The morning drive to the airport is filled with the crackle of the A.M. radio station as it shares the World Cup Brazil vs. Netherlands game. My girlfriend realizes about 20 minutes from the airport that she has left her bag that contains her passport on the table at home and we return for it and to gas up their car. The traffic is getting thicker as we make our second attempt northward toward the San Francisco airport, but we make good time and arrive with plenty to spare not long after Brazil scores a goal on themselves. We've unloaded the car and said our goodbyes and well-wishes and now it's time to brave the traffic southward yet again.
By the way, I haven't driven in over three years.
I made it back to San Jose in one piece and set off into downtown. I walk a bit along the Guadalupe River Trail until I hit Santa Clara and head into downtown proper to find the transit authority's sales building. I'm not prepared with sunblock but I've armed myself with a scarf to keep over my shoulders; it doesn't do much for my nose. Downtown is bustling with a myriad of people on this fine Friday morning--even the pan-handler is rather well-dressed. I spot San Paseo square but I don't see any market booths; maybe it's further in?
The lady at the transit authority is beyond helpful, arming me with a system map as well as literature on the Highway 17 Express to Santa Cruz, the MST 55 to Monterey, and a set of CalTrain schedules. I start my hike along First, heading South again, with the intention of finding the Visitor's Center. I stop in to The Tech and get some information about their hours and the Genghis Khan exhibit; it seems they're also showing Eclipse in the IMAX.
The Visitor's Center doesn't exist any longer and is instead replaced by information kiosks with pamphlets and advertisements. It's a fairly recent change as a number of individuals had lead me to this location, but there's not much that can be done. A print version of the San Jose Visitor's Guide is available, as well as a similar guide with museums and local events for the month. I also grab a map of public art displays and one that claims it is a walking map but is no different than any other I've seen so far. There are some advertisements for a few restaurants and for a local comedy club as well. I start the march back north.
A monthly "flash pass" in hand, I can now ride the transit system. I walk back toward San Paseo square and still can not find any Farmer's Market; a quick Google search tells me that it has been canceled due to the holiday. Phooey. VTA has some presence on Google Maps and I manage to find a bus route up to the Target my girlfriend had pointed out to me the day before. It's a 'short bus' and I feel it's rather fitting considering the quality of the transit system so far.
PetSmart provides me with an undercoat comb and toy for my fur-niece and fur-nephew and Target provides me with everything else; I make sure to pick up sunscreen. 9.25% sales tax is going to kill me; we don't have any in Oregon and having to mentally tack it on in order to determine true cost is getting annoying. I also don't understand this "cash refund" for pop bottles here. It's a flat $0.05 in Oregon and here I guess they aren't certain what the deposit is.
The teller at the Starbucks in Target provides me with an instant-use "treat receipt" and I enjoy my cheap Blended Strawberry Lemonade as I head back downtown. On arriving home, I finish up the leftover Sesame Chicken from Taiwan the night before and settle down to do some more research. It seems that South First Friday has also been canceled due to the holiday and the Computer History Museum is closed for renovations this month. Phooey and double-phooey. San Jose also doesn't have any celebrations of their own for Independence Day, unless you want to pay money to listen to country music all night. As much as I don't dislike country music, I'd rather not.
It's a bit after 4p and I head back into downtown to find the Downtown Association's office in order to obtain a Discover Downtown card for some discounts at shops and restaurants during my visit. I'm not terribly surprised to discover that they've closed early for the holiday as well; it'll have to wait until Tuesday (I'm also going to assume they're observing the holiday on Monday).
Well, it's Happy Hour time, so what's first? I've heard glowing reviews of E&O Trading Company and they're just down the street, so here we go. It's just before 5p when I step inside. Fairly dark, like most bars, the hostess tells me to take a seat wherever I'd like and I grab a small table in the back as it's not terribly busy. That state doesn't last long and by the time I'm ready to leave, a small group of three is ready to steal my table.
I consider attending a comedy club for the night but decide that homework is a better idea and head back after hitting up Zanotto's for some pesto salad for later that night.
Homework is done in a tipsy state while World of Warcraft begins loading on my girlfriend's PC; my laptop is pretty much dead. Going to bed at 10p? Man, my sleep schedule is screwy.
Reviews
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Taiwan RestaurantChinese
$$
My girlfriend brought me here the night before. They were beyond busy so we had to wait for a while, but the food was worth it. The General( Tsao)'s Chicken had a bit of a kick to it, but nothing my virgin tastebuds couldn't handle. The Sesame Chicken was not nearly as sweet as some I've had and quite good, as was the Honey Walnut Chicken; I wish there had been leftovers of *that* the next day but it was finished quick. We had white rice on the side and I enjoyed a Mandarin Orange Asian Vodka Martini which was quite tasty. My girlfriend covered the tab so I'm not sure of total cost, but the menu prices alone place it at equivalent to a normal Chinese restaurant. Parking was a pain and the mirrors on the back wall make the place look much larger than it is; an interesting trick but it explains why looking there made me feel a bit dizzy since I was actually seeing double.
E&O Trading CompanyAsian Fusion
These guys have received some rave reviews and I can understand why. The interior is clean, albeit dark. Two televisions were showing sports, one aimed at Baseball and the other a mix. The bartender was friendly if distant and answered my inquiry about the result of the World Cup game that morning. He suggested their house favourite, the Mango Vanilla Mojito. I'm not a huge fan of mojitos in general or mango for that matter, but this blend was quite intriguing and different. I don't know that I'd order another in the future given the chance, but it was definitely worth trying once, especially for a Well drink. The Lanai Cocktail was amazing, rimmed with brown sugar for an extra sip of sweet. To finish up, I enjoyed a glass of their house-made Lemonade and it was almost perfect.
The Chicken Satay was three skewers of grilled chicken breast and a lightly-spice peanut sauce while the Three-Seeded Naan was a bit more salty than normal--that isn't a bad thing! The sauces it came with reminded me of something sour-cream related and a tomato-based sauce with a kick to it; I didn't care for either myself and just enjoyed the naan plain. Both appetizers were $3 each, the two wells were $5 each, and the lemonade was another $3.
Service was friendly overall though it took a while to receive attention after my first drink. After around 6p the place became pretty well packed; their Happy Hour goes until 7p. Other local happy hours are going to have a lot to live up to.
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