Slightly after 8:45pm, with another spur of the moment trip, here I was again in the Bay Area. It's been 2 yrs since the last time I was here. Pretty nostalgic in a way... even looked out the airplane as it was making its landing!
Greeted by the familiar RSX, I got into it and off we went to SF for some sushi and sake. The sushi was pretty good.. as expected of a city by the sea! Stll can't believe in those few hours over dinner, I probably had more drinks than I had on my birthday outing a couple months back...lol.
After that, we drove around SF to find a club to go into... Since we finished dinner close to 11:00, most clubs had hugeee lines. Driving half an hour later, we ended up at a place called 10.15. Nothing much different there, did see a Kool-Aid costume which I thought was pretty cool. That and the Twister Boardgame person.
Went back to SJ, had some after hours instant noodles, and called it a night. Ahhh... the good ol' days.. feels like res!
After 2 years, back in Cali!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Snow Lake Trail Hike
Went hiking today. Was able to get some really nice pictures.
It was very refreshing and mind clearing to hike up a mountain. All the simple one liners and various things I have been hearing the past few months just seem to come together...
It was very refreshing and mind clearing to hike up a mountain. All the simple one liners and various things I have been hearing the past few months just seem to come together...
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Toddddaaaiii!
Mmmmmmmmmmmm...... been so long... WAYYY too long
The food was pretty good. There were sea snails today - no one at the table liked it, but I thought it was pretty interesting. Had crab, sushi and a bunch of other stuff. Felt pretty good after the meal.
The only downside was that the last serving was at 9pm. I was hoping it'd close later than that. Especially since I drove alllll the way into the city for it!
The highlight was the tako sashimi (octopus). Since they were closing, I went to grab one last helping of sushi, only to find out they were out of tako sushi. So I asked them if they have more and they told me they had to make it. Being ever so kind, I offered to save them time by volunteering to just take all the sashimi (so they didn't have to make sushi out of it). And the result, all the octopus sashimi they had left that was thawed... wuhahaha... looovely!
The food was pretty good. There were sea snails today - no one at the table liked it, but I thought it was pretty interesting. Had crab, sushi and a bunch of other stuff. Felt pretty good after the meal.
The only downside was that the last serving was at 9pm. I was hoping it'd close later than that. Especially since I drove alllll the way into the city for it!
The highlight was the tako sashimi (octopus). Since they were closing, I went to grab one last helping of sushi, only to find out they were out of tako sushi. So I asked them if they have more and they told me they had to make it. Being ever so kind, I offered to save them time by volunteering to just take all the sashimi (so they didn't have to make sushi out of it). And the result, all the octopus sashimi they had left that was thawed... wuhahaha... looovely!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Phantom of the Opera
So today I went to watch the Phantom of the Opera. Just as I remembered it when I was young, it was an amazing show. From the beginning to the end, just liked it all around! Looking forward to the next musical/broadway that I get a chance to see.
Really like the song Point of No Return... The different voices overlapping one another was really cool.
Really like the song Point of No Return... The different voices overlapping one another was really cool.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Wild Water Theme Park
It was free admission day so we ended up heading to a water park. Haven't been to one since I was really small so I was pretty excited.
The place was interesting. It felt like a mini-Wonderland. But if I were to choose, I'd probably be scared to take my own kids to it... lol.
Firstly, there was this ride where the landing area was really shallow. Even though it was a tube ride, the landing area should really be deeper. Saw quite a few heads bang when the tube flipped over at the end...
Then there was the non padded floor situation. The water park had no padding whatsoever! No turf, no mats. So what ended up happening was we walked on asphalt, and because there's debris and pieces falling off it, it felt like I was walking on pins. It's good if you are into acupuncture, but not so good if you just wanted to walk! Combined with seeing some slide connections leaking... that just doesn't promote a safe envt overall.
After the water park, went on a few rides. Here the attendants seemed very lazy and carefree. The lights weren't turned on, and they were just very inattentive overall. I wonder if it's me getting old or if the park just wasn't safe! I guess it's ok if its older kids going, but ya, definitely not a place where I'd take a little kid.
Speaking of little kids, as I was lining up for a ride, I had an adult with his two little kids behind me, and two little Asian kids behind him waiting. Forgot how the conversation got started, but all I remember is that adult asking if those were my kids! I was like... err.. no. How old do I look?... I found that funny, but also weird...
Just how old do I look!
The place was interesting. It felt like a mini-Wonderland. But if I were to choose, I'd probably be scared to take my own kids to it... lol.
Firstly, there was this ride where the landing area was really shallow. Even though it was a tube ride, the landing area should really be deeper. Saw quite a few heads bang when the tube flipped over at the end...
Then there was the non padded floor situation. The water park had no padding whatsoever! No turf, no mats. So what ended up happening was we walked on asphalt, and because there's debris and pieces falling off it, it felt like I was walking on pins. It's good if you are into acupuncture, but not so good if you just wanted to walk! Combined with seeing some slide connections leaking... that just doesn't promote a safe envt overall.
After the water park, went on a few rides. Here the attendants seemed very lazy and carefree. The lights weren't turned on, and they were just very inattentive overall. I wonder if it's me getting old or if the park just wasn't safe! I guess it's ok if its older kids going, but ya, definitely not a place where I'd take a little kid.
Speaking of little kids, as I was lining up for a ride, I had an adult with his two little kids behind me, and two little Asian kids behind him waiting. Forgot how the conversation got started, but all I remember is that adult asking if those were my kids! I was like... err.. no. How old do I look?... I found that funny, but also weird...
Just how old do I look!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
White Water Rafting
It was a beautiful day for outdoor activities today... worked out perfectly since today was White Water Rafting day.
The place, being pretty far away, took awhile to get to. Woke up at 9-ish and we only got there towards 1:30! On the way, seeing 4 cop cars and having a slightly longer lunch than expected, we got lost because of Gthe PS pointing us to some random place (note to self: never listen to GPS when you going to the wilderness), so we had to backtrack not once, but TWICE to figure out where we were headed. Even with Initial-D-ing down these hills, we were late by 20 minutes. Luckily, we only missed out on the boring spheel part of the briefing so we were still able to go rafting.
The white water rafting experience was not as intense as I thought it'd be. The rapids weren't really that dangerous it seems and it felt more like a float down the river more than anything. It was pretty nice though because the weather was great.
On the way back, had an interesting discussion
1. On what qualities a person has...
...A person that matches you may have the qualities you desire, but it does not necessarily mean that you will need to have those same qualities to match them. They may not be looking for what you urself desire... so if that person really matches you, you should look to see if you can perform the qualities the other person wants to be with...
Makes soooo much sense! Why didn't I think of that?!?!?!
2. For ladies, who would you pick between the two given everything is the same? A person who had half the salary but has motivation to succeed in what they are doing... or a person with higher salary also having that same motivation?
...This one was an interesting one. If by having a higher salary then the person would not be able to spend more time with you, then they would choose the one with half the salary. Also, another thought was if the salary difference is too large, then that may also not be good since there's a chance that you'd feel inferior...
Very intriguing answer...
Pretty fun and enlightening trip I would say!
The place, being pretty far away, took awhile to get to. Woke up at 9-ish and we only got there towards 1:30! On the way, seeing 4 cop cars and having a slightly longer lunch than expected, we got lost because of Gthe PS pointing us to some random place (note to self: never listen to GPS when you going to the wilderness), so we had to backtrack not once, but TWICE to figure out where we were headed. Even with Initial-D-ing down these hills, we were late by 20 minutes. Luckily, we only missed out on the boring spheel part of the briefing so we were still able to go rafting.
The white water rafting experience was not as intense as I thought it'd be. The rapids weren't really that dangerous it seems and it felt more like a float down the river more than anything. It was pretty nice though because the weather was great.
On the way back, had an interesting discussion
1. On what qualities a person has...
...A person that matches you may have the qualities you desire, but it does not necessarily mean that you will need to have those same qualities to match them. They may not be looking for what you urself desire... so if that person really matches you, you should look to see if you can perform the qualities the other person wants to be with...
Makes soooo much sense! Why didn't I think of that?!?!?!
2. For ladies, who would you pick between the two given everything is the same? A person who had half the salary but has motivation to succeed in what they are doing... or a person with higher salary also having that same motivation?
...This one was an interesting one. If by having a higher salary then the person would not be able to spend more time with you, then they would choose the one with half the salary. Also, another thought was if the salary difference is too large, then that may also not be good since there's a chance that you'd feel inferior...
Very intriguing answer...
Pretty fun and enlightening trip I would say!
Friday, September 12, 2008
The Concept of BETA K explained...
I come to work and find the term BETA K bastardized...
To avoid further misuse, I immediately created the below...
heh heh heh!
Another day, another wise lesson taught
To avoid further misuse, I immediately created the below...
heh heh heh!
Another day, another wise lesson taught
Monday, September 01, 2008
Los Angeles Part IV - The Cali Life!
Getty Museum was the goal today... but unfortunately, they apparently are closed on Labor Day... Noooooooooooooooo!!! Guess I will have to make another trip to LA... to surf and go to both the Villa and the Museum next time...
Making new plans, we ended up in West LA and after some hunting around, finally found a restaurant open. It seems like many places are closed in on Labor Day in LA (maybe that's why the plane tickets were so cheap :P ).
Anyway, after food, we walked around the area, ending up in a bookstore. Since evveerryone was buying a book, I decided to pick up Tues w/ Morrie, since it was highly recommended by quite a few people. Ended up finishing the bulk of it by the time I landed back in Seattle. Personally think the Alchemist is a more interesting read - but maybe I would think differently if I had read Tues w/ Morrie first. I think I will start building a collection of 'reading books' though. These books are actually pretty interesting. They are not too 'heavy', but they do hit a few points in life...
With the rest of the day, we chilled at an outdoor patio at a coffee shop. Sun shining down... but not too hot, and even a slight breeze ever so often. What a perfect Cali life!
What I realize in this vacation is that I am thinking wayyyy too much about money, and think too much subconsciously an object's monetary value. To some degree, having money is important. You need a certain amount to cater to your desired lifestyle - and because of this, you would start thinking how to get to this desired level... It is almost a death spiral though don't you think? You want a certain life, so you think how you can squeeze everything where you can to get to this state; ending up thinking more and more about it until it starts consuming you.
It's true that at the end of the day, money can buy alot of things and solve alot of problems, but what's the point if you have all the money in the world, but nothing to spend it on?...
Note to self: Do not forget... Money is a tool... not an end.
Making new plans, we ended up in West LA and after some hunting around, finally found a restaurant open. It seems like many places are closed in on Labor Day in LA (maybe that's why the plane tickets were so cheap :P ).
Anyway, after food, we walked around the area, ending up in a bookstore. Since evveerryone was buying a book, I decided to pick up Tues w/ Morrie, since it was highly recommended by quite a few people. Ended up finishing the bulk of it by the time I landed back in Seattle. Personally think the Alchemist is a more interesting read - but maybe I would think differently if I had read Tues w/ Morrie first. I think I will start building a collection of 'reading books' though. These books are actually pretty interesting. They are not too 'heavy', but they do hit a few points in life...
With the rest of the day, we chilled at an outdoor patio at a coffee shop. Sun shining down... but not too hot, and even a slight breeze ever so often. What a perfect Cali life!
What I realize in this vacation is that I am thinking wayyyy too much about money, and think too much subconsciously an object's monetary value. To some degree, having money is important. You need a certain amount to cater to your desired lifestyle - and because of this, you would start thinking how to get to this desired level... It is almost a death spiral though don't you think? You want a certain life, so you think how you can squeeze everything where you can to get to this state; ending up thinking more and more about it until it starts consuming you.
It's true that at the end of the day, money can buy alot of things and solve alot of problems, but what's the point if you have all the money in the world, but nothing to spend it on?...
Note to self: Do not forget... Money is a tool... not an end.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Los Angeles Part III - A Ferry Ride and a Club
Our plan was less aggressive today... wake up at 10am (instead of 9am), then go to Venice beach, follwed by a nice dinner at Del Marina, then proceed onto some LA nightlife.
Ended up waking up at 10:30ish (better than yesterday...), and then we actually ran some errands. LA Swim Buddy went to IKEA to buy furniture while other Swimming Buddy and I went grocery shopping. Picked up the laundry as well and then we headed off to the beach.
As luck would have it, lots of people were at the beach, enough that there was no parking... driving around for more than half an hour, we decided to go to Del Marina and see what there is to walk around there.
The most interesting part was the ferry ride conversation with the 'girl who never smiles in photos'. Very interesting girl who seems very wise (which you would never guess seeing how she forgot ALL her clothes after surfing the day before... lol)... But nevertheless, it was really refreshing talking to her. Quite a few interesting things I heard, but the one I keep thinking about is:
..."Anyone can treat you nice, but who do you see as someone who you can be with for the rest of your life and be someone who you can see your kids grow up well with"...
Its funny that as simple as this sounds, its something I have never really considered in the past. I agree completely with the first and second part, but really never thought about the third part at all. And come to think of it, that is exactly something that I would want in a person... and in myself...
Recently, alot of very simple phrases have been making quite an impact on me. Little analogies here, few one liners there, they all seem to make so much sense, just in their raw form. Makes me think that I have just been over-complicating and overthinking too many things these days. Should really take a step back and reevaluate where I am headed, and what my goals really are...
Anyway, moving back on to the day... Dinner was really good (the place was called Shanghai Reds). It was a seafood restaurant, and I was REALLY full by the end of it. We ended up having 1 bottle of wine, 3 appetizers (oysters, garlic bread, escargots), 4 main courses, and 2 deserts between the 4 of us. And my main course had lobster, salmon, prawns and clams in it... Mmmm...
Very good recommendation indeed!
We then headed back home and while everyone else was getting ready and putting chairs together, I took a quick nap... hahahha. 3 hours later (or 2)... we were ready to go, ending up in a lounge in Hollywood (there was not much going on in LA downtwon on Sun nite... which was really surprising for me)... This lounge is a bit different than what I've seen before. Most people were just talking, not really dancing, but there was not a whole of tables. It was more like a mingling center moreso than anything else. The other cool thing was that half of it was outdoors, and there was a 2nd floor where you can see the outdoor part of the lounge.
Got back home at a decent time... another fun filled relaxing day in good ol' Cali!
Ended up waking up at 10:30ish (better than yesterday...), and then we actually ran some errands. LA Swim Buddy went to IKEA to buy furniture while other Swimming Buddy and I went grocery shopping. Picked up the laundry as well and then we headed off to the beach.
As luck would have it, lots of people were at the beach, enough that there was no parking... driving around for more than half an hour, we decided to go to Del Marina and see what there is to walk around there.
The most interesting part was the ferry ride conversation with the 'girl who never smiles in photos'. Very interesting girl who seems very wise (which you would never guess seeing how she forgot ALL her clothes after surfing the day before... lol)... But nevertheless, it was really refreshing talking to her. Quite a few interesting things I heard, but the one I keep thinking about is:
..."Anyone can treat you nice, but who do you see as someone who you can be with for the rest of your life and be someone who you can see your kids grow up well with"...
Its funny that as simple as this sounds, its something I have never really considered in the past. I agree completely with the first and second part, but really never thought about the third part at all. And come to think of it, that is exactly something that I would want in a person... and in myself...
Recently, alot of very simple phrases have been making quite an impact on me. Little analogies here, few one liners there, they all seem to make so much sense, just in their raw form. Makes me think that I have just been over-complicating and overthinking too many things these days. Should really take a step back and reevaluate where I am headed, and what my goals really are...
Anyway, moving back on to the day... Dinner was really good (the place was called Shanghai Reds). It was a seafood restaurant, and I was REALLY full by the end of it. We ended up having 1 bottle of wine, 3 appetizers (oysters, garlic bread, escargots), 4 main courses, and 2 deserts between the 4 of us. And my main course had lobster, salmon, prawns and clams in it... Mmmm...
Very good recommendation indeed!
We then headed back home and while everyone else was getting ready and putting chairs together, I took a quick nap... hahahha. 3 hours later (or 2)... we were ready to go, ending up in a lounge in Hollywood (there was not much going on in LA downtwon on Sun nite... which was really surprising for me)... This lounge is a bit different than what I've seen before. Most people were just talking, not really dancing, but there was not a whole of tables. It was more like a mingling center moreso than anything else. The other cool thing was that half of it was outdoors, and there was a 2nd floor where you can see the outdoor part of the lounge.
Got back home at a decent time... another fun filled relaxing day in good ol' Cali!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Los Angeles Part II - SURFING!
We were suppose to wake up at 9am... but ended up waking a little bit past that (ahem 11am...). So first thing we did was call up a surfschool and book some surfing lessons. After a quick lunch, we proceeded to go to Santa Monica for some good wholesome sun!
So this time, I was actually able to stand up quite a few times - which I thought was amazing. Sea water hitting my face... wiping out numerous times... being able to stand up... seeing the waves crash on top of me... I loooove surfing! lol
After a few fun filled hours of surfing, we chilled at the beach for a little bit, then went to a nearby bar and had some bubba shrimp. The shrimp was really good there!... that or maybe I was hungry from surfing.
Bumming around the area, we saw some pretty nice views of the beach and sunset, then went to 3rd street promenade for food. The funniest part was when LA swim buddy was hunting for a restroom at the gas station. Long story short, it was simply hilarious! Excerpt from that day...
LA Swim Buddy: Hi, can I use the bathroom?
Gas Station Dude: The girls washroom is broken...
(LA Swim Buddy just stands there, with legs crossed and twisting, eyeing the Gas Station Dude with that poor kid look as he served other customers)
Gas Station Dude: Do you wanna use the men's one?
LA Swim Buddy: YES! (Gas Station Dude points her in the direction, then she proceeds to run towards the bathroom... ... ... only to find it locked... ... )
.... At this point, I almost burst out laughing
Yes yes I know.... it's mean to be laughing, I did feel bad for her... but it was just funny how Murphy's Law ended up happening...
Had dinner at an Italian restaurant, then afterwards, saw this little girl (I think she was 8 yrs old) singing Alisha's No One song. That little girl was AMAZING and was soo cute with her piano and singing skills and marketing... She was selling her own CDs and was getting the crowd into her music and all. Can you imagine? A 8 yr old kid doing that... wow!
As we swung around the corner towards the car, we saw a crepe restaurant... so we jumped in for desert. Loooove crepes! Then after crepes we walked around and took some pictures by palm trees (Cali classic pics :) )
Pretty packed day... very fun and relaxing indeed!
So this time, I was actually able to stand up quite a few times - which I thought was amazing. Sea water hitting my face... wiping out numerous times... being able to stand up... seeing the waves crash on top of me... I loooove surfing! lol
After a few fun filled hours of surfing, we chilled at the beach for a little bit, then went to a nearby bar and had some bubba shrimp. The shrimp was really good there!... that or maybe I was hungry from surfing.
Bumming around the area, we saw some pretty nice views of the beach and sunset, then went to 3rd street promenade for food. The funniest part was when LA swim buddy was hunting for a restroom at the gas station. Long story short, it was simply hilarious! Excerpt from that day...
LA Swim Buddy: Hi, can I use the bathroom?
Gas Station Dude: The girls washroom is broken...
(LA Swim Buddy just stands there, with legs crossed and twisting, eyeing the Gas Station Dude with that poor kid look as he served other customers)
Gas Station Dude: Do you wanna use the men's one?
LA Swim Buddy: YES! (Gas Station Dude points her in the direction, then she proceeds to run towards the bathroom... ... ... only to find it locked... ... )
.... At this point, I almost burst out laughing
Yes yes I know.... it's mean to be laughing, I did feel bad for her... but it was just funny how Murphy's Law ended up happening...
Had dinner at an Italian restaurant, then afterwards, saw this little girl (I think she was 8 yrs old) singing Alisha's No One song. That little girl was AMAZING and was soo cute with her piano and singing skills and marketing... She was selling her own CDs and was getting the crowd into her music and all. Can you imagine? A 8 yr old kid doing that... wow!
As we swung around the corner towards the car, we saw a crepe restaurant... so we jumped in for desert. Loooove crepes! Then after crepes we walked around and took some pictures by palm trees (Cali classic pics :) )
Pretty packed day... very fun and relaxing indeed!
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