San FranCelia

‘What is High Tea?’ one might ask?  Only the best thing ever would be my answer.  Do you have to be living in 1700s Great Britain to feel the true experience, might be another query.  Answer?  No, but someone should invent how to do that.  If you’re fortunate enough to live in San Francisco, however, you can head over to the quaint and lovely Noe Valley neighborhood and take a spot o’ tea at Lovejoy’s Team Room.  This adorable locale is full of cute antiques and a charming décor that brings you right to the teahouses of Jolly ol’ England.  We were able to reserve their couches, where you sit on several cushy and plush sofas around a large coffee table that allows them to set up of the tea.  High tea, specifically, for those of you who haven’t had it, is a full tea service.  So not just tea, but the crumpets, scones, mini sandwiches, and fruit, as well.  You also receive an entire pot of tea with this spread – at Lovejoy’s, this full service it’s called the Queen’s Tea – and your job is to simply sit back, eat, drink and be merry.  While this pastime seems to me to be something that is very feminine and girly, I was surprised to see several men there enjoying an afternoon tasting and along with some warm goodness.  My group of girlfriends and I deducted that they must be there to meet girls.   This place has an interior that’s the epitome of Shabby Chic goes to England, so I can’t picture many men in there just for kicks, but it’s a romantic spot to go on a date, so you never can tell.

The food was fresh and delicious, at times seeming to have come right out of the oven.  Particularly wonderful were the Apple, Chicken, Walnut Salad sandwiches and raison scones, which both about melted in your mouth they were so tasty.  This huge spread and a perfectly brewed pot of their house special, Lovejoy’s Blend, was a perfect way to start the weekend afternoon.

This teahouse offers a wonderful spot to bring your girlfriend or a spot for just the ladies.  It offers a complete escape, from its ambiance to it’s enveloping warmth to its delicious homemade fare.  If you haven’t done High Tea, try this place before you try one of the larger hotels – while those are also fun, and a bit fancier than Lovejoy’s, this local spot‘s more endearingly charming, making it more special with every sip.

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So I am not the type of girl who gets really excited over sports.  They’re great and all, but I don’t get all crazy and competitive.  There was a girl at my last job who was obsessed with college basketball – like called in sick days in order to watch the game obsessed -not me… what can I say?  However, I happen to love going to most sporting events live.  I don’t know what it is – maybe the overly priced pretzels and coagulated cheese, or the feeling of everyone being in a frenzy over a common goal (it’s like a strange forms of patriotism), but it is SO much fun.  And one of the best events to go see is college football.  People at the live games are into it.  I mean… they are into it.  It brings about some sort of nostalgic throw back feeling, to the good old college days, when having your team kick ass was the most important topic of the day.

Living here in the City, there are only two real teams you can root for – Stanford or Cal Berkeley.  And since my boyfriend bleeds blue and gold, I have become an honorary Cal fan.  Although my alma mater is Arizona, and I’ll always be a fan there first (Go Cats!), Cal is a great team to root for.  They are exciting andgood, which makes it a fun journey to take with them each game.  Football season is starting up this weekend, so if you want to have a fun day date, try catching a game.  I’ll be there Saturday, and can’t wait!  Be sure to wear blue if you’re on the Cal side, or you might be thrown out of the stands… especially if you wear red… BIG no, no.  Lovely trees and the Victorian houses around campus surround the stadium, and the sun shines right in the center during a day game, to keep you warm alongside the constant Bay breeze.  There’s almost nothing better than a Cal game day – all of the Greek life are throwing parties and there’s that adrenaline and buzz throughout the whole city.  A quick BART ride away, and surrounded by enough brunch places to make a day out of it (check out Café Durant), I highly suggest catching a few games during the season.  It’s exciting, fun for everyone, and let’s you enjoy being outdoors during our wonderful Indian Summers.

Boyfriends will go missing these next few months, so it’s better to join in on the fun than never see them, I say.  Go Bears!

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It’s been a week since I last posted, but it’s all for good reason, as I started a new job, and therefore have been getting into a new (and wonderful!) life rhythm.   Now that life’s calmed down a bit, I have to describe this fantastic event that I went to at the Asian Art Museum last Thursday.  MATCHA Night, or the Way of the Sword, was a cocktail reception that included everything from sword training to samurai demonstrations.  What a great event for a museum, in particular, to hold.  Going to a museum of all places, and actually being able to interact with docents and presenters alike while enjoying music and cocktails, is a concept every museum should promote as far as I’m concerned.  The Asian Art Museum is an amazing facility that boasts some spectacular architecture and gorgeous ancient art.  The cool thing about Asian art is not only it’s intricacy, which is obvious, but it’s age, as well.  It dates so far back, it’s hard to believe it’s that elaborately made.  Being able to walk around and view these masterpieces, all while sipping a cocktail is just heaven.

Throughout the evening, guests were able to experience various aspects of ancient culture – from sword play to kimono wearing – create artwork, walk the various galleries, and check

out the super popular samurai warrior demonstrations, which gave a true vision of the ancient soldiers’ skills.  All this with a DJ’ed backdrop and a hip vibe – so San Francisco. As their host for the evening, the museum welcomed host Esaka Seigen Sensei, one of Japan’s best Iaido practitioners.  Iaido is the ancient art of throwing the sword in combat, which has grown over time into an art of social integration and personal improvement. I say this unique cultural evolution is a great reason to throw a party.

The Asian Art Museum is trendsetting new ways to experience art, do definitely keep an eye out for more events from them in the near future.  This is just one of several coming up, from their present Samurai exhibit to their Thai River Festival in October.  It’s a great place to experience so many amazing cultures – some that are major influences in the City – and feel like you’re at a party at the same time.  Good thinking.

Peace and love Xo

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