Some Actual Details Relating To San Francisco

ok, i would have posted last night except i fell asleep at 8 in the evening partially due to jet lag but also due to having walked for 10 hours all day, but at least i saw a good deal of 'the city'. first i'm going to tell you some vaguely sensible and informative things about san francisco. the weather here is permanently set to perfect - i have to wear sunglasses all the time and every photograph i take seems to be overexposed. its not as hilly as some make out (people have bikes even) but certain hills are somewhat vertigo inducing and make your knees hurt if you walk down them. it reminds me of wales. san franciscans are pretty friendly. one helped me find my bus from the airport and gave me the 50 cents i was short a fare (because i'm stingy i didn't take the train or even the express bus but the local bus that stops everywhere, costs $1.75 and no visitors take.) however our attempt at conversation went as follows,
(him) where you from? (me) london
- whats the name of that other place in london? - err
- liverpool thats it, my friends from liverpool - thats up north. i like liverpool. its a good city
- my friend says its not so good to be from there - ah we call them scousers, i guess theyre considered a bit dodgy
- dodgy? like how? - well they like to pitch things (i would have said nick but i didn't think he would understand me not that he did anyway)
- pitch? - steal, but not really. its just a stereotype we take the piss out of
- i don't understand anything you say - i mean er make fun of
etc.

san franciscans are also what i would describe as militantly peacenik. examples of this - they are trying to ban army cadets, they have banned fois grois on animal welfare grounds (no, i did not read this in the onion, its actually true), someone handed me a leaflet stating that in order to stop climate change it is necessary not to drink, smoke, do drugs or eat meat and diary. i also saw a samll anti government protest made up of christians (banners proclaiming "where would jesus bank") and anarchists ("everything is wrong").

i chose my hostel because its near city lights bookstore. its also on the street where all the strip joints are, ha ha. theres a place next door called 'the beat museum' which purports to have the actual typewriter kaeroac wrote on the road on. i'm also very close to chinatown which is apparently the biggest chinatown in the world. my guidebook describes it as tacky but i love chinese tat. soho doesnt have enough of it. there are the famous cable cars but they are mostly just for show and i can't afford to go on them. you can hear the cables rattle underground as you cross the tracks which is kind of creepy though.

also i ate in subway today. its kinda the same as subway at home only they also offer a catering service where thing make you giant subs for slicing. i guess, say, so you can have your wedding catering done and be, like, thanks to subway for the food because we first bonded as a couple over a shared love of italian meatball and ranch sauce (hold the jelepenos)