late night

a cup of coffee that I drank at 9 pm today is the reason why I am still awake, and i thought it was time again for another journal entry. since my last entry, i have found some more interesting activities on seventh and folsom.

first, the mysterious fleet of tiny, middle aged chinese women that peddle what seems like commissioned state food items on bryant and seventh, right in front of the newly opened subway. everyday, it's the same (or perhaps different) chinese lady with several one-off food items laid out over a piece of cloth on the ground. the specific items vary per day, sometimes there will be a small box of cereal, or some canned peaches, or sometimes , mysteriously, a few packets of active dry yeast. each time i always look furtively to scan her items, and get a momentary desire to photograph her. she always looks me in the eye, wondering if perhaps the packets of active dry yeast have caught my interest. it must be a lucrative endeavor if its worth doing everyday. a few weeks ago, when i was running a little bit late to work, i saw that there are a fleet of them, and not just one. i wonder what street intersections these other chinese ladies are stationed, and where they will be going to after they've done their peddling.

moving on to another mysterious phenomenon on seventh street, is the always frothing sea of soap foam that emerges at about 6 pm everyday. my best guess is that it is there to counter the ever pervasive tenderloin city scent (aka pee and poo). I wonder though who is the secret benefactor of this "sea of foam" that washes a stream of frothy, bubbly, springy freshness through the entire alleyway in front of the seventh street bar. I am grateful for this, but then saddened to realize that soon this pristine frothy bubble will eventually merge with the neverending supply of urine from the happy folk that love loitering in this particular street.

orzo is such a delightful food. i made something with orzo, shrimp and basil last weekend. mangoes are also in season which makes me happy. i've been snapping it up by the dozen.