Deductible Junkets
If You're Headed to San Francisco for tek...
This historic port - land of earthquakes, absurd hills, and natural air conditioning - is a modern flux of recent graduates, Asian and Latin American immigrants, and tourist-filled cable cars. But San Francisco is less a sprawling metropolis than a collection of small, eclectic neighborhoods.
In Chinatown, wander through cluttered shops that sell cheap porcelain, ginseng, and pillow-sized bags of dried shiitake mushrooms. Squeeze back into the kitchen of Mee Mee Bakery, on Stockton Street, and watch the little origami edibles spill out of the fortune-cookie machine.
The edges of Chinatown melt imperceptibly into North Beach, an area of pricey Italian tourist traps. But your buds and your budget will be equally pleased with some bread and cheese from Panelli Brothers Delicatessen and a bench in Washington Square. Pick a postcard for Mom and Pop at Quantity Postcards, and sit down with pen in hand at Caffè Trieste, once a Kerouac favorite. Four decades after the beats dug North Beach, though, it's the Mission district that claims the city's highest funk-per-capita ratio. Explore the used-book stores and hip barrooms around Valencia and 16th Streets. You'll find a taqueria on every corner, but we recommend El Toro, where the salsa verde is sublime. Enjoy a refined cocktail at the Slow Club, and then swing around the corner to the stylish Universal Cafe for some roasted salmon. But nothing compares to the well-designed "tall food" of the Flying Saucer, from the Five Spice Prawns to the Chocolate Smokestacks.
Day or night, Cafe Flore, also known as Cafe Hair-do, is the spot for an al fresco caffeine injection and a dose of Castro spirit. From there, take the scenic 37-Corbett bus down into Haight-Ashbury, and alight at the popular Cha Cha Cha, a kitschy Caribbean tapas place. Soothe your inevitable wait for a table with a cold pitcher of sangria.
Although the rave rage has subsided, the club scene still thrives in the SOMA (South of Market) area. Roll down to Bottom of the Hill for great local alternative-rock bands nightly, or visit the re-opened Fillmore, a spectacular turn-of-the-century theater - the doorman greets you with a tub of red delicious apples. At the modern, black-lit DNA Lounge, dance to hip-hop or house, depending on the night. On Friday, hordes of in-line skaters glide through the city, ending up at Club DV8. But inexperienced skaters might prefer a Sunday in Golden Gate Park.
Take a field trip to The Exploratorium, an interactive science museum - leave your shadow on the glowing walls of the Shadow Box, blow giant bubbles, and romp in the Multimedia Playground.
For the ultimate view of the bay and the skyline, cross the Golden Gate Bridge and ascend the rolling hills of the Marin Headlands. But there are plenty o' views in San Francisco as well. As you hike the city streets, remember that the ache in your legs is directly proportional to the view from the peak, so pause to enjoy it and catch your breath. Where did you leave that oxygen tank? - Jessie Scanlon
MILIA '95; Cannes, France (January 12-16)
Last year's sellout début made MILIA, the International Publishing and New Media Market, the talk of the multimedia conference circuit. General sessions, workshops, and panels will cover specific issues of creative content, production, and distribution. With delegates from the creative and business sides of the industry, as well as from both sides of the Atlantic, MILIA is also an opportunity to negotiate licensing rights and international distribution deals. Registration: †3,498 (US$647) per person, †2,312 (US$428) each additional person. Contact: Diana Butler, +1 (212) 689 4220, fax +1 (212) 689 4348.
tek: The Dive Technologies Conference & Exhibition; San Francisco (January 21-24)
Attend sessions led by "underwater visionaries" and play with high-tech equipment you can't afford. Technical sessions will cover underwater imaging, rebreather technology, and atmospheric diving systems, as well as how to get started. And if all the talk makes you want to get your feet wet, sign up for the weekend of diving in Monterey Bay organized by aquaCorps Journal. Registration: US$199, clinics not included. Contact: (800) 365 2655, +1 (305) 294 3540, fax: +1 (305) 293 0729.
Imagina; Monte Carlo, Monaco (February 1-3)
This computer-graphics rendezvous will cover cyberspace society and art. View the best computer animation and video projects in the screening room and cast your ballot for the 1995 Prix Pixel-INA winners. Registration: full conference package †5,527 (US$1,045), students †2,787 ($526); conferences, round tables, and exhibit also priced individually. Contact: +33 (1) 49 83 26 93, fax: +33 (1) 49 83 31 85 before January 25. Or, register on site.
TED6 Conference; Monterey, California (February 22-25)
TED6 will close the popular TED series, devoted to the convergence of technology, education, and design. This year, yet again, the list of eclectic speakers will make you drool: John Perry Barlow, Douglas Coupland, Frank Gehry, Stephen Jay Gould, Quincy Jones, Kai Krause, and John Warnock (of Adobe Systems), among others. Participation by the equally illustrious audience will be the icing on the cake. Registration: US$2,000. Contact: +1 (401) 848 2299, fax +1 (401) 848 2599.
PC Forum; Phoenix, Arizona (March 5-8)
It's time to bite the bullet and subscribe to Release 1.0 (US$595 a year) if you want to attend PC Forum, Esther Dyson's conference for the digital élite. As the "Local to Global" theme suggests, the crème de la techno-crème will discuss how communications technologies are redefining our concept of community. Registration: price unknown at press time. Contact: Daphne Kis, +1 (212) 924 8800, fax +1 (212) 924 0240.
CeBIT'95; Hannover, Germany (March 8-15)
Multiply Comdex by three, move it to Europe and what do you get? CeBIT'95, the World Center for Office, Information, and Telecommunications Technology. Highlights include Opportunities (Chancen) 2000, an environmental impact program, and the CeBIT Banking Center, focusing on security and banking technology. But bring some comfortable walking shoes - CeBIT covers 3.1 million square feet of exhibit space. Registration: US$48. Contact: +1 (609) 987 1202, fax +1 (609) 987 0092.
