October Photo of the Month

October's Golden ride seemed fated at the beginning with too much fog to see the bridge, but by the time we took the ferry and I rode back, this was my view while riding along Chrissy Field--so beautiful!

Satellite Heart...

Blame it on my interview with the vampire last year, or my pop-culture-lovin-teeny-bopper-trend-lovin' heart, but I'm a sucker (no pun intended) for all things Twilight. So much so, that I often wonder about who's maintaining my former Twilight wall at work, and I am contemplating the midnight showing of New Moon (although I won't stoop the the level of dressing up)...

Since I was spoiled with music freebies in my former life, I've been having withdrawls and couldn't resist a little splurge on the new "Twilight" soundtrack for NEW MOON and I'm glad I did because it is GREAT! Seriously, I enjoyed the first [free-to-me] soundtrack and this one is even better. A great Indie mix, worth checking out. My favorite song at the moment is "Satellite Heart"--watch out, you might get sucked in too :)

ROCK-tober

Although I was sad to see September go, I am enthusiastic for the new month. Here are my personal top 10 reasons why I'm already loving OCTOBER...

1. HALLOWEEN!!!!! If I could dress up in costumes and have a legit excuse to eat candy everyday, you know I would--this time comes but once a year, and I embrace it! Plus I have a great idea for a costume--stay tuned ;)

2. SF Weather: I walked down to the beach today, watched the sailboats, and was soaking up some warm sunny rays while a local musician strummed his guitar and sang "This One Goes Out to the One I Love"--enough said!

3. Jackets & Fall Fashion: Even if I can't buy it all, I love the magazines full of new styles, gorgeous fall colors, and accessories!

4. Pumpkin-Flavored Everything: Cafe's & coffee joints have amazing seasonal muffins, gelato & ice cream shops have creamy pumpkin deliciousness, and do I need to mention the amazing pumpkin spice latte (coffee-free of course :)? SooOOOooo good!

5. Fleet Week: It's coming Oct 8th-13th and I've never lived in the city for it, so I'm excited to see all the men in uniform, Blue Angels, etc!

6. FREE Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival @ GG Park: I have heard great things about this and am just excited to walk around and see what new music I can discover at the park!

7. Fall Colors in Nature: Some say we don't get this in California, but in NorCal we really do see the leaves change (and I love it!)

8. LDS General Conference: I used to dread this as a child, but now I find myself really looking forward to hearing the speakers and their timely, thoughtful messages--especially since technology makes it easy to access and watch "on demand" if you happen to doze off or have other commitments :)

9. Concerts--There are several fairly inexpensive gigs I want to see, including Ingrid Michaelson, Joshua Radin, and a bunch of bands at the Shoreline's Bridgeschool benefit--fingers crossed my great concert karma continues this month...

10. New opportunities and the potential of things unknown...bring it on October, I'm ready to rock!

When September Ends...

Siiiiiigh....is it really almost October?

I know, I know--with all my "down time" I have been lame-o about blogging. But here are a few updates from September via pictures (worth a thousand of my omitted words anyway, right?)

Freebies:

This month I hit up the free day at the DeYoung AND SF Conservatory of flowers (not to be confused with the Taj Mahal) with my new roomie KL on a sunny afternoon.

My favorite Art at the DeYoung this time included a mini-cathedral made of guns and bullets:

And a glass raindrop installation with some fabulous shadows...

Always a pleasure, especially when it's free. Too bad King Tut was still a whopping $25 to get in (I opted out on that one--yes it's famous, but let's be honest, Egyptian art--although cool with mummies and such--is not my absolute favorite...)

Golden Gate park on the other hand, is a huge favorite of mine--it was gorgeous to view from the DeYoung tower and then walk through as we made our way into the Conservatory of Flowers: a stunning white Victorian-era building that I have always admired but never gone in before. This very vintage greenhouse was fairly small but very interesting inside, with quite a climate change as well. Walking through the doors, you're hit by the humid and warm air that helps all the tropical plants, orchids, and exotic edibles thrive and grow.

Much like my snap-happy ways in Monet's garden, Giverny, I couldn't resist taking some artsy photos of the foliage...

And other greenery...

But I digress, this was only the highlight of my first week in September--there is so much more to cover--including Labor Day Weekend @ Camp Ritchie (for the second year in a row)

Camp Ritchie highlights included the chill + fun group of friends (new and old) that we enjoyed swimming, serving, singing, snoozing, etc. with at camp--but the most exciting part of the trip was my first experience sailing! Feel free to just call me by my new sailor name: Spinnaker Steph...Arg!

The weekend after camp, I enjoyed another Bay Area first thanks to Enrichment (I love my calling!): A Saturday Olive Oil Tasting Trip to SONOMA!

The vineyards and classy villa-esque winery had many tasty olive oils to sample...

And after tasting to our hearts content, we enjoyed our own gourmet lunch and a bit of window shopping

And speaking of gourmet, I had the honor of attending my fabulous friend AP's "The Office" Season Premiere party that joined several things I love...

The show itself (oh Michael, your rumor-telling was hilarity in a bottle!):

Some of the best food I've EVER had (seriously, this girl cooked Moroccan food that was quite possibly better than that made by its native people). Mmmm, that lamb tajine was to die for--not to mention the cinnamon and chicken torte--yowza!

Oh, and did I mention my favorite part of all this authenticity...Why yes, that does look like a stapler encased in green jello:

But if you want to talk about something silly or better yet, strange, enjoy another "SF first" with me from this month--that is, my picnic in Dolores Park (for the first time--can't believe it's taken me so long to get to this people-watching mecca). While there was quite the variety of people at the park on this warm, sunny day, one fellow (who is sadly, not pictured here) decided to perch right by Stem and I. As we chatted and ate our picnic lunch, he proceeded to take of his shoes and socks, clean between his toes, and even join in our conversation after walking gracefully up and down the sidewalk in his bare feet. Gotta love SF and its one-of-a-kind characters...

And since I'd heard no trip to Dolores was complete without a bit of BiRite's Homemade Ice Cream, I decided not to miss out and got snickerdoodle plus salted carmel flavored ice cream--yum!

But wait, this day only got better--with a stop by Baker Beach in the Presidio where we saw a pod of dolphins just off the shore and then, went to a free "members only" event thanks to CM, at the Exploritorium. As you can see, we quite enjoyed ourselves...

The soon-to-be-closing REFLECTIONS exhibit was definitely worth seeing...

Plus, where else can you and your friends literally become works of art (via a very cool camera) ?

Now, now--don't start getting bored on me or sing my post title's Green Day song--September was a full month and these are the positive highlights that I feel like sharing--not the least of which is my second (and best) experience at SF Opera at AT&T park to see Il Trovatore! Here's a clip of one the opera's best-known chorus numbers...

Very high brow, eh? Besides the fact that we were sitting on the baseball field with garlic fries readily available :-) Thus, to mix up the classiness of Opera, the following weekend it was time to get down and dirty at our ward campout in the "wilderness"--just 45 minutes from the city near Half Moon Bay.

EF and I brought up our guitars to play and sing a number for the devotional which went well, but I think the highlight of the campout--for most everyone--was definitely the rope swing, wheeeee:

And now, last but definitely not least, I want to share a few photos from my better-late-than-never September bike ride across the Golden Gate!

Believe it or not, I've been waiting for the fog finger to take a break all month so I could actually snap some photos of the bridge.

There was definitely a powerful wind today (though not so strong that the Nat'l Weather Service should be issuing a tsunami warning--what?) but it was sunny and crystal clear on the bridge--perfect for my pictures :)

And that, my friends, is finally a full-fledged update on my life this September in San Fran...

Continuing Mileage...

Looks like all that Twilight interview footage I did for Common Sense Media is continuing to get mileage--check out their latest video and see if you can spot me... :)

Updates...

Dear Blog followers,
Having just seen the movie "Julie & Julia" my guilt has welled up with my neglect of you. I have had so many fun things to write about, pictures to share, summer adventures to tell but I have somehow not had the motivation to blog them for the 3 people that read this ol' thing. Sorry about that. My Twitter feed might help fill in some of the gaps, but July was a great month and August is starting off quite decently. I promise to update soon...
much love,
Stefers511

Never Have I Ever...

Well, well, I guess I got your attention with that headline (or the fact that I'm actually writing something!) Sorry for the hiatus. August was an interesting while eventful month but I'm starting to feel the effects of my fickle and ungrounded schedule of late. If I needed a theme for the past few weeks, I would have to choose something like "a month of firsts" hence the Never Have I Ever reference (don't worry though, no scandals here--that game always makes me think of my China pals anyhow).

Never Have I Ever...Run down a mountain with a pack of horses at my heels!

I started off the month right, with a lovely backpacking trip on Chiquito Pass through Ansel Adams wilderness (see my "Ansel" tree, pictured above), crossing from Sierra National Forest into Yosemite where we camped along the Merced River. Backpacking is, of course, nothing new in my life--it's an old love that I'm grateful I had plenty of time to do this year. But it was nice to go with just my parents and little bro, Danners, especially since it was his last summer at home before college. I imparted of my sisterly college wisdom in our shared backpacking tent and we enjoyed some random wilderness craziness--including my "never have I ever moment."

It happened on an ambitious day hike up, Up, and UP to Chain Lake. We'd started the hike a bit late in the afternoon, so we kept a quick pace going to the lake, stopped for a late lunch and some photos and then just as we were starting our way down the downward-inclined trail, we spotted them: a team of horses. I'd seen their stinky evidence on the trails and had no doubt they'd just hauled some lazy non-hikers up the mountain, but knowing the dusty trail ahead, as the team driver and I locked eyes on the trail with the small lead we had, I knew he wasn't going to slow down. Thus, it was our instant group decision to pick up the pace and (basically) RUN down the mountain as the pack of (non-wild) horses followed, their owner coaxing them enthusiastically down the trail right on our heels!

Call it pride, a lack of water causing temporary insanity, or just a very strong aversion to dust in the face, we kept our quick pace the whole way down, frequently glancing behind us to gage the proximity of our challengers. I'm sure the forest creatures enjoyed the comedy hour of us literally running down the trail but it was definitely a first for all of us (though my runner brother probably loved it). Overall, we had a great trip but that is definitely a story I'll remember from our family adventure.

Celebrating (a lot of) Independence

The past week and a half or so had me on a summer freedom high that culminated over the 4th of July weekend and made me grateful for our awesome country's independence as well as my personal "independence" from many things (like a work schedule) at the moment...
I spent the last weekend of June on a great trip to a cabin in South Lake Tahoe--hot sunshine, fresh air, hiking (13 miles!), snow-melting spring scenery, new friends, and refreshing lakes made it feel like a genuine summer get-away! Aaah, wilderness...
Then, on Monday back in SF, instead of dragging my exhausted and sunburned self to work, I was able to sleep in, clean up all my gear, catch up on projects (like photos, job apps, bills, mail, and a crazy Enrichment schedule I'm now in charge of!) and squeeze in my June bike ride across the Golden Gate--awesome!
Did I mention I had time to play rec-ball with friends in the evening, too? Being job-less actually eliminated the often present post-trip stress!
Tuesday was even better with a morning birthday breakfast at Mama's in North Beach (I had the Monte Christo, pictured above--worth the wait!) for my friend Stacey who took the day off followed by a day-trip hike with her and a couple more friends to Pt Reyes park on the Palomarin trail sprinkled with bright wildflowers and berries on the way to Alamere Falls.
But wait, there was more to follow in the evening--Taco Tuesday's at Nick's ($2 tacos=young and hot happy hour!) so, post-hike, I jumped over to that and enjoyed the mingling and Mexican food before being able to be a model daughter and pick up my mom from the airport!

Since there was no real need to rush back to the foggy city, so I stayed in the East Bay on Tuesday night and got sucked in for a couple days at home with the fam for warm weather and sun while looking for jobs and taking some downtime in the pool, cabana, and bird-filled backyard not to mention hanging out with Archie, my pup! Finishing my East Bay escape with a bday party in Danville, I returned to the city refreshed Thursday night and ready for holiday weekend fun.
Having picked up some plants and garden supplies for my house while out in the 'burbs, I started a leisurely Friday at home envisioning a patio garden design, then met up with my neighbor and ol' co-worker for a bargain matinée chick flick (The Proposal--a lot more funny and likable than you'd think!). Later, after having time to cook up a new recipe for tasty turkey burgers, I was able to catch up with some friends for a bit at my house, before heading over to Oakland for a free patriotic music concert on Temple Hill (great tribute to American Freedom to celebrate and pay respect to our national holiday!) then Fenton's (who doesn't love the cookie sundae?) then visiting Ireland's 32 pub back in San Francisco, where we not only watched a live "Irish Rock" band and some hobbit-esqe boys dancing in their bare feet, but we toe-tapped out a few jovial jigs as well! So entertaining and fun!
By the time I got to the actual 4th of July Saturday, I was feeling like quite the social butterfly. Especially once we piled into a car and headed down to Santa Cruz for the evening (with what turned into a 3-hour drive thanks to the parking lot that was Highway 17--argh!) Once we got to Santa Cruz, we hit up the beach at the Boardwalk which was sunny and crowded, but the smell of hot dogs, popcorn, and cotton candy was about as American as you can get.
Not wanting to brave another stint in the car, a few friends came down to meet me and Emmy and then proceeded to peer-pressure us into riding the freaky "Fire Ball" ride and classic wooden roller coaster, "The Giant Dipper"--both turned out to be pretty fun and I must admit, it was kinda crazy to watch fireworks being set off in the night sky as I flew upside down on the rides! Plenty of illegal fireworks were set off while we watched from the beach and then drove back to the city after a great night of freedom day fun!
Here's to celebrating America's independence (and right to party) since 1776!

Flyin High

Cellphone bill for service this month: $70 bucks (too many txts, oops!)
Drive Across the Bay Bridge: $4
4-seat flyer plane 553Tengo Papa at Oakland Airport: Free to me...
Getting a call from LaRue to fly over the bay, up above the fog, and over to Santa Rosa's Charles Schultz airport (ala snoopy) and back with 2 awesome chicas, making my little plane dream come true: PRICELESS!!!!!

The Rainy Day You Hope Never Comes

I got laid off from a job I loved. There was no warning, I was completely surprised and...I'm surviving. Sure, it's been hard for me to share the news. I feel that I've disappointed people and myself somehow. Did I enjoy crying in front of co-workers as I said goodbye? No, not really. Did I like having to file for unemployment? Not at all. You can be sure, there are a lot of negatives. Especially for someone who a little over a year ago, spent almost 8 months looking for this job, but I wouldn't be writing this blog if I didn't have some good news, or at least something constructive to add to the conversation. No, I haven't found a new perfect job yet. I've been applying for some contract jobs but it's definitely a tough market. But I wanted to write this because I realize I am not the only one out there who is facing this now. Not by a long shot. And no matter how much I search for a reason--something that I did wrong, or how I could have avoided this, the fact of the matter is--I couldn't. As with many painfully harsh things in life, this was about the money and the bottom line. So, here's what I'm learning and how I'm coping:

-You've still got to schedule and compartmentalize life a bit--give yourself the freedom to have fun and get out of the house while job-hunting to take advantage of great opportunities, people, and resources within and around you.
-Flex your network. It sucks to tell people you lost your job, but they can't tell you about jobs they know of if you don't and many people like to help where they can. Also, what better time than now, for those professional enhancement projects, eh?
-Life is not all about work (OK, I knew this already, yes) but beyond that, life while unemployed is not only about looking for a job either. Yes, you have to put in a lot of time looking and be conscious of money, but you also need to make time for fun and personal enrichment, just like you do when you're working--it's a delicate balance, but why not take advantage of YOUR time since that's what you have?
-Talk it out. Lots of others are in the same situation of job-hunting or dealing with a lay-off, so while you do need to move-forward, stay motivated and talk to people about your search to learn how to cope.
-Get out-of-doors: Isn't that everyone's biggest wish when they are stuck in a cubical all day? Sunshine, fresh air, and greenery uplift the soul and help you keep perspective

More suggestions are welcome of course--as well as any job leads, and while keeping focused and positive isn't always easy for me personally, I do know that things will work out for the best eventually--they always do! I just need to remember that this life is an adventure in learning and that's why I love it...

26 reasons my 26th ROCKED!

Reason #1--I took the day off Friday for some pre-bday weekend fun and got my back "adjusted" and worked on at the chiropractor's (not my favorite thing since it hurts a lot, but it feels better in the end and thus the weekend was NOT plagued by spastic muscles!)

Reason #2--I also got to spend some quality time with my mom as I treated her to lovely lunch and a pedicure for Mother's day (a bonus with this is that I enjoyed these myself--yay pampering)

Reason #3--Friday night fun continued at the FOX with my "family favorites" + KEANE playing the show!
This was a bday gift for Danners, a going-away gift for Stem, a sibling substitution for Jodee, and definitely a rockin bday gift for myself! Such an amazing night for us all with the a soul-rockin British boys whose music is so inspiring and full of feeling and musicality that I just can't get enough! If you can believe it, Tom Chaplin sounds even better live than he does on the albums! My favorite moments of the night would have to include the shout-out to San Francisco (see my posted clip below) and "Sunshine" where the lighting crew worked wonders coordinating golden lights to the incandescent lyrics!

Reason #4--What else? How about sharing Dan's first experience with Fenton's (fabulous!) Creamery sundaes after the concert--yummers!
Reason #5--On Saturday, I also happened to take a long and lovely bike ride on the Iron Horse Trail from Walnut Creek to Danville/San Ramon with the parentals :) We may have biked 15 miles and while it was hot, we definitely got a good workout and enjoyed the journey. One minor hitch (which in some ways was lucky since I was tired) is that my bike got a flat tire and Em had to come rescue me + my bike at the Walnut Creek Safeway--oh well!

Reason #6--Since it was Em's last weekend before her Study Abroad to Vienna (sniff sniff), Jode and I threw a "Vienna Sausage Party" for Em with friends in the Cabana. We roasted hot-dogs and even a few of the Vienna sausages, plus I made everyone play a far-too-difficult Austrian trivia game! Hilarious.Reason #7--Going Away Ice Cream Cake with Austrian Flag for Em=Awesome--'nuff said!

Reason #8--Super sweet surprise gourmet cake from Jode (it tasted divine--like rich, chocolately, tiramisu inside! To die for!)

Reason #9--An even crazier bday surprise: the CR-ASIAN Pinata Girl that appeared at the party thanks to Em and Jode. It was QUITE a hit (literally) since most of us hadn't whopped one of these since elementary school.
Reason #10--And of course, the only thing more crazy and fun then beating the pinata is...watching your friends dress up in the pieces of the pinata (oh Sarini-Pepper!)
Reason #11--Cuddling with Archibald Malvolio Baldeagie Rumpledearkins--when does this not make my day?! Boy, do I miss seeing my doggie daily :(
Reason #12--la bella butterfly cake Mom decorated for me--complete with sparkles! Oh yeah, more cake :)
Reason #13--Fabulous gifts from my family including a massage gift certificate, $cash money$, a You Being Beautiful Book, a begonia plant for my porch, eco-friendly reusable grocery bags (so stylin), free Sephora bday gifts (x2), and a lovely little Juicy perfume!

Reason #14-Getting home after a crazy fun weekend only to find that my tax return had arrived in the mail, plus dividends from one of my investments--woot!

Reason #15--Monday AM (my actual bday): Arriving at the office to a bouquet of bright yellow sunflowers, roses, and more. It was so sweet and the bouquet brightened my desk all week and then home all weekend!
Reason #16--Bday treats from my boss: an almond and raspberry torte from a fabulous bakery in the Mission (thanks Liz!) plus cupcake fun at my check-in with the managers (wow sugar!)

Reason #17--Getting Birthday cards in the mail from thoughtful friends and family and then taking my nerdiness to a whole new level by taking all my cards into work and displaying them throughout my cubicle so I could see them all week--that's right, this is how I roll!

Reason #18--Sweet messages (and calls) from friends and loved ones all week (even ones I haven't heard from in a while!) I feel so loved and grateful for the wonderful people I am lucky to have in my life, whether near or far!

Reason #19--A delicious Thai dinner with Soni downtown, plus a beautiful "peas and carrots" bracelet and amethyst rock from Banff
Reason #20--"Scoops for Steph" Ghirardelli Square ice creme festa! Tons of happy friends showed up from all my favorite places, we enjoyed tasty ice cream, a lovely location, a very "San Francisco" setting, and the best part was that there was no major planning or clean-up involved on my part so it was easy as well as fun--so happy!
Reason #21--More pretty presents: Jode gave me an awesome patent leather nude billfold that's compact and perfect for going out, plus a B&N gift card for my next book club pick! :)

Reason #22--Just the overall awesome-ness of my birthday--I can't remember when I had such a fun-filled, great birthday! It was seriously wonderful and again, feel so lucky and happy with how the celebrations went. I thought about what a birthday is really meant to celebrate and it's the fact that you are alive and a part of someone's life and I really like that notion--that we celebrate the chance we have to share our lives with each other and find joy in someone's existence on the earth!

Reason #23--When you get older, the bday celebrations go for longer! Instead of one day, you get multiple celebrations (as I've been noting above :) What's not to love there? (Although this was definitely not a week to start any sort of healthful-eating--oy!)

Reason #24--Lucking out with AH-MAZING San Francisco sunshine on our joint "Taurus" birthday picnic at Golden Gate park. We scouted out the same lucky spot by Stow Lake and basked in the sunshine on blankets eating, drinking, and enjoying the day and great company of lasting friends! It was a perfect day for it!
Reason #25--Me (sans GPS) driving to and from the Golden Gate Park picnic without making one wrong turn or getting lost, and having the satisfaction of feeling like I actually knew where I was driving in the city! (seriously, this is a big deal for me, it kinda made a "great day" move up to "awesome day" status!)
Reason #26--People always put so much hype on "25" but I really think 26 where the awesomeness is at--the number itself is special. Did you know that 26 is the only number between a square number and a cube number? Which means, it's one of a kind and pretty darn cool. Yup, 26, I'm happy to be here.

April, in the Elements!

Oh, the elements of nature--spring is in full bloom in the Presidio, and I've been doing my part to get out and enjoy it while I can...

I started this Sat with beach clean up at Ocean Beach--sunny but cool outside. Who knew there was so much GLASS lurking in the sand?! And that you weren't allowed to officially volunteer if you wore flip-flops to the beach (strange, but not so much so when you read my former glass comment). Anyhow, fun times, I got a pin, and still helped clean the beach!

Then it was on to my afternoon gust=tastic :) trip across the Golden Gate. Laura F was brave enough to rise the challenge with me, but when I say "windy" I mean, blow-you-off-your-bike, pedaling-hard-but-you-don't-move, GUSTY winds! We stopped for some picts (see below) at one of the bridge arches and there was a crazy wind tunnel created by the physics of the bridge. People would literally come around the corner and be knocked back, almost blown off thier bikes (must admit, it was kinda funny to watch--but we were good citizens and warned some people :)

This pict looks windy, but doesn't do justice to the gust--it was so intense!

Laura (above) and I could both lean at almost a 45 degree angle and be held up by the wind alone!

So, horray for my biking "goal" that pushed us to bike in conditions I probably wouldn't have braved under different circumstances. It was hard, crazy, and cold, but OH SO EXHILIRATING to feel the power of the elements on SF's greatest icon!

Babies!

I went to Utah for an overdue visit and a bit of General Conference and had such a blast. Though it was quite the quick trip, I'm so glad I was able to visit a bunch of family and friends, plus a few "new additions"--their adorable babies!
Catching up and seeing Dave & Lis's blue-eyed little Caleb was so great (oh how I miss these friends from our China days!)

And vivacious Amber & Mike's little blond haired-blue-eyed charmer, Aiden was such a doll:

I also managed to make it back to my Alma Mater for a quick lunch with my cousin Genny and a fudgelicious trip to the bookstore. Good ol' BYU (it's been 3 years already-yikes!) So crazy to think about how much I've changed, learned, grown, etc since that time of my life. And then there are always those feelings of nostalgia--tunnel singing, dorm visiting hours, pranks, all-night laughs, my spot in the library, the beautiful MOA, all-sports games, L& T, the Dollar, trips to Park City...how the list goes on :) Many good memories and people at BYU, but so much learned in life since then. Still a cougar at heart though, it seems (as evidenced in the pict below):A very fun trip to Utah overall I'd say. Thanks much to my dearest grandma and grandpa for letting me stay with them. As is tradition, grandma delivered her always perfect round of milkshakes, and grandpa shared his laugh-out-loud stories. Actually, in one dinner we found out that once, when Grandpa was 8 or 9 years old, a worker on his family's farm gave him his first (and incidentally, last) cigarette to smoke! As this confession came out, Grandma also shared a story about a roadtrip where she and her siblings were super carsick, so her dad stopped at the store and bought them some type of alcohol (whiskey?) to get them to stop barfing. It was so nasty that they were terrified to have more, and thus stopped throwing up in the car (WHAT?!) New discoveries to say the least, but always interesting to hear about the olden days with my sweet (and funny!) grandparents.It was a quick but fun trip and I'm glad I was able to go back and visit (or run into) friends old and new. Life just keeps going on so fast, and as Ferris Bueller so wisely said " if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

March Golden Gate Ride--photo highlights

Another sunny day and a great ride across the bay on the GG--this time with a small gaggle of energetic and outspoken chiquitas! You go girls! Ride on...

Golden Smiles

Cheesin' it up

Golden Gate Gals

The Coastal Fog, a SF personality by itself

Now (H)ear This

March Music Moments...So technically, these music events were in both February and March, but I'm a sucker for alliteration so I cheated a little on the "March" thing. You don't mind though, do you? I mean at least I'm finally writing. I know it has been quite a while, but let's take that as a sign that I've been keeping too busy and entertained to write, eh? Onto the music...

Thanks to my goddess-of-all-things-San-Francisco, Liesl, I was lucky enough to find out about a local music, fashion, and food event that Banana Republic was putting on several Thursdays ago at their major city stores nation-wide (read: NYC, LA, SF, etc). Not only did the event require a special RSVP, but we waited in line to get into the store at SF's huge Union St. location (seriously, it's the biggest BR ever!). As well-dressed caterers offered us wine, chocolate confections, and hors devours upon entering, we even enjoyed a 30% of sale on everything in the store. Add that to free music by a great new artist, David Garrett--a virtuoso violinist whose band mixed a bit of rock, classical, just plain fantastic music together for a fabulously entertaining show (think Transiberian Orchestra), and we had a wonderful evening!
David Garrett was fantastic. Here's just a sample of what this guy can do (classically):

Pretty entertaining to say the least, and who doesn't love shopping? As you can see by our smiles in this picture, we weren't complaining.
So the discovery of David Garrett (plus some free downloads from the event--with purchase of course) was a big musical highlight of the past month, but little did I know there was more to come...
Fast-forward to only a week or so ago, and you have 2 Sara Bareilles fans post-work on a Friday night, lining up outside Cafe Du Nord in San Fran, hoping to get lucky--with tickets that is.
For such a small venue that was--according to sources--SOLD OUT, we didn't have much hope of getting in but we thought we may as well give it a try, and I'm oh-so-glad we did. After about 1 1/2 hours in the evening chill, to our excitement, they released more tickets and we were able to get in the concert! It was my first time to this hipster Cafe and Sara B as well as her opening act, Tony Lucca, did not disappoint...


My one complaint from the concert would just have to be the crowd and some of the "older folks" that were there to see the now super-popular Sara. I don't think it was just because I was standing in the back, but honestly, the older generation that was there seemed to lack the unspoken concert etiquette that one generally minds at events like this, especially in such a small, intimate venue. Though a few bad eggs in the crowd did distract, and I found myself muttering age-ist things towards the end of the night, the overall concert was great. Sara B rocked album faves as well as a few new tunes, and left me wanting to listen to her album for the rest of the weekend! Here's a little clip I filmed of the tour's namesake song, "Gravity" (one of my faves!)


As a final addition on this musical note (har har) here's a new song I really like by Metric (not only do I like the song, but this whole docu snippet:


Enjoy it all! (and thanks as always, for listening)

A Shout Out to China

I was randomly looking through some of my old posts on here and just realized that yesterday was my 2 year anniversary from when I set off for China in 2007 (and quite drastically changed some things in my life). It's pretty hard to believe but time is funny like that. It really is true that the older you get, the faster time seems to fly right on by.

No doubt everyone I know is sick of hearing about my China stories, but even now--over a year later (and counting) I find myself thinking of the people and places I got to know while I was living and traveling in China. Honestly, it is strange because it's not like it's the only place I've ever been. I lived in Italy for 3 1/2 months, and loved it, but for some reason, I think the challenges and drastic nature of my China experience has truly ingrained the memories into the person that I am.

Even as I think about this post, I long for one of those famous contemplative chats I used to have with Dave & Lis, or Stephen, or Kim & Tami, Tyler, Bishi...the list goes on! There is a definite perspective shift that you can't help but experience while living out of your "normal" life, and I must admit, as much as I love where I'm at today: my job, living in San Francisco, etc. I wonder if I will ever stop longing for that traveler's perspective- the way I feel when I travel: like life is full of rich opportunities for daily discovery, and the urgency of jumping in today, because tomorrow you'll be in a new place.

Febuary's Golden

I started the year with a fun goal of taking advantage of my ideal proximity and photo-happy tendencies to ride my bike across the Golden Gate bridge once a month and take photos of the iconic bridge each month. This time, a new friend joined me on the cool and misty ride. Here are a few of my fave picts from this ride...

NYC Trip: Winter 2009

Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories

Here's to making loads of warm memories over President's Day Weekend with my sista, Christine.
New York is renown for it's tasty cuisine and this trip was certainly a happy one for my tummy. We Tea'd off the weekend at Alice's Tea Cup for a lovely brunch with my dear old friend Jane who, coincidentally, happens to now work with my sister--small world! If you ever have the chance to go, this place has amazing teas and scones (not to mention adorable decor and tea-party kid customers!)

We also caught a matinée at the New York Ballet of 20th Century Masters. The dancers were spectacularly graceful and I loved the variety of styles shown in the 3 works performed by composers Stravinsky, Ravel, and Bernstein (West Side Story!). The theatre was beautiful as well.
Enjoying dessert after a beautiful luncheon at Central Park's famous Boathouse restaurant (we were trying to list how many movies this place is in--mostly chick flicks: Bride Wars, 27 dresses, the list goes on)
Surprise! This exhibit at the Met was bite-y: this was a real shark in formaldehyde. Cool stuff, always a pleasure to browse the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Yes we did: Bliss has been calling my name for months and after I threw my back out earlier in the week, it was a good thing I'd booked a massage while in NYC. Christine and I pampered ourselves at the spa, scented with my favorite Lemon & Sage lotions, steam room, and peraphin wax + massage.
All in all, my 2-0-0-9 trip to NYC was a fabulous mix of relaxing and fun. Hell Yes! :)

Back Spaz

Back Pain Sucks. I threw my back out while walking downhill in heels on Sunday and could barely walk. I thought/hoped/wished it would be better when I woke up , but come Monday morning I couldn't even sit or stand up straight. It was absolutely horrible. Thankfully a couple of visits to the chiropractor helped things but seriously, I am too young for this crap. Wake up call that I need to be doing my daily stretches and figuring out ways to work out better to prevent this kind of thing...

Courtside Baby!

Warrior Girls!

Monday night I definitely had an experience worth a post: Courtside tickets (actually we were ON the court) to the Warriors v. Spurs game--woot! How did this happen, you may ask? Well, thanks to CSM's CEO who has fab season tickets and his lovely assistant, my friend Carina, not to mention some flexible weeknight schedules (Soni & Chels), we were all able to make it to the game together, in a style that couldn't have been more comfortable or convenient.
Entering through the special "Plaza Club Entrance" after parking in our free-with-ticket VIP parking lot, our tickets (listed as $1,800 a pop!) got us into the game with ease.
I can't describe my heart-pounding surprise when we got to our actual seats. I mean, it's one thing to say "courtside" quite another to be right there with all the players (so tall and muscular!) and directly behind the photographers! It was literally not possible to have better seats than we did--I'm still in awe.
To be honest, I felt a little guilty that we had such great seats. I definitely love a live game, especially of basketball since I used to play, but I have friends that are much bigger fans of the Warriors specifically. For those people, you already know that the Warriors lost to the Spurs in overtime (sad to see the scoreboard above) but still, it was a great game to watch.

Still can't believe our great seats. These 2 videos give you a little better taste of where we were at:


Hooray for another great "first" of 2009!

Golden Gating

What do you get when you mix a crisp, sunny day, a holiday from work, and a Presidio-girl with a bike and camera-happy tendencies? My first bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge (one of which I hope will be a monthly tradition with friends or solo.)Boats were sailing and Alcatraz was looking great as I rode from my apt up to the bridge (love that it is literally right there in my neighborhood!)...Me and my trusty ol' bike getting ready to ride across!I wasn't the only one with the idea to bike across the bridge on this lovely day. You can walk/run/bike or skip, just mind the traffic...
On the Bridge (there are 2 paths on either side of the road--one for bikes and one for pedestrians. For those not familiar, the Golden Gate links San Francisco to Sausilito. On my next ride, I want to get a group and go over the bridge to Sausilito city, have a picnic or something, and take the ferry back over to San Fran and bike back home.
Smooth sailing: a view from the iconic bridge..
Up close and personal: An inscription on the Golden Gate Bridge...I love the one-of-a-kind color of the bridge's arches...
What a lovely day for a ride across the Bay :) Hope to do this again very soon!

My "best of" 2008

I've been meaning to write this list for a while, and in light of the just-over Golden Globes, and soon-to-come Oscars, I'm inspired to get my "picks" up for all to see. Highlighting a year of challenge, joy, growth, and new horizons, here are my award-winners for 2008:

1. Best Daily Activity: My job at Common Sense Media. Great co-workers, free CDs and movie screenings, interviewing Rob Pattinson, never getting bored: priceless!
2. Best Deal: My New Apartment. Gorgeous scenic location, cool roomies, easy access to the people and places I love, and finally my own space, all at an affordable price!
3. Best Furniture-Yes, it is worthy of it's own "best". This year I finally "graduated" to a full-sized bed and for the first time in my life am sleeping on a brand new bed that I absolutely love (not to mention my new puff pillows)
4. Best Experience in Nature: Swimming with Whale Sharks-- AMAZING! Only every mouse-practice-playing child and scuba divers dream--it was exhilarating: jumping in and swimming with the biggest fish in the sea in beautiful Holbox, Mexico.
5. Best Music Discovery: KASKADE and a whole new world of dance-meets-classy electronic music. Be Still My Soul.
6. Best Movie of 2008: (drum roll please, this was a difficult decision)...Slumdog Millioniare! Why? Because while very intense and tragic at times, it weaves a seamless story of culture, love, hope, poverty, and reality into a powerful film that not only leaves you breathless, but sparks deep conversation and contemplation about the world and people in it.
7. Best Money Spent: My 1st Massage and excellent SPA experience at the JW Marriott in Cancun. If I only I could have stayed there forever, aaaaaaaah!
8. My Best Photo of the Year (or at least my favorite!):
9. Best Party: It's was a very close call between the creative planning for Sarah's Bachelorette Party (and my notorious Unifornication CD) and Jodee's Surprise 2-5--but perhaps since the memories are fresher, I'm going to have to go with Jode's. True, she wasn't really surprised due to a series of events linked to my handwriting and Archie: co-conspirators against secretive fun, but we had some of the best decorations, drinks, and fun times thanks to a collaborative effort between friends--hearts!
10. Best Dog: Of this year and ever: Archibald Malvolio Baldeagie Rumpledearkins is the cutest little pup I know and he makes every year a good one!
Horray for a great year-- I'm one lucky gal! Cheers to more firsts and fun in 2009!

Forced Resolutions

As advertisements chime of New Years weight-loss plans, the clean slate, fresh, start, go-get-em January I've been thinking about the whole "New Year's" traditions, and I have to confess, though I love any excuse to celebrate a holiday, for me New Year's is not all that special. Perhaps it's all the over-hyped booze and smooch pressure of the never-as-perfect-as-you'd-dreamed New Years Eve parties, or the feelings of inadequacy I often feel as our culture rips us from our comfort zones of family and friends at Christmas and launches us into one where we contemplate all the negative things about our lives and once a year admit that we suddenly (and often drastically) want to change them.

Sorry if I seem down on somebody's favorite holiday, and please don't take this the wrong way: I do like starting fresh and enjoy it when people feel hopeful about a new year, I just don't think goals should be forced or made in bursts of commitment. True goals and steps towards improvement really need to be made all the time, with baby steps, and when a person is ready and sincerely resolved to make a change and stick with it. New Years may be that time for some people, but I've never felt the positive momentum and energy that I like to have when setting a goal and trying to achieve it.

I think I feel more guilty than anything, especially when I look at unaccomplished goals from years past, or hear comparisons of resolutions made. We've probably all been annoyed with the "I can't have that now, I'm on a new diet this year" people or we've felt like giving up instead of fighting the influx of bodies clamoring for machines at the gym. Not to say that I am not guilty of contributing to these trends myself, but you've got to admit it's a bit aggravating. Sometimes this ritual of making resolutions feels like a public confessional: "Forgive me New Year, for I have sinned. It has been 1 year since my last resolution and I would like to share with everyone that I think I need to lose weight, should try to get a promotion this year, am lonely so I need a boyfriend, must tighten my boat-sized butt, etc, etc, etc..."

It's just not for me. I much prefer the tortoise-method when it comes to resolving to make a change in my life: Slow and steady...

Christmas Merry

This post is coming WAY after the fact, but I had a few thoughts to share from Christmastime this year and I'm just going to do it. My holiday was pretty low-key: I took a short roadtrip with my sister the weekend before Christmas to visit some friends in sunny LA and take the scenic coastal highway home with a stop at Hearst Castle...
Spent a quiet Christmas at home with just my immediate family--got my first diamonds on a necklace from Dad, plus a GPS (very exciting for those of you that remember how directionally challenged I am) and quite a few other nice things from family and friends (thank you!).

As I wasn't traveling this year and have been feeling the need to take a trip lately (esp. jealous of all my friends who went exotic places like India or France!), here's a Christmas memory or spotlight of the past: the Italian tradition of La Befana (the Christmas Witch)
JANUARY 6th
La Befana: Kindly old witch who brings children toys on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6. According to the legend of la Befana, the Three Wise Men stopped at her hut to ask directions on their way to Bethlehem and to invite her to join them. She refused, and later a shepherd asked her to join him in paying respect to the Christ Child. Again she refused, and when night fell she saw a great light in the skies.

La Befana thought perhaps she should have gone with the Three Wise Men, so she gathered some toys that had belonged to her own child, who had died, and ran to find the kings and the shepherd. But la Befana could not find them or the stable. Now, each year she looks for the Christ Child. Since she can not find him, she leaves gifts for the children of Italy and pieces of coal (nowadays carbone dolce, a rock candy that looks remarkably like coal) for the bad ones.
http://italian.about.com/library/weekly/aa120600f.htm

More Twi-hard fun(nies)...

Interview with the (hot) Vampire!

Last Monday, I had my "7 minutes in heaven" with the star of Twilight, Robert Pattinson. Now WAIT--it's not what you think (minds out of the gutter pluh-leeze), I'm a professional! I actually had a one-on-one interview with the 22-year-old British heart-throb for--get this--work! (Have I mentioned lately that I really like my job?) No pictures allowed at the interview (I'm sure you'll get a kick out to my Photoshop substitute), but I was able to ask a handful of media & family-related questions and I got to shake his hand, make small talk, and stare into his lovely eyes as he kindly answered my questions--so really, it wasn't too bad!

'How did this happen?' you might ask, and the answer is rather randomly. I'm a "guilty-pleasure" fan of the Twilight book series and had been bugging my publicist contact about the movie screening and other information, when one day---quite out of the blue--the publicist called ME and asked if Common Sense Media would like to attend a Q&A event with the star. I--of course--said an enthusiastic "YES!" and was so bold as to ask if we might video the event and even, talk a bit with the star, and before I knew it, we'd landed a 10 min 1-on-1 with Mr. Pattinson (some may remember him as "Cedric Diggory" in the Harry Potter movies) at the San Francisco Ritz a couple days later. The rest, as they say, is history--or at least a 2 1/2 min video ;) Check it out:

Presidio Paradiso: My new Apt

As the cool blanket of fog settles outside my window, through the rustling darkness of the trees, a faint smell of musky eucalyptus wafts in on the breeze. I look at my recently hung curtain rod, plop down on my brand new full-size bed, and feel satisfied with my new apartment in San Francisco's Presidio.

Nestled in the trees not far from the Lombard Gate, my new home feels almost like a cabin in the woods, and yet the city has never been more accessible to me. A mere 25 min drive from work, I have quiet trails and scenic views at home with easy parking and plenty of space, yet I can walk to the drug store and other restaurants and shops without even getting into my car. Even better, I have some good friends that already live in and love the neighborhood. So, after 5+ months of looking, I can say that I am quite happy to have found a place so ideally located, for a good price, and with good roomies (3 cool girls and a kitty!).

Oh, this is the start of something good, don't you agree?

Change

Regardless of who wins this election, CHANGE is something that's going to happen (and already is).

I think that is because we're in a unique time of re-evaluation as our country is primed for what will be MAJOR changes effecting the economy, politics, and the future of this great nation. Sometimes it seems as if it's all "hanging by a thread" and because of that, I know that this is not a time where we can just go with the flow or sit on the sidelines. It's a time where we can't afford NOT to participate, to do our homework before voting, to discuss and debate with those who we respect but may often disagree with. It's not a time where we can pick up a newspaper or headline and expect that what we're reading is actually factual and not opinion. And while that is a bit overwhelming, as I've become more active in my efforts, I realize that it's really not that hard and it IS so important and essential to take the voting responsibility that we've been given, and consider what we might do with it.

ChaChaCha & Chihuly!

The DeYoung was bustling with visitors and latin music on Friday night as I met up with some friends to check out the final weekend of Chihuly's one-of-a-kind artistic glass exhibit. I am so glad we were able to squeeze it in, just before the exhibit closed! In an already gorgeous and classy museum, with the added ambiance of energy created by the live latin jazz band in the lobby, all I can say is hooray for the DeYoung and for stunning glass as an artistic medium, and most of all, for the creative mind and expressions of the artist Chihuly--what a talented man!
Enjoy these picts (starting with these Venetian Boats above) compliments of my camera phone--not bad eh?

These captivating "Persians," like much of the glass, seemed suspended, as if floating on air

Much of the art made you feel like you were underneath the ocean, looking at a reef of coral on the ocean floor...
I love the different combinations of shape and color and balance!
This photo (above) and portion of the exhibit where you'd find it, are my absolute favorites! The colors, light, shadows, and ceiling display created a room I wished to stay in for hours--like a heavenly dream in a peaceful sleep. Just beautiful.
If you ever get the chance to see Chihuly's work, I highly recommend going. You won't regret it, I am so glad I went!

Earthquake! (like a massage)

I know I've been so bad with keeping up on my blog lately but I didn't want to let a whole week slip by without a mention of Friday's exciting EARTHQUAKE!
It wasn't a big one, only 4.0, according to U.S. Geological Survey, but it happened around 9 p.m. last Friday (9/5) and was the first time I've been fully conscious (the other one I felt, i was laying in my bed in the wee hours of the AM). The room sorta just shook for about 10 seconds--nothing that would make you wanna duck and cover just like a rocking of a boat or something--and apparently the epicenter was in the town next door, Alamo. The depth was measured at 16.2 kilometers and the News reported that the only reported "damage" was that items were knocked off shelves in some homes and stores. To be honest, it was kinda cool--like a massage, really ;)
But speaking of massage, have you been to a chiropractor before?! WOW, that is pain not even faintly masked by the whole "massage" description. I have been getting fist-sized knots in my lower back for a couple of years more and more consistently and I finally bit the bullet and went for some professional help. Only problem is, the help is finding more problems. Don't worry, supposedly the seriousness of my back pain is not major--basically it's muscles that have been strained for a long time and are over-compensating in other regions. Funny how you'd never think "Oh my back is hurting because of my hamstring muscles or hips" yet that is generally what the problem is being caused by because the back muscles are relatively small. But MAN, for "small" muscles, they can really hurt. And when they say it "may" hurt as they knead out the muscle tension and go deep tissue, they're not kidding!
In conjunction with the chiro treatments/sessions, as directed, I have started doing stretches each morning and evening to help keep my back loose. While I have felt pretty sore, I also feel much better overall as I've slowly been loosening my muscles up and being more mindful of my back in general. Hopefully, as it gets better each week and we loosen it up more fully, I can start some exercises to strengthen my back too.

Hooray for the pathway paved to Health!

Camp Ritchie was RICH!

Labor Day Weekend: 2008
Escape to Camp Ritchie ;)

Better than band camp, Ritchie was full of laughs, great weather, and some fun new friends!
Don't our sleeping arrangements just want to make you play steamroller? COZY!
Yes, we climbed this rock (thanks to our token boy and resident mountain goat, Matt, spotting us all on the way up!)

There was so much fun to be had in the mountains over Labor Day, and quite a last-minute decision to go but I'm so glad I did! Thanks for all the *Ritchie* memories!
xoxo

Rockin Radiohead and the Outside Lands(fill) fest

As I saw the summer winding down, realized I hadn't been to many concerts lately, and the advertising plagued my daily commute, I decided to splurge on a ticket ($100!) to the first-ever Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park with some friends.

A major part of the reasoning behind my splurge was the fact that Manu Chao, Beck, The Black Keyes, AND Radiohead were all going to be playing-- so I figured the chance to see those bands live and enjoy an evening in the park with friends and good music, was quite worth it. While I wouldn't say *totally* worth it, the concerts were good--once I was able to finally get to them. I took SF's unreliable Muni which was slow and packed (a good thing that people were using public transit, but the city should have tried to plan a little better to have more trams so people weren't hanging out the windows!)
Manu Chau (the first show I was able to get to) was awesome live and I heard him do my favorite song (Me Gustas Tu) which was definitely cool. But I was hoping to see Beck who was scheduled to play at the tail-end of Chau's concert and sadly, was caught in the herd of people trying to get through to the other stage due to a poorly designed path. Because it was so congested, people went off the path and trampled all over Golden Gate Park, kicking up tanbark which stung as I inhaled, but I eventually made it to Beck, heard a couple songs, and thankfully was able to locate my friends (a good thing, since cell signals were totally messed up by the volume of people trying to make calls/texts from the concert--eek!). ANYHOW, the closing concert on the main stage was Radiohead and they were AMAZING! So good, I loved them, every song was spot on and great--surrounded by the beautiful park and a starry, moonlit night. Such a talented group that they really made the show worthwhile. That said, I really consider Outside Lands a glorified Radiohead concert with a few, poorly set-up talented opener bands (as much as I enjoyed the short snippets I saw of them). Not to end on a bad note, but after the wonderful Radiohead concert in the park, I have to say I was very disappointed in the lame San Francisco hipsters, who like to call themselves eco-friendly or conscientious at all: the grass in the park was not only trampled but looked like a landfill as people filed out leaving all their bottles and trash (bottles and cans a just clap your hands a just clap your hands, Beck it's cooler when you sing it). Sad moments, but again, Radiohead rocked it so overall I am glad that we went...Hope they can do a bit better job with it next year though...

Commuter's Karma

This summer, my 1.5 hour commute (read: 3 hours of commuting daily!) has really started to get to me. Perhaps it is the nice weather I wish I could be out enjoying more of, or just the fact that I had hoped to move into San Francisco by now so that I could free up a few hours of my day for other things--like exercise, socializing, sleeping, etc. It may also have something to do with the fact that my commute has gotten worse with BART's horrible new parking structure and construction of the "Transit Village." Because now, in addition to fighting AM traffic, I have to drive 8 floors of a huge parking structure to search for a spot (and sometimes they are all full by 8am!)
Anyways, as you can imagine, all this can make for a rough morning or evening of commuting and the occasional rude person or jerk around you can really add to the stress of this daily obstacle course. Such was the case for me one day when I was coming home from a long and busy day at work. I'd walked to BART from my office, hauling 2 large bags of stuff I had to take home for an offsite meeting and found a seat which I laid a magazine on because I was afraid to sit on whatever the previous rider had left on it (weird stains on the seat always make me cringe a bit).
As I half read/half dozed on the ride home, I was suddenly horrified to hear a loud raspy cough-like hawking noise somewhere behind me. My mind instantly jumped to memories of old men spitting on the streets of China and I tried to focus on something else to keep from feeling sick as the noise continued. I didn't want to look but as the hawking sounded through the BART car for the next 4 stops, I saw that the deathly-sounding noise came from none other than an older-looking Asian man. Happy to get off the train (and be in America!) I remembered that there were several things I would never miss about China.
Following the flow of people exiting the station and heaving my bags through the exit, I punched my ticket on the way out and made my way to the elevators, hopeful to get home quickly and get some things done before I had to get up and do it all again the next day. I'd just missed the elevator so I pushed the "up" button to wait for the next one. Just as the light ding-ed announcing that the elevator had arrived, to my surprise, a man hurried into the elevator and started pushing the "doors closed" button right as I was trying to make my way in! 'What the crap?!' I thought, 'This guy is unbelievably rude!'
Well, I wasn't about to miss another elevator (and there was no way I was doing the 8 flights to my car with these bags and in my nice shoes!) so in a desperate attempt to get in, I stuck my foot in the elevator door and---FAARUMP---to my surprise and his, the door was stuck! OOOPS! As people filed by and I, ahem, removed my foot from the door, I saw the man's confused face peering through the clear elevator doors and had to suppress my laughter--he was Asian (coincidence or no?). I realize that the nice thing to do would have been go and get some help for the guy (though he had the elevator call box) but I didn't think of that until I'd gone up the next elevator and was at my car so I just got in, and couldn't help myself from laughing at that point. That's what I call INSTANT COMMUTER KARMA if I've ever seen it!

Product of the Day: Author Action Figures!

I first discovered the existence of these amazing, literature-inspired action figures at the LA public library gift shop seeing one of my personal heroes, Jane Austen, as an action figure! I've been in love with them ever since. What could be more fun!?

One Wilde Friday Knight

This weekend was a busy one! Friday night a group of friends and I went to a production of Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband at CalShakes and it was fabulous! I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been stuck in traffic at the Caldocot tunnel and seen the signs for this popular outdoor theatre nestled in the woodsy hills near Orinda, but this is the first time I've gone (though probably not the last).
The classically witty play was performed masterfully by the troop of well-costumed, well-trained actors. A true pleasure, seeing Wilde's timeless humor and intellect come to life onstage made the night one to remember. Aside from the very slight distraction of one character's enunciation "spray" (talk about spitting it out!), even from our sideways (read: cheaper) vantage point we were thoroughly entertained. Additionally, we happened to be attending the LGBT night of the show so there were a few additional "surprise" kisses presented to please the 'alternative' crowd-- (!) gotta love the Bay Area.

As if that wasn't enough for us, being the entertainment junkies we are, Jodee, Em, and I decided to go see the midnight showing of the just-released Batman-movie "The Dark Knight".
Again, to our surprise, the movie theater posting was actually incorrect and there was no scheduled showing when we arrived. But, instead of turning us away, the awesome manager at the theater agreed to give us a private screening of Dark Knight! We felt so exclusive, that is until we started watching the movie and wanted to leave halfway through the 2 1/2 hours of violence. I was seriously NOT a fan. Production-wise, I'll agree that the movie was very well-done, very polished, very real, very powerful, but it was also one of the most cringe-inducing, consistently-violent, jarring films I've ever seen.
Dark Knight is not a movie I'd recommend, simply because it's focus is on the dark and twisted irrationality of all-things bad with very little to uplift or demonstrate any of the typical hopefulness of the Batman series.

I know that many people are obsessed and think it's the best movie ever, but I really didn't and don't and I have to agree with this British article a friend sent me. The tainted world-view this movie communicates is just not something we need anymore of in the world than already comes naturally. I mean, call me strange but when I go to a movie I do like to think about it and immerse myself in the film but I like to have some positive feelings when I walk away from it, not feel worse than when I came. That is the exact reason that I don't watch horror films-- I don't like to have those images with me because I feel such negative emotions, even after the movie is over. Anyhow, it was not the best way to end such an eventful day, but you live and learn. I guess it just demonstrates to me once again that the media is a powerful force in our lives that can often be great but is capable of plenty of negatives as well.

Sustainable thoughts

Just wanted to share a few quick thoughts brought on by Sustainability chat...

This evening, thanks to an Influx Insights event, I got to put on my Account Planning hat as I joined a group of people to listen to a presentation by Dawn Danby on sustainability & the Green movement. Definitely worthwhile, the meeting was both interesting as well as thought provoking. I won't go into details about the arguments presented or the complexities of an eco-friendly world with responsible consumers and businesses, but I will share a few insights.
1) The first is that whether people are sold on the whole "buy green" concept yet, even with the debates, misleading, and hype around going green, I think that--if for nothing else--this trendy-market green phenomenon is at least carving out a space in people's mind in thinking about the environment, personal wastefulness, conservation/recycling, etc-- and that is a very good and positive thing!
2) Education is marked as one of the best and only ways to really get consumers into a shift towards sustainable living. Since education is difficult and limited, another great route we could take would be to incentivize.
3) Lastly, the best general insight this convo sparked for me as I rode BART home:
In order for something to 'make sense' , you first have to THINK about it. Maybe that is too obvious, but I think there-in lies the simple key of making the sell/hitting the sweet spot with experiential marketing/conditioning. I think of a recycling example where I, as a lifelong-recycling-bay-area-girl, couldn't help but give a thought to recycling before throwing away a bottle/can/etc. even when I lived in Utah, the land of no recycling. Even if I had to end up throwing the bottle in the trash, I automatically thought about recycling it because that's my reflex. Thus, since we want people to buy products that are better for the environment/do less damage than what we've already go, we need to give them an experience that they can hold on to and make a habit. I think Ed Cotton had a great point at the meeting when he said, roughly, that the brand changes need to be honest and start within the corporate offices if nothing else. Once those people creating the products start being educated, the company's products will organically follow...

My 1.5 minutes...

Have I mentioned that I really, really, like my job? Seriously, it's such a great fit for me, it's uncanny sometimes. It's not so much my title or job description, so much as what I end up doing all day and who I work with--I mean, who knew that you could not only get along with your co-workers but be yourself and have fun with them too-- and create great work!?

I guess the most fun that I've been having lately goes along with a brand-spanking-new product we're producing for our website: The Editor's Choice online videos. They're 1-min snippets from each of CSM's editors and sometimes special guest host--yours truly--for each media channel we review.

What's so fun about it? Well, it's different than sitting at my computer all day for starters. Half of our 2-person video dept sets up in-house lights, a camera, and set, the other half (me) preps people's make-up and runs their scripts through our little teleprompter. The filming process is pretty simple but fun. I get to give some creative feedback and try and help our talent look/act good, and--as was the case for the past couple of weeks-- I sub-in ocassionally when an editor is ill or we need another talking head. It's fun to do, harder to watch the finished product though and realize how different I actually look/sound when I see myself on camera. Don't laugh too hard as you watch these two book-picks from me on our Common Sense Media YouTube channel...

See my Twilight pick here
and Nicholas Flamel series here.

And, another one for fun summer reads, here.

A flair for the Fair!

What did farm animals, all-American food, carnies, crafts, and rides all have in common last weekend? Well, for starters, they were all a part of my first experience at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton!All smiles at my very first fair (how could I have waited so long!?!)Lambin' it up with the sheep
Baaa Ram Ewe!
Carnilicious...
A barn never looked so good ;)

We had a great time browsing the crafty booths, riding the ferris wheel (and running into an old high school friend--small world!), not to mention the delicious choc-dipped cheesecake! And, to crown off an already great night, we ended the evening with a bunch of heroic fireman who gave us hats and badges and let us pose with their truck-- gotta love the fun times!

I will definitely be going to the fair again--and soon!

Congrats Sarah & Matt Phillips!

The long-anticipated and gorgeous wedding day of my dear friend Sarah and her wonderful, now-husband-Matt took place on June 22nd at The Martinelli Center in Livermore, overlooking the beautiful vineyards and valley there. Picture-perfect in every way, the wedding was the first of my core-group of high school friends and definitely set a standard ;) I'm so happy for you both, Matt and Sarah and wish you the best of everything together! Thanks for sharing your special day!

This Little Piggy got roasted!

Slovak-style meets the Cabana for BBQ fun. Thanks to the lovely Lunaceks and their fun Aunt Gita & Uncle Gejza who were in town, last Friday our backyard was transformed into a multicultural feast. Making traditional Slovakian foods like red cabbage (yum!) and sauerkraut, our new friends & great "pig" chef, Gejza, with the help of Sonia's brother, Dad, and my Dad, did their manly duties supervising an all-day preparation of pig-on-a-spit!
No easy task, this full-size (30 lb) pig was quite the event and challenge.
Roasted to perfection on a rotating spit in the giant cabana bbq! WOW.
My Dad did the honors of taking the first slice, while blasting "Flight of the Valkyries" for dramatic effect (he's never been so happy!)
Needless to say, we took lots of pictures and everyone (even our "vegetarian" Sonia) enjoyed the event.
Our tummies and hearts were definitely conquered by the spirit of Slovakia on a wonderful summer evening with families and friends! Dakujem (thank you) to everyone!

Why are landlords wonderful?

No one has an answer to this question because there isn't one. Landlords actually suck.
In my continuing experience and efforts to deal honestly and fairly with landlords, I have found them to be a different breed of businessmen, sadly full of negative qualities like greed, communication deficiencies, and fear-based over reaction. While in general, it can probably be said that no one likes their landlord, my experience with an apartment I've been trying to move into since May in San Francisco has been like a trip to hell and back (minus the coming back, actually).

It all started in May on my hunt for apartments. Almost by chance, I found this great place on Ocean Beach: Nice roommate, safe neighborhood, affordable rent (relatively speaking, at least very reasonable for San Francisco), near the ocean and Golden Gate Park, easy parking, a private room AND private bathroom (hallelujah!), and public transportation accessible (yay for not having to drive to work!) Not quite in the heart of the city, the apartment was pretty much ideal. That is, until I started conversations with the landlord. I'll spare you the back-and-forth-nitty-gritty-details, but to summarize, I sent my renter's application to the landlord May 28th, was supposed to move in the 14th of June, and as of today (June 25) I'm still unable to move in because the lying, lazy landlord refuses to approve an assignment lease between myself and the current tenant and though we've given him everything he's requested and more, he continues to delay and ignore all efforts made to move forward with the switch.

That being said, I must admit that I have been learning a lot from this incredibly time-consuming and exhaustive ordeal, and I guess I'm glad this is happening before I end up in a contract with this bad-news landlord. But it has certainly been frustrating. My cellphone bill was a whooping $170 this month due to all the peak-hour phone calls I had to make this month! Seriously, gor the current tenants' sake, I really do hope that they will contact the Rent Board of SF to intervene because this landlord is definitely abusing the rights of his tenants and is not only unreasonable, but completely unfair to them. (Not to mention the fact that it sucks for me to find a great place like this and not be able to move in because of the psycho landlord--grrr!)

I know that things will eventually work out how they should, but for not, I'm not too happy with the turn of events this week. I guess I will have to just keep on looking for my new home elsewhere...Wish me luck!

On a totally random note, and to lighten the negativity of this sad posting, if you need a laugh like I do, check out some ad-parody funnies here.

Doobies & Chicago...

I think depending on one's age, the title of my blog today could have several meanings. To a middle schooler, I might be talking about drugs in the Windy City, but for those around my parent's age, they might be imagining the playlists at their high school prom when the 2 bands, Chicago and The Doobie Brothers, ruled the radio stations and defined a musical era. Typical GenY that I am (taking the best from all generations into my collage of interests) I'm somewhere in between in regards to my knowledge of these bands, but as an early Father's Day present to my dad, I decided to get some tickets and take him to the concert when they rolled into town this Saturday.
People watching in the audience was 1/2 the fun. A hodge-podge of boomers from all walks of life (and styles of clothing--see the leather-vest couple below) seemed to be in attendance, remembering their younger days in the bands' hey-days and "celebrating" the memories of their youth as they passed the joint around at the concert (some people never grow up!)
I didn't regret my decision after the bands got warmed up and Chicago started bustin' out some of their famous monster ballads that are so 70's but still very catchy, great songs. You can listen to a couple here (sorry if you catch me singing along--they weren't top-chart hits for nothing :)

Sentimental Chicago...


And the "Doobies" (as the horrible Italian opener referred them). While they may be old, these guys can still "rock me, rock me..."


Happy Father's Day!

Gen Y articles

As a typical "GenY" or "Millennial" (as marketers and studies like to call us), naturally I am very interested in hearing what the buzz is out there about my generation. How's our demographic/age group is described? What trends exist in our behaviors and attitudes towards life? In this time of life--my early and now mid-20's, where I've been making big decisions, trying to pull together the collage of myself that brings together family, friends, career goals, do-gooding, balance, and fun some recent articles have really struck me and I wanted to share a couple of them with you (for opinions, etc) and also flag them for myself since they were so thought-provoking. Check them out in Metro News and The Washington Post.
Both articles discuss some of the strengths and weaknesses that distance my age group from others with both positive and negative effects. For example, the Metro News article points out the gap in dissemination of knowledge and skills in the work place between Boomers and GenY. Having seen a degree of this first hand, largely due to the compartmentailized corporate ladder, I wonder if there is an easy solution, or what I can actively do to invite this passing along/mentorship to younger workers like me even though I'm not an intern. Like I said, interesting article that makes one think a bit. And don't even get me started on the Washington Post article--supergrads is not quite right--It's more like: super-about-to-grads. I wish more had been said about the post-student and how once you're out of school, no longer a student--that living, breathing, element of the college brand--if you haven't built enough of a network for yourself, the doors are not quite as open, nor the employer's clamouring for approval from you. It is interesting to contemplate that change in treatment and what it truly means. Anyhow, I'm not sure how much sense these ramblings make today, so definitely check out the articles yourself if you want a better idea of what I mean.

Poor Unfortunate Names...

While some may call me immature, the other day when my brother handed me the CoCo Times and I saw a picture of the NAACP's new president, Ben Jealous, with only the word "Jealous" written and bolded beneath the picture, I couldn't help but laugh and begin a serious of "Jealous" name jokes with my siblings until we were all, literally, crying tears of laughter...
Oh to be a part of the Jealous family. Ben Jealous since the day he was born. He's got those Jealous eyes, just like his father. What, he has a son named Meenan? Well, that little Meenan Jealous is sure a tough kid to play nice with. And what of the Jealous Family Traditions? At Christmas time do they gather together to get into the Jealous Family spirit?

Ok, that's bad I know (maybe not even funny written down here) but you've got to admit, names can be a source of entertainment for us all, which sucks if you've got a bad name. Remember all the jokes Meet the Parents got out of us with "Gaylord Focker" or the rumored name in middle school that somewhere out there someone had met a guy named "Ben Dover" or "Justin Case"? Dave Chapelle had some boarderline fun with names as well (see this very RACE-y clip on YouTube). What about the whole series of jokes like: What do you call a guy with no arms and no legs in a swimming pool? Bob.

I'm sure there are many, many more unfortunate-but-funny names out there with funny name jokes and stories. Here's one more...

Jury Duty...a test for you

Try and answer the following multiple-choice question.

Stephanie's first experience with jury duty for Contra Costa County included which of the following:
a) Racing fellow jurors for a parking spot at prison
b) Being stared down by an alleged murderer
c) Potentially 3-4 weeks of jury service
d) A Founding Father guilt trip
e) A year-long excuse (whew!)
f) all of the above

If you answered f) all of the above, congratulations, you're correct. This was my very first experience with answering my "summons." Actually, I received my first letter from the courts back in November '07 (!) but due to being out of town for a Mexican Thanksgiving, I'd postponed the inevitable date to March. As that date approached, I was scheduled to start a job on the very day that my jury reporting should have been happening, so I called and got the day pushed back to the very last time possible, 3 days after my birthday (which bumped me into a new age range/check-this-box, consequently) Wednesday, May 14th.
As I awoke the morning of my service, I can't say that I would have won any awards for "best" attitude, especially after getting lost on the way to the courthouse (grrr-GoogleMap's) then trying to frantically search for parking in the designated areas (oh, right, park at the prison!) for almost 20 mins. Finally locating a spot on the street 4 blocks away, then sprinting through the California heat-wave because I was late, when I arrived at my final location (note, this was not on my first try, I went to the courthouse accidentally in my frantic haste) I was just in time for the institutional humor (at least the guy was nice and trying to help us feel better about being there) and parking explanation telling me that I needed to move my car--again! So you can why I might not have been feeling super happy about fulfilling my civic duty, but I was there, I moved my car, and when I got back, the baliff was calling my name to be questioned/interviewed with a group of about 30 people.

As we herded like cattle into the courtroom, complete with judge, scribe, prosecutor, defender, and an alleged murderer, we prepared to be interviewed for potential post as alternate jurors. I was one of two who were asked to sit in the "extra" jurors seats near the stand (#14 to be exact) and as the elderly judge introduced himself and the people in the room, he prefaced his intros with a resolute speech about how in the past few years, the courts were giving out less excuses from jury service, especially for professionals and teachers who always seemed to get out of serving jury duty and that while they still excused some, he would question us each very carefully and would not be giving out easy excuses today. Oh crap, I was thinking, this could be a very long day! Then, the judge told us a bit about the case, how the jury was already chosen and the trial would be lasting at least 3-4 weeks and the man we saw in front of us had pleaded innocent to murder.

Like a human filtering system, they asked us a handful of general questions as a group--like did any of the lawyers or a list of names they read off look or sound familiar.Then, they asked us each for a brief intro about ourselves. As they went around the room, a few people began raising their hands with reasons why they felt they needed to leave. I hesitantly brought up the fact that I'd started a new job 3 weeks ago at a very small non-profit and was still training and mid-launch with a new website in addition to moving in the next 3 weeks (that's right, I found a place on Ocean Beach in San Fran and I'm moving in June--exciting right!) The judge was not amused and I felt like he was looking at me with thinly masked disappointment, like I represented wasteful American youth or something, and he said I needed to call my office on the break and see if they really couldn't spare me.
Of course, when I called the office, they were adamant that I could not be gone for 3 weeks and they really wanted me to get out of it if I could, they'd send the court any info they needed, etc., so, when we reconvened in the courtroom, I braced myself for the judges reaction--and all the people in the courtroom as well. You see, all of these conversations were conducted in front of the other potential jurors who each had busy lives as well and it was really awkward to give my excuse without feeling like I exuded an attitude of, "I'm so much more important to my job than all of you and I just can't be bothered to be here at jury duty with you all." That's not how I felt at all. Sure it would be a pain to miss work/move/etc. but I was honestly sort of interested in being at a real trial and seeing the Law-&-Order-like drama unfold and use reason and evidence to help justice be done. I kept thinking of that movie several years ago, Runaway Jury, with John Cusack, you know? It could be interesting, right? The only thing that really creeped me out was the fact that the alleged murderer kept staring at me from his seat across the room. Perhaps I was just imagining it...I was sort of in his direct line of sight, but litereally almost every time I looked up he was staring and that made me somewhat nervous.

So, just before we were about to go into new questioning (phase 2 of the process I guess), the defense lawyer reminded the judge about me and my phone call. I told the judge the truth and it was then that he went off in what felt like a personal lecture to me about our Founding Father's and the unique judicial system that they had fought and sacrificed to create and uphold and how the system was going to pot and that if we believed in our country and had any sense of dignity, gratitude, and respect for the freedoms of each citizen, we'd want to serve jury duty! Boy, did I feel like crap now. I had no idea what I could say as he told me the decision was up to me. So I took a deep breath and honestly told him I was sorry, that I do believe in this country and in our system and rights to freedom, but at this time in my life--with my job and plans to move, I didn't think that I would be able to fully focus and serve well on a jury for the next 4 weeks. Turning to the 2 lawyers, the judge asked if they felt that I should be released, and to my relief, they both very quickly consented, I was given a blue dismissal slip and was excused from jury service for the next 12-months!
What a morning! While I'm glad that I won't be spending the next 4 weeks at a murder trial in court, I do feel that someday I would/should serve jury duty for those reasons already discussed. I just wish that the system we live in, made it easier to do- that I wouldn't be sacrificing my job and life for an extended period of time if I chose to do my honorable civic duty. America: the land of plenty, I often think might have too much-- at least too much going on in our lives. Would the Founding Fathers have done the same thing if they lived in 2008 and had the typical modern-American lifestyle? I don't really know but I suspect not. Where are the modern John Adams's, Thomas Jeffersons, George Washingtons of our day? They wouldn't be allowed to exist/succeed very well I don't think, and while I admire them and am so grateful for the foundation that they built for our country, I worry about where we've gone with it and how we could get back to their ideals of yore...Where is America really going?

Lights Camera Action--at work!

So, if I told you that in addition to watching movie trailers and reading entertainment magazines, that a part of my job, on an almost weekly basis was to go to a live taping at a news studio, would you be able to see why a movie-loving star-gazer would be excited about her job? Of course that's not all I do, but it's definitely a fun part of the responsibilities I have in my new CSM role.
Just about every Tuesday my company, Common Sense Media, tapes a Video On Demand review at KTVU studios near Oakland's Jack London Square. Reminding me of my beloved Drama classes of youth, my first few tapings have been exciting as I get to work "behind the scenes" and see all the lights, camera, studios, and editing rooms where the news and other shows are filmed and where we also film for a few hours. On a little "tour" around the studio, there were some old-school things (like the crazy-looking chords in this pict above) as well as some pretty cool, high-tech equipment (like this control room below).And of course the special lighting, big ol' rolling cameras, and savvy film crew...

Plus, the Anchorman-esque telepromptor! (I might get to operate these sometime for our in house tapings in the future--kinda fun right?)
So, hooray for learning new things like a techie while on the job (and feeling like a secret agent as I snapped these picts with my cameraphone-hah!)

CrashBON, Gatsby, & the Bloody Tie

A weekend, in brief:
(Sorry for the tardiness but if it's any excuse, this was the same week I started my new job and I've been a bit busy learning the ropes with that. Consider my playing catch-up as an excuse to look back at Spring just before summer hits! What were YOU doing April 25th-27th...?)

Friday: Death-defying driving skills by the skillful Jodee through San Francisco took us to a bonfire on Ocean beach that we crashed along with my cousins Tony & Genny who were up for the day. (note: when we went, we thought this was a bonfire for a bunch of random people to mix and mingle from the wards in the area, but really, it was just one ward and it was quite the awkward welcome as we joined, getting the evil eye from some girls--always the case when we make their odds worse, and the creepy eye from a couple guys--poor Jode!) Quite the interesting night, you could say with a lesson in communication thrown in as well...
Saturday: Happy Birthday Sonia! It was a perfect day in Golden Gate Park for Sonia's Gatsby afternoon by Stow Lake. Our daisy-filled nook in the park was complete with pink and white roses, classical music, croquet, and sunshine, not to mention yummy cheese, sparkeling juice and other treats! I've decided that Golden Gate park is the perfect date place too. You can rent paddle boats for the lake or multi-person bike "surreys" with the fringe on the top (OH-Klahoma! How I wish there were more straight men that loved musicals like I do--in a fun, light-hearted, NON-obsessive way!) Anyway, it was a great day for a party and lovely to celebrate the dear Sonicka.
Sunday: My family piled into the car for an early AM trip down to Merced where my cousin Tony, just back from Pennsylvania where he served a 2-year LDS mission, gave his homecoming talk. Highlights of his report would have to be 1) when he pulled out a tie soaked in dried blood and told us the story of his bike accident that landed him in the hospital mid-mission, and 2) the musical number: family memories are so priceless, especially when they involve my Aunt Cheryl waving confused slackers away from the stand as they are approaching to sing. Funny times! Anyhow, church was followed by a family lunch with the best license plate frame Em & I had ever seen on my Aunt Kathy's car: RU LDS 2? It's a bit of an inside joke, but actually, when I think about it, the kitschy frame alone is still pretty funny.

Uniform-ication: Ta-Hoeing it up!

A Girls weekend away was taken to a whole new crazy level April 18-20th for Miss Sarah Mae's Bachelorette Party. A team-created success, all the planning paid off beautifully as the 12 of us gals gathered from the corners of California in a fabulous cabin in the South Lake Tahoe Keys to celebrate friendship & the single life together.
I'd like to say our party was completely non-traditional--I mean how did some of these "traditions" get started in the first place?--but while I excused myself from a few activities, for those plentiful times where creativity called, I happily answered. Pulling together Sarah's "Dream Team" of sorts, we assigned each girl a costume to stick with our Uniform-ication theme (Sarah's always had a thing for the uniform look ;) and I put together a rather hilarious CD of songs coordinating with each, check out the playlist (it's a little scandalous I know, but mostly meant to make you laugh):

Uniformication
Navy: SOS (Rescue Me) by: Rihanna “Save me, Sailor!”
Ski Patrol: Buttons by: The Pussycat Dolls “So many layers, loosen them up!”
Park Ranger: It's Raining Men by: Geri Halliwell “Take off the roof & stay in bed!”
GI Soldier: Soldier by: Destiny's Child & Lil Wayne “Big, Strong American Hero”
Sheriff: Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy) by: Big & Rich “Saddle Up Sexy!”
UPS Delivery: Goodies by: Ciara & Petey Pablo “Nice package babe”
Cop: Radar by: Britney Spears “Think I can handle that, Animal in the sack”
FBI Agent: Lover Undercover by: The K.G.B. “Didn’t get outta bed for weeks”
Cabana Babe: Turn me On By Kevin Little “Hug Me, Kiss & Caress Me”
A’s Playa: Run It by: Chris Brown “Forget 1st base, how about a home run?”
Boarder Patrol: Touch my body by: Mariah Carey “Go ahead, SEARCH me…”
Fireman: Hot in Herre by: Nelly “This heat makes me do crazy things”
Bachelorette Princess: One, Two Step by: Ciara & Missy Elliot “The Princess is here!”
Rounding out our activities with everything from cheese-tasting, hiking, and cocktails, to window-less cabs, and a costumed entourage out on the town as we danced the night away, the weekend was full of warm (and for many, quite fuzzy) memories and fun!
Way to go girls! Our bride-to-be seemed so happy and I know that's one weekend we'll never forget.

iProtest

Wednesday AM, another early day sitting in reception as chipper as is possible for me at 7:30 in the morning. MSNBC fills the quiet office where I work with woeful economic news as the bankers, traders, and assistants filter in with their morning hellos, grumbles, or stressful expressions.

One Banker walks by in his well-tailored suit and asks me, jokingly as he notices my white shirt, "Mornin', so are you going to those protests for Tibet?"
I surprise him with my response of "Absolutely--are YOU?"
Slightly flustered, he covers himself "Uhh, no, I don't really participate in stuff like that."
And I say, "You know what, normally neither do I but I've been to Tibet and seen what the Chinese government is like and feel very strongly about supporting Tibet."
He lifts his eyebrows with an acknowledging, "Wow" and the conversation is over.
From there, it's just waiting for my lunch break where I'll join my best friend Sonia at the Embarcadero to demonstrate.
Meeting crowds of people who had already been demonstrating for hours, I was surprised and a bit nauseous to see that there were SO MANY RED CHINESE FLAGS! I know it's thinly masked under Olympic pride, but I think it was still much too much when it actually reminded me of Tian'amen Square. And why was the China flag flying highest of all--wasn't this supposed to be about Olympic tradition? (Note in my picture how the American flag is almost completely eclipsed by China's blood-red banner. I'm hoping this was just a coincidence...)
Anyhow, when Sonia and I arrived--draping ourselves in Tibetan prayer flags she found the night before (thanks craigslist!) I brought out my symbolic batik which I purchased in China of the Eternal Knot. I felt that this symbol, besides coming from Tibet, was a good one to show my reasons for being there. Here's what it means: the Tibetan batik of the auspicious "eternal knot" is an ancient symbol representing the interweaving of the Spiritual Path, the flowing of Time and Movement within That Which is Eternal. All existence, it says, is bound by time and change, yet ultimately rests serenely within the Divine and the Eternal." Another interpretation of the symbol is the inter-twining of wisdom and compassion (a concept that represents what China , Tibet , and the world in general could all use a little more of--don't you think?!)
Anyhow, as we walked down the Embarcadero and joined with the other demonstrators who were there to support and raise awareness about the human rights violations in Tibet (especially the most recent genocide of monks who were peacefully protesting several weeks ago) it was a beautiful day with the backdrop of San Francisco and the Bay Bridge, to see people out and supporting a people who have been enduring China's reign of terror for decades.
With a mix of people ranging from schoolgirls to professionals, the protest had a handful of Tibetan Buddhist monks leading the demonstration and chanting things like: "Stop the killings in Tibet!" "No more genocide in Tibet!" "Shame on Chinese Government!" and my favorite (ok Sonia and I actually made this one up and tried to get people to yell it with us) "Freedom for ALL!"

Many signs stating "China, listen to the Dali Lama" were also displayed at the gathering, along with a large print of the Dali Lama himself, an amazing example of peace and perseverance through all the hardships of his life and the lives of his followers.
This last photo was one that truly could not be ignored in it's powerful message. Having been in Beijing and seen the "progress" made as the city has prepared itself for Olympic glory, I feel very aware of the backward dealings, corruption, and actual blood that has undoubtedly been shed as buildings fly up, residents are prepared and given ultimatums so that China can save face during its time in the world's spotlight...
I feel that it is VERY unfortunate that great athletes and traditions have been dragged into the fray with the political and human rights issues at hand, but I also feel that until China stops its abuse, that we should not extend our welcoming hand of fellowship or business. Changes NEED to happen before it is too late! I have met so many wonderful Chinese people in my travels, many who are are good and wonderful human beings, but I do not want to stand by and support the oppressive government and power that controls China (and may soon control far beyond its boarders). A government that literally terrorizes and oppresses the good people who live there. A government that knows no compromise and devalues human life. It's not right and as long as I have breath to do so, I will oppose those powers and will do my best to help the people who struggle to free themselves from it.

FREE TIBET!

Prom de Replay

"It's weird because "prom" is actually from the word "promenade" and you can't really promenade alone, can you?"-Josie Geller in the movie Never Been KissedIf I had to name a "theme" for this weekend, it would have to be...Prom!

It all started with the randomness of all randoms Friday. I met up with some friends to celebrate the new job with a dance party/spin show by DJ Arnaud Friday night at the Regency in San Francisco. As I went in the venue I realized that it was the same building where I went to Senior Ball in High School.
A beautiful building, it brought back memories of a fun-tastic night of all the photos, dancing, and fabulousness that can only come to a giddy senior girl at prom. I remember my date being the perfect gentleman. He was--albeit--a little shy but never held up the fun for a minute as I group-hopped dancing with everyone, admiring dresses, hair, etc. and just enjoying feeling glamorous. This weekend as I danced again in my former prom venue, I couldn't help but smile as I remembered that time.

Another even bigger reason that Prom was on my mind was the all-encompassing hullabaloo happening at my parent's house on Saturday (and for the past few weeks, honestly) as my over-achieving mom planned to host, not only the traditional prom photo-shoot in our back yard but a full-scale formal dinner for 21 kids at the house before the Hummer Limo (read: awesome) pulled up to whisk the young and beautiful debutantes and petite princes off to the dancing fun! Cleaning everything from the Cabana to the dog, we all pitched in to prepare for the big night and by the time guests were awkwardly pinning on their corsages upon arrival, the house had china-set tables with floral bouquets, place cards, etc. and hoers devours were laid out for the taking as the paparazzi-esqe parents tried to snap the perfect pictures of their kids. I was the designated photographer for my brother Dan and his gf and, true to my photo-happy nature, I took all angles and backdrops that their aching faces could stand (and even a few picts during a rather tragic episode on the trampoline).

Probably the funniest pictures of my brother during the Prom experience were taken--sans dates--on the day following prom and just before the tuxes had to be returned: A backyard full of wanna-be James Bonds.
Talk about guys living out their wildest dreams! But then again, I guess that is what Prom is all about...

Common SenSATIONAL!

GUESS WHAT WORLD? I GOT A JOB!

I was just offered a permanent position at Common Sense Media (www.commonsensemedia.org), the leading non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to improving the impact of media and entertainment on kids and families! I'll be starting mid-April as the Editorial and Video Assistant there and am SO EXCITED! This is quite a different path from the one I started upon exiting Uni ;) but as with China, it's a new adventure and one I feel really good about--Making a living while making a positive difference with something I love--media!

Common Sense is an online company who's content is distributed through partners like AOL, MSN, Netflix and iVillage; and on-screen through partners including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and TiVo. And after an intensive interviewing process with the team I'll be working with, I'm confident that this will be a great fit for me and that I will learn a lot in this new industry and position. Best of all, it's in San Francisco (in the SOMA district by AT&T ballpark) which is an easy commute on BART and one step closer towards my goal for moving into the city by May!

I feel so grateful for this exciting news and the opportunities it will give me. In so many miraculous ways, the job is exactly what I've been searching for and I know that it would not have happened without the support, long-stephilosophical-talks, listening ears, love, and prayers of my friends and family. While I know it will still be challenging work, I look forward to growing as much as I can and being able to PLAN future trips, fun, and goals for the coming months!

The Hills are Aaaaahlive

"What are men compared to rocks and mountains?" -Jane Austen

During this beautiful time of Spring when the hills are rich with infinite shades of green and sprinkled with vibrant bunches of wildflowers, I can't help but agree with Jane Austen as I hike in the East Bay hills.
Ever since I was young I've loved this time of year when the rolling greenery surrounding my hometown stands brightly against the blue sky, reminding me of an alpine meadow above a European village. Since I've lived away from the Bay Area for several years, I haven't been lucky enough to enjoy the hills for a while so this year I've tried to take full advantage of the opportunities I have to walk, hike, or just gaze at them from the BART window.
What a beautiful place we live in and how grateful I feel to be able to enjoy the gorgeous nature that surrounds me, especially during this season that always seems to pass too soon after the winter rains have subsided and the days are filled with the sunlight of longer days.On a hike this weekend with a dear friend, as we sat and talked about life and goings-on, I looked at the knobby, craggly trees that are native to this area (Walnut trees, I think?) and realized that they are such an excellent metaphor for what I'd like to be in life; Resiliant and beautiful in all seasons with their twisting branches the trees grow (often alone) firmly rooted on the hillside throughout all the winds, sun, rain, or drought, so magnificent in thier uniqueness. Aaaaah Nature and it's inspirational beauty- I only wish my pictures could capture the feeling better...

The Early Bird...just nodded off

Well, this will have to be a short update since my new bedtime is 10pm--hahahahahaha--oh wait, that wasn't a joke, I seriously have to go to bed at 10pm! Why so early? Well, I knew my schedule was bound to change when I started any new job, but I just didn't know how early! Since I have to commute and be at work at 7:30am I have to get up at 5:23am (yes, I think getting up at this time maximizes my sleep while still giving me enough time to get ready and out the door by 6:11am) Crazy right- I don't know how people do it- I am dying by 3pm. Maybe it's just getting used to the new schedule. Perhaps I will magically become the "morning person" I've always felt I should be...then again, maybe not. Anyone out there have any good tips for staying awake naturally? I am open to suggestions ;) G'night!

Inner-Views of a Magic 8-ball

ASK AGAIN LATER...Hmmm, is this 8-ball broken or something? Because this seems like the message I've been getting for a while now. What's going on? As most everyone that talks with me these days knows, I'm looking for a job. Part of the reason they know is because the job hunt is an all-consuming task that's constantly on my mind, and part of it is our culture of asking those fated questions: What do you do? Where are you from? How old are you? While I realize that I do it too and it's all just small-talk, those questions have come to make my stomach churn at times. Can I just tell them what my internal magic 8-ball is telling me, ASK AGAIN LATER?

In very positive and tangible ways, I have been keeping busy and trying to make the most of my "time-off." Yes, I have been really fortunate to have a few "freelance" gigs to get me through, I've been able to travel, visit family, blog ;) etc. but basically over the past 7 months of unemployment (a little over a year if you count my journey in China) all the interviewing and job-hunting I've been doing has been an ever-present, full-time challenge of its own. So what's the deal--is it the slumping market? Or the fact that I want to stay in the small market of San Francisco? Or the perhaps now that I've got a little experience under my belt, I have a better idea of the kind of work environment/culture I'm looking for but haven't been really sure where to find it or that work/life balance I long for? Whatever it is, I have definitely had some time to think about it all, rework my plans over and over again, try new strategies, and prepare myself for quite a few interviews.

Interviews are interesting things to prepare for and as I've talked with friends about my plethora of meetings with potential employers, I've realized a few things for myself that I want to pass along in case it's helpful to someone out there. Let me start with the idea that mistakes we make are ALWAYS opportunities to learn. Because of this, I can say from the heart that I've been taking a full-fledged course in career-hunt 101. As I've thought about what I've been learning, perhaps my biggest mistake or "difference" with many who interview is this: over-honesty. I've wanted to find a great or nearly-perfect fit that meets my goals, values, and hope for balance in a company. When these topics are discussed in interviews, I often give very real answers, though of course trying to be positive & diplomatic about it. Had I simply wanted to go in and get the job, I probably would have been a little less up-front with my goals and said exactly what I thought they wanted to hear, thus my honesty really weakened my case and may have dismissed me from a position before the interviewer did. In all the tips I've read, I know that this is NOT good and while I feel good about being honest with people and truly letting them know who I am, I have had to realize that many people fudge their way through interviews or corporate life in general and if I'm going to compete with that, the best thing to do is to maintain honesty but withhold any room for doubt and not be afraid of disappointing once I'm in there. I know I'm capable and a hard-worker, but no matter what is said in an interview, no one can really know that until I start working for them, thus the best thing you can do in an interview is re-assure the company that you have all these positive qualities, you are reliable and smart enough to handle the job, you bring something more to the job than advertised for, and then GET IN THERE and PROVE IT!

I use the pun "Inner-View" because for me, the work in preparing myself for an interview has been very internal, looking deeply at what I want and where I want to go. Has this complicated things for me? Most definitely, but have I been learning more about what I need/want/can do? Yes. I've been picky and perfectionistic in my interviews and hey, sometimes that is OK, but there are times when you just have to bite the bullet, work your way through some of the less-desirable steps and switchbacks on the trail of life until you can be given the chance to make your way to the ultimate goal: the top of the mountain! Following your gut is still important, and I am glad that I have followed mine even with the challenges of not getting some of the jobs that would have looked good on my resume. You can't win if your feet are running miles ahead of where you're head's at. So now, I think I've come up with a compromise for the two and am finally ready to move on, together with my feet, head, and heart lined up towards a common goal...

As I was tallying it up, my stats are pretty interesting and I wonder how above/below employment survey stats I am...According to my memory and records, I've applied for a total of 50 jobs, most of which I found with postings on Craigslist.org, Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com, or corporate websites. Out of those 50, I have had about 12 phone interviews, and 20 in-person interviews (mostly round 1 interviews)! While my goals during this search have changed as I've changed and been challenged by new goals and financial needs, I am happy to report that as of today I am am officially BACK IN THE GAME after a successful interview with Merriman Cohan Ford & Co., an Investment Firm in San Francisco. It's an exciting opportunity with the kind of schedule I need to get going and moving forward towards my life goals with an excellent location, $ I can start saving, and new network of smart people I can get to know at my job. And who knows where this road could lead. It certainly moves me out of FLOATING mode and into ACTION and that is what I need so I'm happy!

Please don't stop the Music...

No matter what is going on in my life, whether experiencing the best of times or the worst, Music has always been an essential part of who I am and expressing how I feel. It just says more than words can. In short, Music rocks my soul to the core. That is why I am grateful to have enjoyed and "discovered" 2 new artists in the wonderful world of music recently and feel even luckier to have seen them both live this past week in San Francisco.

The first was Chris Velan; a Canadian acoustic guitarist and singer with an earthy folk croon whose music feels like a comforting cup of cocoa spreading warmth through your body as it slides down your throat. His music seems familiar somehow, like he's been where you are which resonates deeply with me.
I especially liked a new song of his that I heard Wednesday night at the Hotel Utah (a small indie club in SOMA with a saloon vibe, dim lighting, and old wooden furniture). The song reminded me of "killing me softly" not because of the tune, but because as he sang it was as though he was "strummin' my story with his fingers" as he sang about all the change that can happen in a year. While my emotions seemed to swell as I listened to the lyrics, I felt a mix of sadness and overwhelming gratitude for all that has happened in the past year. It's been hard, no question, but somehow hearing the music and words reaffirmed my knowledge that we all go through periods of intense growth and more importantly, that it was OK. My personal thoughts aside, the show was shorter than I would have liked but overall really great.
Chris had a soundboard that he used to record parts as he played them to harmonize with himself on songs (I love watching artists do this ever since I first saw it done at the Imogen Heap concert in LA and from our vantage point on the balcony above the stage we had a perfect view- very cool!) Meeting him after the show since the club was so intimate and we happened to be there with his second cousin (dearest Sonicka), I found Chris to be a genuinely good soul whose unassuming talent truly lights a stage while speaking to Truth of emotion. Definitely check out his CD "Twitter, Buzz, Howl" or find out more about his shows here.
Now, as a unemployed gal on the tightest budget of my life, I haven't been to see a live concert in at least a year (and I love live music!), so to see 2 great shows in one week was quite the splurge. When I first heard about Saturday night's show, I point-blank did not even consider going, how could I right? Besides, my friend told me it was dance/electronic music which I like well enough to dance to but not that much, or so I thought, check out music story #2...
Amazing week of music, story 2: After Chris Velan's show Wednesday, my friends Sonia and Liesl were chatting with me a bit about Kaskade, the DJ who was spinning at the Ruby Skye gig on Saturday. Since I had already opted out of that fun, I didn't get too involved in the conversation, but curiosity got the best of me later that evening as I was working on my computer...who was Kaskade and why all the hype? So I did a search, found his music, and the rest is history---I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! So much so that I couldn't stop listening until 3am and the next morning when I woke up, I immediately turned on my computer to listen to more all day. Really. Truly. I listened to it all day long and decided that I could not miss the show, so I promptly told my very surprised but excited friend Sonia, and we made plans to see Kaskade.
Like Mary Poppin's young charges and "supercalifragilisticexpalidocious", I couldn't seem to stop myself from telling everyone I knew about this awesome new music discovery. Partially because I was so surprised myself that I could like it so much and partially because it was (actually is) just that good. Spinning tracks infused with sexy, powerful dancebeats and lyrics that energize and flow with the well-crafted kaleidescope of musical sounds, Kaskade's music is sophisticated and unique. Like hot pair of stilettos that you slip on and suddenly you're lifted over the rainbow (drug-free, of course). The top 3 songs of his that I love can be found on his website, MySpace page, and even iTunes including: "All you," "Steppin' Out," and lastly "Be Still" (which co-incidentally reminded me of a favorite hymn from my church called "Be Still My Soul" and led me to check out if Kascade had an LDS background and get this--he's actually Mormon! Crazy right?)
Anyhow, Saturday night's show was awesome. Pleasantly surprised by DJ Pilot's excellent beats playing just before Kascade, Emily, Jodee, and I literally had to drag ourselves away from the dance floor around 2:30 am as our legs were ready to collapse after dancing for hours. Even amid the craziness of the dance floor and undesirables at the club (see video), the music was so worth it as we danced FRONT ROW, watching Kaskade's awesome expressions while he mixed the music and pumped the club full of harmonious beats. Love-Love-Loved it and definitely recommend his music to anyone that likes to dance.

Happy China Anniversary

Yesterday marked my 1-year anniversary for embarking on adventures in China. I can hardly believe that at this time last year I was arriving in Shanghai for orientation, celebrating the year of the Pig and eating my first jiaozi! It's even harder to believe that I have been home longer than I was gone too! I guess just like the buses I rode in China, there was a lot packed into my time there. Each day seemed so full of new and different people, challenges, surprises, and lessons I needed to learn. In a big way, I've been grateful for the extra down-time I've had since my return and know it's probably been a blessing in disguise, truly allowing me to process and reflect on my time in China and all that I was able to learn about myself, the world, the Chinese culture and people, and America from the outside. A year later, I still know that going to China was one of the best things for me and my life and I am so grateful that I was able to have the support and confidence from myself, friends, and family to be able to go and experience all that I did. Would I ever go back? Definitely, though probably not to live in Baoding again or teach English... ;)

She's Crafty...well, sort of

One thing that I've learned in life thus far is that when one has less money, one tends to get creative. While I've always considered myself a creative person by nature (which now that I'm thinking about it, has related pretty well to my salary history), in my most recent months with birthdays & other events, I've had to really pull some strings with creative ideas rather than the already tightened strings on my purse and was thinking about that today as I pondered some recent happenings.
Enter CRAFTS--a category since my earliest days I have struggled in vain to truly embrace (though it hasn't been for lack of trying). Craft projects are interesting forms of creative work to me because the actual do-ing of them is, for the most part, often very methodical and even (mom's going to hate me for this one) a bit boring. All these patterns must be followed in a special order with exact preparations, specific stitches, etc. and most of the time while learning, you can't change or create much of your own anything because you have to follow what you've lined up for your project.

In terms of coming up with a creative project idea, I completely love and excel in this area, but ask me to put that into tangible action and create something with my bare hands out of needles, thread, fabric, puff-paints, and patterns and I tend to stumble...quite a lot. Example A: My latest attempts to do a service project learning to crochet bandages for leper colonies. This picture shows you how far I've gotten after at least 3 hours of un-doing and re-doing the stitching to get a workable weave going...seriously, I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish!
I wonder if it's just that I lack the necessary patience to excel in crafts or perhaps I have some undefined condition like ACD (Attention Craft Disorder)? Maybe it's my subconscious knowledge that in the modern world that I live and function in, making crafts can actually end up costing more time and money than just buying much better-looking things that mean just as much and are used more often than the secretly-discarded/slightly deformed scarves, potholders, hand-made jewelery, & craft projects I am capable of making at this point. I may never know the true reasons that I have difficulty in the craft arena, but I do cling to the hope that the more I try to do these crafty projects, the more chance I have of actually being able to make something cool out of nothing-- all of my own design... (like these cute-yet-time-intensive birthday cupcakes)

Go, BITE, win--SHARKS GAME!

This weekend I was lucky enough to go to my first professional hockey game in San Jose at the HP "Shark Tank" to watch the SJ Sharks beat the CGO Blackhawks in a shoot-out after going overtime!
The game was great, the company even better with 8 of my best girl-pals cheering together and catching up!
AND, I realized that I really LIKE watching hockey. While almost any live sporting event is fun and entertaining to me, Hockey is simple, skilled, and smooth in the way games are played with of course the occasional fights and players faces squished against the glass to keep it exciting ;)
For the most part the fans were generally good sports and advertisers did a great job of giving out some awesome prizes (I was one row above the people who won free external hard-drives AND pizza--booo, they weren't even Sharks fans. Ah well, NEXT TIME...)
So, highlights of the game would have to be: celebrating each time Sharks scored- woot!, all the sharked-themed stuff (players entered the ice from a giant shark's mouth, shark balloons circled the arena, we did a cheer using our hands as jaws, Sharkie-the-mascot, and best of all: zamboni's with shark fins!) musical chairs/convos with our group of friend fans, major eye-candy with all the good-looking hockey players and fans at the game, and of course the final shot that WON it all--Good game Sharkies! (and thanks Sonia for setting up the fun :)

Ode to January...

Lot's has happened, lot's hasn't but as the first month of 2008 comes to a close, I wanted to highlight events of this NEW and only-just-begun year with a personalized version of the Carpenter's tune, "We've Only Just Begun"...

We've only just begun... this year,
Seeing old friends from China
We played Guitar Hero with noo-oo sound
And yes, Dave & Lis won (best bet ever- so fun to see you all for a day!)

Regardless--rain or sun--we went
To the SF DeYoung (hooray for public transportation--BART/MUNI/Bus)
The Afro art and teapots were fun (and FREE!)
Oh, Sarah thanks a ton :)

Sharing some dance floors that were new to us (@ RUBY SKYE- SF!),
Watching some duds along the way (wait for 27 Dresses DVD- blech!),
Walking the coastline just the 5 of us (thanks Sarah, Chris, Kim, & Sonia)
Hooray for lovely Half-Moon Bay
Together. (In traffic with nothing but oranges!)

And when Em's birthday came...we smiled,
So much of life ahead (she's only 21!)
But Jonelle left for Utah's cold ah-and snow,
And we'll miss her a ton :(
BUT, we've ONLY just begun,
2008 holds much more undiscovered adventures to come...

Copycatting

After a recent interview testing my concert knowledge and know-how (of all things), I've been thinking of the concerts I've been too in my life. So, when I read on my sister's blog a list of all the musicians she's seen in concert, I decided that it wasn't a coincidence and I needed to copy her (yet again as she loves to say :) and make my own little list of music's best memories. I have nothing but love for live shows, though sometimes I wonder if my eardrums may regret them when I'm 30 and deaf...eeek... but anyway, here's the fabulous list (note the variety- I'm a girl of many musical tastes!)

The BIG Shows
Dave Matthews Band (several times, this was my first concert & 2nd-hand high-ick!)
Stone Temple Pilots (Rockstars using the flag to avoid nudity)
Red Hot Chili Peppers (high school obsession cooled as they weren't as amazing in concert)
Counting Crows (I guess I kinda got why the 18-year-old starlets are attracted...)
John Mayer (was screaming to have his baby at the end of the show--awkward)
Incubus (MY FAVES! Even w/ the Saltair's briney smell they were AMAZING live- oh B.Boyd!)
Maroon 5 (pre-popularity, catchy tunes that I liked but not amazed by the showmanship)
Jack Johnson (My first experience at Berkeley's Greek theatre, great show in the summer sun)
Ben Harper (& surprise guest Santana, jam sessions are the best thing about live shows!)

Most Unique
Hoobastank (Italy @ Coliseum for MTV Euro awards, I was packed on streets with Italians)
The Cure (again in Italy @ Coliseum, only got one song but it was C-O-O-L)
Josh Groban (POpera at it's best on a warm summer night!)
New Found Glory (Craziest mosh-pit EVER, total crowd domination of my body movement)
Imogen Heap (live-mixing of amazing, funky, creative talent at fab-retro Wiltern venue)

Small yet Steller Shows
Lifehouse (they had one single at the time, loved seeing that there was more to them)
The Like (@ LA's MOCA museum)
Peter Brienholdt (Provo-date central)
Ryan Shupe & the Rubberband (Hotness with a Banjo!)
Ricky Martin (@ the Jimmy Kimmel show in LA, aye yaye yes he was good!)
Jacob Luttrell (American Idol Crooner fulla soul at the Mint)
Something Corporate (saw them at a club once for $1.05 in San Fran!)

In Memory of President Hinckley

Most of you know that I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka Mormons) and since yesterday a significant event happened with the death of Gordon B. Hinckley, I wanted to share some thoughts. Here's one Utah paper's obituary report on the late Prophet of our church, President Gordon Bitner Hinckley who was 97 years old and served tirelessly as prophet, seer, and revealator for 13 years.

While he was by no means a perfect man and I never met him personally, he truly was someone I admired and respected as the best kind of person you can be. Teaching tolerance, love, and kindness as he counseled and led people throughout the world, President Hinckley personified spirituality & faith with intelligence, functionality, & global awareness. As a leader of a fast-growing and culturally diverse faith, he always impressed me with how he first expressed love and gratitude for people then provided simple and straight-forward counsel for applying principles to life. Always looking at life from an optimistic standpoint of what CAN we do, one of Hinckly's most well-known teachings as Prophet were the 8 Be's, which I believe can apply for any of us that are hoping to achieve happiness in life:

1-Be Grateful (How often we all forget the many things that we each are so generously given in this life, especially here in the US! If we all felt sincere gratitude for what we do have, how much more satisfied, happy, and willing to give we might be...)

2-Be Smart (Knowledge truly is power, the kind of power we need to take control of our lives and help build positive relationships and communities throughout the world)

3-Be True- (I love this quote: "Truth never has been dependent on the number of people who believe it." Being truthful is about personal strength and integrity which are so desperately needed now and always.)

4-Be Clean- (There's enough garbage in life without inviting into your mind and soul. Being clean goes right along with being smart in my mind.)

5-Be Involved- (Focusing outward builds your inner self and helps others. Win-win if you ask me.)

6-Be Still- (I doubt that anyone would argue that we need more complications for our life--stillness and time for thought and meditation couldn't be more necessary for our busy and often cluttered lives)

7-Be Humble- (Much easier to be humble rather than humbled when we put too much pride in ourselves and look down on others.)

8-Be Prayerful- (Regardless of denomination, personal prayer provides an opportunity to nurture a reflective spirit and can provide the guidance and comfort that we so often forget we need. It's about stopping, asking for help, and listening to the guiding forces of our hearts.)

Thank you President Hinckley for your life, example, and service to me and so many others. We will miss you but are thankful you could be with us as long as you were.

HDP Article from Oprah Magazine

These days I'm online a lot, so when I came across this article the other day on MSN, I thought it was pretty interesting and something I should a) take note of, and b) share. Hope you all find it as insightful/helpful/interesting as I did. Let me know what you think...

Common Sense + Media :)

In my on-going search for a job where I can make a living while making a difference I found a posting on Craigslist that lead me to find Common Sense Media, a non-profit that focuses on helping families and kids be media-saavy and not censor media but be smarter about their consumption of it. Call me a nerd, but this was really exiting to me since part of the reason I decided to pursue a career in advertising was to better understand the media's power and be a positive impact in a seemingly amoral arena. I’ve often wondered what organizations existed that encouraged media literacy—not censorship—and could help children & their families make better choices, which is why (as a Bay Area native) I was thrilled to discover that Common Sense Media's headquarters are in my very own city of San Francisco. Unfortunately, they weren't as thrilled to discover me; I knew the job I applied for was a bit of a stretch and sure enough my experience level wasn't enough. Per usual it seems, but I'm trying not to be discouraged because at least I found them and maybe I can work with them sometime in the future. I'm hoping to have an informational interview at least so I can learn more about their work, organization, etc. Just knowing organizations like CSM are out there gives me hope. Also this week, I spoke with the SF rep for national PSA superstar (the organization behind Smokey Bear, McGruff, Penny & drugs are bad, etc) Ad Council. While opportunities with them are scarce as well, it was good just talking with someone who works in the non-profit world of media and could kindly give some advice. Since then, I've discovered Adbusters (in Canada), Just Think (in San Francisco too), and the Center for Media Literacy (in Malibu).

If anyone, randomly, knows of other media literacy organizations out there, please let me know.

Rick Steves= great branding

As one of the few people under 60 who attended the Bay Area Travel show this past Saturday, I feel compelled to give a little summary of my experience and observations of the travel industry & travelers who were in attendance.

First, let's start with the most exciting headliner of the show, the one who brought my family countless laughs with "Venice can be expensive" in his best-selling Italy guidebook, the white & nerdy, mary-jane friendly, character-to-the-max: Rick Steves!

Having used his books before and watched his Europe-trotting PBS show, I was interested to see what Rick would be like presenting in person and was not disappointed in the least as I sat in the second row of a room filled with around 600 gawking, deal-hungry travelers. Rick gave a great presentation to the crowd, even through the flashing cameras of fanatics and rude interruptions of greedy pamphlet-snatchers (I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw at least 20 people get up, mid-speech and make there way to the front of the conference room to grab the free maps and newsletters Rick had brought with him- grrr). Yet, through it all, Rick kept his geeky-yet-charming composure and spoke about his travel "through the back door" culturally experiential philosophy while gently promoting all his books, tours, & products with seamless ease.

Impressed by Rick's speech & dedicated following, I thought about what it is that makes Rick so successful beyond his travel background, and in my opinion, it's his personal branding. I mean, where else can you find someone that seems like a bigger dork that you (don't we all feel like that a bit when we travel?) who is willing to go out there and admit to making mistakes so you don't have to? He's white-bread American, which appeals to many who are afraid of travel dangers: getting lost, language barriers, scams, etc. and he promotes the fact that he doesn't speak anything but English (if he can get around, I bet you can too, right?! BTW, buy his guide since he knows where you're coming from).

He's also personalized and narrowed in on one specific region--Europe-- and tacks his name on everything because he's still out and about doing all of it (talk about Type A personality, at the travel show he actually exited out the back door--ironic considering the name of his books--to head to another presentation he had in town.) Along with his travel books, maps, tours, & TV shows, Rick also has a blog, podcast/radio show, and his own line of specially designed luggage. How does he cram it all in, seriously? Anyhow, I think Rick's work is a great example of someone really taking their personality and making it work towards selling their products, especially to the older generations of traveling Americans who were the majority of the crowd at the travel show. It was fun to see him speak and definitely inspired me want to plan a trip ASAP back to Europe (as if that's the least bit difficult!) Germany, Austria, & Switzerland anyone?

the Mysteries of 2008

Ringing in the New Year was pretty low-key for me as I waved goodbye to 2007 while falling asleep on the floor, but that doesn't mean I'm not excited for 2008 and it's excitingly mysterious potential. It's the biggest question mark I've ever had at the start of the year and therefore, the most open road as well: Where will I go? What will I do? How will it all work out? While questions like these can be rather scary, I'm choosing to see them like an artist's work that I saw at the DeYoung Museum this week who described his art 'like mysterious book covers for unwritten novels.' I don't have my novel worked out completely yet, but the continuing story of my life is brimming with opportunities yet to be explored and I know there are many adventures ahead. So, whether this year's chapter will be a comedy, romance, drama, or otherwise, I'm thankful to have the many great characters in my friends and family that continue to be a part of my life and support me through the ups and downs of its ever-changing action.

Marry (ied) Christmas...

One of my final trips of 2007 was to my dearest college roommate Courtney's wedding in Arizona. While I knew the wedding would be awesome (and it was) what I didn't expect was the very pleasant surprise of having so many of our friends from BYU at the actual wedding since tickets can be pricey and the Christmas holiday can be packed. But, there were 8 of us total from all over (Boston, San Diego, LA, San Fran, Salt Lake City, Provo, & Denver) for a full-scale wedding party and reunion of sorts. Court, an amazing planner, took care of all of us when we got there- arranging pick-up from the airport and housing us in her future Porter Family home (already painted, decorated, and furnished by Court and Matt- wow!) and we had some serious catch-up time sleeping under the same roof and traveling from Mesa where Court and Matt were married and sealed at the temple, to Tucson where their elegant reception was held.


Highlights of my quick but great trip would have to be

1) Seeing my friend so happy and so perfectly matched to her now-husband (seriously, they are a couple that you see that looks like they were made to be together),

2) Catching up with everyone, road-trip/sleepover style!

3) The memorable 'Spelunxing' convo with the Bride,

4) Being one of the 3 still-single girls forced to stand up and catch the bouquet (after a first attempt where the bouquet hit the ceiling, I caught it on the second throw- I wonder if that is a metaphor for my love life...? yikes)
5) And lastly, running off to decorate the hotel room with candles, chocolate, roses, and (alcohol-free) bubbly!

Congrats to Mr. & Mrs. Porter- I'm so glad I could be apart of your special day.

Back to the Mac Side!

Christmas was definitely a good one this year. The day itself was filled with surprise gifts, the best being my WONDERFUL new MacBook! Love it, Love it, Love it!

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

There's been good news for toasting, fat snowmen for posing, and caroling fun without snow!

Also gingerbread houses (quite scary to mouses), then Ice Skating with ho-ho-JO!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Temple lights--oh so sparkle-y,

Sweet Archie's so bark-ly

Our family'll be here...

For the most wonderful time of the year!

Re-visiting La la land...

This weekend marked my first return to LA post-China, almost a year after I moved away last January. While it was a little surreal to be back, staying with my old roomie and visiting all my old haunts, it was a fun trip and great chance to catch up with friends in the area in slightly-warmer than San Francisco temperatures :)
After my flight got in Thursday, Jess and I started off the fun with a night out at the Gas Lite for Karaoke craziness.

Then Friday we reminisced in our old Brentwood neighborhood at the fabulous Coral Tree Cafe for brunch. Followed that afternoon by a movie and then Christmas party with a bunch of church friends in Pasadena!

After a lovely morning brunch with friends then an afternoon hot cocoa with my fab. former co-workers, I knew that no visit would be complete without a night on the town. Thus Saturday night Dana, Jess, Susan, and I opted for dinner at Swingers then headed over to a recently re-vamped Busby's for dancing, pool, and games. Collapsing that night on the couch while watching our old P&P staple with an extra serving of Mr. Darcy!

After a bit of sleep-in Sunday, we zipped through In-N-Out on our way to my beloved and much-missed Getty Center and enjoyed the art and views for a couple hours before heading back for Natalee Thai and a small get-together with friends--squeezing a little more fun in before I had to fly out Monday AM.
It was a lovely visit overall (though I'll never miss that traffic) and so much fun to see people after such a long time!

The Virgin Flight

With pricing that was cheaper than gas in my fuel-efficient car, I couldn't resist snapping up a cheap flight down to LA this past weekend on a new airline but classic, familiar brand: the one and only Virgin America. For a company who's done everything from music to mobile phones and has been an icon of British-infused chic-ness, I was interested in seeing what kind of branding experience the new airline would present, and I was not surprised as I grabbed my free *red* Virgin earbuds and stepped on the neon-purple lit jet with white leather first-class seats and individual entertainment units in each seat, that this flight was different than your average Southwest trip. Not missing a branding beat, bathrooms had Method soap, all snacks one could pay-to-order were other well-known brands that you'd expect to be in bed with the Virgin flight of young, jet-setting hipsters like myself (harhar), and even the safety video had the tongue-in-cheek wit that made it uniquely Virgin.



But while I admired the well-glossed marketing strategy, the reality of my flight being 2 hours late on the way there and then not having any functioning entertainment on the way back made me (and quite a few others that I heard talking rather adamantly about the flight delay being a regular occurrence with Virgin) feel much less satisfied with the flight and my likeliness of using them again, especially when given the option of being flashy verses on-time. The bottom line is that the most important consumer insight of all when flying was not addressed. The fact that when people fly, the most important thing to them is being on time and if that can't happen, then knowing exactly why they are delayed and what will be done to compensate them for the lost time. A free snack (which is usually always given on any other flight) doesn't really make people feel better about missing the dinner/meeting/pick-up at the airport, though it is better than nothing. I guess it makes you realize that though branding is powerful and can make a big difference in a lot of ways, it can't make-up for a bad product or service no matter how many bells and whistles you put on it.

Does this guy have the right idea?

I came across this rather interesting article in the NY times this week about one of my fellow gen-Y job searchers that could really relate to. Sean Aiken, a 25-year-old Canadian who's been working a new job each week this year to try and discover a job that clicked for him. The most compelling quote from the article for me was this:

The 20-somethings who turn to One Week Job find in Mr. Aiken “an ideal of the unstable life,” says Penelope Trunk, the author of “The Brazen Careerist” (Business Plus, 2007), who blogs and lectures on the transformation of the workplace. “He sends the message ‘job-hopping is O.K.,’ ‘moving around is O.K.’”

That is a comforting message, she says, because while Gen Y talks of seeking passion and embracing what is new, that is just brave cover for a less comfortable truth. “The reality is they might prefer one job that would last forever and end with retirement, but that kind of job doesn’t exist anymore,” Ms. Trunk says. “The alternative, the instability, terrifies them. Sean Aiken is an example of how uncertainty and constant change can be O.K.”

True, but how many of us out there can create our own niche like Sean?

An (unfortunate) First...

In life, there are some firsts that you know will probably happen but don't really look forward to. For example:
-first gray hair
-first cavity
-first airport pat-down
-first speeding ticket
or my most recent first (as of yesterday) the first flat tire while on the road. My poor car is having some issues these days; we just replaced the clutch 3 weeks ago and now I've got to get a new tire because yesterday, while I was driving to Downtown Walnut Creek, my front left tire went completely flat and I barely made it through the light and to the gas station before I was riding right on the rim! The good thing is that I wasn't on the freeway and I was able to get off the road right away, but as much as I'd "prepared" myself for something like this to happen, there is never a good time to get a flat.
Plan A) First, I vaguely thought about trying to handle the problem myself, but since the tire shop was just down the road and it didn't seem like it'd be too difficult to just fill up the tire there at the station and drive over. Sadly, after (ahem- calling my dad then) asking the station manager about air I quickly discovered they had none.
Plan B) Next I tried to get out my own emergency roadside kit and use my mini-pump to try and get air in the tire. That wasn't working too well so I easily opted for...
Plan C) Use my phone to call AAA--BINGO!
Thankfully my membership was still active and within the hour they sent a guy out to come help me. When he arrived and re-filled the tire, we discovered that the problem was that the actual tire had cracked and could no longer be fixed or hold any air. Thus he changed it for the spare and poor ol' Stella the Saturn and I went home missing our afore-planned movie and even worse, imagining the next big expense coming my way for some now-necessary new tires :( Aw, well. Now I've BTDTed that first and hopefully my next "first" will be a better one...

Viva Cozumel!

Such a great trip & fun Thanksgiving with the fam, not to mention my first trip to 'real' Mexico (though I do still count the boarder town Nogales as Mexico).
Fantastic and wonderfully varied scuba diving and fun on the dive boats

...gorgeous Caribbean blue water & a fab, comfy condo with an ocean view

a pore-purifying day trip to the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza and the beautiful Ik Kil cenote...

...quality beach time with coca-lites, nachos and my first adrenaline-juicing jetski ride

...not to mention a decent Thanksgiving dinner with no dishes clean-up what-so-ever!

Happy Thanksgiving indeed Cozumel, lots of fun to be thankful for on this fabulous trip!

Spanitalianish...?

I'm Cozumel-bound in t-minus 4 days (from writing this) for Thanksgiving week (yay!) and between all the other running around, packing, and scuba gear prep I've been trying to brush up on my Spanish. However, with 5 semesters of Italian between my rusty high school attempts with Beto Chavez e compadres in Espanol, I must admit I am having some difficulty. I feel OK about my understanding of Spanish words, but speaking is quite a different story as my Italian pronunciation of ci and ll among other things, tend to creep into my speech. The two Latin-based languages are just so similar which always seems to lead me to more mistakes when you would think it might be helpful. I realize I am not much of a linguist (just look at my latest attempts--if we can call it that--at Mandarian, YIKES!) but I am trying nevertheless!
Me gusta la opportunidad di hablar e praticar espanol hoy!

Is there any Profit in Non-Profit?

In my on-going job hunt, I've been considering my personal interests and future goals for an "ideal" position. Beyond a livable paycheck (a bigger difficulty here in the Bay Area than in most other cities) I not only hope for a job that's interesting and useful, but I have always wanted to do work that contributes to the good things and people in the world and doesn't just sell to them.

Why the heck did I pick Advertising in the first place then, you may wonder? Well, early on as I thought about those areas in school that interested me most I found that the entertainment/pop culture factor of media fit well with my artistic sentiments but also used the power of strategy and results-based thinking to balance productivity with pleasure. It just seemed like a good fit for those subjects I excelled in and after working for a year and a half at an agency, I still believe that's true. Beyond that however, I've always believed that Media was and is ever-more becoming a hugely powerful influence on people and society today, and I decided that if the Media is truly so powerful, why shouldn't I become a person in that mix that wants to do something good with it? While my "Odyssey" into adulthood has dampened many of my former idealistic thoughts, this is still one that I hold on to and hope to realize in the work that I do, but I'm puzzling now over how.

How can one make profit serving non-profit causes? It doesn't seem to make much sense in our Capitalist economy, yet there are other jobs out there that in my mind might bring this same question up, and they're doing OK...like Firemen- paid heroes, Police- keepers of the peace, even Teachers to a degree- educators of the future. As I've started to research and think about the non-profit world today, I found a description I liked online that said the following:

In its simplest form, a non profit organization is a state of mind - an intention - to do public good. On the other hand, a for profit company (whether or not it makes a profit) is in business to make money for its owners (or stockholders) and has a fiduciary or legal responsibility to do so.

There are a lot of facets to being non profit. Remember that being non profit is not the same as not making a profit. A lot of companies do not make a profit but that does not make them non profit. Making a profit (called "margins" in non profit parlance) does not make you a "for profit" company either - you can make margins and still be non profit.

The IRS is even more specific about where margins of non profits can be spent by requiring that no profit may go to the benefit of the non profit organizations members. Any profit must be used to further the charitable purposes of the organization.

Kinda interesting huh? Anyhow, I'm trying to learn more about possible jobs in this area since, as idealistic as it may sound, I'd love to work for a cause, not just a bottom line. Send any thoughts/articles/info you have my way if you can...

Top 5 reasons this Halloween rocked...

1. My COSTUME: I put my sewing, craft, and creativity skills to the test to produce the most complete, fantastic costume of my Halloween career. A character that I have loved since childhood who is practically perfect in every way. She flies with her talking bird umbrella, has hilarious tea parties on the ceiling with friends, sings with birds as she cleans house, and jumps through sidewalk paintings for day trips: the one and only Mary Poppins!!!!


2. Arch-bee: My dog may not love dressing up as much as I do, but wow did he look cute this Halloween in his little bumble bee costume- I felt like the paparazzi I took so many pictures of him!

3. Good Friends & That Old Blackhawk Magic: There are few things I love more than dressing up on Halloween, but one thing is being around others who are just as into dressing up as I am! Blackhawk's Annual Halloween party was just the place to find those kindred spirits (harhar) this year. I mean, being Mary Poppins is fun, but being Mary Poppins and hanging out with The Queen of Hearts, Rufio (bang-a-rang!), Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Tinkerbelle, Boarder Patrol, Elle-"Legally-Blonde"-Woods, Luna-the-moon-fairy, a Sexy Nascar driver, 2 hot mechanics, and a gangsta is 10x more amazing. I love my friends! Not to mention the other fun characters we saw that night including: Austen Powers in his knickers with his very own Femme-bot, a Knight in shining armor, Britney Spears dripping with neglected babies, Dr. Suess's Thing 1 & Thing 2, among many others. Dancing, taking picts with the classic cars, Scary-oke, and tasty treats were some of the highlights of the evening. Note to self: people who pay to go to Halloween Balls really get into their costumes- yay!


4. Mo's don't party like Hoe's yo: Party numero dos of the Halloween season was Saturday night, hosted by the Berkeley YSA institute in the ol' Hearst mansion a few blocks south of UC Berkeley. Getting decked out in our costumes at my house once again and taking silly pictures "in-character" was a party in itself but when we finally made it to the organized party, we had a good time too :) They had a haunted area of the house (that was, admittedly kind of freaky), a spacious dance floor to bust some moves on, refreshments featuring Halloween-y decor like bloody eyeballs, disembodied limbs, etc. and some more fun, though not-so-scandalous costumes as other Halloween parties (ahem, Blackhawk hoe you know who you are). Not to get on a soap-box or anything, but I've never understood why women feel the need to skank-it-up for Halloween, as if that's the only way they'll get attention or have fun. Ladies take a tip from Mary Poppins--the most covered creature in the crew-- I got more attention popin' my umbrella, singing "spoonful a sugar", and strolling around this weekend's parties than the girl that gave the whole dance floor a lap dance in her saran wrap bikini Friday night, AND I left with my dignity, shout-outs from 2 DJ's, people bursting into sing-alongs across the parking lot, and at one party, the "best in show" costume title! I just wish people would have more respect for their bodies- especially women- and not lower the bar for everyone by showing their goods for nothing. It's just so unoriginal, not to mention tacky. As Saturday's shin-dig was a church-sponsored event, one positive of the evening was the class-i-ly covered-up atmosphere, excluding that weird guy dressed like a baby in a huge diaper (that was just strange and kinda gross- shudder). Don't worry, I didn't take a pict of that one...


5. And of course, last but not least, the top reason why this Halloween rocked: I got to drive out to Utah with my mom last minute to surprise my Aunt for her 50th birthday! We hid out in her house on her birthday with my grandparents just as she was coming home from work. Accidentally, we set off her house alarm and freaked her out a bit when the police called her up stating her alarm system sensed an intruder just as she was opening her door and we jumped out to surprise her! It was hilarious but after the shock of expecting a burglar wore off and she saw our almost-as-unexpected faces, she was all smiles and really happy we came- even if she did get more surprises than she expected on her birthday! ;) Fun times this Halloween season that I enjoyed laughing at over one of grandma's fabulous milkshakes on the actual night of Halloween! Can't wait until next year...

Freelance? Free Lance? Freelance...

While I still haven't found a permanent solution to my unemployment problem that doesn't mean I've been idling away all day, sleeping in, watching TV, playing guitar hero, etc. (despite what my parents might try to tell you, I've only done a bit of that). On the contrary, I'm still plugging away looking for a job where my mind, heart, and gut-feeling can line up in unity with a good sense of purpose and paycheck to boot. Call me idealistic but I still think it's possible to find a job that allows you to work hard and do well, with people you like and healthy hours, but I'm learning that it's just something that takes time, especially in a boutique job market like San Francisco and at my current career level.



So, in the meantime I've been doing what all women are born to do: multi-tasking. Thanks to a entrepreneurial family friend who's taken on the challenge of starting his own business and creating a brand new product and sport, I began freelancing as his marketing department & assistant last week and have been excited to get the creative juices flowing once more. My main focus is getting a product launch ready for him on Nov. 17th, so I've been brainstorming ideas and balancing my time between working on that from home and searching/applying for jobs. It's a great opportunity to flex my full range of marketing skills on a super-tight budget and help with someone's dream so I'm happy to do it and thankful for the change of pace and variety it gives me from the often mind-warping job search. Working at home is great, though sometimes quite difficult to keep disciplined and focused- I don't know how people do it full-time but they must have iron wills. None-the-less, working from home and freelancing are quickly becoming the wave of the future, especially in industries like advertising and marketing. Sites like elance.com, freelance.com, and ifreelance.com, among many others along with the trend of shorter terms of employment with companies, and lessening employee benefits only prove this point further to me. So, again I'm building good experience tracking and managing myself as a free agent too. Not bad, no, not bad at all.
(jk about the picture though, my desk is not near the porcelain throne :0)

How far "beyond the book" do characters go?

Do authors who write characters in a fictional books know intimate details about the characters beyond what they tell us in the story and do they knowingly omit these details? Did Jane Austen, for example, know Lizzy's favourite color (which perhaps Darcy was wearing on the day she realized she loved him)? Or did Dante censor the most terrifying details out of his description of hell because he was worried people couldn't handle it? What about Shakespeare, did he forget to share vital information about Romeo and his darling Juliet and their secret addiction to narcotics supplied by the Friar or something? I mean, just how far do these characters go on beyond the pages of a beloved story?
Where are these thoughts coming from, you may wonder. Well, tonight, as I was logging onto Yahoo! just browsing the headlines as I went to check my email, I was somewhat shocked by an article about Harry Potter author J.K. Rowlings, outing the character Dumbledore as gay during a Carnegie Hall book lecture. Does this seem at all bizarre to anyone else?
Don't get me wrong, I understand that the study of Literary Theory is all about looking deeper into characters, often drawing conjectures from hints and allusions in a book, but when a character's sexuality is in question and later clarified by the author, it makes me wonder why she "outed" him. Unlike novels like "A Picture of Dorian Gray", which are clearly meant to comment about the sexuality of its characters without explicitly saying everything, Harry Potter books are fantasy/children's novels--how important is the sexuality of Professor Dumbledore in these books? It just seems rather un-literary to me that an author should choose to absolutely state that kind of information outside of the written story. What was her motivation: Is she going to write another book with these characters or something where this detail about Dumbledore will be important, was she trying to continue the story beyond the book, or was it merely a tactic to gain more press in the real world and among fans by being somewhat controversial?
What happened to the "show not tell" in literature (or entertainment for that matter)? I don't think I'm alone when I say that one of my favorite things about reading books is that while the author creates the character, I get to interpret and relate to the character in my own way; use my imagination, if you will. A great book is great because it strikes a chord with the people who read it, but that doesn't mean we all think or feel the same exact way when we ponder a story. With age and experience, characters in novels can often grow in our different dimensions of understanding just as we do. Take C.S. Lewis's classic, The Chronicles of Narnia. In elementary school I read this book and thought it was a fantastic adventure story, but as I've read it again as an adult, the characters suddenly have different meanings and imply a more spiritual, even Christian symbolism. Same great book, but a different chord and interpretation and certainly a bit more to think about than if someone had given me the cliffs notes and told me what I should be learning from the book.
Alas, this is a stephilosophical entry that I could try and argue for hours, but I need to go to bed. I'll simply close by saying, in the end, does this newfound knowledge really make me feel differently about the fictional character Dumbledore or look at the books in a new way? Maybe just a little, but in essentials the books are all the same to me as they were before I found out this solid "fact" of fiction.

Christopher Columbus & NYC: Thnks Fr Th Mmrs

As a Budget Traveler (and yes, I do realize that's frequently an oxymoron) I am happy to report on my latest trip, post-China to what some might call the Heart of America, even the Big Apple, the fab. Nueva York to visit my older sis. Christine. Since it's been a couple of years since I've been out to see her and as I am still quite jobless and available, I decided to make lemonade out of a lemony-situation and take advantage of my "time off" to jet over for a visit, thanks to a cheap flight found on TravelZoo.

As far as the flight goes, I definitely got what I paid for with both an hour delay (sitting on the plane) on the flight there and then a nearly 4 1/2 hour delay (again just sitting on the plane) for my return flight thanks to an East Coast thunderstorm. On the positive side, I figure that everyone has to go through that kind of horrible flight experience at least once in their lifetime right? And at least I didn't have a client to meet or some major appointment to keep. Heck, I even got to sleep in the next day to recover. So, besides knowing that I could have flown to Europe in the time my NYC to SFO flight took, I'm over the crazy delay and my backside has thankfully regained feeling from the numbness of sitting so long on the plane (in addition to the 2 1/2 hour SuperShuttle van ride to the airport from Manhattan- ick).

Anyway, since I've been to the city a couple of times before and done most of the really touristy stuff, this trip was much less planned out and relaxed which was just what I needed after the (fruitless and sometimes discouraging) weeks of job-hunting stress. I got to wander up 42nd street and Broadway for fun people & Ad-watching, visited the beautiful New York Public Library to relax and browse through the books (still tried looking for the Jane Austen Action figure in their giftshop, made a quick visit to the Paley Media Center to catch the end of a retro Colgate Comedy Hour and KBP branding exhibit, and then had my first Chinese-y food in months at the tasty Rickshaw Dumplings, including a yummy chocolate dumpling (I can only imagine what my friends and I would have looked like had these been available to order in China- soooo chocolaty!)

Highlights of the trip would have to be fun NYC restaurants with friends, a lovely mani/pedi treatment, wandering through Central Park on a Sunday to visit Thoth (though he, sadly, wasn't performing at the time) and watching urban athletes jump over people, seeing the Frick estate and art collection (not my fav. style of art but a really cool set-up and unique museum overall)...

BUT the highlight of my entire trip (and deal of the century) would have to be the FREE Broadway tickets that we got to Curtains . We decided to go down to Broadway last minute and just try our luck for whatever seats were left when this lady came up to us in line, said her office had purchased tickets for some clients who didn't show and she couldn't get rid of 3 of her tickets and did we want them? (picture my jaw dropping) WOW- of course we wanted them and after thanking her in our amazed state, we proceeded into the theater only to find that our seats were lower-level center GREAT seats!

An excellent song and dance, classic musical, the whodunit show Curtains (sort of like that movie CLUE) was all the better for our amazing deal in getting in. Hamming it up and drawing the audience in as only theater can, David Hyde-Pierce gave a great performance that definitely explained his Tony Award for the role. Debra Monk gave a power-house performance as well as the biz-nichy producer, and one of my favorite characters would have to be the composer in the show, Jason Danieley. What a gorgeous voice he has! So, you get the point, it was a wonderful show and evening, increased in enjoyment by the fact that it was FREE!

So, yay for sisters in NYC and Columbus for having a birthday that some workers get off to celebrate!

Sweet Relief!

Thank goodness that's over...This week without sweets was a little rough (though I'm not sure how much that had to do with the lack of chocolate, etc.) I must say, aside from a few headaches I didn't notice too much that was different physically but it was nice to know that I could--fairly easily--just say no to the plethora of tasty desserts offered to me in the course of a week. Once able to indulge in sweets again however, I found myself becoming uncharacteristically domestic and celebrating the Autumn October weather by baking 1)some chocolate-chip pumpkin bread and 2) some (low-fat but delicious) pumpkin cheesecake. Both were actually quite a hit with everyone so I'm going to post the recipes on here if you'd like to make them (and believe me when I say that if I can make them, so can you)


Catherine's Pumpkin Bread
3 cups sugar (white)
1 cup shortening
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
2 cups canned pumpkin
3 1/2 cum flour
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice OR 2 tsp cinnamon + 1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1 bag milk chocolate chips
First, mix sugar & shortening together in large bowl, then add eggs, water, & pumpkin. Next add spices, baking soda, salt, and LASTLY flour. Then stir the chocolate chips into mixed batter. Grease 4 bread pans and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes to 1 hour, cool bread out of pan and eat up- YUM!



Pumpkin Cheesecake
9 graham crackers (2 1/2 inch squares) made into crumbs
1 cup low-fat (1%) cottage cheese
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
One 15 oz. canned pumpkin puree

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; spray a 9 inch glass pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs over the bottom of the pie plate.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine the cottage cheese and ricotta: process until smooth (about 1 minute). Transfer into a large bowl; stir in the egg substitute, sugar, ginger, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Reserve 1/4 cup of the batter. Add the pumpkin to the batter; stir until blended. Scrape the batter into the pie plate, then drizzle the reserved batter in 3 concentric circles over the pumpkin batter. With a knife, lightly draw a line through the batter from the center toward the outer edge; about 2 inches from that line, lightly draw the knife through the batter from the outer edge toward the center. Repeat around the pie, alternating directions, to make a spiderweb.
3. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Cool completely on rack then refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve with fresh whipping cream.
Serves about 6 people (only 218 calories, 4g Total Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 11mg Cholesterol, 344mg Sodium, 33g Total Carbohydrate, 1g Dietary Fiber, 12g Protein, 138mg Calcium- 3 WW points per serving)

Happy Autumn! Enjoy :)

Sweet Deals

Might as well stick with the "sweet" theme right...

So, today as I was checking in on my scanty funds, I realized that this week has been a really GREAT one for inexpensive to free DEALS (a family value I've been taught since youth and now a hobby). Thus, I wanted to share some of these deals with you all--esp. those Bay Area friends looking for free-bies this weekend!

Item 1- Always a fan of travel deals, if you haven't used them before I'd definitely reccomend checking out Travelzoo.com this week. (Cheaptickets.com and kayak.com are great too but Travelzoo searches them all for you first and puts a star by the site that has the best deals) For example, this week I found airfare from SFO to NYC, roundtrip with taxes, etc for $300 bucks (normal flights are more like $500, and it's a holiday weekend too--Columbus Day!) Yeah, pretty amazing.

Item 2- Museum Lovers UNITE! My friend Chels, a brilliant in-the-know artist, told me about Smithsonian's National Museum Day, this SATURDAY Sept. 29th! Click here to see their website so you can print your free admission + 1 to any of great museums participating. Bay Area peeps- this includes the Exploratorium, Chabot, and Blackhawk Museum, among others. Fancy, Fun, + Free!

Item 3- Feel good + DO good...October Rocks for upcoming deals! Why? Because the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization is sponsoring 31 days of $31 (normally $75+) Spa & Salon treatments! What's not to love about that kind of deal? For a list of salons participating, click here and feel free to bring me with you! I love this!

I'm sure there are more deals out there, but those were my hightlights of the week. Hope you enjoy them as much as I will...

Sweet Site

While I may be "off" the desserts this week, I'm definitely loving my latest online find, a website that's all about the sweet things in life like fashion, gossip, entertainment, health, and girly fun!
Check it out if you'd like at: http://hypersugar.com/
Yummy fun!

No Sweetie...

If I were to write a list of my favorite things in life- DESSERT would be one of them!

But have you ever tried going for a week without dessert? As silly as it may sound, it's actually been quite difficult for me when I've done it in the past- always craving that lil' bar of chocolate or satisfying scoop of ice cream.I definitely like my daily dose of sugar, but what happens when I feel like I NEED that dose of sugar more and more and never reach a saturation point? An unhealthy balance. Let me explain: Picture my friends and I sitting in a fabulous restaurant enjoying a decadent triple-chocolate mudd pie drizzled with peanut butter fudge sauce. *Wow*. After a few bites, gradually everyone stops, giving some remark like: "Oh, this is tooooooo rich. I can't eat any more." I never reach that point or feel that way- it's rather strange... Even in China: the land of no dessert, I'm ashamed to say that I indulged my "addiction" to that little bit of sweetness quite frequently with MickeyD's ice cream cones and terribly convienient donettes. BUT now I'm back- that time is over- and as of yesterday I've started a cleanse down the path of healthy balance. No Dessert for 1 week (to try and stop, or at least tone down this sweet addiction)
There- now it's out there and YOU can hold me to it...

Tag, you're it!

So, since I have just been working on updating my China stuff and haven't really posted much new lately, I thought I'd participate in this blog tagging game that's going around...

The rules are: Once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog w/ 8 weird random things, facts or habits about yourself (only 8?! JK). Here are mine...

1.) I like to harmonize with the radio and make guitar noises when there are no vocals. I first started noticing I did this in High school listening to RHCP during lunch break in the car with my friends- strange huh? This unconscious singing can probably be traced back to my earliest memories, when as a child I would sing EVERYWHERE I went- at the store, during class (my first grade teacher even wrote a disciplinary note on my report card about it!) all in the hopes that I would be "discovered" and become the voice of a Disney character in a movie/musical--awww, my childhood dreams!

2.) I always opt for the "spicy" option, when available in food. Ever since my family's Hunan Chef days (our first experience with Chinese food), I've become fairly adventurous in what I eat. Some of the strangest things I've had include: Donkey burgers, Yak Butter Tea & dumplings, Pig Skin, Stomach lining, Buffalo, Pumpkin flowers, Wild Boar, and Octopus (suckers and all!)

3.) Not such a secret, two of my favorite girly accessories are sunglasses and perfume: I can't resist sampling them/trying them on whenever I see them (no matter how many comments are made when I get back in the car emanating fumes of perfume)

4.) I've never been able to do an actual cartwheel. People often think I exaggerate when I say I'm not flexible or coordinated, but it's seriously true.

5.) Since the age of about 13, I've had the travel bug and have visited 16 countries (U.K., France, Spain, Italy, the Vatican, the Netherlands, Hungary, Czech Republic, Mexico, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Austria, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Belgium).

6.) I get HORRIBLE motion sickness in cars, boats, and at amusement parks. When I was young my parents had a "barf bucket" for me in the car (yuck) because sometimes I'd even get sick driving into San Francisco (I wish I were lying).

7.) Nerd Alert, not really...many of you already know that I enjoy choral music and sang in a choir for 8 years growing up and several others throughout college but was painfully shy and nervous when I first tried out. My crazy director, Iris ("Tulip" as my Dad liked to call her) hardly said anything at my first audition before I suddenly burst into tears and ran out of the room. Thankfully, the whole group performance thing helped me get over my fear a bit and I was able to sing in front of people without crying for the most part and came to really like the whole "choirgirl" thing--CCCC represent!

8.) Everytime I go to the beach, I write my name in the sand with my toe.

Last but not least....HONG KONG!

OK, I know this entry is out of order, but I could never forgive myself if I left out my last AMAZING stop in the "China Adventure" before coming home: Hong Kong! After the craziness of luggage and traveling, my first impressions of Hong Kong were great from the start. From the clean and spacious airport to the luxurious shuttle bus into the city, I was nearly in tears of joy as we entered the lobby of the Golden Mile Holiday Inn hotel.

Now this ecstatic joy was likely a combination of things- I mean we were mere days from going home and after all the dirty/roughing it of China and travel, the Holiday Inn might as well have been a Ritz Carlton--it was seriously THAT nice (thank you to Jodee's dear, sweet, wonderful Mom for cashing in her points for us so we could stay there- I will be forever grateful!). Jode and I went up to our room only to discover 2 plush beds with high-thread-count sheets, actually white pillows, a pristine bathroom, our very own white bathrobes, TV (with English programming!), a mini-bar, and the familiarity of home that I can hardly describe. Let's just say I can only imagine how hysterical I would have been when I got home from China if I hadn't had the Hong Kong buffer-zone to bring me back to Westernization!

Beyond the hotel, highlights of our 3 days in this beautiful city would have to be: riding the Lovely Star Ferry around Victoria Bay to enjoy magnificent views of the city and gorgeous weather...

Riding the steepest tram in the world up to Victoria peak to watch the light show of the city and enjoy more fabulous views...

Great Thai food and fashionable clubbers in Lan Kwai Fong, wandering the CLEAN streets without seeing children peeing, seeing ques (!) and using free Internet kiosks in the subway, a bit of shopping (how could we resist- it's Hong Kong and they have such cool-looking money)...

Finding Jackie Chan's star on Hong Kong's Avenue of the Stars...

Accidentally winding up at the Goldfish market and seeing all the pet shops in a bustling neighborhood, Hard Rock Cafe/Sandwiches/TGIFridays- enjoying all the non-Chinese food options :), and finally a completely no hassle trip to the airport and through check-in with no extra luggage fees or anything!

I'd go back to Hong Kong in a heartbeat, such a beautiful and fun city!

I'm Back in the USA!

Arriving Aug. 2nd (several hours earlier than I left Hong Kong) I must say that it is GREAT to be back home after 5 full months of travel! That's not to say I regret going to China, not at all. The experiences I had there and the things I learned will affect me and influence me for the rest of my life. It was like nothing I've ever done before and I think everything that happened--the hard things and the wonderful things--were all there for a reason and I'm thankful that I was able to experience them...

Mao-erful Memories

Returning to Beijing for the last 2 days of our Gecko tour, I feel sad for our group that the weather and feel of Beijing is the worst I've seen it in all the 10's of weekends I've been here over the past few months. The heat and pollution was nearly unbearable as we fought the crowds through a dismal Tian'amen square. As people in our group began to discuss and ask questions about living in China and Communism, I was surprised that many of my negative feelings and memories came flooding back.

Not to say that I don't like China or haven't been grateful for the experiences I've learned so much from by living here, but I don't think I will ever--or should ever--forget those things that I struggled with, was uncomfortable with, or shocked by from living here either. There is much to be said about the "natural rights" that those of us living in free democratic countries enjoy. Perhaps that is why when someone tries to tell us there is only ONE WAY or "One world, One dream" (hmmm, funny, that's China's Olympic slogan) we quite naturally resist and even rebel sometimes (think over-protective parent and a creative maturing youth). Growing up we all experience a degree of utilitarian control, which further illustrates that our freedom doesn't come without challenges, but it's so much better than the alternatives out there. Imagine if the government could and did make all its decisions without your consent or consideration. Don't like it? Well, there's not much you can actually do besides "move out" like your parents might threaten you during a no-winners teenage argument, and with the kind of salary and VISA laws most Chinese people have to work with, even traveling out of the country, let alone immigrating, are out of the question. With such a huge population, you're just lucky to have any job. I heard once that Masters graduates in China were lucky to find jobs in some cities, and found an article in TIME that talks a bit about that issue here. So, returning to Beijing definitely gave me some deeper things to think about than our light-hearted travels.

Our hotel was right by the Far East Hostel neighborhood (an easy walk south of Tian’amen square) and since I’d done just about everything I wanted to do in Beijing, this was another chance to take it easy and prepare for our final goodbyes before Jode and I headed off to Hong Kong and then home! As I said, we went back to the Forbidden City (or Palace Museum as the happy-everyday Chinese people want us to call it). The weather was nearly suffocating as were the crowds so we used our time in the air-conditioned internet café more wisely, figuring out some plans and luggage limits for our upcoming flight, then meeting up with our group for a Kung-Fu show. Totally for tourists, in English, and no doubt influenced by Western music preferences and theatre style, the Kung-Fu production was still impressive and exciting to watch. I mean, these guys could break metal beams with their heads- what isn’t great about that? While savoring of Chinese-cheesiness, the overall production was well worth the ticket and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening with our Gecko friends. After the show, we all opted to go to bed fairly early so we’d be able to get up and meet at 5:30am for our Gecko excursion and climb to the Great Wall at Simatai.

Up before the sun and ready for Simatai, we arrived after a long bus-ride and opted to take the nifty gondola up a portion of the mountain since even the morning heat was already stifling. The views were OK, though probably even more spectacular on a clear day, but we were so exhausted by the hot climb up we almost didn’t have a chance to notice anything but our footing until we reached the actual wall. Think I’m kidding about the heat? Drenched with sweat when we reached the wall, the first thing we saw was a Chinese man laid out on a stretcher. With no visible injuries and a woman trying to fan him and give him water, I think he had passed out from heatstroke! It was really HOT, but I am glad we were there because the wall wasn’t too crowded and was a really cool one to climb. Simatai had all the same sort of towers and layout as other sections of the wall, though quite steep, but one cool part that I hadn’t seen before were portions of the wall made for battle composed of tiny niches where soldiers could hide, then pop out to attack! (again, more pictures there). We also met some really nice people on our climb- a friendly British family and a hot guy who turned out to be from my old LA neighborhood in Brentwood of all places. Such a small world!

After the hot, steep, awesome hike down Simatai and back to BJ in the bus, we went directly to the Silk Market for more last-minute gifs and shopping, found a few things, rushed back in our chronically-late-state to the hotel to quickly change for our final Gecko group dinner. Cramming into a very small room around a very small table, we had roast duck and a spread of other yummy Chinese foods for our last dinner together with the group. I’m definitely happy we decided to go with this tour because the friends we met in our group were amazing and so much fun to travel with! It really did a lot for the overall fun of the experience I think, so it was sad to say goodbye but hopefully our Facebook connections will stay strong and paths will cross again someday…

Whew, we did so much in each day as I remember all this that it’s no wonder I felt so tired! After our goodbye dinner we kept pretty busy for the remainder of the time in Beijing. We ran into several friends randomly- one fellow teacher from Baoding, Chris and his girlfriend, and another friend from the Beijing YSA, who kindly informed us of the Church meeting time change for Sunday- lucky for us. So Sunday morning we had some time for breakfast with a few of the leftover Gecko friends at Sakura (Jodee and my original fave in this neighborhood), we did a bit of laundry until checkout at the hotel, then made our way across town to our kind friend MD’s apartment where our extra luggage had been stashed for the month of July. At church the BJ branch had already changed so much since our last visit, so we took picts and said our goodbyes to those we still knew, then jumped on the subway to rendezvous with our former teaching-pal Stephen of all people, over at the lovely Lotus hostel. Now I’ve already had several “small world” moments in this post, but this evening was filled with even more as we randomly ran into both Sarah and Josh as well as Tom at the Lotus- so fun to see them all again. Dinner with Stephen was great, though it was still too soon for him to be happy back in China, he filled us in on his amazing European escapades and we told him about Tibet and Southwest China fun over our favorite Chinese foods: dumplings, Gong Bao Gi Ding, and Sichuan Green Beans!

Dragging into MD’s with apologetically late Magnum ice cream bars, we chatted for a while as we repacked our huge suitcases and backpacks- fully worried about the impossible weight limit at this point but still seeing what we could manage. We got up the next morning, hauled our stuff down the stairs (which proved to be a difficult feat) then dragged everything down the street to hail a cab to the airport, making sure we had several hours before we were meant to catch our flight to the shimmering shores of Hong Kong!

So long Beijing, and thanks for all the fish!

Xi'an, ROUND 2

Returning to our May Holiday destination was nice in many ways because we didn't have to rush and see anything, we could do the little extras that we'd missed and really take it easy.
Highlights of the city this time around:
- Having fun staying at the YMCA (haha, we took some obnoxious pictures with the sign, but the hotel was pretty decent)
- Riding our rental bikes around Xi'an's City Wall: Though the weather was a bit smoggy and gross, how often do you have the chance to bike on an ancient wall? It was fun and a perfect way to start the day/get our bodies going after the train ride!
- Laundry: Paying 100 Kuai (that's a lot for China) in order to have clean laundry. I had to BUY an Olympic T-shirt that afternoon because I had no clothes that were clean enough to wear-iiiick!
- Taking a tour to Emperor Han Jing's Tomb site: He was the 4th emperor of China and the tomb has a GREAT museum built around the artifacts. When you visit the museum, you can basically get into the actual tombs and see the mini terracotta statues, which kinda look like dolls and toy animals. It was nice to get up close and see these things in an completely calm and uncrowded environment that was really well laid-out, and even had a Star-Wars esque hologram movie that taught us about the tomb and culture during Han Jing's empire. It was all I could do to hold back my Princess Leah impression: Help me Obi Wan Kanobe, you're my only hope!" The video looked just like that 80's special effect which was pretty cool.
- The Big Goose Pagoda at Night: We went here after advice from Zhang on our last trip and information by our guide Zu to see the free light, fountain, and sound show! Even with the tons of tourists and locals out on this warm summer night, we had fun watching the fountains shoot high over our heads in beautiful plumes of water designs to the swell of the Chinese-to-Classical music selections and colorful lights.
- Revisiting/Shopping-in the Muslim Quarter: Gifts, gifts, and more gifts. Starting to worry about that whole baggage weight limit on the airplane back home...
- Dumpling Dinner: Our Gecko group decided to see if Xi'an really did have the best dumplings in China and I must say, I don't really think they do. Our group meal was good and extremely varied. From ducky-shaped dumplings to dumplings that looked like walnuts, we had many types to try and ended the meal with a Xi'an version of a hot-pot which produced quite a nasty soup. Glad we did it for the company and to know we tried them, but I must say that our places in Baoding have better dumplings than Xi'an
- Purchasing Harry Potter VII: I splurged big-time (again, this is in Chinese money- in reality I just paid the American price) when I saw JK Rowlings final book at the bookstore by our hotel, I just had to have it! Anyway, I needed something new to read and how could I resist not knowing how it all ends...more luggage weight though with the hard-back book- oops.
- Terracotta Warriors, Revisited: Honestly, I am very glad we went back to the warriors because it was MUCH less crowded than our May excursion and we had a tour guide that told us some interesting details about Qin Shi Huang and the history of the warriors. We went to several buildings we hadn't even seen the last trip and even watched the cheesy 360 Degree-screened movie about the Terracotta warriors. Can you believe that I took MORE pictures though? I'm starting to wonder if I'll need to join a Photo-Takers Anonymous group when I get home- I can't stop!

And that was Xi'an round 2- still a very full trip, complete with a re-visit to Starbucks and then back on our last over-night train up to Beijing: Last stop for the Gecko tour and the countdown to our journey home to the USA...