Haight-Ashbury, Little Italy, Union Square

My second visit to San Francisco was a delightful trip. The "delightfulness" began even before we landed into California - I met an old friend on board. What a rare coincidence. Needless to say, word got around among the crew that I had a friend on board in Business Class.

It was great catching up with you in the sky, Safi!



Upon Jia-Yi’s recommendations, I spent half of my first day in Haight-Ashbury, a nearby district well-known for its role as the hippie centre in the 1960's. Well-fuelled by the American breakfast I had at Lori’s Diner, it took me about an hour’s walk to get there from Union Square.

The walk down Market Street was an eye-opening experience and despite cat calls by the Joeys of San Francisco, I enjoyed watching locals go about their day. It’s sad to see so many homeless people in the city.

The first picture (above) is taken from the United Nations Plaza Civic Centre courtyard, with City Hall in the background. Below, a group of Chinese ladies practising tai chi at the gardens. Just opposite this row of trees is an open area that has been made a "home" by the homeless.

Haight-Ashbury is so named after the intersection of Haight and Ashbury Streets. It's also commonly called The Haight, known for its quirky colourful shops selling clothes and collectibles from Tibet, Vietnam and Thailand.

To the west of the district is the Golden Gate Park, which takes up several blocks all the way from Haight-Ashbury to Ocean Beach.



Having had my morning excercise, I decided to take Bus 71 back to town and continue exploring Union Square more on foot.

I came across Yerba Buena Gardens, where outdoor concerts are hosted and locals soak in the sun.



Just across from this green patch is the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).




For only $12.50, one can spend an entire day there admiring pieces of modern art including paintings, sculptures, photos.




The highlight for the quarter is an exhibition of Frida Kahlo's work. To fully understand the meaning of her work, it's imperative to understand the person she was. Frida (2002) starring Salma Hayek has been reviewed by Frida's family to have provided the closest depiction of her.



Dinner with colleagues was in Little Italy (next to Chinatown) at Frattoria Pinochio. The food wasn’t the best I’ve had, but the wine was fantastic. This was mainly because were three among us who are trained sommeliers heading the company's Wine Appreciation Group.




It’s an opportunity not to be missed if there are colleagues on flight who are keen to venture out. One of the benefits of going out in a group is that you can experience what goes on after sundown more than if you were exploring alone.

My appetite had been set on having Tarantino’s half a crab and a cup of clam chowder since this flight was rostered, so to Fisherman’s Wharf I headed, with that one goal in mind. I was seated at a very strategic table at Tarantino’s overlooking the dock and the stretch on Jefferson street where the World Famous Bushman works. I had first read about him on Wikipedia, but had to observe him for myself (he was taking a break the last time I was at Fisherman’s Wharf).



The Bushman (by the green garbage bin on the left) scarring two unsuspecting passers-by (ladies in grey and pink).

San Francisco is a shoppers paradise, especially when the Dollar is low. Summer sales were on everywhere! One can spend an entire day around Union Squre and not have enough.



One can enjoy a cup of coffee or simply bask in the sun at the square itself. The empty space is used for art exhibitions and the occasional flea market.



My second day in San Francisco coincided with the launch of the iTouch in the US. There were people camping out the night before and the line went all the way around the block. The shop had very tight security and only allowed shoppers who wanted to buy other items in escorted by staff.




P/S: Apologies to all techies out there, I meant the iPhone, not the iTouch up there.