NDBT

Awww… so I read More Tales of the City yesterday and it was wonderful. Now – I know this entry is going to sound like I’m homewick, but I’m really not. I am really enjoying Christchurch (it was gorgeous out yesterday and I walked along the Avon) and I am constantly thankful for being able to travel and live in other places. But while travel does give you the chance to see and experience new things, it can also highlight what is best about home (like… racial diversity – although at least New Zealand is better than Ireland for that).

Anyhoo – I read Michael’s letter to mama (you can too, here) and, aside from it being totally lovely, I could swear I’d heard it before. Maybe every San Franciscan just knows it by heart? Anyways, I really liked this bit, “I know this may be hard for you to believe, but San Francisco is full of men and women, both straight and gay, who don’t consider sexuality in measuring the worth of another human being. These aren’t radicals or weirdos, Mama. They are shop clerks and bankers and little old ladies and people who nod and smile to you when you meet them on the bus. Their attitude is neither patronizing nor pitying. And their message is so simple: Yes, you are a person. Yes, I like you. Yes, it’s all right for you to like me, too.”

I also really liked DeDe’s comment about San Francisco being the end of the rainbow and if you grew up there, really, where are you going to go to after that?

In that spirit, I bring you some fun stuff from a California facebook group (i.e. you know you’re from California if – some new ones I hadn’t heard before):

You know what real cheese taste like.

You don’t get snowdays off because theres only snow in Mammoth, Tahoe, Shasta, and Big Bear.

Our governor can kick your governors ass.

You go to the Beach – not “down to the shore.”

You can get fresh and REAL Mexican food 24 hours a day.

We have In-N-Out (Arizona and Vegas are lucky we share that with them).
Your sense of direction=Toward the ocean and away from the ocean.

The primary bugs that you worry about are electronic.

It’s barely sprinkling rain and there’s a report on every news station: “STORM WATCH”

You don’t care what race people are because you’re too busy wondering what gender they are.

Unlike back home, the guy at 8:30 am at Starbucks wearing the baseball cap and sunglasses who looks like George Clooney IS George Clooney.

The normal symbols on restrooms mean “people wearing pants” and “people wearing skirts”.

You know which restaurant serves the freshest arugula.

You know how to eat an artichoke

You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from California.

And one of my fave e-mail chains ever (I’ve probably posted it before), You know you’re from San Francisco if;