tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40202900702852894822011-07-28T23:19:34.378-07:00and things that bring hope and joy.G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.comBlogger191100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-25681694426666464942009-07-06T07:00:00.000-07:002009-07-06T07:42:12.569-07:00

1. Walk from Place des Voges to Centre Pompidou for shopping, art galleries et les boulangeries. Stop at Musée Carnavalet for a step into the history of Paris or Musée Picasso, because what's a trip to any European city without a visit to the local Picasso Museum? Catch a panorama of the Parisian skyline from the escalators at Centre Pompidou.2. Eat at L'As du Falafel, 34 rue des Rosiers, St.

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-2027518476478705322009-06-29T00:00:00.000-07:002009-06-29T22:05:35.481-07:00

Recently, I've been asked more than once for advice on traveling abroad. What cities, or even countries do I recommend visiting? How should one convert currency? How can you have a great experience for an affordable price?I secretly love being asked because it gives me an excuse to disembark on a mental vacation. Except that I don't consider real travel a vacation at all. When I think "vacation,"

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-76133436100864953752009-05-12T22:40:00.000-07:002009-05-13T00:02:44.141-07:00

Things have been quiet here at Dine and Travel, but this is certainly not an abandoned blog! Trust me, I spend plenty of time daydreaming about all of the things I would love to write about if I didn't have quantitative strategies running through my head day and night. I've been hitting the books studying for a pesky standardized test to get into grad school, but soon you'll be hearing from me

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-2578819078175464202009-03-05T18:42:00.000-08:002009-03-26T22:54:32.417-07:00

Having gotten a little behind in my reading, I recently parked myself on our living room couch with a stack of magazines close by. I've been eyeing the stack longingly for months now, and it grows weekly.I've been known to read summer vacation issues in December and Thanksgiving issues in February, but since we've been having such beautiful, Southern California weather (and a time change), I was

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-42872562678333722342009-02-08T21:29:00.001-08:002009-02-16T21:45:46.513-08:00

I wanted to attend the 2009 presidential inauguration, not just because of the historical significance of inaugurating the first African American man to our nation's highest office, but because I felt that this was an incredible opportunity to witness the United States at its very best. I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to be in Washington, D.C. with two million Americans who were coming

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-83611330659738396902009-01-25T13:18:00.001-08:002009-01-25T14:10:04.867-08:00

Last Tuesday, millions of Americans came together to bear witness to one of the most profound moments in our nation's history. I was lucky enough to be a part of this crowd, which was made up of people from every state, background, race and even every political stripe. I haven't yet had time to write about the experience, but here are some photos to whet your appetite. There will be more to

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-67545847447360608892008-12-31T18:02:00.001-08:002009-01-02T23:41:48.417-08:00

This morning on the way to work, a very angry driver in a white construction material-loaded pickup truck nearly ran me out of my lane on the 91 freeway. I'm one to stay away from drivers with road rage, but this time there was no escaping Mr. Shiny White Truck as he erratically veered around me (missing me by inches), flew across two lanes to the left and then back in front of me before slamming

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-83134506372768637552008-12-14T22:30:00.000-08:002008-12-22T23:01:28.883-08:00

Christmas is only two days away, and most of the country is in a deep-freeze. I think it's about time to share some secrets to staying warm around the holidays, inside and out. Following are my top-three ways to cut the chill. I would love to hear what you like to do to stay toasty and spirited when it gets cold outside.Hot chocolate. Anyone who knows me at all knows that I love to savor good

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-76972916533304614892008-10-29T21:35:00.000-07:002008-10-29T23:34:02.865-07:00

Fall is by far my favorite time of year. In fact, this past July, when my activities consisted of barbecues, picnics, beach days and fireworks, I secretly wished that I was curled up by the (environmentally incorrect) fireplace, sipping hot tea and planning my holiday baking schedule.I waited patiently for months for fall to arrive, swearing off sunburns with SPF 40 and praying that it would not

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-58056652314954666172008-10-14T20:53:00.000-07:002008-10-26T20:13:00.339-07:00

One evening, shortly after my arrival in Paris, my French host mother jovially broke out in song at the dinner table. "I'll bet your family in California never sings at dinner," Mme. Benichou gushed after finishing her ditty. Oh, if only she knew.I was five years old when I was first exposed to Stephen Schwartz. It was 1989. My mother had a perm and I was likely dressed in neon colors. It was May

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-76106408402585483782008-10-05T11:35:00.000-07:002008-11-02T22:28:36.215-08:00

Last week, I failed to mention that one of my very favorite things to do is spend a Sunday in Seattle poking around the Fremont Market. Would you believe that, the other day, the stars aligned and I was able to do just that with one of my very favorite people, my friend Alison?It was a gorgeous day and everyone knew it. The Burke-Gilman Trail was teeming with bikers, rollerbladers, dog-walkers,

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-81429921410684335852008-09-23T23:13:00.000-07:002008-09-24T23:40:03.194-07:00

A lot has happened in these last few weeks. Boy, is it ever easy to go on an angry tirade (maybe mixed with a little despair) about everything that is going wrong and how it has gotten this way. I think, however, that the right thing to do is usually harder to do, and that means acknowledging the things in life that actually make one happy.I say this for a number of reasons, but for two most of

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-38211408055703834172008-09-09T23:17:00.000-07:002008-09-15T00:24:25.795-07:00

My grandma, whom I call 'Seilla, was the first to teach me how to cook. I remember nights in Downey, standing on a step stool in the kitchen "helping" to cook dinner after gymnastics class. I remember reading the recipe for chocolate chip cookies off the Nestle Morsels bag, sifting flour, salt and baking soda through the sifter, and using half butter, half Crisco to make the cookies soft and

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-8495627862784931242008-08-05T18:47:00.000-07:002008-08-20T21:31:13.505-07:00

I've been thinking about cobbler for a very long time. Mixed berry cobbler, to be exact. This, like my delight with oysters, can be blamed on Seattle. Something about all those fresh, raw ingredients, so many flavors just waiting to be savored. Wild berries of all shapes, sizes and colors grow abundantly in the Pacific Northwest, which is why I grew fond of berry cobbler living there.My friend

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-62050780322160941702008-07-28T22:38:00.000-07:002008-12-09T10:25:57.783-08:00

There is nothing like a Seattle summer. It's the best-kept secret about the Emerald City, if you ask me. Spring creeps up after winter slowly, teasing the soggy soil, the seagulls and those who frequent the city's lush outdoor markets with spots of sunshine and temperatures that could almost be considered warm. But summer arrives suddenly, brazenly, warming every corner of the

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-35503925647926774862008-06-01T19:15:00.000-07:002008-12-09T10:25:58.161-08:00

My brother and I had the most delicious lunch this afternoon in Belmont Shore. A few weeks ago I noticed that Steak-O-Rama, on the corner of Second Street and Nieto, had closed and the empty eatery was dressed with a sign saying “Open Sesame, Coming Soon!” As sad as we were to lose the “Best Steak Value in Town” (Okay, actually we were relieved. Would you trust the beef served at a place

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-50180428449697206962008-05-09T11:29:00.000-07:002008-12-09T10:25:58.510-08:00

It's horse season again! Two weeks ago, we saw the Kentucky Derby and the Rolex Three-Day Event and Saturday will be the Preakness. We can't turn on the TV without a deluge of commercials for the racetracks at Hollywood Park, Los Alamitos and Del Mar. No wonder I have equines on my mind these days. Okay, I'll confess that I think about horses more than the average person but here is why horses

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-56312412769709000962008-04-23T16:29:00.000-07:002008-08-20T21:24:10.777-07:00

The other day, I got to spend the day in one of my favorite ways: wandering the many rooms of an art museum. Not just any art museum, but LA’s J. Paul Getty Museum, which is perched in the hills off the 405 overlooking a spectacular view of Los Angeles and Southern California’s rugged landscape and coastline.LA and Orange County offer more than enough tourist attractions to keep visitors busy

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020290070285289482.post-42261697630983174122008-04-15T17:11:00.000-07:002008-08-20T21:20:51.147-07:00

I am a huge fan of sushi. There is something delightfully satisfying about wrapping your mouth around an uncomfortably large piece of raw fish stretched across rice, seaweed, carrot, avocado, cucumber, crab and any other vitamin-rich, low-fat piece of vegetable, mineral or animal that can be crammed into a roll. Friends and family alike have learned that conversation pauses after I take a bite

G. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797486602119330223noreply@blogger.com3