The fog and the sea winds weaving all over in between buildings cause my hair to come alive and snake-like, forming cords after being outside all day. How can I describe my two favourite parts of the city so far? North Beach, with Cafe Trieste every morning, and the Beat haunts, and the normal people who say hi and talk to one another, and who stare at you friendly-like.
And then there is Haight Ashbury, where we went today, and it was unlike any place I've ever been- hippies, lots of young street people with dreads and fashionably high cheekbones, dirty sidewalks, insane shopping. It felt grungy and real and yet popularized, almost bordering on fake.
We also went to a ferry port market thing, and bought some good bread and cheese for lunch. Squabbled all day, tempers bordering on sensitive and over-reacting. We've been on vacation together since Dec. 23, and it's starting to show. Today was our last day with the Morrison's, and while it was lovely to see them it will be relaxing to be able to go back to being our normal disfunctional selves.
I think if J.D. Salinger had ever gotten a look at Haight Ashbury (and perhaps he did) he would've said "Phonies. Every one of 'em, phonies."
ReplyDeleteYES! And maybe, perhaps because it is the first major American city I've been to, but I keep thinking I see Holden Caulfield on every. single. corner. And it is nice, to think of people I catch glimpses of, as if I know their secret lives
ReplyDeleteI see the Joads whenever I go to Oklahoma (or central California).
ReplyDeleteWhoa, waitaminnit. You live in Edmonton and Frisco is the first major American city you've been to? Not Sacramento? Seattle? Spokane? Portland? Butte? Coeur D'Alene? Salt Lake City?
It was my favorite game on the Busan subway to look at the other passengers--foreigner and Korean alike--and guess what their destinations, jobs, family life, and ambitions were. Ate up the kilometers, I tell you.
Well, when I was a kid living in White Rock, we would do early morning runs across the border to Bellingham for gas, milk, eggs, etc., because it was so close and cheap.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course we went to Seattle lots, but I can hardly remember it, and we've done lots of camping and hiking in Oregon and Washington, but no big cities.
It's a shame, right? And the same for Canada too; I've been all over the world, but hardly seen anything of my own continent and country. Sad.
Not really a shame...to me it's a matter of preference. There was a time when I was downright contemptuous of my own country and considered anything of my own native soil not worth seeing. I was all about foreign countries.
ReplyDeleteThen I went to the Grand Canyon, and I changed my mind.