Slam Poetry Profile

I'm spending my spring break in LA for my birthday and visiting my best friend of over 15 years. Before that i went to the Starry Plough and finally got an interview with 4 people at the event. The first two times that I visited, there weren't that many people and not too many amazing mesmerizing poets as i had hoped for. I didn't feel it, i really didn't. I did go back again and again, spoke to the bartender after a glass of blue moon and asked her in her honest opinion "Where are all the wonderful poets from your website" and she laughed at me at first but, later i got a story. She gave me numbers of a few regulars who attend only on a BIG night and told me to come back on Wednesday and she would help me out with my story. I had found my help.

I recorded a woman, a young girl actually, who brought tears to my eyes with her SLAM. It was about Islam and North Pakistan and UNO and American aid in India. Did i mention she brought tears to my eyes? I waited to interview her but it turns out she only came to perform and not win or stick around long enough to even know her scores. Now where is the point in that, wouldn't that have been a great story there. A missed opportunity ah!

I am attending again on Wednesday in hopes of seeing this girl again, i hear she comes only once in a while. I did manage to record an audio. I recorded the whole thing and made a youtube video of it..





Lets pray for the last of this profile tonight and see if i can add more tomorrow. What a wonderful place, amazing people all rounds. No doubt this SLAM culture has been blooming at the Starry Plough.

Fit Bernal Fit

Covering Fit Bernal Fit has been pretty fun. My favorite part is meeting all the cool dogs! My favorites are a pair of pit bulls named Sasha and Azul, they have such friendly happy personalities and are full of energy! There owner doesn't like to talk much, though!

I feel like I have a solid start to my story, but wish it could be a bit more compelling. I read and hear about all the drama everyone else is covering and wish Bernal Heights had a little more to offer.

However, I should be happy that there is not a large homeless population or need for more SROs in Bernal Heights. Instead, I have furry friends and fit people!

I'm not sure how to include the idea of all these "new" gyms in San Francisco, it feels like it would just be adding an aside at the end.

I really wanted to include pictures or video with the profile, but can't come up with a solid idea of how to. I feel like a video tour would make describing the place much easier, as it is always good to see with "ones" own eyes. ;)

It's not the greatest but I GOT THE INTERVIEW!

I love my profile subject but I am confused on my lead. I initially wanted to connect the fact that the African Outlet is now the only store in San Francisco dedicated to African culture to gentrification and the dwindling black population in the city and Hayes Valley. BUT! Its proven to be more difficult than expected. However, I think I can come up with another interesting topic to lead with, but I haven't found it yet. This has caused me to yell out loud at my computer many times this weekend.
The most troubling part of this profile though is that my subject, African Outlet owner Judah Dwyer, is never there! They close the store when she does errands and she's always with customers. After I called and emailed numerous times, and physically went to the store 3 times, I finally caught her and she happily agreed to an interview. She said just call Thursday and we'll interview Friday.
I called. No answer. I called. No answer. I called. No answer.
I decide that since I have left 3 messages, I should just walk in and check if she's busy. I did this, she admits she forgot and is not a diligent phone user. I ask if there's anyway to do the interview (because it's Friday and this is due Monday, I need this interview, I need this interview, I need this interview!)
She said maybe.
Huh?
What does maybe mean?
She says," This is retail honey you never know when you'll have extra time."
I nervously laugh a shrieking high pitched laugh. I give her my number and tell her to call me when she has a few minutes. I began my waiting at 3:00, expecting her to never call, but I was determined. THEN! She calls at 7:12, sure I waited but I GOT THE INTERVIEW!
Judah has an amazing story that i hope I can structure properly.
We spoke for about an hour before Horgan Edet, who was sick and on heavy medication, apparently became annoyed with my presence and I was asked to leave. BUT I GOT THE INTERVIEW! I was happy anyway.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to really speak with anyone else because I was kicked out, so my sources are severely limited. The story is definitely a bad draft but it has some potential.

Profile Story

I love this weather!

This week I encountered an endeavor that I am sure all journalists are forced to deal with at some point, and probably many points, during their careers. My subject pretty much flaked on me. After trying endlessly to get in contact with Dr. Meir Schneider for another follow-up interview this last week, it became obvious that we weren't on the same page as far as what was required in order to complete the story. It turns out he doesn't always teach the lectures at the School for Self-healing. In fact, it turns out his appearances at the school are quite rare.

The whole ordeal was unfortunate, but probably turned out for the better. Earlier in the semester I stopped by Sunset Pet Supply in order to get food for my cat, and completely fell in love with the store. The employees are the nicest people you've ever seen behind a counter, and will go far out their way in order to help you pick the right stuff. When I first came in, the associate behind the counter was moving heavy bags of dog food but set them down right in his tracks in order to help me pick out cat food.

They sell the highest grade of pet foods, and have a complete 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. I met the owner, who is one of the coolest and most personable guys I've ever talked to. To me, he represents the anti-business man: against business growth, and for complete community involvement and support. If it means turning away companies that sell lower grade products that want to pay him off to sell their food in his store, or take a profit loss by selling beds that are made domestically in Fremont and not in other countries, Johnson is willing to go out of his way in order to serve the people of the Sunset and San Francisco.

I got another interview with him for the draft of my profile story, but am still excited to work on it over the break. On a side note, I found an utterly peculiar house for my parents to move in to after they retire, since they are die-hard UCLA alumni.

Looking at some of the many oddly colored houses throughout the district, one has to wonder: what were these people thinking? Only in San Francisco, my friends.

Profile Crisis

I was really looking forward on doing my profile on the Italian American Social Club in Excelsior but after interviewing them last Tuesday, I felt like panicking. When I got there, some of the members approached me like if I had intruding. Their hostile approach made sense when I found out the social club was Italian men only. Why would a non-Italian female being doing there? Though they argued to be interviewed, their answers were very short and I had little to work with.

After I left, I decided to go in a coffee shop across the street called MamaCafe. As I started making conversation with lady working there, I noticed a different vibe from the coffee shop compared to other ones. I noticed the agenda they had outside and how they hosted live music and events for the community. The lady told me her son was the owner and he is the one in charge of organizing all the events.

So I contacted him, but unfortunately he was out of state. I emailed him some questions so I could do my profile on that place, but it's Monday and still no reply.

I's still interested in doing the profile on that cafe. I feel like it is a good representation of a new business that is trying to help the community grow. I'm thinking of interviewing the mother, since the cafe is called Mama. This is my last hope!

Coincidence or Fate? (written on 3/17)

After class yesterday I was feeling a little bit defeated after all my plans for the next assignment had fell thru, and I would basically have to rework my entire plan which I hate to do but I know is necessary. While everyone was moving on to the next step I was in my head trying to think of someone or something that would be an entertaining subject. I thought about it, then I browsed the internet, and then I went back to my notes, and I remembered someone.
For the meeting story I had interviewed Rev. Elouise Oliver and although I only used one of her quotations in my paper we did have a pretty good talk and I remember telling her about this story (the profile).
Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to call her last night, it had got too late, but while I was on BART going home something amazing happened, 2 insanely drunk people got on BART.
A woman sitting across the aisle, and 2 other women sitting behind her, we all snickered at the drunken woman who look pale and exhausted and smelled like Jameson (it was St. Patrick’s Day) and a man drunkenly falling on unsuspecting people as the train departed from 24th and Mission.
I was feeling a little uneasy when the drunken woman exclaimed she was dizzy, all I could say was “if this woman throws up on me, it won’t be funny,” the lady across the aisle from me laughed… as if I was joking. Then reached in her bag and pulled out a folder for me to hand the woman if she was going to “hurl”.
The woman didn’t get sick, thank goodness, but that small instance led me and the woman to start talking. I told her how I was a Journalism student and that I want to be a lawyer and she told me how much she misses her friend that passed away. She was a peculiar woman but a Christian, which she wore in her ears, and around her neck and proudly told anyone about her love of God, if they asked.
She told me that tomorrow was her birthday but she was a little too stressed, as a woman of faith myself, I offered these words to help her stay positive.
“I am too blessed to be stressed, and too anointed to be disappointed.”
And for everyone who was listening was like wow that is such a great saying, the women sitting behind us were texting it to their friends, I felt pretty cool. The woman I was talking to loved it so much she said she was going to take it back to church with her. Then I asked do u go to church around here (by this time we were at West Oakland BART) she said yes I go to church downtown on telegraph “Eastbay..” I cut her off “Of Religious Science,” I said. And both of us were stunned for a moment. She was excited because she thought I was a part of the congregation, I was excited because I found a source for my story. Got her contact info and ready to start interviewing my sources (yes before the person I have in mind, I figure that it would hurt).
So I was ready to get off BART, so I grabbed my things and the Christian woman’s contact info, then out of nowhere the woman sitting behind the Christian woman introduced herself and told me she liked the way I handled myself and handed me her card, turns out she works for Thomson Reuters and told me to keep in touch.
I believe that today was meant to happen. Things just fell into place and brought me exactly what I needed, and even a future contact and/or opportunity, and I am so blessed.

Jazz Quarter

Writing my profile has been the most interesting experience I have had thus far in this class. I walked into the store having no idea what to expect. The only time I had seen the store was a quick passing by on the bus. As I waked in the very small space I was completely overwhelmed. There were piles and piles of stuff everywhere. The walls are covered in photos, newspapers, paintings and stickers. Tom has a chair that he sits in all day and just reads, listens and thinks about jazz. He has such a vast knowledge of jazz that while interviewing him he put on at least 7 different songs he wanted me to hear to prove a point he was discussing. As soon as I turned on my recorder, he just began to speak. The interview just flowed really well and felt really natural. Like most other interviews I feel like I have to warm up, but this just felt like I was having a conversation with him.

One thing I really struggled with was getting him to talk about himself. Each time he would start he would get on a tangent about anything but himself. When I tried to move the conversation back to him it would just happen again. Hopefully when I go back next week I will be able to get him to talk about himself now that I have put some of the questions he didn't have answers to in his head. I can tell he has a really interesting story to tell, but I just need to figure out how to get him to tell it.

Why did the Chronicle do a profile piece on the creator of my profile subject the week before I chose it? I mean, don't get me wrong it is newsworthy business, but can't it just be my newsworthy business?

Brian Goggin refused to talk to me, he wouldn't give any kind of contact information but directed me to the art gallery across the street. 1:AM gallery is sponsoring an exhibit where supporters can donate to help restore pieces worn down through the 13 years.

Goggin talked to the Chronicle... He gave them inspiring little quotes peaking into the mind of the self-declared ringleader of the Defenestration circus.

I was walking around the area looking for people to talk to about the building unifying the community. Instead I watched two women fist fight. And scream obscenities. And passersby pretending not to notice.

The building may be beautiful, but it influences the area far less than the egos in documentary film claims. And much like the furniture pieces, the spirits surrounding sixth street are in need of restoration.

The SROs lining the blocks of sixth street have peeling paint, and signs missing letters. So why should somebody invest $75,000 to restore furniture pieces nobody can use?

It is so San Francisco. Yes, this art is lovely but what about the people sleeping in these rooms with rusting bed frames and bathrooms. Thousands of dollars could help to unify the community by repainting the community center, where there is always a minimum 15 children spending time after school.

And writing all these observations is only interfering with my story. People I have spoken to absolutely adore the restoration idea. So how can I, not even a sixth street resident, be so enraged?

And whats more, how can the city grant dollar after dollar to the art exhibit but not include the sixth street SROs in the SRO grant? The money only went to SROs in Hunter's Point, not that they dont need it as well. There is a need for more humane living conditions all over the city, especially low income housing.

Although the Defenestration may be beautiful, and require great time and skill, it is its own hypocracy. A $175,000 art piece on a spacious boarded up hotel, on a block in need of true restoration.

Objectivity vs. Aged Prosciutto= No Chance

I know that, as a journalist, I’m supposed to be impartial and objective. I’m having an extremely difficult time maintaining a passive observance of my profile subject, Lucca Deli. So I’ve decided to take this forum to release my biases so in order to purge them from my mind. I can’t allow my gushing to find it’s way into my actual paper. So without further ado, here is my totally subjective, partisan view of Lucca Deli:

I love this place. I love the food. I love the owners. I love the ambiance. I love its history. I love its customers. I love the hanging salami. I love the giant wheels of parmesan aging on the walls. I love the wall of olive oil. I LOVE IT.

So much of this semester, I have whined about the lack of authenticity I found in the Marina. I complained that nothing was genuine. What I hadn’t realized was that all the sincerity in the Marina had been consolidated into a one-room deli on Chestnut Street. Lucca has enough of a past to make up for all the newly-minted corporate franchises combined. Lucca is so dense with history, it’s like a culture neutron star.

Paul Bosco, the owner, was musing about the changing landscape of Chestnut Street. To paraphrase, he said, “Yeah, there was another really old bar across the street, but it closed. It was the only other old place, I think it opened in the 80s.” Bosco didn’t realize that, if the bar did in fact open in the 80’s, his deli predated it by 50 years. There just aren’t places like Lucca in the Marina.

Here’s a list of businesses on the same block as Lucca: Jamba Juice, Apple Store, Wachovia, Citibank, Pottery Barn, Williams & Sonoma, Gap, Walgreens, AT&T, Peet’s Coffee, Chase, GNC, and of course the ubiquitous Starbucks.

Somewhere in this sea of redundant corporatism, floats Lucca. Like I said, I love it.

The happiest place on earth

“Fuck Disneyland! This is the happiest place on earth!”
That was the first thing I heard when I arrived at the 16th and Mission open mic night for the second time last Thursday. My first time there, I was mainly trying to get a grasp on the situation, so this was a significantly better time.
The whole thing is just crazy. It’s crazy that it’s allowed to go on; the people that perform are crazy; it’s a spectacle to behold.
No two performers were alike. Although most of them were poets, no two had the same style of poetry or read the same. Aside from poets, there were also a couple people who just got up in front of everyone and spoke their mind, as well as some dancers and two people with didgeridoos who walked around in circles blowing them in everyone’s faces.
There were two different guys who played guitar and sang. One was playing indie love song type stuff about some girl who broke his heart. The other was this rockabilly fool who started his song by saying that he was from Eureka, where there is really good pot. His song had the same topic, but he took a rockabilly approach to it and added that it was about, “this bitch who broke my heart.” I’m fairly certain the guy was mildly retarded, but that’s beside the point.
Later on, the other guy with a guitar played a song with two girls, one of whom played bongos, and it was probably the coolest thing I saw or heard all night.
The poems were so, so, so good. My favorite was the tribute to Charles Bronson’s face that was read shortly after I arrived. It had some memorable lines, such as, “They say Clint Eastwood had two expressions: the one with the hat and the one without the hat. Well Charles Bronson didn’t wear a hat!”
That wasn’t the only sort of stuff being read though. There were lots and lots of somber poems, the majority of which were related to sexual identity.
I met a lot of good sources including a guy by the name of the Grandmaster Barakanoel Mumbles Gross who belongs to an improv poetry group that has been on tour internationally. He was pretty off the wall, but said some great stuff. I’m excited about having been able to talk to him.
Being there made me want to write my story about the event that much more. I feel like it’s a great story waiting to be told, and I’d like to be the one to tell it.
Everything about the corner is interesting to me. I found out the cops came and broke it up sometime within the last few weeks. I need to dive into that a little deeper for my story.
All school stuff aside, I’m glad I found out about the corner so I can go every Thursday and enjoy it.

Bernal Heights: Mission Street past Cesar Chavez Street

Mission street from Cesar Chavez St to Murray Street often goes unnoticed as part of Bernal Heights. The area may be mistaken for part of The Mission or Excelsior. It is full of restaurants, bars, and an assortment of shops.

Roccapulco is a salsa club and restaurant that can't be missed walking up Mission Street because the outside is decorated with brightly painted colors and drums. They offer salsa lessons as well .

El Rio is a bar that neighbors Roccapulo. The bar has Salsa Sundays. They have a large patio and two large indoor rooms. They have art shows, bbqs, djs, bands, and sometimes show films. They welcome outside food as long as you clean up your mess. A tip from their website: "come early; and/or dump your vehicle, support public transportation, ride your bike, your skateboard, use your feet, rollerblades, hop and skip your way over, whatever , just come. oh and bring your mom, cause we love moms!!!"

Another neighbor, Blue Plate features a large patio and dishes made with in-season local produce and meat. Their outside furniture is created from found objects and they aim to have a casual, affordable, and neighborhood friendly vibe.

Further up the block is CRUZ skate shop. The shop caters to roller derby and skateboarding. They sponsor a skate team and many roller derby leagues.

The block is filled with banks, places to eat, barber shops, liquor stores, a Safeway, and various bars. A great place to take a stroll any time of the day.

I will write about Jerry Cimino, the subject of my Midterm and Profile assignment.

Jerry Cimino owns the Beat Museum on Broadway in the red light district in North Beach, and he is proud to be one of the few entertainments and places on Broadway that isn’t a night club, but a museum housing a collection of Beat culture, art, and literature, an important culture that led up to the wave of the hippies.

Cimino is important because he owns the only known Beat Museum, and because he has a true passion for what he does. He seems like an active member of the society and that a lot of people in the neighborhood seem to know him and think positively of him. Cimino stays in SF often, but has a home in Monterey also, a place where Jack Kerouac loved.

Other than for lovely young women dancers and good food, tourists can have another reason to stop by North Beach and Broadway while seeing pier 39. Simply googling North Beach will suggest a visit to the Beat Museum.

The TL

This week in the Tenderloin, I felt like I was actually gaining some insight into the daily events of the neighborhood and what happens during a routine week day and week. There is no deficit of interesting characters to discover in the TL, and originally I was intimidated to try and tap these resources, but this week I found that some of my efforts came back to me.

I went again to serve breakfast at Glide Memorial Church, an experience I wrote about in a previous post. I feel that helping out at Glide gives me a reputable image in the neighborhood and working hard has proven to not only the people who work there but also the guests that I am there for more that just the story. I got some needed praise from another volunteer that I had worked with previously saying he’d never seen someone carry so many trays. Having done volunteer work in the past, this is really the most rewarding experience just because I felt like I was truly of service.

Since serving people at Glide’s free meal program, I have seen many people on the streets during my daily commute. This week two people actually recognized me and called out to me from across the street! One man tried to accost me with kisses, but he was innocent enough and even offered me free baseball tickets. I really enjoyed meeting and talking to these people!

I also went to peruse some art galleries, but found only one that was open and interesting besides White Walls, which I had seen before. I found the San Francisco Art Exchange on Mason and Geary, which is committed to covering a diverse range of artists and characters that represent change and diversity. The also show films, and I am interested in coming back to see the film they are showing on Barack Obama, Dr. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, I’ll save the review for another post. They also sell very limited editions prints and originals; the $6,000 price tags fall in stark contrast of the liquor stores and homeless people that crowd the streets outside.

A Powerful Story Waiting to be Told

So being a member of Publication Lab this semester means that I not only work for the newspaper, but also for online and magazine. How does this relate to Bayview you ask?

Well, I recently pitched an idea for the magazine to do a photo story on the PG&E power plant in the neighborhood and how it's effecting peoples' health. I always knew that idea would pick up somewhere, if not in Reporting then definitely in Pub Lab.

Why should you care? I guess you shouldn't, but in the process of visually trying to get the story, I also thought about doing this story for my final paper. If I don't do this story as my final, then I think I'll definitely touch on the redevelopment in the area.

I almost wanted to tell the magazine photo editor that I can also do the reporting for this story since I thought about doing it anyway, but then I'd be taking the job away from the writer that they're going to assign.

But I don't think there's any problem if both the writer and myself get down to the issue. I have absolutely no doubt that I'll find people with health problems in my neighborhood, my only concern is getting access to document them for a photo story. It's one thing when you interview someone and capture their life, but people can become a little more reserved when you stick a camera in their face and follow them to the doctor's office.

It's all in the name of journalism I guess. My main focus is to learn more myself, and hopefully my work may be good enough to bring some kind of change for the people who are suffering.

Dumb Meeting, Burger, and Sunset Doctor

This week I attended another meeting in order to make contacts and get quotes at the police station in my neighborhood. It was the Sunset District Neighborhood Coalition meeting, which was supposed to address the issues that community members were concerned about, all of which were so boring and uninteresting that I ended up leaving early.

The weather in San Francisco has been really amazing this past week so I decided I should get out in my hood and enjoy some of the sights. I ended up finding a great burger joint called Johnny's Hamburgers, which I think is one of the only ones of its kind in the Sunset district. Seriously, I'm pretty sure there is one hamburger joint for the entire Sunset, the largest district in San Francisco. :O

I also attended another holistic health care lecture, care of Dr. Meir Schneider, PhD. I like thinking of his holistic and unorthodox methods as somewhat of a symbol of the Sunset district; He and his cures lie on the outskirts of the medical community, but are still respected by many, much like my quaint neighborhood. He has agreed to let me interview him for my profile story, which I am excited about, but I don't feel wholly committed to quite yet, because I feel that this early in the game I could meet someone else who blows the pants off of this guy, metaphorically speaking of course. I just have to keep my eyes and ears open.

Last week I was feeling really ill and unable to post, so I decided this week I would share some of my photos from the March 4 rally. I ended up downtown at the civic center covering the protests out in front of city hall.

I had never quite experienced anything of that magnitude before, as the only demonstrations I had really attended or participated in before were usually held on the campus of the schools I've attended. There was a massive sea of people, all there to collectively attempt to change the system for the better, in a completely non-violent and somewhat tranquil way.

And I thought finding a profile subject in the Haight would be easy

I originally chose to interview a homeless person in the Haight for my profile. I figured who would better represent the Haight than a homeless person that’s been in the area for a long time? Easier said than done.

First of all, I don’t know if you guys have noticed, but young people in their 20s and 30s have become the dominant homeless on Haight. While they may be interesting characters, I wanted my profile to be on someone older who had stories to tell about their past and how they came to be homeless.

I was really struggling to find someone who met this description. When I did find someone, they refused to do an interview because they think journalism is an industry of corruption and deceit.

Discouraged, I’m headed back to the drawing board but leaning towards going with Ted Loewenberg, the president of the Haight Ashbury Improvement Association. I met him at their community meeting and he was extremely interesting and seemed full of ideas and stories, and is very active in reform for the Haight district.

I sure hope this works out better than my previous ideas!

Spring has Sprung in the Castro

On a quest to find the most interesting person for my personality profile, I decided to stray of the beaten track of my regular route and to see whom I might find. This decision proved to be a good one. Not because I found potential interview but because I was introduced to side of the Castro I have not yet experienced.

Exploring the areas off of Castro and Market Street I was able to grasp a better sense of the residents, as I was not distracted by the many businesses and tourists attractions the heart of the Castro has to offer. I enjoyed watching people as they relished in the pleasures of spring.

I did a lot of people watching that day and observed friends sitting outside of local coffee shops chatting over ice tea as couples rushed by with cheese platters and bouquets of flowers on their way, I assume to a festive BBQ or birthday party. Sunny weather appeared to inspire yard sales where locals sold every thing from self-help books to relics of the 1950s.

Although I failed to find a candidate for my next article, I discovered the charm of spring in the Castro.

The Begging Journalist

If I do get to do my profile on the owner's of the African Outlet, I am extremely excited! They have been terribly hard to get a hold of, but maybe I'm going to be doing a little shopping around Hayes Valley this afternoon and maybe I'll just pop my head in there and maybe see what they're up to this week. Maybe an interview?
I have been feeling ill over the weekend, but I think I'm ready to venture back to Patricia's Green.
The African Outlet is owned by a married couple, Judah Dwyer and Horgan Edet. I have a pretty good relationship with them. Over the summer I spent a little bit of time in Hayes Valley when I worked on the Prop. 8 campaign. I wandered into the African Outlet one lunch break and Judah was so incredibly nice! She's a very motherly, warm person, but she wouldn't hold back what she has to say from fear of offending. Which is an unique quailty for a Hayes Valley neighbor. So when I was assigned Hayes Valley, this was one place where I knew that I would be welcomed.
I noticed while covering Hayes Valley, that members of the homeless community sometimes go to the African Outlet to watch television outside the store on the sidewalk. The African Outlet is one place where the homeless are welcomed instead of shunned or shooed away. Dwyer and Edet also run a charity called Native Paths of Africa. The mission of the charity is to bring modern tecnology to Africa without assimilation.
In my e-mails I attempt to be extremely interested in every detail of their work. I just hope they agree to interviews!

Can't seem to make up my mind

I have two possible choices for my profile. After attending the EDIA meeting in Excelsior, my curiosity about the house the meeting was at still stayed with me. Catherine Consiglieri, owner of the house, gave me a small tour before the meeting started that week. She mentioned how she lived in Excelsior almost all her life and how her grandfather was the first owner of the house she lives in. Walking down the basement, the hollow atmosphere made the area feel creepy but interesting at the same time. She said it was a farm house as she pointed at the walls made out of hard, old wood. I'm still really interested in that house, but I don't know if there is enough information to make my profile interesting.

My other option is the Italian Social Club in Excelsior. I know it has been around since the 40s and though members have come and gone, the history of the club is still very much alive in the building. You can see how many people and what kind of people were part of the club by looking at the pictures in the ballrooms.

Both these interest me very much, but I feel like I'm limiting myself and not looking for other ethnic groups that make a larger part of Excelsior today. I don't know what to do....

UGH!

I am very frustrated with the people in my neighborhood right now, because no one interesting is willing to be my subject for the next assignment. So I called some of my past sources that I thought would be good for this, to see if I could get anyone to interview, and I got a lot of people saying "I'm busy" or "I’m not comfortable with that" and all I could say was "Okay maybe next time" and I hate losing like this. So then on Thursday I went back to downtown to see if I could find any new interesting people, who love to talk and I didn't find much but yuppies being yuppies running to work (I went out way to early which was my mistake). So I tried Sacred Tattoo because there's this woman who works there who I promised before even taking this class that I'd let her do my surface piercings, thankfully she remembered me but she's not sure if she wants to do it. And that kills me because I know she'll be perfect. So I’m going to keep working on her hopefully things work out if not? I do have a backup plan but this guy will not make it easy for me and may make one boring ass paper.
I was so psyched for this assignment because its fun, I would get a chance to write something that could be moving or touching, maybe a little funny but now I'm becoming discouraged in my abilities to write an interesting story because I might have to face the fact that I may not have a truly interesting subject.

St. Patrick's Day celebrations.

This weekend the sky was blue and the SOMA was feeling green.
Well, they were headed to the parade at the civic center but people were insanely spirited.

I grabbed lunch at Brainwash, mostly so I could people watch from the windows. I was not disappointed.

Green of all shades pranced by, often with coordinated group outfits. They even had special vendors wandering with shamrock headbands and green and white stripped hats.

A gaggle of old women laughed and snapped pictures in their newly purchased finds, and for that second their happiness became my own.

Girls with neon green tops and black shorts with tall white socks moved like a school of fish to Market street.

Leave it to San Francisco to take an Irish holiday to the extreme, with green beer and street parties and it isn't even the official holiday yet!

All the shops and bars had shamrocks in their planters and tried hard to capitalize on something the Irish don't even pay attention to. And being raised catholic, I always asked the priest what leprechauns have anything to do with ridding the snakes from Ireland.

But Americans love an opportunity to drink.

I'd Name My Boat Bouyant George

So I learned an interesting little ripple to this Marina renovation plan during my most recent interviews at the harbor. It’s not quite relevant for my paper, but could end up being really fun.

I was having a conversation with Mark Mayor, the St. Francis Yacht Club harbormaster, and Rusty Morgan, the club’s head sailing coach. One of their biggest complaints about the Marina harbor was something that has not shown up in any report or been mentioned by any of the project principles, as far as I can tell.

Apparently the harbor is filled with derelict boats. Slips are expensive and difficult to come by in the harbor. In order to hold onto his or her slip, a boat-owner must keep the slip occupied with a boat. An unoccupied slip will be taken away by the harbor and given to someone else on the lengthy waiting list. It’s a pretty straightforward, use it or lose it policy

The problem occurs when The Skipper wants to take Gilligan and some pals on a three-hour tour and his boat will be out of harbor for an extended period of time. Sailors are vagabonds. Rich, opulent vagabonds, but vagabonds nonetheless. Most mariner’s dream of escaping the chains of the working world and island hopping across the seven seas.

This is all well and good, until they learn that in their absence, their parking spot in the harbor will be given away to some other salty dog. The solution for this problem is to purchase the cheapest dinghy you can find and stick it in your slip until you get back. The boat doesn’t need to be seafaring. Hell, all it has to do is float. It can be a kayak, a gondola, or inflatable lounge chair as long as it holds the real boat’s spot whilst on seafaring adventure (I’m exaggerating of course, but you get my point).

Morgan estimates that half of the boats in Marina harbor are these place-holding derelicts. He lamented the sad state of disuse the situation creates, but smirked when considering the possibilities posed by the renovation.

In order to allow for the rebuilding of the docks, every boat will have to be towed out of its slip and relocated for a period of time. Mayor and Morgan both giggled at the potential spectacle this practice could provide. Imagine: wealthy yachtsmen –pipe’s clenched through gritted teeth, captain’s hat all askew, angrily snapping at Buffy (there's always a Buffy)- pacing the docks as they watch their placeholder boats get dragged through the harbor. Each cursing his frugality as they plead with their dilapidated dinghy’s to survive what could be its death march. The tears shed as the broken boats failed to stay afloat, dragging its owner’s place in the harbor, membership to an exclusive yacht club and role in the social scene, with it to the bowels of Davy Jones’ locker. A lifetime of status cultivation torpedoed by a cheap pontoon.

Likely this scene won’t be as amazing as all that, but there is some drama coming. Some of these boats will sink when towed for the relocation. I don’t know what the policy is going to be regarding the empty spaces created by this situation, but the image of a sweaty sailor -pocket-square flapping from his chest, snifter of Courvoisier spilled onto his Bruno Maglis- makes me oh so very happy.

Remembering the Tibetan Uprising Day March 10, 2010

March 10, 1959 was the second largest uprising in China since the cultural revolution took place in China. Tibet, a place unknown to many, has been occupied by China since 1959. The people of Tibet are scattered all over the world now, however majority of the population still take refuge in India and Nepal, the two nearest countries who came to aid back in the 50's. The first Tibetans to migrate to the United States settled in New York City; Ithaca, N.Y.; San Francisco; Minneapolis; Madison, Wis., and Amherst, Mass. This was due to the Immigration Act of 1990 that allowed 1000 Tibetans to enter the United States carrying the standard assylum project without the refugee status, meaning the Tibetans received permanent residence and work authorization, but no benefits for three years and no Federal funds, things that are generally accorded to refugees. The Bay Area Tibetan community consist of almost 3000 Tibetans according to census data.
My mother was one of the 1000 Tibetans allowed in the United States in 1991 and brought us here four years later. Since then, i have lived in Berkeley and have become somewhat of a Tibetan American. We are the second generation of Tibetans since the occupation of Tibet. I have been active in the Tibetan cause since highschool where we created the first Students for a Free Tibet club, back in 2000.

Many Tibetans Tibet supporters march the streets of San Francisco every year to raise awareness of the Tibetan cause, one for a Free Tibet in hopes of regaining independence of Tibet from China.

“March 10th is a day for Tibetans everywhere to be proud of our history,” said Tsering Dorjee, President of the San Francisco Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, “Proud of our identity, proud of our ancestors who died protecting our homeland, proud of the courageous resistance of Tibetans inside Tibet, and proud of the younger generation who raise the flag of Tibetan freedom ever higher.”

The Chinese government claims Tibet has been a part of China since the Yuan Dynasty yet, Tibetans claim that Tibet has always been an independent nation with His Holiness the Dalai Lama (HHDL)as its political and spiritual leader.

A representative of the Tibetan Association of Northern California read the following statement issued by His Holiness the Dalai Lama today.

"Despite the great hardships Tibetans have faced for many decades, they have been able to keep up their courage and determination, preserve their compassionate culture and maintain their unique identity. It is inspiring that today a new generation of Tibetans continues to keep Tibet's just cause alive. I salute the courage of those Tibetans still enduring fear and oppression.

Whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, it is the responsibility of all Tibetans to maintain equality, harmony and unity among the various nationalities, while continuing to protect our unique identity and culture. Many Tibetans in Tibetan areas are working in various responsible posts in the party, government and military, helping Tibetans in whatever way they can. We recognise the positive contribution that many of them have made up to now, and obviously when Tibet achieves meaningful autonomy in the future, they will have to continue to fulfil such responsibilities."

Click here to read the full statement

Where have all the Persians gone?

After my first experience at Lavash on 9th and Irving, I was hooked.

Persian food filled with saffron and marinated dates, mmmmm. So many flavors in combinations I had never tasted, and all of it divine. For desert we tried the pistachio rose ice cream, and felt so full we skipped the bus and walked home.

Along the walk we decided the ice cream was our new favorite, replacing the Mission to Marzipan by Ben and Jerry. We had to get more.

A quick search on Yelp told us about all the different Persian markets in the city and had rants and raves for each one.

One response for Saladini's market in the mission specifically said Persian ice cream, and so we headed out on Sunday.

We walked down Valencia, where markets and shops were thriving. I didn't remember these expensive boutiques, but I appreciated the wares and continued on. Each store had a unique something or other, fitting into our pop culture but I was there for sliced mangoes dipped in chile and lime. Something more like my grandmother's Rosarrito beach house with exotic smells and streets alive with music.

Walking down two blocks to the actual mission street, I found the flavor. Finally we had arrived at the cross streets, but the market front was closed. They had shut down recently, because there was little traffic on the end of mission street.

We bought some fresh fruit and continued to the next address, one store wasn't going to stand in our way.

We trekked into the neighboring districts but couldn't find the next address either. The store we found didn't even have a sign, and looked like it had been shut down for ages. Another disappointment.

Third time was the charm, another bus another destination.

But the more we tried the less we got. The third location was just as deserted as the first two. Our quest for Persian ice cream had come to a halt.

The final destination was back to our 9th and Irving location, Lavash offered us an order to go.

But where is this rich culture disappearing to? And could yours be next?

Neda's on Haight

Neda’s Gifts & Flowers is easy to pass off as just another flower shop in San Francisco.  However, the 58-year-old shop is so much more than your local florist.  Located on Haight Street between Cole and Belvedere, Neda’s offers a unique variety of clothing, accessories, and…deer heads? in addition to their famous bouquets.

Unlike any other stores I’ve experienced in the city, the first floor is filled with many quirky finds, including elaborate displays of real bird and butterfly wing hair clips.  On one of the walls you’ll find a shockingly extensive display of taxidermies as well as animal paw necklaces.

Perhaps the best finds in Neda’s is their selection of vintage clothing. Haight Street is famous for their numerous vintage clothing shops, but many of them are very pricey, with clothing ranging anywhere from $50 to well into the few hundreds (I don't know about you guys, but that's way out of my poor-college-kid price range).

Neda’s, however, provides a good selection of very fairly priced vintage outfits and coats.  On sale this week are women’s vintage dresses that are only $10-$20.  The boutique also features women’s shoes from the 40s and 50s as well as a men’s section.  I left with two new dresses, and I plan to return very soon!

Protests and pissed off cops

This was a very interesting week in the Mission. I was there for the Day of Action on Thursday and took part in the march that lead from the 24th Street BART station to the 16th Street station. It was super awesome!
It made me both happy and sad to see how many people, from so many different cultures and age groups were affected by the cuts to education. I was really happy to see that so many people cared, but at the same time it sucked to see how many people are in the same shitty situation we all seem to be in. But hey, at least we’re united!
The coolest thing I saw was a little kid whom I found out was only 11 years old leading the protest at the 16th Street station. Him and three of his friends stood on top of a ragtag podium with a bullhorn and lead the giant crowd that encompassed the entire corner of Mission and 16th. It was one of the coolest things I saw all day, both in the Mission and at the super huge protest at Civic Center.
I tried to talk to a crowd of cops about what they expected to come from the protest and why they were they, but they all sucked. Of the group of around six or seven cops, only two would say anything at all and whenever they would answer it was limited to one or two words. A ten minute conversation with them provided the information that they were they to make sure nobody was hit by a car, and that they anticipated no violence.
The march at Civic Center was equally bodacious. I talked to a whole lot of people about how they felt about the situation and what they thought the protest would achieve and it was great to see such a diverse group of people with such similar ideas. I talked to a cop there who was really down to talk and gave me some great quotes like, “We put these assholes in office, and they fuck us every time.” Pretty much the greatest quote I will ever get from a cop in my life.
On my way back to Oakland I saw a guy walking out of Civic Center BART talking to himself, or more accurately yelling at nobody at all. His rambling caught my attention but the striking thing about him was that he was shooting what I’m guessing was meth into a grotesque abscess on his arm saying something like, “Fuck the pigs, look at me!” It was an eye opening experience, even for a person like me who grew up in a town where every other person is a tweaker.
No burritos this week but that’s okay. I found a thrift shop on Mission with the largest selection of lucha libre masks and capes I’ve seen in my short life. This is useful information to a guy who grew up obsessed with Ray Mysterio Jr. and the Ultimo Dragon. I only buy produce from the Mish now and I feel like a life spent buying mangos from Safeway was a life wasted.
Damn the man, viva la Mision!

Meeting in the morning then a night out on the town.

On Saturday March 6th I attended my meeting a the Woman's Building in the Mission District. The meeting was about MUNI and was civilian-run. I am covering the Richmond district and I attended this meeting because the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) many want to put on Geary was discussed. The meeting began at 8 a.m. (!!!) and I'm not sure if it would be considered a conflict of interest, but those who were hosting the meeting supplied coffee and breakfast for everyone and I helped myself to three cups of coffee.
Maria Sousa is chair of transportation for the Planning Association for the Richmond and at the end of the meeting I tried to get an interview with her. She seemed rushed and annoyed by me so I only spoke to her briefly. While waiting for the bus home, however, who do I see? Maria Sousa walking up to same bus stop. I smiled and waved and she seemed a little embarrassed but walked over to me. We had seven minutes until the next bus arrived, so lets just say I was able to get a better interview from her this time.
I was able to have a little fun out in the Richmond this past week. I picked up the Richmond Review, the districts local paper, and one of the advertisements in it was for $3 martinis at the Cliff House. I have never been to the Cliff House but I've always been interested in going because of it looks beautiful from the outside and it is right on the coast. I grabbed my boyfriend and one of our friends and we went and had ourselves a martini, then a $9 sugary mixed drink to wash it down with (That's how they get you!). The restaurant was nice and quiet and had AMAZING views! It is not as touristy as I thought it would be and I will definitely be coming back.

I'm not a Spunky Girl, I Just Know my Stuff

Somehow, some way I am going to have to learn how to learn how to appreciate news stories on meetings. I want to be funny and descriptive with this story but it just seems like the story is lying in front of me dead. I try to resuscitate but this story just wants to die. It has given up hope and remains lifeless on my coffee table. As I continue working on this story, I realize how much that meeting really annoyed me. I have gotten into a little funk with this neighborhood, but I will try as hard as humanly possible to maintain a decent amount of objectivity.

I commented in my notes on how it was interesting that out of the 55 people that attended the meeting there was only one person of color. This neighborhood’s representatives are constantly claiming that they love the “diversity” of the neighborhood; the diversity is what makes Hayes Valley so unique. I looked up the term diversity in the dictionary just to make sure I understood the correct definition. I didn’t see any kind of diversity in the decision-making process of this meeting.

I adore my boyfriend’s father, I really do, but he has a tendency to think that I’m this spunky little girl with wildly liberal ideas who actually wants to have fiery debates with him, a conservative, able-bodied, upper middle-class, white male from Fresno of working age. NOT SO. For three years now, every visit we have sparks some kind of heated debate. Because I had been struggling with ideas for this paper over the weekend, this time we debated the gentrification of Hayes Valley. He didn’t see any issue with gentrification because rich white people need homes too. And so it began.

I ended this argument with a “Well you can just read Yvonne Daley’s book when it comes out!” I angrily marched away. Although I was angry, it revived my interest in this neighborhood and has made me think twice about my choice for Profile1.

Meeting Story - North Beacn

I honestly didn’t feel like a could write a good meeting story without writing a long one. One page double spaced isn’t all that much, but then again, if one makes every word count, stories don’t need to be all that long, right?

I wanted to load my story with facts and data, but that would have made the paper much longer. Sometimes I feel like I’m writing for idiots, but that is a very negative way of looking at things. And I guess that’s not completely true either because it’s a pretty big challenge trying to write really well.

This meeting story could have gotten a lot more complicating, but it was pretty self explanatory. It was also so broad and general, we didn’t get to the details. But having an idea of the broad details was enough to understand what was going on. I didn’t even have to ask too many questions as there were enough people and synergy to them to conjure up their own. It also helped that my meeting topic is actually an interesting one. It’s about developing the Embarcadero.

I ended up using up a lot of paper for the meeting drafts, and it still isn't the best paper, i know it! I have to work on style, so that my writing doesn't sound so redundant and generic.

Nob Hill Meeting Proves Revealing

On March 4^th, the San Francisco Planning Commission approved a conditional use application for the concert promotion company, Live Nation. The application allows the company to become the sole operator of events the historic Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium and includes renovations to the interior that will increase the capacity of the venue and bring its facilities into the 20^th century. The renovations entail installation of permanent food and beverage stands including eight additional alcohol vendors, updating of the floor and stage, and streamlining of event operations.

While protesters rallied outside City Hall demanding education reform, the showdown before the commission featured the residents of Nob Hill adorned with stickers bearing “Nob Hill Resident” squaring off against proponents of the application wearing rival stickers demanding one “Support the Masonic Center.” The residents, banded together under the banner of the Nob Hill Legal Coalition, bombarded the public comment section on the measure with speaker after speaker. The result proved to be quite telling about the makeup of the neighborhood.

One man stood up and claimed that, by allowing the Masonic Auditorium to become a full-scale entertainment venue as it would with the proposed renovations and capacity increase, the neighborhood would be inviting “sex toy shops, pornography shops, fast food shops and sex shops to invade [Nob Hill].” A woman said that the venue’s general admission events would result in public urination, defecation, and drug dealing in Nob Hill’s historic Huntington Park that is directly across California Street from the auditorium. Another man recited numerous clubs, their capacity, and subsequent shooting deaths that took place after the stated event at the respective club. Another affirmed that Live Nation’s music events would invite people that would degrade and ultimately destroy the reputation of Nob Hill and, inevitably, San Francisco.

It was hard not to notice that the majority of speakers during the Nob Hill residents’ public comment were older, white men, and all were vehemently opposed to the idea of general admission events taking place with such frequency (70 per year as proposed).

After the discussion, Commissioner Gwyneth Borden, an African-American woman, was visibly upset and spoke her mind. Borden said that, judging by the “tone and tenor” of the emails and letters received, as well as by what was said in the public discourse, she feels that one issue is that people on Nob Hill “don’t want people who look like me coming to Nob Hill.” She said that that is how the message has come across and that some residents have "said some really nasty things."

Borden said she viewed the main issue presented by the residents as a censorship issue, which puts an entire new spin on the affair. To Borden, it was apparent that the Nob Hill residents did not want to invite the type of crowd that would attend medium-sized events like rock or rap concerts onto the pristine crest of San Francisco’s most affluent neighborhood.

The Masonic Auditorium, as well as any venue of such nature in the city, is a city venue and not a neighborhood belonging, as pointed out by Commission President Ron Miguel. It was clear to Borden and myself that the opposed residents felt differently and did not want to tarnish the area’s sterling reputation with the riffraff of general admission crowds. This is a telling facet of the makeup of Nob Hill. The opposition was so fierce and the claims so unwieldy that they lend insight into why the area is so commonly referred to as “Snob Hill.”

As it turns out, the application passed, so residents will have to come to grips with its new neighbors and their guests sooner or later. It will be interesting to see if the Masonic becomes the agent of abasement in Nob Hill as the residents have said, but I probably wouldn't count on it.

Photo Shoot

Of all things that could have brought me luck this week on the beat, who would have thought it would be my hair!
So as you all know I cut my hair last week and yes it was a conscious decision, but I never imagined that I’d feel so good and confident about it, and this week I think that strangers on my beat picked up on that confidence. I began to get stares as well as complements but one woman really made me feel good. Thursday I was just walking in downtown waiting for something interesting to happen and this random person (I thought) starts saying how much she like the cut on me and I stopped and just indulged her for a while.
Turns out she is a stylist at a salon on 15th called Moods and Attitudes. I come from a hair background me and my mom own a salon in Berkley and my mom made sure that I would know the hair “bizzz”. So after talking with her a while, she invited me to a photo shoot. Today (Sunday) I went and I must say it was so fun. This photo shoot was just incredible, if you are a hair person it was a tank of inspiration. In got the chance to do some networking, and the photographer just added me as a friend on my facebook (I don’t quite know why I’m so psyched about that but I am). I have pictures because no description can do what I had seen justice (got to figure out how to upload them). But the day was so full of energy and the photo shoot really made my week.
And it’s all because of my new hair, I don’t think that the woman (I don’t know if she wants me to say her name) would have approached me if I wasn’t in such a good mood and didn’t cut my hair and I’m so glad I did just because I met such wonderful people today.
Everyone look out for Black Passion Magazine.

Castro Theater

This weekend I took Yvonne’s advice and tried something new and fun in my district by watching Alice in Wonderland in 3d, at the famous Castro theater. My experience was awesome and I encourage everyone to go at least once. In fact my experience was so positive I don’t thinking I’ll be watching movies at any other theater in San Francisco.

I started the night out with a few shots of cheap vodka and made sure to arrive at the theatre about an hour early, as I know Alice in Wonderland has been a highly anticipated movie.

While waiting in line I could feel the excitement of the other movie goers as they patiently waited to buy their tickets. In order to take my mind off the long wait, I took it upon myself to strike up a conversation with the woman in front of me. We hit it off and by the time we got into the theater we were discussing politics and munching on ginger snaps from the Hot Cookie.

Not only were the people friendly but the ambiance was so refreshing. When I walked in I felt like I had gone back in time to 1920’s Western Europe. The walls are painted with beautiful murals that look inspired by Roman art. Ornate decorations including an extravagant chandelier hanging from the ceiling were a treat for my eyes. I even enjoyed using the bathroom as it was spacious and way cleaner than the bathrooms at the Century Theater near my house. The best part however, was listening to the organ player rehearse classic Disney songs while waiting for the movie to start. For movie tickets that are cheaper than those sold at a corporate movie theater, the Castro Theater offers the customer a real bang for your buck.

Like I said before I won’t be watching movies anywhere else in San Francisco