Crunchy California

I'd forgotten how wonderfully crunchy-yet-yuppy the bay area is. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or more jaded or just more materialistic, but living in Tokyo and HK, two of the biggest consumption-and-status-driven cities in the world, I've become increasingly yuppy. Of course I've always loved shopping and fashion, so life in HK (arguably the shopping capital of the world) appeals to a part of me that has always been there. But I think because HKers are more concerned with "appearing" wealthy and thus more brand and label-conscious, my taste in HK has veered a bit more towards the tailored and refined (only in terms of clothing...I still love my hole-in-the-wall eateries, ESPECIALLY dumplings).

Visiting the bay area is a huge breath of fresh air, both literally and figuratively. The bay area is equal parts hippie and yuppy - and that's why I love SF so much and feel the most ME here. I think I'm definitely more yuppy than hippie, but I love that in SF, it's not incongruous at all to be both.

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My heart now lies divided among three cities - SF, HK and LA. I love SF because it has always been and always will be Home, the place I feel the most myself and where so many of my life memories are and where I have the largest congregation of close friends. I love that SFers are urban but still laid back and friendly. I love meeting up with old friends - it's as comforting as putting on my favorite pair of fuzzy, worn slippers. My grandmother moved to LA, so now part of my heart is there as well. I love that LA is really a huge suburb - I think it's probably a better place to raise kids than the bay area and I like how mellow my friends in LA are. I can see myself putting on LA like a new but immediately favorite coat. And HK, the newest city on my roster of hometowns - I never saw it coming, but I'm a little bit in love with it. I know part of that has to do with finally being together with El Hombre in the same city, but it also has a lot to do with how fun and dynamic life in HK is.

Life in Cali is easy in completely different ways than HK. I love that in Cali, you can buy great quality stuff at Target for dirt cheap prices. I love that you can eat a delicious burrito one day, farm-to-table California cuisine another and authentic Vietnamese another. I love that it's totally normal to spend an entire day lounging around and reading books at a bookstore...and not have to buy a single book. I love that there are sales on top of sales, and then clearance sales on top of that. I love Costco and Whole Foods and Target. But I hate driving. I hate traffic and mean drivers and bad drivers.

In HK, I absolutely love that it's not necessary to have a car. I love how charming the tram is, a throwback from the old days yet an essential part of daily life in HK. I love how convenient everything is. I love that everyone's always in a hurry - if ever there was a city that appealed to the impatient fast-talking, fast-walking person in me, it's HK.