San Francisco’s Chinatown

Chinatown, and the area surrounding it, in San Francisco — is a wealth of colorful contradiction.  I had the pleasure of walking San Francisco on foot. On two different days during my trip to the Bay Area, the day that I spent in Chinatown and the day I spent in the Financial District were feasts for the eyes.  They were days where sensory overload was a sort of job hazard.  I was so overwhelmed by all there was to see and photograph, I forgot.  Forgot to buy the silk kimono I’d been dying to get from Chinatown. Forgot to photograph whole windows I was enthralled by because I just stood staring at the displays of colorful wares. Forgot to stop and eat at one of the little noodle cafes that made my mouth water on every block!  I just walked…
…and then sat, for a while, in St. Mary’s Square Park.  It’s a place right in the middle of the city on the edge of Chinatown. It is an oasis of calm and green and growth.  And for me, of peace and zen.  Yet there are contradictions even there, hard metal lines, decay and metal sculpture break up the garden atmosphere and contradict the soft colorful lines of the children’s playground in the corner.
I know this is cheesy, but on my walking tours I really did feel like I might float away on a cloud of happiness.  I feel energized and alive in places like Chinatown, San Francisco.