Bay Area ho

Baby Crumpet took us to Menlo Park, CA for her great-grandma Dot's 90th birthday party + her twin uncles' 65th birthday party. Lots of playing with cousins & eating cakes en sue.

Visited our good friends Sona & Paul & their lovely daughter Sharika (pictured with Crumpet). Sona's mother was visiting from Minnesota. She was originally from Kashmir so she told us many wonderful stories - here is one of my favorite: while shopping in Delhi she overhears a shopkeeper overcharge people while conversing in Kashmiri, thinking the hindu speaking crowd does not understand. She chides them in kashmiri, at which point the shopkeer exclaims ''my sister! if you had only told me sooner you were here! come in! come in! look around my shop! tell me what you like and I will give you the best deal! here, have some tea.'' an hour later Sona's mom leaves the shop with a couple items purchased. The moral of the story? The shopkeeper turned an embarassing situation into a sales opportunity. Genius.

Walked around Burlingame Ave which was my old high school hang out. I barely recognize it. Gone are the old jewish restaurants & cheap-o delis. In are trendy middle-east grills & upscale baby boutiques where dresses for girls cost upward to $475. Oh and we saw a Lamborghini, a Ferrari and a few Porches. Stumbled onto a farmers' market, laughed at all the people wearing parkas & sweaters (seriously, it was 65 degrees, people in Seattle would be wearing shorts). LOVED the food vendors especially the guy with the garlic-mint humus & mexican soda.

One of grandma's friend Maggie tells me of a new Shanghai restaurant on 25th ave in San Mateo. I try in vain but could not convince anyone to go with me - next time....