Thursday, February 28, 2013

Epic Sandwich

Last weekend a friend and I went to Ike's Place, a sandwich place in the Castro district of San Francisco, near the Mission District. I'd heard this place had amazing sandwiches, and if you just check out their menu, you can see why. My friend and I both thought the Heath Ledger or The Joker sounded like the best choice-- the Heath Ledger (which my friend got) has "Beer Battered Zucchini, Ike's red pesto, Ranch, Vegan Meatballs," (and lettuce and tomato) whereas The Joker (which I got, with the addition of banana peppers) has the same ingredients but all beef meatballs. Want to see a picture?


This is pretty much the best sandwich I've ever had... aside from the Croque Monsieur I got from Tartine Cafe a few weeks ago, which was also amazing. 

So, we picked up our sandwiches (and chips and drinks) and went and ate at Dolores Park. It was a pretty nice day out, not too cold or too warm. We sat in a sunny spot but also near trees so we would have access to, as my friend aptly phrased, "theoretical shade." Lots of other people were enjoying the nice weather too so it was neat to people-watch and see all the dogs wandering around. There was even a guy flying a kite! 

So, that was really fun. This weekend I think a friend of mine from back home is visiting and we're going to some malls. Happy almost weekend, friends!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

More weekend fun

Hi friends! Well I finally got around to creating a Flickr account since that is one of the only ways I can get pictures off my phone. So, I wanted to share my recent visit to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and Planetarium, a very fascinating place in downtown San Jose.

This is the sign at the front...

And here are some statues at the front, too.

A statue of the venerable Julius Caesar...

Inside, it was just as nice...

Ancient Egyptians used to keep records on these cuneiform tablets. Usually it would be for things like taxes. It amazes me how they could write on these little tablets that could fit in the palm of your hand.

Of course, they also had other ways of keeping records...

Some samples of papyrus.

They even had the Rosetta Stone there. This is just a model, the original is in the British Museum in London.

One of my favorite features of the museum was this display of vases and vials for holding potions or perfumes. It's incredible that these have been preserved for so long, and it's really fascinating to get a glimpse into the personal lives of Egyptian people and their taste for glass craftsmanship.

I enjoyed seeing these ancient instruments, too.

The staff at the museum were very enthusiastic and helpful. There was a girl who gave a lesson (mostly for children, or "junior archaeologists" as they were termed) about the mummification process, and the museum actually had real live mummies. Don't worry, I didn't take any pictures of *them.* I was really mostly interested in seeing artifacts from their everyday lives, which were undoubtedly much more simple than our own, yet rich with experiences and memories all the same.

Well, until next time... take a moment out of your day or week to enjoy the simple things, like a live performance of someone playing a musical instrument, or a good book, or the beauty of a handmade vase. :)