Monthly Archives: December 2010

Radvent 2010 – Day 6: Adventuring

Day Six of Radvent 2010 is all about Adventuring.

Abandon your to-do list and go somewhere else. Somewhere new. Somewhere you have wanted to explore. Bring a camera and take a picture to celebrate the moment when you abandoned anxiety and insecurity, embraced imagination and opportunity, and let life unfold.

 

The best part about living in the city of San Francisco is that so much of it is still new to me. I have been fortunate to venture out of my little five block radius (to and from BART) through our urban hikes and through meeting people who know different parts of town.

Leslie has introduced me to the Mission — the joys of the Candystore Collective (16th Street) and of Honey Lavender ice cream at the amazing Bi-Rite Creamery (18th Street @ Delores). With Mary, we’re slowly but surely are tasting all the brew houses and sushi houses in town.

On our days off, the American and I have taken to doing ‘urban hikes’ to explore different parts of the city, because even though he’s originally from the Bay Area, he’s an East Bay boy.

I make a point to walk a different way home as often as we can, which means that I’m always seeing new things: new graffiti, new homeless people shouting at me in the Tenderloin, new buildings.

Last week, I took a walk down to Hayes Valley to drop off some Feisty Elle inventory at a beautiful boutique, Lavish.

Lavish in Hayes Valley -- bring yer wallets!

I took a walk around the tree-lined San Francisco streets and marvelled at the window displays — they’re all so beautiful, and artfully presented. It was a real treat (having come through the Tenderloin!).

Hayes Valley -- the SF equivalent of a bougie Brunswick Street (minus the cool cafes)

I'm a sucker for red doors...

On my way back, I decided to get myself a library card at the San Francisco Public Library, something I have been intending to do for about five months. Better late than never, right? I fell in love with the ceiling in the atrium at first sight. Amazing!

Beautiful, even on a foggy day!

I am a proud member of the SF Public Library, and decided to give ‘Emma’ by Jane Austen another shot. I absolutely hated Austen at school (and particularly this book), so I thought I’d reread it and see if/how my opinions have altered. It’s been a good decade!

The Flagpole outside the Town Hall

What's SF without a mirrored egg outside a beauty school?

 

Radvent 2010 – Day 5: Rocking Out!

Radvent 2010 – Day 5: Rocking Out!

Write down the soundtrack of your year so far. Play it for someone who loves you.

2010 Playlist

1. Darren Hanlon – All These Things

Darren Hanlon: The consummate troubadour who has the gift of writing the tightest and sweetest, most genuine pop songs.

Bron introduced me to him a few years ago — he was ducking out to go see a few minutes of Bob Geldof at Enmore Theatre just before he went onstage at Goldman’s. Rock ‘n’ roll!

Since then, we’ve met him in other places around the traps like San Francisco and Dunedin, and am hoping he’ll stop by again soon…

2. Angus and Julia Stone – Big Jet Plane

3. Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition

I have been far away from a lot of the hype around this group, but noticed it this song has been used on a few ads here. It’s growing on me and I like the clip, though.

4. Belle and Sebastian – I Want The World To Stop

LOVE! We saw them last month and though we froze our arses off on Treasure Island, I finally got to see them in the flesh. Stuart’s dancing rocks. They can do no wrong.

5. The Beatles – Get Back

This is my favourite song to rock out to when I’m driving across the Bay Bridge. We saw Paul McCartney this year and it was more than awesome.  Love the Beatles!

6. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan – You Won’t Let Me Down Again

7. She & Him – In The Sun

She’s so cute — part of me wants to be her. She sounded good when we saw her at the Treasure Island Festival, but their live shows leave much to be desired. Still like this one, though.

8. Röyksopp – Happy Up Here

This is what I play when I’m walking around the city. It’s just such a happy song to start my day with.

9. Sarah Blasko – All I Want

I love Sarah, and this is a beautiful song from her new album ‘As Day Follows Night’.  It’s an album that has might lighter and happier moments than her previous offerings. The clip’s good, too.

10. Blazer Force – Electronic Santa

“El-ec-tron-ic san-ta’s going to… crash your party, crash your Christmas party.”

This song has been used in an advertisement for Target this Christmas, and is just too cool. Target ads in the past year have totally rocked, and the brains behind this is none other than Britt (aka Brett MacKenzie) from Flight of the Concords. Just reaffirms that I have great taste ;)

Radvent 2010 – Day 4: Forgiveness

Day 4 of Radvent 2010 is all about Forgiveness, which is one thing I am terrible at.

 

Forgiveness :S

[Source: Princess Lasertron]

It’s hard to come out of a place of resentment, and it takes practice (just like everything). Practice forgiving about small, everyday things. You can always non-forgive later. Who and what are you ready to let go of resentment toward?

I never used to be able to hold a grudge. My best mate in high school after a falling out would sigh, roll her eyes and remind me that, “Duh! We’re not talking because we’re fighting, remember?”… oh, right.

Then one day, it was different. Once people did wrong by me, they were gone. A little harsh, maybe, but people kept taking advantage of me or treating me poorly and I guess that was my coping mechanism.

I have done this to a few too many people in my life, and not all of them deserved such harsh treatment. I have been stubborn and self-righteous, and yes, I have been wrong about some things (on many more occasions than I care to admit).

But the funny thing is that I really don’t want to forgive some people.  So how can I ask forgiveness of others for my wrongs when I refuse to try to forgive them for the wrongs they have done by me? It’s a bit rich, really. But there’s just too much hurt with some things to let them go.

Meg quoted some Deepak Chopra (I tend to avoid anything you find in the self-help aisle in the bookshop like the plague), but it’s interesting:

“You must realize that everyone is doing the best they can from their own state of consciousness.”

I know that I have been doing the best I can in my conduct with people, and sometimes I bugger it up. It’s just interesting to think that it’s the same way for others…

I am going home in a few weeks, and will try to atone for stuff I can’t even remember with two friends, in particular. But in truth, I never really truly knew what the falling out was all about. A wedding was involved and I tried to participate, yet I always felt stymied.

I didn’t end up attending, but I really wished I had miraculously had a few thousand to fly home and do so.

And I am most likely the one at fault, but I honestly can’t pinpoint what I did that was so horrendous. I like to learn from my mistakes, but it’s tough to just rock up into town and say “I have four hours, so start talking!”.  It adds to the confusion, vagueness and hesitancy of seeing them. Nevertheless, I think about them all the time and miss having them in my life.

Sometimes you just have to confront things head-on, right?

 

Radvent 2010 - Day 4