Tuesday: A Walk In The Rainstorm

The real fun for me started on Tuesday when a rainstorm lashed the city. It started with a tap-tapping noise on my hotel room window at around 3:00 a.m (yea, I was half-asleep half-awake due to the jet lag) in the morning and then went on to become a downpour later in the day. It was late in the afternoon that I gathered enough courage to venture into the chilly rain. The hotel staff were kind enough to provide me with an umbrella. I must say that I made full use of it in the streets that day and later also used it as a drip machine in the lobby area (so not nice of me). Using the umbrella, I might have dripped enough on the lobby floor to irrigate a small paddy field. I am sure that I will be treated as persona non grata as far as this hotel is concerned the next time I am there. Note to self, shake the umbrella well (outside) after use.

Anyways, bracing myself for the chill and the rain, I stepped out. Using my exposed face as a barometer (which was not a very good idea) for measuring the prevailing weather conditions, I decided that it was in my best interest to head straight (or dash, rather) to the nearest Starbucks and get a steaming chai. To start with, walking into a rainstorm is not the same as dancing in the rain but comes quite close once you get used to the wind and the rain (if you are covered and enjoy the breeze that sends chilly sprays onto your face once in a while). The chai made me lose some of my apprehensions and I headed to the B&N bookstore across the street and returned with my hands full of tomes that had been listed as NY times bestsellers. By this time, I was getting used to the constant downpour and was ready to endure some more of it. So the next stop was Chinatown to do some window-shopping (since I was on a tight, make that a very tight, budget). With all the shoppers in their colorful umbrellas and rain suits, the sidewalks looked as if they were filled with Chinese lanterns on a Chinese New Year Day. Two hours and $4.00 (yes, four, not forty) worth of shopping later, evening was beginning to set in and so it was time to walk down a few blocks into the downtown in search of a good place for dinner. The downtown does have a great selection of restaurants. On that day, any restaurant that offered a nice warm soup and a window side seating seemed quite inviting and so I headed for a nearby Subway (I know its not gourmet but it was the best I could do in those circumstances). After fortifying myself with a good sub, I finally decided to head back to the hotel and (h)air dry my totally damp shoes and feet. Though I did not accomplish much on that day, just walking into the rainstorm was an experience by itself. An experience worth saving for a rainy day.

Sunday: Columbus Day Weekend

Attending a mini Italian (make that mini Ferrari) car show (while the Blue Angels were flying overhead) followed by early dinner at a good restaurant rounded up my Columbus Day. Engaging and highly interesting weekend activities are some of the many perks for San Franciscans. I guess these weekends more than make up for the other daily downsides and inconvenience these city folks endure. In my case, since I was just visiting, there was enough stuff to keep me engaged throughout the week (I have been here so many times now that I sometimes act as a tour guide for some of my Bay Area friends).