Even now I have a slightly hard time talking to people. They all look like they have something to do or somewhere to go, so all my sources have come from either businesses or from Washington Square, where people are actually sitting down and relaxing. Even then they look like they have something to do. And I scared this one little girl by just randomly approaching her and saying hi. I guess she wasn’t used to that. Then her two little yippy dogs started to bark and me, and it was so embarrassing. Their barks echoed throughout the entire square. She didn’t even say anything. I don’t know why people have dogs if they can’t control them.
After that I didn’t feel like approaching another person. I just felt like a weirdo, (especially when people didn’t want to talk to me. I still get very hurt by rejection and need to work on that) going from person to person to person, um, even though that’s what reporters are supposed to do right?
But it’s beginning to become expensive to almost buy information by buying a meal every time I try to make good sources. This week, I didn’t even feel like reporting I was so lazy. But I thought, hey why not go to a few nice restaurants and have a good meal? And that helped me to talk to more people once I was full. I like talking to bartenders. Even though they’re working, they’re not all over the floor like other servers. They’re tight there in front of you. New food is the best way for me to get new experience. I already feel familiar with North Beach, and I hope I’ll see more stuff and learn a lot more very soon.
Another thing that was challenging was trying to get some people to answer what I asked. Some folks are really long winded and I could tell they wanted to make more of a personal connection rather than a professional one. I think I heard someone say something somber yet true, that, good journalists don’t have good friends, only good sources. Also, I couldn’t remember some questions until after I left the person I was interviewing. All it takes is a follow up and contact information to get what I need though, so that’s not too big a problem.
You're right. Eating is a great way to gain information, but often belt tightening in more ways than one. There are a lot of really old restaurants in N. Beach that have seen it all. If you get a chance, ask for a minute of the owners time at Franchino, the Italian restaurant next to the Mona Lisa on Columbus. His name is Franco and he has been around forever. He likes to sit out front calling in business off the street. If you go during a slow time on the weekend, he can probably provide you with some good history and tips for your neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of old ladies who have lunch at the Saints Peter and Paul church and the assistant there is wonderful. Also, try the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco. Check out http://northbeachchamber.com/links_italy.html.
ReplyDeleteAlso, City Lights bookstore.
You should check out Cafe Greco, a lot of local people hang out there. There is also this video rental place by Washington Square on Stockton, the guy that works there has a good idea of what kind of people live in North Beach. The rental place is next to the Italian Cultural Institute.
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