Missing the Midwest

This time of year always has me missing the Midwest. The Fall, my favorite season, is when I lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2007. I loved the simplicity of life. Don't get me wrong, I took many trips to Chicago, Detroit and Toronto to inject some city in me, but I loved the leaves, weather, people and mid-size town living of A2. There is nothing like slowing down, noticing the small things and absorbing it all in. You also realize what life's really all about...

Here's to Ann Arbor and the midwest... <3 you.

Last Day in Ann Arbor

I'm returning to Northern California after my 3 and a half month stint in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Today is my last full day living in Michigan. I'm flying out tomorrow morning to return to the daily California grind.

I'll be the first to admit that this city probably isn't representative of the Midwest as a whole, but I had a great time here. The town can be described as 'college,' 'liberal,' 'artsy,' and even 'pretentious.' I'm going to even miss living in the snow a bit. I'm going to miss the people the most, though. I don't think I'll miss the food all that much --- I could do without the college town grub.

Often times I felt like I was out of my comfort zone, but I think I needed to be. You don't create memories if you're always comfortable.

I've conquered The West Coast, East Coast and the Midwest. All I have left is the South. :P

About being stupid...

I arrived back in the Midwest yesterday after a 4.5 hour flight from San Francisco.

Nai was gracious enough to wake up at 5:45am and take me to the Cal Train station in Downtown Mountain View. I then took the 6:23 Caltrain to the BART to SFO. They changed the way you get to SFO via BART. You used to be able to do a direct shot from Millbrae (the Caltrain/BART connection station). Now you have to go from the Millbrae BART to San Bruno and then shoot down to SFO. It wasn't a big deal, and probably only added 3 or so minutes to the ride.

I get to SFO for my 8:15 flight with plenty of time, well... just enough time. I get to Security at around 7:15am and to the Terminal by 7:30. So I was fine. The flight was easy breezy... and didn't nearly feel like almost 5 hours (which it pretty much was because we were delayed 20 minutes).

My next challenge. How to get from DTW Airport in Detroit to Ann Arbor? I took a Taxi with my roomie Kev when I left Ann Arbor. I read about the Michigan Flyer, a bus from a hotel near my apartment to DTW (and the reverse) for $15, vs. $60 for a taxi or sedan. I knew there was a 4:45 shuttle to Ann Arbor that i could catch. It showed up 15 minutes late. No Biggie. I get to Ann Arbor around 5:50pm. I was dropped to a hotel about 3/4 of a mile from my apartment. Now, how to get from this hotel to my apartment... when there aren't taxis around. It was 13 degrees outside and all I had was a thin sweatshirt and no gloves. I thought, why not walk? I always hear about how people had to trek miles in the snow... surely I can go this short distance with my two suitcases to my apartment. WRONG. I pretty much had frostbite on my hands after 5 minutes outside.

I made it to Briarwood Mall and in the parking lot a woman parked up next to me and said, 'You want a ride? I have kids your age and It's wayyy too cold outside.' She said, 'It's not a problem. Where are you going? You better not hope I'm a mass murderer! You know you're stupid for not wearing a jacket in this weather.' I thought, 'Um, I'll take my chances about you not being a mass murderer.' So it turns out she's a doctor at St. Joseph's in Ann Arbor. We bonded quickly because her daughter lives in Menlo Park (near me in the Bay Area) because her husband is getting a Ph.D at Stanford in Engineering. We talked quite a bit in our short 3 minute ride to my apartment.

We got to my apartment and I defrosted myself.

Someone was totally watching over me... and I thank you Deb Oberdoerster, MD.

It's nice not to travel for a change

I really need this weekend for recovery. I feel like I've been traveling so much lately. I'm usually in an airport, car or train station on the weekend it seems.

Yesterday was the Ann Arbor version of Google's Holiday party. I had a blast. It was nice to be in a small venue at St. John's Inn and know almost everyone. Part of me wanted to be in Mountain View, but I'm going to be in Ann Arbor and live it up, dammit! It was fairly depressing because everyone brought their significant others, but I still have fun with the singles.

It was nice to hang out with Ray, Heather and Ariel -- who came in this week from Mountain View for the Holiday Party as well. I have pictures that I'll upload later.

I booked a room with John as a crash pad so we didn't have to drive home after the party. It was one of the nicest hotel rooms I've stayed in in a long time. :)

After we woke up, I thought about buying Spice Girls tickets, but I'm still unsure if I want to go in Detroit, Chicago or DC. I'm leaning toward DC.

After we got back, John and I stopped by Ann Arbor's world-renowned Deli, Zingerman's. It was amazing. Read my review on Yelp!

Here's a story... of a lovely lady...

So a few weeks back I mentioned how I absolutely adore my housekeeper. We had a pretty long conversation about the single life and just random talk. She's just so full of spirit.

I had the pleasure again today of chatting with her. I left work a bit late and knew she would be coming by. We chatted about Vegas, trashy celebrity gossip, shopping and our Thanksgiving plans. She's had a lot of life experience and just goes with the flow. I love that.

I finally 'formally' introduced myself and got her name. Her name is Carol and she's a wonderful woman.

John Travolta for A Night

It was truly 'Saturday Night Fever' for me. This past Saturday I made my way to Detroit for a bit of clubbing action. As you might know, I go to dance, experience new music and meet new people. I don't go to drink or hookup. Cause I'm a good guy like that.

Anywho, I made my way over to Backstreet Nightclub. I couldn't find the club at first because It was located in a hidden part of a strip mall. I was like, 'Oh crap. What did I get myself into?'

I get there around 11 and there aren't too many people around. It wasn't until 12 until the party got jumping. It's probably the most unique club I've been to in the Midwest. It has an elevated 1970's lightup dance floor that No One gets on until like 11:45. Before that, It's a complete stare showdown a la 'The Abbey' in LA or 'Sidetrack' in Chicago.

You can kinda tell the place is a work in progress. There is exposed wood in some areas that is meant to be finished. Despite that, the place has a great dancefloor, fun music, and a cool lounge in the back meant to get away from it all. There are Cabanas with Curtains if you want that 'Private' moment as well.

Most of the night was spent observing and taking pictures. At one point I did dance with Ziggy, a younger (I believe latino?) guy in which I'm still wondering as of today if he is of legal age. Yowza. There was this cute late 20's/early 30's guy I've seen at Necto who kept looking at me, but still never went up to me. Maybe next time.

There was a drag show. It was quite scandalous, with a guy who I think got breast implants. I would share pictures, but I want to keep you sane. Instead, here are some tamer pictures.

Here is a YouTube video of the Dance Floor in Action at Backstreet. It's to the music of 'Show Stopper' by Danity Kane.




I ended the night with a quick stop stop at White Castle, just to say I've done it. I got a diet coke and a cheeseburger. I can offically say the Diet Coke tasted better than the burger. Lol.

Yes, I'm Me

After A wonderful week, My Sunday evening turned into one of major bad luck.

I wanted to be productive, so I did laundry. Sounds good, right? Until I realized I left Chapstick in one of my pockets in the dryer. Dun Dun Dun... That means a whole grip of clothes now has petroleum stains all over it. *Le Sigh*

Okay, so that's kinda bad, considering I only brought a limited amount of clothing with me to Michigan.

I go to Meijer, the local 'we have everything, plus we're open 24 hours' store, to grab some laundry stain remover. I also realized I was low on gas, so I headed to a gas station I knew would be open.

I then see the flashing red and blue lights. Now I'm confused because I have no idea what I could have possibly done to deserve to get pulled over by the A2 coppers.

The officer approaches my car on a dark empty major street, and this is what happens:
Officer: Good Evening. Do you know why you're being pulled over?
Me: I have no idea.
Officer: Did you see that flashing red light back there?
Me: I don't recall.
Officer: Do you know what that means?
Me: I'm not from here. I haven't seen that very often where I'm from.
Officer: Where are you from?
Me: California. I'm not used to those in all honesty. I wasn't sure what to do.
Officer: Where are you staying?
Me: Near the mall.
Officer: Ah. Can I see your license and registration?
Me: I can try to find the paperwork, but this is a rental car.
[Hands over License and Registration]
Officer: Is this you?
Me: Ya. I lost about 115 pounds.
Officer: You look great!
Me: Thanks.
Officer: I'll be right back. I'm going over to my vehicle.
Me: *sighs* as he can see the officer writing the ticket in his rearview mirror.

So basically, I'm not all that bothered with it. I panicked at first... only because of insurance issues. Turns out you can't do traffic school in Michigan. The fine for 'not yielding for a flashing red light' is $130 and 3 points on your record for 2 years. It kinda blows. Now I know about flashing red and yellow lights and what you're supposed to do.

So the only real cool thing about the evening was the compliment about my weight loss. Yes, I'm Me...

Let it snow!

Today was the first day I saw a bit of snow, even though it didn't stick. It was just cold enough that flakes would fall from the sky above. It was magical. You know. I've come to realize that it's nice to have snow. Sure it's cold... in the low 30's, but it's something different.

Once I saw the flakes coming down kinda hard, I ran outside with Dina to take a picture. My manager kinda thought I was crazy, but whatever. :P


Snow in front of the A2 GOOG Office

Dinner at Cafe Zola

I went out to one of my occasional 'sit down' meals in Ann Arbor last night. Dina, a policy specialist based out of Mountain View, has been in town for the week. We decided to celebrate at Cafe Zola, one of the swankier places in town.

The food was good, although a bit overpriced for carbs (pasta's, etc). I had to add protein ($7) to my dish because it was basically pasta and a lemon sauce for $18. Don't get me wrong, it was tasty... but throw in some meat for that, bitches.

Here is a group picture:


Foreground: Dina, Me, and Sarah
Background: John, Jane & Britt

The Mystery Maid

In Ann Arbor, I have a housekeeper who remained a mystery... up until this morning. I left a bit late for work, around 9:15am instead of 8:55am. I'm kinda glad I left late, only because I finally got to meet my housekeeper.

Every Thursday, she comes to The A2 Apartment de Kevin & Will and cleans up our non-mess. We usually only have a few dishes in the sink, some trash to throw out, and some linens to clean. I must admit, I love not having to clean my bathroom. That's the one thing I don't like doing and usually delay.

As I'm about to exit the shower, I hear a woman in the distance say, 'Housekeeping.' I started to freak out a bit. She said, 'Don't worry honey, I'll clean the front first.' Anyone who uses the word 'Honey' already wins me over.

After I get ready, I come out and almost leave... until something told me to strike up a convo. Once I did, we chatted for about 15 minutes. She's a 40-ish (but looks young) African American woman. I didn't catch her name, but I will next time. We talked about the single life and what she's experienced. She grew up in Chicago, recently lived in Vegas, and made the move to Ann Arbor. I asked if there was anything I should do because I'll be in Vegas for Thanksgiving. She's like 'Go to Crave... you know... they have a show that's really different. With transgender folks.'

That was so unexpected. We also chatted about Chicago, because I've been there the past two weekends. She made me laugh and we got along pretty well.

I think I might go to work late every Thursday just to talk with her.

The mystery was unraveled...

The Ann Arbor Haircut Solution

I find getting a cheap haircut in the Bay Area is super simple. Go to Supercuts or some local barbershop and you're good to go. However, it's not that simple in Ann Arbor. No Supercuts within 40 miles... and everything is a 'salon' (aka 30 to 40 bucks for a cut). I'm usually used to like $15.

I asked Brian, a co-worker of mine, where he gets his haircut. He said, go to the Douglas J. Institute. It's the school for the Douglas J. Aveda Salon. So basically, someone who's training to work in a major salon will be cutting your hair. My stylist, Missy, started to train in January. So she's almost ready to graduate after being in school for 1 year.

It's the best $15 haircut I've ever gotten. It was all scissor cut, so no shavers. That makes for a more precise cut.

So this was my experience:

• Made an appointment for 9pm (they do haircuts until 10pm)
• Walked in and was asked if I wanted water, tea, etc.
• I sit in anticipation, not knowing what to expect.
• Missy comes and gets me and says she's be cutting my hair today.
• She introduces me to her instructor, who'll be occasionally looking to she what kind of job she's doing. She'll also chime in with advice or take over if Missy needs help.
• She asked me how I wanted my hair cut. I said 'finger length,' which is the perfect length for my wavy hair. She gets a couple of more specifics and her instructor approves it.
• She starts talking to me and we make chit chat. She's from Michigan, but a town 45 minutes north of Ann Arbor.
• She gives me a scalp massage with 'Energizing Oil,' one of about 6 I could choose from.
• She then shampoos and conditions my hair.
• She then starts the cut -- all scissors. It takes a while, but it's very precise.
• The cut was finished after about 25 minutes. I approve the cut and the instructor approves the cut too.
• I get my hair rinsed, so I get all the stray hairs away.
• I then ask what type of product I want in my hair. I choose an Aveda matte finish paste. It smells wonderful.
• My hair is styled and I walk downstairs to pay. I actually decided to get the paste too, because it smelled and looked good.
• The haircut was $15 and the product was about $20. So with all of the fancy shmancy salon styling and some product, I walk away paying less than a typical A2 Salon Haircut.
• Overall, I'm impressed! Such a great idea.
  
• Conclusion: Go if you have the time and want a luxury experience on the cheap. The whole process was about an hour... so that was the only downside. I wasn't doing anything anyways, so it was a great way to spend a tuesday night. :)
  

Ann Arbor: Work , Live and Play

Where I Work

I currently work at Google's Ann Arbor, Michigan office. I've been here for about 3 weeks. I'm normally headquartered in Mountain View, CA, but I've taken on an assignment here to help with the growing office. I'll be here until the end of December. So if you're in town, swing by and say 'Hi'! I've already seen 5 or so people from Mountain View swing by. It seems to be a popular stop. ;)

I'm not missing too much that the headquarters offers (other than the AMAZING people). I do miss being at the *hub* of it all, but It's also great to be at a regional office. On occasion I think about eating lunch at 5ive or Pure Ingredients Cafe, but the catering there have here is top notch (and healthy!).

Ann Arbor has its own flavor. It's young, vibrant, and refreshing. The people are very friendly, down to earth, and approachable. If they haven't met you before, they'll introduce themselves right away. The receptionist, Kim, knows everyone by name. The weather has been okay so far, but talk to me in a few weeks when it gets cold. The leaves are just changing colors and It's very beautiful. The rumors are true. Most people are married or in a long term relationship. But that doesn't mean they don't like to play. They have so many clubs, events, and groups at the office. There is something to participate in virtually every night of the week, if you want.

I arrived with 2 other Mountain View expats, Brittany and John. Brittany specializes in Quality Control (as do I) and John is a master optimizer for client's advertising accounts. Both have a wealth of experience.

Me, Brittany & John

Where I Live

I live in the more suburban part of southern Ann Arbor. The great thing is that there are plenty of places to shop, eat, and relax. All of my favorites are nearby --- Whole Foods, Target, Panera Bread... just to name a few. I also live right next to the local mall, Briarwood. The mall isn't that great, but if you want the basics, it's cool. You have to venture off to Troy for more upscale stores at Somerset Collection. If you want something more upbeat, Downtown in only a short 8-10 minute drive. My office is located Downtown. So I can walk to loads of shops, bars, and restaurants. That's a nice change of pace.

I live with a fellow Googler, Kevin. He's from Google's Dublin office. He's originally from Cork, so don't call him a Dubliner. Haha. It's great to live someone from another country. You get to learn things from a different perspective, but at the same time, see how we're very similar. Our weekly thing is watching Depserate Housewives together on Sunday nights. I found another trashy TV lover! Yay! He's a very funny guy. He reminds me of my Mountain View Cubemate, Ziv.

Kevin & Will

Where I Play

It's been really nice living in the Midwest. Ann Arbor is a very liberal college town, so it's a nice place to live. I go out to bars, restaurants, parks and shops all the time. I even ventured out to a gay film festival put on by the Triangle Foundation & Reel Pride Michigan last week in Royal Oak, a swanky suburb north of Detroit. I went a few A2 gayglers and saw a movie called, 'The Bubble,' A modern take on Romeo and Juliet, but with two men in the Middle East.

Some of the Bars, Restaurants, Clubs, Attractions, etc. I've been to:

• Bar Louie (Ann Arbor Bar)
  
• Zanzibar (Ann Arbor Restaurant)
  
• Arbor Brewing Company (Ann Arbor Bar)
  
• Monterrey Cantina (Royal Oak Mexican Restaurant)
• Pronto! (Royal Oak Gay Bar/Restaurant)
• Necto - Friday Night 'Pride' (Ann Arbor Gay Club Night)
• Royal Oak Main Art Theatre (Royal Oak)
• University of Michigan, Football Stadium (Ann Arbor)
• Cosi (Ann Arbor Sandwiches)
• Borders #1 (Ann Arbor Bookstore)
• The Chop House (Ann Arbor Steak House)
• Leopold Bros. Brewery (Ann Arbor Bar)
• Aut Bar (Ann Arbor Gay Bar / Brunch Place)
• Kerrytown Shops (Ann Arbor Shopping)
• Menjos (Detroit Gay Club)
• Somerset Collection (Troy Shopping)
• La Dolce Vita (Ann Arbor Dessert/Wine/Cigar Place)
• Stucchi's (Ann Arbor Fro Yo / Ice Cream)
• Briarwood Mall (Ann Arbor Shopping)
• Whole Foods (Grocery Store Staple)
• Potbelly's (Ann Arbor Sandwiches)
• BD's Mongolian BBQ (Ann Arbor Restaurant)
  

I have a load of other places to check out. Woot!

My Ann Arbor Apartment: Briar Cove Terraces

Here is slideshow gallery of my apartment. It's close to Briarwood Mall, Target, Golds Gym, Meijer, and loads of chain restaurants. Yay for suburbia!

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Chilly Sunday in A2: Brunch & A Movie

I must admit I'm kinda jealous that I'm not in Kauai, Hawaii with my family right now. They left on Friday and will be staying for about 10 days. I haven't been on the annual family Hawaii trip in 2 years... I'm starting to feel left out. *Le Sigh*

On the bright side, I am having an AMAZING time in Ann Arbor. Today was rather chill, but I did still do stuff.

I went out to brunch at Aut Bar (on Yelp!) with Mo and Megan, the local gay bar in the Kerrytown District of Ann Arbor that also has pretty good food. The waiter was cool. Kept us entertained with commentary every so often. Lol.

After that, we strolled the shops and Farmers Market in Kerrytown. We then strolled the streets to end up at Megan's new house that she recently bought. It's super cute with very unique architecture. Buying houses... in your 20's... pretty much not doable in Cali. *Sigh* It's the benefit of living in Michigan.

We then caught a flick at the Showcase Theatres in Ypsilanti. We ended up seeing Elizabeth: The Golden Age. I liked the film. There were some parts that will definitely stick in your memory. There were some very graphic scenes.

I then was able to work out for a bit at Gold's Gym and grab some dinner at Boston Market (my substitute for El Pollo Loco).

Midwest Obersvation #1: Marriage in your early 20's

Observation #1: People Like To Get Married

After living in the Midwest for a couple of weeks, I'm starting to notice some trends. Most of which, makes me feel like a fish out of water. Throwing an out gay guy in the Midwest is kinda daunting, but I'm doing well.

One thing I'm noticing is people are married in their early 20's. It's kind of shocking. I know 2 people married from high school. Two. I think there are like two people that aren't married or in serious long term relationships at the Google Ann Arbor office. So you often hear stuff like, 'I'm going to paint my house this weekend with my husband.' Rather than say, 'I'm going with my clubbing with my girlies.'

Even when you go out, you see people with their kids in their early 20's. I feel like as if this is because people either met their significant other in high school or in early college. Stayed together for 4 or so years and decided to get hitched.

I think people in California refuse to get married before 30. Even if you're in a long term relationship, I see people break up because they're commitment-phobic and would rather be single than married.

I don't see myself getting 'married' before 30. Possibly a long(er) term relationship.

Midwest Clubbing with 'My Team'

I've been living in the Midwest for a little less than 2 weeks now. It's been pretty nice. To some extent, I feel like I'm on vacation. I guess this is what happens when I'm in a new environment. I can roam, get lost, do new things, meet new people... all on my own pace.

There aren't too many guys at the Ann Arbor (A2) office that are out. I think that's the benefit of living in the Bay Area. So I'm gonna have to go experience whatever is gay in A2 either by myself or bring some of my girlies on occasion (some have already offered to go). I don't mind clubbing or bar hopping with the straighties every so often, but I do find it pretty boring.

I don't mind going out by myself. But it is weird going out and not running into anybody you know. Like I can go out in LA or SF and run into people every single time. Even if I don't run into people, I feel more comfortable introducing myself to people or I get introduced to others from my current set of friends. I guess it's just a matter of building those relationships and friendships up in the Midwest.

I also think I'm not very proactive when I'm by myself as far as introducing myself to people. When I'm with others, I have no problem. When I'm solo, it's not so easy. Maybe it's because I don't have a second opinion. It's a bit weird and something I need to work on.

So with that being said... I dived into the Ann Arbor gay scene last night. It was surprisingly fun. Where did I go? The only gay clubbing night in the city is held on 'Pride Friday's' at the city's hottest club, Necto. It's typically a straight club, but it goes gay on one night of the week. The layout of the club is pretty nice. It's like basically 3 stories. Top Level is High Energy dance music. The middle level is an outdoor area to hang out and chill. The bottom level, called the 'Red Room,' is more like a bar and the music varies. It can go from hip hop, to the latest tracks you haven't heard, to those tracks from the 80's and 90's you hate to admit you love.

Some things of note:

• Midwest gays really like to smoke, not that the west coast kind doesn't. But it's pretty gross going into clubs in which you can smoke. I also think it's because 18 to 21 year old kids like to rebel and think smoking is still cool.
  
• Ann Arbor guys are surprisingly attractive. It's partly because it's a college crowd, but I was impressed. Definitely not LA cute, but better than average.
• The club was sort of ethnically diverse. Mainly white and black folks. There were sprinkles of Asian and Latino guys. There was one slightly older Asian guy who I thought was hot, wearing a red hat, a shirt from Ruhel, and a blue American Apparel track jacket. It's too bad I never introduced myself to say Hi (just as an experiment in proactiveness). Before the night was over he made out with some fugly white dude and probably went home with him. There were also some cute black and white guys.
  
• It's nice living close to a club. 10 minute street drive home. SCORE.
• Straight girls in the Midwest love gay boys, just as much as everywhere else I've lived.
• Pride Fridays are known to be the best night at the club.
  

Necto on Yelp!
Public Photos of Necto on Flickr

All is Well in A2

So I arrived in the state of Michigan on Monday afternoon. I made a pit stop in Salt Lake City, Utah, before I got into Michigan. That town looks lovely, too. I finally got to see what that lake actually looks like. Some of it looks like swamp land.

I picked up my rental car. They hooked me up with a 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix. It's a fucking boat, but it's classy inside and drives well. My apartment is pretty swanky too. We even have weekly maid service, but I kinda find it annoying cause things get placed in awkward areas.

My roommate, Kevin, is from our Dublin, Ireland office. It's like getting to go on a free European Vacation, but without having to deal with the flight. We've bonded over trashy American and UK television. He's originally from Cork, so his accent is a bit thicker than a typical Irish one.

I also think I like working in a small(er) regional office. Although, it's hard to tell after only a week. It's like the difference between going to a small liberal arts school or going to some huge state school. Would you rather be noticed or don't really care because you're just a face in the crowd? It's nice interacting with the managers in this office too. They're all very approachable and down to earth. Also, the director, Grady is a wonderful guy. Very personable, down to earth, and genuinely friendly.

I'm so glad I'm getting to see more of America. I'm trying to remove this 'California is the only place in the universe that is livable' mentality from my head. I mean, I see myself living the vast majority of my life in California, but I also want to experience every place I can.

Part of me is still shocked I decided to leave for Ann Arbor, Michigan. But I know I made the right choice. I feel so much less stress. There is no pollution, no traffic, no road rage, and this overwhelming sense of friendliness in the Midwest. It's like if you're not friendly, you'll stand out like a deer in headlights.

But there is some observations from my first week here:

• There are no toilet seat covers anywhere. It's a bit weird.
• People are surprisingly trusting. For example, my first floor apartment back door goes into open grass and the street. But I still feel safe.
• Guys don't make an effort to dress here, probably because it's a college town.
• The town is very liberal. Although the college kids seem to be into Ron Paul.
• It's still okay to smoke in bars and restaurants here. Blah.