the visitors from europe

as you all know my faithful readers, I dutifully buy a blueberry bagel with cream cheese from the corner bakery at market and seventh. this bakery is a weird hodgepodge of homeless people from the tail-end of the tenderloin, the suits at the now recently built deathstar/federal building, and travelling tourists from el-cheapo hotel row on seventh street.

this month especially i have seen a barrage of family tourists from europe. you can tell from the way they carry themselves that they are certainly not american, and certainly not of the market street ilk. the typical set includes, a tall dad in capri pants (?!), a mom, and two teenage children.

as i rush to my daily work, i sometimes idealize what these people's lives are like. i wonder where in germany are they from. i sometimes feel bad that their view of san francisco will be blemished by the first blush of the tenderloin "city scent". i also wonder, why on earth are these middle aged men still wearing capris! i gotta give it to the europeans though, their travelling dads look better than american travelling dads with the signature hawaiian shirt and waist high khaki shorts.

back to the work day.