A New Challenge

http://3191.visualblogging.com/index.html

After being truly inspired by the aforementioned blog link, I've decided to challenge myself to capture one moment of beauty every morning for the next thirty days. And habits are made after thirty days right? So maybe I can even challenge myself to a year of unique morning shots. And this is exciting because I really do love the early morning hours and sometimes cheat myself of the rejuvenation boost that this time of day gives.

Day 1: March 26

7:15 AM

Even Siggy loves his mornings.

And a bonus parting shot:

I made homemade Greek pizza for lunch. Trader Joe's Cornmeal Pizza Crust is unbelievably tasty. Top it with some tomatoes, low-fat ricotta, olives, feta cheese, olive oil, baby spinach leaves, fresh basil, and voila!

March Days

Michelle on Laguna Beach

Looking towards the town of Laguna Beach

Louisa, Michelle, Juliana, and I in Dana Point

Michelle and I decided to make an early morning jaunt over to Corona Del Mar just in time to hit up Bruegger's Bagels (our all-time favorite place to eat on the coast) for freshly squeezed orange juice and bagel breakfast sandwiches. We later met up with the Haytons further south at Dana Point to enjoy the afternoon on Salt Creek Beach with a picnic lunch in tote. It was so wondeful to breathe in the surf's mist and soak in the sun for a full afternoon.

So we were blessed (?) with a bit of an early summer and 100 degree weather the last couple of weeks here in Loma Linda.

Isaac and I roped up for an afternoon of rockclimbing in an incredible renovated hangar in Upland.

I was so determined to master this bouldering problem :) I never did.

We wrapped up an afternoon of brutally hard rockclimbing with dinner at El Torito, and I'm now a huge fan of their rolled grilled tacos with chipotle sauce.

Praha: Perfect for stealing away to a teahouse on a cobbled corner

Cafe Louvre: http://www.cafelouvre.cz/en/
Dining with Old World Elegance; Tally of Visits: 9

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December 28, 2006

It's snowing really hard in Prague today! It's absolutely beautiful! Yesterday morning I went for an early morning run through Old Town to the Castle and then over to Petrin Hill. I ran for a hour and a half and it was such a gorgeous morning! I got some incredible shots. John and the others were here up through this afternoon. We had a nice time hanging out with everyone and dined at the Cafe Louvre several times. That became their favorite restaurant :) They're now on their way to Krakow, Poland.

Also, I found you a great antique broach from that same antique store we visited 2 years ago. I don't think it's the same one, but it's really classy.

The apartment that we are staying in is really spacious and cozy and in a really nice part of Prague, close to the center.

Joy and I are going to our favorite Jazz Club with several of this year's SMs at McNeilus. Our favorite jazz singer is performing...




Excerpt from Joy's Travel Blog:
My visit to the city was like re-living my life there. There was nothing exciting or new about Prague. It was like taking a nostalgic six day walk through memory lane. The people were the same, my favorite haunts and street cafes still in operation, and everything was the way I left it two years ago.

We met up with some of Jessica's friends, a fun group of eccentric guys and one gal. If this trip was anything, it was an "eating tour" - after being deprived of a real restaurant in London due to exhorbant prices, we really went to town with the restaurants in Prague. Beef goulash cooked in with knedlik (Czech dumplings), bramboraky a kureci (potato pancakes with chicken), and famous apple streudel were just part of our menu. The Czechs also make the best horka cokolada (hot chocolate) in the world - a thick syrupy concoction of dark chocolate, cream, and sugar melted and poured into a tiny tea cup.

My days in Prague were filled with walking the old streets again, shopping for antiques and hitting up great shows and the symphony. I'm really excited about what I found in those dusty bookshops, including World War II and Communist-era memorabilia. We caught a show at our favorite, smoky underground jazz club, U Stari Pani (The Old Lady) where Jana Koubkova happened to be performing that night. I caught a few photography exhibits, especially the Czech Press Photo and Tomas Bican.

Milan: Italian Kisses and Canolli

A wise guy will never let his girlfriend visit Italy; she will come back with a head adrift with romance.

On the contrary, I attempted to say a polite "No, thank you" to the Italians' version of romance
that found me wandering in the castle courtyard with thoughts immersed in camera angles. "Ciao bella!!! We love your hat! There's none like it in Milan!! It makes your eyes beautiful! Such beautiful eyes! You are American, no?? Aw, Californian! Yes of course! The most beautiful are Californians! I come from Italy. How long will you be staying here? Such a short visit, no? You must come back and visit me again. Yes, and come soon again with your beautiful eyes." *At which point he proceeds to kiss both of my cheeks not twice, which would have been culturally tolerable, but four times!* This is when a Ciao! Gracie! and a backstep are the universal language of "Leave my unkissable cheeks alone! They are not public domain! No, not even in Italy, the land of love."

Excerpt from Joy's Travel Blog:

Milan was fantastic! Italy was definitely a welcomed change from London. Italians have a tendency to be warmer and more approachable than the English. People walk slower, talk slower, and take the time for a good cup of cafe and gossip.The Italian approach to style is less proper than the English. They figure that it's not how you wear something, but what you wear. Because Milan is touted as the fashion capital of the world, most people wore clothes emblazoned with the country's favorite designers: Gucci and Dolce & Gabanna. In London, most people take refined approach to style, especially wearing tailored coats. The Italians, however, love anything lined with fur and complete their look with massive Dolce & Gabanna aviator sunglasses. We spent the day wandering about the numerous piazzas, shopping at the outdoor market, and taking in the sights of a post-Christmas celebration surrounding Duomo di Milano and Castello Sforzeco. Jess and I also jumped at the chance to eat at a proper restaurant for a sit-down meal. Italians have perfected the art of good food and eating experience. We stopped by Caffe Aperotol near a large piazza. Despite its opulent interior of crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and plush chairs, the cafe was just a neighborhood haunt. Old Italian men and women in fur coats sipped on their tiny espresso cups, standing at the bar like they would were they ordering a beer on tap. I ordered a margherita pizza (at the advice of my Italian friend Frederico), topped with a thin layer of sauce and mozzarella di buffalo and baked in a brick oven. It was absolutely delicious. We finished off the meal with a canolli bought from a street vendor... I don't think I can ever walk into an Olive Garden back home and think the same.

London: Just your typical tea and scones type of girl...

Where does Queen Liz buy her royal groceries? http://www.fortnumandmason.com/ {Go ahead and check out their website to experience absolute dumbfoundedness by exorbitant prices; it's quite fun}

Every spot of tea and crumb of scone is well worth the $10.

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December 23, 2006

We went to the Filipino church today near Hyde Park and Marble Arch in London. We also went to legendary Fortnum-Mason's 300 year-old gourmet grocers for traditional afternoon tea and scones. Joy and I wandered luxury chocolate shops where a box of four ran for about £50 = $100!! A little out of our budget. We are now enjoying a night out on the city bustling through the city with the locals who are wrapping up their last minute shopping at Picadilly Circus and famous Oxford Street. I think we're going to save our shopping for Prague and after-Christmas sales. Tomorrow we'll see Buckingham, catch some shopping at Spittlefield's outdoor market, and attend the Christmas Eve service at Westminster Abbey.

Excerpt from Joy's Travel Blog:

Repost: London
Just an update...since we are in London during low tourist season, we haven't seen many Americans in the city at all. Today we went with my aunt to church on Church street in the Lebanese part of the city. I'm not really reminded of my citizenship until people run up to me, begging me to say certain words because of my distinct and somewhat un-sophisticated American accent.How do you say "really" in American? Can you please say "teacher"? "Pants?" "Work?" "Cookie"? It drives me insane.

It's bitterly cold here. I haven't seen the sun in four days and my fingers are threatening to fall off due to frost bite. The sun rises before we're awake and sets early afternoon so we're limited to what we can see and do. When I was packing for this trip, I swore that I would look somewhat stylish, throwing in cashmere sweaters and cute tops for going out. The British are so good at looking exceptionally and effortlessly stylish in their warm clothing. Military-style jackets seem to be all the rage here, and so are boots tucked into jeans, pashmina scarves (tied strategically around their necks), and thick tights. I, on the other hand, have decided to choose comfort and warmth over style and look like the frumpy tourist because I have decided to wear everything in my suitcase at ONE time. Notice, I'm wearing the same thing in EVERY picture...

Jess and I are so tired after a long day, but find ourselves at an internet cafe off Covent (-ant?) Garden at 9:00 PM on a Saturday, trying to figure out what to do while avoiding the local male population who are deprived of ditzy American female tourists...

London Town: A Little Bit of Lovely

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December 21, 2006
Made it to London safely after delayed flight and fog and scrambled to find my way through the city. But all is well in London and lovely. Joy and I went for a run early this morning and we're exploring downtown and iceskating this afternoon...

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December 22, 2006

I had quite a time getting to her aunt's place on Wednesday evening and was dead tired after we ran around and saw a few sights that night. It has been extremely foggy and freezing cold here, but it's an amazing city. I love it much more than I ever thought I would. We've spent a lot of time in Trafalgar Square, frequented the Cafe Rocher, explored the incredible National Portrait Gallery as well as the Photography Gallery, and saw a show on the West End last night. We met up with Joy's friend Selena and explored Covent Gardens which is an ancient marketplace known for its upscale shops, street entertainment, and Christmas booths. Much fun. We've been doing a lot of running and climbing 10 stories of stairs to get to and from her aunt's apartment. This is the best diet 've ever been on. Been trying to get used to the traffic driving on the opposite side of the road as well and I never know which way to look. I almost got decked by a double-decker bus...great tourist memory. haha.

Today we are going to Somerset House to iceskate, since we didn't get that done yesterday. We are also going to see the Blackfriars Bridge, the Tate Museum of Modern Art, and ride the London Eye tonight so that we can see the city's lights.

Newspaper Article Excerpt:

December 20, 2006

LONDON (CNN) --"Dense fog in London is putting a damper on the travel plans for thousands of travelers, many of them trying to get away for the Christmas holiday."

I love, love, love this!

I can't exactly afford it, but nevertheless I will lust after it.

www.wisteria.com

I am...

I'm unabashedly an idealist with overly lofty goals but with a true undercurrent of purpose. I value the importance of early mornings when the light filters in through my living room window and hits my favorite overstuffed chair in the corner. I appreciate creative vision when I see it, and I admire those who push the status quo. I believe we all should take on an attitude of global citizenship, and break free from ethnocentricity and lukewarm, halfhearted opinions. I value the art of asking questions and understanding fully. I challenge myself to be a generalist in many things: politics, foreign affairs, health and wellness, extreme travel, anthropology, marketing, and sociology so that I can better understand how to give back to the world. I indulge in stacks of coffee table books. Currently I have set out: a passion for tea, a year of adventures, alfons mucha's prints, ansel adams, french dreams, a year in the south of france, and prague: city of light. I'm a subscriber of Vanity Fair, unbeknownst to my staunch Republican parents. Lately, I'm intrigued by historical accounts of the Middle East and Latin American poetry. I'm currently reading Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead and Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist. Next on my nightstand is Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being. I'm most likely to...spend a rainy day creating an art journal and painting, be the friend that embarrasses you when I ask for the last free copy of the NY Times before Starbucks closes, make a bulleted and checkbox to-do list for each day of the week, be the friend that sends you Mozel Tov e-cards on your "Bar Mitzvah", never have enough flip flops, daydream over a REI catalog, be the friend that calls you up to plan another extreme trip to some obscure part of the world, study two languages at the same time, almost always charm my way into an airplane or ultralight, spend a free afternoon in an art museum with a caramel mocha in hand, volunteer every possible second of my free time, and blog about my amorous relationship with darjeeling tea