Monday, January 15, 2007
Highs of 12F, Lows of -3F.
I had some personal time, yesterday, to see some parts of downtown Minneapolis. Foremost in my agenda was to get proper winter head gear, especially since weather reports for this coming week have temperatures falling to -3F. Yes, Fahrenheit. I can only begin to imagine what that's going to feel like, but I will say that I've already revised my view of what cold means. Prior to this trip, anything sub-zero in the Celsius scale would start freaking me out -- I think I over-estimated the actual temperature a few years ago when we were caught in a wind during a debate tournament in Toronto.
In the same way that you would be crazy to stand for more than a couple of minutes under the noon time tropical sun during summer, it is equally daft to go out into a Minnesota street during the winter improperly protected. I ended up getting a great deal on a good wool scarf and hat on sale in Macy's (P.S. I couldn't find crap in Target, which I had expected to be more helpful). I would have been ready to spring for earmuffs and a face mask had I actually seen any for sale, much less any stylish ones. I caught a glimpse of more than a couple of people who had some nice things on, though most people were more ho-hum, I don't know perhaps it's a MidWest thing. I bow to some of these Japanese winter fashionistas tromping around Narita airport.
* * *
Deliberately avoided Mall of America for shopping this weekend. Aside from the fact that once done with shopping I'd be stuck in the middle of nowhere, I didn't get the greatest vibe during a quick visit for dinner earlier in the week. It's a big place, but it seemed sad, and the goods boring, or boringly displayed. The Gucci and Prada shoes at Nordstrom seemed sad.
So my game plan was to wander around Nicollet Mall, a shopping strip not a mall with the major buildings connected to each other by way of a 2nd level skyway. It was a great relief to use these enclosed bridges rather than walk in the cold at street level. It's while navigating these skyways that someone asked me for directions to a particular shop, which I promptly supplied. A guilty pretentious pleasure of mine: being mistaken for a local. It happens all the time, and partially because I have the audacity, I think, to feel as if I am local. Made my day, even though it's "just" being a Minneapolis local.
* * *
Found a nice independent book store. Couldn't find the right book to buy, either content or price-wise. Rats. It would have been better for me, if it was a library. I would have plopped down and read for a couple of hours...they were piping in some pretty good Jazz, though I didn't get to ask the proprietor what it was. While going through the shelves, I was reminded of the various Minnesota characters I had serendipitously bumped into a few weeks prior to leaving: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Garrison Keillor(!), and that damn movie A Prarie Home Companion. That dang radio show actually goes live at the Fitzgerland Theater at nearby St. Paul every week. Ok, now I want to watch it, even if I found the movie a bit of a chore. Aside from writing books my Dad reads, and hosting that radio show, he also writes for the Tribune paper here. Keillor is everywhere.
* * *
PS. the following phrases are supposedly MidWestern in origin: "You betcha," "Aw Jeez," "You're darn tootin', "Okie-Dokie," "Yup," "Be there in a jif," and "Yah.
* * *
More next week: winter sports, hi-tech offices, asian food, culture and theatre
In the same way that you would be crazy to stand for more than a couple of minutes under the noon time tropical sun during summer, it is equally daft to go out into a Minnesota street during the winter improperly protected. I ended up getting a great deal on a good wool scarf and hat on sale in Macy's (P.S. I couldn't find crap in Target, which I had expected to be more helpful). I would have been ready to spring for earmuffs and a face mask had I actually seen any for sale, much less any stylish ones. I caught a glimpse of more than a couple of people who had some nice things on, though most people were more ho-hum, I don't know perhaps it's a MidWest thing. I bow to some of these Japanese winter fashionistas tromping around Narita airport.
* * *
Deliberately avoided Mall of America for shopping this weekend. Aside from the fact that once done with shopping I'd be stuck in the middle of nowhere, I didn't get the greatest vibe during a quick visit for dinner earlier in the week. It's a big place, but it seemed sad, and the goods boring, or boringly displayed. The Gucci and Prada shoes at Nordstrom seemed sad.
So my game plan was to wander around Nicollet Mall, a shopping strip not a mall with the major buildings connected to each other by way of a 2nd level skyway. It was a great relief to use these enclosed bridges rather than walk in the cold at street level. It's while navigating these skyways that someone asked me for directions to a particular shop, which I promptly supplied. A guilty pretentious pleasure of mine: being mistaken for a local. It happens all the time, and partially because I have the audacity, I think, to feel as if I am local. Made my day, even though it's "just" being a Minneapolis local.
* * *
Found a nice independent book store. Couldn't find the right book to buy, either content or price-wise. Rats. It would have been better for me, if it was a library. I would have plopped down and read for a couple of hours...they were piping in some pretty good Jazz, though I didn't get to ask the proprietor what it was. While going through the shelves, I was reminded of the various Minnesota characters I had serendipitously bumped into a few weeks prior to leaving: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Garrison Keillor(!), and that damn movie A Prarie Home Companion. That dang radio show actually goes live at the Fitzgerland Theater at nearby St. Paul every week. Ok, now I want to watch it, even if I found the movie a bit of a chore. Aside from writing books my Dad reads, and hosting that radio show, he also writes for the Tribune paper here. Keillor is everywhere.
* * *
PS. the following phrases are supposedly MidWestern in origin: "You betcha," "Aw Jeez," "You're darn tootin', "Okie-Dokie," "Yup," "Be there in a jif," and "Yah.
* * *
More next week: winter sports, hi-tech offices, asian food, culture and theatre
Labels: Minneapolis
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Minneapolis
Hi guys, just letting you all know that I'm flying tomorrow morning to the US for work for the next two to three weeks. This coming week I'll be in Minneapolis (Brr), and later on probably New York and San Francisco. Let me know if our paths may possibly cross!
Friday, December 29, 2006
re-claiming an old life
I didn't get any work e-mails today or yesterday, so thankfully, as I expected (but didn't count on), I had Thursday and Friday's practically off on this very light work day. If there would be a time for a Taiwanese earthquake to screw up internet systems Asia-wide, the timing couldn't be better. The extra time has allowed me to re-visit some aspects of my pre-work life that I had unwittingly given up the past few months (running, tennis games, DVD marathons, multiply updates, not including reading -- work will never make me give that up), and now I start imagining how the best of these old things are going to marry with work come 2007. Some people really dig Xmas, and I do, but it's the new year that I look forward to more. I'm among the 91% people in the Philippines, according to a recent SWS survey, who look to the new year with hope.
* * *
the party season has been pretty good this year. have met up with most people I wanted to see this Xmas, and managed well enough that I had no shitty evil traffic to contend with. One takes for granted that friends had flown in from everywhere.
One more party tomorrow down south (I call Paranaque down south, he he) with the HPAIR people, and that should turn out okay. It seems like everyone wants to get real wasted on this one. I'll be sure to post some good photos of this in my multiply come 31st.
* * *
I only have one resolution for 2007, most cliche of all resolutions, but it's always been there. I want to get thin, and, away from my old strategies of trying to achieve this goal, I've been telling people about it.
* * *
Memories of 2006
10. Swimming and Total Immersion
9. 2nd Ateneo Aquathlon
8. Food Blogging
7. World Schools Wales
6. Underwater Hockey
5. Job interviews, Job rejections
4. iTi Consulting
3. 19 Nova Scotia
2. Mitchell Madison Group
1. Grandmo
Most Enjoyed Movie of the Year: The Prestige
Most Enjoyed Author of the Year: Jose Saramago
Most Enjoyed Music of the Year: See me Goon Squad Multiply Playlist (David Bowie, KC Tunstall, Moby, etc.)
Crap Movie of the Year: Nacho Libre
Crap Book of the Year: NA (Yey!)
Crap Music of the Year: "Only in Boracay"
* * *
the party season has been pretty good this year. have met up with most people I wanted to see this Xmas, and managed well enough that I had no shitty evil traffic to contend with. One takes for granted that friends had flown in from everywhere.
One more party tomorrow down south (I call Paranaque down south, he he) with the HPAIR people, and that should turn out okay. It seems like everyone wants to get real wasted on this one. I'll be sure to post some good photos of this in my multiply come 31st.
* * *
I only have one resolution for 2007, most cliche of all resolutions, but it's always been there. I want to get thin, and, away from my old strategies of trying to achieve this goal, I've been telling people about it.
* * *
Memories of 2006
10. Swimming and Total Immersion
9. 2nd Ateneo Aquathlon
8. Food Blogging
7. World Schools Wales
6. Underwater Hockey
5. Job interviews, Job rejections
4. iTi Consulting
3. 19 Nova Scotia
2. Mitchell Madison Group
1. Grandmo
Most Enjoyed Movie of the Year: The Prestige
Most Enjoyed Author of the Year: Jose Saramago
Most Enjoyed Music of the Year: See me Goon Squad Multiply Playlist (David Bowie, KC Tunstall, Moby, etc.)
Crap Movie of the Year: Nacho Libre
Crap Book of the Year: NA (Yey!)
Crap Music of the Year: "Only in Boracay"
Labels: 2006, memories, resolutions
Name: Fabian
