I know, I’m technologically inept. But I accept this. Please join me at a blog that I can navigate and use properly.

Decided to take a trip to the good ol’ IKEA today, but first my Dad thought it would be a good idea if we tried out Wal Mart first.  So what happened is that my father in all of his wisdom gave me the address for the headquarters of the online store… *face palm*  And this is how we ended up in Brisbane, a small town that built its fortune atop hills on top of hills, where we had some decent Chinese food (not pictured).

And then it was off to IKEA!  We had to cross the Bay Bridge, which is a multi-level 5 mile bridge to get to Oakland.  Kids, that’s 5 freaking miles, or for you Canadians a little over 3 km 8 km (I know, fail).  IKEA was, as always, enticing but I left without purchasing anything.  Next on the list was a trip to UC Berkley.. without a map or address.  Getting there was a useless muddle of GPS and turn around after turn around, but after stopping twice to find a map and getting directions from two different people we made it.  Oh boy, I can’t believe I forgot to take pictures of the campus, but unfortunately the visit was composed of only a brisk walk around a small portion of the campus so pictures didn’t quite cross my mind.  The university has an old feel to it.  Not in the pretty brick and ivy covered building kind of way, but a Greecian grand-steps-leading-to-a-portico-entrance kind of old.  These buildings were massive.  I consider buildings at UBC to be big with their many stories covering a couple of blocks, but these buildings were so big that they felt intimidating in size.

For dinner my Dad took me to Pier 39 (at Fisherman’s Wharf).  We ate at Pompeii’s Grotto, a seafood restaurant that one of my guide books recommended.  I tried to be adventurous and order fish since, well when in Rome…  Not one of my best ideas =(  I think if I’d just gone with something that I traditionally know I enjoy I could give the restaurant a decent rating.  But based on the filet of sole with a side of potatoes and zucchini I was not impressed.

Tomorrow’s my last day of being chauffeured by Daddy, and then it’s first day of work on Monday!  Excited?  maybe.

p.s.  How the heck do I show photos one at a time, larger, and where I want to put them??  I’m stuck in “gallery” viewing =(

Did some menial but important errands – got a cell phone, bank account, saw my work place (UCSF Mission Bay campus), checked into the hotel.  Then did some not so errand-y tasks, but still very much on the go – went to Chinatown, which was so intense.  It’s sortof like the Vancouver one but much older, larger, and jam-packed.  Of course my Dad and I had a quick lunch/snack there.  Later I checked out a potential place to live (it was on top of the freeway bleh), and then finally sat down after a long day at this great little Italian restaurant, Aperto.  I had a very rich but delicious butternut squash ravioli with a walnut sauce.

Hopefully the apartment search goes better on Saturday, but tomorrow I’m off to IKEA.