We depart John Wayne Airport for our business and pleasure trip to San Jose.  Bella has a student competing in a music competition.  Upon arrival we pick up our rental car at Dollar Rental.  We opt for the “long-legged friendly” late model Chevy Malibu before driving to an Asian plaza in Cupertino.  After “sniffing” about the plazas’ various restaurants we select Tainan Cafe (A: 10825 North Wolfe Rd., #220, Cupertino, CA  95014.  P: 408-446-9488.  W: tainancafe.com).

We dine on items such as: hollow heart green veggie, beef chow fun, steamed pork soup dumplings, papaya shake.  The food is good and the “pa-poop-ea” shake is very smelly and tasty.  Many people can’t stand the smell of fresh papaya but the smellier it is the tastier it is.  After lunch we drop by Sheng Kee Bakery & Café (A: 10961 N. Wolfe Rd., Cupertino, CA  95014.  P: 408-865-6000.  W: shengkee.com) to buy taro mochi cakes.  This dessert is hard to come by in the States so we take advantage of purchasing it whenever we happen to find it.  We’ve had theirs before and it is reliable with a moderate sweetness.  It is a pretty sweaty day so we stop at Ten Ren Tea Co., Ltd. (A: 10881 N. Wolfe Rd., Cupertino, CA  95014.  P: 408-873-2038.  W: tenren.com) for an iced tea drink.

Afterwards we check in at The Fairmont San Jose (A: 170 S. Market St., San Jose, CA  95113.  P: 866-540-4493.  W: Fairmont.com) where we were able to obtain a remarkable rate for this four star hotel.  Soon after I drop Bella off at a piano store where she will be preparing her student for the competition.

Fairmont: Room with a View

Fairmont: Room

I drop the car off with the valet, grab my backpack from the room and walk through the downtown streets.  Post lunch my belt burst free due to bodacious belly ripples in the vein of the Michelin Man.  Thus I peruse the belt rack for a replacement at Ross Dress for Less (A: 27 South 1^st Street, San Jose, CA  95113.  P: 408-278-1320.  W: rossstores.com).  When I was on campus a Woolworth’s retail store with a fully functioning “greasy spoon” lunch counter occupied this space.  Sadly the “aroma of nostalgia” is zero given there is nothing here to remind me of the former occupant.

Historical Downtown Architecture

Downtown: Transient (common sight)

Downtown: Restaurants & Shops

I photograph the interiors of Hugh Gillis Hall (Theatre Arts Department) and Dwight Bentel Hall (School of Journalism) at San Jose State University (A: One Washington Square, San Jose, CA  95192.  P: 408-924-1000.  W: sjsu.edu).  While traversing the halls of Hugh Gillis Hall I reminisce outside what was our former chair’s, Charles Chess, office, my first film theory classroom, a TV production classroom, the film equipment check-out room and the film editing room.

Hugh Gillis Hall: Hallway

Office: Former Chair, Charles Chess

“Old Skool” Phone: Worked in “my day”

Morris Daily Auditorium

Dwight Bentel Hall was nearly new when I studied here but twenty years later it is clearly showing its age.  I take photos of the newswriting classroom, media lab, my former media law and ethics classroom and the classroom where I took a very challenging PR case studies course.  I grab a copy of the Spartan Daily newspaper before departing.  I studied film journalism and public relations here from 1991-1993.  Some of the university’s notable graduates are musician Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac) and author Amy Tan.

Dwight Bentel: Ornate Entry Doors

Dwight Bentel: Hallway

SJSU: “When Squirrels Attack”…

New Student Union Project

New Student Union: Poster

San Carlos St.: A Road in “My Day”

Walkway Throughways to Downtown

Downtown: Street Performer

I drop by The Market by Safeway (A: 100 S. 2^nd Street, San Jose, CA  95113.  P: 408-292-4010.  W: safeway.com) for a cold beverage.  When I went to school here we had a mediocre Lucky grocery store in a seedier part of downtown as our only grocery option.  This place and packaged food in general have come a long way.  Two and a half hours later I venture back to the room.  Our AC unit is clearly laboring so I contact the front desk to send a repairman.  The end result is a move to another room on a higher level (from the 9^th to the 17^th).  In addition, the tech advises us to keep our drapes closed during the day.

The Fairmont Hotel

Fairmont: Lobby Lounge

During my years Plaza De Cesar E. Chavez featured a great “Christmas in the Park” festivity.

Plaza De Cesar E. Chavez

After Bella is dropped off by the parents of her student we head to my old stomping grounds in the relaxed downtown of Los Gatos.  During my college years tech inventor Bill Gates owned a home in this town which was equipped with underground tunnels.  We dine at Willow Street Wood-Fired Pizza (A: 20 S. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos, CA  95030.  P: 408-354-5566.  W: willowstreet.com) where my family and friends and I celebrated my college graduation.

Willow Street Pizza: Calamari

Bella orders the skirt steak with chimichurri butter and I get the mushroom, olive oil and cheese pizza.  The complimentary fresh wheat bread is amazing.  We opt for fried calamari with a Cajun mayo sauce.  It is very tender and tasty.  The pizza could use more char as the crust is soft and as is common the toppings aren’t sufficient for ideal tasting.  We walk around the quaint downtown before retiring at our hotel.

Willow Street: Skirt Steak

For breakfast we drive near the Flames Eatery & Bar (A: 88 S. 4^th Street, San Jose, CA  95112.  P: 408-971-1960.  W: flameseatery.com) which is close to where Bella’s student will be performing today.  Regrettably this restaurant has lost my affection after an above average experience last year.  The place is ideally suited for most college students who likely haven’t acquired a sophisticated or discerning palate yet due to a lack of funds for dining experiences.

The large Italian sausage patty is badly overcooked, chewy and rather tough.  The scrambled eggs are good but the coffee is beyond bitter and only becomes passable with excess cream and sugar.  The bathroom is beyond nasty with what appears to be residual urine coating the stall walls, toilet paper covers and “ass gasket” holder.  I’m guessing this is fairly common as this place turns into a full-on bar with a young crowd (early twenties) during televised sporting events and at night where the social scene prevails over anything else.  Another bonus observed is an ass-load (so-to-speak) of graffiti which reigns supreme in this space.  I realize this is commonplace in urban downtown areas but the morning crew clearly made no attempt to clean up the prior nights mess.

We attend the “13^th Annual International Russian Music Piano Competition” at the Le Petit Trianon Theatre (A: 72 North 5^th Street, San Jose, CA  95112.  P: 408-995-5400.  W: trianontheatre.com).  Bella’s student played alright but her pacing was off and her play was too formulaic.  Afterwards we hit the road to pick up my buddy “Quinnie” at the remote Bart station (subway) in the Fremont burbs.

Quinnie immediately cracks us up upon entering the vehicle with his new mantra of “weed and wine” which he claims makes the “world go round”.  Quinnie has always been a high-energy guy who can be a bit of a “loose cannon” since you never quite know what he’ll say or do.  That being said, I can relate to feeling the need to “mix things up” and keep life interesting.  I suggest to Quinnie that given the male factor we should modify his mantra to include “women”.  He concurs and we agree to make it the three W’s instead of the two.  The irony of my putting in my two cents on this subject is that to date, I’ve never touched the stuff – weed, that is.

We drive the windy two-lane Highway 17 to Santa Cruz where neither Bella nor Quinnie has been before.  As I anticipated both of them love it here.  We’re meeting Bella’s cousin later for dinner so regrettably we have to power through a rapid walking or driving tour of the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse and Surfing Museum (A: West Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz, CA  95060.  P: 831-420-6289) and the world famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (A: 400 Beach Street, Santa Cruz, CA  95060.  P: 831-423-5590.  W: beachboardwalk.com) and arcade.

Santa Cruz: Shoreline & Pier

Santa Cruz: Surfers

Beach Boardwalk & Arcade

Much to our chagrin a women’s junior beach volleyball tournament is being held today.  The day is hot so the youngsters aren’t wearing a whole heck of a lot.

Juniors Beach Volleyball Tourney

Quinnie Loved my Heinous Fashion

Quinnie and Elfie

Elfie Laughs @ 6’10” Dorky White Guy Dancing

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

To finalize the Santa Cruzian venture we visit the beautiful University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) campus (A: 1156 High St., Santa Cruz, CA  95064.  P: 831-459-4008.  W: ucsc.edu).  I love the obvious irony of this liberal institution of “higher learning” that has a long standing reputation for student pot usage being located on –“High Street”.

Quinnie & View from UCSC

The campus is one of the prettiest I’ve seen.  Buildings are tucked back in the forest but since it is located on a hill you get breathtaking views of the ocean as well.  My brother was fortunate enough to complete his bachelor’s degree education here.

Once done we drop Quinnie off at the Fremont Bart station before driving to Cupertino to meet Bella’s cousin, wife and two daughters for dinner.   We dine down the street at The Cypress Hotel’s (A: 10050 S. De Anza Blvd., Cupertino, CA  95014.  P: 408-253-8900.  W: thecypresshotel.com) “Park Place” restaurant.  This is a four diamond boutique hotel located in the techie Silicon Valley.  The food is above average in quality and creativity.

In the morning we walk next door to the Bijan Bakery & Café (A: 170 S. Market St., San Jose, CA 95113. P: 408-971-8000.  W: bijanbakery.com) for coffee.  Bella gets a vanilla latte and I have a Kona coffee.  They have a wide selection of pastries, cookies and muffins and the java quality is better than Starpukes.

Happy Elfie @ Bijan Bakery

In the late morning we venture to my college mentor’s house in Campbell.  Doctor Irv (an OB/GYN MD) and his wife Irina have invited us over for brunch on their back patio.  In true “doctor form”, Dr. Irv kindly offers me fresh aloe plant from his garden for the sunburn I earned at the beach the prior afternoon.  It is ultra-soothing as I rub the slippery and slimy plant across my “raspberry beret” (a.k.a. forehead).  Fortunately I am among friends for the Ghostbusters-esque visual isn’t pretty.

Doc Irv’s Backyard Dining Set

We converse while dining on a nice tasting Israeli dish they’ve prepared consisting of eggs over easy, tomatoes and onions.  It is tasty but given my moderately severe GERD (acid reflux) condition I pick away at it –“like a bird”.  We drink mimosas, lattes and Café Americano’s.  Again I sip versus gulp these acidic beverages.

Brunch @ “Doc Irv’s Bistro”

Doc Irv, Irina & Bella