Annamobile

Random acts of kindness

2008-06-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Ronner and I went to the farmer's market near where I live in Berkeley. It was a sun-drenched Saturday, and we wandered from booth to booth, purchasing summer fruits like peaches, nectarines and plums. As we ambled down the street, we passed a serenely content-looking man walking in the opposite direction. He gave me a big beautiful smile, and so I grinned back. 5 minutes later, as Ronner and I were sampling Rainier cherries and making our final fruit purchase, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I spin around and see the same man holding a bouquet of colorful summer flowers. "These are for you," he explained, "for sharing your smile with me and brightening an already bright day." I accepted the gift, loving how a simple, special and gentle gesture can make me glow. Let's all remember to practice random acts of kindness!

24 hrs in NYC

2008-04-19T22:38:00.000-07:00

So, exactly 10 years ago, I had tickets to Paul Simon's Broadway debut, The Capeman. The show created so much controversy it closed a few months after it opened. The last curtain fell about a week before my tickets to see it. I was crushed, especially because I think a couple of the songs are absolutely brilliant, incorporating the doo-wop sounds of the era and a combo of lyrics and melody that made my heart ache.
Happily, Paul is in residency this month at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the first week's theme was - yup - songs from the Capeman! I decided to see Saturday April 5th's show on Monday of that week, so by the time I had booked my plane tickets it was Wednesday April 2! I took a red-eye Friday night, arriving Saturday to a gorgeous spring day in Manhattan. I wandered from park to park, napping, snacking at the Union Square Farmer's Market, and enjoyed my time before the show.
Seeing those songs performed was as magical as I'd anticipated. I cried like 5 different times! Afterwards, I headed to Scratcher where I got to meet up with a few pals for late night drinks and conversation, before I had to head to the airport to fly home.
Many of you know how important Paul's music is to me - I grew up listening to Simon & Garfunkel and the meaning has just grown from there. I think I've seen him perform about 10 times over the years. My dad was the one who alerted me of Paul's month at BAM - many thanks, Dad!

Los Angeles

2008-03-25T22:53:00.000-07:00

I was in LA for the weekend...I had the best time!

Hung out with my bro the first day and got to meet his co-workers. I camped out in his cube for the day (a nice cube by the way) and we rode in the golf cart around the Universal lot at lunchtime in search of Angelina (whom he got to have lunch with a few weeks ago - I KNOW!! - can you imagine what luck?!) but alas, I was not to meet Ms. Jolie. :) We spent the night at my dad's where I watched the Namesake for like the 5th time. Damn I love that movie. I love the book even more. Speaking of which, today is the day that Jhumpa Lahiri's latest book comes out.

Saturday, I attended a bachelorette party for my friend Naceem. No details to be disclosed on this blog...ask me about it...good times.

Sunday, I hung with one of my oldest friends, Marie. Brunch on the beach with her man Fernando, a looooooooooong delicious walk on the beach with ice coffees in hand, diner food at Swingers, followed by wine at her awesome new huge dinner table (I love what having a huge dinner table symbolizes: good food and drink with even better company in your home - a crowded table, good tunes, broad smiles and full stomachs).

My Temperament?

2008-03-16T00:24:00.000-07:00

Interested in this post by Aaron from months ago, I checked out the Advisor Team website to take a little personality test. I identify with a lot of the sentiment below, what do you think?

Your Temperament is Idealist

Idealists, as a temperament, are passionately concerned with personal growth and development.
Idealists strive to discover who they are and how they can become their best possible self -- always this quest for self-knowledge and self-improvement drives their imagination. And they want to help others make the journey.
Idealists are naturally drawn to working with people, and whether in education or counseling, in social services or personnel work, in journalism or the ministry, they are gifted at helping others find their way in life, often inspiring them to grow as individuals and to fulfill their potentials.

Idealists are sure that friendly cooperation is the best way for people to achieve their goals. Conflict and confrontation upset them because they seem to put up angry barriers between people. Idealists dream of creating harmonious, even caring personal relations, and they have a unique talent for helping people get along with each other and work together for the good of all. Such interpersonal harmony might be a romantic ideal, but then Idealists are incurable romantics who prefer to focus on what might be, rather than what is. The real, practical world is only a starting place for Idealists; they believe that life is filled with possibilities waiting to be realized, rich with meanings calling out to be understood. This idea of a mystical or spiritual dimension to life, the "not visible" or the "not yet" that can only be known through intuition or by a leap of faith, is far more important to Idealists than the world of material things.

Highly ethical in their actions, Idealists hold themselves to a strict standard of personal integrity. They must be true to themselves and to others, and they can be quite hard on themselves when they are dishonest, or when they are false or insincere. More often, however, Idealists are the very soul of kindness. Particularly in their personal relationships, Idealists are without question filled with love and good will. They believe in giving of themselves to help others; they cherish a few warm, sensitive friendships; they strive for a special rapport with their children; and in marriage they wish to find a "soulmate," someone with whom they can bond emotionally and spiritually, sharing their deepest feelings and their complex inner worlds.

Idealists are rare, making up between 20 and 25 percent of the population. But their ability to inspire people with their enthusiasm and their idealism has given them influence far beyond their numbers.

2X DC

2008-03-04T23:18:00.001-08:00

In January I visited the DC area for work. I got to hang with Amanda & Bill (Burmese food followed by cupcakes at Cakelove).

Amanda and Bill, enjoying cupcakes and each other!

In February, was back in DC and got to hang with Amanda & Bill again. Keri also took the train down from NYC and spent the day with me. (Random trivia: meeting Keri is the subject of one of my oldest posts on this blog).

Keri and I

Sunday in SF

2008-03-04T23:15:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, TJ and I hung out with Aaron, Tim & Wendy. We hit Foreign Cinema for brunch, followed by XOX Truffles (they have VEGAN truffles, little imperfect handmade French lumps of goodness) and beer at Rogue. Aaron, Tim & Wendy went their own way and TJ and I had dinner at Millenium with Zoran before heading to a blues jam at Swig. Whatta day!

Hanging with some Redwoods

2008-03-04T23:04:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I hung with some Redwoods.

That made me happy.

Apologies

2008-03-04T23:03:00.000-08:00

Folks, I know, I know. It has been a long while since the last post. Those of you that have been in contact with me know I have been going through a tough time of late. So please forgive me. I'm going to try to blog through this, but know that there may be another pause or two.

Wine Tasting

2008-01-14T23:00:00.000-08:00

TJ, I, and my friend Leata did some wine tasting yesterday in Napa. We started the day with breakfast in the city at Kookez (in Leata's friendly neighborhood of Noe Valley), and then set off on a beautiful, crisp sunny day to taste some wine. Our first stop was foiled because Hess, our desired destination, was closed until Jan 16! Missed it by a few days. Bummer, but no matter because the little road to Hess was so windy, narrow and lovely! We saw cows, sheep and llamas.

We then went to Peju because I had ordered some Peju wine at a restaurant (in Montana, believe it or not!) about a year ago and LOVED it! Unfortunately, I did not like ANY of the wines I tasted at Peju this time. Bah! But what Peju lacked in wine, it made up in scenery.

Me!

After a picnic at V. Sattui (I'm a sucker for their $8 mustards!), we then headed to Rombauer (the proprietor is the great nephew of Irma Rombauer, author of the famous Joy of Cooking), where I enjoyed the Chardonnay so much we bought a bottle (and I am not typically a Chardonnay gal!).

For a few more photos, check this out: http://picasaweb.google.com/annadavda/WineTastingJan2008.

I'm back!

2008-01-01T20:09:00.000-08:00

I've posted 4 albums from my trip with some captions. I'll blog on some reflections soon, but wanted you to be able to check out my photos if you were interested!

My Grandma's Birthday Party
Mumbai 2007
Goa 2007
Singapore 2007

Enjoy!

No posts for a while

2007-12-09T20:29:00.000-08:00

I'm off to India on Wednesday morning, so I won't be posting again until 2008. I'm sure I'll have lots of stories to share when I return. I'm going with my Dad and my brother, and the agenda includes visiting family (and having a par-tay!) in Bombay, sightseeing in Goa (trance party, anyone?), and spending a couple days in Singapore on the way back.

Happy 2008 everyone!

New York!

2007-12-07T20:09:00.000-08:00

I saw so many peeps when I was in New York! I was there for work, so I did see lots of work pals as well. However, big shout outs to the following personal friends for making my entire week amazing: Rachna, Keri, Tan, Anita, Mel & Allison, Hitesh, Kisti, Dave, Naceem, & Homa!! And to Guldeniz, Mike, and Daniel -- sorry I missed you. You won't escape me next time.

Hitesh, Tan (grinding on some Mike & Ikes at 2am!) and Anita on Saturday night, en route to Cornichon (Williamsburg, Brooklyn). Just left Scratcher (East Village).

Tonight I can write

2007-11-27T22:38:00.000-08:00

I was just reading some Pablo Neruda. This one jumped out tonight.

Tonight I Can Write

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

Write, for example, 'The night is starry
and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance.'

The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.

Through nights like this one I held her in my arms.
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.

She loved me, sometimes I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.

To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.

What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is starry and she is not with me.

This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

My sight tries to find her as though to bring her closer.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.

The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.

Another's. She will be another's. As she was before my kisses.
Her voice, her bright body. Her infinite eyes.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.

Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.

Baby Photos

2007-11-25T21:34:00.000-08:00

So, for an upcoming work meeting we were asked to dig up some baby photos and share them. I'm not sure what we are going to do with them, but it was kind of fun pulling them out and taking a look. I thought I'd share them here too! :)

Interesting trivia factoid: The red couch you see in the first two pics later caught fire. (Not my doing!)

Thanksgiving Boating n'Beer!

2007-11-25T21:26:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, we visited my Dad at his new place by the Harbor and took a fun boat ride in the harbor!

The faithful crew. from left: Me, TJ, Uma, Dad, Mala, Aakash

Interesting boat we saw!

Awwww, cute. Aakash and Mala.

Dad & Uma

What else would I be for Halloween?

2007-11-19T21:49:00.001-08:00

It's about time I lived up to the old moniker, right? This year's Halloween costume was really comfy. :)

Gig Gag

2007-11-19T21:45:00.000-08:00

I found a couple fun photos from the Seattle trip that I couldn't resist posting.

Word of the day

2007-11-15T22:25:00.000-08:00

Some of you who have known me a while will remember my website from the old days -- about 1999 until 2001ish. It was sort of like a blog/facebook page, consisting of photos, what I had been up to, music interests, etc. It also featured a "word of the week" and a "quotation of the week." I remember that one of those years, I was maintaining the site from London. (ah, fondest memories...)

Anyway, I mention this only because I wanted to mention a recent word of the day. For those of you who don't know, I subscribe to A Word A Day - I think I've subscribed to this listserv for close to 10 years. I really dig it, and it is run by a person - Anu Garg! Although it has changed over the years, it has retained a personal feel to it that appeals to me.

The word of the day a couple days ago was mystagogue. For some reason, this word appeals to me, rolls off my tongue. And, even if you haven't seen this word before, you probably guess what it means! I'll leave the looking up part to you.

Thankful...

2007-11-14T22:53:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful for my friends. I totally know how lucky I am to have you. I also really appreciate you sending me emails and starting conversations based on this blog. It's nice that when we talk or see each other, we are able to discuss things rather than spend all our time "catching up" - which is usually much more of a lop-sided conversation.

Furthermore, we can talk about personal stuff...like the stuff that doesn't make it to the blog. :)

The Gig

2007-11-12T21:31:00.001-08:00

I was in Seattle for the weekend. Had dinner with Elana and Brandon (newlyweds!) and hung out with a new friend (Sam). Of course, no visit to the area is complete without going down the "The Gig!" I danced the night away with Naceem and Dave in Gig Harbor thanks to Dave's awesome music collection and impeccable drink mixing abilities. :) We cooked breakfast the next morning and had great conversation. I love Naceem & Dave - what great friends I have!

Naceem and I on the Ferry.

Naceem and I dancing while I'm on the phone.

Banana did some bikin'!

2007-11-06T17:33:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I bought a bike, which I've been wanting to do for a couple weeks now.

I biked to work today - it was awesome! I was having such a good time that I biked right by my exit (off of the trail) and did not even notice. The bummer is that since it gets dark early nowadays, I have to remember to leave work around 4:45pm. Otherwise, I'll get stuck biking in the dark. It is like pitch black by 5:15 or 5:20pm!

But it was a great feeling...I'm on a little high right now! I also drank a full glass of silk nog today at work...nice!

Still Virtuosic After All These Years...

2007-11-05T21:28:00.000-08:00

Two Sitars; Two Shankars; Three Raags; Two hours of perfection!

TJ and I went to Santa Cruz last night for the Ravi Shankar and Anoushka Shankar show. We started the night at the Saturn Cafe, where we shared a vegan bacon burger, vegan taquitos and each had organic amber ale brewed right there in Santa Cruz. Had a couple more beers at 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall (Black Butte Porter on tap!) before heading over to the Civic Theatre.

Ravi Shankar is now 87 years old. What a gifted man. He still plays with an inimitable passion.
Anoushka is 26...incredibly talented and beautiful to boot. Individually, they are unforgettable. Together, they are a freight train. You just have to shake your head and let them thunder by. I got sucked in to the music, and before I knew it, a couple hours had passed and everyone was roaring their appreciation.

Of course, after the show, we had to go back to the Saturn Cafe (which is open until 3am!) and have vegan shakes before heading home and hitting the sack.

P.S. Anoushka cut her hair.

Sip o'Silk

2007-11-05T21:27:00.000-08:00

Introduced some of my co-workers to Silk Nog today...we all had shots o' nog (yup, in shot glasses)! Everyone appreciated the beauty that is Silk Nog - yay!

SILK NOG IN THE HOUSE!

2007-11-01T13:32:00.001-07:00

Okay, if you know me at all you know of my love for Silk Nog. As far as I'm concerned, it is one of the best things about the holiday season. News flash: the kitchen at work has already begun stocking the Silk Nog for the season...LET THE NOGGIN' BEGIN!

Bridge School Benefit

2007-10-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the Bridge School Benefit! Unfortunately, Eddie Vedder didn't end up playing the show due to a family issue with the band. I was pretty bummed because I just saw Into the Wild (see previous post) and was looking forward to hearing those insane cries he utters during some of the tracks.

I did see Tom Waits with Kronos Quartet, Jerry Lee Lewis, Metallica, Neil Young, and My Morning Jacket. I also saw John Mayer but was less excited about that one.

The highlight was without a doubt Tom Waits and Kronos. I can't even describe it, but it was my first time seeing Tom perform and I was blown away. Kronos was an outstanding contribution to the performance and he even did "Day After Tomorrow" which I LOVE.

Metallica was...interesting. I think they are an amazing band and have seen them live numerous times - never been disappointed. This time, they were acoustic (as were all the acts). The first song can only be described as a train wreck, at least to me. Things picked up after that but stumbled on the third track, where they covered Garbage's "Only Happy When it Rains." I'm not a big Garbage fan so you can guess what I thought of that. However, after I accepted that this wasn't going to be a typical "huge" concert (plugged in and outta control) I dug it. You can't deny James Hetfield's vocal power - melodic yet gruff. And they did "Turn the Page," one of my favorite covers they've done and also a song that has a lot of memories attached to it for me. :)

And Neil was Neil! Had some amazing solos and played Winterlong...yeah!

I had a great night. And drank Fat Tire to boot - who can complain?!

Into the Wild

2007-10-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't read Jon Krakauer's book, but I was inspired to go see this movie today.

Eddie Vedder provides a number of original songs for the soundtrack, which are tremendous.

There are a number of beautiful moments in this movie, and questions raised for me...go see it, then give me a call or let's go out for a beer. I'm anxious to discuss...

MONDAY UPDATE: Parts of this movie haunted me all night and this morning. I woke up hearing Eddie Vedder screaming and having visions of vast Alaskan landscapes.

Washington D.C., Day 2

2007-10-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

Visited Sticky Fingers Bakery in their new location in Columbia Heights. Had a vegan chili cheese dog and vegan soft serve. It was another gorgeous day in D.C. Licking an ice cream cone on a sunny day is an incredibly satisfying feeling. I was smiling from ear to ear.

I hit an exhibit I have tried to see twice already, unsuccessfully, entitled "The Art of being Tuareg" at the African Art Museum. It was UCLA's Fowler Museum about a year ago, and I missed it, and then recently showing at Stanford, and I missed it again. The third time is a charm! Some of you may be unfamiliar with the word Tuareg, other may know it as a model of Volkswagon. However, Tuaregs are a semi-nomadic (less so now) Berber people living in West Africa. The exhibit was beautiful, and looking at fascinating examples of Tuareg clothing, jewelery, weapons and household items made me long to see them in action. Seeing something behind glass is so stark and cold; the connection with humanity is lost. At least now exhibits usually also include media, such as a short video, in which you can see items being used. Nonetheless, part of me is still that little kid wondering why we're all standing around in dim light, staring at these items behind the glass, and wishing I could touch and hold the items.

Washington D.C.

2007-10-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day in Washington D.C. -- met up with Amanda & Bill, toured the Solar Decathlon on the Mall, went to the National Portrait Gallery to see an exhibit entitled "Let Your Motto be Resistance,"** and visited the Jefferson Memorial by twilight.

We then ate at Pizzeria Paradiso - where they offer vegan pizzas w/soy cheese, and an amazing beer selection (I had the Imperial Pumpkin!).

It was so nice to see Amanda & Bill, although I made them promise that the next time I see them, I get to meet their dogs Oscar & Toby!

**from a quotation by Henry Highland Garnet advocating action: “Strike for your lives and liberties. …Let your motto be Resistance! Resistance! RESISTANCE!...”

My fifteenth quarter life crisis

2007-10-16T22:17:00.000-07:00

Okay...I am probably having what is my fifteenth quarter life crisis. Don't worry, these happen often enough where I am not a woman on the verge of anything...

So I like my job. I would even say I really like my job. I'm having the time of my life - I get to travel, I work with smart people, I love the company and the culture. I work hard. Really hard.

But, what should I really be doing? I feel like I'm still riding the procrastination train. Eventually, we'll get to the end of the line and I'll have to disembark. It's that same sinking feeling you get when you are supposed to be completing an assignment for school - you do something fun in the meantime, but you know, eventually, you are going to have to write that paper. Similarly, I think eventually I'll have to face the music and figure out what to do with myself. So shouldn't I just bite the bullet and do it now?

If only it were that easy. How do I know what I'm meant to be doing? What activity would make best use of my skills and passions? I turn this over and over in my mind and can't come up with an answer.

Sometimes, at the end of this consideration, I conclude that I must be incredibly self-absorbed to be able to spend so much time contemplating myself. And other times I think that I must not spend enough time thinking about myself since I clearly am not self-aware enough to know what I should be pursuing. Drat!

A friend of mine says that she always thought I would/should be a pediatrician. Friends, comrades...did you ever envision me in a particular calling? Send me an email and let me know...I'm all ears.

In a cave

2007-10-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

Between starting a new job, moving 3 times in the last 3 months (!), and other stuff going on, I feel like I've been holed up for a loooooooooooong summer/fall's nap. I sat down yesterday and read a magazine that I like on yoga & conscious living, and got really excited to be up here in the bay area. Now that I'm a bit more settled, I want to find a yoga teacher I like and start practicing again. I want to dive in to some of those books that have been waiting patiently for me, try all the rockin' cuisine just waiting to be sampled, and go hiking!

Of course, that will have to wait for a couple more weeks. I'm out of town for the next few weeks, and my next two projects are:
-find a bike so I can start biking the 3 1/2 miles to work (can't wait!)
-figure out what I'm going to be for Halloween.

Hairs on the back of your neck

2007-09-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

I’m driving or walking alone, sometimes an amazing song is on the car stereo or sometimes a bar from the song is just playing in my mind. I’m lost in my thoughts and all of sudden I notice it. I see something – a person, or an animal. Or a landscape. Or a farmhouse. The moment feels like the most beautiful moment ever in my life. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It’s overwhelming and amazing and sublime.

The common denominators are always some form of music, real or imagined, and being lost in my thoughts. Sometimes it happens with others, but mostly I’m alone. Are these the moments that I’m truly living and in the moment?

So, every time this happens to me, I think to myself – do we all have these moments? Well, I guess that is a silly question. I bet we all do. But they are probably triggered by different sorts of events that speak to our own personal experience. What makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up? How often does it happen?

Soul Vegetarian

2007-09-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

After I ate at the SoulVeg in D.C., Keri told me about Soul Veg in Atlanta. I finally had the opportunity to go to Atlanta this week, and had an awesome meal at SoulVegII (yup, there are two in Atlanta!) in the Virginia Highlands area. This was a very cute area by the way, with great new lofts for sale starting at 150k – I just about died! I had pepper “steak” accompanied by collard greens, mac n’ cheese, cornbread, and salad. I finished it off with homemade soy ice cream. I knew my meal would good because the one waiter in the whole place rolled up to my table, looked me in the eyes and said “Sister, are you ready to order?” :)

100% vegan, 100% comfort food, 100% satisfaction. Thanks, SoulVeg!

Life is like a box of chocolates

2007-09-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

This week in North Carolina (where, by the way, I had all the sweet tea I wanted, and was very happy about that!) I turned on the TV in my hotel after a long week, and saw that Forrest Gump was on. I proceeded to watch the second half of the movie and it brought a few things to mind:

--to me, being earnest is one of the most amazing qualities a person can have. Utter sincerity…it makes my heart so full and happy! Forrest is the epitome of that to me. I laughed, smiled and cried, and in the end, remembered how life can be so awesome.

--the brilliant job this movie does of weaving a fictional story alongside the history of our country, incorporating the politics, music, and trends of the 60s and 70s

--Tom Hanks is wonderful in that role.

Post More, Plan Less

2007-09-15T15:59:00.000-07:00

So, I’ve decided that I’m going to blog more and worry about accompanying photos less.

Part Time Vegan

2007-09-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have an announcement to make. After over 3 years of being vegan, I’ve become more flexible in my dining when I am eating out or at other people’s homes. Actually, this happened about 3-4 months ago, but as you all can see I haven’t blogged much lately.

Why? Well, mostly because I’m tired of not eating when I’m hungry but there’s no vegan food around. And I’m tired of going over to people’s homes and causing a big ruckus because they don’t know what to do with me. (Sadly, TJ and I have no vegan friends)

Being more flexible when not eating at home is definitely not a perfect solution. After eating and cooking amazing vegan food, eating something slathered in cheese because it is the only vegetarian option on a menu doesn’t taste so good or feel so good in my stomach. Don’t get me wrong -- I can certainly appreciate good cheese. I just hate it when everything vegetarian is covered in cheese -- because you can’t appreciate the taste of the vegetables and grains, everything just tastes the same (like cheese!). Also, I end up feeling incredibly heavy and lethargic afterwards.

But, as many of you know I travel a lot, and I end up eating out with lots of different people. I can confidently report that my food choices have become much easier since I’ve become more flexible when I’m out. I do like that part!

Call me a part-time vegan, call me a vegetarian who prefers to eat vegan, call me a plain ol’ vegetarian, heck, you can call me Al!

Yellowstone

2007-07-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

June was good to me - 2 weeks of vacation to the National Parks! TJ and I went to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Mt Rushmore, & Badlands. Awesome! We saw a lot of wildlife, hiked and walked a lot, canoed - overall, we enjoyed ourselves immensely!

The Tetons as seen from a canoe - aren't they majestic?

TJ and I at Mount Rushmore.

TJ exploring the Badlands

Sunset at the Badlands

Bison poop. My hand is in the photo for scale.

South Africa

2007-05-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I visited South Africa (for work) for 2 weeks in March. Before leaving, I read Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela's autobiography. What a compelling man. I highly recommend this book. I learned so much on this trip. What a beautiful country, with such a riveting history.

Aren't these trees beautiful? At sunset they look simultaneously elegant and eerie.

I stayed in a rural village for part of the trip. I've put a photo of the homestead below.

Market

Zebra, on the game drive.

A Bike ride in Oceanside!

2007-05-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

TJ and I took a short (5 miles) bike ride in Oceanside that ended up at these cliffs and the beach. Before the return trip, we sat on a bench overlooking the ocean, ate our sandwiches, and admired the dolphins gracefully "surfing" the waves. Check out TJ's mini mohawk from the bike helmet! :)

Naya

2007-05-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

Okay folks, I know I haven't posted in a loooooooooong time. So I'm going to make it up to you by adding several posts right now!
The first is on Naya. As you may know I've been volunteering at the animal shelter. Naya is a shelter dog who has been adopted (yay!) but her new family can't take her for a little while. She was getting really stressed out at the shelter, so another volunteer and I decided to be foster families. TJ and I take her Fri - Mon, and the other volunteer takes her Mon - Friday. So I have a furry friend on the weekends!
Here she is:

Griffith Observatory Reopens!

2007-01-13T21:28:00.000-08:00

A little out of order, but I'm finally posting about our visit to the Griffith Observatory over the holidays. If you are in the LA area, go check it out. It just reopened after 4 years of closure and construction. Pretty impressive place.

The observatory was a favorite destination for me during college. I'd go there to be alone, and enjoy the lights of LA from above. I also went many a time to watch the Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin laserium shows. And finally, I organized a fun party bus ride up there for Naceem & Homa's birthdays in 2001.

Here's a shot of the observatory.

The sky was amazing the evening we were there. I'm no photographer, so this shot doesn't capture quite how awesome the cityscape is from up there, nor does it convey how fiery the sky was. Consider this just a little peek.

Here's my brother and I.

Sailing into 2007

2007-01-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been a while since my last post. I actually took some photos at Griffith Observatory about a week ago, but haven't gotten them up here yet. Will do soon.
My cousins Aaron and Anita visited the weekend of New Year's, and Aaron captained a 27' boat with 6 passengers around San Diego Bay. What an amazingly beautiful day. Winds were a little light, but no matter. We had snacks, good company, and good tunes.

TJ

Ahmed

Aaron at the helm, and his friend David to the left

Me and Anita

Silknog sunset

2006-11-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Keri, around this time last year I was introduced to the wonders of Silknog. I was in New Jersey then, so the leaves had falled, the weather was getting cold, and warm silknog with rum was gracing my mugs and glasses.
This year, I'm in San Diego, and the weather is quite a bit warmer (high by the beach today of 78 degrees), but Silknog has still settled into its rightful space on the top shelf of my fridge. I'm usually a Scrooge when it comes to seasonal items coming out before Thanksgiving, but for the Silknog, I make an exception. It can come as early as it likes!

Stuffed Red Chard

2006-11-01T17:28:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd share the awesome feast we made from our organic farm ingredients (see post on community supported agriculture). This is stuffed red chard, ready to get baked in the oven. Filling included bulghar wheat, currants, and lots of delicious veggies. Yummy!

A Gig Harbor good time!

2006-10-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

We visited Naceem and Dave in their new home in Gig Harbor, WA. How exciting!! They live in a beautiful place with an awesome backyard o'trees.

Here's us in our annual brunch tradition, out on the deck. The menu included coffee, orange juice, waffles with fresh fruit, and vegetarian apple sausage - delish! Here's us, ready to eat. As you can see, I'm wearing my new woodie shirt (see previous post).

Woodie Heaven!

2006-09-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the Wavecrest Woodies event in Encinitas, the city we live in. We woke up early and took a jog down to the beach, and noticed all these amazing woodies and people getting set up for the day. We decided to come back mid-day to participate in the festivities, and I'm so glad that we did! There were over 200 woodies there, each really cool and unique. I took a few photos - see how shiny and fabulous they are?!

I loved the old school luggage on the top of this one. The inside also had antique lunch boxes and other memorabilia.

Really diggin the Bruin blue on this one, and the wood surfboard on the top!

This one was definitely one of my favorites. Love the two-tone wood, the shape and the shiny maroon paint job!

Here's Teej with his one of his favorite woodies from the event.

A closeup of the same car's engine. Teej saw this car being towed in to Encinitas a couple days before - guess they didn't want to drive it before display, so that everyone could admire the shiny engine!

And here's me after the festival, enjoying a yummy shave ice from the Hawaiian restaurant on D Street.

Community Supported Agriculture

2006-09-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

TJ and I joined a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program at Be Wise Organic Farm. Basically, you prepay each quarter, and then go weekly or biweekly and pick up your produce. This way, you get fresh, organic, local fruits and vegetables at reasonable prices. And, you are always eating in season. So far, it has been a success. We have enjoyed amazing heirloom tomatos, chard, pears, kale, carrots, and much more. We took a picture of the salad we had with dinner last night to show you all the lovely organic eats we get.

Wish you were here...

2006-08-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well, we are still trying to settle in to our new place. We finally have patio furniture, though, thanks to some hand-me-downs from my dad. Finally our deck doesn't look so empty, and we can sit and comfortably watch the sunset. We're 5 blocks from the water, so it's great - we walk to the beach, bike to the farmer's market, and can walk to the community park that has grass for playing frisbee and tennis courts. Here's a shot of the sunset from our deck. This is your invitation to come visit and sip drinks on our deck. TJ might even grill you a veggie burger. See you soon!

Montreal

2006-07-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

Eek! I'm sorry it has been so long since my last post. But I have been busy! I moved from New Jersey back to Los Angeles, and began the job search for positions in the San Diego area. I then found a job, found an apartment in San Diego, moved to San Diego, and 4 days after I moved I flew to Vermont for job training. Now I've been in Vermont for about 3 weeks and am going back to San Diego tomorrow. Whew! Boxes and messes await in the apartment. In any case, one weekend while in Vermont my friend Keri and I roadtripped up to Montreal. She used to live there, and took me to some great restaurants, including an ice cream parlor which serves regular ice cream and yes, you guessed it, soy ice cream!! I was so excited I got a double scoop. Here's the very happy me right before I devoured the ice cream. Keri wimped out and only got a single scoop. :)

Barcelona, Day 4

2006-05-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

This day began as all others, with coffee at our outdoor cafe. We went our separate ways, with Keri attending an exhibit on Post-Capitalism at a Museum on Los Ramblas, and I braving the crowds at the Picasso Museum to catch a glimpse of Picasso's early work. My favorites included his "naughty" sketches and his cubist interpretations of Velasquez's Las Meninas.

We met up later to go to the beach together, and ended the evening with dinner at Vegetalia and drinks at a couple different bars, including Siddaharta, which has a lovely "red" thing goin' and the most enormous hookah I've ever seen!

The true highlight of this day though, was after our drinks, as we meandered back for our last slumber in Barcelona. We began to hear strains of "My Funny Valentine" on trumpet and saxophone. We began to follow the sound, weaving in and our of the tiny cobblestone streets of the old city, until we found ourselves near the Cathedral, where we saw 2 young men playing their instruments. We settled down on the street to observe, loving the cavernous sound of the music echoing in the stone. They then did a stunning interpretation of "All Blues" followed by other tunes.

Keri had her audio recording equipment with her, and afterwards we listened to part of it - gorgeous! The photos are a bit dark, but I think they convey the eerie, romantic, 2am feeling well. You may have to click on them to make them larger to actally be able to see.

Ghostly light

They arrived on bike

Cathedral

Barcelona, Day 3

2006-05-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

Monday was the day of Gaudi mania! We started at the Park Guell, built in the early 20th century, with candyland type design:

and stunning mosaics.

Next was La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's unfinished church that is the world's most visited contruction site. It is still very much under contruction, and entrance fees are considered donations toward the construction of the monument. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

Construction

Passion Facade

Front Side

"The architect of the future will build imitating nature, because it is the most rational, long-lasting, and economical of all methods"

Stained Glass

Barcelona, Day 2

2006-05-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

We started our morning at a cafe where we would enjoy coffee each subsequent morning, next to La Boqueria, from which fresh oranges were purchased to squeeze orange juice to order. I lke how the orange juice matches Keri's sweatshirt!

We then headed over to the Esglesia Catedral de la Santa Creu, to catch the traditional Catalan dance, the Sardana, which is performed outside the Catedral each Sunday after mass.

Next was the Parc de la Citadella, where we rented paddle boats in the lake, and sat at an outdoor cafe admiring Gaudi's Cascada Fountain.

Coffee and churros at the famous Cafe de l'opera

The night was completed a Casa Almirall, Barcelona's oldest bar, with Absinthe and conversation.

Barcelona, Day 1

2006-05-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

Before I moved back to California, my neighbor and friend Keri and I took a quick jaunt to Barcelona, Spain! What a marvelous spectacle of colors, sounds, tastes and sights. After dumping our stuff at our hostel, we set out to explore nearby Las Ramblas and La Boqeria, an amazing fruit, vegetable and meat market.
Here is a shot of one of the myriad fruit stands. Yes, it really looked THIS GOOD!

Here is an interesting new fruit I tried - dragonfruit!

Spring - finally here!

2006-04-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

After some bouts of confusion, I can finally report that spring has arrived in New Jersey. Today, I visited the Rutgers Gardens, a lovely part of the Rutgers campus that I have been wanting to see since I arrived. Unfortunately, since I do not have a car, I could not go there before. No bus goes there, and one truly cannot walk there (ah, New Jersey!). Believe me, I have tried. Unfortunately, the road turns to highway, and one (okay, me!) fears for their life when walking on this highway. And - that is the ONLY way to the garden! Unbelieveable.

But today I had the Zipcar and was able to pay the Gardens a visit. They are beautiful - all the flowers were in bloom, and the scent of lilac was unbelieveable. My favorite trees were the Carolina Silverbell, and the Smoke Tree (Royal Purple). Sorry, I did not have my camera today.

But, I did get a few shots of the beginnings of spring in early April. One morning, I was walking to work and found that the trees on Somerset Street had erupted into blossoms. Or rather, half had, and half were deciding to hibernate a bit longer. Here's the contrast:
Sleeping...

And awake! (these photos were taken the same day, of trees right next to each other).

The thing with spring here on the east coast is - after looking at bare branched trees for month, the blooms really are nothing short of a miracle - and such a welcome song of color.
Finally, here's another beautiful tree from my route to work.

My birthday - a week of coolness!

2006-04-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

My birthday this year was sandwiched in between some really fun events - seeing Asha Bhosle (famous Bollywood singer, now 73 but with the same sweet voice) and Kronos Quartet together on stage at Carnegie Hall, seeing Sesame Street Live right here in New Brunswick, attending a Friday night poetry slam at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, and watching Best of the Best at New York City Center, a dance (bhangra, garba, and fusion styles) competition. Sorry, no pics from the latter three events, but I do have a few pics to share from the Asha show.

Here's Asha when she first arrived on stage.

Here's Asha with Kronos in the second portion of her performance, after a sari change!

It was a wonderful show, and she was quite the perfomer, even heckling the members of Kronos a bit!

Little Bro comes to town

2006-03-21T17:57:00.000-08:00

My brother Aakash came to town for the weekend. We spent Saturday and Sunday in New York. Saturday was spent participating in the protest marking the third anniversary of the US entering Iraq. Highlights of the protest included an individual dressed as Dick Cheney, posing as a puppeteer and literally pulling the strings attached to another individual dressed as George Bush. "Bush" had a ripped constitution which he would occasionally stand on, the world on a string, and a bottle of motor oil that he would occasionally drink from. Here is a shot of the duo - sorry it's a bit blurry.

Here's my brother at the protest.

And, finally, my favorite sign of the day; simplicity says it best.

Of course, I took my brother to Babycakes (see previous post!) before we headed home.

Sunday was spent in the city: shopping, pawing through CDs, chilling over coffee, and having dinner at Angelica's Kitchen before heading to Brooklyn to South Paw to catch Sam Prekop.

Sunny Saturday

2006-03-11T17:22:00.000-08:00

What a Saturday - the temperature hit 70 degrees, and in early March! My cousin Anita was visiting, and we both ventured to the city without even bringing our jackets!
We attended the Left Conference at Cooper Union, and ducked out of the afternoon sessions so that we could enjoy the amazing day.
We wandered, then lounged in Washington Square Park, where we happened on a beautiful moment: four or five middle-aged men had gathered together to play guitar and accordion, and sing. They were a spirited group, and we delighted in their rendition of "In the Midnight Hour."

We then made the obligatory pilgrimage to Babycakes, the best cupcakes in Manhattan. Actually, they might be the best cupcakes I've ever had!
After dinner with friends, we had drinks at the Bourgeois Pig. I had a glass of the "Attitude" Pinot Noir, a fitting drink for a dark, red-lit basement bar with funky furniture and a fabulous soundtrack - Tom Waits and Ella Fitzgerald, while we were there. Here's a shot of the counter above the lounge chair I was reclining on. I have this thing for candelabras.

Weekend in Philly

2006-02-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

'Twas a cold weekend, that second weekend in February, but Teej and I adventured down to Philly anyway. We toured Independence Hall and visited the Liberty Bell. We ate Afghan cuisine, and drank with good company (Keri, Anand, Hitesh, Gagan) at the Nodding Head. We walked around Saturday as it began to snow. And: we awoke Sunday morning to see everything covered in over a foot of that curious snow stuff. It was beautiful! Check out the wonderlandish bikes in this photo!

Another cool site we saw was Mother Bethel Church - they had some of the most amazing stained glass I've ever seen. This picture doesn't do it justice - if in Philly, definitely take a peek. It is also interesting because it is longest-owned land by African Americans in all of Philadelphia.

Cooking in Los Angeles

2006-01-23T17:25:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I was in Los Angeles visiting TJ, and we decided to do something we hadn't done in a while, but love doing together - cook! We chose a vegetable french cassoulet with white beans (yum!). The appetizers were french bread (of course!) and marcona almonds, accompanied by a chardonnay we picked up when we were tasting in Napa a couple weeks ago. Miraculously, I found a chardonnay I liked - I'm a red kinda girl (just take a look at all my white shirts, and my messy love for red wine is no secret) - so we snatched it up to enjoy. But I must say - the dessert rocked! We made a truffle pie (chocolate and peanut butter). The recipe was from Sinfully Vegan, a dessert cookbook TJ's sister Misty bought us. WOW! It was better than it looks. Here's TJ holding the masterpiece!

Niagara Falls: Ice Wine

2006-01-16T15:14:00.000-08:00

I recently read about ice wine, which is a dessert wine made from grapes allowed to remain on the wine until after the first frost. The frost of course freezes the grape. We visited the Inniskillin and Pillitiri wineries, and at Inniskillin, we were given an opportunity to taste the frozen grapes from the vine. Here's a shot of the grape vines. Click on the photo to blow it up and see the myriad grapes!

Niagara Falls: Buddhist Temple

2006-01-15T20:47:00.000-08:00

We happened upon a cool temple while driving around Niagara. A lot of really dramatic statues situated outdoors. I loved the look of this one, so serene amidst the lingering snow from the previous day's storm.

The temple's vehicle (I called it the Zen-mobile) was also extra cool - painted on all sides, so I got a couple of shots of that as well.

Niagara Falls: Falls by Day

2006-01-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

Sunday was our day to check out the falls during the day. Here's a shot of the omnipresent rainbow (due to the constant mist).

And here are some close-ups.

Niagara Falls: Falls at Night

2006-01-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

I was off to spend the weekend the weekend with my cousin Nina in Toronto. I was supposed to arrive at 9pm on Friday night, but with flight delays, I didn't end up arriving until 1am! Nina faithfully picked me up in the wee hours of the morning, bounded out of the car, announcing that she had a friend with her in the car, and that we were off to Niagara! We arrived in Niagara around 2:30am and went directly to the falls. To our dismay, the lights are turned off at midnight, so we instead retired to a hotel. The next night, however, we made it a point to check out the falls by moonlight (a full moon, no less!). Here are my cousin and I in front of the falls.

Here's a few of the falls from the Skylon Tower. A little eerie in the floodlights, isn't it!

Virginia/D.C.

2006-01-08T20:17:00.001-08:00

This weekend I visited my friend Ruhi in Falls Church, VA. I had a great weekend, including one day spent in D.C. If you caught my September post on D.C. (which was my first visit there) you saw that the highlights of my trip included a visit to Ella's Woodfired Pizza, which offers all of its pizzas with vegan soy cheese. Ruhi and I ate a delicious lunch of piping hot pizza there on a cold Saturday afternoon. Here's a picture of us, satisfied after our meal. Notice the pizzas on the wall behind us.

Another highlight of my trip from September was a visit to Sticky Fingers Bakery, a vegan bakery also in D.C. I told Ruhi even before I arrived that this was one place that I HAD to revisit. So, I dragged her over there, and I bought some treats. We shared a mint brownie which was delicious, and later in the evening, we shared a "Little Devil" which I liken to an adult ding-dong. I had also bought two of their famous sticky buns, which we saved until the next morning, and warmed in the oven to enjoy with our coffee. Here they are, for your viewing pleasure. They were even better than they look!

I visited the Smithsonian Air and Space museum on this trip, where I got to see lots of interesting things, like a test Lunar Module, the "Spirit of St. Louis" (Charles Lindbergh's plane) and the red beauty pictured below, whihc is the very plane Amelia Earhart flew across the Atlantic.

Ruhi's apartment has a great view of the Washington Monument and the Capitol from afar, which looks really dramatic at night (sorry, I forgot to take a picture at night). You may want to click on this one to see it a bit bigger.

All in all, a great weekend, with lots of catching up, chatting, and good eats! Thanks for a great weekend Ruhi!

Portland

2006-01-03T19:12:00.000-08:00

TJ and I visited Portland just prior to the New Year. Portland is such a great city with awesome public transportation (yay, no cars!) and really nice people.

Highlights including vegan donuts at Voodoo donut, and vegan biscuits and gravy and corn cakes at Vita Cafe. Oh, and don't forget the tofu scamble and FRESH orange juice at Bijou Cafe. Browsing in Powell's bookstore (beyond huge) and around Food Fight, Portland's very own vegan grocery store, made me very happy!

Portlandia on 5th avenue, protecting the city.

Classical Chinese Garden, in the middle of downtown Portland.

San Diego

2005-11-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

Sunday was a lovely day in San Diego, where Teej and I visited some of our favorite spots, including Balboa Park, All Vegan, and awesome restaurants Sipz, Stephanie's Bakery and Cilantro Live!. I also got to visit with my friend Suki, pictured below.

The Cousin Reunion

2005-11-08T14:08:00.000-08:00

This weekend I roadtripped to Pittsburgh for a cousin reunion. My brother Aakash and I, and our cousins Aaron and Anita used to be inseparable during summers when we were young. Our relationships have drifted a bit since then, so this weekend was all about hanging out again. Aaron drove down from Cleveland, Aakash flew in from LA, and I drove in from New Jersey. We all invaded Anita's apartment for the weekend. Festivities included seeing the Bog People, walking around in Frick Park amongst beautiful fall leaves, and Sunday brunch at Zenith.

The cousins in Frick Park

The cousins in front of Zenith.

Aren't the cousins cool?

The Halloween Parade

2005-10-31T14:19:00.000-08:00

There is an annual parade in Greenwich Village (NYC) that is rumored to be the best Halloween party on this coast. So, I decided I had to check it out. There were people spilling onto every sidewalk and street - I could not believe it! I saw some pretty cool costumes, but this guy definitely won my "best makeup" award.

Washington Crossing

2005-10-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

Teej and I visited Washington Crossing while he was visiting. Thie is where Washington crossed the Delaware River on December 25, 1776. It's a beautiful park, especially in the fall. We crossed the river into Pennsylvania, where we enjoyed hot spiced cider and I annoyed Teej by asking silly questions like "The river isn't that wide - why didn't they just swim across?" This incensed TJ, as he pointed to the exhibitions of cannons in the visitor's center: "With those?!" he replied.

The next day we went to the Brooklyn Museum for an amazing exhibit on Edward Burtynsky recommended by Daniel. It's there until January, so if you can - go check it out! Afterward we took a quick spin around Prospect Park, and it was a really beautiful time of day, where the leaves were absolutely glowing.

Liberty and Cheesesteaks

2005-10-24T05:38:00.000-07:00

I awoke on a rainy Saturday morning and decided to hop on the train and visit Philadelphia. I had been there once, about ten years ago, but didn't see much except the University of Pennsylvania and taste test Geno's and Pat's (rivals that are across the street from each other) cheesesteaks. Of course, I no longer fancy real cheesesteaks, so an entirely different itinerary was planned for the day. I started off at the Independence Mall, where I saw the Liberty Bell live and in person!

The Liberty Bell

After touring Congress Hall, I also saw Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written (but only from the outside, as all the tour tickets were gone for the day).

Independence Hall

I then proceeded to JFK Plaza ("Love Park") to see Robert Indiana's "LOVE" sculpture. It was cool that I could see the reflection of the sculpture in the slick concrete (see picture).

Love Statue

JFK Plaza is kitty corner to City Hall, so I also saw City Hall, looming into the gray foggy sky.

City Hall

On my way to have some dinner, I passed by a Tower Records. If you know me well, you know I couldn't resist popping in and having a listen to some CDs. Of course, I can lose myself for quite some time browsing about and listening here and there, and I did just that. I also didn't get out of there without buying something. Saturday's purchase was a double CD, Paul van Dyk's "The Politics of Dancing 2". I then headed over to Gianna's Grille for a killer vegan cheesesteak (eat your heart out, Geno & Pat!) and picked up some cupcakes to go.

Gianna's

Cupcakes

Turn! Turn! Turn!

2005-10-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Though the leaves have already turned in New England, the buggers are just beginning to catch fall fever here in New Jersey. Since I'm a native Californian, I'm observing the color changes with wide eyes.
I thought I'd share the beginning of the color change with everyone. I'm going hiking this weekend, so I hope to have some more dramatic pictures to share with you soon. These are just from my walk to work this morning.

The color is just beginning to lick the fingers of the tree branches here.

I like this little tree because it shows a lovely progression of red, amber and green...you can really see the transition of colors nicely.

This tree is across the street from my work...this red looks really lovely in the mid-day sunlight. This shot was taken at about 8:30am.

The Village on a Thursday

2005-10-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

Last night I decided to hop the train to New York to catch a musician, Mike Errico, I've been wanting to see live since I saw him live in Los Angeles. I decided to grab some dinner at Kate's Joint in the east village, a place with lots of good vegetarian and vegan eats. My dessert was an AMAZING "cheesecake." On the way to the Living Room to catch Mike's set, I saw this on Ludlow Street. It caught my fancy, so I took a photo (I borrowed Teej's digital camera for a little while, so I can document my life).

In fact, there's actually a website about this Shampoozled business. Weird... I'm not totally certain what it is.
I got to the living room and caught Mike's set. Mike has this amazing HUGE soulful voice. Stream his music at his website, www.errico.com.

Mike Errico - sorry the picture is blurry. I never said I was a great photographer!

Brunch

2005-10-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Keri hosted a brunch for me and her friend from work. I was in charge of the hash browns, and Keri made vegan biscuits and "sausage" gravy. Delicious! Coffee and orange juice completed the hours-long brunch, which was perfect for a chilly Sunday morning/afternoon.

Keri with her rockin' gravy boat, and me with the plate of biscuits (believe it or not, these were the leftovers - the three of us ate about that much before the picture was taken!).

My empty plate, after a large serving of hash browns, and 4 biscuits and gravy (I overloaded my poor tummy!).

Cousins are friends

2005-10-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

I love this drawing. You can find it on a kids shirt at www.feelgoodtees.com

This is Anita (my cousin) and I's version of this: "Cousins are friends!"

Washington D.C.

2005-10-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

Teej and I wanted to participate in the anti-war demonstration that was to take place on Sat Sept 24, so we headed down on Friday morning since neither of us had been to D.C. We got there shortly after noon, and headed to Java Green, a vegetarian/vegan coffee shop and lunch place. We then walked from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capital, (2 miles) stopping at the Vietnam Memorial, Korean War Memorial, the new WWII memorial, the National Gallery sculpture garden, and the Washington Monument. It was a hot day, so we were pretty tired at that point.

Teej and I, Washington Monument in background

Washington Monument with an awesome sky

For dinner we went to Soul Veg, a vegan soul food place near Howard University. Mac N'Cheese is their speciality, and man, it is GOOD! We then headed up to the Baltimore area to visit with Bill, a friend I hadn't seen in 5 years (and Teej had never met). It was great to catch up. If only Bill's wife Amanda (also a friend I haven't seen in 5 years) was around, it would have been perfect. But I'll get to see her soon.

The next day was the protest, which was so inspiring. 100,000+ people out there with their energy and belief in a better and more peaceful world. Afterward we went to Ella's woodfired pizza, whereyou can get any of their pizzas with vegan soy cheese. We had some yummy pizza, and decided to be mellow for the rest of the day, but first stopped by Sticky Fingers, a totally vegan bakery, to pick up vegan soft serve, a delicious ding-dong type treat, and sticky buns for the next morning. We also picked up cupcakes for Amanda and Bill to enjoy.

This was one of my favorite signs - revived from the Vietnam war protests.

Anyone recognize Teej's sideburns? :)

Sunday was spent exploring and volunteering at the Green Festival, an annual festival that started in San Francisco (this was its 2nd year in D.C.) dedicated to social justice, sustainable living/economy, and ecological balance. This is an amazing event!

Pittsburgh

2005-09-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

Keri and I road tripped to Pittsburgh for the weekend to visit my cousin Anita. We arrived late Friday night so we just spend some time chatting and eating concord grapes (YUM!) before retiring for the evening. I woke up Saturday morning and was hanging out with Anita's cat Fred when what appeared to be Fred's purr began to freak me out. (It was REALLY LOUD) I became convinced Fred was having a problem, but Anita was still asleep. What to do? Fred began using my foot as a scratching post, and I was increasingly convinced that Fred was trying to tell me something about what was happening to him. Call it an early morning brain fart - I know it sounds crazy now, but it seemed totally rational at the time. I got him to follow me into the kitchen and I pushed his water bowl toward him. Eventually he stopped the racket, and my blood pressure decreased a bit. He later made the noise again, and luckily Anita was awake, and assured me that no, that thing that sounded like a sputtering motor was actually Fred's normal purr. I was then able to relax!

Fred

We headed to the quiet storm, a coffee shop, cafe, and music venue for some yummy tofu paninis and I had a vegan lemon ginger milk shake. We then did a bit of shopping (Anita bought me a scarf and I bought her a necklace) at 10,000 villages and Casablanca, and then headed to Penn's colony, an outdoor festival/fair where local artists/craftspeople sell their wares while dressed in Dutch colonial gear. We then checked out the Point Park (on the river) before getting wine to take to a BYOB ethiopian restaurant, where Anita's boyfriend as well as her co-worker/friend joined us.

The Park

Anita and Keri at the park

At dinner (I'm wearing the new scarf, and Anita's wearing the new necklace!)

Before going to bed, we watched "Pink Floyd in Pompeii" which was CRAZY and amazing. The next morning, Anita took us to a vegan/vegetarian place called Zenith on the South Side. It is also an antique store. This place had an incredible brunch. I had banana french toast, and lots of vegan cakes and pie and essentially had to be rolled out of the place. We decided a brief walk was in order before getting in the car to drive back to New Jersey, or otherwise we'd have had to stop for coffee 10 times. We walked around the South Side, admiring the attractive architecture, before setting off for New Jersey.

Seattle

2005-09-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

Seattle over labor day weekend was non-stop fun. Teej and I both arrived in Seattle Friday afternoon (Teej from LA and I from New Jersey) within 20 minutes of each other and immediately jumped in our friend Dave's car. We headed home, our other friend Naceem arrived (Naceem and Dave are lovebirds), and we feasted on vegan burgers before heading off to a park on the Sound for a little walk and sight-seeing. We then headed to gasworks, where we could see the twinkling city lights and boats on the water.

We saw a ferry coming in on our walk

The next stop was Dilettantes, which I discovered on my first trip to Seattle last May, for some delicious premium hot chocolate and browsed a nearby record store before retiring for the evening. We awoke Saturday morning and made waffles in Dave's vintage waffle iron with fresh berries and crazy syrups - including marionberry, and other delicious options.

the waffles

We then went to nearby Cafe Fiore, which Dave and Naceem had been raving about, and tasted what the fuss was all about - delicious, smooth organic coffee. Sufficiently caffeinated, we were off to Bumbershoot, which was a concert that was happening all weekend long (it happens every Labor Day) and enjoyed hearing Mavis Staples, comedian Mike Birbiglia (who we saw perform for the first time in New York 2 years ago - he is HILARIOUS if you ever have the chance to see him), and Trey Anastasio. We also went up to the top of the Space Needle.

Sunday morning we made the obligatory pilgrimage to Mighty-O donuts, a donut shop that is totally vegan and AWESOME! (Another place I had discovered in Seattle last May). We then answered the inner rock stars trying to get out at the Experience Music Project, a totally interactive music museum where you can learn to play and experiment on real musical instruments, learn to mix, record vocals, and also check out an amazing Bob Dylan exhibit (limited time only - if you are a fan, get thee to Seattle - you won't be disappointed!). They also have a special stage where you and your friends can pretend you are rock stars (fake crowd, costumes, and everything!) and sing/play instruments. Teej, Dave, Naceem and I loved it so much we did it twice! We now have posters and DVDs (and concert tickets) proving that our two short-lived bands really did exist and most definitely ROCKED! Ask me the next time I see you to play you the DVD of our rousing renditions of "Wild Thing" and "I love Rock n'Roll" After our sold-out, give-it-all-ya-got performance, we were understandably famished, so we ate yummy Thai food at Golden Singha, a nearby restaurant, and then headed to the Eliott Bay Bookstore - a HUGE bookstore you could get lost in for hours. We then drifted into a place called the New Orleans, where there was a full jazz band (at least 15 people) playing awesome music. We danced a bit, ate jambalaya, and had some strong spirits including "Swampwater."After filling ourselves generously with food and drink, we had the great idea of taking a late night tour of the University of Washington campus, where we met some just-graduated students who gave us a campus tour, and before heading back home we ran into a family of raccoons creeping across the campus. Teej tried totake a picture of one of them, and the picture looks like a cartoon -- it is pitch black, except for two eyes reflecting the flash. On Monday morning we relived our 15 minutes of fame by watching our two DVDs before heading to breakfast at the Blue Star. Teej and I shared a delicious tofu scramble. We visited the Fremont Troll., and then headed to Pike's Place market.

The troll, Anna, and Teej

At Pike's, I saw the most gorgeous bunches of flowers available that I have EVER seen - for $12-15 you could get an ENORMOUS assortment. I laughed when remembering this a week later, while walking around New York City and seeing that for the same $15, I could get like 3 flowers and some springs of filler. We then visited an awesome collectively-owned bookstore called Left Bank Books, and grabbed a quick drink/snack at Rock Bottom before Teej and I had to head to the airport. It was an AMAZING weekend - thanks Naceem and Dave!

Lucinda Williams

2005-08-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

Lucinda Williams came to New Brunswick in August. I was introduced to Lucinda a few years ago, and I must say, her album World Without Tears blew me away! Imperfect, dirty, and rockin. A great album. And she rocked in concert...yeah!

The Jersey Shore

2005-08-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

One Saturday afternoon, I decided to see for myself what this "Jersey shore" everyone talked about was. I hopped on the train, and decided to get off in Belmar, mainly because I had heard about a vegan restaurant there, so I knew I'd have some good eats after a day at the beach. Once I got off the train, I stopped at a coffee shop called Coffee Blue. This coffee shop was a bit confused (but in a good way). How, you ask? Well, it thought it was a bar! Upon entering from the blazing outdoor sun, it takes a few moments for your eyes to adjust to the really dim interior. And, the first thing you see is a loooooooooong bar with barstools and a barista behind it. The chalkboard behind the bar, instead of boasting the freshest microbrew offerings, instead details the coffee drinks available, but reminds you of the"one-drink minimum" (funny huh?). I loved this place, because beyond the bar were tons of comfy couches, local art on the walls, and a really mellow atmosphere. I then spent time at the beach, surprised by the fact that you have to pay to get on the beach in Jersey, unless you wait until the gatekeepers go home around 4:30, at which point you can sun for free (if you know me well, you can guess which one I did!). It was a really lovely time at the beach, and the beach homes all around had huge porches. Maybe I can rent one for a month next summer; wouldn't that be great?!
In the next couple of weeks, I visited another town on the Jersey Shore a couple times. Point Pleasant, a bit further south, hosts concerts on the sand every Wednesday night in the summertime. People flock from near and far, bringing dinner, wine, candles and beach chairs to enjoy the music and beautiful evenings and nights on the beach. I was lucky enough to be there for two different Wednesday concerts, which were magical experiences.

The Namesake

2005-08-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

I recently read The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. I highly recommend this amazing book. Lahiri wrote The Interpreter of Maladies, a collection of short stories that won the Pulitzer Prize. However, the The Namesake blows Maladies out of the water! She has such beauty in her writing. This book really spoke to me.

Yay for Tomatoes

2005-08-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

My co-worker, Marcela, brought me to her home in New Brunswick at lunch one day, after seeing my eyes light up when she told me about her garden, and how her tomatoes were going crazy! Now, I was picturing a small area, with a few tomato plants and maybe a few other herbs. I was totally not prepared for what I found - a garden with hundreds of tomatoes (romas, steak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes), huge bunches of basil and mint, eggplants, humongous cucumbers, zucchinis, bell peppers. Wow! I am inspired for a garden of my own one day! Marcela then saw the excited wriggling little kid I had turned into and presented me with a straw basket. She let me fill it to my heart's content with vegetables and herbs, and sent me home with a full basket...lucky me!

Teej's visit

2005-07-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

When TJ visited me in July, we visited Sacred Chow, a vegan tapas place in Greenwich Village. If you are in the NYC area, you must go during happy hour. This place rocks!

Afterward we met our friends Marie and Renzo for dinner at Franchia on Park Ave, and headed over to watch Chicago. It was good, but not great. My recommendation - save a boatload of money and rent the movie - it is awesome. Teej's 26th birthday was spent at Gobo in New York City, a vegan restaurant with delicious spinach and soy-cheese wontons...and an even more delicious dessert - their version of a Napolean - they brought it out with a candle nestled in it to recognize Teej's birthday. We shared a bottle of wine and chatted. What a lovely time!

Coincidence?

2005-07-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

I met a girl who lives in my building, Keri. Here's the crazy part - we both went to UCLA for our Master's degrees at the same time, but didn't know each other. Keri even had friends that lived in the apartment building that Teej and I lived in, whom she visited regularly, but we never met then either! Here's the kicker. We were both in Northern California in March 2005, and she had dinner with a girl I was rooming with and she even came into our motel room for a couple minutes when I was there, but we didn't really remember each other until we pieced this together last month. We were destined to meet!

Toilet seat covers and Dunkin Donuts...an unlikely combination

2005-07-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

New Jersey doesn't seem to be as excited about toilet seat covers as California is. I hardly ever see toilet seat covers in bathrooms. In California you get so used to seeing them everywhere. However: one thing New Jersey does seem to be excited about is Dunkin' Donuts...these are EVERYWHERE! And you always see people walking about with coffee from there...not only are they everywhere, but they are crowded and popular. I've been told that it is an east coast thing...they love their DD!