Tokyo

The rumors are true...

Penny and Cappy are braving the skies bound for Tokyo, Japan. This trip marks Cappy's first time in the Land of the Rising Sun. I've not been back in ten years. In 1997, I was climbing the steep hills of Itaewon much too often and eating chili and rice at Korean Wendy's--longing for Hawai'i. In late April of '97, I was able to pop over to Saitama for a women's weekend, as well as a quick trip up to my old junior high school in Nishi-Aizu, Japan.

We leave tomorrow and arrive on the afternoon of New Year's eve.

I know I'm not as young and limber as I was in 1993, but we'll try to push through the pain of the whirlwind week and a half that I've planned.

No matter what--the jetlag and sleep deprivation, density, lights, and cigarette smoke will all be worth it once we're dipping our toes into the hotspring waters at Mukaitaki...

Globalization

Globalization is often misappropriated. Too many people equate globalization with internationalism, or worse, multiculturalism.

My two thoughts on globalization for today:

1. The 58,000 gallon oil spill in the San Francisco Bay Area is just one more collision between the environment and the unfettered capitalism of a global economy. They say that the oil will never be cleaned up.

2. Globalization is the ability for an isolated individual in his mid-20's to acquire the financial power of a state, if not country. Yes, I'm speaking of the 50+ billion dollar mind of Facebook. A young American white man in his mid 20's.

Who knew that social networking would be the new General Motors? Perhaps we can all start discussing how we'll deal with the ineviable environmental migration. We brag about our generators, SUV hybrids, and bottled water as we prepare for the mass migration to Alaska or Iceland. Both of which should be near tropical in 20 years...

Catch Up

Hello my dwindling readership,

I've cut over to MySpace, Yelp, and LinkedIn....and have thusly reneged on my regular blog duties.

Headlines:

-Cappy and I are heading to the concrete metropolis of Tokyo, Japan after the New Year. Our New Year plans are non-existent. Hopefully there will be some savory vending machine options. We land at 4pm on Dec.31. Our plans include a quick download of Tokyo offerings, a trip to Fukushima prefecture and possibly a venture southward to Hiroshima. Must get going on the planning side of things...

-Am back in the world of libraries, reading lists, and long hours in the classroom. I am thoroughly enjoying school, my classmates, and everything I'm reading. It is true that as you get older, you certainly have a smaller window of time for maximum brain effectiveness. I am currently negotiating this theory while balancing full-time work. So far, I do not have a headache every day as I did the first week of class...

-Am training for a mini-triathlon. My brother and Cappy tell me that 400 yards for the swimming portion equals about 16 laps in the pool. Thankfully I've been pushing it for 20 laps (where one lap is up/back the 25 yard width of the pool). The triathlon sprint is not until Spring 2008, but am trying to get my cardio sorted out way before then.

-My brother and his family have adopted a 4 year old Dalmatian called "Lady." Apparently, she loves the kids, loves sleeping, and seems very happy to have been rescued from her former life. She was a breeder of tiny black and white fur balls. Now, she seems content with wearing beads and various accessories applied by her new 9-year-old sister.

I must go but before I do, I will leave you w/some links:


Keeping One's Word in the 20th Century:
http://www.threecupsoftea.com/

It's horrific yet true:
http://www.iabolish.org/


Yours truly,
Penny

San Diego

This restores my faith in the presence of humanity in politicians--those with the courage to stand behind their beliefs:

http://cbs5.com/video/?id=26888@kpix.dayport.com

Quite moving, refreshing, and restorative.

Back to School

So I'm an official student. The honeymoon of the orientation and first class has worn off. I'm now a doctoral student at the University of San Francisco.

I love it so far, but I've had a headache for 3 days straight! What is happening!?! Cappy tells me that it's normal--I'm clearly not used to academic reading and thinking.

A comparison:
My mind is like a soccer player who hasn't been on the pitch for ages but has kept up jogging for fitness. Turning years of on/off jogging into strenuous fits and starts for professional soccer is proving to be a situation. But not one that I can't overcome.

It's the making money part that gets in the way, really.

In my Master's program, I was working part-time. I had entire days that I could spend at the library and 3 hour evening classes as opposed to four hour Saturdays twice a month.

Nevertheless, I feel alive.

Gombei

Have been seriously craving good Japanese food for a while now. For those of you who know me well, you know I go through particular food cravings.

Sometimes it's a streak of peanut butter and jelly sandwich dinners. Or more recently, Rice Crispies cereal with sliced banana.

Lately, it has been Japanese food. And I'm not talking sushi, but regular teishoku. A well balanced tray of starch, soups, a side dish, and a main dish that my grandma used to make.

Living in Oakland, you've got your choice from various Korean or Chinese "sushi" restaurants. Not a hater, but TNT rolls with extra Korean spicy tuna in the middle and baked salmon on top is NOT sushi. And the local Cantonese speaking guys rocking the hachimakis are definitely spirited and slap together a "Shrek" roll with the best of them, but... I always leave feeling filled, but not full.

OK, but I can deal. I know i'm not in the middle of Ginza. However, i recently had an experience that drove me to near disapparation to the middle of the Tokyo metropolis.

The happening went down like this:

So it's a weeknight and Cappy and I are in a huff about nothing. Read: extreme hunger. We pull up to a local "sushi" place, knowing full well it's farm team sushi and nothing like the real deal.

Firstly, this place is filled with various Asian ethnicities, Latin, African-American, Caucasian, you name it. Don't strain your eyes looking for Japanese people because they are not here and would seriously catch hell if they ever did end up here....

We ordered the Lambada Roll. I know, I know, I know... What was the essense of the Lambada you ask? Spicy tuna and salmon slathered with avocado and tobiko. It was filling, yet unappealing. Kind of like how people can be totally attractive yet revolting at the same time? Like that. Delicious yet wrong.

But this was the worst part. I ordered tendon. As you know, tendon is supposed to be tempura sitting atop a bowl of rice, with that lovely tendon sauce drizzled over the top. What arrived at my table certainly resembled tendon. But there was no sauce!? No big. Just need to ask for the tendon sauce and all will be well.

I managed lure a Korean server over to our table. I probably had the look of one who had accidently rubbed wasabi in my eyes. She comes over and I say, "I think they forgot to put the tendon sauce here." She then gives me a puzzled look, as if to say, "Are you really wearing gym clothes in my dining room?" She got the question however, and shuffled away with the same puzzled expression.

At this point, I'm thinking I'm not going to get any sauce at all. It's not going to happen. Or, she'll come back with apologies saying that it's been a busy night and she rushed out the dish. No problem, I'd say. I'm not about to cause any trouble, you see.

I look up 3 minutes later and she's walking my way holding a small bowl. I'm all happy because i'm thinking "self-drizzle!" But as she set the small bowl down, i realise, it's tempura sauce!?!?

I spent the rest of the dinner miserably dipping my super sized tempura veggies into a bowl of tempura sauce that had been seriously ladled with ginger. Case in point: the carrot piece resembled those gigantic pink erasers we used in elementary school. Remember those? They had the toughness of a bar of soap and made mincemeat of that news sheet paper we used for penmanship practice....

Again, not a hater but this experienced just ramped up my authentic Japanese food craving tenfold.

Yesterday with a lot of happiness and high expectations, Cappy and I were able to make our quarterly pilgrimage to our favorite Japanese restaurant in San Jose. Gombei is a life saver. It is my years in Tohoku and years of my grandmother's cooking all in one little cafe.

I had some perfectly grilled hamachi teriyaki, Sendai style miso soup, pumpkin croquettes, tsukemono, rice and salad. Cappy was without words for her stuffed aburage, sashimi, miso soup, salad, and rice.

The flavors, the small dishes, the shoyu/mirin taste, the perfectly fluffy yet sticky rice...

All was well in my world.

Bliss

Feast your eyes on chicken laulau, fried rice, and tsukemono from Kuhio Grille in Hawai'i. Yum! I wish I had taken more pictures like this of various meals from all of my favorite restaurants. Clearly, I was too involved with the eating process to get the camera out.

Highlights:

Late nights with my mom indulging her Korean drama craze. This time it was "My Lovely Sam-Soon." I realised it is not just my mom. All of her friends are totally hooked on Korean dramas--viewed at high volume and sometimes consecutively until early morning. Swimming with the kids at Onekahakaha Beach, Itsu's ice shave, Coconut Island, karaoke and Hawaiian puupuus (appetizers) Hilo style at Bamboo Garden, catching up with relatives and old friends, fireworks, a day at the Hilton Waikoloa, Tex's Malasadas, etc.

Will probably write more about this trip in the week to come.

What wonders a week under the Hilo sunshine has done....

Hilo

To the right you can catch a 1964 glimpse of Hapuna Beach on the Big Island of Hawai'i. Not much has changed, however--unless you count the ginormous Hapuna Prince Hotel that now resides up the hill from the beach. Hapuna is one of the few white sand beaches on the island. And that is not necessarily a bad thing. Let the tourists flock to Maui and Waikiki, I say...


Good news: We'll be driving up to the "Poke Truck" in Hawai'i in less than 24 hours! This will be our fourth trip to Hilo together. That means in the five years Cappy and I have been together, we've gone "home" once a year. We missed Hawai'i in 2006, but I'm sure we'll make up for lost time.


Thankfully, we can now fly directly from Oakland to Hilo without catching Honolulu airport's Wiki Wiki to the inter-island terminal. That means we leave here around 4pm and arrive in Hilo close to 7pm. Brilliant.

Although i've been looking forward to the trip, it will be the first time since I was an infant that I've not stayed in my grandparent's house. It's now on the market and my parents have new digs. I know it's ultimately just a structure of wood and stone, but I have a bittersweet feeling about it all. It's extremely hard for me to imagine anyone else peering out to Hilo bay from my grandparent's deck, or seeing other cars parked in the driveway. My parents' new place is up the street. I've already promised myself that I'll close my eyes as we pass by the old house. Not meaning to be melodramatic, but it's the only structure in this world where I feel entirely safe.

Am looking forward to:

-Spending time with the niece and nephew.
They're currently enrolled in Level 3 basic swimming classes at the YWCA. Read: transitioning from dog paddle to the basic crawl. Hopefully my nephew won't have too many "time outs" this year.

-The aforementioned "Poke Truck."
Apparently a local guy prepares a few different kinds of poke, loads up his truck, and parks next to the KTA supermarket. My dad (a poke expert) claims that the Poke Truck's garlic ahi tuna poke is to die for.

-Sharing my slide to dvd (and jpeg) project.
As you know, (from what I've said and written) I've spent TONS of hours on this project. I really look forward to sharing it with my parents. You probably know this if you've been talking to me recently but I've had 2800 slides scanned and converted to jpeg. Then I chose 500 select images, compiled a soundtrack, and had a DVD made. My mom claims that she may not make it through the entire DVD. I know what she means. I cried a lot putting this project together. I'm at the point now where I've seen the images so many times, that I can watch it as if I'm watching an episode of Top Chef.

-Swimming at Onekahakaha Beach with the kids.
In the slides, particulary from 1971-1974, there are a lot of images of my brother and I being held up in the water by our parents and grandparents. Now things have evolved---now we're the ones swimming with the kids, sitting on the very same steps, standing under the same brackish water shower...

-Seeing my childhood friend Teri and her new baby, Ryder
With Teri and her friends I: bought my first bottle of vodka at 17, had my first taste of Hawaiian pakalolo, drove without a license behind the sugar cane fields near Hilo Hospital, and attended YWCA's Summer Fun Camp. The memories.

I can go on here but the dog needs to be walked, things need to be packed, etc.

Aloha.

Quiz

Hey now, it's time for a quiz of sorts!

The topic is: IKEA product or Cirque du Soleil show? Here's how it works, I'll call out a word, and you shout out "Cirque du Soleil!" Or "IKEA!"

Ready? Go!

1. Nouba
2. Kooza
3. Inreda
4. Ka
5. Fira
6. Agerum
7. Mandal
8. Varekai

The things that pass through your mind on a Friday afternoon....

Chapeau!

For our anniversary a few weeks ago, we tried Chapeau!. It is now officially one of my favorite French restaurants in the city. I want to bring all of my friends here one by one, two by two, whatever it takes until everyone I know can recall the designs of the faded yellow Provence-like murals on the wall.

The warm hospitality, the succulent and delicate flavors, the quaint and down to earth ambiance, the passion of the host/chef, the superb service--what else is there to say? I'm in love.

I had the mesclun salad with warm brie and walnut pain, salmon with spinach, lentils, tomato, prawns and mussels, and a heavenly praline cake. Cappy had oysters, the day boat scallop appetizer, monkfish with lobster risotto, and a trio of sorbets. All were wonderful, not overpowering, heartwarming and delicious.

Phillipe (host/chef/sommelier) greeted us heartily upon our arrival, and sent us off with kisses. He's a passionate French man who has been known to chase down people blocks away just to thank people.

Aqua (SF) is like the fabulous one night stand with a rock star---one who is unattainable, not one you'd not settle down with, but will always stand out in your mind. But Chapeau! is the one you fell in love with, the one who became your best friend as well as lover--and best of all, being with them is the promise of a lifetime of one night stands.


Go to Chapeau! to recall your French holidays, indulge yourselves, and remember not only what good French food is all about, but also how it should be enjoyed. Also, the $25 early bird prix fixe is not a bad option for a weeknight or Sunday...

Under the Weather

I've been sick for 6 days straight now. It's to the point where I've forgotten what it is like to have energy for my own life. I don't mean to sound overly melodramatic, but it's true. Haven't you been so sick before that it completely knocks you down? I literally can't imagine what it's like to have had the energy to get all the way to S. San Francisco, work all day, come back, go to the gym, and still have energy to cook dinner?

Climbing stairs at home has been a Herculean effort. And if you've been here, you know that we have about 5-6 stairs leading to the loft. The dog has even been looking at me with her eerily humanlike "What's wrong with you?" look.

Being sick is almost like a vacation, but sleeping in your own bed, and no change of scenery. My wonderful Cappy has been running here and there for medication and juice, making me homemade chicken soup with tofu, and that sort of thing. I've picked up a book that I've been meaning to read for a very long time, am catching up on my New Yorker issues, am staring at the walls, sleeping...

In the sense of vacation, I mean that it's a severe mental break from work. I'm also finding myself missing every day things I used to enjoy. Meeting and catching up with good friends, going to the gym, shopping for groceries, seeing movies. I feel like I'm grounded.

Am not feeling sorry for myself, though it seems as such. I just am feeling really compounded by this lack of mobility. It could be much worse.

This past week has made me realise how tough it would be to not be able to live a life that is right before me. And I know this cough, fever, lung infection and lethargy will eventually fade away.... but it makes me sad for those who are afflicted with diseases that won't ever go away.

Dr. Jack Kevorkian has recently been released. I'm one who never felt he deserved to go to jail. It's sad that his assistance with the patient with Lou Gehrig's disease set off a controversy that blamed him for suggesting no other alternative for those afflicted with ALS.

I've never been close to the debilitative effects of any serious disease, and for that I am lucky and I hope to continue to be lucky. But I do feel that if it got to the point where my life didn't measure up for me, I would love the freedom to take control of my life. Inevitably, Kervorkian says that many who know they have the freedom to take their own lives, are imbued with more energy to fight their illness.

Thankfully Oregon gets it. And I really miss Track Town Pizza from Eugene. The best west coast pizza. Have got a serious pizza craving. Arinell in Berkeley or Track Town. Yummy. I must be feeling slightly better.

Disney

Disneyland and Universal Studios with the kids was just as you'd expect. It was absolultely wonderful, exciting, and full of laughter. It made me think feel that I want my own kids. Almost.

Here's an image of our hotel. It was a 5-minute walk from our hotel room to the Disney turnstiles. This hotel also has a child friendly rooftop pool. It was perfect for a mid-afternoon swim break before returning to Disneyland for the night.

Being a quasi-parent for the weekend granted us exclusive yet temporary membership to a club that I didn't know existed. Or rather, one that I knew existed but one that I never wanted to join. The club I'm referring to is the society of parenthood.

As i looked around, many phrases started to make sense: "I'm going to count to 10," "Please keep your hands to yourself," and all of the strategies necessary to negotiate with young kids.

Am I ready to give up the freedom of downtime anytime and relatively clean food/toy free floors? Maybe I am creeping more towards a resounding yelp of "yes!" Rather than feeling stressed out and overly burdened, I actually liked being responsible for two young ones.

I know that one weekend is not nearly a true test of one's parental metal, but I know now that it's becoming more and more appealing. What I loved most about this weekend was listening to laughter--pure and in the moment joy.

My nephew's favorite rides: Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. He didn't like Indiana Jones at all, but loved Buzz Lightyear's Asto Blasters. My niece loved Indiana Jones and the Jungle Cruise. I know we could have shown them Disney California--but it's hard to be enthusiastic about that part of the park. It's kind of like suddenly rooting for a team like the Arizona Diamondbacks or the Carolina Panthers. Don't know them, they weren't around when I was young...

Notes on Disneyland:

-Splash Mountain re-opened after what seemed like years of refurbishment. After a grand debut, it promptly broke down again. Sad kids and an almost sadder Auntie : (

-The hairdo of teens and tween boys these days, or at least in Southern California, is a shaggy long mop. I wonder when the super coiffed Spandau Ballet hair will make its comeback? Maybe by the time my nephew is 14... I'm crossing my fingers.

-The Disneyland Railroad was out of operation. No cheesy dinosaurs between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. Boo.

-The new and improved Space Mountain more than exceeded my expectations. The lights are digitally coordinated with the twists and turns. You actually feel like you're in space.

-Tomorrowland is much more alive with the opening of Space Mountain. The re-surfacing of the Finding Nemo Submarines will bring more vivacity to that area. It has been so depressing on trips past when Space Mountain was being refurbished and Nemo was in its conceptualization phase.

-Cinderella's Castle was much smaller than I remembered it. Perhaps I've seen too many images of Neuschwanstein castle...

I would love a special VIP tour of Disneyland:

-The interior of Space Mountain and Indiana Jones with the lights on.

-The basketball court inside the Matterhorn

-Walt Disney's apartment in Cinderella's Castle and Club 336 (New Orleans Square)

-Architectural tour of Pirates of the Caribbean. How many floors does it occupy? How does the water recycle within the ride? Are there any special rooms off the ride path?

I'd seriously love to quit my job and become a Disney Imagineer. I'd love to put my efforts towards something that brings joy and happiness to hundreds and thousands. If I worked at Disney, I always wanted to work the Pirates ride--for the costumes. But I also think it would be fun to operate Peter Pan.

Clearly, I'm in a post-Disney state of mind.

Update

Pennylane Productions--or the promise of it--has left the stratosphere. In comes the reign of Liliou from a land of waking sentiment, cynicism, and dreams. All PP posts remain as originally posted. And no animals were harmed in this transition--if you don't count the Tubular One's emotional neglect around people food.

Liliou is:

-unapologetic and true
-corn dogs not hot dogs
-forest moss
-Aizu and Akaka Falls
-double dipping

Why the change? All signs point to my Scorpio rising propensity for psychic regeneration. For the past 3 months, I've been re-directed, rejuvenated, and inspired by new things in my life.

In any case, we're very excited about our upcoming trip with the niece and nephew. Apparently my nephew Ryan has been waking up everyday telling my brother, "Bye Dad, I'm going to Disneyland." The concept of time is a tough concept for this little guy to grasp. He lives in the here and now. Next week, the following week, two days from now just doesn't make enough sense.

Being a huge Disneyland fan, I've had a lot of fun planning our trip. I've got our fastpass strategy down, and am thisclose to planning out an attraction schedule. I've found the perfect hotel. I've put more planning time into this trip than trips Cappy and I have taken. Rather than being spontaneous, I've had to plan out certain things. There are obvious considerations to be made when traveling with kids. However, I have stopped short at the risk of scaring not only Cappy, but also myself. There is nothing scarier and more suffocating than having a schedule that maps out each hour of the next four days.

As far as the child-friendly considerations:

All necessities (and perceived necessities) have been purchased: handiwipes, snacks, tiny ziplock baggies for the snacks, tickets, Disney scrapbook, sun lotion for kids, etc. Many questions have been asked/answered. Is it OK to bring a 7-year old into the ladies room? What do they like to eat for breakfast? What will their energy level be like at 10.30 pm? Would the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios be too scary? Which kid likes raw vegetables but not cooked vegetables? Do they like Mexican food?

Both kids have been to Tokyo Disneyland/Disney Sea a few times, but I still think Disneyland Anaheim is better. There are six rides and churros stands that don't exist at T.D. Or maybe they do have churros, but I don't remember.


In any case, the fun starts in less than 24 hours!

List

Things that I've been craving lately:

1. A corn dog
2. Higashiyama onsen
3. AC/DC
4. Strawberry milk
5. Hearing the creaking floors of the Hilo house
6. Diving into the pool in Mtn. View

Playlist:

1. Rene and Akemi Paulo's "Here is Happiness"
2. Kitaro "Island of Life"
3. Elvis "Stuck on You"
4. Nat King Cole "That Sunday, That Summer"
5. Bing Crosby "Swinging on a Star"
6. Cocteau Twins "For Phoebe Still a Baby"

New Nicknames for the Tubular One (though she's no longer tubular):

1. Mistique
2. Fat Rabbit
3. Little Marsupial

Great Films I've recently seen:

1. Little Children
2. My Architect
3. Curse of the Golden Flower
4. The Painted Veil

Cappy and I did a brisk 3.5 mile hike this last weekend--albeit sneezing all the way. I can't seem to find 2 minutes of non-sneezing between 7.30-10 on most mornings. Seriously, the Bay Area has gotten much worse for asthmatics!

Two Bits

Lately:

-MacArthur Maze Meltdown
Literal meltdown. For those of you not in the Bay Area, this happened. I know it won't last long, but my commute this morning was probably the best ever. Many people took public transportation or worked from home today--whatever the case, my commute was about 35 minutes, both ways. A friend told me that the lower deck of the Bay Bridge was stopped up on Friday night due to another truck that crashed and was on fire.

-New Ringtone
I got tired of the Monk's chanting every time a call came in. I've now got my ringer set to AC/DC's Back in Black. I think "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" may have been the first, or one of the first, cassettes I ever bought. Totally call me, I love hearing those first guitar lines...

-Great film: Children of Men
Loved it, so much so that I am now reading the novel. And this is not a typical thing in Penny's world. Watching the film, then reading the book, I mean. Warning: don't watch the film and special features in one sitting. You'll know what I'm talking about when you've got the DVD at home with you.

-Furikaki
I've always loved this Japanese condiment, but I've loved it especially last week. Had an ochazuke fit which perfectly suited me last week. Another bout of the flu. Yes, again.

-Sistas in the Pit
Cappy and I had a party recently. The lead singer/guitarist was in the house (she's dating a good friend of mine). I had no idea that she is a well-known DJ, nor that she was musical. I thought she had cool hair and really liked the party games we played. Anyway, I think this group rocks. They describe themselves as the love child between Jimi Hendrix and Sade. Brilliant.

Have a great week.

Project

I've taken on a project of monumental proportions...

What is it?

In a downstairs closet at my parents' house, there is now a large empty space. Until March 2007, 33 slide boxes from 1964-1976 occupied two large shelves in that closet. Each box was featured titles such as: "College Days," "Summers in Hawai'i," "Trip to Montreal" "Summer 1976," etc. Back in the day, 35 mm slides were all the rage. Over the years, my dad broke out the slide projector one or two times so we've not seen all the slides in years.

My parents' 43rd anniversary is coming up this summer so I thought it would be a great present to have all slides converted to DVD. So now, after many hours and a borrowed light box from my friend/co-worker, i've now got the slides into 58 stacks of 50 slides. It has been a tremendous effort. Am now finding the energy to compile the accompanying soundtrack. Thus far, I've gathered tracks by: Bing Crosby, the Flamingos, Nat King Cole, Rene and Akemi Paulo, Dean Martin, Elvis, the Beatles, etc. Once this is complete, i'll be ready to send the box off to here, in Utah.

It has been interesting to see my parents' photos from their early years--in other words, the days before my brother and I came along. They had a full life before we came along--why would they not!? But still, it's interesting to hold up images of your parents lives pre-kids. Why would I imagine that life began for them when we arrived? They were like any other young married couple--starting new jobs, buying their first home, hosting New Years parties, taking silly pictures of each other, taking care of a dog...

The baby shots of my brother and I are untraditional. There are no shots of a mother cradling a red and shrivelled newborn and celebrations amongst balloons and cigars. No pictures of a proud papa posing on the side of a hospital bed.

Our baby pictures showed a different kind of slideshow--the first of the series shows my parents posing in front of the airport, next you see an airplane rolling into the gate, then traveler's aide workers carrying babies and toddlers, and finally, big smiles of the new parents who've just been handed over their new babies.

Hopefully, i'll get these slides ready to be sent out by the end of this week

Disneyland

For those of you who know me well, you know that I'm a big Disneyland fan. That said, I'm strictly a Disney park fan. I don't own or wear Disney t-shirts, hats, and jackets, and don't have a Mickey Mouse paraphernalia or DVD collection. I mean, I can barely muster the patience to sit through a full length animation film.

Google "Disneyland fan" and see how whacky it gets. Many of us Disney fans in our later 30's share a common bond. We didn't grow up with the internet and CDs. When we needed information for a book report, we went to libraries studied the dewey decimal system. We can recall the A-E paper tickets and the dire difficulty of deciding which E ticket ride to go on: Pirates of the Caribbean or the Jungle Cruise. Tarzan's Treehouse was the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. By the way, this was my favorite attraction as a child, as well as the now defunct Submarine. Thankfully, it will re-submerge in the summer of 2007!

In this picture below, you can see my younger brother and I enjoying a chocolate Sees lollipop We're at the Disneyland hotel. It must have been around 1974; I was four and my brother was two. We were on our first trip to Disneyland with our parents and grandparents. I can still actually remember some things about that trip...

I am lucky to have such wonderful memories of family trips to Disneyland. My grandparents and parents spoiled us rotten. We were lucky to have the full Disney experience many times before we became cynical teenagers.

Since this picture was taken, we returned as a family to the park in 1976 (Anaheim) and 1985 (Tokyo). Over the years, I visited Disneyland with high school friends, college friends, girlfriends, and with my brother after college. In 1995, and against the wishes of my then girlfriend, I visited Paris Disney. As a French person, she couldn't understand that I'd take a whole day out to run around in a place she called "a kingdom made of bubblegum" (rough translation). Whatever. Needless to say, it did not have the "Disney" feel to it, but I enjoyed it just the same.

My dream job when I was younger was to join the Imagineer team. My dream was to design and conceptualize new rides. I even had an idea for a whole new "land" to add to the park. Unfortunately, I quickly learned in junior high school and high school that math and science was not my thing.

Well, maybe I don't necessarily need to be an Imagineer. All I want to know is what the overall architecture of Pirates of the Caribbean looks like. How is that building built? How many levels does it house? Are there backlot breakrooms behind the big scenes?

All of this Disney nostalgia has come about because Cappy and I have made plans to take my niece and nephew to Disneyland later this Spring. They have both been to Tokyo Disneyland (and the accompanying Disney Sea) a few times, but they both haven't been to the Anaheim Disneyland for a long while--I'm talking pre-Winnie the Pooh and the new Autopia. And this is the first time we're traveling with the kids.

This upcoming trip is nearly exciting to me as the first time I ascended the escalator at Châtelet-Les-Halles in 1994. I guess this says a lot about where I am in my life. Does that mean I'm finally turning the corner on the kid bit? Perhaps...

The best thing now is that both kids are taller than 40" which means they can ride on almost anything. Also, if you could see all the emails flying back with my brother and sister-in-law, you wouldn't be able to tell who is more excited--the aunties or the kids?

I Love Sushi

Feast your eyes on chirashi sushi, agedashi tofu, and garlic calamari from Bellevue, Washington's, "I Love Sushi." We all shared the calamari and tofu. My parents had tempura and my niece and nephew shared a "Caterpillar Roll." My brother had an amazing tofu steak and my sister-in-law enjoyed....I can't remember. Some kind of sushi roll maybe?

You'd think there'd be an abundance of quality Japanese restaurants where I'm currently living. Sadly, there is not. A co-worker told me that near authentic restaurants can be found in San Mateo, but I have yet to explore that area...

Seattle, or I should say the Eastside (Bellevue/Redmond), is becoming decidedly similar to many other American urban cities. The live/work lofts are invading towns; Walgreens, Jamba Juice, and Crate and Barrels are following you everywhere you go. Rather than Pacific NW restaurants, there are Ruth's Chris Steakhouses (what does this name even mean??), PF Changs, and the overrated Cheesecake Factory's all over. Ugh.

Needless to say, I did re-realise how much I love the Pacific Northwest. I love the cool crisp air and the lovely shades of green everywhere. And the great Japanese restaurants!

I've just re-read this entry (about 30 min. after having written the top bit) and have noticed a quirky habit of mine. Ever since I was able to write, I've recorded nearly everything in my life. Weird unimportant things and big things. I was apparently an early follower of Joan Didion's claim, "We write to experience life twice. Once in the moment and once more in retrospect." This is not verbatim, but you get the picture.

Also, and perhaps neurotically--from my earliest diaries to every travel journal I've ever written, I recorded what everyone has eaten. From family trips to Japan, to summers in Hilo, I had nearly every dinner recorded. Maybe not everyday, but at least 3 out of any given week.

Typical journal entry from 4th grade: "Today I saw Brad playing kickball. In class, we watched a movie about colonial life. I went home and practiced piano. We ate meatloaf and rice and salad. I helped mom do the dishes." (Brad = my big crush of 4th grade)

I'm not sure why I did this. I still do it, to an extent. There has to be some comfort in knowing what I ate in Paris on New Years Eve 2005? Maybe. Why do I feel compelled to record meals? Well, not every meal. Just certain ones during certain times in my life.

I once imagined what it would be like to record your entire being. Say, if you had amnesia and "forgot" your entire life. How much could one record to recall their former life, personality, habits, hobbies, etc. ? My "life recording" would have weird entries that I'd ponder in my post-amnesiac state. "You never eat pork but you enjoy the occasional hot dog or prosciutto. You have a pathological fear of holes and you prefer dog people to actual dogs." What the hell?? Would i like the one I've recorded, would I be able to relate to myself or even make sense of the "old" me? I often think of this on my drive in to work. I have no idea why.

Anyway, back to the recording food bit. A few months ago, Cappy and I stopped into Cody's Bookstore in the city. I found a book published by a guy who photographed everything he ate for one year. Everything. Every snack, breakfast, and hungover late night meal. Now that's taking it a bit too far. Then I realised there are copious blogs on this same topic. To do this for myself would be not only uninteresting, but absolutely frightening.

In my mind, recording things I've eaten in writing is not the same as a photo journal of everything. Maybe it's a bit OCD. I don't think so.

I'm a nut.

Renegade

Can you guess what is going on in this picture?

You're looking at an animal escape simulation drill at a Tokyo zoo.

The mini can (car + van) is attempting to head off the "renegade ape." Now here's an important question: would the zebra stripes actually confuse or amuse a real ape? In any case, you know a lot of thought went into that paint job. The vehicle probably bears a special mark, "To be used expressly for animal escape drills."

Not to worry though--the ape was successfully apprehended by a lethal, yet virtual shot from a tranquilizer gun.

I am certain that this drill warranted an opening and closing ceremony with appropriate aisatsus. Was the renegade ape sent off with hearty "banzai" cheers? And how about the selection process for the ape... Surely it was deemed too "dangerous" for a woman. I'm certain that the "ape" had to go through some semi-rigorous warm up drills, both before and after his "escape."

What is even funnier is that this ape apparently frightened the hell out of a few children. I've since lost the article, but the look on the children's faces was priceless. It was not a look of horror--for the ape was clearly nothing like a live mammal. Rather, the look of horror was probably due to the horrific face that was created.

It was constructed with what looked like felt in various earth tones. The eyebrows were heavy and severe. The mouth was drawn from a disfigured clown with a demonic grin. Spooky. Definitely spookier than a real ape.

Poor children.

School

It's official. I am now a doctoral candidate student. The road from, "I'm thinking of applying to graduate school, " to "All of my application materials have been submitted," to "I've been accepted" has been pretty fierce. Months of waiting, doubt, and despair. It hasn't sunken in quite yet, but the celebration began last night. I'll be whittling away my free time and embarking on 3-5 years of slog starting Fall 2007.

Why? Why now? For all the cons, there are a million pros.

Specifically, the sentiment from this quote:
"Is the life I'm living the life that wants to live in me?" -Parker Palmer

Cubicles are not normal environments for humans. And technology is like fruit--gorgeous but unreliable. You never know if that gleeming apple is going to be crunchy, mushy, or housing a worm. It's just not my passion.

I want to live.

GD

Laurent Manrique of Aqua is an international playboy with extra flair when it comes to inventive French/Asian cuisine. Each dish arrives spectacularly dressed with white gold cufflinks and Manolo Blahnik slingbacks. One leaves an Aqua dining experienced refreshed, inspired, and enchanted.

Gary Danko however, is your quiet unassuming uncle who once made a mini art deco table/chair out of a soda bottle cap and wire. The ambiance of his restaurant recalls the comfortable feeling of watching Little House on the Prairie DVDs--you're awashed with a feeling of indulging yourself with a tried and true classic, unpretentious, and wholesome. Sitting in the mirrored dining room, images of the homes of nearby patrons flashed into my mind: their dark wooden staircases, beds with 2000 thread-count sheets, with lighting and decor comparable to the dining room itself.

The service was impeccable as one would expect from a restaurant listed as a Relais au Chateaux establishment. The feeling was very adult Disneyland--from the clean cut staff with their polished and rehearsed repartee, and as many smiles that one encounters at the floating market in Thailand. Or in Thailand in general. The atmosphere is festive--about 6 people were celebrating birthdays in our area of the dining room, including yours truly. I half-expected a banner to float along the ceiling "Welcome to the Happiest Dining Room on Earth!"

Typical dialogue:

Customer: "I'd like to try four courses"

Note:
Gary Danko allows patrons to select 3-5 courses. You can mix and match to allow for 1 appetizer and 3 main dishes, 3 appetizers and one dessert, etc.

GD waiter: Excellent!

Customer: "I'll go with the trio of créme brulée with cookies, blueberry French toast with maple syrup emulsion and salted almond ice cream, pineapple upside down milk cake with walnut streusel and burnt caramel ice cream, and baked chocolate soufflé with two sauces. And I'd like them all at the same time. And also, the a.c. is quite strong in this corner..."

GD waiter: Absolutely! Most excellent choices, just brilliant! I'll bring over a pashmina shawl to drape over your shoulders. (said in a rapturous yet controlled tizzy)

Before I list the dishes we enjoyed, I'd like to state that Mr. Danko has the best pastry chef in town, if not North America.

Cappy:
Seared Ahi Tuna with Avocado, Nori, Enoki Mushrooms and Lemon Soy
Roast Maine Lobster with Abalone Mushrooms, Edamame Beans
Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Spaghetti Squash, Cipollini Onions, Sour Cherries and Almonds
Trio of Créme Brulée with Cookies

Me: (Winter Tasting Menu)
Glazed Oysters with Osetra Caviar, Salsify and Lettuce Cream
Horseradish Crusted Salmon Medallion with Dilled Cucumbers
Guinea Hen Breast and Confit Leg with Cornbread Pudding, Brussels Sprouts and Quince
A Selection of Farmhouse and Artisanal Cheeses Presented Tableside
Baked Chocolate Soufflé with Two Sauces

It was a phenomenal experience. We left with hearty greetings, a morning muffin (pineapple upside down cake), and a signed copy of the menu.

Hats off to Cappy for this wonderful birthday dinner!

Lists

Because I feel unoriginal yet inspired, here are some lists a la Tyra Banks.

Favorite Breeds of Dogs:
(even though I'm allergic and prefer dog people to actual dogs)

1. Pugs
2. Corgies
3. Shih-Tzus
4. Daschunds--the sweet ones that don't bark
5. Papillons

Favorite Desserts:

1. Itsu's Ice Shave (Hilo, Hawai'i)
2. Cafe 100's Peach/Pineapple Turnover (also Hilo)
3. Nestle's Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
4. Hazelnut Gelato
5. Fresh Strawberry Shortcake

Things that make me happy:

1. Drawings from my niece and nephew
2. Knowing I've made a difference in the lives of my students
3. Cappy's deep belly laugh
4. Emails and "talking story" with my mom
5. Working out at the gym
6. Onekahakaha Beach with my niece, nephew, and Cappy
7. These words/phrases: "Fax Successful" "Yes!" "Receiving message" "Meeting Cancelled" "Your reservation is confirmed" "This is not a bill" "

Favorite All-Time Songs:
(a few of many...)

1. The Unforgettable Fire- U2
2. Where's the Ocean -Toni Childs
3. Perfect Circle-REM
4. Island of Life-Kitaro
5. Question of Lust-Depeche Mode
6. In this Heart-Sinead O'Connor
7. Over and Over-Morcheeba
8. Song to the Siren-This Mortal Coil
9. Marlene Dietrich's Favorite Poem-Peter Murphy

Guilty Pleasures:

1. Star, In Touch, and Us and me--uninterrupted on the couch by the window
2. Spa Chair pedicures
3. Vh-1's Behind the Music
4. True Crime on screen or in print
5. Costco samples--even though I KNOW what an English Muffin tastes like...
6. Listening to DeBarge, the Jets, and Klymaxx at work.

More lists to come. Or maybe not.

Todd

It's been a long while. So long in fact that I've nearly forgotten that I have a blog. As of late, and as usual these days, I can't be asked to spend recreational time on the computer apart from work. My diary is not online, things have been hectic, and I've been forgetting to jot down potential entries. And also toss in a cold/flu that has lapsed and relapsed more times than necessary.

A bit of a catch up then?

As you know, and if you don't-- i'm still mired in the world of educational technology. I remain the dispassionate one about pastries as i swirl about in my day-to-day world of baked goods. That said, I have have learned why Microsoft's Vista is clever yet vindictive, and why the ADDIE Model and Rapid Prototype Development may become a part of my daily vocabulary. Good times indeed.

Thankfully, I have tossed many other bean bags in up the air... and some due to for landing any time now : )

And I'm not to thrilled to report that the Tubular One is now no longer a senior citizen. According to her vet, she's now geriatric. I've been contemplating the purchase of the book, Older Dogs for Dummies to help her deal with her challenges. The spark in her eye has dimmed, but she still hobbles around on her constant search for baby carrots. From the way she keeps her nose to the ground, I'm not convinced she believes that her bc's actually come from the refrigerator.

I've devoured these two films in the past week or so: Jesus Camp and Devil's Playground

In a recent past life, I must have been a religious fanatic. I feel that I was isolated geographically and emotionally from the outside world. Kept away from things and shunned from others. One who lived and breathed dogma, pleats, and pastels. Maybe I ate copious amounts of jello mold and smiled at people I didn't like? There's no other explanation for my recent Christian coalition of film.

I am fascinated by the ways and ideas that overly govern lives. I certainly believe that a higher power gives strength and is a spiritual compass, and is a code of conduct, etc. But it rings highly untrue for me. Yet, the lifestyles of the fanatic utterly fascinate me, albeit from a double glass window perspective.

Thus, I am certain of the strenuous imprisonment that I must have faced in a recent past life. Since I was young, I've had an aversion to any/all types of commitment. Identity, politics, sexuality, geography, religion, awareness--you name it. For my sins, I'll be born into a tightly knit Mennonite community. Then in my next, you'll certainly find me running guns and girls for the Lord.

Oh and I have to mention Top Design. My hairstylist/drag queen Scott claims that another interior design show was much better Top Design. Let me just say that I'd watch anything hosted by Todd Oldham. He is the cutest design nerd, like the boy I used to have a crush on in junior high school. What is it about this man? His misshapen hair and smile? His cartoon-like voice? His sincerity? His hipster downtown clown fashion?

I want Todd to be my best friend. I want to take him shopping, I want to invite him to my dinner parties, and meet him for happy hour after work on Fridays. The show is itself is OK, the contestants are boring, and the judges aren't that exciting either. But, with a host like Todd Oldham, it doesn't matter. He so totally rocks.

Sushi

What you see here is the beginnings of a multicultural sushi party--part Iron Chef, part birthday party... Add a few bottles of sake, edamame hijiki salad, squid, miso soup, wasabi peas, ice cold Sapporo and a few good friends, and you've got a raucous dinner event.

It was absolutely intoxicating and I'm not even speaking of the fermented beverages. The sushi rolls last night were easily much better than any restaurant in the greater Oakland/Berkeley vicinity.

The multicultural aspect was represented by a few interesting rolls: Leslie's South of the Border Burrito roll, Lorrie's Kolohe roll, my Korean roll, Cappy's Chop Suey Roll, TA's S.E. Asia roll, and so on....

Other things:

-Though most of us couldn't feel our extremities, we managed to find things to keep us warm in South Lake Tahoe last weekend. Notably, we found solace in a drink called the "Toasted Drop" at a bar called 19 on the top floor of Harvey's casino. If you don't know what i'm talking about, or haven't been there, you should definitely check it out.

-I recently attended a JET (Japanese Exchange Teaching) Alumni Shinnenkai dinner for those ex-JETs in the Bay Area. Most of the ex-JETs were in their 20's--they either just returned or had been back in the States for a few years. The dinner was at a San Mateo restaurant called, Chika. They are known for, or should be known for their Japanese spaghetti, croquette, and seafood gratin. I can't wait to go back to Chika, preferably very soon.

When I was a JET in Fukushima-ken, it was before the time the internet was widely used. I talked to someone about how it would have been great to have had the technology that exists today. Rather than instantaneous emails, IM chats, and things like Skype, I actually hand wrote many letters and on occasion-- dragged the Board of Ed's waapuro home on my bike. For photos, I snapped them on my small shoe size Olympus camera. When the roll was shot, I walked it to a photo shop who then printed out my photos for me to collect a week later. When I wanted to speak to my family, we tried to shoot for once every other week.

I wouldn't say being technology insufficient was really that much of an inconvenience. I mean, would I have really taken advantage of all the things that I got into in my small town?

My town, Nozawa, could be best described as a one 7-11 town. When I got my paycheck--I trundled over to the local hardware/Target-like shop. I'd plunk down cash for rubber boots, and trivets that I didn't need. I spent hours volunteering at the local nursing home--which was probably better spent than surfing the internet and chatting with friends back home. I read books from cover to cover. I greeted elementary school students who'd show up at my door with Pocari Sweat, bags of chips and snacks, and coloring books. I spent time with my good friend Chieko at her bar, the AC Club. This restaurant/bar could have been in the middle of Osaka. They had a wonderful Italian menu and Guinness on top. To this day, I still miss the AC Club's special-- Spicy Italian seafood spaghetti. Perfectly cooked pasta, spicy shrimp, fish, and squid and a shared bottle of Beaujolais (an Aizu favorite) with Chieko afterwards...

I hope to visit Nozawa again at some point this year, or next. As for the sushi party, I'm thinking that should be a weekly event. OK, monthly.

January

Happy New Year! I've been awful about posting in the last few months. Mostly because I can't be asked to get back on a computer after spending nearly all day typing, uploading, and editing at work. I see that it's been a few weeks since my last posting, and nothing appears for 2007. Sad.

Latest:

-Magic. Cappy got me a beginner magic set--yes, a real magic set. I won't be slicing anyone in half, but I am now able to pull off some basic card tricks. I've always had skewed visions of becoming the first queer Korean/Japanese-American street magician. If you didn't know this about me, we've clearly got to catch up. Will I perform for friends and co-workers? Highly unlikely. Will I be the coolest magic Auntie to my niece and nephew? Mostly definitely. Will I have given up this magic thing by my next blog posting? Perhaps...

-A friend and I were discussing the joys of being Asian-American in suburban American public schools. First music ever bought? Me: The Xanadu cassette soundtrack. Her: J.Geils Band. Favorite fashion? Esprit--essentially, Garanimals for pre-teens. Shared wonderment: When we look through our old yearbooks, we noticed something similar. The raccoon eyed-big hair-rocker girls still look like they're about 25 years old. Why is that?

-Cappy has secured reservations at Gary Danko for my birthday! I'm very excited. By the way, I share my birthday with Chris Martin of Coldplay, the new James Bond, Karen Carpenter, Lou Reed, Jon Bon Jovi, and Dr. Seuss.

-I've finally submitted everything for my grad school application. Thankfully, Jonathan Cainer says that just a bit more patience is required and I do not have to defer gratification for too long. An arbitrary reading, but one that gives me a bit of comfort.

There are a bunch of other things I'd like to write about, but it seems we're about to be going... We're heading to South Lake Tahoe very soon. I'm hoping it won't be a 5+ hour crawl up a slippery slope. For as much as I'm looking forward to gliding over powder, I'm also looking forward to a racuous roadtrip with some good friends.