On The Job-Fifth St

On Fifth St between Mission and Market Sts, there are a number of places of note. Right on Fifth and Mission is the headquarters of the San Francisco Chronicle, the biggest newspaper in the city.

Half a block up towards Market is the Old Mint. Minting has been moved to a more modern location a long time ago. The structure has been turned into a museum detailing its history from the Gold Rush to when it began making to the present

At Fifth and Market is the San Francisco Center shopping mall. Its main resident, Nordstrom's takes up the top floors while other retailers inhabit the remaining floors. Adjacent to the building is Bloomingdales

Across Market is the historical Flood Building. However, for most tourists, this area is most notable for being one of the cable car turnabouts. The cars come in and spin on a turntable to head back out to the hills of the city

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Commute

We are well into our second day of the Bay Bridge closure. Masses of people are finding alternate ways of getting to work. The morning news advising people to stay home or work from home when possible. I just wonder how many people actually have the option of telecommuting. Its a great concept; I wish I could do it but my job makes that highly unlikely. The majority of commuters have flooded the BART system. One rider had commented on air that with the crush of the masses riding BART, she noticed some who had not showered and reeked of BO.

While we wait for Caltrans to repair the repair that they made several weeks ago, hopes are high that everything will be back to normal by the start of next week. This has always been my fear when having to commute across a bridge

On The Job-The Ferry Building cont

I found the previous pictures that I took for this post. Instead of saving it to the flash, it saved to the primary memory. Duh! I should have looked there as well though Im not sure why it changed. Anyway, the Ferry Building houses many shops and is still the disembarkation/embarkation point for many commuters. The palm-tree lined Embarcadero runs past the front of the structure

The most prominent feature being the clock tower. The flag atop the edifice skewed off to one side due to the Loma Prieta earthquake. The quake also caused the clock to stop at the exact time it hit

Across the way, is the end of Market St as well the 4 buildings of the Embarcadero complex

You can see the Bay Bridge from behind. These are the docks that the ferries tie to when they arrive with passengers

The length of the interior provides spaces for many shops and eateries. Although there is a second floor, I've never gone up there myself

Spring Forward, Fall Back On Your A$$

Its that time of year again. This Sunday, we have to turn our clocks back 1 hour. For a few months every year, we are out of sync with the rest of the world. The whole idea of daylight savings time is not even adopted throughout all 50 states. Hawaii and parts of Arizona do not follow this antiquated idea. You would think that we would be advanced enough to do away with the chore of moving back and forth 1 hour. Its a given that its to do now. Imagine having to rotate your sundial exactly 1 hour. Even worse, having to do that to Stonehenge.

Another morning, another day

Here we are at yet another morning. There will be many more coming and there have been very many that have already past. Most begin at the same place and the same time. Other times we may find ourselves in far away places. Worst yet, we may find ourselves in unfamiliar territory. Wherever it may be, any morning that you can wake up to is usually a good morning. That's in retrospect of course.

Posting

I wasnt sure how longue I was goingue to be able to keep this blogue runningue. I had made a promise to myself to post once each weekday. I may skip a few days here and there but make up for it. I would also like to announce that there will be time when I may not be posting anythingue. Holidays and time off from work would be two mahor reasons. Other times will include heavy travel days.

I know its only been a few months but I am findingue it harder and harder to keep to my promise. I commend those who have been doing this for a longue time and can still keep up the pace

On The Job-The Ferry Building

I was at the Ferry Building today and I took some pictures to post. However, I didnt realize that I had run out of room on my phone and none of the pictures got saved. If I am back, I will retake the pictures of the interior. Pictures of the exterior have been uploaded posts for the Embarcadero and Market St. The building itself remains the terminus for ferries coming in from other parts of the bay area. There is a small farmers market on some weekdays and a larger one on the weekends. Gourmet food purveryors and restaurants are found within. Places to eat include The Slanted Door(Vietnamese), Taylors(burgers), Hogg Island Oysters(seafood), etc. Other shops sell coffee, dairy products, mushrooms, cheese, wine, etc

Halloween candy

Halloween is fast approaching, 10 days to go. Because of this, I cant stop to think about...Christmas! Just kidding. To the delight of many kids, this fall ritual lands on a Saturday this year. Kids can look foward to trick-or-treating all night long without the worry if it being a school night. Now, I dont have kids and am way too old to go door-to-door through the neighborhood. The only thing I look forward to is the cheap bite-sized candies that are available for hand out. Every now and again, I have a hankering for something sweet but dont want a gut-busting full size candy bar. I like to nosh on miniature sized KitKats, Snickers, and Twix. I buy some and keep them in my desk drawer. Just like the sugar crash after consuming copious amounts, the sales run out as well as my desk drawer.

Crows in Tokyo

It seems that crows in Tokyo are heralded with the same regard that I have for pigeons here. To Tokyoites, they are a nuisance whose high intelligence creates problems. Crows will pick through garbage bags and create a mess. They nest in power poles and gnaw their way through wires causing blackouts. Passers by have been attacked and buzzed by some of the more aggressive ones. It has gotten so bad that they have initiated programs to eradicate the growing number of the jet-black clad menaces. I wish our governments would do the same for the pigeons around here.

However, my memories of the crows tend to favor being more fond than spiteful. I remember waking up early and peering outside at the still dark morning. A few people are making their way to work. The ever-present clacking of the train rails can be heard in a timely manner. Every now and then a long winded cawwwwwww! will break the crisp cool air. Their caws are much longer than their counterparts here in the states. Here the crows calls tend to be short and concise. In other areas of Tokyo that are pretty quiet, like parks and temples, they can be heard very clearly. The sensory memory of their communications makes me feel homesick for my most favorite place in the world.

Substitutions

I have a story about my friend G, G whose wife is P with son K and second son K. When G cooks, he is fearless when it comes to substituting ingredients. Another friend, J with husband A, loves to recount the story of how G triend to make salsa one day. He gathered what ingredients he had: tomatoes, onions, etc. But, he was missing a few ingredients. As he put the salsa together he began to use what he had around the house for what was missing. No parsley, he used oregano. No lime, lemon-garlic power was an adequate stand in. As J and A tasted the concoction, they remarked that G had made cold marinara sauce rather than salsa

Fog-The San Francisco Treat

The city is quite (in)famous for the fog that rolls into the whenever it feels like. Today when I left the office, it was a sunny and cloudless blue sky. There was nothing to portend as I headed out to a customer site. While in downtown, buildings seem to phase in and out of view as they succumb to the encroaching mist. Buildings disappear when you increase the distance between them and yourself. As noted, this was unexpected as skies were clear when I left the office. The bay area is known for its micro-climates but I did not imagine the mini-micro-climates within the city limits. However, as noon approached, the mid-day sun chased away all traces.

Guilty Pleasure-Jpop/Kpop

Im not really big on the current American pop music that floats around on the airwaves. On occassion, there will be a few songs that I think are worth getting. But for the most part, its not worth my time to listen. Due to watching asian television, I have been exposed to pop music from Japan and Korea. They have songs that are very catchy to my ears. But, I wondered if I would listen to these songs if they came out in english in the states. Some of the songs a bit too much like teeny bopper songs, for lack of a better term. Part of the attraction is that most of the artist(s) I listen to are good looking female(s). I have to admit to the eye candy. With that aside, the songs themselves are not very deep or meaningful. That doesnt matter to me much since Im not very deep or meaningful either. Its the song as a whole that draws me. Its not any one part(music, lyrics, or artist) but the way a song sounds like in its totallity that decides whether its thumb up or down.

You may wonder about the language barrier. I dont speak either language and dont know what they are singing about unless I see their videos subtitled. After listening to it for a while, I begin to sing along in their native language.

I have been into the Kpop of late and not so much Jpop. Currently listening to Saturday Night(Son Dam Bi) and I don't Care(2NE1)

Rant-Airline Fees and Requests

We all know by now how airlines are charging its fliers for everything from checked in bags to pillows to your seating preference. It was recently announced by most major airlines that they will be adding an extra $10 per flight for the upcoming holiday season. That mad dash to fly during the Thanksgiving and Xmas/New Years holidays will now cost you a bit more. Is it not surprising that when they ask for our cooperation that we dismiss their notions without a second thought? One airline is asking their passengers to use the bathroom before boarding the plane. The thinking is that, groupwise, the plane will be several pounds lighter and save fuel costs and create a smaller carbon footprint. What-ever! Unless there's a financial incentive, I will continue to carry on my biological waste rather than checking them at the airport

A Wandering Eye

We all have it. An affliction known as a wandering eye. When something catches our sight, for one reason or another, our eyes are drawn to it. It could be a thing of beauty, wonder, or even disgust. Mainly, this condition is attached to the times when we look upon members of the opposite sex. The situation where one is in a committed relationship makes this an almost grave illness. The condition can be benign for the most part and should not be looked upon as infidelity or cheating. The family car does not get jealous when you watch an expensive sports car flies past. Your pet wont love you any less if you pet someone elses pet.

The eye is not the problem. Its when the eye convinces the head and the rest of the body to follow what's just seen. When the body falls into that temptation, thats when conflicts will occur.

Optimism

I consider myself to be a pessimist. I see the glass half empty of Dr Pepper. I also play the lottery on occassion. While talking to someone about the latter fact, she remarked that I must be an optimist to play the lottery. It was one of those moments that took me aback. I never thought about it in that way. I guess thinking I can win at the lottery or gambling does make me one in that right. When I check the results of the draw, its a win-win situation for me. If no one wins, then the jackpot gets bigger for me. If someone does win, may be I won.

We all have parts of us that look on either the dark or the bright side, not just one side. Maybe, we don't realize it until it dawns upon us like it just did for me. However, my playing the lottery stems less from thinking that I can win but more from desperation

Day Trip-Muir Woods

The south bay is known for its high tech. The north bay is known for its nature. Case in point, Muir Woods. A stand of the oldest living redwoods in northern California. These coastal redwoods reach up to 200 ft tall and are over 300 years old.

A nominal entrance fee allows you to walk through and amongst these giants. Paved pathways and boardwalks guide you through the forest and streams. A dual purpost as the guided paths protect the broad yet shallow root structure of these natural skyscrapers.
A felled tree's life is dcumented by counting it's rings and revealing the history that it has stood up to for so long.

For Lunch-Bushi-Tei Bistro

In the Japan town area, I decided to have lunch while I was here. The newest restaurant to open is located under the bridge. It was formerly a Hawaiian place, I believe, but I had never tried while it was open. They had alot of the usual japanese fare but had some things that I dont usually see like lime chicken.
They have a ramen lunch special which consists of ramen with a selection of 3 toppings and 7 side dishes for around $11. Choice of toppings include ginger pork, chicken, or karaage. Side dishes vary from chirashi, to california rolls, unagi don, and others. I chose karaage and california rolls
The rolls, 6 and not the 4 pictured above, were good but nothing spectacular. The ramen broth is tonkotsu based with nice chewy noodles. I liked the ramen and found the karaage to be flavorful and juicy with a slightly salty flavor. Portions were good as I was full after my meal

In This World

In this world, there are the brave, the intelligent, the evil, etc. The actions of those who go beyond are set by the standards of the average. For those who are brave, there are those who are meek. For the intelligent, it began with a question. And for the misdoers, there the law abiders. I am by no means a standard bearer, but I am average. And even the average has a place.

Video Games-Call Of Duty 4:Modern Warfare

I am a big fan of first-person shooters on the PC. I loved the progenators like Castle Wolfenstein 3D and Doom. The torch was passed on by Quake and Unreal. For a while, there was a glut of these games based on World War II. As good as they were, I started to get burned out on the theme. I was sick of using Tommy guns, Garands, and Panzerfausts. I wanted to handle something more contemporary. Somthing that had modern weapons and set in more recent times. But I also had the criteria that it had to be a good game too. My prayers were answered when COD4:MW came out. It takes place in several parts of the modern day world where you play two characters on allied teams looking to eliminate a terrorist big cheese. The graphics were great and the gameplay was outstanding. The single player could stand on its own. The online multiplayer just adds to the gameplay experience. In multi, you earn weapons as you go and can customize your character to your style of play or to the scenario.

As great as it was, we all tire of games after a while. I have not played this in several months. But the anticipation is high as MW 2 will be coming out in the next few months, November. Im not great at multi but you may see me out there at some point

Pepsi

Pepsi in Japan has done it again. They have come up with another seasonal flavor for the citizens to enjoy, maybe. They had some other wild flavors that I mentioned in a previous post. This time, its azuki flavor. Other asians know this as red bean. These sweet red beans can be found in desserts and inside steamed buns and mochi. I cant pass judgement on this or any of the previous flavors because I have not had the fortune/misfortune of tasting any of them. They never seem to have these special flavors during the winter time when I am most likely to be there. Soda manufacturers have had their own little experiments here in the states. Notably, in my mind, Dr Pepper and Mtn Dew has gone through some changes of late. I guess variety is good as they needed somthing new to put into the pipeline, but fade away just as fast as they are introduced. Does this mean they didnt succeed?

For Lunch-Chipotle Mexican Grill

Whenever Im in the area, I usually stop by Ayola for nice gyro. I was in the same area on back to back days and did not want to have the same thing for lunch. Although, I could have ordered something different. Anyway, I went into this chain mexican place next door for a burrito. I am accustomed to the large burritos that you can get in most places in the city. I was a bit disheartened to see the size of the beef burrito that was presented to me. But I was pleasently surprised when I bit into it and found this great flavor in my mouth. The pico de gallo was fresh and tasty. The beef was tender and flavorful. The cilantro-lime rice adds an extra dimension to the flavor. The cheese and sour cream just brought everything together so well. I will have to give this place another try and see what else I might like

Vintage Streetcars

The SF Municipal Railway, Muni, runs trolleys, cable cars, street cars, and buses throughout the city. The cable cars are the most notable of conveyances. Along two routes, Muni supplements the usual streetcars with older models that it has resurrected and put back into service. These two lines run primarily on Market St and along The Embarcadero. These are just two that I saw today along Market. The latter photo shows a model thats not as old as the former picture. I recall actually riding on the latter model when I was a child