Walking in San Francisco with Cynthia

I'm sitting at Cafe Express on Powell and Sutter Waiting for Cynthia who is shopping in Walgreen's. We spent the morning looking for the best price to Cynthia from Santa Cruz to Paris then Shanghai for Christmas and back. Eventually we found a pretty good deal, except the trip back will take 2 days with an overnight in Paris. Finally got out about 12:30. At BofA, We transferred $700 to her account so she can use her credit card to pay for her Lufthansa ticket CDG to PVG (Shanghai). We bumped into Laurie a friend from Pilates class and sell hello. Then to Bill, my barber, to see pictures of his enormous personal backhoe he keeps at his house up in Ukiah.

On to Lychee Garden for dim sum. As it was after 1:30 the place was nearly empty and we got what we wanted quickly. Ha Gau, Sui Mai, Cha Su Bai, flat white noodles with stuff inside, the hairy taro balls (mentioned the other day by Doug - see below). Even sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves. They really do a very job of preparation, I'd like to see the kitchen one day. Cynthia was very happy. Her first dim sum in YEARS.

Then to Imperial Tea Court. My first visit to the HQ. Roy the famous owner was not there, but I met Grace who manages the shop. I met somebody I knew but I cannot say who it is because they told me there being in San Francisco is a secret.

On to the Chinese Cultural Center to see a superb exhibit of ceramics by Dottie Low. Outstanding work: inventive yet respectful of tradition. Great range of thought from settings to sculptures. Humor, serious, satire, it was all there. We went to this exhibit at the suggestion of Doug, her brother, who is the frozen food shelf stocker at my Safeway. Siblings with two very different paths in life.

Then we remembered that I started out with a bag but currentlly it was not with us. Cynthia dashed back to Lychee Gardens. And somehow stole it away because the man who was there kept saying "nothing here".

Then she went to Walgreens and me to Cafe Express. Now I'm sitting in the ladies shoe department on the third floor of Macy's.

The more I walk through San Francisco with people I know the more fun it is. I frequently run into people I know. Odd coincedences occur. Always familiar, always new. Walks in Paris likewise.

We've walked right by H&M and now I'm sitting in ladies dresses at Urban Outfitters. At each new place, I add more detail and thoughts to this draft.  We then went on to the new Westfield Mall on Market Street passing through American Eagle, Banana Republic and Bloomingdales. After that we took a bus home.

We went to Olivier's for Dinner. Cynthia had a splendid and tasy porck chop and I had monkfish. Fo dessert we had their incomparable chocolate soufflé.  All the time we were chatting with Yassim who had just returned from Paris. He gave us both a glass of Baume de Venise as digestifs.

A nice day.