Cheers to 2009!

2009 is only a few hours away. I always try to take this time to reflect on 2008 and all the events that occurred. There are definitely good moments and bad ones, on a personal level and on a macro level...

Again, as tacky as it sounds, I really wish 2009 will be a safe one - world peace and less violence! I also hope that the economy will rebound faster than anticipated. That feeling of uncertainty is causing a lot of anxiety for many people, including us. With SQ's job being so unstable, we have been cautious, trying not to overspend and giving ourselves a bigger 'rainy day' fund. Hopefully, our country will be able to weather through these tough economic times... Cheers to 2009!

May this year bring all of us Hope and Joy... and may all the new year resolutions get completed & all the new year dreams come true!

Butternut Squash Soup

I tasted my first Butternut Squash soup at Wolfgang Puck Express Cafe in the basement of downtown Macy's. I had just got my braces adjusted and my teeth was too sore to eat anything and I was hungry. So I ordered this soup from the menu... and my oh my, it was sooooo good! I have never had butternut squash soup before, so this was definitely a nice surprise. Ever since then, I am in love with this soup. And everytime I see it on any restaurant's menu, I would almost guarantee to order it! But today, I've decided to try making it...so I searched online for the best recipe. I got this recipe from allrecipes.com. It's a very good recipe - very easy and exact. The soup has a good consistency and seasong. This is my deliiissssh homemade butternut squash soup!!

In case you don't know what a butternut squash looks like - it's like this!



Recipe (serves 6)
Ingredients

• 6 cups of butternut squash (2 lbs)
• 6 tablespoon of chopped onions
• 4 tablespoon of butter or margarine
• 3 cups of water
• 4 cubes of chicken bouillion
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 4 ounces of Cream Cheese

Instructions

• Cut the butternut squash into 1/2. Remove seeds and pulp. Face down, put the squash into a baking pan & into the oven for 40 minutes at 350 degrees
• After it becomes soft, scrape squash out from skin
• In a small pot, melt butter and sautee onions until tender
• Add water, chicken bouillon, marjoram, ground pepper, cayenne pepper
• Transfer the mixture into a blender, add squash and cream cheese
• Puree for 30 seconds
• Transfer the mixture into the small pot and heat to a simmer (do not boil)
• Serve and enjoy!

Michael Buble's "Everything"

I am absolutely in love with this song!! Lyrics on the bottom:



You're a falling star, You're the get away car.
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.
You're the swimming pool, on an August day.
And you're the perfect thing to say.

And you play it coy, but it's kinda cute.
Ah, When you smile at me you know exactly what you do.
Baby don't pretend, that you don't know it's true.
Cause you can see it when I look at you.

[Chorus:]And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.
You're a mystery, you're from outer space,
You're every minute of my everyday.

And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.
Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,
And you know that's what our love can do.

[Chorus:]And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

So, La, La, La, La, La, La, LaSo, La, La, La, La, La, La, La

[Chorus:]And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.Y
ou're every song, and I sing along.
'Cause you're my everything. Yeah, yeah
So, La, La, La, La, La, La, LaSo, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La

Merry Christmas!!

Jury Duty

Last Monday, I got selected as a juror for jury duty at the Civil courthouse on McAllister. Here is my recollection of these couple of days. Waited around for 1/2 hour and then got assigned to a courtroom by 9:30am. Out of the group of 60, they picked 28 for questioning. I was chosen as #24. After all the questioning and people getting struck out (excused) by the lawyers, I ended up as Juror #4. I don’t know why I am so lucky when it comes to these things! By the afternoon, the 12 jurors and 2 alternates got sworn in to serve.

This may be the SHORTEST trial that the court ever had. 1-1/2 day!!! There were only 2 witnesses, the plaintiff and the defendant. The case is about an ex-employee (plaintiff) suing the ex-supervisor (defendant) for assault and battery. The events happened between April 2003-May 2005. The plaintiff accused the supervisor of using her hips to bump her (the supervisor is pretty fat), pinning her to the desk, holding a fist against her face and of course verbally abusing her. All these events have no witnesses. The plaintiff did most of the talking, recounting the events. She was too dramatic - she tried to re-enact all the scenes; fake-crying on a couple of occasions .

The defendant looked mean. She didn’t seem nice; and she admitted that she would raise her voice to get things and exercise authority. She didn’t recount her recollection of the events ; she said she doesn’t recall any of them. The jury deliberated for about 1 hour. IMHO, I thought the plaintiff exaggerated the physical violence she claimed had happened (the hip bumps, the pinning) - so not guilty on the Battery charge. The other 11 people concurred. But on the Assault charge - which is defined as the “intent” to cause harm, I voted guilty on that. I believed that she did put out her fist. But unfortunately, I was overruled. 9 other people didn’t agree with me, so the non-guilty verdict passed. Many people had a problem with the fact that there were no witnesses subpeonaed to testify. In Civil cases, only 9 people need to agree vs. in criminal cases, it has to be an unanimous vote (12 out of 12 have to agree). So the case was done… in 1-1/2 days! I wonder why this would fall in the Civil court if it is an assault/battery case? Well, the answer is that the plaintiff is seeking monetary damages and do not necessarily want the defendant to go to jail. So it was kinda weird…

Every once in a while, I don’t mind serving as a juror. It’s only when I get super busy at work that makes it stressful for me to sit through a trial & then go back home to do regular work. But this was just fine.

Halloween 2008

We celebrated this year's Halloween at my sister BT's house. We do normally get together every year for Halloween, mainly for the kids (nieces and nephews). This year my older nieces and nephews didn't even join us since they rather spend the time with their friends trick or treating. But we still have the party for the younger kids. I wasn't really in the Halloween mood after coming back from Paris & being super busy at work. But I was able, on the very last day, to pull off a costume for both me and SQ!

The only thing I bought is that pink poodle dress - everything else I had. The wig I borrowed from my sister and voila! I was a 50's girl! And SQ's outfit was all already owned. What a cheap costume!

Paris

SQ and I spent about 6 days in Paris this past week. I was there mostly for work and SQ on vacation. We did manage to hang out 1 day and a few nights together. Otherwise, SQ ventured out on his own while I slaved away in meetings after meetings…

We both loved Paris! It is indeed a very beautiful city - no wonder if it is one of the most beloved cities in the world. There is so much old-city charm … everywhere you turn, you find historical buildings, landscaped parks, sidewalk cafes, relaxed lifestyles - I can go on and on and on. There is so much to love!! Here are a few pictures we took:

Arc de Triomphe

Notre Dame de Paris

Musée du Louvre

La Tour Eiffel

So you may ask why the Eiffel Tower is blue? The Eiffel Tower at night is normally a “yellowish” color, which is what you typically see in pictures, etc. But this year for 6 months (Jul 1 - Dec 31, 2008), the Eiffel Tower is blue in honor of the European Union (blue in the color of the EU). The French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, was selected as the President of the European Council, which is a position that rotates between member states every 6 months. So, we were lucky to see the very “limited edition” color of the Eiffel Tower! Besides the blue color, every hour on the hour, there is a light show for 10 minutes. Bright white lights dance and sparkle in the dark sky. It is one spectular show!!

The only thing I wasn’t too crazy about…was the food. Because I dined with the local Parisians (for business), I was able to try out a lot of different dishes, not only your typical escargots, foie gras (though I also had those). But truthfully, I am never a big fan of French cuisine - let’s put it this way - I can eat it but don’t appreciate it as much. And after 5-6 days of eating the same cuisine, I was so ready to go back home to eat a bowl of Pho!!

I would love to go back again…next time, I will plan it a bit better so I can have more free days to explore this beautiful city.
Edit this entry.

Janet Jackson concert

We went to watch our first American concert at the Oakland Oracle Arena yesterday : Janet Jackson 2008 “Rock Witchu Tour.” SQ got offered by a business associate a pair of free tickets to watch the concert in a private suite. The suite was in on the Mezzanine level, kinda far from the stage but it’s nice and private - food, drinks, private bathroom…I think we should book a suite to watch a concert one of these days. Don’t know how much it costs though…Probably expensive. There were about 15-20 people in the suite, so it’s at least $3-4K??

The concert was great! Neither of us were Janet Jackson fans, but she did put on a good show. She could sing AND dance. I was amazed with the production, complete with gigantic LCD screens, superb lighting, techs, etc. — nothing compared to the Chinese concerts! The best part is that I was still able to sing along to maybe 2-3 of her old songs! She sang & danced for 2.5 hours straight - breaking only to change clothes. She changed outfits about 7-8 times…transitions were seamless.

Oh yeah, the opening act was Nelly. So before Janet came on stage, there was a group of people on stage with one guy particularly in charge. They rapped a few songs. We had no idea who was singing, and then someone finally told us that the guy on stage was Nelly. In my head, I was asking, who the heck is Nelly?? Name sounds familiar, but I know nothing about him. When he started to sing “It’s hot in here,” the audience went crazy. So anyways, he left after a few songs and Janet Jackson came on stage with her show.

Overall, a great 1st time experience. I must admit that it was super nice to be in the private suite. It was an excellent way to enjoy the show without going too crazy. We’re way too old to be hanging in the mosh pit anyways.

Surprise on the Beach

For whatever reason, SQ decided to drive home via Geary Blvd on our way back home. We drove to the end of Geary and around the Cliff House curve. Then from a distance, on the beach – something caught our eye. What is it? Are those horses? Are those people? Are they moving? We quickly parked our cars to take a closer look. What we saw was simply amazing… over 100 boards of Indians (Native Americans if you want to be PC) stood along the beach. The size of each board is over 10 feet tall. I took these pictures with my camera phone.

Intrigued by this display, I went on-line to find out more information. Apparently, this is a moving exhibit that travels around the nation. It is created by an artist named Thom Ross, who was inspired by Buffalo Bill Cody’s 1902 photograph of his Wild West show. The artist then re-created the scene with these 120 pieces. Exhibit will remain at Ocean Beach until Sept 15. Below is the original 1902 photo and today’s re-creation.

Planter & Trash Shield

After many hours of hard labor during the weekends, SQ finally finished the planter and trash shield outside our front yard. Here is a picture of it:
The project started out when we found out that a recent San Francisco law prohibits the trash bins to be in plain view after garbage collection day. In other words, we will get fined if we have our bins sitting outside our yard. We have always had our bins outside the front yard since our downstairs remodel when access to our back yard was limited. We didn’t like putting the bins in our garage because of bugs, garbage smell, etc. So long story short, we decided to put up a trash shield to ”cover-up” the bins.

Along with the trash shield, we wanted to get a planter. We would like to grow some ornamental grass/flowers in the front, but we often get dogs ”doing their business” (pee’ing and poo’ing) in our front yard. Yes, there are despicable dog owners who allow their dogs to poo on other people’s yard (regardless of how nicely maintained the yard is) and worst is that they don’t pick up their dog’s poo. So that’s how the planter came about.

We still have to complete the other side with a similar planter box. I think we might paint it… or maybe not. But for sure we will put some nice plants in these planter boxes. Hopefully the next time you come by, you can see it.

Mini Kitchen Remodel

What started out as a simple hood installation progressed into a mini kitchen remodel...! Since we are cooking a lot more now, we decided that it was finally time to install a hood over our stove so our house won't smell like the food we just ate everytime we cook. SQ looked around and decided to buy a model from Home Depot. So, that was that. But it doesn't stop there. With the hood, we would need a duct to exhaust the air outside. We would like a nice cabinet to hide that 6" ugly silver duct. Then there came the cabinet. But if we install 1 cabinet, we mind as well install more cabinets - wall and base cabinets. We always need extra storage space anyways, for dishes, pots, pans, you name it. The cabinets go in. But base cabinets require a countertop. If we install a new countertop for the new base cabinets, we mind as well install a new counter for all the cabinets so it will look uniform. New countertop goes in. Installing the new countertop will require removal of existing backsplash tiles and some will be damaged and hard to match back. Mind as well replace the backsplash with new tiles. New tiles go in. Wait... hardware pulls on the old cabinets and new cabinets don't match. Mind as well replace all the hardware pulls. Did anyone notice that the white on the cabinets are not exactly the same? One is in a more "worn" white and the other "fresh" white. Mind as well repaint all the cabinets 1 uniform white color....

BEFORE AFTER

So you know the term -- opening a can of worms? This is one classic example. What started out as a simple project became more and more work. But I'm glad that it's all done now. I ended up with a new kitchen!

Cheesy movies

I am such a sucker for Cheesy movies - aka chick flicks. ABC showed "Win a date with Tad Hamilton" today for their Friday movie. When this movie first came out on DVD, I wanted to watch it so bad. But of course SQ would never agree to it so I never got to watch it. Finally I was able to watch it on the plane... and then again on TV. Tonight's show would be my third time watching it... and yet, I still cry over the cheesy parts. So touching. So romantic... ok, ok, I'm pathetic!

Random

Every night when I come home from work, after dinner, I go online and hit my usual sites. Check email, check Facebook, check 360, read up on people's blogs, etc. I like reading blogs -- friend's blogs, or sometimes even random stranger's blogs. In fact, when you're in Blogger, you can click onto "Next Blog" and it will pull the next random blog for you. Most of the blogs I've ran into usually fall into 2 categories: Hobbies and Babies/Families.

After clicking through a few, I always get inspired to write an entry on my own blog...but most of the time, I end up not posting anything at all. I feel like I have nothing to share. I don't have a hobby and I don't have kids. My life seems very normal and there is nothing to rave about. Sometimes normalcy is a good thing. As they say, "no news is good news."

Well, glad tomorrow is finally Friday. This week passed by extremely slow. Labor day this Monday so we have a day off! Yipppeeeee!!!

Thought of the Day

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Satay Chicken

Yesterday my sister hosted a 2008 Olympics Open Ceremony Viewing party, so what better opportunity to try out a new recipe with a group of guinea pigs? Sorry let me put a disclaimer out there - this is one of those "cheating recipe," and not one made by scratch.

It is super simple - Soak the Skewers in cold water for 1 hr (so they won't burn when you grill). Brine 2 lbs chicken breasts also for 1 hr. Flatten chicken by pounding it with a mallet or a cleaver. Slice into 1" strips. Marinate with Lee Kum Kee Satay Sauce (about 6 tsps). Add into diced green onions. Skewer the chicken and grill. It comes out perfectly done! You may want to also buy the pre-made Thai peanut sauce at your local Chinese market. Serve the sauce warm.

The satay chicken was a huge success! The best part is that it is super-easy to make! Something to think about for the next potluck.

Shocker!

Did you guys know that Judge Judy is NOT a judge? Well, she WAS a family court judge but have since retired back in 1996. So technically, she no longer a judge. On her show, "Judge Judy," although she is referred to as the judge, she is only acting as an arbiter. The court officer who stands by her is acting as a private security guard. I feel cheated. I feel like I've been tricked.

RedBox

Have you guys seen this? SQ and I went to Lucky's (supermarket) yesterday and came across the "RedBox." What attracted us to the machine is this $1 DVD rental banner. As you know, we don't have cable and since unsubscribing to Blockbuster.com, we haven't seen a DVD in a long long time. Plus,, the $1 deal is very attractive... DVDs at Blockbuster stores usually go for $3.99 or something ridiculous. So we gave this RedBox a try.

The movie selection is not extensive because I guess there is only so much DVDs the machine can store. I don't know if it's just me, or I couldn't recognize like 3/4 of the movie titles!! Finally, we saw a couple of titles we recognized and rented "Juno." The "vending" part of it was easy. Select the movie, and then just swipe your credit card and then enter your zip code on the key pad. Then within seconds, the DVD pops out on the side. $1.09 ($1 with tax). We need to return it by 9pm the next day otherwise there is a $1 per day charge(maximum $24). So it's not too bad. It's convenient - considering the machine is just inside the supermarket. I think we will use it more if they have more movies we want to watch in there. The website says you can also reserve it online and pick it up at a destinated location. Kinda cool...

By the way, Juno was good. I liked it.

Support Local Grocers

Recently, I noticed more and more peddlers standing on Sunset's street corners selling fruits, mostly flats of strawberries and bags of oranges. At first, I just viewed these individuals as hard-working folks who are just trying to earn a living. But after thinking about it some more, I don't think they should be allowed to stand on street corners to sell fruits at all. These are illegal street vendors. They do not have a permit to sell. They are here one day and not the next. How do we know where the fruits came from? Were they properly stored and refrigerated? Are they safe to eat? There is absolutely no responsibility and accountability if anything goes wrong.

Health-issue aside, have you thought about how these people impact our local grocery store owners, who took the LEGAL and RIGHTFUL way to do business? They obtained a permit, pay for rent, pay taxes, pay for the overhead costs, etc. These store owners are being squeezed out of business because someone decides that he can evade all laws and taxes and set up his own little shop on the street corner for free?? This is wrong.

Supply equals demand. Therefore, I ask you to please NOT patronize these illegal street vendors. Yes, you might save a dollar here and there, but the more you buy from them, the more they will show up. Soon enough, every street corner will be filled with someone standing there selling fruits at the expense of our local grocery stores!

UC Davis revisited

On our way back from Tahoe, we stopped by my alma mater, UC Davis. It was nice to see the campus again, although I could barely recognize it! There were so many new buildings - the whole campus seems so unfamiliar to me. SQ kept on asking me what is this building, what is that building? And I had to say, "I don't know!" We passed by this new modern building, and it was labeled as ARC (Activities & Recreation Center). This is the new Rec Hall, although the old one was still there. I was so impressed with this building - although we didn't get to go in, I saw a lot fancy exercise equipments through the windows. Mann, I would love to be a UC Davis student NOW. There are so many cool things! Right along the same area, there was also a brand-new DC (Dining Commons) for the Segundo dorms.

And of course, the new Mondavi Performing Arts Theater is another new building on campus. Isn't it so fancy? Love it! The surrounding area was also nicely landscaped with beautiful sitting area and flowers. Mann, I really would love to be a UCD student NOW!! The campus really transformed - for the better of course. I hope the university will continue to prosper and improve so it can one day be recognized as one of the best in the nation.

By the way, every so often when the breeze blew towards me, I could still smell the cows. Yep, what's better than the smell of steer manure during a hot summer day ?? And how can I possibly reminsce about Davis without the cows?! I guess some *good* things will never change...

Lake Tahoe

SQ and I went to Tahoe last weekend as a weekend getaway for SQ's birthday on 7/20. We had a great (and relaxing) time! We stayed at a hotel right across from the lake and had private beach access. SQ went for a swim on the lake while I sunbathed. We also rented a couple of bikes and spent 4 hours biking along the lake, and had a picnic on the beach. Lake Tahoe is always so beautiful, no matter what time of the year it is. The weather was in the mid 70's during the day, and cool at night. We couldn't chose a better weekend to visit Tahoe.

The highlight of the trip though was my $480 winning from the slot machine in Montbleu! It's always when you LEAST expect to win, you win!! I was there sitting around waiting for SQ when I just plugged in a $20 bill into the quarter-slot machine. After 5 minutes of playing, I hit the bonus spin... and the bonus spin allowed me to win 8X my payout! So it came out to be $480!! This is the MOST I ever won! It almost paid for the entire trip!! What a deal!

4th of July weekend

This 4th of July weekend, SQ and I went camping with my family. We are not even close to being called outdoors people, let alone camping. But we do this once a year... last year we went to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park . This year we went to Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Boulder Creek, CA. It is located south, near Saratoga, about 1.5 hours away from SF. Campsite is very outdoor-sy, very wilderness, surrounded by tall redwood trees... don't remember much other than there are billions of bugs there...and they bite!! I was covered with long sleeve shirts, long pants, closed-toe shoes...every protected gear I have. But to no avail. I still managed to get bitten on the face and on the hands (the only exposed areas). Those are such pesky little critters!

We got there Friday evening, ate some home-cooked noodles, and then went to bed. Next morning, we went for a 2-mile hike and then came back for lunch. We cooked some hot dogs and ate the leftovers from yesterday night's dinner. We then played some games and I was so wiped out. I don't know why I got so tired...maybe it was the heat? Cooked dinner, moped around, ate some marshmellows and then crashed to bed. Although our tent was right near the fire pit, I slept through all the giggles and the ghost stores. I even slept through the night when a racoon came by searching for food! You can say that I slept well. Well, before you know it, we have to head back home. You bet I was ready to go back home! I guess camping wouldn't have been bad if it wasn't for those bugs. I didn't want to stay any longer to be another feast for those hungry creatures!

若要人似我﹐隨非兩個我

I learned a new Chinese quote today. You can't expect everyone to think like you and act like you. It's reality. Therefore, show tolerance. Everyone's different. Everyone's unique.

WALL-E

SQ and I went on a movie date to watch "WALL-E." It's Pixar's newest animated film about 2 robots, WALL-E and EVE. I don't want to give the story away, so all I will say is that the plot is really original, imaginative, and intriguing. It's one of Pixar's best films. There isn't a lot of dialogue in the film because the robots didn't talk, but only made sounds that resemble words. But you can follow the storyline. Kids will love it for the comedy and cuteness, and adults will appreciate the key messages the creators want to raise. It's a great movie - highly recommend it!

Honey Ginger Chicken

My mom passed along this recipe to me:
Ingredients:

• 6 Chicken Drumsticks (or about 20 Chicken Wings)
• 1 TBSP Ginger Juice
• 2 TBSP Soy Sauce
• 1 TBSP Sugar
• 1 TBSP Honey
• 1 TBSP Rice Wine
  

Directions:

• Squeeze Ginger Juice out of Ginger
• Marinate Chicken with Ginger Juice, preferably for 1/2 hour
• Cook Chicken until done & golden brown
• Take cooked chicken out and dab with towels to rid of excess oil
• Mix Soy sauce, Sugar, Honey and Rice wine in a bowl
• Put mixture into pan to heat
• Add in Chicken
• Turn Heat to Medium Low
• Heat until sauce is reduced and is thoroughly mixed with chicken
• ENJOY!!
  

Another Birthday dinner @ Piazza Pellegrini

I met up with my coworker from Hong Kong and she treated SQ and me to an Italian dinner at Piazza Pellegrini. This restaurant is located on Columbus Ave, in the heart of North Beach. Since it was a Wednesday night, we didn't have to wait for a table. We ordered a Pizza Margharita to share as appetitizer. The crust is very thin and it was pretty good. There were 6 generous pieces. However, the entrees were disappointing. Here are some of the entrees we ordered:

Fusilli con Pollo

Fettuccine with shrimp and peas, in a chardonnay saffron sauce

Angel Hair pasta with cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil

I must say that the food wasn't all that great. Very typical Italian, nothing extraordinary. None of us were wow'ed by our dishes. The food was a bit on the bland side - because I ended up having to sprinkle some salt over mine to get a little more taste out of it. Given our disappointment with our entrees, we didn't hand around for dessert.

Besides the food, we had a great time hanging out.

Birthday Dinner @ Chouchou

SQ and I enjoyed a nice and quiet birthday dinner yesterday. We dined at this lovely French bistro called ChouChou (pronounced Shoo-Shoo) in the Forest Hill area. It is a small quaint restaurant almost in the middle of nowhere but definitely worth trekking to. I ran across this place through a recommendation from a co-worker and it was a great restaurant indeed!! Service was great and the food ... it was Yum-Yum excellent! SQ ordered the prix fixe menu that came with a selection of appetitizers, entrees and dessert - all for only $25.95. He chose the Frisee aux Lardons (Frisee salad with poached egg and pancetta as appetitizer and I got the Sauteed escargots with garlic, butter, and puff pastry. Both were delicious. Sorry we both got so excited about the food that we forgot to take pictures of our appetitizers!

For entrees, I ordered the duck confit - shredded duck nestled inside the lightest, tastiest, thinniest fingerling potatoes I've ever had. Simply deleeessh!! SQ ordered the mussels with the side of shoestring fries. Mann, that bowl must have had 50+ mussels in there... they definitely didn't go cheap on the portions even though the mussels were part of the Prix Fixe menu. The broth that came with the mussels was excellent.

Then came the dessert. By this time, I was too full to have any - but since SQ's order came with dessert, we picked the Mixed fruit tart to share.

And mann o mann....I practically ate 1/2 of this tart even though my tummy was about to explode. It was soooo good!! The crust was thin and sugar-coated, which provided a great balance with the fruits. Excellent!! The dessert was my favorite even though I liked everything else too. I would definitely recommend this place if you are looking for a non-pretendious French bistro that gives you all the things you're looking for - service, price, and great food!!

The Triplets

Not many people realize that I actually have a set of nephews/niece who are triplets. They are my husband's brother's kids. They were born in July 2005 and will be THREE years old in a couple of months! They were born weighing less than 4 pounds each, and a 2-1/2 months from full term. They stayed in the hospital for a few months until they were big enough to breathe on their own. Now, they are healthy toddlers who loves to take pictures & run around making a mess. They are a handful (literally!)

Their names from left to right: Albert, Alex, and Alisa (in that birth order too!). Obviously, they are not identical triplets, but faternal triplets. They look different from each other and definitely have their own personality as well!!

Can you guess who is the naughtiest one?

Greenest Cities in the U.S.

San Francisco got voted #2 as the greenest city by Popular Science. Portland, Oregon was #1.

The rankings were based on:

Electricity - cities score points for drawing their energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar, hydroelectric power, etc.

Transportation - points go to cities whose commuters take public transportation or carpool

Green living - cities earn points for the number of buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, as well as devoting areas for green space, such as parks and nature preserves

Recycling and green perspective - measures how comprehensive a city's recycling program is and how important its citizens consider environmental issues.

Hopefully, as we continue to build awareness, San Francisco will get the #1 spot next year!

Haute Couture

During our World wide Fashion team meeting, my collegue based in Paris came in to do a presentation on Brands. She explained how difficult it is for a true luxury brand to balance between (1) maintaining the brand's image and heritage, and (2) renewing itself to evolve with modern times so it can always be fresh and set the trend. A brand is always constantly looking for ways to connect to the customers with their own uniqueness which won the hearts and following of these customers in the first place.

She did a case study on Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton. It was a great presentation and intrigued me to further research on what these brands are all about. I ran across a BBC documentary on the internet named "The Secret World of Haute Couture." Haute Couture, according to Wikipedia, is a French for "high sewing" or "high dressmaking," and refers to the creative of exclusive custom-fitted fashions. Apparently, there is a group of very very rich women who would make it a seasonal event to attend all the fashion shows by the most famous designers and then purchase that special piece. It will be only one produced in the world, custom-fitted to the buyer, of course. A blouse will normally costs $10,000 and a dress can $300,000 or upwards to $1 Million. Now, this is CRAZY!! Anyways, the BBC documentary is really interesting and worth a view if you have time.

Not branded!

Most often times than not, I feel that I'm working in the wrong industry. My Company is a retailer that only sells high-end products and nothing less. And when I say high-end products, I mean luxury goods that common folks could only aspire to buy but couldn't afford...brand names like Christian Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hermes, Prada, and the list goes on and on. I am surrounded by brand names left and right, where a nice handbag costs at least $700, and a really nice one more than $3,000.

We recently sold a diamond-studded Hermes bag for $84,000 to a Black cardmember. Yes, it is crazy. Why would anyone spend so much for a handbag? Or a jacket? A watch for that matter? Well, obviously, someone understands why. They are our customers. They appreciate the brand names. I, on the other extreme end of the spectrum, am just a low-key gal who is (in present tense) never into brand names... I love simplicity and quite frankly, a good deal. I don't understand luxury. I don't understand brand names. To me, the handbags are just an item, a SKU on the selling reports, and nothing more.

In fact, I don't even register what is "expensive" anymore. The other day, my collegue showed me a cute Chloe Lizard Paddington handbag and told me that the bag retails for $2,500. And my first response, "Only? Wow, what a deal!" In real life, I would NEVER imagine myself buying a $2,500 bag. But yet, I think at work, $2,500 seems like nothing. Money is no object. This dual reaction separates the "real me" and the "me at work." I find it odd... It's not reality.

Lowell High School Drama Class

On Sunday, SQ and I went to support Lowell High School's drama class's production of Les Miserables. It was weird stepping foot on my alma mater after so many years. I think I haven't never back to Lowell since I graduated, which is eh-em, 15 years ago! Although I only walked around the auditorium area, much of it was what I last remembered it to be. For example, the murals on the auditorium (aka Carol Channing Theater) were exactly the same. In fact, some of the paintings are still so vivid in my head. I remembered it. It was so odd - a feeling hard to describe. The courtyard is still the same - the same old benches - and same concrete walkway from the cafeteria to the library (where all the performances/events were held). Mann, it brought back a lot of memories...not good nor bad memories -- just the time spent there.

I was actually quite impressed with the Les Mis production! For a non-professional production, the set was nicely done. Majority of the students sang and acted beautifully -- and it was a 3 hour show!!! The orchestra also performed well! There were no shortcuts whatsoever. I thought it was excellent...and really have to give these students a big kudos for a job well done! Sunday was the last show (they did 4 total). The lower section of the auditorium was entirely filled. The upper section was empty. So my initial guess is that there must be more than 1,000 people. Tickets were only $10, so I guess it was worth the money - and a great way to show some support. At least these students are doing something positive.

Thai Massage

I went with my sisters to a Thai massage place this Saturday. We went to Suchada Thai Massage on King St. between 7th and 8th in San Francisco. It's a small, quaint place, but nicely decorated and clean. 1 hour traditional massages were only $60! What a deal! Compared to some of the other massages I've been to, $60 is really a good price.

I had my first Thai massage in Thailand, and I loved it. The good thing about Thai massages is that they don't use oils - but rather, the masseuse concentrates on pressure points and moving your body through the art of Yoga stretches. It is actually very comfortable...I especially like the hand and feet massages! They are the best!!

Lee Kum Kee Sauces

People often assume that because my husband is a better cook than I, he cooks. The truth is that I cook 4 days of the week. Once a week we go back to my parents' place and during the weekends, we go out to eat. In fact, my husband rarely cooks.
I am not a good cook, but I am able to put decent, edible meals on the table. I admit, a lot of times, I cheat. I take short cuts. I only do stir-frys and use prepared sauces. Thank goodness for prepared sauces!! In our world filled with long work days, I have no shame in using prepared sauces! One of my all time favorite is Lee Kum Kee's "Sauce for Fried Cod Fillet." It's a dark, soy-based sweet sauce. It is excellent for a lot of meats, but I like to use it with Sea Bass. It is super-easy!

After cleaning up the sea bass (I like to remove the skin & scales), lightly salt the fillet. Pan-fried in low heat until done. Remove sea bass onto a plate. Heat up the LKK sauce & add in green onions. Pour sauce over sea bass. And OMG! You have the BEST-tasting sea bass ever! It's delicious and the good news is that it NEVER fails! Better news is that you don't have to worry about how much sauce to use. The pouch is enough for 1 meal. No measuring at all!! All that convenience for only 89 cents. Genius!

P.S. I'll share more cheats later on!

Wild Parrots in San Francisco?

Since his new job is near Levi's Plaza, SQ told me that he "finally" saw the parrots today. I said "what are you talking about?" Apparently, even though I considered myself a San Francisco native, I didn't know that there are wild parrots living on Telegraph Hill in SF. I wikipedia'ed it and surely, there is a flock of Red-masked parakeets proved to be living there. They are probably descendants from escaped or released pets as this breed is originally from Peru or Educador. In fact, this homeless failed musician named Mark Bittner who fed and documented the parrots for over 6 years became an overnight hero, writer, and the subject of a documentary called "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (2005)." Interesting. Very interesting. Everday, I learn something new about this beautiful city I live in.

Macau

SQ and I took the ferry to Macau from Hong Kong China City in Kowloon. We got deluxe seats since the economy class seats were sold out. Upon arriving in Macau, we decided to hire a pedicab (aka a trishaw). The man pedaled to the more famous landmarks of Macau. We stopped by a few of them to take pictures. We visited the new Lisboa Casino, the Macau Tower, A-Ma Temple, and the Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral just to name a few. New Lisboa Casino


The facade of St. Paul's Cathedral

There is something about Macau that I don't like. The air is polluted. The City is divided into the rich Stanley Ho family and everyone else. The casinos remind me of a cross between of Reno and Atlantic City. It tries too hard to be like Vegas, but just lacks the grandeur. We didn't get to go to the Venetian in Cotai - there may be our miss since I heard it is very upscale and huge. The gamblers there are very "mainland Chinese" so the atmosphere in these casinos comes with the throat clearing and the constant spitting. That never ceases to exist.


Overall thoughts: not impressed. Been there, done that. Time to move on.

Elements Mall in Hong Kong

My friend/co-worker, Sylvia brought SQ and me to check out Elements Mall when we were in Hong Kong. I was thoroughly impressed! This mall was built in conjunction with the MTR Company. The MTR Kowloon station is connected to the mall. It is, by far, one of the most luxurious malls I have seen. The mall has the most prestiguous brand lineup such as Prada, Gucci, Cartier, you name it. They even have an IWC boutique! Impressive! Of course, SQ, being the Architect he is, even noticed that the building materials were first class. This mall puts our little SF Center to shame. The mall itself is gigantic - separately into 5 wings : Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. They have beautiful sculptures representing these 5 elements. Sorry, I didn't take these pictures... courtesy of Wikipedia.com

Wood
Water
Fire

"Village" as I sound, even the restrooms were impressive! They are all nice, clean, and big! They have a cleaning lady inside to make sure the amenities are well stocked. And as you step outside between the Mens & Womens restrooms, there is a comfy seating area filled with newpapers & magazines AND an automated shoe-shine machine. How great is that?!

My favorite store though is a hip grocery store called ThreeSixty. They have a good selection of everything - including cooked food to go. They even have a booth specialized in selling bottled "leung cha." What a novel idea! Love it, love it, love it! Everything about this mall fascinates me although I must say that it's really meant for rich folks. Everything is the on pricier side, but it's definitely worth the time & the mile of window shopping!

Today I struggled to get out of bed to go to work. I feel very sluggish every weekday and dread going to the office to see what awaits me. Only when I think about when I will resign from this job, a smile lits up on my face. I know, it's quite pathetic. I look at the calendar today to figure out when is the best day to resign. I do want to stay to finish up the last round of orders, which is due May 23. So, late May. Close to my birthday... it will be my birthday present then. 8 years with this company...fast coming to an end (?).

SQ started his first day at the new company today. He said he spent the entire day reading through the employee handbook. Not much excitement. I told him he should be careful what he wish for. It's slow now, but enjoy it while it lasts... wait until all the work gets piled up and then, there would be no room to be bored.

Give It Back!

Japan is a land of vending machines. You can get almost EVERYTHING via a machine (Yes, even underwear!). It's all about "DIY and self-serve" as much as possible. Even in temples, there is a self-serve fortune-telling booth. It's not a hi-tech machine, but it is definitely do-it-yourself. Here are the basic instructions:

1. Pay 100 Yen into the slot
2. Pick up the steel container and shake it (eyes closed optional)
3. A long narrow wooden stick will come out naturally
4. Read the number written on the stick
5. Find the same number written on the one of the many drawers
6. Pick up your paper fortune
   

Ok, I tried it, and I got like the WORST fortune ever!! It said something like, "None of your wishes will come true. You will suffer in bad health. Your marriage will end in divorce." I mean I was literally DOOMED forever. But NO FEAR!! According to Japanese customs/traditions/legends, you can give your bad fortune back to the Gods! Simply tie the bad fortune on the wire shelves (to the right) and your bad fortune will be dissolved. Whewww! Thank goodness I am not cursed forever!!

Geisha Spotting

Having read "Memoirs of a Geisha," I have always been fascinated by this mysterious ancient Japanese profession. So, here we are in Japan, in Kyoto, in the Gion 祇園 district, on Hanamachi (花街)...why wouldn't we go spot some geishas out? Our tour guide told us that "real" geishas don't pose for pictures. They just go from one appointment to another, and is usually very fast doing so.


The Gion area is absolutely fascinating. It composes of 1 main street with many smaller alleys. The streets are all filled with small 2-story old Japanese teahouses. This is where the geishas entertain their guests. Apparently, fees for a geisha run about $400-500 USD for 3-4 hours or so. The geisha also has the power to say no to any appointments. Her outfit can cost over $10,000 USD. Her outfit, along with her head-dress, are indicators of how popular she is and how much she makes because these things don't come cheap.

So we were there at around 8pm - the perfect time as the geishas are usually wrapping up their duties. We were the papparazi for the night-- literally lurking in the dark to take pictures of the geishas! Remember they walk very fast from one destination to another - many times to a waiting car or taxi. And of course, our camera's flash wouldn't charge up fast enough... We will be like..."look, there's one. wait, she's gone...no, another one there..." In total, we saw over 10 geishas, but was only able to get a couple of shots. We were lucky to get this shot.



Overall, It was really really fun... but of course, to the geishas, we are probably the most annoying people EVER! What a great experience in our night of geisha-spotting!!

My Impression of Japan

Having just came back from a 9-day tour in Japan, I figured it would probably be best if I blogged on special aspects of the trip rather than describing all the what, when, and where - that would be way too boring. The first segment would be on "My Impression of Japan." I thought hard about how to best summarize my feelings about this place - took me a while, but eventually, I couldn't find better words than "Finding Perfectionism." In fact, I think their entire culture and life goal is all about being perfect.

While the Japan is globally well known to manufacture all the cool gadgets and advanced technologies, they are never the inventors of such things. The Japanese is known to "better" things, processes, and skills. They excel through improvement and enhancement, not creativity and inventiveness. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion. Always try to do better.

The Japanese people not only strive to be perfect, they love perfect things. Someone told me that in Japan, people don't believe in cheap prices. Quality comes with a price. Take these fruits for example. I took these pictures in a fruit store in Ginza. These mangoes were imported but only

the finest were selected. The strawberries were home-grown, but each was hand-selected and presented in its best shape and form. So look at the prices. Yep, quality things don't come cheap. A mango for $23 USD and a crate of strawberries for $126 USD. But these fruits are the best nevertheless.

I love Japan because in my opinion, it's almost perfect. People are so polite and friendly. They bow and say hello to you even when they don't know you. They try to make you feel comfortable and welcomed. In the service industry, people don't have a sense of entitlement. They don't expect tips. They serve you because it's their job. They are courteous and follow the law. They don't talk on the phone on the trains. They don't litter and the place is beyond clean, it's tidy. People walk on the left; there is order.
But unfortunately, being perfect isn't easy. There is a lot of pressure (self and society pressure) in this country. Anything less of perfect is not acceptable. It's a hard life there in that sense...but I think the good outweighs the bad. It's still a beautiful and friendly country.

Japan - Here we come!

On Tuesday, Mar 4, SQ and I leave for JAPAN! I am super excited!! This is the longest vacation since our honeymoon 4-1/2 years ago... After the house, the wedding, the surgery, the house renovation, we are finally making time to go on this long-overdue vacation.

We are going on a 9-day Japan tour, which visits places like Toyko, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Kobe. The tour is a bit on the expensive side...but the main reason why we took the tour instead of venturing out on our own is because we are both too damn lazy to plan the itinerary. SQ never likes to any sort of planning - because he thinks that things "just happens." YEAH RIGHT!! Me - I like to have things settled before getting there - i.e. rough itinerary, places to stay, etc. But I have just been too spoiled from traveling so much for work...because whenever I travel, everything is all taken care of for me! But now since I am traveling personally, I have to do everything myself. I seriously don't have the time and patience to research & figure out where to go, where to stay, what to do, what to eat, etc. so hence the tour. Yep, you can say that I'm buying the convenience!

After the 9 day Japan tour, we will stop over in Hong Kong for 4-1/2 days! I was in HKG for about 2 days last time for work, back in Oct 07. But SQ hasn't been there since Sept 03...it'll be nice to go back for a visit. This time, we want to stop by the Big Buddha and Macau, which we didn't get to do last time. I'm reserving 1/2 suitcase and at least 1 full day for shopping!!
Counting down...2 more days!!

Day at the Beach

'Though we live only 3 blocks away from Ocean Beach, we almost never go there. Majority of the time, it is way too cold. But today, the weather was a bit warmer, so SQ and Is topped by for a quick visit. We always have our beach towels/picnic blanket in our car trunk, so all of those came in very handy today. We stayed there for about 1/2 hour... it was nice - saw a lot of people taking a stroll and/or walking their dogs. When the wind picked up, we decided to leave.
On a nice day, which happens only a few times a year, it's quite nice to live so near the beach.