Text Message in the City

I unearthed some very old text messages the other day while cleaning up the computer. These files must have been created during the phone-to-computer sync up process. You can tell by the references to the musicale and the movie that this message is quite old. Plus, Mijo, D, A and I are all iPhone users now.

I hope D will still talk, err, text me after posting this.

D-Test from my new Treo.
Me-Hey new Treo dude, are we still on to see the Altar Boyz?
D-What's that?
D-Yah I am planning on it. I will have to pick up the tickets on Friday.
Me-Haha! Ok, new Treo dude. I work from home on Fridays.

The next day...
Me-Hey new Treo dude, do you just want to meet in front of the Orpheum tomorrow at 2pm?
D-Sure, how much do I owe you?
Me-The tickets are $40 each. We'll be there around 1:30pm. (of course, I've been late before haha!)
D-We are going to Pho if you are interested.
Me-We ate already. We're ready for desserts. We're also thinking of seeing 'The Host' at the Embarcadero.
D-Tomorrow... drunky.
Me-You too... tipsy.

The next day...
D-What are you wearing to this thing? Should we coordinate colors? I am thinking we stick to earth tones.
Me-Ok. Gray sweater on top of light blue shirt, jeans, black shoes, black trench coat.

After 30 mins...
D-We are on our way, 10 mins
Me-We're here.

p.s Also the musicale was terrible, but that was not the last one we saw together.

~rl

(The photo was taken after enjoying a visit to my favorite Salvadoran bakery, Pan Lido, on Capp and 22nd Sts.)

Moving trains in the city

He noticed the shape of this man's left ear first and then he instantly felt a tinge of sadness. It reminded him of his father's big, wide lobed ears, which is almost out of proportion with the size of the face. After discreetly staring at the man, he realized that not only his features made him an an obvious look a like of his father but also the way he holds the newspaper, the way he raises the eye brows and he tilts his head back, the way he wears his reading glasses and the manner he clutches his bag. The man is a bit younger and a little more corporate and western in clothing compared to his father. He liked what he saw because this is how he imagined his father in a big city setting but he knows this is not going to happen. How he wished he had brought his father to the city for a visit, among other things, when he was still strong, healthy and living. While taking note of the time on his way out of the subway, he realized it is the 2nd of March. Suddenly, the chilly draft created by the moving trains starts to sting his eyes. ~rl

(The photo above is taken at the De Young Museum during the Flowers to Arts exhibition in San Francisco, CA).

Lluvia en la ciudad

The Salvadoran noticed he does not have his cap on so he ran back to the massage kiosk where we were last in. I was waiting for him at the mall's lobby when I saw this view above me. It was a bit frustrating taking the shot because I could not capture the moving crowd up and down the mall made the whole scene more alive. For a rainy weekend, I am impressed with the size of the crowd at the mall considering a week has passed since payday. Through my camera, I saw the Salvadoran making his way down the escalators. The story turned out to be a happy ending because the cap was found. I took one last shot of the view above me. Click.

(The photo above was taken inside the SF MAll in San Francisco, CA)

Fall in the City

Yearning for an endless summer
a fancy for a sunkissed skin
the waves break like the sound of thunder
as one witnesses a new season to begin

(The photo above was taken infront of the Golden Gate Theater in San Francisco, CA)

Book of poems in the city

I like that. It is the comment made by his seat mate inside the early morning train which he barely heard. He was just in the process of catching his breath while settling in inside the subway train. Earlier, he was running down the escalator so he can make the inbound train. So when he heard this comment, he paused for few seconds, smiled and graciously acknowledged the stranger.

Oh, thank you. He forced another smile because he was holding a book of poems, as if he was embarrassed to be seen reading it. Embarrass is probably not the right word. Perhaps, lack of confidence is more appropriate since he just started exploring poetry book reading.

He started not so long ago with a select poems by Robert Frost but he is still having a hard time understanding the deeper meaning of each line. He was finally going to add some more to his thank you, to say something about Emily Dickinson, on how she was not popular during her time. He was going to try to sway the conversation out of the poems but he was interrupted.

Did you know they are identified by their paint job? The stranger was referring to the lighthouse printed on his laptop bag. His laptop bag has a light house and a mini cooper on both the front and back. It was like a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders. He was glad that he didn't have to explain what he likes, or does not like, about the poems.

No, not at all. Does this one look familiar to you? He was now at ease and the conversation was flowing smoother because, in his mind, he was not going to be judged anymore by what reads or does not read. But then again, it was all in his mind.

~rl

(The photo above was taken in on 18th St. in San Francisco during the longest day of summer)

Tea ceremony in the City

The queue was long but thank God the line went fast. I didn't think the after-hours mixer at the Asian Art Museum was this popular. Could it be that the tickets to the museum was a bargain at ten bucks considering it already includes the The Lords of Samurai exhibition? Or was it because art loving singles of the city flock to these events in order to see and be seen? Maybe going to these mixers is just plain cool?

It was already 6:30p when I got in and it was packed. At first I didn't know where to go. I glanced at the programme but it made things even more overwhelming. Should I see the Samurai exhibition first or head straight to the sake tasting? What about the tea ceremony upstairs? There was even a pottery making section. What a relief I felt when I saw mijo waiting at the lobby but it turned out he did not know where to start either.

We went to a section where a lot of people were congragating. It was the pottery section where everyone in line was given a packet with wet clay and paper. I thought I could do this at home so I took mine to-go.

Next, we went to see the Samurai exhibition where I learned about the different intricate armors and how they were designed for warfare and how it eventually evolved into ceremonial pieces. I wonder how could a samurai wear such a heavy outfit and still go to battles? The swords' craftmanship is impressive it is hard to imagine how they were made without the use of modern machineries. The calligraphy and paintings are equally impressive.

My favorite, this was where we spent most of the evening, was the tea ceremony. At first we didn't know where to begin. There were three tables and a platform in the middle which was an obvious venue for the tea ceremony. I managed to choose a table where tea whisking demonstrations were being held. I especially like the sweet rice cake rolls they passed around before the actual tea whisking. I said oishi with a bad twang but it still made the Japanese lady giving the demonstration smile. I learned how to clean a bowl, check the bamboo stirrer for splinters and how to evenly whisk a matcha tea without leaving it lumpy.

Thanks to mijo, I was able to get a seat to the tea ceremony. We were told it was a shortened version, about 20 minutes from start to finish, of the real one that can last for hours. It incorporated the tea whisking skills I had learned earlier but it also included some other careful steps in preparing the tea and the rituals with the handling of the utensils included in the ceremony.

I realized there are no random actions in putting on an armor, making a sword or serving tea during those days. Everything had a purpose or meaning and was done with art in mind. No matter how slow or impractical these maybe, I sort of liked the idea.

That evening, I once again became a fan of the Japanese culture.

~rl

(The photo above was taken while on queue for a tea whisking demonstration at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, CA)

Ballet in the City

I don’t consider myself a fan of ballet but I thought the ballerina’s performance in Lar Lubovitch's My Funny Valentine was brilliantly executed. Clean lines, dizzying swirls, elegant rhythm. That night was supposed to be the artiste’s retirement gala, the reason why the company’s former and current principal dancers were present at the War Memorial Opera House. I now remember how I got convinced to come see the show. After the second number, in the midst of all the clapping, my mind started wandering. I was deeply moved by what I had just witnessed. Such a remarkable talent! At the same time, I thought it is sad that this is the first and the only time I am going to see her perform. Should I even be here? It is right for me to be here? It felt awkward. It was like crashing into a total stranger’s retirement party. Technically and unfortunately, this was exactly what I did.
I tried to brush off my thoughts and tried to focus on the next dances which provided me a glimpse of the ballerina's extraordinary career.

To Tina LeBlanc, best wishes to you as you embark on the next chapter of your life. It was a pleasure watching you perform.

~ral

(The photo above was taken at the lobby of the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, CA).