Christmas was short, but I think 2010 was even shorter…
Poan and I are going to Maui for a mini retreat and celebrate our New Year there. I really want to thank Poan for taking me to Maui. It’s way better and cooler than receiving Tiffany or Coach as a gift for Christmas. :)
Hello Maui, I’m coming!
You have to admit that San Francisco is a vibrant city – a city full of history, culture, and ideals. The street view tells it all.
On the forth day of my trip, I went to the the Mission area. First, I stopped at the Bi-rite Creamery by Dolores Park. I had the most wonderful ice cream in my life, no kidding! Their ice cream is organic, and they specialize in unique flavours that are hard to find else where. I had salted caramel and honey lavender. It tasted ridiculously awesome! In the neibourhood is also a famous bakery/cafe Tartine. They have a cookbook published by Chronicle Books. I’m so tempted to buy the book after being there, even though I probably can’t make it as delicious. I wasn’t gonna getting any food but drinks, until I saw the quiche with golden-brown crust sitting on the counter. So I got a piece of quiche, which is amazingly tasty! The crust is crispy and the egg fluffy.
With a full stomach, I took a stroll along Valencia St. There are some pretty neat stores along Valencia St.: The Curiosity Shoppe, Little Ostu, and the Pirate Supply Store at 826 Valencia. While I’m not into pirates and all that, Little Ostu and The Curiosity Shoppe are definitely my favourite! They are full of handmade and designy stuff that took me a while to browse through.
After the Mission, I took a bus to the Haight-Ashbury area. Haight St. was crowded with young people, especially students, who came shopping in the countless vintage stores. It’s also a place for hippies, punks, and weirdos. Oh, and tourists, like me.
After I strolled around the city by myself, I felt that I could totally live here! There are abundant inspirations that can stimulate my creativity here. And of course, there’s the California sunshine!
✱ Since this trip is pretty much a “solo” trip, I had to plan everything myself – the places I wanna go and the things I wanna see. I found that with iPad, traveling has been a hell lot easier, especially with free wi-fi so common in San Francisco. I could search on Google Maps and check the bus number and time almost wherever I am. There’s no need to carry a heavy guide book or hold a super-size map in hand, trying to figure out where I am. All I need is my iPad and I’m good to explore the city. Now I’m really convinced that this device was worth investing in.
It was the hottest day in 2 years in San Francisco. The heat made a perfect reason for me to spend the afternoon in SFMOMA, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
I have to say that I have never had such a great time in a museum since I got back from London (sorry, Vancouver Art Gallery!). The exhibitions were really interesting and extraordinary! From Ansel Adams, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Mark Rothko, to Andy Warhol, and Picasso, every wall excites you, makes you feel that you don’t need to be super arty to understand the stuff. It’s a shame that the exhibitions at VAG never really made people exciting…
I was so glad that photography was allowed in the museum, so I could show some bits of it here. SFMOMA is definitely on the list when I’m in the city next time.
Just got back from San Francisco!
It was only a mini trip for me because I was there to help my sister, Patty, settle down in the Oakland campus of California College of the Arts. But, I had lots of fun exploring the city on my own.
I have so many pictures that I want to show, but first, I want to show off the souvenirs I brought back from San Fran!
There were so many wonderful letterpress prints at Little Otsu! I wish I could hang them all on my wall! Oh well, maybe next time!
I finally made my London travel journal available in digital format! How come it took me this long!?
Looking back at what I wrote in this book, I had an indescribable feeling…it’s like looking at another me, who is 3 years younger and had absolutely no idea what lies ahead of her.
I wouldn’t say my diary is incredible (I never thought I’m a good writer…), but I still enjoy looking at the photos. I know that at the end of my journey, I actually didn’t like London very much. But, maybe I was wrong about the city, because I kinda miss London now…
This is my first time taking a float plane. I wasn’t quite sure if I wanna go up there in such a small piece of metal, but after I got up there, I was so glad that I decided to fly. It was a really short, 30-minute flight, but it’s probably one of those most unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime moments. The view was breathtaking. And I’m sure it wasn’t the adrenaline that made me think so.
Last time when I was in Tofino, it was about 6 years ago. Tofino hasn’t changed a lot since then. The locals are still very friendly. The town is quiet and original. And the air is as crisp as before.
I was gonna blog about my 2010 resolutions, but I thought before I prepare myself for a brand new start, having a peaceful mind is a must. Tofino is just the perfect paradise to purify my mind and recharge my energy. I can listen to the sound of the waves while falling asleep every night, and see the trees first when I open my eyes from sleep every morning. I already miss days like this – living with the nature.
By the way, don’t you think that Tofino is a lovely name?
January 4, 2009
Spa 完的隔天 (很依依不捨地離開 hotel), 我們去 Victoria downtown 小逛一下。其實 Victoria 還蠻可愛的, 要不是交通不便還要搭船才能到 Vancouver, 住在此也不錯, 房價也省很多…
開車繞了繞沿岸看風景, 那天的雲和陽光配合得恰到好處。從雲朵細縫中穿過的光緒射在亮晶晶的海上, where the heaven seems to be… 很想飛到那片海上, 看看究竟是什麼感覺。
偶爾放鬆的小旅行還是需要的。
See complete album here.
【Maui】A Perfect Ending.
We’re back from Maui!
It was an awesome, inspiring trip! I can’t wait to share my photos with you, and tell you about the beaches, the volcano, the sea turtles, the banana bread, Sugar Inn, the lovely people I met there, and Buddha.
Memories are the best souvenir I got from this trip. I need to write them down before they fade away!