Vancouver 2010: the first 72 hours

Procrastinating on work, so I'm going to take a few moments to jot down thoughts about the first three days of the Olympics...

I've always been proudly Canadian, but to be honest, I don't think I really knew what being proudly Canadian truly meant until the last 72 hours. From watching to the Opening Ceremony live to seeing Alexandre Bilodeau win the first gold on Canadian soil (ever) on TV, my heart has been bursting with so much pride that I think I am oozing maple leafs out of my pores. There are no words to describe this entire Olympic experience (so far), but I will make a few observations...

I have never seen so many people on the streets of Vancouver - Ever since I've lived here, there have been very few occasions (like Boxing Day) where the streets are literally teeming with people. But in the last few days, there have been people EVERYWHERE, at all hours of the day. Stores are open late, people are dancing on the streets, and the buzz in the air is just amazing. It almost feels like we live in big city. ;)

Aboriginal Peoples rock - I am so glad that VANOC has made a strong effort in promoting and highlight the Four Host First Nations (Squamish, Musqueam, Lil'Wat, Tseil-Waututh) who are as much the hosts of these Games as the city of Vancouver is. They have a beautiful pavilion, played a key part in the Opening Ceremony, and produced beautiful artwork. I hope the millions of visitors (and Canadians) will take the time to learn about their culture and contributions to our country.

Pins, pins and pins - I thought these were a Disney phenomenon, but pins are quite the hot commodity at the Olympics! Coca-Cola has a dedicated pin-trading area in their store, and every pavilion has pins available (if you know who to ask). I've only picked up a few so far, but have already been schooled on the difference between a pin and a button. Sheesh.

True North Strong & Free - I've been living in the US for so long that I'll admit to being slightly brainwashed by all of the American propaganda. It's been incredibly refreshing to come home and just soak up all things Canadian -- people here are unabashedly proud of the fact that we rock at curling (pun intended), that hockey is practically a religion, and that it's ok to be nice to perfect strangers and expect nothing in return. We're probably some of the best hosts you can find in the world today, and we're excited that everyone's in town to celebrate with us.

There'll always be naysayers - And as a counterpoint, there will always be people who are indifferent or even staunchly opposed to the Olympics. There are the people who find all the road closures and traffic change disruptive and annoying, and the protesters who think the best way to make a point is to knock over mailboxes and smash store windows. And to those people: i say, boo on you. Your mommies taught you better than that.

Tomorrow, we're off to Whistler to watch the women compete in luge. More to report when I get back...

With glowing hearts...

(written earlier on UA 170 from San Francisco to Vancouver)

7 years ago, our entire country held its breath as we waited to find out whether or not Vancouver would win the bid to become the host city of the 2010 Winter Olympics. It seemed like only yesterday when we found out the good news and the country erupted in a wave of pride and elation unlike anything I've ever witnessed as a Canadian. Buildings started appearing, volunteers rallied, and the familiar five rings symbol began popping up everywhere. Tonight, I return home in preparation for the brightest spotlight that has ever shone on our beautiful city.

Over the next weeks, We'll welcome the world with open arms and let you in on our worst-kept secret -- that Vancouver is gorgeous, fun, and generally pretty darn awesome. We'll don as many red items as we can possibly can, and wave enough maple leaf flags to make you dizzy. And through it all, whether we win or lose, we'll be proud and excited that we all got to experience this together.

It's hard to describe the feeling I have right now, but perhaps the games' motto and a line from our national anthem best sums it up -- "With Glowing Hearts." I've never felt more proud to be Canadian.

Welcome to Vancouver. Bienvenue à Vancouver. We're happy to have you here.

On traditions...

I am one of those people who has always loved traditions. Call it boring, call it routine, but there's something very human and emotional about creating, keeping, and sharing traditions. Being back in SF reminds me of a lot of traditions that are now a part of my not-too-distant past, and how much life has changed even though I'm literally back here every other week. I may be physically here, but the traditions and routines that I've associated with this place have mostly been severed, and new ones are starting to form in NYC. I guess that's just another sign that SF is no longer "home"...

Reminiscing: 2009 in Food

I may not have traveled to too many places this year, but I sure as hell ate a lot. There were a lot of heavy hitters this year, and I'm always grateful that friends and family are there to share the bounty with me. Here are highlights of some of the restaurants I hit up there past year:

Momofuku Ssam Blue Hill at Stone Barn Cookshop L20 Pazzia Aziza
Fuki Sushi Dynasty The Jade The Spotted Pig dbBistro Moderne Santa Ramen
Spruce Ad Hoc Hog Island Oyster Company Commis SGD Tofu House GreensIno Sushi Alinea Out the Door Home Spruce Morimoto Chow Matsugen Le Bernadin

Cafe Boulud Tipsy Parson Kaygetsu A16 Barbuto La Mar Ubuntu

And here are some other food-related fun facts

Most consumed beverage - Quad soy lattes. Ack.

Longest meal - 4-hour dinner at Alinea. It started at 10 and wrapped up around 2 in the morning. Damn, I get tired just thinking about it.

Best in-flight meal - (no winner) - For the second year in a row, there have been no winners in this formerly-favourite category of mine. Domestic carriers suck.

Best dish - (3-way tie) "Deconstructed" pork belly at The Spotted Pig; Kobe Steak with "A1 steak sauce" powder at Alinea; "Off-menu" sea urchin pasta with caviar at Le Bernadin.
Best meal, period. - Blue Hill at Stone Barn. Nevermind that there was no menu. Nevermind that you order wine before you know what the heck you're going to eat. Flawless execution and fresher-than-fresh product makes the meal the best one I had all year.

Best "I'm surprised I'm full" meal - Dinner at Ubuntu, where everything was vegetarian. I still dream about their gnocchi "carbonara". Fake bacon never tasted so good.

Most elaborate meal - That would be, of course, Alinea. Did I mention it took 4 hours?

Best food with a view - Outstanding in the Field's meal at Half Moon Bay by Aziza chef Mourad Lahlou. Where else would your dinner be interrupted because the tide soaked a few guests and one woman "fell" in the water with her purse?

Best meal for watching food porn - Grab a seat at the Chef's Counter at Commis. You will never see tweezers the same way again.

Most overwhelming dining experience - My first-ever American Thanksgiving meal. Y'all are hardcore. There were 7 pies at the dinner I went to, which only had 14 guests.

Coolest fan-girl moment - meeting David Chang with George at work :)

Most overused protein - Pork belly

Most underrated protein - Tripe

Next protein to become overexposed in 2010: Beef cheek

And there you have it. Coming in 2010...Momofuku Ko (gotta get my act together), Momofuku chicken dinner, Manresa, Quince redux, modern, and maybe it's time to hit up Daniel?

Reminiscing: 2009 in travel

2009 was a decidedly aggressive year in travel for me -- not like the multi-country-hopping-in-5-days-esque craziness of yesteryear (oh yes, good ol' 2006) -- but in the sheer volume and repetitiveness of where I flew and how often I flew. If you watched Up in the Air, well, that was my life in 2009, minus the George Clooney and the sad middle American destinations. It's also the first year in probably a decade (!?) that I did not leave the continental North America. At all. And I still made it to 1K. Yes, that's how much I flew.

So here are 2009's (very short list of) cities in no particular order. Yes, this is really the whole list. Sad, eh (especially when compared to this)?

San Francisco Park City New York City Chicago Sacramento
Napa Los Angeles Beacon Vancouver

Miles flown - 113,570

Other ways to think about that how far that is - It's about halfway to the moon. Or 10 roundtrips to Hong Kong from the west coast. Or driving from SF to Mountain View and back, 1,419 times.

Most frequented route - No brainer on this one. JFK-SFO. And then in reverse. Every week for 6 months straight.

Shortest trip - 8 hours in LA. Took the 8pm flight from SFO, came back on the 6am flight the next morning. I didn't even touch the bed in my hotel room. The things we do for work.

Best frequent traveler perks - I get the same room at the Four Seasons every time, stocked with a fridge, humidifier, and all of the luggage & George's stuff that we store there permanently. They also give George bottles of Fiji Water. I get the same white Camry (not just the car type, but the actual car) from Hertz, even though I only paid for a Corolla.

Best frequent traveler perk that went away this year - Westin Heavenly Quilts on United's Premium Service flights in Biz & First Class. Apparently Westin ended the partnership. So now we're back to crappy blankets. Or bringing my own.

Weirdest thing I learned about airport security - They'll pat you down, and turn your stuff inside out, but they will never, ever touch your dog.

Worst travel experience - (Tied) Flying post-shoulder surgery with a giant sling that you can't take off or move. Dealing with the Canadian airport security post-Christmas terrorism attempt.

Coolest place I visited - The town of Beacon in the Hudson River Valley, home to awesome art galleries, and the DIA:Beacon.

Cool places I was supposed to visit but didn't because of work - Japan, Helsinki, Stockholm, Madrid, Copenhagen, and Lisbon.

Best room service experience - Judy came over to the FS Palo Alto for a sleepover and we ordered some fries. They came cold (okay, lukewarm) so we asked for replacements, and the manager brought them up himself, on a silver platter, naturally.

Worst excuse for a hotel - Crown Cabana in Mountain View. The curtains had a binder clip on them to keep them closed, and the sink was about a foot too short for me, even though I'm only 5'4".

Coolest thing I did on a plane (or many planes) - Launched the first-ever inflight online scavenger hunt, Day in the Cloud, with Virgin America, and gave everyone free wifi for the day.

The first half of 2010 is looking a lot like a repeat of the last six months, but there are some exciting events ahead including Sundance and the 2010 Winter Olympics! Here's to friendlier skies and safe travels!

Reminiscing: 2009 in words

It wasn't quite an annus horribilis, but I'll be the first to admit that at times, it felt that way. 2009 has been a trying year, to say the least, and while there's a lot to be thankful for, I can't say that I'll miss it too much when it disappears in a few short hours. So to kickstart the annual "Reminiscing" series, here are the words to sum up 2009:

George - probably the most profound impact on my life this year came in the form of a now-9-pound fluffball named George. He's taught me a lot about life and the world: that pleasure can be derived from the simplest things, and there aren't too many problems in life that can't be solved by a nap or a nice long walk.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose - Yep, this one made it back on my list again this year, and then some. I know better now. Here's to a smarter, better 2010, without the same ol' drama of yesteryears.

Empire State of Mind - I know this song became every New Yorker's anthem this year, and in 2009, I became a New Yorker, too, sorta. There's still a lot to learn and love about this great town, and I hope to make more time for it in 2010.

Blessings - They come in all shapes and sizes...congrats to everyone who had babies, got married, got engaged, or were just plain blessed this year. Thanks for letting me share in your blessings and happiness.

Home is where the love is - Never felt more true than in 2009, where I basically became bicoastal/nomadic for 9 months out of 12. Not sure if there's any end in sight, but I'm grateful for the friends and family who continue to support and love me, even when I have no idea which time zone I'm in, or which "home" I'll be crashing at that night.

I think my personal theme for 2010 will be "starting fresh" -- in many, many ways. Au revoir, 2009, I don't think I'll miss you too much.

P.S. Stay tuned for Food and Travel reminiscing...

Snapshots in time, moments in memory

I am a trigger-happy person. (And no, I'm not referring to my shopping habits.) Ever since I owned any sort of camera, I have liked taking lots and lots of pictures of people, places, and moments. In college I had a wall filled with Polaroids -- the only rule about the Polaroids was that they had to have people in them; none of this fancy artistic wannabe stuff -- just pictures of mostly-happy, sometimes-intoxicated, shiny people. As I moved from dorm to dorm, the pictures followed me everywhere, growing as my network did in college. When I packed them away for good upon graduation, I noticed that many of those people in the pictures went away and became a figment of my college days as well.

Fast forward a few years and bring on my DSLR. Suddenly, every snapshot was about capturing the best and the most beautiful things that nature, foreign destinations, and restaurants had to offer. People were optional and often missing from entire albums. Vacations became another opportunity to capture that perfect shot, with the perfect light, and the perfect shadows...

But I've come to realize the world I see from behind the lens is nothing like the real one. We take pictures in an effort to remind ourselves of moments in time, and to encapsulate a moment for eternity. But our minds do a far greater job of capturing the essence of these moments -- the way the blood rushed to your cheeks, the coolness of the morning air on your bare skin, the warmth that you could only relive by closing your eyes. And remembering. Every vivid detail. And those are the memories you treasure the most.

Signs that you have traveled too much

So I've been traveling a lot recently. Perhaps that is an understatement. In reality, I probably actually live in Palo Alto, and keep a pied à terre in New York. As the miles rack up and the hours fly by, there are observations that I've noticed which indicate you have clearly passed the threshold of "frequent traveler" and into the realm of "permanent nomad". A few of these I've posted on my FB status, but here's a quick summary, in no particular order:

• When filling up gas and the machine asks for your zip code to verify your credit card billing address, you draw a blank.
  
  
• You consider taking your rental car through the car wash because you've had it so long it's gotten dirty.
  
  
• You don't pack or unpack anymore. The hotel simply stores your stuff when you check-out and restocks your closet when you check-in.
  
  
• They do the same for your dog, his bed, his food, and his toys.
  
  
• The housekeeping, valet, and front desk staff all know your dog's name, AND his walking schedule, and take time to ask you if everything's ok when you appear with him off-schedule.
  
  
• When you're sick at home, you pick up the phone to call "Emily" (name of room service operator) to ask her to bring up chicken soup. Only you realize there is no Emily because you're not in your hotel room.
  
  
• Someone asks you for your mailing address, and your response is, "Depends when you're sending it."
  
  
• Someone asks you for your mailing address, and your response is, "Room X, ABC Hotel."
  
  
• Someone asks you for your mailing address, and your response is, "I don't know."
  
  
• You have manicurists, hair stylists, masseurs, drycleaners, and complete wardrobes in multiple cities.
  
  
• You dog has vets, groomers, daycares, and doggie friends in multiple cities.
  
  
• Friends and family who call you start the conversation with, "Oh, so which timezone are you in right now?"
  
  
• Your friends say goodbye to you with "See you next time you're in town" -- even when you're in the city where you supposedly live.
  
  
• The valet say goodbye to you with "See you next week."

*Sigh*

Working late on a Friday night...

And listening to my second favourite "Sara(h)"...this song keeps haunting me.

Gravity - by Sara Bareilles

Something always brings me back to you.
It never takes too long.
No matter what I say or do
I'll still feel you here
'til the moment I'm gone.

You hold me without touch.
You keep me without chains.
I never wanted anything so much
than to drown in your love
and not feel your reign.

Set me free, leave me be.
I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.
Here I am and I stand so tall,
just the way I'm supposed to be.
But you're on to me
and all over me.

You loved me 'cause I'm fragile.
When I thought that I was strong.
But you touch me for a little while
and all my fragile strength is gone.

I live here on my knees as I
try to make you see that you're everything
I think I need here on the ground.

But you're neither friend nor foe
though I can't seem to let you go.
The one thing that I still know is that
you're keeping me down.

Lost and not yet found

It's been a while since I've posted.

I guess I haven't really had time to sit down and think about what it is that I'm feeling. The last couple of months have been a whirlwind of work, airports, airplanes, and hotels, none of which really help when you're trying to move and adjust to life and rhythm of a new city.

The short of it is that I've resigned to the fact that I'm merely a San Franciscan who happens to live in NYC. I work SF hours (and then some), I try to eat like I live in SF (harder than it sounds), and I generally eschew all of the very quintessential things about living in New York: staying up late (except to work), partying during the week, partying during the weekend, drinking a lot, drinking a lot while partying, and shockingly, even shopping. Part of this is by choice, and part out of necessity and self-preservation -- but one thing is clear, I don't really fit in here. And I don't really care. And maybe that in and of itself *does* make me fit in?

I won't lie. I'm feeling a bit lost right now. And no signs of being found anytime soon.