Category: reflection

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observation reflection time

Upside Down in January

This is the first time in probably years where the year has started off with nonstop action. Most of the time, the month of January has been just dry and boring for me. Things go by like syrup, so the days feel too long and I’m usually left sitting and staring at a clock for the time to just edge by.

But this year, January has been a monster for me. I feel like I’ve been on a rollercoaster for this first half of the month, up and down, up and down. There’s been barely any time to breathe and reflect on all the changes. As my friend said to me the other day, there’s no time to feel much emotion for things that have happened.

In the little free time I’ve had this month, I have been walking around more and reflecting on the past few years. I’ve seen a few of my favorite businesses in my neighborhood close down due to the slow economy, and new businesses popping up near the Financial District showing promise for an improving economy. Still, there are a lot of vacant storefronts, all victims to the recession.

I also find myself observing others more, and realizing what a long way I’ve come in the past 5-10 years. It’s a big chunk of time to think about, but I notice how times have changed and how I’ve aged when observing others. I watch young high-schoolers board the bus with their nonchalant “tough” demeanor and I wonder what they’ll be thinking about when they come to my age. I’m not much older than they are, but the space between the teenage and young adult years is much wider than the space between the 20s and 30s.

The rest of the month (the next two weeks) will continue upon this rollercoaster I’ve boarded. I’m not sure if the ride will stop on my birthday or if it’ll continue on throughout the year.

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My San Francisco Chronicles observation reflection

San Francisco Scenes, Part 2

Tommy’s Joynt
Van Ness Avenue & Geary Street
Sunday afternoon

After visiting the farmer’s market today, I decided to go by the public library to pick up a few books I had on hold. I waited outside one entrance with a few other patrons, and, when the doors open, we all began walking in. I was surprised when I saw the hoards of people flooding in from all the entrances into the library, as if the place were a shopping mall. Perhaps I just haven’t been out enough, but it seems like only here in San Francisco can I see such a scene for the library. There were a mix of people: young, old, wealthy, homeless, etc. They all wanted to go inside to relax, to sleep, to check out books (like me), and other things. I felt others found the library as more than just a place for books; to many here in the city, the public library is a sanctuary from the elements and the sometimes-harsh street scene. Quiet, tranquil, and open.

Later on, I had lunch at Tommy’s Joynt with my brother. Tommy’s Joynt is a true San Francisco institution where you can see people from all walks of life eating together and truly sharing at least one thing in common. It was another eclectic crowd inside, not unlike the crowd I saw streaming into the library. Some people were interested in watching Sunday football on the televisions in the restaurant; others just wanted a warm meal for a good value.

———–

Many times, I feel like I don’t belong here in San Francisco with the different “scenes” aka crowds in the city; other times, like today, I feel it doesn’t matter what group we all supposedly belong in, as long as we’re happy and letting others just do their own thing with no judgment involved.

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inspiration My San Francisco Chronicles reflection

Captivating Cards

Yesterday after work, I was over in Japantown looking at some advertisements, which then led me to the Kinokuniya Card Store, which then led me to these cards here: when I first saw the card on the right, I felt spellbound by it. The picture doesn’t do it much justice; the colors make the scene seem so much more surreal. I stood there in the store, staring at the card for a good 2-3 minutes until I snapped out of the trance.

I wasn’t going to buy the card, but then I found myself admiring the card on the left, designed by local San Franciscan artist Tomoko Maruyama. I first stumbled upon her work via Facebook and had since been trying to hunt down her cute, light designs in the city. Lo and behold, most of her work is featured in Japantown, so now I know. I picked up the Tomoko Maruyama card and then, thinking a bit, I went back and picked up the other card.

I’ve used the Tomoko Maruyama card already for a friend, but the other card, I think I shall keep. Strangely, it has a power over me; after buying the card, I felt a real sudden urge to just write. I decided to write a letter to an old friend after that, scribbling furiously into another card I had bought at the shop. After finishing the letter, I still wanted to write a lot more–how did such a simple card give me so much inspiration? Unfortunately, I had to suppress my urges to write more since I had to attend my Korean language class; after class, I didn’t feel that spark anymore.

I had the card displayed on my desk right now; perhaps I have found my muse for this next month.

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Busride Observations My San Francisco Chronicles reflection

Ray of hope on the morning commute–

7:13am, October 13, 2009.

The first big rain of the season; I stepped onto the 5-Fulton bus for my usual commute and felt like I had just battled a true typhoon. I went to my favorite seat immediately and settled down.

There were a couple of men talking about San Francisco; they were both recent transplants to the city, so they were making comparisons of their previous locations to The City. I felt like it was just a simple exchange of a few words, so I drifted off into my own thoughts, and onto a warm slumber during the 40-minute commute.

Rain poured outside while our bus driver perilously navigated the slick streets; meanwhile the two men continued to talk across the aisle with each other, until one, who introduced himself as “James”, decided he would just sit beside his new companion, who said his name was “Jack”.

As the bus continued on towards downtown, more passengers boarded with gloomy expressions over the unexpected rain. However, through the gray faces, Jack and James seemed to melt into their own world, sharing their life stories with one another.

Somehow, that small scene from this morning has stuck with me all day–that, amidst all the recent negative Muni coverage, there are still small beams of hope shining through all the mess.

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NaNoWriMo reflection travel

Traveling through the year

There’s something about visiting a new place: it truly gives me a sense of adventure and renewed optimism. I hadn’t realized how long it had been since I last traveled until I arrived at SFO this past Wednesday evening and thought, “Well, the last time I was here was in January.” I’d lost track of time and had since only been traveling within San Francisco or to Sacramento to visit relatives.

It explains the restlessness I have felt for quite awhile now; the need to be on-the-move, seeing/hearing/feeling new things all around me.

In other news, it seems like some people are already gearing up for NaNoWriMo this year; it’s a little under two months away now. I can’t believe it’s already September; the end of the year is always something I look forward to. As my brother has said, “It’s when everything ‘falls’ into place.” It’s a horrible pun, but it still makes sense: a lot of things seem to happen at the end of each year, and I always look forward to the travels ahead.