Bye Bye Miss American Pie

No Picture Blog Post

This morning I ran over to Buena Vista Park which sort is the dividing line between my neighborhood and the Haight-Ashbury district. The park is perched high on a hill in a central part of San Francisco so from each side you can see a different view of the city. I was able to make it there while the sun was rising and see the buildings one by one get bathed in light. There was also a light sleepy haze over the city which made the whole image seem like a dream. I could see one of the suspension towers of the Bay Bridge, the dome of the Civic Center, and the bell tower of a mission church. 

This quiet and peaceful morning in the park reminded of a post I wrote awhile back about Saturday mornings in London before half eleven. This was the time I enjoyed the most because London would be this sleepy city slowly waking up from too many pints at the pub on Friday night. The streets and the tube would be empty and for a short couple hours London would be all mine. 

This morning San Francisco was all mine. I know people say this all the time but it was like a scene from a movie as I sat on a tree trunk above a huge mass of wild nasturtiums. Unfortunately when I run I only carry my iPod Shuffle, house keys, and enough cash to perhaps buy a croissant on the way home so I wasn't able to get a photo of the view to share. On the other hand, I felt like I earned that lovely morning view so I'm going to be selfish and keep that image for myself. 

The Friends Who Will Help You Move

I once heard that you should only keep the friends that will help you move. As I've gotten older and have less time and energy to keep up with everyone, I tend to apply this concept. For me moving is a tedious, painful, arduous, and overwhelming task. I really don't know anyone who enjoys it. Sure there is the reward of moving to a new home / city / country / continent but first you must stare at the pile of things you've amassed over the many many years and wonder why at one point you thought it was a good idea to buy a faux leopard-skinned bean bag (not that I've ever owned one, really). Not only do you need good friends who will help pack and carry the boxes, but you need friends who care enough to tell you that you should really let go of said beanbag. 

This idea came to mind because I've recently been back in touch with my good friend "Larry". We met in London but now he lives far away in a place that I couldn't point out on a map. I'm American after all and Larry would never begrudge me for my poor sense of geography. My world has been a bit topsy turvy lately (for a variety of reasons I won't into detail) and out of nowhere Larry came back on the scene as if he was channeling my frustrations. 

The Friends Who Will Help You Move

I once heard that you should only keep the friends that will help you move. As I've gotten older and have less time and energy to keep up with everyone, I tend to apply this concept. For me moving is a tedious, painful, arduous, and overwhelming task. I really don't know anyone who enjoys it. Sure there is the reward of moving to a new home / city / country / continent but first you must stare at the pile of things you've amassed over the many many years and wonder why at one point you thought it was a good idea to buy a faux leopard-skinned bean bag (not that I've ever owned one, really). Not only do you need good friends who will help pack and carry the boxes, but you need friends who care enough to tell you that you should really let go of said beanbag. 

This idea came to mind because I've recently been back in touch with my good friend "Larry". We met in London but now he lives far away in a place that I couldn't point out on a map. I'm American after all and Larry would never begrudge me for my poor sense of geography. My world has been a bit topsy turvy lately (for a variety of reasons I won't into detail) and out of nowhere Larry came back on the scene as if he was channeling my frustrations. 

Larry and I once had a major falling out that took us a long time and a lot of work to repair. It had something to do with the fact that I am quite transparent about my feelings and my emotions tend to lay on the surface while Larry completely tends towards conflict avoidance and emotional detachment. It was a tough time for us but afterward Larry told me he was grateful that we'd made it through and was actually very appreciative for what he had learned through the experience. I guess it's not so strange that the student has become the master and Larry is using my own words on me now. 

And Larry really has helped me move. I asked Larry to have dinner with me one evening. When he arrived I mentioned there were a few large pieces of furniture I needed to move before I left for San Francisco. Ever the gentleman Larry started dragging bookshelves and tables down the street and climbing over walls and into windows to get everything moved out. Beware if you get a dinner invitation from me ;-)

Although things are a bit scary, overwhelming, and the future is unclear I am grateful for these friends that are part of my global "urban family". Yes, a bit mushier than my usual posts but I just felt like writing. 

Who Moved My Cheese?

That's how I felt this entire year. Everytime I stopped for a second it seemed everything around me had changed. I do take responsibility for creating a lot of the change myself though. Since I was little my mother always said that I had "chan di" (directly translated from Vietnamese as "feet go"). This meant that I could not sit still for long and always had to be actively doing something or going somewhere. How little she knew how right she really was.

If you've followed this blog then you probably already know what I mean about this year. I left the security and comfort of a job and industry I knew very well, graduated from business school, moved out of London, started a new job in a new industry, and started focusing more on my cooking. These are the major changes that I had control over but I was subject to so many other changes as well. I had two grandparents pass away, graduated business school during a terrible economy and job market (as I know many of you have), and had several people enter and leave my "urban family". With the flurry of activity and changes in 2010 at least I can say I was true to my theme for the year of doing. For those who don't know, I like to have themes for each new year versus having resolutions.