San Francisco's Ghost of Christmas Future?

Union Square during the holidays is a magical place. An 80 foot Christmas tree stands high in the middle of the square surrounded by tourists, locals, and quirky characters spreading holiday cheer.

Is this the ghost of Christmas Future?

Or is this a ghost from my nightmare?

 

Chicken Shit Bingo and other fun things I did in Austin, Texas

Austin to me was like stepping back in time to the 1950's. I found it very retro, funky, cool, and still very Texas with their southern hospitality. We enjoyed a long weekend with friends and here's what we did!

 

 

Chicken Shit Bingo!

I couldn't save the best for last. This was the absolute highlight of Austin. Dive bar, $2 Longhorn beers, a chicken name Stella, Ginny Dogs, the infamous country singer Dale Watson, equals the best Sunday of all time.

We arrived at Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon early to get a good seat. Slowly the crowd rolled in. Old timers, weekly patrons, and newcomers filed in to get a glimpse of Chicken Shit Bingo. Starting at 4pm, Dale Watson plays some old honky tonk to get the crowd dancing.  After selling out all of the bingo tickets, sweet ol Ginny brings in Stella the chicken. In the rear of the bar on a pool table is a large bingo card enclosed with a chicken fence. Everyone gathers around, snapping photos, and waiting for that magical moment when Stella takes a shit. It doesn't take that hen long and the crowd goes crazy. Honestly, if I were Stella and all those people were hootin' and hollerin', I'd crap my pants too! Lucky number 34 is awarded $114. Tradition is to use that money to buy everyone a round of $2 Longhorn beers. Unfortunately this was her first rodeo and she gave the money to her mom for her birthday. 

 Stella looks uncomfortable

We got the dress code memo

 

Oh My God, What Is That Noise? 

Bats!

Every night from March to early November, 1.5 MILLION Mexican free-tail bats emerge from underneath the Congress Avenue Bridge. We chose to walk down near the water for our viewing pleasure. As we got closer to the bridge, we could hear this strange chirping echoing from underneath. It's a sound from your nightmares. Slowly as night falls, one...two...three...then 1.5 million bats take flight at around 60+ miles per hour! They are tiny cute little things and so worth seeing!

 

Once Upon A Time There Lived A Food Truck

Austin is known for food trucks, food carts, and food trailers. This is where it all began. You simply cannot drive far without spotting one nestled in a parking lot or an abandoned lot. They are everywhere and offer the best cheap eats! And by cheap eats I mean $3 to $4! The cuisine can vary from taco's, to BBQ, to a vegan bakery, and even Japanese crepes. With over 1,400 trucks, the choices are really endless. 

I enjoyed the taco's so much that I wanted to eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Everytime I was asked what type of food I was hungry for, my answer was always TACO's! These little pieces of heaven were made with a corn tortilla, black beans, sweet potatoes, and siriracha, just to name a memorable one. Some trailers were on the fancy side and some were, well, an old Airstream. 

Photos courtesy of Yasuyoshi Sakamoto

 

Confession: I Love Beer

My Austin friends love beer and they know I do as well. Jester King Brewery was the perfect place to take me to. As we drove out of city limits and into Texas Hill Country, I couldn't help but notice the rolling hills and lush trees. Still in Texas? Yup! Pulling into the brewery, we drive down a dirt road and find a distant parking spot in the tall grass. The authentic farmhouse turned brewery is set up on a hill surrounded by people drinking delicious beer sitting on picnic tables, kids playing catch, and dogs lounging in the grass enjoying the day. This is Texas and I love it! You can grab a glass, walk around the huge property, explore the tasting room, and eat pizza.

photo courtesy of tasytouring.com

Why I Like Talk To Strangers And You Should Too

Strolling through the art fair across from the Ferry Building in San Francisco, we stopped to check out some hand crafted bracelets. Within seconds the artist, a cheerful middle aged man, had them on our wrists ready for a sale. Looking down to his hand I noticed we had the same tattoo, which is the Om symbol.

"Hey we have the same tattoo!" I exclaimed.

"Oh ya, this was done in Bombay around 73' after we came out of an opium den." He said nonchalantly and continued fitting our wrist's with the perfect size bracelet.

The excitement filled every cell in my body and I needed to know more!

"What was this opium den like? How long were you in India? What were you doing there?" I simply could not get enough questions out as I started to feel a little embarrassed. 

After he graduated from college in Munich, he and some friends decided to go to India with no money. They chose the "hippie trail", which went through Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other middle eastern countries. He stayed in India for a few years and to this day cannot believe he did that!

As we were walking away he yelled, "Go see the world!"

"She already is!" my friend yelled back.

For days I could not stop thinking about this encounter. His travel story was so exotic, exciting, and thrilling to me. For a moment I was there too, in India, smoking opium in 1973.

I do believe that every single person has a story to share. It may not take place in some far away land, as adventures do happen in our back yards, but it will transport you to another place and time. Ask, listen, be friendly, and open up yourself.

Sunday Morning Trivia-San Francisco

Sunday Morning Trivia

Can you guess where this was taken in San Francisco?

 

Gion Kyoto

One thing I really wanted to do was walk around Gion, which is the famous geisha district. Our taxi driver told us to arrive between 5:30pm and 6:30pm to catch a glimpse of a geiko (geisha) or a maiko (geiko apprentice). We strolled along the narrow streets lined with restaurants, shops, and ochaya (teahouse). We were alone down an alley when Yasu spotted one! I felt like we spotted a celebrity. He was able to take a few photos but unfortunately not of her face. It was still exhilarating. 

Kyoto Love part 2

The Bamboo Forest in Kyoto

 

Rub this stone and make a wish. It will come true within a year.

 

 Arashiyama is a district located just outside of Kyoto. This area is more rural and less touristy. This great rickshaw driver gave us a ride around. He plays American style football so this is part of his training. In the immense heat he never tired. When I asked what he ate to keep up with this rigorous job he replied "not much". He was so polite, funny, and happy! 

 Kinkaku-ji is a Japanese Zen Buddhist Temple that dates back to 1397. In 1950 the villa was burned down by a 22 year old monk who attempted suicide behind the building. When this was rebuilt, gold was used to purify any negative thoughts and feelings towards death.

I Love Kyoto Part 1

Kyoto is everything you would imagine old Japan to be like. It was truly beautiful and magical. This was the only major city that was spared from the bombs of World War II. 

We took the Shinkansen bullet train, which took about 2.5 hours. This train travels around 198 miles per hour. I really couldn't tell because it was such a smooth and quiet ride.

Sanjusangendo Hall

by Zdzichooo 

Sanjusangendo is one of the most amazing temple's I've ever seen. The photos do not do it justice. As we entered the 120 meter long hall, 1,001 wooden statues stand the entire length. In front of these statues are 28 guardian deities, which are National Treasures. You will be in complete awe of this sight.

Resting from the heat

Kiyomizu Temple

Founded in 798, this temple's main hall was constructed over a cliff. Walking up the narrow road you will notice many little shops and food stores. The view from the hall is breathtaking.  There was a time during the Edo period that if you jumped off the the stage and survived the 13m jump, your wish would be granted. This is now unfortunately prohibited.

 

 

You could say it was a little warm hence the sweat rolling down.

Tokyo Day 2

Tokyo Day 2

Today Yasu spent the day with his grandparents so his mother and other grandmother gave me a tour of the city. They rented a tour taxi with an english speaking driver. The driver use to be a journalist for sports and politics who has traveled around the world. I asked which country was his favorite and he said Afghanistan before the war because of its beauty. His photographer and him were arrested there because they took some photographs they weren't suppose to. His knowledge of Japanese history helped me understand and appreciate so much of what I was seeing.

 Meiji Jungu Shrine

This Shinto shrine opened in 1920. On New Year's Eve more than 2 million people come here to usher in the new year.  The entry gate of the shrine is built of cypress more than 1,700 years old. 

We were able to witness a wedding ceremony taking place here. Mind you the weather was unbearably hot and humid. 

 

Sky Tree

The Sky Tree is a broadcasting and observation tower that is earthquake resistant. In 2010 it became the 2nd tallest structure in the world. If you wondering about that gold blob, that is the Asahi Beer Hall. The locals call it the golden turd when it's actually suppose to represent the burning heart of Asahi Beer.

Photo shoot

It is tradition for a couple getting married to have professional photos taken prior to the wedding. Since we got married last February, my husband's mother and grandmother wanted us to have these photos taken. When I arrived I chose 2 kimonos and 1 western style wedding dress to wear. My hair and makeup was done for me also. The makeup was so thick and heavy I almost didn't recognize myself. Being a little shy this process was uncomfortable for me but I had to set all those feelings aside. This was a big deal for them as we were the first to be married in the family.

The ladies thought I looked like Ariel from The Little Mermaid because of my red hair.

I believe I was wearing almost 10 layers to look "fat". I never imagined I would ever wear such a beautiful kimono. My waist was cinched so tight I could barely breath and felt a little lightheaded. I was imagining women wearing this everyday and how difficult it must have been. This kimono was so elegant and so much fun to wear.

More photos from our photo shoot will be posted as soon as we get the prints.