Life of JL V2.0

things you cannot bring on Midwest airline...

2010-04-06T17:48:00.000-07:00

This must be big enough of a concern for this little airline that services the Mountain region of US... enough to put it as a section in their baggage policy;

Restricted Carry-on Items:
Traveling with food or gifts is a bigger challenge these days. Everyone has favorite foods from home that they want to bring with them, or items from their destination that they want to bring back home.

Not sure about what you can and can't bring through the checkpoint? Here's a list of liquid, aerosol and gel items that you should put in your checked bag, ship ahead, or leave at home.

Cranberry sauce
Cologne
Creamy dips and spreads (cheeses, peanut butter, etc.)
Gift baskets with food items (salsa, jams and salad dressings)
Gravy
Jams
Jellies
Lotions
Maple syrup
Oils and vinegars
Perfume
Salad dressing
Salsa
Sauces
Snowglobes
Soups
Wine, liquor and beer

Note: You can bring pies and cakes through the security checkpoint, but please be advised that they are subject to additional screening.

----------

what about... pies that are a little runny inside e.g. any double crust fruit pies. Or cheese cake for that matter?!

01/03/09 - downtown we go!

2010-01-03T16:41:00.000-08:00

Alright... one of these days I will be biking to work. So J & I rode the Wiggle today just so I don't freak out.

It is a ride through busy roads and I handled it OK. You have to be more alert, especially on places like Market St, but it's OK. I managed.

Next we headed to Potrero Hill to visit a friend... that was also through city streets and then cutting across 8th St.

And finally... ride through the Mission - the land of crazy driving and narrow bus lanes - to get home.

I made it. PHEW.

So am I ready to ride to work?

Today's ride: 10.7mi (6%)

30/12/09 - through the park and a little bit more

2010-01-03T16:27:00.000-08:00

So I accidentally did 10mi today.

How does anyone accidentally do 10mi? Let me explain...

When you miss a turn in Golden Gate Park, lots can happen. Mainly you end up doing circles, run into dead ends and heaven forbid, you end up running into an Interstate Route.

I basically re-traced the route we took on Xmas Day - its one I know well enough and I know it's largely in a park, so that means cars are more aware of pedestrians right? I was wrong on that one... out of towners are not used to looking out for bikes.

And there I was, coming back from my ride... I missed a turn at the Polo Fields and ended up on Lincoln Way.

Uh-oh.

Anyway I righted it after doing circles round the lake.

Felt good. I am handling the distance ok.

Ride today is 10mi... i.e. 6% of distance...

Ride #2, 25/12/09: the death grip through GG Park

2009-12-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

I recovered pretty good from Ride #1, and since it's Christmas long weekend (and a Merry Christmas to you!) I had the opportunity to go for another ride today... this time through Golden Gate Park, from Haight to Ocean Beach.

Its a ride I have done a number of times before on the MTB, and I distinctly remember that my hands hurt more than my arse... and why? There is a stretch of road that's very cut up and it's bump-bump-bump for about 1/4 mile. Through the bumps I tend to stand on the paddles so the bottom gets a little relief. But through this stretch I literally death grip the handle bars. Right now I can say my hands and arms are more sore than the lower half of bod.

I worked on changing gears today... and I did improve. For starters I now know to soften the gears for a hill climb, I need to push the metal and the black plastic shifters. I know, in 5 months, I will look at what I wrote and ask myself WTF (re description of shifting gears)... I mean, at this point in time I get confused with what's up/ down. I get by via remembering what I need to do dependent on the road situation.

Well today's ride is a bit smoother than yesterday... oh except the bit about getting chains crossed... that's the next lesson.

Ride #2: 7mi... i.e. 4% of the goal

Ride #1, 24/12/09 - to the shops, Panhandle, Laurel Heights, Presidio + GG Park

2009-12-24T23:27:00.000-08:00

I decided to go pick up some coffee beans from Peet's after the bike shop - which we were out of and no caffeine makes J1 and J2 very grumpy. The nearest Peet's is just at the end of the Panhandle, conveniently the bike shop is just on the other side of the 'handle, and there's a bike path pretty much the whole way.

I know riding to the shop is kinda like blah but you know what... it's the first solo ride I've done on a SF roadway. It wasn't too bad, other than that you have to weave pass transients pushing trolleys and some more aggressive riders (for heaven's sake, I was ONLY going to the shops).

By the time I locked my bike up, J1 called to see where I was since it's been 20 mins since I left the bike shop (we live 5 mins from American Cyclery, and hopefully he was calling to check that I wasn't a crumbled heap on the side of the road vs. seeing how the bike was). He met me at Peet's, couple of mins later, on his zoomie wheels.

He suggested we go for a little spin, sure I said. Got to remember... J1's idea of a 'little spin' is not that little. I should also get used to this idea of little since it's still very little vs. 175mi. And ALWAYS have water on me.

From Peet's (Broderick @ Oak), we headed up to Laurel Heights, then cut across the Richmond into Presidio. I had no idea where on earth was he planning to go (maybe to Marina?) but I had to protest after we reached the Presidio Gates. Legs were giving way. EEK. We came back via GG Park and practiced gear changing on some smaller hills nearby. Home pretty shortly after.

Distance travelled today: 4mi... OMG it's only 2% of the ride distance.

the challenge is ON...

2009-12-24T22:53:00.000-08:00

I hate bikes. As in bicycles.

Prior to the last year, my 'biking' experience involved a BMX when I was 10, and then a bike tour around Amsterdam in 2004... I probably didn't have the best 'concentration' at that point in time, and you get the idea. I almost fell into a canal.

Oh after the canal incident, I tried getting on a bike one more time... as a tourist in 05, with Blazing Saddles bike rental at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. I rode to Sausalito, with great difficulty especially since I have NO IDEA what the gear shifters do. I think I took the entire 3 hour they said I'd need.

So what on earth am I doing... thinking I can do the MS Society's Waves to Wine charity ride? All 175mi (282km) of it. But here are the top 5 reasons I'm doing it...

1) I could really lose 20kgs/ 40'ish lbs.

2) Over past 2 yrs my main sport has been dragon boating, which is a very anaerobic exercise. Since I hate running more than I hate bikes, I thought it might be good to cross train via setting a distance riding goal.
Oh and the ride is in September... so lots of time to train (though I'd hope to be able to do some 'Centuries' i.e. 100mi/ 161km races by May).

3) Biking seems to be the kind of thing I should be able to fit into the schedule... I mean, it's a mode of transport, and it's actually shorter for me to bike to work from new house vs. public transport

4) I can do with more tone, body wise

5) Other friends have done this ride and all agree it's by far one of the prettiest ride around, also I already have a friend, C, signed up to do this with me

J1 was supportive. He hasn't decided whether he's doing W-to-W with C and I, but J and I have started heading out and practicing hill climbs - in my case, it's called learning to change gears properly.

Through a series of events - I bought a new bike. It's a 2010 Specialized Dolce Elite Triple, in silver with white trim (it is the only colour it came in). It's a pretty darn fancy bike - by my standards - and Mark from American Cyclery at first didn't put this bike in the lineup of bikes I was test riding... but by my 3rd test ride (3rd bike), he thought it was good for education reasons to try a bike with Tiagra shifters. Unbeknown to him, I knew a little about 'em before heading into the shops... it helps with J1 has those on his bike, and that I have done quite a bit of reading.

I did check with Mark and asked whether it was too good of a bike for me... but he consider it as an entry level bike, and I know he was reluctant to get me to test ride it. But I also knew... those shifters were going to feel pretty darn good vs. the click and flick thing the Sora offered.

So 2.5 hrs and 5 bikes later... the challenge is on.

stuggling to make sense of... everything

2009-09-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm having a really hard time making sense of things. What I thought would be simple - like being dependable for someone, and expecting the same vice versa - is now a lot more grey then I expect it to be. Was I wrong in expecting the unconditional? Was I wrong to expect respect and support? Was I wrong to expect compassion and understanding - especially when it was a fuckin (small) mistake? Why do I get the feeling that they're looking/ listening and then thinking what I'm saying is all BS?

Unhealthy all round and I need resolution. I can't go to work crying anymore.

Damn, didn't someone tell me the grey areas will become bigger and more confusing as you get older?

ignorance and tripe?

2009-09-03T16:39:00.001-07:00

Tripe... is something only a serious foodie, or an Ethnic person, would readily eat.

Me? I grew up with it. I still don't like it for textual reasons, but have a healthy respect for those who eat it.

Now Michael Bauer and tripe? I don't know what to make of him. Or his relationship with tripe either (article here).

For starters - it's fookin hard to cook tripe. The washing/ boiling/ flavouring needed to make this piece of stomach tasty is too labour intensive for many.

So for Michael to say San Franciscans will eat tripe - you know, I'll take that as a compliment. We're experimental folks and will at least give a chef the benefit of doubt to try it. If you fool us once? Shame on you. We just blog about it and make sure the entire city know your restaurant suck.

For him to say that New Yorkers won't if offered the same? Well... I think that's a backhanded criticism for a New Yorker's humanity, don't you think?

holy c*&p... my back:(

2009-07-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

I was a ver flexible kid... touching my toes while standing means my whole hand is on the ground - I could do that right till about age 25, and then it started to get difficult but always, my hands will get to my feet with legs straight.

Today - I knew something was up when at dragon boat warm up I had problems reaching beyond my knee. That was AWFUL. Right now I have the worst lower back pain I've had in quite awhile. What could that be attributed to? Well, the bike fall 2 wks ago... then bounching on rapids on a raft (I definitely had a bung knee after the trip), and finally today when we did strength work it just gave way.

I have a deep tissue massage booked tomorrow, and hopefully that helps.

Hopefully I'll be OK at friend's welcome dinner/ the bar tonight!!!

self esteem issues (possibly temporary)

2009-07-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

I don't think I get PMS (famous last words right? ha) - but I know I do get more critical of things around that time of month. Or this time of month.

Last weekend... huge camping/ rafting trip with 15 others. About 50/50 with folks I kinda know vs. those I'm meeting for the first time. No one on this trip I can say I know well (besides maybe 1 or 2 people. In general it's hard to claim to know anyone 'well' when your existance in this country only started 2 years ago).

I usually don't have a problem with being in a crowd but I got very insecure over the weekend. At some points in time I was downright feeling I was left right out. Not saying either groups were alientating - they were absolutely not - but I felt like i was in no man's land because it is human nature to gravitate towards those they know best, and I didn't have that option.

As a firm believer of doing something for yourself - the solution of course was to make some new friends. Once again I counted on others too much and I really ought to have helped myself out of this ditch.

Don't get me wrong... had some awesome times on the weekend but would have done some things differently.

illness sucks

2009-07-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

Not meaning to crate any vicious cycles of blogging about other bloggers - this is one blog I recently discovered and it has really moved me;
http://www.fatcyclist.com/

Just shows cancer can affect anyone regardless of how active you are.

alpacas... a learning session

2009-07-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

We met this little alpaca on the streets of Melbourne AUS. She is a 6 mth old female i.e. still a juvenile. Her owner (an eccentric older fella) keeps her in the backyard and parades her round St Kilda once a month or so - complete with a donation collar. We met them Ackland St, and from a distance I honestly thought "gee that looked like a bigggg dog!" and how wrong was I!

Anyhow, after meeting Miss Alpaca, I did some reading;
- She could grow up to 5 ft tall, approx 110-170 lbs and live for 20 years

- Alpacas have straight ears and were bred for their fur. Ilamas are about 1-2 ft taller, have bent ears and were bred for strength.

- They have 3 stomaches!

- They do get wet and shaggy like a dog because their fur is not oily like sheep's

- According to Peru, home of alpacas, there are 52 colour classifications. The same colour range is considered as 12 in AUS, and 16 in the US

- Recommended 4,356sq ft per alpaca. Therefore our apartment can hold 23% of one

- They are house trainable since, in the wild, alpacas do their 'business' at the same dung heap. However, as cited from Wikipedia, females tend to all 'go' at the same time therefore create a bigger mess in a pack situation

- Not all alpacas spit. The little one we saw, for example, doesn't (she is also trained/ encouraged not to)

- You can buy one for around USD 100 (a gelded male)

It would be kinda cool to have one in the backyard... if I had a yard...

defining moment

2009-06-18T13:51:00.001-07:00

I just had a defining moment... one that has been creeping up on me for awhile, as I prepare for my annual visit home.

See, I've been getting a bit of anxiety when people ask about my travel plans. The answer is something like "We'll be in Sydney, then head up to the reef then back to SF on 7th July". It's the bit where I say 'back to SF' I get stuck with... I almost write "back HOME on 7th July" just about every time.

Just then I needed to fill out some passenger information for the airline - one question asks what is your current address, and what is your destination address. On my last visit home, I put both as my parents' address in Sydney.

This year... my current address is SF.

I guess this is home for me right now.

politically incorrect observations

2009-06-10T19:39:00.001-07:00

Lately my journey home has taken a dangerous turn - the N-Judah has a pervert on board, and I've seen him 'in action' so to speak. So yesterday I was extra careful, keeping my extremities to myself and trying to stay discreet - which proves to be pretty difficult since the train was so crowded.

But last night I faced another kind of frusteration... see, I was squished up next to a guy who suffers from uncontrollable twitching. Not just a small twitch, but his head jolts, shoulders, legs. Everything at once.

There is no politically correct way to address this so here it goes - I am very sorry that you have this condition, but it was really freaking me out.

After looking this up... it seems there are a lot of misdiagnosis for the condition so I do really wish him well.

can it really happen?

2009-06-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

Forgive me Diary for you have been neglected. It's been 6 months since I last blogged, in which time much has happened.

For starters, I now live with JS and have tolerated his almost-obsessive love for nuts and electrical wires. In exchange I torment him with positioning of the dishwasher hose. Smelly Cat is becoming more adorable everyday so that's a blessing - she is incredibly trainable, and has even learnt to be a living alarm clock (she taps me on the arm, with her paw, 3 times. No really, she taps you like nudging you with a finger).

With the new apartment, there is a change is commuter route - which is, of course, one of my favourite topics of discussion. I now take the N-Judah (or the bus, on the morning I want to breath) and when packed like sardines, some seemingly innocent behaviours become really, REALLY annoying.

Like this morning, a couple (not so young, maybe late 20s/ early 30s) was necking for the entire journey to Downtown. There were at least 4 people standing within millimeters of them. I kid you not... it was all out, tongue and everything.

I had the vantage spot right behind the girl (who was 5'2 so I could see EVERYTHING over her head). I am fairly sure it made my fellow work commuters equally uncomfortable, and I weren't prepared to say out loud that they should have gotten 'relieved' before they left the house...

Moral of this story: PDAs are only appropriate when there is 1 ft or more between you/ your PDA buddy and the next person.

nuts about bananas

2008-12-22T16:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, purely objective comment… but bananas would absolutely be one of the most versatile foods in the world.

I had to live through a banana famine to figure this out. That’s right – a banana famine. In March 2006, several major cyclones swept through northern Australia – where 95% of Australia’s bananas were grown. In just a few weeks bananas were the equivalent of USD 12 p/lb.

A simple loaf of banana bread – a favorite of mine – became too costly of an exercise… especially when my preferred recipe calls for 2 & 1/3 cups of mash bananas.

I read this great news article during the banana famine… it is the food that takes you cradle to grave. You can feed this potassium rich fruit to infants, and when you lose your teeth from all that processed sugars we eat… you can still down a banana easily. Bananas come in its own handy packaging, and to be perfectly frank the taste coming ‘up’ is about the same as going down (learnt that one when I used to get severely sea sick).

So yes, I’m a fan. I bake it, fry it and eat it as is. It goes as well with savory dishes (Hawaiian BBQ) as well as sweet (caramel fried bananas at Chinese restaurants).

Absolutely not a fruit to be under estimated.

So what prompted this out pouring of banana love? I baked one of my famous banana breads for work today. It was demolished within an hour.

Initiative overview: Project Pengu

2008-10-30T16:27:00.000-07:00

Project Pengu

Vision: Save money and rescue penguins via greater resource conservation

Objective: To purchase a reasonably priced refrigerator to replace vintage model in current home within 2 weeks

Background: Current month's electricity bill sky rocketed to a very large sum. Whilst it is partially an administration error by PG&E, HH has agreed to utilise this opportunity to implement ways to reduce energy consumption and upgrade appliances to more energy efficient model where possible.

Actions: Research and select desired fridge models through recognised, informative websites. Cross reference with Craigslist and retail pricing. Wash and repeat.

Selection criteria (in order of importance):
- Price
- Same size as allocated kitchen space
- Improved energy efficient from current fridge
- Ascetically pleasing
- Proximity to home - convenient to transport back to apartment

Budget and expectations:
$400-500 is a solid amount for second hand fridge. It will unlikely be new. Delivery approx $60 additional

hmmm HOW to tell a relative no...

2008-10-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

A relative sent me a necklace for my birthday. Very nice, choker style, silver with cubic zirconia charm of a cross.

So I know people wear crosses a fashion accessory... but I've never been a fan and would really want to keep that symbol as a sign of church, religion etc. With the way the world is, I would rather not have to wear it and deal with people thinking 'gee I didn't know she's religious'. For heaven's sake half the things I do would point to NOT being so church choir girl!

As I didn't want to have that necklace on my shelf - I wrote back to my relative and said the above. Some people say it might have been less trouble to just keep it and not wear it. But why bother carting around stuff I don't want? At the end it'll end up in the Goodwill bin, or as a recycled gift to someone. Either way, that's not fair to the person who got it for me in the first place.

I have a suspicion my relative liked the necklace herself... that formed my decision to send it back. It's not being ungracious about gifts, but just being honest in that it did not fit into my own philosophy.

On the other hand I ought to have learnt to pick my battles better... eek.

I might have, er, bought cereal made by peace lovin hippies

2008-10-08T16:00:00.001-07:00

So I went to the shops for groceries yesterday. Just to the local supermarket since I was still coughing up a lung, and weren't really energetic. To be fair, the Cole Valley grocer is quite well stocked. It has a fresh meats section, a mainly organic veggie stand and quite a big selection of breakfast items.

I wanted to stock up cereal for breakfast, and didn't want something sugary so went for the Granola. They only had one kind of granola..

It wasn't till this morning that I realise I bought something called Peace Granola. It is made by the Golden Temple of Eugene, Oregon... a non-profit peace organisation founded by Yogi Bahjan.

Whilst I have no problem with promoting peace etc, I do have a problem with the label 'peace'. It is an all encompassing word that isn't anywhere close to being a SMART objective. Peace requires step by step action, with chanting and meditation needing to work hand in hand with things that cause an effect.

Anyhooo... it's just my way of saying I am just not so sure the notion of peace on my cereal made me feel good. In fact, it made me question whether my financial contribution (through purchase of this cereal) was the right step towards peace.

PS - it's pretty tasty granola

its not just me who has a problem with Sarah Palin!

2008-10-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

Go Brigitte!!! As seen on AFP Newswire...

Brigitte Bardot slams Palin as a 'disgrace to women'

French film legend-turned-activist Brigitte Bardot took a swipe at Sarah Palin on Tuesday, saying the US vice-presidential candidate was a disgrace to women.

"I hope you lose these elections because that would be a victory for the world," Bardot wrote in an open letter to Republican John McCain's running mate in the November vote.

"By denying the responsibility of man in global warming, by advocating gun rights and making statements that are disconcertingly stupid, you are a disgrace to women and you alone represent a terrible threat, a true environmental catastrophe," wrote Bardot.

The screen icon from the 1960s, who now heads an animal rights foundation, went on to assail Palin for supporting Arctic oil exploration that could jeopardise delicate animal habitats and for dismissing measures to protect polar bears.

"This shows your total lack of responsibility, your inability to protect or simply respect animal life," Bardot wrote.

In a final salvo against Palin, the 74-year-old picked up on Palin's depiction of herself as a pitbull wearing lipstick and said she "implored" her not to compare herself to dogs.

"I know them well and I can assure you that no pitbull, no dog, nor any other animal for that matter is as dangerous as you are," Bardot wrote.

a dinky-die DBag if you've ever seen one...

2008-10-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

Below is a real email from someone confirming their 1st interview with a relatively established San Francisco tech co.

Needless to say the interview was promptly cancelled by the CTO.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 1:49 PM
Subject: Our meeting tomorrow
To: xxxx

Joe,

Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with me today. I am
looking forward to meet your team tomorrow at 4 pm.

Concerning the interview style: Of course, it's entirely your choice
and it works really well indeed, but only if we'd remain confined in
the realm of existing technologies known to your team. As I would like
to propose something much more advanced, you might want to talk to
your team first and ask them to keep open mind and maybe check up on
TRIZ and Domain Specific Languages (DSL) methodologies before the
meeting. Speaking from my previous experience, it would save us a
significant amount of time and make conversation much more to the
point.

I would also like to have a few minutes of your time (or we could
leave it to a follow up interview) to discuss some of the questions
that I have, mostly related to the markitecture of your company.

See you tomorrow!
--xxxxxxxx

New neighbourhood, and the big race

2008-10-02T14:53:00.001-07:00

I recently moved to the leafy neighbourhood of Cole Valley, where there is a mixture of designer dogs, ladies of leisure and more recovered hippie-veggie living folks than I could poke a stick at. Its just off the madness of Haight-Ashbury, and backing onto the gentile of Twin Peaks/ Diamond Heights. All in all it makes an interesting neighbourhood.

With the new neighbourhood comes an interesting mix of people to observe on the buses and light rail. I now have 3 (!!) options of how to get to work. Unfortunately they're all at slightly different places so you have to make a call when you leave the house. I've been crashing with J last few days (since bed hasn't arrived)... we haven't killed each other, and truth of the matter is it's going pretty well. I think he's going to last a little while (we ARE going away together soon... must last till then!)

The line-up for Treasure Island came out yesterday. I was at first jealous that C, who has 2 months less experience than I, is a stroke for my boat. But after analysing everything - over a tequila, couple of glasses of wine and long talk with J - fact of the matter is that she wanted it more. And she has worked hard, plus I paddle on the other side of the boat so... all in all, I am now comfortable with it.

Just ordered 48 bagels from Noah's as my contribution to the paddler's food pile... I might as well order the best for us, and our Long Beach visitors!

cheques... and other observations

2008-09-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

Besides witnessing the blood boiling reality of having someone water their garage door (washing)... one thing that really ticks me off is cheques. As I have written about many times before, I hate cheques. You have to remember how much you've cheque'ed out, and its such a waste of paper folks! I wouldn't be surprised if my bank sends the credit card department a cheque for my payments (which was transferred from a checking account of the same bank).

So why have I bought up this topic again, since I have lived with the lack of electronic banking for the most part for 13 months? Well, I am moving to a new apartment and question came up of whether or not I need to order new cheques with the right address on them. Matter of fact is - no, it doesn't really matter... unless your cheques are prone to get bounced. But of course banks tell you otherwise, so here I am with another 3 books of un-used cheques, which they have suggested for me to destroy.

No, I ain't doing it.

Other than my banking dramas... life has been pretty good. J is still around, not getting sick of me, We're going to Hawaii together for Xmas... kinda weird to go with a boy I'm seeing, as oppose to with friends. It'll be nice. I mean, we are great friends deep down (regardless of all the other stuff we get up to).

Super busy months ahead... moving, dragon boat competition on Treasure Island, brother's visit, NY and LV trips, visiting cousins for Thanksgiving and then Christmas is right there! AGH!

gimme a home amongst the gum trees...

2008-09-12T00:09:00.000-07:00

That... is actually what I'm about to do.

Have had an inkling to move for awhile. Not because I am not getting along with the flatmates, but really wanting a slightly bigger room. Jay introduced me to the Cole Valley area and wow, what a find! It is this pocket that nestles between Haight St and Twin Peaks. Most certain some fab neighbourhood bars... but with the quiet and calm that a yuppie dog owning neighbourhood brings.

New place backs onto a nature reserve -planted full of eucylyptus. Landlord lives upstairs and the apartment was newly decorated (convenient since one flatmate is an interior designer). Both flatmates are amazing cooks... on my inspection day they were just whipping up some lunch. Ohhh god didn't that smell good.

With the move comes the fun of needing to advertise my room. I have since had a few experiences with CL postings - they have mainly, er, been pulled down - but I am sure I can come up with some awesome copy to sell this space. I mean, this room has had a pretty good record... the flatmates have only moved out because of work situation, and moving in/ near to the boys.

On that note... Jay and I are doing good. Not sure if I should call him my BF but its also nice to not have labels. We're doing something together once a week or so... i love it. I'm comfortable around him. He's quirky and cheeky... sometimes need to be reigned in but hey, just what I like;)

huuggeeeee

2008-08-11T23:42:00.001-07:00

There is this HUUUGGGEEEE pick up truck that parks on my street - we're talking about the kind that has jacked up wheels (so its 1.5 persons in height), and about length of 2 sedans. What's unusual is that I live in a pretty up-market, nice part of town... where you're more likely to run into the soy latte drinking set than the big truck/ worker type.

I have seen that truck parked on my street a few times and have always wondered what kinda driver would drive that 1) ugly thing that is completely impractical for a city with narrow streets like SF, and 2) a car that has the carbon footprint of a small nation? I always envisioned a big guy driving a big truck... you know, like dogs looking/ acting like their owners.

Tonight I had my chance... as I was making my bed, I saw the big red truck pull into a parking spot that he was lucky to fit in (it could've been 2 small cars!!). It took him forever to park.. and when it popped out...

He was a skinny Anglo guy who can't be taller than 5'8.

What a dissapointment.

Funnily enough he parked in the exactly same spot a car got towed from earlier today... because it was cutting very close to someone's drive way...

Dear, oh dear...

2008-08-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

So recently I have gotten some hate mail on here, as well as on another blog site I wrote on.

Firstly - all, thank you for reading. I was actually more surprised that people are reading my blurb... which most often are my thoughts that this very moment in time (as oppose to anything deep, meaningful or prolonging)... I am flattered that people are contacting me to let me know they're reading. So thanks guys!

Secondly... it reminds me that I have to be more complaicent about what I write. Things can be SO taken out of context...

So never mind, lets move on.

I have been watching the Olympics from the US. I now realise how bias the Channel 7 coverage was in AUS. Just like what NBC do here, they splice the official Broadcast Org feed with local colour. Hmm I am watching all the races that Americans are involved in, and not much else.

Life otherwise... been good. Work going good, love life doing good. Learnt to not hate every man who owns a cat. Also learnt that the shy ones often deliver something different and unusual...

paddling

2008-08-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

So the experiment with Underwater Hockey has ended... its not that I dislike the sport, but the team I got involved with was very clicky and not particularly interested in helping new players get up to speed. The fact that they send brand new bodies in for slaughter from game 2 was just brutal. Alas I DID play in a tourney, and we did make it to the playoff rounds. That's pretty good. One day I might go back.

Newest hobby is Dragon Boating. Suppose its something I've known about since I was maybe 5, but never had any inclination to try until B1 asked me to come with her one time. I loved it. It made sense to me and people are noticing that I 'got it' relatively quickly.

The best thing is that I am now crunching my abs for 1.5 hours twice a week - that's the paddling aspect. Surprised that it's a full body workout... the abs I knew, but the 'leg drive' used to exert strength, and the ability to hold your arms up (and steady) for long periods really helped. I really like it.

Anyhow... this weekend I'm paddling down white water. My last outing on the American River was a little dismal... have so done bigger rivers in Austria, Australia etc. Tour companies always hype things up too much in brochures and that was no exception. BUT... its my first time camping in quite awhile. J is coming with me and I guess, indirectly, meeting friends of mine for the first time, CANNOT WAIT.

Oh and I bought J shower curtains. He wasn't offended, or freaked out. Acutally he was super thankful, but a bit embaressed. I mean... he was punching extra holes in his current curtain to keep it on the rod!

Bad coffee - retrieve!

2008-07-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

So I read today that Starbucks might be bailing out of Australia altogether - I am upset to hear that there might be job losses, but silently I am screaming for joy that this coffee chain store - selling inferior coffee to the masses in bulk (have you seen the size of their containers!) - might retrieve and give independent coffee shops another chance.

Hooray.

Replies from my Craigslist 'Wedding Plus One' ad...

2008-07-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

Since I have been deemed 'unsuitable' for Craigslist - below is a selection of the 'Best Of' replies.
(Keep in mind my post was removed within 6 hours of posting)

First, the serious ones...
(both seemed kinda sweet so I replied with no sarcasm)

"I am 6'2" and 180 with dark blonde hair and blue eyes and keep myself in good athletic shape for outdoor activities. I am easy going, open minded, passionate, and fun guy. I tend to be witty and a bit of a smart ass but all in good fun...."

................

"You know this is very funny but I really do need your services LOL............. but I do need a woman (Arm Candy) to go to a wedding. I am a........ Professional , my hobbies are going to the gym as well as hiking going to the beach, and traveling. I also like going to the wine country and going to sporting events. I live a healty lifestyle with great friends. I would like to get your pic as well and tell me a little about yourself.

Also how did you come up with this great idea?? Very smart points already LOL

Sincerely,"
.........................

Second, the rock star who actually got what I meant;

"NEVER LEAVE A CRASHER BEHIND! Thats rule number one if you want to crash wedding with me!

first: watch wedding crashes, Next watch wedding crashers Again and realize the Vince Vaughn is the single most Underrated actor of our time!

LOOK AT MY PIC: Im eating cake at a wedding for Christ sake. Look at my face. Am I faking it????? no I LOVE wedding I LOVE cake. I don't play with these things.

Do you know the old Mowtown song "Going to the chapel"? I swear to all that is good I cried a single tear the first time I heard that tune.

I dont actually have a wedding to attend :( hell I dont even know a friend getting married right now! But I Do love getting some drinks a a local dive bar!!!!!!!!!

K thats me I was just rambling Im 29 HWP and stuff is cool where it needs to be!

PS: your funny"

(My reply - dude, you rock. We should totally do drinks, cake, or both)

.................

Then there's the 'I'm so f'in hot and rich so why aren't you jumping all over me right now b#*^ch' replies;

"Hey, Won't need a wedding +1 until October, but I wanted to get your info so I can get in touch with you when the date is set..... would love to bring an asian lady to the wedding because my friend who is getting married is asian and some of the people there don't like white people, so it might give me some street cred.

I'm 34, in good shape, relatively successful, and too busy to find dates "normally" so I do what I can on CL.

Best wishes,
A"

(to which i reply - well honey, MY OWN street cred will be rolling in the gutter by hanging onto your arm. You're on your own there. Thank you and goodbye)

............
"Friday wedding in Texas.... anna kill some time... I'm asian 40, 5'7,
165#s, nice looking, intelligent, born in NY and have a few $$"

(I just deleted this one. No amount of words will do it justice)
..................

Then finally the 'I don't get out a lot' postings;

"HI AND HOW ARE YOU? I AM A FROM THE BAY AREA 5 FT 9 IN'S TALL 190 LBS MEDIUM BUILD NOT FAT NOT SKINNY IN BETWEEN; SHORT BLACK HAIR FADE CUT HAZEL BROWN EYES CLEAN FACIAL CUT OCCASSIONAL GOATEE FAIR COLORED SKIN NOT LIGHT NOT DARK IN BETWEEN.....

GUARANTEES:
I AM FUN TO BE AROUND!!!!! I AM ALWAYS RESPECTFUL OPEN MINDED AND BIG HEARTED KIND GENEROUS EASY GOING DISCREET AND VERY LOYAL!! SO WHAT DO YOU THINK?? PLEASE DO ME A FAVOR AND EMAIL ME BACK LETTING ME KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED!!

SO FAR YOU GOT A BRIEF INTRODUCTION AND NOW YOU GET MY PICTURES....

HERE ARE MY PICTURES....

DO YOU THINK I AM UGLY?????????"

(for the record this guy posted a photo of his ass, his willie and a face shot that could've doubled up as a mug shot. It was awful. Yet again, deleted)

Well to be perfectly honest - I am quite happy with my current situation. For once I met a male cat owner that's sane... by that I mean a guy, who owns a cat. Not a male cat... since I've got one of those already (Big Black Willie). Anyhow, this boy is in fact super quirky and has a wicked music taste. We're going away for a weekend together - with a group - *gasp* yes, that's right. We shall see how that goes down...

things I learnt from book club today...

2008-07-20T22:47:00.001-07:00

That couples in long-term relationships actually have more sex than single folks.

Recent research in the US showed married couples do it once or twice a week... every week of the year. Whereas single folks, from a random survey amongst friends, are averaging 2 to 3 times per month (max).

One hypothesis I have is that for singles you need to find your lay before anything could happen. Whereas ppl in relationships... well, he/ she is just there!

So what does that mean? Maybe its time to get serious with this boy I have bee seeing for a few weeks...

Beneficial for both of us, for sure.

little Craigslist posting

2008-07-20T21:32:00.001-07:00

I have had this idea for awhile... putting myself forward for an 'emergency date' for people going to weddings. So last Friday afternoon, since I had a little time, I wrote a note on Craigslist and posted it under 'casual encounters'.

The ad has been well received - but CL didn't like it and pulled it down within 6 hours. Yikes!

Below is the offensive ad... and I honestly don't know what's so offensive about it.

Oh and I had 8 replies before it was flagged and removed.

----------------------------

So you RSVP'ed to a wedding months ago… you Plus One guest. Then in the following months the 'plus one' dissolved. Well OK, they didn't 'dissolve' literally. She ran off with another man, or a woman... or you had the world's biggest brawl and broke up (everything you own in the box to the left).

I realize sometimes it's hard to tell your high school buddies (whom you haven't seen for 15 years) that your lady left you for some butt ugly guy. So in order to avoid any embarrassing situations – or being asked 'where's your date' – I hereby offer myself the service of being your Plus One.

So who am I? I have fulfilled the role of '+1' for friends on 3 continents so far. I will do the chicken dance with the best of 'em… I will propose a moving and appropriate toast. I will even take intoxicated Mother of the Bride to the waiting car since she couldn't get there herself. Hey, I won't even bat an eyelid if you, my 'date', decide you want to pick up a bridesmaid for a one night only performance.

Does that mean I'm experience '+1'? Guess I am, whatever that means.

So what is included in your Plus One package?
- A well dressed, nice looking late-20s professional Asian female with wonderful table manners
- Intelligent and pleasant conversation, for you and with all wedding guests, in an Aussie accent
- Well orchestrated story of how we met/ why we became
- Overall a fun time hanging out with you and your buddies

What's not included?
- Wedding gift – hey its your invite, so you buy the gift
- Hooking up with you. Unless…

What you need to provide?
- Transport to the event
- The wedding invite, food + drink
- An email with your photo, saying when where etc

Thanks for reading – and have a great wedding season!

weather or not..

2008-07-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

San Franciscans have no idea how to dress for warm weather. They're more accustomed to starring at coloured fog for 4th of July (yes, they shoot the fireworks into the fog)... or wearing a beanie in June.

Its not even 9am and its 14C already - high of 33C predicted today.

Here are two examples of what I saw on the bus (#3 in-bound, 8:30a);
- Chica, possibly mutton dressed as lamb. Electric blue knitted dress, sleeveless, about the length of a long top i.e. just over the crotch and not much further along. She teamed this outfit with gold and silver high wedges, strand of long pearls, red nail polish, huge shades and a peacock feather shaped hair clip holding back her long curly dirty blonde hair. And to top it off... a day-glo fluro pink shiny vinyl duffel bag.

- Hipster who lost her jeans... at least she's sane to leave the black tight denim behind. Wearing black short shorts (though there is no muscle tone in her legs), yellow top, grey jacket, pale yellow shoes, matching slouch handbag... good so far, right? here's the clinger... a red, white and blue polka dot head scarf wrapping all her hair up, African tribal style. I am quite sure she has hair under there... either that or there is a lot of scarf on her head.

I felt so straight.

all turning Chinese

2008-06-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

Ni Hao Kai-Lan is a new Nick Jr TV show... I always thought it was a catchy name, until an Aussie friend pointed out to me (duhh) that Kai Lan is Chinese broccoli. Of course it sounded familiar...

Love this city

2008-05-28T21:01:00.000-07:00

No longer was I terrified of NYC, I want to go back soon.

My trip started on a traumatic note, but I rolled over and used all my resources... that is, the 3 ex-New Yorkers I know, and I thank them so much.

I lived on west coast time pretty much the entire trip. Up at 10-ish EST, and then bed at 3am... in the city that never stops I ate, drank and walked through some amazing places. Local knowledge really helped, and I thank every one of them for showing me a cool place in town.

Some of the highlights;

- a Korean bar that sells very nice fried chicken (and average cocktails)

- The Museum of Sex... hell yeah

- Irish bar where the dart board is like head height with many patrons walking by (scream danger!)

- Wine and awesome risotto at a great neighbourhood Italian restaurant

- watching people at Union Square, drinking Max Brenner hot chocolate

- Seeing Astoria, Queens and its psychics...

- having Nigori sake at a tiny hidden bar, on top of a 24 hour diner and behind a discreet door of a Japanese restaurant

- French bistro/ wine bar... interesting waiters, great food and wine

- The Met... need I say more?

I managed to get a tan with the beautiful weather of the weekend, and missed the storm by minutes - plane left the dock and was lining up for take off, and flight control halted departures to rush the arrivals in. I sat on the tarmac for 2 hours.

Overall... wonderful trip. The bro is coming in Nov and we shall do it all over again:)

got stood up. Big time

2008-05-23T06:22:00.000-07:00

I am debating whether to publish this guy's personal information - but lets just put it this way...

Tiny said I could crash with him this weekend in NYC. AND that he'll pick me up at the airport. Somehow, he forgot. Not only that he turned off his mobile, work phone, work email and home email addresses... he even lied to his colleague who passed on a msg saying he will call me yesterday.

Didn't happen.

I wish he was more honest in hiding his wife. I mean, she's probably some misguided chica who wants a green card, financial stability and don't mind his inadequacies.

elevator crush

2008-05-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

I don't have one... but heck, the whole office does.

There is this guy who works one floor down from us. I've met him maybe 3 times before, since we work for associated companies. I think he's talented, not bad on the eye. But definitely not as far as being driven to do the creepy... you know, FB = Internet creeping made easy.

I won't make a very good stalker. The dedication stalking takes is just beyond me.

Definitely running with sunnier deposition these days. Been a busy, yet fulfilling week.

Started the week with Cinco de Mayo which, as a friend of mine said, is NOT a 5th celebration for mayonnaise. In fact its a festival not a whole lot of people celebrate... other than a handful of Americans hitting some bar and grabbing a burrito (which is not technically a Mexican meal). Alas, it was good. A few jugs (pitcher, if you like) of margaritas later I was well on my way to a very, very big school night.

Today, unofficially also, is 'Be sexually inappropriate with your friends' Day. Cinco de Mayo night demonstrated that we already are sexually inappropriate on a regular basis. I mean, really now. Man boobs, girlie pashes. Novels about gay man surviving in Roman Catholic family. Its all there. Maybe work culture of where I am is very similar to where my friends work... oh those computer engineers...

On that note. Have house to myself this weekend. Actually not 100% correct - its me and the roommate's cat. Big black Willie will keep me company. That's the cat.

nerdy nerd nerds...

2008-04-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

Firstly - there is nothing, absolutely nothing none nil zip wrong with nerds.

In fact nerds often throw the best (industry) parties... it is one of the few professions that you can claim 'playing games' as work, that full strength Pepsi/ Coke is a food group and the femme fantale is exactly that (come on, who has the portions of Lara Croft... oh, yes, Angelina).

Though there is one thing nerdy nerd nerds don't do well - and that is vocalising.

First encountered this lack of vocalisation at my gatecrash of the Bay Area Ivy League social (see earlier blog, where i recalled trying to chat with 4 MIT grads and it turned into a monologue on my part)... and then again last night at the Netvibes party, as part of the Web 2.0 networking events.

Through some connections, I got into the party without an invite (and on the VIP guest list). Typical mix of people who are there for work (jeans, shirt) and those who are there for the free booze (girls in top like dresses, inadequate tops to hold their boobies in, men sitting in the corner drinking in quantities).

Even though its officially a networking event... no one broke up of their immediate circles to speak with people they don't know! And there were absolutely no desire to do so... what kind of networking is that? I mean, it takes more than one brave soul to make it happen...

This, btw, is not from the lack of trying on my part. There were these two guys who were standing right in the doorway of 111 Minna... I overheard one saying something about Darth Vader and from my years of Star Wars training*, I said something which could be interpreted as witty. Maybe its the accent, but he was just not quick enough to reply. I gave up and moved on.

So my conclusions;

Nerdy nerd functions are like Internet dating....
You email each other over months, maybe chat on the phone once or twice... pick a party you'll both attend, tell each other what you're going to wear, AND bring a posse with you. Your group will meet his group, and your combined group will pretty much stick together at the party for the entire night.

Advertising functions, on the other hand, is like speed dating...
You crash into a stranger, start with something witty, he'll say something witty back. You learn everything about his agency/ account he works on/ political view/ favourite drink/ next Saturday's plans in 5 minutes.
Then you both spot someone else on the other side of the room and end with a 'see you round' and go your merry ways. If they made good enough of an impression you might email them the next day.

Was fun, regardless :)

* = no I'm not a Jedi knight. I worked on the Star Wars product range campaign for couple of years. It was my job to know the characters... so I guess that makes me a nerdy nerd also.

oh god, I am really in America

2008-04-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

Update from last posting - the men in blue (well I am not even sure what the SFPD wears but I assume its some derivative of blue) came to our house and inspected the scene.

Turns out it wasn't some pellet.... that I can deal with. It's actually a bullet.

Theory from the cops is that the bullet is a projectile, a stray - most likely some punk (from the projects about 6 blocks away) missed and hit us instead of his *insert name/ title/ item being shot at*.

Perspectives changed once I saw the bullet... eagle-eyed roomie showed me what she found the next night and it was pretty hard to mistaken what it is. It looked exactly like the stuff I fired in that gun shop in Guam. Yeah, shivers went down my spine.

Admittedly our apt is the only one in the block that has a south facing window, which means we're the only ones with views of the main street (and glimpses of the projects)... its still pretty far away but guess its not close enough for stray bullets!

Positive side to this - it forced the landlord to send his handyman to our house. To replace the glass mainly, but whilst he's here he can take a look at our forever leaking taps.

I am more excited about our taps being fixed than bullets. No kidding, right?

No mistaken that I live in the US... I've now been shot at!

damn you, punk kids!

2008-04-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Last night someone fired a BB gun/ air riffle into our apartment.

It shattered the glass in the living room... I was home at the time, heard it (and was fairly sure what it was)... but for the life of me I couldn't see it so just dismissed the issue.

Eagle eye roommate spotted it whilst doing yoga to Josh Groban - in the middle of down dog she saw the pallet, then followed the path to the shattered glass (small quantity, on the windowsill). And of course, she then panicked and want to call the cops etc.

To be honest I just don't know if they'd even pay attention to the report. How on earth are they going to track down where it was fired from? I guess the only positive is that if our neighbours reported similar events, then obviously there are some punks in the area.

I mean, what are the cops going to charge the kid with other than property damage? Guns are legal in this country.

Eagle eye didn't want me to ask the neighbours if they've had similar experiences (simple enough question, isn't it?)... but heck, I will anyway.

Just not looking fwd to having to file insurance, etc... or deal with the landlord anymore than i have to.

End of mobile-free deprivation study

2008-04-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

The study went on for 36 hours and I was besides myself.

So beside myself that I cracked open a bottle of Shiraz (06 McWilliams... nice mass Aussie brand, which I found for under $10 at my local Molly Stone's supermarket) - before my roommate got home from work i.e. I was prepared to down the whole bottle by myself.

Anyway, the two of us had wine, cheese (an ash soft blue, and a hard Gouda style cow's cheese), steamed artichokes and watched South Park.

It was a dramatic 36 hours indeed... first my phone, then work situation had a little shake up... ahh yes, it keeps the blood pumping.

That wine was awfully good...

end of another doomed so-called relationship

2008-04-07T21:06:00.001-07:00

Loverboy J and I are over. Well, things were going sour for some time so it was good that we ended things.

I did get a family recipe book from his Mom... its mine and I'm not giving it back!

Met up with another J whom I had previous liaisons with... he was over an hour late to dinner. And he froze when I spilt a glass of wine... I mean, wouldn't any nice person get up and hand me some paper towels? He just stood there and watched me. WTF is that?

I give up... maybe should stop dating guys with names starting with J.

Mobile-less deprivation study - first 24 hrs

2008-04-07T20:41:00.001-07:00

What kind of sick joke is this. T-Mobile has cut my mobile phone connection for close to 24 hours now. I am usually the person on the other end of the deprivation study... you know, the analyst watching those video blogs and see how I can advertise to you at the end of the day. Right no I feel like one of those test subjects... and of course, in situations like this, I will blog.

My phone was low on batteries for most of Sunday. I didn't think too much of it, until I woke up on Monday and my phone said 'SIM unregistered'. Yikes. So I went to work looking for a phone charger, thinking it was affected by low batteries.

By Noon it still hasn't improved. So I called (on my office land line) and was put on hold for 15 minutes. They said all phone users, on my type of plan, have been cut off by a technical glitch. They wouldn't put an ETA on it so that just spelt disaster to me.

So how have I lived the last few hours... well, I now know how annoying it is to try and meet someone without a phone. I had to get my buddy to email me on her Blackberry... which begs another question... where would I be without Blackberry's (or being around them)?

On top of that, our door bell doesn't work. So yet again i have stuck a sign for my friend to email me when she gets to the door.

OK so here are a few things you'd generally like to see on a deprivation study;

- I have increased my Internet use

- whilst my mobile might not ring every night, I am more aware of its presence

- I am multi-tasking more with the TV on

- I emailed my mother and asked her to not call me

Grrr.

T-Mobile had been kind to me, mostly... but if by tomorrow morning it has not improved. I am going to Yelp them and get some citizen feedback!

PS - it goes without saying... if you need me, do not call me as my phone doesn't work

What I do for work

2008-03-28T20:09:00.001-07:00

Was stuck stationary on BART today for about 20 mins. There was an incident at West Oakland station and police cordoned off about 4 blocks, stopped trains from passing etc. In that time I was with a workmate, and pretty much were shooting the breeze since we were, well, stuck.

We were reminiscing what it was like back in the days of being an assistant. As he put eloquently;

"I was 22, fresh out of college and living in this massive share house. I swear no one knew what I did for a living... all they knew was that I come home drunk on Tuesday nights, and somehow managed to go to all these top notch restaurants on a 18K a year salary!"

Oh, those were the days...

SF is just not a big media party town. Maybe its b/c there aren't any major media sponsored events. Yet... I've been to some really, really good ones.

In honor of all parties the media has kindly put on for our industry, here are 5 top notch events I could remember (in my very, very tired state);

1) Nova969, Friday Happy Hour drinks at Zenithmedia, North Sydney

I ended up doing the splits on the work balcony...

2) Beyond the Blues ball - Luna Park

Not exactly a media event, but it was Pacific/Ch 7 sponsored and I was someone's date. Black tie, fun music and Tom Williams performing his winning DWTS routine in person!

3) Pacific Magazines carnival games

Oldie but a goodie. This was held at One World Sports Darling Harbour, Sydney. Mechanical bulls, putt putt golf, pin ball and lawn bowls. You won some really awesome prizes as well, like salon haircare products and manicure vouchers

4) Future Magazine gaming bash

One of the most memorable gigs thus far in San Francisco. It was at the super swish Westin, and Future Mags didn't let their English publishing roots down by having the best food, drinks and awesome DJs/ performers. For heaven's sake there were even acrobats dangling from the ceiling, doing spins on hoots, ribbons, ropes!!! Oh yeah it was awesome. We put the other IT party, which was housed next room, to shame (it was the same timing as Oracle Open World)

5) Hmm the last space. I could go with something high profile, like the Cleo Bachelor's Party where I met Megan Gale and some other big name models. But no... I'm going to nominate a lunch I had with a particular national radio station at Aqua Dining which turned into dinner.

And THATS the way we roll in media... and I am forever grateful for it:)

in search of the Aussie meat pie

2008-03-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

I was reading this week's newsletter from the American-Australian Chamber of Commerce, and realise just how much I missed a good ol Aussie meat pie.

I remember going into a pie shop at Soda Springs, CA and asked whether they had savory pies. They did, but only in the 12in side... and only in chicken and vegetable. Blah. I mean, I love chicken... but i want steak, onions, maybe bacon and cheese. You know, stuff that Four & Twenty makes.

In this week's AACC newsletter they had a special mention for Mojo Pies, which is an Arizona based co with a branch in Redondo Beach, CA (LA area). They also do mail order... charges at USD $3.15 p/pie, that roughly translates to what Shakespeare/ Jester Pies charges in Sydney.

In my quest for pies, I managed to locate another couple of pie shop/ bakeries that sells Aussie meat pies (single serve. None of that 12in business) in the US;

- The afore mentioned Mojo Pies in Redondo Beach, right on the PCH - they do mail order

- The Australian Meat Pie Co, in Washington State - they also do mail order

- Australian Bakery Cafe, Atlanta GA - it actually looks really good and I'd love to try it. But I'm not so sure about getting them to post meat pies cross county

- Crickey's Pies, Toledo OH - looks awesome on website but should we be drawing parallels between Perth and Ohio?? They like rugby, and i like them. They do not do mail order

Or... you can buy specially imported Four'n Twenty at severely inflated prices

Will let you know how they compare with taste.

totally funky

2008-03-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

Brother Oz is a super web ferret. He often comes up with stuff that makes you think WTF... but this time he came up trumps.

I love this site;
http://threadless.com/

classist?

2008-03-05T22:12:00.000-08:00

I met lover boy J for coffee this afternoon - we met at the 24th Mission Bart station. He was just a notch freaked out because it is a very ethnically mixed area... actually I was a little shaky too, but as far as I can work out these areas are kinder to Asians than Anglos (SHOULD anything happen, which does not necessarily will).

So we went to Philz... arguable the best coffee in SF. Sat on mismatched armchairs drinking sweet, dark coffee... and knowing fully well that we'll be buzzing for hours.

We walked up to 18th St afterwards, as J was meeting the boys for dinner. He asked if I would like to meet them... I had every intention to, but at the end it was a little away from my bus stop and I decided not. Though this is a decision I regretted... he assured me later that they wanted the same, therefore opportunity will be created in very near future :p

I caught the #22 home, the Mission/ Fillmore. Yet again one of the most diverse buses on the Muni line... going from 3rd street (like, the housing commission!) to the Marina (like, Double Bay!)... can the two ever co-exist? Well, kinda. Sorta. You can see the Marina crowd freaking out and sticking to front of the bus. Other people sat down the back. Just for kicks, I sat at the back.

Started thinking whether roomies would venture to these areas. One would, other wouldn't. I am starting to learn of their clicky private school ways... and worst, they don't get it that they're being classist a lot of times. They have a very excluding mannerism about them and its starting to get to me somewhat.

Need to stick it out until salary situation gets a little more comfortable.

Anyway, J and I are doing well.

yikes

2008-02-25T21:56:00.001-08:00

Been a crazy old day. I knew something was up from the moment I rolled out of bed. Here's the rundown of madness;

- Got an sms from a phone no. 2 digits different from my mobile. The sms said 'really miss u call me when u wake up'. It is NOT someone I know

- Bus driver closed the door ON me when I was getting on the #2 this morning. She had no idea she did it... and to think she's the driver that yells for people to stand behind the yellow line, so she can see properly!!

- Work, surprisingly, was calm. Busy nonetheless. I am in love with the coffee a former colleague sent from Costa Rica. Had some really good feedback on some of my recent work

- Stayed late... no massive hiccups there either. Expensed dinner

- Got home, exhausted and missed U/W hockey. Got into discussion with a girl who went on, and on about branding. She worked as a marketing assistant for 3 months. Come ON.

Her only child-ness came through when I couldn't get a word in whilst she sucked up the oxygen in the room. She only listens to those who has the same opinion, and no doubt she'd gotten away with it all her life.

She obviously has never learnt to choose your battles, walk away from those that doesn't matter.

And that's where I am... retired to my room, typing by candlelight and hope my broom closet is clean enough for the boy tomorrow:)

kinda grown up

2008-02-21T19:13:00.001-08:00

Can you believe it that I'm currently in a committed relationship (!) and am deliriously happy...

J and I met online. I thought he was pretty cool via phone and emails, but things came together at our first date. So far we've done weekends away, diners at home... pretty much all kinds of stuff.

Sure, we've had disagreements every so often. But I've cared enough about the guy to work things out with him. Like last night, I was a bit disappointed over a misunderstanding... but we talked about it today and it's all ironed out now.

He has already told him Mum and Dad about me... I am flattered to have wow'ed them already with my cooking (cooked a lamb roast dinner for J & I last weekend). So much to live up to if/ when we finally meet and they actually taste the food!

So I guess its all good. I am trying to take things easy and not dive in head first. He's making it very difficult ;)

some unpleasant places

2008-02-13T13:21:00.001-08:00

I am convinced the post office is probably one of the most unpleasant places of service on earth.

Regardless of which country - all postal staff look at you weird if you don't happen to know the 'procedure'. Take for instance this afternoon, when I went to post the bro's birthday present.

I was thinking that a post office would charge for every little thing, including containers. So here I was being, what I believed, a good samaritan and lined up with a post box that wasn't even popped up. But no... in the US they give you the post box. So what is expected of you is to pack everything up nicely before going up to the country.

The staff, however I must say, are never rude as such. They are extremely patronising... and since I am on the verge of PMS, my responses today were on the snappy side.

Now I know why I love email so much.

my god, I bought Starbucks

2008-02-12T13:47:00.000-08:00

I went to Starbucks this arvo to get a Green Tea Frappachino. Its a gloriously sunny day in SF, and I really wanted a smoothie or something. Jamba juice was too far away (actually... it wasn't since I went to the bank at lunch. But I didn't think to get a drink till I went to collect the dry cleaning, which was next to Starbucks).

So here I am a fatty drinking a fatty drink... really should have gotten a fruit smoothie instead.

Was at underwater hockey last night. Pretty physical game but I survived:)

dustmites... search and dystroy

2008-02-11T17:46:00.001-08:00

Geez whiz... there is a brand of vacum cleaner called Halo, who's claim to fame is that it uses ultravoilet light to kill dustmites whilst it vacums.

What they don't advertise is that you will have a tropical tan after doing the whole house*.

Soon there'll be a Roomr Halo... now that's some serious search and dystroying.

I know it must suck for people with indoor allergeies, but man... star trek warrior styled vacume cleaners is a little beyong belief.

*actually you won't. Its a different spectrum of UV.

golf... sunny days and dilemma of V Day

2008-02-11T08:37:00.000-08:00

J and I went on first date just over a week ago... things are progressing on the fast side, considering date #2 consist of a day trip to Pebble Beach for the PGA golf.

If you know me, I know nothing about golf other than being taken to a driving range at age 14. I think golf on TV is about as good as watching paint dry, but I do like highlight packages and read about the names etc. So the question... why did I even bother going, when its not exactly a cheap exercise and it will take up a whole day? Because it fits right into what I set out to do this year (read my intro passage)... doing something different and meeting new people.

Admittedly I had an awesome time. I now know the Pebble Beach tournament is more about the fans than the golf. Some famous pros do play, but others - like Tiger Woods - has declined playing because there is too much of a celeb thing going on. For example, I saw Kevin Costner and Kelly Slater tee off. That's kinda cool. In addition to that it was a super sunny day... could've gotten away with shorts and tee... but Monterey Peninsula is so unpredictable, I went for the safe options.

J has been totally honest with me - sharing personal info about himself that would make some pretty horrific conversation in a conventional date scenario. I am a bit scared that I know so much, but at the same time I am totally flattered that he shared all that with me. So things are moving fast... what I'm actually afraid of is all of this coming to a short and quick ending... easy rise, easy fall they say. I am really not sure how I can stop the inevitable bad times from happening... hmm, lets just hope there's enough trust to ride things out.

Oh yeah, I'm totally smitten. Can't you tell? At the very least he's not on uppers, have a stalking ex wife, a rebellious teenage son, shared custody of dogs or carries a weapon on dates...phew!

Here's the thing... should I get a Valentine's Day present? Actually... being a non-gift believer... should I arrange a 'shared experience'?

thoughts at 02:54 am, Saturday

2008-02-02T02:30:00.001-08:00

Still buzzing from my night out. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary, other than have 2 Redbull vodkas at the start of the night. For whatever reason I'm still buzzing... and this is scary.

I went clubbing tonight... its been awhile so I was a little rusty. Somewhere on the flyer they said no sneakers allowed - which turned out to be BS since I personally saw at least 20 odd people in sneakers. Regardless, I tried my best to wear something comfortable, and 'cute'. Wore a halter top, denim skirt, black patterned stockings and flat black boots.

So I guess, firstly, I found the equl. of Home. It's name is Ruby Skye and looked more like the Capitol Theatre than a super club. Spundae, the SF group who promotes a lot of Euro DJs, is stationed there. I have been there with C during Movember gala and have loved the place.

Unlike Home, the guys are much more into picking up here. One of my girl pals is about the size of a 7yo child... very pretty Phillipino girl. She was getting hit on by all sorts... what they wouldn't know, till they meet her, is that she is a pretty fierce one (looks are so deceiving!)

Sadly my friends are not so much into electronic music... so we moved next door to Slide. Now this is a pretty place... tried to be fashioned like a 'speakeasy' so you can choose to enter the club via a wooden slide (no kidding). I went down it and scraped my elbow. They do actually tell you to keep your elbows close at the top... and that its very slippery and hold onto your shoes. My skirt was around my waist when I got down there.

Slide, with its gimmicky attraction and pretty atmosphere, attracts a similar crowd as you would find at Cargo Lounge or Bungalow 8. What those people are called here is the 'Marina crowd'... the district where there are too many yuppies and not enough sense.

They played more commercial dance and RnB, which I guess is more to my friends' liking. To be honest I had fun at both... some really interesting people were out tonight (pre-Mardi Gras celebrations all round).

For example... just as I was leaving tonight, 2am, girl friend and I spotted this chick dancing in nothing but a lace slip. No kidding... I had to take a second look to make sure. One of the guys who was working the crowd made his way up to her, and started dancing pretty intimately. This is SF, and the chances of her being a tranny is prettttyyyy high.

Can't wait to upload the photos... overall a pretty successful girl's night!

Big Daddy (ex fling whom I met in Sydney) is currently in LA, and coming north for a job interview. I said I'll catch up with him, knowing he has a gf back where he's living. He's not exactly being fair to the gf... sounds like they're on the out. I really just want to meet with him to see whether my fuzzy feelings towards him is still accurate, or have I got rose coloured glasses on.

On another note... i cuddled a gay guy for 2 minutes today. That was weird. But I was cold.

The work fire drill went haywire. They had a system of only practicing with one floor at a time, so they can manage the crowds (11th floor run to 7th, 7th run to 3rd etc). They couldn't get the alarm right so 3rd to 9th floor got evacuated at the same time... they couldn't keep all the people in the building so we actually did have to run out onto the streets. I was in the middle of a meeting so couldn't go back to get my jacket... the kind suit I work with gave me a cuddle to keep me warm. He is very camp.

Have a date tomorrow PM. Need to get bits waxed in wishful thinking...

am I lazy? Nooooo

2008-01-31T15:54:00.000-08:00

Here's the thing, I work in a building of 20-odd floors. We are having the annual fire drill tomorrow... so I get the bit where it can be a bit of a mess to get 10,000 out of a building at the same time, but THIS... is rediculous (quote from building management email);

For those of us who are on the 7th floor, the fire drill will be tomorrow (FRIDAY, 2/1) AM. It would be over by mid-morning. When you hear the announcement, please gather at the stairwell by the Ladies' bathroom. We need to go down four floors so we will end up on the third floor. Third floor knows we are coming so we won't be getting dirty looks from them.

By the same token, when 11th floor do their fire drill, they will be coming down. So when you see a whole bunch of people just hanging around the elevator bank, that's what it is.

----------
So hang on, we're only practicing running to the THIRD floor? Is that going to save me when there's a fire, earthquake or any kind of natural disaster that may strike this city? I mean, what about ground level... I thought that is the safest place of all.

Either way, I'm going wear flats tomorrow. Even when I am only going to the 3rd floor.

agh

2008-01-28T14:46:00.000-08:00

great weekend... headache at work. Tremendously glad new laptop arrived today so I don't have to blog from work anymore.

Its planning season and I am back to work level that I'm used to. LOVE IT! Stressful yes, but loving it.

buses, snow and boys and the virtues of dating 'up'

2008-01-25T09:02:00.000-08:00

I am currently reading a book call 'Stiff - the curious lives of human cadavers'... the looks I get on the bus is priceless. No one has yet come up to start a conversation while I'm reading, but I can imagine that's because they would be evaluating my kookiness potential and figure it'd be relatively high.

Spent the past 2 weekends at Tahoe... I can REALLY snowboard now. Link turns down blue runs etc! I can REALLY ski now... as in turn down steep blue runs and even manage to jump a little. It goes without saying... I am REALLY broke now.

It snowed about 12in in 24 hrs last weekend - we had to shovel the car out of the snow. I mean, I didn't even know how to do that till friends (from Chicago) showed me. I started thinking whether I can live in the east... yeah, probably.

On the boys front... NYE guy is still around, and every so often sends me a txt to see whether I want to go out. I have suggested a few things, which he isn't totally keen on. Oh well...

Met with flatmates and friends last night for dinner... for the first 'Fortnightly Dinner Club'. I turns out that whilst most at the table is single, I was one of the few who was truly content with my current state.

I now figure some girls are just different. Some are totally into Jane Austen values still, and not realising that it takes a whole lot of work!! What I'm referring to is the idea of 'dating up' - as in Pride & Prejudice, Mum wanted all her girls to be better off etc.

OK, so I admit I like going out with guys who are - like me, in most part - confident, healthy, mentally stable and financially comfortable... but these guys just don't walk down the street and sweep you up in their arms. Whilst I'm not looking, at this point in time... I also don't see the need to whine & moan about their rarity.

To compensate, one particular friend is seeing a guy who sounds boring and ordinary... I wonder why she didn't do her homework before agreeing to go out with him. And AFTER working out that he is more boring than a bar of soap... she stuck by him for another couple of months. Come on girl - have some self worth and let the guy go!!

One girl at the table, however, did have the right idea - bad dates make great stories. Whilst we don't admit it, bad dates are exactly what girls get together to talk about.

I've been overwhelmed by speed dating companies in lead up to V Day (see previous blog site for how I was rejected by some dodgy company)... dodgy bastards.

Going to this 'Ivy League Plus' drinks this afternoon and pretending to be some foreign exchange student who went to Standford and did Philosophy. HA!

Crust. Earnt, spent, etc

2008-01-17T15:06:00.000-08:00

This morning was another session of the JFM-quarter Digital Media preach.

Don't get me wrong... I love digital. I wouldn't be blogging if I didn't like it (and to be one of the few in the office who actually blogs ROCK). I love how every session is making me think that I should move into straight digital as oppose to keep with general media... in saying so, I love radio, OOH and integrations. I am a project manage nut (just as anyone who's ever been on a trip with me). Just like online more...

Here's something new - I apparently got a credit card approved with my bank. As I currently have no US credit history, they think I am an illegal alien or something. In fact I have actually been denied a SAVINGS account. Yeah, you read right... a bank almost stopped me from giving them money.

Off to restaurant #2 of within the Dine About Town program. French place of my choice this time with a bunch of people.

Speaking of which - what is the correct way to approach a guy post date? Friendship, yes. Physical attraction? Not so. Not to say he's a bad looking guy - of which he is not - but still nothing from my end.

In unknown territories its always good to fall back on what I know. So I'm going to be totally Asian and passive aggressively avoid the topic.

Snowboard again this weekend, at Boreal, which is a tiny little field to hone my skills. YAY!

Which laptop should I get?

2008-01-16T15:24:00.000-08:00

Techo-educated people in blog land... I am currently home computer-less and need to reinvest!

Which laptop offers better value for its price?
- Macbook 13" black (2.2GHz processor/ 160GB hard drive), OR
- MBP 15" (2.2GHz processor/ 120GB hard drive)

What I need a laptop for;
- go online, full AV functions inc all kinds of streaming
- mess around with photos
- do work... like spreadsheets etc
- organise my life
- sit in a cafe to pick up boys (haha)

What I like on my laptop;
- big screen (spoilt with my last one)
- Internet connectivity
- that it runs fast for what I need it to do (which doesn't involve gaming)

Thank you muchly in advance

Date report!

2008-01-16T15:09:00.000-08:00

Haven't had one of these in awhile... so here is a re-cap of where things stand as of last posting, in Nov-07 (you will need to go to 'Print Room Murmurs', my previous blog, to read up on my previous);

November... J decided to tell me, in a round about way, that he didn't want to get serious. Which wasn't exactly hurtful since I didn't want anything serious with him either. So after Florida trip I stopped calling... he obviously didn't make contact either.

December came along and I had a super wild NYE... drinking, dancing and seriously good company. There were, of course, bits in between of which details ought not to be repeated (email me for sordid details if you want) and I was well on my way on forgetting.

And THEN I got this call at 7pm on New Years Day... cheerful voice on the other end saying hey, we should catch up when we're both less trashed. Chills down my spine... how the hell did he get my number? I am 99% certain I didn't give it to him, and to be honest quite happy to forget about the whole thing. I mean, he seemed a guy... but get everyone is nice when you're 6 or 7 jelly shots into the night, washed down with whatever other alcoholic beverage available... didn't regretted any of it, but at the same time I was quite happy for it to be a short lived episode (like Hotel Babylon... remember that show??)

So last night I had a date with Mr NYE. He is actually a nice guy. Not exactly attracted to him THAT way but he has a curious mind that keeps me thinking. He's a east coast transplant to this city and from the sounds of things his workmates knew of my existence already.

I would like him as a friend but really nothing else. Should really introduce this conversation early in the piece, like now, shouldn't I?

cramming my style

2008-01-16T14:59:00.001-08:00

San Franciscan are definitely not up there when it comes to public transport cramming.

Think London Tube, MTR & buses in Hong Kong and the Japanese subway. People in these places know how to cram. Sacrifice a little personal space so everyone gets home on time. Share the discomfort and don't whinge. They even made a Visa rugby ad about it.

SF commuters still like their space. Take for example Bus #1, the 'ritzy' bus that travels through the wealthier pockets of town into the Fin District, and 'yuppie bus' #43 which goes from the Marina... no matter how busy it is during the commuter hours, the ladies still manage to keep their blown-dry hair tidy, Gucci bags unscruffed and the Jimmy's untrotted on.

If you go on the #2, #3, #4 and the #38... chances are you will get trotted on but still not to the levels of London, HK and Japan. You will get growls if carrying an oversized gym bag, know intimate details of your bus buddy's everyday life and listen to second hand ipod tunes (usually something crap - morning music is diverse).

I am not sure what's the point of this post... I guess than the people of SF for giving me a little bit of personal space still, within a relatively crammed environment.

Though it will be nice if they learn HOW to cram more bodies on a bus... on an as need basis, of course.

Children are more affordable in...

2008-01-15T15:40:00.000-08:00

Sydney and Hungary, apparently.

Recently had US talent right regulations explained to me - which is one of the most inflexible in the world. To get around this, some agencies have taken to shooting the ad offshore, Europe or Australia is preferred since they can make it 'look' like the US.

Found out a junior counterpart of mine in creative is in my home town atm. SO VERY JEALOUS.

If you're curious, each kid could earn around the $30K a quarter mark by being in a high rotation commercial.

bus-time reading & cross cultures

2008-01-15T11:45:00.001-08:00

I am currently reading this book called 'Stiff' - it's a non-fiction, comical look on what happens to cadavers. So far I've covered med student gross anatomy, crash test subjects, cosmetic surgery practices and there's also embalming...

Whilst I am sitting there on the 2, 3 or 4 bus giggling to myself most morning and night, I can't help but think what others thought I was doing - the front cover of the book is someone's feet, with a swing tag labelling the corpse. You know, CSI style.

But this is SF... and people pride themselves on being alternative. Like this one time (not at band camp), there was a goth woman on the bus. She had the cutesiest little purse in the style that Betty Boop (or Dita von Tesse for that matter) would carry. Only that it says 'fuck you' in calligraphy lettering. Hmm.

Alternativeness #2 - I had Indian pizza last night after underwater hockey. No kidding... it's like a naan with topping on top, not inside. Had a Kingfisher pizza to knock it down.

That rocks!!!

Culninary skills

2008-01-11T11:16:00.000-08:00

After the movie last night I was in a frenzy - needed to wash yucky, sweaty clothes from last weekend's soccer game, pack for my snowboarding weekend (Kirkwood, at Sth Tahoe) and deal with the defrosted turkey mince that's been sitting in the fridge for 3 days.

The first 2 was easy... I am pretty well practiced with the pack and wash routine... the third?

To be honest I would have been OK for the mince to sit there till I get back from the snow. But I do live with two girls with different food standards than I - so to avoid coming home and find the mince being trashed, I decided to cook it up.

Turkey mince is pretty uninspirational. Don't get me wrong... I love big bird as much as anyone else (especially when there's stuffing, roast veggies and cranberry sauce to go with it)... but its a meat I would unlikely to get unless it's seasonal. I heard Inghams tried to change that consumer habit some time ago...

My brainwaves led me to making meatballs, pan fried then finishing them in a tomato sauce. Speg meatballs.

Turned out ok btw!!

publicity that no company can pay for (well maybe)

2008-01-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

I saw the new Fox movie, 27 Dresses, last night... I LOVED IT!!

Total chick flick, love story, bleeding obvious protagonists, antagonists and misguided love interests. Straight characters framed by the eccentric. Cute one liners. Dreamy, alternative looking boy comes from behind to take the girl.

OK it's total cliche of a movie but it was so much fun.

Fox did not pay me to write this blog. Palm did give me a free ticket.

what I learnt today about tech gods

2008-01-10T13:09:00.000-08:00

Whilst The Black Wiggle is a total tech god, he is a traditional media-nist...

The fruit likes it BIG... supersites, prime time TV spots.... even online campaigns are a bit of a struggle.

Though reality is that there are so many fan boys out there - as my buddies from Fruit Corp will tell me - advertising is kinda like... redundant.

Just interesting that the fruity team faces the same challenges as I do on FMCG.

Oregon Trail

2008-01-09T16:36:00.000-08:00

Ok, can someone please explain WTF is it?

I received a Facebook invite awhile ago... ignored it since I didn't know what it was (sorry Andy). And now my entire office is going nuts over the FB application... and the only explanation I've gotten
"Sorry i don't know how to explain it. Its easier to understand if you grew up here"

Well DUH if I grew up here I won't be asking that question, would I?

This question will now fall under the unanswered file, along with why is the US still so hung up on cheques (yes I spell that differently too).

Oh and another thing... the word 'cute' is so TOTALLY over used in this country.

finally not getting run over!

2008-01-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

On about half the mornings, I get off the #2 bus on a traffic island just outside my work. I clearly remember the first time I did this... I looked the wrong way when crossing the road and thankfully the traffic was slow, and the driver stopped.

This morning I crossed the same road and as second nature, I looked the right way and everything was fine.

This might not be very exciting for you but, its pretty big achievement for me:)

Coffee wasteland

2008-01-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

Starbucks. That's not coffee.

Having been spoilt by those wonderful Italian and Greek immigrants in AUS, I find myself in a coffee wasteland where Starbucks is considered as amongst the best on offer.

Of course there are the 'other' chains... Coffee Bean Genie, Martha & Bros etc etc... it just isn't the same. For starters I wouldn't waltz into Gloria Jeans to buy coffee in Syd unless its dire.

An example - I was en route from OAK to BUR for Christmas. There are a few options available at Oakland Airport but since I have a cumulative $35 worth of SB gift cards (approx. 10 cups of coffee)... SB was the cheapest option.

I ordered a cappuccino - the staple in any barista education course. I picked up my cup on the pick-up line and immediately knew something was wrong.

The cup had no weight. So i opened the lid to check... one shot of coffee and foamed milk. Nothing else. WTF.

It was 9:30am, Monday morning. I got back from a hardcore weekend at Tahoe night before. Got on a shuttle at 7:30am... I was exhausted. I would have fought back hard if they didn't give me my coffee correctly.

I went back and asked whether they can give me more liquid - after slight bit of resistance (my blood shot eyes probably hinted to how much I was prepared to escalate matters)... i got an extra shot of coffee.

Though it still wasn't GOOD. I mean, I still had to 'fix' the coffee and add more milk... but it was better.

Yet on the same note - I did find a totally out of the way place (24th & Folsom) that serves KICKASS coffee - Philz is highly recommended if you happen to be in SF.

Hello new blog!

2008-01-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

I grew up a little... so i need a new blog.

For those who have following my madness in previous years... thank you, it was fun.

For those who want to see what I was up to in the past 3 years - the address is;
http://sassyjayee.spaces.live.com/

=)