Cafe Tacvba

Marco and I went to the Cafe Tacvba concert last night and man, can they put on a show. They played forever, well, 2.5 hours but it seemed like forever, in a good way! I haven't been to too many concerts, mostly because they're so much money so if I'm gonna buy tickets, I better love them. I saw Shakira in 2006 in San Jose and I almost cried (laugh if you may, but it's true). I have listened to her music for so long and know almost every word, so seeing her live was amazing!!! I've also seen Audioslave twice in SF, Marco is the bigger fan but I do like a lot of their songs. And last year we were at Coachella for the reunion of Rage Against the Machine, again Marco is the bigger fan, but I must say they blew me away. Those boys can rock!

But anyways, we saw Cafe Tacvba at the Greek Theatre, which was a wonderful experience. Parking was super simple, the outdoor venue was perfect, and our seats were great. I was able to get the first row towards the middle front section, which meant that no one was in front of us! There were several rowdy guys behind us and 2 crazy female fans to our left, but it somehow added to the experience. I definitely left a bigger fan, which is what a concert should do for you. Their music is so unique, so creative, so high energy and contagious, that even Marco couldn't resist la experiencia musical que es el Cafe Tacvba!

Strawberry Fields Forever

My mom’s favorite Beatles song. She told me that when she first came to the US, she liked to listen to music in English. At first not knowing what the words meant, but eventually singing along, pronouncing the words and understanding some. Strawberry Fields forever.
Why this song? I think it’s because of the images it invokes. Green rolling hills with bright, juicy red strawberries everywhere. But now that I listen to the song, the melancholy sounds take on a new meaning.

She loved strawberries. She would tell me the story of when she was pregnant with me, she would come home from work and eat strawberries in the summer. She craved them. Or maybe I craved them. Either way, she passed on to me her love for the fruit.
As a child of the 80s, I was in love with Strawberry Shortcake (come on, you remember her). I have an old doll of strawberry shortcake as a baby, wearing a pink outfit, red hair, with a sweet scent of strawberry. I had the comforter, sheets, dolls, VHS movies we had recorded from the tv. Anything strawberry I loved. I still love strawberries, maybe even more now….

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out, it doesn't matter much to me.
Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hungabout.
Strawberry Fields forever.

http://www.beatleslyricsarchive.com/viewSong.php?songID=215

Vinnie

We were sitting in downtown Culver City tonight, enjoying our gelato; mine was mango, Marco had tiramisu. Vinnie was sitting, chin near our knees, waiting for another piece of his doggie treats I brought for him. A lady stopped to pet Vinnie and asked us his name and age. "What is the best part of having a dog?" she then asked. Marco and I stopped for a second, never being asked this by a stranger before. People stop us all the time to pet Vinnie and ask questions like, "how much does he weigh?" "does he snore/fart/drool?" stuff like that, but never what WE liked about Vinnie. Marco answered "the companionship, he just wants to be with you."

And how true that is. When I come home from work or school, Vinnie is always excited to see me and the first to greet me at the door. If Marco and I are excited or laughing, Vinnie joins in, shaking his little butt, running aound like crazy. If I'm not feeling well or sad for some reason, Vinnie sits by me to console me.

Marco and I spend a lot of time in our study room, each sitting at our desks. Vinnie's always in the room with us. If he's not sleeping, he will sit next to one of our chairs. And it's not enough to be next to us, he'll scoot himself as close as possible, like in the picture. This is what I love about Vinnie.

He is wonderful beyond words.

City by the Bay

I miss the Bay Area. I grew up in San Bruno, a city about 15 miles south of San Francisco. I guess it's mainly known for being the home of the SF airport. Even now when I visit, I'll hear the roar of the plane passing overhead and I catch myself looking up to see the plane break through the fog. Growing up, the noise of the airplanes was somehow reassuring, something I could count on(after 9/11, the silence of the planes was an eerie reminder of the day's tragedy).

Marco and I lived on the Peninsula for almost 3 years after getting married, first in San Mateo and then in Foster City. I didn't want to leave, but UCLA beckoned. When Marco first moved to the Bay he would constantly complain about the cold, having spent most of his years in San Diego. During our first summer in the Bay, he would try to sleep with the windows open. I would say "are you crazy? you'll freeze! this is not southern california!" After catching a cold, he thought twice about opening that window at night. Marco eventually got used to the weather and realized how wonderful the crisp breeze feels in the evenings. Now we both miss the windy nights in Foster City. Vinnie especially misses the coolness of the Bay Area, bulldogs do not do well in the LA heat.

We dream and plan to move back to SF, but this time buying a home and living in the City. Every time we visit, we drive to the top of the golden gate bridge and wish this was our home. I wish it were sooner, but I can be patient (well not really, but I have no choice at this point!)

There's an episode of House Hunters about a couple buying a home in SF, Bernal Heights to be exact. For those of you who have never seen the show or are deprived of cable (poor souls), House Hunters follows a couple in their search for their perfect home. They are shown 3 homes and choose one in the end. Well, Marco and I have seen the SF episode a million times, and every time I see it I get so jealous. I wish we were on the show looking for our home in Bernal Heights! The home they choose is a remodeled Victorian, which I would buy in a heartbeat. It has the views of the city, a backyard, and all the true character of a Victorian home in SF. Oh, it's so beautiful....I can't wait to be reunited with my City....

For those who come to San Francisco, Be sure to wear
some flowers in your hair.

If you come to San Francisco, Summertime will be a
love-in there...