These School Shootings

Grimly read the news of the gunman, his legally procured weapon, and his victims at the South Florida high school. And the ensuing debate, the reaction of the country's leaders, and the continued obtuseness of Congress. Nothing much to talk about here except that same-old line of 'thoughts and prayers', since nothing has changed, and school shootings become a way of life.

How is gun violence not a problem in this first world nation? 'Thoughts and prayers' would be fairly useless when the Second Amendment is so steadfast, and the pro-gun lobby and the entire industry behind it are so vocal, connected and wealthy. The Washington Post ploughs through statistics to present us with what is presumably not fake news on the number of shootings. Yes, that number of '18 school shootings in 2018' needs a re-look.

The figures matter because gun-control activists use them as evidence in their fight for bans on assault weapons, stricter background checks and other legislation. Gun rights groups seize on the faults in the data to undermine those arguments and, similarly, present skewed figures of their own. 

~ 'No, there haven't been 18 school shootings in 2018. That number is flat wrong.' By John Woodrow Cox and Steven Rich, published in WaPo on February 15, 2018.

To live in a city where children are taught to stand on toilet bowls in locked cubicles to avoid shooters, or to yell and distract shooters because they're going to die anyway, and therefore should try to find ten extra seconds so that their other schoolmates could run further or give first responders that extra time to get on scene to disarm the shooter.

Shootings are horrific. Mass shootings chill the bone, but there seems to be nothing done beyond lots of talk, anger, angst, sadness, and fairly much nothing else as lawmakers cluck in sympathy. The killing of innocent children and teenagers moved no hearts, it seems. Gun control laws are so difficult to pass and enact in the various states. The Second Amendment is sacrosanct.

To live in a country where the average (and untrained in combat or emergency response) citizen carries guns. It's one thing to learn how to use firearms. I'm all for that. (Let's not talk about hunting here, that's another thread.) But it's quite another to be toting an assault rifle around every day like it's a phone or a watch. I recognize that most people who own and carry guns are fairly sane and controlled. But all you need is a few to snap and some bad eggs. How can the rights of the majority overlook the pain these exact rights are causing? Guns cause far more damage than fists or knives. It's absolutely tempting to use guns to solve arguments, innit? I'm very clear where my sentiments lie.

Along Alki Beach

Looking at downtown Seattle from Alki Beach.
Mount Rainier is on the right, and Cascades to the left.

All these rains only taught us to appreciate the sunny days even more. Amidst all the grey and cold, the sun came out to play for a few days here and there. I won't be here in summer, so I'll take whatever I can get now. Glad I'm here long enough to see some glorious blue skies, fluffy white clouds and sunshine.

Stopped by Alki Beach for a few runs. The flat paths that split into designated lanes for bike and human make it a breeze to run, fast. That 'wind in hair' cliché? Definitely good for the soul. It's too cold (for this girl from the tropics) for water activities. Puget Sound's waters are cold regardless of the season anyway.

Couldn't resist these jump shots taken on the second visit. It was an equally glorious day. Had to have photos not taken in a restaurant or a brewery. :P As it is, I don't particularly fancy having my photo taken. This lovely view of downtown Seattle is seen at the path towards Duwamish Head near the jetty. I like to begin the run at Alki Point and stop at Duwamish Head for Marination's spam sliders, as a 'reward' of sorts. Hahaha.

Bye Seattle, till the next visit! 💙

'The Book of Madness and Cures'

I was a little skeptical of Regina O'Melveny's 'The Book of Madness and Cures' (2013). It really doesn't sound like the sort of story that I gravitate towards, especially when it's set in the time frame of Renaissance, and moves like the olden tales. But somehow, I decided to read it. Glad I did.

Protagonist then-30-year-old Gabriella Mondini was thwarted from becoming a fully accepted physician in 1590 Venice when her father, a brilliant doctor, suddenly disappeared. He effectively abandoned his family, life's work and dreams of publishing a medical journal.

With two trusted loyal servants who are husband and wife, Lorenzo and Olmina, she set out on a long journey to find her father. Eventually, a year later in 1591, she had to end the journey alone, heartbroken and sad in a faraway land of Taradante, a five-day camel ride from Maroccan. But she was with sympathetic and kind company. The father was fully stricken with a malady that he must have harbored since he was a child, and by adulthood, he couldn't control it anymore and succumbed to it. It worsened with each full moon. He seemed to have completely gone animal. While keeping a human form lah. This isn't a supernatural tale. Stop thinking werewolf!  That's why he had to leave, to try to find a cure, and at this later stage of the malady, he couldn't go home to Venice. He died not long after Gabriella found him in Tarandante.

I like how the book ended. Gabriella took home to Venice new skills in the healing art of bezoar stones. She was pregnant while in Taradante and birthed a daughter, Damiana, two months after the death of her father. She did marry her love Hamish, who's also the father of her child.

In the last chapter, it was 1600, and Damiana was nine years old, and also exhibited more than an interest and deep talent in the art of healing illnesses in humans and animals. Gabriella completed her father's dream of finishing the compilation 'The Book of Diseases' and published it, and by now, the guild had grudgingly accepted her as a full-fledged competent and independent physician. I wasn't bored by their travel tales and journey. The characters weren't irritating, had backbone and are pretty 'modern' in their values and outlook, considering the time period of the story. It was an interesting account of fiction interwoven with history and medical facts, and alternative healing arts.

I now agreed with Dr. Cardano that my father had suffered this malady in some form since I was a child. My mother must have known and borne the burden with confusion and shame, anger and impatience, patience. I recalled a night when I couldn't sleep, went to my window, and observed my father, visible under the moon, prowling the courtyard, crunching the gravel pathway loudly beneath his trudging feet, pacing around and around our garden. I didn't know what he was doing there, but it made my stomach twist. Then I saw m mother's face dimly at their bedroom window, also watching. Then she withdrew. Later I thought that I'd dreamt it. But how had my father worsened to this point? I'd never know. The moon had hollowed him out.

Friends and Rainbows In WA

As well as we've been eating at superb Seattle restaurants and cafes, nothing beats homecooked hospitality and warmth. We're so blessed and very lucky to get lots of love from our dear friends who made time to have us over for random meals, coffee, beer, bourbon, and well, jam sessions.

Our friends are often away during when we visit in November and December, so we don't get the pleasure of their company as much. But during late spring, many and most are in town, and we get all sentimental and are happy to spend time together.

P and J invited us and some mutual friends over to their gorgeous home for dinner, bits of serious conversation and lots of laughter. They claimed it wasn't much effort to cook up dinner because the oven and a solid Primo grill did all the grunt work, and the dishwasher would take care of everything else after. Yeah, right. It was the last bits of rains before the heat comes in and summer arrives in a few weeks. It was drizzling, but it wasn't cold and we could all go out to the patio for drinks, a bit of breeze and enjoy the crisp air.

Then a rainbow appeared at the side over the Cascades. We saw the full arc. Ahhhhh. It lasted till sunset. Washington state is full of rainbows this season. (And auroras borealis. You don't have to go way up north either. You can see northern lights over light-polluted Seattle, especially if you're in West Seattle overlooking downtown.) Double rainbows are quite common too. Not that I'm a rainbow chaser. But there's always something magical when one appears. All that reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets. Science is awesome.

The All New Art of The Table

We were excited to check out the all new Art of the Table. Still in Fremont, the restaurant moved out of its cosy nook and into a bigger fancier space two streets down. It just re-opened in the first week of April, and introduced a mandatory 20% service charge.

Sure, it's all spiffy now, more glass and steel than wood. I love the counter seats where we could watch the food being prepped and plated. Every item was lovingly placed onto our dining plates. The menu remains similar, and the standards are kept high, the way I remember it. My tastebuds are very happy.

We skipped the degustation menu and opted for a la carte dishes. The chioggia and golden beet terrine with pickled cylinder beet, pickled fennel, mache, triticale and miso vinaigrette was ridiculously creative. The tea-infused duck egg was such a clever touch. Those albacore tuna fish balls were soooooo goood. Accompanied by purple sprouting broccoli, oxtail pho broth, fried shallot, mint, basil, radish, chilli oil, lime and trout roe, everything came together in one burst of awesomeness.

The cauliflower and black truffle 'risotto' was brilliant. No carbs in this dish. It came with maitake, morel and king oyster mushrooms, arugula pesto, pine nut brown butter and leek ash. It was so rich and full of umami, and very moreish. I'm so inspired to re-create this dish at home.

I was full by then, but the man needed his meats. Skagit River pork loin and beef cheek arrived. They sat on a bed of vegetables that went so well with the meats. That's the strength of Art of the Table. The kitchen understands the flavors, and isn't afraid to put them together. Each dish sees so many generous locally-sourced seasonal quality ingredients that it's impossible not to be impressed.

Made it to dessert. Olive oil cake with lemon ice-cream, orange marmalade, candied orange, orange curd and meringue. It was a good one; it wasn't sugary-sweet, to be fair, but I couldn't finish it. What a gorgeous evening. Art of the Table is still one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle.

Said cauliflower and black truffle 'risotto' that held no carbs.

Ongoing Pilates Classes

I can't do without a proper pilates session. Sure I stretch out on a yoga mat in the hotel room, go out running and hit the gym for cardio. But it's not the same. Maybe it's all in the mind. Whatever. I like my fancy pilates machines and cheerful studios with lots of natural light coming in.

Stuck with my trusty pilates studio. Haven't found a need to check out new ones. I'm very specific about what I want in my sessions, and so far, it's effective. I only come in for a two to three week block each time I'm in town, so I don't get a regular instructor. No matter how experienced or senior, she wouldn't be familiar with me or what I require. My file only assures the assigned instructors that I'm currently injury-free and 'require challenges'. Hurhurhur. :P

I'll usually decide which part of the body I want to work on for each session, outlining weak spots to focus on. Even made a list of the body parts to sort out on this trip. I want to repeat some exercises do because I haven't gotten the correct form and feel.

This period focuses on lots of mat work and extensive use of the Tower. Back to basics. Always good to practise and know exactly how to adjust myself to get that perfect form. I end off with a good 20 minutes on the Chair. The studio uses a traditional model. No split pedals. Re-adjusted some of the exercises on it to complement a single step. Left out the handles so that I could make the abs, quads and hamstrings fully work without relying on external help. Teeheeeheee.

Spaghetti Carbonara at Stoneburner

I was really hungry because of all the calories expended in the morning hitting the trails with the friends, and then being their minion at their office to sort out some last minute work they had to complete. Headed out for a late lunch in Ballard. Hopped into Stoneburner.

I liked what the menu offered. Took a chance with the pasta. What luck to get a fabulous plate of spaghetti carbonara. It came with a poached egg. Prodded the center with a fork and runny yolk spilled all over just the way I like it. It was unexpectedly delicious! Wow. Totally didn't see that coming. SO GOOD. I even filmed a short snippet of that yolk oozing out. Hahahaha.

We had other food on the table. Namely, three types of pizzas and two kinds of salads. There were scones and very good jam. But I was completely fixated on my pasta and didn't even bother to try what the others ordered. Hehehe. There were plenty of sautéed guanciale of which I nicely scooped up and over to the friends' plates. I only wanted the egg and pasta. What a beautiful plate of carbs, and a sinful pomegranate phosphate; made for one happy meal.

Athleta At Bellevue Square

Went into Athleta with the friends. Prices are comparable to every other major brand and it's just one of those options available when it comes to choosing workout gear. I'm not too sure about the quality since I don't own any and haven't put them to the test. Bought four basic pieces to try. Skipped all their 'athle-leisure wear'. I like my sports gear to be functional with clean lines, rather than pretty and full of 'strategic' holes. 😬

At this branch of Athleta in Bellevue Square, there's a Lululemon just twenty meters away across two corridors, and somehow that afternoon made me want to give Lululemon all my money instead. The four items (two tops, two leggings) bought were purely to satisfy my curiosity about their quality. No bras. I don't like their bras and thick pads (removable). They're as bad as Lorna Jane's. Ridiculous. At this thickness, those bra pads are going to start stinking even if they've been thoroughly laundered. Also, they don't provide complimentary extra bra pads. Lululemon does. It's not a deal-breaker, but it's super appreciated. I like replacing bra pads after a few months.

That afternoon, there were three sales executives, and all wore frowns, looking hassled. It was a week day and not crowded. I counted five other shoppers and two at the dressing rooms. Nobody said hello to us when we walked in, even though one sales executive was right at the shelves by the door sorting out the display. She didn't give a hoot about who walked in until somebody went to the payment counter with their intended purchases. No one offered to help, not even when I went to the dressing rooms. When one sales executive finally helped (with getting desired sizes), it was clinical. It's almost as if they're paid not to smile. My gawwwd. Well, no one was rude or anything. But it was such a different experience from Lululemon. But yes, it must be recognized that others might not want Lululemon's brand of possibly intimidating enthusiasm and don't want to shop there.

And there's this thing. Now, how should I put it in a politically correct manner? There's a distinct lack of energy on the floor at Athleta particularly in the staff's demeanor and attitude. It felt morose that strange afternoon. I wasn't inspired to get into the clothes to hit the studio or even to buy more items. I very much prefer Lululemon's staff attitude, vibes and cheer.

U-District Farmers' Market

Hama Hama Oysters and their oyster sliders.

It was a beautiful morning to stock up on supplies at the U-District farmers' market and grab a few bites at the stalls. There's always a stall selling hot soups. I like to start with a cup of whatever-soup and stroll around the market. Warms my cold fingers. For whatever else we needed, there was a Safeway on the next street. And good coffee at Slate on 45th.

Had to stop by Hama Hama Oysters. The man couldn't resist eating those oyster sliders. LOL. I'm not a fan of oysters cooked or raw, but since the man ordered three sliders, I took two bites. Battered, grilled and packed between those toasted buns, they were delicious.

Bought loaves of bread and requested for them to be sliced. Wasn't going to do that ourselves and leave crumbs all over the hotel room. There aren't any early Rainier cherries this year. 😞 It's been too wet and too cold. This bottle of blueberry-basil preserves we got at the market is not overly sweet, and I didn't mind having some of that with bread. Bought Greek-style cheeses from Samish Bay. Those spicy queso jalapeño and queso diablo (with added habanero and jalapeño peppers) were so unforgettable. Had to put them in the shopping bag.

Purple-everything is in season. Every market has them purple broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes and all that. What a pity we couldn't really buy many vegetables, except those that could be blanched. That's the downside to not staying in an apartment with a kitchenette. But we have a fridge big enough to store a few items, and those that we want to transport home in a cooler bag. 😄

Bookstores Come and Go

I didn't keep up with the news and merrily hopped out to one of my favorite utilitarian (and slightly academic) bookstores in Bellevue- University Book Store. To my horror, the store was shuttered. After 30 years in operation at this location! 😱 It closed two and half months ago, and is currently seeking a smaller space Eastside.

There's a Barnes and Noble that's a five-minute walk away. Better than nothing I suppose. I should be one to talk. I don't even buy many books in hard copies anymore. I'm buying a whole lot more digital books, like in the ratio of 95% to 5% hard copies. There's no better storage solution than the cloud. Borrowing books from the library is always in vogue. However, my dilemma arises when I want to own the book to read at will. And I want loads of books. Haizzzz. Now I buy e-books exclusively on Amazon's Kindle platform.

The irony. Or maybe not, since this is where Amazon is founded and headquartered. Just a few blocks down at the swanky Bellevue Square, Amazon Books is opening a physical store this fall. Had to stop and take a photo. The shop's hoarding is up while renovations go on inside, and they're hiring. At least they put easy information on the boards for fun reading.

Stared at the list of 'frequently looked up words in Kindle Books set in Seattle and Eastside'. Ha! It's the books I'm interested in. Well, I've only read two! I shall go find out about the rest. There is one book on this list of which I gave up a quarter way through because I really disliked the plot, the narrative style and the entire concept of it—that will be E.L. James' 'Fifty Shades of Grey'. Riiiight.

Then something occurred to me. People actually turn on the wifi while reading? While internet access on a Kindle is convenient, its processor is so darned slow that I never bother to link and surf. It also saps the battery. I mostly read with the wifi turned off. Wifi is enabled when I need to buy books and sync stuff across devices. With wifi mostly disabled, and in sleep mode half the time, my Kindle battery lasts almost eight days on one charge with say, two hours of reading a day. 

On the Discovery Park Loop

Of course I went to Discovery Park, repeatedly. It's my favorite park in Seattle. As far as city parks go, this is a really good one that makes you think you're out in the wild. Except it's smack in the middle of the city, away from the downtown whir. Woodlands and water. You get the trees and little trails on the hills and then the beach. This season sees temperatures averaging between 12℃ to 21℃ (and getting hotter, yayy) and with the longer daylight, evening runs are very pleasurable too.

I'm cool to go there alone too, in the daylight (although it's just a psychological thing) and especially on weekends. Week days are quieter, but it sees people. Located in the residential neighborhood of Magnolia, Discovery Park is literally in the friends' backyard. There's full cellular reception. As always, I just keep alert and go about my day. Of course, do run fast. That helps.

There's so much flora and fauna, and birds. It's a wonderful walk. Pause along the way to linger over something splendid. A pity I'm not very good with identifying them. Everything is just "Oh flower! Pretty pink flower! Pretty white flower!" or "Leaves! Green leaves! Brown leaves! Big trees! Small trees! Bush." or "Bird! Big bird! Small bird!" And hawks. I can spot a hawk. But I wouldn't know if it's a Cooper's hawk or another species. My vocabulary is extremely limited and not very impressive.

Often, to get the most out of a trip to the park and a bit more exercise, we begin at the beach (where the lighthouse is) and run up the steps to the little hill (only 140ft), then sprint to the carparks to hail an Uber/Lyft. Luckily we aren't driving and don't need to do another loop to retrieve the car. Heh.

Vegetarian Pizzas Rock

You know I hate pizzas right? I can't repeat that enough because people keep telling me "Who hates pizzas?!" ME. It's the one singular suggestion for a meal that will make me reject it outright. Pizza is mostly unsatisfactory, sad and dreary. I'll eat some, especially if they land on my plate in vegan or vegetarian options. I just don't often eat them in Singapore because it's a bad city for this sort of pizzas.

Found a good pizza place last year, and I'm not disappointed on this trip either. Sizzle Pie!!! 🍕🤘🏻Rocked up to the eatery a few times and grabbed takeouts too. I think... the continuous dislike of pizza generally stems from the combination of a tomato base with melted cheese. Yeah, I love tomatoes and cheese, but somehow, the combination on a pizza base isn't attractive to me. So a pizza margherita is yucks, and something with mushrooms, garlic and olives will be just unimaginative and tasteless. It's worse if the chilli flakes are wimpy and have no heat, which is what is provided by majority of the pizzerias in Singapore.

At Sizzle Pie, I love their vegan and vegetarian options. The 'White Walker' was sooo good. Hahah, well, love the reference. It's got an olive oil base with spinach, roasted garlic, feta and a light dusting of herbs and spices. This season, I like its vegan 'Drugs Benedict'- white bean spread, tofu cheese, baco bits, hash brown and fresh green onions. Now, that's a slice of pizza I could eat any day. It was delicious! Make pizzas like these, Singapore.

The awesome slice of 'Drugs Benedict'. 

Looping the TRX Over the Door

The man has been hitting the gym daily. He likes the standard machines in the gym better than I do. Yeah, I have scheduled classes with the trainers and at the studios. But I still need to do deep stretches in the room.

A vacation can't just be all about eating and drinking and piling on the calories without output riiiight? Exercising is part of the daily routine, and it will remain so no matter where we are. Our rooms are spacious and come with yoga mats. That's also my workout space. The TRX travel kit comes along on many trips. It's so portable.

I'm making full use of the TRX on this trip. It's been crazy rainy and tough to catch the sunshine. Anyway, the hotel room doors are perfect for it. They're strong and won't come down unless it's a purposeful couple of kicks. 😉 Pull-ups, mountain climbers, planks and pikes, push-ups and lunges, Russian twists and roll-ups. That's 20 minutes easy. Not a full cardio pump, but it gets the heart rate up and warms up the core and muscles.  I hate them mountain climbers, but they get the job done quickly.

Then get onto the mat and do those roll-ups slow to wake the muscles in the abs and obliques. These are considered a cool-down too. Much more enjoyable than puffing through burpees. These take another 10 minutes. There, a 30-minute burning of calories in the room regardless of the weather.

Soundgarden 💔

Soundgarden is on tour, and from all the reviews, videos and chatter, going strong. To the public and fans, there isn't a hint of what's to come. I'm completely stunned to read that Chris Cornell committed suicide. This happened only hours after his Detroit show, where he covered Led Zeppelin's 'In My Time of Dying'. 😢

Let's be very clear. I'm celebrating the talent and music, not giving tacit approval to the alcohol-fueled and drug-ridden lifestyles of these musicians, or any musician, or anyone. Dabbling in cocaine and heroin, and reliance on any sort of substance is a painful path. They will become your lifelong demons. Music wise, this is my second shock of 2017. We had tickets to Grandaddy two weeks back. They had a new album and they were coming to Seattle. But Kevin Garcia had a sudden stroke and passed away. That was so sad.

When it comes to music, grunge is my first love. It was the only rebellious expression I had to counter the classical nonsense forced onto my childhood. The angst ridden music that came out of Seattle in the 90s spoke to my teenage heart, sang my emotions and soothed my soul. I don't know many new bands now with this sort of grunge sounds. Their music holds these influences, yes, but not quite 90s grunge. Soundgarden is the very first band I fell in love with. I was thrilled when they got back together in 2010 and released 'King Animal' in 2012. In an article today, NPR's Charles R. Cross wrote,

If there was one Seattle band of the "grunge" era that seemed more "Seattle" than any other, it was Soundgarden. Nirvana was actually from Aberdeen, and not a single member lived in Seattle until 1992; Pearl Jam didn't become a band until Eddie Vedder arrived from San Diego. But Soundgarden was truly Seattle. Chris Cornell went to high school ten blocks from my house, though for accuracy, that's just outside the Seattle city limits (and, for accuracy, he dropped out of that high school).

Here we have it, Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley, Scott Weiland, and in an untimely sad fashion, Chris Cornell. Thank you for the music, gentlemen. Arguably, there're still Mark Lanegan, Tad Doyle, and uhhh Dave Grohl. And of course, Eddie Vedder. Seattle's Space Needle went dark for an hour tonight, to honor her brilliant and tormented son of grunge. Rest in peace, Chris Cornell. 

Wann Yen (ร้านหวานเย็น)

I crave for spices and chilli on longer trips when I don't have easy access to a kitchen. Mexican peppers won't do. I need Southeast Asian spices. Thai food will do fine too. Found a super decent Thai eatery that serves home-cooked food the way I like! Wann Yen at 1313 NE 43rd St, just round the corner from the U-District outlet of Slate Coffee!

This isn't the weird American Thai food where you get 'Swimming Rama', sweet tom yam clear soup, and larb gai with rice, and the strange curry powder over fried rice a la 'Singapore Noodles'. WTF. I hate those. There're plenty of good Thai restaurants tucked away in the small streets. I just need to ferret them out.

Opened by Mark and Picha Pinkaow of Thai Curry Simple, Wann Yen (ร้านหวานเย็น) focuses on traditional Thai desserts (shaved ice), and recently started serving up hot savory food on a limited menu. The owners were warm and affable, and have been running restaurants for two decades, in New York, then now in Seattle. Thai Curry Simple has been around since 2010. I don't know if they update their website often, but Wann Yen's current hours are: Tuesdays to Fridays 11.30am to 8pm; kitchen closes at 7pm. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Wann Yen serves proper Thai food. I was so so pleased. Chuckled at the title of the dessert menu. It says 'น้ำแข็งใส' (น้ำแข็งใส ใส = clear (ไส = crushed)), which is like what the street dessert stalls in Thailand do. It's a common but accepted localized happy word error, replicated here almost as though in an effort to state the authenticity of their food and desserts. Quite fun! 🙃

When we went for a quick dinner, there were only four items on the menu. The best sort to cook well. This eatery is supposed to focus on dessert anyway. There were Thai basil chicken with rice (ผัดกระเพราไก่), Hainanese chicken rice (Thai style, khao mun gai ข้าวมันไก่), sour spicy catfish curry (like a gaeng som แกงส้ม), and red curry chicken. A lot of chicken man! But okay, at least the chicken here is tasty, and even though portions are smaller than what one usually expects in the US, the ingredients are followed faithfully, and every dish hits a spot. The man's phad kra pow gai arrived exactly the way he loves it- with holy basil (dried, though), an egg with runny yolk, and properly spicy. The Thai-style Hainanese chicken rice was very good! Definitely tasted like it came out of your friends' mother's competent kitchen.

Upstream Music Festival + Summit

The inaugural Upstream Music Festival + Summit was held over three days last week. It was really well organized. The website and app were detailed and easy to navigate.

We skipped the Summit portion (keynotes, discussions and workshops). That'd feel too much like work when we are interested, but not invested in the content. The man came out of a grueling work conference in this exact model, and didn't feel like sitting through another, although this would be way more fun. This is Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's baby. He has a vision to have a Northwest version to South By Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. He pushed this with the intention to have Upstream succeed as a self-sustaining event to support local artists. Musicians are paid to perform at Upstream. In a May 11 article, GeekWire noted,

With more than 25 stages at a variety of venues and 300 artists representing diverse musical genres, Jeff Vetting, executive director of Upstream, called it “a snapshot of Pacific Northwest music in 2017.”

We had the three-day Festival pass to the many many gigs. Much happiness. There was an Amazon-branded Main Stage outdoors at CenturyLink Field; the other shows were held at various indoor venues dotted around Pioneer Square, and one free public stage at Occidental Park. Everything is within easy walking distance.

Getting the RFID bracelet and activating it (only for entry purposes) was a breeze. Queues to enter venues move fast, and for those that had hit capacity, people were properly told, and given the option to continue queuing, as they would only be let in if someone came out. There were plenty of options for food and drinks. The venues offered a limited but sufficient festival menu, and there were five food trucks too. It was just a bit of a pain having to lug the passport out to wave it at each venue, because alcohol. Grrrrr.

Snarky Puppy at #UpstreamFest! pic.twitter.com/IsbpSBJ427

— imp (@faerieimp) May 13, 2017

What fun to randomly stroll by Occidental Park and heard The Thermals from Portland. Didn't catch that on the line-up. Hopped in at the pub for singer-songwriter Louise Burns from Canada. I was thrilled to discover new-to-me Seattle band Dust Moth (whose current members are musicians from bands I do know), and The Long Winters who just released their first new song since 2006, with an unsurprising title and content 'Make America Great Again'.

The man was most thrilled to catch Helms Alee, pop-jazz ensemble Snarky Puppy which had superb musicians, and of course, his darling Dinosaur Jr. as the final show of the festival. (I asked the man, "Isn't this a band for old people and indie rock fans?" And I asked with affection and a tinge of sadness.) By the time Dinosaur Jr. came on, it was raining. But it wasn't exactly pouring. So up the ponchos and raincoats went, and people came out in the rain for the band. I had to miss Jeremy Enigk's (Sunny Day Real Estate) show for this. Grrrrrr. Overlapping sets. 😞😖

Comfort Eats in the Hotel Room

I'm not lacking in good food in Seattle. But when I'm hanging out in a city for a bit, I'd like to stock the room fridge with the standard rations of bread, eggs, milk, butter, yoghurt, granola, fruits, cherry tomatoes and dark bitter chocolate. My stomach likes its comfort food, regardless of the seasons.

Instant noodles are my guilty pleasure. NEVER COOK INSTANT NOODLES IN THE ELECTRIC KETTLE. That's friggin unhygienic! Use cup noodles lah. My preferred ones are the Nissin Donbei mini cups (kitsune udon, kamodashi soba, tensoba) that are lower in salt content. Add an egg and you're all set for a half decent meal.

You can buy these noodles at Uwajimaya in downtown Seattle, Bellevue and Renton. But I bring them over from Singapore. Uwajimaya isn't convenient to get to when I have a schedule to keep to. Also, I'm not paying USD4 for a cup when I can pay SGD4. Yes, I also bring my own chopsticks and spoons and all.

In the mornings when I need a quick bite before burning calories, or as a light dinner, I do eggs. Hardboiled eggs are glorious and they're easily done in the hotel room. Housekeeping will always provide an electric kettle. When the water is boiled, rinse and sink 'em eggs in to sit for 15 minutes. Works like a charm. Don't use eggs straight out from the fridge. Let them sit and warm up before you drop them into the hot water. The man has breakfast provided for at work but he still wanted egg sandwiches in the morning! Fine. He gets an egg sandwich too.

Eh, don't call me Aunty ah. Don't tell me you don't do this too, at some point on a trip?

Peace Between The Checquy and Broederschap

Was thrilled to chance upon Canberra author Daniel O'Malley's 'Stiletto' (2016) on the shelves of Bellevue Regional Library. I thoroughly enjoyed his first book of the series 'The Rook' (2012). It was a fantastic debut novel! Didn't know there's a sequel. Sooo glad that the second book is just as good. Modern fantasy done so well. Love it! (Reviews here and here.)

There're new developments in the world whereby United Kingdom's super secret agency in service of the nation- The Checquy (made up of humans with supernatural powers), and super secret Belgium independent scientific organization made up of the Wetenschappeljik Broederschap van Natuurkundigen, also known as the Grafters (who use science to enhance human DNA and abilities) are brokering a truce and a brand new peace treaty. They also face new threats in the form of a rogue faction that broke away from the Grafters and known as the 'Antagonists', and will go to lengths to prevent peace due to hurt feelings from centuries ago.

Yes, Myfanwy Thomas is still the Rook of The Checquy and central to 'Stiletto'. But we see new characters in this book- Grafter Odette Leliefeld with an impeccable family lineage of the founders of her organization, and Pawn Felicity Clements who had to act as minder and bodyguard to Odette when the diplomatic mission visited London and met with all monstrous attacks. The rouge faction of Grafters are made up of talented young adults, contemporaries of Odette, and people whom she grew up with, her best pals and boyfriend Pim. Her loyalty is tested. The story also explores the dilemma Pawn Felicity has to face- to have to kill Odette if and when the order comes down.

The book is full of exciting supernatural fights, magic and sci-fi. Couldn't help but notice all the references to characters picking up a glass of whisky. Scotch. Single malts of Talisker 12 and Old Pulteney. Heh.

"In an ideal world, we'd destroy their training ground," said Claudia. "Kirrin Island would be full of little corpses if we could manage it. But it's impossible." She shrugged awkwardly. "It's too well guarded." 

"Our attack today may not even get them all," said Saskia. "I expect there will be some little monster who doesn't need to breathe air or is actually a living song or some such ludicrous atrocity. But that's not a bad thing, really. Traumatized witnesses ensure that the story doesn't die. A kid, scarred for life by what he's seen, that will whip the Checquy into a frenzy like nothing else." 

............ 

"I can't believe you would kill children," said Odette. This can't be happening. They can't mean this, not truly. 

"They're not really children," said Claudia. "They're not humans. Humans can't do what they do." 

"We are in no position to say what humans can and cannot do, Claudia!" said Odette. 

'Don't cheat yourself, 'Dette," said Saskia. "We are human. It's human to make tools. To fix broken bones, and straighten teeth, and remove cataracts. Humans figure out new ways to do things, organ transplants and fighting disease and doing research." She gestured around the room to her comrades, and Odette noticed herself included in the group. "We're just ahead of the rest of them.  

But I'll tell you what humans don't do," she said in a poisonous tone. "They're not born with fangs, or mirrors for skin, or with the air around them turning to bronze. They don't swim through the earth. Those creatures aren't human. They're vermin, they're cockroaches. And the targets? They're baby cockroaches. That's all."

Pilaf, Spices and Friends

I was so looking forward to this meal, because, spices were promised. Woooooot! I thought we were just gonna get food delivered but the friends texted the night before, saying that they would cook. As usual, with a full work schedule for them, we were super appreciative of their warmth and making time for us.

"Something simple", the friends had said. When we got to their lovely home, we were a little stunned by the menu. Vegetarian pilaf, dhaal and chicken rogan josh appeared on the table. Every dish was made from scratch. That's not easy! Luckily we brought something for dessert, which were just decent store-bought chocolates, and two bottles of wine for their keeping.

It was the perfect weather to eat outdoors on the patio overlooking the Cascades. The friends wanted us to come at 5.30pm so that we would have longer hours of daylight to enjoy the views. We love eating earlier here because we wake early anyway, and on days that we're not at gigs, our bedtime is 10pm! Hehehehe.

Magnetic Fields 50 Song Memoir: Parts I & II

Went for the two-night show staged by indie pop band The Magnetic Fields for their new 2017 album '50 Song Memoir'. Stephin Merrit is well, the primary songwriter and producer, and vocalist of the band. He has written a ridiculous number of songs. The record is Merritt's 50th birthday present to himself, with each track representing a year of his life, from 1966 to 2015.

The Stranger's Rich Smith isn't hot about this new album. He wrote, "It's unfair, but it's impossible not to compare this new opus with 69 Love Songs, one of the last and greatest musical achievements of the 20th century. If you don't have a five-paragraph essay in your brain about each one of those 69 songs, I am envious of you. Stop reading this article and go listen to that album. Your life is about to get so much better."

I'm less judgmental. I'm pretty okay with it. Some songs work, some don't, and many would end up hating half the songs or more. There're 50 short songs! The two-night show was totally enjoyable! The graphics and animation projected on the screen were fantastic. They did a great job for sure! I was completely fixated on it for a few songs. '1976: Hustle 76' was all disco fun! The first night ended with '1990: Dreaming in Tetris'. 😍

The second night was less fun than the first night. Adult-hood and all that. Heh. I quite like a few songs still- '2007: In the Snow White Cottages', '2008: Surfin', '2009: Till You Come Back To Me'. There were no such thing as an 'encore' for the two nights. Logical, I suppose. Playing those old songs would have just sacrificed the poignancy of performing the new album in its entirety.

If there's an anthem, I guess it would be in '1977: Life Ain't All Bad'. Not what I think I like or what might resonate, but more of what Stephin Merrit thinks. Hahahahahah.

When I write my memoirs
You will read them with pain and with shame
You'll be searching in vain for you name
For your bleak, insignificant name