One of the things I find to be perpetually a larger problem in the educated society of middle class worker bees is their ability to find criticism in others when they themselves are not exempt from the very rules in which they bestow their criticism.
I like to call these people pseudo crusaders for lack of descriptions.
Pseudo crusaders can be seen typically when they find something that they consider to be a snob or a high class statement wherein the person of interest expresses some aspect of their lives that are not up to their expectation for whatever reason and suddenly, they are a high nosed, unappreciative, first world brat who can't care less about the orphans in Nigeria.
I'm still curious as to how these pseudo crusaders are helping the orphans of Nigeria.
It seems like no matter how big or small the issue, when one musters up a complaint, the pseudo crusaders are at once in gathering to express public dissent of how the statement profoundly exemplifies the state of society and how the maker cannot possibly have any other reason to complain than that they have too much good stuff that needs to be shared with the rest of the world.
It seems to matter little that there are many reasons why someone would complain. It doesn't matter that a person complaining of a bonus shortage could be facing $50,000 of debt, or typically use their bonus to pay their property taxes for which they would otherwise not be able to do so and would owe or become evicted from their own home. Perhaps the person would complain of having to sit in front of a computer all day, when they have a debilitating back condition which causes them excessive pain and damage to their joints; perhaps the complainer finds a hole in their shirt but the shirt was somewhat of a family heirloom passed down from a parent who has already passed away. All of the above would be subject to the pseudo crusaders attack that they're high society jerks and need to complain less.
Really?
I feel that generally speaking, human beings have every right to address those things which are unexpected to them whether it would be something as lavish as a bonus or a car, or even their favorite flavor of ice cream every Sunday suddenly gets axed from the list and hence from their regular routine. It does not make a person unappreciative of those things, simply that they were shocked things were different. Anyone would be in any situation, it doesn't mean the whole world is full of brats who can care less about anywhere else in the world where suffering is the norm.
Next time you're about to play your little violin for someone, or someone plays it for you. Think about it for a second. Does it really warrant that reaction?
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Funniest Travel Story ... Amsterdam
Arriving in Amsterdam on the first day, we were unaware much of Amsterdam, in fact all of it, spoke fluent English. We were stuck on a train not understanding their tram system, got lost for over an hour and a half after paying 12 euros each for a trip into central Amsterdam. Eventually I spotted a train headed for "Station Centraal" and insisted we go there. After losing a wheel on my luggage while dragging it through Central Station at least 8 times, I finally ended up with 2 beautiful RFID cards for 7.50 euro each to board the tram which would take us to the hotel. Evidently, the 7.50 euro turned out to be a fee for the card which would last five years and there was no inherent value on the card until you add additional funds.
Frustrated, we eventually made it to the hotel by buying a one time pass thanks to some nice advice from a local who saw hopelessness in our eyes. We were then directed to the office for these pretty cards and when asked who gave them to us, we explained that we were tourists and bought them, the clerk smiled politely and said... well they're nice cards!
Now we can return to Amsterdam anytime in the next 5 years and still use the public transit!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Kingdom of Dumplings - SF
I'm surprised at some reviews of this place because I absolutely think it lives up to the reviews, the hype and all. This was a very unsuspecting visit for me.
The bf surprised me during one of my crazy work weekends with a small escape to SF to eat one of my favorite foods... dumplings! I absolutely love dumplings of all kinds, fillings, steamed, boiled, what have you. This place was perfect because it gave me just that ... dumplings of all sorts and especially XLBs. For those of you who don't know, an XLB (xiao long bao) is a sort of famous Shanghai-nese dish where a bun filled with meat is also filled with a cube of slightly frozen "soup" so when its steamed, the frozen "soup" becomes liquid and you end up with a little dumpling with soup in it. Delicious with a little ginger and some vinegar.
Their XLB... I'm not impressed.
However! Their other dumplings (mainly steamed) were delightful. The skin was perfectly cooked and had the right kind of chewy texture without being hard or mushy. Their filling was just the right amount of seasoning, meat and veggies depending on which one you pick, and their other traditional Chinese dishes are fantastic. Being kind of a native and growing up in China for over 10 years, it really brought back childhood memories of my favorite dishes. This place is an A+.
The bf surprised me during one of my crazy work weekends with a small escape to SF to eat one of my favorite foods... dumplings! I absolutely love dumplings of all kinds, fillings, steamed, boiled, what have you. This place was perfect because it gave me just that ... dumplings of all sorts and especially XLBs. For those of you who don't know, an XLB (xiao long bao) is a sort of famous Shanghai-nese dish where a bun filled with meat is also filled with a cube of slightly frozen "soup" so when its steamed, the frozen "soup" becomes liquid and you end up with a little dumpling with soup in it. Delicious with a little ginger and some vinegar.
Their XLB... I'm not impressed.
However! Their other dumplings (mainly steamed) were delightful. The skin was perfectly cooked and had the right kind of chewy texture without being hard or mushy. Their filling was just the right amount of seasoning, meat and veggies depending on which one you pick, and their other traditional Chinese dishes are fantastic. Being kind of a native and growing up in China for over 10 years, it really brought back childhood memories of my favorite dishes. This place is an A+.
Station 1 - Woodside, CA
I struggled between getting this place 3 or 4 stars because I really think it's more of a 3.5 star. However, since the service was good and some of the starters were good, I'll round up the half a star even though food wise I still think its a 3.5 despite the price tag being so "well priced".
I had high expectations of this place because the bf compared it to Village Pub and researched that Station 1 was better. The Village Pub got a Michelin star so I was definitely excited for our date night at Station 1 if it was going to be better.
The house was small, intimate, romantic, and we were seated right away in a cozy corner facing the fireplace (which was not on?). The wait staff was friendly and very attentive for the most part. We brought our own wine which they happily corked for $25 and we were even poured by the owner of Station 1 who was very nice in asking us about the wine and how we'd like it decanted etc.
We ordered a soup, two appetizers and two entrees. I'm not a dessert person so I was happy with this setup. The first three dishes were smash hits. The honey corn bread with cinnamon butter, their celery root soup with caramelized onions and bacon and the brussels sprouts were all amazing. Particularly, the brussels sprouts were very well cooked, char'd perfectly and seasoned to a crisp.
Then came the entrees. The bf got halibut, which was supposed to be medium cooked but it was pan seared and not poached so definitely was over cooked in many areas. The side that was pan seared also had a very funny sear, it was harder / more crispy on one side and less on the other. The fish was generally on the dry side and there wasn't really a sauce to go with it so it didn't take away the dryness.
The fault came with my waygu beef. The beef came on a bed of a strange vicious, almost mucus substance that was a creme fraiche of potatoes. The texture was an immediately turn off because my beef stuck to the plate and whenI pulled it off, it would leave these slimy little mucus lines... NOT appetizing!
And they fried some green vegetable on my plate that was the same cooking style as the brussels sprouts, at this point a tad overly greasy since we had the same thing earlier for an appetizer.
And the beef. Oh the beef. I feel like any great chef understands that seasoning, or even specifically finishing salt is like... one of the most crucial bits when cooking red meat or meat of any kind. My beef didn't have any seasoning, it just seemed like a well cooked piece of tasteless beef, it didn't even have salt. I wanted to ask for a shaker! I was really surprised since I feel like this is one of those basic things that you just don't mess up.
In the end, I walked out definitely more disappointed than I had walked in. I don't know that I will return and it will be unlikely until at least they change their menu since they seem to serve similar fare all week whether it's Sunday supper or weekday set menu.
I had high expectations of this place because the bf compared it to Village Pub and researched that Station 1 was better. The Village Pub got a Michelin star so I was definitely excited for our date night at Station 1 if it was going to be better.
The house was small, intimate, romantic, and we were seated right away in a cozy corner facing the fireplace (which was not on?). The wait staff was friendly and very attentive for the most part. We brought our own wine which they happily corked for $25 and we were even poured by the owner of Station 1 who was very nice in asking us about the wine and how we'd like it decanted etc.
We ordered a soup, two appetizers and two entrees. I'm not a dessert person so I was happy with this setup. The first three dishes were smash hits. The honey corn bread with cinnamon butter, their celery root soup with caramelized onions and bacon and the brussels sprouts were all amazing. Particularly, the brussels sprouts were very well cooked, char'd perfectly and seasoned to a crisp.
Then came the entrees. The bf got halibut, which was supposed to be medium cooked but it was pan seared and not poached so definitely was over cooked in many areas. The side that was pan seared also had a very funny sear, it was harder / more crispy on one side and less on the other. The fish was generally on the dry side and there wasn't really a sauce to go with it so it didn't take away the dryness.
The fault came with my waygu beef. The beef came on a bed of a strange vicious, almost mucus substance that was a creme fraiche of potatoes. The texture was an immediately turn off because my beef stuck to the plate and whenI pulled it off, it would leave these slimy little mucus lines... NOT appetizing!
And they fried some green vegetable on my plate that was the same cooking style as the brussels sprouts, at this point a tad overly greasy since we had the same thing earlier for an appetizer.
And the beef. Oh the beef. I feel like any great chef understands that seasoning, or even specifically finishing salt is like... one of the most crucial bits when cooking red meat or meat of any kind. My beef didn't have any seasoning, it just seemed like a well cooked piece of tasteless beef, it didn't even have salt. I wanted to ask for a shaker! I was really surprised since I feel like this is one of those basic things that you just don't mess up.
In the end, I walked out definitely more disappointed than I had walked in. I don't know that I will return and it will be unlikely until at least they change their menu since they seem to serve similar fare all week whether it's Sunday supper or weekday set menu.
Death + Company - NYC
This is probably one of the best bars in NYC I've been to. I didn't really know it was speakeasy style, but once you get inside it's pretty obvious what they're trying to be.
Don't get me wrong, this place has no tricks. It's packed and has a reservation system at the door, but there aren't any hoops to jump through or phone booths to walk into when you're arriving at Death + Company.
Our group tried to get in on a busy Saturday night but couldn't because the bar was full to the brim until 3 am in the morning. We ended up here the next night, on a quieter note, a little before they closed to grab some drinks and soak up the ambiance. This place totally reeks 20's and 30's everywhere from chairs, tables, decor and the demeanor of the waitresses, although they are superbly helpful.
We ordered a few drinks since food was already off the table (kitchen closed :( darn!) and every drink was delicious! The waitress recommend a few for my friends who were indecisive and I got my usual citrusy cocktail with rum aplenty. This would be a phenomenal place to lounge and hang out, but unfortunately we came too close to closing time and finished our drinks to move onto the next bar.
One MAJOR CON ... while using their restroom, a GIANT centipede came crawling out of the back of the toilet. I nearly jumped into the cupboard above. SHEESH!
Don't get me wrong, this place has no tricks. It's packed and has a reservation system at the door, but there aren't any hoops to jump through or phone booths to walk into when you're arriving at Death + Company.
Our group tried to get in on a busy Saturday night but couldn't because the bar was full to the brim until 3 am in the morning. We ended up here the next night, on a quieter note, a little before they closed to grab some drinks and soak up the ambiance. This place totally reeks 20's and 30's everywhere from chairs, tables, decor and the demeanor of the waitresses, although they are superbly helpful.
We ordered a few drinks since food was already off the table (kitchen closed :( darn!) and every drink was delicious! The waitress recommend a few for my friends who were indecisive and I got my usual citrusy cocktail with rum aplenty. This would be a phenomenal place to lounge and hang out, but unfortunately we came too close to closing time and finished our drinks to move onto the next bar.
One MAJOR CON ... while using their restroom, a GIANT centipede came crawling out of the back of the toilet. I nearly jumped into the cupboard above. SHEESH!
Taste on Melrose - LA
We came here on a dreary Sunday in Los Angeles which is a rather rare occurrence mid-summer as usually the weather is fantastic. It being a Sunday, for some reason this end of Melrose there just wasn't much open. We found parking near by fairly easily and proceeded to grab some brunch.
Their menu is easy on the eyes, not a huge selection but all of it was very good. We saw several plates come out to tables around us that were totally drool-worthy. I ordered my usual fatty breakfast of eggs benedict and the bf got a sandwich from the lunch menu. I also ordered a mimosa because I love when they do fresh squeezed orange juice in it!
The meal is a bit on the pricey side, but you are on the prime location of Melrose where you're within waking distance to designer shops abound. In fact, this location is right next to a physical location of Revolve Clothing!
Recommended for location, food, not so much price but ambiance is great for hanging out on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Their menu is easy on the eyes, not a huge selection but all of it was very good. We saw several plates come out to tables around us that were totally drool-worthy. I ordered my usual fatty breakfast of eggs benedict and the bf got a sandwich from the lunch menu. I also ordered a mimosa because I love when they do fresh squeezed orange juice in it!
The meal is a bit on the pricey side, but you are on the prime location of Melrose where you're within waking distance to designer shops abound. In fact, this location is right next to a physical location of Revolve Clothing!
Recommended for location, food, not so much price but ambiance is great for hanging out on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Sightglass Coffee - SF
This place is definitely a super awesome latte experience.
I didn't really expect it when the bf insisted we come here because we're such huge coffee nerds. It's not in an area you'd usually find coffee at and most of it is very industrial looking. The place, then, comes as no surprise that it is located in a huge warehouse. It appears they usually have an upstairs, but it was closed when we went.
They only do lattes and coffee hot, not cold so that's a good FYI for those looking for a cold refresher. I love the barebones, minimalistic decor inside as well as all the wooden details and their few seats at the bar / by the window. They have a simple menu and friendly baristas. They even use iPads to process your card payments!
With that said, you do pay a premium for all this good coffee and cool atmosphere. A latte comes in at a whooping $6.
I didn't really expect it when the bf insisted we come here because we're such huge coffee nerds. It's not in an area you'd usually find coffee at and most of it is very industrial looking. The place, then, comes as no surprise that it is located in a huge warehouse. It appears they usually have an upstairs, but it was closed when we went.
They only do lattes and coffee hot, not cold so that's a good FYI for those looking for a cold refresher. I love the barebones, minimalistic decor inside as well as all the wooden details and their few seats at the bar / by the window. They have a simple menu and friendly baristas. They even use iPads to process your card payments!
With that said, you do pay a premium for all this good coffee and cool atmosphere. A latte comes in at a whooping $6.
Tres Potrillo's Taqueria - Sunnyvale, CA
I was pretty pleasantly surprised by this place. My friend recommended it after a long day of climbing and I was starving so I didn't have much energy to object. This place is pretty ... cafeteria style as someone else put it, but generally pretty good. They have one of the BEST (yes the BEST) horchatas I've had anywhere. It's very fresh and refreshing!
Their tacos are ok, lengua is ... ok... but their carne asada fries ... YUMMY. Reminds me of good ol' Mexican joints in San Diego serving up a mean dish of carne asada fries. Their salsas are good and their burritos are delicious as well. Definitely not a bad find and I will be back for more horchata and those to die for carne asada fries!
Their tacos are ok, lengua is ... ok... but their carne asada fries ... YUMMY. Reminds me of good ol' Mexican joints in San Diego serving up a mean dish of carne asada fries. Their salsas are good and their burritos are delicious as well. Definitely not a bad find and I will be back for more horchata and those to die for carne asada fries!
Le Bernardin - NYC 2011
I really didn't know what to expect when I first booked Le Bernardin, other than the fact that it was utterly freaking hard to get a reservation even when I did everything right (reminiscent of my TFL experience...) and ended up with a 10:45 PM reservation on Friday night. Yes folks, they serve you a coursed, long dinner at 10:45 PM. At night.
They did have an excellent selection of scotches and bourbons on their shelf at the bar so I imagine you'd be quite entertained.Just as quickly as we sat down, we were shown our table which was right by the door. I never saw Le Bern before the remodel but after the remodel, this place is GORGEOUS. Just breathtaking and it almost doesn't matter where you sit.
One of the best things I loved about Le Bernardin was that they were fabulously well lit not in an in-your-face-see-your-pores kind of way, but a very elegant well lit that allows you to see the food you have in front of you and absorb the colors and vibrancy of the dishes you are enjoying. I thoroughly dislike poorly / dimly lit places because I feel like they're trying to hide something...
We went for the two different tasting menu(s) because I'm greedy like that and want to try everything. Since one was 7 course and the other 8, we opted to add a dish that was on neither menu to the 7 course so the bf and I both had the same number of courses. It was, of course, all seafood and here you should most definitely not get anything else. We also, with help, selected a delicious bottle of white wine as we decided to pass on the wine pairings.
I loved that the service was relaxed. Yes this place is upscale, ties and jackets are required but in the end the service was not stiff. I didn't feel like I had to sit up with my shoulders back and a plastered smile on my face or any kind of pretentiousness at all. This made for an extraordinarily enjoyable experience since the bf and I were able to chat, catch up, talk and have a wonderful time while dining here.
Each dish that came out was magnificent. I don't say this often but every, single, dish was a complete and utter hit. It was perfectly cooked, seasoned, decorated and there were no repeats. Chef Eric truly displayed his culinary skills in cooking unlike some other Michelin restaurants and used all kinds of methods instead of dropping truffle on everything.
A picture is worth a thousand words
This was probably the most breathtaking moment of my trip to Europe, no joke. I think I hyperventilated the entire time
Sometimes in life ...
the hardest thing to do is simply to remember. I find this to be ever so much more true now that I have finally turned twenty five.
Yes, there it was. I said it. I’m twenty-five this year.
To many this may not seem like a big deal, after all, I have friends who are much older and many scoff when I say I feel old as the real “old” is probably more to come. But still I can’t help but feel… old. Like how I have trouble remembering what I did last weekend to what the name of that song was to sometimes even phrases I am familiar with and faces I knew like the back of my hand.
To this tribute, my birthday was much the same. I remember about this much:
Then the rest was a blur.
If this is how things are going to be, I better get on with the picture taking.
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