César Chávez Day at San Francisco

This Friday was holiday because of Ceasar Chaves Day, so I went to Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco to update my passport, which was about to expire in a couple of month, by car. This was the first time I went San Francisco by my car. I needed to pay $6 to go through the bridge from Auckland to San Francisco.

Downtown was so busy, there were so many car, and some taxis were suddenly cutting in line of traffic jam.

Anyway, I finished the procedure of updating my passport, then I stopped by a cafe, Peet's Coffee & Tea. I have actually never heard this cafe, but it seems there are some stores in San Francisco.

I found Muracci's Japanese Curry & Grill, a Japanese Curry restaurant, near Peet's cafe. Because I have not eaten a Japanese curry for a while, I was so excited! I arrived at the restaurant after complicated streets. I ordered a Katsu curry, a fried pork on the rice, with the medium spicy. It is also called the cutlet in French-English. It was good even though I felt a little bit Indian curry spice.

After quick lunch, I headed to Embarcadero, the bay side fresh food market. I found a raw oyster and a raw clam outside the front of a fish store, I challenged both. It was fresh and yummy!!

With the full of stomach, I went to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), which was smaller than that in New York city, and bought some souvenir.

The next stop after walking around was Leonidas, the Belgian chocolate shop,  and I  drank a hot chocolate. It was sweet enough, not too sweet.

I walked through Yerba Buena Garden, too. It was well organized and that buildings were modern and clean. There were many countries food restaurants inside.

I went through Japan town before leaving San Francisco, and then I also went through UC Barkley before going home. The campus of UC Barkley was very big and beautiful. There are so many organized shop and restaurants as well around campus. That campus town would attract many potential students.

I arrived at my home around 10 pm. I was about to fall asleep a couple of times during driving, Red Bull helped me a little while though.

Yet I learned that driving in San Francisco need advanced level driving technique to drive smoothly, so I prefer using train and subway.

Enchiladas Eel Mar

Basically, I don't like Mexican food so much. But I went to an Mexican restaurant,  Las Casuelas, and ate Enchiladas Del Mar, which is a kind of a fried shrimp food. It was very much better than expected. I was completely full.

John's Incredible Pizza

I have an assignment that I need to go anywhere local business place such as a tourist spot, a restaurant, a theme park, or something unique place, and then I have to research about the business style in terms of the marketing.

My group of class decided to go a buffet-attraction place named John's Incredible Pizza where there is the pizza buffet and the arcade games and rides in one building.

 In the buffet area, there were 20 types of pizza, and those taste good. Of course, there are the salad bar, the dessert counter, and the ice cream server. An interest thing was that there were several types of themed rooms such as Hawaiian, Canadian, Cartoon's, and Sport.

In the arcade games and rides area, there were so many game machines and some compact rides, mostly for kids. I did a dance step game the Dance Dance Revolution, which I have not done since I was in middle school. It was so hard! I was sweating. 

Main target would be kids, so there were so many kids and their family. Because it was Sunday, people were in line at the entrance counter.
Anyway, it was nice experience!

2 new cities

On my free Saturday, I went to two new cities, Mercedo and Livingston, for just exploring. In Mercedo, there is a shopping mall but it was smaller than expected.
And then I stopped by a McDonald's store and finished my homework.
In Livingstone, I just stopped by Starbucks located near the freeway.

Both cities are not bigger than expected, so I probably won't visit there unless special reasons...

A result of an exam

I got 96% on an exam! Yay!! The professor said the class average was over 60%
I confirmed that Asian students, like me, are better at a certain subject than American student.

Facebook for job interview

As you know, many company have begun seeing a Facebook page of job candidates. According to an article that I found in the Modestobee  (paper ver.), some American companies have been trying to get job candidate's Facebook password! It surprised me. So scary!! I don't wanna show my private information to just working place.

These are some example article related to this case below.

"Facebook warns employers not to demand passwordsRead more here"

"Employers ask job seekers for Facebook passwordsRead more here"

"Employers asking job seekers for Facebook passwordsRead more here"

"Extra patrol yields arrest in burglary at Navy man's homeRead more here"


Be ware...

Sushi Garden II

I got a full score on a quiz even though it consists of "-1" and "+1 from the Bonus Question."


By the way, I clearly remember there are some Sushi Garden in Arizona.

While there is Sushi Garden (maybe this is "ONE") in the next city, there is Sushi Garden II near our campus. My friends of the international club and I went there as a "local night" dinner. Because many students on campus recommended the restaurant, I had expected a really nice Japanese food and had been excited before going.

Actually, it was good. I ate Sashimi Combo, which is sliced fish dish with a cup of rice and a cup of Miso soup. I had thought Sashimi is not fresh but it was better than expected.

There were some Japanese staff, and I talked to one of them in Japanese. It was also nice for me.

Anyway, I was happy that my friends liked Japanese food.

visiting LA

To meet my friends, I headed to LA. I first went to Sacrament International Airport right after a midterm exam. It was a foggy day, and there was a long traffic jam on the free way. I parked my car at the economic parking area of the airport. My flight was about one and half a hour. When I arrived at LAX, so many people were waiting for picking up in front of the airport gate.

My friend picked me up, and we went to a Ramen restaurant as dinner. The Ramen restaurant is Jinya. There were Yokohama Shoyu, Hakata, and Kyoto Tonkotsu as main three flavors. I choose Kyoto while my friend Yokohama Shoyu.  It was really good!! It was like a authentic Japanese food! I was really impressed and happy!  :D

We stayed a house of my friends' aunt. It was big enough. A dog barked to me because I'm a stranger from his eye.

Next day was totally rain. We had planed to go to Six Flag but we couldn't because of the weather. Instead, we went to Yoshinoya, which is a famous Japanese beef bowl restaurant. I have not eaten the beef bowl since I was in Japan. Because there is no Yoshinoya in Arizona, I could't taste it when I was there. The taste of beef on the beef bowl was almost same as Japanese one. It was good.

After brunch, we went to an outlet mall. We spent about four hours for shopping. Only stuff I bought was a shoes of Merrell.

We went to Thai restaurant as well. I did not know almost all meals which my friends choose. Those were really nice even though those foods were a little bit spicy. Anyway, I was happy because I could try new foods and those were so delicious :P

When we went back home, a dog, which barked last night, came to me and licked a lot.


The last day, Sunday, we went to a house of my friend's aunt. We talked for a while, and then stopped by a cake shop that the friend's aunt recommended.

The cakes were beautiful and tasted very good :P

My friend dropped me off at LAX and went back home respectively.

Even though we were not able to go any fancy places, I felt it was good time for us.

Local Italian

In my opinion, Villa Napoli Restaurant, a Italian restaurant, is the best restaurant around my city. Tortellini Romana, a pasta I ate last time, was awesomely good!!

IFF

A midterm exam was done! Actually, I was so nervous because this is the first time I take a comprehensive test, not mathematical or mere English test. I studied a little yesterday. Fortunately, 80% of questions were the multiple question, so it is not hard for me to answer, but remaining was an essay type question that I had to describe the definition of a specific term with some examples as my answer.

Also, there was a new experience to me. I have never heard student had better bring their own answer sheet which is like a mark sheet. But, in the class I took the test, every students brought their own answer sheet to the class, so I did so as well.

Now, I'm studying for another exam. I found an expression which is...
"if and only if..."
The meaning is that there is possible only under the circumstance. I've never heard this expression before. I learn something new everyday...

Vietnamese noodle ”Pho”

I have a palate. You have a gustation. These words are related to a sense of taste. The sense of taste sometimes changes.

I had not actually liked Vietnamese food before came here, the U.S. because I like neither a cilantro leaf (coriander) nor fish oil. However, my sense of taste toward Vietnamese food has changed after I ate Pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup, at Miss Saigon in Tucson in Arizona by my friends' urging. Now I say I like Vietnamese food, especially Pho.

FYI, The restaurant is still popular especially among my Asian friends.

Anyway, I went to a Vietnamese restaurant, named Phoenix Noodle House, with my friends of the international club for dinner. The interior of the restaurant is pretty neat and bigger than expected. Of course, I ordered a Pho because I haven't eaten it since I left Arizona. 

The Pho's taste was awesomely good!! It was as delicious as that of Miss Saigon for almost same price. Even though I orederd Large size, the dish was really huge, which is not only bigger than that of Miss Saigon but also much more huge than expected! I was really satisfied. Anytime good food mekes me happy ;P

A Way of Argument

I have learned somewhat how to write an argumentative essay so far. When I was writing an essay as a class assignment, that reminded me a way of argument.

People basically agree or disagree with a controversial idea. If you are against your opponents and want to convince them, you could show some proof or evidence supporting your idea, or show good reasons why you agree with your idea. Also, you would explain how it is logical and might demonstrate how it is rational. Otherwise, you could never change your opponents' idea.

Yet sometimes people use another way to let their argument done. Its word is "It depends on a person." This word does not mean that you accept your opponents' idea. Rather, it even shows you even the idea that you don't agree.

I had an experience that I felt such a non-good argument with my friend.

Let's say the friend is X for this example. X had a habit to start saying "No" or "But" when starting a conversation.

Negative words such as "No " or "But" means a complete denial. However, if those words are used with good explanation, the whole argument would be a strong affirmation.

In X's case, when X could not explain enough to convince me and still I against X's idea, X just said "It's OK. I understand you because people grew up in different environments and in different societies or cultures. So the way of thinking is different. It depends on a person." Actually, not only like a agree-disagree arguments but also when she excuse her fault, she said "People have different value of thinking. You can understand me because you're just different from me." What a hell ruining word!!

When I first heard this word, I felt very awkward because it looked like X tried to avoid our argument or shift the issue to another point. If X avoided from my counterargument, it meant X gave up to convince me and just tried to mention only what X wanted to say or X's idea with ignoring my idea.

Of course, people have different idea, and each person grows up in a different situation. Suppose you are said from your opponent, "I don't care your idea because  you are different form me."  Maybe you might be depressed even you prepared well about argument.

Admitting difference too much sometimes undermine a basic argument. Also, it is like a little disrespect for others.

Replying way to messages

Suppose you have over 200 friends on Facebook and receive "Happy birthday" messages from the 200 friends on your birthday.

Some people would reply "Thank you" comment to each celebratory message. This replying work means that the person who got the celebratory message replies comments at least 200 times even though each comment is short. It must take long time. This way would make a positive impression on friends and would make friends think that the person who replies treat every his or her friends highly equally. So most of the friends would feel good.

On the other hand, other people just write "Thank you all" as a replying comment to every friends who send a message at a time, which means he or she saves his or her time and energy even if the length of the replying comment is a little bit longer than the former. Friends who see the "Thank you all" comment would think "Oh, I'm just one of his (or her) 200 friends. He (or She) thinks me as not a special friend." They might feel not good(I dare to avoid using "feel bad").

This idea might not fit everyone. However, at least I feel so. That's why I reply to every single message when I receive messages on my birthday unless I'm a extremely busy (I have never been such extremely busy as slighting my friends).

Dodge ball

After weekly meeting of the international club I'm belonging, we played dodge ball  on campus. Although, the rule was a little bit different from that of Japanese, it was very fun!!

Fisherman's wharf

I went to San Francisco again to meet my old(?) friends came from Arizona. I used the BART railway again because I don't need to care about finding a parking place in downtown and I can take a rest before arriving there after one hour driving.

I've not been the Fisherman's wharf or Alcatraz since eight years ago when I stayed in LA for studying abroad for a summer vacation in 2004.

Anyway, I arrived at the Fisherman's wharf, and I met my frindnds in the morning on Saturday. They wanted to get into Alcatraz island, but the ticket had already sold out. Instead of it, we chose a cruising which goes around Alcatraz and under the Golden Gate Bridge. It was so nice! It was fine day with no cloud. Everything was shining!

After the cruising, we headed to a Spanish restaurant to eat Paella. We walked many steep ramps for 30 minutes. When we arrived the restaurant, the sign showed "Closed."  So we changed the lunch plan to go to a pizza shop. We ordered a large size pizza. It was nice and tasted good.

We stopped by an ice cream shop named Swensen's. The custard vanilla ice cream I ate was awesomely good!!

And then we went to a zigzag ramp called Lombard Street. It was way interesting! Many cars drive down quite slowly.

We took a bus to go downtown then we went to Cartoon Art Museum where there are lots of original pictures of American cartoon.

At evening when the sun was about to set, we walk near Bay Bridge to see night view. This scenery reminded me Brooklyn Bridge and buildings of Wall-street in New York city.

After walking and looking around the market near Bay Bridge, we headed to a seafood restaurant named SWISS LOUIS at PIER39.

Lastly, we went window shopping.

I used BART to go back and drove home. I arrive at my home at 1 am and went to bed soon.

Orange juice marketing

At a Marketing class, the professor gave student three type of cups, in which three different brand's orange juice are poured. And then we guessed which one has more calcium, is concentrated, is sweet, or is from Florida from A, B, and C.
In terms of taste, the cup B was most popular in our class, and C was worst.
At the end of the class, the professor showed the answer of each cup. The cup B was Tropicana. I decided to buy Tropicana next time I go to a grocery store.