Passover
What troubles you now,
that you have all gone up on the
roofs,
O town full of commotion,
O city of tumult and revelry?
Your slain were not killed by the
sword,
nor did they die in battle.
Recent events in Israel have really made me think. There's so many things we take for granted here, like being able to go out at night and being able to expect to come home alive.
Mar 30, 2002
Mar 24, 2002
Letters to the editor
Well, emails and ICQ, not exactly letters, but many of them say:
"What's with the name of your webpage?"
According to Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: con·cep·tion
2 a : the capacity, function, or process of forming or understanding ideas or abstractions or their symbols b : a general idea : CONCEPT c : a complex product of abstract or reflective thinking d : the sum of a person's ideas and beliefs concerning something
3 : the originating of something in the mind
Now it seems like some people got preconceptions, since the first definition is the unintended one:
1 a (1) : the process of becoming pregnant involving fertilization or implantation or both
Hope that clears up the misconception.
Oh Milla
Resident Evil (2002)
While significantly better than other video game inspired films such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, this flick doesn't do much to improve the average viewer's impression of the genre. While I was tense during quite a few moments of the film, it was still riddled with cliches, flashy but sloppy effects, incredibly poor acting, and shallow characters. Following the cue from Tomb Raider, the producers obviously realised that hot chicks sell. Viewers are given a heaping serving of Milla, and we're thoroughly reminded that she's indeed a babe. Entertaining enough for a video game flick.
2.5/5
What happened while the grandmother was asleep...
Yi Yi (2000)
Edward Yang's 173 minute film is a test of viewers' endurance and patience. While excellent in many aspects, every aspect of the film strives to be slow and pensive. Charactes, while very well acted, were tepid and sterile, despite the understated suggestiveness of many of the plot elements. The plot, while sufficiently complex for an hour-and-a-half movie, dragged over the almost three hour length of the film. The artistic style reminded me of dramatic anime, like Only Yesterday. While the cinematography was beautifully framed, the long, slow, drawn out shots with almost no action or camera movement not only emphasized the reflective nature of many of the shots, but also dragged the pacing to a painful crawl. Characters openly waxed philosophical in monologues that were overly dramatic for a film whose pacing reflects the repetitive nature of real life. During the screen time, the viewer joins the life of a family dealing with life's share of ups and downs. There's a wedding, a birth, an accident, a funeral, a murder, and a number of romantic trysts, yet the film reflects the mother, Min-min's, problem with her own life: nothing really happens. The saving grace came in the form of Yang-yang, the innocent yet precocious boy character, representing the screen device for presenting classic ageless wisdom that only comes from the cuteness of children. A great film, but probably more enjoyable if you had something (or someone) else there to occupy your time during those long droughts between interesting patches.
3/5
Well, emails and ICQ, not exactly letters, but many of them say:
"What's with the name of your webpage?"
According to Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: con·cep·tion
2 a : the capacity, function, or process of forming or understanding ideas or abstractions or their symbols b : a general idea : CONCEPT c : a complex product of abstract or reflective thinking d : the sum of a person's ideas and beliefs concerning something
3 : the originating of something in the mind
Now it seems like some people got preconceptions, since the first definition is the unintended one:
1 a (1) : the process of becoming pregnant involving fertilization or implantation or both
Hope that clears up the misconception.
Oh Milla
Resident Evil (2002)
While significantly better than other video game inspired films such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, this flick doesn't do much to improve the average viewer's impression of the genre. While I was tense during quite a few moments of the film, it was still riddled with cliches, flashy but sloppy effects, incredibly poor acting, and shallow characters. Following the cue from Tomb Raider, the producers obviously realised that hot chicks sell. Viewers are given a heaping serving of Milla, and we're thoroughly reminded that she's indeed a babe. Entertaining enough for a video game flick.
2.5/5
What happened while the grandmother was asleep...
Yi Yi (2000)
Edward Yang's 173 minute film is a test of viewers' endurance and patience. While excellent in many aspects, every aspect of the film strives to be slow and pensive. Charactes, while very well acted, were tepid and sterile, despite the understated suggestiveness of many of the plot elements. The plot, while sufficiently complex for an hour-and-a-half movie, dragged over the almost three hour length of the film. The artistic style reminded me of dramatic anime, like Only Yesterday. While the cinematography was beautifully framed, the long, slow, drawn out shots with almost no action or camera movement not only emphasized the reflective nature of many of the shots, but also dragged the pacing to a painful crawl. Characters openly waxed philosophical in monologues that were overly dramatic for a film whose pacing reflects the repetitive nature of real life. During the screen time, the viewer joins the life of a family dealing with life's share of ups and downs. There's a wedding, a birth, an accident, a funeral, a murder, and a number of romantic trysts, yet the film reflects the mother, Min-min's, problem with her own life: nothing really happens. The saving grace came in the form of Yang-yang, the innocent yet precocious boy character, representing the screen device for presenting classic ageless wisdom that only comes from the cuteness of children. A great film, but probably more enjoyable if you had something (or someone) else there to occupy your time during those long droughts between interesting patches.
3/5
Mar 17, 2002
Online community
In response to Wongoz' 3.11.2002 post, I wasn't sure if AbraHAM's nickname was kosher, but Sheepie has had it posted in her long running weblog for quite a while. Speaking of Abe, here's what men really want to know about sensitivity. Need more information? Ask a girl.
Movies...
Jules et Jim (1961)
This Truffaut classic explores the classic conflict of love and friendship. The film follows the story of two friends, a German and a Frenchman, and Catherine, a tempermental libertine they both fall in love with. Jules marries Katherine, but after the first World War, Jules allows his friend to replace him in hopes of quelling Catherine's other infidelities. Connoisseurs of fine Hollywood fare would probably find this a dud: the plot is cliche, the pacing slow, the characters flat, and the subtelties of New Wave editing shine dimly against the sophistication and technology modern camera work. And above that you need to read subtitles.
On the other hand, if you stop to think, the content - the state of relationships between men and women - which earned the film an X rating when it was released (there's no depiction of sex or nudity), doesn't lose any relevance. The utopian alternative lifestyle of the threesome proves unfeasible. The image of a triumphantly unrestrained Catherine, perhaps as a feminist heroine, is likewise shattered. What seems to be a film about liberal ideals seems to return to traditional structure as the only viable recourse.
3/5
Il Postino (1994)
Nominated for five Academy Awards, this Italian release has an ambience typical of European films, where the plot is not particularly intriguing as it is simply entertaining. A simple slacker in an Italian village finds a job as a postman when the famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda moves there in exile. The senior poet mentors the young man in art and literature, which the disciple uses to woo the buxom village beauty Beatrice.
While it contains little to rave about, the wonderful score enhancies the rustic tale, and when you're done watching you turn of the DVD player with a great sense of calm satisfaction.
4/5
Payback (1999)
I had no idea what was in this movie. I had guessed a crime drama, but that seems a lacking description. I can say it's typical Hollywood. Betrayal, money, revenge, and a dash of romance thrown in. An 'uncoventional' hero, fighting for honor, kicking ass, and getting the girl. Highly entertaining.
4/5
We Were Soldiers (2002)
I expected American propaganda, but after watching Black Hawk Down (which was great), I was suckered in by the Toronto Star review. Bad mistake. While not horrible, as a movie it was certainly nothing like Saving Private Ryan or BHD. It wasn't even much like Thin Red Line. Sure it seemed like it wanted to make you understand what it was like to be a soldier fighting for some ideal on the grimness of battlefield. It even seemed to try convince you that the Vietnamese were people too. But what it really tried to do was convince you how great Yankee soldiers were, convince you that it was real sad to be a widow, and convince you that Mel Gibson's a manly man, just like John Wayne.
2.5/5
... and a dinner
We finally found a decently priced place to eat at Sushi Maru. You can get dinner for $10, with miso, salad, tonkatsu, salmon and tuna sashimi, california rolls and rice (actually, instead of the tonkatsu and sashimi, there's quite a wide variety of items to choose from). All the food's pretty decent, and for $1.75 more you can add an order of unagi (yum!). For a city where it costs $7 to get BBQ-pork-on-rice, it's a great value. And it's run by Japanese people too.
4/5
In response to Wongoz' 3.11.2002 post, I wasn't sure if AbraHAM's nickname was kosher, but Sheepie has had it posted in her long running weblog for quite a while. Speaking of Abe, here's what men really want to know about sensitivity. Need more information? Ask a girl.
Movies...
Jules et Jim (1961)
This Truffaut classic explores the classic conflict of love and friendship. The film follows the story of two friends, a German and a Frenchman, and Catherine, a tempermental libertine they both fall in love with. Jules marries Katherine, but after the first World War, Jules allows his friend to replace him in hopes of quelling Catherine's other infidelities. Connoisseurs of fine Hollywood fare would probably find this a dud: the plot is cliche, the pacing slow, the characters flat, and the subtelties of New Wave editing shine dimly against the sophistication and technology modern camera work. And above that you need to read subtitles.
On the other hand, if you stop to think, the content - the state of relationships between men and women - which earned the film an X rating when it was released (there's no depiction of sex or nudity), doesn't lose any relevance. The utopian alternative lifestyle of the threesome proves unfeasible. The image of a triumphantly unrestrained Catherine, perhaps as a feminist heroine, is likewise shattered. What seems to be a film about liberal ideals seems to return to traditional structure as the only viable recourse.
3/5
Il Postino (1994)
Nominated for five Academy Awards, this Italian release has an ambience typical of European films, where the plot is not particularly intriguing as it is simply entertaining. A simple slacker in an Italian village finds a job as a postman when the famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda moves there in exile. The senior poet mentors the young man in art and literature, which the disciple uses to woo the buxom village beauty Beatrice.
While it contains little to rave about, the wonderful score enhancies the rustic tale, and when you're done watching you turn of the DVD player with a great sense of calm satisfaction.
4/5
Payback (1999)
I had no idea what was in this movie. I had guessed a crime drama, but that seems a lacking description. I can say it's typical Hollywood. Betrayal, money, revenge, and a dash of romance thrown in. An 'uncoventional' hero, fighting for honor, kicking ass, and getting the girl. Highly entertaining.
4/5
We Were Soldiers (2002)
I expected American propaganda, but after watching Black Hawk Down (which was great), I was suckered in by the Toronto Star review. Bad mistake. While not horrible, as a movie it was certainly nothing like Saving Private Ryan or BHD. It wasn't even much like Thin Red Line. Sure it seemed like it wanted to make you understand what it was like to be a soldier fighting for some ideal on the grimness of battlefield. It even seemed to try convince you that the Vietnamese were people too. But what it really tried to do was convince you how great Yankee soldiers were, convince you that it was real sad to be a widow, and convince you that Mel Gibson's a manly man, just like John Wayne.
2.5/5
... and a dinner
We finally found a decently priced place to eat at Sushi Maru. You can get dinner for $10, with miso, salad, tonkatsu, salmon and tuna sashimi, california rolls and rice (actually, instead of the tonkatsu and sashimi, there's quite a wide variety of items to choose from). All the food's pretty decent, and for $1.75 more you can add an order of unagi (yum!). For a city where it costs $7 to get BBQ-pork-on-rice, it's a great value. And it's run by Japanese people too.
4/5
Mar 3, 2002
My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you prosperity.
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favour and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
Honour the LORD with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be fille to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,
because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honour.
Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
She is the tree of life to those who embrace her;
those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations,
by understanding he set the heavens in place;
by his knowledge the deeps were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
My son, preserve sound judgement and discernment,
do not let them out of your sight;
they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble;
when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being snared.
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
when it is in your power to act.
Do not say to your neighbour,
"Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow"—
when you now have it with you.
do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.
Do not accuse a man for no reason—
when he has done you no harm.
Do not envy a violent man
or choose any of his ways,
for the LORD detests a perverse man
but takes the upright into his confidence.
The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
He mocks proud mockers
but gives grace to the humble.
The wise inherit honour,
but fools he holds up to shame.
Mar 2, 2002
Time machine
I've been reading a Photoshop book, in hopes that I can make up for my lack of camera skills. Most of my Saturday disappeared playing with adjustment layers and layer masks. Not much actual photo manipulation so far, just adjusting tonality and colours for more pleasant images, or to make up for bad exposure.
For those of you who like pictures, I've updated the Big Sur post with pictures from last weekend. I love lazy Saturdays.
I've been reading a Photoshop book, in hopes that I can make up for my lack of camera skills. Most of my Saturday disappeared playing with adjustment layers and layer masks. Not much actual photo manipulation so far, just adjusting tonality and colours for more pleasant images, or to make up for bad exposure.
For those of you who like pictures, I've updated the Big Sur post with pictures from last weekend. I love lazy Saturdays.
Feb 28, 2002
This circle has 22 degrees
It looks like the lunar halo I saw two nights ago isn't all that rare, and my 15° estimate was off by 32%. This whole ring around the moon bit makes me wonder what other kinds of phenomena go on out there that I haven't noticed because I've been too busy sitting in a classroom or in front of a CRT...
For further educational purposes, I didn't in fact see moon dogs as my Walt Whitman wannabe friend suggested (although the halo and paraselenae are related). It's a balmy 15°C outside right now, and that's because it's 19:00.
It looks like the lunar halo I saw two nights ago isn't all that rare, and my 15° estimate was off by 32%. This whole ring around the moon bit makes me wonder what other kinds of phenomena go on out there that I haven't noticed because I've been too busy sitting in a classroom or in front of a CRT...
For further educational purposes, I didn't in fact see moon dogs as my Walt Whitman wannabe friend suggested (although the halo and paraselenae are related). It's a balmy 15°C outside right now, and that's because it's 19:00.
Feb 26, 2002
Big Sur
We woke up Saturday morning at 08:40, since the Crackhouse (yeah, that's their new name) was supposed to come over at 09:30. Peachy showed up on MSN around 09:15 warning us that they'd be late. I expected 10:00 late, but it ended up being more like 11:00. I should have made breakfast while we were waiting, but I think I ended up being too impatient for that to occur to me.
We took the 101 down to Gilroy, a town famous for its garlic. Even as we pulled up to Burger King for the other guys to grab breakfast, we could catch a hint of the smell in the air. We proceeded down Hwy 152, which proved to be an incredibly curvy drive through mountain forests, with beams of sunlight breaking through the branches as drove through the groves of trees that caressed the sky on both sides of the single-laned road. It's the stereotypical car commercial scenery, the only thing we were missing was the Porsche, but the Camry was good enough since we could fit Billy in the backseat.
As we drove over the mountains, the 152 merged onto the famous seaside Highway 1, and the ominous clouds on the east broke into a clear sky west of the mountains. After about an hour and a half of driving, I caught the 'Garrapta State Park' sign. According to my research this was supposed to be a bunch of turnouts from the highway. But rather than a turnout into a park, it was simply spots on the side of the road. Our first stop was hence rather fruitless, a two minute trail took us to a viewpoint of the sea, but little else.
What started rather disappointingly ended up on a brighter note, as a few miles down the river we found a much larger turnout with trails down to a large and empty sandy beach, with five-foot waves crashing against the shore. Not quite the ideal family beach, since the waves made the water much too rough for swimming, but the huge ten foot tall rocks that jutted out from the ocean made it a beautiful sight regardless.
We had lunch there at around 13:00, and though I would have liked to spend more time playing in the sand (and I think Billy too), the other guys seemed rather impatient, and we took off to find some wilder hiking trails.
A half hour drive later brought us to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park (PDF link). It was full of redwoods, with a good number that were fallen in the form of unofficial bridges, and the forest floor was rather dark compared to the brightness of the beach. We decided to hike to the waterfall, along the soft forest path, padded with old leaves.
The 'hike' proved extremely unsatisfying, since the 10 minute hike brought us to a waterfall that was unimpressive to say the least. I didn't even remember to take a picture. As a respite, we took the 'Valley View' trail, which was a little bit longer, and ended atop a hill in between two higher mountains, with a view of the Big Sur valley, where the the sea and Hwy 1 were visible in the distance.
At that point Billy was feeling unwell from stuffing himself with regular Lay's, and instead of hiking further, we headed back to the cars. Being 16:30, it was far too early for our 18:00 reservation, but we didn't have anything left on the itinerary. We decided to drive on down Hwy 1, past the Post Ranch Inn where we had dinner reservations, and past the Nepenthe restaurant as well.
We spotted two people headed down a gate off the side of the road, and pulled over to explore, while Xun slept in the car. There we found another trail that went down a few hundred vertical feet to the ocean, again the rocky shore with waves crashing in. It was a nice quiet spot, though the trail was well kept. I have no idea what 'state park' it was, or how you're normally supposed to find it, but it was a nice spot. If we ever make the trip again, I think I'd like to spend more time exploring these nooks. We spent a while there enjoying the view before climbing back up to the cars to head for dinner.
We got to the Post Ranch Inn around 17:30. It resembled a high class summer camp. The area was left wild and undeveloped, but luxuries, like the lights along the road and the art noveau sculptures along the side of the ponds, were quite apparent. After finding parking in their crowded little lot, and changing into something a little more decent in the car (while the girls went inside to change), we ended up at the restaurant on time for our reservation.
Sierra Mar
Unfortunately, we were a tad late for the sunset, as the pink hue on the horizon showed. The dining room had glass walls facing the ocean, and the view of the sea from the cliff a few hundred feet above the surf was incredibly serene. The four course prix fixe was $73, somewhat higher than expected.
I found this place on the Zagat restaurant guide. It was listed as a 'sleeper', rated higher than both La Folie and French Laundry, so expectations were high. Billy ordered the least expensive bottle from the menu, a 1997 red Languedoc from Chateau de Negly, but I haven't tasted enough wines to critique with any order of accuracy.
The meal started with a salmon amuse-bouche, served with caviar atop a potato blini. The appetizers came together pretty well. The ahi tuna tartare was well dressed, served with fancy potato chips on the side. I took in half the order before I traded it with Billy's pistachio crusted foie gras, since the Lay's sickness he lost in the crisp sea air seemed to be coming back with the melt-in-your-mouth fat. The duck liver was well prepared, lightly seared and buttery. I was surprised that Billy had ordered it, since he was just saying how he disliked it, but I think he would have enjoyed it if he wasn't feeling sick. The fresh Malpeque oysters were served with a well balanced ginger sauce.
Second courses were less appealing, green globules of oil floated atop the crab bisque served in asymmetric bowls. The Waldorff salad was clean but not spectacular. The entrees were also mixed, the roast duck breast with grilled apple steak and green papaya in ginger jus was fantastic, far more appealing than the ordinary New York steak banally served atop a sloppy joe.
Choices for dessert included a chocolate mouse cake that Johnny ordered, served with three candles to commemorate his upcoming birthday, while most of us went with the aromatic oak tree ice cream with ginger cake in apple sauce. Amy ordered a remarkable marshmallow-like poached meringue with kumquat sorbet. The sweetmeats that finished off the meal included dark chocolate truffles, soft chocolate cookies, and small cuplets of custard.
Service was clean, but the included gratuity at 19% seemed steep. However, a step outside the glass doors to the patio at the back of the restaurant, with its telescope, astronomer, and clear night sky made up for it. Stars were clearly visible, and we were shown Jupiter and Saturn, with rings and moons visible, through the telescope. Food and service were not spectacular for the price, but the view, of the ocean and night sky, made the dining experience enjoyable. 4/5
Epilogue
The night air was chill, and we hurried back to our cars after stopping to say goodbye to the grey furball of a cat in the reception area. It was 20:50 as we left the restaurant, but the drive back to San Jose only took an hour and a half. It was the end my best week in recent memory, one of my best weeks ever. It's unfortunate that fleeting moments like these last forever only in your mind. Maybe I should be feeling a longing for more, but my only sense now is that, over the last twenty-some years, I've already had more happiness than any single person should deserve, probably more than most people could imagine. This might sound like it's coming out of nowhere, but if you stripped it all away, the food, the mountains, the sea, the empty beaches, the luxury, the beauty, the pleasure, I realize that this kind of happiness still isn't that which makes life worth living.
We woke up Saturday morning at 08:40, since the Crackhouse (yeah, that's their new name) was supposed to come over at 09:30. Peachy showed up on MSN around 09:15 warning us that they'd be late. I expected 10:00 late, but it ended up being more like 11:00. I should have made breakfast while we were waiting, but I think I ended up being too impatient for that to occur to me.
We took the 101 down to Gilroy, a town famous for its garlic. Even as we pulled up to Burger King for the other guys to grab breakfast, we could catch a hint of the smell in the air. We proceeded down Hwy 152, which proved to be an incredibly curvy drive through mountain forests, with beams of sunlight breaking through the branches as drove through the groves of trees that caressed the sky on both sides of the single-laned road. It's the stereotypical car commercial scenery, the only thing we were missing was the Porsche, but the Camry was good enough since we could fit Billy in the backseat.
As we drove over the mountains, the 152 merged onto the famous seaside Highway 1, and the ominous clouds on the east broke into a clear sky west of the mountains. After about an hour and a half of driving, I caught the 'Garrapta State Park' sign. According to my research this was supposed to be a bunch of turnouts from the highway. But rather than a turnout into a park, it was simply spots on the side of the road. Our first stop was hence rather fruitless, a two minute trail took us to a viewpoint of the sea, but little else.
What started rather disappointingly ended up on a brighter note, as a few miles down the river we found a much larger turnout with trails down to a large and empty sandy beach, with five-foot waves crashing against the shore. Not quite the ideal family beach, since the waves made the water much too rough for swimming, but the huge ten foot tall rocks that jutted out from the ocean made it a beautiful sight regardless.
We had lunch there at around 13:00, and though I would have liked to spend more time playing in the sand (and I think Billy too), the other guys seemed rather impatient, and we took off to find some wilder hiking trails.
A half hour drive later brought us to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park (PDF link). It was full of redwoods, with a good number that were fallen in the form of unofficial bridges, and the forest floor was rather dark compared to the brightness of the beach. We decided to hike to the waterfall, along the soft forest path, padded with old leaves.
The 'hike' proved extremely unsatisfying, since the 10 minute hike brought us to a waterfall that was unimpressive to say the least. I didn't even remember to take a picture. As a respite, we took the 'Valley View' trail, which was a little bit longer, and ended atop a hill in between two higher mountains, with a view of the Big Sur valley, where the the sea and Hwy 1 were visible in the distance.
At that point Billy was feeling unwell from stuffing himself with regular Lay's, and instead of hiking further, we headed back to the cars. Being 16:30, it was far too early for our 18:00 reservation, but we didn't have anything left on the itinerary. We decided to drive on down Hwy 1, past the Post Ranch Inn where we had dinner reservations, and past the Nepenthe restaurant as well.
We spotted two people headed down a gate off the side of the road, and pulled over to explore, while Xun slept in the car. There we found another trail that went down a few hundred vertical feet to the ocean, again the rocky shore with waves crashing in. It was a nice quiet spot, though the trail was well kept. I have no idea what 'state park' it was, or how you're normally supposed to find it, but it was a nice spot. If we ever make the trip again, I think I'd like to spend more time exploring these nooks. We spent a while there enjoying the view before climbing back up to the cars to head for dinner.
We got to the Post Ranch Inn around 17:30. It resembled a high class summer camp. The area was left wild and undeveloped, but luxuries, like the lights along the road and the art noveau sculptures along the side of the ponds, were quite apparent. After finding parking in their crowded little lot, and changing into something a little more decent in the car (while the girls went inside to change), we ended up at the restaurant on time for our reservation.
Sierra Mar
Unfortunately, we were a tad late for the sunset, as the pink hue on the horizon showed. The dining room had glass walls facing the ocean, and the view of the sea from the cliff a few hundred feet above the surf was incredibly serene. The four course prix fixe was $73, somewhat higher than expected.
I found this place on the Zagat restaurant guide. It was listed as a 'sleeper', rated higher than both La Folie and French Laundry, so expectations were high. Billy ordered the least expensive bottle from the menu, a 1997 red Languedoc from Chateau de Negly, but I haven't tasted enough wines to critique with any order of accuracy.
The meal started with a salmon amuse-bouche, served with caviar atop a potato blini. The appetizers came together pretty well. The ahi tuna tartare was well dressed, served with fancy potato chips on the side. I took in half the order before I traded it with Billy's pistachio crusted foie gras, since the Lay's sickness he lost in the crisp sea air seemed to be coming back with the melt-in-your-mouth fat. The duck liver was well prepared, lightly seared and buttery. I was surprised that Billy had ordered it, since he was just saying how he disliked it, but I think he would have enjoyed it if he wasn't feeling sick. The fresh Malpeque oysters were served with a well balanced ginger sauce.
Second courses were less appealing, green globules of oil floated atop the crab bisque served in asymmetric bowls. The Waldorff salad was clean but not spectacular. The entrees were also mixed, the roast duck breast with grilled apple steak and green papaya in ginger jus was fantastic, far more appealing than the ordinary New York steak banally served atop a sloppy joe.
Choices for dessert included a chocolate mouse cake that Johnny ordered, served with three candles to commemorate his upcoming birthday, while most of us went with the aromatic oak tree ice cream with ginger cake in apple sauce. Amy ordered a remarkable marshmallow-like poached meringue with kumquat sorbet. The sweetmeats that finished off the meal included dark chocolate truffles, soft chocolate cookies, and small cuplets of custard.
Service was clean, but the included gratuity at 19% seemed steep. However, a step outside the glass doors to the patio at the back of the restaurant, with its telescope, astronomer, and clear night sky made up for it. Stars were clearly visible, and we were shown Jupiter and Saturn, with rings and moons visible, through the telescope. Food and service were not spectacular for the price, but the view, of the ocean and night sky, made the dining experience enjoyable. 4/5
Epilogue
The night air was chill, and we hurried back to our cars after stopping to say goodbye to the grey furball of a cat in the reception area. It was 20:50 as we left the restaurant, but the drive back to San Jose only took an hour and a half. It was the end my best week in recent memory, one of my best weeks ever. It's unfortunate that fleeting moments like these last forever only in your mind. Maybe I should be feeling a longing for more, but my only sense now is that, over the last twenty-some years, I've already had more happiness than any single person should deserve, probably more than most people could imagine. This might sound like it's coming out of nowhere, but if you stripped it all away, the food, the mountains, the sea, the empty beaches, the luxury, the beauty, the pleasure, I realize that this kind of happiness still isn't that which makes life worth living.
Feb 24, 2002
Feb 21, 2002
Stuffed Silly
The last few days have been a return to relatively relaxed dining, as opposed to the previous week of mad stuffing. The previous Monday, February 11th, Chinese New Year's Eve, was spent scarfing down home-cooked Chinese food at my aunt's house. Fish, shrimp, chicken, and a big Chinese hot-pot of boiling fish-balls, vegetables and assorted goodies.
See Chinese food...
Tuesday night was spent with the UW Crew at The Mayflower Chinese seafood restaurant, with lobster, Peking duck, and steamed fish highlighted a classic chinese dinner. At $25 a head it was more than our usual fare but worth the food, though perhaps not the service. We even had a very New Year's style soup with 'hair fungus' and dried oysters. 3/5
... More Chinese seafood ...
My aunt from Chicago visited on Friday the 15th, so I was invited to dinner at the uncreatively named ABC Chinese seafood restaurant. The restaurant fit the typical Chinese seafood restaurant profile, although the menu offered eclectic delicacies not common elsewhere. Highlights were a slightly fishy, but sweet and crisp geoduck sashimi, and an extravagant 9 lb. Australian 'Emperor' crab. The crab was excellent, as meaty as a lobster tail and even more succulent. Even the red bean dessert was good. 4/5
... and yet more Chinese seafood
It's great when relatives treat you to excellent dinners, and even better when it repeats. Saturday's restaurant, was more typically designated in the same Chinese seafood style as Dynasty Chinese seafood restaurant. The place had more of a Toronto or Hong Kong feel to it as we had a large table in a private room. I lost count of the the courses, though it started off with a mixed platter (jellyfish, duck, suckling pig and other goodies), and proceeded to various dishes including a dish with 'hair fungus', braised dried scallops and dried oysters, shark fin soup, steamed fish, lobster, and sticky rice. The papaya dessert ended off the meal very nicely. 3.5/5
Vietnamese in America
February 18th finally arrived on Sunday, and it brought Amy with it that afternoon. I picked her up after church and we lunched in the city, at the popular and chic Slanted Door vietnamese restaurant. Not your typical Pho place, dinners tend to require reservations, although the two of us were seated immediately at the bar for lunch. The service from the bartender was the best kind: quick, clean, and courteous. The vietnamese shrimp rolls and the crispy crepe appetizers were both excellent. I don't recall ever having bean sprouts as good as the ones in the crepe. The fried noodle with sea bass included bits of fish and seafood in a sauce that was a bit heavy on the salt. All were nicely presented in very westernised fusion display. A relatively light lunch for two came to $12 each. 3.5/5
Classically French
Monday was spent touring the city, and the evening was spent at one of San Francisco's fancier French restaurants, La Folie. The small, jester themed dining room was rather closely packed and more business than romantic, although curiously the tablecloths were carefully draped all the way to the floor. The menu was very traditionally French with very few signs of Californian fusion influences, with caviar, truffles, and foie gras starring in multiple appearances. The serving staff was polite, yet as mechanical as the marionettes that decorated the walls, delivering a well-practiced but graceless proposition to add truffles and caviar to our meal, which we passed on. The food however, spoke for itself.
A complimentery oyster appetizer was a happy surprised, perfectly served on seaweed, topped with some sort of cucumber sorbet and fish roe, without a hint of any seafood fishiness. The duck and oxtail consomme with a foie gras flan was served beautifully, as was butternut squash soup with (a single) duck ravioli. In the playful theme of the restaurant, both soups are served in covered bowls, as the lid comes off, the later appears as a single ravioli in the center of an empty bowl, the iconic French dining experience until the soup is poured in. The goat cheese tatin was a very tasty salad., but the albacore and lobster duo which was tuna tartare with a shelled lobster salad on the side was extravagant.
The 'loup de Mer', a seared Mediterreanean sea bass was a smaller fish than I expected, not the usual flaky and buttery type, but still a fat fish that was cleanly prepared in its crispily seared skin. Not particularly notable but a reasonable addition for the five course dinner. The salmon was better, though still simply prepared. However, the evening special was an epitomy of epicurean cuisine, a perfect medium rare filet mignon topped with foie gras in a truffle Madeira wine sauce.
Desserts were well prepared though not spectacular. An assortment of fruit sorbets, and a sugared puff pastry with dark chocolate in Grand Marnier sauce presented a clean finish to a fine dinner. As usual quality comes with a price. The four course prix fixe rang in at $75, and an additional entree makes a five course meal for $85. Even after the bill, I found myself well satisfied as the chef and owner, Roland Passot, greeted us on the way out. 4.5/5
The last few days have been a return to relatively relaxed dining, as opposed to the previous week of mad stuffing. The previous Monday, February 11th, Chinese New Year's Eve, was spent scarfing down home-cooked Chinese food at my aunt's house. Fish, shrimp, chicken, and a big Chinese hot-pot of boiling fish-balls, vegetables and assorted goodies.
See Chinese food...
Tuesday night was spent with the UW Crew at The Mayflower Chinese seafood restaurant, with lobster, Peking duck, and steamed fish highlighted a classic chinese dinner. At $25 a head it was more than our usual fare but worth the food, though perhaps not the service. We even had a very New Year's style soup with 'hair fungus' and dried oysters. 3/5
... More Chinese seafood ...
My aunt from Chicago visited on Friday the 15th, so I was invited to dinner at the uncreatively named ABC Chinese seafood restaurant. The restaurant fit the typical Chinese seafood restaurant profile, although the menu offered eclectic delicacies not common elsewhere. Highlights were a slightly fishy, but sweet and crisp geoduck sashimi, and an extravagant 9 lb. Australian 'Emperor' crab. The crab was excellent, as meaty as a lobster tail and even more succulent. Even the red bean dessert was good. 4/5
... and yet more Chinese seafood
It's great when relatives treat you to excellent dinners, and even better when it repeats. Saturday's restaurant, was more typically designated in the same Chinese seafood style as Dynasty Chinese seafood restaurant. The place had more of a Toronto or Hong Kong feel to it as we had a large table in a private room. I lost count of the the courses, though it started off with a mixed platter (jellyfish, duck, suckling pig and other goodies), and proceeded to various dishes including a dish with 'hair fungus', braised dried scallops and dried oysters, shark fin soup, steamed fish, lobster, and sticky rice. The papaya dessert ended off the meal very nicely. 3.5/5
Vietnamese in America
February 18th finally arrived on Sunday, and it brought Amy with it that afternoon. I picked her up after church and we lunched in the city, at the popular and chic Slanted Door vietnamese restaurant. Not your typical Pho place, dinners tend to require reservations, although the two of us were seated immediately at the bar for lunch. The service from the bartender was the best kind: quick, clean, and courteous. The vietnamese shrimp rolls and the crispy crepe appetizers were both excellent. I don't recall ever having bean sprouts as good as the ones in the crepe. The fried noodle with sea bass included bits of fish and seafood in a sauce that was a bit heavy on the salt. All were nicely presented in very westernised fusion display. A relatively light lunch for two came to $12 each. 3.5/5
Classically French
Monday was spent touring the city, and the evening was spent at one of San Francisco's fancier French restaurants, La Folie. The small, jester themed dining room was rather closely packed and more business than romantic, although curiously the tablecloths were carefully draped all the way to the floor. The menu was very traditionally French with very few signs of Californian fusion influences, with caviar, truffles, and foie gras starring in multiple appearances. The serving staff was polite, yet as mechanical as the marionettes that decorated the walls, delivering a well-practiced but graceless proposition to add truffles and caviar to our meal, which we passed on. The food however, spoke for itself.
A complimentery oyster appetizer was a happy surprised, perfectly served on seaweed, topped with some sort of cucumber sorbet and fish roe, without a hint of any seafood fishiness. The duck and oxtail consomme with a foie gras flan was served beautifully, as was butternut squash soup with (a single) duck ravioli. In the playful theme of the restaurant, both soups are served in covered bowls, as the lid comes off, the later appears as a single ravioli in the center of an empty bowl, the iconic French dining experience until the soup is poured in. The goat cheese tatin was a very tasty salad., but the albacore and lobster duo which was tuna tartare with a shelled lobster salad on the side was extravagant.
The 'loup de Mer', a seared Mediterreanean sea bass was a smaller fish than I expected, not the usual flaky and buttery type, but still a fat fish that was cleanly prepared in its crispily seared skin. Not particularly notable but a reasonable addition for the five course dinner. The salmon was better, though still simply prepared. However, the evening special was an epitomy of epicurean cuisine, a perfect medium rare filet mignon topped with foie gras in a truffle Madeira wine sauce.
Desserts were well prepared though not spectacular. An assortment of fruit sorbets, and a sugared puff pastry with dark chocolate in Grand Marnier sauce presented a clean finish to a fine dinner. As usual quality comes with a price. The four course prix fixe rang in at $75, and an additional entree makes a five course meal for $85. Even after the bill, I found myself well satisfied as the chef and owner, Roland Passot, greeted us on the way out. 4.5/5
Feb 16, 2002
War Movies
If you like grim war movies, go see Black Hawk Down. Not particularly plot intensive, but keeps you on the edge of your seat for two hours. 4.5/5
What have I been wasting my time with recently? Classic Calvin & Hobbes. It's funny, I used to identify with Calvin, but now I find the parents amusing too. Way scary thought.
If you like grim war movies, go see Black Hawk Down. Not particularly plot intensive, but keeps you on the edge of your seat for two hours. 4.5/5
What have I been wasting my time with recently? Classic Calvin & Hobbes. It's funny, I used to identify with Calvin, but now I find the parents amusing too. Way scary thought.
Feb 13, 2002
Time well wasted?
Do any other developers out there find themselves with nothing to do for ten minutes while doing a large recompile? Is there a better use of this time other than blogging?
It's been warm here this past week, at least warm enough to go swimming in an outdoor pool (not that I swim). A far cry from that week earlier in January where it was colder here than in Toronto. I'm really getting used to the weather here, if not everything else. The only recent peeve is the damn ant infestation in my washroom, but the exterminators are coming tomorrow.
Here's some reading material I've collected in the past while for comic fans and for asian lifestyle afficianados.
Do any other developers out there find themselves with nothing to do for ten minutes while doing a large recompile? Is there a better use of this time other than blogging?
It's been warm here this past week, at least warm enough to go swimming in an outdoor pool (not that I swim). A far cry from that week earlier in January where it was colder here than in Toronto. I'm really getting used to the weather here, if not everything else. The only recent peeve is the damn ant infestation in my washroom, but the exterminators are coming tomorrow.
Here's some reading material I've collected in the past while for comic fans and for asian lifestyle afficianados.
Feb 12, 2002
Money Money Money
When I was younger I used to believe in Capitalism. Like you work hard, earn a good life for yourself. You reap what you sow. It seemed fair and reasonable, the way the world should run. But live a little longer, and see a little more, and you begin to realize that capitalism is merely a utopian dream: the world simply doesn't work this way. The winner of the race isn't necessarily the one who trained the hardest, sometimes it's the one born with an unfair advantage, other times it's the schemer, and sometimes it's just the one who lucked out. Some people are born inches away from the finish line of a comfortable, successful life, while others have a marathon before them, and yet to others that finish line is but a dream.
So perhaps socialism is the way to go. Let the government act as a social equalizer, a monolithic Robin Hood, taking money from the rich folk and sharing it with the poor. But again, there's a sense of injustice, for as much as Robin Hood was a hero he was also a theif. And few people in society feel that the government is justified in taking their money and supporting lazy ass slackers with it. What's the point of working hard anymore, if the government will support you regardless?
I think it's rare to find anyone who thinks that the government has properly earned their taxes. Whereas most people will think that many large corporations earn their revenue (though not necessarily fairly). With their deep pockets, large corporations have more financial clout than small countries, and yet unlike a government, most corporations see little responsibility to their own communities, let alone the global community. It seems depressing sometimes that the plight of the unfortunate needs celebrity endorsement before anyone will notice.
Aristotle suggested that the purpose of government is to promote good lives. I suspect that a political science education may imbue a sense of ethical responsibility, a business education focuses primarily on corporate and personal gain. Even when businesses can rival governments in the ability to balance unfortune in a society. Afterall, most people are happy to give their money to competitive companies.
I was pondering these useless ponderings (especially useless when one is an engineer) when I chanced across two articles that seemed to show humanity in a slightly warmer light. There are people who seem to believe that social responsibility is more than simply paying your taxes. And it's somewhat heartening to see that Bill Gates thinks so too.
But sometimes I really wonder, since supporting the poor, giving them education and health, only serves to create a new demographic of consumers.
When I was younger I used to believe in Capitalism. Like you work hard, earn a good life for yourself. You reap what you sow. It seemed fair and reasonable, the way the world should run. But live a little longer, and see a little more, and you begin to realize that capitalism is merely a utopian dream: the world simply doesn't work this way. The winner of the race isn't necessarily the one who trained the hardest, sometimes it's the one born with an unfair advantage, other times it's the schemer, and sometimes it's just the one who lucked out. Some people are born inches away from the finish line of a comfortable, successful life, while others have a marathon before them, and yet to others that finish line is but a dream.
So perhaps socialism is the way to go. Let the government act as a social equalizer, a monolithic Robin Hood, taking money from the rich folk and sharing it with the poor. But again, there's a sense of injustice, for as much as Robin Hood was a hero he was also a theif. And few people in society feel that the government is justified in taking their money and supporting lazy ass slackers with it. What's the point of working hard anymore, if the government will support you regardless?
I think it's rare to find anyone who thinks that the government has properly earned their taxes. Whereas most people will think that many large corporations earn their revenue (though not necessarily fairly). With their deep pockets, large corporations have more financial clout than small countries, and yet unlike a government, most corporations see little responsibility to their own communities, let alone the global community. It seems depressing sometimes that the plight of the unfortunate needs celebrity endorsement before anyone will notice.
Aristotle suggested that the purpose of government is to promote good lives. I suspect that a political science education may imbue a sense of ethical responsibility, a business education focuses primarily on corporate and personal gain. Even when businesses can rival governments in the ability to balance unfortune in a society. Afterall, most people are happy to give their money to competitive companies.
I was pondering these useless ponderings (especially useless when one is an engineer) when I chanced across two articles that seemed to show humanity in a slightly warmer light. There are people who seem to believe that social responsibility is more than simply paying your taxes. And it's somewhat heartening to see that Bill Gates thinks so too.
But sometimes I really wonder, since supporting the poor, giving them education and health, only serves to create a new demographic of consumers.
Feb 5, 2002
Time Flies
Two weeks fly by quick. Seems like a lot has changed since my last post, although it's probably more my perception than anything else. Last time I went to see a movie in the theater my housemate was still around. Now I'm in an apartment on my own, entertained by my recent netflix subscription. Speaking of Netflix, I think I've gone through seven movies in the last week and a half.
Bone Collector 3.5/5
Proof of Life 3.5/5
The Score 3/5
American Pie 2 3/5
Tomb Raider 2.5/5
American Pie 2/5
The Fast and the Furious 1.5/5
Also tried out Straits Cafe before my housemate took off for Toronto. Fancy Indonesian food, that didn't live up to expectations, although Sandy claims it's because we didn't order the crab.
2.5/5
I'm gonna try to get good at two things... playing the violin and snowboarding (you need Quicktime to view the movie clips).
Two weeks fly by quick. Seems like a lot has changed since my last post, although it's probably more my perception than anything else. Last time I went to see a movie in the theater my housemate was still around. Now I'm in an apartment on my own, entertained by my recent netflix subscription. Speaking of Netflix, I think I've gone through seven movies in the last week and a half.
Bone Collector 3.5/5
Proof of Life 3.5/5
The Score 3/5
American Pie 2 3/5
Tomb Raider 2.5/5
American Pie 2/5
The Fast and the Furious 1.5/5
Also tried out Straits Cafe before my housemate took off for Toronto. Fancy Indonesian food, that didn't live up to expectations, although Sandy claims it's because we didn't order the crab.
2.5/5
I'm gonna try to get good at two things... playing the violin and snowboarding (you need Quicktime to view the movie clips).
Jan 23, 2002
Le Pact des Loups
I should have been suspicious, when they mixed the 'French film' and 'action flick' genres, but Brotherhood of the Wolf just seemed like it had so much potential. The truth is, the film had a lot of potential: cool fighting scenes, mysterious plot, strange characters, tragedy, drama, symbolism, commentary, gratuitous sex, and artsy cinematic shots. Unfortunately, none of the great elements came together, forming only a lackluster film.
Characters, although mysterious, never blossomed. Relationships never sparked. The plot never drew out the suspense, nor excited the audience. Fighting scenes were decent, but sparse compared to the long drawn out artsy shots, which were either overly cliche, like the mountain fade, or overdone, like the slow motion effects. Overall, the sum of the parts was incredibly bland.
2/5
I should have been suspicious, when they mixed the 'French film' and 'action flick' genres, but Brotherhood of the Wolf just seemed like it had so much potential. The truth is, the film had a lot of potential: cool fighting scenes, mysterious plot, strange characters, tragedy, drama, symbolism, commentary, gratuitous sex, and artsy cinematic shots. Unfortunately, none of the great elements came together, forming only a lackluster film.
Characters, although mysterious, never blossomed. Relationships never sparked. The plot never drew out the suspense, nor excited the audience. Fighting scenes were decent, but sparse compared to the long drawn out artsy shots, which were either overly cliche, like the mountain fade, or overdone, like the slow motion effects. Overall, the sum of the parts was incredibly bland.
2/5
Jan 19, 2002
California Roll
Alright, it's almost been a week to our visit to Tokyo Go Go, an Americanized sushi haven with a "Best Sushi in San Francisco" plaque on the front from Citysearch.com, but I haven't had any decent food since. I got into the restaurant first while the other guys looked for parking. The hostess said there weren't any tables available (although I spotted two tables clearing out in the back), and offered that I wait at the bar.
The two bartenders were dressed in black, like the rest of the staff except for the chefs behind the sushi counter. They were friendly enough even though I passed on a drink and took only water. I was already dehydrated from snowboarding that day. Eventually the other guys got there, and we were seated in a circular booth by the entrance, which barely fit five of us, and left Shao on a stool. The understated art deco design may once have been urban chic, but there's far too many places that are similar enough, with empty loft ceilings, and small tables and stools, to make the ambience forgettable.
The menu featured a good assortment of small, items. Appetizers, sushi rolls, nigiri, and skewered meat. However, it didn't have much traditional, substantial fare; no teriyaki or tempura, no dinners. The six of us ordered maybe three dishes each, sampling much of the menu. The food came as a series of plates, the waitress brought one as we finished the previous one, since the table was rather small.
Tokyo Go Go takes the California roll and stretches is where traditional Japanese food doesn't dare tread, much like many other neo-Japanese establishments in the Bay Area. Unlike traditional sushi, served very plainly and with clean presentation, the fusion element added creativity, but sometimes with too much noise to signal. The initial tuna carpaccio was somewhat confounding... large slices of raw tuna, but not particularly thin. An abuse of the term carpaccio, but still very tasty. Many of the other dishes were good, but split six ways were barely more than a taste. The Duck Duck, a duck sushi, stood out as being both excellent and creative (the duck was cooked perfectly). The nigiri sushi came with extremely large portions of fish (a bit too big to stuff in your mouth, but who's complaining). The soft shelled crab was well done and nicely stuffed, although none of us could identify what the stuffing was.
Sushi rolls were good but not spectacular. No great burst of flavours, most were relatively similar, whether it was tuna or scallop or salmon. The Dragon Roll, had a lot of great stuff, perhaps too much. The individual flavours of the various filling items, tuna, eel, avocado, crab, were all pretty much lost in one conglomeration of average sushi roll taste. The California Roll came out not being much better than the good supermarket variety. However at the end of it all, I was barely full, but the small tastes of each item didn't really satisfy.
We finished off with three desserts (since the Chocolate Creme Brulee was unavailable). The green tea ice cream met expectations, although the green tea cheesecake was a bit of a flop. The tempura fried banana was well on par with other fried bananas, but the rich chocolate ice cream and presentation were an added bonus.
Service was friendly, though again, not spectacular. I couldn't figure out why they didn't give us the two tables at the back, since I didn't notice any other large parties coming in with reservations. Overall an average price for San Francisco dining at around $25. It seemed like we ordered a tonne of stuff (the list was long), but it certainly wasn't too much. Good to visit once in a while.
3.5/5
Alright, it's almost been a week to our visit to Tokyo Go Go, an Americanized sushi haven with a "Best Sushi in San Francisco" plaque on the front from Citysearch.com, but I haven't had any decent food since. I got into the restaurant first while the other guys looked for parking. The hostess said there weren't any tables available (although I spotted two tables clearing out in the back), and offered that I wait at the bar.
The two bartenders were dressed in black, like the rest of the staff except for the chefs behind the sushi counter. They were friendly enough even though I passed on a drink and took only water. I was already dehydrated from snowboarding that day. Eventually the other guys got there, and we were seated in a circular booth by the entrance, which barely fit five of us, and left Shao on a stool. The understated art deco design may once have been urban chic, but there's far too many places that are similar enough, with empty loft ceilings, and small tables and stools, to make the ambience forgettable.
The menu featured a good assortment of small, items. Appetizers, sushi rolls, nigiri, and skewered meat. However, it didn't have much traditional, substantial fare; no teriyaki or tempura, no dinners. The six of us ordered maybe three dishes each, sampling much of the menu. The food came as a series of plates, the waitress brought one as we finished the previous one, since the table was rather small.
Tokyo Go Go takes the California roll and stretches is where traditional Japanese food doesn't dare tread, much like many other neo-Japanese establishments in the Bay Area. Unlike traditional sushi, served very plainly and with clean presentation, the fusion element added creativity, but sometimes with too much noise to signal. The initial tuna carpaccio was somewhat confounding... large slices of raw tuna, but not particularly thin. An abuse of the term carpaccio, but still very tasty. Many of the other dishes were good, but split six ways were barely more than a taste. The Duck Duck, a duck sushi, stood out as being both excellent and creative (the duck was cooked perfectly). The nigiri sushi came with extremely large portions of fish (a bit too big to stuff in your mouth, but who's complaining). The soft shelled crab was well done and nicely stuffed, although none of us could identify what the stuffing was.
Sushi rolls were good but not spectacular. No great burst of flavours, most were relatively similar, whether it was tuna or scallop or salmon. The Dragon Roll, had a lot of great stuff, perhaps too much. The individual flavours of the various filling items, tuna, eel, avocado, crab, were all pretty much lost in one conglomeration of average sushi roll taste. The California Roll came out not being much better than the good supermarket variety. However at the end of it all, I was barely full, but the small tastes of each item didn't really satisfy.
We finished off with three desserts (since the Chocolate Creme Brulee was unavailable). The green tea ice cream met expectations, although the green tea cheesecake was a bit of a flop. The tempura fried banana was well on par with other fried bananas, but the rich chocolate ice cream and presentation were an added bonus.
Service was friendly, though again, not spectacular. I couldn't figure out why they didn't give us the two tables at the back, since I didn't notice any other large parties coming in with reservations. Overall an average price for San Francisco dining at around $25. It seemed like we ordered a tonne of stuff (the list was long), but it certainly wasn't too much. Good to visit once in a while.
3.5/5
Why are you reading this?
Really, I wonder what this fad with weblogs is. I find it curious that people would spill out their hearts to an unsuspecting and unknown audience. What for? A cry for attention, in hopes that someone out there finds your stories and dreams enchanting? Self-absorbed vanity, really believing that the faceless masses out there find your life intriguing? Or perhaps the naive security of opening your soul, not to a critical human being, but a souless panel of phosphors that only echoes what you type, oblivious of all the real people at the other end of the network fabric that are greedily sucking up your every word?
Here's a belated welcome to my weblog, which is here perhaps to not as much to be read, but to archive some aspect of life here in Silicon Valley.
Really, I wonder what this fad with weblogs is. I find it curious that people would spill out their hearts to an unsuspecting and unknown audience. What for? A cry for attention, in hopes that someone out there finds your stories and dreams enchanting? Self-absorbed vanity, really believing that the faceless masses out there find your life intriguing? Or perhaps the naive security of opening your soul, not to a critical human being, but a souless panel of phosphors that only echoes what you type, oblivious of all the real people at the other end of the network fabric that are greedily sucking up your every word?
Here's a belated welcome to my weblog, which is here perhaps to not as much to be read, but to archive some aspect of life here in Silicon Valley.
Jan 12 Tahoe trip in review (part 2)
Day two started off with a jolt as I awoke from a weird ghostly dream to a blaring sound and a flickering white apparition in front of me. The blaring sound was the alarm clock. The white apparition was the light from the alarm clock projected on the ceiling, flickering as Shao's hand attempted to stop the infernal noise. I was too tired to get up, suffering from a fitful sleep, complete with Billy's snoring and Shao's teeth grinding. Shao was first in the shower, and eventually he was done and I got up. We went through the usual morning drill, waiting for everyone to clean up, and packing up the luggage and sleeping bags.
The first stop was for the relatively cheap gas in Reno. The second stop was McDonalds. It seems like McDonald's at any tourist location is bound to have incredibly slow service. We went back to Truckee to pick up snowboards for the ones that didn't go the previous day, and we got to Northstar at around 11am. Luckily, we got the last pay parking spot (quite worth it since we parked right in fron of the entrance), and hurried up the gondola.
The air was cold on Sunday morning, I couldn't go with just the sweatshirt. However, compared to the previous day, the slopes were barren. The huge asian crowds had disappeared. Shao and I headed to warm up on a few blue runs, while Xun accompanied Sinyee and Johnny on the easier runs. Shao and I had lunch at the lodge, since we couldn't find anyone else. I should learn to bring my own skiing lunches, although that involves carrying it around. The morning was pretty good; there were no lineups for the lifts and we got quite a few runs in. The only sad point was that I couldn't find the crew from PBC.
Shortly after lunch, we managed to page Xun on Billy's FRS Radios. We didn't have much luck the previous day, given the limited range, and the fact that every channel we tried was already occupied. Xun joined Shao and I, while Billy and Johnny stuck with the easier slopes. I actually have no clue where Sinyee was at that point. A went a few runs with Xun and Shao, then took off to try a few steeper hills on my own.
There's something grand about chasing the shadows down a steep snow face, with the sun slipping away behind you and the wind nipping on your ears; starting from the top of the mountain and just riding it out until you hit the absolute bottom. It takes you twenty minutes though you know you could make it down twenty-two hundred vertical feet in three minutes. You're still rather glad that the mountain is there to slow you down.
We left Northstar at 4:20pm, in a rush to make it back to San Francisco by 8:30pm, to make Billy's reservation at the Slanted Door, a chic urban Vietnamese restaurant that we've so far been unable to get to. We made it to Truckee to return the rental equipment soon enough, but ran into traffic shortly afterwards on the highway down the mountain. The sun set quickly as we crawled through the foothills of the Sierras, the orange clouds bright against the deep blue and violet sky. The snow-covered mountaintops around us blushed warmly, kissed by the last glimmering rays of the weekend. At 6:30pm we were approaching Sacramento, and unsure of the traffic situation in San Fran (where we faced a good 45 minutes of stiff traffic across the Bay Bridge on the last Tahoe trip), we decided to call ahead and push the reservation back to 9:00pm, since the restaurant had a $10/per person late or no-show policy.
The rest of the drive was uneventful, except that the traffic was clear on the Bay Bridge. With Billy's spectacular driving, we ended up in front of the restaurant a half-hour before our original reservation. Unfortunately, they didn't have a table for us until 9:00pm, so we decided to pass instead of waiting for an hour. Instead we went over to Tokyo Go Go for some fusion sushi. After a short wait at the bar with a glass of water, we were seated in a small booth that snuggly fit the six of us. Dinner passed by quickly, with a series of small dishes. With what seemed like plenty of time left before our 11pm rental minivan return time, we went for dessert as well.
Overall, it was a decent restaurant, and rang us up about $25 each. We quickly dropped off Billy at a light, an intersection away from his loft, right by the entrance to highway 280. It took us about 45 minutes to reach San Francisco and drop off the minivan, unfortunately without refilling the tank. We realized later that they charge $4.65/gal (as opposed to $1.19 out on the street). Won't be making that mistake again.
Somehow, the next morning it was back to work...
Day two started off with a jolt as I awoke from a weird ghostly dream to a blaring sound and a flickering white apparition in front of me. The blaring sound was the alarm clock. The white apparition was the light from the alarm clock projected on the ceiling, flickering as Shao's hand attempted to stop the infernal noise. I was too tired to get up, suffering from a fitful sleep, complete with Billy's snoring and Shao's teeth grinding. Shao was first in the shower, and eventually he was done and I got up. We went through the usual morning drill, waiting for everyone to clean up, and packing up the luggage and sleeping bags.
The first stop was for the relatively cheap gas in Reno. The second stop was McDonalds. It seems like McDonald's at any tourist location is bound to have incredibly slow service. We went back to Truckee to pick up snowboards for the ones that didn't go the previous day, and we got to Northstar at around 11am. Luckily, we got the last pay parking spot (quite worth it since we parked right in fron of the entrance), and hurried up the gondola.
The air was cold on Sunday morning, I couldn't go with just the sweatshirt. However, compared to the previous day, the slopes were barren. The huge asian crowds had disappeared. Shao and I headed to warm up on a few blue runs, while Xun accompanied Sinyee and Johnny on the easier runs. Shao and I had lunch at the lodge, since we couldn't find anyone else. I should learn to bring my own skiing lunches, although that involves carrying it around. The morning was pretty good; there were no lineups for the lifts and we got quite a few runs in. The only sad point was that I couldn't find the crew from PBC.
Shortly after lunch, we managed to page Xun on Billy's FRS Radios. We didn't have much luck the previous day, given the limited range, and the fact that every channel we tried was already occupied. Xun joined Shao and I, while Billy and Johnny stuck with the easier slopes. I actually have no clue where Sinyee was at that point. A went a few runs with Xun and Shao, then took off to try a few steeper hills on my own.
There's something grand about chasing the shadows down a steep snow face, with the sun slipping away behind you and the wind nipping on your ears; starting from the top of the mountain and just riding it out until you hit the absolute bottom. It takes you twenty minutes though you know you could make it down twenty-two hundred vertical feet in three minutes. You're still rather glad that the mountain is there to slow you down.
We left Northstar at 4:20pm, in a rush to make it back to San Francisco by 8:30pm, to make Billy's reservation at the Slanted Door, a chic urban Vietnamese restaurant that we've so far been unable to get to. We made it to Truckee to return the rental equipment soon enough, but ran into traffic shortly afterwards on the highway down the mountain. The sun set quickly as we crawled through the foothills of the Sierras, the orange clouds bright against the deep blue and violet sky. The snow-covered mountaintops around us blushed warmly, kissed by the last glimmering rays of the weekend. At 6:30pm we were approaching Sacramento, and unsure of the traffic situation in San Fran (where we faced a good 45 minutes of stiff traffic across the Bay Bridge on the last Tahoe trip), we decided to call ahead and push the reservation back to 9:00pm, since the restaurant had a $10/per person late or no-show policy.
The rest of the drive was uneventful, except that the traffic was clear on the Bay Bridge. With Billy's spectacular driving, we ended up in front of the restaurant a half-hour before our original reservation. Unfortunately, they didn't have a table for us until 9:00pm, so we decided to pass instead of waiting for an hour. Instead we went over to Tokyo Go Go for some fusion sushi. After a short wait at the bar with a glass of water, we were seated in a small booth that snuggly fit the six of us. Dinner passed by quickly, with a series of small dishes. With what seemed like plenty of time left before our 11pm rental minivan return time, we went for dessert as well.
Overall, it was a decent restaurant, and rang us up about $25 each. We quickly dropped off Billy at a light, an intersection away from his loft, right by the entrance to highway 280. It took us about 45 minutes to reach San Francisco and drop off the minivan, unfortunately without refilling the tank. We realized later that they charge $4.65/gal (as opposed to $1.19 out on the street). Won't be making that mistake again.
Somehow, the next morning it was back to work...
Jan 12 Tahoe trip in review
Let's rewind to Wednesday January 9th, the day it all came together. Sure, there was a lot of talk beforehand, especially since the guys were just starting to kick into things the last time we headed up in December. That was a practice run, with little planning and a lot of unknowns. Time was wasted that time, but we were wiser now. We knew what we were doing and what we were getting ourselves into. Last time, the guys got schooled. They were a tired, pathetic mess, whimpering on the way home from the beating they had received. But they had paid their dues, and now anticipated only retribution for the coming weekend.
On Wednesday we reserved a minivan with Hotwire, where we found a room at the Peppermill in Reno for $56/night. Xun and I went to a nearby ski and snowboard store to pick up early season coupons for Northstar ($36 day pass, down from $54). Billy did some research and found $20 snowboard rentals (which went down to $15 with a coupon) at Truckee Sports Exchange. We were good to go.
Saturday morning started us off twenty minutes late, as the self-declared 'Alpha House' loaded into the blue Mazda MPV we picked up the night before. Sinyee and Xun had had snacks handled, and after packing in a cooler and a trunk full of backpacks and sleeping bags, we were headed off at 6:30 am. Xun drove us to Billy's San Francisco loft; Billy had been waiting and quickly packed his stuff into the back. I took the driver's seat and Billy rode shotgun. We headed across the Bay Bridge and up the I-80. Billy loaded some soft jazz into the CD player, and by the time we switched over to Enya, the rest of the van was pretty much asleep.
The sky was light as we approached Sacramento; the sun was blinding to eyes accustomed to darkness. It was past 9:00 am as we headed into the Sierras. The sun had made its way above the mountain horizon. The tank was down to 1/4 as we pulled off the road to fill up and take a break. The air was chill at the service station. It was a quick rest stop, and soon we were back en route, with Billy behind the wheel. The mountains unveiled themselves as we climbed, clad in snow and covered with trees. We soon got of the I-80, and headed for the town of Truckee. Truckee Sports Exchange wasn't too hard to find, and Billy and Xun got in to pick up boots and boards. Billy got a board by M3, Xun got a decent Burton, both with Switch bindings. As soon as we crammed the equipment into the van, we got back on our way. It was 10:30 by the time we pulled up to Northstar.
Xun, Billy and I got our stuff together. There was no snow on the ground in the parking lot, and it was incredibly warm. I left my coat in the car and grabbed my board. Johnny and Sinyee got back into the car, and Shao took the wheel and headed out to Reno. After getting our lift tickets, we lined up for the gondola and finally headed up the slopes. Happily, there was snow as we got off the gondola, but not as much as we had hoped. As a fellow gondola rider had explained to us, it had rained in Tahoe for the past week, taking down much of the snow from December.
It took me a few runs to get into the swing of things. It was a warm day, and I felt great without my coat. Unfortunately, the lifts were crowded, and there were a suprising number of Asian skiiers and snowboarders (primarily snowboarders) on the slopes. After my first two runs, I found Xun and Billy, who had been giving the easier runs a try. We hung around the Arrow Express lift for a few runs. Xun could make his way down the hill, turning slowly. Billy was fine on his heel edge, but had trouble keeping his toe edge, and hadn't quite gotten the turn, or so it seemed. A few runs later, he tried riding fakey, with much improvement. Always figured he was goofy.
We stopped for a late lunch to avoid the heavy crowds. The lodge was still busy, but it looked much better than it did at lunchtime. After relaxing for a bit, we decided to head to the top of the mountian, as Billy and Xun were confident enough to ride the blue runs. The last two runs I hit were the two best runs of the day. The crowds were disappearing, as the sun sank behind the mountain, casting the resort in shadow against a violet sky. I was the last person up the Comstock Express for the day; it was pretty much empty when I got to the top. I bombed the first half of the mountain until I started catching up to other riders. Reminds me of the recent Cartmanland episode of South Park... if I had my million bucks I'd buy a ski resort... yeah!
After wandering around the village at the bottom of the hill for a while (it had gotten quite cold in the shadows), I eventually found Xun and Billy, and the three of us quickly found the rest of the crowd, who had kindly returned from Reno, just to pick us up. The ride back to Reno wasn't too long, maybe a half hour. Like Vegas, it was a small lake of light against the black wasteland around it at night. It was however, much less exhuberant; it took us five minutes to drive through the main strip of epilepsy inducing displays, crowned by a brightly lit "Reno: the Biggest Little City in the World" sign that arched across the roadway. Past the main strip, we hit an average American town, set apart only by the frequency of adult novelty stores.
The Peppermill stood alone, set apart from the main strip of casinos. The gayly lit monolith was huge compared to the rest of the Reno strip, although really it would be substandard fare compared to the ubercasinos of Vegas. Shao drove us past the lights of the Peppermill, to the dark lodges hidden behind the hotel, where our $56 room was situated. Before stopping to check out our room (where Shao and friends had already checked into earlier during the day), we circled around to the front desk in hopes of upgrading to a cheap suite.
Shao came back to the van, defeated. No more cheap suites, and we were resigned to our hotel room. The room was sufficiently clean, not half as bad as what Johnny had warned us it would be. The large washroom had a heated fan on the ceiling, a warm welcome from the evening chill. We relaxed in front of the television, watching "the Mummy" until sufficient complaints caused us the venture forth in search of food. We passed on the "White Orchid", the hotel restaurant that featured $45 entrees, and headed back over to the Circus Circus on the main strip. We had decent American/Italian food at Amici's. After dinner we realized why we had come here: Shao's passion for the camel game.
Circus Circus featured an area of midway style games, with the standard stuffed animal prizes. The particular game in question involved rolling a ball down an alley so that it would fall into a bunch of holes, which triggered a plastic camel on the back of the stall to move a portion of the distance from the right to the left. Sinking enough balls caused the camel to race across the stall. The game was a race with the 15 other players, all trying to roll balls into holes to get their camels to run. Apparently during the day Shao had already mastered the game. We watched as throngs of people shuffled past behind us, adults carrying children and pushing strollers. We cheered as Shao won race after race, establishing his dynasty over the prepubescent challengers, all helplessly trying to goad their camels on. But alas, all empires are eventually crushed, and an adult eventually sat down in alley 14. After a few losses in succession, Shao surrendered the crown, but he left carrying a bagful of loot garnered from the stall.
We headed back to the Peppermill, but since it was still early we hit the casino before going back to our room. We wandered through the mostly empty slot machines and half empty card tables until we lost Shao. We doubled back and found him sitting next to a smoking white chick on a single-deck blackjack table. As Shao played, the white chick puffed, and the gay guy in a white coat at the end of the table made lewd remarks at the Philipino dealer. Eventually Xun joined him and lost $20, and Shao quit with $45 more than he started off with, wisened by his last attempt in Vegas.
Billy also gave it a shot at a $3 table. At first he was tossing chips to the dealer, as the live entertainment in the background belted out mangled versions of pop hits. Eventually Shao came around and Billy's luck turned. He left with $20 more than he started off with, and we headed back to the hotel room around 11:30pm, to get the sleep in before skiing the next day.
Let's rewind to Wednesday January 9th, the day it all came together. Sure, there was a lot of talk beforehand, especially since the guys were just starting to kick into things the last time we headed up in December. That was a practice run, with little planning and a lot of unknowns. Time was wasted that time, but we were wiser now. We knew what we were doing and what we were getting ourselves into. Last time, the guys got schooled. They were a tired, pathetic mess, whimpering on the way home from the beating they had received. But they had paid their dues, and now anticipated only retribution for the coming weekend.
On Wednesday we reserved a minivan with Hotwire, where we found a room at the Peppermill in Reno for $56/night. Xun and I went to a nearby ski and snowboard store to pick up early season coupons for Northstar ($36 day pass, down from $54). Billy did some research and found $20 snowboard rentals (which went down to $15 with a coupon) at Truckee Sports Exchange. We were good to go.
Saturday morning started us off twenty minutes late, as the self-declared 'Alpha House' loaded into the blue Mazda MPV we picked up the night before. Sinyee and Xun had had snacks handled, and after packing in a cooler and a trunk full of backpacks and sleeping bags, we were headed off at 6:30 am. Xun drove us to Billy's San Francisco loft; Billy had been waiting and quickly packed his stuff into the back. I took the driver's seat and Billy rode shotgun. We headed across the Bay Bridge and up the I-80. Billy loaded some soft jazz into the CD player, and by the time we switched over to Enya, the rest of the van was pretty much asleep.
The sky was light as we approached Sacramento; the sun was blinding to eyes accustomed to darkness. It was past 9:00 am as we headed into the Sierras. The sun had made its way above the mountain horizon. The tank was down to 1/4 as we pulled off the road to fill up and take a break. The air was chill at the service station. It was a quick rest stop, and soon we were back en route, with Billy behind the wheel. The mountains unveiled themselves as we climbed, clad in snow and covered with trees. We soon got of the I-80, and headed for the town of Truckee. Truckee Sports Exchange wasn't too hard to find, and Billy and Xun got in to pick up boots and boards. Billy got a board by M3, Xun got a decent Burton, both with Switch bindings. As soon as we crammed the equipment into the van, we got back on our way. It was 10:30 by the time we pulled up to Northstar.
Xun, Billy and I got our stuff together. There was no snow on the ground in the parking lot, and it was incredibly warm. I left my coat in the car and grabbed my board. Johnny and Sinyee got back into the car, and Shao took the wheel and headed out to Reno. After getting our lift tickets, we lined up for the gondola and finally headed up the slopes. Happily, there was snow as we got off the gondola, but not as much as we had hoped. As a fellow gondola rider had explained to us, it had rained in Tahoe for the past week, taking down much of the snow from December.
It took me a few runs to get into the swing of things. It was a warm day, and I felt great without my coat. Unfortunately, the lifts were crowded, and there were a suprising number of Asian skiiers and snowboarders (primarily snowboarders) on the slopes. After my first two runs, I found Xun and Billy, who had been giving the easier runs a try. We hung around the Arrow Express lift for a few runs. Xun could make his way down the hill, turning slowly. Billy was fine on his heel edge, but had trouble keeping his toe edge, and hadn't quite gotten the turn, or so it seemed. A few runs later, he tried riding fakey, with much improvement. Always figured he was goofy.
We stopped for a late lunch to avoid the heavy crowds. The lodge was still busy, but it looked much better than it did at lunchtime. After relaxing for a bit, we decided to head to the top of the mountian, as Billy and Xun were confident enough to ride the blue runs. The last two runs I hit were the two best runs of the day. The crowds were disappearing, as the sun sank behind the mountain, casting the resort in shadow against a violet sky. I was the last person up the Comstock Express for the day; it was pretty much empty when I got to the top. I bombed the first half of the mountain until I started catching up to other riders. Reminds me of the recent Cartmanland episode of South Park... if I had my million bucks I'd buy a ski resort... yeah!
After wandering around the village at the bottom of the hill for a while (it had gotten quite cold in the shadows), I eventually found Xun and Billy, and the three of us quickly found the rest of the crowd, who had kindly returned from Reno, just to pick us up. The ride back to Reno wasn't too long, maybe a half hour. Like Vegas, it was a small lake of light against the black wasteland around it at night. It was however, much less exhuberant; it took us five minutes to drive through the main strip of epilepsy inducing displays, crowned by a brightly lit "Reno: the Biggest Little City in the World" sign that arched across the roadway. Past the main strip, we hit an average American town, set apart only by the frequency of adult novelty stores.
The Peppermill stood alone, set apart from the main strip of casinos. The gayly lit monolith was huge compared to the rest of the Reno strip, although really it would be substandard fare compared to the ubercasinos of Vegas. Shao drove us past the lights of the Peppermill, to the dark lodges hidden behind the hotel, where our $56 room was situated. Before stopping to check out our room (where Shao and friends had already checked into earlier during the day), we circled around to the front desk in hopes of upgrading to a cheap suite.
Shao came back to the van, defeated. No more cheap suites, and we were resigned to our hotel room. The room was sufficiently clean, not half as bad as what Johnny had warned us it would be. The large washroom had a heated fan on the ceiling, a warm welcome from the evening chill. We relaxed in front of the television, watching "the Mummy" until sufficient complaints caused us the venture forth in search of food. We passed on the "White Orchid", the hotel restaurant that featured $45 entrees, and headed back over to the Circus Circus on the main strip. We had decent American/Italian food at Amici's. After dinner we realized why we had come here: Shao's passion for the camel game.
Circus Circus featured an area of midway style games, with the standard stuffed animal prizes. The particular game in question involved rolling a ball down an alley so that it would fall into a bunch of holes, which triggered a plastic camel on the back of the stall to move a portion of the distance from the right to the left. Sinking enough balls caused the camel to race across the stall. The game was a race with the 15 other players, all trying to roll balls into holes to get their camels to run. Apparently during the day Shao had already mastered the game. We watched as throngs of people shuffled past behind us, adults carrying children and pushing strollers. We cheered as Shao won race after race, establishing his dynasty over the prepubescent challengers, all helplessly trying to goad their camels on. But alas, all empires are eventually crushed, and an adult eventually sat down in alley 14. After a few losses in succession, Shao surrendered the crown, but he left carrying a bagful of loot garnered from the stall.
We headed back to the Peppermill, but since it was still early we hit the casino before going back to our room. We wandered through the mostly empty slot machines and half empty card tables until we lost Shao. We doubled back and found him sitting next to a smoking white chick on a single-deck blackjack table. As Shao played, the white chick puffed, and the gay guy in a white coat at the end of the table made lewd remarks at the Philipino dealer. Eventually Xun joined him and lost $20, and Shao quit with $45 more than he started off with, wisened by his last attempt in Vegas.
Billy also gave it a shot at a $3 table. At first he was tossing chips to the dealer, as the live entertainment in the background belted out mangled versions of pop hits. Eventually Shao came around and Billy's luck turned. He left with $20 more than he started off with, and we headed back to the hotel room around 11:30pm, to get the sleep in before skiing the next day.
Jan 18, 2002
friday
I look out the window, the sun's almost set. I look past the flourescent lit windows of Building A of the Nvidia campus, and in the distance I see the dark silhoutte of mountains against a crimson skyline. It's surprising that a week's already past. It's been a while since I've wondered what I'm doing here. There's a balance to life: sometimes things are so uncertain and you have no clue what the future's got in store, and you have to learn to take each day as it comes. Then life swings around and you hit the routine, and you're reminded that change and uncertainty isn't so bad after all.
California rocks.
I look out the window, the sun's almost set. I look past the flourescent lit windows of Building A of the Nvidia campus, and in the distance I see the dark silhoutte of mountains against a crimson skyline. It's surprising that a week's already past. It's been a while since I've wondered what I'm doing here. There's a balance to life: sometimes things are so uncertain and you have no clue what the future's got in store, and you have to learn to take each day as it comes. Then life swings around and you hit the routine, and you're reminded that change and uncertainty isn't so bad after all.
California rocks.
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