It was more then 20 years ago since I went to my first gospel church in Los Angeles. So it was kind a time to do it again, this time in the Glide memorial church in the Tenderloin in San Francisco, where every week people gather to pray and create a feel good feeling, a happy Sunday.

This video is the intro when the ceremony began, it was so cool, the harmony, all the different people, nationalities, gay, straight, transgender, the whole diversity San Francisco offers. I must say I’m also impressed about Glide’s work for the community, the help they give to the homeless, families, children, give people second changes, and help them trough their diifficult periods in life. I think without Glide, San Francisco would be kind a messy sometimes. Especially in that neighborhood which is still not the place to be, and surely not after dark. Enjoy the video, I especially like the end of it. A lt of singing during the ceremony, never saw so much entertainment and beautifull powerpoint slides that comes with. A recommender when you are in San Francisco.

Visit Glide website for more info! 

These last weeks been living in Lower Haight neigborhood, and enjoying the local restaurants. Went to the Indian Oven, very good indian food. Yesterday went to Burma Superstar. Probably the highlight of the restaurants these last weeks. It is not in the Lower Haight but in Richmond area, and went there with my host, Patrick. The food was delicious, a mix of Burma, Thai, Laos, the herbs, the smells and service was great, right portions and not the US size, a Taj Mahal beer with it, made it a very culinair evening here. The tealeaf salad is must have, it is mixed on your table, and the mix of flavours in your mouth is delicioussss. The soup was yummie as well, and a very good lamb curry!! The best in town!

For a few years now, you can get medical marijuana in San Francisco, nicely packaged (see picture), and with all the details of the product. At first it made me kind a laugh, but honestly to make it legal, you take it out of an obscure zone, and it is good example how this can be done. All you have to do is go to a doctor or a center to get it. You know you get a quality product with no extra chemicals, like we have nowadays in Belgium.  I wondering how long it will take Europe to think about this and look at the model. Our system is completely double on this, with very vague regulations. 

After a wonderful fulfilling afternoon in The Imperial Spa at Japantown, and a Japanese BBQ dinner taking the 22 bus, waiting for more then an half hour on the bus, and just about thinking to take a taxi, the bus arrives, the way back to 16th and mission, and a walk on mission street at 9 PM, gives a different view then during the day, the restaurants are full, the latino community is on a stroll, while passing this bar the loud sound comes out of the juke box or whatever the use,with a girl like you:The Troggs, although at that moment I didn’t know it where the troggs, but the song played on in my head and lingered on, since it was from my youth, and it brought this warm comfy feeling, when you think about the happy times you had when you were like very young, completely pampered by the parents. This photo matches my thoughts and feelings I have sometimes for San francisco and how the summer of love would have been in 1967. Walking around in certain quarters is really refreshing and inspiring, at times also a bit depressing, seeing the poverty and the homeless people sleeping on the street on carbon layers, with there possessions in a shopping cart.

But San francisco is doing a great job in creating new neighborhoods, as they did at SOMA, The Yerba Beuna gardens and now Mission Bay, where a whole new Bio tech center is build with residential areas, and commercial activities, it will be a community on itself in a few years. And the really implement it very well, considering the neigborhoods and surrounding areas. Stimulating new economy.

Click here to download:

San_Chou.MOV (436 KB)

This morning all excited to go to the Tai Chi class, practicing Tai Chi for 4 months now, it is not an easy thing to do. In Belgium we learn 24 yang form, and here in the Inner Research Institute it is 37 form, a bit different, some movements are the samen, but it was not easy to follow. It was however a great experience, and Martin Inn is very knowledgeable. After my class I stayed a bit longer to watch the San Chou, it is a form that I saw for the first time in the Golden Gate park, and now here in a class. Seems even more difficult but love to watch it. 

Long way to go in Tai chi that is for sure, but it is a fascinating learning process, and great to empty your head, and be calm.

Be as still as a mountain, move like a great river.

Driving with my host to the rainbow grocery store in San Francisco, and while listen to world music, he told me one of his friends gave him this line a a new years gift: ‘Friends are like anchors and buoys in the ocean of life’, I really liked that and it is so true. 

In the afternoon went for an Ocean walk with one of my buoys (friends), to Ocean Beach where land’s end and the next land is Japan. Just realizing that life can be so beautiful in the simple moments of being. What a great day yesterday.

The art heart project on Union Square in San francisco, is going on for a few years now. And art heart is changing on regular basis. The art is integrated in public space, and a very cool example how San Francisco is doing that! This one of many art projects that are going on. You also find my article on Balmy street, which is a beautiful story of immigrants, and tackling different life stories of mainly hispanic people.