Back from the Bay Area
And it was wonderful.
I'll add some more stories on here soon when I get a chance. Yesterday coming back was one of the weirdest days I've had, ever. A lot of funny things happened that make for great tales, and I'm hoping to share them all with you in the near future. But of course, life goes on in the interim, and I have lots to do in the next days. Tomorrow will be spend having a grand old time, since I have, oh, let's see, FIVE different events scheduled. FIVE. All with different people or groups of people. Should be a good time. Busy, but good.
Thursday will be spent mostly at work, which I did not expect. But that will allow me to have Friday off, and that shall be most excellent, as it will allow me to *hopefully* get my butt down to Oly and hang out with my family.
and THEN I will work every day from Saturday until Wednesday, 4:30 to midnight. Oh, the joys of a menial summer job. Sigh.
Next weekend I will hopefully pop up to Vancouver to see my German host father, who is going there on a business trip and will be staying for two weeks. The Bob Saget show is also that weekend, on a Friday, and I am REALLY excited for that.
Wow, so much to do. I love SUMMER!
20.6.07
15.6.07
Kyla is in San Francisco
And it is fantastic!
I got in yesterday afternoon, although it seems like I've been here longer. I took the BART to the city center, and then a bus to the neighborhood where I'm staying. My dear friend Tina is letting me stay the weekend at her lovely apartment near Russian Hill. Yesterday, we strolled through Fisherman's Wharf, shopped at Union Square, and admired the city from the top of a hill. We went to the flagship H&M, which I was excited about since I hadn't been to one since living in Germany. Dinner was really good, cheap Indian food near Union Square. Tina is also letting me use her digital camera while I am here, since I forgot to bring mine. When we got home, I was exhasted from all the activity and the travel from Seattle, so I napped for half an hour and then we watched Stranger than Fiction, which was a wonderful movie.
Then today, Tina left for work earlier than normal so she could be out early as well. I took my time getting ready, making a few calls and taking a shower. I left the apartment at noon and made my way down to Chinatown. I snapped pictures of the sloping streets virtually covered in signs and slogans, all in Chinese, and was tempted by numerous trinket shops. I ended up buying a BBQ pork roll and a sesame bun, both of which were delicious, and then I walked to City Lights, an independent bookstore that is both historical and rad. I could have spent all day in there, but in the interest of seeing more of the city, I moved on after an hour or so. From there I walked down Columbus until I hit Lombard Street, and walked up the hill to the section that is supposedly the curviest piece of road in the US. Or something like that. It was pretty curvy - basically a set of switchbacks for cars. Then it was time to meet Tina, so I hopped a bus to the Mission. We killed time until 5:30, which is when the Country Station Sushi restaurant opened. This was by far the raddest part of the day for me (City Lights took a close second). This place looked like a run-down hole-in-the-wall type of place from the outside. Inside, decorations covered every wall and most of the ceiling and chair backs. There were only 8 or so tables, and the sushi chefs were young, cute and already working on making sushi behind the counter that overlooked the rest of the small restaurant. They yelled out a friendly greeting as Tina and I walked in, following the waitress who had just flipped the homemade sign to "open". Japanese punk music played from the speakers above. The place had an open-air, urban feel to it, and I found it wonderful. The food itself was equally amazing, featuring handmade gyoza stuffed with a fantastic non-meat filling, and a "dizzaster" roll wih salmon and mango. Sadly, this place will be closing at the end of June, which I can't imagine because it is really a fantastic restaurant. But I'm glad I got to experience it.
Now, Tina and I are taking a break and resting before it's time to go out tonight. We will be going to a thing called Blow Up, which looks insane. Hopefully we'll take some pictures and post them on the internets... probably Facebook. I'd better go and get my resting on so I'll be ready for tonight's craziness. More updates later, but until then, you can just assume that I'm having a super fun time down here in the City.
And it is fantastic!
I got in yesterday afternoon, although it seems like I've been here longer. I took the BART to the city center, and then a bus to the neighborhood where I'm staying. My dear friend Tina is letting me stay the weekend at her lovely apartment near Russian Hill. Yesterday, we strolled through Fisherman's Wharf, shopped at Union Square, and admired the city from the top of a hill. We went to the flagship H&M, which I was excited about since I hadn't been to one since living in Germany. Dinner was really good, cheap Indian food near Union Square. Tina is also letting me use her digital camera while I am here, since I forgot to bring mine. When we got home, I was exhasted from all the activity and the travel from Seattle, so I napped for half an hour and then we watched Stranger than Fiction, which was a wonderful movie.
Then today, Tina left for work earlier than normal so she could be out early as well. I took my time getting ready, making a few calls and taking a shower. I left the apartment at noon and made my way down to Chinatown. I snapped pictures of the sloping streets virtually covered in signs and slogans, all in Chinese, and was tempted by numerous trinket shops. I ended up buying a BBQ pork roll and a sesame bun, both of which were delicious, and then I walked to City Lights, an independent bookstore that is both historical and rad. I could have spent all day in there, but in the interest of seeing more of the city, I moved on after an hour or so. From there I walked down Columbus until I hit Lombard Street, and walked up the hill to the section that is supposedly the curviest piece of road in the US. Or something like that. It was pretty curvy - basically a set of switchbacks for cars. Then it was time to meet Tina, so I hopped a bus to the Mission. We killed time until 5:30, which is when the Country Station Sushi restaurant opened. This was by far the raddest part of the day for me (City Lights took a close second). This place looked like a run-down hole-in-the-wall type of place from the outside. Inside, decorations covered every wall and most of the ceiling and chair backs. There were only 8 or so tables, and the sushi chefs were young, cute and already working on making sushi behind the counter that overlooked the rest of the small restaurant. They yelled out a friendly greeting as Tina and I walked in, following the waitress who had just flipped the homemade sign to "open". Japanese punk music played from the speakers above. The place had an open-air, urban feel to it, and I found it wonderful. The food itself was equally amazing, featuring handmade gyoza stuffed with a fantastic non-meat filling, and a "dizzaster" roll wih salmon and mango. Sadly, this place will be closing at the end of June, which I can't imagine because it is really a fantastic restaurant. But I'm glad I got to experience it.
Now, Tina and I are taking a break and resting before it's time to go out tonight. We will be going to a thing called Blow Up, which looks insane. Hopefully we'll take some pictures and post them on the internets... probably Facebook. I'd better go and get my resting on so I'll be ready for tonight's craziness. More updates later, but until then, you can just assume that I'm having a super fun time down here in the City.
6.6.07
Sitting in the library at 11 pm can only be improved by a group of about 30 people coming in and running a lap around the ground floor...
...in their UNDERWEAR.
Awesome!
There were even two of these to be seen...
...in their UNDERWEAR.
Awesome!
There were even two of these to be seen...
5.6.07
4.6.07
3.6.07
23.5.07
create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide
I thought I'd been to a lot of places. The countries that are not in red are the ones I have yet to visit. I have a lot of travel ahead of me...
Last midterm was today. Whoo hoo. Now it's time to knuckle down and study for finals... after I check all my blogs and networking sites, of course... man. I have a hard time concentrating sometimes. The internet doesn't help, either. I would like to go to Uwajymaya right now. Anyone wanna come?
ACK ok I'm going to go do my homework now. This blog is becoming less and less coherent.
18.5.07
Yesterday was a really weird day. Actually, this week has been a little bit strange, all in all...
Wednesday I went to College Inn for international night, but hardly anybody shows up anymore. I guess it's kind of hard when there's so much homework to do, and so much to take care of before everybody goes back to their respective countries... But I did get to catch up with an old friend, and that in itself made the night worth it. (And worth the fact that I had to get up early the next day to finish my homework.)
Yesterday was a day full of randomness. After finishing my assignment, I went to class and was unusually attentive and engaged in the material. After class, I spent some time with Jeff, which hasn't happened much lately because I've been busy and he's been sick. (Actually, I think I'll go visit him at his house after this...) Then I studied for a bit with Andrea at Cafe on the Ave. We had Mochi and enjoyed the sunshine while trying to work on our stuff. After this, I went to Lucas' house and watched Waking Life, a really awesome movie. We talked through parts of it, but it was nice to watch a movie on something so ethereal as dreams, and to talk about them. According to Lucas, if you sleep through half the night, and then wake up and stay up until you are fully awake, and then go back to sleep, you are much more likely to have a lucid dream. A lucid dream is where you're in your dream, and you're aware that you're dreaming, so you're able to control everything that happens in the dream. Imagine the possibilities... I think I might try to have one of these lucid dreams sometime soon.
After the movie, I bopped out to the Freemont fire pit to sit around a campfire and play violin with some of my cousin's friends from SPU. It was rad! Apparently they do this on a fairly regular basis. I shall have to come with them again sometime. Then my cousin came with her .83 friends straight from their bike ride. I've never been on a .83 ride, or even Critical Mass, so I got to talk with them about it and find out a bit more about the different programs and offerings. Some of us rode back to the U-District together, which was cool because it was kind of an introduction to .83 for me. I think I'm ready to ride with them...
Then I hung out with a few friends from work, because Erica turned 21 last night and it was time to buy her drinks. Actually, buying her a drink was my main goal of going to the bar they were at, but she declined, saying she'd had enough for the day, and asked me to wait until tomorrow to buy her a drink. Besides that, it was pretty fun. It was already late, though, by the time I got back to the U-District, and by the time we settled in at Finn's, it was 1 AM already. Makes me mad that Seattle bars close by 2! But, whatever. Gotta uphold the peace, or something. I can go to New York or Vegas (or Europe, for that matter) if I want to stay out all night.
Just got a call from Jeff - his cousin's finally here. Which means I gotta run so I can (finally) meet him. Have a good weekend and if you get down, just watch the video I posted in my last post. Man. Make me laugh every time.
Wednesday I went to College Inn for international night, but hardly anybody shows up anymore. I guess it's kind of hard when there's so much homework to do, and so much to take care of before everybody goes back to their respective countries... But I did get to catch up with an old friend, and that in itself made the night worth it. (And worth the fact that I had to get up early the next day to finish my homework.)
Yesterday was a day full of randomness. After finishing my assignment, I went to class and was unusually attentive and engaged in the material. After class, I spent some time with Jeff, which hasn't happened much lately because I've been busy and he's been sick. (Actually, I think I'll go visit him at his house after this...) Then I studied for a bit with Andrea at Cafe on the Ave. We had Mochi and enjoyed the sunshine while trying to work on our stuff. After this, I went to Lucas' house and watched Waking Life, a really awesome movie. We talked through parts of it, but it was nice to watch a movie on something so ethereal as dreams, and to talk about them. According to Lucas, if you sleep through half the night, and then wake up and stay up until you are fully awake, and then go back to sleep, you are much more likely to have a lucid dream. A lucid dream is where you're in your dream, and you're aware that you're dreaming, so you're able to control everything that happens in the dream. Imagine the possibilities... I think I might try to have one of these lucid dreams sometime soon.
After the movie, I bopped out to the Freemont fire pit to sit around a campfire and play violin with some of my cousin's friends from SPU. It was rad! Apparently they do this on a fairly regular basis. I shall have to come with them again sometime. Then my cousin came with her .83 friends straight from their bike ride. I've never been on a .83 ride, or even Critical Mass, so I got to talk with them about it and find out a bit more about the different programs and offerings. Some of us rode back to the U-District together, which was cool because it was kind of an introduction to .83 for me. I think I'm ready to ride with them...
Then I hung out with a few friends from work, because Erica turned 21 last night and it was time to buy her drinks. Actually, buying her a drink was my main goal of going to the bar they were at, but she declined, saying she'd had enough for the day, and asked me to wait until tomorrow to buy her a drink. Besides that, it was pretty fun. It was already late, though, by the time I got back to the U-District, and by the time we settled in at Finn's, it was 1 AM already. Makes me mad that Seattle bars close by 2! But, whatever. Gotta uphold the peace, or something. I can go to New York or Vegas (or Europe, for that matter) if I want to stay out all night.
Just got a call from Jeff - his cousin's finally here. Which means I gotta run so I can (finally) meet him. Have a good weekend and if you get down, just watch the video I posted in my last post. Man. Make me laugh every time.
13.5.07
There was an event last week that came as a surprise, and not in a good way. I don't want to discuss the details, but suffice it to say that I'm an adult, and deserve to be treated like one. That includes asking before taking. The person doing the taking understands that I have a right to be mad, and is trying to pacify me with promises of "being fair" and "evening everything out". He's right about me being angry, but he hasn't quite understood why. It's not that I want equality; that's not the point. I want honesty. That's the only way to perpetrate good relations among everybody involved.
Something of a similar nature happened once upon a time last September, and remnants of this still linger in my mind, and have negatively impacted relations. This damaging poison was released because he refused to be honest. This time, he was partially honest, but only because this time, it affected me directly. It's not because he learned from his mistakes.
And the worst part of it all is, I don't think he ever will.
Something of a similar nature happened once upon a time last September, and remnants of this still linger in my mind, and have negatively impacted relations. This damaging poison was released because he refused to be honest. This time, he was partially honest, but only because this time, it affected me directly. It's not because he learned from his mistakes.
And the worst part of it all is, I don't think he ever will.
8.5.07
Today and yesterday were absolutely GORGEOUS. The rest of the week is supposed to be all right, too. For once a good-weather week! Yoo hoo!
Of course, the onset of good weather brings with it a number of bad things. Jeff is sick, and I've caught something too, although I'm not entirely sure it's the same thing he's got. (I didn't see him hardly at all since Thursday, the day he started showing symptoms.) My roommate and her boyfriend are also infected. Then, as a I learned today from a frat friend of mine, it turns out that Greek Week is upon us. This means that not only do I have to spend most of my time sleeping and studying, but I also have to ignore the drunken din of partygoers in the alleyway while doing it. Nice. I got a taste of this walking home tonight from Jeff's house. Small groups of Greeks were scurrying away from a party on 19th. Looking at the first group of girls, who were wearing booty shorts and mid-driff halter tops, I thought they were dressed extraordinarily skanky. But as I got closer to 19th and 45th, I realized that everyone was wearing bathing suit tops and/or bottoms, and most people had bits of foam on their bodies and in their hair. Turns out the cops had just busted a foam party. I thought this was all a bit extreme for a Tuesday, given the number of people who were there, but then I remembered it was Greek Week. Sigh.
Okay, time to study. But here's a few more things:
- RENT tomorrow! EXCITED!
- Jeff's mom, aunt and cousin are visiting on Friday!
- We are going to do something fun this weekend, before the Germans all leave us to go home! Breakfast, maybe, or a trip to the Science Center or SAM. Something...
- I get to finally meet Jeff's cousin! I feel like I practically know him already from all of Jeff's stories about him.. He'll be here for a whole weekend!
- I like exclaimation points!
Of course, the onset of good weather brings with it a number of bad things. Jeff is sick, and I've caught something too, although I'm not entirely sure it's the same thing he's got. (I didn't see him hardly at all since Thursday, the day he started showing symptoms.) My roommate and her boyfriend are also infected. Then, as a I learned today from a frat friend of mine, it turns out that Greek Week is upon us. This means that not only do I have to spend most of my time sleeping and studying, but I also have to ignore the drunken din of partygoers in the alleyway while doing it. Nice. I got a taste of this walking home tonight from Jeff's house. Small groups of Greeks were scurrying away from a party on 19th. Looking at the first group of girls, who were wearing booty shorts and mid-driff halter tops, I thought they were dressed extraordinarily skanky. But as I got closer to 19th and 45th, I realized that everyone was wearing bathing suit tops and/or bottoms, and most people had bits of foam on their bodies and in their hair. Turns out the cops had just busted a foam party. I thought this was all a bit extreme for a Tuesday, given the number of people who were there, but then I remembered it was Greek Week. Sigh.
Okay, time to study. But here's a few more things:
- RENT tomorrow! EXCITED!
- Jeff's mom, aunt and cousin are visiting on Friday!
- We are going to do something fun this weekend, before the Germans all leave us to go home! Breakfast, maybe, or a trip to the Science Center or SAM. Something...
- I get to finally meet Jeff's cousin! I feel like I practically know him already from all of Jeff's stories about him.. He'll be here for a whole weekend!
- I like exclaimation points!
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