San Francisco is My Home

24
Mar

Weekend preview

Author: kris, Category: Out of town, Outdoors, Weekend preview

The Monday weekend preview rolls around again, but today I’m a little stumped. You see, friends, I am going out of town starting Friday. Usually just knowing I’m going to be in the city over the weekend makes me peripherally aware of stuff that’s happening — you can’t help taking note of flyers and things around town and thinking “hm, option.” But this weekend, no such luck.

Instead, I’d like to draw your attention to a few stellar out-of-town options for a weekend away.

Option 1: Sand and sun

Northern California has almost everything you could ever need, from our indie-rockin’ beanies right down to our smug, self-satisfied little toes. However, sometimes you find yourself wishing you didn’t have to wear three layers of clothes to visit the beach. At those times, I recommend a quick weekend in the south of our fair state. Head to Monterey for some of the state’s most stunning coastal landscapes, which can be interspersed with a trip to the outstanding Monterey Bay Aquarium when you’re tired of lounging on golden sands. (Lest you think this is one of those touristy, semi-dull museum experiences, think again. The Aquarium is actually exciting, gorgeous and surprisingly fascinating for a warehouse full of cold-blooded critters and invertebrates.)

Option 2: Mountain dew

Not the drink; the landscape. The Sierras are a perfect place to backpack (although you’ll need some serious cold weather gear if you go now). You can also find lovely hotels in Tahoe or Yosemite. For example, the Yosemite View Lodge features semi-affordable suites with jacuzzi tubs overlooking the river; I highly recommend it.

Option 3: Party

You can always find cheap flights to Vegas or L.A. if you want to go somewhere a bit more people-oriented. It will tell you something about me that the closest I’ve been to L.A. is Disneyland and I’ve never been to Vegas at all. When I want to party I usually head to Santa Barbara, where the plethora of drunken underage co-eds letting their hair down can supply you with anecdotes for a month. If you want a slightly more adult holiday down there, check out San Ysidro Ranch, the uber-luxury spot where celebrities like Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck stay when they come to town. I could never afford to stay there, but I did get the insider’s tour and stood in one of the fancy-pants bathtubs.

17
Mar

Weekend preview

Author: kris, Category: Events, Food, Movies, Weekend preview

Friday, March 21

This is the last weekend of the Asian American Film Festival. Now is the time to catch the last showing of all those shows you were too lazy to go see during the week. There are just a few films playing on Friday, but one of them is The Unseeable, a ghost story from Thailand that I am definitely hauling myself out to Berkeley to see. And if I can do it, why can’t you?

Saturday, March 22

I am pretty excited about this, even though I cannot go: the Falkirk Cultural Center in downtown San Rafael is hosting an Alice in Wonderland Spring Faire. Actors from a local theatre troupe will dress as characters from the books, lead a parade and perform scenes from the musical Alice. There’s also the usual host of musicians, magicians, clowns and puppets, along with fun kid activities like contests and Mad Hatter hat making. It’s $5 per person and you can bring your own picnic lunch if you want to.

Sunday, March 23

Sunday is Easter, and even if you don’t believe in the Bunny or that Son of God business, it can still be a fun holiday. Why? Because unlike, say, Thanksgiving, the central meal of Easter is brunch, which to my mind is the best of all possible meals. Check out a long list of great Bay Area brunch spots here.

10
Mar

Monday roundup

Author: kris, Category: Events, Holiday, Movies, Weekend preview

What ho, fellows. Time for our Monday weekend round-up. I thought I would actually write it on a Monday this week as a special treat, but don’t get used to it or anything.

Friday, March 14

The San Francisco Ballet is performing a tribute to Jerome Robinson (think West Side Story and you’ll have the man in mind). If normal ballet simply isn’t gay enough for you — I know it’s not gay enough for me — then you might enjoy this head-on collision of ballet and musical theater. I myself will be attending this performance, so if you’d care to say hello you can just watch for the girl making anxious faces every time someone leaps in the air. I am a worrier, and constantly on watch for someone to break an ankle at these little athletic trials.

Saturday, March 15

If you like St. Patrick’s Day but don’t like watching frat boys vomit green onto public sidewalks, eschew the drunken day-of celebrations and attend the family-friendly parade on Saturday instead. San Francisco takes its Irish community seriously (alas, we don’t seem to feel the same way about our Welsh), and the parade is an extravaganza of dancers, school bands, floats, bagpipes and Wolfhounds.

Sunday, March 16

The Asian American Film Festival will run from March 13 through March 23. The schedule for any given day is pretty dizzying, packed with stuff to see at several theaters all over town. Your options are extensive, but I like your chances with “I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK.” Check out the synopsis:

“From acclaimed director Park Chan-wook comes I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK, a playful, macabre tale of an existentially insecure cyborg and a kleptomaniac terrified of disappearing into a dot.

“Lim Soo-jung (also starring in Happiness) is Young-goon, a troubled girl who, after a traumatic separation from her grandmother, believes herself to be a cyborg. Committed to a mental institution, Young-goon forgoes food, convinced she must recharge through electrical devices. Ultimately, Young-goon is determined to gain enough strength to reunite with her grandmother—and mercilessly kill anyone who stands in her way. Enter Il-soon, played by pop icon Rain, a sensitive but unstable kleptomaniac with a penchant for stealing people’s characteristics. Through their budding romance, the two keep each other from literally and metaphorically vanishing into nothing.”

Um, yes please.

25
Feb

Monday roundup

Author: kris, Category: Bars and Clubs, Events, Music, Weekend preview

It’s your weekend roundup, presented on a Monday for once.

Friday, February 29

Celebrate the most unusual day in February with a concert by a truly unusual band. The Magnetic Fields are playing at the Herbst Theatre for Noisepop, though at this point you’ll have to skulk around Craigslist to get a ticket. If paying double the price for a scalped admission doesn’t appeal, you could always embrace the true spirit of Noisepop by picking the venue closest to your house and seeing whoever’s on offer. You will almost certainly not be disappointed. Noisepop is the premiere event in town this weekend, so check the schedule for all the days and don’t miss out.

Saturday, March 1

If Noisepop is just too hep for you, maybe you want to do something much, much lamer. In that case, I recommend hosting a rousing celebration of St. David’s Day, the day sacred to the patron saint of Wales. A ten minute Google search proved that there isn’t a large, thriving community of Welsh immigrants in the Bay Area, but you can at least knock a few celebratory pints back at the Prince of Wales Pub in San Mateo. Or, again, you could check out Noisepop.

Sunday, March 2

Feeling nostalgic for those drama days of high school? Buy a ticket for the Bay One Acts, running February 21 through March 16 and hosted by the enjoyably named Three Wise Monkeys Theatre Company. (Doesn’t anyone spell it “theater” around here? Seriously.) I’ve never been to anything put on by this company, so I’m not necessarily endorsing it, but if it sucks, hey, it was only one act long.

Remember: Noisepop. It’s a good thing.

12
Feb

Monday roundup (on a Tuesday)

Author: kris, Category: Events, Movies, Weekend preview

I’d like to start writing a weekend roundup every Monday, which will let you know about stuff you can do for the upcoming weekend. Not all the stuff, just some of the stuff. Monday might seem a little early to begin thinking about your weekend, but my weekends seem to fill up fast so it’s nice to know in advance what my options are.

I present, therefore, the first Monday roundup, which unfortunately is happening on a Tuesday because I forgot to do it yesterday.

Friday, February 15

Attend a showing of the Oscar-nominated live-action and animated shorts for 2007.  Visit the Embarcadero Center Cinema website for details.

Saturday, February 16

SF Indie Fest Big Lebowski Bowling Party. 9pm at Space Gallery, and features bowling, white Russians, Lebowski costumes and Nihilism.

Sunday, February 17

SF Indie Fest wrap party. Starts at 9pm at 12 Galaxies and features live music, food, drinks and sexy movie snobs.