Shopping in the City - Newly opened Apple Store in Union Square

Another beautiful place opened last week in the city. This time, it was the Apple Store in San Francisco's Union Square district that we got to check out.

The store is shiny, modern, elegant, lots of natural lighting, clean lines and beautiful building overall. Another jewel of a landmark in San Francisco.

Shopping in the City - Uniqlo is now open

Are you ready for this, Uniqlo-philes in San Francisco? Our wait is over because the mothership has landed! I don't mean the Uniqlo pop-up store on Post St.  I am talking about the first West Coast Uniqlo. This new addition to their global store network opened on Powell St. on Friday at 10 a.m.  Lots of people showed up. It was like Friday after Thanksgiving all over again.

There was a long line on Powell St. that snaked around the corner on Ellis St.  Mijo got there earlier than I did. He was already in queue when I got there a little after 4 p.m. I didn't think there were this many Uniqlo fans in the city!

Pop-up Store in the City - Uniqlo

Uniqlo is finally here in San Francisco!

While their first West Coast store on Powell St. is not scheduled to open until the Fall season, Uniqlo has set up a pop-up store on Post St.

I went and took a peek one Saturday after I heard the good news from my friends Edward and Jojo. Is there such a thing called Uniqlo-phile? Maybe I am.

Parfumeur in the City - diptyque paris

I went to the Diptyque store on Maiden Lane to check out possible gifts for Mijo on Valentines. Some of the scents sold in the store come not only in sprays but also in solid form. I thought this would be perfect for Mijo to have something he can carry with him to the gym at noon that is small and solid and still smells like his scent when he leaves the house in the morning. If you enjoy scents and fragrances, this store is for you. 


Inside their shop, it gives you that old European charm and they have nothing but perfumes that come in different aroma, shapes and sizes.  This is perfumes galore!

Bahasa Music in the City - Decorate by YUNA

I wish I understood Bahasa. For the past weeks, I've been enjoying listening to YUNA's cd album called Decorate on my iPhone. Yuna is a Malaysian singer-song writer who sings in English and Bahasa. Her album Decorate is a delightful collection of acoustic Indie folk music.

Shop in the City - Kiehl's

I rarely blog about my shopping experiences but this one is worth mentioning because Brian of Kiehl's was absolutely helpful...

Afternoon Salsa in the City

Mijo called to tell me he's got 40% discount coupons from his favorite store and asked me if I want to go shopping later today. He said the coupons are only valid for today.  It didn't take a lot of talking by mijo to convince me to play hookie today. Besides, I've already put in a week's worth of work hours so I thought this is a perfect break.

 I got to Union Square 2 minutes before mijo did. Good thing the salsa band playing in Union Square and the dancing crowd entertained me while waiting for him. Strangely enough, how ever excited I was earlier to leave work, I only found a couple of items that I wanted to buy and as always, I will have to sleep on it.  Mijo got more discounts coupons for next week.

I was surprised that I can be this spontaneous.  I had a great time walking around and and the best part was watching mijo shop.

~rl

Ornaments in the City, Part 2

I finally found the ornament I was looking for, and I found two.

I was told that a couple of stores sell special holiday ornaments and there I might find what I was looking for - a Babushka doll ornament. Why am I obssessing about these type of ornaments? I still don't know. Maybe in my mind, these dolls epitomize what a winter scene truly is because they're from Russia? I did check out those stores. While I knew they sell decorative items that cost more than the average price, I was surprised to learn that most of their ornaments are extremely expensive. It was a relief to discover that they don't carry my ornaments.

This story ended well because I found a couple of unlikely stores that have them. I was ecstatic, of course.

This is kind of a Russian doll but it works for me. It has a modern twist because of its simple patterns and minimal color. It comes in three sizes in frosted orange, frosted silver and shiny silver. They're currently on-sale at CB2.






We were on our way to our favorite Ethiopian cafe on Valencia St. when I saw these beautiful Babushka dolls on display inside a store window. They're the traditional ones with lively colors and they come in a box of three in small, medium and large sizes. I got them from Serendipity on Valencia @ 20th Sts.




~rl

Ornaments in the City

We got a much bigger tree this year, about 7 feet tall.

The ornaments we had from last year's looked inadequate to accessorize the tree so we went shopping for more. We found a lot of hand painted wooden toy soldier and shiny glass ornaments, although I was really looking for Russian dolls or something similar to it. I haven't found one yet. I should have bought the ones I saw at a toy store inside the Royal Arcade in Melbourne! I was told that Gumps on Post St. should have a good variety of quality ornaments and it should include Russian dolls.

I never thought ornament collecting can be this fun and addicting. Maybe I should make it a holiday tradition, much like seeing the Nutcracker or drinking spiced latte during Christmastime, from now on?

~rl

(The photo above is a wooden toy soldier ornament which is part of a set of six soldiers.)

A birthday gift in the City

He felt guilty that his honey paid for this dinner. He remembered they were at Le Petit Laurent and Zuni last weekend. They were celebrating his birthday so technically those don't count. He never felt comfortable when someone pays for him. This is even when that someone is his better half. He took a mental note that next time he must ask for the bill. That next time he ought to buy. And then he realized that he should loosen up, just enjoy the moment and accept that it is okay for a loved one, or friends, to take care of him. But he wouldn't admit this, other than to himself... (rl)
(The photo above is picture of 'I buy, You buy' dice and dice case. It is one of the gifts I recently got for my birthday.)

LensWork issue #75

He knew that if he steps inside the store, he'll end up buying something. Eventhough his conviction says otherwise, the flesh is weak for he still pushed through the glass doors and marched directly to the magazine stands where the current issue of Lens Work awaits.

There was a tiny voice reminding him to focus on his test prep review sessions and this photography journal will be nothing but a distraction. He developed a deaf ear, as if having a diversion will add value to his more pressing tasks.

He bought a copy and left the store thinking how will he ever get out of this vicious cycle.

(Above is a photo of a French bistro in San Francisco's sleepy neighborhood of Glen Park.)

Matcha in the City

I recently acquired a new drinking ritual. No, it does not involve alcohol but I know some of you wouldn't mind if it did.

I first heard of matcha from my small chats with a barrista at a Peet's. Matcha is a powdered green tea used in tea ceremonies, and as a flavoring in ice creams and other sweets. You have probably seen its instant, liquid concentrate version at a local coffee chain. For a newbie matcha drinker, I am more interested in the pure, powdered form.

Luckily, I was able to find some for sale in Lupicia at the San Francisco Center so I didn't have to go to a Japanese specialty store. I was told it comes in two types - thick and thin. I don't remember which one I took but it must be the one that costs less. :) Now I can enjoy the rich, creamy flavor of matcha at home. Although I must admit I need more practice in whisking the tea to create the foamy consistency typical in tea ceremonies and also to reduce the bitter green clumps in the blend.

Here's a recipe of Matcha Latte which I found online.
o Add about 1/4-13 teaspoon good quality matcha to a mug
o Add 1 or 2 teaspoons sugar or 1 or 2 packets of your favorite sweetener
o Add heated or steamed milk to the rim, stir
o Sprinkle with light coating of matcha
o Alternative - heat in microwave for approx. 2 mins, watching very carefully for the first sign of foaming, the remove)

This is like bringing tea drinking to a higher level and making me a more serious tea drinker.

~ral


(A picture of properly whisked matcha tea)

Bloomingdales, 10 years in the making

Long lines at the ATM. Long lines to get a bite to eat. Longer lines to the bathroom. This is like going to the ballgame. It's an absolute madhouse. This was, and still is, the scene inside the newly opened Bloomingdale's in San Francisco's shopping district. SF people call it 'Bloomies'.

It opened on 9/28 and the Salvadoran and I, as expected, were at the mall around lunch time that day. Having come from Manila where the city's past time is going to malls, pushing through glass doors gives me a natural high. It wasn't a surprise I was absolutely thrilled to walk on the pearly, shiny floors. Hear the noise of the crowd that is having an equal amount of high. And to smell the smell of a mall! Going to Bloomies, at least for me, is an endorphine inducer. (I don't know why I am embarrassed to admit that.)

Just like any other 'opening' in this city, it drew mixed reviews. Some folks say the city does not need another mall and it is just a glorified extension of Nordstrom. The media calls it 'Fashionistas and Foodies unite'. Others think it is what SF needs to revitalize the area between the Civic Center and Union Square. For me, it is just another means to spend money and be broke (read as 'I am going to look even better at work').

Honestly, I am quite impressed with the domed rotunda which has a lot of history in it and I think they did an excellent job with the neoclassical facade on the side of Market Street. Apparently, the facade is a remnant of the 1896 Emporium . As a matter of fact, I have never been to a more beautiful mall than this ( I have yet to see the one in Millan, Italy!) There were an orchestra playing classical music directly beneath the dome on the first day.

It is a feast for the eyes. That's literally true because I couldn't afford anything I like, not even that lightest checkered scarf or that stove top espresso maker. But that never stopped me from trying on an expensive jacket, a pair of Marc Jacobs boots and checked out two or three Jack Spade bags.

I almost shouted 'Amen!' when I overheard someone saying you have to own one expensive jacket and a pair of expensive shoes in your lifetime. Santa, can I have that 2K worth of wool coat?

Before the Bloomies opened, there were only two malls in the city - the San Francisco Center in Union Square and Stonestown Galleria on 19th Avenue in the Sunset district. I don't think I can count the Metreon as a mall. The Embarcadero Center is not enclosed so it is not considered a mall either.

I used to think this city abhors big malls and prefers the outdoor shopping just like it frowns at the giant restaurant and coffee chains and go for the mom-and-pop type of places. Bloomies is obviouly an exception.

I ran into a local KTVU traffic reporter (Sal Castaneda) inside the mall and he stopped and said hello to acknowledge my greeting.

In my ten years of living in the city, I had witnessed major events that added more pride to San Francisco and also totally changed the way we live - the SFO Airport BART station, ATT Park (the home of the San Franciso Giants), the world class De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, Conservatory of Flowers also in GG Park - and some minor earthquakes. Maybe I'll still be here when the city finally hosts the Olympics. For now, I am just going to wait and hope that the Giants and the 49ers clinch the World Series and the Superbowl respectively.

There is a tea store inside the mall called Lupicia that I would like to spend more time in. The upscale grocery place called Bristol Farm seems worth the exploration. Maybe the hype about Bloomies will die down in a couple more weeks and the Salvadoran and I can finally go back to check it out some more.

-ral

Sale in the City

Before moving to the city's sleepy Glen Park district, I used to live right in the middle of three vibrant neighborhoods - the Castro, Lower Haight and the Mission. The area is dotted not only with independent bookstores, lively restaurants and hip cafés but also with stores that buy and sell used items such as clothing, shoes, books, etc. Some of these second-hand stores pay a quarter of the resale price so you'll get around $5 upfront. Craigslist.com is also a great outlet to post for-sale ads.

I remember feeling proud with my eclectic taste in clothes after most of my stuff were bought by the store. Not bad for a first timer, I thought. Rather than throw things that I've gotten tired of, garage sales and second hand stores have been my means of unearthing extra cash since then. Anything that is not sold is donated to the Salvation Army.

Well, it's that time of the year again! For those who are local, I am having a garage sale. That is, online garage sale. The items are all in great condition. You may view them in http://photos.yahoo.com/glenparkgaragesale. You may send all your questions to GlenParkGarageSale@yahoo.com.