Happy New Year!
Some highlights from 2009 that I can think of right now:
1. Attended my first pug meetup
2. Ate at The French Laundry
3. Went to Paris
4. Went to Portland
5. Got a new computer
6. Got a promotion at work
7. Left San Francisco
8. Moved to New York
9. Vacationed in the Caribbean
10. Ate the famous fried chicken at Momofuku (thanks Rosalin)
11. Spent New Year’s Eve with my best friends
This is an amusing read: Readers by Author. Speaking of music (see Readers by Author > Murakami), I own two albums and have heard of five (including the two I have) from this list. Commence cowering in unhipness.
when did you go to paris?!
and portland?! tell me about your trip to portland! where did you stay, which coffee shops and bars did you go to? i’m curious as to what you thought about our little city.
i went to paris early spring! it was only for three days, which some people thought was a waste, but there was a fare sale and honestly i was just happy to be there again.
i adore portland. i went in may with two friends who knew people up there so they showed us around.
it’s a beautiful city. i already have a weakness for cities along rivers, but i love how portland lets the trees and grass and river speak for it. it’s the kind of city that i can walk around all day, mouth agape. i like that it’s clean, even the public transit! in sf, i didn’t like how i would sit down on the bus and, by the smell and the look of people’s faces around me, realize that a homeless person just sat in that same seat. none of that in portland, i imagine.
i don’t know anything about how the city works, but i get the feeling that portland listens to its residents. like putting the handy bike racks on the light rail (you would never see that on muni), all the bike lanes, giving space for the food carts (in LA i heard the food trucks started to gather at an old car lot and it was super successful, but shut down shortly after because of zoning/permit issues), the street signs are easy to understand and at the height of a human. i don’t understand why every other city makes them so goddamn tall. i like that you can ride a bike without worrying so much about being run over by a bus.
i thought the people there were genuine and friendly. i felt safe. the people i met there were there because they wanted to be there, which i found refreshing. they didn’t move to start a startup or be an actor like some people in SF and LA. true, i met friends of friends, but still. i like that there’s a sense of community. people seem very proud of portland! i like that powell’s thrives.
my complaint is that it’s too spread out, but the ease of biking, driving, and sometimes-free rail cancels this out.
and of course i love the food! the waffle window. food carts. fresh produce. unpretentious but delicious restaurants. happy hours. good coffee. i tried barista and stumptown. which cafe is your favorite? i always buy my mom a pound of beans whenever i go to a new cafe, and stumptown is the one she likes the best. she even saved the little card they tuck in each bag so i could remember for next time. my only regret is not trying an elephant ear. and also do you know the name of the berry that’s popular in portland? i can’t remember anything specific about it, besides they used it for ice cream and i think it’s only grown (in the US, at least) around portland.
we went to this really cool arcade bar which i loved! and some bar with shuffle board and i think it started with a “V”.
anyway i’m going to stop before this love letter turns into an essay. do you agree/disagree?