nothing much, just a snapshot in time

walking home from work with my buddy susan the other day, i commented on this sad cafe with a common name. being an avid photo-taker, she encouraged me to step into the frame.

not much to say, 'cept this is a fairly typical scene in my life: me, bars, and backpack. :)

wandering

had a lovely day negotiating the sidewalks of chinatown this fine sunny morn. when the shops began to look like close-knit twins, we ducked into the first dim sum spot we spied. the luck of our draw was obvious: the dish making the rounds before we sat down was a glistening stack of chinese broccoli.

sold.

may not eat until sunday.

food is fun.

we've had visitors--from mpls and seattle--and with each, we've found ourselves on a culinary tour of sorts, including spots we hold near and dear. we took lynne and chris to zazie and mom to a spot we've come to love in our hood. their first night here, lynne, chris, david, and i wandered to el metate for an authentic mexican meal, and found remnants of a second visit when we returned from work this evening. a weekday breakfast overlooking the gate to chinatown with mom was decadent and quite grown up, and last night, tapas was the focus, so we directed our palate toward a spot jay recommended before we moved to the city. an uncustomary stop at a south indian spot for brunch was superb, and an assortment of california cheeses complemented by a perfectly ripe pear was an apt post-flight snack.

we should have peeps visit more often :)
(read: that's an open invitation!)

my 'hood

on wednesday afternoon i was walking down 24th street in the mission, surrounded by families and kids returning home from school. behind me, i could hear a girl boasting about getting into fights and about the trouble she gets into at school. her stories were littered with "...and i'm all, don't be gettin' in my face" and "you just keep sayin' that..." in my mind, i pictured a tough-looking latina around 17 years old. overcome by curiosity, i slowed my pace to get a look at her.

barely an inch shorter than me, she looked to be around 15, and then she started telling her mate--who appeared to be about 8 years old--that some adult told her she "better stop fighting now, because when she enters high school..." i didn't hear the end of this missive, but was aghast that she was likely closer to 12 or 13 years old.

i continued to walk very close to them, wondering if their one-sided conversation (only the elder spoke) would shift to a new topic. it didn't. she continued her boasting about fighting and serving detention in school, and it became clear that the kid on the other side of this banter was her little sister or a relative. i wanted to grab the elder and ask her why she was doing this, filling this little girl with her tough talk.

and then the elder said, "...and then, she said only gay people do that."

i winced, expecting an exchange ripe with homophobic slurs. the little girl spoke up. finally.

"you're not gay, you're bi!"

strange talk

i'm a big fan of chatting with strangers.

note to self: remember this. do it more often. it makes you happy.

the other day in dc, i sidled up to a woman walking down the street and said, "your shoes are rockin'." she beamed and thanked me. they were--her shoes were tremendously blue and sparkly. i saw the sun glinting off her toes from a distance.

in the city, i chatted with a woman who got off the train at the same stop. i asked her what language some guys sitting near us were speaking, and we laughed in recognition of our shared curiosity.

good stuff brewing

last night i told my friend shinjoung that so far, i love my job, and that starting work right now was perfect timing: i've had time off, i've done some cool things, and i've taken advantage of my time to get to know my new home better. on my second day of work the muni trains came to a halt. as i happened to be commuting home, two options were presented: sit or move. i chose the latter, exchanging my comfort zone for an uncharted street, armed with the confidence of an enthusiastic public transport user and experienced city wanderer. as expected, the buses were packed and tourists and residents were aimless and aimful, respectively. i opted for one of the historic streetcars--preferring a more civilized trip--and reflected on how my decision to delay work after arriving informed my current state.

(pretty dang happy)

the day people

i've spent a decent amount of time either freelancing or just plain not working. during daytime hours, i travel the cafe circuit and hone my flaneur skills, observing and taking note of those around me.

i'm not alone in my pursuits. seems like wherever i go, there is a full house waiting for me, and in san francisco, this pattern is magnified. more people, more laptops, more lollygagging--what are they all doing? i mean, i know what I'M doing--i'm chillin', hangin' out--but are they in the same boat? invariably i make up stories about the trustafarians and the independently wealthy, tracking their days using a smart leather-bound planner, almost empty but for the long weekends spent snowboarding, surfing, or at intensive yoga retreats.

yesterday at a lovely cafe in pacific heights, i opened the door to find only women inside. it was 2:00 pm, and the chairs were occupied mostly by the contemporary "ladies who lunch" set: impeccably dressed, smooth hair, with fingernails uniformly shaped. the nearest duo in earshot chatted about all things parenting, including the best preschools and gossiping with disdain about two-earner households. nearby two solo women appeared to recognize that the three of us were all in the same spot: alone at 2:00 pm, reading, knitting, or concentrating on a late lunch. one approached me, asking if i knew of a yarn store nearby. i almost invited her to sit with me, just to see what might happen when a social more is disobeyed. the other comrade smiled faintly when our eyes met, and with this, i shifted my wild and glamourous stories of weekly facials, gold cards, and shopping sprees to perhaps being in between jobs, or holding down a full course load, or maybe working the night shift.