The Time Traveler
Looking Back, 2024
Digital Photography
Looking Back, 2024
Tag: California
Where To, 2024
The Time Traveler
Where To, 2024
Digital Photography
International House at UC Berkeley: A Building Steeped in History
Have you heard of “International House,” aka “I-House”? I had never heard of it until 2022 when I found out that such a place existed at UC Berkeley. And after learning about its history and significance, I wish UCLA had an International House as well! Alas, it is only exclusively at Berkeley, NYC, Chicago, Paris, and Tokyo.
Here’s a post dedicated to International House and its incredible story!
The International House Movement
Available online HERE.
According to official sources, International House, Berkeley was founded by Harry E. Edmonds with the financial support of John D. Rockefeller Jr. It was the second International House to be built after the first one was founded in NYC in 1924 (also funded by Rockefeller Jr.). Harry Edmonds felt the need to create these “multi-cultural residence and program” centers after discovering the lack of community and support foreign students faced in the U.S.
Here is Edmonds’s chance encounter with a Chinese student that sparked the I-House movement:
“One frosty morning I was going up the steps of the Columbia library when I met a Chinese student coming down. I said, ‘Good morning.’ As I passed on, I noticed he stopped. I went back.
“He said, ‘Thank you for speaking to me. I’ve been in New York three weeks and you are the first person who has spoken to me.’
“With my wife’s insistence, I agreed I had to do something.”
Harry E. Edmonds from The New York Times1
When the second I-House opened its doors in Berkeley on August 18, 1930, it was the “largest student housing complex in the Bay Area and the first coeducational residence west of New York” (International House at UC Berkeley). Even UC Berkeley didn’t have coed housing yet!
As part of the progressive I-House movement amidst the political and social climate of the time, it was met with much resistance in Berkeley. According to the official I-House history book, there was much resistance to men and women as well as foreigners, people of color, and whites living under one roof. And so, it’s all the more incredible that Harry Edmonds chose Piedmont Avenue, “home of fraternities and sororities, which then excluded foreigners and people of color,” as the site for the second International House (International House Berkeley: An Extraordinary History, 2).
Available online HERE.
Decades of History
Through the decades, I-House truly lived up to its mission of intercultural respect, understanding and friendship. Some major examples include:
- In the 1930s, Allen Blaisdell, the first Executive Director of I-House Berkeley, protested against barbers on campus who refused to cut Black students’ hair and changed the practice.
- In the 1940s, when Japanese American students faced difficulties, International House “set up a bureau to help these young people reach their homes as soon as government regulations permitted” and “helped them with their finances by locating employment opportunities” (International House Berkeley: An Extraordinary History, 3).
HERE is a really great presentation by the Executive Director Emeritus, Joe Lurie, on the role I-House played in desegregating Berkeley.
Reading the official International House history book and listening to Mr. Lurie and different I-House alumni, it sounded to me that I-House had been a place where students from around the world got to live with each other, learn from one another, and form lasting bonds across borders. I hope that, as the institution approaches its 100th year (in 2030), it continues to do so.
Architecture
The man behind the iconic I-House Berkeley building is none other than George W. Kelham, the prolific American architect who also designed the Asian Art Museum (formerly the old San Francisco Public Library); the Roble Hall at Stanford University; Powell Library, Haines Hall, Kerckhoff Hall and more at UCLA; Bowles Hall, Valley Life Sciences Building, Moses Hall (now the “Philosophy Hall”), McLaughlin Hall, Davis Hall, Edwards Stadium, Haas Pavilion, and more at UC Berkeley; and countless more!
And like the many other buildings Kelham designed, I-House at Berkeley is beautiful, with intricate designs and shapes evoking Spanish and Mediterranean architecture with hints of Moorish influences.
And how fitting, too, as California’s long and complex history includes the Spanish colonial period.
Notable I-House Alumni
As one would expect from a residential building created for scholars from around the world gathered in Berkeley to attend its top university, there are countless notable alumni of International House. A list can be found on the official I-House Berkeley website HERE. Among numerous pioneers, Nobel prize recipients, professors and founders, here are just a few of the brilliant men and women who lived at I-House:
Chien Shiung Wu Yuan – Chinese-American physicist, professor at Columbia University, and pioneer who made great contributions in experimental physics and atomic science and to the Manhattan Project. There’s a photo of J. Robert Oppenheimer and Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu having dinner at International House Berkeley shared by the Los Alamos National Laboratory HERE.
Julian Schwinger – one of the greatest physicists of the 20th century, professor at Harvard University, and Nobel Prize winning American theoretical physicist who developed a relativistically invariant perturbation theory. He did postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley under Oppenheimer and assisted in research at the University of Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory for the Manhattan Project.
Emmett J. Rice – an American economist, bank executive, and member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors who served in the U.S. Air Force during WW II as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen. A Fulbright scholar, he integrated the Berkeley Fire Department as its first African American fireman. He was also the father of Susan Rice, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and former National Security Advisor.
from Federal Reserve History.
Eric & Wendy Schmidt: American businessman, former software engineer, CEO of Google (2001-2011), executive chairman (2011-2015) & American businesswoman and philanthropist. The two met at I-House.
Here’s another photo of Wendy & Eric Schmidt from the I-House blog, I-House: Where UC Berkeley Meets the World.
Eric and Wendy Schmidt seem to have revisited I-House a couple of times. Notably, Wendy Schmidt visited when she was honored as I-House’s Alumni of the Year at the 2014 I-House Gala along with another notable alumni, Dr. Ashok Gadgil, and Eric Schmidt came by very recently for the I-House Executive Director’s Lodestar Speaker Series: “The Promise and Perils of AI” event this year.
And I believe, the Dining Commons has been named after the I-House couple.
Countless More Notable Alumni
This blog post would not end if I were to explore all notable I-House alumni, which includes Abdelkader Abbadi (former UN Director of Political Affairs and journalist), Choong Kun Cho (former president of Korean Air), Hans Rausing (former chairman of TetraPak)and his daughter Lisbet Rausing (senior research fellow at Imperial College, London and author), and Haakon Magnus (Crown Prince of Norway), along with Nobel Prize laureates, scientists, scholars, philanthropists, and more.
Plus, I know personally that the list shared on the official website is yet far from being comprehensive, as notable individuals such as W. Harold McClough (founder of Perth construction and Clough Limited), Walter John Jr. (distinguished aerosol physicist, research scientist, and founder), Michael J. Belton (astronomer), Gerhart Friedlander (nuclear chemist who worked on the Manhattan Project), Stewart L. Blusson (geologist and philanthropist), and so many other incredible men and women have also stayed at I-House. This fact alone is a testament to what hub of brilliant minds International House was and is!
I-House Today
Today, I-House remains sitting atop the hill overlooking Berkeley, across from the Law School. Though it retains its old silhouette, iconic dome and other features, I-House has undergone several renovations, including an addition of the ADA-complaint ramp and a complete transformation of its café (from the “I-House Café” to “Edmonds’ Café.”) Sadly, the Heller Patio has now lost the lush trees and greenery that previous residents so enjoyed and referred to as a “garden” within the busy city.
But it still houses over 600 students and scholars (both international and domestic) each year. I truly believe that the magic of the place stems from the many talented residents that bring their unique experiences and stories from around the world. I hope that International House at UC Berkeley, a remarkably unique building steeped in rich history, never loses the passion, faith, and integrity it started out with 94 years ago.
P.S. Here are some useful links related to I-House at UC Berkeley:
- The official International House at UC Berkeley website
- A blog by Harry Edmonds’ great-granddaughter, Alice Lewthwaite
- A blog post on the first I-House (in NYC) written by a recent resident at I-House Berkeley
- A fascinating, engaging book titled Perception and Deception: A Mind Opening Journey Across Cultures written by Executive Director Emeritus Joe Lurie. If you are interested in learning about cross cultural understandings and misunderstandings or just want to broaden your knowledge, I highly recommend this book!
- A book titled The Golden Age of International House Berkeley: An Oral History of the Post World War II Era, written by Jeanine Castello-Lin and Tonya Staros of Berkeley Historical Society. It’s a wonderful compilation of invaluable oral history shared by residents who lived at I-House during the late 1940s and early 1950s.
P.P.S. 2024 marks the 100th anniversary for the International House in NYC! Here is everything the first ever I-House is doing this year to celebrate: https://www.ihouse-nyc.org/centennial/
- Goodman, G. (1979, July 8). “Harry Edmonds, Who Established International House, Is Dead at 96.” The New York Times, p. 35. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1979/07/08/archives/harry-edmonds-who-established-international-house-is-dead-at-96-a.html.
Game of Shrooms 2024: Review & Tips for Future Artists & Hunters
Game of Shrooms 2024 Review
The Game of Shrooms has, once again, come and gone. And I must say…What whirlwind of fun that was! I had a blast creating mushroom-themed art and hiding them out in the world like some secret shroom Santa. Plus, I got to find more than one shroom this year! Here are my reflections & takeaways after participating in the 2024 Game of Shrooms.
Experience as a Shroom Artist
After having participated in last year’s Game of Shrooms, I was determined to join in on the art-n-seek again. And so, I took my own advice from my previous blog post (tip #1) and started early, about two weeks before the day of the event (June 8, 2024).
Not as early as I had wanted or planned (which was preparing months beforehand), but it was still early enough that I was able to follow my tip #2 and create more than one artwork:
Thanks to listening to my own advice, I also had enough time to create promotional Instagram posts and reels for all my artworks:
It was so fun to choose the songs to go with my promotional IG posts!
I also created this promotional video a day before June 8th to spread the word online about my shroom art:
Where My Shrooms Were
As I did last year with Shroompoleon, I scattered my shrooms throughout the UC Berkeley campus. These were where I hid them:
- Faith Series: “Hanging by a Thread” – under this mushroom shaped tree with lots of holes in the Faculty Glade area.
- Faith Series: “Redeemed” – I hid it with “Hanging by a Thread,” as it was meant to complement the first art.
- Praying for You – this was hidden along the Faculty Way (pathway between The Faculty Club and Hertz Hall), along mushroom-shaped lights.
- Queen of Shrooms was hiding under a bed of yellow roses in front of Dwinelle Hall.
- Can’t Take More Shiitake was under the Abraham Lincoln statue below The Campanile tower.
To my pleasant surprise, all my shrooms were found within a few hours. Thank you to all the wonderful shroom hunters! 🙌
Experience as a Shroom Hunter
I didn’t initially plan on hunting for shrooms. But when I saw that a cute shroom was going to be hidden somewhere near The Cheeseboard Collective, I decided to go for it. I thought I was sure to find and keep it, as I went out to look for it early in the morning on the day of the game. Alas, another hunter had found and claimed it a day before!
After which, I tried to get to other shrooms nearby, but to my utter dismay, hunters were really, really good at finding the shrooms. Just as it was last year, shroom hunters were dedicated and competitive, determined to find and keep shroom art. Realizing that at the rate at which I was searching I would be shroom-less this year (as I almost was if it weren’t for the artist Tina Banda‘s lit (literally lit, too, as it glows in the dark!) shroom art that I got to find a day after the 2023 Game of Shrooms), I deciphered the location shared by a shroom artist using her hints, lyfted myself to the restaurant/bar and started searching with the fervor of other shroom hunters.
And lo and behold, I found 2 shrooms at the location – a 🍄 magnet and a 🍄 sticker!
More Shrooms!
I lyfted myself to another location where some shrooms were going to be dropped (per Instagram) and was so very lucky to find more shrooms and even meet the artists as they were dropping off their shroom art!
Adorable shroom pebbles by Saffuric and Francesca Sapien:
Aesthetic shroom art by Eli Wild:
I was able to find more aesthetic artworks by Eli Wild at The Compound Gallery in Emeryville. Here’s one I purchased:
in Emeryville, CA.
Game of Shrooms 2024 Review
For the most complete experience, I think it’s best to participate as both shroom hunter and artist. As an artist, you get to experience the joy of creating and sharing your art with those around you. It’s quite an experience to have your art seen and appreciated by people you’ve never met, to have your shroom be picked up and kept by someone you don’t know. And it’s equally wonderful to go on a mushroom hunt, find beautiful, cute, aesthetic, or fun art by an artist you knew or didn’t know about and to keep the treasure of a shroom for free. And I think the whole searching and finding experience makes the shroom art really special. You get to have a fun story to the shroom art you’re keeping!
Game of Shrooms is such a unique experience celebrating creativity and community in a fun way. Not only is it an outlet for creative expression, but also it’s a way for artists to showcase their works to audiences around the world.
Plus, it’s a great way to spotlight and support local businesses, as done by The Inkcredibles. I mean, what a fantastic idea to feature local businesses while participating in an art-n-seek?
Game of Shrooms Tips: For Artists
- Start Early, Make More Than 1 Shroom Art, Create Promotional Materials (Same Tips as Last Year). A year goes by more quickly than one expects! I highly suggest that you start as early as you can to create great shroom art with leisure. And as there seem to be more eager hunters than artists in most neighborhoods, it’s great for artists to create more than one artwork so that 1) they can promote their art more 2) there are more hunters who successfully find shrooms! And as this event is operated mainly via Instagram, promotional materials are key to spreading the word about your shroom to all hunters out there. And if you start early and share your promotional materials early, they might be shared by the Game of Shrooms IG account!
Plus, don’t forget about business cards/artist info to hide with your shroom art!
- Collaborate with Local Businesses. I think it’s such a great idea to work with local businesses to promote both them and your art, as The Inkcredibles and Tina Banda had done.
- Hide Early. I suggest hiding your artwork(s) at least an hour earlier than the time you tell your hunters and IG followers that you’ll hide your shroom, as you might run into hunters eager to find your art. This happens quite often!
Game of Shrooms Tips: For Hunters
- Be Quick & Early. If there’s a shroom you really like, then start following the artist’s Instagram account as soon as possible and get all the hints as soon as you can! Sometimes artists start giving out hints a few days before the day of the Games. Don’t wait for the day of to look for it (like me); if they give out hints, go out there and find it! I had seen clues, yet I didn’t start looking until the day of the Games, and so I ended up losing the shroom to another hunter, who had searched for and found it a day before.
- Best Chances of Finding Shrooms are in Your Own Neighborhood/Places You Know. Amidst the competition, you have the best chance of finding a shroom for yourself in your own neighborhood/places where you’re familiar enough to quickly use the hints to hunt down shrooms.
- Vehicle & Comfy Shoes. It’s all about speed when it comes to shroom hunting! Walking and taking public transportation will NOT be quick enough (as I learned sadly last year). You have to have your own car/bike/electric scooters/Lyft/Uber to get to the shroom ASAP.
- Let Artists Know If You’ve Found Their Shrooms. This saves everyone’s time! Plus it’s a great way to show appreciation for the artists’ works.
The Countdown Begins!
Another thing I so very much love about the Game of Shrooms is that the date of the next game is set right away. It has been announced by Attaboy that the next Game of Shrooms will take place on Saturday, June 14, 2025. So… Let the countdown begin!
P.S. Here are some local Bay Area artists who participated this year and whose shroom art I really wanted to find!
P.P.S. I’ve noticed that not all artists from the 2023 Game of Shrooms participated in this year’s game. Hopefully they come back next year! Here are their wonderful shroom arts from last year:
Gem of a French Bread: Fougasse from Fournée Bakery
One thing I’ve noticed after moving up to NorCal is that bakeries here are infinitely better than the ones in SoCal. What I mean is, bakeries in the Bay feel more authentic and artisanal, and often times they are. I think there are better options for bread here than in the south. Please correct me in the comments below if I’m mistaken, but I can’t think of SoCal equivalents to The CheeseBoard Collective Bakery, The Acme Bread Company, Arsicault Bakery, and Tartine Bakery (spots all deserving separate posts of their own!)
Anyways, this post is solely on Fournée Bakery in Berkeley, CA – and the gem of a French bread they make: fougasse.
Fournée Bakery
Facing the tennis courts of the historic Claremont Club & Spa, Fournée Bakery is located in the small cluster of restaurants and stores at the intersection of Claremont Ave, Russell St, Domingo Ave and Ashby Ave. Its neighbors include Peet’s Coffee, Tulipan Floral, and Rick & Ann’s.
On a busy day, the line can go all the way down almost to Rick & Ann’s! As you can see in the photo above, there are some parking spots with meters. But this area can get crowded as this area is shared by other restaurants and stores, along with guests and visitors from the Claremont hotel and its tennis courts.
Bread Galore!
Fournée Bakery offers an array of delectable baked goods, including morning buns, scones (fruit, walnut & coriander), croissants (fruit, veggie, chocolate almond, almond, traditional butter, egg & ham, ham & manchego cheese), cheese rolls, pains au chocolat, pains au raisin (says it’s “pain aux raisins” online), and this marvelous French bread called, “gougère” that I fell in love with! It’s this savory puff of a bread that tastes like cheese and egg. Simply delicious!
They also have these sandwiches that seem to be popular amongst visitors. I always see at least one person in front of me order one. I haven’t tried them still, as I’ve already developed my go-to items and always end up ordering them instead. I’ll have to try them soon!
But I did try their Farmer’s Bread and can say with confidence that it’s good!
Pastries Galore!
I sure can’t forget to mention Fournée Bakery’s excellent pastries!
The pastries behind the glass display vary from day to day, but the selection usually consists of Meyer lemon shortbreads, cookies, brownies, and quiches. Often times, they have these seasonal items – I HIGHLY recommend that you get them. I don’t remember regretting getting their seasonal items, like ever! Some seasonal items that I’ve seen include seasonal fruit scones, bûche de Noël (during Christmastime), fruit tart, and my favorite, the rhubarb tart. I fell hard for it last summer and am currently waiting for it to come out again.
The Gem of a Bread: Fougasse
Yet, the item that truly, truly shines the brightest of ’em all at Fournée is fougasse. You may ask – what is “fougasse”? Pronounced “fu-gas,” it’s a bread from Provence, France that’s shaped like a flat leaf. Per online sources, it’s related to the focaccia of Italy, hogaza of Spain, fogassa of Catalonia, fügassa of Liguria, pogača of the Balkans, and pogácsa of Hungary.
Until Fournée, I had never heard or seen of a fougasse. And even to this day, I don’t see fougasse often in other places in the Bay. So when I first laid my eyes on fougasse with its ingredients listed as in the photo below, I had to try it. I mean, it was a bread made with duck fat!
Ordering the strange bread called, “fougasse” was one of the best decisions I made last year. No joke – the first bite was heavenly: a harmonious blend of salty and savory, with just the right amount of the perfect seasoning.
Ever since that fateful day, I’ve shared fougasse with everyone around me, including my sister who also fell in love with the beautiful French bread. I became Fournée Bakery’s unofficial patron & ambassador of fougasse, visiting the bakery almost every week for it and spreading news of its exceptional taste to everyone I meet.
Conclusion
To tell the truth, I thought about gatekeeping Fournée Bakery and its gem of a bread, fougasse. But it’s too good of a spot to keep to oneself, and besides, it’s already well-loved by its frequent visitors and fans like me!
On a final note, not only is the bakery stocked with delectable bread and pastries, but also, they’ve got a nice seating area to enjoy: in front of/behind Peet’s and Tulipan Floral.
Taking a sip of Peet’s and admiring the flowers of Tulipan while taking a bite of Fournée’s gems is such bliss! 😊
P.S. Note: Fournée Bakery is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. For hours and other info, visit their website HERE or their IG account HERE.
P.P.S. FYI, the front window of Fournée is under renovation. I think I overheard someone say that a car had crashed into the store front or something. So be aware that the front of the bakery will look slightly different!
P.P.P.S. IMPORTANT UPDATE: Fougasse is currently unavailable! ☹ The bakery staff told me that they don’t have the duck fat to make them and they don’t know when they’ll have their duck fat again…
Update 1/27/24: Fougasse is back, baby! 🙌
Christmas at PADERIA BAKEHOUSE: ‘Twas a Holly Jolly Visit 🎄
Just four more days until Christmas! It really has felt like it for the past few weeks. With the radio blasting timeless songs and Spotify recommending playlists like “Christmas Pop” and “Merry & Bright,” it feels like Christmas is already here. And such vibes are bringing back memories of my last Christmas… when I visited Paderia Bakehouse yet again!
You may wonder, “What more could this blogger possibly have of that bakery?” I’ve got lots more to say: this time, it’s Paderia Bakehouse – the Christmas edition!
December 23, 2022
Last year, on December 23, 2022, I flew to the John Wayne Airport in Irvine, CA and stopped by Paderia. (Now, this alone should give you a hint as to how good the place is.)
I was SO excited to be back at Paderia. The feeling can only be compared to standing outside one’s close friend’s grandmother’s house, waiting to see her (and the treats she has baked for you two).
Uniquely Cute Christmas Decorations
When I entered, I was pleasantly surprised by this interesting Christmas tree:
Now, from afar, it looks like a funky pile of a tree. But close up, it’s really uniquely aesthetic:
It’s got a whole contemporary hodgepodge look!
And then at the bottom was this:
Do you see it? I mean, how cute is this little pug?
Other parts of the bakery were left as clean & modern as it usually was:
The Menu (Feat. Special December Items)
The menu is on the wall next to the counter:
Or at the counter, where items are always shown inside a glass display. And the glass display was decorated with the same Christmas glam the tree had:
They had placed their ever-cute egg tart plushie (not for sale though 😕) along with little trees, cotton, reindeer and alpaca/llama plushies! The menu items were the same (delicious egg tarts, banana bread pudding, award-winning cookies, ensaymadas, and drinks) except there were some special seasonal items:
- Tiramisu Cheesecake 🧀
- “once-a-year seasonal favorite” White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Cookie 🍪
- and a newly launched Orange Cardamom Malasada 🍊
The Food (Seasonal Items + More)
I couldn’t get the Orange Cardamom Malasada (as it was available only at the Foundation Valley store) but I did get the Tiramisu Cheesecake, White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Cookie and my usual go-tos (egg tarts and banana pudding).
The Tiramisu Cheesecake was as delicious as the photo appears. But in my opinion, it wasn’t as mind-blowingly tasty as the egg tarts, probably because I’m an egg-tart kind of person.
The White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Cookie was good, too, as just the name of it sounds. Each bite was filled with the buttery dough, fruity cranberry, and the nutty macadamia.
But then again, as someone who already has a Paderia go-to item, the cookie was a bit too buttery for me. Nonetheless, it was richly smooth and good .
I don’t think I’ll have to review my favorite items (i.e. banana bread pudding and egg tarts) again. So here is just a short reel to make your mouths water!
🍪 To read about my first post on Paderia Bakehouse, click HERE!
P.S. Did you know that the bakery hosts giveaway contests on Instagram? They’ve offered giveaways for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, product launches and more! Visit their IG page HERE.
P.P.S. Speaking of giveaways, I was one of the lucky winners of one of the giveaways! So I visited the Santa Monica location last week to redeem my coupon and treat myself to the ever-delicious Paderia items. And I have to say, Paderia Bakehouse in Santa Monica was looking good this Christmas!
Gray Loft Gallery: An Art Exhibit to Remember
Shades of Gray at the Gray Loft Gallery
This January, I had an opportunity to attend an art exhibit called Shades of Gray. No, it has nothing to do with the infamous novel by E.L. James. Rather, it was the “10th Anniversary Photography Exhibit” held at the Gray Loft Gallery in Oakland, CA from December 10, 2022 to January 21, 2023. Truth be told, I had never been to an art exhibit before, so I was extremely excited to attend the group photo exhibit, to say the least!
The Gray Loft Gallery was located inside a tall, multi-story building. You had to take several flights of stairs to get to the actual gallery with all the artworks.
As I made my way upstairs, I came face to face with a lady and her adorable little dog that hopped down besides her.
I presumed her to be a family member or friend of one of the artists, and fawned over her dog as I passed by. To my surprise, the lady smiled and pointed out that I would soon be seeing her dog in the exhibit. I didn’t really know what she meant at the time, so I just smiled back and moved along. Boy, was I in for a pleasant surprise!
“Room 32”
Once I reached the floor where the exhibit was taking place (which, I believe was the third floor), I was met with a small table with flyers displayed:
There were name cards and such of the artists whose works were being displayed. Taking a few with me, I stepped inside Room 32 and officially began my Shades of Gray experience.
The gallery was basically a large room with dividers with artworks hung here and there on the walls.
The photographs were mostly in shades of gray, with a few exceptions. But as its name suggested, the exhibit was mostly a collage of black, white and gray.
Pleasant Surprises
Amidst the artworks and people casually conversing amongst themselves, there was a station serving wine and treats with these pretty light decorations.
Visitors had the chance to support the gallery by tipping cash in this glass jar (shown above) or they could purchase the actual artworks displayed. If I recall correctly, most of the prices I saw were in the hundreds. I did see that some works had been claimed, as they had these red circle stickers below them.
As I was cruising around the room with my drink in hand, I almost froze because I came face to face with the aforementioned dog. There it was, staring me in the eye!
It was such a pleasant surprise to see the dog again! 😂 But I think the dog was cuter in person, hopping down the stairs next to its owner. And for some reason, it looks angry in the photograph. Well, anyways, I think I appreciated the artwork so much more after having actually met the dog beforehand.
(Some of) My Favorites
I’m not exaggerating one bit when I say that I thoroughly enjoyed viewing all the artworks at the exhibit. These photographs were not just simple photos; they were captivating images that all spoke different messages through objects and figures captured. Looking back, it’s fascinating how moving each of the still images were! But these are some of the ones that I remember vividly:
1. Rub my eyes 8 2022 by Francis Baker
This work was one of the few that were not completely in black and white. Yet, it fit the theme and the exhibit so well. For more works created by the artist behind this dreamy palette, visit the official website at francisbaker.com or on Instagram HERE.
2. Gorongosa Solitude by Mark Overgaard
This pigment inkjet print reminiscent of a page from The National Geographic caught my attention for its simplicity and beauty. But now, after discovering that “Gorongosa” means “place of danger” in the indigenous Mwani language and learning about the history of the land in Mozambique, I appreciate this work much more than meets the eye.
To learn more about the artist behind the work, visit his official website HERE and check out his “About the Artist” page. His story is fascinating as well.
3. Three Fish by Susan West
I remember looking at this work and thinking, “Shouldn’t the title be ‘Four Fish’?” Whether there are 3 fish, 3.5 fish or 4 fish (or 7 if counting the shadows), this work by Susan West is fun to look at, even now.
To view more work, visit the artist’s official website at: susanwestphotography.com.
4. Dreams of Old Birches by Anne Rabe
Another artwork that had palettes other than shades of gray, Dreams of Old Birches was memorable in that it incorporated a piece of an actual tree. And the title of the work makes you wonder what those dreams were. For more work by Anne Rabe, visit her official website www.amr-photography.com and Instagram account HERE.
5. Desert Spirit by Melina Meza
I actually had the chance to eavesdrop on what the artist was saying about this work. If I remember correctly, she said that the original colors of Desert Spirit was a conglomerate of colors found in the desert. And I actually found Desert Spirit in its colorful original HERE! Check out more of the yoga instructor/writer/teacher/photographer’s works on the official website: www.melinameza.com/fineartphotography.
6. Armenia by Candice Jacobus
This work I specifically remember because of the majestically eerie landscape accompanied by a speck of green. Back when I was at the exhibit, I assumed that it was taken in some magical place in Armenia. Upon research, I did found out that, indeed, the photograph is of basalt rock formations called the “Symphony of the Stones” and “Basalt Organ” in Garni Gorge, Armenia.
More works by Candice Jacobus can be found on the artist’s website at www.candicejacobusphotography.com and Instagram account HERE.
7. The beginning of hope/The hope of beginning by J.M. Golding
Not only was I blown away by the beauty of this photograph (I mean, a lake/pond of water touching the evening sky? It doesn’t get any more romantic or aesthetic than that!), but also I was taken aback by just how beautiful the title was. For more works by J.M. Golding, visit the official website at www.jmgolding.com.
8. Butterflies of My Memory by Sonia Melnikova-Raich
Butterflies of My Memory made an impression on me for a number of reasons. 1) As someone who values history and cherishes memories, I couldn’t help falling in love with the title and its dreamlike imagery. 2) The structure behind the butterfly silhouettes somehow reminded me of the Bay. As a traveler dwelling in the area, this work holds much meaning to me.
But I just found out that this photograph was taken in Mexico City during the artist’s visit to La Casa Azul where Frida Kahlo had lived in! It’s incredible how one can take any imagery and fit it to one’s own perspective and experiences regardless of what it actually portrays.
To learn more about the artwork, visit Sonia Melnikova-Raich’s website HERE or Instagram account at www.instagram.com/soniamelnikovaraich.
9. Adriatic Tempest IV by Laurel Anderson Malinovsky
Lastly but certainly not least, is the tempestuous photograph by the artist Laurel Anderson Malinovsky. I got to listen to the artist talk about her work, and I was told that she had taken this photograph while visiting Eastern Europe. She explained that these dark clouds suddenly filled the sky above her and she had never seen anything quite like this before:
The reflection of the glass doesn’t do the photograph justice. When you look at it in person, the contrast of the colors are quite striking. The shades of gray displayed in the clouds, to me, feel like an allegory for a turmoil of human emotions.
To look at more of the artist’s works, visit her official website at www.cipherartanddesign.com.
Conclusion
Though I was excited even before the event, I did not expect to have this much fun at the exhibit. And I think overall the Gray Loft Gallery did a great job providing a space for its artists to showcase their works. I especially appreciated the see-through curtains and this *mobile installation, which I believe was not an artwork but a decoration. It added a nice touch to the event:
And the view out the gallery was phenomenal at sunset! To look out the window to find these splash of vibrant colors was a pleasant, artistic contrast to the shades of gray displayed inside.
All in all, it was a highly enjoyable experience. I wish they had held the exhibit longer than the 1 month and 11 days they held it for… I will have to visit the Gray Loft Gallery again for another one of its exhibits!
📝 Want to read more about the Shades of Gray exhibit? Visit Malcolm Ryder’s review of the event at www.malcolmryder.com/post/review-photography-at-gray-loft-gallery-dec-2022.
🎨 HERE is the link to Gray Loft Gallery’s official website! Check out their “Upcoming Events” for art shows you can visit when you’re in the area.
Visiting Ursula K. Le Guin’s Childhood Home in Berkeley, CA
It just happened so that I read Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea in Berkeley, the very city where the author had grown up in. And so, after finishing the wonderful fantasy novel (for the full review of A Wizard of Earthsea, click HERE), I just had to look up any place in Berkeley associated with the novel and its author. And, lo and behold, I found the address to Ursula K. Le Guin’s childhood home!
The Significance of Le Guin’s Childhood Home
The author’s old house was recently listed, I believe, at around 4 million dollars. There were articles about the house, mainly from The Sacramento Bee where you can read all about it and even view a video of the house’s interiors!
Now, one may wonder – why the big fuss over an author’s childhood home? Well, besides the obvious (that it was the home of the brilliant author who wrote the Earthsea novels), it actually seems to have played a significant role in her life and literary works. So much so that she is said to have written about the very home in an essay called, “Living in a Work of Art.”
Here’s what Le Guin said about her childhood home in Berkeley:
“If I recall my childhood, I recall that house. It is where everything happened. It is where I happened. Writing this, I wonder if much of my understanding of what a novel ought to be was taught to me, ultimately, by living in that house. If so, perhaps all my life I have been trying to rebuild it around me out of words.”
Quote from SF Gate and Lit Hub.
After coming across this quote, I simply had to visit the place myself!
Not to mention the fact that it was designed by Bernard Maybeck in 1907 – over 100 years ago! (116 years, to be exact.)
Getting There
Le Guin’s childhood home, aka the Albert Schneider House, is located at 1325 Arch Street, in a neighborhood in North Berkeley. It’s a bit far off from the famous UC Berkeley campus; it takes from 25 to 30 minutes from the campus to the house on foot:
And I must say, that it was quite a hike! 1325 Arch St was up on the hills, overlooking Berkeley and the rest of the Bay. I do not recommend visiting on a hot day!
Journey to 1325 Arch St
Alas, I happened to visit on a very hot day, so I made my way to Le Guin’s childhood home huffing and puffing like some determined fan girl. The journey was strenuous with all that upward powerwalk, but I could not contain my excitement as I got closer and closer to my desired destination.
1325 Arch St
When I finally stood in front of the actual house Le Guin had grown up and lived in, I was completely breathless.
The dark, wooden house was being worked on by some construction/repair workers who I think were fixing up the place for the new resident who had just purchased the place. I so wanted to enter the open entrance and explore within; yet, I checked myself to not trespass.
Instead I looked from out on the streets, marveling at the mystical structure that held Ursula Le Guin’s childhood memories. At the open windows and the (what appeared to be) pea trees hovering over the entrance, I wondered if those had been there when the Le Guins had called the place their home.
My Experience
To stand before the actual house felt surreal. The neighborhood was peaceful and quiet, with a few cars passing by from time to time. I half-expected there to be other tourists like myself and perhaps signs signaling the house’s ties to Le Guin, but there weren’t anything like that.
One Asian lady living across from Le Guin’s childhood home looked at me with a wary eye as I was taking way too many photos of the author’s house from all angles imaginable. It looked as if she didn’t know that the house she lived across from wasn’t just any house.
Or, maybe she did but she didn’t care for Le Guin’s works. Whichever the case, she sure is lucky! From the second floor of her own house, she could probably enjoy the view that Le Guin herself enjoyed from 1325 Arch St.
The View from 1325 Arch St
Though I haven’t had the chance to go inside, I can conjecture from the outside that the view from the top floors at 1325 Arch St would be splendid. I mean, I was able to see the Bay while walking up to the house, and despite the trees and other obstacles blocking the view, it was still delightful. I can only imagine how breathtaking the view must be from up on the second level.
According to The Spaces, there are 3 bedrooms on the second floor, with the master bedroom having “views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco from its windows and private balcony” (The Spaces Team). Yup, the view would be simply breathtaking!
Perhaps the view inspired the lands and seas of Earthsea Le Guin crafted in her works:
Around 1325 Arch St
Though there wasn’t a sign that read, “Hometown of Ursula K. Le Guin,” there were little book boxes, i.e. little free libraries that I spotted here and there. It was quite befitting for the neighborhood the Earthsea author had grown up in.
There was also this stairway in the neighborhood that led up to the Berkeley Rose Garden, a city-owned park with rose terraces and tennis courts. (The Berkeley Rose Garden requires a post of its own, so I won’t go in detail.)
Conclusion
If you also find Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea novels to be some of the best fantasy novels ever written, then I highly recommend visiting 1325 Arch St if you’re in the area. You won’t find any signs, pamphlets or souvenirs, but you will be visiting a special place where a remarkable author had grown up in. It’s a fun quest/rewarding workout/intensive hike to go on for Earthsea fans and history buffs alike.
P.S. Upon further research, I came across the official website for Le Guin’s childhood home! Here’s the link: https://www.maybeckarchitecture.com/
P.P.S. Check out the whimsical My Coffee Roastery if you’re in Berkeley! Click HERE for the full review.
FoodieLand Night Market: Only For Foodies with Money to Spare
After purchasing my $7.00 ticket for the FoodieLand Night Market back in July, I spent the following weeks excited at the prospect of attending the “foodie inspired multi-cultural food and entertainment event.” Due to the excitement, I couldn’t even sleep well the night before the event!
FoodieLand Night Market in Berkeley, CA
FoodieLand Night Market is held at multiple locations throughout California. The event I was going to was the one in Berkeley, CA held at the Golden Gate Fields.
The Golden Gate Fields overlooks the Bay and San Francisco. You can even see the Golden Gate Bridge 🌉:
I had purchased the ticket for the 1PM entry (the first entrance period), but came early just in case – arriving at around 12:40 PM. Even though it was 20 minutes before the event, there was a long line already. (But luckily the line moved along quickly and I was able to enter a few minutes after 1PM.)
Restrictions
As stated on their website, you can’t bring large backpacks or bags. Clear, see-through bags under 12 x 12 inches are allowed, along with strollers and small handbags. There was a detailed bag policy on the Cal Expo State Fair website for Sacramento’s FoodieLand Night Market event HERE, so I referred to it. But even when I brought a small clutch bag exactly 5 x 8 inches, the staff inspected what was inside my bag. And they did a body inspection, too. 🙁
So be prepared to have your bags inspected even if you meet the bag requirements.
More Restrictions
Per FoodieLand Night Market’s guidelines, tickets are available only via Eventbrite, and no pets are allowed (except for service animals). To check out the official website for the FoodieLand Night Market event held in Berkeley, CA from August 5th-7th, 2022 (the one I attended), click HERE. If you’re going to attend future FoodieLand Night Markets, make sure to look up the official website for the event you’ll be attending.
The Event
Upon entering, I found myself surrounded by rows of booths after booths selling all kinds of food and drinks, like tacos, chicken, boba, tea, macarons, dim sums, ramen burgers, donuts, kettle corn, corn dogs, oysters, and even frog legs!
It’s useful to refer to the vendor list & map they have on their official website.
I couldn’t wait to try all the food!
Little did I know about the costs…
Delicious BUT Expensive
Having paid an entrance fee of $7.00, I thought the prices of the food/drink items would be from $5 to $10. Based on my past experiences at various events, I had NO idea that most of the items here would be about $20!
#1: Cheese Wheel Pasta (Black Truffle Cream Pasta – $28 <$30 with tax>)
I decided to start off with “Cheese Wheel Pasta.” They sold basil pesto, bacon, garlic lobster, and black truffle cream pastas. I decided to get the black truffle cream pasta.
It was $28. With tax, it was a total of $30.
To be fair, their pasta was “imported from Italy,” “aged for 24 months,” “made with the freshest milk,” and made with “ingredients from the Provinces of Parma & Reggio Emilia.” But I did not expect the food to be this expensive at this foodie event.
And the thing was, they didn’t have the prices up for people to see. It was only after you get to the cashier and order the item that they tell you how much you have to pay.
But since the pasta was delicious and I had it for lunch, I thought it was worth it.
I mean, all the other booths would be much cheaper, right?
#2: Kusina ni Javen Jesel (Bone Marrow Tacos – $25)
Next, I went to the booth named “Kusina ni Javen Jesel.” They were selling Filipino infused food, including lumpia, empanada and bone marrow tacos.
The bone marrow tacos were $25.
Again, to be fair, bone marrow tacos have quite some meat to it. Plus, it tasted great.
After two food items, I had already spent over $50. It hurt, but the food was great and I had faith that the other food & drinks were cheaper.
Boy was I wrong…
#3 – LemonTea Squeeze (Animal Jar Drinks – $25 with cash payment)
Having consumed pasta and tacos, I needed to drink something. Having read about cute animal jar drinks on the vendor list, I went over to the booth named “LemonTea Squeeze” to purchase one.
Again, the prices weren’t shown on the booth. It was only after waiting in line and reaching the cashier that I learned how much one animal drink cost.
It cost $25. Twenty-five bucks if I paid in cash, and $27 dollars (and I don’t remember the exact change) if I paid with my card.
But I was thirsty, had waited in line, and was swayed by the words “free refills.”
I purchased the $25 animal jar drink, with peach iced tea flavor.
After two items and one drink, I had spent about $80… It was too much, but since it was an “all you can drink” offer with this cute bear jar, I let it go.
#4 – Churromania Bakery (Churro Sundae – $12, Churro – $5 each)
This FoodieLand Night Market was until 9:30 PM. It was around 3PM when my friends and I wanted to try more food. We wanted to try the Hawaiian Honey Cones aka the J-shaped ice cream. But they were, if I remember correctly, over $20 each! I don’t remember the exact cost, as we ended up not buying the expensive ice cream. But I do remember it being as expensive as the pasta/tacos/animal jar.
So we decided to settle for some churros & churro sundae at this booth called “Churromania Bakery.” Churros couldn’t be that expensive, right?
The churro sundae was $12 and the churros cost $5 each. It was definitely overpriced, considering the fact that regular churros cost $1.50 to $2.00 each.
But as it was one of the cheaper food items (compared to the $20 ice cream!), we got the sundae and churros. And of course, we paid the $2.14 tax that was added.
#5 – Big Baby Bottle (Small Baby Bottle – $27.56)
It was 4PM when my friends and I were sitting around in the table area unwilling to buy more food. Everything was overpriced. Maybe not everything, as we couldn’t check out all the booths and food trucks (which were, according to the website, over 150 in total.) But the ones that looked good and the ones we did get were all overpriced. And we were running out of money about halfway into the event. (The event closed at 9:30 PM.)
But before leaving the event for good (as re-entries were NOT allowed), we decided to try the baby bottles people were drinking from. We wanted to get the really big baby bottles, but we figured they would be outrageously expensive. So we decided to go for the smaller ones.
When we got to the front of the line, we were told that the small bottles cost $25 in cash, $27.56 in card payment…
And I’m ashamed to say…
We got the small baby bottles…
Conclusion
Though the event had a ton of great booths, I regret attending the event. Most of the food and drink items were overpriced. I regret getting the small Baby Bottle. And I regret purchasing the Bear Jar, because the thing leaked really easily. My phone got wet with the peach iced tea that leaked out, and now I have a broken iPhone.
Other people might have had a great time at the FoodieLand Night Market. I personally regret attending it. I’m broke and phoneless after the event. (Beware: the cute animal jar leaks!)
In my opinion, FoodieLand Night Market is a great event ONLY for foodies with money to spare. It’s fun ONLY if you can afford everything without worrying about it afterwards.
P.S. There were also live performances and game booths. I do NOT recommend the game booths, especially this one selling giant Pokemons:
Because it’s IMPOSSIBLE to win the game. You need to throw the ball, hit this board, and have it fall into this basket. The man in charge of the booth does it well BECAUSE of where he is standing. From where you are required to stand, it’s impossible. ☹ I’ve seen everyone fail, including myself.
P.P.S. If you DO decide to attend the FoodieLand event but you are NOT a foodie with money to spare, I suggest that you eat just 1-2 food/drink items and purchase products instead.
From my experience, it’s just WAY more cost effective. Instead of spending $20 on a single food/drink item, you can purchase a plushie/keychain/succulent/K-pop merchandise or some other stuff that you can bring home as a souvenir.
There was this cute keychain shop called “Cloris Creates” that I couldn’t buy from because I ran out of money. They had key chains of different breeds of dogs, cats, bunnies, parrots and reptiles! Plus, I recommend this cute succulent shop that I THINK was called “Juliet’s Succulent Garden.” I didn’t have money left to buy anything from them, but they had really cute succulent keychains & more.
