Oola

SoMa in SF is a funny place. I'm not sure what exactly I find so amusing about "industrial chic," but maybe it's the fact that the only way to really think that bricks and warehouses are cool is to be so far removed from that kind of thing as part of everyday life that it somehow seems novel to you. In any case, I met a friend in SoMA (he happened to be staying at a hotel in the area) at this restaurant called Oola, which was very hip in a SoMa kinda way. Brick walls, low lighting, an open-space kinda feel. The food was sorta overpriced and nondescript (though not really bad). But it was nice to see my friend, who was also a Michigan poli sci guy and lived in Shanghai during the time I lived in Beijing (so we saw each other a few times in China). He'll be out in SF this summer, but sadly I will probably be interning elsewhere at that time.

In other semi-mundane news, after I got back I tried a single malt Scotch whiskey called Laphroaig ("la-FROYG"), which my roommate bought on the recommendation of another friend of ours. It's quite flavorful, but also quite strong (around 40% alcohol by volume). Apparently it is produced at a distillery on the island of Islay off the west coast of Scotland. Pretty good stuff, and another plug for free trade.