Korean Knowledge

I thought it might be nice to start a regular feature on this blog passing along some useful information on Korean culture and history from time to time. A sort of get to know Korea through me...through my wife. I have done this sporadically in previous entries but I am now going to make it more of a regular occurence.

To start though, I offer some quick pointers in behavior for those not accustomed to being around Koreans:

1. If you meet a Korean anywhere, never ask "North or South?" North Koreans have no freedom to travel outside of their country -- that's what it means to have a communist dictatorship. The only place that you will likely meet a North Korean is within North Korea; at that point, you wouldn't really have to ask. Everywhere else, all Koreans are South Koreans

2. Do not make a Korean person around you a representative of his/her race. Do not ask questions like "Why are Korean girls so slutty?" or "Why are Korean people so loud?" because the answers will be either wrong or incomplete. Do you know all there is to know about your heritage?

3. Yes, all Koreans eat Kimchee. Don't even bother asking. Kimchee holds a special place in Korean culture which I am sure I will outline in forthcoming posts.

New Stairs

I have a new training route in the Presidio. This past week they opened up a new path called "1000 Steps" leading from Immigrant Overlook to Lincoln and the water. It is pretty spectacular...and kicked my ass.

Cherry Blossom Time

The first blooms of spring are out...yes, spring. The cherry blossom trees are showing off on my street. Another reason I love the street I live on.

Best and Worst Downtowns

I am not one to bag on Fresno (at least not too much). I always tell people I met some of my closet friends in Fresno. I got a good chuckle out of a new report ranking the best and worst downtowns in California. The best: San Francisco. The worst: Fresno. Needless to say I have lived in both and agree. Check out the short read in the link, it is quite entertaining. I like this the best:
"...next to it (San Francisco) every other big city in California resembles a glorified suburb."

Twittering the Superbowl

I am amazed and perplexed by Twitter all at once. I am amazed how it has become so popular so fast. Twitter was able to track 'tweets' (Twitter messages) that related to the Superbowl during the game. Not only does it show you the world-wide interest in the Superbowl, which we know, but it also shows you how fast Twitter has spread around the world since it started in 2006 right here in SF.

Other interesting facts: seems like more people were interested in Europe than Canada. South Dakota doesn't even show up on the Twitter radar but Laos and Cambodia does.

Web Cam

I finally broke down a purchased a web cam for the laptop, not that I have any uses for it. I wish I did. Maybe getting the camera will be the kick in the butt to find some. I also signed up for Skype and Windows Live. I tried to download Google Video and Audio chat but have failed so far.

Skype is really cool and I have wanted to use it for sometime so if you are a Skype user let me know because right now I do not have any contacts on Skype. The best thing about Skype is your can do a video call to anywhere in the world with another person using Skype and the call is free. My co-worker Henry has a son in Europe and they are using it, each video call is free.

The web cam got me thinking about communicating online. The beauty of email and messaging online is one can really speak their mind and not have to worry about actions or reactions. Having a webcam kind of eliminates that animosity.

Happy New Year

Considering it has the world's largest population, it is not surprising China is most known for its Chinese New Year, with it lavish celebrations and fireworks. However it is really the Lunar New Year which is celebrated by many Vietnamese, Koreans or any culture following the moon instead of the Roman calander.

In Korea, "sol-nal" is a time to sweep away the misfortunes of the previous year and look forward to new endeavors.

On New Year's Eve, people place straw shovels, sieves or rakes on their doors and walls to protect their families from any evil spirits arriving with the new year. The New Year's day ceremonies begin in the morning with the donning of formal dress (hanbok) by family members. The first component of the day's activities is the rite of charye, or the honoring of the past four generations of ancestors. Food and drink (the exact form of which varies according to regional and family traditions) are offered on a ritual table (charye sang).

It is traditional in Korea to thoroughly clean your house. Continuing the theme of renewal, only new clothes are worn on New Year's Day.

Family members wish each other prosperity and good fortune. Then they exchange gifts. Children receive lucky money, candy and fruit from the elders.

Children kneel and bow to their ancestors and elders.
After this act of reverence is completed, it is time to pay one's respects to the living elders of the family (saebae. This takes the form of younger family members bowing deeply to the elders, first to the grandparents, then the parents, then the uncles and aunts. The bow is accompanied by the New Year's greeting "Sae-hae boke mahn-he pah-du-sae-oh." Usually, the elders give something to the people offering saebae: food, money, drink or something similar. In the old days, these rituals would have been performed door to door, but in today's Korea, family is quite spread out, so Sol-nal offers a family a good excuse to travel back home.

Michelle tells me this is the worst time to travel. Since the majority of younger people live in Seoul and travel to country. A trip that normally may take 3 hours will take 10 hours.

Finally, it is time to sit down to the traditional breakfast, a meal which almost always includes ttok-guk. Ttok-guk is a thick beef broth with thinly sliced rice cakes that have been topped with green onions and other colorful garnishes. Some people eat ttok-guk mandu guk instead, which is ttok-guk with mandu dumplings. Tradition dictates that this food must be eaten in order to turn one year older. This is very important as Korean age is calculated on the New Year. Everyone becomes one year older on New Year's Day.

Feeling Good

I am feeling pretty good. At 38 I can run 6 1/2 miles at a 7:38 pace...and that is taking into account San Francisco's hills.

Wifi Idea

Many of you have grown tired of my business ideas...ideas that never get off the ground but eventually hit it big for somebody else. Can you say 'cupcakes?" Here is an idea I know is going to be a big technological hit, if only I knew who to talk to to get it done. Know anybody?

Close range quick Wifi downloads. Here is the concept: You are in the grocery store and you see that butternut squash but you have no idea how to prepare it or have a recipe for it. Not to fear, you have your Wifi enabled mobile device handy. At the store display for butternut squash there is a transimitter of some kind allowing you to download recipes for that butternut squash. The download only works when you are near the squash and this transmitter. Elsewhere there are downloads in the meat department pertaining to that rack of lamb. Or, you can access all this information only when you are in the store and not at such close range.

Another application would be a trade shows or events. You visit a booth and want more information. Just download it right there.

I find it similar to POS advertising; the candy, magazines and gift cards you see at checkout counters. Instant and easy access at the moment you are thinking about it. What do you think?

I shouldn't look...I shouldn't look...Oh SH**T

I know the market has been in a freefall. I know the Dow is below 8500. I see the individual stock prices at 52 week lows. I see the unemployment numbers. I know my investiments are being drained but I tried to avoid thinking about it. Like many I figured I would just ride it out. Heck, I don't need the money now and I can not really get my hands on it for well over 30 years anyway.

On a daily basis the economic crisis has not really hit home for me; I am no where near retirement, I don't own a home or have a mortgage and I am fortunate to have a high paying job. Heck, I was even considering this a prime time to buy and invest more. Today changed that. Today brought it all into perspective. Today I have new found sympathy for those less fortunate than me and those nearing retirement. Today I did what I had been avoiding. For various reasons I had to check by retirement and 401k account, an act I had been purposely avoiding for months. I shouldn't have...but I couldn't avoid it any longer.

Obama Pride

I watched with pride Barack Obama being inaugurated as our 44th President. I have great hope and dreams right alongside his. It seems everybody has such high expectations. I want people to realize he is only the President and not the Messiah (if there is such a person). One man is not going to save us. I don't care who that man is. Not only is Barack Obama not going to save us...you are going to have to save Barack Obama. It is up to each and every one of us to make this country great. He can lead the way. He can set the pace. He can lift up our spirits. But it will be up to us to get the work done. And don't think for a second whatever little you CAN do won't matter. It does.

Skiing Marching Band

If you think it is hard to ski, try skiing while playing a musical instrument. It is strange to see and hear somebody play the trombone or flute skiing along side them coming down a mountain but that is what happened while Michelle and I were at Kirkwood. The Cal Marching Band was there. Here is video of them not skiing but still playing at the bottom of a run.

Only in Canada

Here are a few of the only in Canada photos.

San Francisco has the Cable Car - Vancouver has the AquaBus

A handful of totem poles.

One of the hundreds of 'polar bears' daring enough to jump in the bay on New Year's Day as part of Vancouver's Polar Bear Swim. No, neither of us joined them. We thought about it and even went looking for some swimwear but wouldn't you know, the stores don't sell swimsuits in wintertime. And for good reason.

Street Eats

I love street food. Talk to me about food long enough and I will somehow work street food into the conversation. Canada does not seem to be a street food city. Maybe the freezing cold and snow has something to do with it. I only saw the usual boring hot dog stand and the seasonal roasted chestnuts. But it does have one appetizing street meal I love. The JapaDog. A Japanese-style hot dog has gained media attention and the palette of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. It is not surprising for Vancouver to have this since the population is one-third Asian. For the most part it looks like your normal hotdog stand and you can order a normal hotdog...but why would you when you can try one of these -

The Terimayo is the most popular. An all-beef dog, grilled and topped with nori (seaweed), grilled onions, teriyaki sauce, and wasabi mayo.

The Miso Mayo, a turkey dog topped with sesame sauce, wasabi mayo, and kaiware (daikon radish sprouts).

The Oroshi, a pork sausage topped with daikon oroshi (grated radish), scallions, and soy sauce. The Asian ingredients had the flavor effect you would expect and mixed perfectly with the smoky pork sausage.

Instead of ketchup you can add Wasabi Mayo. Delicious.

Snow in Canada

Yes, one should not be surprised by snow in Canada but this year's snow levels in the Vancouver area were rare. Perfect for our visit.

Back from Canada

Michelle and I are back from Canada and our delayed honeymoon. Tons of snow, as expected in Canada.

A few of the unexpected include:
1. Condom vending machines in the 'washrooms' at Vancouver Airport - where are you going to use it?
2. Canadians are still under the spell of Bryan Adams and go crazy for him
3. There really is no truly 'Canadian Food' like BBQ is to America or pizza is to Italy or Kimchee is to Korea.

Some of the expected but still surprised:
1. Canadians are very polite - twice somebody gave me change on the bus because the machines don't take bills (why is that?!)
2. You want polite, the bus driver waited at a stop so a passenger could run into a McDonald's to get coffee
3. Canandian TV is really bad. Words can not explain, you just have to watch. Plus, most of the news focuses on the Canadians infatuation with the U.S.

Humming along in SF

This has to be one of the few places you will see a hummingbird in winter. Snapped outside the living room window.

Atheists Advertising

This is brilliant. Atheists with an ad campaign. Too bad Agnostics didn't think of this first so the 'probably' could be removed.

Good Morning

I am glad fewer people are out in the morning. Not to be selfish but I don't like sharing this perfect time of day with too many people. The streets are not crowded, the air is fresh and clean, you hear the sound of birds and critters instead of buses and bustle.

There is a certain comraderie among people who get up and enjoy the morning together. My run this morning took me to Baker Beach, nothing unusual there. Out of the five people I came across three of them said "good morning". A simple saying that may mean nothing to most, but to us morning worshipers it is secret password knowing we belong to a privileged fraternity of morning fans. If the freaks come out at night, what comes out in the morning? Whoever we are, we just hope the majority of you stay in bed.

Great Dick-ens Fair

I had no idea Victoria London was so full of sex. Went to the Great Dickens Christmas Fair expecting Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the like and instead saw busty broads, horny men in top hats and heard many sexual inuendos. There was a rambunctious caberet show singing songs about husbands with 'no balls', many ladies in corsets so tight their breasts overflowed (not that I am complaining) and commentary not fit for a child. All of this did not register with Michelle who loved all the costumed people walking around. "It's like I am in an old movie."

No Doubt About It

Flipping through the channels last night I came the movie Mrs. Doubtfire so tonight I decided to run by the Mrs. Doubtfire House. Located on the corner of Steiner and Diviadero the house is great shape, as all in this toney Pacific Heights neighborhood. The only bad thing about it is having to see it at night.

The Park

Sometimes old running grounds are my favorite running grounds. There was time when I used to run in Golden Gate Park every other day. I had not run there by myself in quite some time. Some things never change. There are scattered groups of Chinese doing Tai Chi, bikers starting their ride all decked out in vibrant colors, homeless waking up for a restless night, dog walkers and running buffs like myself. One thing is different now. With the opening of the Academy of Sciences there are now families lining up to get into this amazing, yet overpriced attraction. I went by the other day later in the afternoon and the line must have been 2 football fields long. Glad to see science and education are still thriving in this economy.

burrrr runnnnnnn

I saw two Oscars today. Running through the Presidio and the Lucas Arts campus I ran by two offices displaying an Oscar. Nice. Whatever is in your office can not top that. The Emmy in my office now seems insignificant.

It is always tough to get out and run when it is cold but once I do it is usually always rewarding, invigorating and one of my top runs of the week. I woke up today and it was a chilly 43-degrees. Yeah, I know, it is not really that cold but for SF it is. A put on my long-sleeve thermal, gloves and a top layer. All this stuff for my torso and only shorts for the my legs. My place to the base of the GGB at Fort Point, touching "Hoopers Hands" and returning.

Glorious Place

Heading back from sunny Napa as soon as you cross through the Waldo Tunnel toward SF this billowing blanket of fog had rolled in and covered The City. It was a beautiful and peaceful sight. The sunset was not bad either. I love this place.

Napa Colors

Fall is probably the best season to experience Napa with all of the vineyards changing colors. Those colors have just about vanished but not quite, so while Michelle was enjoying a spa/massage treatment I took the opportunity to take in the last burst of Napa's changing colors.

Musical Experiment

Here is a unique experiment. What where the top albums the year of your birth? Not the top songs or hits, but albums. Works that encapsulated an entire year and a musical feeling.

I looked up the top albums of 1971, the year of my birth. It is an interesting capsule. Many of the albums I know very well and have in my stash of music; Marvin Gay's 'What's Going On', 'Sticky Fingers' by the Rolling Stones and 'There's a Riot Going On' by Sly and the Family Stone. Others I have heard of but never listened to (T Rex's 'Electric Warrior') or cared to listen to (Joni Mitchell 'Blue').

I have decided to give these albums a try, along with others. I want to listen to the spirit of 1971 in all of its glory.

Here are the top albums of 1971 according to this one particular list:
Joni Mitchell - Blue
Marvin Gay - What's Going On
Carole King - Tapestry
Elton John - Tumbleweed Connection
Allman Brothers - Live at Fillmore East
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Led Zepplin - Led Zepplin IV
Kinks - Muswell Hillbillies
Doors - L.A. Woman
Nilsson Schmilsson - Harry Nilsson

Korean TV

Michelle and I were watching some Korean TV over the weekend, some celebrity profile or entertainment program. I noticed most of the shows used some type of American music for background music. One caught my ear and jumped out at me. They used one of the nastiest, dirtiest songs ever recorded by Snoop Doggy Dogg. If they only knew what was being said in the song.

Proud to Vote

I voted for President Elect Obama.

The rest of my votes went almost exclusively to Republicans and Libertarians. In looking at the Democratic platform, there are a few things I agree with, but on the economic side, other than being ok with him raising my tax rate, there isn’t a lot of his economic policy that I do agree with him on. So why did I vote for him?

It's simple. Having an elected black President will do more to energize this country than any economic or social policy ever could. In a single day of voting, our amazing country once again reinvigorated the dream that any child in this country, no matter what circumstances they are born into, can grow up to be anything they want, including President of the United States.

That dream, staying viable, being reinvigorated, will do more for this country than any economic policy or any legislation that could ever be passed.

That, and I am tired of hearing Black America say it does not have any role models, as if that was the reason for its troubles.

Nike Club Run SF

Here is a photo of my fellow Pace Leaders for Nike's Club Run San Francisco. Each Saturday for the past 16 weeks we have been leading and helping runners train for this weekend's Nike Women's Marathon. CRSF is a pretty darn good group and a great resource for first time or experienced runners. Yes, I am a bit biased. The whole thing is free, the support is great, you can get a bunch of free goodies, and you get to run with some fun, friendly Pace Leaders. Plus, you don't have the burden of having money like some training programs. CRSF is open to all with abilities ranging from walkers to sub-8 minute milers.

What a Deal!

Wow! This is what I call great marketing. Bet no other store can offer this.

Bailout Pork Barrel

So, you thought the Senate was only concerned with helping the economy and the mortgage crisis? By now we all know Hank Paulson's original 3 page bailout plan has grown to a massive tomb exceeding 400 pages. In doing a quick (okay, not so quick) scan of the Senate proposal, you find several admendments extending provisions to certain groups.

Page 279 — Rum excise tax to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Page 280 — Mine rescue / mine safety
Page 290 — Motorsports racing track facility
Page 290 — Hurricane Katrina and Gulf opportunity zone
Page 295 — Wool modifications
Page 296 — Permanent authority for undercover operations
Page 297 — Child tax credit
Page 300 — Children and wooden arrows

Look, check it out for yourself.
http://www.docstoc.com/search/senate-bailout-bill-text/

This is the reason why so many of us have a distaste in our mouth at the very thought of government. Instead of focusing on solving this enourmous problem, our elected officials are still concerned with special interests. No matter what the bill, no matter how important, these pork barrel items are always present.

Flat and Boring

Not all runs in San Francisco have to involve hills, bridges, coastline and spendor. This one is flat, one small hill, and one bridge to run under. This was my run on Saturday.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2283270

While many people enjoy running along the Embarcadero I am not one of them. I would much rather prefer running through downtown and The Tenderloin than this. You do pass through tourist filled Pier 39, the overpriced farmer's market at the Ferry Building and AT&T Park but there are few things to challenge the mind body on this route. What it does do is give you the mileage. 12 miles with an up and back along the Embarcadero. ugh!

Expensive Pears

I have come to learn, as with many cultures, Koreans like to call certain things 'Korean'-something. Take these 'Korean Pears' for example. The Japanese call them Japanese pears. If you are Thai you call them Taiwan pears. Another example is the 'Korean Grape', which is a Concord grape.

The nashi pear, Pyrus pyrifolia, is sometimes called the Asian pear, as well as sand pear, apple pear, bapple, papple, and bae, from the Korean or li in Chinese. In India is it called nashipati and in Bangladesh and Nepal it is called nashpati. Nashi pears are widely grown for their sweet fruit, a popular food in East Asia. They are sweet on the tree and are eaten crisp.

My real reason for this post is the price. 30-bucks for seven (7) pears, over 4 dollars each. Koreans pride themselves on their pears and they are very sweet, juicy and delicious. I am not a big fan of pears but these pears are delicious. But $4.20 for a pear!

While I was in Korea I passed several pear orchards with each pear wrapped in paper to protect it from bugs and elements.

Happy Chuesok

Chuesok (chew-sock) is the Korean Harvest Moon festival. This holiday is scheduled on the lunar calendar so it will fall on a different day each year. In particular Chuesok is the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar; however, the day on either side is also celebrated. It is a lot like the U.S. Thanksgiving, but with gifts and special games.

Michelle picked up some Songpyeon (pronounced song-pyong) which is a traditional Korean food made from glutinous rice. Songpyeon are half-moon-shaped rice cakes filled with sesame seeds or chestnut paste steamed over a layer of pine needles, which gives them the fragrant smell of fresh pine trees. They used to be made into various shapes with the participation of family members and were often exchanged between neighbors. They are eaten on Chuseok and other festive days.

They are not loaded with flavor and are quite chewy.

Dumplings

Our kitchen turned into a dumpling factory last night as Michelle made dumlings (English) Gyoza (Japanese) or Mando (Korean). Two kinds, beef and shrimp. After she chopped and mixed she allowed me to scoop and wrap. They turned out quite good. Now we have enough dumplings to last a month.

2 Days 40 Miles

Saturday 13 miles.
Sunday 27 miles.
Yes, Sunday was on bike and Saturday was running.

Here is my Saturday run:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2262006

Here is my Sunday ride:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2261987

Tomorrow I am going to take the bus for 4 miles.

San Diego

We made the trek down to San Diego to get away and just relax. We ended up gorging ourselves with fish tacos. You can have your SeaWorld, keep your Mission Beach and Torrey Pines, the fish taco is the real reason to visit San Diego. Fish tacos anywhere else do not compare to these tasty treats, and cheap. Fish tacos here in SF cost around 7-bucks. In SD they are around 3-bucks and so much better. Sorry, I do not have any photos of said tacos as I was too busy stuffing them down my face. I do have a picture of this so-called Korean BBQ beef. Michelle and I tried to figure out what made it 'Korean" but really could not. It made us think what 'passes' as ethnic food in some places. What makes adding won ton bits enough to call it an 'asian salad'? Does adding curry to something really make it Indian?

Chihuly

I finally got around to checking out the Chihuly exhibit at the deYoung. I get good use out of my membership but it really came in handy on this visit as non-members have to wait to see the exhibit using timed tickets. Members can just walk it. Glass-blowing never looked so fabulous.

Face to Face with Giants

I had the great opportunuty to interview Willie Mays back when I was in college. While my experience was anything but enjoyable it did not diminish my respect and reverence for this Giant of baseball, some would argue the greatest to play the game. Before Saturday's the Giants dedicated a new statue to The Baby Bull, Orlando Cededa, and Willie Mays was there stealing the show. Orlando was the man of the hour but where ever Willie went the crowd buzzed.

Natives on the Beach

Once again while running I happened to stumble upon something cool and unexpected. An artist was recreating a historic photo featuring Buffalo Bill and dozens of Native Americans on horseback. The playwood cutouts were quite detailed and the backdrop of the ocean made very dramatic.

Today's run was along the Coastal Trail. After a week of unusually high tempertures the fog and chill returned making the run pleasant and enjoyable.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2243363

San Diego

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Victorian Uprising

Victorians side by side with modern structures. As cities mature they are shaped by the constant tension between old and new, tall and short, broad strokes and fine grain. Now there's a fresh example of this tension in San Francisco, and it's not some cloud-popping tower downtown. It's a synagogue in the largely residential Richmond District that rises just 40 feet - but commands a prominent corner with a strong modern design that pushes the notion of neighborhood context to the breaking point.

Battle Among Friends

My friends and I have a Tradition but the only tradition that is taking place is Cuban domination. Fidel may be on his last leg but the Cuban I know is going strong. Once again, Omar was the winner of this year's weekend games. The highlight competition for me was the revised Gaunlet and the water balloon target practice (pictured here).

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Aloha Running

I wish I had a picture to go along with this because my feabile words just will not suffice. Little unexpected discoveries often make my runs the treasure they are. Simple observances of things we don't notice driving or peddling by. Not small things like the way a certain bush looks like a train but items out in the open for all to see or unexpected treats bringing a smile to all those to happen to come across it.

Heading back home this morning running up from the Marina through The Presidio I stumbled upon a large group of people practicing what looked to be traditional Hawaiian dance. The group was diverse, from the expected Hawaiians to Caucasians. The majority were women with a few men scattered in. There was one woman with purple hair. They were lined up in six neat rows with each row consisting of 15-20 people. One large beautiful dance. In front was a lone ukelelee player amplifying his soothing sounds through a megaphone. They were not in full costume, although most were wearing colorful wraps, most paired with a t-shirt. Each face glowed. Their joy could be seeing flowing from their hands and hips. I could only smile and think what a wonderful way to start a day. I think we are all blessed to live in a place where we can find a connection to ones culture and share the beauty of it with others.

It made the short trip home so much easier.

Telephone Classified

"If you want to sell your car, call Jeff," said the sign on a Russian Hill poll. Strange. What kind of connections does this Jeff have? Is he better than craigslist? Better than going to some car lot?

No Seat for You!

This annoys me and thrills me at the same time. Hey, lady, what are you thinking? The bus is crowded and you have the nerve to keep that seat next to you empty. Scoot over and make room. You make it a pain in the butt to have to climb over your legs and shimmy by you. But that is just what I do. Take that.

Paid to Run

It sure is great to get paid for something you enjoy doing. For me, running. For the second time I have been hired to be a training 'pace leader' for the Nike Training program leading up to the Nike Women's Marathon in October.

This is a huge training program for Nike and its running marketing efforts. Last week there were roughly 600 people who showed up to run. Thankfully for me, my group was tiny. There were only 9 people at the 8-minutes per mile pace. There were something like 75 runners in the 9-minute group. I take a group of runners and make sure they stay on pace while making sure they enjoy the experience of running. For example, tomorrow we'll go on a nice, quick 6-mile run.

While there runners can try on and run with Nike shoes, experience the Nike+ system, enter a raffle for great prizes plus get free goodies.

I am not a big fan of running in groups as I have always enjoyed the solitude of running alone, but this is a nice change. The enthusiasm from the runners is quite infectious.

Yosemite

Yosemite has always held a special place in my heart so it was with great joy I got to show it off to Michelle for the first time. I miss being able to make the drive from Fresno after class to read in El Capitan Meadow. I even fainly recall a childhood memory about being stuck in the park after dark because of truck trouble.

We stayed in the canvas tents of Curry Village. While we brought food to cook on our little grill we also ate at one of the many Curry Village restaurants and were surprised at how reasonably priced they were. In a place with few choices you would expect businesses to jack up prices. We had a buffet for about $13; a burger, fries and coke for $8; a big 'ol scoop of ice cream for $1.50. You likely pay more where you live. Coffee was $1.50. What was high was the temperture, 100-degrees on the valley floor. Thankfully the Merced River was up to the task of cooling us down.

While there we were able to climb the Mist Trail up to Vernal and Nevada Falls and take the trail to Mirror Lake (now more like Mirror Meadow). Much to the chagrin of Michelle I would not let her feed the squirrels.