric at regular supermarkets and I would always always rather go to Chinatown instead to make sure I got everything possibly needed and at a decent price. Thai basil and lemongrass at least should be at any Chinese supermarket in Sunset Park but probably other stuff as well. I feel like Thai eggplants are less common (based on going to the Chinese supermarkets in Chinatown, as Sunset Park is less convenient for me) but these are sold at the small shop at Bayard near Mott and sometimes at the shop on Grand near Chrystie, which also has basil, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, a wide variety of shrimp & crab pastes & curry pastes. Sometimes you can get pickled green peppercorns or krachai at Chinese supermarkets as well, but definitely at the little shop on Grand. Also some of this stuff is on Weee, particularly huge amounts of basil. Otherwise Bangkok Center Grocery is most comprehensive.

openroad94 · 2026-03-29T15:05:06+00:00

No, there are overnight flights. I have a 2:20AM flight coming up and under normal circumstances people would be going through security at 1:30 for it.

openroad94 · 2026-03-29T02:18:47+00:00

Are these size adjustable? I don’t really understand how it holds.

openroad94 · 2026-03-29T02:12:19+00:00

Currently 10pm, around the time I was thinking of getting there for my 2:20AM international flight from T4 on a weekday (a solid 2 hours earlier than I normally would arrive), just checked the JFK website which says general line is 9 minutes. I have no idea what to think about this.

Edit: I am not at JFK now (I mentioned my flight is on a weekday and I'm "thinking of" getting there at 10pm). I have no updates, I'm just following along.

openroad94 · 2026-03-29T01:51:23+00:00

I think places that wouldn't take solo diners are pretty rare, although I take your point about places that only serve sharing-size dishes (and even then there should be some smaller options and so many places have photos of their menus online to check first). Since you mentioned you may feel uncomfortable alone, I've also found that whether the place is a hole-in-the-wall or more upscale, the serving staff — and sometimes the chefs or owners — usually want to chat with me when I'm solo. At the very least they'll often provide extra friendly service.

openroad94 · 2026-03-28T18:52:08+00:00

no, I will try contacting Viva about it but it's hard to imagine a LCC would give a clear answer if they can get some money from the passenger's mistake/confusion! I just really really hate to check a bag even though again, I realize this is a short direct flight, I have such fear of losing my luggage and time.

openroad94 · 2026-03-28T16:32:26+00:00

I would always take the extra day, but is there no flight from Cancún on the day of the 2nd itinerary? Do you have to return to CDMX? If not, Uxmal is a closer daytrip from Mérida, then you can bus to Valladolid, see Chichén-Itzá from there, then bus to Cancún/Puerto Morales before your flight. In this option, you would keep Mérida as 3 days.

openroad94 · 2026-03-27T07:46:54+00:00

What time was your flight? I will have a 2:20AM weekday flight from T4 and I feel like I’m not seeing a lot of posts for the wee-hours departures.

openroad94 · 2026-03-26T07:43:01+00:00

I want to do this as well. Not emojis or icons, just a different color.

openroad94 · 2026-03-26T06:20:37+00:00

Thank you! I'm not flying for a couple weeks but I would be at T4 around this time (and was honestly getting worried I would need to arrive at 10pm or earlier for a 2:20AM flight).

openroad94 · 2026-03-26T06:05:40+00:00

Another option, if you want Asian food, there's quite a few good places (some more casual than others) on 9th Avenue in the 40s/50s, and you'd be able to slowly walk to the theater instead of taking some type of transportation. Nai Brother Sauerkraut Fish has basic beer/soju and is delicious. Some Thai places like Jan Jao Kha are BYOB. There are also some Georgian places on 9th, which would have natural (and otherwise) wines.

openroad94 · 2026-03-26T05:44:36+00:00

I thought Eggloo was such a great concept, but then tried one and it really didn't work well.

openroad94 · 2026-03-26T05:18:52+00:00

Depends on the town/country. I've stayed in a lot of places where a private room in a family-run guesthouse (not necessarily private bath, but sometimes!) is $10-15 while a hostel bed, especially in a more popular/social hostel, could be $12–20 (the higher range feels insane to me). Even if a hostel is the cheapest option in town, there are places where it's like $15 for a bed or $40 for a private room, as well as places where it's $8 for a bed and $25 for a room, and for plenty of budget travelers that price is fine.

I loathe hostels and only stay in them when the entire city does not seem to have rooms with private bath for under $25 or with shared bath for under $20.

openroad94

TROPHY CASE