THERE IS DURIAN EVERYWHERE!

Discussion earlier today with Dutch tourists from Venlo. Remarkably, they had never even heard of durian, pudding made with which was in fact within ten feet of them. I didn't bother asking what they had eaten there, seeing as curiosity had pulled them in, but comfort zone limits undoubtedly kept them on the well-beaten track. As it likewise did me. Milk tea, and once I was by myself again, a club sandwich with French fries (公司三文治同薯條 'gung si saam man ji tong syue tiu'). Toasted bread, fried egg, lettuce, melted butter, tomato, ham. Po. Tay. Toe. Sprinkle salt. And Sriracha hotsauce, which in lieu of other sambals nicely delimits my personal comfort zone.
Much like no durian pudding marks that of tourists.

Can't blame them. Durian is amusing, but who would think of South East Asian stink fruit as something to try when visiting the United States?

I recommended they go see Mission Dolores, Golden Gate Park, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Asian Art Museum (Avery Brundage Collection) for jades, bronze, and Chinese paintings. North Beach, Mission District. Avoid the wharf. Other than the predictable gotta see tourist sites, that's it for San Francisco, especially when you have three kids in tow.
Chinatown ain't really worth seeing. It's a neighborhood.
That doesn't mean the natives are "colourful".
They live there. There are shops.
You know, food 'n stuff.
Barbers, banks.
Bakeries.

My bank is there. The pharmacy where I'll be picking up refills tomorrow also. As well as my barber (hair getting a bit long and Bohemian, need a trim). The bakery where I'll have a hot beverage and pastry after running errands tomorrow too.


As usual, I'll be avoiding anything durian.
So will pretty much everyone else.


Might buy sopropo. And look for a jar of sambal badjak, either at the grocery with the pretty boss, or the well-stocked place with the old granny who speaks a dialect I can't identify, but can, sort of, understand.
Neither place is in any way "bezienswaardig".
Unless you're food conscious.
Condimentally.




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