Waiting

At the end of next month, the little one is expected to arrive. Baby's layette is now prepared and the hospital classes are almost over. During one of them, while watching videos of few labour experiences, I even started crying. We have now a few weeks to relax and to close all the pending tasks. Recently, for example, we were wondering whether we will need a doula. These women help during labour, by massaging the spine, or by mediating between the parents and the medical staff. We decided that for now we will stick to ourselves.

Last Sunday we went to the Polish Mass at the Church of the Nativity. Interestingly this Church closed in the mid-90s, but after two years of parishioners' intensive prayers by the empty building, the Bishop of San Francisco was persuaded to re-open the temple the Polish as well as to the Slovenians and the Croatians.

Mass went on smoothly and was in a nice atmosphere. We even had the opportunity to attend the baptism of a local little parishioner. In the end the priest invited everyone for cake and coffee. It was nice to speak in Polish, make new acquaintances and watch the kids go wild.

The second part of the day passed just as pleasantly. French La Boulange in a huge shopping mall Westfield Center has again met our culinary expectations. After the meal we went to the cinema to see Women in Gold showing the long battle to regain works of art stolen in Vienna from a wealthy Jewish family during World War II.

After watching this moving film we rode the escalator to the top floor to see another version of our stroller - this time adapted to traveling. And we again agreed that there is nothing more we need...except, well maybe...?   

After returning home,  Dean prepared a delicious dinner: salad with tuna, mayonnaise and avocado, fried eggplant and gnocchi with tomato sauce.

Ahead of us another "waiting'' week. Filled mainly with regular visits and the hospital tour. I am also attending a class to learn about programs managing and recruiting new employees. This, of course, is not in the hospital.

Luckily I also have plans to attend prenatal yoga classes. I hope that I will still fit in my sports outfits:)

                         
 H.xx

                               Happy and delicious Easter!

I send my wishes from the charming town of Pacific Grove, located right by the Pacific Ocean and about two hours from San Francisco. There isn't as much Easter ambiance as in the Bavarian style city Leavenworth (check out my post from last year), but we like it here a lot. Yesterday evening was very windy, but the sunset was simply awesome! 

The popular beach towns Carmel and Monterey, which we had a chance to visit two years ago, are nearby.

Today's Sunday breakfast was lacking traditional boiled eggs or ham, but the egg quiche was served. We also ate, prepared earlier by us from my Mum's recipe, a vegetable salad recipe, sałatka jarzynowa.

Our holiday weekend is also our Babymoon- the last relaxing trip before the birth of our little one.
Yesterday evening we have started a movie named Babies, showing how different and similar the first few months of newborns around the world, can be. Coincidentally in the there is even a family from San Francisco.

Tomorrow we might go to the local Farmer's Market. Maybe we'll find more decorated eggs and glazed lambs :)

Wesołych Świąt Wielkanocnych!

                               

 H.xx

Baby Brain

- You will l be a great mom -  a kind barista told me one day at Starbucks.
- You think so? - I asked.
- Yes, because when  I asked if it's your first child you smiled!

Such words mean a lot when one is about to be responsible for a Baby. Meanwhile, we are intensely preparing for the upcoming changes:

* About once a week I still go to yoga. It helps me mentally and physically. What's better than lying in a pre-natal savasana  after an hour-long stretch? Instructors also pay a lot of attention to the importance of breathing. Every week I also go for a swim to a nearby pool.

* Visits to the doctor proceed without problems, and our test results do not deviate from the norm. At any time I can send a personal message to my OB/GYN. I can count on professional and friendly responses regarding issues like hand swelling.

* On a recent doctor visit I received a prescription an electric breast pump. Interestingly, the changes made by the Affordable Care Act imposed an obligation on insurance companies to reimburse the costs. Mine already has reached me by mail and fortunately came with instructions.

*As the baby has grown a lot- it's been almost 7 months-I can now only fit in plus sizes or in clothes from the maternity department. While I still have energy, I am supplying myself with extra attire, which I hope be enough until May :)

* I need to get on with reading specialist baby care books. At the moment I'm not doing as well as I could. Maybe it's the Baby Brain syndrom. I just cannot concentrate that well. I also don't want to add more stress to myself. I hope that the upcoming Great Expectations parenting classes will be good motivation. We start this week with an infant care class.

* Every day, thanks to the applications on the phone, I receive a bit of information on Baby's and my development. Today I learned that Baby is almost 16 inches, and I will be prone to more mood changes...poor Dean.

* We also had to choose a pediatrician. In the US it is the hospital nurse who arranges the first appointment with a specialist, designated by the parents. Apparently, no one visits mother and Baby at home, as is commonplace in Europe.

* Of course, we spent much time on compiling Baby's registry.  After some extensive research and solving dilemmas like whether we really need the changing diaper pad furniture, we have successfully made an online Amazon order. By the end of the week, the stroller, crib and a number of other necessary gadgets will be delivered.

* We are still waiting for diaper samples from the Tiny Tots website. If we like them, we will, for a small sum, order a  weekly delivery of new and clean diapers. #makelifeeasier :)

Next Sunday we are throwing Dean's birthday party and my mini Baby Shower. Easter holidays will also be our chance to Babymoon ... Stay tuned. And now let me go back to sorting Baby's and my clothes.

                              

H.xx                                      

Bay Bridge 

Our high-rise is located near the port of San Francisco and the Embarcadero-a waterfront located just by the bay. This splendid promenade runs under the great Bay Bridge, which connects San Francisco with nearby Oakland. It was opened in the 1930s, around the same time as the Golden Gate Bridge. The project was supervised by a distinguished engineer Ralph Modjeski, son of the Polish actress Helena Modrzejewska.

The bridge has two levels, and it eases the city's circulation. Unfortunately it does not ease the work of the experts. The old construction, which partially fell down in the 1989 earthquake, required an extension and constant maintenance.

For Christmas, the Bay Bridge is always illuminated. Last year, the residents appreciated the Bay Lights display so much that it will be displayed permanently from 2016.

Take a look how the Bay Bridge presents itself: 

Credit:SFWeekly 

      

(A)Typical Neighbours

During my sociological studies I was asked to make a presentation on homelessness. At that time it was for me only a distant phenomenon. I did not know then that one day I would be living in a city where homeless people are actually my neighbors, and it is not because we live in a poorer area of the city.

Homelessness in San Francisco and the Bay area is a serious problem, fought for more than decade by the local administration. Between six and fifteen thousand people live on the city's streets. It is the largest per-capita number of homeless people in all major cities in the United States. 

What is amazing, is that this isn't a depressed area of the country, but rather the most expensive city in the U.S.

Millions of dollars have already been spent, but there is no end in sight.

It does not matter where you are, whether it be the entrance to an exclusive shopping mall or the downtown subway, or at the door of a fancy restaurant, you will often find yourself stepping over someone half-conscious on the street. Dying homeless people remind me of pictures from Third World countries. I've seen a lot of similar scenes.

Police officers are seen around, but they do not hurry to act. San Francisco is liberal city, so even though encampments are illegal, and the law says they must be torn down, the law is not enforced. Even the City Hall area is among those that I would most likely avoid.  What would Police do anyway? If every homeless lawbreaker were arrested, the city's jails would overflow.

I can not say which approach is more effective: liberal or conservative, especially when compared with the recent incident in Los Angeles. The local policeman shot dead in broad daylight a mentally ill homeless man. Like many of those from San Francisco, his severe mental problems led to being on the street after being released from institutional care.

Fortunately, as far as fragrance and esthetic-cognitive unpleasenteries, I did not experience any greater trouble. 
However, in various conversations, I hear people complaining about the aggressiveness of the homeless, but this had not been our experience in general. Of course, no sooner do I write this than we were confronted by a frightening screaming homeless woman, while we waited for Uber.

This year in San Francisco a new mobile center for the homeless is set to be opened. Unlike other centers of this type it will be available during the day and located near actual encampments. The goal is for these centers to get entire encampments off the street simultaneously, as psychologists find that there is a strong group identity.

So maybe there is hope for all the residents of San Francisco ....

Ps. We are feeling good. Stay tuned for an update on how we are preparing for our upcoming changes.
                 

Some benches are designed to prevent homeless people to sleep on them

                                               

Here is a camp in the center of San Francisco, adjacent to the Mozilla and Gap headquarters, and just a short walk to some of the most expensive restaurants in the city.

Some areas are homeless-free, especially those on the hills. Residents of these areas lobby against local public transportation,  so that homeless people don't relocate there.

H.

Ps. If curious, take a look:

http://www.sfchronicle.com/archive/item/A-decade-of-homelessness-Thousands-in-S-F-30431.php

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-takes-new-direction-on-homeless-camps-with-6038197.php#photo-7430304

http://m.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Ex-tech-CEO-who-blasted-degenerates-hosts-6129315.php

One day in LA. 

Phew it is hot. The heat in Southern California never seems to let up. This February is unseasonably warm, which translated, means just like summer. During the week we drove to Los Angeles. I like this town. It is terribly snobby, but it beats with positive and creative energy.
                  
From Newport Beach to Santa Monica (Los Angeles) the route by car usually takes about an hour, we were able to make it to the nearest Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in just over 40 minutes. 

For sure we went faster as we used the less crowded carpool lane - reserved for cars with a minimum of two passengers. Look at all those cars with just one person driving!

A visit to the Polish very elegant office passed without any problems, and in over one month I should get my new passport by mail.                          

                             

A few months ago, I spotted on the Discover LA Instagram page a property that took my breath away. I really wanted to see it with my own eyes. I succeeded:                      

The Stahl House is located in Hollywood Hills. Buck Stahl wasn't anybody famous. The house itself does not involve any Hollywood story. It just happened that one day in 1954 Stahl bought land on the hills and decided to build a home on it.

With the help of architect Pierre Koenig, the Stahl House was transformed into amazing and unique estate.  The Koenig work featured in the Case Study House Program. It was a practical manifesto of a large group of designers, whose aim was to show the modern, post-war and functional architecture.

The concept used the beautiful skyline, visible from any interior. The house itself is built mostly of glass and steel. The Stahl House was entered the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

Our only regret was that we did not stay until sunset, and we could not cool off in the pool.

Here is a link to the Stahl House gallery of recent magazine and commercial photoshoots: 
http://www.stahlhouse.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19&Itemid=115  

                                    

In the afternoon, in a different area of LA, we found time to catch up with friends. 

 We also traveled through the famous district of Beverly Hills.

When we left hot Los Angeles, we had to stop for a little shopping.

I recently read the book Driving the Saudis - by American author Jayne Larson.  She mainly describes the experience of working for the lavish Saudi Royal family, but you can also learn about the city of Angels itself. I recommend it. :)

Along the way, we checked if we were lucky winning the mega lottery Powerball. The prize was $500 million! We were close, but still very far away.

Three right numbers, including the key powerball number, got us to win $ 7! Almost enough for a delicious lemon cheesecake from a well-known Cheesecake Factory restaurant, which we bought at the mall. 

                                                  

                                                       

                           

We came back little tired but in good spirits, and we are already planning our next visit to magical LA.

H.                             

  

It's time for Super Bowl!

Last Sunday the 49th American football championship was played.

This time, the Seattle Seahawks did not win the Super Bowl (see my blog posts from January and February 2014).  The New England Patriots are the 2015 champions.  The same team who is involved in the so called Deflate-gate.  Allegedly the Boston team used under-inflated balls, which might make them easier to catch.

I still do not quite understand the rules of American football. This time it occurred to me that the whole team does not play simultaneously. Each is divided into three smaller teams, and are accordingly active on the field depending on the time of the game.

I did notice that Sunday's match was full of emotional ups and downs. And in the end, to my surprise, the Seattle Seahawks players got into a fight with the Patriots! One of the players received a $ 25,000 fine. Of course when one earns a million of dollars per year, this amount is not much noticeable. 

Dean loves to talk about sports, particularly about football. He often discusses the games on the phone with his Dad.  He also obsessively checks the internet for the newest scores.

For me, the halftime show was exciting enough. This year, live from the stadium in Arizona, Katy Perry gave an entertaining performance. Just like the one we went to last year in Tacoma.  And just like last time I had a great time listening to her popular hits.

Surely you know how important and costly advertising time during the Super Bowl is. 

I particularly liked these newest commercials:

                                                 

                        

And you? 

Here is a link to all of them :

http://graphics.wsj.com/superbowlads2015/8CCCBA4B-235B-424F-A79E-7121EBA740F0 

One must notice that American economy has to be getting on the right track. It seemed to me that most of Super Bowl commercials showed brand new car models.

Stay tuned for next post from Southern California:)
                                                                         

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