i am a city dweller

this city is tremendous; each neighborhood is different from its neighbor. yesterday i happened upon nob hill, which is like nothing i've experienced in sf thus far. i climbed up an enormous hill that No One was attempting; all cars were struggling. when i reached the top, i was struck by a flash of vertigo: the buildings were enormous and grand and old and whew--that's one big hill! a perfect rectangle was formed by these behemouths, and the middle was marked by a lovely piazza. it didn't take long to discover that most of the buildings were either posh hotels or an exclusive "men's club" but this fact did not dash my opinion that these buildings were truly beautiful, perched atop a hill where the bay was in clear view and chinatown beckoned.

i followed the steep road down to chinatown, and stopped in at the Imperial Tea Court for a cup of ginger and ginseng tea. at first i was the only person there, and they seemed pleased i stopped in. lacquer tables lined the wall, and bird cages hung from the ceiling with sweet little chirpers inside. each table had a little stand with a heater, so when the teapot water turned cold, heating it up was a breeze--and fun. it's a charming place, and i lingered for a couple hours, reading. what a great way to spend an afternoon!

i then wandered the streets of chinatown, crafting a plan to come shopping on friday with david. my buddy becky is in town, and we're going to make a chinese feast!