Which Enclave Am I in Again?

San Francisco is undoubtedly one of the most diverse cosmopolitan cities in the world. But when I was little, the city was pretty much divided into segregated ethnic enclaves. I went to get groceries in Japantown, ate dimsum in Sunset (one of the many Chinatowns) and went to get burritos in Mission (Mexican). These days, those enclaves seem to get more blurry as different ethnic groups have stores and businesses side by side.

I went to grab cha siu bao (Chinese) BBQ pork buns and Chinese pastries with my parents the other day and it was interesting to see Latino and Asian communities all mixed in in one neighborhood. On just one block I saw Mexican, Vietnamese, Chinese, and El Salvadorian businesses side by side! This is what I love about San Francisco. Not only is the city's diversity constantly changing but it's becoming the epicenter of agglomeration of assimilation.

Of course the best part is that I can get pho for lunch and tamales for dinner :) 

Pilin' on the bread..

Asian-style Western pastries are the best!

Hopping over to the Mexican supermarket across to grab some spices!

Fourth of July

This is what happens when you live overseas too long: you forget how to celebrate it.

It's been 8 years since I last came back to Fourth of July. Of course I know it's the birthday celebration for my dear country but what exactly do you do? I ask this because for traditional holidays in Japan there's usually some sort of seasonal tradition or custom involved. 

After verifying with about a dozen of my coworkers I was finally reassured that its mostly a day of  barbecue, booze, and fireworks. Silly as this may sound I was doubting myself that other customs were involved but I think I got confused with Thanksgiving. Talk about being displaced for years! 

Well now that I know, that's just what my family did :) 

Happy Fourth of July everyone!