Global Randomness

The Surf Experience

2011-08-27T01:34:00.000-07:00

I had the best time this summer at The Surf Experience in Lagos, Portugal. Every morning we get into this big Land Rovers and go to a remote, beautiful beach to play in the waves with our surfboards. The instructors, people and surf was all amazing. I am looking forward to my next trip.

Weekend at The Fringe

2011-08-22T09:20:00.000-07:00

The London Eye

2011-07-24T04:13:00.001-07:00

London Bridges

2011-04-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

Bits & Pieces of London

2011-04-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

My first weekend in London was filled with sunshine, long walks from one neighborhood to another, lots of pubs (& chips). I hope the warm weather continues this week so I can explore more bits and pieces of this amazing city.

Last Weekend in San Francisco

2011-04-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

See you later San Francisco.

Thunder Valley Resort

2011-03-06T17:16:00.000-08:00

Thunder Valley Resort is where I saw lots of amazing modern light fixtures, had a great spa experience and scored the jackpot for the first time. The winnings from the penny slots were not anything to retire on (even for a few days) but still a lot of fun to hear the sounds of clunk, clunk, clunk.

San Francisco Bay Bridge

2010-12-04T09:20:00.000-08:00

Fall Napa Trip

2010-11-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning, thinking of all the things I am thankful for. Top on my list is living in an area that has so many natural places to explore, like Napa. A short scenic car drive brings the opportunity to explore bountiful vineyards, good wine and great food. What more can one ask for?

A Beautiful Story ♥

2010-11-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

Top 5 Signs from the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

2010-10-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

On Saturday around 200,000 people rallied in Washington D.C. at Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. I wish I could have seen it first hand but I did get to enjoy reading some the signs from the event. Here are my top 5 favorite out of the 100 found on here.

San Francisco Ferry Building

2010-09-28T23:33:00.000-07:00

Campanile at U.C Berkeley

2010-09-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

The Campanile at U.C Berkeley campus looked magical tonight under the full moon after a savory meal at Bongo Burgers.

Raygun Gothic Rocket Ship Landed on Embarcadero

2010-09-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

The Raygun Gothic Rocket Ship is temporarily visiting the Embarcadero between it's stellar trips. The 40-foot rocket ship, according to its official site, is critical kitsch somewhere between the Moons of Mango and Mongo Nouveau. The local artists Sean Orlando, Nathaniel Taylor, and David Shulma wanted to in a small way encourage people to to inspire people to create, dream and invent… to help generate a little spark of the imagination and to grease the wheels of ingenuity.

White Lotus Yoga Retreat

2010-09-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

I spent Labor Day weekend at the White Lotus Foundation in the Santa Barbara hills. The four day retreat was filled with a lot of yoga taught by Ganga of Yoga Beyond Belief: Insights to Awaken and Deepen Your Practice and eating amazing vegetarian food made by Beatrix from The Art of Taste : A Gourmet Guide to Vegetarian Cooking. Aside from doing yoga, and eating delicious fresh food, we spent a lot of time exploring the 40 acres of nature and finding spots to relax.

Namaste White Lotus

2010-09-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

I woke up early this morning with a lot of excitement to make it to this beautiful pond at the White Lotus Foundation. I am attending a four day yoga retreat at White Lotus. I signed up when I learned that a friend from work did a two week program there and really enjoyed it. The next four days will be filled with praticing yoga, meditation, hiking, eating healthy and sleeping in a yurt for the first time.

Cucumber martini

2010-08-08T22:12:00.001-07:00

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This is one of my favorite summer drinks now! I tried this cucumber martini at Union Restaurant and Lounge in Aria Hotel, Las Vegas. It was very refreshing. It also helped tame my hunger since it came with half a salad inside.

Local Mission Eatery

2010-08-06T00:06:00.000-07:00

Chilled Corn Soup + Crab (mmm..amazing. must try)

Farm & Market Salad (good. fresh ingredients)

Roasted Goat Pibil (didn't love it. very fatty)

Thanks to another Blackboard Eats (BBE) deal, I got to try Local Mission Eatery last weekend. The deal BBE offered was great - a free bottle of wine with dinner! I expected the restaurant to give us their cheapest bottle of wine but the wine choices were very good. The fact that they offered the best wine as the "freebie" also highlighted their superb service.

In regards to the food, I appreciated the locally grown fresh ingredients but have to say that I wasn't in love with most of what we tried. That is except for the chilled corn soup. This tasted like delicious corn flakes soaked in chilled cream to me. I would go back for a bowl of chilled, creamy cornflakes and another good bottle of wine off course.

San Francisco Summer Walks

2010-08-03T00:05:00.000-07:00

Summers are for relaxing, exploring, lots of eating, and wishing the San Francisco fog away. One of my favorite summer time activities is going on walks through the city. A walk, like this one through Napier Lane, is one way to explore San Francisco. It's also a great way to ignore the summer blues, which is often a symptom of staycations. Looking at Google Insights for Search staycation searches rise during the summer. If you are planning to stay in San Francisco a lot this summer, try exploring the the city through the many free walking tours. Happy walking SF!

SPQR

2010-07-25T22:53:00.000-07:00

The last couple months I have been tackling my must try San Francisco restaurant list. Starting with Range, then Gitane and I finally went to SPQR. The fresh dishes at this little Italian restaurant was mouthwatering. If you can't tell from the photos, I promise you it is very delicious. However, the portions are a bit small for the price. Thanks to the Black Bird Eat deal the dining experience was not as pricey as it could have been. I am going to wait for another deal to try it again.

YouTube - lifeinaday's Channel

2010-07-24T07:50:00.000-07:00

The Life in a Day project launched early this morning! This is a unique global experiment that only takes place today. Kevin MacDonald, the director, is asking people all over the world to become their own directors and capture a moment of their day -July 24, 2010. You have from today until July 31 to submit your captured moment to be considered for the feature film. The most compelling footages will be included and featured in a user-generated film capturing July 24, 2010. We'll have to wait until January 2011 to see what happened today all over the world. The movie will premier at the Sundance Film Festival and YouTube. You can submit your video here: YouTube - lifeinaday's Channel

SOMA brewed coffee experience

2010-07-19T08:34:00.001-07:00

Just tried Sight Glass coffee this morning on my way to work. They've been in SOMA for about a year but just recently started roasting their coffee on-site.mmm..The smell of roasting coffee in the simple space will draw coffee lovers in. I may be banned from SOMA for saying this but I actually like it better than Blue Bottle because it's not as strong. The coffee taste and the fact that they are opening a full coffee bar make me want to visit more.

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Pura Vida

2010-07-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

Before leaving for Costa Rica, I did a little research for this post and learned that it’s one of the top ranked happy countries. I wondered why? At my arrival, I learned it’s simply because they embrace Pura Vida. This expression is the unofficial motto of Costa Ricans and it simply means “pure life” or “just life.” Costa Ricans will use it to express how they are and who they are. The expression embodies Costa Ricans’ perseverance, sense of community and the celebration of a easygoing lifestyle. It’s really the Costa Ricans way of living. They are happy, and proud of their country, and of what they have.

A Week in the Happy Country

2010-07-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

I am taking off tomorrow to Costa Rica a.k.a the happiest country in the world. Ever since I randomly heard that Costa Rica is the happiest country in the world I became intrigued with it. That and the fact that it’s hugged by two coasts and, as I recently learned, home to the three toed sloth. At first I didn’t really believe the happiest country label, but then I read an op-ed by Nicholas D. Kristof in the NYTs and started to think there might be some truth to this. He refers to Costa Ricans as the happiest people and highlights indexes that ranked the country high on the happy index. I wasn’t sure how accurate the indexes were because it seemed like they generally ask people to rate themselves. For example, the World Data off Happiness, asked people to rate their own happiness on a 10-point scale. In this index Costa Rica averaged at 8.5. I was still skeptical because I thought not all values and desires transfer culturally. The criterion a Costa Rican may want to be happy may differ from a Croatian. But then maybe some things like education, good health and environment are universal. The more I learned about Costa Rica, the more I thought to myself “hey they do have things to be happy about!” For example, they invest a lot in education and the environment and not in a military. They also live slightly longer than Americans, and have an ecological footprint that is less than a quarter the size. Healthy lifestyle, good education, and environment are all important factors for a happy life. I also realized that I’ve never met any Costa Ricans in the U.S or abroad. Could it be that they are so happy in Costa Rica that they never leave? Who knows for sure but I am excited to see the happy country and if the happy rumors are true may be I will end up staying there as well.

Masa's Restaurant is a Food Marathon

2010-07-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

The cuisine at Masa's was amazing but I wish I had been more strategic about my approach to the dinner. I should have prepared for the dining experience much like my first half marathon.

I should have watched what I ate earlier that date, paced myself during the dinner by eating slowly and taking breaks and made sure that I made it to the end with enough energy (room in my belly) for the sweet dessert. The seven course meal was so overwhelming tasty and each dish so unique that I can't even remember every dish. I just remember the whole three hour meal as a collage of different dishes much like the picture above.

Dipsea Trail @ Stinson Beach

2010-06-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

Slow summer hike at Stinson Beach. Started at Dipsea Trail. After 7.5 miles surrounded by pine woods, rivers, rolling hills overshadowing the Pacific and breathtaking views we ended up at the Sand Dollar Restaurant to enjoy live music and fresh fish sandwiches.

Gitane

2010-06-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

Gitane has been on the top of my restaurant list for awhile now. After trying it a couple weeks ago... it has moved to the top of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco! Everything about the dining experience was delicious. The ambiance is elective but still comfy, the food is mainly inspired by the Iberian peninsula yet there is a lot of menu variety. I had the steak with bone marrow but I could have gone vegetarian that night and been fully satisfied with the choice. Also, the bartenders are experts of their crafts. We each got a concoction of our liking. I already want to go back!

2010-06-07T23:16:00.001-07:00

Vegas May 2010

2010-05-27T23:25:00.000-07:00

Let Go of My Milkshake

2010-05-10T23:40:00.000-07:00

Pico restaurant in Larkspur has the best chocolate Madeleines
and milkshakes I have ever had. The only problem is that as soon as we sat down the waiter told us about their share policy. They want food to be shared so they set every dish in the middle of the table. This way it can be easily accessed and enjoyed by all. Well, this wasn't a problem with the salads, burger and halibut that we shared but as soon as the waiter set down this dessert - Oh trouble! We all forgot the sharing policy and it was a grab for all throw down.

House of Prime Rib

2010-05-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Dinner at the House of Prime Rib felt like I had dropped in a scene from a Mad Men episode. A couple of men in traditional suits with combed over hair came to our initial drink table by the bar to welcome us. As one of them escorted us through the crowded restaurant to our booth, I wished I had a pencil skirt on and a cocktail as an accessory. It’s a good thing that the smell of cooked beef, made me hungry because this place does not stop feeding you. As you can see from my plate. Before this plate of meat and sides, we go delicious bread, regular roll and corn, with a fresh made salad. After eating all this they offered me an extra complimentary slice. I heard from previous diners that they do this often so expect it. The best part is that everything is offered as a package so it's a good meal deal.

The Cheeseboard - Best Pizza Ever

2010-04-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

One of my life's mission is to find the best pizza ever and I am a little sad to say that I think the journey ended at Cheeseboard because I liked the trial process. Cheeseboard pizza is by far the best pizza I have had. The crust is perfectly crunchy without being too dry and the ingredients all were so fresh and tasty. They only make one type of pizza everyday but you can check out on their site what it is before making a trip to Berkeley to grab a slice.

Delica rf1

2010-04-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

Delica rf1 in San Fransisco Ferry Building is a great place for a bite. I tried the Potato Croquette, Sushi rolls, Tuna Tartar appetizer and Miso Soup with sparkling wine and all of it was delicious. The portions were not too big and the flavors well well balanced. Even the fired potato croquette wasn't overhwelmin. This is a great place to nosh.

Happy Hour at Epic

2010-04-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

The Holy Cow Happy Hour at Epic Roasthouse is really holy cow good! I loved that my dirty Martini was made with Russian Standard Vodka. Years ago I had a boss who use to go to Russia a lot for business visits and he always brought us back Russian Standard Vodka bottles. I was told that this is the best vodka in the world and can only be bought in Russia. Since I never had seen it at stores, I believed it and would savor every sip of the scarce vodka. I was delightfully excited to see that it was on the happy hour menu. I savored every sip of my martini!

Ti Couz

2010-04-02T14:27:00.000-07:00

Ti Couz buckwheat crepes in Mission are delicious. The menu is great for first time crepe eaters (if there are actually such unfortunate people out there.) They pair ingredients for you so you don't have to choose. I had the caramelized onions with a lot of cheese. As you can see.

Also, I was told that in Paris you eat crepes with Cider. This turned out to be a perfect pairing of something savory with some sweet cider.

Farmer Brown

2010-04-01T20:20:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago I went to Farmer Brown for their Sunday brunch buffet expecting to love it and I have to say I was a bit dissatisfied with the experience. As much as I wanted to love the place because of the restaurants commitment to supporting local and african-american farmers, using organic, biodynamic, and/or sustainably raised foods, I didn't find the brunch menu farm fresh. They didn't actually serve anything that was raised on a farm. Well, there was fried chicken and bacon so that could of been from a farm but there wasn't any greens. I really liked the ambiance and the drinks so I will give it one more shot. My first visit left me a little grim; hence, the not lively picture.

Something New In SOMA - Marlowe

2010-03-24T00:48:00.000-07:00

I am so excited we got a new neighborhood bistro * Marlowe * in SOMA. Well, it may not be new, new but it’s new to me. I think it opened up in the last six months. It’s a small laid back place that can be easily overlooked from the outside. It’s housed in a brick building across from the Caltrain station. From the outside it may not look too appetizing to come in but the inside is very cozy. For a small venue the wine selection is good. They offer 10 reds and 10 whites. I just went for a glass of wine and was easily tempted to try the baked oysters New England chowder in a shell. As soon as I tried it, I wished I had ordered more than one. The food menu had a lot of things I would love to try on my next visit like the Crispy Brussels sprout chips. Marlowe has a lot to offer the neighborhood despite its random location.

1300 On Fillmore - Good for the Soul

2010-03-23T22:36:00.000-07:00

A few Sundays ago I tried the Sunday Gospel brunch at 1300 On Fillmore for my friend Maryam’s birthday. We made reservations for the 11am seating without knowing much about it. All I knew was that the Sunday brunch was called the Gospel brunch. I assumed this meant that there would be some sort of music playing possibly gospel singing. My friend who recommended it also mentioned that they served bottomless Mimosas. I figured that the music couldn’t be that bad with bottomless Mimosas. What I didn’t know is that we would get a chance to sing too! Had I known, I would have religiously attended every Sunday. I shamelessly love Karaoke. Really, I do. Here is the video from the brunch.

The Southern food was really delicious as well. I tried grits for the first time and wished I never had because it is so tasty. I could have gone on to live a much healthier life if I didn't know how tasty they are but the menu doesn't offer any real healthy options. If you are on a diet this is not the place for you.

If you want to learn more about the Gospel Brunch you can check out this SF gate article by a journalist who was there at the same time as us. She interviewed all of us about our experience there and we all raved about it but apparently you had to be Muslim or Jewish to get quoted in this"obligatory Easter story."

Overall, I (one of the three of the Muslim's girlfriends) recommend a Gospel Brunch for everyone and anyone who wants some good Southern food and music regardless of your faith.

Healthy + Delicious = The Plant Organic Cafe

2010-03-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, I had a friend in town who has to eat very healthy due to health issues. We decided to try the The Plant Organic Cafe, on Embarcadero. I've run by the restaurant during afternoon runs but I've never heard much about it or even seen a lot of people going in out of the place. So, I assumed that it must not be very good. Since the location is right next to the water and the name alluded that it is a healthy place, I decided to try it. I was pleasantly surprised. The cafe at Embarcadero is really cute. It has very earthy feel to it with these live plant art hangings (I think the plants were live!). The food was also good. Sometimes healthy and delicious doesn't easily transfer to delicious but in this case it did and there was a ton of good options. Usually when we go out to eat my friend can't find a lot of gluten free options, but the menu had a ton of gluten free and vegan options! I will definitely go back when I want something healthy.

Osha Opened On Third

2010-02-02T19:39:00.001-08:00

I am excited that 2010 has brought some new food choices to SOMA! Osha Thai Restaurant joining the SOMA neighborhood. I tried it a couple of weeks ago and found the food to live up to the good reputation as the other ones throughout the city.

The menu is similar to the other restaurants except I found that this one had a big selection of German Rieslings. I am not sure what the obsession is with Riesling but it goes really well with the Thai dishes so I welcomed it.

There's hope that Osha's dishes will spice up our SOMA neighborhood in 2010.

(Cheap) Happy Hour at Uva Enoteca

2010-01-23T08:58:00.005-08:00

I like a good deal as much as the next girl, well to be honest maybe a little more, that's why I would definitely go back to Uva Enoteca for happy hour. We got there at 6pm and had about 30mins to order before the happy hour deal was over. Here's what we tried:

The pasta dish ($8) was very fresh and creamy.

This lentil appetizer, was very bland. It tasted like uncooked lentils in water.

Fresh personal pizzas ($4). There was one strange herb otherwise pretty tasty.

The happy hour wine we ordered was very simple, but for a $12 bottle nobody was complaing.

SF Rainbow

2010-01-19T17:12:00.003-08:00

After hours of rain and lightening, we got a little break from the gloomy weather with a beautiful rainbow. There was actually two! One was a little further out and faint. The rest of the week is suppose to bring more rain. Hopefully, it will also bring more rainbows.

Support Disaster Relief

2010-01-18T20:15:00.004-08:00

Blogger created a new widget where you can invite your readers to give directly to the Red Cross. Please click on the image on the top right to make a contribution. The Red Cross assures us that 100% of the money raised is going to disaster relief efforts in Haiti.

SF Under Rain

2010-01-17T22:35:00.001-08:00

Happy Hour at Mexico DF

2010-01-15T23:25:00.003-08:00

I tried this place for the first time for Happy Hour after trying to go to Shanghai1930 first. It turns out that Shanghai1930 has closed. I am not sure why their website is still up. It seems like a big tease. Mexico DF is right next door so we ended up going there instead. I was happy to see that they had a happy hour menu. $5 margaritas make my afternoon. The chips and guacamole were nothing to get excited about. The tortilla chips were too thick for my taste. They tasted a bit like bland, tough taco shells. The guacamole could have also used some more spice, like lime and salsa. We didn't stay but judging from the Yelp comments, I don't think we missed out on much. My favorite Yelp comment, which also sums up my take of the little food I tired, is from Scott S. who said

"this place should be on that website: 'stuff white people like.'

Farewell 2009

2009-12-31T10:08:00.000-08:00

Little Star Pizza

2009-12-20T09:19:00.003-08:00

Little Star Deep Dish pizza
(Spinach blended with ricotta and feta, mushrooms, onions, garlic)

Garlic Bread(Warm sourdough served with a blend of

butter & extra virgin olive oil and a bulb of roasted garlic)

I finally had Little Star pizza this weekend. Since Little Star pizza tops a lot of people's list of best pizza and one of my personal missions is to discover the best SF pizza places, I was really excited to try it out. I've tried their ordered slices before but that's not the same as eating a slice minutes after it comes out of the oven.

For appetizer we tried to Garlic Bread which really should be called Garlic crumb because you eat more garlic than bread. It's really good though. I want to try to make it myself, for obviously dinner for one nights. We ordered the house main dish - Little Star Deep Dish Pizza and it was good. Personally, I like thin crust pizza so deep dish is not my favorite but I wanted to eat their special so it was a deep dish night. I found that I really liked the crust but the veggies in the pizza could have been cooked more. Overall it was good. Not as good as Zachary's deep dish pizza in Berkeley but one of the best deep dish pizzas I've had so far in SF.

Zuni Cafe's Fried Eggs for Brunch

2009-12-13T20:07:00.004-08:00

I finally tried Zuni Cafe today. I've heard a lot about this place and had been wanting to try it for awhile.

I found the ambiance really nice. Lots of light from the big windows. My food was good but not as fabulous I thought it would be considering all that I have heard. I was actually still really hungry after I finished this whole dish. Not sure why a plate full of pork, bread and fried eggs didn't fill me up. Perhaps the portion was small for my Sunday brunch appetite. I like to go back for lunch to try their signature chicken. They have a rotisserie chicken dish for 2 that everyone around us had ordered and anyone I know who has tried it has said its really good. It takes an hour to cook so you have to go when you are hungry enough to eat a whole chicken but not starving that you can't wait an hour for your meal to prepare at a restaurant. I don't know if this is possible for me.

Iron Cactus - this is not your Mission Burrito

2009-12-05T19:10:00.004-08:00

Today I tried a new Mexican restaurant in SOMA -Iron Cactus.

I liked the restaurant's space...I wish I could say the same about the mexican food.

The interior is mostly from the recycled wood of the original creamery that had been there before. The iron panels mixed in with the recycled wood give the restaurant an authentic canteena feel.

I also liked the fact that they use naturally raised hormone free ingredients but the burrito I ordered didn't taste like an authentic Mission burrito that I had been craving for all day. My one and only motivation for running 4 miles this morning. Then again I was in SOMA and not the Mission so I should have known better. The fact that they have burrito bowls on the menu definitely should have been a clue that this would be a little bit different than the Mission. I shouldn't have been surprised to find lima beans, green bean and corn in my burrito when I didn't even order a veg burrito. I hate to be so picky about my burritos but the truth is I am. Having had so many good burritos in the Mission, I can't settle for lima beans and creamy guacamole.

The Burger Bar

2009-12-05T06:21:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I finally tried the new Burger Bar restaurant opened by Hubert Keller in Macy's. The elevator to the 6th floor in Macy's was so crowded that we decided to take the escalator up. When we finally made our way through all the holiday shoppers, I was not surprised that there was a 30 minute wait for a table. Luckily, there were a couple of seats at the bar that we could eat at. I was so hungry that I couldn't decide on what I wanted to eat. There are so many different types of burgers to choose from, like the Surf n Turf Burger, the Nacho Burger. Everything sounded so good to my empty belly that I wanted to order half the menu. I decided on the Burger Bar sliders so I could try 3 different ones. I also got the sweet potato fries because the bartender said it was his favorite and I am a sucker for other people's favorite food or just a sucker for bartenders. The food came out pretty quickly, which was a good thing. However, I have to be honest (and as much as I wanted to love the food) it wasn't that great. The sliders were tasty. But when my friend asked me which one was my favorite, I couldn't tell because all three tasted the same to me- good but not amazing.The sweet potato fries were not as amazing as I thought either. They were too skinny for their own good. They barely had any meat on them to even dip in ketchup. I wanted to tell the bartender that he should try the sweet potato fries at Pacific Catch, because he has been clearly deprived of tasty sweet potato fries. I decided not to burst his sweet potato bubble though. The food was good but honestly not as good as I thought it would be considering all that I've heard, the wait and the price.

Is SOMA for the weekdays?

2009-11-15T15:26:00.003-08:00

Is SOMA for the weekdays? I am starting to think so. Last weekend, I went to a couple places in SOMA because I had 101 excuses for not wanting to leave my zipcode. It was too cold, too hard to find a cab, etc. Plus staying in SOMA gave me the opportunity to go to Ironside restaurant for dinner. I have been excited about trying Ironside because the relatively new restaurant is owned by the same people who own District, one of my favorite places in SOMA. Ironside is a really laid back restaurant that offers wine, beer and an all American menu. The house red wine on tap was really good and inexpensive but I wasn't thrilled about the pizza that I ordered. I actually was disappointed because the pizza at District is so good. I expected Ironside’s pizza would be just as good if not better. I should have tried the Wild Boar Sausage that everyone is raving about. Overall, I did find that the place is a nice new addition to SOMA and would be a great place for lunch or after work drinks. After Ironside, we checked out Eve Lounge. I like the concept behind the lounge. They‘re going for a elegant, sultry feel. I didn’t really feel like they’ve got it yet. The crowd was pretty random. I also found the décor a bit off. The black and white pinup films they projected on the wall were interesting but gawky. I especially felt it was awkward to watch them over a small table of business men out for a drink. I’ll give Eve another chance on a weekday night before trying it again during the weekend.

Manhattan High Line Over the Hudson

2009-11-06T22:24:00.004-08:00

I did a lot of walking this past week through NYC's streets, parks and stores. On our way to Chelsea for late afternoon snack on Sunday we discovered the new High Line Walkway which opened this year after five years of construction. It's elevated railroad line from the 1930s that has been transformed into an urban walkway garden. The walk is very enjoyable. It's not as green as walk through Central Park but it offers an amazing view of the Hudson River.

HanGawi A Vegetarian Shrine

2009-11-05T21:27:00.000-08:00

One of the restaurants we tried during my recent trip to NYC was HanGawi in K-Town. This is the first vegetarian Korean restaurant that I've been to. I usually think of Korean BBQ and drool when anyone mentions going out for Korean food so I was a little disappointed to hear, on our way to lunch, that it was a vegetarian restaurant. I was deliciously surprised to find everything we tried also drool worthy good. My favorite dishes was the fragrant bamboo rice, which takes awhile to cook so order it early. I was also delighted by the ambiance. HanGawi's space is very balanced and "zen-like." The only thing that was a bit off is that we had to take our shoes off when we entered the restaurant. I didn't have a problem with this until I had to go to the restroom. I walked down to the restroom barefoot and right outside the door the only option was to wear a communal slipper. The thought of how many other people wore the slippers before me put a bad taste in my mouth.

Who Knew Apothecary Is So Good

2009-11-01T23:21:00.002-08:00

My friend took me on a quiet Monday night in NYC in search of a neighborhood bar in China Town. After walking through many empty streets, we stopped in front of some run down building in a desolate back street where she said she wanted to pick up some "dumplings." When we walked in I was surprised to find a hidden lounge inside decorated like an old pharmacy. I really enjoyed the night as it started with complimentary drinks and a live band. If you go to Apotheke, be sure to try the "Deal Closer," and pay attention to the ice. This place is all about the details.

Fall Walk in Central Park

2009-10-30T01:14:00.000-07:00

The Passenger Seat Office

2009-10-29T22:40:00.000-07:00

Flipping through the SkyMall magazine on a recent flight, I came across some interesting business travel products. For a little less than 400 bucks you could purchase the Passenger Seat office. It comes with a file cabinet, fax/printer holder and other equipment that allows you to work from your car. I can't wait until they launch the toilet office because really taking 15 minutes away from work to go to the bathroom is a big waste.

The Anonymous Alcatraz Gardens

2009-10-07T21:19:00.006-07:00

Last week I volunteered at Alcatraz for a few hours in the gardens. A group of us helped with a project led by the Garden Conservancy, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and National Park Service to restore the gardens. I was surprised to learn about the gardens. Since I have lived in the Bay Area for so many years, I knew the history of Alcatraz but I had never heard anything about the gardens. It turns out that not a lot of people know about it partly because it was recently, in 2003, when they started to restore them. They are quite pretty and I do recommend visiting the gardens when you visit because it is refreshing contrast to the harsh exteriors of the jail. When you are scheduling your visit keep in mind that the gardens are not part of the official tour. There are docent-led tours of the island gardens twice a week on Friday and Sunday mornings at 9:30am, starting at the Alcatraz dock. Also, if you like gardening, you can volunteer to help restore the gardens every Wednesday or Friday morning.

Suppenkuche

2009-09-30T21:49:00.009-07:00

Last night in spirit of Oktoberfest festivities, I had dinner at Suppenkuche, a German beer house and restaurant. The place was very packed and boisterous for a Tuesday night. We had to wait over thirty minutes for a table; however, the loud energetic atmosphere and good beer selection made the wait go by quickly. I also found myself easily entertained by the decorations on the ceiling. After many minutes of staring at the ceiling, I still can’t figure out why there is an upside down gnome hanging from the ceiling but I am hoping it has something to do with Oktoberfest. Either way, the ceiling decorations were very fun to watch it. I also loved the natural pine wood communal tables that seat 8. We were only 5 so we got to make friends with a group of 3 and swap stories about the place. The food can be communal style too because the portions are so huge you can share it with your friends if you like to. I found my braised beef with lingonberries served with red cabbage and spatzle so delicious that I didn’t want to share it. This was the perfect comfort meal on a cold night.

Voices of Freedom

2009-09-28T17:51:00.003-07:00

Last night listening to the Shams Ensemble at Davies Symphony Hall, I felt that my breath was lured away through their beautiful lyrics. Shams Ensemble is a musical troupe formed in Tehran, over 30 years ago. The group’s songs are rooted in traditional Kurdish and Sufi music and incorporate poems of Rumi. Not only are their songs beautifully rich with meaning, but their actions are just as inspiring. The group has helped the struggle for change in Iran by incorporating women in their music and supporting Iran's Green Revolution.

The ensemble song “The Cry for Change” for Iran’s Green Revolution has become the anthem for action and involvement. The song became an underground sensation and over a million copies were distributed to Green Revolution supporters. Also, the group incorporates a couple women singers, which in Iran is a rare treat. The women singers were just recently allowed to sing since the fundamentalist Iranian government makes it difficult for Iranian women to perform.

After 18 months of trying to obtain the right to express their music, last night they finally launched their U.S tour promoting “Voices of Freedom.” The inauguration concert also supported Amnesty International by donating a portion of tickets to the organization. Shams Ensemble will be touring the U.S throughout October. The Shams Ensemble will perform in:

New York, October 11th.
Washington D.C., October 12th.
Los Angeles, October 25th.

If they come to your city, you should take the opportunity to experience their music.

Shams Ensemble Concert tour for Iran

2009-09-28T17:50:00.001-07:00

A Taste of Rome at Home

2009-09-09T00:54:00.015-07:00

Trying new food is one of the main reasons I love traveling. Tasting the local dishes and sipping the favored cocktails create an instant bond between me and the local culture. That is if I enjoy the food, which I usually do. This summer in spirit of embracing my staycations and adding a little flavor to them, I have been trying to create meals and drinks from places I like to visit or re-visit in this case.

I recently came across a recipe from one of Rome’s excellent restaurants, Imàgo . Imàgo is a beautiful rooftop restaurant at Hotel Hassler in Rome. I visited Rome right after I graduated from college, so I didn’t stay at any five-star hotels. I did enjoy a lot of great food. I am sure I gained just 5lbs from eating all the prosciutto and mozzarella I could during my trip.

When I saw that Imàgo's Chef Francesco Apreda offered the recipe for his most popular dish, the Sake-glazed black cod with pappa al pomodoro, I knew I had to try it. The fact that it was released as a challenge for the new wave of of gourmet at-home, I-can-take-on-anything chefs just egged me on more. I have to admit that while I was excited to try it I also stared at the recipe for about a week daunted by the fact that I was going to prepare a recipe from a Michelin star restaurant when I didn’t know what red miso was. Luckily, the lady who helped me at Whole Foods did know what it was and so I had no other excuse for not cooking. I didn’t have most of the ingredients so I had to make the following shopping list to make the dish for 6 people:

1 leek stalk

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

5 medium sized tomatoes diced

salt & Pepper to taste

handful of basil

2 lbs of de-boned + scaled black cod

4 tablespoons red miso

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons sake

2 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar

2 tablespoons water (this should be easy to find)

Pappa al Pomodoro

You should first make the Pappa al Pomodoro, a traditional Tuscan bread and tomato salad. To get started, finely-cut the leek and cook, on low heat, with some olive oil for a few minutes. Add five medium-sized diced tomatoes as though preparing a simple tomato sauce, and add salt according to taste. Add a handful of finely-chopped basil and a half-loaf of hardened white bread (cut in slices one day before and let dry) and cook for another 20 minutes, or until mixture looks well-blended.

Black Cod

While that is cooking you can work on the black cod. Scale and de-bone 2 pounds of black cod. In a small bowl create the red miso sauce by adding 4 tablespoons red miso, 3 tablespoons sugar, 3 tablespoons sake, 2 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons water. Sear the skin side of each cod fillet in a pan with olive oil and salt and then cover with the red miso sauce. Cook on medium heat reducing the sauce completely so that it becomes a dense glaze, at which point the cod will be cooked (about 15 minutes). During the process (and particularly towards the end), continuously glaze the cod fillets with the red miso sauce, using a spoon, coating the fish entirely in the sauce as it cooks.

Lay the cod fillets on top of the pappa al pomodoro. WVallah! You have created Imàgo's fine cuisine at home. I have to admit my dish tasted delicious. A lot better than I originally thought it would. Here are some more cooking pics.

Exploring with a Local Expert

2009-08-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

I went to brunch today to Butler and The Chef and was excited to be greeting by one of the Google Maps “Favorite Places” icons. Favorite Places is a new Google Maps project that launched last month to help users explore local expert's favorite places in cities around the world. Google Maps asked local experts to identify on their own Google Map places where they like to go, and why. There is also a “live” Google Map icon at each place in the city. Butler and The Chef is one of Alice Water’s favorite places in San Francisco. Unfortunately, it is a lot of peoples favorite place which is why we had to wait over 30 minutes for a table. The owner made the wait more sweet by sharing one of his scrumptious waffles with the crowd. The food was worth the wait. My La Parisienne Crepe was delicious filled with eggs, ham, off course cheese and the knowledge that Alice Waters loves it too.

Staycation Is The New Vacation

2009-08-21T22:33:00.013-07:00

This summer the hot place to visit is your backyard. That is anywhere close to where you call home. As unemployment, costs and other bad things are on the rise, so are ‘staycations.’ According to Google Insights for Search, over the past 12 months, searches for "staycation ideas" in the U.S has increased 300% compared to last year. This trend has become such a household word that it was official defined by Merriam-Webster as "a vacation spent at home or nearby." John Morse, president and publisher of Merriam-Webster Inc noted that the term “earliest record of use is from 2005, but it seems to have exploded into popular use in 2007." So if the summer travel bug is biting but you are also feeling the pinch of your wallet, try a ‘staycation.’ Here's a list of things you can do.

I am officially a Club Med Fan

2009-08-02T13:27:00.006-07:00

I hate to admit it but before my recent trip to Club Med-Cancun, I think I was a bit of a travel snob towards Club Med type vacations. I thought Club Med was for travelers who didn’t have a sense of adventure and wanted everything nicely packaged for them. I did go last year to Club Med Turkoise because it was sort of a family vacation. I really didn’t think I would be going again after using my travel credit from last years trip. However, I am a now an official Club Med fan. Well, at least on Facebook. There really is something for every type of traveler. Whether you want to just chill out at the beach or want do some of the excursions. There was plenty of adventure on my trip. I went water skiing in the lagoon home to a crocodile that the staff has affectionately named Albert. Swam in the ocean where the day before a barracuda joined the water aerobics class just for some fun. The best part was that I really did not have to worry about anything. The only decision I made during my week trip was what I wanted to eat, drink or do. And sometimes that was already done for me. For example, before I even knew I was thirsty the “Beach Boy”, would show up next to my little piece of heaven on the playa with a cold lemonade. Sometimes its just nice to check out and not have to do anything. Here are my top five favorite things at Club Med Cancun:

1. Lunch at the restaurant by the water
2. Showers at the beach
3. Yoga at the beach
4. Sailing
5. The colorful sky

After this experience, I definitely want to go back soon to Club Med soon- like right now.

Mi Nuevo Amigos

2009-08-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

During my trip to Cancun, I realized that Iguanas are the squirrels of Mexico. I became accustomed to seeing these little dinosaurs wandering the beaches, cafes, historic Mayan ruins, restaurants, etc. This morning back in San Francisco having coffee, I felt a little out of sorts without having my chico Iguana amigo hanging out by my table.

No More Club Meds

2009-07-18T08:35:00.005-07:00

I am cautiously getting ready for some fun in the sun at Club Med in Cancun. I have to admit that I have been a bit wary of taking advantage of my 7 day all-inclusive Club Med credit. Most travellers, even the adventure seeker ones who would never willingly go to Club Med, would be embracing a 7-day all inclusive free vacation and wondering why somebody would have travel cold feet. I have to say that this vacation comes with some baggage. That is the hurricane kind. We got the credit after having our vacation rudely interrupted last year at Club Med Turks and Ciaos by hurricanes. That’s right not just one but three hurricanes. Hurricane Hanna, Ike and I believe the last one which we may have dodged was Hurricane Josephine. The hurricanes trampled through our much sought after all inclusive beach vacation like terrible 2 year old brats.

We had the pleasure of meeting Hurricane Hanna at her infancy. She arrived the same night as us to the resort and wasn’t too bad the first night. We danced in the outdoor disco with Hanna rocking in the background and I thought well hurricanes are not so bad it’s like having natural strobe lights with the lightening in the background. This is because growing up mostly in Cali, I never knew hurricanes are initially storms than turn into hurricanes. So Hanna came back the second night in her true nature as a hurricane and crashed our party. She didn’t even give us a chance to get 3 of the essential vacation D’s (drinks or dancing). That night she howled through the complex like a betrayed woman out for vengeance breaking windows, roof tiles basically anything she could wrap herself around. Hanna was angry she made a huge mess of the resort which resulted in the closing of all activities. We started referring to the resort as Club Med Turks & Chaos. The scuba diving license that I almost lost my hearing for in my training dives was of no use on this trip. Neither were the 2 new bikinis I was planning to tan in. My photos from the trip consist of documentations of wreckage instead of me on the beach with my new bikini. For the rest of the week my activities were limited to taking an exercise classes or drinking at the open bar. I learned quickly that it was best not to combine the two. I came back from Turks and Chaos tanless but more in shape and a borderline alcoholic. I also benefited from trip credit that I will be using in a week at Club Med Cancun. Hopefully it will not be another Club Meds as I hear its close to hurricane season.

A hidden gem - Barnett Vineyards

2009-05-29T21:42:00.004-07:00

Saturday we celebrated my friend's b'ette with some wine tasting at Barnett Vineyards. This vineyard was really hard to get to. It's hidden in Napa, on a huge hill. At some point we were on a windy road and I really didn't think the limo would make it up the hill but it was worth the long narrow drive because the vineyard is amazing. It is really breathtaking.

My Favorite Sign at the Anti-Prop 8 Rally

2009-05-27T16:52:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, there was a protest in downtown San Francisco against Prop 8. The California Supreme Court failed to protect gay couples' fundamental right to marry when it upheld Proposition 8 and people went out to protest the decision. I saw a lot of great signs like this one. I wanted to carry one of my own stating, "I can't even decide for myself who to marry, let alone be able to choose for someone else." Why do people think they have the right to make such decisions for anybody else?

Lucky Strike II

2009-05-23T17:53:00.006-07:00

Got lucky again in Vegas! Sunday night one of the club promoters at our hotel asked if we like to go to LAX. He had free passes for us that got us in with out waiting in line, and best of all Wyclef was performing that night. We were so close to him on the stage that if I was a crazy fan I could have thrown myself on him with one jump. I thought about it for a second but decided that it wasn't worth the pain. The performance was great except for the guy behind us who took it as an opportunity to get some free thrills. At first I tried to ignore it because I think it's rude to pick on sick people. I suspected he was suffering from Short Man Syndrome. After awhile I had to let him know that it wasn't cool to be an asshole. He then proceeded to keep telling me how everyone at the concert hated me. This when I realized that he definitely had SMS and the best thing I could do is tell the bouncer about him. After the 200lb bouncer warned him, he learned to keep his distance. Overall, I considered a lucky nite. I think I should by a Lotto ticket for lucky strike III.

Lucky Strike

2009-05-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

Vegas baby! I get the airport Friday morning and I am stopped by the great wall of people looping around the airport waiting to check into their flights. Again I question why I would take the 6:45am flight. The ticket was bit cheaper but overall expensive. It seemed like a good idea to get in early and get more bang for the buck. As I am in line the news camera starts filming the couple in front of me. The 6am news audience will be astonished to see lines at the airport during Memorial weekend. I am wondering why they don't just use the footage from last year and save some money. I mean we are in a recession after all.

By the time I make it to the gate, I am definitely getting annoyed at myself for booking such an early flight to save fifty bucks. That's until I get lucky! The gate attendant asks for volunteers who would give up their seats for a later flight. In exchange for the seat we can get flight credit. CHA CHING$ I mean, I have nothing to do 8am in Vegas. I can't even check into the hotel. My friend who I am traveling with is not coming until later. I am all excited about volunteering because it's a good thing and I get my ticket credited. Did I already say Cha Ching$$. I am embarrassed to say how much I paid for the ticket. Not because I don't want the one person reading this posting to judge me for paying too much but I am worried that the Persian Embassy will revoke my passport for taking such a bad deal. After all bargaining should be in my blood. But everyone knows how Vegas is my weak spot. Thank goodness I am lucky today!

Fleetwood Mac

2009-05-20T07:26:00.005-07:00

The Fleetwood Mac concert was good old fun. I took my parents. I think they were originally slightly insulted that I invited them to it. They kept referring to it as a "senior citizen event." As we stood in line to get into the stadium, they kept making jokes on how old "everyone else," was and how the local paramedics must be on call for the event. I didn't have the heart to tell them that I think the band is younger than them. Once the band started it was clear that they could still rock like they did in their 20s. I think Lindsey Buckingham was a little surprised himself. Lindsey Buckingham, the lead guitarist, was ecstatic after each long solo. He looked astonished that he had made it through it. He kept jumping up and down ecstatic after each long guitar set. It was like watching a little kid do something challenging for the first time. It was exactly how I envisioned my nephew looking when he took his first real steps around the living room. I was living in D.C at the time, but my dad described it to me step by step. He said my nephew had his arms in the air overjoyed and shocked that he was walking all over. He kept looking to looking at everyone making sure he had witnesses to his break through. This is exactly how Lindsey Buckingham looked after his long sets.

All the songs Fleetwood Mac sang were the old ones that I have memories of growing up. This and the fact that the Lindsey and Stevie Nick so clearly enjoyed themselves made the concert a hit for me.

Chaya Cocktails

2009-05-18T08:54:00.002-07:00

Monday nite I tried Chaya's Happy Hour. I recommend the Basil and Cucumber gimlet and the Bloody Clementine. The Bloody Clementine has Elderflower Liqueur in it. You cannot go wrong with Elderflower Liqueur in any drink or possible anything. It is so delicious. You can mix it up in so many ways. Here are some great recipes. I could drink the bottle like water in one day which is why I don't buy it.

Bay 2 Breakers

2009-05-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

This Sunday was Bay to Breakers in San Francisco. If you have not had the fortune to actually see this event in the past, then you are truly missing out because it is really one of a kind. It is in true San Francisco fashion - insanely crazy but full of energy.. It started in 1912 as a way to lift the city's spirits after the disastrous 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and it really does lift the cities spirits literally. People are insanely drunk on alcohol or life during the the longest consecutively run footrace in the world. A lot of people dress up for the event and create floats. There were a ton of flamingos this year. I am still not sure. One of the other notorious costumes were the Swine Fluzees. There were a lot of variations of this costume that made fun of the recent Swine Flu outbreak.

Tourist Goggles

2009-05-10T20:42:00.002-07:00

I haven’t posted since I have been back to San Francisco because I thought that I didn’t have much to share. I am back to the routine of my old life, work, friends, family, challenges all these things haven’t changed much. Living in India for the last three months, everything was a new experience and an adventure. There was also a sense that it was transient. You enjoyed everything more because you didn’t know whether it was the last time you got to do it. I think this is how most people feel on vacations. If only we can learn to go through life with tourist goggles and experience it as if everything is new and fleeting. This is how I want to embrace San Francisco- through Tourist Goggles

Dubai Under Construction

2009-04-03T22:58:00.002-07:00

I spent two days in Dubai and I left with just one thought "Dubai is under construction." When you look out the skyline all you see is a bunch of building with cranes. I was told 17% of the population has left since the winter of last year. I wonder who is going to live in all these new buildings. I had a good time while I was there but it is a strange place. Seems like it is still trying to construct its identity.

My Tehran Visit

2009-03-25T08:03:00.004-07:00

This week I am visiting Iran for the first time in twelve years. It's a great time to be here because a lot of people are out of town. My aunt heard on the radio that 20 million Iranians are traveling right now because it's Persian New Years holiday. The result of the exodus is that we have no traffic, pollution, and a cleaner city to romp around in. Tehran has also developed in the last 12 years as most major cities have around the world. I am really enjoying my Tehran time because of all this and just being with my family. Since most of the "kids" in the family are now living abroad, I get to be the benefactor of their absence and get extra spoiled by my relatives.

The Venice of India

2009-03-21T01:21:00.000-07:00

Jen, Carla and I went on our last trip in India this last weekend with Ruthu and Gina. We went to the Venice of India – Kerala. This was the perfect trip to end our journey in India. After flying down to Cochin and staying there for a night we spent a relaxing 24 hours on the Vipalsa house boat. We read, watched movies, played cards, had good food and caught up on random things in our lives. Despite our moments of difference, I have really enjoyed all our trips. You learn and share a lot when you travel with people. We shared many firsts times, like river-rafting, and shared and created a lot of memories. I will miss everyone I came to India with and everyone that I have met.

Is the joke on us?

2009-03-15T13:17:00.001-07:00

On Monday after work Jen and I made our way through Delhi traffic to go the Jama Masjid mosque. Walking through the long parkway, which was packed with vendors, to the mosque entrance was just as challenging as the Delhi traffic. At the entrance of the mosque some man greeted us and said that we had to wear these ridiculous blue frocks that looked like something you get at a hair salon. They were bright blue plastic with some paisley design. Jen and I were suspicious at first and pushed back. Our friends had been here a couple weeks ago and they didn't have to wear a frock. We were not about to be duped like newbie tourists! We told the guy that we were not going to wear it. We pointed to all the other women walking around without having to wear blue mumus. He insisted that the other women were Muslims and didn’t have to wear it but we had to. It didn’t make sense because how did he know what their religion was or ours for that matter.

After some going back and forth we just put it on because this is this biggest mosque in India and we didn’t want to not see it. When we walked in, I just saw more Indian ladies in their normal attire not wearing a ridiculous frock. I was getting annoyed because Saris show more skin then the long pants and sleeved clothes we were wearing under this huge, plastic sheet. Then I started looking around the plaza and saw pockets of blue Smurfs like women fidgeting with their attire while scrambling around. All the foreign women were wearing them too. This relaxed us a bit and we let the guy who gave us the frock be our unofficial guide. He walked us around and tried to tell us about the mosque but his tour was just as silly as the frocks we were wearing.

The "guide" didn't know anything about the mosque history. So now again, I was back to thinking that this was a scam. The guide who called himself the guide didn’t even know what year the mosque was built! He was more obsessed with making sure the frock was in place. Several times he adjusted my frock. At the end of “the tour” he insisted he walk us out even though we wanted to take more pictures. We ended up taking some pictures but I would never frame them or anything because you can’t see the mosque! The frocks are covering everything including the mosque. Finally he walked us out and got our frocks and asked for 20 rupees each to wash them! We only gave him 20 rupees instead of 40 but I am still not sure if this was a scam. I told people at the office and some people said it was legit some people just laughed. Maybe one of these days, someone will see Jen and I on an episode of Candid Camera. If you do, please let me know.

Haridware

2009-03-14T13:06:00.001-07:00

On the way back from Rishikesh we stopped at Hardiware. Hardiware is a holy city. A lot of people there to give blessing to the river. We each bought one of the little boats of flowers with incense and candle and send our little boats in the Ganga river carrying our wishes.

We Survived The Wall

2009-03-14T01:01:00.004-07:00

We went to Rishikesh on Friday for a weekend of bonding with the Ganga river. Rishikesh is a big hippie town by the Ganga river. The Beatles spent a month in an Ashram there so it's famous for that as well. Saturday we went river rafting on the Ganga. This was my first time and I didn’t know what to expect. Eddie, our guide, was very cautious. We had to go through all these safety precautions before we got in the raft. I was a bit worried about tipping over especially because the water was really cold. The first rapid we went on was a 4 on a scale where 6 is the most challenging. Before we got to “The Wall,” Eddie gave us a pep talk on what to expect. He said that there was a possibility that we tip over and give us detailed instructions on what to do when we tipped over. All the precaution talk made me think that we really were gonna tip over. We went through it and we didn’t tip. I think he was just trying to get us psyched about the wall to have a little fun. It wasn’t that bad at all.

Holi Mubharak Ho!

2009-03-11T07:41:00.006-07:00

We celebrated Holi in Delhi today. Holi, also known as Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi, is the a celebration of Spring. We celebrated by throwing colored powder and colored water at each other.

My Taj Mahal Story

2009-03-07T05:36:00.004-08:00

It feels like I have been waiting to see the Taj Mahal forever. The moment I heard its story, I fell in love with it and was immediately envious of the heroine. I heard that it was built by a Shah for his beloved wife who passed away. I always thought how romantic men were back then. They built honored their wives with alluring shrines. These days you hardly hear love stories like that. I wanted to learn more about the Queen. I wondered what was her secret appeal that made the Shah devote his life offering her memory such a tribute.

After a 5 hour drive from Delhi we got to Agra where the Taj is. The car service provided us a free guide, Shams. Shams was an amazing guide/photographer/comedian. He has lived in Agra all his life and is as much in love with the Taj Mahal as the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan was when he built it in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

As we started the tour Shams told us the story about Shah Jahan and his favorite wife who actually turned out to be of Persian decent. Her real name was Arjumand Banu Begum. When I heard she was Persian, this perked up my ear and everyone could tell that it also inflated my head. I was proud that my ancestors had some role in this magnificient site that has attracked thousands and thousands of people to it from all over the world for hundreds of years. It is truely breathtaking. Shams sensed my rejoice in tidbits of information relating to Persian contribution so he took great pleasure in teasing me with other Persian contributions to the Taj. This was our joke of the day, all the great contributions of Persians to the Taj Mahal. I told them if we kept it up there wouldn't be enough room in the photo of my head and the Taj.

I think I am no longer envious of Banu. Shams told us that Banu died giving birth to her 14th child. Being pregnant for 14 years doesn't sound very romantic. I guess it was common back then but when I heard this I envied her less. Shah Jahan was so grief stricken that he spent the next 22 years of his life creating this mausoleum. During that time poor Banu was in some regular coffin and her body was moved around twice to different grave sites until finally he finished the Taj and she got to rest. When I heard this part, I really stopped being envious of Banu. The poor lady was pregnant for the majority of their marriage and then even after her death her body didn't get any rest until 22 years later when he finally buried her in final restig place. I mentioned to Shams how sad Shah Jahan must have been after the death but then he pointed out that Shah Jahan had at least 3 other wives and 500 concubines! This is when I decided Banu could keep her Taj.

The Taj Mahal

2009-03-06T10:46:00.003-08:00

It took 22 years to build the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan, a Mogul emperor, built it for his second wife.

The Taj Mahal Crowd

2009-03-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

I am going to be in Delhi for the next week and a half so it provide a great opportunity to see the sites close to here. I thought that Agra where the Taj is relatively close. We got up at 5am to leave the apartment by 6am but didn't get there til 11am. I slept most of the way but woke up to something thumbing on the window. I was startled to see a monkey pressing its face to the window. I thought at first it's a bad dream. Side-effects of the monkey attack I had in Mumbia but it turned out to be real. We were at the toll about to cross the state line and there was a guy with a monkey on the leash doing tricks.. the monkey was doing tricks. There was another guy with a rattle snake and flute next to him trying to entertain us with the snake dance. Then vendors started flocking our windows to sell stuff..I wanted to go back to sleep and close the curtain on this freak show but couldn't tell what was triggering all this. Then I noticed a nice black car parked in front of us and a naive tourist giving money to one of the monkey guys.. Ah silly tourists have to always ruin it for the rest of us. He slowly learned his lesson as more and more people started lining outside his window for change. Although the Taj is amazing it does bring out all these tourists and in turn vendors. I felt like I was haggled more around the Taj than anywhere else in India.

Road Games

2009-02-27T08:19:00.003-08:00

On Friday I went to Delhi to drive from there go to a wedding in Rohtak. The drive was beautiful but long so we needed some entertainment. We found it chasing this car that we suspected had a kid in the trunk. 4 of us and our driver were crammed in a sedan for 2+ hours to drive to the wedding. We had been driving for awhile when our driver said he saw something moving in the car in front of us trunk. The trunk was open so he pulled next to them to tell the car full of people that they forgot to close the trunk. They entirely ignored us so he joked, "what you got a kid in there or something?" which they did not respond to! This led us all believe that there had to be a kid in there so spent the next 45 minutes tailgating this car to see if the trunk would open over a road bump and we could see the kid. A couple times the door opened slightly more and everyone swore they saw something wearing a sweater move in the back. I yelled out the window "hey let the kid free, or kid we got some cookies you want it." But none of our please got us closer to getting the kid out of the trunk. Then it stopped on the side of the road and some of their kids (the privileged ones who got to ride in the car) came out to get chips and stuff. While they had stopped the trunk opened slightly more on its own. There was definitely something moving it and it wasn't a dog. We tried tailgating the car after the stop to open it ourselves they got wise to us and speeded away. Hopefuly the kid made it ok.

Disclaimer: this is not legal in India and could be entirely fictional but very funny (at least to us bored passengers).

You can learn a lot from a walk in the park

2009-02-25T07:59:00.002-08:00

I have found Indians in general to be more sentimental than Americans. Often I see inspirational quotes at the most random places. On Wednesday Gina and I went on a walk at one of the major parks in Hyderabad and discovered all kinds of things. We saw peacocks, rabbits and got all kinds of life messages along the way. I uploaded some of the best ones.

Learning The Art of Giving

2009-02-22T19:31:00.004-08:00

On Saturday we went back to the Rainbow School to visit the kids. You may remember we went a month ago to help paint the new preschool structure. If you've forgotten, the Rainbow Schoo l was started by a Googler's wife. It is a public school that is partially sustained by the government, non-profits and contributors. We wanted to go back to spend more time with the kids and see the teachers again. Last time we visited we noticed that the book library could use some new books and that the kids love to draw, so we wanted to also take some drawing materials.

Jen, Adam, Mike, Gina and I were all excited to stop at the bookstore on our way to the school to get the kids fun things. We all picked things that we liked. I wanted to get them drawing pencils, crayons and coloring books because those are the things I always like playing with my nephews. I was like a kid at a candy store in the bookstore. I was overwhelmed with all the options and wanted everything. I kept thinking what would my nephews like because they are around the same age of the young kids. After getting all the gifts we headed to the school. Each of us had at least one bag of goodies in hand.

When we walked in it was lunch time and all the kids were seating outside eating. They were all so excited to see us. There was a chorus of "hello madame" followed by big smiles. I was really struck that not one of the kids asked what was in the bag or made a dash to get a gift. Even when we took some of the things out to read books in classrooms or show the teachers no one seemed really interested in the gifts. I can't think of a time where I have walked in a room with kids somebody asking what they were getting. When I go to my sister's house my nephews first question is usually did you bring me a gift? I mean, who doesn't like a present, especially young kids.

I really learned from the kids that day because they were not interested in the gifts. What they were most interested in was sharing with us. Instead of asking to use the new color pencils and drawing paper, they had me seat down and one by one the second graders would bring me the things they drew as a gift. They were so excited to give me their few drawings as a gift and have me pronounce their names. When I tried to teach them a song (the only nursery song I know) they shared five amazing songs with laughter and clapping. Then they wanted to teach me how to dance, which was very comical. More than anything the kids just wanted to share with us and just wanted our time. The kids were so full of joy, laughter and genuine interest in sharing. Our time and interest made a bigger impact on them than anything we could bring them. I really enjoyed my with them and want to go back soon to learn more.

A Night To Remember

2009-02-22T07:41:00.007-08:00

Shannon and Pratap's engagement party was a magical night that I will always remember. Here's a picture of the expat crew with the beautiful couple in the center.

This isn't what it looks like

2009-02-22T07:41:00.006-08:00

Wearing a sari may seem easy to someone who has never worn a sari before but let me tell you it's not as easy as it looks here. I am proud to say I pulled it off with a little help.

Let me tell you why it's not as easy as it looks. First of all the skirt and wrap is one piece of cloth that you wrap around your waist into a petticoat and then you wrap around your body. So just imagine if you don't do it right how it can turn into a wardrobe malfunction.

When I got the sari the lady at the store showed me how to do it. She did it effortlessly so I thought this can't be hard. I'll just watch her and imitate later. When I was telling some of the ladies at work that I got a sari they all had one question, "whose gonna help you put it on?" A few people said they hardly wear saris because its hard to put it on. This is when my bubble burst and I started worrying about the whole getting dressed aspect.

The night of the engagement I put on the top more or less effortlessly, then came the bottom. I just did what the lady at the store did. Wrap the sari around my waste and stuff it in the petticoat. Except it was scratchy and not sticking. This is when I lost my cool and declared that I needed to go to the hotel with my clothes and ask one of Pratap's aunties to help me. Luckily, Gina had read in the expat magazine an article on how to wear saris. She took one look at me and realized I was wearing the bottom upside down! It took 5 mins to fix it. Actually, wearing the sari was not as hard as just learning how to put it on. Although I could not walk in my attire as gracefully as all the experts, I have to say it made me feel like a queen. The top had so much bead work. I loved it! All of us expat girls wore traditional Indian clothes and could hold are own it. We danced til 2am at the afterparty and not one of us had a wardrobe malfunction.

No Monkey Business For Me

2009-02-15T12:28:00.004-08:00

Elephanta Island has a lot of monkeys. Sam, our guide, said that there are less than 1,500 people that live on the island and over 2,000 monkeys. We didn't see that many in the morning when we went to the caves. But as we came out, there were a few hanging around. They seemed harmless and cute. I was making my way towards Jen to take a photo when I noticed one of the bigger monkeys coming towards me. I didn't know what he wanted so I started to step aside and walking a little faster but he started to do the same. This is when I realized the monkey had some business with me and I was not prepared. I mean I thought I was prepared for all kinds of travel situations but I had no idea how to handles this one. My mind was racing and I kept thinking I was saying out loud to Jen and Sam "hey what do I do to get the monkey away is there a gesture or word I can shoo him." I thought that this is what I was saying and wondering why nobody was coming to my rescue as the monkey got closer but later Jen said I was just mummbling " jeyvendi, jeyvendi, jeyvendi!" Sam was hanging back with my camera relaxed taking photos. The monkey kept coming at me and started to scratch my leg. All I could think of doing in my panic mode was to throw my bottle water at him. Before I could throw it he just grabbed it with his two hands. He sat down and slowly opened the lid and started to drink all my water! He propped one leg under the bottle and looked at me dead and seemed to be saying "whose the monkey now." Only in India the monkeys even outwit the tourists! http://www.tripwolf.com/en/guide/show/16115/India/Mumbai-Bombay/Elephanta-Caves

Mumbai's oldest and biggest humanpowered washing machine

2009-02-15T11:44:00.002-08:00

We visited the Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat. This is a 136 year old dhobi ghat (place where clothes are washed). Every day hundreds of people wash clothes in 1026 open-air troughs. These are small 3X3 stone washing areas. We watched as the traditional people soaked the clothes, then thrashed them on flogging stones. Not only are dirty clothes washed here but a lot of items are prewashed before they are sent to stores for sale.

Welcome to Mumbai

2009-02-15T11:38:00.003-08:00

I love Mumbai! It reminded me very much of San Francisco. It's a vibrant city by a bay filled with a lot to do and see. I think we were lucky this weekend to be able to get to see so much of the city in such a short time. Everything went fairly smoothly. It was definitely an ausipiece weekend because there were a lot of weddings on Marine Drive.

Some of my highlights from the weekend was the Kala Ghoda Art Festival, fresh seafod at Trishna, the view at Dome, tea at Tea Centre, lunch at Leapold's Cafe, visiting the caves in Elephanta Island and finding (and now wearing) the bangles that the actress from Luck By Chance movie wore in the film. These are just a few. I could have definitely spent more time in Mumbai.

For the record I don't have a delhi belly

2009-02-12T09:43:00.004-08:00

I've been trying to get a hold of my cousin in Dubai for a week now to coordinate my trip to visit her. She moved to Dubai a little while ago with her new husband, who I've met only once before. She told me she uses Skype under some name so I keep harassing the account that turns out to be her husbands. Tonite, he finally responds that it's his account. Despite the constant IMs and whatever u can do on Skype to harass people, he was nice enough to invite me to visit them at the end of my trip. He starts to ask me how India is going and if I have a delhi belly. Well, all I know about delhi belly is probably the effect of eating so much good, greasy Indian food. I am actually little sensitive about my new India pouch. So I proceed to defend the little weight I've gained by letting him know that I promise to lose it before I visit. In fact, I am going to put it in check so I don't take too much room in their apartment. He seemed to think it was important that I lose it too. I mean I realized he was joking but I am also thinking to myself jeez new cousin-n-law is a little bit of a fatist (against people with big bellies). So I go home tonite and off course the chef has made this amazing delicious (fattening) Indian meal. I am seating there with all my housemates guiltily eating the food and sulking. I start telling them how, I got to watch it with the food because people are asking me about my delhi belly. That's when Jen says "Um, your delhi belly? You know what that it is right?" If you don't know what delhi belly is, it's too gross for me to describe it but I found a tame definition of it. I almost lost my belly from laughing tonite thinking of the chat I had with him. The last thing I said was I hope they have room for me and my delhi belly. I hope I am still invited to stay with them. This is the funniest chat conversation, I've had so I had to share it.

[8:38:27 PM] SN says: watch out for delhi-belly
[8:38:34 PM] Sherry Zarabi says: OMG u call it
[8:38:39 PM] Sherry Zarabi says: its here and in effect
[8:38:48 PM] Sherry Zarabi says: i am on a carb and grease diet
[8:38:51 PM] SN says: no more description needed
[8:39:03 PM] N says: but thanks for sharing
[8:39:09 PM] Sherry Zarabi says: ha ha
[8:39:23 PM] Sherry Zarabi says: yea i hope u guys have room for me and the belly
[8:39:42 PM] Sherry Zarabi says: i'll have to get into control by next month
[8:39:50 PM] SN says: delhi-belly is an expression usd for eshal-e shadid-e hendi
[8:40:13 PM] SN says: do plz do try to get it in check by the time u visit!
[8:40:33 PM] Sherry Zarabi says: ha ha
[8:40:46 PM] Sherry Zarabi says: i will gonna tonite
[8:41:11 PM] SN says: take care. look fwd to seeing u here
[8:41:15 PM] Sherry Zarabi says: k i will stop harrasing u on skype
[8:41:30 PM] SN says: good talking to ya

I mean he even tried to explain it to me by spelling it phoentically in Farsi and I still didn't get what he was talking about. So here is my attempt to set the record straight that I am house broken.

Saris are the new black

2009-02-10T09:40:00.002-08:00

Saris are my new black

2009-02-06T05:11:00.005-08:00

Jen, Shannon, Anu (Pratap's mom - Shannon's future mother-n-law) and I went shopping earlier this week for Shannon and Pratap's engagement party. We went to Neeros one of the shops in Hyderabad. Jen and I started with the most simple outfits - the salwar kameez. There were so many styles and the outfits were so beautiful. But then our eyes caught the other styles -saris and ghagra cholis. I was overwhelmed with all the choices but Anu had the whole place under control. She pointed out all the cute outfits. Jen ended up getting a beautiful aqua with bronze ghagra cholis and I got a salmon colored sari. I had so much fun trying the outfits on. I fell in love with each one I tried on. Unfortunately, the relationship was not mutual because a lot of them were above my budget so it wouldn't work out. I also realized that I wouldn't have many occasions to wear them. I was to get invited to some Indian weddings so I have an excuse to go back and get more saris. The other day my dream came true...one of our co-workers that Carla knew from before invited us all to her wedding near Delhi. This is so nice of her to include us. I am so excited to now have 2 occasions to wear my new sari.. If I get another occasion, I am definitely gonna get another one.

Is Goa the Palm Springs of Southeast Asia?

2009-02-01T10:09:00.000-08:00

We landed Friday afternoon in Goa. Goa has been on my list of places to visit forever. But when we were walking around Friday afternoon on Calangte Beach, I started to wonder if this was the Goa I had heard about... Where were the young people partying on the beach? We were looking for a chill bar shack to grab a drink at and half of them were empty. After walking on the beach for a bit we walked up to one and I stopped in my track. Everyone in there was over 60s, sunburned and sipping on some beer.. Did somebody forget to tell me that Goa is the Palm Springs of Southeas Asia? The waiter told us that a lot of older people come to Goa to semi-retire because its relatively cheap. He said a lot of Europeans and Australians come there. We were actually the first Americans he had met. But, tourism in general is down and particularly among young people because of the economy. Luckily, we found a local club Titos to go dancing and there were a ton of "young" people. Goa turns out to have a little something for everyone no matter what age, style etc.

Lucky Cows in Goa

2009-02-01T09:23:00.003-08:00

This weekend we went to G-O-A!! I loved it. I am so jealous of the cows there. They get to chill on the beach all day with this amazing view.

These aint no "liquor cookies!"

2009-01-28T10:48:00.002-08:00

On the way up to Rajisthan this weekend, one of my roommates mentioned that a friend had asked her to buy her these "special liquor cookies" that they only sell in Rajisthan. She gave my roomate very explicit instructions:

1) Don't negotiate on the price. They are kinda expensive but worth the price
2) Make sure you buy it from this special shop and that they are individually wrapped.

The instructions seemed weird to our new expat ears. I mean we've been here for 10 days but know you negotiate on everything! and 50 rupees per cookie!! 50 Rupees can get you a whole lotta stuff. So, we talking about this with one of the more seasoned expats, who explains umm these are not liquor cookies - it's Bhang Cookies a.k.a weed, marijuna whatever you want to call it but it aint liquor.

Turns out the shop she was refering to for the "special liquor cookies" is in the Lonely Planet and yes it is a legal seller. In Jaislmer weed is legal to sell from this authorized stores in the form of chocolate cookies. There was only one in Jaismler and the government authorized sign said "come and enjoy.' We went to check it out did not enjoy.

The View from Mehrangarh Fort

2009-01-27T08:15:00.001-08:00

From Mehrangarh fort you can see why Jodhhpur is called Blue City. The surrounded houses blue painted walls add to the amazing view.

Thing to avoid on a camel ride...

2009-01-27T08:09:00.002-08:00

1)Downing a 40 in 20 mins..it may sound good but you'll be miles away from a bathroom and there's no privacy in the sand dunes.
2)Getting on the camel behind the pissing camel.. they can hold a lot of water and piss forever.
3)Racing your camels..it sounds fun but your bun will pay for it the next day.
4)Getting to close up and personal in your camels face.. their chompers can take big bites.
5) Any camel named "Michael Jackson" it's just too creepy.