4/30 - Am I Done?

Some days are more exciting than others. Book illustrations are nearing completion!

More table tennis was played tonight, after dumplings, of course.

4/29 - Uncle and Auntie Being Cute

Pre-birthday birthday dinner with the table tennis friends for my uncle. Chinese dinners, which are already not to be underestimated, seem extra super-sized in Texas. I don't generally seek out Chinese food (spoiled by home cooking), but I wouldn't have guessed Houston would be where I eat so much of it.

4/28 - Leaving My Shell

Back at the Handbuilt show, I met Fritz when he was taking photos of my Vespa. He invited me to dinner with his Tuesday night Euro rider group. It was a chilly night for Houston, but I always feel better after a ride, and had a great night hanging out with these guys!

4/27 - A Yue Clearlake Tradition

As a kid, after dinner we would go for a drive around Clearlake and count how many deer were on campus. Tonight, after all-you-can-eat-shrimp at Bubba's (holy shit, Texas) we counted nearly 30. Before this trip, sighting wildlife at all was a rare and fleeting thing – bears, deer, rabbits. After sharing my campground with coyotes, it feels almost natural.

California One. Jan 24 - Feb 17, 2015.

Welcome to the last installment of the Bay Area posts. In total, I will have been bouncing around this motorcycle paradise for about five (5!) months.

I recall the locals referring to 'a storm' one evening, in California winter. The air was buzzing with a need to buy milk and bread. Riders hustled to park their scooters in the lee of cars.

In the end, I think it was kind of windy and it rained a bit, but several places throughout the city lost power. How cute, California, I thought in contrast to the nor'easters of uh... the North East. I guess I better go before I get soft, as they say.

4/26 - Crawfish Keeps Giving

It's crawfish season, and our little Houston family had a boil at home. Today being Sunday, the leftovers made for a lovely brunch omelette with some spinach and bell peppers.

My uncle remarked, "It's made with egg whites? So healthy. What happened to the yolks?"

Auntie: "Pudding."

Priorities here.

Vespas in Fog City. Jan 4 - 23, 2015.

Day ride to Point Reyes Station on a borrowed Bonneville.

Mostly local riding for this portion again, just bouncing around San Francisco. Actually, this month probably saw the least riding of my own bike – it was in the Vespa SF shop for the shorter end of an eternity. I was riding everyone else's bike, including a branded Boomchickapop Vespa for a few days! Paid to ride, the hours of grinning come free!

4/25 - Larger Than BBQ Appears

There's so much BBQ it won't fit in the frame. It's beefy.

4/24 - Production Mode

I am a machine (sometimes).

4/23 - Wonton and Ping Pong Night

In what may be the most Asian thing I've done in a while, I followed my uncle and aunt to play table tennis with their usual Thursday night crew, after a dinner of dumplings. I haven't played since middle school!

4/22 - Wednesday

Moving along.

I had a Black Books kind of moment, when I decided I needed to leave the house and scoot for a bit (always a mood booster) but didn't know where to go. I ended up at the nearest pub. And kept drawing.

4/21 - Moto Movie Night

The reason the US is either awesome, or like a stoned kid: the mixing of cultures means you get meals along the lines of spaghetti, fried in Chinese noodle style with mushrooms and chicken, combined with some leftover BBQ. Top with Sriracha (optional). Meanwhile, my uncle was dining on Korean ramen with German sausages. Hey, mix it up and see what works.

I've been enjoying a documentary Chris and Mike recommended back in Tuscon, called Somehwere Else Tomorrow - 2 Wheels - 1 World - 0 Money. Daniel's approach to travel resonates with me, from the not-a-phase approach to his general goal in worldwide travel. Also, it included Ted Simon amongst its interviewees, which reminded me I want to read his books. In the search, I found a lovely quote from him:

People who thought of my journey as a physical ordeal or an act of courage... missed the point. Courage and physical endurance were no more than useful items of equipment for me, like facility with languages or immunity to hepatitis. The goal was comprehension, and the only way to comprehend the world was by making myself vulnerable to it so that it could change me. The challenge was to lay myself open to everybody and everything that came my way. The prize was to change and grow big enough to feel one with the whole world.

In a small way, I want to think this is where I start.

4/20 - Scooter Sweatin

Getting stuff done, and making an effort to stay in shape.

Deck The Halls With Gasoline. Dec 7, 2014 - Jan 3, 2015.

I gave up tracking routes because I rode them so much.
The only one here is the group ride with Vespa SF.

Apologies in advance; this post doesn't have much in the way of travel. My holiday months in the Bay would be mostly work, hanging out with family, friends, and food. Not that it's a bad thing, just a warning that there will be food porn close ups.

4/19 - Briny Happy Hour

Growing up, every time I visited my uncle and aunt in Houston we would take a trip to Galveston. Wandering the familiar-yet-not-familiar streets, I'm reminded why I'm so fond of them – they're a laid back couple, active socially and physically, and (like a good Chinese) enjoy a love of food.

Especially my aunt, who has an appetite for spicy food, drinks, and oysters to match my own.

4/18 - Ultimate Comfort Food

Dinner with Chinese neighborhood friends, and I was greeted with an unexpected joy: the sweetest, smoothest, tastiest homemade congee. A commonplace rice porridge dish, this one was flavored with conch, scallop, abalone, chicken, and memories of a home I don't have. It wrapped me like a hug (and I swear it expands in the stomach). I can't get this at a restaurant, and I can't make it this good myself.

4/17 - Timing is Everything

190 miles.

Farewell hugs with Jake and Dani and new friends over Bacon brunch. This town seems to have 2.2 food trucks, craft cocktail bars, BBQ joints, and fusion restaurants for every city resident. It was hard to leave, but it's only a day's ride away...I'm planning my return already.

Besides, it's great seeing my uncle and aunt in Houston again! I managed to roll in right before a violent storm felled trees and caused flooding. Whew.

4/16 - Working in Austin

Amazingly, timing worked out as far as word from the editors. It's nose to the grindstone soon, just in time to go to Houston.

4/15 - Hanging Out

New rear tire (shipped courtesy of Vespa SF, thank you!) went on today while I entertained myself browsing the cool bikes at AF1 Racing. They also topped off the oil, filled the gas tank, and cleaned my bike. Is everyone so friendly around here? So much thanks! So shiny!

Jack is back on the road today, after a farewell luncheon with many Austin friends. Before he took off for cool future places, I followed him to the East Side Trails for crazy flying bikes.

4/14 - Travelers of Mount Bonnell

I followed Jack for a sunset ride to Mount Bonnell and Barton Springs. He's a traveller like me, but has been waylaid in Austin for months healing from a BMX injury. We met two other travelers and watched the sunset together.

I'm a bit sunburnt.

4/13 - Undoing the Wall

I stuck around to lend a hand breaking down the Wall of Death. There were many hands helping, but it was pretty amazing to get to see the whole thing deconstruct and fit onto the bed of a truck.

Jack and I met up later to see the swarming bats of Congress St!