Because with every new year we should have renewed optimism, I thought I would talk about a very inspiring movie I just saw about a man who left his native Afghanistan and found a new life in San Jose. Khaled Hosseini, the bestselling author of the book “The Kite Runner,” made his way by receiving political asylum in San Jose, first going to Independence High School and then finishing his college degree at Santa Clara University. He is surely one of the most talented writers and graduates in our area, yet I am sure when he was here as a refugee, he wasn’t always treated as if he would one day be a world-class writer with two movies optioned from his books. Now that I know his beginnings, I wonder about what his experiences here must have been like.

Christmas is a time of cheer, smiling faces, carolers and strolling down tree-lighted lanes. I don’t know when it happened, or why, but Christmas has suddenly turned into a time of dashing around, stressing out, sitting in traffic, and pulling out your hair while you buy one gift after another. What happened?

Why do we relish traditions around the holidays? Why do we become nostalgic about certain things that we do with family and friends? You don’t see people planning to go to the same play every March or going to see a display around Valentine’s Day. But in San Jose, the Christmas season seems to bring out some wonderful traditions.

Through careful research and consideration, I have come to believe that bouncers are now the lowest form of humans to grace our social scene. I have logged hundreds of man-hours in our local establishments to come up with this conclusion that I am sure other people have come to long ago. Doormen and bouncers already operated on power trips and egos. Even so, there is a new increased power given to these men that they do not deserve, and an attitude in our city that they can do or say anything they want to us. I think we all have a growing lack of respect for others in general and the bouncers are leading the way.

Editor’s Note
Single Gal is on vacation this week so we are repeating one of her very first columns from exactly two years ago on a subject that we think is still worth blogging about.

So what comes first, the chicken or the egg?  Would more people want to live downtown if there were more to do?  Or will people wait to see what happens downtown before they invest their money into apartments and lofts? I believe that if there were masses of families, young people and baby-boomers living downtown, that the retail and entertainment would have to come to feed the demand. 

If you haven’t had the chance to visit the San Pedro Square Bistro and Wine Bar, you are missing out on one of the best restaurant experiences I have had in San Jose in a long time.  Because of it’s proximity to many downtown offices (it is on Almaden Ave., across the street from the CBRE building), I am sure it does a nice lunch business. However, it also has many different things going for it as a dinner spot. 

With the approaching Thanksgiving holiday, it is always a good use of time to reflect on what is important to you and those you care about.  In addition to the obvious, friends and family, here are some things that I’m thankful for this year:

Stop the presses! City Hall is giving up bottled water. There is no telling what can happen from this. The money they could save makes me salivate. Could we raise enough money to build an A’s stadium? Or build a second Santana Row downtown? How about more high-density housing or connect the light rail across the city? If they plan on saving upwards of millions of dollars from simply deciding to drink cloudy tap water, there is no stopping this city!

Along with the growth of San Jose, a new change is coming that we haven’t seen before: high-rise luxury housing in our city’s core. As I drive through downtown and see the cranes in the sky around these towering developments, I can’t help but wonder how it will work. This is such a drastic change from the way people live here—sprawling suburbs with ample parking, mini-malls within a 5-minute drive, and cul-de-sacs with kids riding skateboards and shooting hoops. However, I do believe there is a market for this kind of housing. It just remains to be seen how big that market actually is.

The recent news about the resignation of Santa Clara Country Superintendent of Schools Colleen Wilcox can be looked at in two ways, depending on your perspective. First, it is alarming that a school superintendent who is supposed to have our children’s best interests at heart was almost dismissed because of ruthless and manipulative tactics. How is it that someone like Wilcox achieves the high post as a leader for our principals and teachers and put in charge of an office that is supposed to educate young children? Is it any surprise that our school system finds itself cast in such a negative light after news charting the school boss’s behavior like she was the villain Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada hits the front page? It is a sad state of affairs when those that we place in charge of our kids’ future turn out to have qualities that we despise.

In the news and in the city council chambers, the debate continues about housing vs. jobs in San Jose. Some argue that creating housing before jobs is a little like the cart coming before the horse, while others argue that there needs to be housing here to attract and keep new workers. Is there one that should be in place before the other can follow? I think it is an interesting debate that deserves more airtime.

When I heard that there were some human cadavers downtown at the Tech Museum, I knew this was something I had to see. After I explained the Body Worlds 2 exhibition to friends, some of them thought it sounded interesting, while others looked at me like I just told them I was going on a tour of the local morgue. In fact, I wasn’t sure if they were that far off.

It has become a tradition with me to go with my friends to see the Blue Angels fly over San Francisco at the pinnacle of Fleet Week. This year I stood on a rooftop taking in the spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the city itself. The sight of the Blue Angels flying above me never seems to get old. The maneuvers, the speed and the beauty of these planes are really something to marvel at.

Sometimes when you grow up in an area as beautiful as the Bay Area, there are many things that are right under our noses that we don’t notice.  Maybe there are so many things to do that we don’t get a chance to uncover the gems that can be found in San Jose and the surrounding cities. 

As mayor, you have the responsibility to make changes, provide vision and get things done. Rarely have we had a mayor of this city who could claim to have all three of those qualities. And, yes, the small things like fixing potholes, listening to the neighborhood associations, and being an accessible mayor are all important too. However, at the end of the day, it’s the “big things” that you will be remembered for.

This past weekend, I returned to the San Jose Improv Comedy Club, a place that I have written about before and have encouraged people to go to. I had such a great time that I thought I would tell you about it. 

After a nice dinner and a few Mai Tais the size of a small cat (yes, I know, I drink too much), my friends and I hit Jamie Kennedy’s 10 p.m. show. I chose the late show for a few reasons, but mainly because I know how a comedy show can turn and the audience can loosen up when the headliner comes on closer to 11 p.m. at night.