During the extensive amount of research that comprises "Trip Planning Cathy," I learned about the…read moreTaiwan Visitors Association before my trip to Taiwan at the end of Feb. I sent my boyfriend down during a weekday to check it out, expecting to only get a few maps. Instead, he came back home with a treasure trove - the aforementioned maps, but also pamphlets on local festivals (we went during the Lantern Festival - highly recommended!), free tickets to the National Palace Museum, free souvenirs from a chain of airport duty free shops (we got a box of cookies and a box of guava candy), and EasyCards for the Taipei subway with 50NTD already loaded on them! In total they saved us about $25 and many hours of confusion! The free souvenirs were a limited time offer (our coupons had a Feb 28 expiration date), and I'm not sure if the other freebies were limited as well. Regardless, if you are planning a trip to Taiwan I would definitely come to the visitors association to talk to the friendly staff and get some recommendations. We weren't originally going to visit the National Palace Museum (we're not "museum" folk so much as "eat four meals a day" folk) but I'm glad we took their recommendation - it was the perfect rainy day activity.

OK, so I'm very biased. Full disclosure: I work at this wonderful, little community organization…read morethat has helped people living with HIV/AIDS for over 21 years. It is the only drop-in day center of its kind serving Alameda and Contra Costa County residents. I think what sets this agency apart from other places is the manner in which it delivers its services: with a special warmth, compassion, and respect for the clients it serves. The staff at Vital Life Services and its small army of committed volunteers will keep providing care and hope to people living with HIV/AIDS until there's a cure for the virus.

So perhaps I'm a little biased too. I also work at VLS (but only part-time, so that makes me only…read morepartly biased). But really, this is just an amazing organization. Picture this: you enter the building and are immediately enveloped by a warmth and friendliness that makes you feel supported, special and loved. Countless visitors, volunteers and clients remark on how welcome they feel at the center. It's a little community of folks, clients and staff alike, who genuinely care about the health and well-being of everyone who finds their way through the door. Maybe it has to do with the delicious smells wafting out of the brand-new open kitchen. Morris, Michelle and the volunteer chefs work their magic and serve 2 hot delicious meals each day. And then there's Andy, the brains and brawn behind the soon-to-be launched take-out and catering BBQ business that will help keep this little non-profit afloat. OMG, you have never tasted BBQ this delicious, ever. But VLS is more than just food and family. It also provides massage, acupuncture, counseling, case management and other services to the 500+ clients. Some of them, in addition to the challenge of living with HIV/AIDS, also have homelessness and addiction issues. For them, VLS is a lifeline. I can't imagine where they'd be without it.

Every time I've come here, the service has been fast and the people efficient and helpful. The…read morebuilding itself is clean and well maintained. Even the homeless people outside are friendlier than average. I know the bar is low for customer service at local government offices, but thumbs up anyway. I love Berkeley's municipal services and their employees, so I'll try to frame this positively: parking here is a ... fun brain tease and a great way to get rid of all your loose change.

They don't know the form requested and where it goes after telling them multiple times it's on the…read morewebsite 3 Rd floor.i actually pulled it off the wall after getting tired of answering questions and said here it is. They act like they don't know and stick their nose all in your form filled out to read it. Very odd since it's private info that goes to the place you turn it in to. The security guard looks like they are unwell and wearing an unhealthy face diaper on their chin. Hence the term chinjury. Odd ballish experience. The guard also put his nose all in my report instead of asking the name of the form and to see where it goes, then giving me the answer. Just dazed and confused staff or acting that way , to ask more questions and be nosey instead of giving prompt service.

****************** UPDATE REVIEW *********************…read more I've been volunteer here for the last 10 years through Hands on Bay Area (HOba team). 1 of my favorite location is at the church kitchen in Menlo Park. I love cooking, and so it's perfect place to lend a hand and serve the less fortunate. In 2010 the need has grown, and they served 1,400 clients per day. 87% of the agency's annual budget goes directly to client services. This is probably 1 of the best non-profit organizations in the Bay Area community. You can also sign up to volunteer at Inn Vision, via Hands on Bay Area http://www.Hoba.org, I'm a member of this organization for 12 years now. Serving the kitchen at Holly Trinity Church in Menlo Park is on every Sunday, 12:30 PM - 4:30 PM.However Hoba team is on the 3rd SUN of every month. You prepared, snacks, coffee, teas, salad, an entrée, side dishes, and desserts. It's always a great group of people here. I love my HOBA team, Paul the project leader, he's nice and a great leader. Peter & his wife, a wonderful couple always bring desserts for the homeless. Frank, the king of salad; we had a chopping throw down last time here. Julie, the wonderful mother and entrepreneur, with a good heart. Kate, a grad student; all come here to make a different on a Sunday afternoon! Just being with them, make me humble and happy! This past Sunday, I got to marinated the chicken breasts with garlic, herbs, spices, and the clients loved it. When you see the dining room all quiet, you know they enjoy their meals. It made me happy and have butterflies each time I see smiles on their faces. Please join me, let me know or sign up, the 3rd SUNDAY of the each month! Hope to see you next time.

The organization's goals are good, but my experience at their homeless shelter in Menlo Park was…read moreawful. The staff treated the residents like trash, assumed that everyone was on drugs, and tried to separate people from their external support systems and make residents entirely dependent on staff. They were extremely rigid. They didn't follow their own rules, but required residents to do so. One staffer missed a scheduled meeting with a resident, then had the RESIDENT kicked out "for missing the meeting." I still refer people to the organization, because the overall organization seems to be very good, but I hope they have replaced the staff at that shelter.

We attended the season opener for the bay area derby this past weekend. This venue is used for…read morevarious events, and the setting seemed ideal for the roller derby, with some old school charm and a casual and carefree atmosphere. Though it felt like being in a high school gym, so I'm not sure how effective the space would be for other types of events. It's a fairly small auditorium with three levels of seating, and views are ideal from almost anywhere. Though the seats are outdated, they were comfortable enough. We had fun watching the players competing on the floor, and sound was sufficient through the speakers. Snacks, drinks, and merchandise were available for purchase in the lobby. There were no lines or waiting for the all-gender restrooms. And parking was free and easy nearby.

First time in this venue, very unorganized & outdated…read more There's parking behind the building and across the street, however is not clear where to park or if it's public parking or if you are going to get tow... it was free and public , but had to take a chance ... The venue has very slippery floor not ideal for a concert, the security and ticket people were not organized, they let some girls in to "USE THE BATHROOM " no one bother to check their tickets nor to do the screening like everyone else , they just let them in because they claim they really have to go to the bathroom, they didn't get their purses or bodies checked like everyone else, they went right in. The seats are old & uncomfortable , there's wires everywhere, that they seemed dangerous, since some people bring children to the events. The bathrooms were clean :) the venue & security were not even a 1 !!! What was a 5 is the fact that they let food vendors lined up after the concert, you can find all kinds of food such as hotdogs, tacos, cemitas etc..

[from their website]…read more Project Ahimsa is a global effort to empower youth through music. An internationally-recognized non-profit dedicated to the empowerment of youth through music, Project Ahimsa provides music education to youth in poor, under-served areas around the world. Since 2001, Project Ahimsa has funded sixty six youth music grants around the world, presently operating in six countries including India, Thailand, USA, Tanzania, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Argentina. Project Ahimsa is a cultural initiative of the Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Patel Foundation for Global Understanding (http://www.global-understanding.org/), a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For the first time ever, renowned musicians such as Michael Franti and Spearhead (San Francisco), Karsh Kale (UK), J-Boogie (San Francisco), Funkadesi (Chicago), Tablapusher (San Francisco), DK (NYC), Sunny Jain (San Francisco), and Janaka Selecta (LA) are joining forces with our sponsored programs such as Youth Movement Records in Oakland, California (USA), Manav Sadhna in Gujarat (India), and Ritmo en los Barrios in Managua (Nicaragua), and beyond to record and remix original tracks for a full length LP. *************************** Significant funding for this organization comes from fundraising musical events produced with the amazing musicians and djs involved with the program across the united states and europe. I respect and like the artists involved with this project and its goals. The music they have produced is, in word amazing. The message good. Go to any event benefiting this organization, buy their music, or just give them lots of money to go do good things. They are good people.

If you love turn of the century architecture the Ninth Circuit tour is the one to take. They just…read morerecently reopened for tours to the public. I went with a group but there's a set schedule each month to drop by and look around. Tours are free, courtesy of you, the taxpayer Such a beautiful building full of history!

I worked three blocks away over the years and never realized this building with so much history was…read moreright under my nose. The James R. Browning U.S. Courthouse is a National Historic Landmark was opened in 1905 and is considered one of America's most beautiful public buildings with its Beaux-Arts Classical architecture. It served as the main post office and courthouse and even survived the 1906 earthquake with only fire damage to the Redwood Room, hence it reopened two days later. However, the 1989 earthquake caused serious damage and Congress authorized $91mil for the retrofitting and rehabilitation of the building. It reopened in 1997 with modern HVAC, electrical and plumbing, rendering it to the standards of a new building, which now houses the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. A 70 minutes free docent led tour is offered twice a month on Tuesdays at 1pm during the Spring and Summer, otherwise once a month. See the website at: https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/content/view.php?pk_id=0000000141. As with all Federal facilities, you need an ID and pass through security. Upon entering, you see the grandeur of the bronze doors, white Carrara marble on floors and walls, verde marble insets, vaulted ceilings, with marble tiles crafted by craftsmen from Italy. The postal customer service windows have been left in place. A new library building was built in the postal sorting area, which is accessed on the first floor. The four courtrooms are on the second and third floors and each have their own distinctive designs and sizes of Art Deco, marble, artwork, mosaics, woodwork and skylights. The docent will lead a tour into each courtroom unless court is in session. The Redwood Room was rebuilt after 1906 earthquake fire is completely clad in ornately clad redwood and was used as a library. Open a door and you will see books in shelves. We also saw the office used by visiting Supreme Court Justices and the chambers of Chief Justice Sidney Thomas. Remember to stop by the Information Room by the entrance for info on Justice James Browning and the Court. Highly recommend visiting this historical courthouse and be transported to the past to see architecture, design, materials and craftsmanship that you won't see in your modern buildings.

Foster City is one of the nicest places to live in the SF Bay Area. I drive thru it at least once…read morea week. That's because Hwy 92 runs thru it, as it connects to the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge. Foster City was named after T. Jack Foster. It was built in the 1960's, that's why everything is modern. Foster City was a planned community. They set aside space for parks and recreation, shopping centers, and schools. A unique feature of the city is it's beautiful lagoon system. The city has it's own police and fire depts, but I don't think it has a hospital.

I have been a resident of Foster City for 57 years it has given me the opportunity to start my dog…read morewalking business and I'm thriving! The city has been excellent working with me! They approved my 7th Anniversary Picnic Celebration at Gull Park on July 29th!