Manhattan, Meh

I'd always loved New York. All the museums, bars, and restaurants in Manhattan. Its diverse population. Even the attitude. Every time I went I fell a little more in love and dreamed about relocating there someday.

But this extended trip changed my view.

It was cold but not cold enough. Rainy but didn't snow. Crowded and lit but not festive. "Sale sale" everywhere but I didn't want to buy. It felt harsh and rushed and you could see the weathered look in people's faces.

The travel to and from was also a drag, especially the inbound flight. I thought I'd boarded Day Care Central - so many screaming, crying babies on the plane that I had to throw my coat over my head to block out it all.

Things started looking up as soon as I landed in San Francisco, however. On the drive home, the Sun was shining, no traffic on the freeway, air was cool and crisp - we're called the Golden State for a reason!

For once, I'm deeply grateful I live in San Francisco and not New York. This feels like, and IS, home.

Zinc Bar

I knew I came to the right place when the Brazilian Jazz seeped through the door as I descended down the stairs to the basement at the corner of LaGuardia Place and W. Houston Street.

Velvet curtains. Low ceiling. Dimmed lighting. A live band enthused in the corner of the tiny bar. A pianist, a vocalist, a bass guitarist, a drummer, and a saxphone player completed the set. Brazilian Bossa Jazz is rhythmic and care-free. You naturally get into the groove - it simply draws you in.

It's two-thirds full. A full bar lined with stools, and seven tiny little tables right across. If you manage to squeeze through the narrow walkway between the bar stools and the tiny tables, it'll lead you to the back room with half-empty private booths, where you can still hear the music, but can't see the live band.

This is a place to listen and be heard but not to see and be seen. It doesn't matter how you dress - no one can see the details anyway.

The band members are thoroughly approachable - in fact, they talked to me during the break. Lovely performance. You know they enjoy their art, which makes you enjoy their art even more.

Interested? Check out Miho Nobuzane's (the pianist) album. They also performed Aqua De Beber, of which Sophie Milman delivers a soulful rendition. Enjoy!

Also - tip from a fellow patron - check out the speak-easy at PDT (Please Don't Tell). ;)

Walking The Grid

In New York. Walked along 3rd Ave. this afternoon, all the way from 52nd Street to 90th - then crossed over to Lexington and backtracked. No agenda, no plan, just free roaming. The almost 40 blocks are peppered with shops shops and shops, of course, but only these caught my eye:

• Barber shops - they still call them that? It's almost endearing.
• Two puppy stores - miniature shih tzus selling at a whopping $2,500 each. Errr....ever notice there are equally great puppies you can adopt at the shelter for $60? Grrrr.
• Bar and Books - cute concept. Too bad they were closed. I peeked in - it's an old-fashioned bar with leather armchairs throughout and bookshelves adorned with heavy hardcovers. Must....go....back.
• Lorenzo and Maria's Kitchen - gave me flashbacks of Paris. Fancy window display for a cute neighborhood European-style deli. They're on 3rd Ave. between 80th and 81st. Didn't buy anything there this time 'cause I wasn't hungry, but their salad, fish, and sweets all looked heavenly. Plus, they'll be open even on the 24th, so I'm definitely going back.
• Fig and Olive - they set the bar up high, but only literally. The limited wine selection leaves much to be desired. Sipped a glass of syrah while watching an episode of the British TV series the IT Crowd (thanks Jan!) on my iPod Touch. I just love appreciate the Brits' dry sense of humor - so much better than, say, There's Something About Mary.

Gotta relax now and then get ready a jazz bar tonight. Zinc Bar, Birdland, or the Village Vanguard? Hmm....decisions, decisions.

Top 10 Most Expensive Cities in the World

The top 10 most expensive cities in the world this year, according to the Economist, using New York as 100:

1. Oslo, 134
2. Paris, 130
3. Copenhagen, 126
4. London, 125
5. Tokyo, 124
6. Osaka, 118
7. Reykjavic, 118
8. Zurich, 118
9. Frankfurt, 116
10. Helsinki, 116

New York came in at #28, Chicago #36, Los Angeles #39, and San Francisco #41.

Before and After: Umbrella

December 2005 in Victoria, B.C., vs. April 2007 in New York. Click on the photos above to enlarge them.

Death & Taxes

Taxes make me want to die. OK... maybe not quite. But taxes definitely make me miserable.

I'm proud to say I'm 90% done with the filing. Only next steps left? 1. Call the doctor's offices in the morning to figure out exactly how much medical expenses I incurred in 2006, and 2. TurboTax it! So, if you haven't done your taxes yet - don't forget to include expenses on disposable toothbrushes (considered medical supply, I hope), mileage driven to medical facilities, parking, x-rays, and of course, prescriptions. Get back as much as you can. Heck, the lot of us here have certainly spent enough on braces and surgery (another whopping deduction for 2007, I'm sure).

I promised myself to absolutely get it done before Friday. Because I have a business trip to New York City next week, and another one to Portland immediately after. But I WILL have time for some fun towards the end of April, when I visit a friend in Vancouver, B.C.

On that note, a former colleague of mine invited me to his wedding in Spain this August - he and his future bride, who grew up there, were even generous enough to offer me free room and board (thanks Chris!). I'm so psyched! But I want to get the most out of the trip and add another country to the itinerary, somewhere I've never visited before. After mulling over a map of Europe for almost an hour and checking airfare, I've narrowed it down to three cities: London, Amsterdam, and Lisbon. Which one will it be? I'm so torn. Decisions, decisions!!

I won't book the flight until I'm done filing the taxes. Now THAT's motivation. ;)

Anthony Bourdain

I'm kicking myself for not picking up this book earlier, when I still had plenty of time before returning to work. Today, the last day of my five weeks off, I started reading Anthony Bourdain's the Nasty Bits. It's a collection of his non-fiction short pieces. He's apparently a world-famous chef, avid traveler, witty writer, and acute oberserver. His wild, but fitting analogies, made me laugh out loud. Since I'm not a book reviewer, and I don't even read that much (about two to three books a year, sad to say), you'll have to check it out and see for yourself - especially if you have some time to kill during your recovery. Not that reovery is so leisurely, by any means.

Here's one of his wildly wicked analogies, in reference to Masa Takayama's tiny, 26-seat sushi bar/restaurant on the fourth floor of the new Time Warner Building in New York City (not to be confused with Bar Masa next door). I don't know how I missed the place, since I've been to both Asiate and Stone Rose Lounge in the same building. Or perhaps it's a good thing that I missed it. Look at the price tag!

"At three hundred fifty dollars per person as a starting point (that's before tax, tip, beverages, and any extras), it's a steal. It's the deal of the century. It's a completely over-the-top exercise in pure self-indulgence, like having sex with two five-thousand-dollar-a-night escorts at the same time - while driving an Aston Martin."

'Nuff said. ;)