I have been in the United States of America and Mexico for the last 4 months. I now head back to Japan. Farewell San Francisco.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apOFrP3XbFM

It has been a wonderful time and here are just a very few reasons why I like living in San Francisco, or more accurately, in this part of the city.

Walking up Haight at any time of day is always entertainment.

Thank you University of San Francisco for allowing local residents to use your sports facilities. I take boxing classes until my right hand stops working and then a ‘Core and More’ class, which is hard. Koret Health and Recreation Center at USF is truly remarkable – indoor olympic pools, loads of courses, and of course, general Californian good feel; also amazing high pressure showers.https://www.usfca.edu/koret I stop showering at home. I lose 9 kilos.

Lyft! Cabs/taxis were always dirty, sleazy, the drivers belligerent, disgruntled. I always felt overcharged, you could never find one. Lyft is a life changer.

The cars are immaculate and I have never waited more than 2 minutes. I do not know why but I get a 50% discount, making nearly all rides in the $4 range. The drivers are so much fun. All my drivers have been recent immigrants from, Iran, Nicaragua, Algeria, Syria, Afghanistan, etc. They have 3 jobs and are full of optimism and drive. The Algerian guy was from Oran, where I spent 1975-76. Together we chanted. “Sidi El Houari attene nous ballon!” This is the supporters chant of the MC Oran football club. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MC_Oran     

Sidi El Houari is the patron Mufti of Oran and the chant, a typical mixture of French and Arabic means, “Sidi El Houari give us the ball!”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidi_El_Houari

Anyway, Lahouari, name of driver, and I wept on each others shoulders on the wet streets of San Francisco. I hear that in some places Uber and Lyft are not welcomed. These people must be Luddites and mad.

Thanks so much to Central Coffee, just around the corner, http://centralcoffeesf.com. Every morning, Maia and Chalmer make me my start of the day coffee and make me feel good.

A 5 minute bike ride from the house is the de Young Museum. https://deyoung.famsf.org

I love standing in rooms full of billions of dollars worth of er art and then walking/biking home through the Panhandle.

Above all, thanks to son James who has put up with me during this time and given me so much good advice.