Princeton by the Sea

This weekend found this meztiza in the fog, looking for fire pits and fine brews after a frolick on the beach. No matter how sunny the rest of the Bay looks, you can count on the fog in Half Moon Bay. It was even sunny in Pacifica!

Brunch was absolutely amazing at 3 Zero Cafe although the biscuits weren't all that and the Yelp reviews are right, the owner's sense of humor is a bit 'off color'. I overheard him make a comment to the Indian man sitting at the next table over about 'his Hindu princess'. Oy. Despite all this, the food was fresh, service was friendly and prompt and the drive along the 1 made it worthwhile. This might be our favorite breakfast place for a while...and so close to my place!

We tried going to the Moss Beach Distillery but it was closed for a private party. Instead we ended up passing the afternoon next to the big fire pit at the Moss Beach Brewing Co. Ideal for passing the time sampling the various Maverick brews while cozying up to a fire and chatting about nothing in particular. The evening ended with clam chowder in bread bowls and calamari. Not too shabby for a Sunday afternoon in the fog.

I'm Strait

Felt like lounging tonight so I met my girlfriend at Straits in the Westfield Shopping Center. I like what they did with the space, with cavernous ceilings, exposed brick, modern decor infused with a pan-Asian style. Lots of light filters through vinyl coated glass panes to diffuse the light. It's a comfie place to kick back and have a few drinks and...the drinks are STIFF. I ordered the Maker's Manhattan (I'm digging Maker's lately) and it kind of messed me up a little. I should have stopped drinking there but was thirsty so, I ordered another drink- should have stuck with the water, he, he. But whatever, this girl is going to work really hard this week so I figured I might as well live it up a little.

Stick to the Drinks
The last couple of times I've been here the drinks have been better than the food and the service is well, moody- what can I say. The sauce for the ribs was a tad on the sweet side and not a lot of flavor as I'm used to. The corn fritter thing was too sweet (I know, corn is SUPPOSED to be sweet) but this was too much and the Samosas were a bit soggy and flavorless instead of being crispy outside, soft and subtly flavored on the inside. Crabcakes had no spice either. I thought I'd give the food another chance but this meztiza is finished with the food here- the food court downstairs has better food options and therefore is a better value. I hear good things about Lark Creek next door though and may stop by that bar next time and nibble on appetizers while I'm at it. At least my drink was good!

Rocked the Bells

Yesterday's concert at the Shoreline featured some of the biggest and baddest names in 90's hip-hop, when it was raw, real, and rugged.

We caught the tail end of De la Soul, but managed to see the rest of the lineup including Method Man and Redman of the Wu Tang Clan, The Pharcyde, Mos Def, Nas and Q-tip/Tribe Called Quest.

The weather was perfect, we had some kick ass seats and the company was good. All in all, it was a fine weekend in the Bay.

The music was so loud it made our noses itch and our chests thump- I haven't heard bass like that since I was in high school rolling with my boys and their beat booming in their cars (remember bazookas)?

Needless to say, it brought back some memories of the high school days and how much music has changed, especially hip-hop. I believe one of the performers announced yesterday that he's tired of hearing people say that "50 is the best lyricist out there'...the crowd laughed and boo'ed at the notion. And 50 thought he was gansta.

Anyhow, check out some of the photos from the show.


My folks: Kickin' it with my oldest friend in the world- G-Money. And I don't mean she's the oldest, I mean the longest...ha, ha.

I also managed to get myself almost thrown out of the concert- that happens a lot these days, getting picked up by random guys, lol.

Rush Hour, Bangkok

Thailand, August 6, 2008

Hayes Valley-Girl

So not all of you know this, but I lived in Hayes Valley in the mid-90's when this community sported lived in storefronts, pimps and their hos (Rappin' 4-tay would drive by in his ragtop Caddie on the regular) and was at the end of the Central Freeway. Despite some challenges, there was a real community here that watched each other's kids on the block and loved Powell's Place chicken and black-eyed peas, and peach cobbler (Powell's relocated to the Jazz Preservation District and subsequently closed deep in rent arrears- but that's another story) and really felt like part of the Fillmore when I was here. The Afrikan boutique sold champa and reggae and you could find plenty of parking and cheap eats in the area. (Glad to see the drag bar Marlena's is still here) and that Flippers burgers survived the hipsterfication of the neighborhoodm (worked there as a waitress for a week before I figured out that the owner was an ass). But let's go back to the 90's for a moment: the shadows cast by the freeway were only superceded by the ones cast by the social disinvestment- little did they know- the little junk shop selling Star Trek figurines and Dungeons and Dragons would move over so economic development could have a turn.

As I strolled to City Hall from Haight and Laguna yesterday, I took the scenic route, down Hayes Street to check out some of my favorite spots like the German 'soup kitchen' Suppenkuche and Frijtz (which just opened its relocated business next door). Let's not mention Place Pigalle, where I spent too many underage nights drinking Rolling Rock and shooting pool). I was curious as to what other businesses sprung up since the last time I played at Lang and took the team to Hayes Street for beers and pizza.

I think I like the european spots (above). Both sport Belgian and German ales, and a menu that's sure to carbo-load the girls enough so you won't see them for the rest of the week as they're burning off the cals on the Marina green. But anyway...

I bring up Hayes Street because like many darlings of the dot.com and hipsterfication, it's also going through some hard times. The SALE, SALE, SALE signs were everywhere. Frijtz was forced to relocate because the landlord wanted much, much, much more rent so we lost the patio in the back...the old location is papered over. The market across the street is now covered in Mirkarimi signs...and a photo gallery...how long are these businesses going to last? And without any chains (Hayes Valley merchants based a formula retail ban in 2005). So I ask, what is going to happen to the brave entrepreneurs that took a chance on this transitional neighborhood? It's up to you I guess.

Loca(vore) for Asopao

Gracias Sam for the Asopao! For those uninitiated in the Puerto Rican art of cooking- it's artistic "looking" anyway...asopao is a combination of soup and paella, hearty, tasty and of course, home made. I love it when men get in the kitchen. It's such a production, even with a one-dish meal.

Kidding aside, I couldn't help but think, how easy are we that when a man offers to cook, the women flock? If you cook it, they will come. We had a good time, thanks Sammy, you can cook for me anytime.

P.S. And no, I didn't pull my Thailand pictures off Google cabron! (not like this picture, cuz your dinner looked nothing like this...). It's all love hermano!

Where to next?

The co-workers and I are thinking Mexico- Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Acapulco maybe? My vote is for the first...I'm looking for a fishing boat like this one...no gringus americanus in sight, LOL.

Ko Phang Nang, Thailand.

Back to Reality

Jet lag is worse than I thought it. Suffering from insomnia and not very motivated to get back to work. Two weeks abroad allowed me just enough time to disconnect and really think about what I'm doing with myself, career and other stuff.It's time for change. I'm feeling stuck and know it's time to shake things up a little. Been at my job for almost five years now and I feel stagnant. I've lived at my place for almost two years and it feels stifling. Exploring my options, feels good to think about this again and make plans.

Korea's got Seoul

Bangkok's International Terminal (Suva)

Korea: Today's stop on the Asia tour brought us to the very modern and trendy Seoul, Korea. We managed to squeeze in a quick tour of a few palaces in the downtown area. These were here in the 15th century until the Japanese colonized Korea and the palaces were burned down. Since then, they've been reconstructed and walking through the grounds feels a little bit like walking onto the set of the Last Samurai (so says my chapina prima). The Japanese influence is present in the food, the written and spoken language and the culture. We liked the city's modern feel, cleanliness and ease with which you can get around. Wasn't as humid as Thailand either.

I bid you adieu for now, my plane to SFO is boarding. See ya'll soon.

Our last day in paradise...

Here's the view from the sky bar 'lebua' in downtown Bangkok (the State Building). The view is from the 64th story of this building that sticks up out of the Bangkok skyline. Check out the haphazard
development, apparently there is no city planning department here.
Ko Samui was our final beach stop on our way to Bangkok and onto our final stop on the Asia tour before heading home. Served by its own boutique airline, Bangkok Airways, our travel was relatively simple and painless, unlike moving from island to island on the Andaman coast. Anyhow, check these photos out...we left Bangkok in style. Until we meet again!

This one's for you sis

Kho Phang Ngang, Thailand.

It's Beachin'

The view from the pool onto the beach at Yah Hao on Ko Phang Ngan at sunset.

A desolate beach on the other side of the world (shortly after 6 a.m.).

We went from the jungles and mountains in the North to the warm sunny beaches along the gulf coast in the South. Enjoy the photos from our stops at Ko Phi Phi, Krabi, and finally to Ko Phang Ngang- more famous for its full moon parties than for the beaches, but we found a nice quiet stretch to rest our weary traveling selves.

Hat Yao is the little town we ended up crashing on for two whole glorious days. Our biggest dilemma is whether or not to lounge by the pool or ten paces away on the beach. Right now we're trying to figure out if we want beer or cocktails. Life is rough.

The beach sports blue-green water perfect for swimming and snorkeling given the promontory on the east that protects us from ocean waves. The sandy and desolate beach has very white sand and bath temperature water. you can walk out for at least 100 yards and still be only waist deep in water. It's, to put it simply, perfect. Like in the Corona commercials. Ahem.

Bazaar Life- Chiang Mai's Markets

Chiang Mai's markets were fun to explore, although exhausting. I used my free day in town to explore the biggest markets. The shots here show the variety of goods available to the consumer including authentically crafted home decor, gardening supplies like the statue here and colored stones for immaculate gardens.

The Warorot Market in the city is second to none during the day but really comes alive at night. When I get home, I'll post more pics of the Night Bazaar- truly Thailand's best and liveliest market offering affordable handmade crafts, jewelry and a great selection of antiques- both real and replicas. Thailand is truly a sensory place, as you shop, you smell the variety of food being prepared at the hundreds of food stalls that line the streets, ready to cook you up an authentic dish, right there while you watch. Enjoy the photos. More to come when I get back to the states.

Warorot Market, Chiang Mai. Four stories of dry and fresh goods. Very Thai place, I was the only tourist there on a Wednesday morning, despite this I felt very welcome and was even able to pick up a few hair products before I went and got my hair done...yes, I am changing it up once again...you'll see when I get back. Back to black.

In the jungle, the mighty jungle, two meztizas sleep tonight...

Yeah, so the two-day trek almost kicked our Chapina asses. We literally climbed a fucking mountain. But the sights were freakin' amazing along the way, we clambered through rainforests, rice patties, bamboo trees and bugs the size of birds. All the while I kept thinking, is this what I took two weeks of work off to do? Hell yes!

Dinner with the Karen hill-tribe people in the village was non descript. I felt a little voyeuristic watching the villagers go about their routine. Life on a rock is tough. The funny thing is that here we walked an entire day to get to their mountaintop and they own motorbikes to get up and down from the city. Damn! Anyhow, the hill tribe peoples have come to rely on tourism to stay relevant in an increasingly modernized world. The simple life a hill tribe village offers is often boring to the next generation, exposed to modern comforts such as satellite television, cell phones, motorbikes and- tourists. Despite all this, we still wanted to see what's left of Thai village culture and all I can say is the smiles and warmth translate better than language ever can.

Planes, trains, and automobiles...and elephants too!

Transportation throughout Thailand is varied, cheap and easy- not unlike the women foreign men are picking up at the bars- but I digress.

On our travel adventure, we've mastered the art of negotiating cheap rides from our drivers, particularly in rural Chiang Mai. Tuk-tuks are the fastest, most direct form of transpo- these can best be described as three-wheeled motorbikes, outfitted with a tarp-covered metal cart with a bench seat for our comfort of course. These are ubiquitous and quite noisy (hence the name tuk-tuk for the sound they make). Riding in style isn't always sustainable so sometimes we opted to ride the 'bus'- or song tao which literally means 'two benches' because these pick-up trucks are outfitted with two long benches and a covered roof to hold luggage, sacks of rice and other cargo (sometimes even people). These are the main form of transit for city folks and budget conscious tourists (like us).

Province transportation is another story completely. For our trip to the limestone caves in the Chiang Dao province (about 1.5 hours north of Chiang Mai) we rode the Thai version of a 'chicken bus'- these look like school buses with rows of seats that seat three Thais, not two fat Americans.

In Chiang Dao, after our cave crawling adventure, we were suddenly hit by monsoon rain and hired a young woman to take us on her motor bike back to town to catch the last chicken bus back to the city. Here, it's quite common to see entire families riding around on scooters and motorbikes. Here we are riding around in the rain with three people on a motorcycle with a Thai woman half my size driving- no helmets- and in the states I won't drive to the grocery store without my seatbelt on...what can I say- you only live once, why not die having a blast?

Other forms of transportation we've ridden:

• Bamboo raft- wet, but fun!


• Elephant- these creatures are lovely, friendly and incredibly intelligent and gentle. Although I asked myself, how do you stop an elephant that doesn't want to be? Ahem.


• Longtail boat- this one took us snorkeling in the clearest blue-green water I've ever seen.


• Chartered mini van- with air conditioning. I felt like splurging.


• Ferry boat- this was quite stunning as we approached Ko Phi Phi. Check out the photos on my next post.

There's not much left to try I think except maybe rickshaw? Somehow I think we might have trouble with that in the city.