San Francisco, 28/04/09
Random Strabucks in Downtown SF
4:00PM
Day5
Random Strabucks in Downtown SF
4:00PM
Day5
So, I arrived this morning to San Francisco and I have been going around the downtown area with my heavy bagpack. I had to stop because, although I am only meeting Veronica, my host, in one hour, my shoulders hurt badly from carrying the weight and I can barely feel my legs. Yes, lovely first day in San Francisco... Not quite as glamorous as predicted.
The last day in Portland was quite lovely. I went with Conny and the dogs to Mt. Tabor Park. An old Volcano on the east part of the city. (...) I got to know that Portland is not such an "integrated" city racially as I had been told. Inequalities and likeliness of police brutality make part of the difference. I was told some people don't have health insurance, many were now fired and the situation is getting more and more complicated. We drove through old town and saw many many homeless people. I am getting more and more shocked. San Francisco isn't any better. It just has really touristic areas. I still need to find more about things here.
(...) the train was interesting (Portland - S.F.). The trip itself was beautiful. I got to see the Cascade Mountains, with snow and fog, and then wake up in the sunny fields of California. First person. This boy, whose name I didn't get to know. Red hair and black t-shirt. (...) the conductor thought we were together and hence our little (and very promising) chat all the way to the coach. (...) But then he was assigned a seat somewhere else. I was told later that they try to assign females with females, males with males.
1- slightly discriminatory
2- slightly old-fashioned
3- completely preventing "Before Sunrise" situations!!!
I sat next to a lady called Jena, from Eugene. She told me such nice things about the city, that I wished I had bought the stop there! She told me about her life and her daughter who got so wise just living on her own. She told me about Colorado. I should see Golden and Bolder. She told me about trips in her youth and I started to realize that John was right. Americans do move much more than Europeans. She got off at Eugene. I remember her big blue eyes. She was once very beautiful.
Then I met Lucinda and Jonathan. Lucinda was the old lady sitting accross the aile, with the pink blanket. She came all the way with me to Emeryville. One of the few. The train was almost empty by that time. When we arrived in California she started pointing out things to me and telling the story and history of the San Francisco Bay area. She was really lovely and told me about her children and how she raised them on her own. Her daughter went to Reed and Yale and her son loves to travel. She was quite proud and I thought she had every reason to be.
Jonathan was this strange speeded up guy from Tasmania. Ok, living in Tasmania, but American. Travelled a lot. (...) He was always drinking energy drinks, hanging around with slightly drunk people and looking at my knitting. He noticed all the little things I did. Like touching my earing or my nose. Annoying. Talked a lot but did not like him much. Too much of a joking/not funny type.
(...) I have seen Pier 39 and the downtonw area of the Finantial district and Civic Center. I took the little cable car. But I got off a couple of stops before Civic Center by mistake. It was scary. it was this bad part of market street that had so many homeless people and "porn-shop" type of places... I rushed back. Maybe I shouldn't be afraid. But I am, and part of it is also because I do not know how to deal emotionally with this. I don't know how to react to what seems to be the "normality" of American cities. There is a lot of urban poverty in this country, more than at home, where I already thought it was bad. ( ...)
interesting things about Sf so far:
- I saw Alcatraz. It looks like a hospital and people pay 26 dollars to go there. not interested.
- I also saw the Sea Lions at Pier 39 in the morning, when the place was empty and it was just me and them.
- The cable-cars are awesome recreations (or originals??) of old SF one and also one from Milano.
- nothing 60's 'till now. Nor victorian houses. Hoping for that tomorrow.
-Golden Gate amd Bay bridge are beautiful. it is really sunny and the views are great. it is cold, but I am surviving.
Filipa
The last day in Portland was quite lovely. I went with Conny and the dogs to Mt. Tabor Park. An old Volcano on the east part of the city. (...) I got to know that Portland is not such an "integrated" city racially as I had been told. Inequalities and likeliness of police brutality make part of the difference. I was told some people don't have health insurance, many were now fired and the situation is getting more and more complicated. We drove through old town and saw many many homeless people. I am getting more and more shocked. San Francisco isn't any better. It just has really touristic areas. I still need to find more about things here.
(...) the train was interesting (Portland - S.F.). The trip itself was beautiful. I got to see the Cascade Mountains, with snow and fog, and then wake up in the sunny fields of California. First person. This boy, whose name I didn't get to know. Red hair and black t-shirt. (...) the conductor thought we were together and hence our little (and very promising) chat all the way to the coach. (...) But then he was assigned a seat somewhere else. I was told later that they try to assign females with females, males with males.
1- slightly discriminatory
2- slightly old-fashioned
3- completely preventing "Before Sunrise" situations!!!
I sat next to a lady called Jena, from Eugene. She told me such nice things about the city, that I wished I had bought the stop there! She told me about her life and her daughter who got so wise just living on her own. She told me about Colorado. I should see Golden and Bolder. She told me about trips in her youth and I started to realize that John was right. Americans do move much more than Europeans. She got off at Eugene. I remember her big blue eyes. She was once very beautiful.
Then I met Lucinda and Jonathan. Lucinda was the old lady sitting accross the aile, with the pink blanket. She came all the way with me to Emeryville. One of the few. The train was almost empty by that time. When we arrived in California she started pointing out things to me and telling the story and history of the San Francisco Bay area. She was really lovely and told me about her children and how she raised them on her own. Her daughter went to Reed and Yale and her son loves to travel. She was quite proud and I thought she had every reason to be.
Jonathan was this strange speeded up guy from Tasmania. Ok, living in Tasmania, but American. Travelled a lot. (...) He was always drinking energy drinks, hanging around with slightly drunk people and looking at my knitting. He noticed all the little things I did. Like touching my earing or my nose. Annoying. Talked a lot but did not like him much. Too much of a joking/not funny type.
(...) I have seen Pier 39 and the downtonw area of the Finantial district and Civic Center. I took the little cable car. But I got off a couple of stops before Civic Center by mistake. It was scary. it was this bad part of market street that had so many homeless people and "porn-shop" type of places... I rushed back. Maybe I shouldn't be afraid. But I am, and part of it is also because I do not know how to deal emotionally with this. I don't know how to react to what seems to be the "normality" of American cities. There is a lot of urban poverty in this country, more than at home, where I already thought it was bad. ( ...)
interesting things about Sf so far:
- I saw Alcatraz. It looks like a hospital and people pay 26 dollars to go there. not interested.
- I also saw the Sea Lions at Pier 39 in the morning, when the place was empty and it was just me and them.
- The cable-cars are awesome recreations (or originals??) of old SF one and also one from Milano.
- nothing 60's 'till now. Nor victorian houses. Hoping for that tomorrow.
-Golden Gate amd Bay bridge are beautiful. it is really sunny and the views are great. it is cold, but I am surviving.
Filipa
2 comentários:
I don't understand (...) what your deal is with (...) all the supposedly omitted text.
So you won't have to read
"I am going to buy a apple cake slice!" or
"oh! I got a stain in my shirt from sitting on that bench yesterday"
or still
"breathe Filipa, breathe Filipa (....repetition in worst handwriting...) breathe Filipa..."
and to account for some random jumps (if any attempt can be made)
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