Seattle, WA

Remember a few months ago when I said I wanted to live in San Francisco when I (grow up)?

Well, I'm revising that to......Seattle, WA. (For now. I'm actually pretty sure if I lived there for a full year, I would change my mind...after several consecutive days of rain, I'd call it quits).

However, here's what I loved about Seattle in the few hours I was there:

1. It rained. Yes, laugh. But for a former cold-weather Midwest guy who's lived in Southern California for the last few years, rain was a welcome sight.

2. I caught a fish from the fish-throwing guys!!! Yay!!! Thanks, the group I went with, for allowing me the pleasure of doing that. Selfishly, it was the highlight of my trip, individual-accomplishment wise. The guys showed me how to hold my hands (to the side, so that the fish doesn't hit you right in the chest and dirty your shirt, but more importantly the fish), the guy wound up with a giant halibut-looking fish (I still have no idea what species it was), and launched a direct shot right into my hands. I don't think I could have dropped it if I tried, but it was still fun. A small group of people around the market watching, pressure was on, it was something new for me, and I aced the test. Felt awesome. Fish didn't feel so awesome.

3. Food Tour: OK, there's some GRREEEEAAATTTT food in Seattle. I went on the SavorSeattle foud tour (highly recommended, this is my shout-out to Brett on the SavorSeattle tour, you know what you're doing, man) and loved it. It's a short tour around Pikes Market that doesn't cover a lot of land, but covers some GREAT restaurants. Clam chowder, Polish pastries, salmon, salmon jerky, the best doughnuts you've ever had, crab cake, and cherries + chocolate. Basically the best of everything restaurants offer, and you get to sample some of them. YES. If I ever get to go again, I'm going on that tour.

4. Space Needle: sure, a bit pricey ($18 for an adult ticket), but it's a main tourist attraction, and the view was great. And there's some cool stuff on there, like and I can say I've been on top of the space needle. O yea, cool stuff included interactive program showing all of Seattle's attractions, testimony from different residents in Seattle, etc.

5. Seattle downtown: walkable. Sure, some homeless people asking you for change, some not-so-kind drivers, but that's standard. Nice, quaint, seaside city. I could get used to it.

6. Pacific Ocean: entire city's just resting right next to the Pacific Ocean, which, although is kinda what LA is, is pretty cool.

Just imagine if Seattle was a little sunnier, and its sports teams were a bit better.
Btw, if I haven't emphasized it enough, shout out to the Orcas Island volunteers who went movie on the spring break trip with me this past week. You guys will always be in my thoughts, wherever you are or will end up being. We'll always have that week of March 12-19, 2011. 'Twas awesome.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan