The Bay Area

I've lived here almost ten years, since 1996 when I went to Mills for my undergrad. I love the bay area...I always have. After living in southern California for so long there was a wildness to the north that the south lacked, with it's concrete, smoggy flatness. But there are some things about it that really really irritate me.

While I'll miss watching the dry brown foliage transform into lush greenery during the rainy season there are some things I can do without. For instance, walking through popular Bay Area establishments like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's can be perilous to your health, or at the very least your toes and soft tissue. The parking lots themselves are deathtraps. Which leads me to a tangent. Pedestrians. When I went to Paris, pedestrians ran across the street at the sight of an oncoming car. They knew that if they didn't move, they would be mowed down. But here, it's not uncommon for someone to wait by the stoplight, pause, then walk into the crosswalk when the light turns green for oncoming traffic and have the nerve to stop mid section and give you a don't you dare look.

Back to the store...I don't know how many times I've stood in an aisle and attempted to get around carts set in the middle of the aisle, people shoving their way to the produce, stepping on toes, or just gossiping in the middle of a main walkway. There is no sense of personal space much less common courtesy to say "Excuse me" or "Sorry, just need to get by." Whatever happened to saying excuse me when you have to walk in front of something or am I just showing my age?

Personal space seems to be a thing of the past. When my boyfriend and I attended a Yerba Buena concert at The Elbo Room a woman started drumming on his back. Literally. Like she knew him. I was astounded, he was pissed, and she, with her drunk happy ass, was indignant that he told her to stop or pay the consequences. She did. After doing it again that is. I won't bore you with the exchange that followed.

However, I do love the casual Bay Area style, I'm going to miss it alot. Especially considering I have almost zero dress sense aside from khakis, basic slacks and oxfords. Well, almost next nothing when I walk into Berkeley or Santa Cruz and see what the masses are wearing. Or not wearing. I'll miss the ocean but not the earthquakes. I'll miss the temperate seasons (yes, we actually do have seasons). I'll miss Oakland but not Danville, San Ramon or Pleasanton (that's a whole other post). Oh yes, I musn't forget Peets...Peets over Starbucks anytime.