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from NYTimes.com “A year after Flight 1549: Many Promises to Keep” by Michael Wilson

“One passenger, Barry Leonard, 56, the chief executive of a home fashion company, heard the now famous announcement from the cockpit — ‘Brace for impact’ — and did not think about asking God for anything. Rather, he thought he was getting an answer.

‘My wife was getting tests back from a result for cancer,’ he said. The day before the flight, he prayed and asked God, “If you’re going to take anybody, take me,” ‘ he said.

‘When the plane was struck by the birds and it started to go down, I actually thought about that,’ he said. ‘For some reason, he decided to react much quicker than I thought he would.

‘I remember, as the plane is going down, thinking about that and getting a smirk on my face. I was O.K. with that. I would take that deal for my wife or my children any day of the week.’

Asked, in hindsight, what his fellow passengers might have thought about his ‘deal,’ which could have inadvertently cost them their lives, he laughed. ‘We have a tendency of personalizing this for ourselves,’ he admitted.

His wife’s tests came back negative.”

On the drive back from a climbing weekend at Pinnacles, as my friend S and I sang along to old skool rock songs at 60mph, I took random photos out of the car window, just playing around with camera settings. Not only did one of them actually turn out okay, but my friend Kerry Wingeier painted it as well, and it was showcased at last weekend’s Art Explosion open studios. Check out what a fabulous job she did.

I just received this unattributed “fairy tale” through email forwards, and it’s hilarious. And so true:

‘Once upon a time, a guy asked a girl “Will you marry me?” The girl said  ”NO!” And the girl lived happily ever-after and went shopping, dancing, camping, drank martinis, always had a clean house, never had to cook, did whatever the hell she wanted, never argued, didn’t get fat, traveled more, had many lovers, didn’t save money, and had all the hot water to herself. She went to the theater, never watched sports, never wore friggin’ lacy lingerie that went up her ass, had high self esteem, never cried or yelled, felt and looked fabulous in sweat pants and was pleasant all the time. The End.’

Since my favorite films of 2008 were mostly from the San Francisco International Film Festival, I tried to see as many as I could this year. Due to a blown back during the first week, this manifested into 19 films packed into just the second week. Needless to say, I overdosed, and it took me a mere two months before I am finally able to contemplate my favorites. There were some winners, though overall, I wasn’t as blown away as I was last year. To give the SFIFF 2009 some credit, watching four depressing documentaries back to back did drain me a bit and perhaps affected my final impression. Anyway, here are the ones that made an impact on me and my followup thoughts:

• “Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country”- Rather than simply telling a story, like most documentaries, this one was relayed from the point of view of a reporter trying to tell the world of the horrors that occurred in Burma during the 2007 protests. The footage stunned me; it seemed that I could feel the emotions of the citizens as they watched the monks take up their cause, then get brutally beaten and murdered. To sense their hope that the protests would not be for naught then realize the world has forgotten them frustrated me. With similar events in Iran recently, as well as many other countries on a smaller scale, what can an American do to help?
• “Bullet in the Head”- People walked out during this film. I stuck it out, but it’s one of the films that drained my energy due to its highly unusual cinematography and conclusion. It also left a strong impression on me- that you never really know who is sitting next to you, what their motives are, and how fast things can change.
• “Crude”- Before this film, which was one of the more popular ones at the festival, I happened to sit next to a law student who had studied the Chevron case that the documentary was about, and she was so passionate about the cause, she had driven in from Sacramento just to see the film. As we waited for it to begin, she gave me a quick ten-minute overview of the injustices suffered by the people due to the contamination of their land by Texaco (now Chevron) and the complexities of the international law behind which Chevron has been hiding. So I began the film with an expectation of seeing proof of how terribly Chevron has disregarded the environmental damage and health problems caused by their wells, but despite the San Francisco audience’s jeers and cheers, I left feeling that the filmmaker didn’t conclusively prove to me that Chevron was responsible. He spent more time discussing the magnitude of the lawsuit than how much the villagers were suffering or the extent of the damage. It was during the Q&A that I finally learned of the burning sensations on the villagers’ skins and the extremely high rate of skin cancer due to the polluted water (claimed during the film, but never proven with numbers). I asked my seatmate if I could read her term paper about the case- I felt she proved the case on behalf of the people better than the documentary, which is a shame, especially after last year’s phenomenal “FLOW: For Love of Water”, that- by the way- has successfully kept me from bottled water ever since.
• “Kimjongilia”- I had hoped for more footage of life in North Korea, but the director’s stylistic flourishes and interviews with escapees compensated for the understandable lack thereof. I didn’t realize there were still concentration camps in North Korea, nor that the country’s policy was to “correct” three generations of a criminal (parents and children), so many children and elders are tossed into concentration camps without committing a crime themselves or even knowing why. These concentration camps have the devastatingly familiar modus operandi of little food, hard labor, and capricious murders by firing squad in front of the whole camp, including their family members. As for “crime”, these could be something as small as letting a picture of Kim Jong Il touch the ground. During the Q&A afterwards, everyone wanted to know what they could do to help. The filmmakers recommended supporting the relief agencies in China that are receiving the refugees and helping them continue on to South Korea, since if they’re caught in China, they’re sent back.
• “My Neighbor, My Killer”- Imagine living in a village where the man who hacked the arms and heads off your children as he herded them away from you just returned from prison. Now imagine that nearly every man in the village was guilty of this, and there was no more justice to seek since the amnesty courts determined the time already served will suffice as punishment. The women in the village portrayed in this documentary not only had to deal with this, but are dealing with it everyday- sitting next to their husbands’ and childrens’ murderers during resting hours, having to pass them several times a day. I can’t fathom such emotional torture. They have no choice.
• “Small Crime”- This was an adorable film, set on an island in Italy near Santorini. It’s a comedy around a policeman trying to solve a murder mystery, and the acting and sets are so pure and enjoyable. If you can’t go to Italy for a vacation, this could be the cheapest alternative.
• “Summer Hours”- I’m quite sentimental, and I could strongly relate with the eldest son in this film, who had to handle his mother’s estate after her death. To realize certain items that meant so much to you were slipping outside your grasp poignantly brings about the question of the value of things and the accuracy of memories.
• “35 Shots of Rum”- Quietly, this film portrays the love between a daughter and her father, and their neighbors that filled in their family. The working class life in Paris is nicely captured here with the grit and the small moments of beauty seeming authentically balanced.

The films I wish I watched are “Nomad’s Land” (for the beautiful vistas), “The Paranoids” (for the comedy of errors in Argentina), “La Mission” (for its portrayal of the Mission District), “500 Days of Summer” (a romantic comedy), and “Unmade Beds” (just supposed to be amazing). I’m hoping these will make it into the regular schedules for the local theaters.

Which films were your favorites? Any I missed?

Every time I bike over the Golden Gate Bridge, my heart goes out to all the poor tourists struggling to avoid getting hit or frozen. It seems that Bay Area visitors are left out in the wild when it comes to pre-conceptions of the city versus reality. Here’s a quick list of cautions any guest of San Francisco should keep in mind:

• It’s freezing here. Perhaps you’re visiting during the 5 or so days a year when the thermostat actually cracks 75 degrees. Chances are, you’re not, and instead, you’ll be afflicted with freezing windy fog and/or chilly nights. The temperature can easily drop 30 degrees around dusk. Therefore, come dressed for cold weather- windbreakers, jeans, and closed toe shoes. You’ll save the $24.99 it takes to buy a cheesy SF fleece in Chinatown, as well as much misery and mockery.
• Summers suck. At least, in San Francisco. The fog pretty much stays put for the months of June, July, and August. The best months to visit are May and September. Granted, the surrounding areas are much warmer and sunnier, but they’ll also be overrun by other tourists.
• When biking, stay on the right! I can’t believe how many tourists biking over the bridge meander all over the lane. You may get hit by an overzealous biker training for a race, and at 25 mph, that hurts. And you’ll get yelled at. In fact, you’ll get yelled at anyway. Just please stay to the right, for your safety and everyone else’s (and this includes the people hopping off their bikes in the middle of the lane for photos).
• Curb your wheels. If you’re parking in San Francisco, be sure to curb your wheels, which means turning the wheel so that if the brakes give way, the car won’t roll into traffic. There are few signs for this, but there will be expensive tickets. Also, the meter maids are extremely dilligent here. You will not get away with a 10 minute overtime in a 2-hour zone.
• Get out of Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s such a shame that tourists are stuck in the unclassiest part of the city. Branch out! In fact, buy this book, Stairway Walks of San Francisco, and get to know the neighborhoods intimately. The Telegraph Hill, Russian Hill, and Nob Hill walks are close by and particularly lovely.
• Avoid eating at chains. San Francisco has phenomenal food and wine, and the chains do a disservice to the fresh produce, meat, and dairy that’s raised around here. Check out the tiny cafes or ethnic restaurants that are off the beaten path, and avoid the tourist traps such as Ghirardelli Square, Columbus Ave, and Union Square. The only exception is In-N-Out. Everyone will understand why you love this fast foodery- and be sure to ask about the secret menu!
• Yelp and NextMuni rule. There are two sites which justify having a data plan on your cell phone while you’re here- Yelp and NextMuni. Yelp is the best source- albeit a tad controversial- for community reviews on any business here, from restaurants to dentists to hotels. Their ratings tend to be quite accurate, to the chagrin of the less popular establishments. NextMuni will tell you when the next highly-unpredictable bus will arrive. Because the taxis here suck. You will very rarely get one when you need it, and if you do, there’s a good chance the driver doesn’t know where he’s going anyway.
• There is no nightlife. Everyone goes to sleep early here. I attribute it to the gorgeous sunrises and so much to do during the day. So don’t expect much of a night scene, especially on weekends. If there are people out and about, it tends to be bridge-tunnel-and-peninsula people who are more raucous and out-of-control than the natives.

San Francisco is truly a lovely city, so please don’t let incorrect assumptions color your expectations. Take it for what it is- a gorgeous friendly place with a ton of hills and a well-positioned Patagonia store right next to Fisherman’s Wharf (after all, they have much better fleeces than those in Chinatown).

Inspired by an article in the SF Chronicle, I cajoled some friends into trying out a “wine club.” It wasn’t too hard- I promised copious amounts of good wine and good company. The ensuing event went way beyond all our expectations. Not only was the wine club a blast for all who came, it also became our favorite way to learn about wine, such as which varietals each preferred to the subtleties within each varietal. Here’s the deets on how we set it up if you’d like to try it out yourself:

The setup:

1. Select a varietal and a price limit for your wine club session (for example, chardonnays that are less than $30).
2. Invite up to 12 guests.
3. Have each guest bring (1) 1 bottle of wine within the price range, (2) 1 plate of wine-paired food for 12, and (3) $10.
4. Have on hand 24 paper bags for wine bottles, tape, a marker, and a spittoon.
5. An extra you can also have on hand is a “control” bottle, i.e. the cheapest bottle of the varietal at Trader Joe’s, such as Two Buck Chuck.

The party:

1. When a guest arrives, have them put their bottle of wine in a bag and remove all foil. Plus, put everyone’s $10’s in a pot.
2. Tape each bag so the neck shows, mark each bag with a unique number, then pop the corks.
3. Round 1: Drink! Eat! Be merry! Have everyone taste each bottle (small pours- so everyone can taste at least twice), and score which is their top 3. The spittoon will come in handy to make sure everyone can get through all the tastes.
4. Have each person grab a bottle and stick it under the table. Shuffle bottles around, then have everyone stick a bottle into a new bag. Bring the newly bagged bottles above the table, tape, and mark each bag with a unique letter.
5. Round 2: Drink more! Eat more! Be more merry! Have everyone taste each bottle again and score which is their top 3.
6. The Unveiling! Once everyone’s done tasting and is thoroughly trashed off their rocker, rip the bags off each bottle and figure out which letter and number corresponded to what wine.
7. Tot up the scores, giving 3 points for each #1 rating, 2 points for #2, and 1 for #3. The top scoring wine’s owner gets the pot!

Other things you can do during the tastings is guess which wine in the first round was what wine in the second round, which bottle was the “control,” and the price actually paid for each bottle. Also, afterwards, try comparing the professional wine ratings, such as Wine Spectator’s or Robert Parker’s, with your own. For my wine clubs, rarely has the most expensive or highest professionally-rated bottle of wine won- more often than not, the Two Buck Chuck reigns supreme, such as this photo testifies from our Sauvignon Blanc session, with the wines ordered left to right by score.

However you set up your own wine club, I’m sure you and your friends will have a jolly ol’ time. Cheers!

Perhaps you’ve seen MBTs around- weird clunky sneakers with awkwardly rounded bottoms and huge price tags. They claim to help tone legs and butts, reduce cellulite, and lose weight. So of course you wonder: do they work?

In short, yes. But not necessarily the way they want you to think.

I got a pair out of desperation. My lower back was killing me, and I had heard through a pilates friend that her pair had helped her maintain her core muscles and posture. Strong core muscles are the therapeutic prescription for back pain since they help support the spine. I was getting a bit lazy on my core exercises, so I hoped the MBTs may help me maintain the muscles with less effort.

Unfortunately, MBTs are rather ugly, plus they run small, so it took a couple weeks through Zappos and local San Francisco shops, such as Nomadic Outfitters, to find a tolerable pair. Once I did, I started wearing them all the time, just to see if they really worked, despite their suggestions to “ease” into them.

Happily, I noticed a bit of soreness at first in my lower abs and gluts. “W00t! They’re working,” I thought, and I started walking around more on purpose. Then, a lot more. For example, one day I walked from the SFGiants ballpark (whatever it is called now) all through Union Square, Japantown, then the Marina, running errands along the way. When I got home, I was tired, but much more to my amazement, nothing hurt! I’m used to having my feet, then lower back, then knees start to ache if I walk too much in regular shoes or sneakers (generally takes an hour or two- less on hard surfaces such as a marble floor in a mall). In MBTs, I found that for whatever reason, I was able to walk for much longer. And what do you know- now that I’m walking for longer periods of time, my legs and butt are toning up and I’m losing some weight.

The MBTs have a rounded bottom that force you to be more aware, partly subconsciously, of your posture and walking efficiently. You can’t exactly slump around in the shoes since you’d fall off your rocker, literally. It’s easier to stand upright in the shoes than to slouch due to the instability, and this helps build your posture and core, plus any collateral musculature such as around your knees and ankles. One note of caution: they suggest that you take shorter steps and avoid locking your knees to make sure you don’t jam any joints.

So would I recommend these shoes? I do, with some caveats. If you’re already running 10 miles a day, you may not find walking an extra mile that helpful. If you don’t have many chances to walk or stand, then wearing expensive shoes as you sit won’t do that much. However, if you’re on your feet a lot or are looking to walk around more in comfort, these will help you out, especially if you have a weak core or poor posture.

One of my close friends, Clara Shih, recently published a must-read book titled THE FACEBOOK ERA, which prescribes how businesses can capitalize on social media. I couldn’t be more proud of her. She’s currently traveling around the world on a book tour- if you get a chance to see her, be sure to say hi!

Preview Excerpt: THE FACEBOOK ERA, by Clara Shih

At the behest of an old friend, I forced myself to allocate a 1 week vacation out of my job search. Destination: Buenos Aires, Argentina. I stayed at his home in the San Isidro suburbs, a quick trundle down the regional rail from the city center. Since it was a vacation, I spent a good amount of time relaxing by the backyard pool, but I also managed to explore a bit too. My favorite neighborhood was Palermo, which is the tree-lined Greenwich Village meets Noe Valley part of Buenos Aires. There are adorable cafes, shops, and restaurants all around, with the heart of my favorite part, Palermo Soho, on El Salvador (near Armenia). I also walked quite a bit around Recoleta, which is more Miami-esque, with tall and beautifully restrained apartment buildings.

For such a modern city, I was astonished with how undiverse it was in terms of race- I starkly stood out as a tourist, which kept me from carrying around my digital SLR too much due to worries about getting mugged. It didn’t help that I had a hard time picking up the accent in the dialect of Spanish around the city, so be forewarned that this is not your high school Spanish class. Also, people in Buenos Aires love their dogs, which means you should keep an eye out for dog poop on the rather uneven sidewalks.

Shopping

Around the Palermo Neighborhood

The wonderful part of shopping in Buenos Aires is that the exchange rate is wickedly awesome. At first glance, the prices appear to be the same as those in the US, such as that beautiful dress that could go for $300 in the US asking for 300 pesos. But, then you realize that there’s 3.4 Argentinian pesos to every dollar. Jackpot! This was not a good discovery for a shopaholic like me to realize. Here were my favorites, all in the neighborhood of Palermo:

• Cora Groppo – a women’s clothing shop, with distinctive architectural pieces, the sort where seams, folds, and piping shape cloth into fascinating structures.
• Doma – gorgeous leather shop, with beautifully retro leather coats and bags. They seem to specialize in waxed or finished leather, so there’s a slight patina that gives their pieces a more urban air. I went bonkers here. Ask me about my new brown leather hooded trench.
• Humawaca – another beautiful leather shop, this one specializing in wallets and bags. There’s an architectural component to their designs, with lots of boxy leather swatches put together with sleek lines. I picked up their billeta, which zips apart into smaller wallets as the need arises. If it’s ever stolen, it’d be a hard call between whether the thieves wanted the credit cards and cash or the wallet itself.
• Maria Cher – a local Argentinian designer, who makes voluminous yet austere work clothes, such as shirts that billow around or architected pencil skirts, and really only look good on the local anorexics.
• Rapsodia – A women’s clothing shop with a free-spirited hippie vibe like Anthropologie or Free People, but better made and more distinctive.

Restaurants

A Table at La Dorita

For eating, I went to many more neighborhoods as my host tried to indoctrinate me to the meat, cheese, and postres culture. I tried to hold my own, I really did, but I weakened by the end and started ordering more salad than steak. The food was very good, but I found that the best of San Francisco was comparable with what I found in Buenos Aires. However, I believe most food in Argentina is better than most food in the US, so it’s hard to go wrong. Here’s my favorite restaurants:

• Cabrera – I never actually made it here, but it’s the famous (or infamous) steak house where you get a steak the size of a banana bread loaf. Per person.
• Las Cholas – this boistrous restaurant is located in the Las Cañitas neighborhood, with their premiere dish being “Gran Bife Las Cholas”, a huge monstrosity including a large piece of steak, with mashed squash, french fries, and grilled vegetables. My host actually managed to eat his entire plate. I went with the more mundane Bife de Lomo, a tenderloin of sorts, with a garden salad.
• Croque Madame – a super cute French-inspired cafe, with an indoors and outdoors. It’s in the patio of the Museo de Arte Decorativo in the fringe between the Palermo and Recoleta neighborhoods.
• La Dorita – a delicious Argentinian Parrilla, or grill, in Palermo. It’s so popular, they spread across the intersection. Both are the same, although if you’re outside, you’ll probably end up downwind from some cigarettes.
• Havanna – the famous “alphahores” (aka “alpha-whores”) are an Argentinian treat: crispy cookies sandwiched around buttery dulce de leche, coated with sugar or chocolate. Havanna shops are sprinkled around like Peet’s Coffee, and you can also buy a few boxes for gifts in the airport duty free.
• Krishna- among all the steak and cheese, there’s also wonderful vegetarian restaurants around Buenos Aires, such as Krishna in Palermo. I got their veggie platter which included fresh carrot salad and brown rice, a welcome respite from the typical heavier menu items.
• Weinert – not a restaurant but actually a delicious Malbec to keep an eye out for.

Activities

Argentina v. France

There’s lots to do other than just shop in Palermo or eat steak. Here’s a few activities to check out:

• The best tours are given by Eternautas, and their “Images of Buenos Aires” is a great tour to start off with. One warning- there’s only 3 stops on the tour, with the rest being drive-bys, so there’s not many opportunities to take pictures.
• My friend took me to a tango show at El Viejo Almacen, which means the old inn. It’s a cute small place, with an enthusiastic cast of performers. Tango shows are much more than just dance- they also include musicians and singers. If your Spanish is as shaky as mine (especially in a country with such a distinctive accent), be prepared to be the only one in the audience not singing along to the famous tango songs crooned by the crowd-pleasing singers.
• I didn’t get to try it out, but if you’d like to learn tango, the top school is apparently La Viruta, which has evening classes at the end of the week.
• The MALBA museum houses some beautiful selections of modern South American art. Sadly, no photos are allowed, and their postcard selection is woefully bereft, but I still vividly remember two paintings: an impressionist portrait of a girl wearing a red scarf on her head, and a white painting of a nude implied on linen canvas.
• If you don’t get to an actual soccer game, you can always catch one at a cafe, such as a chain called Plaza del Carmen, such as its location at the corner of Scalabrini Ortiz and Santa Fe. You can stake out a table, order a cafe and some postres, and cheer or groan along with the crowd as the many televisions broadcast the action.

Overall, Buenos Aires was very beautiful, and I can’t wait to go back. I was lucky that I had a fabulous host with kind friends who helped take me around, but it’s also a very walkable city, and one of my favorite things to do was just wandering around the neighborhoods. Next trip there, I’m definitely budgeting time to visit the wine country of Mendoza, the Iguazu Falls, Patagonia, and Uruguay (for the beaches). Who wants to go?

It’s not that I dislike movies so much as I feel that they offer a lousy value proposition. For $10 and 2 hours, would I really get as much out of the experience as I could other forms of entertainment, such as reading a book, having dinner with a friend, or watching a favorite television series? The problem I have with movies is that you have to commit an awful lot upfront before truly knowing (reviews notwithstanding) whether it’s worth the cost- 1 hour could be wasted before you realize you don’t like the movie and would have rather spent the time on two episodes of West Wing. On top of that, you’re probably engaged enough that- much to your irritation- you might as well see the ending. It’s hard enough for me to find a free 2 hour slot in my day; I want to make sure that what I do in that time is well worth it, and movies have had a low enough success rate for me that it hasn’t been worth the effort when compared to things I know I’d enjoy more (and that I can partition into more manageable time portions).

In this age of things getting ever faster and hectic, is it no surprise that the traditional movie industry is losing traction? Do people have the time to watch movies as much as they did 10 or 20 years ago? It can be nice to kick back and lose yourself in a potentially enjoyable cinematic experience once in a while, but more often than not, I’d rather curl up on a couch with my needlepoint, and root for President Bartlet in 45 minute easily-paused segments.