harhar on Xanga

The Road Taken	"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."-Anais Nin

harhar
read my profile sign my guestbook Name: harhar Location: San Francisco, California, United States Birthday: 9/1/1984 Interests: food. Expertise: wasting time. Message: message meEmail: email me Member Since: 12/8/2002

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Friday, July 11, 2008

Doh!

oops. i feel like after my whole shpeel about 'starting fresh', i should have posted more often... i wonder how i used to update/check xanga on a DAILY basis... now it's all about f/b...although i'm not sure if i would ever post blogs (notes) on there bc there are a lot of random people that can see it. it's weird though bc pre-xanga lock/stalker tracker days, the thought of random people looking at my xanga didn't really matter... hmm..

anyway, random thought (sparked by f/b actually): it might just be me, but isn't it weird that it's easier to talk to/catch up with old acquaintances/not such good friends vs. old used to be really good friends? little things like even commenting "hey! how are you?? i miss you!" on their wall seems easier done with the former group than the latter one... so awkward... i dunno, maybe that's just me.

so the restaurant gig is going well so far and i feel like i've been learning/seeing a lot. i'm getting both front of the house experience (started hosting a couple wks ago) as well as the back end of the biz (doing analysis for marketing/operations) so it's a good mix... i'd really like to start serving soon just because i think i'd be better talking about/selling food vs. greeting/seating guests, not to mention more tips! the most humbling part about this whole experience has def. been the pay... taking such a huge paycut and leaving a (in retrospect) pretty comfortable corporate job to work in a restaurant and (hopefully) follow a passion definitely has its ups and downs. everyone always says, 'you gotta start somewhere' but in this industry, big bucks don't seem to really be in the future either...in any case, still a lot to be learned...i've been telling myself to write a blog about the things that i've learned/seen working in a restaurant that diners wouldn't realize so hopefully i will get on that soon... here's one tip though: bartenders hate when people ask them to make their drinks strong or 'easy on the ice' bc. 1) they're not trying to stiff you so it's offensive to them for you to assume they will make it weak 2) you look like a cheapass... (this is just according to the bartenders where i work.. maybe others don't really care)

oh, and um... europe trip update is still pending... there's a link on my f/b page if you want to see :D i abridged hte pictures from 1000+ to 500 to make it more manageable. hahah

till next time!

11:16 AM - 30 views - 4 eprops - 2 comments - email it

Monday, May 26, 2008

how is it possible to be "homesick" for a place that was never your home? we've watched some french movies the last couple of days (amelie again, and paris, je t'aime) and watching them made me feel sooo nostalgic and "homesick" for paris. this is what happens to me everytime i go anywhere for anything. keep me there long enough and i fall in love... sigh.

anyway, i can't bring myself to post on europe until i've developed the pictures from my disposable camera. then i can look at everything i've got and come up with a game plan to best/most efficiently describe this trip. young mentioned today that the amount of time we spent in europe and the amount of time we've been back is the same and we couldn't believe it. ok ok, this sounds super melodramatic, it was only 3 dang wks! i remember watching the hills and hearing lauren talk about how "life changing" 5 days in paris was and scoffing at her ridiculousness but i think i can understand/relate now. but the point is, the trip was wonderful and i'm taking my time to share it with everyone else...

an unrelated note - why is everyone getting engaged/married these days? craziness! i guess i've now officially hit "that age"...

oh, and tomorrow, i officially start my new stint in the restaurant industry. it's only part time and i'm getting paid beans but i'm excited to try something new and hopefully figure out if this is what i want to do with the rest of my life... wish me luck!

11:29 PM - 54 views - 6 eprops - 3 comments - email it

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

you can't erase the past..

so for the last couple of months, i was toying with the idea of switching over to a new blog space to get a fresh new start, a clean sheet of (virtual) paper to document the next/transitional stages in my life. the only thing that's been holding me back is i couldn't come up with a new name to title my blog/url. those that came immediately to mind had already been taken and others i thought of along the way came and left me before i had a chance (anyone have the screenplay for 'my blueberry nights'?) till i realized... i don't need a new blog (name) to signify a fresh start! starting on a clean sheet doesn't erase the past and if anything, the past is what got me to where i am. so here i am again, ready to start new, not necessarily with blogging bc who knows how consistent i'll be in the future, but with everything.

plus, i have those (few) loyal stalkers to think of because without them, there'd be no incentive for an attention whore like me to blog. (hey, i'm not judging, i'm the ultimate stalker)

pictures from eurotrip to come soon. 1000+ pictures = overwhelming!!

9:30 PM - 47 views - 6 eprops - 3 comments - email it

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

whoa, what's up with all these new xanga features?

so, young and i took a trip out to the big apple this past wknd... had a great time as expected and like the last time, didn't do much sight seeing but a lot of eating and playing. the weather was pretty cold ("arctic cold" was the forecast) but luckily no rain or snow! unfortunately for me, i somehow managed to lose my camera our last night there (sober!) and so besides the 1 or 2 pictures other people have (i'm the camera whore of the group), no pictures from this trip. i'm hoping that it'll show up in the depths of grace's closet somewhere or the cab company will have found it. this is my 4th camera in the past 4 years and like i say each time - the camera is replaceable but the pictures aren't. sad news bears for me.

anyway, since i can't recap with pictures, here are some highlights of the trip (or what we ate ahah):

Friday: Lombardi's, shopping in Soho, dinner @ Pearl Oyster Bar, drinks at PS 450, W Hotel in Time Square, and Po Cha in "KBlock". Late night street gyro snack.

Saturday: Lunch/Dinner @ Joe's Shanghai, Dinner/Drinks with the Cal alums at Kenko's @ St. Mark's Place, Bar Hopping, 3rd Floor Cafe (ahha), then more street gyros.

Sunday: Brunch @ Alice's Tea Cup, Shopping and Central Park, Dinner @ Momofuku Ssam Bar (yum!!), Dessert @ Max Brenner's, late night pizza delivery

Monday: Lunch @ Kashkavel (Fondue.. yum), Bloomingdales

it was good to see all the familiar faces and great to try some of the places i've been dying to visit... i'm so hungry right now, i wish i had a pork steamed bun from momofuku or a pizza pie from lombardi's right now... or some of that burrata cheese that's sitting in my fridge... gahhh.

3:01 PM - 22 views - 2 eprops - 1 comment - email it

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Holiday Gluttony!

it's already december and i've been getting fatter and my wallet's been getting skinnier because of all of the fun holiday festivities. seriously, i absolutely LOVE this time of year and i'm sad that there's only a couple more weeks left. i feel so blessed and happy to have such great friends and family to celebrate this precious time with... and celebrate, we have been! in the last month, there have been multiple thanksgiving dinners, double dosage of christmas parties and gift exchanges, double dating with fun friends, lots of food and booze, A Christmas Carol and hot chocolate around the christmas tree... goood times.

before all the fun holiday stuff kicked off, we had to say goodbye (for now) to Brian who moved to NYC...

11.13: Goodbye Dinner @ Circolo

Group shot!

11.16: Farewell Party @ Dragon Bar

"Guys wear ties!"

girls!

bye, brian! we miss you!

11.17: Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner @ Christina and Steve's.

Chris and Steve went ALL out with this dinner - SO much delicious food, actual seating arrangements, tons of wine, and a nice new condo to host it all. yay for friends who are awesome cooks/hosts!

Some of my faves:

Galbi Jjim. SO freaking tender and delicious!

Turkey, brined overnight and stuffed with herbs

horseradish coleslaw "to cut the fat"

not pictured: roasted butternut squash, parsnip, potato, stuffing, yukon gold mashed potatos, brussel sprouts with pancetta

the lovely hostess/host aka married couple

grubbin'

pies galore! all homemade!

11.27.07: Thanksgiving!!

Pre-dinner wine and cheese with Chris and his gf, Nam-Hee.

Thanksgiving at Linda's with the fam! yum yum!

11.28: Double-date at Disneyland with Grace and Kenny!

Drinks @ Heat's afterwards

12.1.07: Double-date with Christina and Steve @ Chapeau!/John Collins

12.8.07: East Bay Holiday Party 2007!

TONs of food (leftovers for DAYs), white elephant gift exchange, ornament decorating, gingerbread friend decorating, fun times!

some of the highlights:

menu: mixed greens, stuffing, balsamic chicken, mashed potatos, baked pasta, asparagus and mushrooms, cornbread, butternut squash gratin, ponzu beef, rib roast and mushroom madeira sauce, pigs in a blanket, cheese, fruit tart, and pumpkin cheesecake.

i'm so proud of this rib roast! yay!!

young's homemade fruit tart - SO GOOD! can you believe that? he made this all by himself!

my plate

notice anything funny? hehe ant brought cut outs of brian, jenn, and dave's heads so they could join us for the party. we miss you guys! <3

12.15.07: 2007 Pimpin' Drinking' Gift Exchangin' Party @ the Union Square Suite in the Westin St. Francis.

so Scott's dad totally hooked it up and we had a 2 bedroom, 3 bathroom, top floor suite at the Westin St. Francis. probably the nicest room i have ever stayed in. food, booze, gifts, drunken debauchery, friends, GREAT time!!

this is what happens to those who pass out first... haha (that's me under there in case you couldn't tell) HBNS.

Happy Holidays, everyone!!

Currently Listening
A Charlie Brown Christmas
By Vince Guaraldi, Peanuts (Related Recordings)
see related

6:40 AM - 31 views - 8 eprops - 3 comments - email it

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