Christmas Parties...my company had their party at the Verandah Grill on the Queen Mary in Long Beach.  With the open bar and three entrees (salmon, steak, and chicken) I got a little sick from being so full...ugh.



Also was invited to the E! Entertainment Christmas Party at the Sony studios...another open bar and appetizers...they even gave out free cab vouchers afterwards.  I was kind of buzzed so I didn't really notice any celebrities except for the naked fat guy from Borat.

Happy hours and dinners

• belated birthday dinner at Mi Piace in Pasadena...yummy italian food although there's a long wait even with reservations
  
• from 5-9pm $1.50 beers and $2.50 well drinks at the Cha Cha Lounge in Silverlake (dive bar with fun decor done by local artists)
• fish and chips at the Red Lion Tavern (a cool German oktoberfest restaurant)
• from 5-7pm $1-5 appetizers and $3 beer/wine at La Maschera in Pasadena (Tuscan restaurant and wine bar).
• dinner at Sanamluang in Thai town...one of my favorite thai places
• 1/2 price drinks for happy hour at Springbok Bar & Grill in Shoreline Village in Long Beach...Boddington on tap is really good!
• dinner at Parker's Lighthouse...their seafood is really fresh.  The oysters Rockefeller are to die for.
  

Yoga and hiking...been taking advantage of the free yoga everyday at 10:30am in Runyan Canyon Park.  I forgot how great it is for increasing flexibility and to decrease stress.  Also the loop hike there is wonderful for the views and a great place to walk your dog.

Stargazing...went to the Griffith Observatory.  If you hike up for about an hour from Griffith Park you don't need to make a reservation ahead of time to go.  We got there at 3pm and didn't leave until they closed at 10pm and we didn't have time to see all the exhibits (I like to read EVERYTHING).  The planetarium show for $7 is worth seeing but sells out fast so make sure you get the tickets in advance.  We brought some wine, cheese, salami, and crackers and had a picnic while watching the sunset.  It was great to see the moon from the huge telescope...we got lucky and the night we were up there it was so crisp and cold and visibility was amazing.  We ended up taking the shuttle down and walked through the DWP Festival of Lights where there's usually an hour long line of cars waiting to see the animated show of christmas lights set to holiday carols.

Taquitz...did another multipitch trad called the Trough, the first ascent at Taquitz, an easy 4 pitch 5.4.  It was so cold though that I didn't have much fun.  Had dinner at Jo'an's Restaurant in Idyllwild.


The next day we hiked up to the top of Mt. San Jacinto from Humber Park about 7.6 miles to the peak one way.  On the way down we went via the Marian Mountain trail.



Cooking...been trying my hand at making asian dishes.  I cooked pho for the first time and also made chicken and bok choy chow mein.  Anybody have any recommendations for good recipe websites?

DAY 1, Sat:  Flew from LAX at 7AM with a layover in New York JFK to Casablanca, Morocco.  Changed some money (rate is 1 dollar is equal to about 8.4 Durhams).

DAY 2, Sun:  Arrived early in the morning and transferred to our hotel Kenzi Basma. We got a 2 story suite with a great view of the city.  We walked around the local markets and ate at this hole in the wall with a menu written only in arabic and there were no utensils since you eat with your hands.  Ordered a tajine, a moroccan specialty that is cooked in a ceramic dish with a conical lid over charcoal.  There are a whole bunch of different types of tagines like chicken and olive, goat, lamb with prunes, etc.  The mint tea was also really good. 

A half day tour was included which took us to the Hassan II Mosque, the third largest mosque in the world.

A short drive through the Corniche seaside, residential areas of Casablanca to the city center to visit the Mohamed V Square, the Habous quarter and a visit to the Notre Dame de Lourdes Cathedral with beautiful stained glass windows.  We also drove by Rick's Cafe...of course the movie wasn't really filmed here but in Hollywood.  Dinner was at the hotel where we tried the harira which is a tomato-based soup with chick peas, meat, lentils and small noodles.  Tried the local beer, Flag Special, at the bar in the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

DAY 3, Mon:  This morning, we departed for Rabat, capital of Morocco, to view the Royal Palace and the ancient ruins of Chellah (jewish quarter), the Oudaya Kasbah, and the Hassan Tower. Then we traveled to Meknès, and stopped to see the most exquisite entrance gate in the city walls, the Bab Mansour. For lunch I had the shish kabobs.  Next, visited the ancient ruins of the Roman City of Volubilis and the exteriors of the nearby Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss. 

Arrived in Fez where we stayed at the Menzeh Zalagh Hotel.  We wanted to go find a cafe to hang out but the only patrons are men.  Women traveling without a male escort are given a lot of unwanted attention.  Apparently everyone thought we were Japanese as we kept hearing Konichiwa everywhere we went.  Also, the only women hanging out at bars after 11pm are prostitutes so our choices for nightlife were narrowed down to mostly hotel bars.

DAY 4, Tues:  Today we did a full day tour of ages-old Fez, considered the world's best example of a living medieval city. Visited Fez Jdid (New Fez), planned by the Merinids in the 13th century to incorporate the Royal Palace and Gardens and administrative center of the city.

Later,we wandered through the narrow alleys of countless souks (bazaars), weavers, madersas (theological colleges), tanneries (very smelly due to the raw materials they use to make leather like pidgeon poo, urine, etc.)  Without a guide we were lost in minutes in the twists and turns and blind alleys of the medina.  Eventually with the help of a local we were able to make our way to the Sofitel Palais Jamai where we enjoyed some tasty cocktails and listened to the crys of the muezzin calling the faithful to prayer while taking in the view of the city at night.  For dinner we went to Riad Dar Masmoudi, a traditional moroccan courtyard house run by a local family.  We tried the pastilla which has pidgeon or other meats inside a pastry topped with sugar and cinnamon...very delicious!  Their cous cous was the best I've ever tasted. They washed our hands before dinner and afterwards scented them with rose water. 

DAY 5, Wed:  Today, was the long journey from Fez to Marrakesh. We traveled through Beni Mellal while experiencing the ever changing landscape of the Moroccan valleys and Atlas Mountains.  I got a chance to ride on a camel. 

Also tried this fruit shake which was very yummy.  We stayed at the Atlas Asni.  Walked around the nouvelle villa, the newer part of the city.

DAY 6, Thurs:  We didn't like our tour guide at all so we decided to rent a car for the day and tour the city ourselves.  We went to the Majorelle gardens and museum, the Saadian tombs (where a lot of sultans were buried), the Menara gardens, and the Koutoubia Minaret.  Then we went to Djemaa El Fna Square, where street performers, storytellers, snake charmers, and magicians create a spectacle to behold. 

Had lunch at a cafe overlooking the square.  Then went shopping in the souks surrounding the square.  I bought some rose oil and argan oil (really good for your skin and anti-aging).  Also bought a jelaba which is what the locals wear and some scarves to cover my hair.  It can be a bit exhausting to bargain for everything but it's definitely an art form I want to work on.  Above all, keep a smile on your face even when you think they are trying to rip you off.  It is not unusual to bargain down to 1/3 of the original price they first quote you. 

For dinner we decided to be adventurous and tried one of the many food stalls in the square.  This was probably a mistake since I think it was the moroccan salad that I ordered which was to later give me the dreaded traveller's diarrhea.  We also tried the snails which was ok but not as good as the ones I've had here.  Be careful of the henna tattooists...they tried to con us...always agree on a price beforehand and don't believe them when they say they just want to draw a little flower for good luck.  Drank some moroccan wine at our hotel bar which was pretty good...supposedly it was a pretty happening place where the young Marakeshi go to hang out.

DAY 7, Fri:  We decided to organize our own trip to see the Ouzoud waterfalls.  It was about a 2.5 hour drive from Marrakesh and it was good to be away from the city.  We hiked down to the river and had lunch at a cafe overlooking the waterfalls.  There are guides who will show you the way but you don't really need them.  We tried hiking to a Berber village about a mile away but had to turn back before we got there since we were afraid we would miss the van.  Saw some cute monkeys.

DAY 8, Sat:  Woke up really early for our transfer to the airport.  It was a long flight back and we almost missed our connection in New York.  Although I had a fun time, I was glad to be going home.  The best part of the trip was meeting the great people in our tour group (Nate and Jason from Iowa who are moving to Madrid to teach English for a year...Judy, Sue, and Selena the girls from New York...Farine, Alison, and Amina from D.C...Suzanna from Atlanta).  It's always good to meet new people who love to travel too.

Morocco is a wonderful culture with a unique mix between the old Berber, Muslim/Middle East and French European (from when France colonized Morocco).  I would definitely like to go back some day.  And of course I loved the food.  Hopefully, I'll update again soon with pictures when I get a chance to upload them all.

 

Camped at 13 Mile Campground and also spent one night at the Frontier.  First day we climbed at Windy Peak and did a 2 pitch 5.6 called Jackass Flats.  The approach was steep with a lot of bushwhacking cacti (not pleasant).  Second day we did a 6 pitch 5.6 called Cat in the Hat which was a lot of fun.  Even lead some of the pitches.  It's a pretty crowded route and we ended up finishing really late and rapping down in the dark.  Tried the Mandalay Bay buffet which wasn't that great...most of the food was overcooked.

I know I've been MIA lately but I've been preoccupied with other things.  I will update more when the time is right.  In the meantime, here's what I've been up to in the last two weeks:

Tiger Lily...cool loungey place in Los Feliz for a birthday then Fred 62's afterwards for a late night snack.  It's an old retro diner where the waiters have shirts with humorous quotes on the back.

Birthdayween costume party...loads of fun with apple bobbing contest, pumpking carving contest, and costume contests.  Everything from bare-assed hippies to hot construction workers to cops not in costume

Went for a hike in Hondo Canyon.  Started to get dark so we didn't go all the way up to Saddle Peak.  Saw a snake in the middle of the trail.  Started trailrunning down.  Later went to the third birthday of the weekend at Guelaguetza, a Salvadorian restaurant with really good food.  We decided to go shoot pool and sing karaoke afterwards.

In one night we went to Boardner's for some drinks, then to Geisha House for appetizers, and finally to Les Deux for some lounging and people watching.  It's a pretty cool club if you can get past the bouncers (it's good to be a girl, hehe).

Climb Smart in Joshua Tree for some clinics on rock climbing.  Won a lot of gear in the raffle...a backpack, book on climbing in Red Rocks, flashlight, Black Diamond ATC device, etc.  Bought a Patagonia fleece in the silent auction...I love their clothes!  Got to see a lot of great videos of some of the world's best climbers...I guess free climbing without using ropes is the newest trend now...talk about crazy!

This weekend off to Vegas and climbing at Red Rocks. 

 My halloween costume this year--sexy pirate:

I had one too many sake bombs for my birthday so my review of Tokyo Delve's should be taken with a grain of salt :-p  But the following reviews should be accurate.

Hama Sushi...great hole in the wall sushi bar in Little Tokyo.  Really fresh sushi and friendly chefs with decent prices.

Ahi Sushi...located in Studio City so it's a bit of a drive but totally worth it!  The toro, uni, and albacore are some of the best I've tasted.  Their blue crab roll and scallops in paper rice rolls are really good too.  For dessert try the green tea creme brulee.  I also recommend ordering their fresh grated wasabi...you can definitely tell the difference from regular wasabi that has more of a horse radish kick to it.

Some movie reviews:

Saw 2:  more gory than the first one but storyline is not as good.  I was a little disappointed by the lame ending.  The third one is coming out soon but based upon this movie I would probably wait for it to come out on DVD rather than see it in the theatre.

What the Bleep Do We Know:  really good movie that makes you think.  It tries to apply findings from modern quantum physics and apply it to our lives in a philosophical and entertaining way.

Drove out on Friday night and camped out by Independence.  On Saturday we went to Mammoth Mountain and mountain biked from Main Lodge down to the Village along Downtown and Paper Route trails (about 4 miles).  After that we did the Lower Rock Creek trail (about 6 miles).  This is my favorite ride so far!  The first part is pretty moderate but the last part is extremely technical.  I need to shell out $1000-2000 for a new nicer bike with full suspension.

Later we went to soak our aching muscles at Whitmore Tubs hotsprings.  It was so gorgeous watching the sunset and we had the whole place to ourselves.  At night the stars were brilliant and you could clearly see the milky way.

The next day we had breakfast at the Breakfast Club before going to Devil's Postpile to do some hiking.  It's an interesting columnar basalt geologic formation made from fire (lava flow) and ice (a glacier).

Afterwards we went trail running (about 2.6 miles) to Rainbow Falls, a 101 foot waterfall, which is aptly named for the many rainbows that appear in its mist throughout sunny summer days.

Then we went to Clark Canyon to do some rock climbing.  We went to Area 13 and did 4 routes ranging from 5.8-5.9.  Great place for sport leading.  Had dinner at Pizza Factory in Lone Pine.

I've always been a little bit of a tomboy and have a lot of guy friends, but after spending the whole weekend being the only girl with 4 guys burping and farting and doing other testosterone induced behavior...I really miss my girls.

My birthday dinner at Tokyo Delves...really loud and fun place with good sushi. 

Canyoneering in Zion National Park in Utah:

We did Keyhole Canyon where it started pouring rain after we just finished (we could've been caught in a flash flood if we had done it any later).  Then when we did Spry Canyon we had a large group so we ended up having to downclimb in the dark and one of us almost fell off a cliff.  The water was cold so wetsuits are mandatory.  Ended up buying a whole bunch of canyoneering gear (new bag, rope, shoes) on sale.

Today I am a year older, but not necessarily a year wiser.

Monday:  Went to Father’s Office in Santa Monica.  The beers are really good here and the food isn’t too bad either (try their lamb skewers…yummy!).  They serve their fries in little shopping carts…so cute!  The place is kind of small so it’s always packed and you have to wait for a table.  Afterwards went to Ye Olde King’s Head for more beer…I like their ciders.  Watched Little Miss Sunshine at the Laemlae…it’s a fun independent movie about what it means to succeed.  I thought it was good but probably can wait for rental/netflix.

Tuesday:  got the Sea of Life facial at the Pacific Waters Spa which is located inside the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach.  The ambiance was great…from the Mediterranean style architecture to the perfect sunset views on the beach to the Koi pond outside the entrance.  The treatment normally costs $135 but since it was spa week, I only paid $50.  This was my first facial and I can see why it can be addicting since my face was glowing afterwards.  Went to dinner at Aloha Grill…I’ve been pretty good about eating more healthy lately…mostly trying to stick to salads and seafood.  Must try and drink more water…that’s probably the cheapest way to get a clear complexion, lolz.

Wednesday:  DVD night watching Before Sunset.  I loved this movie!  It made me start thinking about all of my past relationships.  There's just something extremely romantic about meeting someone when traveling like the way the 2 main characters met.  I remember when I was in Paris, I met these two guys on the train and we stayed up all night just talking and drinking wine.  We sat on the banks of the river Seine across from Notre Dame.  It's the memories of times like that where I felt most alive and happy.

Thursday:  went to an executive seminar at the Wrigley Mansion in Pasadena, where the tournament house for the Rose Parade is located.  There were free hor'dourves and wine and we got to listen to executives at Sony Animation Studios talk about their new film Open Season and how it was made...pretty interesting.  Later we went to McMurphy's Tavern in Old Town for some food.

Friday:  attended an APEX networking mixer at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena.   The courtyard garden is really pretty...too bad I got there a little late and they had closed off some of the galleries.  Met a couple interesting people.

Saturday:  Cherylee's baby shower in Irvine...there was so much good food!  I can't believe one of my friends is pregnant already...gosh I'm getting old   Later we went to Erik & Vilma's wedding on a yacht in Marina del Rey.  The bride was so beautiful!  The ceremony was very romantic.  The afterparty continued at Lounge 217 in Santa Monica where I danced so much my feet were hurting.

 

Sunday:  lunch at Chili My Soul in Encino and then visited the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades.  The museum is modeled after a roman villa and showcases the antiquities collections.  Admission is free but it's very popular so you have to call and make reservations for tickets ahead of time.  Afterwards we went to Daichan Kaiten Sushi in West LA where you can get revolving sushi for $2-5 each plate...its actually pretty fresh too because they have a magnetic barcode that tells them how long the sushi's been out.  Later went to watch Jackass 2 which while crude and gross at times was so funny.

• met up at Las Brisas in Laguna Beach with a friend visiting from out of town.  The drinks are pretty good and you get a great view of the sunset from their patio.  For dinner we went to White House.  Interesting conversations over a bottle of wine.
• hung out at Jungle, a korean cafe in Cerritos
• birthday dinner at the Gaslamp in Long Beach...so many september babies The food was just ok and the service is really slow.  They had an 80's cover band.  Afterwards went clubbing at V2O.  We got kicked out (because my friend was drunk) but we somehow talked our way back in  
• Samantha's 30th birthday at the Hilton Checkers in downtown LA...we had the whole rooftop restaurant to ourselves.  You get great views of the city.  The fantastic food and wine tasting made for a great party.  I loved her whole Hollywood movies theme.

  

• went to the Bel Air Bay Club in Pacific Palisades for a Lexus event.  The food was fantastic...they had an omelette station, salad station, chicken, fish, cheese/cracker station and chocolate covered strawberries.  Their open bar consisted of organic wines and a hybrid cocktail that was so delicious!  Great views of the ocean and nice ambiance.  Best of all it was free.  The new LS 600h is so nice...it's a luxury hybrid that has every feature you can possibly imagine including heating/cooling leather seats that also give you a massage!  I like it better than the Mercedes AMG line...this will definitely be my next car whenever I can afford it.
• salsa dancing lessons at the Rio Lounge & Grill in Encino.  It was supposed to be for a beginning class but they taught us a lot of intricate moves.  It was a lot of fun...reminds me that I want to take an intermediate salsa class before I forget everything I've learned so far.