went to Sebo out at Hayes Valley with my former co-worker friend who saw this place featured on Anthony Bourdain’s show. the place has a very hip feel to it.  it’s dim without being too dark.  it reminds me of some of the izakaya joints i’ve been to in Tokyo.  the menu is pretty simple.  about 20 types of nigiri sushi, half a dozen rolls, and a few miscellaneous items.  the miso soup was very nice, and you can tell the bonito broth is made from fresh stock (as opposed to using a season mix, which i suspect a lot of restaurants use).  the sushi was very fresh, and was quite good.  the staff was very friendly and attentive.  sushi is sold per piece, which I’ve been told is a no-no in sushi etiquette. nigiri sushi is supposed to be served in pairs. i forget if it’s because pairs are viewed as lucky, or if it was because sushi was meant to be shared.  my only gripe is that this place is quite expensive.  each piece was around $5, with a few items at $4 and some as high as $12.  the cured mackerel was very good and the mirugai was excellent.  there was a cockle that i enjoyed a lot as well as the hokkaido uni. we drank two bottles of sake, and as an accompanying snack, they served us deep fried fish bones, which was EXCELLENT.  it was almost like eating crispy bacon. the price however will probably keep me away, as i feel zushi puzzle is better and cheaper, albeit without the “hip” ambiance.  most of the time though, for me, it’s all about the food.
 

funny how the less you HAVE to do, the less you WANT to do…as is the case with cutting my hair.  i’ve always been pretty diligent about cutting my hair, but the laziness let me go a few weeks overdue.  so what did i notice with my new mop of hair….an explosion of white …ok explosion is a bit dramatic…i had a cluster of about 5 on the side and my first white hair in the frontal hemisphere… which i promptly took care of with the tweezers.  jeez, need to make sure to keep my hair trimmed!!

Today was my last day at GuardianEdge/Symantec.  It was rather uneventful as most of my friends from work have either departed earlier than me, or were on vacation. I’ve had a good run here, and for the most part I felt important and appreciated which was definitely nice. I am sad to leave, and I felt the same way the last time a little over 3 years ago, when I helped get my previous company sold. It’s ironic that a major part of why I am hired in the first place is to get the company sold, something I enjoy doing, and I have been rewarded nicely each time, but I always hate the separation aspect.  Once again I start anew, but unlike last time, I don’t know what I want or what I should (or need) to do.  I have an incredible feeling of melancholy…  I wonder where fate will lead me next…

since i had a lot of free time, i took the opportunity to take a quick trip to scandinavia.  most of my time would be spent in denmark, with a side trip to sweden.  the copenhagen jazz festival, which was a 10 day event was going on right when i was traveling, so that was my excuse to visit this part of the world.  i spent 8 relaxing days in a beautiful seaside town, spent a lot of times looking at castles, museums, parks, and enjoyed the wonderful international jazz music scene.

copenhagen airport, where you can get a hotdog, and a shot of jager…

so beer is the drink of choice here.  akvavit (water of life) which is basically flavored vodka, is the popular spirit, however, its quite pricey vs grabbing a 6 pack, and taking a stroll with it (drinking in public is a norm).

view from my hotel room

Rick Steve’s went to a restaurant to try out Denmark’s famous Smørrebrød’s (open face sandwhich) which is generally made with pickled fish (other meats are available as well).  i had tried several types of fish, and i can say i gave it a pretty fair try.  i can also say that i don’t like it.

Rosenborg Castle, in Rosenborg Park

had lunch at a sidewalk cafe near the national museum

a great way to see the sites in copenhagen is to take a canal tour

these two were wearing matching garbage bags to not get sprinkled on…

Our Savior’s Church in Christiania (i would climb the outside staircase another day)

danish graffiti…

so i made my way to Our Saviro’s Church in Christiania and this is a picture of the bell from inside

higher up, is this window…

outside now, and the view is pretty magnificent.

over 400 steps to get to the top, quite a nice hike

had dinner at this cool little restaurant owned by a Canadian…

spent some time along the waterfront… saw lots very cool old sail boats…

went to a really nice church

Copenhagen is full of very cool statues, lots of them…

not sure who this is, it’s either Hera or Nike…

this valkyrie had me humming Wagner’s tune …it was nice, but nothing special

was a bit disappointed at the botanical garden…

went to go watch the Spain – Germany semi-final game at a Spanish tapas restaurant.  most places in Copenhagen have both English and Danish….this place had Danish and Spanish….fortunately the few words i do remember from my 4 years of high school Spanish relate to food

took the train about 40 minutes north to Hellsinger where the famous Kronborg castle is.  This is known as the castle that the story of Hamlet took place in.

apparently this guy is a famous Danish icon…

the chapel inside the castle

some ivory statue with Poseidon on top.  the Danes are really big on Poseidon due to their seafaring history

on my way home, i stumbled across a Danish-Thai-Italian restaurant…..i decided not to try it…

instead i went to a sidewalk cafe and had a large beer and a burger

i stayed away from the Chinese restaurants as well…

the best museum was probably the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (owned and paid for by the beer maker)  hint:  free on sundays.

Perseus slays Medusa..

Medusa’s not too happy…

this statue is quite interesting…

the inside garden is quite impressive

enter the Egyptian art exhibit…

i’m pretty sure that picture was drawn on later…

back to Roman stuff…

the Van Gogh exhibit…

yet another church, this one with a roman style..

so the Dane’s are REALLY F*ing TALL!!!

a quick trip to Sweden

apparently there are places in Sweden where holding hands is not permitted!

Bastard….

what better way to end my trip to Sweden than with a Swedish beer…

final thoughts:  i am all castle’d/museum’d/park’d out!!  depending on whether or not i have a job in the coming weeks, i will either start work, or maybe travel some more….

first day at the new j.o.b. tomorrow….sigh…..i am SO NOT ready to get back into the grind…..

took a quick trip to Toronto at the request of a friend.  it’s been about 8 years since my first and last time to TO, and i’m very glad i returned.  i didn’t do a whole lot.  i didn’t get a chance to go to any museums.  i didn’t have time to spend at La Casa Del Habano and enjoy a Siglo IV.  i didn’t get to go to every restaurant i wanted to go to (but did get to try some new places).  what i did have, was some great company.  i’m glad that friendships that were created long ago, that have been poorly nourished, can still flourish.  i’ve always been one to feed off the positive energy of the people around me, and seeing that i was able to help create some smiles, has been really good for my soul.

i didn’t take too many pictures, because i kept forgetting to take my camera with me.  the only pictures i took were from this awesome Japanese restaurant called JapanGo, on Elizabeth and Dundas.  18 seats.  cozy.  homely.  authentic Japanese.  jazz playing in the background.  i love this place.  is it Zushi Puzzle? NO.  if this place was in the Bay Area, would i be there all the time? YES.  here’s a few pics from my ‘berry.

aji, hamachi, sake

zaru soba with a quail egg

live scallop
 
o-toro

asahi black.

for some reason, we have a blacksmith hammer at my office…..we make software….so there should not be a reason to have a blacksmith hammer….its like an 18inch sledge hammer…..and I found it….mini sledge hammer in my possession….this can not be good…..

Pending a few terms and conditions, the deal could officially close in 30 days.  We get to enjoy our “signage” for about a month.  This is a long time coming, and bitter sweet.  I have finally completed my objective here, and will be time to move on soon.  I’m 2 for 2, and hoping to make it 3 for 3 with the next gig.  My next step will be 1 of the following 3 scenarios:

#1  join the company that has already offered me a job (assuming they can wait for me to complete my retention period at SYMC) and start shaping up their Ukrainian shops, while possibly opening up new shops in Asia and Europe.

#2 stay with SYMC for a bit until I’m sick of it, and quit

#3 leave after retention, and take a 6 months to 1 year sabbatical, travel, see new places, revisit old ones.
—

#3 sounds awfully nice, don’t it???