Since Thursday night, I have had plans every night this weekend. All good if not great plans, but plans nonetheless. This weekend, I realized I was going to get out into the city, spend more on public transportation than ever in a matter of 4 days, and I could not have been more excited.
Thursday afternoon I was free until the evening when events would begin. I decided I'd get some errands run, and get a head start on a paper that is due next month in my Dance 400 class. We've got to watch a ballet and write about how the technique we are studying in Dance 400 applies to the professional full length ballet performance we've watched. I decided to pursue a full length ballet I have not ever seen before in my life (though I've only see few as it is): Jewels by G. Balanchine. In order to get ahold of a DVD, I spent my Thursday afternoon traveling out on a crowded bus to the Richmond Branch of the San Francisco Public Library. I'm finding that in this city I can travel even the tiniest bit, and suddenly, San Francisco bursts with magic and nostalgia of a life I've never lived.
Getting to the Libarary and getting a library card was certainly a breeze, as was finding Balanchine. From there I decided I'd go to a coffee shop that had been briefly mentioned to me last semester. With my backpack on my shoulders, I stomped out on the street to get a cozy place on Irving called Hollow.
Hollow isn't necessarily a hole in the wall, but it is surrounded by vacated looking abodes and an old full service station that seems to have been out of business since the 1920s. The warmth of the green walls and chalkboard sitting outside a door with a re-finished handle, completely whisks you away into the deep hallway with a low roof and natural light with flecks of an antique oil lamp pair.
Inside there is a wide array of gifts of sweet little spoons, soaps, tea infusers, candles, perfumes (Tokyo Milk Brand by the way!), and also a wide array of tempting desserts. The inside of Hollow reminds me of a garden, but an indoor garden, kindly adorned with antiques and gifts, a menu of coffee and empanadas, belgian waffles, cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and more. The ambiance is certainly brough to fruition by the sweet sounds of romantic folk music that lingers, and occassional whistle along with the music from the kind and witty barista with a hipster mustache and high-water jeans.
I ordered a delectably strong double mocha, a vanilla bean marshmallow and a a cookie with dulce de leche covered in chocolate to take home. As I set my self down, perched on a wooden stool, I gazed out into Irving street, where there was a sheet of rain falling from the sky, yet the sky was perfectly blue, and the sun no where in sight. Quite strange, but at the same time, gorgeous and well suited for the time and place in which I found myself. The cup was far too small, and as the sun peeked out and the rain subsided, knowing the poor weather for walking would return soon, I regretfully went on my way.
(I did end up returning to Hollow not too much later, on a Saturday afternoon with my good friend Cara. It was a trial just getting there, but once we did, being able to share the indescribably atmosphere with her was worth it. We chatted for a bit, enjoyed a hot cocoa and a spinach and feta empanada, fought with a yellow jacket, and enjoyed each others company as friends simply do.)
The real fun and games started on that night, which is Thursday, the night I head out to the Sunset for Bible Study with my sophomore friends. Instead of having a study, we had a pot luck and girl's night in. We enjoyed a beautiful menu of a vegetarian cassoulette, macaroni and cheese (which I'm still picking at my leftovers, trying to make the goodness last), avocado crostinis, a salad tossed in mango chutney, you get where I'm going with this- the works. We chatted and listened to Billie Holiday for hours, played a terrible game of charades, and before I knew it was time to head home again.
I really enjoy being in a Bible study with these girls. They are so sweet and loving, and just all around great people. I'm hoping that I can get to know each girl better this year, as I've only been in the city for about a total of five months, and have a year or so to catch up with everyone haha. But even so, I am blessed to have fellowship with these priceless people. Here in San Francisco, it can be very hard to live when you're living alone. Even though Billie does say, "it's easy to live when you're in love" and she's got quite the point, fellowship and community are a necessary part of life in San Francisco. I'm blessed with the community that I have, and I wouldn't trade it for any other in the world.
And the next day was Friday, which I will be writing about soon.
Thursday afternoon I was free until the evening when events would begin. I decided I'd get some errands run, and get a head start on a paper that is due next month in my Dance 400 class. We've got to watch a ballet and write about how the technique we are studying in Dance 400 applies to the professional full length ballet performance we've watched. I decided to pursue a full length ballet I have not ever seen before in my life (though I've only see few as it is): Jewels by G. Balanchine. In order to get ahold of a DVD, I spent my Thursday afternoon traveling out on a crowded bus to the Richmond Branch of the San Francisco Public Library. I'm finding that in this city I can travel even the tiniest bit, and suddenly, San Francisco bursts with magic and nostalgia of a life I've never lived. |
| The Richmond Branch of the SF Public Library |
 |
| Here on this global like structure, there is a map carved in of San Francisco, even the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge is carved beautifully into this structure. |
Getting to the Libarary and getting a library card was certainly a breeze, as was finding Balanchine. From there I decided I'd go to a coffee shop that had been briefly mentioned to me last semester. With my backpack on my shoulders, I stomped out on the street to get a cozy place on Irving called Hollow.
Inside there is a wide array of gifts of sweet little spoons, soaps, tea infusers, candles, perfumes (Tokyo Milk Brand by the way!), and also a wide array of tempting desserts. The inside of Hollow reminds me of a garden, but an indoor garden, kindly adorned with antiques and gifts, a menu of coffee and empanadas, belgian waffles, cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and more. The ambiance is certainly brough to fruition by the sweet sounds of romantic folk music that lingers, and occassional whistle along with the music from the kind and witty barista with a hipster mustache and high-water jeans.
I ordered a delectably strong double mocha, a vanilla bean marshmallow and a a cookie with dulce de leche covered in chocolate to take home. As I set my self down, perched on a wooden stool, I gazed out into Irving street, where there was a sheet of rain falling from the sky, yet the sky was perfectly blue, and the sun no where in sight. Quite strange, but at the same time, gorgeous and well suited for the time and place in which I found myself. The cup was far too small, and as the sun peeked out and the rain subsided, knowing the poor weather for walking would return soon, I regretfully went on my way.(I did end up returning to Hollow not too much later, on a Saturday afternoon with my good friend Cara. It was a trial just getting there, but once we did, being able to share the indescribably atmosphere with her was worth it. We chatted for a bit, enjoyed a hot cocoa and a spinach and feta empanada, fought with a yellow jacket, and enjoyed each others company as friends simply do.)
 |
| These are our silly faces. |
The real fun and games started on that night, which is Thursday, the night I head out to the Sunset for Bible Study with my sophomore friends. Instead of having a study, we had a pot luck and girl's night in. We enjoyed a beautiful menu of a vegetarian cassoulette, macaroni and cheese (which I'm still picking at my leftovers, trying to make the goodness last), avocado crostinis, a salad tossed in mango chutney, you get where I'm going with this- the works. We chatted and listened to Billie Holiday for hours, played a terrible game of charades, and before I knew it was time to head home again.
I really enjoy being in a Bible study with these girls. They are so sweet and loving, and just all around great people. I'm hoping that I can get to know each girl better this year, as I've only been in the city for about a total of five months, and have a year or so to catch up with everyone haha. But even so, I am blessed to have fellowship with these priceless people. Here in San Francisco, it can be very hard to live when you're living alone. Even though Billie does say, "it's easy to live when you're in love" and she's got quite the point, fellowship and community are a necessary part of life in San Francisco. I'm blessed with the community that I have, and I wouldn't trade it for any other in the world.
And the next day was Friday, which I will be writing about soon.
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