San Francisco/Oakland day 3

This evening I am so tired I really don't have the energy to write much.  Woke up to rain this morning so decided to get on the train to Oakland. I was curious to have a look at this more working class, politically radical district; the birth place of the Black Panthers and Jack London. Another reason to go was I had heard that if the weather is rubbish in SF it will more than likely be sunny in Oakland.

After a rather annoying hunt for a post office I got on the BART train.  Bloody hell finding the post office was a mission. People I asked kept sending me in different directions.  A block that way meant two blocks in the opposite direction and on the left meant on the right.   I had to crawl through 4 different shopping centres to find a post office and when I did it was the crappiest, slowest damn post office I have ever had the misfortune to visit.  But the server was very pleasant once I met her!

Anyway, the museum of California in Oakland was great.  the history part went right back to native Indian culture and how they used to pound the acorns from the oak trees  and make their staple food from ground up acorns.

 the time line of events was funny.: 

5677BC-Ancestors of Klameth and Madoc people witness explosion of Mount Maxama

1770-First Spanish missionaries arrive

That's hell of a period of non-recorded history!

Every period from the Spanish invasion of the 18th century onwards was then presented.  It was excellent and really informative with lots of interactive stuff and areas where locals could write and present their own memories and ideas.  (Such as a wall full of what people remember about life in California during the 60s. ) the curators were all smiley and helpful and there were even signs up saying you didn't need to whisper. In fact school kids were running a riot and having a ball.  I loved the atmosphere.  There was nothing stuffy about the place at all.

My favourite section was the bit on the Great Depression.  I loved that there was a pipe where people could hang out and get an idea of the living space!

This girl followed me around quite a lot until the teacher realised she was missing and came and found her!

These were the confinement houses of the Japanese in SF during World War 2.  they were forced to live in horse stables.  Families of 6 in one horse stable. 

 this section was memorabilia of people who had lived through the 60s.  Each case was full of different Californian memories.  I loved it.

This was an audio visual  of the people who came to work in the fields after the gold and silver rushes died down.

Mac from 1984.  I'm sure this was the same computer we used in  Bicester Community College. it used to be wheeled in for special events.

the following sign was quite disturbing.very weird.

I liked how they presented immigration as an arrival board.

One of my favourite sections.  I have read lots of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabel Allende and they are always going on about daguerreotypes.  I never  had any idea of what they really were until today and they were definitely the most beautiful things in the entire museum.

I then left and got the BART and the muni metro back up to Haight Ashbury, home of the hippy movement.  To be honest if I were a hippy looking for my ancestoral home I would have been well disappointed.  It was like a really shit Camden..without the vibe.  To be honest I was disappointed and felt like it was a parody.  I've always been harsh on hippies and this little wander around this district only made me stronger in my general disdain.

I did like the legs out the window and the Starbucks copy socialist hang out below was fun.  I have to say the Anarchist Book Shop was a pile of shite.  If all you can put in the shop window are copies of a colouring book full of  vaginas. (Called The C***s Colouring Book) then I don't want to be an anarchist!  Also this book shop was pumped full of a weird smell which was awful.  A kind of Eau de Ancient Manuscript.  like it was full of old books when it most definitely wasn't. Bollocks.

Then I walked for hours over hills and down dales. As it was pitch dark I could see absolutely bloody nothing but at least I did it.  And I ended up in Mission.  My favourite area so far. ( Apart from where I am staying.)  I ate South Indian Thali with fish and it was totally gorgeous. the only problem was that the server could barely speak English.  All the clientele seemed to be Indian.  Anyway.  Time for bed now. Tour of China Town tomorrow.