All Blacks Make Haka Hot

As you know, I've been doing my due diligence and Googling for info on New Zealand to prep for a potential vacay there. I'm still undecided whether I want to backpack it on my own or join a small-group tour that's a cross between adventure and budget. I'm leaning toward the tour, even though this vacay is supposed to simulate what it'd be like to be on the road alone.

Most of the tours I'm looking at treat you to a traditional Maori dinner and the videos I've seen of these things look like the Maori version of a luau. Instead of doing hula, they do the haka. My YouTubing research quickly led from these tours to haka done by various sports teams. The majority of the videos are of the All Blacks, a Kiwi rugby team. I don't know if they're the only team that does the haka or even if they're the only team in NZ. I don't know anything about rugby, but once I started watching the videos I couldn't stop.

There seems to be a variety of different haka, but the most common is the one that starts off, "Ka mate, Ka mate, Ka ora Ka ora." This is the one with which I'm familiar (and I assume most other people are as well). It bothered me that I didn't know the words beyond those first few lines. I think it's mostly because the chants are shouted and the words are never distinct enough to understand. Even after watching several videos, I still couldn't get the words down. I finally had to Wikipedia them and read the words while listening to YouTube. Who knows if Wikipedia is even accurate though.



Watching the various videos of the All Blacks, I noticed that these rugby guys are pretty hot . . . even with the ugly, macho-man faces they're making (or is it because of that?). The guys, of course, are all fit and muscular and they're yelling at the top of their lungs as I imagine the cavemen of old used to. And yet, despite all the movement and progress gained through women's lib, I still find their behavior oddly sexy. I mean, there's something to be said about the masculinity, agility and dare I say virility that these guys exude while doing this haka. Their intensity and focus is both intimidating and alluring. It's kinda like looking into the eyes of a wildcat.



And just so you know, I still can't get the words to the haka right. But I'm going to keep trying . . . you know, for educational and cultural exchange purposes and all! LOL!

Asian Art Museum of San Francisco - An Art Attack for your Soul

For all you museum lovers out there, the Go SF Card will bring tears to your eyes. With the card in hand, you'll be able to check out 18 different museums in the Bay Area for FREE. Yes, admission is free with the card. How awesome is that?



There are so many cool places to see that I know for a fact you won't be able to get to them all. Make sure you look them up and plot out your course of attack. One of the museums we visited was the Asian Art Musuem of San Francisco.


It's right near the Civic Center and is easily accessible by public transportation. The building itself is remarkable to look at. But just across the way is City Hall with it's golden roof. Some may say it's gaudy, but I totally love it. It's like the Taj Mahal of city halls.

The special exhibit while we were there was on the Kingdom of Bhutan, which is located in southeast Asia. They had classes and special screenings but we didn't stick around for that. It was pretty quiet and we were in between presentations anyway. After a quick walk through of that exhibit, we spent more time with the regular collections. This in itself takes you through so many countries that it's a little overwhelming.



Despite the fact that I'm not too big an art lover and definitely don't have any in-depth art knowledge, I still found it to be an interesting way to spend a couple hours. The intricacy and beauty of the sculptures, paintings and craft work is wonderful. Most of the exhibits were attractively lit, and each had a descriptive placard next to it to help explain its significance to people like me. Also, there didn't seem to be massive crowds there. If anything, I found it to be pretty empty except for a couple of school groups.



It's amazing to think that these pieces were made hundreds or thousdands of years ago. Technology and tools being what they were at that time, I can't believe people were still able to produce such lasting pieces of work. The skill involved is incredible. I mean, how long does it take to hack away at a piece of marble or jade before it turns into a scuplture of a buddha? Truly amazing.

AT&T Park - Hit it Outta the Park

As part of the Go SF Card activities, we were able to take an escorted tour of AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The park is located in SOMA and pretty easy to get to if you're taking public transportation. Without the card, the tour's only $12.50 for adults and $7.50 for kids 12 and under. Let me tell you that it's definitely worth it, even if you're not a baseball fan. It's just an interesting experience overall.

The week we were in SF the Giants were away so we were able to see a lot of the ballpark that would've been restricted if they were in town. If it'd been a game day, even more would be blocked off. I would've loved to catch a game, but I suppose an up close and personal look at their home is just as cool.

I've never been to a professional ballpark, and since all we've got is Aloha Stadium in Hawaii, I was amazed at how huge the place was! I can just imagine how cool it'd be to actually come to a game and have the crazy fans cheering all around you. I definitely want to catch a game one day.

I also noticed that despite the number of seats and how big the stadium is, it seems like every seat is great. The vantage point of all the seats were pretty good. Plus, the day we went was exceptionally clear with nice blue skies. What a great way to spend the afternoon and watch some baseball.

Our tour guide told us that when the Giants aren't at home, the stadium is rented out to various organizations and companies for private events or concerts. Apparently, the day we stopped by they were setting up for a Stanford University event.

Besides catching a game of baseball, the stadium has this unique area called the Coca-Cola Fan Lot. It's for the kids (and kids at heart) and is located behind the left field bleachers. The Coke bottle is a giant slide that people can enjoy. There's a mini diamond for the kids. It's a good way to enjoy the game and keep the kids entertained when they get a little antsy.

The stadium is situated in such a picturesque location, right on the water's edge, that it's hard to concentrate on a ballgame when the scenery is so beautiful. You get a great view of the Bay Bridge from the park.

One of the awesome parts of the tour was that we got to go down to the field (though not on the grass) and into the dugout. This is the visiting team's dugout, but the tour guide said both sides are exactly the same. The only difference is the visiting team gets warmed up by the sun a lot more. Although, I don't think it makes much of a difference in SF. Perhaps in Hawaii the heat wold be a factor, but not in SF.

I can't believe we were standing right where big leaguer's stood and sitting where big leaguer's sat. Awesome! Now ask me who these big leaguers are? I couldn't tell ya. Haha! But still, the idea is enough to make me giddy.

We also got to go into the visiting team's locker room. It wasn't all that big actually. It was a decent size, but with a whole team of 6-footers on the juice, I can imagine it feeling quite squishy. Each guy's locker was really small. I'm not sure what they bring to these places, but the space alloted to them was tiny.

Here's a peak at the training room. Guess this is where they tape up and ice down . . . or receive some of the juice pre-game.

The tour took us up to the skybox or VIP room. Most rooms are rented out annually by corporate entities, but one room can be rented on a game-to-game basis by regular Joes like us. I believe it is $3,000 a game and you have to cater your food through the stadium. I'm thinking that's a great deal because not only do you get a room to lounge in, you get 30 seats right outside the room to watch the game. It's probably a good boy's night out investment.

This was such a great experience. It was a captivating two hours of walking around the stadium. It was really cool to come to a place this huge when it was empty. There were so many different types of food vendors that you'd definitely be able to find something to nosh on at a game. It's not the regular hot dog and beer stadium (it's in SF after all), but you can find that there too. Definitely check out the ballpark tour if you're in the area.

Aquarium by the Bay - Under the Sea

For shits and giggles and because it was free with the Go SF Card, we stopped in at the Aquarium by the Bay while in San Francisco. Surprisingly, it was pretty small (not as small as our Waikiki Aquarium though).

The aquarium is located in the high-traffic Pier 39 area, so it's convenient for most tourists to swing by for an hour or two. It's a good, family-friendly activity that I'm sure the kiddies will enjoy.

Honestly, there are better places out there for this type of thing, but this one's convenient and free if you have the card. However, I don't think I'd pay for admission, especially if I had a large family in tow.

One of the best parts of the aquarium was the jellyfish tanks. They looked awesome against the dark blue water and lighting.

There were a couple types of jellyfish in different tanks. What a life to live, huh? Just bobbing along and floating without a care in the world. Completely lovely.

The other great part of the aquarium was the interactive area where you could actually reach into the water and touch and feel the animals. One tank housed things like starfish and sea cucumbers. I'd never touched a starfish before this experience. You'd think they were soft and squishy, right? No, they felt like coral and were rough and bumpy. Weird and kind of disorienting. I really thought they'd be soft or at least slimy. Not really as thrilling an experience as I had hoped.

The other tank housed some bat rays and leopard sharks. They were so cute. The rays have a little snout/nose that is just precious. When we were there, there was a baby one who was so friendly and would come right up to you.

The rays' skin felt really soft and slippery. They're not slimy at all. Just tap the top of the water to attract their attention and the swim on by. Parents don't need to worry about their little stingers because they're cut off. The staff member overseeing the tank said that the stingers are like fingernails and grow back. Cutting them does not hurt the rays at all and allows them to be used as educational tools for the public.

The leopard sharks are harder to touch. They swam back and forth in the tank, usually in the middle, so it's hard to reach them. Still, when you do get to touch them it's really enjoyable. Their skin is also soft and very smooth too. The only drawback to this experience was that the water was extremely chilly. It was hard to even reach down into the tank because your hand felt like it was about to freeze.

I also forgot to mention that there's a large underwater tunnel that you walk through. This allows you to see the fish, sharks and rays swimming on both sides and above you. It's an interesting experience, although not very unique. There are other aquariums around that have the same thing.

Gray Line Wine Country Tour - Aged to Perfection

Visiting San Francisco and not doing a wine tour is almost sacrilege in my opinion. I was disappointed that we didn't get do one on our last visit. However, we just flat out didn't have the time. This trip I made damn sure we visited some wineries.

Lucky for us, included on the Go San Francisco Card is the SF Sightseeing/Gray Line Wine Country Tour. Regular price for this tour is $68, but we got it for free on the Go Card! I told you that card was a great deal!

The Gray Line office is located out at Fisherman's Wharf at Pier 43 1/2. The tour departs from the pier at around 9:15 a.m. daily, but people come earlier. I suggest you may make a morning of it by eating some clam chowder at Boudin Bakery or one of the other street vendors nearby. Most of the stores will be closed though so no souvenir shopping on this day.

We took the tour on a Wednesday and it was pretty empty. I don't know if it was the day of the week or the recession that was affecting attendance. Either way, it was good for us as it seemed more personal with only 20 or so people.

Our driver was Roberto from Portugal. He was actually filling in for someone that day. He normally does the European tours and can speak several languages. Roberto was the best driver ever! He was personable and charismatic. He was also very knowledgeable about wine and the SF area in general.

We weren't due to our first winery until 11:00 a.m. so he told us he'd take us on an informal tour of the city. I don't think this was really part of the tour, but he did it anyway. We saw Fisherman's Wharf, Marina, Cow Hollow, Crissy Field, the Presidio, Marin County and Sausalito. He also pointed out landmarks and mountains along the way to Napa. We all had such an enjoyable time and the wine tastings hadn't even started yet.

The first winery we arrived at was Madonna Estate in Napa. It was a small, independent winery and our hostess was very knowledgeable about the wine-making process. For someone like me who is completely ignorant, it was really interesting to see the vines up close and learn about the general process of wine making. We were taken inside where we saw barrels upon barrels of wine. It was amazing. After the tour, we were able to taste about 5-6 different types of wines.







Next we headed for Sonoma and had lunch at Sonoma Square. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Murphy's Irish Pub (I'll write up a review later). After lunch we headed for the Jacuzzi Family Vineyards. Again we were lead on a tour of the facility. The architecture and view from this winery was amazing. It was almost like were in an Italian villa. The place was modeled after the family's home in Italy. How cool! The host at this winery wasn't too knowledgeable about wine making. She mostly told us about the family's history. We were led into a large tasting room and were able to try a selection of their wines (probably 4-5 total).











The last winery we visited was the Viansa Winery and Marketplace. The courtyard at this winery is really impressive. Again, it felt like a small villa. It was weird because I felt so far removed from the city. We did a tour of this winery and were then led upstairs for the tasting. Out of the three locations, I thought this was the least informative. It felt a little like we were a herd of cows being led from one place to the next. Still, our host was very amiable and seemed to enjoy his job. Again we were able to taste about 4-5 wines.









At this point, everyone was pretty much tuckered out. The drive back to the city was pretty quiet. Roberto asked for everyone's hotel and dropped us off at our doors. The tour ended around 7:00 p.m.

I would definitely recommend this tour, even if you have to pay for it yourself. (But why would you? Just get a Go Card.) It was an amazing experience. The landscape and scenery in Napa and Sonoma was so beautiful. It was very earthy but not really farm-like. Also, don't be discouraged if the weather in SF is completely dreadful. Once you get out to the vineyards, you're in a different microclimate and things are better. It was actually really hot out there when the city was fogged in and rainy. If possible, ask Gray Line who your driver will be. See if you can get Roberto because he was an excellent guide. It might even be worth it to take another tour if you can't get him on the winery tour. He made the time fly by so quickly and was pure entertainment.

Foodie Review - Sears Fine Foods Restaurant

A convenient place to have breakfast in San Francisco's Union Square area is at Sears Fine Foods Restaurant, which is located right on Powell Street. It was about a half block uphill from our hotel so we ended up eating here twice. It opens at 6:30 a.m. daily so you can grab a meal and head out for your day.

The first time we ate here, my BFF and I split an Sidney Amber Special. This came with two eggs, two link sausages, two pieces of bacon and two large pancakes. We washed it all down with apple juice and POG (I believe they called it orange passion guava juice or some crazy thing like that). We walked away totally full and satisfied.



The second time we ate breakfast here we split an Al's Special. This came with nine dollar-sized pancakes, two eggs, corned beef and a hash brown. To drink we had an iced tea and diet coke. I didn't really care for the corned beef and the hash brown was only lukewarm like it'd been sitting a while.


On both occasions, the food tasted pretty ok (not heavenly but not the worst either), especially the pancakes for which the restaurant is known. The atmosphere is quite charming and has a small-town diner feel to it. The chairs and tables are wooden and sturdy. There's old memorabilia on the wall.

However, the service can be a iffy. During our first visit, we arrived early and there weren't many people there. Still, the place is cozy enough that we could hear our neighbor's conversation, an interesting conversation for 7:00 in the morning.

Apparently, the two men sitting beside us hadn't seen each other for a while. One obviously had lost some weight because the other kept saying how good he looked. Then the Biggest Loser said, "Yeah, I lost about 65 pounds. Now my d!ck looks bigger!" Yes folks, at 7 a.m. people are just as infatuated with their junk as they are during the wee hours of the night. We definitely didn't need that bit of TMI served up to us by some graying, pudgy middle-aged men. (But, I guess that's a good tip for you guys trying to pump up the volume down there.)

On our second trip, the place was packed! It didn't help that it was a Saturday though. This time the service was pretty lousy. Our options were to either wait for God knows how long for a table or take a seat at the bar. We opted for the bar. The poor older woman who was working the bar seemed frazzled. She had at least 10-15 people seated at the bar who were all hungry waiting for their food. She was a little disorganized and didn't seem to be a good fit for that busy area.

One patron who sat next to us had to wait a long time before she even acknowledged him and gave him a menu and coffee. He sat there for another 15 minutes without her returning to take his order and got up and left. I don't blame him one bit.

I guess the lesson here is to a) come early on the weekdays to beat the crowds and b) ask to be sat away from other patrons. You never know what'll pop out of their mouths!

Total cost for our Sidney Amber Special with a side of d!ck at no extra charge (tax included): $19.54

Total cost for our Al's Special on a slow boat to China (tax included): $20.31