Paris Trip Day 4 : compromises (2008)

I’m usually not good at resolving conflicts. In the dating environment, I would just run away. At work, we’ll try to figure out the ‘right’ way and usually the ‘right’ way wins.

With Cate, usually the only way that wins is to compromise

Last night I was trying to convince Cate to fall asleep sooner as she complain that she can’t fall asleep.

Tony: “If you fall asleep, tomorrow we’ll head to the trampoline right after breakfast”
Cate: 5 minutes later she is gone.

Tony: After the trampoline, I get to head to my favorite French restaurant, Petite Pontoise
Cate wants to head home and rest afterwards

Tony wants to walk around Sacre Cour
Cate wants to help Tony cook and film the entire session and pretend the moose and kitty finger puppets are actually cooking

Cate will be meeting her babysitter in Paris tomorrow, she falls asleep in 5 minutes after her head hits the pillows
Tony sitting in bed and staring out at the full night view of Sacre Cour, I am the luckiest guy in the world

Paris Day 7

Paris pics

Kate and I enjoying paris

Paris here we come again

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Kate and I are heading for Paris tomorrow afternoon. She is super excited about it. She tells me she is looking forward to time with only Dad and no one else. She is looking forward to the crepes, and going up to the Eifel Tower when we first get there.

I admit that I thrive on being in uncomfortable situations. But going to Paris is like coming home in a way. I don’t speak a word of French, but the shop owners are friendly when I try a few words. I feel like I know the city very well now but there are also areas I would like to explore more.

I have my own agenda for going. I would like Kate to think of Paris like a second home for her. I’m preparing for the day when I would be living in Paris and she won’t feel like anything is odd about that. So, unless something doesn’t work out, I’ll be in Paris every summer with Kate.

For those who have not made it there yet or just miss Paris, please go and watch this movie Paris Je T’Aime. It’s 13 short films set in Paris. After watching it, it’ll make you long to be in Paris.

Singapore Layover

(red sign says ‘Remember To Eat’)

On my business trip to Bangalore, I got to stop over in Singapore for 7 hours. I think it was intentional of Singapore airlines.. To bring some tourism money to the country.

First observations of this country is of course it’s clean, and modern. Then I noticed there are a lot of tall Asian women here, and super skinny almost in an unhealthy way. I found that I immediately fit in pretty well. I spoke Mandarin, Cantonese and English to them when I felt whichever language would work best for me.

I took the metro system from the airport into the city. Of course it was clean and efficient.

I hired a man on a bike (don’t know the name of it) to get me to Chinatown and visit the temples and get some good food. That’s usually the only thing I care about when I get to a new place.

Of course I had my share of goodies.

1) fish balls on a stick

2) yams on a stick

3) black herbal jelly


4) milk with melon

5) frog congee

Other kind of interesting things

Death if you are caught with drugs

pretty crowded metro system

10 minute hair cut

San Francisco: Shoe Garden

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I was playing tourist again in San Francisco and saw this Alamo Square Park Shoe Garden. It’s amazing how many little things I still have not seen in this greatest city (next to Paris) in the world.

From sfgate.com:
Alamo Square Park: One of the most photographed spots in San Francisco, thanks to the breathtaking views of the City and the row of six beautifully restored Victorians nicknamed the Painted Ladies. The west side of the park allows dogs off-leash. Between Fulton, Hayes, Steiner and Scott streets. Don’t miss the mysterious “shoe garden” on one side of the gardeners’ shed in the middle of the park. It was created by the park’s gardener, who kept finding shoes among the park trash and hated to throw them out. He arranged them on top of logs and placed the logs around a flower bed, then planted the shoes with flowers. Now people drop off pairs of shoes with hopes of finding them sprouting later. (-SF Chronicle and SF Gate)”

“I seldom leave the Mission”

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I overheard a young 20 something dude talking at Ritual Coffee.

“I don’t ever leave the Mission, maybe someday I’ll explore Berkeley”

It reminds me of a Sex and City episode where the Manhattan Guy says to Carrie or Maranda that he ‘never leaves the island because everything is available in Manhattan, why do we need to leave?’

Could the SF Mission area be a mini-Manhattan?

sfgate.com (SF Chronicle) has very insightful guys to the neighborhoods of SF

SF MOMA At Night

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(you can click on the photo enlarge)

I love the night scene in large cities.  It feels so alive, filled with the energy of human beings, full of lights and cars.  I’m on my bike over to the SF Metreon and looking at the sureal lights of the SF MOMA.

Facination With Door Knobs

When I was in Tuscany I couldn’t stop taking pictures of door hardware.. Here goes

Positano, Italy : Heaven On Earth

Positano and the Amalfi Coast, it’s an amazing place.  Carved out of the mountain side these houses look over the most beautiful waters in Europe.  On your next visit to Italy, stop over

Barcelona Has The Crazy Food

I was in Barcelona for 4 days and finally am back at the mothership in Paris. If you thought SF was pretty crazy about food, Barcelona kicks everyone’s butt when it comes to food (even NY). The people here love to eat and it shows. There are restaurants that are named ‘White’, places that have fresh seafood and you pick what you want and how you want to cook them, places that open at 5am serving Tapas, chocolate bars that puts anything I’ve seen to shame.

The one that beats them all is this place called Foodball (check their website, it’s pretty funky)

1) menu is all ‘balls’ of rice wrapped with different surprises inside
2) you seat on mats on top of concrete steps
3) they let people post little ads on the walls and it’s all for yoga, health foods, spiritual stuff
4) The utensils are biodegradable

The healthy menu

The combination

The seating

The really healthy one

We Are All Just Human

I’ve been late getting on the Battlestar Galactica bandwagen. Awsome shows btw, downloaded via iTunes.

I’ve come to accept the fact that humans make mistakes and it has helped me several times during this trip in Europe.

1) I wanted a ticket from Paris to Nice and this man said they are fully booked. I went to the electronic ticket machine (where I can’t use non-france visa) and verified that they indee had available seats. Got in line again and booked a ticket with another agent.

2) In Naples, we wanted to take the ferry from Naples to Positano, the friendly lady at the information booth said there was no afternoon ferry, but I remember they had it and pointed it out to her on her own schedule of the ferry.

Lesson learned, everyone makes mistakes, sometimes due diligence pays off. Especially those positions where humans are doing repetitive tasks like the tourist information office, doctors who are expected to do diagnosis in a few minutes, airline security..

Visit With Passionate People

I was visiting this jewelry store in Rome by a very famous jewelry maker Diego Percossi Papi (exibition). The shop is tiny and I was a bit intimidated since the jewelry were all well over $1,000. I looked into the shop for a good 5 minutes until the owner/designer buzzed me in and told me to look around.

We got talking about jewelry and he pulled out his custom jewelry that he was making for his clients. He told me he’s been making jewelry for 40 years. He usually takes a sentimental piece of stone from a client and he’ll design something custom. Each piece takes him about 1 hour to sketch and 18 hours to make. I ended up asking him to take a photo with me.. I was in love with a $1,600 diamond/ruby ring. Maybe next time I go back to Rome, I’ll have something made for me.

Passion plus longevity is such a rare thing. I think it must be such a gift to have passion for something and be able to do it for 40 years. I hope my little fingers and eyes can survive for another 30 years so that I can still type for Y!

Hiatus in Tuscany

Taking a 2 week trip in Tuscany this week, a few ramblings.

1) Cappuccino is first in the world here in Italy, sweet necter of espresso with the right amount of milk makes a smooth drink that none can rival.  There is no pretentious baristas, they just plain know to do it right.

2) Straight shots of espresso  are second only to Bluebottle coffee in SF.  I have not had a good shot here yet.  I suspect it’s the robusta beans they add here.

3) Having 5 shots of espresso everyday does not affect my body for now, so I bettet enjoy it while it lasts

4) Not every place makes good pasta, but when you find one that makes it by hand, order paparedelle, super wide with shaved truffles

5) Italians are very warm people, who enjoy conversations.  Flirting a little bit is fun.  They just seem to know how to have fun.  Yeah, Italian men are pretty damn hot looking.   They got the chiesel body, dark skin, unshaven look that most women swoon over. Women in Tuscany are average.

6) Learn to wait for restaurant service, don’t demand it.  They will get to you when they are ready.  Sit tight and enjoy the company you are with.  Eat the plain bread with olive oil and basalmic vinegar.

7) Stop and soak up the moment.   Certain unforgettable moments should be seared into your brain.  Take the time to absorb the it, remember the visual, remember the sounds, remember your thoughts, the air and breath in the smell and the movement of the air around you.  I had one moment while visiting a fortress when a lady was singing Tuscany folk songs and I had to sit under a small tree, close my eyes and burn everything on my brain.

8) Most of all, learn to relax and be flexible with the itinerary.  Roll with the punches. Missing a train ride is not a big deal.  Waiting in line is another time to take self portraits.