new york... finally!

sorry for the delay... i've been quite busy.

this past summer (specifically at the end of july), i actually went on a summer vacation. it was the first real one since 2009. i went to new york for a wedding and a summer break. new york is not ideal for a summer vacation as it is excruciatingly hot. definitely not the weather for two spoiled, girly californians. i had a wedding to go to in lewiston, upstate new york. my dear dear muffin was getting hitched. and my lovely cousin came as my date.
lewiston is next to niagara falls. and we were very excited about seeing the falls. it was quite humid and cloudy at first, but the sun eventually came out and it was beautiful. we went on one of the tours and our bus broke down in the middle of the tour even though they promised we'd be through with the tour in time to get to the hotel and get ready for the rehearsal dinner. during the tour, we ran into ness and tahu who i haven't seen in ages! they too were coming for the wedding. if you look closely (or just click on the image with the terrapin point horseshoe falls sign) at the picture on the left, you'll see ness with her little ones and tahu walking along.
we eventually left the tour before it was over. at least we saw most of the sights.
the wedding was fabulous and conveniently located across the street from the hotel we were staying at. the after party was also a lot of fun. it was at a bar outside of the reception and next to the lake. the next day, debbie and i left for new york city. and the lovely bride and groom left for france very soon after.

hello! is it me you're looking for?

i can see it in my eyes
i can see it in my smile
you're all i've ever wanted... i ♥ you

my baby's first concert!

venue: great american music hall
artist: thao & mirah, bobby & led to sea
who: chunky & ashley
when: 23 june 2011 (thursday)
doors open at 7p

i finally got the opportunity to take my niece to her first concert. we've been talking about it for a while and honestly, i think i was more excited than she was. we went to tommy's joynt (my usual place w/ ro) for dinner. i got the combo corned beef and pastrami sandwich on a roll au jus. i told my niece that we could share the sandwich and then have dessert at the concert. initially, she wasn't too sure about the "jus de viande" served on the side but tried a little. before i knew it, she was dipping her fingers in it to eat without any meat to go with. needless to say, she liked it.

i tried to get her to take a short nap in the car before the show, however, she didn't. we got there early, before the doors opened. i wanted to make sure we got the best seats, not just for her to be able to see. the first opening was led to sea, a solo violinist from seattle. she was fantastic. i was pretty impressed and happy that i was able to expose this type of talent to my niece. she used the loop machine and was able to create various types of sounds with her violin. she also had an amazing voice. the next band, bobby was not as impressive. there were two lead vocalists, one male and one female. the guy also played guitar. he was over to the right. the woman was center stage but frankly, was more like a side-show back up singer. she was a pretty terrible dancer and had vocals to match. even my niece didn't like them.
i've seen thao perform live with the get down stay down twice. i was really excited about seeing mirah live. and seeing them together is like 3 shows in one. unfortunately though, they didn't get on stage until 10:30p and that's when my niece began to fade. she lasted about 20 mins and i decided to take her home. that gave me about 5 songs which i was pretty happy about. i hope my niece was too.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ½

and then there were two (pairs, that is)

these might look familiar and that's because i just bought them in black. the difference is not only in the color but also in price. they were about $30 cheaper. i am a big fan of getting the same pair in different colors, especially when they are super sexy and comfy. this is shoe #6, a break from all of the black pairs.

the nordies half-yearly

believe it or not, i only got two pairs at the sale. this is shoe #5 this year and the 5th black pair. they are strappy and sexy, with a 3 ¼" heel.

gimme some

venue: great american music hall
artist: peter bjorn and john & the bachelorette (sold out!)
who: ro (& ashley!)
when: 13 may 2011 (friday)
doors open at 8p

when young folks came out in 2007, i fell in love. i don't think i was the only one. that album, writer's block was their best. i can't believe i have never seen them live before. i love love peter's voice. there is something about it that makes me melt. the bachelorette opened up for the trio. she makes full use of the loop machine as she is a one-woman band. she is surrounded by cool equipment that includes at least two laptops. it was really cool to watch and hear her put the songs together.

peter bjorn and john were awesome. so much that i wanted to see them again the next night in la at the el rey since i was going to be in the area. unfortunately, that show was sold out too. they are coming back in the fall and i am definitely planning to see them again. i can't wait...

during the show, peter made his way down to the audience (twice!) and that is when i spotted my dear friend, ashley, who was wearing a matching horizontal stripped long-sleeve with peter! she was right behind him at one point. it made the experience even more fun. the vibe on stage and in the audience were so incredible, i almost wished i was down there. but i was stuck sitting next to the couple on their first date, talking loudly the entire time! grrrr...

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ gimme more

belong

venue: great american music hall (sold out!)
artist: pains of being pure at heart (pobpah) with catwalk & twin shadow
who: ro
when: 19 april 2011 (tuesday)
doors open at 7p

ro and i headed up to the city at 5p so we could have dinner at tommy's joynt. we got there so early, we had prime parking. this is rare in the tenderloin district of the city. i had the corned beef and pastrami sandwich. it is the most tasty meaty sandwich, ever. that is my default item there. we finished in time to make it into the great american music hall just after the doors opened and scored prime seats in the balcony. as we looked around, we saw others filling up the balcony seats in the same situation we were in. we were now too old to stand at concerts. so we get there early to get these seats. previously, in my days with my former partner in crime, betty, we barely made the show as she was always late. i am so glad those days are over.

the first time i saw pobpah, i was sort of on this blind date but not really. it was when i met my ex, john, through a college friend of mine. she asked for a favor, to take her friend out during his first trip to san francisco. he and i ended up at the pobpah show in the fall of 2009. i spent the whole time chatting with john that i didn't get a chance to see what the band looked like. if i had, i might have freaked out. ro warned me that when he saw them at sxsw, he thought the lead singer (kip) looked a lot like my ex, ted. i didn't believe ro at first but when they came on, i had to get over the initial reaction that kip looked so much like emo-ted. i couldn't watch him for a bit.

for once, the opening bands were pretty good. catwalk was surprising. and then twin shadow came on and it was as if he was headlining. i have an inkling that the show sold out because of him. the crowd below went wild when he came on. his music was reminiscent of 80's new wave with a hint of rock and roll. it was very catchy and a bit too pop for my taste but i'll have to give him another listen before i can make a proper decision.

when pobpah was preparing to get on stage, i noticed this large gap of space between the mic stands and the drummer. i mean, he was way back there. i'd never seen bands set up this way. then i found out why. kip, the guitarist and bassist all use this space to dance (sometimes in unison) or stretch out their legs. i wasn't sure which. they do this one step back thing. kip's vocals are soft and almost feminine. i should say dreamy but it is more fem than dreamy. they are clearly influenced by the shoegazer genre. their songs are romantic and some are on the edge of cheesiness. their latest cd, belong, is quite good. i am still enjoying it in its entirety.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ heart in your heartbreak

so tired of being sexy

venue: mezzanine
artist: css (cansei de ser sexy) & opening bands: princeton & hottub
who: joe
when: 15 april 2011 (friday)
doors open at 8p

last month, joe was in town and wanted to see a show. originally, he wanted to see the two door cinema club at the fillmore but we couldn't get tickets online. so, we decided to see css, an abbreviation of "cansei de ser sexy" which is portuguese for "tired of being sexy," taken from a reported quote that beyoncé had said about herself. easy, beyoncé.

joe and i spent most of the day together. it started with my picking him up at the fremont bart station. we stopped by the new nordstrom rack to check it out. for some reason, my allergies are really bad in fremont. i think i am allergic to that city. it happened again when i was there in early may. afterwards, i had to go home for a nap to recover from the allergies. we went to joe's new fav place in sf, the house, for an early dinner. and even made it in time for the best egg tarts ever, at golden gate bakery in chinatown across from where we were in north beach. i love both of those places.

we arrived very early at the mezzanine. so early, there was time to hang out at the sf shopping center for coffee and window shopping. when we returned to the mezzanine, not only did we have to get in line for will call but we had to get into another line to get into the venue. lame, if you ask me. i don't really care much for the mezzanine but am sometimes forced to go there. the venue itself is kinda cool. but the stage is tiny and the sound is pretty horrendous. it's better as a dance venue than one for live music.

since we got there so early, we secured seats on the second floor. the opening bands were pretty mediocre. though during one song, princeton made joe and i give each other that "OMG, this song is awesome" look. there are two singers in princeton and they are twins. but the song we actually liked was with the minor singing twin. and hottub was a sad trio version of salt-n-pepa. css is a brazilian pop group with a sassy and fun appeal. i think it's mostly due to their lead singer, who refers to herself as lovefoxxx. plus, she is awesome and adorable. she is japanese, german and portuguese. her lyrics are fantastically entertaining and upbeat. usually, her outfit matches the entertaining and upbeat aspect of their songs.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥
if the sound wasn't so bad at the mezzanine, i think they would have gotten 4 hearts instead of 3.

europe - last stop: zürich

st gallen was my first time in switzerland. despite the conversion to the euros, lisa and i still had to convert our money in each country. the swiss use swiss francs because they are special. on friday evening, we made our way to zürich. lisa's good friend from high school (thao) married a swiss guy (martin) and has lived in zürich for about 6 years.

switzerland is a marvelous place. the trains are always on time. everything seems so clean and well maintained. when we traveled from milan to st gallen, the italian train broke down so we had to switch trains and ended up arrived 10 mins late. we had a 3-minute connection that we missed so it took us another hour before we were able to meet up with brianna in st gallen. oh well. at least we made it, right? back to zürich... it was great, martin met us at the train station right as we arrived. he also helped us get our bus tickets and guided us back to their place. thao came home shortly after we were able to settle in for a bit.
we spent the weekend chez thao & martin. i personally had a fabulous time getting to know the couple and look forward to seeing them again either by returning for another visit or hanging out when they are in the states. on saturday, we explored zürich (out and about for gifts). unfortunately, it rained most of the day. the sun decided to show itself on sunday. thao & martin took us to the swiss alps in lucerne. it was a truly wondrous experience. You can find some photos here. we hung out in old town lucerne afterwards. it's interesting how nothing is open on sunday. so we couldn't do much. luckily, the businesses at the train station were open (packed actually) and we were able to pick up food there. lisa and i flew out the next morning back to london for half a day, equipped with enough swiss chocolate to last a year, or so.

after which, we spent a few hours at harrod's and shopping. funny how after shopping in zürich, london seemed cheap. and the next day, it took us over 20 hours to get home between layovers and delays.

europe - stop #3: st gallen

on st. patrick's day, we left venice and took the train with a stop in milano to st gallen. we were there to visit brianna and steve. it was really wonderful that brianna was there, otherwise, i would have never made it to st gallen. *thanks brianna!!*
we were only there for half a day but it was a full day's worth of st gallen. brianna and steve took us to their favorite st gallen eatery: restaurant marktplatz, which is conveniently located up the street from where they live. once our cute swiss waiter found out we were americans, his english came out. even though steve was trying to use his german, the swiss guy insisted on speaking to us in english. i had a big plate of crinkly fries and schnitzel which i nearly finished but couldn't, to my dismay.

the next day, we went to the abbey. the interior of the abbey (as seen in the top right of the collage) is beautifully ornate. the abbey dates back to the carolingian era (8th century). we also visited the library, according to wikipedia, is one of the richest medieval libraries in the world. there is an amazingly detailed ginormous astronomical globe that is an exact copy of the original globe, currently presiding at the swiss national museum. apparently, the original was stolen from st gallen by zurich troops during the battle of villmergen. while they returned some of the stolen goods to st gallen, they didn't return the globe. in 2000, st gallen prepared to reclaim the globe. as a resolve to keep out of the courts, zurich was ordered to make an exact copy of the globe to present to st gallen. honestly, i think the copy is much nicer (compared with pictures of the original). the colors and images are so much sharper, vibrant and defined. unfortunately, you are not allowed to take pictures.

brianna also took us to café pelikan. brianna and steve were on a quest for the best cappuccino. the cappuccinos at café pelikan, won unanimously. i don't know if i could consider myself a capp connoisseur, but i do enjoy a good capp every now and then or everyday. and not only was the cappuccino quite delightful but the ambiance was uber adorable. both lisa and i agreed. later, we tried to do some shopping but it was slightly disappointing. the style and prices were completely disproportionate. anything i liked, even slightly, was $$$$. :(

europe - next stop: venezia

it was my first time in venice. we had a conference on hebrew literature co-hosted with the ca' foscari university which was the first business university in venice.

lisa and i arrived at the venice marco polo airport around 4:30p. we took a bus to the piazzale roma and checked into our hotel by 5p. we missed the opening talk but thankfully, made it to the dinner reception. the reception was hosted by our very gracious italian hostess at her typical venetian home which was absolutely amazing. something from the 16th century or so. she had this great room where there were about 30+ of us, hanging out comfortably. we had good food and good drinks. it was lovely to finally meet the people i had corresponded with in the last few weeks.
the next day, we headed over to the piazza san marco (st mark's square). we were there a week after the carnevale of which there were still remnants of (confetti everywhere). we walked around for 4 hours and barely made it back for lunch. venice has so many small alley ways that all look the same. it is very easy to get lost. in fact, we got lost every time we went out. unfortunately, it rained very hard on our last day there. so much that we stayed cooped up in our hotel room. it finally eased up in the evening and we decided to set out for some shopping... to our dismay, we only had one hour. it took us quite a while to get back to the hotel but we did eventually get back. luckily, venice is super safe and a great place to get lost, even at night.i bought two pairs of shoes in italy. this pair was the one that was more fun.

europe - first stop: london

wow, i can't believe i haven't blogged about europe... yes, it's been that busy.

in mid-march, my sister and i went to london, venice, st. gallen, zurich, back through london and finally home. there was a bit of a snafu getting to london where we arrived half a day later than planned. but we arrived at london heathrow late sunday night (~9pm) and after about an hour or so getting through customs, we finally checked into our hotel by 10:30p. we hadn't eaten anything since the breakfast that was served on the plane so we made plans to go to the hotel restaurant at 10:45p, before the kitchen closed.

our hotel was conveniently located between buckingham palace and westminster abbey. we got up early and left to go sightseeing at 7 in the morning. we caught the monday workday rush. first stop, westminster abbey. next to that was big ben and then over to house of parliament to the queen's garden next to it. we took some silly pictures with phone booths on our way to st. james park. and more silly pictures through the park on the way to buckingham palace. it was amazing, it took us only 2 hours to see all of this. we had time to go back to the hotel, pack up and then head over to a coffee shop to leisurely have coffee and pastries.

and then at 1p, we caught our flight to venice.

chopped

i cut my hair and this is the first picture of me from the smashbox photoshoot. see how excited i am?

heaven's on fire

venue: the independent
artist: the radio dept. (sold out!)
who: ro
when: 14 february 2011 (monday)
show starts at 8:00p

this is my first show of the year. i first started listening to the radio dept. back in 2007 or so. they were part of the swedish pop mélange i'd come across that i couldn't get enough of. they offered something different from the others. dream pop. and oh, how i do enjoy dream pop.

the openings were terrible. dj axelson and some local band from belmont. the band was horrendous. not only did they sound bad but they had no stage presence. there was no one pretty to look at. the instruments were too loud and you could barely make out the vocals. when the radio dept. finally come on, my ears were in heaven.

apparently, this trio is quite popular here. they played two nights (monday and tuesday) and both shows were sold out. johan duncanson has the sweetest vocals. he's a bit of eye candy as well. so being up front wasn't terrible. their drums were programmed which was surprising but good for my ears. their tunes are danceable and seeing/hearing them live definitely gets you into the mood. as the 20-something drunk girl who kept bumping into me could attest to. i'm just hating because i couldn't be drunk. i had to work the next day and i'm not 20-something anymore (thank goodness!!).

and unfortunately, they only played one song for the encore but by that time, i was ready to get home.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

happy belated v-day shoes!

any reason to buy shoes, right? ok, so i bought both pairs in the same week and i actually got the boots on the 14th. i know i don't need a reason but it makes me feel better when there is one, wouldn't you agree?

plus, these are my very first pair of d'orsay pumps. i know, i can't believe it either. they are patent leather with a nearly 4" heel. they feel comfortable (so far) and are super sexy.

happy new... shoes for me!

despite having purchased 5 pairs of black shoes in the last 2 years, i still find myself with a shortage of black shoes. i've been looking for a pair of black wedge boots for a while. finally, i found them... these are ankle boots with 3¾" wedge heel and a fleur de lis zipper.

my heart aches for you, pete fijalkowski

i'm not sure why i decided to look him up today but i randomly google him every so often. pete fijalkowski, formerly of the britpop bands adorable and polak, who is the most underrated and under appreciated singer and lyricist. i suppose i've been in search for new music that makes me feel nostalgic. i re-discovered them in 2006. listening to both albums of each of his former bands brings me back to the days where i'd lock myself in my room just listening to music. hours and hours would roll by unnoticed. remember those days? i miss those days. those were days of youth and long gone. i am so busy these days, i barely have enough time to sleep.

pete has a myspace page offering 4 songs off of his secret acoustic solo album, unfortunately unreleased. one of which is a cover of new order's love vigilantes. one of my most favorite new order songs of all time. pete's version is alive yet slow and sexy. really sexy. while i love love bernard sumner's vocals, i am falling more and more in love with pete's. he also does an acoustic version of adorable's big hit, homeboy. it is quite dreamy. i am loving it just as much.

in the early 90's (after high school), i had an opportunity to see adorable play free at golden gate park in san francisco. however, i opted to spending the day with my boyfriend (at the time) which i've regretted for many, many years. fortunately, my brother went and brought back a recording of the show. i still have that cassette tape, somewhere. in the late 90's during the time i was living in san diego, pete's other band polak was scheduled to play in los angeles. so, i planned on going. much to my dismay, the show was canceled.

listening to both fake (despite having bombed when it was released in the mid-90's, is one of my fav albums of all time) and rubbernecking (according to pete, was never even reviewed or acknowledged) makes my heart ache for more. more music please, pete. pretty please. ♥

holiday festivities

on saturday, i left the house at 4p to go to stephen & rowen's annual christmas party. but first, i picked up funie who graciously came as my date. we got there a little early just before 6p. i wanted to come early as parking in the castro area is limited and a bit frustrating. we found parking easily. i also wanted to take pictures of the tree before the crowd came. the tree is amazing. i'm told there are over 600 glass ornaments (click on the image to see a close up). stephen is a collector of santas so if you can imagine, his place is covered in santas. every corner, nook and cranny. it's a santa wonderland. the food is also delicious. i hadn't eaten since breakfast so come 6p, i was quite famished. so i ate and looked at santas, ate and looked at more santas. it was a fantastic party. we left after nearly 2 hours.
despite all the food and being a bit full, funie and i decided to go to our usual italian restaurant in north beach, è tutto qua. i get my flirtation fix fulfilled there. all the italian boys are cute and fun. plus, we were celebrating my belated birthday and funie wanted them to sing happy birthday to me. their spaghetti neri is especially yummy that i actually finished it. funie and i ate most of the panna cotta too, which is so so scrumptious. after about 3 hours, we finally asked for our bill. the boys were disappointed that we were leaving so soon.

after dropping funie off, i got home at 1a. i was out for nearly 9 hours! it was like a work day, if i worked the swing shift or something. and on sunday, i didn't leave the house... at all.

last pair of the year!

these navy blue mary janes are satin with glittery wing-tip toe and chunky 3" heels. they are surprisingly comfortable and very cute.

birthday presents!!

a few weeks ago, i celebrated my birthday. and as most of my friends and family know, i generally like to celebrate all month long. in addition, i don't mind opening presents early. even if it is several months early. i got a new messenger bag from my sister in late august. she got it for me after i bought myself a matching wallet.

as usual, i bought myself new shoes, two pairs, though only one is shown here. the other pair are snow boots, not particular exciting but necessary if i should ever find myself in snow again. i'm not planning on it anytime soon but you never know, right?
these are gray wedges that are close to 5" high with platform heels. they are quite comfortable and i am super tall in them!

this year, my dear sister took me to a french bistro called chapeau! for my birthday dinner. they are known for their foie gras and highly recommended by friends and yelp. the food was quite delicious, especially the foie gras. she also gave me a turntable earlier that morning. i have 5 vinyl records but didn't have anything to play them. i've always wanted a record player, however, it didn't seem practical. there is something really special about playing vinyl. it feels nostalgic even with new music.

on black friday, i purchased a new camera. i've had this camera in my "cart" for half of the year. it is always fun to have a birthday around thanksgiving, as there are so many opportunities to shop for yourself. on cyber monday, i got myself a clarisonic mia. it is yellow and works really well. my face feels so much softer and smoother. it's great for daily use on sensitive skin. i highly recommend it!

i also received these beautiful tulips (my favorite flowers) from my dear friend ashley. she is a sweetie. all in all, it was a fabulous birthday! thank you to everyone who helped me celebrate! ♥

i heart stars

venue: the fillmore
artist: stars & geographer
who: romi & joey
when: 10 november 2010 (wednesday)
show starts at 8:00p

my friend joe came up from la to visit and to see stars with me and ro. it was his first time so he was quite excited. it was my 10th time and i too was quite excited. this band gets better and better. they are one of the most amazing bands out there.

the opening band, the geographers were pleasantly surprising. especially, when they played a new order cover, age of consent that didn't suck. it reminded me of how much i love that song. nothing beats bernard sumner. their other songs weren't bad either.

when you see stars, you definitely get your money's worth. they have so many great songs to go through. they play encores like it's a second set. and in between songs, as with their previous shows, they thank the crowd profusely for being able to do what they love. entertain us with their beautiful music. they also throw white roses at the crowd. this is fairly new that started within the last 5 (or so) stars shows i've gone to. and to top it off, amy millan is 5 months preggers! what a trooper, to go on tour and rock out like it was business as usual. congrats to amy millan!!

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ stars, you are awesomeness.

my boyfriend's back...

and you're gonna be in trouble...

who is a blabbermouth?

venue: swedish american hall (upstairs from café du nord)
artist: trashcan sinatras
who: ro
when: 23 october 2010 (saturday)
show starts at 8:00p

i thought that if we left at 5p to make a 6:30p dinner reservation, we would be okay. boy, was i wrong. heading to the castro area on a saturday night, parking is always an issue. we didn't make our dinner until closer to 7p. after circling blocks and blocks, i gave up and decided on the $10 parking lot. we ate at l'ardoise and E V E R Y T H I N G was delicious. even the coffee was superb. i would highly recommend this place. except for the part where our waiter asked if everyone here was at least 21 while looking straight at me. will it ever end? i hope so... i'll soon be 40.

we arrived at the swedish american hall sometime after 8p which was early enough to get prime balcony seats. despite the giants game going on, they carried on and played. during their set, frank gave us updates on the game. he said that once the game was over, they would play a proper show. this show was acoustic with requests taken online. ro asked me if i'd ever been to an acoustic trashcans show. i thought about it and couldn't remember. then i did... they played an acoustic show when they played at popscene back in 2004 when they made their comeback.

since the show, i have been listening to a mix i put together. here is my list and the albums they come from:

1. the best man's fall - cake
2. you made me feel - cake
3. earlies (because i ♥ john douglas) - i've seen everything
4. the safecracker (who is a blabbermouth?) - a happy pocket
5. only tongue can tell - zebra of the family (originally from cake)
6. freetime - brel (newest acoustic cd! but originally from weightlifting)
7. how can i apply...? - brel (a happy pocket)
8. i'll get them in - brel (a happy pocket)
9. i hung my harp upon the willows - brel (in the music)
10. i'm immortal - brel (i've seen everything)
11. got carried away - brel (weightlifting)
12. oranges and apples - brel (in the music)
13. i've seen everything - brel (i've seen everything)
14. weightlifting (acoustic) - weightlifting
15. send for henny - live @ slim's may 2005 (i've seen everything)
16. obscurity knocks - live @ slim's may 2005 (cake)
17. bloodrush - live @ slim's may 2005 (i've seen everything)
18. easy read - live @ slim's may 2005 (i've seen everything)
19. the therapist - live @ slim's may 2005 (a happy pocket)

unfortunately, the trashcans no longer end their shows with the therapist, but despite that, i had to end my cd with it.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ time is up

vinci park

earlier this summer, my friend jolene was in town from alabama where she is an assistant professor. i met her last year when she was still a student. all summer, we talked about going to happy hour at xanh restaurant in mt. view. she would tell me how her boyfriend, han, was always going there. but he would never take her because he told her they didn't serve any vegetarian items there (she's a vegetarian).

well, jolene and i finally made a date to go. and while we were catching up and enjoying the various types of vegetarian food we ordered, she was texting her boyfriend about it. he was going to come and pick her up as she was staying with him during the summer. when he showed up, she introduced us. as he offered his hand to me, he says, we've met before... i know you. he didn't look familiar to me, at all. and when he knew what my last name was, i got a little scared. i told him i was really sorry but i didn't remember him. i asked him where/when we knew each other. was it high school? he said, no, before that. we know each other from vinci.

i went to 4 different elementary schools (meadow homes, burnett, northwood and vinci) and i was at vinci park elementary from part of the 4th grade through the end of 5th grade. so i asked han, was it in mr. snydal's class? was it 4th or 5th? he didn't remember. he only remembered that it was a combo class (which meant it was 5th grade) and that he hung out with two kids in that class. one was me and the other kid was a boy named brian. han moved to cupertino after vinci so we went to different schools after that.

i knew i had that class picture so i told jolene that i would go home and find the picture, scan it, and send it to her. upon returning home, i directly went to my room in search for that class picture. after 15 minutes of looking, i found it! there is only one asian boy in the class and i remember him. coincidentally, i remember his name was han. i also recognized the brian kid as well.
after showing the picture to several colleagues and friends, it turns out that i have not changed at all. well, maybe the hair is different. what do you think? can you find me?

hit and run

last month, the morning after i got back from my LA mini break, i got into a car accident. it was during the morning commute and it was a hit and run. the chick behind me was putting on make up and rammed into my rear bumper. as i was about to pull over, she took off. in a panic, i tried to chase her and get her license plate but she got away too quickly. luckily, i was told someone called in the plates for a car matching the description of the car that hit me.

this past week, the day my car was ready at the body shop, i finally made it over to pick up the police report. and they caught the chick that hit me! in fact, they tried to catch her the day of the accident. turns out, she was hiding the car and herself at her friend's house but her mom/parent gave her up. and now, she's getting charged with a misdemeanor. and i will get my deductible back for my car!

but none of this would have been possible if not for the good samaritan driving next to me who not only witnessed the accident but also called in the plates. i am extremely grateful to her and plan on letting her know. so, if ever i witness such an accident, i will do the same... you just never know.

ps, i got a bit of whiplash but am fine otherwise... in case anyone was worried.

u aint 2 old

venue: the joint, hollywood
artist: man vs teeth
who: the guys
when: 19 september 2010 (sunday)

this is my favorite song from these guys. and best of all, it was dedicated to yours truly. they totally rock. ♥ ♥ ♥

boyfriend

don't you, touch my boyfriend
he's not your boyfriend
he's mine

last one, i swear!

but probably not...

i think i'm addicted... maybe a little

andes™ mint chocolate cookies

i made these cookies especially for my brother as andes mint chocolates are his fav. earlier today, i was at target with my niece (said brother's daughter) and saw them so i bought them. i've also recently inherited a lot of baking supplies and decided that i would take advantage of the new refreshed supply. this recipe comes from the back of the andes mint baking chips bag with some alterations. i won't retype the recipe but i will describe my changes which i must admit come from america's test kitchen. specifically the episode on the perfect chocolate chip cookie which i watched with my sister on saturday. i noticed that the recipe called for more brown sugar than white sugar. this was the main reason i decided to go with this recipe rather than the one i usually use.

what i learned from america's test kitchen:

despite the recipe calling for "softened" butter, i melted it. well, ¾ of the butter was melted and then mixed with the rest of the butter. this does two things. it cools the melted butter and melts the remaining ¼. america's test kitchen actually melts the butter in a non-stick pan and browns it to bring out the nuttiness. i didn't do this, however.

the melted butter (to mix before the rest of the ingredients) makes the cookie crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. after the butter and sugars are "creamed," let the mixture sit to allow the sugars to dissolve. when baked, this causes the sugars to caramelize rather than melt. i notice that the cookie is not as flat as the usual recipe i use. i guess i will have to test this out which means... more cookies.

the recipe calls for 2 2/3 cups of flour. i put in 2/3 cup of whole wheat flour to make it a little healthier which i'm sure gets canceled out anyway. my niece who was my guinea pig didn't notice, at all.

our little star

this is our little lion during her tap dance at her recital last month.

coconutella rice krispy treats

i decided to call these coconutella rice krispy treats (made with nutella, coconut and topped with toasted coconut). see recipe below.

for those who tested them out for me, thanks! these are the final product and what i took to the party. :)

recipe:
3 tablespoons butter
10 oz bag of marshmallows
1/2 cup nutella
1/2 cup coconut
6 cups of rice krispies

topping:
1/2 cup coconut (spread out on a baking sheet and bake for 5-10 mins at 250F, keep an eye on this or it will burn!)

instructions:
melt butter on low heat, add marshmallows and melt
remove from heat, add nutella, then add coconut (this must be done quickly) and add 6 cups of rice krispies

butter a 9x13 inch pan and spread rice krispies mixture. top with toasted coconut and refrigerate.

and enjoy!

blue suede shoes

well, it's one for the money
two for the show
three to get ready
now go cat go

but don't you step on my blue suede shoes...

the very thing

venue: the independent
artist: stars (sold out!)
who: ro
when: 19 june (saturday) & 20 june 2010 (sunday)
doors open at 7p & 6p, respectively

this is the 8th & 9th time i've seen stars and they just get better and better. i know i say this all the time. but having seen them since 2003 during the heart tour, i think that last comment holds true. i went to this show with ro, around both our birthdays since he is the one who introduced me to them. it was at this show that i took the liberty to speak to both torquil campbell and amy millan. and just the beginning of many more unfortunate situations i've had, given the opportunity to speak to musicians i really admire. i think i should retire this meet & greet stuff.

during the opening, torquil played a dj set as "dead child stars" which was the title of one of their eps. he was also a "child star." during this set, he sat in the dark with his ibook, played some tunes, asked us some questions and blew bubbles. it was different and i found that for the most part, i like the same music as he does. on saturday, he played the trashcan sinatras and went on about how brilliant they are. that night, i went home to look at my stars cds and saw that they included the trashcans in their acknowledgments on the nightsongs cd. and on sunday, he played every little counts by new order. i love this song, partly because you get to hear bernard sumner giggle during the song. torquil said that it was new order that was the reason they got into music. these two bands are one of my favorite bands since high school.

this got me thinking... is this why i love stars so much? then i realized that i love this band dearly because through their songs, they get me. they sing about relationships gone wrong, good love, bad love, sex (mostly good sex), and most recently... ghosts. if stars was a man, he would be my perfect match. and boy, i would be ALL over that. they bring out the hopeless romantic in me. incurable romantic, really. their new cd, the five ghosts, really hits close to home. i can relate to the songs on so many different levels.

back to the shows. they played their new album in its entirety. bands don't do this, ever. especially before the cd was released. after that, they played a set of fan requests from their website. then, they came back for an encore set. and for us lucky ones on sunday, torquil came back a fifth time for a solo encore. it was such an amazing show. on saturday, as we were leaving, i was telling ro how i was sad that the show was over but super excited that we were coming back the next day to see them again. they gave me this indescribable joy that lasted quite a while. this kinda explains the playful mood i've been in all week. then again, it might have been the full moon. i'd like to think it was because of stars.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ dead hearts are everywhere

in the music, take 2

venue: slim's
artist: trashcan sinatras & mike viola
who: ro
when: 1 june 2010 (tuesday)

the last time i saw the trashcan sinatras, i think it is safe to say that i didn't really get a chance to hear them play. it's hard to pay attention when a psycho little man is bothering you. it's especially creepy when despite fleeing the scene, he followed us to the bar. at first, i felt cheated and ripped off. then i felt violated and forgot all about being cheated out of the show. i just wanted to get out of there.

this 8th trashcans show made up for the last one. this was a nice break from all the sold out shows i'd been going to. mike viola opened for them. he was folky but poppy. he talked about how he writes a lot of music for films. and how he moved from new york to los angeles. then he started playing that thing you do from the film with the same title. i got really excited and told ro that i heard the "guy" that wrote this song was the one from the band, ivy. ro said that they were from new york. later, mike viola confirmed having been in ivy. this got us really excited about him. he was so down to earth. we both really enjoyed him and his music.

despite how i feel about the lead singer (i think frank ready is a total diva) i still love the trashcans. they still put on really great music. and even though, i think the old stuff is better than the new stuff. its nice to see/hear them change with the times. just like many of the bands i've been seeing lately, i can honestly say that out of the five albums the trashcans have put out, i like every song. they are tremendously talented. the fact that they are still putting out music is fantastic and amazing. i hope they do so for another 10-20 years. i admit that there was some disappointment on my end. one, they didn't play earlies (sang by john douglas). two, they didn't end the show with the therapist so i will in this post. oh, their new bass player (frank divanna joined in 2009) is kinda hot so he makes up for the disappointments.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ tick tock, running over
good-bye now i'll see you later on
tick tock, working all night
time's up, shut up
time is up

double trouble

yes, they are very similar. both have elastic bands and a t-strap. both have a 1" platform with a 3" heel to total 4 inches. however, they are not the same shoe in different colors. if you look closer, the black wedges have a buckle, single elastic straps and in patent leather. while the camel wedges have double elastic straps each half as wide as the straps on the black pair.
these wedges are my new summer shoes. they are fun, flirty and comfy (as long as i am on even ground). they are replacing a brown pair of wedges i finally decided to retire. for the most part, i love each and every pair of shoes. despite wear and tear plus multiple trips to the cobbler, i am forced to throw them out. luckily, i have this particular pair in red. ha.

howl howl gaff gaff

venue: great american music hall (sold out!)
artist: shout out louds
who: ashley
when: 18 may 2010 (tuesday)

when i first heard the shout out louds, i thought of the cure but updated and with female vocals. for me, shout out louds' adam olenius is very reminiscent of robert smith's vocals in sound and style. their appearances are nothing alike, however.

i liked every song on their first album, howl howl gaff gaff. when i heard ill wills, again i thoroughly enjoyed every single song. so when work came out, i was pretty excited about it. unfortunately, my expectations were a bit too high and i am still getting a feel for it. maybe it will turn out to be like my experience with my maudlin career.

i went to the show with my dear friend, ashley, who is a sweetheart. she and i have very similar tastes in music. a rare find these days. we had dinner there upstairs. since the show was sold out, i wasn't terribly concerned about seeing the band as much as i care about just hearing the band. the energy was invigorating and thrilling. i was dancing in my seat as i often do at shows. their music is whimsical and delightful, even with the slow songs. i am happy to report that the shout out louds left me coming back for more.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

careless love

venue: great american music hall (sold out!)
artist: camera obscura and best coast
who: ro
when: 21 april 2010 (wednesday)

this was the second round of camera obscura's my maudlin career tour that ro and i caught. when i saw them last june, i hadn't gotten into the new album until after the show last year. i have been really enjoying it. in fact, i can't stop listening to it.

the opening band, best coast, was refreshingly appealing to my ears. ro knew about them and wanted to make sure we caught them. i'd heard one song before the show and i liked it. after seeing them live, i liked them even more.

the great american music hall is an all ages venue. they really mean "all ages." there were at least two 6 year-olds upstairs in the balcony. it was a bit disturbing as the show ran quite late and school was still in session. otherwise, camera obscura were fantastic. the music takes me to a different place. hearing it live goes a step further.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

teen dream

venue: bimbo's (sold out!)
artist: beach house
who: ro
when: 14 april 2010 (wednesday)

two houses in one night...

we planned to have dinner at the house in north beach. i always seem to end up with the deep fried salmon rolls and the hangar steak with wasabi noodles. ro got one of the specials which wasn't nearly as good as the hangar steak. he should have gotten the sea bass. lisa always gets the sea bass. we were surrounded by people who ordered the sea bass and he lost his appetite for sea bass. it's too bad. the sea bass is damn good.

after dinner, we headed over to bimbo's for the other house that night. beach house! the last time i saw them was upstairs at the swedish american hall. they were fantastic despite it feeling like an elementary school auditorium. the sound at bimbo's is much better. victoria legrand has awesome vocals. beautiful, really. just like thao nguyen, victoria's voice is nothing like candy pop. it's dream pop that's haunting and leaves you wanting more.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ so very dreamy...

sparkly boots!

i already have a pair of grey ankle boots but i still wanted another pair of grey boots. these are pull-on boots with a 4" heel. best of all, they are sparkly!

new wedges!

these are black python embossed open toe, sling back wedges with a 3½" heel. aren't they cute? i looooove my wedges!

happy 2nd anniversary... to me!

i have been cancer-free for 2 years, today.
so go out and have some bubbly, for me! xo

the 4th date

it's been nearly two years since i last saw bernie. about one year since i last heard from him. he emailed me last year so this year, i decided it was my turn. turns out, he was going to be in town the following week. so we planned to have coffee and catch up.

"coffee" turned into "come up to the city and let's order take out." i went up to the city, he ordered take out and we caught up. well, we might have "caught up" more than expected, but it was fun. lots of fun. i discovered that we are both fans of the wedding present (one of his pandora stations). and i told him about the time i met their lead singer, david gedge, at a bimbo's show when he was in cinerama. speaking of which, the wedding present are playing at the independent next month.

bernie was cute, funny and clever. just how i remembered him.

my new do

after over a year of growing my hair out, i finally got a much needed cut & style. i am fabulous again thanks to gina, at faux salon (in dt campbell). she is the best!

daydream believer

venue: great american music hall
artist: the clientele and the wooden birds
who: ro
when: 9 march 2010 (tuesday)

i actually saw the clientele back in november of 2005 at the bottom of the hill. but for some reason, i didn't blog about it. i think it was because i was having problems with the ex. oh yeah, i tried breaking up with him in october and around or on my birthday later in november. we were in the city all day that day looking at rentals, shopping and sticking around to hang out with nigel and his girlfriend, at the time. if i weren't so tired by the time the band came on, i could have really appreciated them. i do remember that i was pleasantly surprised despite my utter exhaustion. plus, the bottom of the hill is one of the coolest venues in the city.

the wooden birds opened for them. i was very impressed with their female vocalist, leslie sisson. her vocals are amazing. the recorded stuff doesn't do her voice due justice. she is also much prettier in person and super nice. i really enjoyed their set and my brief chat with her at the merch table. andrew kenny is the lead vocalist. his vocal style is soft and pretty. a bit reminiscent of belle & sebastian but more folky. they are playing sxsw this year so if you are going, you ought to check them out.

generally, when i go to shows, i'm standing and can't see the band. so, i had no idea what alasdair maclean looked like. then this guy showed up on the stage before their set and the audience started clapping and whistling. ro confirmed who he was. he was nothing like i expected. the reason being that one of their songs (here comes the phantom) reminds me of the monkeys. that's right, as in davy jones and daydream believer. it's a little funny because he is very british. dry humour and all, when he is speaking. but when he sings, he turns into someone completely different. not only does he totally get into it, but he also does this little dance with certain songs. it's pretty fantastic and quite entertaining. overall, they put on a great show. i'm glad i had a seat with a nice view this time.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

man vs. teeth

location: san jose
artist: man vs. teeth
who: me, aka the band's assistant
when: 27 february 2010 (saturday)

last weekend, my very good friend joe was up for a gig. one that he would be playing. joe is the lead singer of man vs. teeth which is a great combination of electronic and dance with a touch of indie. joe's vocals have an amazing range from delicate highs to strong, bold lows. and what's inbetween could be anything from rock & roll to simply beautiful. reminds me a bit of alexis taylor from hot chip.

as most of my friends know, i love dancing. and if you give them a listen, you to will want to break out in a dance. if you see the video (to come... that i shot), you can see that i almost forget i'm filming as i had the urge to dance (when it gets a little shaky).

catch them on myspace and be a fan on facebook. you must check out their song, u aint 2 old. it's my favorite!

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ hear them, dance to them, love them.

second pair of the year

these are mary jane, open toe wedges with a 3¼" heel. these were actually purchased last month so it was two in january. apparently, i was slippin' and trippin' (right, bob?) so hopefully, this catches me up... a litte bit.

1st pair of shoes in 2010

these are my very first pair of wedge boots. they are dark brown and have a 3" wedge heel. i love wedge heels. they are really comfy and as long as i'm not walking on uneven ground/surface, they are really solid and stable (as opposed to stiletto heels). i feel like i haven't purchased wedges in ages. in fact, i bought one pair of wedges in 2009. those white leather cork wedges are my shoes of 2009. i love them! in 2008, i bought two pairs of sandal wedges which i got such a good deal on. seriously. 2007 was a big year for wedges. i bought four pairs. 2006 brought only two pairs, both of which have been worn so much that i ought to throw them out. but i haven't, yet.

back to these... i feel like i am wearing futuristic combat boots. they make me feel tough, like i can walk through snow in them. and everyone knows what a big wuss i am with snow, or cold weather in general.