So, I came across this cool page on Facebook about two weeks ago.
365 Things to Do in San Francisco
This website basically aims to publish the funnest, coolest things that you can do in San Francisco everyday. One post each day and always interesting to read. So far, I'm liking the concept. I tried to do the same thing with this blog but apparently did not work out due to my responsibility as a student and when you write a lot of paper for school, writing is the last thing that you want to do during your free time.
Check the website out to get an idea about what to do in San Francisco! Whether you're a local or tourist, I definitely think it's suitable for both..
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Chocolate Salon
Chocolate Salon was here at San Francisco's Fort Mason (March 20, 2010). I think there were more than 40 vendors offering different things. Starting with the basic organic chocolate to chocolate cream liqueur, this event will surely please everyone's palate. Unless, of course, you're allergic to or hating chocolate with passion.
I didn't bought my ticket in advance which was kinda sad because it'll be a lot cheaper if I bought it online. There's a guy in front of the ticket booth who offered his extra ticket to us for cheaper price. It's like $20. At the door, it's $30. So we ended up paying $20 + ($30 x 2 persons) = $80.
One of my friends was so fond of chocolate, she ran around like little kid, very excited, to see the amount of chocolate in the building. After a while, she got tired and said, "I can't taste the different anymore." And I so lol-ing her comment, recalled my last year in this chocolate festival when I too thought the same thing.Anyhow, if you appreciate food and don't mind to pay higher price for high-quality or unique chocolate, you should definitely check this event out. I bought really delicious chocolates (blood orange, passion fruit, rose, etc)!! And also, an awesome florentine which all of my friends said as divine.
There will be chocolate festival at Ghiradelli Square too soon. I probably going to find out and let you guys know when exactly it is. I think I'm gonna be fat sooner or later if I live in San Francisco. lol
National Day of Protest: Whose University? Our University
I didn't get a chance to write for what I think about the nation-wide walkout and protest since at that day, I was busy documenting. It was electrifying, the experience. At that day, a lot of people came to the protest and united. At San Francisco State University, the day was filled with activities to raise awareness about how deep the cuts affect everyone. We may not be affected directly but maybe people that we know are affected by it. Are we going to let them fight their battle alone? I say no.
Here's what I posted in my Facebook, my response to people who think the protest was unnecessary:
So, here's what my friend said last year when I joined the protest to civic center...
"So sorry for your mom, she send you here to protest"
Yesterday, I called my mom and told her about the protest and well, she's not the most liberal person out there so I explained to her how important it was for me.
In a way, protesting unfair treatment is a part of my education I'll say. It has been debated that college education does not provide you with enough knowledge of this world. I take the liberty to venture outside the classroom and maybe I can get something that is equally or probably more precious and useful than the one that I acquire inside my classrooms.
For several things, people decide not to participate in the protest... here are the most common reasons that I compile:
1) The "logical" people
ie. - You're just one person. You won't be able to change a thing
- The economy is in a bad shape so where are you going to get the $ for education?
2) The lazy people
ie. - "Protest? Yay!! Holiday." Yes, it's called lazy lol
3) The don't care people
ie. - I have more important things to do in my life
- "What's the noise is about? Go Gators! Ups... no? Protest? what protest? Anyway, good luck... I'll cu tomorrow." This is also called the clueless people
- "As long as they don't cut the class that I need, I don't care"
4) The obedient people
ie. - Protest = anarchy, disobedience act against the authority
- "I'm just trying to finish college as soon as possible"
Why is the protest important? No... not because I want to get a tan so I march outside and shout. Not because I think: "march? Hm... I haven't had any exercise like walking or shopping lately... ok, I'll join." NOT because I'm careless and anarchist!!
More than anything else, I feel like we have to stand up for what we believe in. And for something we disagree with. If we let one thing passed us once, it'll happen again the second time. So really, the question is when?
Here's the schedule for March4 in San Francisco State University
Schedule of Events for March 4, the SF State Day of Action for Public Higher Education:
10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: Informational Picket Line on 19th Ave. and Holloway.
12:15 to 12:30 p.m.: Picket Line march to Malcolm X Plaza
12:30 to 1:30 p.m.: Political Theater and Spoken Word performed by SF State talent, addressing the budget cuts
1:30 to 3 p.m.: Do-It-Yourself Protest signs and T-shirt stenciling (bring a T-shirt, if you can)
2 to 3:30 p.m.: Teach-in scheduled on Malcolm X Plaza
3:30 to 4 p.m.: Board MUNI or shuttle to BART (Anyone boarding at 19th Ave. MUNI with a March 4 T-shirt or protest sign will receive a pass for boarding)
4 to 4:45 p.m.: SF State community will gather and meet at the steps of the Asian Art Museum in the Civic Center before proceeding to the stage area.
5 to 6:30 p.m.: Rally for California’s Future, San Francisco Civic Center. Stand together with Pre-K to Higher Education educators, parents, students and all those who work in the public sector to send a message to Sacramento.
Here's what I posted in my Facebook, my response to people who think the protest was unnecessary:
So, here's what my friend said last year when I joined the protest to civic center...
"So sorry for your mom, she send you here to protest"
Yesterday, I called my mom and told her about the protest and well, she's not the most liberal person out there so I explained to her how important it was for me.
In a way, protesting unfair treatment is a part of my education I'll say. It has been debated that college education does not provide you with enough knowledge of this world. I take the liberty to venture outside the classroom and maybe I can get something that is equally or probably more precious and useful than the one that I acquire inside my classrooms.
For several things, people decide not to participate in the protest... here are the most common reasons that I compile:
1) The "logical" people
ie. - You're just one person. You won't be able to change a thing
- The economy is in a bad shape so where are you going to get the $ for education?
2) The lazy people
ie. - "Protest? Yay!! Holiday." Yes, it's called lazy lol
3) The don't care people
ie. - I have more important things to do in my life
- "What's the noise is about? Go Gators! Ups... no? Protest? what protest? Anyway, good luck... I'll cu tomorrow." This is also called the clueless people
- "As long as they don't cut the class that I need, I don't care"
4) The obedient people
ie. - Protest = anarchy, disobedience act against the authority
- "I'm just trying to finish college as soon as possible"
Why is the protest important? No... not because I want to get a tan so I march outside and shout. Not because I think: "march? Hm... I haven't had any exercise like walking or shopping lately... ok, I'll join." NOT because I'm careless and anarchist!!
More than anything else, I feel like we have to stand up for what we believe in. And for something we disagree with. If we let one thing passed us once, it'll happen again the second time. So really, the question is when?
Here's the schedule for March4 in San Francisco State University
Schedule of Events for March 4, the SF State Day of Action for Public Higher Education:
10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: Informational Picket Line on 19th Ave. and Holloway.
12:15 to 12:30 p.m.: Picket Line march to Malcolm X Plaza
12:30 to 1:30 p.m.: Political Theater and Spoken Word performed by SF State talent, addressing the budget cuts
1:30 to 3 p.m.: Do-It-Yourself Protest signs and T-shirt stenciling (bring a T-shirt, if you can)
2 to 3:30 p.m.: Teach-in scheduled on Malcolm X Plaza
3:30 to 4 p.m.: Board MUNI or shuttle to BART (Anyone boarding at 19th Ave. MUNI with a March 4 T-shirt or protest sign will receive a pass for boarding)
4 to 4:45 p.m.: SF State community will gather and meet at the steps of the Asian Art Museum in the Civic Center before proceeding to the stage area.
5 to 6:30 p.m.: Rally for California’s Future, San Francisco Civic Center. Stand together with Pre-K to Higher Education educators, parents, students and all those who work in the public sector to send a message to Sacramento.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Pillow Fight was... Ouch... Ouch...
Last week was a hectic week. No Valentine for me but as others celebrated the Valentine Day, I might as well join the excitement. One way to celebrate Valentine Day San Francisco style was to join the famous Pillow Fight. This may as well be the largest Pillow Fight event in the United States.
So what is Pillow Fight? A friend who went with me last night (14 February) thought there would be a kind of a contest with a clear winner. Nah... People carried their pillow (or pillows) with variety color from the plain white one to the striped one and just randomly attacked others who looked kinda vulnerable (like me for example... I was such an easy target cause I'm short... yeah... they just hit my head like I was a beaver or something in a game machine where you're aiming to hit the beaver as many times as possible). Some use the event to express their point of view like a guy who carried a pillow with marijuana picture on it.
The festive atmosphere was kinda nice and people seem to have a lot of fun. Even as I rode Muni to Embarcaderro station, people played guitar, sang in the train and laughed until they jaw dropped (er... I think I'm being a bit sarcastic here). Anyway... Oh wait... there's a lady who seemed bitter about what happened in Muni and you can see her kinda wanna put plugs on her ears. Hahaha... kinda noisy at that time but college students... What do you expect? After all, this is San Francisco, the city of the hippies and radicals.
My first vivid memory (yeah...) on the Justine Herman Plaza was being stepped by a guy as huge as a bear. Ouch my foot. My shoe... I should have thought of wearing my war equipments: my sport shoes. This was as tough as any other battlefield no kidding. I carried my camera and God knew how scared I was if someone hit my camera instead of me. Oh dear pillow fighters, I'll give you myself as a sacrifice so please, will you spare my camera? Anyhow, being hit by strangers with full power was not nice. I still don't understand why they made this a Valentine event? Are you guys heartbroken or being cheated by someone? Oh... please, I'm not your ex or your flirtious girlfriend so don't hit me too hard. Ouch... ouch... okay, hit me... but again, not my camera
So what is Pillow Fight? A friend who went with me last night (14 February) thought there would be a kind of a contest with a clear winner. Nah... People carried their pillow (or pillows) with variety color from the plain white one to the striped one and just randomly attacked others who looked kinda vulnerable (like me for example... I was such an easy target cause I'm short... yeah... they just hit my head like I was a beaver or something in a game machine where you're aiming to hit the beaver as many times as possible). Some use the event to express their point of view like a guy who carried a pillow with marijuana picture on it.
The festive atmosphere was kinda nice and people seem to have a lot of fun. Even as I rode Muni to Embarcaderro station, people played guitar, sang in the train and laughed until they jaw dropped (er... I think I'm being a bit sarcastic here). Anyway... Oh wait... there's a lady who seemed bitter about what happened in Muni and you can see her kinda wanna put plugs on her ears. Hahaha... kinda noisy at that time but college students... What do you expect? After all, this is San Francisco, the city of the hippies and radicals.
My first vivid memory (yeah...) on the Justine Herman Plaza was being stepped by a guy as huge as a bear. Ouch my foot. My shoe... I should have thought of wearing my war equipments: my sport shoes. This was as tough as any other battlefield no kidding. I carried my camera and God knew how scared I was if someone hit my camera instead of me. Oh dear pillow fighters, I'll give you myself as a sacrifice so please, will you spare my camera? Anyhow, being hit by strangers with full power was not nice. I still don't understand why they made this a Valentine event? Are you guys heartbroken or being cheated by someone? Oh... please, I'm not your ex or your flirtious girlfriend so don't hit me too hard. Ouch... ouch... okay, hit me... but again, not my camera
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Responding to R. Corrigan's Letter About San Francisco State University Occupation
9 Dec. 2009
Around three in the morning, 12 San Francisco State University students blocked the entrances to business building. They announced their 21 demands that were welcomed by some while mocked by others who think it was not related to SFSU's budget cut issue.
10 Dec. 2009
Police removed the occupiers and business building at the campus was reopened. Robert Corrigan, the university's president, released a letter to address the shutting down of the business building by the protesters, denouncing their actions who he called as "an illegitimate takeover that denied thousands of students their educational rights."
In response to that letter, I wrote this blog:
1st, I do support the SFSU occupation. It's a student demonstration. It's a free speech. It expressed what many students at SFSU felt.
2nd, he said, "More than 3,000 students and faculty were shut out." Didn't Corrigan considered the 250,000 students that were turned away this year alone and also.... hundreds!! of lecturers that were laid off as being shut out??! "Keep them open and not closed..." what a statement! Moreover, what about within the university? We're virtually being shut out because we cannot get into the classes that we need. Think also about the class that should be ran as a small class but now, professors have to take let's say 50 students per class. Don't you think it will shut out the transferred of education? Physically blocking the entrance of our classes is not the only way to shut out things.
3rd, "The protesters also demanded that no disciplinary action be taken against them. If you are going to engage in an act of civil disobedience, then you should have the courage of your actions. Civil rights activists - and I was one -- did not demand immunity; they acted and changed our nation." So? What points are you trying to make here? There was also a rumor that it was not true and made up to make these protesters looked bad. There was no proof for this but even if let's say it's on the demand, I don't think it's bad at all. Why is it bad?
4th, "Barricading a building is not befitting our cherished liberties." And what do you want us to do? We're desperate cause you never listened!! We organized peaceful walk-outs, rallies and protests. What answers did we got??
An increase of fee, cut of classes, last minute cancellation of class, furlough days, building of recreation center and library at the expense of our classes and education.
I myself experienced two of my classes that I registered for this semester were canceled just like that before this semester began and no compensations!! What's more sickening than the sudden cancellations is the fact that they announce a fee increased and giving us only a limited time to pay or we will be dropped automatically from the classes' rosters. Please, define liberties. Define democracy for me, dear Mr. President.
I'm paying more for something a lot less. I'm paying for the building of library that I will never walked into (because it's projected to be finished when I graduate). The same goes with the building of the recreation center. When we're in a dire need for a space for more students, we're building things that we do not need. We need to learn to prioritize. Ask why closing prisons and taxing oil companies were in the demands??!
And even on the Senate meeting that will determine OUR education, we, as students, cannot give inputs. So tell me, what should we do for you to REALLY LISTEN what our opinions and demands are?
Around three in the morning, 12 San Francisco State University students blocked the entrances to business building. They announced their 21 demands that were welcomed by some while mocked by others who think it was not related to SFSU's budget cut issue.
10 Dec. 2009
Police removed the occupiers and business building at the campus was reopened. Robert Corrigan, the university's president, released a letter to address the shutting down of the business building by the protesters, denouncing their actions who he called as "an illegitimate takeover that denied thousands of students their educational rights."
In response to that letter, I wrote this blog:
1st, I do support the SFSU occupation. It's a student demonstration. It's a free speech. It expressed what many students at SFSU felt.
2nd, he said, "More than 3,000 students and faculty were shut out." Didn't Corrigan considered the 250,000 students that were turned away this year alone and also.... hundreds!! of lecturers that were laid off as being shut out??! "Keep them open and not closed..." what a statement! Moreover, what about within the university? We're virtually being shut out because we cannot get into the classes that we need. Think also about the class that should be ran as a small class but now, professors have to take let's say 50 students per class. Don't you think it will shut out the transferred of education? Physically blocking the entrance of our classes is not the only way to shut out things.
3rd, "The protesters also demanded that no disciplinary action be taken against them. If you are going to engage in an act of civil disobedience, then you should have the courage of your actions. Civil rights activists - and I was one -- did not demand immunity; they acted and changed our nation." So? What points are you trying to make here? There was also a rumor that it was not true and made up to make these protesters looked bad. There was no proof for this but even if let's say it's on the demand, I don't think it's bad at all. Why is it bad?
4th, "Barricading a building is not befitting our cherished liberties." And what do you want us to do? We're desperate cause you never listened!! We organized peaceful walk-outs, rallies and protests. What answers did we got??
An increase of fee, cut of classes, last minute cancellation of class, furlough days, building of recreation center and library at the expense of our classes and education.
I myself experienced two of my classes that I registered for this semester were canceled just like that before this semester began and no compensations!! What's more sickening than the sudden cancellations is the fact that they announce a fee increased and giving us only a limited time to pay or we will be dropped automatically from the classes' rosters. Please, define liberties. Define democracy for me, dear Mr. President.
I'm paying more for something a lot less. I'm paying for the building of library that I will never walked into (because it's projected to be finished when I graduate). The same goes with the building of the recreation center. When we're in a dire need for a space for more students, we're building things that we do not need. We need to learn to prioritize. Ask why closing prisons and taxing oil companies were in the demands??!
And even on the Senate meeting that will determine OUR education, we, as students, cannot give inputs. So tell me, what should we do for you to REALLY LISTEN what our opinions and demands are?
Thursday, December 3, 2009
The City of Neighborhoods
Here in San Francisco, hippies movement started. Proclaiming love for everyone, San Francisco hosted the Love Fest this year and drew a crowd of people from all over the country. This city has strong grassroots movements in which Ross Mirkarimi, a member of the Green Party, was appointed to represent District 5, one of the most diverse districts ethnically speaking.
San Francisco is also known as "a city of neighborhoods" in which two distinct neighborhoods are separated by only a street between them. Take Geary Boulevard for example. Japantown is at the North of Geary Boulevard while Fillmore or the so-called Harlem of the West is at the South of the street. San Francisco has the largest Chinatown in the United States. It has a large population of foreign-born as well as parents or grandparents who are foreign-born. I can quite confidently say if you ask someone randomly about where their parents or grandparents are from, they will answer something other than San Francisco or the United States.
San Francisco is also known as "a city of neighborhoods" in which two distinct neighborhoods are separated by only a street between them. Take Geary Boulevard for example. Japantown is at the North of Geary Boulevard while Fillmore or the so-called Harlem of the West is at the South of the street. San Francisco has the largest Chinatown in the United States. It has a large population of foreign-born as well as parents or grandparents who are foreign-born. I can quite confidently say if you ask someone randomly about where their parents or grandparents are from, they will answer something other than San Francisco or the United States.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
In San Francisco, Being Crazy is Good
I remembered a few semesters ago, my classmates and I as international students in San Francisco were discussing about how San Francisco was probably the most Americanized city in the United States despite of the insanely liberal label attached on it.
San Francisco is truly a unique city that represents most values that Americans said to be the heart of the country. It has such an incredible amount of support for the First Amendment.
It provides a place full of tolerance and diversity for everyone. People may disagree with gay marriage to a certain extent but it is important to be kept in mind if who someone married to is no other people's business. People may believe if many San Franciscans are being "unpatriotic" when they opposed the Iraq war. Many reasons make you believe that San Francisco will go down. You think it will go down but I do not share the same thinking. I actually sympathize San Franciscans for fighting their sole battle against the rigidness of rules and the message of hates.
San Francisco has been singled out by other Americans for being flexible and diverse and tolerance. People say San Francisco should just declare their own independence because San Franciscans are so different. San Franciscans are not "Americans." People described San Francisco as crazy and chaotic. However, if crazy means you are a pacifist and chaotic means that the city will tolerate other people's beliefs and options about what to do with their own lives, then, please, I would like to be called as "crazy" too.
San Francisco
Dec. 2nd, 09
11:03 pm
San Francisco is truly a unique city that represents most values that Americans said to be the heart of the country. It has such an incredible amount of support for the First Amendment.
It provides a place full of tolerance and diversity for everyone. People may disagree with gay marriage to a certain extent but it is important to be kept in mind if who someone married to is no other people's business. People may believe if many San Franciscans are being "unpatriotic" when they opposed the Iraq war. Many reasons make you believe that San Francisco will go down. You think it will go down but I do not share the same thinking. I actually sympathize San Franciscans for fighting their sole battle against the rigidness of rules and the message of hates.
San Francisco has been singled out by other Americans for being flexible and diverse and tolerance. People say San Francisco should just declare their own independence because San Franciscans are so different. San Franciscans are not "Americans." People described San Francisco as crazy and chaotic. However, if crazy means you are a pacifist and chaotic means that the city will tolerate other people's beliefs and options about what to do with their own lives, then, please, I would like to be called as "crazy" too.
San Francisco
Dec. 2nd, 09
11:03 pm
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