Recharging in San Francisco

From the moment I stepped off the BART at the Powell St. station I felt refreshed. A cool, almost chilly breeze whipped through the streets. What a welcome relief after weeks in smothering, uncomfortable heat. (Incidentally the temperature would remain at just about 60 degrees all three days, with foggy/cloudy skies, and brisk gusts of wind.) The timing, too, for our singular adventures was perfect. Our time here falls pretty much exactly in the middle of our trip and hopefully has allowed each of us to come back fresh and ready to go on. It's not that we're not getting along, because we are (better than some may have anticipated in fact), but the time apart to be on our own and with old friends has been quite healthy.

I opted to stay in a hotel for my first night. I really longed for at least one night that I could have a room to myself and spread out in pseudo-luxury. My room was small, but very pretty and ornate; the bed lavish and comfortable. Weeks of undersleeping had finally caught up to me and I spent much of the day laying in bed, browsing online and watching TV.

I decided to meet up with my old friend Pilla, whom I met at NYU for our "fast-track" masters degree in teaching. Pilla and I were best friends at school and became close very fast. Of course, when she moved back to her home in California after school ended our relationship took the unfortunately quite normal path of little to no existence. Needless to say it was really exciting to catch up. Apparently I had forgotten a LOT and it was fun to relive those memories as we drank margaritas in the Mission and played darts further uptown in Nob Hill. The time flew by and before we knew it we were closing out the bars. We met up again on Wednesday and we hung out in the Mission during the afternoon. We got the chance to begin anew our long-standing pool rivalry (both of us not that great, but always competitive) at a place called Zeitgeist, which also has an outdoor beer garden (which was too cold to sit out at). Despite the crooked cues and slanted table we had a blast. I then had the opportunity to meet her fiance Joel and we went to Udubi, a vegetarian Indian restaurant on Valencia. The time spent with Pilla reawakened a friendship and a part of my life I don't think about enough these days. I hope that we can keep our rekindled friendship going.

On day two I slept pretty late and had to rush to check out on time. I had a relaxing and long breakfast at a place called "The Grove" on Fillmore, where I camped out with my little laptop for awhile before setting out on a hike around the city--my favorite way to explore any city. I wandered over to the Haight and up all the way to the famed Haight-Ashbury. As I walked along I noticed that this really is not much more than a tourist trap, which I suppose is a shame, but that's the way these things go. Homeless (or fake-homeless) and destitute people crowded corners, vintage clothing stores and pipe stores dominated shopping options, and a couple of seemingly yuppie bars and higher-end clothing stores filled in some of the gaps. So I walked past and toward Golden Gate Park, where Pilla suggested I check out the DeYoung Musuem.

Truth be told, I'm not much of a museum person and find that I can experience local culture in ways that are more enjoyable and meaningful to me, but I hadn't been to any on this trip and I do enjoy modern American art. Plus, it was rather chilly out and I needed a break. I thought I would be able to check my behometh bag, but instead they made me carry it my hands (apparently wearing a backpack on my back was a safety issue). Yes, it was a typical museum experience. I took some pictures that in my head I thought I might use as 'thought-provokers' in my classes next year. I then walked all the way back through the Haight, the Lower Haight and finally to Kim's, which is at the northern border of the Mission, near 14th St. and Market. By the end of my marathon day of walking (with at least a 40-pound backpack on the whole day) I had a very sore right foot, which I suspect will be with me for some days to come. But I look so cool with my limp.

It was great to see Kim and her husband Ashish, who welcomed me to their very nice abode with a home-cooked meal, some wine, and some relaxation. It was good to just relax and catch up and live the normal workaday week routine that my friends have here in San Francisco. I slept in, had some great coffee (delicious Blue Bottle drip) and chocolate croissant from the Mission Beach Cafe and relaxed in Kim's apartment until it was time to meet with Pilla at Zeitgeist. Kim and Ashish were married in May and their beautiful apartment is still filled with boxes of Cuisinart appliances, boxes of leftover wine, and other artificats of a recent wedding. I haven't felt this relaxed since we started the trip and I am grateful to them for the chill times, good food, and good conversation

All in all these few days have been refreshing and endearing, and even a bit surreal. It is strange to think I'm out here on the west coast after three weeks of driving. As I keep coming back to San Francisco, which many of you know I have a long-standing grudge against, I learn to appreciate it more and enjoy its depth and nuances. This time around I spent most of my time near the Mission and I enjoyed its good food, fun bars, and young crowds. It's not quite yuppie and certainly not hippie... the best I can compare it to is a cool neighborhood in Brooklyn. I enjoyed an excellent carne asada "super taco" from a random hole-in-the-wall Mexican taqueria, tastes of delicious Samosas at a vegetarian Indian restaurant, and a creamy, and a delicate, creamy seafood crepe at a French place called Tikouz, all in one day within the radius of a few blocks.

Like many big cities you can get different descriptions of the city from the locals depending on who you talk to and that makes sense because a big city can be experienced in so many ways. I have found it to be the most metropolitan place we've visited on the trip (i.e., the closest to New York). I did not find that San Franciscans are trying to impress anyone. As such they are neither rude nor overly friendly, they just kind of "are". I didn't sense a vibrant singles scene (but it could have just been where I went out to) and the people, well, with the exception of my beautiful hosts, are not as attractive as let's say the people in Austin, for example. I can happily say, though, that I am ready to once and for all put my grudge against the city to bed for good. I plan on visiting again and continuing to explore this diverse and multifaceted city on the Bay.