12. A Walk to Work

Post for Thursday 26 July.

On my way to client I walk through South of Market area in San Francisco and I could see:

• (apparently) Erin & Bryan's old apartment
• Art Park where Barry Bonds is soon going to break the home run record
• South Park, where a lot of dotcom boom happened--again, this is alleged; my workmates say I walk near this but I haven't "noticed" it yet.
• Loads of restaurants
• A guy in a Pea Coat -- is it going to snow? (these people really think it's cold WA HA HA HA HA)
  

Mostly, I have no idea what there is on my way to work, even though I've walked it 5 times now. I'm just glad to know which direction to walk when I get out of the train station. The first time, I was not sure I was going the right way. After a few trips I feel confident I'll get there and I know how long it takes. Today I even walked a slightly different route to see if there was something to see - and I learned that that stretch is really kind of blank. How long till a place is familiar? When does it happen that you start to have a map in your head that tells you where to go for Thai, copying services, or cheap t-shirts?

In a way I suppose it's like dating. At first you just feel so excited for no reason. Then you have to find things out like: does this person like thin or thick crust? At some point you know the special switch of their gait and the shape of their conversations, even their decisions--the way around the minefields, the way to laughter.

And so we begin slowly some process of relationship which this huge and beautiful series of cities. And it is like the beginning of an affair--when work and daily grind seems abominable because it keeps me from seeing and exploring that keen new relationship. I just can't wait till the weekend...our next date...