One of my fondest childhood memories was when I was maybe ten or eleven in suburban Pleasanton, California. It must have been autumn, because the leaves had fallen, it had been raining steadily, but it was still pretty warm out. Ken Shimabuku was an acquaintance at my school who seemed like the coolest kid ever….
Category: SF Bay Area
Notes on Hiking the SF Crosstown Trail Solo
Yesterday I accomplished a goal I have been thinking about for a few years: hiking the entire San Francisco Crosstown Trail in one hike. Honestly, was really damn hard for me, so I’m pretty proud of myself! I’ve hiked the trail once before, during my birthday week last July, spread out over two days. When…
Little Kid Wants to Battle Me at the Rink!
The cutest moment I’ve ever had at the roller rink. Her name is Dream, and yes she will definitely kick my ass in a cypher soon. Thanks to Norm for this incredible footage.
Model Trains Make Me Happy
Model train dioramas just fill me with inexplicable pleasure. I realized this in Kyoto, Japan last year, when I visited their incredible train museum. I kind of lost track of time when I found their interactive model train area. It hit me again when I went to the Alameda County Fair this summer and went…
An Epic Day at the Alameda County Fair!
We had an unexpected day off at work because of Juneteenth, which I decided to spend going back to the Alameda County Fair, which I haven’t been to for at least two decades. I have fond memories of going to the fair as a young person. But would it live up to the nostalgia after…
Bella is Gone But…. Meet My New Motor Scooter!
A week and a half ago, my luck with Bella the motor scooter finally ran out. Bella was stolen from a motorcycle parking lot in SOMA in a brief 20 minute window while I was getting dinner at the new IKEA food hall. It really really sucks to lose her. I had a lot of…
Just Another Dope Night at Panther Skate (Photo Essay)
I shot a bunch of pics at Panther Skate Plaza on Thursday night to use for a photo essay I’m producing for work. Here’s what I shot. Panther Skate Plaza Photo Essay by Rik at KQED Here’s the pics embiggened with the same captions. You get to see so many fun skate setups at Panther!…
Interviewing Sugar Sullivan and Barbara Billups at Swingin at the Savoy 2024
I had the honor of interviewing lindy hop and tap legends Sugar Sullvan and Barbara Billups at Swingin’ at the Savoy 2024 a couple of weeks ago. Sharing the stage with these two dancers was such a treat. Paulo Sentio was gracious enough to provide these amazing pics from the event.
2023 Highlights: Tokyo Disney, Closing Yehoodi, Skating, Knitting, Baking
Japan Disneyland Bucket List Trip The biggest highlight of the year for me was getting to go on a bucket list trip to Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea last May. Getting to visit the two best Disney theme parks was a dream come true. Of course, I had a lot of other lovely adventures in Tokyo,…
Skate Photo Shoot at 6th Ave
I was honored to be asked to be a subject in this journalism student Tam’s photo essay on skating that she was preparing this month. Tam was so fun to work with, bringing enthusiasm, technical expertise, and flexibility to the shoot. Excited to see her final project. Here’s her pics of me that she shared.