My Last Weekend in the Bay Area

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
~Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

The past weekend up north was spent with close friends doing some things that I love: dancing, rock climbing, going to museums, and above all, eating. I felt bad not having anyone and everyone who would be able to make the weekend’s adventures with me, but honestly I loved the intimacy of the small group. I enjoyed sitting at a small table and talking of silly things. I loved how there would only be one conversation at the table. I loved the quality time. I wish I could have had more little outings.

Thursday night held the fun and excitement of the Latin dance. To be swept up in the arms of a man and led through spins and turns and the wonderful sexy appeal of salsa is completely mesmerizing. With rich music filling the crowded dance floor and the eager dancers anxiously trying to grab some prime dancing space, one’s body can’t help but begin to sway to the strong beats. A twinkle in the eyes, a smile playing on the lips, hips swaying with the sounds of the guitar and the trumpet, and the room is filled with a sensual desire for another song, another dance. Ah, it was amazing to see how many wonderful salsa dancers were strutting their stuff on the dance floor enjoying the atmosphere and the company of fellow salsa fanatics.

After salsa comes indoor rock climbing. What a wonderful feeling it is as you are faced with a wall to climb, ponder possible routes, test them out and rethink your methods, and ultimately reach the top. It was so much fun just climbing those walls and watching my sister, Mark, and Howard climb them as well. I definitely want to be able to climb the harder ones soon. Though I’m sure that a few more inches to my height would definitely help a lot with the tougher routes. =)

Then comes the Chihuly exhibit at the de Young museum! Such an amazing collection of artifacts and paintings there, and the observation deck gave such a wonderful view of San Francisco. Unfortunately the view of the Golden Gate Bridge was obstructed by the Presidio. Man, glass blowing seems like such an amazing skill. To be able to manipulate glass like that and create such colorful and artistic creations is amazingly breathtaking. Chihuly’s glass chandeliers were so beautiful though I still find his “boat of scraps” rather amusing. “Ah, I don’t know where these fit in to my final masterpiece, but it’s too good to waste! I’ll put it in a boat and make it another display in my exhibit! Awesome!” Though I’m sure that’s not the exact thoughts that went through his head. ^_~

Mmm.. even still with all the things planned, there were still many gaps during the days, and what better way to fill in the gaps of my days than with food! Boba! Sushi! Xiao long baos! Italian! Mediterranean! Ice cream! Mmm.. ice cream! Yum yum! =) I must say, some of my best times are with food. Satsuma sushi, Sushi Tomi, Zibibo, Kingfish, Verde, Su Hong, Shanghai Dumpling King, Banana Leaf, Paxti, Fuki Sushi, Tofu House, Gelayo Gusto, any yummy sushi place… *sigh* deeee-lish!

Alas, even through all the merriment and food, the grey realization still hung over our heads. In a few days I would drive down to LA and then a few days after that I would be leaving for France. While all the dancers are dancing merrily about the dance floor, their arms constantly entangled in time with the music, I knew that this would be my last dance with my salsa partner for several months. I would not have my boba runs, froyo runs, foreign/indie movie outings, vespa rides, and random group outings with the many friends I have made and come to love. Mm.. the need to busy myself with distractions is again upon me.




Countdown to France: 8 days