exploring the hood

i was a nomad today, making stops at a cafe in the lower haight, a library in the castro, and a fancy tea house in the castro.

observations + ratings (scale of 1 to 5):

the first stop was muddy waters, david's office as of late. the connection is spotty, the drinks so-so, and the bathroom is a drag. on the latter topic, you have to get buzzed in to unlock the door, and it smells so strongly of cleaning solution, that breathing through toilet paper was required. (2)

the second stop was the public library in the castro, which reminded me of the old ballard library... a squat, uninspired building, reminiscent of 70's era elementary schools. one major characteristic that was very un-ballard library: it was spotless. no dank smells, everything ship-shape. the bathroom wasn't pretty, but it sure was clean. i had to sign in with my name and the time i went in, and then go through a barrier like the ones they use to create lines at airport security, and then cross off my name when i returned. oh, and yeah: i was The Only Woman at the library. (3)

the last stop was at Samovar, a fancy zen tea house in the castro. i sat at a long low table that was perched atop a stage-looking area in the corner. when i stepped up to sit on a grass tuffet, i found out why the low table was up so high--it was a tatami room set-up, where your feet dangle into a hole to facilitate the low seating arrangement. the tea and cake was delicious and the vibe decent, except for the nearby women talking yoga nonstop. i'll go back for the tea. (4)