enough about that
Rather than continue to complain about San Francisco and the USA, today I thought I'd make a list of all the things that I do like, and very much, about this area:
-Blue Bottle Coffee. Some of the best coffee I've ever had, in the world. And it's roasted across the bay in Oakland, then sold out of a converted garage in an alley in Hayes Valley.
-I love the combination of geeky aspiration and cultural idealism in San Francisco technology organizations like Cycling '74, Creative Commons, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Wired News, Movable Type, etc.
-A lot of underrecognized, underpaid, and overtalented digital musicians. Wobbly, Greg Kowalsky, Dorsey Dunn (he's moving to LA though), Ava Mendoza, Cenk Ergun, Safety Scissors, and the list goes on and on and on.
-The large population of interesting writers.
-Cute guys in all directions, there's just something about California. But especially one cute guy in particular.
-The Asian influence in San Francisco. It is a Pacific Rim city after all.
-The bicycle culture here, and my favorite bike shop Box Dog Bikes. I'm always amazed when riding my bike to the train station at how many other bicyclists there are.
So there. I am capable of saying positive things now and again. I should do it more, my continual complaining is starting to bore even me.
Comments
Far from being sick of your commentary on America, Roddy, I find you to be the only sane American I know, able to see what's happening to your country with eyes which have also seen Europe and Japan. It would be sad if you self-censored.
But it's also nice to see you talking about the good side of SF, especially since Wired News is in there! Good luck on your Euro-tour (here in Osaka it's raining heavily, but warm).
Posted by: Momus | January 31, 2006 9:23 PM
"I find you to be the only sane American I know"
Hi Nick! Coming from you, that is a real compliment. To be honest, I have to admit to sometimes feeling that way myself. But there *are* good things about being here, like those I mentioned in this post. Also, San Francisco is eccentric enough to be very entertaining most all of the time. But I won't be self-censoring anytime soon, I have no shortage of wrongs to point out and American neuroses to expose. :)
Sorry to miss you in Berlin, hope you're enjoying Osaka. I just found out it has the honor of being the fourth most expensive city in the world. And also that Tokyo is no longer number 1 (after 14 years). Oslo is the most expensive city now. Who knew.
Posted by: roddy | January 31, 2006 10:01 PM
Yes, I read that thing... Osaka has dropped one place to number 3! Here's the Top 10:
1 (3) Oslo, Norway
2 (1) Tokyo, Japan
3 (8) Osaka/Kobe, Japan
4 (2) Reykjavik, Iceland
4 (4) Paris, France
6 (5) Copenhagen, Denmark
7 (7) London, UK
8 (6) Zurich, Switzerland
9 (8) Geneva, Switzerland
10 (10) Helsinki, Finland
By the way, thanks for blogging about that amazing Otokonoko shop! I'm taking the train to Kyoto tomorrow to see it, and blogging about it tonight. Only in Japan could something so wonderful exist!
Posted by: Anonymous | February 1, 2006 6:04 AM
(That was me!)
Posted by: Momus | February 1, 2006 6:05 AM
I'm looking forward to reading about your trip to the Otokonoko shop! Only wish I could check it out in person myself... Someday I got to get back to Japan.
Posted by: roddy | February 1, 2006 7:22 AM
I think one of the main reasons Roddy may be the last sane American is that he isn't really American; he's from Mississippi. Another reason might be that the America that is now in power wouldn't give him the time of day. Oh, and did I mention his blue shoes? (Memories of silly nights and drinks in posh places in Tokyo.)
Posted by: r. | February 1, 2006 11:09 PM
It's true, Mississippi is not America. I'm still not sure what it is, but it's definitely not America.
Posted by: roddy | February 2, 2006 8:29 AM
Oh, and I just read on Nick's blog that the Oto Kinoko shop I mentioned in a previous entry has shut down in Kyoto.
I thought it was still there but I guess even Japanese culture can't sustain such flights of fancy as that anymore. It's sad.
Posted by: roddy | February 2, 2006 8:31 AM