H&M Comes to the South Bay; FuZ in Sunnyvale

Strolling at Santana Row

Last Friday was a random night. I ended up going to get dinner at Santana Row in San Jose. It's a nice place to just stroll and chill. It reminds me a lot of the Grove in Los Angeles. I ended up eating at Plutos, my favorite place to get Google-esque food without paying a high price. It's basically customizable salads and healthy sandwiches. Interestingly enough, the had better toppings than the one in downtown Palo Alto. Soy nuts... yummy!

When strolling around, I noticed massive amounts of posters for a new H&M! I'm so excited! I have a strange feeling this might be a female-only H&M. If it is, it will truly be a sad day. It's opening in the Fall. My biggest pet peeve is driving to San Francisco for 1 store. Because that's one of the few places that SF has that the South Bay doesn't.

But who knows... maybe I'll move to SF later this year? Ooooh.... the mystery.

Clubbing in Suburbia

I was going to go to my co-worker Jackie's bday party on Polk Street in San Francisco. I was going to carpool with Steph K., but she didn't feel up to it. I didn't want to drive alone, so I decided to stay in the South Bay. I totally forgot that it was FuZ (hosted by Downelink) on Friday in Downtown Sunnyvale at Abyss Nightclub. I still felt like dancing, but not driving.

So I drove a whopping 2 minutes to Downtown Sunnyvale. The cover sucks at $10-$15. But it's a club in suburbia with mostly 18-20 year olds... so it's to be expected. It was the third time I went. It does feel a bit like High School, but I do like the layout of the club and the music. I also like the 21+ area upstairs. Also, the dance performers they usually have are fun.

Funny enough, I ran into Ronald. I went on a few dates with him after I met him at Dragon in 2006 (at Club Eight in San Francisco). He's a good guy. I'm still interested in being friends, because he truly has a nice heart. I saw him again a few months ago. He had a lot of pluses, but he also had some minuses (smoking).

We took pictures, but they're on his camera. So... I don't I'll ever get them.

It Feels So Good

I just got 13 hours of sleep. 7pm to 8am. Woot!

Go Sleep!

Darren Hayes Does SF

Why is Darren Hayes' only Bay Area concert on the SAME DAY as Gwen Stefani's? Sigh.

I already have lawn tix to Gwen. But they were cheap... so it won't be a big deal if I didn't go. The good thing is that it's right next to work though... so no commute whereas Darren's show is in San Francisco and starts at 8pm.

It's like Rare vs. Money.
Choices Choices.

New Icon

I wanted to thank my fellow googler Kevin S. for my new icon. I'm using it for a bunch of things. He's so good at making these avatars! It's like my own little 8-bit NES character. Yipee!

Córdova Goes To Purdue

UCR Chancellor, France Córdova, has been selected as Purdue's first female president. I've been super impressed with what she's done in her time at UCR. Even though UCR's 7th Chancellor had a relatively short tenure, her accomplishments in branding, ranking, the Palm Desert Campus and the medical school were fantastic. I'm sorry to see her go!

The Full Story Here

Where's Will?

Sadly, I stand out because I'm so sweaty in this random picture found on GameBoi's Website. Can you find me?

Cinco De Mayo: From Being Productive To Being Attacked

Yesterday was productive and fun. The first half of the day involved working out, doing laundry, and getting my hair cut. I also tried to catch up on some TV.

At night, I met up with Alex in the city. We haven't had a hang out session in a while now that he moved to SF. Earlier in the day, he went on some drunken Cinco De Mayo scavenger hunt that was intense. He was pretty tired, but he was still willing to grab dinner and go to a bar. I know how tired he was, so thanks!

I picked him up at his Pacific Heights apt, we drove to the Castro and got dinner at Fuzio: Universal Pasta. At first I was trying to figure out why the place looked familiar on the outside. It was because there was one near the UCDC center in Washington DC in Dupont Circle. (Although I hear it's closed now) It's a tiny chain, with fewer than 10 locations. I ended up getting the Classic Chicken Parmesan and a Blackberry Cosmo. The food was cheap and good. Although the drink was nearly as costly as my entree. It was a nice twist on a Cosmo though. I liked how the entree came with a bit of pasta and some spinach. Nice touch.

After Dinner, Alex and I went to the Cafe. The people who go are kinda sketch. The music was okay. I mean we've been before, but Alex didn't want to go to Badlands because he was tired. I think we should have went to The Bar instead. While there, there was the Jose Cuervo promoter who gave Alex and I sweatbands. He also gave me a free shot of something. I think it was something peach flavored with Cuervo. Not bad. After the Cafe, Alex decided to leave at midnight because he was uber tired.

I decided to stay a bit longer and head to Badlands. I haven't been in a while. The line was super long, but It didn't take all that long to get in. The music was really good. I had a pretty good time just releasing energy. Interestingly enough, I ran into JESSE from WORKOUT on Bravo. I saw him last Thursday in LA at the Abbey. It felt like a bit of LA right in San Francisco.

The weird moment of the night: A guy at Badlands attacked me from behind during 'I Will Always Love You' by Whitney Houston. He would not let go of me. I tried escaping several times. I decided to just dance with him and bounce right after the song. He slow danced like in High School... putting his head on my shoulders. He tried to get fresh with me and I totally wasn't having it. That was my cue to leave Badlands. Haha.

John McCain at Google

Google is now becoming a required pit stop for 2008 presidential candidates. We had Hillary Clinton in February. I suppose it's good that we get a balanced perspective. Although Google employees lean heavily to the left. Now I want Obama & Rudy to stop by. Although I didn't see the talk (because I had tickets to Spidey), it was recorded for your pleasure. Here is the Authors@Google talk on YouTube.


The Article at the San Jose Mercury News.

Los Angeles: The April Trip Recap

As most of you know, I ended up going to LA last week (April 26th - 30th) for a little R&R. I visited a wide variety of friends and spent some time with family too. Here's the re-cap:

Thursday:

• San Jose to Burbank flight. Picked up by the parentals.
  
• Called Kenny. He let me know that he's got another project in San Jose.
• I went to the Abbey and met Sherif, Kristisha, Nima and Said.

Friday:

• Lunch with Jonathan at Westfield Topanga. Ate at Boloco and got fro yo at Barenaked Yogurt.
• Ran on the treadmill.
• Visited my Dad at Century City Doctor's Hospital.
• Dinner at Koo Koo Roo in West Hollywood. This location felt much different than the others i've been too. It felt like a Whole Foods, which is nice for a fast casual place.
• Dancing at Gameboi at Rage in West Hollywood. I ran into Ritchie on the street, so we ended up hanging out for a bit. I ended up meeting his buddy Travis. I also met some of my friends, but most of them were plastered. We ran into Ted Allen from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Who knew he liked young Asian guys?

• Briefly made an appearance at The Abbey. Saw former MTV VJ Ananda Lewis with her gay black posse. Interesting.

Saturday:

• Shopping at H&M at the Westfield in Santa Anita.
• Hot Pot / Shabu Shabu Dinner with Seymour, Ritchie & Travis in Alhambra.

• Peter's Birthday Party in San Gabriel. We played Hold 'em and watched Jackass 2. Nothing like a night out with straight boys. :)
• Went to the Abbey again. Can't go enough, really. Love the music and vibe.

Sunday:

• Shopping at the Northridge Fashion Center for clothes for Becky & Jose's Wedding.
• Met up with Dan, Peter & Cindy at 3rd Street in Santa Monica. We had lunch at Wolfgang Puck Express.
• Showed Dan, Peter and Cindy around the Santa Monica Google office. I'm kinda jealous of their new Video Game station. It's slick. Peter wanted to cry from joy afterwards. Props to Dan for helping tie my tie!
  

• Made my way to Newport Beach to Becky & Jose's Wedding. It was on a cruise boat. I cried. I took lots of pictures too!

• Made my way back to Los Angeles to meet Sherif at Privilege in Hollywood. It's their gay night apparently. Quite possible the most pretentious club I've been to. It's very LA. They have a velvet rope and everything. It's like a cross between a tent and a portable building. Not quite sure how that's glam. I had a good time nonetheless. I just hated $10 cover and $10 parking on a SUNDAY. That blew. It must be a bitch to clean up because everything is White.

Monday:

• Ran on the treadmill.
• Watched trashy daytime television. Wow... it's been a long time.
• Didn't really do much. Had a turkey burger at Fatburger. Yum.
• Got my mom's car washed.
• Ended my time in LA by driving around the Valley. Topped it off with Fro Yo from Pinkberry from the Studio City Location. Strawberry, Mango & Pineapple, oh my! Delicious!

Spiderman 3: Courtesy of Google

So I ended up watching Spiderman 3 this afternoon. Google gave employees 2 tickets to opening day at AMC Mercado in Santa Clara.

I ended up going to the 4:30 showing. I thought the movie was fun, sappy, and at times a bit slow. I don't think it will satisfy hardcore fans (like Nai) but is good for the casual guy like me. I liked push/pull love story. The special effects were good, but nothing mind-blowing.

It was fun seeing the movie with a theater full of co-workers because you can basically act however you want, without getting booed. Lol.

Grade: B


Spiderman 3 Ad on a LA Bus. Yes, I took a nerdy picture like this.

Top Cities To Find A Mate: The Bay Dominates

2 out of the top 5 cities to find a mate are right here in the Bay Area. San Francisco, CA and San Jose, CA, along with Minneapolis, MN, Arlington, TX & Raleigh, NC are the top places to find your significant other.

WHY SF?

San Francisco, Calif.:

• There are tons of straight (and gay), single, attractive men.
• The people are some of the most educated in the country.
• People are open-minded.

Between the Golden Gate Bridge — easily the country's most romantic span--and the fog-shrouded summer mornings, San Fran sets the mood for finding a mate. And find one you will, what with the city's top-ranking ratio of highly educated (and in shape) singles crowding the cable cars and walking the Wharf.

STATS: 99th out of 101 in percentage of people who completed a bachelor's degree, 97th in fitness level, and 95th in chemistry, i.e. opportunity for adrenaline-pumping activities.

WHY SAN JOSE?

San Jose, Calif.:

• San Jose is the heart of Silicon Valley, and technology is notoriously male-dominated. The guys are smart.
  
• There are plenty of people to choose from in this diverse city, where residents speak more than 52 languages.
• Because it's sunny 300 days a year, Men stay in shape. There are plenty of public places to have fun adventures.

Not only did it have the best ratio of single men to women, but as the hub of Silicon Valley, San Jose is a magnet for men looking to flex their mental muscle. What's more, with over 300 sunny days a year, the city gives guys a built-in incentive to stay in shape and balance work with play (it was tops in fitness level and chemistry-building activities).

STATS: 101st out of 101 in singles ratio, fitness level, and chemistry (but 23rd out of 101 in philanthropy, bringing down its overall score)

The Article on MSN/The Interactive Map & Article on Men's Health

*Make sure to check out the Complete List of 101 cities and how they're graded (from A to F)

--------------------------------

From personal experience, I've found it MUCH easier to meet people in the Bay Area than in LA. Although, LA isn't far behind with a Grade of 'B.' Washington, D.C. also made a top score averaging out to an 'A' grade. Looks like my favorite cities are great places to find a mate! On top of everything, the Bay has also inspired me to be healthier, which LA never really did. Even Riverside made the list... coming in at 33. Out of all 101 cities, it has the lowest divorce rate!

Although this article is mainly where Women can meet men, I think it goes the same for the reverse. Although the Gay Scene might be slightly different, I still think the Bay is tops in my experience.

My Dad's Surgery

Last Friday my Dad went in to Century City Doctor's Hospital to have Hip Replacement Surgery. He's had a bad hip for a while. He's not one to complain. He will sometimes let pain last a long time for fear of being a burden.

The surgery lasted only an hour and a half and everything went well. I visited him on Friday Night to make sure he was feeling okay. At one point My Mom, My Sister and I were in the room with him at the same time. We talked, watched Everyone Loves Raymond on KTLA, and just hung out. All 4 of us rarely see each other at the same time anymore. I suppose It's because I'm in Nor Cal while everyone else is still in LA.

On a side note, the rooms in the hospital were pretty. I like how each bed had a Flat Screen TV & Computer so you can check your email and such. At one point, a male nurse came in to test some vital signs for my Dad. He looked Filipino (and was presumably gay). I always find it fascinating how gays typically pick careers that have a focus on helping other people.

My Dad came back home on Monday and I got to give him a hug before I flew back to San Jose. Sometimes the small things are priceless.

He will be taking 3 weeks off work and can't drive for 10 days. Apparently there is a huge risk of dislocation during the first 10 days after surgery.

A Lot On My Mind

I feel like I have 30 blog entries to write. I want to write so much and yet sometimes I don't know how to express what I'm feeling. Be prepared to be bombarded with posts soon.

SF Freeway Collapse

Wow. My jaws dropped when I heard the news. How does a tanker truck just collapse a freeway like that? Are freeways vulnerable to fire like that?

The MacArthur Maze is super heavily traveled. So the solution is free public transit for a while. Won't that just shift the problem? It's not like there is another option at this point, since Arnold declared the collapse a state of emergency.

This is what happens when I leave the Yay Area. This kinda reminds me of the Northridge Earthquake... just a tad.

A Nice Thursday: From LA to the Bay

IN THE BAY

I had lunch with the President of GLAAD, Neil Giuliano, along with some of the other Gayglers. We talked about what is on their agenda for 2007/2008. It was nice. I guess they're focusing on Gays in Sports and Progressive Thinkers in Religion (rather than those representing the far right).

Nai drove me to SJC Airport. We were really pushing it. I figured since my flight was at 7:40, I could grab some dinner at Google. We grabbed some food and jetted around 6:40. We arrived just shy of 7pm. I had to check in a bag, so i was praying that the lines would be short. They were and I flew by... so that made me happy :)

IN LA

I arrived in Los Angeles... err Burbank... yesterday night. Somehow my flight arrived 10 minutes earlier than scheduled. So it was a super quick flight from San Jose. About 50 minutes.

My parents picked me up. It's good too see them. I came home to a new bed and a kitchen with new appliances. Little changes here and there.

I went out to West Hollywood and met some friends at the Abbey. We ended up staying in the parking lot for like ever waiting for random people to show up. I didn't drink but I still had a good time. I tried to meet up with Kenny while he's in LA, but it didn't work out. He surprised me in a good way, letting me know that he's coming back to San Jose for a project. After he left so abrubtly last week, my heart sank.

This one white guy from Seattle with his friend that was a girl (from SF) came and chatted with me for a second. The girl was from LA and now lives in SF. So we're in the same boat. The dude was like, "I wanna move to SF. I'm in the job process for this really cool job. It's at Google." I'm like... "I Work there. I just flew down like an hour a ago." How random?

There was a bit of Drama with a bartender who was treating my friends like shit, but all is resolved. We then go to a different part of the bar to get away from the Drama. They ended up getting a bunch of free shots.

While there, I noticed I was surrounded on all sides by several people from the cast of Work Out (as seen on Bravo). First off, I love that show. I was sad to see Jackie hanging out with her ex Mimi that she broke up with like a billion times. They were all very glamourous... so LA. I smiled at Jackie. She smiled back. Yay! I think she was pretty buzzed, but who cares. :P