Hi - on Polk Street drinking mocha in a net cafe with Madonna on the stereo. America is so civilised. Been to the Buffalo exchange - surely one of the coolest second hand stores, it’s like all the Camden retro shops but more interesting and cheaper.
Yesterday me and Col went out with Oren and Ryan the canadians - we got some culture at the SF MOMA, and col found a contact number for his friend who works there and got us 4 in for free.
I met some lovely San Francisco firemen and got my picture taken with them, as I am currently obsessed with men in uniform/ manual workers (of the American kind).
Later we to the Haight to get some food and drink pitchers of american beer. It was fun though, and we had a good discussion about wether monogomy was natural and/or good, genetics, and where morality comes from.
Today I have been out wandering. Col has gone cycling with a completely cliched ‘California Man’. You wouldn’t believe him, I hardly can, he has all this curly brown hair and a massive childlike grin and the silliest ‘simple hippy’ type vocabularly.
I, however, have been doing my best to get lost in San Fran. I am pretty convinced that the most valuable experiences from urban adventures are the unexpected ones. Sure it’s cool to go to Alcatraz, but it’s when you are somewhere completely bizarre and good stuff happens that you really remember. I managed to find some of the most beautiful residential streets right up high (top of Broadway).
I found a sort of flowery, tiny garden bit that overlooked the bay and the bridge at the end of a cliff like cul-de-sac. It was peaceful and quiet and you could look down at all the people busy below. I practised breathing - since recently I have realised that without thought I actually breathe very badly, shallow and fast. So I am working on deep slow breathing, and it’s also a great antidote to sun bathing boredom.
I wasn’t entirely sure if this little garden was private or not so I adopted the lotus position thinking if the people in the house next door saw some hippy doing yoga in their garden they’d be less likely to chuck me out.
The city is full of kickboards, it’s just like London. In fact a beggar said to me “Spare a little change so I can get one of those scooters?”. Good line.
Ok, thats nearly me done for today (i am paying by the minute). It’s hot - I am a little burnt, but in a good way. Tonight.. a band? Possibly, I still have to get in touch with my German mate Oliver. Laters!