The Year of the Snake

 Re the Snake ~ this is not a political post. I was asked to bring "the best" fortune cookies to a Chinese New Year dinner next week and of course that means the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company in Ross Alley (2nd photo) where there was a line out the door. Getting there was great fun as Grant Avenue was closed to traffic and all the colorful children and vendors were out selling all sorts of red and gold snake stuff. I walked and walked and then met two wonderful friends for lunch and I will tell you about that at a later date. 

a busy, rainy SF day

 Sis was such a good sport (even eager!) to get into the WAYMO driverless taxi which we used twice yesterday. We also got a good walk in from Union Square to Chinatown to North Beach. First we had a duck soup lunch at the Thai place near Jane's hotel and then we just walked in the gentle rain and talked about everything. We have much in common and she is SUCH a likable person and it is a treat being with her this week. So grateful! 

dragons, lions, noodles, rice

 Mr. nd Ms. Blogmaid and I had a very happy, sunny day in Chinatown yesterday. Lunch at my sister's place (Z&Y) and lots of walking and oohing and ahhhing. Even the fireworks were fine with us. So much color and joy for natives and tourists alike. A happy Lunar New Year!

big parade tonight

 Husbando and I went ONCE to the Lunar New Year Parade way back when. Yikes, the crowds. I prefer the little surprises like on this gated doorway on yesterday's walk. I will probably watch the parade tonight on TV, that's what Dragons do.Tomorrow a visit to Chinatown, or so we hope.

this Dragon wins!

 Stacie and Jen gave me a lottery ticket yesterday and I WON. $8 is nothing to sneeze at, right? I am actually a Dragon, which is pretty cool, I mean some are snakes. The Lunar New Year is colorful and fun and a very big deal in San Francisco where we have so many Asian citizens. Part of the tradition is to thoroughly clean house this time of year and I am joining in by tossing a bunch of stuff which has overtaken my office. So much for the paperless society. 

The Afternoon of the Rabbit

 Yesterday the Blogmaid drove (!) us to Chinatown to enjoy all the reds and rabbits and tons of tourists and we had a delightful time. We had lunch at Z & Y because sister Jane and Tanner enjoyed this restaurant when they were here in December. We spoke of those magical days fondly and then we shopped for red stuff. The Blogmaid bought a ton of red rabbit merchandise at one store and the owner's happiness made us both smile. 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit ~ celebrate!

OH, they are b-a-c-k

 Tourists galore in Chinatown yesterday ~ really, the sidewalks, stores and restaurants were all back in business. And I had a lovely catch-up time with Dancing Jen over lunch at our old favorite Golden Star. The chef dashed out for fresh mushrooms for my delicious chicken dish. Jen has been their superb and special customer for years and so I benefitted. A fine day indeed. Gratitude!

The Year of the Tiger

 I'm going to a Chinese New Year dinner next week and the hostess asked me to bring fortune cookies. So I went to the source, the famous fortune cookie factory in Ross Alley, Chinatown (top photo). Not easy to find, but I loved wandering around and soaking in the atmosphere. Store keepers and restaurants are bustling, hoping the tourists will return. So much color and life ~ I had a such a fun adventure.

life is slowly returning

 Chinatown and North Beach without huge tourist buses. Yesterday I met Jen and Jon for a walk up Grant Avenue which is partially closed for street music and restaurant activity. Lovely. The BEST lasagna in the world is at Casaro's and we sat outside there and talked about the present, past and future. Delightful!

Chinatown = Ghost Town

Yesterday I met Dancing Jen and Garber down on the 600 block of Jackson.
Every doorway leads to a restaurant there. Empty. Or maybe one or two
Chinese customers, but NO tourists. These are rough times for so many.
Our lunch, however, was delightful.

back to Sunday

I met Dancing Jen and Jon at Star (where Jen is royalty) for lunch. First I
checked out Portsmouth Square ~ this amazing always-packed park is a haven
for the many Chinese residents who live (I understand) in tiny, crowded nearby
apartments. This was the first public park in SF.  Older men and women
gather in separate groups to play various games. Above the men are setting
up cardboard boxes which have been left all stacked and neatly folded (by
whom?) around the square. Resourceful residents without electronic devices.

happy year of the pig

They were busy decorating in Chinatown yesterday for their big New
Year Celebration next weekend. I had a delightful lunch with Dancing
Jen at our favorite Star Restaurant where we are treated like royalty.
We had much to discuss and then walked on to downtown, happy to
have the blue sky and sunshine after so much rain.

born and raised in SF Chinatown

Playwright Lauren Yee knows and appreciates her upbringing in our

Chinatown. Her father is head of the Yee Fung Hoy Family Association

and she writes about him and their relationship with deep love and

lots of wonderful irony. It's a glorious play full of all kinds of twists

and turns ~ music and dancing too. Neti was my date and we had a

good time yesterday, missing the Super Bowl. (Blogmaid said the

football spectacular was like watching Ambien. Ha ha.) I would

urge everyone to go to the SF Playhouse to see King of the Yees

and I'm so glad we spent a long afternoon there instead of in front

of the TV. 

sunshine and moon cakes

Yesterday was one of those beautiful SF summer days and I met Dancing
Jen down at our Golden Star restaurant. The Moon Festival was in full
swing and Jen treated me to my first moon cake. Delicious. Best of all
was catching up with my friend as she gets ready for her exciting trip
to Copenhagen in October.

another full Nancy day

The restaurant RN74 looks somewhat like a French train station.
It was packed with people...this is a stock photo.

Chinatown was almost empty ~ the day before the New Year. Were
people home preparing big meals? Only a few tourists, too...

We had never even heard of the restaurant John selected for our
lunch yesterday. RN74 was terrific and obviously the recession must
be almost over because with $16 burgers and $12 for the cheapest
glass of wine, there were people waiting for tables. We had a lovely
catch-up family time and the boy picked up the check because he
is a generous soul indeed.

Then Nancy and I hoofed over to Chinatown for some up and down
Grant Avenue and in/out of maybe 74 shops. Husbando would have
no patience for this sort of poke-around shopping, so we took our
time and stopped for tea and each bought a few inexpensive items.
I had forgotten what fun it can be to have time and a $20 bill and
a sweet step daughter to talk over each silly yet colorful purchase.

Nancy is re-learning the bus system and today we'll work on her
BART knowledge as we head down to the Ferry Building and then
on to Tadich's for lunch. Tomorrow I work ~ what is that?