Typical weekend of random (and happi-) ness in the city.
Saturday – 25 °C.
Made plans to meet a friend in Dolores Park, to try and make up the fight we had gotten into earlier. Walked downhill while overlooking a city that was already flooded with sunlight. Passed a group of men on the way there, striking against the ban on nudity – all naked, walking around with slogans such as “mind your own wiener” and carrying a huge inflatable phallus with the words “I am perfect, just as I come” written on it.
Got to the park, bickered for three hours, only to be distracted every now and again by the dog-show that was taking place a few feet away. After last week’s “national dog adoption day”, this Saturday centered specifically around Chihuahua’s Unsure how everyone found out about it, but when the presenter called upon the dogowners, half the field got up and walked to the stage with their mini-dogs dressed in all sorts of costumes.
Made up the fight, bought wine at Bi-Rite, borrowed glasses at Dolores Park Cafe, went back and saw a group of people dancing in the middle of the park. Found out a DJ had set up his tables using a twin-baby-stroller; generator in one seat, speakers in the other, equipment on top. Loud and amazing. No police to be found to shut anything down – fiftysome people partied around him only the stop when the generator ran out momentarily, at which point someone immediately turned it on again by pulling a cord, while one guy that looked like he had just stepped out of a Tupac video, sipped Hennessy and reassured everyone he still had extra gas in his car if worse came to worse.
Went home for the usual weekend-routine that never gets old; wine on the roof, music in the background, taking in the view and looking back on a lovely day. The good company I was in may have had something to do too with how good it was all feeling – completely happy and grateful.
Sunday – 28 °C.
Woke up, was lazy, saw on facebook I was already late for Bay to Breakers -the 12k run for which San Franciscans dress up in the strangest costumes- as most of my timeline was already posting pictures of themselves out & about along its route. Quickly slipped into the dress my roommate had given me for the occasion, put on a yellow wig and indian headdress and went out the door.
Felt totally comfortable making my way over from Twin Peaks to Golden Gate Park looking this way. Realized that aside from everyone being unique in this city, what really sets San Francisco apart is how much people feel at ease with themselves. Happy to notice I caught the same virus.
Spent the day in my fluorescent costume dancing, hoolahooping and drinking soy lattes. Listened to Robin Schultz (http://goo.gl/ULFGM) for the 30th time within 48 hours during my evening walk late Sunday night. Bumped into another few runners in pink tutu’s – as they greeted, I asked “Wasn’t Bay to Breakers this morning?” and one of them yelled: “Perhaps! But we can’t find the finish anywhere!”
Sunburned cheeks kept reminding me today of a wonderful weekend. One that marked the end of my 6 month stay in SF and beginning of a possibly super exciting but still very insecure future that’s pending on a visa application that way submitted today. So far so good and to be continued – I hope. Fingers crossed.
