Last weekend's outting with my visitors deserves a record.
Fri evening: happy hour at Hayes Valley. Got a ride to and from a friend, since it's hard to park around there. New tip: plenty of street parking on Gough farther north, around lower Pac Heights. Less density around Gough/Geary.
Fri night: decided to cook at home. Try not to eat out in SF on Fri and Sat nights. Between the high cost of labor and the eat-out culture, there is always a wait (even with reservations), and the service is dismal. I made dinner in 30 minutes, and it was relaxing. The secret is to have one or two ingredients that people don't usually have. Menu was unagi (the frozen kind that you just microwave), rice, and salad complete with fresh dressing (balsamic vinegar, olive oil AND honey).
Fri night: cab to and from club. No point driving and parking if the club is a mile away. Tip: always say hi to the promotor. If he recognizes you, your entire party of four (better if all women) might get comped.
Sat: Take the bus to Chinatown. A must b/c there is something going on in this town that always plugs up Embarcadero. Funny that we usually give ourselves plenty of time when taking public transportation but end up rushing if driving.
Walk to Northbeach for lunch - reservations a must when hitting tourist attractions. Walk off lunch by shopping at Chinatown. Head to Northbeach Jazz Festival - FREE! Take bus back down to Meteron. Go to top floor to check out best view of MOMA and downtown skyline (it's the sunniest view). Cross and go to St. Regis to lounge out at the public space. It's a shame that they hid the public space, so you have to take the elevator to get to. Rare to be in downtown and out on a "private" deck.
Proceed to bus home. Tip: at the end of the day, pick the bus line that is the most frequent rather than the closest one. Walking that extra 5 minutes is better than waiting that extra 20 minutes.
Sat night: More home cooking after a quick trip to Korean market. See rule above. We had miso soup with enoki mushrooms, steamed fish, chives with chicken, store-prepared clear noodles, and wine. Cost of dinner given that I already had the wine and chicken: $8 for 3 people. It's silly math: it is always cheaper for me to feed 3-4 people than to eat out for 1. Being generous always make sense.
Regardless of what we did, it was all about the company. Feel lucky b/c I always have good people in my life to inspire the fun.
Friday, August 04, 2006
and the winner is...
No, my company has yet to pick the winning environmental attorneys for our major project. It's the final round of interviews.
Today, we interviewed Team #1 which was led by the attorney I have a crush on. I happen to sit across from him again, and what a sight!
When he spoke, I cannot help but admire his complete honesty and passion about his work. It's so refreshing to meet someone who absolutely believes in his work and moves me with his pride and knowledge.
Of course, at the same time, I am noticing that he has these stubbles on the side of his face that is just inviting me to run my hands over the face. Deadly combination. Good thing I reminded myself that someone else has that honor now.
A friend asked me over the weekend what I am looking for in a guy. The list changes over time. One characteristic that has not changed is that I am attracted to people who I want to emulate. This attorney has the career that I never had. He is at the top of his game and relish in every moment. I want not only be my best but also possess that power to move others. To win at work is not to wait for superiors' approval or to get the desired result. The prize is the ability to always do the right thing b/c my gut tells me so. This week has been so fun at work because everything I am doing feels absolutely right. Getting the result is just the wink that I am on the right track.
Today, we interviewed Team #1 which was led by the attorney I have a crush on. I happen to sit across from him again, and what a sight!
When he spoke, I cannot help but admire his complete honesty and passion about his work. It's so refreshing to meet someone who absolutely believes in his work and moves me with his pride and knowledge.
Of course, at the same time, I am noticing that he has these stubbles on the side of his face that is just inviting me to run my hands over the face. Deadly combination. Good thing I reminded myself that someone else has that honor now.
A friend asked me over the weekend what I am looking for in a guy. The list changes over time. One characteristic that has not changed is that I am attracted to people who I want to emulate. This attorney has the career that I never had. He is at the top of his game and relish in every moment. I want not only be my best but also possess that power to move others. To win at work is not to wait for superiors' approval or to get the desired result. The prize is the ability to always do the right thing b/c my gut tells me so. This week has been so fun at work because everything I am doing feels absolutely right. Getting the result is just the wink that I am on the right track.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
luck
Given that gratitude is the only scientifically-proven link to happiness, let me take a moment to thank my lucky stars.
All my life, I have been able to find kindred spirit, and that has made all the difference in my optimism.
The commonality among all the positive influences is that these special people tend not to stay long in my life.
For instance, even though I am incredibly close to my parents and siblings, they are not always around. My parents split their time b/t the US and abroad. My sister is currently living in another state, and my brother is usually buried in his research or spending time with his financee.
Still, that sense of being loved never goes away even when I am alone.
Same with friends and lovers. They are only meant to be in my life for a few moments at a time. I know better now than to expect life-long connections.
This sense that I will always be on my own has been innate since I was 6. Now that I can fully understand it I can fully realize my destiny. I am not here to find the one or to belong to groups. I shall use my time alone to be my best.
All my life, I have been able to find kindred spirit, and that has made all the difference in my optimism.
The commonality among all the positive influences is that these special people tend not to stay long in my life.
For instance, even though I am incredibly close to my parents and siblings, they are not always around. My parents split their time b/t the US and abroad. My sister is currently living in another state, and my brother is usually buried in his research or spending time with his financee.
Still, that sense of being loved never goes away even when I am alone.
Same with friends and lovers. They are only meant to be in my life for a few moments at a time. I know better now than to expect life-long connections.
This sense that I will always be on my own has been innate since I was 6. Now that I can fully understand it I can fully realize my destiny. I am not here to find the one or to belong to groups. I shall use my time alone to be my best.
work it
After six months, I am finally settled into work. It was the first time in six months that I am not physically stressed out about work. Instead, my life outside work is back to normal. I am having fun again.
I do think about work a lot, while I am working. Every issue is a problem that I am solving to gain experience for future challenges. Yes, it's also a means to an end, and I get paid enough to live in SF.
At the same time, I want to conserve energy and not sweat the small stuff. As much as I am dedicated to my career, I also know that my health and my spirituality come first. As long as I have my priorities straight, everything will work themselves out.
There is also the constant learning. Today, I was trying to schedule the final interview for environmental attorneys, and I made the mistake of scheduling the team for the wrong date. At first, I was very upset about doing something wrong, but then I had to laugh at the fact that I would make a terrible secretary.
One of the reasons that work is going better and better is because I have to do some grunt work, and I don't mind it. I have had about 25 jobs since college. In law school, I even worked as a part-time assistant for an attorney. All that work experience means that I never take it for granted. Anyone who complains about work needs to be unemployed for more than six months. Check that off my life experience list as well.
The biggest difference between today and six months ago is my expectations. I no longer dream of anything because I have that in my personal life. Work is about learning and growing and getting better at it every day.
I do think about work a lot, while I am working. Every issue is a problem that I am solving to gain experience for future challenges. Yes, it's also a means to an end, and I get paid enough to live in SF.
At the same time, I want to conserve energy and not sweat the small stuff. As much as I am dedicated to my career, I also know that my health and my spirituality come first. As long as I have my priorities straight, everything will work themselves out.
There is also the constant learning. Today, I was trying to schedule the final interview for environmental attorneys, and I made the mistake of scheduling the team for the wrong date. At first, I was very upset about doing something wrong, but then I had to laugh at the fact that I would make a terrible secretary.
One of the reasons that work is going better and better is because I have to do some grunt work, and I don't mind it. I have had about 25 jobs since college. In law school, I even worked as a part-time assistant for an attorney. All that work experience means that I never take it for granted. Anyone who complains about work needs to be unemployed for more than six months. Check that off my life experience list as well.
The biggest difference between today and six months ago is my expectations. I no longer dream of anything because I have that in my personal life. Work is about learning and growing and getting better at it every day.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
boring
The Chinese word for boredom is sometimes used to admonish people who have so much time on their hands that they act perverse. For example, the victim of a practicle joke will yell to the prankster "are you bored?!"
More and more, I grow aware of such unslightly behavior, and the root is boredom. For instance, today, I had a random stalker for my walk to and from the grocery store two blocks away. I believe that the person is just some observer of the SF Marathon and maybe tagged along out of boredom. A fellow shopper who I walked past on the way to the store actually approached me in the vegetable section and warned me about the stalker and described his outfit to me.
On the way home, I spotted that person across the street. I decided to follow him and crossed the street to be behind him. He reacted surprised by almost stopping completely but then decided to walk down the street. I turned onto my street but suspected that he would turn around to follow. I then turned around in the middle of my block.
Sure enough, the guy had turned in as well and was walking toward me. Knew it. I then set down my groceries at the side of the street and pulled out my phone as if to call. I took my time to get his physical description. Hopefully, I never have to use that information!
The fortunate thing was that he appeared embarrassed, and he walked without looking back. I was able to get home safely.
This is not the first time that I had been followed, but this is the first time that I felt completely calm. I cannot control others but I can always manage situations.
The incident brought full circle to the question of how do people improve themselves. Besides constantly learning, there has to be enough constructive activity for a person that prevents the mind from straying.
Unfortunatley, much of the population, including myself, has tried to solve the boredom issue with solutions that only compound the problem. For example, I used to enjoy shopping, especially bargain shopping. It was entertainment but not a real solution to boredom. Now that I have cut out shopping as a leisure activity (and only buy based on need), my life has improved.
Next will be more activities that not only combat boredom but bring real meaning to my life and the lives of others. Stayed tuned...
More and more, I grow aware of such unslightly behavior, and the root is boredom. For instance, today, I had a random stalker for my walk to and from the grocery store two blocks away. I believe that the person is just some observer of the SF Marathon and maybe tagged along out of boredom. A fellow shopper who I walked past on the way to the store actually approached me in the vegetable section and warned me about the stalker and described his outfit to me.
On the way home, I spotted that person across the street. I decided to follow him and crossed the street to be behind him. He reacted surprised by almost stopping completely but then decided to walk down the street. I turned onto my street but suspected that he would turn around to follow. I then turned around in the middle of my block.
Sure enough, the guy had turned in as well and was walking toward me. Knew it. I then set down my groceries at the side of the street and pulled out my phone as if to call. I took my time to get his physical description. Hopefully, I never have to use that information!
The fortunate thing was that he appeared embarrassed, and he walked without looking back. I was able to get home safely.
This is not the first time that I had been followed, but this is the first time that I felt completely calm. I cannot control others but I can always manage situations.
The incident brought full circle to the question of how do people improve themselves. Besides constantly learning, there has to be enough constructive activity for a person that prevents the mind from straying.
Unfortunatley, much of the population, including myself, has tried to solve the boredom issue with solutions that only compound the problem. For example, I used to enjoy shopping, especially bargain shopping. It was entertainment but not a real solution to boredom. Now that I have cut out shopping as a leisure activity (and only buy based on need), my life has improved.
Next will be more activities that not only combat boredom but bring real meaning to my life and the lives of others. Stayed tuned...
don't compare
I try not to compare people but being subjected to unpleasant company makes me miss those good moments with great company.
signs of old age
Last night, went out with three girlfriends to dance. It was a younger crowd, so we danced in peace. Met up with another group of friends, but it was all crazy dancing.
Tonight, we hit another party, but it was an older crowd. I had the misfortune of running into four different guys that were friends of friends. Repeatedly the guys tried to come up to talk to me while our group was dancing.
Nothing ages a person faster than desperation. When we first left the party I felt frustrated by the unwelcome attention, then after some thought, I see how these men were just tired of being alone.
The worst thing for someone who feels lonely is to go to a club and feel trapped by his inhibition. Personally, I go clubbing to celebrate with my friends. Nothing projects joy more than freely dancing. If you are looking to meet someone at a party, then get their number and leave them alone! My agenda is to have fun and not to engage in a Q&A session.
Very grateful that I have the company of friends who danced with me all night long! Here's to kindred spirits.
Tonight, we hit another party, but it was an older crowd. I had the misfortune of running into four different guys that were friends of friends. Repeatedly the guys tried to come up to talk to me while our group was dancing.
Nothing ages a person faster than desperation. When we first left the party I felt frustrated by the unwelcome attention, then after some thought, I see how these men were just tired of being alone.
The worst thing for someone who feels lonely is to go to a club and feel trapped by his inhibition. Personally, I go clubbing to celebrate with my friends. Nothing projects joy more than freely dancing. If you are looking to meet someone at a party, then get their number and leave them alone! My agenda is to have fun and not to engage in a Q&A session.
Very grateful that I have the company of friends who danced with me all night long! Here's to kindred spirits.
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