Donating for Haiti in SF

Sirona Cares - a local organization working in Haiti's orphanages is collecting donations of clothing and supplies. Sirona Cares is run by Michelle Lacourciere and supports several orphanages in Haiti. Her blog with postings about how the orphanages have been affected is at http://www.sironacaresblog.com/

Items they accept:

Clothing, including new or used underwear, for all ages. It would be incredibly helpful if these donations could be separated (babies, small children, large children, women & men's clothes).
Shoes, all sizes
Medical Supplies: Gauze, Tape, Neosporin, Tylenol/Advil (Generics OK)
Kotex and Cloth Diapers
Towels and Sheets
Plastic Storage Boxes (Large) for packing, shipping and giving Haitians something to store their personal effects in. If you can bring nothing else, bring these!

They also need help sorting the donations. The following is from their blog - http://www.sironacaresblog.com/

"If you have more time than money, collect donations and bring them to 190 King Street in San Francisco. The owner of the property has donated the space for sorting, and we will be there receiving. We sort, fold, and box everything in plastic bins which will be used in Haiti for years. If you haven't been there, you don't know the many lifes of a plastic bin, but the goods a family collects will be kept dry, they will use it first as a suitcase to hold their entire life's belongings, then someday it will be a bathtub. Perhaps even a gas station. Haitians need these bins, as they need everything else.

If you are near San Francisco or itching for a reason to come: 190 King Street is our drop spot. Go to 188 King Street if we aren't there and Philip, the security guard, will let you in. Unload (park on the sidewalk) and then move your vehicle (south of the Giant's stadium is best) and then come back to sort. I'm serious, if you are sitting somewhere wishing you could do something like go to Haiti, come here. You will be busy, and feel the blessing of delivering good to Haiti" - Michelle Lacourciere

Times that space is available to sort are Monday through Friday 9am - 9pm. Saturday 9am - 8pm.

You can also drop off your donations at 2 other locations:

286 Fair Oaks Street [@24th] from Monday night onwards. Call ahead to arrange at 415 706 4453

OR

More Mojo Studios, 1347 Church Street (at Clipper). Collection times are Monday - Friday 9am-12pm and 3-6pm
[p] 415 821 mojo (6656)
[e] info@moremojostudios.com

beisbol bery bery good

I was watching CNN at the SF Passport Agency today and saw this update at the bottom of the screen:

US and Cuba practice baseball diplomacy.

Hmmm... I had to investigate.

From the article in the Associated Press:

"Pingpong diplomacy" thawed relations between the United States and China in 1971. Can "baseball diplomacy" help do the same for the U.S. and Cuba?

Read more here.

get your back up off the wall!

Dance! Come on!

et glou et glou et glou et shoe

The really funny part is that I've actually done this before in a moment of desperation.

All I ever really needed to know I learned in France.

a sweet thank you note from an unexpected guest

Thank you so much for making my final stop so wonderful Kristin,

The french cafe - the pomegranates and learning how to pronounce Guillaume

The view out to the water

The mist rolling in

Cloud purring on me - when you weren't there ; )

Riding on the cable car - the wrong way

Reading the Tao

Freezing outside CBS cause I didn't realize the doors were open

Walking the stripper district and exploring the city lights bookstore

Freezing outside city lights

Our Italian dinner and interesting service personnel...

Red wines

Learning about the men of your life

Sleeping in

Cream cheese and fresh salmon on toast with flax and yoghurt on the side

And of course Numi's lime tea!

Learning how to pronounce lao tze

Celebrating the sale of gloves

And most importantly:

Enjoying the best burritos in the WHOLE World

See you in Rio,

Simon

x

Baby Naoko

Baby Naoko, originally uploaded by jojohead.

My friend Sujata after giving birth to beautiful baby Naoko!

that better be one good caipirinha

I bought a ticket to Rio de Janeiro today to celebrate New Year's on Copacabana beach. I'm quite sure that I made the right decision.

Vive le mariage!

Only in France.

list no. 8: fave french words

1. grenouille
2. écureuil
3. pamplemousse
4. Époisses
5. prestidigitateur

quinn deveaux

I saw Quinn DeVeaux perform solo at Amnesia some time ago, maybe it was last year. He was opening for a band I had been following, The California Honeydrops, and even though he was playing solo, I remembered being impressed by his voice. You could tell he was singing wholeheartedly, without any sign of pretension. He was at the club because he believed in the music he was offering to us. And in turn, we all believed in him. So I signed his mailing list.

Now Quinn has a full band, with three backup singers, and through the weekly emails, I keep seeing that he has more and more shows coming up. I just had a peek at this podcast in which he and his band perform their songs in a studio. It's gorgeous to look at, and even moreso to listen and tap your foot to. Enjoy!

drifting away

Cats can be in any position and tune anything out, drifting away into a meditative state. (At this particular moment, she was tuning out the street noise and my rendition of Jacques Brel's Amsterdam.)

Bobby McFerrin: Neuro-Scientist

World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.