First thing in the morning-the Slow Food Nation Market in Civic Center. Slow Food altered the grounds of Civic Center into a thriving and energetic happening for all things slow and beautiful.
(the SFN 08’ membership booth & the parking area for the cyclists, they had the best parking by far!)
One side of the event was Slow on the Go a number of local food preparers creating some serious eats from locally raised, grass-fed animals, organic produce, fresh fruit drinks, fair coffee and fresh from the oven breads, everything we tried was incredible (special note to the Muffuleta!).
(a sign for the sausage and pepper sandwich)
(the fair trade coffee booth was lined with these awesome bags)
The center row of the event was dedicated to an organic Victory Garden that was literally bursting with so many different kinds of veggies, fruits, herbs and flowers that I could spend all day taking pictures of this one area alone. At one end you had a composting area and the other was dedicated to informal lectures at the Soap Box
(the bounty of the Victory Garden & black gold)
(growing corn in front of City Hall)
The last alley was a showcase of local and artisan cheese makers, beekeepers, mushroom growers, jam makers, bread bakers, berry/bean/tomato/stone fruit/etc…growers…EVERYTHING in this area was fit for a magazine spread….i have never seen so many color nor smelled so many smells that where so clean, yet powerful. I was so overwhelmed that I forgot to take pictures with the camera that I use for the blog ☹- but I will have some available in about a month from my other camera.
I usually have 2 places that I stay whenever I visit SF that is both economical and light on the footprint: a friend’s place or the HI (Hosteling International) off Mason Street Downtown.
I am a huge advocate of the hostel, not only for foreign travel but domestic as well. Traveling is becoming so expensive lately…I would so much rather spend money on a great show, meal or local artist than a place where I brush my teeth and close my eyes. Think about it.
The great thing about staying in hostels is that you can also meet so many people. Folks usually keep to themselves in a conventional hotel and you miss out on tips, recommendations and other people to do things with.
One of my great experiences at the Mason St. hostel was running into my dear friend Charlie Krafft after several years, just sitting in the lobby drinking coffee.
The only problem with the friend’s house and hostel route is that you have to plan in advance…and we didn’t and we could not find a room for more than one day at a single location. So instead of becoming nomads for the weekend, we opted for a Certified Green Hotel in the Nob Hill area called the Hotel Carlton.
Granted this was a little bit more than my traditional sleeping options, The Carlton gave me an understanding of the amount of waste that conventional hotels can generate. Some of the things I noticed:
• All CFL lighting, and some with motion detectors and timers
• Showers & toilets are all low-flow and there are dispensers for shampoo, etc instead of the little plastic containers.
• All recycled paper products
• Vegan/veggie options in the hotel restaurant
• Recycling bins throughout the room and hotel
• The will not give you new linens unless you request it.
• No air conditioning, only large windows and a ceiling fan (which was completely fine)
• Superb staff and multicultural décor…very unique!
If you are not comfortable with the hostel, I would definitely suggest this hotel.
(PS the following posts are from over the Labor Day weekend)
Super excited!!
On our way to San Francisco for Slow Food Nation 2008!
We have a jam-packed weekend (or rather 48 hours) ahead of us, the following posts will cover what took place at the first ever celebration of American food.
(snacks for the road: a variety of cheese, breads and asian pears from Donna’s farm)
(trying to find the Obama speech after the Tejon Pass & goodies already gone!)
OMG big-time!!!
Just got the word that we are going to the first US convention for Slow Food-Slow Food Nation 2008!!!
In case you don’t know: Slow Food is a way of living and a world-wide organization committed to celebrating, preserving and education of food. Basically the opposite of Fast Food-something Good, Clean and Fair!
Already signed up for the Food Pavilion and lectures by awesome food types like, Alice Waters, Eric Schlosser and so many others that have contributed to the “eat fair-eat local-eat organic” movement…and all of them in one place with tasty olive oils, wines and the BEST in eating…..if you can go, PLEASE GO!
if not, i will be posting about the activities through this blog.
Ahh, summer that glorious time of year when school’s out, days are long and travel.
Times are changin’ a little bit though for most of us in this country. Record gas prices have really put a damper on the plane situ, that also goes for the seasonal “road-trip” across the country which costs double what it used to…all that and the dollar’s pitiful stance in the world, make the “bang-for-the-buck” not really happening when it comes to one of our beloved activities. What’s a person to do?
Don’t give up just yet and resort to the couch and watching reruns of every TV show ever made…have you thought of the Staycation?
According to the Urban Dictionary, a Staycation is: ” A vacation that is spent at one’s home enjoying all that home and one’s home environs have to offer.” That’s right, explore your home!
Now don’t be peeved or think i am being cheap (well i am), but i think this is a really great concept. Think about what we do where we live: wake-up, rush to work, rush to fave lunch place, rush home/rush to same place to hang with friends/people, rush to various places to run errands…wash, repeat.
Do we really “experience” where we live? take a moment to ponder this concept. You obviously live in your designated area for a reason, because you like it or tolerate it enough to be there a majority of you time. Well, what exactly do you like about it? More importantly: what do you want to love about it?
here are some tips if you decide to embark on a staycation:
- if you were raised in the area, take trip down memory lane: visit your old home, grade school, HS, college, library, neighborhood…what do you think about? use this as a way to write about the history of you.
- know the history of where you live: most places, with a little searching, has a tour of the area (of us in So Cal, there are a ton of strange and unique tours around LA), watch movies that are located in your area to learn more or gain another’s perspective.
- do you know the great places to eat where you live? bet you don’t (unless you are a food critic). This will serve invaluable later in conversations, advice and being a foodie!
- on the food topic: try to go “around the world” in food stores, eateries & even specialty stores in your area, learn about the region/country on the side via your local library or movies or the trusty computer. Again, you will have invaluable info to discuss, make it into a weekly event!
- hike it: do all the local hiking or even camping destinations in your area, shed some pounds and enjoy the nature where you live, it’s cheap!
- break up your routine: change how you do things for the summer-attempt the 100 mile diet for the summer, join a book club or better…
- volunteer for a local organization in your area: teach others to read, clean up a filthy beach or build a home for someone who can’t take a staycation!
- learn: the downtime in summer is the perfect time to take a class. Learn to throw pottery, salsa dance, speak Spanish, paint a picture, public speak, make a meal for 20! Learn about something you have always wanted to know about.
- is there a neighboring city/town that you still don’t know much about? take a visit and stay there for the weekend or even the day.
- redecorate: sometimes we need to “get out” because the home has become stagnate. Move the furniture around, paint a wall, fix all of those “i’ll do it when i have the time” things…this leads to…
- plan weekly brunches for friends or a monthly get-together for people…that will keep you busy! show off those salsa moves, the veggie dish that you just learned or that bright blue wall you painted in the dining room.
just read this interesting tiddy on the “5 reasons to not buy American“, and ugg! i am embarrassed!
I know i mentioned this earlier with the whole GM closing plants deal, buy i have to admit that to buy an American vehicle is totally and completely pointless. I feel like screaming into my pillow, “haven’t you learned A SINGLE THING from the 70’s?!?”
besides the “poor design choices” that are now so completely obvious (and if you cannot see them, take a look at your wallet, that might have something to do with it), i can’t help but think about how the current situ with “the big 3″ reflects greater themes/ideas in American consumption/culture:
- marketing for the upper-class/well off people or wanting everyone to behave like they are
- creating products with the mind-frame that supplies (aka FUEL, but also more than that) will last forever
- designing product for now instead of “built to last” in the REAL essence of lasting in the WORLD-i think big corps need to consult with a dictionary, not bank account
- thinking of a product as what i like to call it: its bare-necessity. In the case of the car, my definition is as follows:
CAR: a thing that can take a small group of people or single person from point A to point B at a faster rate than what they could do with physical effort. (i know a car takes physical effort, you know what i mean)
I, like so many others wants to “buy American”, but honestly, why should you when you are wasting natural resources and buying an inefficient product that will not stand the test of time? What ever happened to American Innovation? We have the best schools in the world and this is what we get?
somebody step up! we should be leading design not dragging out heels 10 years later!
OCTA (aka Orange County Transportation Authority), is working the fuel crunch BigTime with fee fare for this week.
Don’t want to bus-it? think it is going to make you late or cramp your style? Hello, this is what it comes down to:
1) fuel cost is a b~ why not save a few gallons for when you REALLY need it
2) why force yourself into dealing with road-rage, people who don’t signal and staring at a car’s bumper for a good 15 minutes of your life in traffic (at least)!
3) oh yeah, once you get to where you are going, there’s always parking
4) the occasional speeding/parking ticket…(OK-so this mostly pertains to me)
Public Transport is so normal in every other place in the high-density, 1st-world-world….if it can be done here, it can be done anywhere! WATCH ME!
PS: i dare you do try the bus 1 time this month, yes in June!