Question time: Let's ask the 'Memo' blogger

Question time / Ask the blogger.

I enjoy the art of conversation with my friends on Facebook. It's a great way to get to know this diverse and inclusive group of people better, and I can do so from the convenience of home without having to worry about how I look or to shout to make myself heard in a noisy café.

Think about it. What's not to like about enjoying a cup of French roast coffee, creating an ambient music soundtrack to fill my chat room, and catching up on the world events around me that my Facebook newsfeed sees fit for me to read? And, best of all, I can learn what's on the minds of my friends near and far. It's the kind of multi-tasking I truly enjoy and derive a tremendous amount of benefit from.

Often, I am asked a lot of personal questions, especially by newer friends who want to get to know me better. Some of these questions are about my blogging or other writing I may be engaged in at the time. Others are about what I majored in at university (the answer: American History) and, especially from friends where English is their second or third languages, how to improve their English-language writing skills. I don't mind because I'm usually the one asking a lot of questions of my friends. I guess, it's the natural reporter's instinct in me. And, it's only fair to turn the tables every once in a while.

So, here are my answers to five questions I'm often asked:

The book currently on my bedside table is: The Tao of Travel by Paul Theroux, published in 2011. The New York Times called it "part gossip, part philosophy, it covers a lot of the angles on literary travel." Like the author, I cannot imagine myself not traveling. I bought the softcover version of the book last year while visiting Seattle.

An unforgettable place I've travelled to in the past year is: Seattle. My wife and I have been regular visitors to the Emerald City since the mid '90s. We have longtime friends who live there and enjoy hosting us. Often, our visits are timed in conjunction with the annual Bumbershoot music and art festival that takes place each year over Labor Day weekend. We have a list of favorite restaurants and cafes we enjoy dining at when we visit; favorite walking trails; even a favorite bookstore, Elliott Bay Book Company, which is one of the country's outstanding independent booksellers. And, if it's clear enough to see Mount Rainier on a nice day, that's a magnificent bonus.

What kind of wristwatch I wear: I wear a Swatch watch I bought while on holiday in Amsterdam in 2003. I like the way Swatch watches look on my wrist and, over the years, I have bought several in different styles and colors. To me, Swatch watches are always fashionable and in style.

In my fridge you'll always find: A half-gallon carton of low-fat milk and a half-gallon carton of orange juice sans pulp, both usually purchased from Trader Joe's. I like to start each day at breakfast with a small glass of orange juice and a bowl of cereal -- usually a mixture of oat squares with a dash of pecan praline granola served with milk. The milk also comes in handy when I have a cup of French Roast coffee, too.

Music that always leaves me in a good mood: Of many albums, one come to mind: 'Horowitz in Moscow' (Deutsche Grammophon, 1986). The piano virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz returned to his native Russia after an absence of more than 60 years, and he gave the recital of his life at the Moscow Conservatory in April 1986. It was broadcast live in the United States on CBS Sunday Morning. I remember waking up early on that spring Sunday morning to watch the lovely joy on the pianist's 82-year-old face as he played with both subtlety and with great power. "He gave the crowd pastel rainbows and crashing thunderstorms," wrote Charles Kuralt, the late host of CBS Sunday Morning, in the album's liner notes. And, indeed, a climax of memory and emotion, of pasel rainbows and crashing thunderstorms, could be found in Liszt's "Soirées de Vienne: Valse-Caprise No. 6". Lots of bravos and lots of tears everytime I listen to this album.

An appreciation of daffodils

Daffodils / Fond memories of spring time in London

I have fond memories of visiting London in spring time.

Let's see, where to start: There's world-class museums like the Tate Modern and the British Museum to lose yourself in; there's the sight of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace to admire; there's walking across the Millennium Bridge with St. Paul's Cathedral looming bigger than ever as it draws nearer to you; and, there's a plethora of wonderful theatre awaiting on both sides of the Thames that's guaranteed to leave you feeling gobsmacked.

Yes, March is a great time to drop in for a bit of fresh air and fresh culture ~ I've done it twice, in 2005 and 2007 ~ and I can't wait to do it again.  If you go in March, you'll get to enjoy the daffodils that seem to be everywhere you walk throughout all of London's beautiful parks.

It's spring time and the daffodils are in bloom.

Daffodils in bloom /
 St. James's Park (2005)

There's an intellectual quality about daffodils worth admiring. They are hardy flowers.

Their perianth and corona are very detailed and they exude a beautiful yellow hue, although sometimes daffodils contain more than one shade or color.

Daffodils in bloom /
Regent's Park (2007)

And, personally, I like that daffodils mature very quickly. They don't waste time blooming.

My photo of our daffodils (top), in a vase, was shot just three days after we bought them last Saturday at our favorite local grocery store.


Here are a few things worth noting about daffodils:

* Daffodils are the national flower of Wales.
* Daffodils were a central part of e.e. cummings' poem, in time of daffodils.
* The Irish band The Cranberries once sang about daffodils in their song, "Daffodil Lament."
* In Nantucket, Mass., there's even a Daffodil Festival held annually during the last weekend of April that celebrates the flower.

So, you see, there is a bit of shared history ~ and meaning ~ for the daffodil.

Finally, I think daffodils are indeed a sweet image amidst all of the upheaval, disaster and tragedy that is happening throughout our world these days.

It's spring time and the daffodils are in bloom.

'Curd' Your Enthusiasm: Shopping made fun

Trader Joe's / Making grocery shopping fun and enjoyable

I am a firm believer that grocery shopping should be fun and enjoyable, and not just another weekly chore.

So, after noshing on a mid-Saturday afternoon lunch of chicken tikka masala at Naan-N-Curry, our favorite Indian restaurant near the UC Berkeley campus, we shopped for groceries. After all, it's best not to shop on an empty stomach.

One of our favorite Bay Area grocers is Trader Joe's. With locations in nine states, including California and New York, there's three TJ's within close proximity of our house, including: Powell Plaza in Emeryville; and the Lakeshore Avenue and Rockridge stores in Oakland.  Since we were arriving from Berkeley, shopping at the Rockridge Trader Joe's on bustling College Avenue was the closest ~ albeit busiest ~ of the three.

The atmosphere at the Rockridge Trader Joe's is always lively, and the appearance and attitude of the shoppers there on this mid-winter afternoon reflected the vibe of the neighborhood: a mixture of college students, recent UC graduates, urban professionals and yuppy couples.

After picking out a small bag of Clementine oranges and adding some butter lettuce to our shopping basket, imagine my surprise as we reached the dairy section to select a half-gallon of low-fat milk and a 32-ounce container of fat-free cottage cheese. The hand-drawn sign above the cottage cheese caught my eye.  Immediately, regardless of the socially-awkward situation of pulling out a camera to photograph food in a grocery store, I knew that I wanted ~ needed ~ to take a picture of it for posterity.  It was a classic, serendipitous moment.

I couldn't help but laugh at the small, rectangular white placard outlined in black with bold letters that spelled:  "Curd Your Enthusiasm".  It even had a caricature of a snarky Larry David, the creator and star of the HBO sitcom "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

What a great food pun!

Immediately, I fired off a text message to my friend in Seattle and attached the "Curd Your Enthusiasm" photo I had just shot, knowing he would appreciate the gesture ~ and get the pun. Kudos to Trader Joe's. Now, that's what I call marketing your product.

Saturday's "Curd Your Enthusiasm" moment at Trader Joe's made me smile, made me chuckle, and made me thankful for the camera feature on my iPhone4.

I love a grocery store with a sense of humor.

Appreciating a pleasant glass of wine

One of the simple pleasures of living in California ~ and, believe me, there are many ~ is being able to purchase good, affordable wine at a grocery store.  After all, it's the 21st century, and why should I have to make an extra trip to a liquor store when picking up a bottle or two at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods with the rest of my groceries is much more convenient?

During a recent trip to Minnesota, which by state law doesn't allow the sale of wine and alcohol in grocery stores, I was quickly reminded that I wasn't in California.  It seemed liquor stores dotted neighborhood streets and lined city boulevards everywhere we drove throughout the Twin Cities.  Even Trader Joe's, which opened to much fanfare in St. Paul last year, has a separate, partitioned area for wine and alcohol sales ~ which means having to swipe your debit card twice.  At least, you only have to park once.

But I digress ...

Green Fin (2009):
made from organic grapes

On Sunday, shopping at the Trader Joe's market in Oakland's Rockridge neighborhood, I discovered a 2009 bottle of Green Fin, a California white table wine. The colorful, hand-drawn label depicting a classic, wood-paneled station wagon toting a surfboard on its roof, grabbed my attention ~ and a helpful Trader Joe's crew member nudged me, too. So did the wine's price, a very inexpensive $3.99 per bottle.  And, because I enjoy drinking chilled whites on warm, summer evenings, it seemed like a good choice and worth trying.

However, the deal-clincher ~ and what picked my curiosity ~ was this: Green Fin uses organically only grown grapes, blending sultana, colombard and muscat varieties from the Central Valley town of Madera. Each year, we enjoy several dozen bottles of wine at home with dinner.  However, I can't recall ever having a bottle of wine made exclusively from organic grapes.  Out here on the Left Coast, foodies take their organic products seriously.

The vintner's notes on the bottle tells the Green Fin story:  "The Green Fin White Table Wine is made entirely from organically grown grapes.  This pale straw colored wine has very intense orange blossom and honey aromatics, while delivering a full, rich body with a core of pear and nectarine flavors followed by a smooth aftertaste that's long and focused.  Savor the flavor of this organically grown white table wine with your favorite meal or by itself.  Enjoy!"

Refreshingly subtle, I savored the flavor of Green Fin over the past three evenings. From its first pour to to its last,  it was easy on the taste buds ~ not too dry, not too sweet ~ and, not to be forgotten, its affordable price!  It's great for sipping on the patio after work, or served with a simple meal like Peko-Peko Heritage Pork pan-fried gyoza with white rice, butter lettuce salad, and fresh-cut strawberries and raspberries.

Decent but not too fancy, Green Fin won't break the budget. On a nice summer evening, it's easy to appreciate a pleasant glass of wine.