Sunday, August 30, 2009

The "411"



Yesterday , I was on the phone catching up with my Dad, and I mentioned to him that I would need to call him back the next day with the “411”. There was a pause, then ”The what?!” In return, I paused, and treaded lightly, “Um…you know…like when you dial 411…and you ask for information on phone numbers and etc, the 411…” I waited for the backlash. Instead, my Dad burst into laughter, and told me about an article he read recently where “kids nowadays can't even write cursive, or spell, because they are too busy taking shortcuts”. You’ve seen it, you’ve texted it- replacing the English language with abbreviations. For, example: “ U enjoy DTL loose lea teas because its tasty and also good 4 you!” Easy enough.

My favorite pastimes are definitely reading and writing, but do I take short cuts? There is nothing better, than steeping a cup of tea, grabbing a book or journal, and settling into one of my favorite nooks, and drifting off to another place and time. Reading to me is an adventure, and should be treasured, no short cuts taken, here. Writing, on the other hand, is different. Its much easier to type on your computer, as to writing in a journal. Its faster, neater, and besides you can use spell check! Cruising the Internet is unlocking the door to information mania. The 411. Its immediate, jarring and exciting all at the same time. You can google any question that comes to mind. Why is my black Balloon Molly behaving strangely? How do you make paella? At what temperature do I steep green tea ? , just to name a few.

Here are some of my favorite “411” blogs/sites. Information at your finger tips.

Eater – This blog provides basically the scoop on restaurants, chefs, nightlife, and all things related to finding your favorite grub. Currently Eater covers SF, NY, and LA, and is updated several times a day. The news covers the spectrum from top restaurants to dive bars. Follow celebrity chefs, and their latest whims. Perfect for me, since I am obsessed with restaurants, chefs, and food. And I am fortunate enough to travel to these cities, quite often, too. Its the ultimate 411.

Daily Candy- Now this site is fun, whimsical, and packed with information. It’s the insiders daily guide to what’s new in travel, gourmet products, gadgets, and fashion. They cover 13 cities, and you can sign up to receive update on any or all of them. I am trying my hardest to get them to feature Drink the Leaf. Stay tuned….

Twitter- See my previous post, What's all the flutter about Twitter? . Follow people on twitter that you admire or what to learn more about. Find out if they are still interesting in 140 characters or less! Currently I love reading Ruth Reichel’s posts. She is the editor in Chief of Gourmet magazine, and gives daily insight to what she is eating, and drinking. Tony Robbins, Life Coach Guru , posts great one liners on staying upbeat in every day life. Today’s line: “Put your guts on the line every day and your dream will come to life" . My husband, the Tea Drinker, is pretty entertaining , too. I usually can find out where we are going to dinner by following him…Today, looks like we are going to Boon Fly or Model Bakery for breakfast…

LMK about UR Fav 411 sites, and they better be good. LOL!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm rather active on Twitter myself. Follow me @jasonwitt there if you want someone who talks about practically nothing other than everything about tea. --Spirituality of Tea