A few months ago, I mentioned that I might have to move. This statement has now morphed into "I have to move".
My roommate bought a house. Although he asked me to move with him, I declined; he bought deep in the heart of San Jose, too far south for me to handle and maintain my sanity.
It really isn't a mystery that I have never really liked living in the South Bay/Peninsula. I spent several years living in Berkeley, and really only left because of the job opportunity. After dating someone who lived in the city, I began to realize that I would probably like to live in San Francisco, and it was actually doable. For some reason, I held back, and now that Dan is moving, decided that it is now or never.
Thus, I've been a little preoccupied. Plus, last week was the Game Developer's Conference, which kept me busy. I did eat at the Original Joe's (or OJ, as a few in our party of twenty referred to it); very classic American style Italian food. I had "slaughtered baby cow", alternatively known as veal picatta. I also ate at Il Fornaio some very good seafood pasta for lunch, some not so good seafood risotto for dinner (although the mixed plate appetizer was quite delicious). Funny, either the food is amazing at Il Fornaio or just outright disappointing.
Monday, March 29, 2004
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
The Willows in Seattle
I'm in Seattle on business and staying at a hotel called the Willows Lodge. Actually, hotel does not accurately describe this place: it's more like a resort. In a giant cabin. Done by most people, the concept would result in a cheesey, artificial place...but the geniuses behind the willows have managed to create a world class incredible home away from home.
Some notables about my room: fire place; all of the fixings to make several different types of tea or starbucks coffee in a bodum; a little nighty-night package (and yes, i took advantage of the night-time exfoliating moisturizer); a sunken bath tub; lights all on a dimmer switch.
Late last night, I walked to the spa to check out the gym. To get there, I first had to walk outside (a bit chilly), then walk through a little courtyard with a jacuzzi. It was completely enclosed, and I wondered - if i took off my clothes and jumped in, what were the chances of anyone wandering in?
Some notables about my room: fire place; all of the fixings to make several different types of tea or starbucks coffee in a bodum; a little nighty-night package (and yes, i took advantage of the night-time exfoliating moisturizer); a sunken bath tub; lights all on a dimmer switch.
Late last night, I walked to the spa to check out the gym. To get there, I first had to walk outside (a bit chilly), then walk through a little courtyard with a jacuzzi. It was completely enclosed, and I wondered - if i took off my clothes and jumped in, what were the chances of anyone wandering in?
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Soprano's Premier
The fifth season of the Soprano's began on Sunday night, celebrated with an American-Italian themed dinner: three-cheese lasagna, salad with green goddess dressing, garlic bread and chianti. Oh, and a very non-Italian warm chocolate pudding cake.
Sunday, March 07, 2004
Memorable Lines from Hawaii
And here it is...memorable lines from Hawaii. They probably sound stupid and very unfunny, but had you been there and in the circumstances in which they were said, they were funny.
T: "The road says 4-wheel drive only. Do you think we should keep on going?"
S: "Sure. If it gets too bad, we'll turn around."
T: "Those things on the road are to stop cows from crossing."
S: "oh yeah, as they walk around on their cow claws!"
T: "I feel like I'm in a rain forest."
S: "That's because you are in a rain forest."
S: (to hot snuba instructor, SI): "So, do you get a lot of dumb tourists on these boats?"
SI: startled blank expression
SI: (later) "Someone once asked me if the island was completely surrounded by water."
S: "I think I want to go to Thailand on my next vacation, where deviant behavior is encouraged." (after sitting at a table with four very wholesome couples from the mid-west at the laua)
T: "The road says 4-wheel drive only. Do you think we should keep on going?"
S: "Sure. If it gets too bad, we'll turn around."
T: "Those things on the road are to stop cows from crossing."
S: "oh yeah, as they walk around on their cow claws!"
T: "I feel like I'm in a rain forest."
S: "That's because you are in a rain forest."
S: (to hot snuba instructor, SI): "So, do you get a lot of dumb tourists on these boats?"
SI: startled blank expression
SI: (later) "Someone once asked me if the island was completely surrounded by water."
S: "I think I want to go to Thailand on my next vacation, where deviant behavior is encouraged." (after sitting at a table with four very wholesome couples from the mid-west at the laua)
Inclement Hawaii, Part II
It's now the evening of our last night in Hawaii, and I can honestly say - the weather has been truly and amazingly uncharacteristically wet, rainy, stormy and windy for Hawaii. Only today, our last full day, have we had what would be considered a "typical" Hawaii climate.
Because Tony and I are very similar in that our interests run in about the same general topics (fine food, fine wine, good looking boys, gossip and work, to support all of the above habits), we have found ways to entertain ourselves on Maui that don't necessarily involve laying by the pool or on the beach, soaking up the rays. Thus, we've been on a mission to see as much of the island and to enjoy as many diverse dining experiences as possible, preferably in tandem.
To that end, here's a list of some of the food/travel highlights:
Hawaiian Plate Lunch: I have absolutely fallen in love with the Hawaiian plate lunch. It successfully melds Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Hawaiian and American culture into one meal, but not in the cloying and annoying way like so many restaurants on the mainland when combining diverse ethnic dishes. Tony loves the saimen, a soup similar to pho, but a bit sweeter and with more easily identifiable foods than traditional pho. I'm particularly fond of the noodle dishes: I love the chow fun and soon fun, thick rice noodles with a fermented black bean sauce and twice cooked beef. As well, traditional plate dishes, with steamed pork and other meats, the scoops of sticky rice, lomi-lomi (a salmon ceviche with tomatoes) and poy, abound. We've been to Da Kitchen in Kihei twice and Aloha Mixed Plate twice. The latter also makes kick-ass mai-tais.
Mai Tai: I would almost never be caught dead drinking a mai tai in the states - everyone knows that my first choice is usually a cosmo or wine. But the mai tais here are quite good; the best was at Moose McGuillicudy's in LaHaina. I also slurped down four during the luau. When tony asked me how many it had been when I got the fourth one, I looked at him and whispered "four" while the male in one of the four out of six wholesome couples at our table smirked at Tony, as if to say, "you lucky bastard"; little did he know that thanks to Polish genes and practice, I can drink like a fish and that Tony isn't into girls. Mai tais are definitely a very good Hawaiian tradition.
Mama's Fish House. Undoubtedly, one of our favorite restaurants in Hawaii: we stopped for lunch on our way to Hana (a two hour affair that cut our trip a little short) and during dessert, decided that we had to eat there once again for dinner on our last night. This is how great Mama's is: some whackjob drove his SUV into the airport and set it on fire, delaying flights by at least a day. A stranded traveler was quoted in the paper saying, "well, we'll just stay another day and it's a good excuse to go to mama's once again".
The Beaches. Due to uncooperative weather, time in the sun was severely limited. We did spend a bit of time at Hamoa Beach near Hana (black sand), and on our last day, spent several hours at Little Makena, located next to Big Makena. Little Makena was slightly rocky (I have scrapes on my shins and bruises on my legs to prove it); it was also what the guide book calls "clothing optional", with about 90% of visitors choosing the option of no clothing. You can guess which category I chose. Also, Little Makena attracts a large gay population, and at one point, I realized that I was surrounded by a sea of men, none of whom appreciated my best attributes.
Road to Hana. We braved the Road to Hana, which after having heard countless horror stories realized that it's not as bad as most people make it out to be. Incredibly twisty and turny, but well maintained and completely paved. The day before, we had driven throughout the north end of the island, which was far worse. Basically, if you've driven highway 17 to Santa Cruz or up in the Siskiyous, the Road to Hana is just fine. The journey to Hana is absolutely stunning. Verdant (Tony's words), lush, green, flora/fauna--it's incredibly spectacular. We stopped to enjoy two of many waterfalls and to take one short hike.
Because Tony and I are very similar in that our interests run in about the same general topics (fine food, fine wine, good looking boys, gossip and work, to support all of the above habits), we have found ways to entertain ourselves on Maui that don't necessarily involve laying by the pool or on the beach, soaking up the rays. Thus, we've been on a mission to see as much of the island and to enjoy as many diverse dining experiences as possible, preferably in tandem.
To that end, here's a list of some of the food/travel highlights:
Hawaiian Plate Lunch: I have absolutely fallen in love with the Hawaiian plate lunch. It successfully melds Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Hawaiian and American culture into one meal, but not in the cloying and annoying way like so many restaurants on the mainland when combining diverse ethnic dishes. Tony loves the saimen, a soup similar to pho, but a bit sweeter and with more easily identifiable foods than traditional pho. I'm particularly fond of the noodle dishes: I love the chow fun and soon fun, thick rice noodles with a fermented black bean sauce and twice cooked beef. As well, traditional plate dishes, with steamed pork and other meats, the scoops of sticky rice, lomi-lomi (a salmon ceviche with tomatoes) and poy, abound. We've been to Da Kitchen in Kihei twice and Aloha Mixed Plate twice. The latter also makes kick-ass mai-tais.
Mai Tai: I would almost never be caught dead drinking a mai tai in the states - everyone knows that my first choice is usually a cosmo or wine. But the mai tais here are quite good; the best was at Moose McGuillicudy's in LaHaina. I also slurped down four during the luau. When tony asked me how many it had been when I got the fourth one, I looked at him and whispered "four" while the male in one of the four out of six wholesome couples at our table smirked at Tony, as if to say, "you lucky bastard"; little did he know that thanks to Polish genes and practice, I can drink like a fish and that Tony isn't into girls. Mai tais are definitely a very good Hawaiian tradition.
Mama's Fish House. Undoubtedly, one of our favorite restaurants in Hawaii: we stopped for lunch on our way to Hana (a two hour affair that cut our trip a little short) and during dessert, decided that we had to eat there once again for dinner on our last night. This is how great Mama's is: some whackjob drove his SUV into the airport and set it on fire, delaying flights by at least a day. A stranded traveler was quoted in the paper saying, "well, we'll just stay another day and it's a good excuse to go to mama's once again".
The Beaches. Due to uncooperative weather, time in the sun was severely limited. We did spend a bit of time at Hamoa Beach near Hana (black sand), and on our last day, spent several hours at Little Makena, located next to Big Makena. Little Makena was slightly rocky (I have scrapes on my shins and bruises on my legs to prove it); it was also what the guide book calls "clothing optional", with about 90% of visitors choosing the option of no clothing. You can guess which category I chose. Also, Little Makena attracts a large gay population, and at one point, I realized that I was surrounded by a sea of men, none of whom appreciated my best attributes.
Road to Hana. We braved the Road to Hana, which after having heard countless horror stories realized that it's not as bad as most people make it out to be. Incredibly twisty and turny, but well maintained and completely paved. The day before, we had driven throughout the north end of the island, which was far worse. Basically, if you've driven highway 17 to Santa Cruz or up in the Siskiyous, the Road to Hana is just fine. The journey to Hana is absolutely stunning. Verdant (Tony's words), lush, green, flora/fauna--it's incredibly spectacular. We stopped to enjoy two of many waterfalls and to take one short hike.
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