With day one out of the way, we can focus on day two. My first full day in San Francisco. Full day is an accurate way to describe it. Awake at 3 (stupid jetlag), I did a few hours work before heading down for breakfast with the no longer drunk Galbo. Buffet is the best way to do breakfast, two massive platefuls of bacon, sausage, egg and potatoes later I felt quite ill. Will have to have a lie down before I get onto anymore work me thinks.
Popped over to check out the venue for the event on Tues night (today is Monday), was weirded out by the total change in social class on the drive over. Went from Union square, which is an up market shopping district, through an area that looked like absolutely everyone was a scag head. My suspicions proven by a couple of people seemingly openingly doing some stuff I’m sure they shouldn’t be doing on the streets. Passing through this area we got to City Hall, the opera house and the symphony building. How can all this be within a minutes taxi ride from such poverty? I think it was Mr Galbo who was telling me that there is a serious problem in San Fran with poverty, that there really is a divide between the have and the have nots. (A point which I will pick up on more in a later article about a book I’ve just finished).
City Hall was awash with TV crews, because of this I decided that after checking out the venue I would walk the half mile or so back there and have a whack about. The TV crews were all around due to the San Francisco politicians deciding that it was time to allow gay marriages, and that the first one was going to be legalized at 5:01. There is a real back story to this, which I semi picked up watching hours of repeated news in the hotel. Something along the lines of gay marriages previously being legalized, then they changed their minds and cancelled all the marriage (anyone know more on this?). Wondering through I happy snapped pictures on my n95 8gb to my hearts content. Then noticed a guy with a better camera (TV dude) so had a quick natter with him. Later to be quite surprised to see he had donned a tie and was presenting the report for a local news service.
After all this excitement I went back to the hotel to do some more work.
That evening we all decided to pop out for dinner, all being me, Galbo and Cookie Monster aka Pete. We ended up wondering all the way to Polk, around 20 blocks or so up Sutter. We found this little Chinese place, through desperation rather than desire we went in. The food really wasn’t that great, but they had Cobra so pleasure/pain yoghurt advert I guess. After the quick munch we headed over the road to the Blur bar, a wannabee trendy bar which seemed just dark and depressive. Always funny for the bargirl to try and sell you cheap fags too.
Next we popped next door to a bar I don’t remember the name of, something Tavern, you’d think I’d Google research it, but no. A cool upbeat rocky bar with a dj and a pool table. We jumped onto the pool table (to play, not literally jumped on) and stayed there for an hour or so. I dominated Galbo and Cookie, but got beat by a Texan guy who was taking it extremely seriously. Poor Chap, he really was rubbish and if I’d been playing properly, or had played American tables at all recently, I’d of kicked his arse too. He did however get a bit grumpy when I had 2 shots after he potted the white (scratched). Stupid American rules!
Left the Tavern, walked back, and bed, night night and onto day 3.