BIG UPDATE: Warriors, 49ers, Piano + Life

Yes, I realize it's been almost a whole month of no-posting, please forgive me and I promise I can explain! With only 8 weeks - get this, EIGHT - left of the semester (and until I graduate with my Masters) my schedule is bottled up back to back, every day, from literally 8am (sometimes earlier) to about 11pm (often times much, much later).  Between class, rehearsals and work, my "workable hours" every day are covered - but then all the other "un-workable hours" I have to use for paperwork which comes from running your own small business, scheduling, practice, and everything else it takes to live! Though I have many fun things lined up, I had to take a break from regularly scheduled programming to address some big things that have been happening in the world of Bay Area sports:

1.  Warriors trade away MONTA ELLIS, Ekpe Udoh, and Kwame Brown for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson.

Uhh, yeah, you read right.  Stephen Jackson.  I'm sorry but I have to flat out be honest - I would take ANY player in the entire league over Stephen Jackson.  You know the sad sorry chap sitting on the bench that we all wish we didn't have anymore - Andris Beidrins?  Yeah, I'd keep him over Stephen Jackson.  Jackson is a diva, a whiner, a P.I.T.A. (figure out the anagram guys, this blog has to stay S.F.W.) and POISON in the locker room.  I don't care what his stats or figures are or could be, he only ever wants money, and is unhappy everywhere.  Of all people, HE'S coming back to the Bay?! Do the new Warriors front office even remember when Jackson was doing everything he could to get AWAY from here?! And now he's coming back?!?!?! You've got to be kidding me!!!  PLEASE get rid of him before he gets to play a game here.

So that's really the part of the trade that bothers me the most.  Let's work on these issues in order of most to least severe shall we?

Here's the thing that bothers me second most.  Tied for second place:  Is Bogut going to stay healthy long enough to be worth it?  And really, Ekpe Udoh is gone?  Sure Bogut has been having only "freak" incidents, (as opposed to Curry with his perpetual Achilles ankle...) but how many freak incidents can a guy have?  The number one important thing in sports is to stay healthy so we can count on you.  Yeah I know he's a big guy and he can put up stats, but Bogut needs to prove it to me.  As for Udoh, I'm sad we don't get to see him develop more here in the Bay. He was really starting to show his colors, and I was liking it.

Lastly - Monta Ellis.  Don't get me wrong, emotionally this is a total downer for me.  Monta is EASILY my most favorite player on the Warriors team.  I don't own ANY "player" merchandise for the Warriors EXCEPT for Monta Ellis.  As he said in his iconic interview when he was new, "I'm a Warriors, I'll always be a Warriors."  I will wear my Ellis 8 Warriors shirt forever - in my heart, Ellis is a star, and he will always be my favorite Warrior.  I will miss him SORELY and it will be eternally strange seeing him come back with the opposing team.

Now, rationally speaking - I'm actually not entirely bummed about Ellis moving on.  Yes he's amazing, but we know and have always known that he's not enough for this team to be a winning team.  In order to get all the pieces needed, something had to give.  When Ellis spoke after the trade, he also wasn't bummed (the team on the other hand was morose, somber even), and mentioned that he felt it was time to move on.  I'm a little sad Ellis isn't going to a playoff team, for all he's capable of, I feel he truly deserves the recognition and opportunities that would come with belonging to a big team.  But I wish him all the best of course, and will continue to look for him in games.

Right now the team is doomed obviously, and everyone knows it.  Am I sold on the Warriors new front office? No.  They will have a lot of proving to do, and will have to win my trust and respect, and then maybe my love.

2.  49ers Sign Randy Moss to One-Year Contract.

A classmate jokingly asked me today if my Randy Moss Niner Jersey was in the mail and I unflinchingly said, "uhh, no."  My jury is still out on Moss.  I see it going either one of two ways - either next year the niners are a post-season dynamo again and Moss is the #1 Wide Receiver, or Moss is poisonous to the chemistry and dynamic of this team and he's out before regular season ends.  I actually don't really want either to happen, but I think one of them will, and though I unfortunately am leaning more towards the latter of the two, I hope that Harbaugh and the team saw something real and that Moss will pull through and learn to be a team player (ha) for the Niners.  (Plus he's old....sports is one field where you definitely DON'T get better with age.)


Well, that's my two cents on what's new around the bay, it's back to practice for me, and then later, more work documents to handle.

Be back soon!

Be Brave, Little One :)

This was a favorite of mine growing up, but its value has increased beyond measure as an adult.

A glimpse of spring...

So far I have to say that this year has been pretty great.  I started it off wonderfully with what was probably the most inspiring trip of my life thus far,  but besides that I'm not sure if the glow I see everything with now really exists, or whether it's just a change in my perspective.  More on that at a later time, perhaps.

(The only bump I've had in this beautiful year has been my beloved 49ers fumbling away a Super Bowl, which surprisingly has rocked my world almost as much as a break-up would I imagine.  I suppose the only thing that will take my mind off it until football returns is Buster Posey being back on the mound.  I couldn't imagine a more perfect rebound.)

Over this past weekend the sun came out full force and bumped up the temperature into the upper 60's.  With no clouds and no breeze, it felt entirely like spring had arrived!  Knowing that in true California fashion it would be short lived, on Friday I lived it up and got some ice cream at...

Smitten Ice Cream

432 Octavia (@Linden)

San Francisco, CA 94102

I ordered chocolate...

and it was sooooo incredibly creamy and rich.  *Almost* too much for me.  Next time I will try vanilla!

What's cool is that they don't make it until you order it, and you get to see the whole process.

It's hard to look at this and think that it's January here.

Beautiful day, beautiful city!

Speaking of beautiful city, I snapped this from my practice room window sometime last week as the sun was going down.  Gorgeous.  Just, gorgeous.

Post-Championship Sunday: Big Kids Can Cry Too

So it’s a bitter end to a sweet season.  Words can’t really describe how I feel right now, but the fact that I’m still up at 2:00am writing this would probably sum it up.  Are there good memories? Plenty.  Is there disappointment? Plenty.

I saw a tweet earlier from a fan saying that this game was like a haunting flashback to the January 20, 1991 NFC Championship Game at Candlestick against the Giants.  Noted, the similarities are uncanny.  The Niners had won against the Giants in the regular season, but a fumble by RB Roger Craig late in the 4^th led to a field goal from the Giants and a win by 2.  This fan then noted that the only difference was, in 1991 he was 8, and he cried.  Tonight he didn’t.

Well, while tears may not have been streaming down my face- at the risk of sounding melodramatic, I definitely cried a little on the inside, and I think it’s safe to say there are many Faithful who share my sentiment on this cold and wet January night.  To come so close, to almost be able to taste it, then have it all washed away with the rain. 

This season has certainly been defining for this team, and while tonight’s heart-wrenching loss will sting for a time, it doesn’t change what Coach Harbaugh has done for this team, and for the fans.  He’s definitely changed the tides around here, and this looks to be a promising return of The Dynasty. 

And as for tonight’s game…it’s easy to pick a hero and a villain.  In fact, it’s almost impossible for human nature to not automatically do so.  Tonight’s hero?  Probably Vernon Davis.  Tonight’s “villain”?  Without a doubt, Kyle Williams. 

Despite the bf disagreeing with me (we disagree on a few things about the Niners, Ginn and Smith two examples!) I’ve always stood by my case and loved Ted Ginn Jr. and the unique addition he brings to our special teams unit, but tonight, anyone who ever doubted what he did for the Niners -and made look so easy at that- had to mince their words. 

That’s fine and all, but it’s simply incorrect to place the entire weight of the loss on Kyle Williams’ shoulders.  Yes, he ran towards the ball (twice), it bounced off his knee, and he forgot that on slow-mo, magnified replay from a million different angles there would have been no way to deny that one. So he tried to get away with pretending like it didn’t happen.  Didn’t work.  Giants score a TD on what is essentially a turnover and with great field position at that.  Minus one, Kyle Williams.

Then in OT, he runs towards the ball, bobbles it, and loses it, leading to yet another turnover, and a Giants field goal that ended the game.  Minus two, Kyle Williams.

But what about ALL the plays on offense that just didn’t happen tonight?! 0 for 13 on 3^rd downs?  The fact that it felt at times like we had no receivers on the field?! Oh, and that one horrific “forward progress” call that essentially could have and should have been yet another turnover?! 

Sure maybe Kyle Williams didn’t bring it all the times he needed to tonight (and it’s true, in a championship game there is no room for error – not one, and certainly not two), but if we’re to be honest moving forward, many aspects of good game play from the 49ers simply wasn’t there.  Defense was pretty much the only third of the team that played consistently tonight.  Cold hard truth: 1/3 of a team isn’t enough to win a championship.

Point is, does it help any to hate on Kyle Williams? (or Alex Smith for that matter, who just a few short months ago stood in the very shoes Williams wears now) No.  Williams is getting bombarded on twitter by death threats and verbal assaults, racial slurs, things that include “You, your wife, and your kids should all die because that’s what you deserve.”  Who would write something like that? Those are the “fans” who shoot people after games, and who ruin it for the rest of us. These “fans” really have something to learn from the rest of the 49ers, who really are doing a good job keeping it together.  Hey everyone, remember when you hated Singletary for always airing his dirty laundry in public, on national tv? This is the exact same thing you’re doing when you attack Kyle Williams.

I even have to give props to Tynes, who – in the heat of the moment, right after his field goal won the game for his team – kept his head enough to remember to be classy and acknowledge that the 49ers are a great team and put up a great fight. (He said something to the effect of, the fact that we just won it by a field goal about 10 minutes into OT says a lot...which is true.)

I like classy things, classy people, and classy behavior.  Keep it classy, San Francisco.  We still love the 49ers, we love Coach Harbaugh, and we aren’t called the Niner Faithful for nothing.  As Harbaugh said to Williams post game, “Keep your head up.”  Rock that red and gold all summer long.  Be proud to let your colors shine. Keep your blood gold.  And after having all the time off to work and improve on what has honestly been an incredible season, let’s bring it all back for an even better run next year.  Call me a glass half-full person, but I believe it, and I stick to my guns—and my team.

(image (C) Yahoo Sports)

Who’s got it better than us?!  Noooooobody. ♥

HAPPY CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY!!!!

GO 49ers!!!!!!!

To celebrate, here's a sampling of how I've been showing my Niner Pride during post-season...

It's really difficult to pick a "favorite" player for me...I feel like it'd be being unfair to the others! Every Niner is a hero in his own way, and absolutely crucial for total success of the team.  But I love Frank Gore because he truly LIVES the game, on and off the field.  (Post on how much I love intensity coming after all the football stuff)  Also holds the record for most number of rushing yards in franchise history!! That's pretty darn special.

I rock my jersey on the Bart... Yay Bay Area!

::Red&Gold Nails::My beloved beanie::

::Niner gear at school::Niner gear everywhere!!::

Even when it's super cold wet and rainy, it's okay to be bundled up and warm but make sure to still let your red and gold shine!!

Sometimes I need to dress nicely and jerseys and t-shirts just won't cut it...but I still make sure to deck out in red & gold of course!!

And finally, this is a shot I took of everything I brought with me on my recent trip to New York.  It was a short trip but I made sure to wear my Victoria's Secret Pink 49ers shirt, Adapt 49ers shirt, and of course my 49ers beanie!!

  SF>NY!!!

Niners Forever!

Who's Got it Better Than Us?? NOOOOOOBODY!!!!

So, my year has gotten off to a fabulous start, and it is every bit as wonderful as I had hoped and planned that it would be!  I just have a feeling about 2012...it's going to be amazing, it will be everything that 2011 wasn't.

I'm back, and school is starting again next week - my last semester! I can't wait to grind and get some serious stuff done.

I'm still having health issues, but thankfully I've started treatment on it, so it's helpful to know that it's not just sitting there, but we're actually starting to make progress.  (Though it will be a long and slow road.)  As a minor issue, I'm also battling what I thought was a cold but now has turned more into a flu, but it wasn't enough to stop me from going to the 49ers NFC PLAYOFF GAME on Saturday!!!!!

And BOY WAS IT A GAME!!  Deemed an Instant Classic, the return of The Dynasty, and name suggestions are pouring in for that last Vernon Davis touchdown that gave the niners a 4 point lead with 9 seconds remaining.  Alex Smith was CLUTCH today, and though initially I was worried about our offense, all three parts of the team brought it today for a game-winning recipe!

Thanks to Mr. S for sponsoring my wildly incredible seat location as well... it was crazy being there - I kept having to remind myself that everything was real, that those shiny gold helmets dancing around on the field were real, that I was watching history in the making!  It was LOUD in the stick today, and the Niner Faithful sent the Saints marching down back home to New Orleans.

Definitely one of the most awesome things I've ever done in my life!  I could write three pages, but words really cannot describe!

Here are some pictures...

Yes, our seats WERE that amazing. 

Look at the beautiful glow! The weather was perfect, everything was perfect.  as Kanye would say...and the weather so breezy, man why can't life always be this easy :)

This is my favorite part of watching the niners play.  It's no secret that I am completely IN LOVE with our special teams, and it doesn't help that they rock it out to Future's Tony Montana before every kickoff! Swag baby swag!

Ahhh yes ♥

I will be faithfully rocking my Niner Faithful Gear all week long, in anticipation for Sunday's NFC Champtionship showdown where we will host the NY Giants at Candlestick!! Let's go Niners!! FTW!! WHO'S GOT IT BETTER THAN US?!  NOOOOOOOOBODY!!!!

Come Ye, Come Ye, 2012!!

Wow...I have really fallen off the blogosphere!

Beginning at the end of November I was hit with an extremely painful and unexpected health condition, and it affects every minute of my every day life to the greatest extent.  Hence, I never got around to "Thanksgiving Part 2" or much that came after.  So now, we are on the verge of 2012....

...and I, for one, CAN NOT WAIT.  2012 will bring some big changes to my life and I am ready to welcome them with open arms.

I don't like to set resolutions, I like to set goals.  For me, a resolution just implies something you resolve to do, but it doesn't infer anything at all about the process.  A goal is something that you need to actively work towards, and that is where the real joy comes from.  When you've worked hard at something and achieved your goal, that feeling is unbeatable.

My goals for 2012 are simple:

#1.  BE HEALTHY.  For me, right now, the first step to this is simply to recover.  In 2011 I've had two major health ailments that were both unexpected, could not have been prepared for or prevented, and they've taken a big toll on my body.  I would like to recover.  Then, I would like to maintain a measure of good health.  This means, eating the right things to keep my body happy and strong, as well as exercising regularly.  I have my eye on a program that I would like to join the second half of 2012 - it should be a fun exercise that will also hopefully become a much loved hobby for me.

#2.  BE PRODUCTIVE.  As opposed to being busy.  This is something I've always struggled with.  True, I get a lot accomplished just about every day, but my days really are mostly more busy than productive.  [Refer to the amazing linked post...]  Well, there's a lot I hope to get done in 2012, and I have all the tools needed to get me through.  [Finally converted to an iPhone due to medical purposes, and now am loving this app and this app and this app, and how they help me get through my day-to-day.]  I have three scheduled trips [NY, Maine, and China], I am finishing grad school, and I look forward to further developing my small business.  In order to have a successful year and hopefully look back at the end of 2012 and see much progress, I will need to learn to be productive, 24/7.

#3.  SIMPLIFY.  This will help in both being healthy, and being productive.  I've come to face the brutal truth that I simply have  Too.  Much.  Junk.  I hold on to things for sentimental value, and will do things like, buy another plain white t-shirt even though I already have 4 because, well, you just can't have too many white t's right?! Wrong.  Having too much stuff is a constant distraction, and it also slows you down both physically and mentally.  Besides getting rid of much of my non-essential objects, I also plan on being a much savvier shopper, streamlining my wardrobe, and creating a clean and healthy work environment - both room and studio.

Well, that's that!  I'll be away the first week of January but hope to be back with some great posts and updates.

Hope you all stay happy and healthy into the new year and that 2012 brings much positive change into your lives!

[image via sillygrrl.com, a favorite blog where I constantly find inspiration]

Defeat.

Sometimes part of being an adult is just knowing when to give up, and let go of something you want more than anything.

Happy Winter Break!

Yes, I've been sadly M.I.A.! It's 3:00am right now and I've just finished my last final paper, so it is officially WINTER BREAK - finally!! I've definitely been running out of steam...and falling behind on everything, so break couldn't have come at a better time.  On top of that, I've been battling some major health issues, so that's been slowing me down a lot lately also.  Oh yeah, and the Niners suffered a disappointing loss against the Arizona Cardinals yesterday so there was certainly no motivation to spontaneously post after that.

But...some hauls, recipes and other random junk in my world coming soon!

NFC West Champions + Frank the Tank

Two pictures to sum up everything I'd possibly have to say about today:

and

Happy Sunday to all...see you at the playoffs!!

Food Favorites

There are few things in life that make me as happy as the following three items:

Boba/Pearl Milk Tea from:

Tea Station

39115 Cedar Blvd.

Newark, CA 94560

Yes, this is an international chain and I've been to many of the ones in LA as well, but nothing tops the milk tea from this unassuming Newark location!  These are better than all the ones I've ever had in SF, and even Asia! I'm convinced they're the best in the world.  The pearls are flavorful and chewy (not bland, soggy, or hard), and the flavor is distinctly Taiwanese.  Love! 

(P.S. You get 10% off for ordering to-go)

Double-Double Burger from In-N-Out.

I rarely eat fast food, but when I have to, this is what I get.  Double-Double is as much as I can fit in my mouth at one time, or else I'd pile on even more scrumptious layers!

#8 House Special Spicy Noodle Soup (with hand-pulled wide flat noodles)

This has got to be one of my all-time favorite foods of my entire life! (And thats a special spot because my top 100 things in life is probably all food.  And football.)

QQ Noodle

3625 Thornton Avenue

Fremont, CA 94536

In Chinese, "QQ" is a kind of slang that refers to something that is perfectly chewy - not hard, and not soggy/mushy.  These noodles are all hand-pulled for the perfect degree of QQ-ness!  I've never ordered anything besides the house special, #8 extra spicy, and I've never needed to.  I've tasted just about everything else on the menu when others have ordered - and nothing beats this in my humble opinion!  I can take QQ any day, any time of day.  

I guess you could say these are a few of my go-to comfort foods, I will never say no to any one!

Thanksgiving Break Part I: Harbowl + A Taste of Taiwan

My Thanksgiving Break began on Wednesday when I went shopping with family for some winter clothes for my ever growing little bro.  He is turning 15 in a few weeks and since last May, has been growing about 1-2 inches/month.  I have a newly acquired  understanding of the expression, "growing like a weed"!

On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, my mom and I did some grocery shopping at Marina Foods in Fremont, then had the most amazing lunch I've had in a while!  My mom grew up in Taiwan so since I was little, I've been exposed to some amazing Taiwanese food.  Not going to lie, this is what I miss the most in SF cuisine - where Asian food is predominantly Cantonese.

We went to the newly opened:

Fusion House

46228 Warm Springs Blvd.

Fremont, CA 94539

And I thought I'd died and gone to Taiwan when I opened the menu.  Here finally, was a place where I could indulge in my favorite Taiwanese foods, authentically made, and actually afford to pig-out too!  Needless to say my mom and I stuffed ourselves and left VERY happy.  These are some of my favorite Taiwanese dishes:

I believe this is called the "Glutinous Cupped Rice," it's one of my mom's favorites.  She's a total rice person, whereas I am the Noodle Queen.  (Yes, that is actually a title which was bestowed upon me when I was only five years old but had already manifested a clear preference in carbohydrate selections.)

This is my favorite - apparently, in English, it's called "pottage," news to me as I only ever knew what it was called in Taiwanese!  So "pottage" is basically skinny brown noodles (not to be confused with vermicelli - completely different) in a clear jelly-like thick soup, with different flavors.  My favorite is intestine, this one has both intestine and oyster.  I know it must sound disgustingly terrible to non-Chinese, but please don't freak out until you try it, it's DELICIOUS.

This is probably tied for favorite in my book.  It's called something slightly different at different places, but basically it's a big meat ball inside of a glutinous shell.  So difficult to describe but it will blow your mind and explode your taste buds with wonder!

Lastly my mom and I split another staple - the oyster and egg pancake. It's oyster and egg (duh) inside of a fried jelly-like skin, and it's so amazing!  They put some kind of ketchup-y concoction over it and the sauce is beyond delicious.

Then I came home in the afternoon, cleaned the house a little, and planted myself right in-front of the tv for the much awaited Thanksgiving Niner Game vs. the Baltimore Ravens, which us fans had lovingly dubbed Harbowl.  (For non Niner/football fans, this is because the Ravens are coached by John Harbaugh, elder brother by 15 months to Niner head coach Jim Harbaugh.)

(C)Dave Reginek/Getty Images; Nick Wass/Associated Press

Unfortunately...it was probably by far the most depressing game I had watched all season.  It wasn't even  torture anymore, pain is probably a better way to describe it.  First of all, the Niner's offensive line was all but non-existent, leading to Alex Smith getting sacked 9 times.  Nine times!!!  I cowered shamefully beneath my blanket on the couch.  The poor guy didn't even get a chance to play.  Snyder's presence was definitely missed.

Secondly, the refs made some terrible calls throughout the game that really set the niners back, the worst of which being the chop block penalty called on Rachal which wiped out what would have been Ted Ginn Jr.'s 75-yard touchdown catch.  It was a magical moment, quickly whipped away.  If you watch the replay, I can understand why "technically" the refs had the right to make the call, but that only makes it a "correct call," it was by no means a "good call," as Jim Harbaugh so classily refered to it as, in the post-game press conference.  I seriously give him props for taking the high road with all this, because the good Lord knows I was bashing my head on the wall in disgust when this happened.  Refs let penalties like this go, ALL THE TIME, taking things into context, and I was convinced (and still am) that the refs just wanted to give the fans in Baltimore a Thanksgiving present.  That call totally changed the dynamics of the game, in my opinion, and it was just abysmal from there on out.  Add to it the lack of O, and well...that was that.  

Needless to say, I have full faith that we will be geared up and back ready to go for Sunday's game against the Rams!  In any case, I suppose now is the time to explore weaknesses and areas for improvement, so we can go FTW in the post-season!!

SOS!!!!!

Got some regular posts coming up soon but for now - a plea for help!

I have found myself the victim of Black Friday shopping madness....
I've been lusting the the Reebok San Francisco 49ers Player Sideline 2nd Season Visor Knit Hat and found it online last night, and put it in my shopping cart at nflshop.com.  This morning I woke up early, worked all day, cooked a Turkey dinner, then hosted dinner, and returned to my computer only to discover that this hat was not only sold out on nflshop.com, but also ALL AROUND THE WEB?!?!?!?!?

It looks like this:

and retails for $19.99, but at this point I'm about ready to work out some sort of arrangement for it if I could only find one!  I even went to eBay and was prepared to kick butt in some massive bidding war if someone had put one up there.  I must have this hat :(   I was really hoping to have it by the end of the year for a trip to the East Coast I'll be taking around the 1st of Jan...I hope they restock, or some kind soul decides to sell theirs to me!

If anyone knows where I can get a hold of this hat, please do share!! I would be eternally grateful!

More Pics:

Our own Alex Smith wearing this hat backwards...

(C)Rob Carr/Getty Images

And Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens wearing the Ravens version right side forward.  (Unfortunately I couldn't find one of a 49er wearing it correctly...)

(C)Rob Carr/Getty Images

Sushi in the Golden State

This week has been strangely reversed.  When my weeks normally start headed downhill, hit the bottom at Wednesday, then slowly climb back up towards the end, this week started off fantastically well, then slowly fizzled to a lack-luster Friday afternoon.  I'm attending a concert tonight that should be promising, so hopefully some Schoenberg & Chamber Music will turn things around for me.

On Wednesday, I ended up dining solo, and decided nothing would be more comforting than my favorite cuisine: Japanese.  Since I am a quarter Japanese and grew up on the food, I am extremely hard to please.  There wasn't much time so I went to O-Toro Sushi, which is literally about 4 minutes walking distance from my school, and I was surprised to be blown away by the deliciousness! 

O-Toro Sushi

205 Oak Street

(between Gough & Octavia)

San Francisco, 94102

The only way to eat alone is to really pig out, so I ordered a hot Nabeyaki Udon to counter the cold wintery weather we've been having, and also ordered a Golden State Roll to satisfy the sashimi-lover in me.  Of course while I waited I was sipping on my hot Green Tea.  

Story:  My mother has been feeding me tea since I was a wee lass.  When I was a baby, mother's American friends would ask if I was drinking apple juice, looking at the color of the liquid in my bottle, which was clearly not milk.  And my mother would reply, "Nope, she's drinking tea!"  As a result, to this day I still guzzle tea like a camel.  In fact, in one day I could probably easily consume double the amount of tea than I could water.

Anyway, back to the food.  What initially caught my eye about the Golden State Roll was - I'm not going to lie - the name.  I guess you could say this whole lockout business has got me missing our Warriors, so I'll take any Golden State I could get at this point, even if it comes on my food.  Of course, I also love salmon sashimi so this was a double delight.  

I was completely impressed with how fresh the fish was, and the fact that the *real* snow crab inside the roll tasted great.

  

Then came the Nabeyaki Udon, which was also great.  I appreciated the fact that my egg actually came raw, which was nice because a) that means the soup is actually as hot as it's supposed to be, and b) I could take care of the egg the way I wanted to.  I hate it when the soup comes out in this impressive looking clay pot but is only moderately hot.  What's the point?!  The tempura was also delicious, and there was more chicken on the bottom than I could finish.

All in all, a great experience, and I will definitely be back!  Don't let the small front and simple menu fool you, this place is great.

Eight One

Just HAD to do a post on today's game!  My beloved hometown team, the San Francisco 49ers are now 8-1!! The NY Giants were in town today, and I think the only word I could use to describe the game was...magical.  So often these days, great games are marred by unsportsmanlike conduct - on the field, off the field, between players, between fans, between coaches, in press conferences, etc etc etc.  And it always makes me sad because it really casts a shadow over something that is supposed to be fun and enjoyable and bring people together.

Before any action even went down, I really appreciated the fact that during the past week, respectful comments were being made about the other team from members of both the Niners and the Giants - coaches and players.  And today's game was exciting!! Two very well matched teams, and it was intelligent, high level playing.  But really most of all, respectful.  And boy did Candlestick bring it today...

My favorite players of the day:  Alex Smith (for just being great and getting our only rushing yards in the first half?!), David Akers (for his sneaky stealthy but oh so successful onside kick that led to a field goal, and for being just about perfect), and Justin Smith (Uhhhh...did you SEE that block at the end?!)

And I have to end with this beautiful moment:

Vernon Davis leaping gracefully like a gazelle over Giants safety for a 31-yard touchdown catch!

Image (C) Andrew Mills/The Star-Ledger

Pour Some Sugar On Me

Wow, it's been a long time!  As the semester approaches its end (already?! seriously?!), I find myself bogged down with work, overly exhausted, and constantly behind.  In times like these, local spots that are within 5 minutes walking distance to school come in handy - no, they are necessary medicine to get me through long days!

A favorite spot of mine, and my colleagues, is Sugar...

Sugar Lounge

377 Hayes St.

(between Franklin & Gough)

San Francisco 94102

The best thing about Sugar is that if you go during happy hour, they give you some amazing snacks and hors d'oeuvres, FOR FREE!!  I know anything free will taste good to begin with, but it really is pretty good.  Plus, one of the bartenders is an SFCM alum...haha! 

E and I popped in between rehearsals/lessons and had a great time de-stressing! 

(Funny fact: my professor tells me "stress" is a California word, and it only exists in the minds of Californians!)

Our beautiful and tasty drinks...I wish I could remember the names.  Mine, on the left, had pomegranate in it I'm sure (I love pomegranate...and lychee.  Anything with pomegranate or lychee on the menu I will for sure pick up), and E's on the right had pineapple.

...and one more because the first was so good.  I know this was the "special margarita" hahah

Sometimes they've got a live DJ (other times there's an iPad sitting on top of the station or whatever it's called).  Doesn't hurt that there are super cute chairs/couches/pillows too!

Routine

I like to think of myself as very "loyal."  I'm one of those people where, when I eat repeatedly at the same place, once I've found my favorite dish, I always order that one.  You know those types.  Some people might call it "unadventurous"...but I really prefer loyal!

I'm a total creature of habit, and the same goes with my makeup routine.  I actually really do NOT like to wear make up, and on most days where I'm just running errands or hanging out with family (considering no photos are being taken), I try stay bare-faced all day.  Unfortunately, when I don't wear any makeup, I look like a 12-year old.  (If I wear makeup but wear the wrong clothes, that brings me up to high-school age looking.  Refer to this funny post on Asians and age appropriateness.)  Therefore, when I am working, or even just when I am going out and about, most days I have to wear at least some eye makeup to make myself look older and more professional.  There have been a few days when I've slummed out in my sweats, headband, and no makeup, and gotten into conversations with potential clients, and sorely regretted my completely unprofessional look, so I've learned it's better to always be safe than sorry.

I thought I'd share my go-to products:

EYES

L to R, top to bottom:

NYX eye shadow in black

Maybelline waterproof ultra-liner in black

Maybelline Master Drama creme pencil in Midnight Master

Maybelline Line Stylist eyeliner in Onyx

Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara in Very Black

Many days I don't wear anything on my face, but I will put on a little eye-makeup.  In case you can't tell, I am a HUGE fan of Maybelline eye-makeup, and even when I try out new things, I always go back to my favorites.  

I love waterproof liquid liner because of it's durability, but don't like how difficult it is to remove, and feel terrible when it causes stress to my sensitive lids.  I love creme liner but don't like how it smudges on my eyes, even with primer.  So I've recently discovered that marrying the two gives me exactly the results I want.  So on my top lid, I run a swipe of Maybelline's new Master Drama creme liner (basically the creme liner in pencil form), which is smooth, solid, gentle, and comes off easily.  Then at the corners, I take the ultra-liner and create the last 1/3 of my line as well as usually a little cat-eye tip.  On the bottom I use the line stylist because it's super skinny to line my waterline, then apply the NYX matte black shadow over to lock it in place.  Finally, curl my lashes once with my Shu Uemura curler, and apply one coat of Maybelline's Lash Stilletto mascara - my favorite! I love almost all Maybelline's mascara (except for Great Lash...never figured out what was so great about that one) but Lash Stilletto is by far my favorite.  It's light enough to wear for an everyday look, and also stacks well for occassions that call for more drama.  All of these products can be purchased at your local drugstore, what's better than great products at a great price?! My favorite combination!

FACE

Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer in 6 Ivory

Make Up For Ever Super Loose Matte Powder in 12 Translucent Natural

Natural FX (Cover FX) Water Based Foundation in M10 Bone

Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash

On my face is where I am willing to shell out a little more of my hard earned cash.  I have extremely sensitive skin that breaks out easily.  (Literally, if the wind blows too hard and my face comes in contact with too much dust, I'll break out.) So what products I put on my face for the days I wear face makeup are extremely important.  The MUFE Concealer is pricey, but a tube will last a long time, and it's completely worth it.  Best concealer I've ever used.  I love the powder also - notice its disheveled appearance - it's almost time for a new tub! And on days that I will be taking pictures, I go to Anastasia Brow Wiz for an extra touchup.  The ONLY foundation that my skin is able to handle that I've tried thus far, is this Natural FX (a line of Cover FX) water based foundation with SPF 15.  I can use it because it is paraben-free, oil free, and doesn't contain any of the chemicals that my skin is sensitive to.  On top of that, it gives excellent coverage, feels light, looks good in pictures, and lasts all day.  I apply with a foundation brush, mixing 1 part foundation with 2 parts moisturizer.  (I use the one my dermatologist recommends to me - Elta MD moisturizer with SPF 45)

CLEAN

Target Up&Up makeup remover cleansing towelettes and liquid eye makeup remover

Target is one of my absolute most favorite places of all time, and I love their brand Up&up.  Always about a dollar or more cheaper than the name brand, I often times even end up liking it more.  I use both of these products on my face before a final wash with my dermatologist prescribed face wash.  (Avéne Eau de Thermâle extra gentle cleanser)

So that's that!

Thank You, Alasdair.

WOW - Three days doesn't seem like a long time, but three days without internet feels like eternity!  I JUST got everything restored and back up running, and the first thing I wanted to do was blog about the experience, and also a thank you to the kind man from halfway across the world who helped me get my life back.

To be honest, when I first discovered that my internet was gone when I woke up Thursday morning, it didn't seem like that big of a deal to me.  First of all, I wasn't sure what the problem was exactly, but I figured that a little break wouldn't be so bad - it may actually be refreshing.  I had to work that day anyway, so it wasn't like I was going to have a lot of time to worry about it during the day.

As the day went on and all my troubleshooting proved to be of naught though, I started to worry.  Papers due, bills to pay, business to take care of online...everything started to pile up in my mind and the stress began to mount.  Thankfully, spent a while on the phone with an internet service representative and was able to deduce that my modem had gone bad and needed to be replaced.  (Not surprising, since our modem was about 11 years old.  Did we even have internet 11 years ago?!)

Friday, I woke up early, went to class and rushed to Best Buy after to pick up a new modem.  Then I proceeded to spend the next 7 hours scrunched up under our desk, tangled amidst about 30 different wires, reconnecting the new modem in place of the old one, speaking with my internet service provider to reconnect our DSL line to the new modem, when I encountered another problem - our old router wasn't recognizing the new modem.

(I sent my father this picture and his conclusion was that it's time to switch to a mac.  AMEN.)

Now, the internet rep's suggestion to me was to simply call the customer service hotline for the router and have a rep there walk me through.  In hindsight, I SHOULD HAVE JUST LISTENED TO HIM.  Unfortunately, my parents called me first and suggested I call up a dear family friend who's sort of a computer whiz, and have him help me.  By then it had been 48 hours and I was ready to get this ball rolling again.  After two failed attempts at having our friend come over, I was frustrated and decided to call the mister.  At which point he also tried to walk me through several steps to get things fixed again, but it just wasn't working, and I felt like my blood pressure was about to shoot through the roof.

Finally frustrated and with no options left and no one left to talk to, I decided to pick up the phone and call my router customer support.

I was connected with a man named Alasdair, and he quickly (within about 45 minutes) was able to walk me through everything clearly, confidently, and step-by-step get me back in business!  Thank God for techies!  The funny thing is, during one step when I was starting up my laptop, he says to me, all professionally - "So ma'am, while we wait, would you mind telling me where you are calling from?"  And I replied, "California," not being entirely sure what he was referring to.  Then he said, "How is the weather there?"  I laughed and replied, "Sunny but a bit chilly!  Umm...where are you right now??" And he replied, "India."  So I asked, "What's the weather like there?"  And he replied, "Well...it is a bit chilly."

And I'm not sure why...but at that moment I just really wished I could reach through the phone lines and give him a hug.  I don't know if Alasdair has ever been to California, but if he hasn't, I hope he gets to one day.  I'm pretty sure California is the equivalent of paradise.  (Spoken like a true California-girl huh?)

On that note, I'd like to recommend three of my favorite movies regarding the Indian people, place, and culture.  All three are very different, but quite worth watching, for their own reasons.

THE NAMESAKE 

Touching story of a young man born and raised in the US, and his initial disconnect and disinterest with his own culture.  He fails to appreciate his parents hard work that has brought him to where he is, and doesn't appreciate what they've been through.  Will he recognize the importance of our past before its too late?  (And yes, for you Harold & Kumar fans out there, it stars Kal Penn.)

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

There are definitely scenes in this movie that are difficult to watch because it is so heart-wrenching.  Story of a brilliant young man who is determined to create his own paradise, and proof that the strength of the human spirit can triumph over all odds.  Beautiful, and touching.

THREE IDIOTS
This is perhaps one of my most favorite movies of all time, and I don't give those titles lightly.  My one piece of advice for this movie - STICK WITH IT.  Yes, it is a bollywood film, and yes, it comes with a few typical bollywood "musical" numbers that don't really do anything for the story line.  However, stick with this movie, it will surprise you and delight you like you never would have thought.  What starts out as a light-hearted and somewhat, well - idiotic - comedy...quickly probes much deeper into the human heart and before you know it, you will be laughing and crying over this movie, sleeping with it in your bed, and recommending it to complete strangers in the street.  Do yourself a favor - track it down and watch it!

An Evening with Brendel

My teacher told my recently, "do one thing a week that is amazing, out of the norm for you, and something you will think back on and remember forever."  She said, even if it was taking a hike out to watch the sunset - it didn't have to be anything expensive, or crazy, but as long as it was something inspiring - make the time and effort to do it once a week, and it will make your life better.

I can't remember time I've done anything like that, but after my recent experience I am definitely making it a goal to schedule in some awesomeness once a week!

I was recently invited to a special private event.  Renowned pianist, lecturer and author Alfred Brendel was coming to Berkeley to give a lecture to a small intimate group of 60.  There were no tickets, and it was by invitation only.

I had a hard time getting my little brother to understand the importance of this, so I explained to him (he's a huge NBA fan) by means of an illustration.  I said, say LeBron James (his favorite player - let's NOT get into that discussion please lest I kill myself.  But you can insert anyone you like:  Jerry Rice, Michael Jordan, Willie Mays, Alexander McQueen, Jimi Hendrix, Steven Scorcese, whoever you want) - say that person is coming over to my house for dinner.  I can invite 10 people, they get to come over for free, you don't have to bring anything, you just come and listen to this person talk.  About their inspiration, their tips and tricks, their ideas, their experiences, etc.  And I invite YOU.  He immediately said "Ohh I see...that's pretty cool! Have fun!"

It was pretty amazing! It's inspiring just to be in such close quarters with such an amazing mind, that, at 80, still blows everyone in the room combined, out of the water.  The hall was beautiful, Brendel has a delightful sense of humour, I took some good notes, and it was definitely one of the greatest experiences of my life!

 lighting was terrible and we weren't allowed to take pictures so I had to make due with my camera phone, and with flash off.

It was very late and very dark when I got home, and I was very tired, so there was no way I was going to get a good outfit post, but remember this?  I wore my GAP black skinnies out for the whole evening and I have to say - I LOVE them! Totally worth every penny.

 I wore:  

GAP Always Skinny Jeans in Black

Forever 21 Crochet Sweater (old)

Sequin Tank I picked up at Marshalls for $12 - yay budget shopping!

and my favorite Blue Suede Jessica Simpson wedges for that pop of color.

A close up of just how sparkly the tank is - I love it! And for $12?! You can't find something this amazing at that price anywhere else!  Yay for Marshalls/TJmaxx/Ross shoppers!

I knew this color wouldn't show, but I am absolutely in-love with my blue suede shoes! Not to mention, it's so incredibly comfortable. I've been on my feet walking all day in these and they don't bother me!  Don't worry, keep your eyes peeled because I'm positive they'll be back on here again soon!