I had the pleasure of Sam swinging by for a week of mountain biking and food. Some awesome days in the saddle, hitting up trails in Marin, the Peninsula, and then a fine finale riding out of Santa Cruise, and up to see the Amgen Tour of California cruise by. Good times!
The pleasures of living in California … while it is a bit of an effort to get up to the slopes, it’s worth it. This time, it’s Squaw; a much larger, almost European resort, and host to the 1960 Winter Olympics. Super amazing (if cold) conditions were marred only by having ski boots that were a size too big … something to add to the shopping list.
Gregg, ruggedly eating a chocolate barSerious weather this time!Nicole, rocking the boardTeam Squaw!Great posse to get lost in the mountains withSadly, a ridiculous 10 hour drive back … we think as a result of a jack-knifed truck. The car did really amazingly well all weekend, outperforming a few 4×4 show-offs on the way.
Ken was in town to take care of activities at the hand-built bike show over in Sacramento, and managed to set aside some good time to hang out at the house, and with the Sitzer clan. Good times.
Hannah and Mia fully mature in the back of the car.Ken's ride; the ridiculous Dodge Charger / cop car. It made satisfying 'whaaarrrrr' sounds while pretending to accelerate.Classic Alameda Flea Market Chaos … I came away with a couple of lamp bases, a vase, some egg cups (thanks to Hannah), and basically none of the stuff that I originally went to purchase.Flea market purgatory (these are Ken's pics, by the way … I rather like this one)Instagram – "Feets"Adjusting the stereo?Feeling a little more energetic on the way home.
More used to 2m slalom skis, it was fun to use shorter parabolic carving skis.
In the last fourteen years, I have only managed a scant week of skiing, and in that week (back in 2004) I managed to break my wrist while trying to snowboard.
In moving to California, I was rather excited about the prospect of living within shooting distance of some serious mountains, so when a team of designers, architects and webby people invited me along, I immediately bit their hand off.
Located to the south of the main Tahoe areas, Kirkwood has some of the best snowfall in the region, and while not quite waist-deep in powder, we at least had some pretty soapy white stuff to mess around on, with minimal ice.
I was pleasantly surprised by the difference in experience between skiing in Europe and America. The super resorts in France are huge in comparison and really set up for a solid week of action; this is in contrast to here, where people get less vacation and want a weekend get-away.
Skiing with a couple of Dutch people, it was interesting to discover just how many of the cultural references we shared from family holidays in the Alps; the Raclette and Fondue, the mixtures of European nations vying to be first onto the ski lift, and the uniform ridicule of mono skiers and their strange sense of fashion. I would also argue that, since people are only going for the weekend a few times a year – instead of saving for six months and going for 9 days – that people don’t invest to the same amount in lessons. You do see plenty of groups of ‘roll-ons’ though (we dubbed the wee kids in the helmets by this name, since they look like cans of roll-on deodorant) and the skills of some of the snowboarders, in particular, was breathtaking.
But I ain’t complaining; skiing and hotdogs is a fine combination, and one I shall be partaking in again at the earliest possible convenience.
Mister Ryan Gosling joined us for the weekend too.While trying to use my waterproof Pentax camera (the worst piece of product design ever?), I didn't quite manage to set up a proper group shot … but it's better when looking natural, right?Marieke, who is on the Dutch national synchronised skiing squadEXPERTS ONLY. WE ARE EXPERTS.You can kind of see that the hills here are a bit more rolly than the Alps, but I ain't complaining.
It’s been great to have Abe back in town for a couple of weeks. A great opportunity to hang out, get introduced to some awesome people, and get some kitchen time with Abe … great to have the place up and running for his arrival.
Abe on cauliflower dutyCheers! And cheer up!Crab cakes from the local butchers … I am slowly falling in love with that place.Prepping.Crab cakes, seared brussel sprouts, cauliflower leche … plus broccoli and spinach soup, and a wicked cheesecake that are not on view.Yay! – a marvellous holiday period with the clan Sitzer.
Seven and a half years ago, almost to the day, I arrived in Taiwan with a rucksack, a pack of CDs, a job with a little-known computer company and not a clue about what the future might hold.
I came for a year of experience in Asia, to see if I could cut it as a proper designer, and with a vague notion of getting paid for an extended period of backpacking.
I could not have predicted the depth and breadth of the experience, the amount I learnt about both the world and myself, the formation of such lasting, granite-strong friendships, and that I would form such a strong bond with this little island in the Pacific Ocean.
It is all of this and more that has given me the opportunity to be where I am right now; somewhere above Okinawa, a beautiful girl by my side, a job offer from one of the most exciting organisations in the world, and the goal to make a new home in a place that I thought only existed in the movies. Every time I think about all of this, I shake my head in disbelief and let out a little English-sounding murmur. Beautiful madness.
I’ll miss you, Taiwan. The worn-in familiarity of an old pair of jeans, the warmth and openness of the people, the love for food that is woven into the culture, scenery to make you weep, and enough crazy little details to make me laugh every single day. My secret little gem; a speck in the Pacific Ocean I came to call ‘home’.
Final step on our super-quick European tour was Zurich, where our airplane was going to be leaving from, and where we had to return the rental car to. I had visited Switzerland a couple of times as a kid, but never as an adult, and never any of the cities.
As a place to drop into for 24 hours, it was absolutely perfect. Hook up with a local for some recommendations, strap on the boots and the camera, and prepare yourself for some preposterously cute little streets and deftly attired people in bijou cafes.
Getting brunch in Zurich institution, Sprüngli. Feeling like Tyler Brûlée selecting our coffees, we sat and enjoyed watching sartorial old ladies and gentlemen come and go; and then watch young people seemingly wearing the same clothes do the same thing. Expensive – but dead nice.I have a policy of climbing the tallest things I can find in a new city. From Fraumunster, it was possible to see just how absurdly small the place is – like a little chocolate box of lanes and little eateries. The streets had a slightly similar feel to Paris, I thought.Patterns of useDrinks at Cabaret Voltaire; home of the Dadaist movement.Public transportCatching up with old friend Phil was a pleasure – an old colleague from DEM, now living it up in Zurich!Potential energyEven though the exchange rate is exorbitant right now, I still had to visit the Freitag store and get myself a replacement for my previous one, which was virtually falling apart.Climbing to the top, naturally.The last of our Swiss Francs were spent in the Jules Verne observatory – a fabulously kitsch bar with a working observatory on the roof – hilarious!
It’s been a while since I met Robbie, my flatmate and one of my best friends while at university in Glasgow. We actually managed to link up in Kyoto, while he was at a neuroscience conference (it’s not exactly brain surgery), but this was the first time I have managed to visit his grown-up home (not counting the family home in Göttingen).
Driving up from Konstanz to the northern tip of Bavaria, Wurzburg finds itself in the wine-growing region of the country. I can confirm this to be a fact, as each time we crossed the bridge from one side of the town to the other, we had a glass of wine. It was like some kind of adolescent fairy-tale.
Coinciding with Halloween, we went to one of Robbie’s PHD student’s party, and won second prize for dressing up as a pair of spectacles; photos on the way!
Wine routineCrossing the bridge was always enjoyable!… others agree.Sky, reflectedA very pretty Roman university town; much like Cambridge I suppose.The tower in the castle, where they would throw prisoners in the top, they would fall to the bottom, and if they were lucky they had the opportunity to moan and scream, warning others to avoid their misdemeanours..It's amazing how much mess a single tree can make.Robbie preparing his costume.
I had four of the best years of my life in Glasgow. Which is why I left and never went back!
I feel immense affection for this city that I called home during my university years. It was (at the time) a long way away from home, pretty close to being a foreign city (depending on who you ask), and the trips up there were likely formative in encouraging me to continue my wanderings.
I made some great friends there, now distributed nicely around the world. I was most looking forward to seeing Craig again though; flatmate and course compatriot. Too many stories, for sure.
It also gave me a chance to catch up with the old girl, the Glasgow School of Art. A deeply fabulous building that will soon be host to a new Steven Holl design department, replacing the venerable Foulis building. They are even keeping the facade to the old Vic bar; scene to countless good nights out and home to some of the best techno and house music in the UK.
I also took the opportunity to head over to the temporary teaching spaces and spend some time with the students. This was the first time I had done this, and it was as rewarding as it was exhausting.
Even on the most overcast of days (i.e.: most days) the enormous north-facing windows gulp up the pure northern light.A Charles Rennie Mackintosh artwork … that is still a real, functioning building. It's a miracle that it is still possible.God is in the details.My favourite aspect of the building are the huge slabs of rock facing the street, like some scene from Gotham at night time.The new will make-way for the newer.Goodbye to the Foulis building – my seat used to be in the very top left – right in the corner window.The old Vic…. and down to the West End we go, which is ever more packed with organic haggis shops and little eateries. It was nice to see the place doing well, but it was clear the impact of the economic downturn on the centre of town were not so good – many shops boarded up, or replaced with the ubiquitous 'Pound Stretcher' crap.One of my favourite old pubs – The Ubiquitous Chip. Good food had at home with Craig, and again at Stravagin .. the memories came flooding back almost as quickly as the Deuchers.A change of pace, and the new Riverside Museum by Zaha Hadid. I was quite taken with the renderings that I had seen on the web, but the proof is in the pudding.I liked the references to the old ship yards, and I thought the dynamic shapes were fun – at least when viewed from above, allowing them to sweep across the quay. The dark glass was extremely dramatic from a distance.… sadly the overcast weather here will likely rarely allow light to puncture through to the toys inside.Typical Zaha contours must have been fun to build.The grey walls matched the grey sky well.Reflecting the Science Centre and BBC buildings opposite.Other views captured a past history (where apparently 30% of the world's ships used to be made!)The glorious architecture on the other side of the Clyde.The off-green of the interior again was cool, but gave the place an odd laboratory feel – not quite right when looking at classic transport.These old beauties just could not compete with the building, sadly.Some awesome bikes on display from Graem ObreeOverall, a great architectural statement, but one that does not meet the brief.And to round it off, more great food and coffees at Cafe Gandolfi with Craig.
Invariably, Asian electricity companies have the best logos in the world.
Hong Kong holds deep and special memories for me. It was the first place I landed in Asia, touching-down on the way to Taiwan for the first time, it was the first ‘foreign’ place I went to after arriving on the island, it was a weekend transit hub for many of my trips to China, and it ended up being a place that some of my best friends called home. It will forever be a just a little bit magical.
The plan was to stretch out our layover to London with a day running around (traditional, I might say!). We ended up meeting Sam at Bloomberg, accidentally got on TV (twice!), relaxed with afternoon beers on Lamma, and ended up with food at the hilarious American Restaurant. Poignant goodbyes, but I shall be back soon!
It shouldn't, but in a lot of ways Hong Kong reminds me of San Francisco; the steep hills, definitive skyline, and entertaining mix of transport modes and walkability.Messing about on the boatSunset in LammaHeading back to the city to meet Michael for dinnerSam looking moody on the tram.They keep on saying they are going to replace the old wooden trams; I say I believe it when I see it. They are fun though (when it's not rush hour at least).One day I need to get my name up there.Zai Jian!Looking back.Poking my camera out of the taxi one last time. What a city!
