San Francisco on Hind Legs

Today, after spending two complete days in conference (that I am attending in San Francisco), I decided to set out on site seeing tour on my hind legs. It always turns out that people have busier schedules when it comes to doing city tours or is it because I am more affined to explore world. Well, that means that I was on my own.

So after Sumeet cancelled (because he wanted to visit his cousin brother), I contemplated on getting my CD player, with my Digital Camera and bluetooth-enabled mobile phone, basically in pursuit of "trying to feel at home when I was not at home." Then, I said "Wait a second, I think it would be more enjoyable to hear city sounds than to all albums of Green Day or Dire Straits. Afterall, its people that make a city special and here I was on the verge of loosing a great opportunity to listening probably greatest live concert for some vinyl! Fortunately, that did not happen, and I left CD player at home (Yes, I use a CD player and have not/not keen on/will not bought/buying/buy an iPod).

The minute I left my hotel, the circus began. First it was an English immigrant who was probably as new as I was to SFO and failed to give proper direction. Then it was a black lady with 10 month old child, trying to make some room on the bus. her outcry about "This is a public bus" reminded me about Rosa Parks and how she must have dealt violent opposition from racist whites in civil rights movement of America! Then it was a white man trying to coerce the driver to open the door for a black man who was on the road and running for the bus. This just makes you wonder what a nice potpourri US has grown into!

On my way from Market Street to Golden Gate Bridge, I happen to meet an old couple, somehow as usual, I struck cords with the old lady, who with authorative voice reminding me off my grandma, gave me directions to Golden Gate Bridge. After watching the chemistry between, I could not help asking them "How long have you been married?" To my surprise, she said, "oh, just over six years, it is the second marriage for both of us, I knew him and his wife for a long time." Somehow, the way Grandpa-Grandma had things going on between them made me wonder, are you sure your six years means six years or 6 X 365 days? Grandma at the age of 90 years had not lost her sense of humor, after telling me that she is 3 years older than Grandpa, said, "I rocked his baby's cradle" I saw little bit blushing on Grandpa's aged-wrinkled-withered face.

So wasn't I right about not taking the CD player!

My photoshoot at Golden Gate Bridge was fulfilling, I enjoyed my time there. More than anything else today (for example, breakfast-nazi that I met in morning), that was the best time spent and almost instant rewards. Somehow things started clicking nicely, as follows:







I recently watched movie Adaptation, in which the lead character John Laroche is passionate about collecting exotic fish with intent of saving them from extinction. He's been doing that for over 8 years. Suddenly one day he decides he does not like them anymore. Over which, his biographer/storywriter, Susan Orlean contemplates "How can somebody be so passionate about something that they can leave it/hate it and still live without it?" My point in summary is it is great to have unbridled passion about something in your life (ok, I had to use that word!), be it traveling, photography or simply writing about things in your life!

So be passionate, do good work and enjoy life, afterall
"what goes around, comes around"