San Fransisco Strolling

A couple of days ago, I went to San Fransisco for the first time. I recorded my time there - you can check that out here. It was a one an a half hour drive from Saint Helena, and thankfully, I didn't get as car-sick as I usually do. As we went over the Golden Gate Bridge, something lit up inside of me. I was excited - more so than I thought I would. I had been waiting for this moment for so long. I was in a city, and I actually missed it. I thought to myself, 'how did I survive being away from the city for this long?' Maybe I just learned to adapt. Maybe. But man, I was stoked.

The city has with it a few drawbacks I was quickly reminded of: congestion and paid parking. Ugh, things I was never a fan of, but had its ties to the city. I didn't let it get to me, I just embraced it. Now, in such a big city, there were endless things to do. So, after the long-awaited taste of ramen at Ramen Yamadaya on Buchanan Street, we headed to our chosen itinerary. Below are some photos I like to associate with San Fransisco strolling.

A large chunk of my time was spent at the San Fransisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), a place I'd been wanting to go for a while. I remember falling in love with the MOMA in Sydney back in 2016, so I knew I had to visit during my time here.

From the top floor down, I went down seven floors. SEVEN FREAKING FLOORS with a wide range of different artistic styles and movements, from Chinese post-liberal responsive pieces, to soft and subtle European, to solid colours and abstracts, to ice-cream and cake. My favourite was Marcel Duchamp's 1917 Fountain, because why not? Art is, ultimately, subjective - it is in the mind of the beholder. It doesn't matter if you like it, it's just about what you think about when you look at it.

Eventually, I started pondering over what each person thought of as they were looking at pieces. Rather than the paintings and pieces themselves, I began taking photos of the backside of people looking at them. So many questions popped into my mind:

• Why are they here?
• What do they think of it?
• What is it making them feel?
• Do they care about what it's conveying?
• Do they like it?
• Do they hate it?
• What do they know about art?
• Why do they prefer one over others?

The questions were endless, but you get the picture.

By the second floor, I was just tired. I think I may have to visit a couple more times when my head feels clearer. I felt like I wasn't really able to think properly with so many people there and a headache accumulating. Nevertheless, I'm grateful for the opportunity to visit and thankful for the artists that made these exhibitions possible.

After perusing the galleries of SFMOMA, we frantically tried to find parking near Union Square, had boba (bubble tea) and poké inside Westfield, did a bit of shopping, saw the Christmas tree, then headed back to Saint Helena. It was a long day, but still a good day. I'm grateful.

from a different perspective,

CITRA