Yep, another city (or cities), another set of adventures. And in the course of finishing Module A in a 1-year MBA, visiting the Philippines (Manila, Boracay and Mindanao) over 10 days during the holidays; and moving to California for Module B, I caught myself a nice, hardy bug. As in, I’ve been in one form or another sick, since December 25, 2012.
Not that my state of health is particularly relevant but I mention this because as I was preparing to fit our (D.’s and mine) worldly possessions in carry-on luggages and a postal box, I planned for San Francisco to be warmer than Boston. So no heavy coat and no tall boots (but for some reason, I brought my rainboots and it hasn’t rained at all). I was right in that regard and I do feel very lucky especially when I saw the freezing temperatures on the East Coast. But. I was horribly miserable the first week because of my cold. I was just cold, as in – put-me-under-several-blankets-with-a-beanie-on and-facing-the-heater cold.
I’m slowly recovering from a second bout of the flu but I did get a chance to appreciate the temperature and more importantly, San Francisco and Palo Alto, in general. I mean, this is where tech lives and breathes. Did I mention that I’m a huge Google fan and that I love tech in general? You can practically breathe in the startup atmosphere here.
As expected, the food here is just delicious. Almost a decade ago, I visited Napa Valley by myself. I still remember how fresh the food was, including airport food. That was the first time that I said maybe there’s hope for me and tomatoes, after all.
And the coffee. For a coffee-lover like me who goes for quality, rather than quantity, living here is heaven. One notable cafe is Philz Coffee. It’s supposed to be popular among startups but I was a little skeptical until I had my first taste. Let’s just say, I understand why they get to be in Facebook HQ.
And the fresh yoghurt. To heck with my flu and the cold weather, I’m already thinking of going to Fraîche again tomorrow. There’s more “ands.” Salads, sandwiches, Filipino food, In-and-Out Burgers, etc. etc. I’m drooling right now.
And now, if D. and I could just take a break from our crazy schedule and drive on the coast and maybe visit Napa, then that would just be the cherry on top.
A Whisper 