mardi gras

I went to New Orleans for Mardi Gras:

crowded streets day and night,

people drinking and dancing outside,

carnival parades, beads thrown out of the balconies,

jazz clubs, a majority of black people, seafood, sun,

very nice and welcoming people.

tree in red

[walking around in Berkeley]

beautiful!

desafio

I’ve never done this before… Answering Filipa’s call, here are my 8 dreams:

.

to never stop learning,
to live life to its fullness,
to keep the real friends forever,
to always enjoy every sunrise and every sunset like the first time,
to have a glimpse of heaven,
to always live the present moment as a gift, 
to never forget that the only measure of my words and my deeds is the love I leave behind,
to live to see a world where peace and love are more important then wars and hatred.

.

Whoever visits me and feels like continuing the call, be my guest :)

sea lions

[Fisherman’s Wharf]

the sea lions took over Pier 39 back in 1989

(after the earthquake) and now they just lie there in the sun,

barking, protected from the killer whales and sharks

and waiting for the tourists. 

drought in CA

“The past two days have felt like summer in California,

as unseasonable warmth sweeps the state -

- possibly presaging a third straight year of drought,

a worrisome possibility for a state already hit hard by the economic downturn.”

in WSJ, Jan 14th 2009

climate change

[week Jan 12 - Jan 17, 2009]

even in california, and specially in the bay area,

it’s suppose to be winter now… sunny but cold, or even rainy.

However, it feels like summer!

it’s good but kinda crazy!

cal academy of sciences

“aquarium, planetarium, and

a natural history museum under one living roof.”

very interesting exhibits

under an architecturally beautiful and

environmentally friendly building.

cinema

coming out of the movies,

I witnessed the manual update in the title of the shows.

Incredible! – It’s 2009 and they still do it like this in Berkeley.

By the way, “I’ve loved you so long” is a must-see french drama.

Kristin Scott Thomas deserves an oscar nomination!

back to the library

[Doe (Main) Library]

only in SF

[photo from www.ozumo.com]

I and two other girl friends, at the door of Ozumo:

us: How much is the cover?

door-host: It depends. Laddies is free. Are you girls?

us [laughing]: of course!!

my friend: well, this is San Francisco…

new year in SF

 

[Embarcadero]

the streets were crowded

all lights were on

the fireworks falling on the water were beautiful

Restaurant/Bar Ozumo was great!

HAPPY 2009!

 

milk

watching MILK in the Castro Theater

was an emotional experience.

Moving and brilliant movie!

crisis in CA

“The State of California is in a very serious budget crisis.

California’s economy is suffering dramatically, resulting in a downturn in employment,

personal income, and retail sales, which, in turn, translates into lower income,

capital gains, property and salestax revenue to the State.

As a result, the State is operating with a fiscal deficit projected at a total of

$28-$40 billion over the next two years.”

[message from Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau, dec 16th 2008]

nba

[Golden State Warriors vs Denver McNuggets]

not just a regular basketball game

it’s NBA!

SF mayor

Mayor Gavin Newsom waving to the crowd 

in the 2008 gay parade.

(potential candidate for Governor 

of California in 2010)

 

the rock

small island in the middle of the bay

believe it or not, I’ve never been to Alcatraz

maybe because it’s so touristic…

squirrel

with a few peanuts

I made a dozen of new friends.

But even with no food

the squirrels on campus

are usually very social and friendly. 

be creative 2

I met this fellow at the Parade and Festival

“How Berkeley Can You Be?”

description in the press release: “annual celebration of the Spirit of

Berkeley – self expression, activism, artistic 

flair, humor, politics, and community participation”  

monkeys

monkeys on a bench

in the streets of san francisco

be criative