Exploring No Cal

Our first full day of No Cal we headed down to Monterey & Carmel By The Sea, CA which is home of 17 mile drive, a beautiful scenic route along the Pacific Ocean that is adjacent to Pebble Beach Golf Course. We took a picture on the 1st hole and walked through the lounge to view the ocean and the 18th green. Really beautiful!

Wednesday, my parents checked out Sylvana's place and walked around Santa Clara U. There wasn't much else that day, we just relaxed and reduced Jet Lag.

Thurs we had Thanksgiving day buffet lunch at Stanford which was really really delicious. My sister registered us; it was mainly for international students. It was open seating (not reserved) which was nice because students would sit next to people they didn't know at times and be able to meet people. We sat at a table w/an MBA student from Egypt and a Music student from Belgium. I told him I knew what "Hey Lekker Stuk" meant (That's danish, look it up), and he was very pleased with that to say the least. They served all you can eat delicious turkey, green salad which was fresh, very good mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and there were bottles of snapple iced tea and water. For dessert they served pumpkin or apple pie (you were only allowed 1 slice of either). Apple pie was standard and good, the pumpkin pie (I took some of my mom's) was standard, so not great (I'm not a big fan).

At night we drove over to MacArthur park to have a thanksgiving night buffet dinner. Turkey was decent; they had really good pork. The roast beef was not great. They had very good mac n cheese, green beans, cranberry sauce, shrimp, smoked salmon, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and other things i forget. It was a really really good meal and i really stuffed myself. I even had 2 sips of that mamosa or something, Orange juice mixed w/champagne (not really a fan).

Later that night Syl and I went to Yi's place and hung w/a load of Taiwanese people. Nothing really was going on so we eventually bounced (we took home some of peggy's tiramisu, but then i found out it was purchased, not created).

Black Friday was a chill day; we planned on shopping all day, but didn't get around to it. We went to Great Mall (an outlet) really late around 9PM after playing a lot of mah jong. I was only able to get my sister some cheap stanford clothing from the nike outlet. I got my mom a small polo, but it ended up being too small for her (uncomfortably) so I had to return it.

Saturday we walked around Stanford to shop and went to the bookstore and got my parents gifts for xmas. We got my dad this Cardinal windbreaker (Nike StormFit which is sick material). We got my mom a white Columbia reversible bubble vest. Both were stanford attire, so they SHOULD be pumped. I'm not sure if my dad will like the windbreaker, but he doesnt' really have one so it should be useful in spring.

That night we planned to go to the Stanford/ND game, but when I looked for tickets the night before, they were only selling single seats, so I didn't bother to set it up for me, Syl and My sis. My sis could've gotten an ID for me, but prob not sylvana. Annoyingly, that game was sick and Toby Gerhart scored like 16 TDs to win and get Charlie Weis fired. We also were attempting to check out the Warriors/Lakers game, but didn't feel like going eventually. I really don't like watching NBA games unless they are really close up. I've been to a Wizards/Cavs playoff games sitting in the rafters and it just wasn't engaging for me at all.

Instead, Syl and I got massages. I passed out during mine, and when I woke up, she said it wasn't very impressive. All in it cost about 24 total. It was funny because the guy gave me $5 bills at the end, and I told him to give me 1s. I wasn't tryin to tip more than 20%... you crazy?!?!?! What do we think about >20% tip for massages?

Sunday We planned to go to niners game but then sylvana had to finish a job app so i just stayed in and watched. My team is up 28 w/MNF to go. For me to lose, Shockey and colston must outscore Moss by 28.... I ended up winning!!!