And a merry christmas!

(From a dial-up connection at the parents’ house)

A (unnamed) friend has relayed me this warning about doing interviews in people’s homes. Sometimes after all, you’ll see what is normal to others, but not normal to you. Or moreso, you’ll see something that perhaps will scar you for life.

Because real people (unlike you and me) are dangerous and unpredictable beings.

The coworker was conducting an in-house interview of a product that had been deployed in homes. This particular interview took place in a household of a brother and sister with the sister as the primary participant.

Because the product was setup in the brother’s room, the interview was conducted in that room. Unfortunately in the middle of the interview, the brother returned home from a date. With the date of course. And demanded to have the room to himself. Kicked out, the researcher and the sister went to another room to finish the interview.

Unfortunately, the researcher realized he left some tapes in the brother’s bedroom and convinced the sister to (politely) ask for them. The sister knocked on the door. The brother walked out of the door. Naked. Full frontal. Without any discretion or embarrassment. Or hesistation. In the room, the date was asleep in the bed.

And I wrote in my secret santa gift:

At my desk, you will find me
swimming with friends of the sea

So that I could provide a thorough Yelp review. Since I have been to these places only once!

Brunch
Tangerine
Valencia Pizza and Pasta
Pomelo
Mama’s on Washington Square
Dottie’s True Blue Cafe
Modern Tea

Dinner
Izzy’s Steak House
Max’s Opera House
Bissap Baobap
Nick’s Crispy Tacos
Coi
Red Box Sushi
Dosa

When finding a parking spot (in the city), will you pay for parking? Will you valet? Will go into the garage? Even when you have passed many perfectly parking spots on the street?

Quite often, I am appalled when people do such things because of “safety” issues (for the car mind you, not the people) and the impatience.

I remember when I was in Seattle, we almost gave into the $25 plus tip valet at the hotel. But my Chinese upbringing came back. And we found metered parking that was only $1.50/hr. A steal since the meters stopped metering by 6 pm and the following day was Sunday.

If I worked in valet, I probably wouldn’t park that well. Do they do thorough interviews for the valet when they’re probably not paid that much?

At Curry-For-A-Dollar restaurant (which I don’t recommend for its food) near Berkeley, we ordered and found a table in the enclosed room. As we sat down, Chris went to find a restroom. As I waited, I started looking around the restaurant, noting the decor, the 8 person table of people who came for a bday? a night after a huge project? friends?, the staff who were friendly and seemed to have fun, the chairs…

“Do you live in Berkeley?” A man at the bar turned and asked me.

He was slightly balding. Caucasian. I pegged him as early to mid forties. Possibly even late thirties.

“No,” I carefully started. I couldn’t help but try to guess at his intentions. There’s no such thing as friendly conversation anymore.

“Oakland?” he asked.

“No…” I considered just forcing him to guess and play a game. Instead, I continued, “San Francisco. I just wanted to visit since I went here for college.”

He started talking about how he went to school in the south and how he came out to Oakland. I asked if he came to this restaurant often — highlighting the concept of curry for a dollar. At that moment, Chris came back, meandering to the table.

Immediately, the guy cut me off, “Oh, I am sorry. You have company! Have a good evening.”

In embarrassment, he quickly left.

Chris looked at me, “What was that all about?”

“I don’t know. I guess he wanted company.”

If growing up, you always bought the hot lunch at school…the cafeteria or the carts…do you always go out to lunch now that you’re at work?

Or if your parents made you lunch, you made your own lunch, or your mom bought lunch to school right before lunchtime hot and fresh out of the oven (that’s my mom!), do you bring lunch to work?

Does the environment determine whether you’re going to bring lunch to work or whether you go out to lunch at work?

You know you’re not having the greatest day when:

But all is ok because despite it all, I was able to get a Zanze’s Cheesecake. And it was not closed!

when you can go to a party and run into someone you know.

Every 5 minutes.

And you end up waving to people, not sharing a conversation.

Because you’re with a friend.

Because it’s too loud and you don’t want to shout.

Because you’re more interested in observing people…people watching than interacting.

It was a lonely Friday afternoon. With no lunch packed, I was ready to go out to lunch with coworkers. Unfortunately most of them were busy with their projects and were just going to pick up a sandwich.

I missed the lunch crowd, so I went around 12:55 pm, jumping on the elevator as it passed our floor.

With my leather jacket. A wallet in one pocket and my cellphone in the other. I wandered west looking for a quick sit-down restaurant. If I was to have lunch served to me, I wanted to be treated…semi-well.

I found an Indian place, but the entrees were $10+. Not something I could enjoy in less than one hour. Eventually I ended up at Siam Noodle in Parc 55 hotel.

I put one finger up as I walked in. One, please. The lady server gestured to the bar and I made my way there sitting in the middle, one seat as a buffer to the next party.

I was scanning the menu when another girl sat next to me. She too wore a black leather jacket. Asian. Straight dark hair as long as mine. Hers was slightly highlighted and only noticeable from a certain angle. Somewhat petite like me. She was eating lunch by herself. The same kind of “trendy” casual that I wore to work every day. The server came to me and I said “the beef stew noodle soup with flat rice noodle”. She asked for my drinks and I said “water, please”. She picked up my menu and went to give a menu to the girl. The girl motioned the menu away asking for a number on the menu.

As we waited, I started playing with my cellphone. Checking and reading old txt msgs. Checking my email. I snuck a peek at the girl next to me. She too was immersed in her cellphone even though she had brought a book.

A mere moment later, the server came back with our orders. She placed a noodle soup in front of me and too placed a soup in front of the girl. We began eating. After 5 minutes or so, like with all hot soups, my nose started lightly running and I sniffled. I thought about the day ahead and the incoming weekend. Then I peered to my left again. She too was sniffling, dabbing her nose with the paper napkin…and stared straight ahead.

Then a few moments later, the server came back with my water…and the girl’s water, apologizing profusely for the wait for our drinks. We both took silent sips and continued eating. Almost in synchronization.

Later when I told Chris this, he stopped me before I finished the story.

He exclaimed, “Please tell me that you talked to her!!!!!!!!”

Uh well, I didn’t. I paid my bill and walked out. Mostly because I didn’t know what to say. We match, I wanted to say, but would it have led to an awkward moment or a shake of hands exchanging our names…and wow, you’re so cool?