When in Santa Fe…

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Growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I will unabashedly admit to my adolescent disregard of Santa Fe’s unique culture. After moving away, my perspective was radically shifted and I began to appreciate all that Santa Fe has to offer. It also became apparent to me that no one knows what a “frito pie” is, or Zozobra or even adobe! After living there for a good 17 years of my life, I can confidently say that I know my way around and am always glad to offer guidance to those who may be passing through. Santa Fe is one of the most historically and culturally rich cities in the US, making it a popular tourist destination. The predominance of Native American and Hispanic (of Spanish origin who arrived with the conquistadors) culture has shaped Santa Fe, from the cuisine to the traditional adobe/pueblo styled architecture. Santa Fe embraces its heritage through preservation of its authentic style and maintaining traditions. Santa Fe is an art capital within the US alongside some major cities such as New York and L.A.; therefore, Santa Fe attracts artisans, artists, art fanatics and collectors. In fact, Georgia O’Keeffe found inspiration for her paintings from the landscape in Abiquiu, a small town about 45 minutes north of Santa Fe. Continue reading →

Terrible Travel Tales, Part 2

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Alba, Scotland 

Photo Courtesy of Alba De Santiago

The worst hostel in the world is located in Edinburgh. In a shabby building on Prince’s Street, up a interminable flight of stairs is a dirty, drafty, smoky, flea infested place to rest your head for 11GBP per night. My friend Matt and I were traveling around the UK together and arrived at dawn from an overnight bus from London. The friendly tourist agent at the coach station directed us to a nearby hostel and we happily scampered off without asking questions. All hostels are the same, we figured, and by that point in the trip we were well-seasoned backpackers. Or so we thought. We stayed in room H and all the beds in this room had names that began with the letter H. I wish I was making this up, but the name of my bed was “Hell.” That should have been a sign. The bedding clearly had not been changed, the showers were drafty and had only lukewarm water. I got sick from spending too much time in the ashy, smoky, lounge area trying to use the coin operated computers to book a flight to Dublin. There were no lockers, no locks on the door. Twice we caught people fiddling with our bags. Nothing was stolen, but I got to be paranoid enough to sleep with my purse under my pillow. Edinburgh itself is a gorgeous city; we were simply dazzled by the castle, the streets of the old town and the natural surroundings. I would love to return to Scotland, but just not as a poor-as-dirt backpacker. Continue reading →

Terrible Travel Tales

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All of us have experienced that dream vacation that quickly turns into a nightmare. Whether it’s losing your luggage, getting lost in a new city or offending someone inadvertently, these hiccups happen to the best of travelers. Our San Francisco office has compiled a list of their worst travel stories, and we want to share them with you. Enjoy!

Alex, Czech Republic

 Only a real man can pull off sunglasses and a dainty cigarette.

How did I ever catch that plane? I’m sure everyone asked that. But then, why put a freshly-minted 19-year-old in charge of anything? We had stayed up till 5 the night before spending the last of our kroner at the basement bar. Chris and I unknowingly split a pack of Moons (the Czech version of Capris) and, armed with our dainty smokes and discounted bottle of something local and astringent, carried on in the alley till dawn. We retired shortly after. We all had places to be. Three hours late to wake up and with a plane in an hour and a half, I sprinted through my formative hangover to sound the alarm for anyone who decided to rely on me. People a decade my senior leapt balletically through their hostel doors, hurriedly jamming their things into suitcases, cursing, moaning, some drooling just a bit. Quick goodbyes happened before leaping onto the bus with my over-weighted luggage (who doesn’t need an entire sound system for a one month trip) and an anxious bus ride to the far-off airport on the edge of town. Somehow, struggling with a 70-pound suitcase with broken wheels, I made it to the gate, sweating out whatever remained of last night’s drink that hadn’t been digested yet.“Sir. Have you been drinking?”“No!” I insisted “I mean, not since I woke up!”But it was a Czech airport, at six in the morning, with a prop plane full of Chinese tourists catching a connection somewhere. Dawn was breaking and no one was truly awake. Continue reading →

Sweep LA!

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“BEAT LA!” This cheer demonstrates the great rivalry between the SF Giants and the LA Dodgers, one that is commonly seen around my office and the city. Since I am new to San Francisco, this rivalry is new to me—even professional baseball is new to me. Despite the fact that my office is located near AT&T Park, I had never thought of going to watch a baseball game. I prefer Korean soccer and I felt that baseball was none of my business. Honestly, the only reason that I supported the Dodgers and attended the game was to see the Korean pitcher, Ryu, who plays for the Dodgers. He is a rookie on the team, which was expected to defeat the Giants—at least I really hoped so. However, the Giants destroyed my hopes, and in time all the things about the Giants made me shout “SWEEP LA!” in the end. What happened to me? Please keep on reading to find out.

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My Impression of Architecture in San Francisco and Differences to Japan

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Hello, I’m Maki Dan. In Japan, I’m studying architecture and majoring in structural engineering and disaster prevention, especially for earthquakes. Right now I’m in San Francisco, working at Wcities as an editorial intern for one month. Although I am in San Francisco for a very short time, I’ve experienced a lot and have seen many beautiful buildings. I’d like to write about buildings in San Francisco and their differences to Japanese buildings, based on my feelings and knowledge about architecture. In addition, I’d like to write about some of my experiences here.

City level

urban design

This is a view from Coit Tower. San Francisco’s urban design is grid pattern. This kind of grid design can also be seen in many other cities in the United States. In Japan, we also have a city which has a grid pattern, Kyoto. In Japanese, Kyoto is translated as “Goban-No-Me”, which means Go equipment (Go is a popular board game mainly played in Asia). I have been to Kyoto once, and I found that both Kyoto and San Francisco have some similarities. Continue reading →