Society

Society, you’re a crazy breed
I hope you’re not lonely without me
Society, crazy indeed
I hope you’re not lonely without me

Eddie Vedder

unaware – busy – happy: Los Angeles County Museum of Art: The “yellow spaghetti” installation

Visiting the old stomping ground was a bittersweet experience. It is a pleasure to see that some great businesses have survived and are thriving. 25 years ago the House of Nanking was a hole in the wall preparing excellent Chinese fusion in a kitchen barely fitting two chefs and their 2 burner range… Today the food is still amazing, always a line of customers waiting in line on Kearny. The Hong Kong Flower lounge attracts locals, Tom Kiang is a hit with visitors sampling delicious Dim Sum. And Tart to Tart in the Sunset is still the place to get pastry and a cup o’Joe. I miss the free newspapers listing what’s happening in the City. All gone digital? Looks like some of the music venues are not doing so great.

Rasputin and Amoeba are still around. Tower Records is long gone. I guess only dinosaurs are listening to CDs or Vinyl any more.

I guess there are places in the City to find peace and comfort. San Francisco is a wonderful city to visit, don’t get me wrong. Living though, that’s another story. I realized how much we are exposed to things that we think we need to have. It’s very simple, if you don’t know about a gadget, we don’t miss it. Smart phones are everywhere now. I see groups of people in restaurants, sitting on a table, not talking to each other, staring at their small screens, instead. What’s up with that? “Social media” has become an oxymoron.

Society, you are a crazy breed, indeed.