Snyde Remarks

A love letter to Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 22:41:00 +0000

12 August 2011

Dearest Sydney,

....long sigh. You've been so good to me.

Everyone told me how this was the worst time to come and visit you for the first time -- they would lament that being that it's winter and all, there's really nothing to see or do in your part of Oz. I'm thankful, in so many ways, that I came and experienced firsthand your fabulous scenery, people, food, wine, walks, and accents. Though it was in fact winter and it may have rained a few times and felt like San Francisco weather most of the time I was here, there was never a day since I arrived that I would've rather been somewhere else.

I will miss you when I head back to my foggy city on the Bay, dear SYD. Mostly I'll miss the walk that I took to work every day at the fantastically gorgeous Google office. Most certainly I'm going to really miss the amazingly ~~crazy~~ kind people I got to meet. I will miss how chill people are here, even when they're stressed. I'll miss the Aussie humor, and the laughter at work, and how loud and full of life the people I worked with were.

Oh Sydney...I have loved your coffee and cafes. Specifically, I love that I learned how to order coffee your way. "Soy flat white, strong, 2 sugars." "Long black, regular size." "Yes, to take away." Your coffee, more than the coffee I had in Melbs, NZed, Cairns or Adelaide, set me absolutely on fire almost every day. I'm not sure how you froth your milk in a way that it comes out perfectly every single time, but I have thoroughly enjoyed sampling your caffeinated creations. Thank you again for dealing with my slow-to-catch-on-to-how-you-order-here mentality. PS: Thank you for also making me realize I do in fact appreciate a good cookie...Tim-Tam's, I will miss you so.

Sometimes, Sydney, you get a reputation from some of your other Australian neighbors for being a bit...well... stuck up & pretentious. Although I really loved the other places I visited whilst in your land down under, I have never in my whole life lived anywhere as gorgeous as here. You were pristine in nearly ever way -- no garbage on the streets, lovely parks, very few homeless folks, gorgeous beaches/bodies of water, whales to watch, and I could go on.

So off I go, back to the USofA, Sydney my friend. I will do my absolute best to bring back all that you have taught me and shared with me while I was here. I promise to try harder to relax & not take myself (and everyone around me) too seriously. I will do my best to stop eating Splenda and opt for regular sugar with my coffee (which I will strive to make with espresso). I will search long and far for Aussies to join my already-amazing group of friends in SF. And most importantly, I promise to sing your praises to the world and show off my zillions of pictures of how stunning you are (even in the winter) to the masses.

Thank you again for everything, Sydney. ....long sigh. You've been so good to me.

Cheers,

Sara

Me eating Vegemite on toast my second to last day in Sydney

Last weekend in SYD - check.

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 10:44:00 +0000

I am having a hard time comprehending the fact that it's Sunday and that my last week of work in Sydney starts tomorrow. I feel like I just got here a week ago and now I'm leaving...It's hard to believe that my ~3 months here are nearly over. In honor of all the fun I've had in SYD during the last few months, I wanted to end my time here with a bang and enjoy my last weekend in Australia with all the fantastic friends I've made.

The weekend felt like it started on Thursday when work hosted a party for the sales folks in our office at the Hard Rock Cafe. The weather had been absolutely perfect all week and it was nice to cut out a bit early on Thursday and let loose. As our parties typically go, there's never any shortage of alcohol and a big shortage of food so after 5+ hours at the Hard Rock, I snuck out & found myself a turkey sandwich (thank God they have Subway here too) and proceeded to tuck myself in. Friday most of us were moving pretty slowly and I got to end my day with a massage so I couldn't complain too much about having to show up at work after a fun night out.

Friday night I spent the night in Bondi with some gal pals from work. Lisa, Linda, Rommi & I were all pretty exhausted but we rallied and had some dinner at a place called The Hungry Beaver which apparently features Canadian Fare. The menu was pretty much your ordinary pub food but the cocktail list was very...Sydney. To get an idea of what the prices look like here I included a picture of the cocktail menu below.

Intrigued by the world's most expensive Bloody Mary, we ordered a round and I think we all agreed it was good but certainly not worth the dough. Perhaps Aussies think that a pickle, a piece of celery, and a hard boiled egg in a bloody mary make it worth $17. Alas...The good news about the night was that we had a wonderful time and I was sound asleep by 10p.

Saturday was gorgeous...blue skies, 70+ degrees...just your average winter day in Sydney really. I spent most of the day outside -- I had brekkie at my favorite coffee place, walked to Paddington Market to do a bit of shopping, and had a free camera lesson at my local camera store. Since I had my camera with me, I took some pictures of the Botanical Gardens that I walk through every day en route to work and also of the gorgeous building where I've lived for the last few months.

I decided that for my last Saturday night in Sydney, I would invite a bunch of people over for some pizza/drinks at my place and then head to a bar from there. Friends started showing up around 7 and I gave my best go at being a hostess with the mostest. We were having a wonderful time until about 9 when I went downstairs to let someone in and came back to everyone standing in the dark. Apparently, in the 10 minutes I was gone a fuse had blown and nobody could figure out where the fuse box was so we could turn the lights on. I had to get some help from one of the security guys downstairs who informed us that there was a fuse box in a cupboard above the refrigerator (which was the only place we hadn't looked). Even though we stood in the dark for a short while, I'm pretty sure everyone had a good time at my (Jon's) apartment.

After we left my place, we went to a bar called the Kings Cross Hotel which isn't too far from my place. The fun thing about this bar is that there is 5 levels so no matter what you're in the mood for...lounge, dance party, club, rooftop bar...there should be something for you. We opted for the first floor of the bar where there was a DJ playing a random selection of music from the 90's and early 00's. A text that I received from Linda this morning pretty much summed up our time out at the bar..."Fyi pretty sure we danced to the song whoop there it is last night. platinum night snyder x"

After our dance party and exploring every floor of the bar, we ended our night the way most good nights in Sydney end...with a Kebab.

Today was spent reliving all the fun of the night with Tom, Hailey, Meredith, & Rommi at Bill's (arguably the best breakfast joint in Sydney). We laughed over scrambled eggs and strong coffees until the early afternoon. When the rain started to roll in around 2, I knew it was time for me to retire to bed and spend the rest of the day cleaning, napping, and relaxing.

It was a perfect last weekend in Sydney...can't believe that this time next week I'll be getting ready for my first day back in the SF office.

Heaps of love,

Adventures in New Zealand

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:08:00 +0000

Greetings from New Zealand!

I'll admit it -- New Zealand was pretty hyped up. The beautiful views, the laid back Kiwi attitude, the wine, the crazy bungy jumping/adventure activities you could do. It's not that I wasn't convinced of how awesome New Zealand was -- it's just that I needed to witness it myself.

The good news is that everyone was right -- my expectations were FAR exceeded & I absolutely loved New Zealand, specifically Queenstown, which was where I spent the last 5 days. I'm a little disappointed that my pictures don't adequately capture how absolutely positively gorgeous the scenery is. It's funny, but true, each picture looks like a backdrop of something that isn't real -- I literally couldn't believe that a place so beautiful exists on this planet. If you're ever considering visiting, it's worth the trip all the way around the world, I promise.

The closest neighbor to Oz is New Zealand. It only took me about 2.5 hours to fly from Sydney to the Southern Island of NZ (pronounced "n" "zed" here in the AU) -- compare that with ~8 hours from Bangkok/Singapore via Sydney. Although I had just finished one holiday with the rents, I knew this trip would be far different -- mostly because I was traveling solo for the first time. Although I would've loved to have some pals with me on my travels, I couldn't find anyone who was available to join me and I just couldn't pass up the only few days I had to see NZ.

The lovely B&B where I stayed in Queenstown

I didn't plan much for my trip aside from the recommended B&B where I stayed, the ever-so-lovely Chalet Queenstown. There wasn't really anyone besides me and a few people staying at the small inn & I got a large handful of suggestions of what to see/do from the Chalet's owner Alex. I also was fortunate enough to get some dinner/drinking/touring recommendations from other friends who had travelled to Queenstown. Needless to say, I knew there was no shortage of things to do, I just needed to sort out my plans.

For the next 5 days, I spent most of my time being a fantastic tourist. I got asked several times if I was a professional photographer or part of the paparazzi because I was carrying my extra large camera around my neck for 80% of the time outside of my hotel room. I spent Friday touring around a very small town outside of Queenstown called Arrowtown. It's essentially 1 street and was quite charming; although I only needed an hour to walk it 5 times before I caught a bus to a winery nearby that was recommended to me called Amisfield. I ate lunch at the winery's beautiful restaurant & tasted delicious wines, mostly Pinot Noir's which the region is known for. Luckily Friday was the only day where the weather was pretty miserable so I didn't feel too guilty about not being overly adventurous.

Amisfield Winery + Restaurant

To my great fortune on Friday evening while dining at the local sushi bar, I struck up a conversation with an Aussie named Damien who happened to also be traveling alone to ski in NZ. Damien had been to Queenstown many times & he was also visiting from Sydney -- we decided that we would be dinner/drinks pals for the remainder of our time in Queenstown. Damien even was kind enough to introduce me to the biggest deal in NZ -- rugby. We cheered on the local team, the All Blacks, at a downtown pub while they beat South Africa -- I mean, twist my arm, watching hot men play rugby is never a hardship. The All Blacks have an amazing tribal chant they do before home games...enjoy watching here http://y2u.be/3GpTsPNwwms

Another fortunate thing that I did while in NZ was decide to take a day trip/tour to Milford Sound, a small Fjord about a 30 min flight from Queenstown. I had heard amazing things about how beautiful Milford was and also read that it's been called the "Eighth Wonder of the World." Just like most of the scenery I saw in NZ, Milford exceeded all expectations & rave reviews. The pictures look fake, but, Milford is most certainly one of the most, if not the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I took a cruise through the Fjord, saw seals, got a few feet away from an enormous waterfall, and flew over the alps....It was truly a perfect day.

View from the flight to Milford

Scenery by the airport in Milford

New Zealand fur seals

As many of you already know, the highlight of my trip was also probably the most ridiculous, scariest, and absurd thing I've ever done...Skydiving. Although my father didn't know before (my mother did, because I couldn't really keep this a secret), I had planned nearly a month ago to jump out of a plane at 15,000 feet above the ground. I had heard of a reputable company, Nzone, both from a guide book and also a friend who had jumped out of a plane with them a couple years back at the same height. Although I was positively scared both before, during, and even a little bit after of the jump, I knew that I had wanted to do this for quite some time and couldn't imagine seeing a place more beautiful from so high. Here's the link to all the pictures & I also got a DVD of my jump. If you want, you can pay extra for a videographer to jump with you to film the whole thing....since no one was there to watch me do this insane thing, I needed some proof to show everyone that I really did it this time.

I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't nervous...every part of me was shaking and praying that jumping out of a plane in freezing cold weather, thousands of feet above mountains, would be worth it.

As the skydiver's story generally goes, after the jump was over I was stunned and thrilled and completely freaked out about what I had just done...The feeling I had while free falling at 200km/hr from a plane for 65 seconds was something that I will never be able to adequately describe. All I know is that it was worth every minute of nervousness and fear -- the view, my tandem master (Ralph, pictured above), and the jump were outrageously amazing and I would 110% recommend skydiving (esp in Queenstown) to anyone. The rest of my NZ pictures are here, in case you want to see the rest of the pictures I took.

...And now I'm back in Sydney for my last 10 days before I depart for the States on August 12th. In between lots of dinners, lunches, drinks, goodbyes and work, I am doing my best to take in everything that is amazing about Sydney. My walk to work, the fresh air, the Aussie accents, the brekkies, the coffee, etc...I can truly say that I feel at home here, even in a place that's so incredibly far from everyone & everything that I love so much.

'till later,
s

Me in the pilot seat on the return trip from Milford Sound

Room with a view

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 21:43:00 +0000

The view from my room at the b&b in Queenstown. Off to Milford Sound today to hike and take pictures.

Xo,
S

Kangaroos, sharks, scuba diving, wine & lots of relaxation

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:23:00 +0000

Sandy, Edgar & Sara on a hike in Kangaroo Island, Australia

After my parents had their Gaga spotting in Sydney, I was worried that nothing else we would do together on our trip would be remotely as exciting. Thank goodness my parents planned an action-packed 8 day excursion through 2 of the most remote yet amazing places in Oz.

Kangaroo Island

Roo cookies to welcome us to Kangaroo Island

After a short plane trip from Sydney to Adelaide and an even shorter flight from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island (KI), we began our trip in Southern Australia on an island that's about 5000km from Antarctica. I'm not sure that my parents or I had any expectations about our trip to KI besides that we knew it was going to be cold and that my mother made us all buy puffy jackets, long underwear, and hiking boots. Moreover, since I really didn't read up too much before my trip, I wasn't convinced that this island named after 'Roos actually had any kangaroos on it. Luckily, any expectations that we did have of the first part of our trip were far exceeded.

We stayed in the most beautiful lodge I have ever seen in my whole life. The three of us were amongst about 10 people staying there and were treated like we were royalty. No picture can possibly describe the view, the food, the people, etc but trust me when I say that we were in heaven.

Lobby with a view

Cuddling with the statue of the Kangaroo

View of dining room

The scenery, hikes, ocean, peacefulness, and natural wonders of KI were absolutely stunning. I took a ton of photos of scenery but here are some of my faves. (I'll share the link to the rest at the bottom)

Finally, without putting you to sleep with abundant details, I'll let you know that the biggest highlight of our trip in KI was really getting up close and personal with animals in their natural habitats. I found out very quickly that there are indeed kangaroos all over the island, thousands of 'em in fact -- they even hop out in front of your car while you're driving similar to deer in the states.

Besides getting cozy with 'roos, we saw Koala Bears, Wallabies, Echidnas, Seals, and possums (amongst other little creatures/birds).

Baby Kangaroos are known as Joeys -- this one was rescued after its mother was killed

When we weren't immersing ourselves in scenic tours of the island and gushing over wildlife, we were indulging in some of the most amazing food & wine I will probably ever have. If you're ever looking for a delicious wine, South Australian wines, particularly the Pinot Noirs & Rieslings are heavenly.

The Great Barrier Reef

We had an absolutely amazing time in KI -- going to sleep every night by 10pm though challenging, sometimes rocks. The good news was we were leaving winter temperatures in Southern Oz & heading to much more tropical climates in the Northern tip of Australia on the Great Barrier Reef. After spending one night in Cairns (pronounced by Aussies as Can-nes), Family Snyder ventured off to an island named after another animal, Lizards. Lizard Island (LI) is in the northern most part of the Great Barrier Reef in the middle of nowhere. Seriously, no internet service, no cell service, no connection with the outside world...it was sheer heaven.

The view of Lizard Island from the plane

Although we weren't sure anything would top the beauty and relaxing atmosphere of KI, LI proved to be equally as, if not more peaceful. More exciting than Lizard Island being beyond stunning was the fact that there were tons of activities right at our finger tips. Every day of our trip included snorkeling -- you could snorkel right off of the sand onto the Great Barrier Reef -- it was absolutely surreal.

Sunset on the Island

Beyond anything else, the highlight of my trip on the Reef was learning how to Scuba Dive. Mind you, I had never even snorkeled before this trip; however, part of me being on this side of the world has made me step out of my comfort zone and do things that I may not have the chance to do for a while (or ever again). That said, I took a 2-hour intro diving course with an instructor from our hotel. After I completed this, we then did a 1 hour dive off of the beach from where we were staying and swam down to the reef. Although I wasn't 100% comfortable during my first dive, I was eager to try it again and feel more at ease.

Luckily, the very next day, Family Snyder set out on a full day excursion to 2 of the most stunning diving/snorkeling places on the reef -- No Name Reef and The Cod Hole (known for fish that look like this. If you're really interested in what it looked like, I have a DVD of our day out on the reef and I couldn't possibly describe to you how amazing it was. I dove for 2 straight hours with fish as big as me, sharks, outstandingly stunning coral reef, and some of the most colorful fish I have ever seen. I'm pretty sure I felt like I was in an aquarium and had to keep pinching myself to believe that what I was seeing was even real. Here are some pictures I took from the boat -- I snapped some great shots of Sandy & Edgar during/after their snorkels and also of the group leaders feeding sharks at the end of the day.

Suns out guns out

Bringing sexy back to wet suit wearing

Ma, Pa, and their fearless leader Noel in the Coral Sea

Pops thrilled after diving in the Cod Hole

Mom with Noel in the background

Feeding tuna to sharks

Mom & me with my diving & her snorkeling instructor Matt

After 4 days in paradise, aka Lizard Island, it was time to come back to Sydney and finish our great adventure. We ended our time together by climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Although this is Sydney's biggest tourist attraction, let me warn you, it's no small feat. I have some pictures that I need to upload, but it was absolutely awesome and definitely the most amazing way to see the entire city from above.

Here's the link to the Kangaroo Island Pictures.

Here's the link to the Lizard Island Pictures.

And if you're still reading...I'm currently in Queenstown, New Zealand, traveling myself for a few days before I head back to Sydney to finish things up and then I'm back in SF on August 12th. OMFG, OY!

Sending you lots of love from wayyy down under,

Sara

And we're off!

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:41:00 +0000

Sending you all a quick note from Sydney. My parents and I leave tomorrow bright and early on a whirlwind 8-day tour of South Eastern and North Eastern Oz. We will be in wintery conditions off the coast of Adelaide from tomorrow thru Tuesday and then we head up to the Great Barrier Reef through the end of next week.

We've had a marvelous time so far together in Sydney. No major fights, delicious meals, and my dad and I even pulled off surprising my mother when they got here. I've worked 2/3 days my parents have been here -- while I was hard at work, my parents happened to bump into Lady Gaga...I'm not joking. Here are some pictures they sent along to me while I was working.

Look! It's Gaga's tush!

Besides Gaga, Ma & Pa visited Google's offices in Sydney and I introduced them to all my new pals. Even fresh off the plane, Edgar and Sandy were on the ball and were a huge hit amongst the Googlers.

Mom & I outside on Google's terrace

For our last night in Sydney, we ventured to the Opera House to see Romeo & Juliet performed by the Sydney Orchestra. It was a pretty awesome performance and we got to see an amazing virtuoso violin player from Armenia. Although it was no Monster Ball performed a la Gaga, it was amazing to finally see a show at the ever-so-amazing Opera House.

Once back from our travels, I will post some pictures and share some of the highlights. 'till then, here's a picture I took of downtown Sydney yesterday evening -- a perfect night before the rain poured all day today.

Melbs

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 13:19:00 +0000

Everyone hyped up Melbourne a great deal before I visited. Nonstop I had heard from Sydney-siders and friends who had travelled there, "you're going to love it!" "Melbourne is really cool" "Very different scene than Sydney" "Amazing cafe culture" and it went on.

Needless to say, my expectations were exceeded during my first trip in Oz outside of Sydney. Melbourne is in fact an extremely cool city and I would highly recommend it to anyone who asks. Here's why I loved Melbourne (pronounced 'Mehl-behn').

The people - Overall folks in Melbourne were more laid back and a different kind of hip than a lot of the people I've met in Sydney. They take a great deal of pride in their city and make more comparisons to how it's better than Sydney in nearly every conversation. I loved how they say (even more than people do here) "no worries" after nearly every one of their sentences. With the exception of one really obnoxious cab driver, everyone I met in Melbs was super friendly, eager to tell me why I should love their city, and apologetic about the grey weather. Finally, it was really great to meet so many people who were actually from Melbourne; or Melbournian as they say. It's really hard to find a local Sydney-sider and when I do, they're most often not as hyped up about their city. My great friend Rivka e-introduced me to her friend Chris who she met while she spent time in Melbourne a few years back. Chris was an amazing tour guide who showed me the best of Melbourne and had me walking & eating my way through the city. We ended our day by attending an AFL (Australian Football League) game to see 2 local rivalries duke it out. Here's Chris and I at a footy game on Saturday. nb: I thought a Black/Yellow scarf (for the Richmond Tigers) was a versatile choice that could also be used to cheer on the Pikksburgh Stillers back in the states!

The Bars/Cafes - Everything I love about bars and cafes could be found in Melbourne. Like Sydney, Melbourne takes its coffee culture very seriously and makes a mean cup-o-joe. I saw more coffee shops in a small block than any other place I've ever been. Each place took great care in making me delicious flat whites with soy. I think I'm still charged up from my one this morning (pictured below).

Besides awesome coffee, I didn't have one bad adult beverage in Melbourne. My favorite drink was at a bar called Misty which was on an alley way hidden behind some city buildings. There were only a few people in this small bar and the cocktail menu was limited to using fresh fruit from that day's farmer's market. I settled on a kiwi elderflower drink that was absolutely divine. Kia, who I was traveling with from work enjoyed a fresh raspberry bellini. Kia's husband, Byron, settled for a white russian. Here's a picture of our 3 awesome choices & Byron/Kia enjoying some delicious wine we had as well.

The Scenery - Have I mentioned how absolutely gorgeous Sydney is? I found Melbourne to be awesomely stunning in a totally different way. I loved how the architecture was really diverse; old with new, lots of old buildings, hidden alleyways, more narrow streets, etc. I felt much more 'at home' in Melbourne because I've never lived in any city that's as gorgeous as Sydney. Melbourne felt a bit more gritty, a bit more European, and a bit more like places I've lived/loved before. I can't quite put my finger on it yet, but, here are some pictures I took to try and capture some of the sites I enjoyed.

The City Library - Absolutely gorgeous inside

An apartment building that was really cool looking

A bar in an alley way that fit about 15 people

A crowded backstreet

Pedestrian bridge over the Yarra River - we had a drink at the bar below it

Little old me with the city in the backdrop

And now I'm back in lovely Sydney. It really did feel like winter in Melbourne so I wasn't too upset to come home to 60 degree weather and not a cloud in the sky. Mom and Dad get here in less than 72 hours...let's get the party get started!

xo,

ps: just booked a 5 day trip to the south island of new zealand for the end of july. any tips & companions are welcome :)

Some pics from whale watching + July 4th 7,000+ miles away from home

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 10:44:00 +0000

Happy Independence Day Weekend!

While taking some chicken out of the oven tonight, I burned my left index finger...nothing serious, but, it's making it a bit harder to type than I would've liked. As such, here are a few pictures from my whale watching extravaganza last weekend.

Yesterday about 20 of my nearest and dearest American & FOA's (Friends of Americans) gathered on Bondi Beach to celebrate our nation's birthday. Paul had recently come back from work travel in the US and so graciously raided Target before he came back to Sydney. For nearly 12 hours, we celebrated, sang, danced, and praised our great nation. Although there were no fireworks, we did have sparklers and we BBQ'd as well.

Finally, the next few weeks are very exciting -- I head down to Melbourne on Tuesday for ~10 client meetings with my Sydney Retail Display counterpart who I've been working closely with. I'll be in Melbs through the weekend touring around & checking out the (supposedly) awesome cafes/food/shopping. When I come back, I have a couple days to unwind until Sandy & Edgar touch down in Oz on July 13th!!! We're then heading up to the northern coast of Australia to the Great Barrier Reef and then down to Southern Oz off the coast of Adelaide. Looking forward to fantastic travels and of course dazzling the 'rents with my new Aussie impersonations & knowledge.

When I get back from our holiday, I think I have 2 weekends left and then back to the USofA on Aug 12th...I can't even comprehend how fast everything's going.

Sending heaps (as they say here) of love your way from down under,
s

Now that I told my parents....

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 04:08:00 +0000

...I thought I'd let the rest of you know....

June 26, 2011

I got my nose pierced yesterday! A brand new schnoz to come home to SF with in a month or so :)

LYLAS from SYD!
s

These are a few of my favorite things (about Sydney)

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 12:38:00 +0000

1. The Coffee

Arguably the best coffee (espresso = coffee here) I have ever had. I feel accomplished when I order it correctly (long black = Americano....flat white = espresso with some milk on top....strong latte = double shot...etc) and am typically wired like nobody's business after I'm finished. My drink of choice? Strong soy latte, two sugars, to take away (= to go).

2. The Water

Yes, the tap/drinking water is up to par with that of SF & Pittsburgh; however, I mean the Harbour and the Ocean. Nearly any place you go in the city you can see the water & I love that a major method of transportation here is by ferry. Today I spent most of my afternoon Humpback whale watching on the Tasman Sea on a high speed boat. Once I upload the pictures, I will post them here.

3. The Accents

I mean, seriously, so stereotypical but....they're amazing & I never get sick of hearing Aussies speak. I love the way people talk here and get instant pleasure from someone merely opening his/her mouth. It's often challenging to understand what people are saying when they're speaking quickly. I find this to occur most when in a cafe or speaking to someone over the phone or chatting with a cabbie. Also, there are a ton of folks from the UK who live here. One of my goals before I leave town is to be able to delineate between British/Aussie accents.

4. Brekkie

Or breakfast. Fresh avo (avocado), poached eggs, tomato, and toast with a sick cup of coffee? Oh heck yes, my life is complete. I've spent my last couple of weekends indulging in some of the famous brekkie spots in town...Bills, Forbes & Burton, Toby's, Fratelli Paradiso...mmm...Yummy brunches have definitely been one of the highlights of my trip so far.

5. My walk to work

I walk about 40 minutes each way to and from work here. On my way to work, I walk with (seemingly) the rest of corporate Sydney through the Royal Botanical Gardens & then make my way through Central Sydney and over the Pyrmont pedestrian bridge to work. On a day when it's not raining, it's an absolutely delightful walk that usually has me in good spirits for the day. The walk home is also cool because I get to see the city/the Harbour at night and hear the bats & Cockatoos as I make my way back home through the Botanical Gardens.

Me last weekend showing off one of my favorite things

Happiness = Sunny days in Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 01:04:00 +0000

Greetings!

It's been sunny in Sydney since I last wrote and I've been trying to take in all the good things that Sydney has to offer in the sunshine. I'd say that nearly every day since I've arrived here, people tell me that I'm here at the wrong time of the year & that everyone is hibernating in the winter. Although it's chilly (~60 degrees), I'm still enjoying my time here though I would definitely like to make it back to SYD in the summer to really experience what everyone raves about.

Some friends (Gina from SF & Agraja from Santa Monica) & I went exploring to a little island called Watson's Bay on Saturday. It was such a beautiful and lovely day and the perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon in Sydney. We took the ferry from right near the Opera House for about 20 minutes to Watson's Bay and hiked around, enjoyed the scenery, observed some older naked men at the nudist beach (not joking), and indulged in Fish & Chips. Below are some highlights and you can see the rest of my pictures from SYD here: https://picasaweb.google.com/sarapsu/Sydney

No major plans this weekend besides exploring more of the town -- hopefully finding more good brunch places, enjoying more walking, and hopefully seeing some whales!

Finally, my Aussie impressions are getting better day by day. I'm learning how Aussies shorten a lot of what they say. IE: See you this afternoon could also be "See you this arvo" or even shorter "See you s'avo."

My apartment building!

A Cockatoo Bird - they are pretty but amazingly noisy

Doesn't get old.

View of Sydney from our ferry ride to Watson's Bay

Oh hey, that's me!

A beach were people were getting certified in Scuba Diving

Nudist beach. Artistic shot, no?

Agraja, me, & Gina

Tasman Sea

Happy Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 06:06:00 +0000

Just wanted to upload some pictures of the view from our office patio in Sydney. We look out over Darling Harbour & the CBD (Sydney's Central Business District). Today is the first time it hasn't rained since I've been back from Thailand...the beautiful weather is supposed to last for the next bunch of days. I have plans this weekend with some ex-pat friends to tour around the city (by foot/ferry) and dine at some of the ever-talked-about brunch spots nearby where I'm living.

Last night some Google gal pals and I ventured to some hip bars near where I live in the Darlinghurst/Surry Hills area. It was fun to have a girls night out and do a bit of dancing too. I took a picture of one of the bars' DJ's and the accompanying bongo drum player. They were playing some old school hits (Lauryn Hill) remixed with drum beats and other goodness. Here are some pictures!

I was out a bit past my bedtime so today I'm a wee bit exhausted but roughing through it & very much looking forward to the weekend ahead (and the sunshine!!!).

Finally, I should have some exciting travel plans coming up over the next few weeks. Work travel will be sending me north to Brisbane and I may extend my trip to stay in a cute town nearby, Byron Bay. I also am likely heading to Melbourne in early July for work which I'm SUPER excited about.

PS: Before I left for Sydney, I reunited with my longtime best girlfriends from Pittsburgh for Liz (Gillespie) Lang's wedding. Here's my favorite picture from the reception! GNO4EVALYLAS!

It's only been a week but...

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 03:52:00 +0000

...it feels like an eternity since I've been back in Sydney. Although I'm pumped about all the passport stampage that happened over the last 8 days, I'm really quite happy to not be living out of a suitcase, a comfy bed, and some cooler weather to remind me that I'm not in a constant hot flash.

Singapore
In one word to describe Singapore, I'd say 'hot.' Literally, I was schvitzing seconds after deplaning. Perhaps this was because the monstrosity of the airport had me walking in all sorts of wrong directions...or maybe it was my anxiety about the fact that international weight for checked bags is different than domestic and I would have to check a bag, that I thought I could carryon, all the way to Thailand. Amidst the stress and confusion, my bag was waiting for me in Singapore and I hopped in a cab with some Googlers to my hotel in Sentosa, the island that is sort of like Singapore's Disney World.

My next few days in Singapore were mainly spent inside during the day. Lots of meetings, presentations, breakout sessions, speakers, inspirational videos, product demonstrations, etc. For my Google friends, it was your typical sales conference, only 10 times smaller than that in the US. I met some cool people & hung out with some folks who I knew from the States and the Sydney office. I didn't get to explore as much of Singapore as I would've liked since we were indoors & in meetings most of the day and then we had arranged activities at night. One highlight, before the conference started, was joining some folks from Japan, China, & Singapore at a restaurant that specialized in Chili Crab (Singapore's most well-known dish). At this meal I tried jelly fish for the first time (meh - could live without it) and indulged in some delish chili crab (would definitely try this again).

My room in the Hard Rock Hotel in Sentosa

Room with a view in Singapore -- lots of construction

Mmmmm...Chili Crab

The organized conference parties at night were slightly ridiculous. I've included a few pictures and can tell you more personally about the insanity if you're at all interested. Did I mention it was hot in Singapore? You can tell more clearly in these pictures....

Beachfront BBQ in Sentosa

The Sydney office started a dance party at the BBQ

A 'fire' themed party at a club in Singapore

Dance competition - APAC style

Thailand
Singapore was a good time, but by Thursday of last week, I had my fill of staying indoors and sitting still. My friend Phil from Ann Arbor (who is currently in Beijing) and I packed our bags to head to Ko Samui, Thailand. Neither of us really had planned much and we weren't particularly clued into how we were actually getting to our resort on this island called Ko Samui. Both of us were pleasantly surprised that we could even navigate our way through airport security and make it to the gate in Singapore in one piece. Luckily, Alex, another guy from the Sydney office who planned our whole Thailand trip, was waiting at the gate to Bangkok. For the rest of our trip from Singapore --> Bangkok --> Ko Samui, we were good to go. By 5p the same day, the three of us had arrived at the beautiful Ko Samui airport (pictured below), and were on the beach within 30 minutes later.

Ko Samui Airport = gorgeous

Phil was happy to land in Ko Samui

Words can't really describe how happy I was to be in Ko Samui. It was night and day from where we had been only hours earlier....real beaches as opposed to man-made ones...sunshine as opposed to rain...and cheap food/drink as opposed to not really cheap food/drink. After a long day of travel, Phil and I relaxed at the Thai massage hut on the beach. For 250 Baht (~$6 USD) you can get a 1 hour Thai massage. Deep sigh of relief, I'm officially in heaven. After massages, we indulged in fresh grilled fish that we got to pick out and then have it cooked, Thai curry, and some island-drinks.

For the remainder of the trip, I did my fair share of sun-soaking, beaching, Thai food eating, getting massages, and sleeping. It was wonderful to get to know some new friends from the Sydney office who were staying at the same resort. Here are some pictures of Ko Samui below.

Chaweng Beach - Ko Samui, Thailand

200 Baht = $6.50 for a 1 hour massage. Heaven.

Most delicious dinner of fresh sea bass and grilled calamari

Me and Phil at our 'fancy' dinner

My new friend Nattha from Bangkok

Last supper in Ko Samui

We nearly at all of our last meal. It was fit for kings...cost us each less than $20

Caitrona and I at the Lady Boy Cabaret -- pictures after with one of our favorites

A dance off on the beach

My last (complimentary) $5 breakfast on the beach

Happy to be back
Even though it was 20 degrees colder in Sydney today than where I was only 12 hours ago in Ko Samui, it was wonderful to be back. I spent the early part of my day catching up on the sleep I didn't get enough of on my redeye from Bangkok --> Sydney. More updates to come later this week. I hope you're all well!!

-s.

Off to Singapore tomorrow!

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 11:37:00 +0000

Leaving for Singapore tomorrow for Google's Asia/Pacific Sales Conference. I normally attend these type of events in San Francisco; I am confident that my fourth of these conferences will be memorable...I'm rooming with one of my friends from the SF office who is flew into Singapore this past weekend. It will also be my first time ever staying at a Hard Rock Hotel. The weather promises for extreme heat (90 deg) and humidity and thunderstorms. I'll be in Singapore through Thursday and then leave to head to the beaches of Thailand thru Sunday.

Per your requests, I promise to have some pictures with me in them from Singapore. I know you've all missed my face almost as much as I miss all of yours. :)

Finally, I've gotten a few Aussie impressions up my sleeve -- trying to pay close attention as to how things are said here. I've nearly also gotten my coffee order down (long black = double shot Americano) and found my way into a fabulous outdoor market called the Paddington Market that happens each Saturday. As a "OMFG you've been in Sydney for 8 days" gift, I bought myself a black onyx ring. Picture attached (with my newly painted nails -- found a cheap mani/pedi place nearby!!!).

xo,
s

Cool bar

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 08:03:00 +0000

About to meet up with a friend of a friend (hey Trish, lylas) at a funky bar in the CBD (central business district). If you have a tab, they give you an old tape so you can get your credit card back. Pretty neat. Pic attached. Almost been a week since I've arrived! Cheers, mate.

So far so great

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:41:00 +0000

Yesterday was quite exciting -- we had a team offsite to the aquarium where I saw my first Dugong (not pictured - that's a shark). A dugong is only really found in this part of the world. After indulging in all things aquatic, I was craving some fish. Post wine with the Sydney display team (with whom I'm working while I'm here), Meredith and I headed to a well known establishment in Chinatown called Mamak -- a Malaysian restaurant. This place is known for its authentic Malaysian cuisine and its Roti, or crepe like goodness stuffed with a whole wide range of things. The first picture above was taken while we waited in line (or queued up as they say here) for dinner. That's one of the chefs making the Roti. Meredith and I split, for $15 a person (which is a STEAL in Sydney, by far one of the most expensive places I've been to), 2 Rotis, rice, and a fish curry. We couldn't finish everything and I was quite satiated and full.

In other news, the rain has stopped here -- it was really the talk of the town. Floods, water spouts, oh my! People here love to complain about the weather, how horrible it is that I have come to visit in the winter, and how it's only getting colder. Since it's supposed to be in the high 60's the rest of the week, I suppose I can't complain too much.

Finally, I have a great next week or so planned. I'm off to Singapore on Sunday thru Thursday for Google's Sales Conference for the Asia/Pacific regions. I'm staying at my first Hard Rock Hotel while there. On Thursday, I leave for Bangkok and then am headed to the beaches in Thailand with some Google folk. Certainly looking forward to hitting up a couple new countries and also enjoying some very warm weather.

PS: Everyone here really does call their friends 'mate.' Looking forward to picking up more Australian-isms to share.

Sunday in pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Sun, 29 May 2011 19:48:00 +0000

I survived my first rainy day in Sydney!

Spent most of the day with my new friend Meredith from Google who recently relocated here. Meredith showed me around the city, navigated me through Chinatown, and then included me in a delicious homemade dinner at her friend Anya's apartment. I also went grocery shopping today.

Finally, before it rained, I took some pictures of the fabulous apartment where I'm staying. My friend Jon from Google is out of the country and was kind enough to leave me his amazing pad in his absence.

My humble abode!

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Sat, 28 May 2011 08:46:00 +0000

Spent all day walking the city. Here's a picture of where I'm living while here!

Accomplishments:
Signed up for a gym. Realized they charge ya for each cup of coffee you have. Found my way to the office. Started walking on the right side of the street. Unpacked. Got asked 3 times for directions.

Also the harbour bridge and opera house!

Crossing the street

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Sat, 28 May 2011 02:07:00 +0000

Thank goodness for the reminder -- they drive on the other side of the street here. It also proves to be confusing when walking on sidewalks.

Arrived in Sydney!

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Fri, 27 May 2011 22:29:00 +0000

After 14 hours of flying, 1.5 hours in customs and another short ride to Woolloomooloo (the area of town where I'm living) I finally arrived in Sydney and had a very eventful first day. I walked through the city to the opera house, found some delish coffee, located a fantastic bike store, got a local cell phone number (+61458040829), and made it back home after hours of wandering.

I'll post pictures later but take comfort that I, world's greatest sleeper, slept on the plane....got here and didn't nap....and since 5p local time yesterday, have been sleeping almost continuously!

More to come. Going to go wander and find some brekkie!

Instead of packing....

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Tue, 24 May 2011 05:38:00 +0000

...I decided to make a 'fresh' logo for my blog! What do you think?

I embark for a 2.5 month stint to Sydney, Australia on May 25 - Aug 12. Many of you (oh thank you dear loyal fans, readers, family, and ego boosters) have asked me to start this blog again whilst ~~working~~ playing in Australia. I promise to do my best to update this as much as possible.

More to come in a few days when I land in Sydney!

OMFG...It's been 4eva

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 06:34:00 +0000

Loyal readers, fans, family & friends -

It's been forever, or almost forever, since I've last checked in. I know many of you have wondered if I've since died and gone to hippie heaven here in the Bay Area...I hate to let you down, but, I've been here just doing my left coast thing and basically just forgetting about updating my blog. Apologies for that & I hope you haven't forgotten about me. Although there's probably too much that's happened since August, I've put some pictures up here that highlight a couple of the things that I've remembered to capture a la cell phone and/or digital camera.

First, I had a housewarming party in October (even though I moved to SF in early July). Not only was I celebrating my new abode, but, I was also welcoming some favorites into town including: Becca Ginsberg, Julie Badowski, and Phil Mattia. Although the theme of my party was "suns out guns out," the sun didn't shine and we instead drank hot toddies, ate mini hotdogs, and utilized all of my winter clothing to try and stay warm on my couch.

After my housewarming soiree, the weather turned fantastically beautiful here in SF and it has felt like fall here (low 50's/60's) almost every day (with some intermittent rain/clouds but little fog). I have been talking about joining an organization called Team in Training for a while and as of November 6th, I finally decided to stop talking and actually join. So, since November 7th, I've been spending most of my weekends here in SF on my brand spankin' new bike that I purchased in October. Here's a shot of my bike and another one of me after my first bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge.

I decided to join the Team in Training (TNT) cycling team and am training for a century ride known as the Solvang Century which is taking place in the beginning of March 2011. This 100 mile ride will take me through a scenic tour of Solvang, CA -- a Danish replica town in southern California. Apparently there are windmills, wineries, Danish Costumes, and traditional Danish food...The reason why I decided to train for this ride with TNT is because of the group's mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. TNT also preps you really well for the race with a training schedule, helpful tips & tricks, and a team to cheer you on.

So that brings me to today; it's been just about a month since I started my training for Solvang and I'm falling more in love with biking each time I ride. Yesterday I rode 30 miles through Sunol, CA. We trekked up about 800 feet for the first 15 miles of the ride and then slowly (but somehow surely) descended for another 15 miles back to where we began. Each ride I've done with the team has been more challenging to complete but has also felt more rewarding at the end. After yesterday's ride I felt strong & committed to continue training.

After our ride, we had a chance to warm up inside and celebrate the day together with one of our team's honorees Dan Cooney (a blood cancer patient/survivor who is our personal connection to the cause). I've posted Dan's full story on my TNT website but I had time to sit down with him and learn about how the money we're raising has helped save his life. I felt so much less exhausted & much more exhilarated after my 30mi bike ride knowing that someone sitting across from me has endured rounds of chemo, blood work, tons of medication, and is now in remission.

Here are some pictures of me from some of our TNT rides...

With love and apologies for not confirming my alive-ness since August,
-Sara

Heat wave on the foggy bay

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 01:36:00 +0000

It's been a while and I wanted to make sure that the title encompassed the most important thing that happened in San Francisco / my life over the last few weeks....temperatures were at 90 degrees!!! Word on the street had it that temperatures were record breaking in the Bay Area. Why am I making such a stink about the weather when it's summer, you may ask? WELL, it seemed as though I finally got my wish for temperatures above 65 in this city and it was intense!

Besides it being "hotter than Hades" in the 'Frisco, Sandy & Edgar Snyder came to town. As one usually does when her parents arrive, I brought out the red carpets and made my bed in honor of their arrival. Luckily, the sun basically did not stop shining for the entirety of their stay. When my parents got to town last Saturday, I was excited to show them my 'hood and they were pleased that I could see the Golden Gate Bridge (and the people getting drunk on another rooftop next door) at 2pm. Like most tourists, they were anxious to walk along the water and insisted on taking the long route (1.5 hours walking) back from my apartment to their hotel. The remainder of our weekend was spent ferrying to Sausalito, eating delicious food, reuniting in North Beach with my SF family: Aunt Faye Faye, Steph, Owen, and Faramarz.

Sandy & Edgar after we enjoyed our lunch on the rocks

As the week began, I enticed my parents' palettes with delicacies from the Google café. My mom was particularly pleased with the pureed soup and the vast selection of goodies in the salad bar. My father, on the other hand, was quite overwhelmed by the deliciousness of Google's hot cookies. They both left the office with ideas for how they can bring composting to Pittsburgh and look forward to starting a compost pile in our backyard in Sq. Hill. [jokes]

Beyond Google SF, my parents made the mecca to the Gooooooogleplex down in Mountain View where the temperature was (no joke) 105 degrees. Since they were worried that the Google campus would be more than they could handle, they also brought my dad's best childhood friend, Steve Jacobs, with them to share in the fun. Needless to say, as most people are, my parents & Steve were thoroughly impressed with the amount of activity and lack of work that appeared to be going on around Google. I mean, it was after all close to 5p and the sand volleyball games & individual swimming lessons were picking up. My mom was pleased to see that the Google gym was packed and my father enjoyed stealing M&M's from the micro kitchens and also making himself frozen yogurt.

Compared to the earlier part of our week, the latter was relatively calm. I took Wednesday off to spend the day gallivanting through the streets of SF with my mom. My father fell in love with the Cal Train and found his way to Stanford to golf. There was more eating and a lot of working for me on Thursday and Friday. Luckily, since the heat was becoming too much for this freezing city to handle, temperatures went back down to normal by Thursday and all was cold again in the Bay Area.

I've spent the remainder of this weekend taking in the city...I biked to the Castro yesterday, hung out with Cohan & Sink in the Mission last night, and spent today brunching with my friend Tricia from PSU and reading the Times & sleeping in Fort Mason park.

A picture from this afternoon in Fort Mason...love the "Retro Camera" app for Android, BTW..

For all my mid-western bump-a-licious readers, I'm in MI from Aug 31-Sept 5. I'll be in 412 homewood (aka Pittsburgh) from Sept 6-11th.

Unfiltered wine, Chinatown Bazaar, and long bike rides

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 02:09:00 +0000

I'm always trying to remember funny tidbits that happen to me in SF when I say to myself, "only here." I've had a few of those moments this week and tried to capture through mobile photography some memories so that I could recall them for you, my loyal readers, on my (soon to be world famous) blog.

1. Wine at Barbacco

The wine bottle from Barbacco

On Thursday night, Leslie, Kali, and I ventured to dinner near work. Kali takes copious and meticulous notes via text messages to herself about where to go eat in the city. Although I'm often more of a creature of habit, Kali and Leslie tend to live more on the adventurous end of the eating-spectrum & they're also fantastically fun company for dinner. We opted for one of Kali's suggestions, Barbacco, located in the Financial District which is near work. When we sat down, the first thing I noticed is that each table was equipped with an iPad. The inner nerd in me knew that regardless of what the food tasted like at this place, I was already sold on its ambience and fancy technology.

When we sat down, like any normal geek, I immediately grabbed the iPad and explored how it would be of use to us in enjoying our dinner. Unfortunately, the iPad proved to be only as useful as reading the wine menu; however, it did include one section on it called "White?!" which both confused & intrigued us...as such, we sampled a "White?!" Sauvignon Blanc from the "White?!" list and quickly learned why it wasn't your typical glass of white wine. Apparently, this wine is made each week in Russian River and then delivered to the restaurant in water bottles (see picture above). The wine is unfiltered and looks like apple cider in the glass. It smelled like it was going to taste like fresh grapes; but, it ended up really being more like grape-infused water. Ah well, you drink, you learn! I included a picture of Kali & Leslie sampling their wine below.

Apple Cider or Sauvignon Blanc?

2. Chinatown!

Matt Yalowitz swept into the city on Friday evening and had a hankering for Chinese food. I think it all started when I got us lost on our way home and we drove through all of Chinatown trying to get back onto a main street. I agreed to eating Chinese food with Matthew and we made our way back to Chinatown via bus. Per usual, we got off the bus and I had no idea where I was and how to get to dinner. Thank goodness for my handy Android phone and Google Maps to guide us back on track. Just as we were approaching our dinner destination, Matt noticed a sign for the China Bazaar. Like any small child, Matt is easily distracted and especially lured into places by bright lights and appealing toys. Even though we were both starving and it was close to 8:30p, Matt convinced me to venture into the China Bazaar with him. Like typical ignorant and bumpkin-like Americans, Matt and I staged a photoshoot in the bazaar. We dedicated the shoot to our friend Nakul Patel, who was in Beijing at the time, apparently eating Pizza and Won-Ton Soup. Here were a few takeaways:

3. My best bike ride yet

I spend a lot of time looking at Google Maps. Often it's because I'm lost and trying to figure out where I am, but other times it's because I'm looking for new parts of town to explore. Recently, I've had a craving to make my way (by bike) over to Golden Gate Park. On Saturday, after eating the most delicious brunch at Bar Tartine in the Mission, I asked Matt, Annie, & Alec if they'd like to go biking. We all decided that post-digestion, they would come to my hood rent bikes, and we'd ride to the park. Besides some steep climbs and me unintentionally blowing out my gears a couple of times, the bike ride to Golden Gate Park was great and we got there in about an hour. We rode through the whole park and made our way to see a Pakistani festival, the Bison, and then finally the ocean. Like most trips around SF, the temperature went from being warm, to cold, to warm, to cold, to foggy, and then back to somewhere in between. The whole bike ride (mapped somewhat true to form on Google maps below) took a little over 2 hours and was probably around 15 miles round trip.

Our bike ride through the city to the ocean

Annie & Alec & Matt pondering into the distance

What the buck(y)?

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 03:19:00 +0000

An ode to the Bucky

Anyone who knows me, knows that I sleep like an absolute bear. On top of sleeping extremely heavily, I also have been known to walk, talk, and successfully make the world peaceful all while sleeping through the night. My closest friends from summer camp used to torment me in my sleep because I was always soundly asleep before the rest of my bunkmates. Recently, since I moved to San Francisco, I've had a pretty much seamless transition...Except for the fact that I wasn't getting as much sleep as I needed each night (NB: I require at least 8-9 hours of sleep each night but can be 85% functional with 7).

My bedroom in Ann Arbor was extremely dark. In fact it had so little natural light that even my lamps barely gave the room adequate light. As such, I slept like nobody's business in A2. My room in SF, although fantastic with its views of the foggy city, is very light. While home in Pittsburgh, I explained this issue to my mother, who knows better than most people that I require a good night's sleep in order to be a nice human being. My mom, as many of you know, has a solution for most of the world's problems. If Obama were as smart as we all think he is, he'd know to put Sandy Snyder in the White House and our nation's business would get taken care of -- most likely in 5-10 days. Anyway, I told my mom that I needed a solution to sleep better in my room and she offered up an extra sleeping mask to me.

I'm not one to shy away from gifts, but a sleeping mask, really? I mean, I recently have had to start wearing orthotics, my eyesight continually requires a stronger prescription, I have 26 food "sensitivities" and now I need a sleeping mask? My mom proceeded to tell me that this sleeping mask is not your ordinary sleeping mask; rather, it's a Bucky Sleeping Mask. As the story goes, my parents have been hooked on their Bucky's for years now and it was now my turn to become addicted.

I decided to experiment with my Bucky while on the plane ride back from Pittsburgh to San Francisco. It was an early flight and I already was only running on a few hours of sleep, so I figured it couldn't hurt to Bucky myself up and see if the raving reviews were worthwhile. As the story usually goes, my mother is ~~almost~~ never wrong and the Bucky was a real lifesaver on my early AM flight across the USA. Even though I may have been contorted into strangely airplane-comfortable positions, I may as well have been back in A2 I was sleeping so soundly on this flight. Since coming back to SF, my Bucky has shielded my eyes from the early rising California sun and I'm back to my normal sleeping regimen of 8-9 hours a night.

Besides sleeping soundly through the night, other things that are exciting include but are not limited to:

This weekend, on our way back from our day trip to Half Moon Bay, Jeven and I spotted Tracy Morgan coming out of a hotel in SF. I screamed at him, "Hey Tracy Morgan!" He pretended like we didn't know each other.
Matt Yalowitz participated in Google Ann Arbor's annual pie eating contest and is also coming to visit SF next week.
Kali spotted the Bachlorette right near where I live. I'm convinced Ali and I will be BFF's (and that I've stooped to a new all-time low of horrible TV watching)
I had a blast at home with my nieces and nephew (oh, and also the rest of my family). The kiddies and I had great fun taking pictures after they had ice cream cake. My father also immensely enjoyed his Pamela's hotcakes