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Busride Observations My San Francisco Chronicles observation transportation

Smelly bus.

Someone had the bright idea of letting out a fart on the crowded bus today. I was pretty annoyed with how things were going on; the bus was already pretty crowded, but these rebellious guys were being obnoxious, and I think it was one of them who decided to relieve his gas. It was a really smelly one: I watched as a lot of people in front of me on the bus were quickly opening the windows and grimacing at the stench.

How rude, really. But at the same time, how amusing the scene was, too. I tried my best to keep a straight face and not show my discomfort since I think the guys were definitely looking for reactions (maybe they felt attention hungry?). I minded my own business the whole time and listened to my music. Luckily the windows were all open so the bus was able to clear out the smell a little bit…but too bad, it was indeed crowded, so the smell lingered a little longer than we all would have liked (too many bodies keeping the smell in).

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#foodie health products

Chip bag sizes are deceiving….

Just noticed this today–although Fritos and Cheetos are usually packaged in the smaller bags, their calorie count is actually higher than if you buy a bag of Doritos or Ruffles. Actually, Doritos are the “healthiest”/lowest in calories among Frito-Lay regular snacks (this excludes the baked varieties and the 100-calorie packs).

It might sound confusing….you would have to look at the nutritional information (provided in the links above). 1 oz. of Fritos is 160 calories; 1 oz. of Doritos is 140 calories. Sure, it’s not too much of a difference, but it’s still noticeable.

I came to this realization today while doing preparation work for tomorrow’s carts; was kind of craving chips, and kept looking at the calories/fat grams on the chip bags. Sigh. Size doesn’t matter when it comes to chips; the “small” bag actually is deadlier in terms of calories and fat.

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#foodie My San Francisco Chronicles

Dok Bok Ki Cravings.

Since Thursday, I had been craving Dok Bok Ki (spicy rice cakes) so badly. The name is Korean, and I am guessing the dish itself is of Korean origin since I have never seen it served in other Asian restaurants. Anyway, I first tried this tasty dish last year with some Korean friends; they introduced me to more authentic Korean food than the usual Bulgogi, Bibimbpap, and such.

I remember when I first tried Dok Bok Ki, I really liked it a lot, but completely forgot the dish’s name after my friends moved back to Korea. So I forgot about Dok Bok Ki in general. At the beginning of February, when my friends and I had a three-way birthday party, we had our dinner at a Korean restaurant called Playground here in San Francisco. There, I was re-acquainted with Dok Bok Ki and wanted it more.

I next tried Dok Bok Ki at another Korean restaurant called Won Mi along Fillmore Street. I went during their lunch time and was able to secure the lunch special price. I remember eating their Dok Bok Ki and thinking to myself “Spicy and sweet, and oh so chewy.” Korean food is one of my favorite kinds of food–I love spicy foods and I just love how many little dishes come with the meal. Lots of little trays of kimchi/random appetizers served, and sometimes there is also a complimentary almond rice drink served after dinner. Mm.

Anyway, so I was without Dok Bok Ki for around a month and that was probably what stirred up my cravings on Thursday. I kept thinking “I want the spicy sweetness of Dok Bok Ki” and was trying to plan my Friday out so I could go get some lunch at Won Mi. Unfortunately, I did not have a good day on Friday and decided to stay in that day.

Yesterday though, my cravings were still very strong, so I ended up going to Han Il Kwan with my friend for dinner. Han Il Kwan is probably the best Korean restaurant I have been to so far in San Francisco. I loved Won Mi and Playground, too, but Han Il Kwan seems to have the best value for their meal. We got many little appetizer dishes, a complimentary egg dish, and the almond rice drink, all for under $10 per person (without tip).

Here was where I finally satisfied my craving for Dok Bok Ki, and it was well worth the wait! I got a big plate of it and could only finish half of it; was happy to bring home some leftovers. I just love how chewy the texture is and the sweet/spicy sauce served with it. Mmm. I feel like I will need to stay in San Francisco or live in another city/suburb with superb Korean food in order to feel sane, haha.

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Hot Dog Days jobs observation rant tourists

I’m pushing a heavy cart…yes, I am busy.

I am amazed at how oblivious people can be towards others. Not once, but twice (possibly three times!) I have had people ask me for information/directions to stores while I am pushing along the heavy hot dog cart. I just can’t believe people think I have the time to stop and tell them where they should go! My co-workers tell me that I should not feel obliged to give directions since the other people are just being plain rude for not noticing the obvious.

Oh yes, I can tell you information while I push this heavy cart. Oh no, obviously I am not busy at all! That’s why I am pushing this cart.

Next time I should just tell people to help push the cart if they want to ask me or my co-workers for information. We are not an information booth, and we are not so kind to give away so much information freely.

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#amreading #foodie American Culture Chinese Culture dining out restaurant

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles

Currently reading The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8. Lee and so far I find it a fascinating read. There are many things I already knew about Chinese food in the US (that most of it isn’t authentic); after all, my parents explained this to me awhile ago since they still operate their restaurant in Virginia.

In the end though, what foods stay “authentic” to their native origins when they enter a foreign country? After all, I’m sure most of the stuff I eat/crave at Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Indian, et. al. restaurants are not 100% authentic; we can say that most of the foods are adapted for the American palate.

It’s the same thing with truly American food crossing over into other countries such as Japan. The burgers in Japanese McDonald’s are definitely different from the burgers here in the U.S. There are different combinations and such; there’s a shrimp burger in Japan! You wouldn’t find such a thing here in the US.

Anyway, back to more reading. Just wanted to pause a moment and reflect on this aspect.