the loong post continued..

Not too long, actually, since I feel SO pressured to be quick on the comp when there are just ten for about a hundred plus people to use. =P We've been to Alcatraz, (blah) Fishermans' Wharf (blah), Union Square, Nob Hill (woah, nice houses, i wanna go again just to get shots of the houses!) Chinatown (as in all places colonised by Chinese the world over, squeezy, cheap and soooooo cheena it makes you long for home), North Beach (kind of like Little Italy; I WANT to go and hang out there and sip a hot chocolate and watch the world go by!) Macy's (quite ex) and Saks' Fifth Avenue (REALlY ex). Bought nothing from these two except cosmetics from *ahem* STILA, which is like 25% cheaper here. Yes, Tiffany and Keqing, if you read, it means your Christmas present is bought. Yes, already! =)

Also been to Hard Rock Cafe, and like HRC's the world over, it is an icon that tourists flock to all the time. Food's OK, shirts are bought (yes, Keqing and Tiffany again) and I got a box of chocolate mints for my mother in an Elvis guitar case! whoohoo! Pier 39, which is where this is, also provided an excellent place for donut eating (hot donuts + cold wind = so shiok!) and I think i've gotten my year's worth of carbs from the donuts and the *heavenly* Ghiradelli (say Geer-ar-delly, as their shop notice proclaims!) chocolates. Also had my gelato (there's a glutton-y picture of me with it), chocolate clusters and used up my 64MB SD card. Never fear, though, cos I brought a 512MB with me too; mwahahahahahahahaha, there will be LOADS of pics when I'm done!

The thing I've enjoyed most, surprisingly, is the solitary walk I had this morning through Union Square. Though most of the shops were not open, it was good to walk through the streets and soak in the essence of San Fran. Starbucks takeaway in hand, people stroll down the streets. Shop attendants drawl 'How're you doin' and I'm learning to respond in kind. The buses rattle down the roads and the sun rises behind hills. The view down a street, any street, is, I think, quintessential SF; all the roads here are REALLY straight, by the by. Buildings pile on top of each other; and basements are the order of the day. The light is diffuse and the sky blue; the leaves on the maple trees are a brilliant red. The flowers in the flower shops cannot be more beautiful, even though it is early winter. Come to think of it, the season probably explains the price (2.50 for a rose, siao la!) I think strolling, with no agenda in mind and no one else around, has become my favourite way to explore a city. France, Ulaan Baatar and now SF. Yay. Perhaps I shoud go climb more hills and tone my leg muscles? Hey, Nob Hill is a hill! =)