Another beautiful weekend in Oakland

Lovin’ Oakland as usual. Wanted to share some photos from my walk to the Grand Lake Farmer’s Market Saturday morning. About to go enjoy the lake again!

 

Views of Lake Merritt

Yeah, I love where I live.

The Lake Chalet and restaurant from my friend's balcony.

 

Lake Merritt and Oakland at night

Grand Lake Farmer’s Market, Oakland

Have I mentioned before how great the Farmer’s Market by my house is?! I go every Saturday morning for free samples, fruit, veggies, tofu, and supporting locals.

I love finding new, crazy veggies. This is a broccoli/cauliflower mix!

 

December East Bay Bike Party

Last Friday night, I went with a few friends to the Easy Bay Bike Party for the first time.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect…My past experiences with group bike rides have varied from drunk college kids dressing up and riding laps around the small downtown in San Luis Obispo to a community supporting bicycle culture in Oaxaca, Mexico.

This was a new experience though- a great balance of fun, exercise, and community. People dress up according to the theme with flashing lights and glow sticks everywhere, towing boomboxes and whole PA systems, I would recommend it and do it again in a heartbeat. Going all the way from Lake Merritt BART to the water in Alameda and back was a great workout but still a fairly easy, flat ride.

Mercier Elle 2012

Another bonus: it was the most I have ridden my new bike! (My last one got stolen from BART back in September before I went to Mexico so Christmas came early for me this year. It’s the nicest, fastest bike I’ve had.)

Round up: books, music, movies!

Books: Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins
Best book I’ve read in a long time, couldn’t put it down but didn’t want it to end. How could I not love the cowgirls? All of the characters are brought to life with Robbins’ amazing style and imagination: Indians, cowgirls, the hitchhiker, the concept of time, the hermit/prohpet, the Countess. His pro-female themes also made it easier to love. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Next up: Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins. I hope to start dedicating more of my time to reading and another book my Tom Robbins is a good way to get into it.

Music: Los Headaches, Midnite Snaxxx, Wrong Words
Tomorrow, Wednesday 11/16 at 1-2-3-4 Go Records in Oakland (Facebook event page)
One thing I really missed while being abroad was music. I missed my record collection and seeing live music, especially since my taste is so particular. Los Headaches are an awesome garage band from Mexico City. Midnite Snaxxx is a local all-girl band, one that really makes me wish I knew how to play an instrument. I’ve never been to a show here so I am not only excited for the music but to also see how they set it up.

Movies: Thursday 11/17 in Berkeley Raiders of the Lost Ark is playing. It won’t be the first time I’ve been it on the big screen in the last year but it’s a hard one to say no to, especially when it only costs $5.

What a great week for being back in Oakland!

Culture Shock Goes Both Ways

When you talk about culture shock, it is usually about going to a new country. While I definitely experienced a more obvious type of culture shock upon my arrival to Oaxaca, Mexico, I am also experiencing it back home now.

Easy example: putting toilet paper in the toilet confuses me every time I go to the bathroom, and I’ve been back for almost 3 days now! In Mexico, and most of Central and South America, the plumbing isn’t good enough to take toilet paper and all toilets have a wastebasket next to them for your toilet paper. It seems gross at first  and it can be weird to get used to but after a over a month of doing it, changing a daily habit again can be hard.

So, yes, I have made it back to Oakland, CA in one piece. I spent my first day back catching up on sleep and food I missed: mac and cheese and deep dish pizza at Zachary’s. (Mac&cheese was a big one because cheddar cheese, or any kind of yellow/orange cheese, can’t be found in Oaxaca.) Just going out to dinner in Oakland, I felt a bit of culture shock. Cute, trendy, clean-cut shops like on College Avenue in North Oakland compared to Oaxaca’s trendy cafes are drastically different.

Not to say that Oaxaca’s shops and restaurants don’t have their charm, it is just a completely different kind of charm, a kind of charm that I prefer actually. There are many little ways I can see that Mexicans put different value on different things than we do in the U.S.

I miss Mexico already…but looking at my surroundings in the Bay Area in a new way is definitely beneficial and I hope to continue to reflect on and learn from my experiences in Mexico.

Events to Check Out This Week in Oakland

Really great food and film festivals in Oakland, CA this weekend! It has been nice warm weather too. Can’t wait to enjoy my last weekend in the Bay Area before leaving for my Oaxaca trip.

The Oakland Underground Film Festival

September 22-24 (Thursday to Saturday)

The festival features DIY, underground film and art projects brought to you at the beautiful Grand Lake Theater & NIMBY. Can’t go wrong with independent films + Live Music, Projection Art, Taco Trucks, Beer.

“To us underground means: bottom-up, DIY, misfi­t, badass, outsider, outlaw, rebel, underdog, minority, local, urban, green, un-polished, revolutionary, unpretentious, and non-traditional.”

For previews, schedules and more go to the website at http://www.oakuff.org/ and Facebook.

Eat Real Festival

September 23-25 (Friday-Sunday)

I don’t think I can explain it better than they already do because I AM SOLD. See you there.

“Eat it. Make it. Grow it.

Tacos inspired by flavors from around the world, curry, BBQ, hot dogs, ice cream, noodles, and a whole lot more of the Bay Area’s awesome curbside eats. The Eat Real Festival celebrates all things tasty, fresh, and handmade with a focus on street food, local wines, handcrafted beers, and traditional food craft – all featuring sustainable, local ingredients. And no dish or drink costs more than $5.

But eating is only part of the fun. We also show you how to make it and grow it. From home cheesemaking to backyard chickens, you can explore a DIY lifestyle with demos and activities galore. Or just grab a taco and a beer and enjoy our full schedule of entertainment with bands, butchery contests, lit fest, and other tasty tidbits.

Friday   1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sunday  11:oo a.m. to 7 p.m.

Free entry.”

More info at Facebook and http://www.eatrealfest.com.

 

Also, I heard about some rad East Bay events through different bicycling coalitions and organizations, including park(ing) day! Look into: East Bay Bicycle Coalition (EBBC), Walk Oakland Bike Oakland, Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley Coalition (BFBC), and Bay Area Bicycle Coalition.