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#FindingFukuoka: Making the last day count

by Catherine Toth on April 19, 2012 in Adventures, Food

On my third and final full day in Fukuoka, I just wanted to wander around the area.

There are so many things to do in this place, I’m sure it would amaze you. From visiting shrines and castles to shopping at some of liveliest malls, there’s no way you can get bored here — and there are always reasons to come back.

Melissa and I met up with her running friends from Honolulu — this meant we’d be doing a lot of walking! — to tour around the city. So she had planned for us to head to Fukuoka Tower, shop at Canal City Hakata, and, of course, eat ramen.

Whatever happened in the meantime, well, happened.

And it did.

Here’s what our third — and my last — day in Fukuoka looked like:

Walking the streets of Fukuoka

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It was our first day to really explore the city on our own, and Melissa had planned out an entire day of activities. So we headed out early — we caught the morning commute crowd — to see the sights.

I’m heading to Kyoto and Tokyo for a few days, then I’m off to Chigaski to be part of a Hawaii festival there. Stay tuned for more of my adventures in Japan!

For more of my adventures, follow me on Twitter @thedailydish.

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Cat Chat: Via Gelato is here!

by Catherine Toth on April 16, 2012 in Food, Videos

Gelato.

Say it and I’ll come running.

So when I found out Melissa Bow, a Punahou alum and former physical therapist who recently moved back home, was making handcrafted gelato using local ingredients like mango, ginger and lilikoi, I could barely stop myself from barging into her home to sample it.

No, seriously.

I shot this video months ago — before Via Gelato Hawaii was officially up and running.

Now, Bow serves up her tasty treats Monday through Friday around downtown (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and near Punahou (2 to 5 p.m.), then on Saturday nights at Sports Authority on Ward Avenue.

Here’s a little preview:

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Stealing lunches and other cubicle crimes

by Catherine Toth on March 18, 2012 in Musings, The Daily Dish

Just about every office I’ve worked in — from a florist to newsroom — I’ve experienced the worst workplace crimes.

People stealing lunches, coworkers screaming at each other, bosses bullying workers, interns coming to work hungover or, worse, still dressed like they rolled into work directly from the club. Racist remarks, text messaging during meetings, not cleaning the microwave — oh, it’s crazy.

According to business experts and civility leaders, today’s workplace has become increasingly more casual, with people being rude, disrespectful and downright mean. According to “The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What To Do About It,” the problem of incivility in the workplace has been compounded by our increasing tolerance of nasty behavior as a culture. I mean, just watch “The Real Housewives of Orange County” and you get an idea of what kinds of bad behaviors we’re actually tolerating.

But all this is contributing to a less productive and more hostile work environment — which likely contributes to a general dissatisfaction with our jobs.

So what happened? How did we get to this point?

I found an article online where readers submitted the less-than-civil behaviors they’ve experienced in the workplace. Here are some examples:

“Clipping your nails at your desk.”

“I had a co-worker who would report on the previous evening’s bowel movement.”

“I used to work with a guy who would floss his teeth at his desk. Even worse, he’d leave the pieces of floss lying around.”

“The person who microwaves a bag of popcorn at 3 p.m. every afternoon and has to walk down the long hallway to their cubicle whilst the smell of edible oil product attaches itself to the worn fabric dividers…”

What’s your take on civility in the workplace? And what are some annoying behaviors you’ve dealt with?

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Cat Chat: Cheap Eats

by Catherine Toth on March 15, 2012 in Food, Videos

Well, it’s official.

I’m the new co-host of “Cheap Eats,” which airs every Wednesday on KFVE the Home Team.

We taped our first segment awhile back, featuring Sweet E’s Cafe in Kilohana Square. (Read my review here.) The episode aired yesterday on KFVE.

It’s one of my favorite spots to eat breakfast — particularly the corned beef hash eggs Benedict and stuffed French toast — and it was an easy suggestion to co-host Guy Hagi (@GuyHagi), who loves to try new breakfast spots with his (awesome) wife, Kim Gennaula, and their kids.

I decided to take a quick video of my first “Cheap Eats” shoot, a little behind-the-scenes peek.

I think I’m going to have to start running…

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I kinda like my last name, thanks

by Catherine Toth on March 13, 2012 in Musings, The Daily Dish

I never put much thought into changing my name after marriage.

In fact, it never really occurred to me that it would be an option. I always thought I’d keep my last name because, well, it was my name. I grew up with it. It would take a lot effort to get used to another name.

But my fiance recently asked me if I had planned to take his last name.

Hmm. Trick question?

While it’s no longer socially rebellious to keep your name, some brides do feel a bit of pressure to take the name of their soon-to-be husbands. It’s tradition, it’s easier, it won’t spark a conversation with your kids later when they ask why Mommy and Daddy have different last names.

To me, the name change is so complicated, especially at my age. You have to change your surname on everything from your social security card to insurance policies. Some require a copy of your marriage certificate; others just a phone call. Still, all of it takes some effort.

But beyond that, it’s about identity, too.

A lot of my friends who are professionals — dentists, journalists, doctors, lawyers, business owners — don’t want to change their names because they’ve built a public or professional identity. Changing that means changing who you are — and some women don’t think we need to conform to arbitrary social standards anymore.

Which brings me to, well, me.

What do I do?

I’m not interesting in hyphenating our names or, worse, combining our last names to create a brand-new one. But I’m also not sure if I want to give up my surname — my identity — just because I’m getting married. Shouldn’t the commitment — and it’s a legal one! — be enough?

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