8.22.2007   two parts exaggerated

Oh man, I am bit tipsy (a bit?) and sitting at a computer. I am intoxicated, say, once every few years. And I am sitting at a computer? Such a shame, you say? Yep. My hosts have an early workday tomorrow, Ted a 7am meeting. 7am? I don’t care what they say about NYC being a 24-hour city, we aren’t morning people. Well, the city isn’t a morning being, but I am. I love the city in the early hours. It’s quiet. And slow.

And tomorrow night a dinner engagement in Palo Alto. I’m back at Heesun’s in Oakland. near Lake Merritt. They made an amazing dinner of corn, summer squash, potatoes, carrots, and pork. With a friend, Ted bought an organic, grass-fed, bike-transported cow and pig.

pig shot actually from vancouver, but nice illustration nonetheless

This required the purchase of an extra storage freezer. Heesun wasn’t too impressed. A small shift from life at Sherry’s, but there are some parallels. We drank the wine I brought them back from Sonoma. It was actually from Napa, from a vineyard I’ve always liked and when it turned out to be really tasty, I helped Ted drink it. Heesun isn’t drinking at the moment. Stay tuned for photo additions, assuming I could focus at the time.

The shift from Heesun’s to Sherry’s and back is interesting, as it highlights two huge parts of myself (exaggerated) that don’t always jive. Heesun, with her stunning place, amazing food, impressive education and career, and, of course, well-swathed self. Her husband isn’t chopped pork liver, either. Sheherezade, with her love of the earth, amazing knowledge, ideals, and life experiences all applied directly to how she lives her life. She had such an effect on me that at H&Ts we composted all day, instead of trashed. It felt good. Perhaps it does all mesh together somehow.

I'd quite like to do a photo comparison of the two parts exaggerated, but I'm not sure the pork dinner pics are good. I don't shoot well when tipsy.

Another amazing feat of Sherry’s: She uses a 6 oz. arrowhead mills cereal bag as her trash receptacle. It is tiny. From Friday night to Tuesday night, she’d filled it less that a quarter full, and more than half of that was mine (e.g. tea bags I’d yet figured to compost—cheers to her for not telling me I should).

Tonight I was troubled by the similarity of the words “antidote” and “anecdote,” so much so I decided the first couldn’t possibly be so.

It was amazingly gorgeous driving back from the north bay yesterday, over the Golden Gate into San Francisco. Shockingly beautiful.

8.25.07

Tonight I leave the bay and begin the vacation part of my trip. Hotels. A new place. Still with dear olds, but a change nonetheless. I’m way behind on the photo editing. Check back for snaps.

8.26.07

Vancouver is really lovely. Alys has put me up in what purports to be a trendy boutique hotel. It’s nice enough, but a bit strange. The showerhead comes straight out of the ceiling, at no angle. This looks cool, but it means that the water comes straight down on one’s head, and to get one’s figure wet, the head must be directly under stream as well. It’s unpleasant. In the attempt to balance the two parts exaggerated, I do ask myself how swank we have to be. How much lux is necessary when most people live in poverty and the planet is raped for our convenience and luxury? Alys just picked up the Elite Traveller: the private jet lifestyle magazine sitting on the end table and said, “oh heavens, how much money do you have to have for this? It’s just gross.” Timely and well said.

Alys is here from London shooting the Time Out Vancouver guide, and I’ve come to meet her and have a look around. We walked around town today shooting, her for the guide, me for fun. It was quite fun, too, as I saw stuff for her shoot list that we’d never have sought out as casual visitors. I haven’t shot a guide in about five years, and it’s more fun when it’s not my work. I probably won’t use the photos for anything, or look at them much after I do an edit (quick, before school starts) and post them, but it was great fun shooting with her. I wouldn’t have guessed it at all, given my odd relationship to my cameras of late. And it will be good fun to see her results when it’s published. She’s a brilliant photog and has really made a go of it. She was a PDN ‘one to watch’ this year.

I love the city. It’s pretty and friendly and gorgeous. There’s a sense that the people here care about people, and I like that. I’d always heard it was lovely, but I thought it’d be Toronto lovely (small). The water and mountains and nature and city all feel vast and well-proportioned here. Many of the taxis are Prius hybrids. Very clever.

Setting up August seemed such a nightmare, but it’s worked out beautifully well on it’s own, in spite of my concerns and attempts to plan this and that, here and there. So much time spent with friends. So lucky!!

Photos soon.

Much love,
Anna