Let's dance little stranger...

Remembering: Thanksgiving

2011-12-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

I wasn't planning on posting anything about Thanksgiving because my celebrations tend to look pretty much the same each year. It normally involves my whole family in LA, a huge turkey and lots of friends. But this year was different. Looking back at the photos of this year's dinner, I realized how special it was to be able to spend the one-on-one time with my aunt.

Typically, I would be fighting the crowds at Oakland Airport on my way home to LA. This year though, I happily opted to stay in the Bay and celebrate with my aunt who lives up here. Neither of us are big turkey fans, so we decided to go the non-traditional route and had a Thanksgiving melting pot of different foods. We spent the whole day together just hanging out, watching movies, eating and chatting. I loved it!

I think as long as you're with people who you love and who love you in return, then it doesn't really matter where you are or what you're eating.

Breakfast of champs: champagne, cheese and crackers

Harvest Hell {Guest Post}

2011-11-25T15:11:00.001-08:00

I've always wanted to do a series of guest posts written by friends and family, but I just haven't gotten around to bugging enough people to write something for me. Luckily for me, someone actually wrote something for me without too much pestering on my end!

Below is a post written by my good friend Dustin who recently spent a few months harvesting wine in Oregon.
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We are all familiar with the idiom “this is when we separate the men from the boys”. Well, the harvest season in any wine producing region across the world is truly an example of the men proving that they are men, and the boys falling to pieces.

Read more »

Mr. B

2011-11-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

I'm obsessed, nay, infatuated with Anthony Bourdain. I've watched every single episode of No Reservations, read his most recent book, am reading his first book, follow him on Twitter and on Facebook, and try to get him to respond to my tweets basically everyday. Clearly, he's not having it.

That's okay, he's like the dealer to my food porn addiction and I'm still planning to hussy up every buck I have to make sure the supply never runs dry.

Alright, in reality, I like the way he thinks and expresses himself. Sometimes crude, sometimes harsh, almost always sarcastic, but frank and to the point. I appreciate honestly without all the BS. I like the fact that he can sit at a bar in Boston and take shots of whiskey with the locals, and the next week sit down to a typical, yet basic family meal in Vietnam, and have a good time either way. I like that when he's eating, he can get along with everyone (have you seen the Ted Nugent episode?) Yes, he's rough around the edges, but no one is perfect.

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Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend's trip to Marin by ferry to go get a pumpkin!

~C

(PS. Just noticed how ugly this post looks on Safari! Check it on using Firefox instead!)

Tales From A Cafe: Nightmare

2011-10-28T02:15:00.000-07:00

"He looked through me like I was thin air. I'm so stupid. He didn't even remember me and that night wasn't even a month ago..." Her mind kept wandering back to the last hour before she had left the restaurant. The bus ride seemed like an eternity, and she still had a few blocks to walk before reaching her apartment. The signal was red; she waited to cross the street. The light above her flickered on and off, and finally shut off leaving her standing in the dark.

"...I just can't believe it. I'm so emb..." She felt a cold hand grab the back of her arm. A young girl with jet black hair and bright blue eyes stood behind her, staring up at her wide-eyed and emotionless.

Startled, she shook off the cold, pale hand and ran across the street. Once on the other side, she turned to look back, but the girl was gone.

"This town is creepy," she thought to herself as she hurried home. She felt a sudden gust of wind and sensed that someone was following her.

"Were those footsteps or the wind howling?"

She glanced over her shoulder and saw the girl following a few paces behind her on the opposite site of the street, head bowed.

She walked faster, fumbling in her bag to find her keys. Her heart pounded in her chest as she unlocked her front door, ran up the stairs into her apartment and bolted the chain behind her. With all the lights on, she crept to the window to peek outside. Down below, she saw the girl's blue eyes staring up at her and jumped back, dropping the window shade back into place.

Read more »

Tales From A Cafe: Peephole

2011-10-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

He tried to hold his breath to still the sound of his beating heart as he listened to the voices on the other side. They were talking in hushed voices and he couldn't quite make out what they were saying.

The thump thump thump of his heart only loudened as he grew suspicious of their words. "What are they talking about? Did I just hear my name? Why are they talking about me?" Thought after thought rushed through his mind even though he knew that the probability of him being the subject of their conversation was close to zero. After all, he had only seen them from a distance getting into the elevator before the doors closed tightly shut.

He glanced through the peephole of his front door again. Nothing. "They must be around the corner," he muttered to Sophie, his white and orange tabby cat who brushed up against his legs.

Umami Burger

2011-10-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

Umami: Taken from Japanese meaning savory. One of the five basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter).

The first thing I was told after having been welcomed into the flagship San Francisco spot was that Umami Burger proudly grounds their own meat every day, processes their own cheese, pickles their own vegetables, and that the word umami means savory. You should expect all of their burgers to be rich in flavor, juicy, and cooked medium-rare.

I first read about Umami Burger on one of my favorite blogs, Cupcakes and Cashmere, and haven't stopped hearing about it since (my LA-based friends can't help but gush over their obsession with it). So naturally, when a co-worker casually mentioned that he had just had lunch at the new restaurant, I -literally - ran over to check it out. I wasn't the only one who was excited to be there - a reporter from the SF Chronicle was there interviewing the staff and taking photos.

A much more professional photo than mine from the Umami Burger site.

Luckily, I had just missed the lunch rush, and was able to sit down at the bar immediately. I asked the bartender what the most popular burger was and he suggested either the Umami Burger or the Hatch Burger. I chose the Umami Burger since, hey, it's Umami Burger, with a Japanese Caprese Salad to start.

Wednesday: Where In The World Am I?

2011-10-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

Oh no! I was super busy yesterday and didn't get around to posting this. So let's pretend it's Wednesday today ;)

Where in the world am I...this Wednesday?

This city will always have a special place in my heart. I lived there for a year while I was in college, and loved every minute of it. It's in Europe, and has played a significant role in the history of cinema due to one of it's countrymen.

Any guesses?

Thanks again to Jeremy at Budget Travel Adventures for this weekly segment.

~C

Tales From A Cafe: Rainy Days

2011-10-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

I started writing with the intention of writing yet another cover letter. But I got distracted and wrote this instead.

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She sat at the corner table, near the door, staring out the window at the droplets splashing against the asphalt. It was pouring down with no intention of stopping; as if the San Francisco clouds were determined to wash away all the city’s debris. The Internet in the little neighborhood café had cut out, and she turned to gaze at the ever-loading blank screen.

Despite the rain, tourists kept coming in. Something about the cable cars on a rainy day seemed to catch their attention. Whatever it was that got them out in the rain, she wanted no part of it. She was content wrapped in her oversized wool sweater, sipping on her hot mocha, and had no desire to walk the block and a half back home to use the Internet.

Fleet Week

2011-10-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

Fleet Week is upon us! This weekend both the Marina and Embarcadero were packed with thousands of people coming to view the Blue Angels show and the docked Navy ships. So, I decided to take a walk down to the Embarcadero to see all the people, and to visit the farmers market.

Crowd down at The Embarcadero

Fleet Week sign

Wednesday: Where In The World Am I?

2011-10-05T01:32:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try doing a weekly travel photo feature called Where In The World Am I?. It's just for fun, but I think it's a great way to share some of my travel photos with anyone reading my blog. So enjoy it with me by playing along and guessing where the photo was taken.

Let's start off with an easy one. But as they get harder, I'll post more hints and maybe even tweet a few throughout the day.

Here goes...

Hint: I live in this city. This is one of the bridges that connects to it. What bridge am I on?

Inspired by Jeremy at Budget Travel Adventures.

~C

Update: Good guesses, guys! Yep, that's the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. Thanks for playing :)

SFO -> PDX

2011-10-04T00:55:00.000-07:00

The Willamette River and Burnside Bridge

Portland was not somewhere I had envisioned myself visiting. It had never registered on my internal map of places to see, I had no reason to go to Portland, and I couldn’t imagine what I would do once I got there. But recently, I had a spontaneous choice to make: go to Portland for the weekend or not. I thought about it and figured, “When the hell else am I going to have the chance to go to Portland…why not?” So I booked a flight and landed in Portland a few days later.

Having done a quick Google search (and rewatched half an episode of No Reservations in Portland), I realized Portland is a foodie’s paradise. So, being a big fan of food myself, I decided this was going to be a weekend long search for anything delicious…and boy, was I right.

My fellow Portland newbie (and foodie extrodinaire) and I spent the weekend voraciously eating our way through the city, with the one exception of Powell's City of Books – where I could have happily found a cozy corner to curl up in and read book after book.

The first thing I noticed when I arrived in Portland was that everyone had tattoos. Tattoo parlors were aplenty, and I saw more than one freshly inked arm in my short time there. The atmosphere was definitely not what I'm used to: totally down-to-earth in a I-wear-tshirts-and-jeans-listen-to-rock-music-and-dye-my-hair-funky-colors kind of way. But despite the tough-guy appearances, no one was rude or pretentious, everyone wanted to share with us their favorite places to eat and everyone was genuinely friendly.

Every place we found was delicious. Portland may have a relaxed vibe to it, but Portlanders are very serious about their food and beers.

Around The World in 5 Stops

2011-09-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine asked me the other day: "If someone gave you an around-the-world ticket and you were allowed five stops, what would be your destinations?"

That's a hard question to answer since there are so many places I'd like to visit, especially places that are off the beaten path like the Azores. But I narrowed it down to 5 countries - well, more like 5 regions of the planet - that I'd like to visit:

Cuba - Central America
Argentina- South America
South Africa
India - South East Asia
Vietnam- Asia

As I thought of the question again, I realized that I would get 5 stops on an airplane, but that doesn't mean I have to arrive and depart from the same city or even country that I landed in.

For example, I could use the first leg of my journey to stop in Vietnam, and then travel by land to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. The second leg would leave from Thailand and land in India - where I could either stay in the south and explore Sri Lanka, or go to the north and check out Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. From there, I could fly to South Africa and explore as much of Africa as I could. The fourth leg of the trip, I'd leave from Africa to Argentina, where I could travel over to Brazil or Chile. After that, I would fly up to Cuba, or Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala.

Where would you go if you got a 5-stop ticket around the world?

~C

Cover Letter

2011-08-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Travel Industry,

Let me first start off by saying that I'm obsessed with traveling. I think about it all day long. I stalk it on Twitter. I fantasize about the places I could go and the people I could meet.

I am the kind of person you want to hire. I will work for you day and night, think about you when I'm not in the office and crawl out of bed at 4 a.m. when you desperately need me. I am dedicated and passionate and all those other adjectives that cover letters tend to include.

I will come to work with a smile on my face and leave with that same smile.

I will (and already do) encourage everyone to travel, to see the world, to experience a new culture.

Most importantly, I offer a history of results, as evidenced by the following travel-related activities I have accomplished:

Born in Sweden (I'm already an EU citizen!)
Lived in Stockholm, Arles, Nice, Los Angeles, Lyon and San Francisco.
Speak French...fluently!
Traveled to 5 out of 7 continents (and have high hopes to visit the other 2).

From what I know about myself, I believe I have the potential to make a great contribution to The Travel Industry.

Thank you very much for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to meet with you and further discuss my qualifications.

...Well, actually, just give me the job. I cross my heart that I'll be amazing at it.

Sincerely,

Cat

Happy Birthday To Me!

2011-08-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

My birthday was a few days ago, and this year I wanted to celebrate by doing something low key. I started the day by taking a long walk with my aunt down to the water near Fisherman's Wharf, through Fort Mason and to the Marina. We decided to have lunch at this cute little place called Rose's Cafe where I had some amazing lemonade: sparkling lavender lemonade with a piece of mint (if you don't like sour, you might want to add some sugar)....mmm so good, I'm craving it right now!

On our way back to Nob Hill, we passed through Polk St. and stopped for some birthday froyo at Loving Cup. They are known for their creative way of mixing their froyo flavors and for their realllly delicious rice pudding.

What I Saw

2011-07-29T20:46:00.000-07:00

It's always a little strange coming back to Sweden. One part of me feels like it's very familiar, my old home, while another part of me feels like a foreigner here. While the sounds and tastes remind me of past times, the sights still seem new to me. Here are some images from around Stockholm:

What I Ate

2011-07-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

Not so typical foods from my travels to Sweden:

Fresh picked raspberries

Champagne, raspberries and watermelon

Greek yogurt and raspberries, a pistachio cinnamon roll and pear cider

Homemade blueberry pie

Pear popsicles

Diam ice cream

Instead of sour cream & onion, they have dill chips

Fancy cakes

Assortment of delicious Swedish cookies

Swedish desserts

Homemade salmon sashimi and sake

I Believe...

2011-07-23T03:38:00.000-07:00

I believe that there is beauty everywhere. I believe in a glass of wine a day, new book smell and sparkly accessories. I believe that "it is written" and that everything happens for a reason.

I believe in wearing your retainers at night, and soaking the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. I believe in "may I", "please" and "thank you".

I believe that laughter is the best medicine, but so are kisses and cuddles. I believe in switching off, signing out and logging out every once in a while. I believe that wealth doesn't necessarily equal right, moral or kind-hearted.

I believe in laughing at yourself.

I believe that good friends can last forever.

I believe in kombucha, The Giants and good communication.

I believe in traveling around the world, forming new bonds and having new experiences. I believe in loyalty, compassion and positive energy.

What do you believe in?

(Inspired by C'est Christine and Where My Heart Resides)

~C

On Returning to Sweden

2011-07-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

In just 4 days, I'll be traveling to Stockholm once again. I was born there, I grew up there, but I never got to spend my young adult life there. Yes, I've seen the tourist attractions, the famous sites, eaten the typical Swedish meatballs, but I've never experienced it as a young adult. Where do the cool twenty-five year olds hang out? What do they listen to? What do they drink?

So what should I do in Stockholm?

I want to go here! The Icebar in the Nordic Sea Hotel

A White Trash Weekend

2011-07-11T22:03:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late on this post, but this picture is worth it. This 4th of July was celebrated in true white trash style: mullets, baby bumps and the sound of "U.S.A, U.S.A" chanted over and over while a bag of wine was passed around. Happy Birthday, Amurrica. Happy Birthday.

~C

An Angel in Disguise

2011-06-28T00:32:00.000-07:00

I met Sean the other day. He was hanging out at the Sugar Cafe bar all alone, and I just happened to sit next to him. He looked like he had just left work, dressed in a green button down and black slacks, drinking an Anchor Steam. The bartender (who is also my roommate) handed me a cocktail from the menu, and Sean and I sat in awkward silence for a few minutes not acknowledging each other's presence.

He looked lonely, and even though my mom taught me not to speak to strangers, sometimes I just can't help it. So I asked him what had brought him to this bar. Turns out he had come there once before, a few years ago on a layover from Australia to his home in Ireland, and he was repeating his tradition again that night.

Without any agenda or expectations - we ended up talking for almost 2 hours. Out of nowhere, he started telling me a story about how he had packed up his life about 6 years ago, and moved to Australia. He explained to me how it was the most exciting thing he'd ever done; he had met so many new people and had so many wonderful and spontaneous experiences, and he didn't regret a thing...and told me that I have to do it.

Funny thing is, with all this free time lately, it has lead me to start thinking radically, radically about what the next months of my life should be like. Every day is different: I go from pondering about a 9-5 job in the city, to living in London or down by the Riviera, to traveling to the Bahamas to bartend my way through tiki huts and clear blue water, or even to spending a year down under throwing shrimp on the barbie with the Aussies.

Before I left the bar that night, I told Sean that I was happy to have met him. And I genuinely was...and still am. He reminded me of the things I've been dying to do, of the things I yearn to do, and of the things I had pushed to the back of my mind because I was stuck in a routine. He reminded me of how much I love to travel and how much I love to experience new things. He reminded me not to be scared and that the first step would be the hardest and most scary, but that it would all be worth it in the end.

So, should I stay or should I go?

On Meeting Famous People

2011-06-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

Note to self: Don't meet famous people when you've had a few drinks. Because then you want to hug them...repeatedly. Thank you Cody Ross and Pat Burrell for not calling security.

Go Giants :)

~C

On: The Hunt for the Perfect Job

2011-06-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

I began traveling at a very early age, and by the time I was three years old, I had visited big parts of Europe and Asia. I would get such a rush when my family and I arrived at the airport because I knew it was the start of a fun new adventure. Airplanes have always been comforting to me…in fact, the moment the plane breaks through the clouds I feel safe, suspended in the sunny, clear air high above the world (perhaps that's why I couldn't wait to jump out of a plane).

I remember this one day in middle school when a friend of mine had mentioned she was applying for a passport. I was completely knocked off my feet - what did she mean she didn't have a passport? Wait a second, you weren't born with a passport? Little Cat had had a passport since she was born, and didn't realize that it wasn't an automatic right once you came into this world.

Via Startbackpacking.com

It still baffles me that there isn't some free program for children of a specific age to experience the world. Traveling has been a huge part of my education and I can't imagine who I would be right now if I hadn't of had the chance to learn about other cultures and see the world throughout my life.

Nowadays, I do my best to explore as much as I can, but being on my own budget doesn't readily allow for much travel. Three years ago I convinced my university to send me to France for a year, one year ago I worked my butt off to save up to go to Australia and this year, thanks to my dad, I'm going to Sweden.

This is why I don't think I'll be happy with any ole' job here in SF. After about a year, I'll get antsy again, and I'll want to be in the exact place I am now. So instead of wasting another year doing something that doesn't make me happy, I'm on the hunt for the perfect job - one that allows me to eat, breathe, sleep travel.

Wish me luck. Here goes nothing!

In The Pursuit of Happiness

2011-06-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

Things seem to happen to me all in one go. I'll go months with no real change; living a slightly stale life and then bam!, all of the sudden the universe throws me in the deep end. It's not like I can't swim - it's just that time went by so fast, I didn't even have time to put my bathing suit on!

...It's been interesting, to say the least. The biggest change, though probably not the most unexpected, is the fact that I am back on the prowl for a job and in the pursuit of finding happiness (which is a tremendous thing, let me add). I had been feeling like I was living in a dark cloud for the past year, full of frustration. But this last week has felt like summer vacation, and I'm loving it. This time around, I want to do something that I LOVE. I want to be passionate about what I do. I want to work in the travel industry because traveling is the most exciting thing to me.

So I'm going grab a cocktail and let the job hunt begin!

An Un-Memorial Weekend

2011-05-31T21:35:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to update this blog every week since I started it back up about a month ago, but this weekend caught me off guard. I was doing so well; it had been months since I last got sick. And this weekend I just got knocked down. Almost an entire long weekend wasted...grrr!

At least it started off well. B came down from Sacramento again this weekend to celebrate Roomie Ryan's (aka IllestRated) graduation at Sugar Cafe. The roommates and I had been waiting to meet the parents for a while now, and we finally got to meet them that evening. They were super sweet and so proud of him! His dad even stuck around a while later to hang out with us!

Ah, then Saturday came around. Saturday had such great potential. We had planned to go to Santa Cruz for the day, but our excitement was somewhat sullied when B got a speeding ticket halfway there. The cop was nice enough to warn us that there was a huge crash ahead, and gave us an alternate route. But I'm pretty sure B would have taken the traffic to the ticket.


"I'd be happy to sign that ticket, Officer" - B

It wasn't too bad once we got to Santa Cruz. We got to hang out at quality places like a very windy beach where we were covered in sand, a smelly beach cove full of dead seaweed and dogs, a bar full of smokers and a Mexican restaurant with horrible service...ya, it was just one of those days. Did I mention that it started raining too? Cattywompus! (Aussie slang for wow-what-a-shit-show.)

Although, between these small disasters, there were definitely some really fun and interesting moments...like getting to draw on this chalk board car!

Awesome chalk car we got to doodle on.

And we also took advantage of the free crayons and children's menus to document our day in neon crayon. Can you figure out what else we got up to that day?

The events of our day. In crayon.

The rest of my weekend ended with me huddled in bed/couch, blowing my nose and taking shots of Nyquil so I could get some undisturbed rest. Roomie Mike was sweet enough to make me a (what I assume was delicious since I couldn't breathe or taste much) Memorial Day bbq meal. That did help to make Monday bearable, so thanks Roomie Mike!

Roasted corn, baked potato and steak with sauteed mushrooms.

So, how was your weekend? Better than mine I hope!

~C