two steps behind

First of all, before I blog any further today, I would like to say that… the internet at the campus is beyond!!!!! words!!! I am way too upset to even start writing. For the internet, there are 2 choices, connected but slow… way slower than dial-up… and another choice is… not connected at all! It is just depends on the routers mood. My mood right now is… !@#$!@#$!$#

Okay… that was unprofessional, but I just wanted to share this experience to the world. Anyways, while the router still in good mood, I am trying to blog as fast as I can before the router goes out on me again.

For today, it is Asti Ristorante Cucina Italiana in San Diego, California. hours of driving from Los Angeles to San Diego, we craved Italian food, so we went to this restaurant for dinner after checking in at U.S. Grant, San Diego. Because we didn’t make a reservation, it took us about 20 minutes wait before we get a table.

The food here was superb, we ordered Lasagna and Panni because we felt like something really CHEESY. Starting off with bread and butter, we ended up with an extra order bread and butter because they were so good!!!

Well, I choose this picture today because we have a project to start our own restaurant that has to have a marketing plan, menu, theme and kitchen plan, so the asti restaurant inspired me to wanted to open one that is as successful as this, with people lining up waiting for tables, providing great food and service.

Now… I just want some of that Lasagna and Panni!!!!

I noticed regarding my patterns, that I am likely to post photos that are related to some source of activities that I did during the day. Today is no exception. We had a Stage Fair in the lobby area and in the Bristol bar. The event consisted of students presenting their experiences during their internships around the world. The way the table was organized reminded me of the moment I took this picture at Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant which I remember as being in the middle of nowhere; check out the map here.

Because it is in the middle of nowhere, I wasn’t really prepared for what it would be inside. To my surprise… it is nicely decorated. It feel nice and cozy in the restaurant. As for the food, I tried the “Mediterranean Omelet”, a really interesting meal for breakfast because the omelet is sweet and sour in the same time.

This is a bad idea, blogging about food at night… makes me really want to eat something right now. Well, the food here are way too oily / unhealthy for me. Because of that, I am on no-meat diet… again!!! But I still eat seafood, just no more beef, chicken, pork or lamb. I have enough of those for a while.

So what do they call people who only eat seafood? Seafoodarain???

Before you is the picture of the balcony of the legendary man who redefined Art.

Everyone knows “Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso” or Pablo Picasso for short.

The name Picasso has been associated to me, in my early years, with abstraction, broken, messy and chaotic; however, these associations have changed thru time after in-depth study about him during my studies in Architecture. Art, just like everything else, has it time from the classical to modern eras and in my opinion, I believe that it is he, Picasso, who redefined ART forever. When we are thinking about art, we think of the beauty of the work and how the art pleases everyones eye. But for Picasso, his work went beyond the realm of reality. He brought us into different dimensions, the emotional.

How could one create works that express emotion? Till today, Picasso is still my hero!!!

The photo was taken during the trip to Malaga at the Fundacion Picasso. Lucky for me that the Foundation is open on Sunday FOR FREE!!! However they only open 2 floors, but it is better than nothing. There were so much, too much, for me to take in about this life and his work but it is for sure… an unforgettable memory, to be in the house of Pablo Picasso.

Valentine’s Day… It’s finally came, once again. So yep, I went out on a date… a date between me and music. At the school, we have a piano concert by Duo del Sol that will be playing songs from 2 composers. And interesting enough it was the 2 favorite composers that my dear Jenny, is so passionate about which are Franz SCHUBERT and Robert SCHUMANN. It was my first time attending a piano concert but instead of feeling weird about it, I actually enjoyed it. I was alone, but yet, I wasn’t alone.

I am sure that you must have heard the phrase that “a picture speaks a thousand words” and the same can be implied regarding music with the exception of the intensity of the words that are being spoken by the music because the vibration of the sounds vibrate in me from within.

Today’s piano concert has reminded me of the day that we went to San Diego not long ago before I came to Spain. The picture above is the crystal piano from the Museum of Making Music in San Diego. We had less than an hour to go around the entire museum, so we just went around as fast as we can, pressing every button there is on the way and listen to the different sound of the instruments. Read about the history of music and instrument, and then we came across this KAWAI crystal piano… my imaginary dream piano that actually exists!!!

One day, soon enough, I will have this piano in my living room. Last I checked, it is going for $94,000… so it is going to be a while before I get to see it in my living room. None the less, there is nothing wrong dreaming about it!

Happy Valentine’s Day… ^_^

US Grant, San Diego, California, USA. It was just a week before I left to Spain to pursue my career in Hospitality Management. Thank you to David, my friend and boss at the same time for hooking me up for this hotel that cost $675 / night. I get to stay 2 nights there. It was an amazing experience, and that gives me hope in Hospitality Management again.

Today I felt like writing this review due to the lecture in our class in Room Division Department and to understand about how they operate each room and how does house keeping work. The best way I believe is to organize the house keepers in teams. So that the teams can be self motivated and self check to keep everything up to the hotel STANDARDS.

It is best to work in teams, it is the TEAM EFFORT that bring success to life. I have realized that, we cannot do anything by ourselves, ever. There is always someone somewhere that is helping you to become successful. What do you think?

I took the photos from the front of the hotel, the interior and the view from the room. Awesome room upgrade

About the Hotel… US GRANT San Diego is part of Starwoods Hotels.

Okay, so you have 80 sec to finish that DOUGHNUT, ready… set…. GO!!! Here is some water for you to chuck all these doughnuts down… well, actually it wasn’t this big. There is one that the shop “Voodoo Doughnut” has for customers who DARE to finish their 12 inch diameter monsters in under 80 sec with a glass of water helping you to chuck ‘em down. NOOO of course I didn’t make it because I didn’t want to choke myself. After watching one person who gave up after 40 sec, I, who was only half his size, did not dare to.

Voodoo Doughnut, Portland, Oregon. The only place where you can get a doughnut that’s called “Cock and Balls” and where the magic is in the HOLE. Check out the link and you would know what I mean… It is a nice cozy shop that makes fresh doughnuts every few minutes. Yumm… That is all i can say. Sigh… at myself sitting here in Spain, wanting some Doughnut’s SO BADLY!!!

Will anyone be kind enough to UPS some to me? I will provide you the address!!! Thank you!