I knew that working at KQED would make me famous! Here’s where it starts. On Tuesday, a story aired on KQED radio about tips for commuting to work by bicycle, in preparation for “Bike to Work Day” coming up soon. I was quoted a couple of times for my tips on riding a folding bike…
Category: Travel
Paris Jazz Roots 2019 Review: An Exuberant Celebration of Vernacular Jazz Dance
[NOTE: This was cross-posted to Yehoodi.com] “It’s likeā¦ a solo jazz mosh pit,” Pamela, a lindy hopper from Singapore , remarks beside me, looking out on the crowd. In front of us, hundreds of sweaty and happy people are solo jazzing like crazy to the sounds of the JB swing band, on day 1 of…
The Best Pastries I Ate in Paris
A a huge pastry nerd, a big priority for my trip to Paris last week was to get to experience French pastries, particularly croissants, from the source. I had a huge, impossible list of bakeries to hit up, but alas only got to visit a handful. Anyway, I experienced some amazing viennoiserie, and frankly don’t…
Disneyland Paris: Le Bon, le Mal y le Meh
Being a big Disney park nerd, I was excited to get to visit Disneyland Paris this week, as part of my Paris adventure. This was actually the second time I had been to Disneyland Paris. The first visit was about 16 years ago, when it was still called EuroDisney. That visit was notable for how…
2018 in Review: on Sabbatical, Dancing for Fun and Profit, Baking Incessantly, Asia-hopping
Well 2018 was QUITE the year for me. Certainly not what I expected the year to be about. Quick 2018 Stats Jobs Lost: 1 Countries Visited: 2 Dance Competitions / Showcases Entered: 4 Dance Competitions Won: 1 Theme Parks Visited: 2 Parties Thrown: 3 Number of Pastries Baked: MANY Losing my job was certainly not…
Gear Check: 15 Years of Brompton Riding
I realized today that I’ve been riding Brompton bikes for about fifteen years. The Brompton is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made in my life, greatly contributing to my overall quality of life, health, and happiness. Here’s me with my first Brompton, purchased in London in 2003. (Check the red hair and the…
San Diego: Fish Tacos, Incredible Beaches, Animal Adventures and More
I am just back from a wonderful trip to San Diego, a city that has long been on my list of places to visit, but for whatever reason I never found the time to travel there. Fortunately, my friend Hanah offered to be my guide to the best of San Diego during our trip there….
Dancing Gig at a Casino: The Joys of Dancing with Older Folks
I haven’t done too many paid gigs in my dancing career. It just hasn’t been something that I’ve been interested in doing. Performing, working on routines, marketing myself, have the right “look”, finding a partner, and hustling for gigs just sounds like a drag. This weekend my friend Shannon convinced me to partner with her…
Disney, Cultural Connections and Common Ground
Last night I was flying back from my latest trip to Disneyland, tired but happy. Our small commuter plane wasn’t able to hook up directly to the terminal at SFO, so we had to walk down the stairs to a waiting bus. The bus took quite a long time to get to our final terminal,…
Fun Times at Disney California Adventure
I have long thought of Disney California Adventure (DCA) as the inferior little brother to Disneyland. I grew up going to Disneyland Anaheim. It has layers and layers of history, tradition, and memories for me. That is hard to top. In contrast, California Adventure has only been around since 2001. I never thought of it…