7.30.05
Crissy and I visited the California Academy of Sciences for their special chocolate exhibit. We got to sample so many different kinds of chocolates at this special chocolate workshop called From Cacao Bean to Chocolate Bar. The presenter discussed the history of chocolate, the process of making chocolate, and the different varieties available for chocolate lovers. We also got a chance to try different percentages of dark chocolate, ranging from 50% to 100% with the nibs. In addition. there were flavored chocolates like blueberry and lavender, mint and rosemary, and a chile one. That workshop totally confirmed my love for chocolate, and whenever the presenter asked if we were ready for more chocolate I was like yay, more more. Meanwhile, Crissy realized she can't handle too much chocolate. I was thrilled that they gave us a little satchet of chocolate squares, so that we could taste test different kinds later. The museum also set up a special cooking station and prepared Mole Tamales for people to sample. Afterwards, we roamed around the aquarium, looking at all the brightly colored fish.

We were disappointed by the penguins because they didn't seem very active at all; they just kinda stood around, teasing us by standing on the ledge fooling us to think they were about to take a dramatic dive and swim.

We walked a few blocks down and had some yummy tapas at Thirsty Bear. We ordered the Empanadas Verduras and the Atún a la Plancha, an ahi tuna sandwhich.

Thirsty Bear
661 Howard St.
San Francisco
415-974-0905

Davey is a vegetarian and had some difficulty finding a good cooking class that focused on vegetarian food. Luckily he discovered Shanta's cooking classes. So Davey organized a three part cooking class for all his friends. I met up with Leslie and we took MUNI all the way to Ocean Beach. We were attending the second class session and got a chance to make chutney, rice with nuts and raisins, matar paneer, chapaties and parothas. If you want more information about Shanta's cooking classes visit her website.

7.27.05
I saw Leslie's new place in Oakland and had some yummy Indian curry that she made for dinner. I tried to give her some tips on setting up a new website. Do check out her crafty projects though; she's really talented with wool and fabrics.

7.23.05
Argh, what am I allergic to? My left eye got really swollen again. I look like how Will Smith did in Hitch. Bleh. I finally dry cleaned my cream wool coat that I wore around NYC. Cream or white is probably the worst color you can wear around NYC where things easily get grimy and dirty.

7.20.05
I finally got a chance to eat at Kirala; I didn't realize how reasonably priced their lunches were. The dish I got was so yummy; I had the pork cutlet domburi. I get so tired of some of the offerings on Japanese menus such as the typical tempura or some sort of teriyaki meat. I don't like sukiyaki; the sauce tastes strange to me.

Kirala
2100 Ward St
Berkeley, CA
510-549-3486

7.17.05
I went urban hiking around San Francisco, trying to take more photos of random things around SF. I hate it when I change my film incorrectly and I only get to shoot a few photos before my camera starts rewinding the film. I'm thinking of getting these books so that I can recognize all the different buildings in SF.

• San Francisco Architecture: An Illustrated Guide to the Outstanding Buildings, Public Artworks, and Parks in the Bay Area of California
  by Sally B. Woodbridge, John M. Woodbridge, Chuck Byrne
  
• National Trust Guide / San Francisco: America's Guide for Architecture and History Travelers
  by Peter Booth Wiley

I also got a pretty top from Ann Taylor loft for $7.

7.14.05
I had lunch at Phoenix Pastificio with my coworkers. I can't stress how much I love their fresh pasta. I had a pasta with prawns, grilled peaches, and golden raisins.

Phoenix Pastificio
1786 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley, CA
510-883-0783

7.10.05
I tagged along with Katie to her coworker's bridal shower. She has a son a few years younger than us but she looks like she's in her early 30s. I want to know her secrets; she's aged so well! According to Katie she takes a lot of walks. They have a charming house in the Oakland hills. There was a lot of yummy food at the celebration and I really liked the Filipino sticky rice dessert. Afterwards, we went salsa dancing at Allegro Ballroom. I forgot how important it is to wear shoes with stilettos when you go dancing, otherwise it's difficult to do all the different steps.

7.09.05
I had lunch with Justin in Berkeley at Long Life Vegi House. It was good catching up with him; I haven't seen him since the summer before senior year. Right now, he's doing marketing in Walnut Creek. Afterwards, I met up with Davey who's doing research in SF for the summer. He's also helping to housesit and take care of all these greyhounds. It's so funny how they do laps around the yard and are thrilled when they can run around at Ocean Beach.

Also, Julie was in town for the weekend; she still has two more years of optometry school! We wanted to eat at Kan Zaman in the Haight but the wait was really bad. Instead we had dinner at Vino E Cucina, an Italian restaurant in SOMA. The place had a nice ambiance and all our dishes were quite yummy.

Vino E Cucina
489 3rd St
San Francisco, CA
415-543-6962

7.03.05
Crissy and I walked around SF, roaming around Union and Chestnut Street. Afterwards, we decided to visit the Fillmore Jazz Festival, meeting up with some of her high school friends. All the guys were thrilled about being able drink outdoors in the streets and listen to live music. Crissy and I bought this cool photograph of Venetian masks that was digitally altered. Even though I really want to live in SF, you have to admit the weather kinda sucks during the summer where it's often foggy and windy.

7.02.05
I went to another Oakland A's game with Crissy and some of her college friends. We had some Mexican food around International Blvd. in Oakland and then tailgated in the parking lot before the game started. The A's were playing against the Chicago White Sox but they lost, 3-5. I wished we stayed after the game to watch the pretty fireworks. Sigh, mebbe next time.