Life

Life, Travel

Los Angeles Food Porn Post

I went to Los Angeles to see my folks a few weeks ago, and all in all it was a pretty good trip. Normally trips to LA overwhelm and depress me (being surrounded by 5-20+ kids at all times will do that), but this time I stuck to the essentials- good food and honest conversation with my family. I managed to have a good time in spite of myself.

First up, pork and pumpkin dumplings and the mysterious sounding “BEEF ROLL”. 

My uncle said that beef roll was kind of like a Chinese burrito, which is why I wanted to try it. As you can see, it’s not quite true. I mean where’s the aluminum foil? It was still incredibly good, however. I am interested in trying SF variations if I can find them.

The beef roll was followed up by a stop at Half and Half for some pudding boba. 

The portions are approximately the size of my cousin’s head.

Later that night my mother and I went to President Thai. She’d read about it in the paper. I was impressed that she’s keeping up with the (non pho-related) food scene. She is so restaurant obsessed.

Tom yum, of course.

Oops.. it’s a papaya salad, except DEEP FRIED.Not what I was expecting when I ordered this.

These are some really great chili paste clams.

The next morning my grandmother made banh xeo, like she normally does on “special” occasions. I saw her make the batter, and she used Heineken??? Odd, no? I’m definitely going to ask for the recipe.

My aunt wanted to take me to Huntington Library, followed by a swim at CalTech (er… I don’t have any pictures of that).

Don’t I look just like a bonsai?

Then I had my mom’s pho for lunch…

And a Brazilian guarana drink for the drive to the airport!

I am almost looking forward to going back to LA for the holidays, if it means I can have pudding boba and beef rolls again.

Life, Travel

Las Vegas- We came, we drank, we had wonderfully awkward family time

I had to book it to Vegas over Labor Day weekend for my Uncle Vay’s wedding reception. Since it was a bit short notice, driving was the way to go. Yes, driving! Unfortunately my friends decided to bow out on the trip, so it was just me and Ryan splitting the 10 hour drive, but it was not as bad as it could have been.

Friday- 9 hours of driving 11pm-8am.

Saturday-Check in to hotel. Pass out… er…Sleep. Food. Drink. Frantic shopping for swimsuit because I packed two bottoms. Swim. Drink.Drink some more. Fancy dinner and fancy family wedding photos. Sleep.

Sunday-Eat. Walk. Swim. Drink. Eat.Sleep.

Monday 6 am- 5ish? A 1o hour drive back to San Francisco. Work in the car and try to pretend that there is nothing weird about getting work done while driving through the desert at 6am.

Vegas was good-a little family and a little heat- both things that I don’t encounter very often. It was a nice time, although near the end I was happy to leave Vegas. The dark side of the city really depresses me sometimes. Also, it was really hard to get a decent healthy meal in town and not feel totally swindled.

My entire family was stationed at the Trump, and I gotta say, I was impressed with the little touches of Trump ridiculousness. There was a well stocked kitchenette (Le Creuset tea kettles, WHAT?), jacuzzi bathtub AND shower, and a television in the mirror in the bathroom.Wow! Too ridiculous. The hotel was off the strip and had no casino on the ground floor, but those are definitely good things. I’m feeling majorly thankful to my uncle for inviting me and Ryan along for the silliness, putting us up, and feeding us well. Now I just have to find him a nice wedding present before Friday, when I take off for Los Angeles.

Life

Still alive…

This picture sums up my approach to life quite well! “Eh…”

Things have been busy. I took a quickie trip to Santa Barbara (3 short days, 2 nights) and had a great time with Jill and her college friend Doug. A blog post on that trip is on the way.

I was supposed to go to Los Angeles to see my family last weekend (guilt! guilt!), but I had some issues with Southwest Airlines at the airport, so that trip is postponed. My mom was really understanding when I told her that I had to cancel.”Oh It’s ok Tracy ! I’m NOT DEAD!!!”.”  I am not proud to say this, but I was a little relieved when the trip was called off. It takes a lot of energy to make it to LA.I love my family, but they are a handful.

Oh! I’m going to Vegas during Labor Day to celebrate my Uncle Vay’s wedding. It makes sense that my uncle and his lawyer? wife would plan their wedding celebrations in the most efficient fashion, around a national holiday. Really excited about the 10 hour drive, taking a holiday with Ryan, and sneaking Jill, Joseph, and maybe Will into my hotel room. Vegas!

Other exciting news? I’m taking French at the community college with Jill. While I’m not learning as much as I did in Latin or Mandarin, it has been a lot of fun so far, and I’m really happy with it. Also, we’ve got a  few high school friends visiting over the next few weeks, so lots going on.

Life, San Francisco

Giants vs. Phillies

My first baseball game in fifteen+ years! I am not a sports enthusiast by any means  but I figured that I owe Ryan given how many operas, plays and symphonies I’ve dragged him to in the last year or so. Also I imagined that baseball would be more enjoyable now that I can drink.

Everybody is bundled up- SF in the summertime. BRR!!!

 

Sometimes I wish that I understood and appreciated sports, just so that I could feel like I belong. Every few years I make it a new year’s resolution to “learn sports.” It never really works out. You just can’t fake excitement.

What I can get behind, however is the crazy mascots. OMG it’s Lou Seal the Giants mascot riding around on a golf cart throwing free pizzas at people! I didn’t even know that you could throw pizza!

One cool thing about AT&T Park is the giant slide inside the “Coke Bottle.” This is the view from the line. I guess the slide was meant for kids- I barely slid down the tube and had to push myself down.

There was a fight!

But my personal high point: photo op with Lou Seal!

I’m looking forward to returning to AT&T Park for the opera simulcast of Turandot next month. I’m not sure when I’ll see a baseball game again… Maybe in my 40s?

Life

Checking out AirBNB’s New Digs

So AirBNB recently moved into their new offices and decided to throw a party…

Ryan had kindly extended his invitation to me oh, about a month ago, but on the day of the event I wasn’t really feeling it. I didn’t want to schmooze in Potrero. A little yoga, sunny skies and a free ride changed my mind. I gotta say that I was really blown away by the offices. It’s a very inspiring space. My boozey party photos don’t really capture the excitement. It is worth it to see pretty photos elsewhere.

I thought that the conference rooms were a little kooky and homey, but on Monday when I debriefed with a coworker who had also attended the party I learned that the company had recreated three of its top selling apartment/spaces as conference rooms.

Really?

I guess that explains this giant treehouse dome thing.

It’s really quite cozy. You know that at some point something horrible is going to go down in this hut.

Then there’s a kitchen area…

Skeeball/etc area

My friend Doug posing with the marketing stunt that put the company on the map.

The offices were nice and all, but the real draw was the dance floor on the roof. The DJ was… MC Hammer???!! Yep.

Hammer seemed really really happy.

Ryan and the never-ending drink line.

 

This is a super blurry photo, but I think that I look cute in Jill’s porkpie hat.

I’ve got to say, I felt out of my element, but in a good way. Everything that night (offices, food services, people) was just a bit too slick. It was a very dreamy night.

I haven’t been to any events as cash flush as this in… ever? I mean, the experience of extravagance continued even after you exited the building- in the parking lot were two food trucks that were hired by the company to pass out free food. I wanted to grab a free taco badly, but we had to take off. All in all a great party.