Ayiti

Please give:
The Haiti Project or Partners in Health


You first independent free black nation, how you suffer not only economically and historically, but now from the earth's movement. How I know you, your colour, your smell, your people and earth. Si Bondye vle, so the saying goes, but this cannot be God's will.

Please give to the cause:
The Rural Haiti Project or Partners in Health

Photo above from Jan Sochor and harrowing photos post quake my friend Laura found: Haiti after the quake



Outside the Presidential Palace with nowhere to go.

Rizzaaa

Living it up in SF

I stayed here, Le Meridien SF, the last few days because my fabulously generous cousin Jessica flew into town on business and I was allowed to crash in her place. Our hotel room near the Embarcadero (see below) was a great escape from my new digs at my parents and was a nice base for all of our shopping excursions. My aunt and uncle flew in too.



The stay got better with a Birthday bash for my friend Kina on Friday, it was nice to catch up with old friends. And also when my cousin's business associates decided to take a trip down the California coast to a colleagues land near Pigeon Point light house. Although I couldn't capture it properly in the photo below of my cousin and her colleague, the views were amazing. The owners were in the planning process of redoing the property, formerly owned by Joan Baez, and were surrounded by protected lands. They had practically a lavender farm and although on a hill, the crash of the waves were ever so loud upon your ears.



Later we scooted back for a great city meal at Bob's and drinks at the Globe.

The following day, my aunt and parents wanted to show my cousin a bit of the wine country so we went to Healdsburg. I very nice town in the heart of the Sonoma wine country. They have a number of tasting rooms, a somewhat faster less 'get in your car and tour' alternative to wineries.
We stopped at the Gallo tasting rooms and had oysters and great fish at Willi's restaurant.

Self Explanatory

Just found this site: We are the Weirdos, another one for the list of fabulous photographic discoveries caught on a page in cyberspace. Yes!

The weather in London:

Snow Snow showers Cloudy with sunny spells Sunny intervals and snow showers
Snow Snow showers Cloudy with sunny spells Sunny intervals and snow showers

And this is what I got:


Image found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8402464@N07/745123944/

Sorry all, I'll get over it soon. I promise I will.

To the country....Mendocino country

A spot on the map, surrounded by sweet nothing, I google Yorkville which leads us to my parent's friend's house, their country home, industrial and modern surrounded by woods. It is far north, about three hours. It is beautiful country, we pass vineyards and I think when we turn onto the dirt road, it is closer than it actually is.
Noelle, my best friend joins me, her Rosie dog in tow, after arriving, after about just ten short minutes she turns to me and says, 'Let's stay another night, let's stay two nights'.
We are greeted with champagne, a fire, beautiful artwork, and for me old friends, loves I've always known. Linda makes us a sandwich and then a martini and I tell them of my exodus from London. Noelle tells them of her purchase, a condo. We are very different here and I.
We wake the next morning to the sun filtering through the trees and the open windows, such open windows even in the bathroom, the shower. Music fills the high walls, the tall tin roof, forever and ever. We do yoga, eat great food and explore. We rest and relax and read. Dan tells us of his craftmanship, we project movies onto open spaces.

We greet my parents and do it all over again and then leave the magical place happy.

The house in the woods.



Daniel after Christmas, inside the house. Sorry for the blur and that head coming from the wall is plastic.



My parents and I on a jaunt in the woods.

Reflections of a California kind

I'm here in the town where I grew up, outside of San Francisco, dare I say it, a place worse than suburbia where yesterday I passed the headquarters of the Republican party (yikes) and where once stood one of our large supermarkets, now sits a dull parking lot without any cars.
I pass signs such as the one above advertising food. This is America, I remind myself. The photo below is of a 'greasy spoon' down the street from my house.
I am sipping on a mountain dew Slurpee, waiting to pick up a friend at the airport and escape to San Francisco.
I'm thinking about the movie I saw that my cousin brought over yesterday, of his 2 year old birthday party. It was weird seeing myself on screen as a child, my voice from long ago, foreign to me, funny even to see that I dominated him and the other kids (I was six years older), my nannying or motherly instinct prevalent at the time. I blew out his candles and wanted a piece of both cakes. My mother looked beautiful, stunning and and so skinny. My father didn't stop talking, his glasses proper 80s style. I never saw a home video of myself or my parents. We cannot go back.
I cannot go back.
I am restless.
This place is much different than I've known. I just have to get used to it I suppose, it will be OK, in time.

I wish for the new year to come. I think there is a consciences that 2009 wasn't the best year, a busy year yes, but a year of trials. I look forward to the tick of the clock when it passes into 2010 and I am anxious to see what unfolds in the year that is next upon us.


Photos found on flickr

Later London

Suddenly I flee!
I am just so sad, so sad to go.



It's snowing here in London. My bags are packed with my life of the last four years. I am trying not to cry too much. I'll try to wait till I fly off, if my plane isn't cancelled, and keep my tears in the sky.


Image found here.

Birthday Bowl

I love bowling!



The worst bowling shoes ever!



Laura's bowling moves, she does a little swish, a little hop and then throws that ball....STRAIGHT INTO THE NEXT LANE!



Emma, Steph and I with my Birthday Christmas balloon (they had poppers too)!



Lindsey, she loves those gutter balls!

Christmas party Shinanigans

As I think I've mentioned before in this blog, Brits really know how to have fun at a work 'do'(aka party). At our Christmas or end of the year party, held around the corner from our offices at 1920, everyone was on top form. My coworkers gossipped and all danced a lot and a few people did the walk of shame in the morning.

A photo of one of my bosses and I. He left before he got too tipsy and one of us had a go at him, poor guy. It happens (only in London).



Below, me and Asher from IT. You would think IT would be quiet, nerdy almost. Not so, by the end of the night there was a huge mesh of IT people sprawled on the dance floor.

Nothing changes

Oh Obama, you disappoint me. Give back your Nobel Peace prize. There is no peace in sending more troops to Afghanistan.

Next it will be Iran, when will it stop?!