Little things matter

12.31.2012 The last monday of the year.

All mondays are known by the laziness feeling that the weekend always leaves behind. Mondays are the kind of day that no one wants to come, but today, this monday, is the last monday and also the last day of the year. People, or particularly me, love December, because it's time to celebrate and think about the whole year. It's time to realize that every single monday had an effect, and maybe if I had been just a little bit more responsible and interested in what matters, at the end of the year all the effort would likely result in a huge and much better year.
This year I definitely learned that little things matter and if you start doing little things every day, at the end of the week, month or hopefully year you'll have reached or gotten something you thought it was a pie in the sky. I know that it is the last day of the year and in few hours another fresh and new year is going to begin. Just all over again. Time is a little thing that we cannot stop, on the contrary, it can stop us, whenever it wants, but we can make our time whatever we want. So, why don't you start to take on that stuff that you've been dying to do so because you fear it? Or, why don't you start to read 10 pages per day, then at the end of the year you'll have read more than three thousand pages?
You still have few hours left to make a list of the things that will be changed in the next 365 days! Be careful not to set impossible targets, and instead, start writing simple things that really matter to you. After a while, you can add more things and little by little you'll have things done that seemed impossible before. Little things do matter. Think about it ;)

Happy New Year!

Organic Food!

I've written about the Farmers Market, which is renowned throughout the country as one of the top farmers markets to visit. This market only sells organic products, such as vegetables, fruits herbs and like so on. After a while I caught myself wondering whether or not I should explain what exactly is an organic product. I realized that even I didn't know what it is. Read the text above and get to know why this is important.

Healthy life is always assimilated into eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and good fat than fried and oiled food. It's very true, but how much can the quality of food influence your health and the environment? What's the difference between organic and conventionally grown foods?
Organic refers to the way that the food is grown. The organic crops must be grown in safe of oil, have no modifications. They must not use any kind of synthetic pesticide, bioengineered genes (GMOs), petroleum based fertilizers and sludge-based fertilizers.
The benefits of organic foods are more beneficial nutrients, like antioxidants. Also, people with some sort of allergy of food, chemicals, or preservatives often find their symptoms lessen or go away when they eat only organic food.
This kind of food is fresher, and the fruits and vegetables remain their original size and taste. It's grown using natural methods to control animals and insects that might eat and destroy the crop. It definitely takes longer to grow, and demands more people to work. However all this duble effort results in great health for you and for the environment.

Buena Vista Park!

Hey! How have you been?

Few weeks ago I went to Buena Vista Park! I enjoyed very much because it was a beautiful day and I had a picknick right on the top! The park is very high and because of that it was kind of fresh. 

I had a short breakfast, headed down on Safeway and went all the way through the park. I picked up all you can see above. I've always liked parks because they are relaxing, wooded and nice. I've also liked to have the kind of strong breakfast in a relaxing place. So, I guess I just mixed both and liked so much the day! 

The park has a beautiful view of the city, including the Golden Gate Bridge!

Don't you know where it is? Click here to see the map.

Don't you think spending the day over there is a great idea? :)

Hope you can go there and enjoy as much as I did!

Lights!

Day or night?!

Pics: Christmas!

Ferry Building Farmer Market!

Uau! What a big name to a post title! 

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is a California certificated farmers market operated by Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture. This market is acclaimed not only for high quality of organic products, but also for diversity of them. 
The market offers many options of food, fruits, herbs, vegetables, flowers and like so on. Plus many of them have a certificated proving that they are organic food.
The farmer markets is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at Ferry Building. On tuesdays and thursdays you can find the markets in front of the building. On saturdays, especially, the market includes local restaurants serving a variety of meals, as wood-fired pizza, sandwiches, grilled meats, and like so on. On tuesdays and thursdays it's open from 10am to 2pm. On saturdays, from 8am to 2pm.

The news is that now you can find it on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at Civic Center! It's completely the same farmers market, but now in a different location and on other days! How amazing, huh?
The hours are a little bit different. Wednesdays it's from 7am to 5:30pm. On Fridays, 7am to 2:30pm and Sundays, 7am to 5pm.

More info:
http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/farmers_market.php
http://hocfarmersmarket.org/

@sanfranotes

Café du Soleil!

Few days ago I knew this coffe shop! It's very famous around the Fillmore Street and it's very close to Castro. It's very comfortable inside and pleasant. I tried a cappuccino and tasted nice. They have also snacks and other drinks. I felt very well inside because it's very spacious and the people are friendly.

This is one of the few places where you can find coffee and wine together!

Have you been there?! If not, check the location on the map here !

I recommend that you try it yourself! After that, tell me how was that ;)

~~Follow me @sanfranotes

Cliff House!

Cliff House is a famous restaurant in the Golden Gate Park! It was built in 1863 and since that the original building was changed for several reasons like earthquake, fire and things like that.

So, I have never eaten any food there, but I've already been to the restaurant. These pictures above were taken inside and it makes the restaurant more interesting, I mean, I really think that the appearance makes all difference.

Behind the restaurant there is a camera obscura! I have already explained here about the optical phenomenon into the camera obscura.

I hope you can enjoy it!

Shape

The funniest thing in this total mess, that some people call life is everyone has his unique life, but every single life is shaped by each one's experiences.

Will it!

July 2011

I was through a tough time. My grades weren't as good as I expected and I confess by that time I had given up on that. It was the middle of the year, so technically I still had time to change it, but the more I tried to do better, the more things turned to be harder. English was my worst mark. I had achieved my worst mark in all years of school. I really had no idea of what I was supposed to learn. I knew I was going to fail. There almost was nothing left to do. That's the point. Almost.

My parents and I felt we should make a decision. By that time, they had been called to go to school to talk to the teacher a couple of times. They already knew what they would talk about. That wasn't so difficult to predict at all.

Then, my father changed me to another school. This time, it was smaller one. Although it seemed to be nice. 

I knew that was probably the right thing to do. 

December 2011

After six months studying as hard as I should have studied in the whole year, I got all my grades very high. I even broke my record, since 2008 I hadn't had high grades at first. About english, I started having particular English classes with an awesome teacher. Which I am very grateful for had. Well, I guess that was the beginning of a new stage, I could feel it.
I took off vacation, saw snow for the first time in my life and relaxed. I knew there was a possibility of coming to U.S. to spend 2012 studying abroad. Although there wasn't nothing definitely set, I did know that even if I didn't go to study abroad, I'd have to starting taking English a little more serious. I knew I would have to change for the next year, because I had reached such a bad situation, that I will never want to repeat.

July 2012

I had been living in California about four months. I have to admit that the moment I knew I was gonna live in US I freaked out. My previous year hadn't been that great and I had no idea how things would turn out.
Since I got in SF lots of things changed. One of them, and I guess the first one off top my head, is that people speak in English and it's real. It sounds like the silliest thing in the world, but that's true. If you speak a good English, you technically are able to speak with other people from different countries. That's fantastic!
I decided to learn by listening to musics, watching movies, talking to people. Surprisingly, after few months I was able to speak English!!

December 2012

What else can I want? I speak in English, lived abroad, have read several books in English, have two blogs and a lot else.
When I look back to what happened to me I though if that really had to happen, to change me. I don't know the answer. Maybe. I am sure about one thing, which is everything happens for a reason. Even though you are through a though time, things can and will change.
By the time my grades were as bad as it had never been, I figured I had to focus on changing me and them, instead of wasting my time with regret.
One year after that experience, I can say that things happen with you to make you be a better you. Instead of looking down, I admit I had to change. That's sometimes what needs to happen, admit your situation and focus on changing it for better. You can change anything you want, you just have to will it. ;)

The pain of today might make you smile tomorrow.

Bikes!

Which one is your favorite?!

Saturday: Restaurant

House of Nanking id a chinese restaurant near North Beach. I've eaten there several times and I think it's a great restaurant. Despite the others, they serve great portion of food and it's very tasty.

The place itself is nice too, because there are many tables and it's cozy.

Where is it?
919 Kearny St, San Francisco, CA 94133
(between Jackson and Columbus Ave)

What time?
Monday to Friday 11am-10pm
Saturday 12pm - 10pm
Sunday 12pm-9pm

Well, hope you like!

Little John's Candies!

Hey! Chocolate!

Have you ever heard about Little John's Candies? 

This place opened in SF about a month ago, however, there is another store in LA. I've been there few times and the chocolate is do great. They have so many options, including ones with marshmallow, caramel, ginger and like so on. I've seen there once a slice of orange with halfway of chocolate!!! I've heard it's so great and very unique!

Where is it? 

1422 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

It's between Van Ness Avenue and Polk Street.  Map here

If you wanna see their website: http://www.littlejohnscandies.com/

Hope you can go there and try some of their delicious options!

The Choice!

Every time I pick up some book and start to read it, I hope that after the last word some good message is added to me. I've read many books by Nicholas Sparks and I've got completely involved with all of them. The last one I read is "The Choice"and I was playing until the last word. All the time I thought "Oh, that's the big choice!" another one came up making me realize I was wrong. After words, chapters, pages and tears I got what's the choice.
Even if you have never been through anything similar with the book, which is unlikely, I doubt you wouldn't like this book. It amazed me since the first word!!!
I remember when I took the book, and for the very first hours it was heavier in the right side, because most pages hadn't been turned over yet. And I also remember the last minutes of reading, when there weren't almost any pages left, and the book was heavier in the left side. I guess I kind of like this kind of thing, even though in the beginning I want to read fast to get it over, and in the end I want to slow down and make it last a little more.
I could spend hours writting about how much I like this book as I like Nicholas Sparks, but I don't want it to last longer. Just one last thing. The whole book turns around this question: How far should you go to keep the hope of love alive?
Read the book! It's worth it!

Wine By the Glass!

Wine by the glass sounds perfect on cold days!

There is a place on 374A Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102. It's between Franklin and Gough St map here. It's a good option if you want to drink wine, but don't want to buy the whole bottle. It's a cheap way to try other kinds of wines, and in case you don't like, you wouldn't pay for the whole bottle.

They have a back garden, which is very beautiful!!! There are tables and the place is very calm, which is perfect to relax. If you want, you can grab your glass to the back.

Wine By The Glass is connected with a coffee shop! I've never eaten there, but I have seen many options of bread and groceries. I do think it's a good place to taste good wines and grab a quick snack!

Hours:
Monday: 11am to 7pm
Tuesday - Saturday: 11am to 8pm
Sunday: 12pm to 6pm

More info: www.arlequinwinemerchant.com

Hope you like it!

Friends

All my life, many friends have come in and gone out of it. There are the ones who I haven't talked to for four years or so, there are others who I have seen for eight months. Doesn't matter what was the reason of the drift, all of them has taught me that life is much more funny when you have someone to share things with. They might have brought on some sorrow to your life, but the great moments were worth it! Weren't they?! Believe me, that's what matters! Even though you brought some sorrow onto their lives. You know, anything is everlasting, but if it made you feel good even once, it's worth it!
If I had a chance to live all the experiences again, I guess I wouldn't do that. You might be thinking "isn't it worth it enough to go through again?!" Yes, but life has to go by, and as it does we have to go on, too.
People will go out of your life and then, when it happens you've got to let anothers come in there. Moreover you have to let yourself believe that new good experiences are coming! You have to remember you cannot know how long someone will stay with you, but you cannot use that as an excuse to isolate from others. Moments are much more funny when you have someone beside you. And if someday this one is not there anymore, it's time to let others cheer you up again.
I dare to say it's like a circle that you cannot stop nor predict it.

What do you think!? Have you let people cheer you up lately?!

@sanfranotes

Camera Obscura!

I wrote about Fort Point here and over there, there is a camera obscura! On this post I am explaining why the image turns over!

In the past, the people didn't have cameras to take pictures, so the solution to record things was by drawing!

If you escaped of the physical lessons, don't worry, The first image that I put,  can help you to understand what I'm going to explain. When you're in a room with a small hole, the image gets in, and after that it turns over and ends up upside down!! It is a optical phenomenon and that's exactly what happened on the second pic!

I promised that I had come back to the Fort Point and I'd taken a picture inside the camera obscura! So, the second photo is the Golden Gate Bridge upside down! That experience for me was strange because it looked like a painting in motion! It's unique!

This exhibition in the Fort Point is over, however there is a camera obscura near Cliff House!

Hope you got my explanation! @sanfranotes

Lights!

Have a favorite?! Which one is it!?

@sanfranotes

Restaurant: Saturday!

Beautiful saturday, isn't it?!

The restaurant of today is called Boulettes Larder. It's in Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 94111. It's a nice place, well located and the food is good. 

I had branch over there, and it was really good. 

If you sit outside, you'll have a beautiful view of the Bay Bridge!! I'd say it's a nice place to go on a saturday.

More info: http://www.bouletteslarder.com/

;)

@sanfranotes

Ice Skating!

Hey!
Have you gone to ice skating before?!

In Union Square and near Ferry Building there have had ice skating! I personally have never done that, however I'm so excited to do so.

The pics above are about the prices and sessions of Union Square, but I believe that in Embarcadero the hours and price must be the same.

It's open daily and it's gonna work until January 21st, 2013. So, you have time to enjoy it!!! After a rainy weekend, I think it's fair to relax by going to ice skating ;)

Feel free to write suggestions you have. I'll be glad to read it!

 @sanfranotes