Ahoy,
It's incredibly strange to me. It throws me off a little. Whenever I make a visit to the Bay Area, I have these mixed feelings. I say mixed, because I never thought this place would strike me as such. It's like I'm coming back to all that was familiar. It's as if I left, but was supposed to come back. I never intended to create any sort of attachment like this. I spent the better parts of my years here hating it, resenting it, but I've spent the better parts of my adult development discovering it and myself. I wonder if this feeling fades away.
nostalgically smitten,
JT
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
last meal
Ahoy,
If you could choose your last meal, what would it be? I remember that as a question on top chef challenge. The chefs had to prepare the last meal requests for these great chefs they admired. Every meal stepped back to basic comfort food their parents cooked for them when they were young. The chefs had this challenge of making basic food, but not making it too basic to be disappointing or too fancy to be unfamiliar. I've had so many meals - sometimes basic, sometimes fancy - but I'll always revere tomatoes the way my grandma made it, and broccoli the way my mom made it.
Perhaps it was over-dramatic of me to regard this past weekend as our last meal, but it felt like what would our last outing before everything changes. Soak it all in. The wood of the chopsticks, the grain of the plate, the tiling on the walls, the stacks of glass under each lightbulb, the curve of the bench, and cascades of SF light through the non-slanted windows. We tried beef carpaccio because I was curious about all the rage on cooking shows. The idea of it is really strange and foreign and disturbing to me, but it was delicious in a not-too-chewy-but-smooth-peanut-saucy-tangy-flavour sort of way. We tried taro rolls, which was sweet of him because A claims to hate taro but I think he just says that to send me into a frenzy. They tasted like not-enough-taro-but-needs-the-lettuce-wrapped-and-sauced-to-taste-best-flavour. The shrimp was packed with punch-you-in-the-mouth-delicious-you-don't-want-it-to-end-flavour. And the albacore came with pickled mangoes that I wish weren't pickled but tasted perfect-and-not-too-vinegary-with-the-albacore flavour. We realized we perhaps ordered too much food after the second dish came out. His smile was delectable nonetheless. I'll forever regret if he thought otherwise.
scrumptiously satiated,
JT
If you could choose your last meal, what would it be? I remember that as a question on top chef challenge. The chefs had to prepare the last meal requests for these great chefs they admired. Every meal stepped back to basic comfort food their parents cooked for them when they were young. The chefs had this challenge of making basic food, but not making it too basic to be disappointing or too fancy to be unfamiliar. I've had so many meals - sometimes basic, sometimes fancy - but I'll always revere tomatoes the way my grandma made it, and broccoli the way my mom made it.
Perhaps it was over-dramatic of me to regard this past weekend as our last meal, but it felt like what would our last outing before everything changes. Soak it all in. The wood of the chopsticks, the grain of the plate, the tiling on the walls, the stacks of glass under each lightbulb, the curve of the bench, and cascades of SF light through the non-slanted windows. We tried beef carpaccio because I was curious about all the rage on cooking shows. The idea of it is really strange and foreign and disturbing to me, but it was delicious in a not-too-chewy-but-smooth-peanut-saucy-tangy-flavour sort of way. We tried taro rolls, which was sweet of him because A claims to hate taro but I think he just says that to send me into a frenzy. They tasted like not-enough-taro-but-needs-the-lettuce-wrapped-and-sauced-to-taste-best-flavour. The shrimp was packed with punch-you-in-the-mouth-delicious-you-don't-want-it-to-end-flavour. And the albacore came with pickled mangoes that I wish weren't pickled but tasted perfect-and-not-too-vinegary-with-the-albacore flavour. We realized we perhaps ordered too much food after the second dish came out. His smile was delectable nonetheless. I'll forever regret if he thought otherwise.
scrumptiously satiated,
JT
Friday, August 19, 2011
series of events
Ahoy,
Some unfortunate circumstances led us up to the Bay Area this weekend. Nonetheless, we'll make the most of this trip. It was my last weekend in California. I'll be the first to admit, I'm sad to leave my guy and "our nest," as he so affectionately refers to it.
We drove up Thursday night. The climes were brisk and foggy, per usual. What can you expect? We stayed with his friend, J, who lives in a ski cabin looking house. The huge wooden beams and giant window overlooking the bay are jewels to be envious of. It's all the way winding up the hills somewhere so we explored an extra amount and passed it once. We were greeted by his kitty who raced up the stairs with me and slept on my head later that night. I'm sure he means well. A forgot his orange carabiner. I forgot fruit in his fridge. I'm hopeful they were consumed regardless, not the carabiner - the fruit.
A requested my absence for the day, so I got the opportunity to pester B in SF. The last time I was there, he had been in Chicago. And he returned to SF before I would be back in Chicago, so we wouldn't have seen each other until winter. But this unexpected trip meant one last encounter! He gave me a tour of his whole school - the whole 2 buildings. I zipped past the security using one of his old IDs. They have sooooooooooo many compoopers! on every floor! Meanwhile, my school is scrambling for working parts. Color me green! I met most of his friends in passing, I remember no names except the ones we had lunch with. I'm also glad I got to meet another old college friend. She had just gotten off her work orientation early and had time to chat with us. How kind the fates were that day. We sat outside on stones in the Yerba Buena Garden. Much to my delight, the Metreon is going to be a Target.
My geographical situations have made me realize the scope of which my friends range. I'm grateful for all the places and experiences I've been through, but it's becoming more clear to me that sometimes the place can be as good as the relationships I've forged there. As hard as I tried to sever my ties, I'm finding they still exist. Home is increasingly more ambiguous to me as I'm realizing I've scattered bits and pieces of me everywhere I've been with the people I love.
disruptively disjointed,
JT
Some unfortunate circumstances led us up to the Bay Area this weekend. Nonetheless, we'll make the most of this trip. It was my last weekend in California. I'll be the first to admit, I'm sad to leave my guy and "our nest," as he so affectionately refers to it.
We drove up Thursday night. The climes were brisk and foggy, per usual. What can you expect? We stayed with his friend, J, who lives in a ski cabin looking house. The huge wooden beams and giant window overlooking the bay are jewels to be envious of. It's all the way winding up the hills somewhere so we explored an extra amount and passed it once. We were greeted by his kitty who raced up the stairs with me and slept on my head later that night. I'm sure he means well. A forgot his orange carabiner. I forgot fruit in his fridge. I'm hopeful they were consumed regardless, not the carabiner - the fruit.
A requested my absence for the day, so I got the opportunity to pester B in SF. The last time I was there, he had been in Chicago. And he returned to SF before I would be back in Chicago, so we wouldn't have seen each other until winter. But this unexpected trip meant one last encounter! He gave me a tour of his whole school - the whole 2 buildings. I zipped past the security using one of his old IDs. They have sooooooooooo many compoopers! on every floor! Meanwhile, my school is scrambling for working parts. Color me green! I met most of his friends in passing, I remember no names except the ones we had lunch with. I'm also glad I got to meet another old college friend. She had just gotten off her work orientation early and had time to chat with us. How kind the fates were that day. We sat outside on stones in the Yerba Buena Garden. Much to my delight, the Metreon is going to be a Target.
My geographical situations have made me realize the scope of which my friends range. I'm grateful for all the places and experiences I've been through, but it's becoming more clear to me that sometimes the place can be as good as the relationships I've forged there. As hard as I tried to sever my ties, I'm finding they still exist. Home is increasingly more ambiguous to me as I'm realizing I've scattered bits and pieces of me everywhere I've been with the people I love.
disruptively disjointed,
JT
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
brother approved
Ahoy,
I got these climbing shoes with monkeys on them. From the kids section. I got to use them on real rocks today. There were a lot of boys there too. They all have cooties. But I came back and disinfected. Despite my daily showers, I still live with a boy - so I will never get all the cooties off. I have accepted my fate.
scramblingly blistered,
JT
I got these climbing shoes with monkeys on them. From the kids section. I got to use them on real rocks today. There were a lot of boys there too. They all have cooties. But I came back and disinfected. Despite my daily showers, I still live with a boy - so I will never get all the cooties off. I have accepted my fate.
scramblingly blistered,
JT
Monday, August 15, 2011
deep fried everything
Ahoy,
This weekend we went to the OC Fair to eat deep fried everything. It was awful. I don't think I've ever been to a state fair. It was a lot like what I thought it would be. There were lines, there was food, there were rides, there were games, there were prizes. There were Hello Kitty prizes and Pokemon prizes, which were a surprise. There were no award winning giant vegatables. And I must have missed the pie eating contest. They were all regular size. The pistachios on display looked super tasty, but I couldn't reach over the rope barrier far enough to stick my hand in the jar. And A likes to follow rules. The cows were gorgeous - they had such shiny coats. The baby goats were the cutest. And the chickadees!
But the best part must have been the dog show. It was quite the spectacle, which I'm not sure how I feel. Some part of me is thinking that these dogs must have more fun not being paraded around as trick dogs. He had a 15 year old dog performing tricks. At that age, the dog must just want to laze around. This sleazy looking guy had them jumping over him and up in the air to catch these frisbees. He looked like he could have been the murderer out of a Bones episode. He said they were all rescue dogs. Seeing animals on display like that makes me question if they really are happy or if the guy is using them to make a living.
On the list of regrettable things to eat was deep fried twinkies, deep fried oreos, deep fried kool-aid, deep fried klondike, deep fried bacon deep fried butter, chocolate covered bacon, funnel cake, mexican funnel cake, apple fries, and the list goes on. I was having a problem convincing A to go on any rides to begin with. All hopes were dashed after the eating commenced.
And then! And then! We had plans for Brazilian barbeque with another one of A's friends! This here might be cause to return to a life of vegetarian pursuits.
Speaking of unhealthy things, I made monkey bread this week. Probably one of the least healthy things ever. But goodness is it tasty!
agedly tossed,
JT
This weekend we went to the OC Fair to eat deep fried everything. It was awful. I don't think I've ever been to a state fair. It was a lot like what I thought it would be. There were lines, there was food, there were rides, there were games, there were prizes. There were Hello Kitty prizes and Pokemon prizes, which were a surprise. There were no award winning giant vegatables. And I must have missed the pie eating contest. They were all regular size. The pistachios on display looked super tasty, but I couldn't reach over the rope barrier far enough to stick my hand in the jar. And A likes to follow rules. The cows were gorgeous - they had such shiny coats. The baby goats were the cutest. And the chickadees!
But the best part must have been the dog show. It was quite the spectacle, which I'm not sure how I feel. Some part of me is thinking that these dogs must have more fun not being paraded around as trick dogs. He had a 15 year old dog performing tricks. At that age, the dog must just want to laze around. This sleazy looking guy had them jumping over him and up in the air to catch these frisbees. He looked like he could have been the murderer out of a Bones episode. He said they were all rescue dogs. Seeing animals on display like that makes me question if they really are happy or if the guy is using them to make a living.
On the list of regrettable things to eat was deep fried twinkies, deep fried oreos, deep fried kool-aid, deep fried klondike, deep fried bacon deep fried butter, chocolate covered bacon, funnel cake, mexican funnel cake, apple fries, and the list goes on. I was having a problem convincing A to go on any rides to begin with. All hopes were dashed after the eating commenced.
And then! And then! We had plans for Brazilian barbeque with another one of A's friends! This here might be cause to return to a life of vegetarian pursuits.
Speaking of unhealthy things, I made monkey bread this week. Probably one of the least healthy things ever. But goodness is it tasty!
agedly tossed,
JT
Monday, August 8, 2011
less jam, more jelly
Ahoy,
This must be one of our less jam-packed weekends. We lingered in pretty late making breakfast/lunch both days. Probably closer to lunch foods. We watched quite a few episodes of Bones. I think I'm dreaming in Bones episodes again because there was a serial killer in one of my dreams. This happened before when K and I went on a Bones binge. It was terrible and awesome at the same time.
So one my last day at NYDOT last spring, I left the offices and stumbled onto the pier where they had a shipping container showing short films. I watched this film about this guy fishing for his fish for the night's dish at his restaurant. This weekend, A and I went to the restaurant featured in the film. I feel like the world revolves around food, and it should if it doesn't because goodness! Why the **** not? Other food endeavors included a stint to a sketchy neighborhood to assuage A's chicken and waffles craving we had let run on for more than a week. Sometimes you feel out of place and sometimes other people make you feel out of place by gawking at you.
We walked around the reservoir at Silver Lake that was kept at more than an arm's distance away from me via concrete and fences. The puddle looked like it would have been fun to dip my feet in. Even the reservoir in Central Park has a low lying, friendly fence. There wasn't much around here but the library looked nice from the outside. And we stopped at a coffee shop to continue feeding his coffee addiction. I can confirm that it's an addiction because he complains about withdrawl headaches. My favorite floofy haired user and abuser.
I got free tickets for the Laugh Factory when I tried to donate blood, but they didn't have any openings because it was appointment only. I got away with freebies anyway for trying. And I didn't even need to prick my finger. Can we recall the low iron count mistrials of the year past? And I didn't even walk away with anything but a bandaged finger for trying all those times.
The shocker of the night was spotting one of my classmates from my undergrad days. We had the same classes for one and half years because all the Environmental Sciences are required to take certain classes and complete a thesis. It was so trippy seeing her there (commence duck and hide). I didn't talk to her much, unless we had to critique each others' projects, but we were in the same place at the same time for 1.5 years. And I don't even know her name. Having gone to school on the opposite coast, I expected to never see any of them ever again. I expected to leave all that behind and never look back. If you had asked me a year ago if I would be here, I would never in a million years have guessed it.
vacuously enamored,
JT
This must be one of our less jam-packed weekends. We lingered in pretty late making breakfast/lunch both days. Probably closer to lunch foods. We watched quite a few episodes of Bones. I think I'm dreaming in Bones episodes again because there was a serial killer in one of my dreams. This happened before when K and I went on a Bones binge. It was terrible and awesome at the same time.
So one my last day at NYDOT last spring, I left the offices and stumbled onto the pier where they had a shipping container showing short films. I watched this film about this guy fishing for his fish for the night's dish at his restaurant. This weekend, A and I went to the restaurant featured in the film. I feel like the world revolves around food, and it should if it doesn't because goodness! Why the **** not? Other food endeavors included a stint to a sketchy neighborhood to assuage A's chicken and waffles craving we had let run on for more than a week. Sometimes you feel out of place and sometimes other people make you feel out of place by gawking at you.
We walked around the reservoir at Silver Lake that was kept at more than an arm's distance away from me via concrete and fences. The puddle looked like it would have been fun to dip my feet in. Even the reservoir in Central Park has a low lying, friendly fence. There wasn't much around here but the library looked nice from the outside. And we stopped at a coffee shop to continue feeding his coffee addiction. I can confirm that it's an addiction because he complains about withdrawl headaches. My favorite floofy haired user and abuser.
I got free tickets for the Laugh Factory when I tried to donate blood, but they didn't have any openings because it was appointment only. I got away with freebies anyway for trying. And I didn't even need to prick my finger. Can we recall the low iron count mistrials of the year past? And I didn't even walk away with anything but a bandaged finger for trying all those times.
The shocker of the night was spotting one of my classmates from my undergrad days. We had the same classes for one and half years because all the Environmental Sciences are required to take certain classes and complete a thesis. It was so trippy seeing her there (commence duck and hide). I didn't talk to her much, unless we had to critique each others' projects, but we were in the same place at the same time for 1.5 years. And I don't even know her name. Having gone to school on the opposite coast, I expected to never see any of them ever again. I expected to leave all that behind and never look back. If you had asked me a year ago if I would be here, I would never in a million years have guessed it.
vacuously enamored,
JT
Monday, August 1, 2011
friends up north
Ahoy,
I have friends? I haven't seen these people in forever. Due to geographical circumstances and poor timing, I have just barely missed these people so many times these past years. The stars aligned on our drive up the California landscape and I'm really happy I got the opportunity to see these people again. A million thanks to A for helping me make that happen. A million thanks to my friends for coming out and meeting me.
I've heard that a place is only as good as the people there. With that said, we can now recall Operation Move B to the Bay of 2008 (succussful). Let's not forget my suitemates, a few of which I continue to make contact. My primary fellow griper set up camp in the SF-Bay Area despite my West Coast Slander Campaign of 2007-2008. The irony of life continues to amuse me. Given my initial hesitation for the bay (understatement of the century), I've found its disposition to have improved over the years as the people I've developed relationships with have created their own spaces in my heart. I have pieces of myself scattered across the country. A year ago, I thought I was on my way home for good. But once I got there, I found that my home had become a million tiny pieces embedded in my memories like souvenirs from vacation. Home is not so easy to return to, I'm learning.
cordially torn,
JT
I have friends? I haven't seen these people in forever. Due to geographical circumstances and poor timing, I have just barely missed these people so many times these past years. The stars aligned on our drive up the California landscape and I'm really happy I got the opportunity to see these people again. A million thanks to A for helping me make that happen. A million thanks to my friends for coming out and meeting me.
I've heard that a place is only as good as the people there. With that said, we can now recall Operation Move B to the Bay of 2008 (succussful). Let's not forget my suitemates, a few of which I continue to make contact. My primary fellow griper set up camp in the SF-Bay Area despite my West Coast Slander Campaign of 2007-2008. The irony of life continues to amuse me. Given my initial hesitation for the bay (understatement of the century), I've found its disposition to have improved over the years as the people I've developed relationships with have created their own spaces in my heart. I have pieces of myself scattered across the country. A year ago, I thought I was on my way home for good. But once I got there, I found that my home had become a million tiny pieces embedded in my memories like souvenirs from vacation. Home is not so easy to return to, I'm learning.
cordially torn,
JT
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