Match Report 1 --- Day 2/85

Walk: Mindful Body
Distance: 10 blocks and teach yoga class

After one day on Match.com, I've concluded that their matching system isn't totally precise.  To wit, I specifically said I was looking for someone within 25 miles of San Francisco.  Almost immediately after I joined and my profile was published I got 10 responses - 4 were from Texas, 3 from Southern California, 1 from Minnesota, 1 from Montana and some other one from well over 25 miles from here.

And now the emails are piling in because Match.com has all sorts of things that trigger them. I've been Matched because '___is also a cat lover,' or other sensitive reasons like that.  I think if you just hover over someone's profile or picture long enough it triggers an email telling the person "She Likes Your Picture." Then there is something called a wink - "___winked at you" - which I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with and wonder if the winker even knows this has been sent.  A few men have even emailed - the most 'drastic' Match step I think - but I don't know whether/how to respond to these either.

Anyway, a far cry from Table for 6 which contracted with me  for 7 introductions and barely managed 3.  I joined for 3 months and hopefully won't run into problems when I try to stop after the three months.  Will post if there's any important news - or a huge reader demand.  Otherwise, on to 'matchless' ciwt topics.

Match Me --- Day 2/84

Walk: Mindful Body
Distance: 1 mile and teach yoga class

Well, since Table for 6 was so successful and fun, I've decided to (at long last) try Match.com.  This has taken alll my creative energy for the day.  Now, lead me to the wine.

Students Teach the Teacher - Always --- Day 2/83

Walk: Mindful Body, AMC Theater (Side Effects)
Distance: 3 miles and teach yoga class

Two students today really touched my heart.  One, a very long time student, will be leaving at the end of April to take a nursing job at Stanford.  This is huge - for me her teacher, for her leaving SF and me, for her career (there were 400 applicants for job and only seven were hired, so she is special), for her future.  This - saying goodbye to students - is a downside to teaching.  But parts of us will always stay with each other because of our yoga connection, which goes deep when your student has found you.

Another student is virtually new.  I've noticed her a few times and today she stayed after to express how meaningful my class is to her, how much she responds to my teaching.  Turns out she works with epileptics and feels that my empowering, deeply valuing/accepting your true self message speaks to her and will also speak to the people she works with.  Apparently she has already recommended me to some of her people.  And she says she has made an effort to locate the right yoga teacher - been 'all around the Bay Area to many, many classes/teachers.'

So now these students/their messages/beings sink in.

Hello or Konnichiwa or __ from SF --- Day 2/82

Walk: Inverness,Corte Madera, JCC, Trader Joe's
Distance: 3 miles

When I was in Portland I talked with a couple who had just returned from a vacation week in San Francisco.  Right away describing the trip she said, "I didn't realize how large the Asian population is in San Francisco."  I responded politely but was thinking something like "Get over it.."

Then today I walked to the JCC to get tickets for an event I'll go to with friends (Later ciwt post probably, stayed tuned).  The JCC is about 8 blocks from my home and nowhere remotely close to either Japantown or Chinatown - but Definitely in San Francisco.  So imagine my surprise when I walked out of the building, looked up and saw this billboard:



Now I'm the one spending a moment "getting over it..."

Golf? --- Day 2/81

Walk: Peacock Gap driving range, Sacramento Street, Yoga Tree Hayes
Distance: 1 mile, hit golf balls, take yoga class

Playing (at) golf always confuses me.  (Doesn't take much as loyal ciwt readers have discovered).  As stated before, my father was in the business of manufacturing golf clothes, golf pros were often around the house, when Dad wasn't at work he was playing golf, two of my siblings are scratch (0 handicap) golfers, etc, etc.
The game is so fraught for me I have a hard time playing it - or even taking it as a game.  Seems like so much of my life, history, formative years were about golf, even just hitting balls gets me off center for a while.

It gets better...

Richard Hell and Portland Friends --- Day 2/80

Walk: Downtown/SOMA (Crown Point Press), Fillmore/Sacramento Streets, Mindful Body
Distance: 3 miles and teach yoga class

So yesterday I was saying Portland is a young town (with not many job jobs).  Here's a case in point about how this possibly plays out.

Portland is home to a Huge, Amazing, Legendary bookstore, Powell's, and like everyone local or visiting I made my pilgrimage to it.  When I was looking through the acres of shelves there was an announcement over a loudspeaker about Richard Hell giving a talk and book signing for his new book I Dreamed I Was A Very Clean Tramp.

Richard Hell is a 'founder' of the Punk Rock movement of the 1970's (think Sid Vicious, Patti Smith..). If I'd heard that announcement even a week earlier, it (along with Sid Vicious, Patti Smith..) would have meant virtually nothing at all to me.  But, as luck would have it, a friend had just sent me a review of Hell's book by her friend Dean Wareham.  So, curious to see him and figuring he'd appreciate the support, I decided I'd do him a favor and attend his event. 

I walked up the stairs to the Pearl Room expecting an empty space except for maybe 10 aging people sitting in widely spaced chairs.  This is what I actually saw:

This represents maybe a third of the crowd almost all of whom were no older than 30.  Ie, the under 30's were there in droves. Apparently totally up on an older (63) punk rocker.  And I'd surmise, totally wanting to be one themselves.

Hell was heaven.  SMART, deep, sincere, personable.  Also unexpected.

He came in (rear, center walking through the door):

Read from his book which is densely and beautifully written.

Then took questions which he answered with much depth and sensitivity. Sensitivity includes having contacted every living woman mentioned in the book before publication and asking her if she was okay with being included, would like an alias or to be removed from the book.  At one point he referred to a small, private reading in New York before the book came out - which I believe was probably attended by Dean Wareham.  Small world.

It wasn't a pretty world he described.  Inexorable, his destiny but ultimately very sad, very tragic.     Good luck, kids. 

Portlandia Thoughts -- Day 2/79

Walk: Mindful Body
Distance: 10 blocks and teach yoga class


So far few worthwhile thoughts have come to mind about Portlandia. It's a nice 'city' which has grown over the years I've visited. And growth has become it. I believe if I were a young couple looking for a place to make my life, I'd put Portland near if not at the top of the list. It has many, many amenities and does not rival San Francisco, New York or probably L.A. or Seattle for cost of living. Long way of saying it is more affordable.

There's also a sort of 'realness'/kindness factor. Or that is how it seems. People right now still seem unaffected/down to earth for city types. There is an apparent effort to help those in need of various types - mostly through a lot of non-profit organizations. Not sure about how much hands on helping there is.

As far as I could see, it is a very homogeneous population with the 25-45 age group visible in droves.

Somewhere in my travels I heard there aren't many jobs in Portland. At the same time, I understand the word is out and youngish people from all over the globe are wanting/planning to move to Portland or are already on the way. So, who knows what will happen to the realness, helping spirit when there is a more diverse population and supply outstrips demand for both jobs and housing.

Overall, if you're looking to set up your family base, get to Portlandia asap. If you're older, economically sound, and require stimulation, I can't guarantee Portlandia will satisfy. But maybe...It is a very nice, attractive place.



http://finance.yahoo.com/news/portland-really-where-young-people-retire-220127333.html

Hi, I'm home ---- Day 2/78

Walk: Portland coffee shop
Distance: 6 blocks

Back from Portlandia; thoughts tomorrow probably.  Sneak preview: it is quiet and young up there.