So what has Marie learnt about America in her first week here?

Hmm…let’s see.

1. People are allowed to eat food right next to a swimming pool and *gasp* drink while sitting inside a hot-tub. (They are anal about swimming pools in Singapore. You cannot even bring a bottle of water anywhere 5 feet round the pool without being told off).

2. Rather than squirmishly not touch any of the lost & found items that aren’t yours, (some) Americans would rummage through them and try on crazy random stuff to ham it up for the camera.

3. This is how (some, e.g. Andrew, Pat’s cousin) American, Florida surfer/skater boys wear their jeans–low-waist till butt crack is shown, torn at the ass, and commando style!

4. This is how (some) American boys sit in their dad’s SUV–with their feet sticking outta the car, completely masking the rear-view mirror.

5. This is how you skateboard…or pretend this is how you skateboard.

6. One can sit out in the garden under the sun without sweating up a storm and sweltering under the humidity and pick a fruit straight off the tree and eat it fresh.

7. This is the right way to pose for a picture.

8. Salad dressings are named after you (if your name is Marie).

9. Watermelons are as big as the size of your torso…and be really disappointingly unsweet.

10. The variety of ice-cream flavors in America is decadently awesome.

11. There is good Singaporean food (hokkien mee, satay, curry chap chye and char kuay teow for lunch, yum yum) to be found–at the Straits Cafe in Palo Alto where my brother works.

12. Singapore burgers are inferior compared to Jack-in-the-Box and In-and-Out burgers.

13. Krispy Kreme donuts can be inhaled 3 at a time…easily.

14. Clubbing at 111 Minna can be pretty dang fun.

My education has been less severe…

1. I learnt how to wear a sarong that Pat bought me. My brother demonstrates here…with plastic slippers on the professional carpet cleaner gave us when he came to shampoo the carpet.

2. Patriotism can be found at a street fair on a pin that can be put on your hat…even when you are completely against the policies of your prez.

Tis been a great week. Comin’ up next, East Coast, after a weekend cabin stay by the Russian River.

I love NY too! NYC, here we come! (on Monday!)

Man, I did a lot this weekend. I will have pictures up soon. But lemme get to the main point first–my beautiful new iPod.

Well, I bought it last week and haven’t had the time to fiddle with it, leaving it unopened for 8 days. Finally had the time last night and got my brother to finally clean-slate my clogged laptop, installed Windows XP, bought a firewire, installed the iPod software, and have been spending the day deliriously ripping delicious music into my sweet li’ll kelPod.

Paul van Dyk’s ‘The Politics of Dancing’ is blasting right now. I’ll be dancing like crazy to him live this Saturday night. I now have at least 10 cds in my iPod and I will have many more to go.

Ohhh….you smooth, sweet, slick, white hard-drive! You are so worth the effort. I’m in love.

My best friend…yes I am aware that the term "best friend" is so primary/grade school. But I am true to the definition of "best friend" here because she truly is. We’ve known each other all our lives since our fathers were great friends as well. Have always bonded deeply even though we have completely different personalities. We call each other "bitch" (with a Singlish "beeech" enunciation). She’s the kindest and nicest soul I know, ever and I’m blessed to have someone like her in my life. We can not see each other for years and not have to communicate for eons but the moment we meet again, it’s non-stop yabbering…and I think she’s wonderful. One of those people that nobody can dislike, truly. One of those people I have so much to learn from.

So my best friend flies up, on her first trip beyond 1-hour-away-from-Singapore-Thailand, on her first solo trip, and she misses her connecting flight in Hong Kong and was stuck there alone for 2 nights, kicking all our parents into a frenzy. Her brother, my brother and I mostly guffaw and told her to enjoy her stay in HK. On Wednesday she finally arrives to the huge relief of the parents.

We took it easy on the first day and I had my dear brother fire up a scrumptious steak and potatoes dinner. We hit Dolores Park, Castro and the Haight the next day where we spent an obscene amount of money on clothes. Still in my chick-mode, I finally got myself the Sex and the City Season One dvd which I’ve yet to watch. Japantown next then home.

Today was awesome-r. I had my dear Berkeley buddy Alex join us for the day. It was great to see 2 of my greatest friends from 2 ends of the world getting along so well. They are the 2 people who unconsciously spew out the best, wittiest, sharpest yet simplest, most matter-of-fact quotable quotes that make me want to notebook them constantly. (The lack of examples here means that I’m kicking myself for not having a notebook ready as I’ve already forgotten those gems).

They hammed it up right away:

Marie loved Union Square:

And we sat on the grass under the sun–a big big novelty for Singaporeans, where it’s too humid to sit under a sun where the grass is always dank and icky–at Washington Square Park.

Alex was fascinated in a Chinatown store. More than Marie, he looked more the part of the curious tourist. Marie shows off a box of pork floss, a local (Singaporean) fav:

He buys 300 bags of tea "hermetically wrapped" which we show off at the Coit Tower

And we take note of the Coit statue’s excitement:

After doing the whole cheesy tourist thing at Pier 39, we walked down beautiful Embarcadero

And dropped by Natalie (Pat’s sister’s) Express store where I bought…get this…2 panties that were half off. (that sounds like a line from a joke):

This is what I love observing. This is what I call great social etiquette–peak-hour passengers automatically standing in line before the train comes. Everywhere else in the world I see people jostling to get on.

It was one of those happy larky days where the company was sweet and the weather and city enhanced that feeling of tenderness I already have for these true friends that stuck with me when it was most difficult to. And goshdarnit, I’m a lucky "beech".

"People were so ridiculous with their illusions, carrying their fool’s caps unawares, thinking their own lies opaque while everybody else’s were transparent, making themselves exceptions to everything, as if when all the world looked yellow under a lamp they alone were rosy."

George Eliot’s ‘Middlemarch–A Study of Provincial Life’ cannot be more different than colorful San Francisco. Yet, she writes about characters and actions that I observe in people around me, at times freakishly accurately. In our self-obsessed world of blogs being read, Dave-Eggers-esque biographies recognizing the recognition of narcissism, Ally Mcbealisms, Carrie Bradshawisms, Real World, The Osbournes, being watched has become part of our everyday life. Cities from Singapore to San Francisco become victim to provincial life’s watching. SF becomes a smaller city the more I spend time in it. Faces become familiar. Networks! Meetings, hi, bye, touches, smiles, I know your friend, I know your friend’s friend, didn’t I meet you last weekend at? In an atmosphere where people are used to seeing and being seen, the Rosamond-syndrome finds fertile ground to manifest: "Every nerve and muscle in Rosamond was adjusted to the consciousness that she was being looked at. She was by nature an actress of parts that entered into her physique; she even acted her own character, and so well that she did not know it to be precisely her own." She was industrious in attaining "her own standard of a perfect lady, having always an audience in her own consciousness."

Perhaps not to that much of an extent that I observe that trait in other people and *gulp* myself…so how best to spank that embarrassing trait out of us? Or is it not merely natural? To be accepted as human’s instinctive curiousity about and competitiveness with other beings of the same species living in close proximity?

Skewering kebabs (left) for the BBQ (right) in front of the Golden Gate Bridge (background) at Baker’s Beach…

…then watching a beautiful sunset

Baseball game at Pacbell Park. Giants vs Minnesota Twins. Giants lost. The Kelly Curse lives on. Every baseball game I’ve been to so far has seen a losing home team.

On the morning of San Jose’s Gay Pride Festival, I stick a flower in my boyfriend’s hair…

…and have his cousin (total Florida surf/skater duuuude) hold up the poster "Rock Out With Your Cock Out" (they are secure men)

Offbeat at Haight? Definitely…especially during the Haight Street Fair

Colorful posters:

Colorful outfits:

Colorful dancers:

Colorful hats:

You can have a head massage while you are there:

AND, I got to meet Pink Man!

I first saw him in a poster of an anti-war protest at an art gallery in Mission and someone pointed out a tiny pink man in the poster and said "that guy is everywhere" and I met him…ooh, my celebrity encounter of the week. He insisted on giving me a pinkie. I have not washed my little finger since. (kidding)

Who knows, I might end up in a website somewhere as I photograph a photographer (even looks like the same camera):

Ah, a colorful city in my colorful life!

Tiësto, Tiësto, Tiësto. I thought I grew out of your euphoric trance. I wanted to go see you only because I have fond memories: your Magik, Vol. 7: Live in Los Angeles [LIVE] cd was the first techno/trance album I bought and gotten obsessed with. I almost coped out going to see you when a stupid mosquito bit me on my left eyelid making it swell. Thankfully Ian insisted on me going and I just slapped on my ratty pair of jeans and threw on a top and said fuck it, whatever, I’m not gonna bother being vain tonight, just gonna go makeup-less and dressed-upless and swollen eyed. Then there was a huge jam on the Bay Bridge. Then we couldn’t find parking anywhere near the club. Then we had to pay 30 bucks to get in. Then the place was horribly ventilated and as more and more people packed into the club, I, the frequent clubber who loves crowds of hot sweaty bodies jamming to the music, started to feel stifled and almost claustrophobic. Then 2am came and went and you still were not at the decks yet. And then I started to regret making my way down.

And then you came on. And rocked my world. I was 100% sober but I danced like I was high as a kite. You went into harder darker progressive house than one would normally expect from you and I loved it. My feet are horribly blistered right now and my body’s aching like crazy. Maybe I’m masochistic, but Tiësto, Tiësto, Tiësto, you were sooo worth it.

I now look forward to Paul van Dyk again on the 21st.

(ooohh, I’ve been neglecting my blog baby)

"Dear Lord: The gods have been good to me…everything is absolutely perfect just the way it is" Homer Simpson

Something about being so happy with my life right now that makes me feel uncomfortably content. In the course of the semester, I have fatigue and frustration from exams and papers due to inject my actually very glorious living with necessary fits of angst. With summer vacation, not only has the weather been paradise perfect, my life has been sprinkled with delicious do-nothing days of reading ‘Middlemarch’ at the beach, BBQ-ing at the beach, sunsets, reading ‘Middlemarch’ in bed, going to the movies, strolling in the park, reading ‘Middlemarch’ at cafes, driving around the city, baseball games, home-cooked candle-lit dinners, house parties, splish-splashing in the sun (and getting an awesome tan with the exercise), reading ‘Middlemarch’, going crazy-clubbing (Tiesto tonight! Union Street festival tomorrow afternoon! 4 hour Spesh tomorrow night! Haight Street fair Sunday afternoon! The End Up Sunday night!)…it’s an indulgent life that one (especially a 22 year old idle college girl) cannot but indulge in.

But
"He had two selves within him apparently, and they must learn to accomodate each other and bear reciprocal impediments. Strange that some of us, with quick alternate vision, see beyond our infatuations and even while we rave on the heights, behold the wide plain where our persistent self pauses and awaits us." -George Eliot on Lydgate, Middlemarch

I made brownies for the first time today. I am now an accomplished woman. (So what if it was the instant from-the-box kind?)

In exchange, I will get a 25 minute ("however long it takes for you to make the brownies") massage.

Fair trade. Melikes.

Douglas brought me to my first Costco visit yesterday. You can get anything there–from batteries to blueberries to boxers. Mayonnaise in 72 ounce tubs. Massive quantities of stuff stuff stuff. Fat America. Land of the plenty. Chronic over-supply. It all comes to life. Costco is a true American experience for the non-American.

Watched Coldplay at the Shoreline. We had a prime spot at the very front of the lawn-area. All the better for me to, in front of hundreds of people, whack my head hard (there was actually heard an "oooo…" gasp rippling through the proximate crowd) against some metal bar thing as I stood up to go to the restroom while waiting for concert to start. Coldplay was good but I thought the lead singer’s interaction with the crowd was kinda staged. Apparently he’s made the same jokes/lines when they last played at the Greek theatre about a year ago. I still like their famous songs ‘Clocks’, ‘Trouble’ and ‘Yellow’ though. Too bad I wasn’t familiar with the rest of the songs. All in all a good evening of live music, worth my 36 bucks. I enjoyed more the experience of driving to watch an outdoor concert, dealing with the traffic and crowds, the blankets on the lawn, chilling with friends, cold beer, overpriced food, watching the crowd and the clouds of weed smoke. I’m in California.