That sounds like a promising headline, doesn't it? Well, let's see if I can live up to it.
First of all, greetings from sunny San Diego (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=San+Diego&gbv=2), where the outside temperature is above 80 degrees, and the temperature in the convention center probably sub-zero, so you can imagine the challenges when it comes to dressing appropriately. I have to say though, it is one of the most accessible conference centers I have ever been to, and not only because it is right a block and a half from my hotel, but also because it has an outside terrace, which especially the contingent from the Northeast seemed to enjoy quite a bit. I overheard a woman say there today, "My neck is burning, but I don't care" to which I replied - "you must be from Boston" (I was right).
This is my first visit to San Diego, and aside from the temperature shock (I have not experienced 80 degrees since last August), it is quite a lovely place. My hotel, the Marriott, is located in the historic Gaslamp District (http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&q=San+Diego+Gaslamp+Quarter), and also within striking distance (no pun intended) of the baseball park (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Petco+Park&gbv=2). From my window I can literally see the seats, and this will make my travel to Tuesday night's game(courtesy of the conference) between the Padres (home team) and the Colorado Rockies (the guys the Red Sox beat in the World Series last year) a very quick walk to the park. Guess, I'll be cheering for the home team.
The Gaslamp District is an absolutely charming part of town, stretching about 17 blocks or so, and was developed in 1867, when 5th Street was chosen as a main street as San Diego made plans to have a center closer to the Bay (which I can also see from my window). It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and includes a total of 94 historic buildings, most of them Victorian - restaurants, galleries, theaters, you name it, this is the happening place in town.
First thing Friday night, I ran into my friend Mat Leese from the UK, and we quickly toured the Gaslamp Quarter and then decided on a restaurant, and let me tell you, I was glad we picked Bandar, a Persian restaurant, over the Hooters that was located on the next corner (even though I had this strange desire to check out and see if the women there were really as well endowed as the rumors have it). Bandar (http://www.bandarrestaurant.com/) was fantastic, to say the least - Mat chose the Chicken Shish Kabab and I opted for Fesenjan, a chicken stew - simmered chicken in sweet flavored pomegranate sauce with finely crushed walnuts. This was by far the best Persian Food I have ever tasted, and the portions there were more than generous. After walking around some more, and checking out galleries and stores, we ended the evening on a nice note at Rockin' Baja (http://www.rockinbaja.com/) with a nice treat for the margarita-deprived Mat (apparently this is not a big item in the UK) and a virgin mango daiquiri the size of a watermelon for yours truly.
Today, in the only three touristy hours I will enjoy for the next five days, I snuck out for a long lunch to visit the USS Midway Museum (http://www.midway.org/site/pp.asp?c=eeIGLLOrGpF&b=3038957) which is a 986 foot-long aircraft carrier located at San Diego Bay. Now, many of you may not know how obsessed I am with aircraft carriers, and so I could not help myself to hoof it over there and check it out. Let me tell you, this is one fantastic experience! Carriers of this type were first commissioned in 1945 and basically served until the end of the Gulf War (at least this one did). It held up to 130 aircraft, including hornets, F-14 Tomcats, S-3 Viking Submarine jets, and AV-8 Harrier Jump Jets, just to name a few. The guided tour leads you up to the flight deck, you can have a chat with a couple of Veterans who served on the Midway (hi Stan!), and then you can explore the whole area below the hangar, including sick bay, mess halls, officer's quarters, bomb elevators; you can sit in one of those simulators, where you would experience how it would be to fly a fighter jet, and which would be a surefire way to make me throw up, so I definitely passed on that one.
Tomorrow the conference will kick into high gear, so busy times ahead. Haha, funny - actually the time leading up to my departure for San Diego was not any less hectic, and resulted again in my slaughtering the English language (I promised Stephanie to bring her back some "laser beams" from the conference - laser pointers was what I meant), and another fun evening Tuesday night, when I went out with my friend Linda to check out a new restaurant near Kendall Square, ended in unplanned hodgepodge. The restaurant, first of all, is fabu, you must check it out! Called "Hungry Mother" (http://www.hungrymothercambridge.com/) it definitely gives Southern cuisine a high-end nod and a good kick into the league of Cambridge's must-eateries. I chose a salad with beets, blood oranges in a lemon-thyme vinaigrette, collard greens and a Serrano Ham made in Virginia that was to die for, and Linda opted for the Cornmeal Catfish, collards, Carolina gold rice middlins (http://www.ansonmills.com/page19/page49/cgrgrits.html) and a mustard-caper vinaigrette. The hectic part of the evening started when I realized I was missing my wallet - after looking everywhere, my basket, my purse, under the table, who knows where else, I decided there were only two places where the wallet could possibly be, else I would be up a certain creek. A few frantic phone calls later, my late-working colleague Stanley found the darn thing on the floor of my office and all was well. Of course when I came home, wallet and all, I realized I also had packed in my dinner napkin from the restaurant, so if they are one short, here's the reason. I promise to wash it, bring it back and maybe offer some restitution in the form of a batch of home-baked cookies.
Monday night I had also been out, and if you think the three theater plays the week before would keep me out of the artsy scene, you were wrong. My colleague Stanley (the above-mentioned rescuer of wallets) and I headed for a fundraiser for the Lyric Stage Company. Actually it was a combo fundraiser/ celebration for the 10th anniversary of Spiros Veloudos, the artistic director, who turned this little theater into one of Boston's most favored cultural venues. This evening was fantastic, and thanks to Stanley I got to meet quite a few of the actors, including Peter Carey (who played John Adams in the musical 1776) and my personal favorite Christopher Chew (who I have such a crush on, I admit it publicly - http://villagetheatreproject.org/a/company/chewc.html). Aside from the reception, a silent auction (where I did not win anything - but I did walk away with quite a nice goodie bag, because I bought some blinking plastic thingy for $25), there was a revue of Spiros' favorite musical songs performed by all of his favorite actors. It was quite simply wonderful!!
And if you really want to know, last Sunday, as promised, I did nothing, lolled around on the couch, reading, knitting, watching sub-par movies, whatever one does on a not-so-nice day in Boston. Temperatures, aside from one freakish 70-degree day, are still lingering in the 40s and 50s, but we can feel that spring is right around the corner. It has to be, or else bad things may happen.
I will be here in Sandy Eggo until Wednesday (Oscar is vacationing in Watertown with his animal friends Marge and Highway, and his human friends Ellen and Patrick), and on Thursday my friend Birgit will visit from Germany for a few days. Stay tuned for tales from that upcoming adventure.
I have to head out now for some chow, and assemble a group of dinner companions, which I think may include two women from Scotland, my friend and colleague Katja from Germany, and a fellow Cambridge resident, who I just met in a boutique trying on hats. There may be other people as well, one never knows at these conferences. Maybe we'll end up at Hooters after all.
pet:)
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