V.1On the plane from Zürich to London, they served some wrapped snacks. I asked the steward what it was, but I did not understand him, so I asked the neighbor sitting at the other aisle, who I also knew that he didn't realize reading from his facial expression, he answered with a smile: something to eat. That was funny, I just liked him, so after that, we chatted a bit. Two were on the way home; one was a former Iranian going to England, and the other was going to Glasgow. Did they change planes in (ostrich?) coming from? Mumbai?, working in oil, on an oil platform, on a small island off West Africa, populated by half a million people, they own 10% of all oil reserves in the world. But it belongs to the wrong people, he said, they were on a 24-day leave, having worked 24 days. He was Arab-looking, the customs official picked him out right after leaving the plane, the real customs check was later, and they picked him there out again to check his luggage, whereas I, a *white* person and noncitizen of the UK, could pass easily.
In London in drizzling rain, first thing I hopped on a red double-decker bus to Camden town market. I love the locks there, the water, the bridges, the boats. It's bustling, with tons of people, it's commercial, but the good vibes give the rules, I love the old furniture there, the leather sofas. One guy has a stall there with just wooden tools. Busing then to Hampstead, it rained now, so I started to check out the pub scenes. A Great English institution, these are the old pacesetters for today's lounges, only the heavy smoking pisses me off, in all of London I found only one pub with a perfect and fair nonsmoking designated area. I did more city street walking, also by bus. It still rained, I wore Geox shoes with holes in the sole, but they started to leak. My Geox shoes are not waterproof. So I ended my city street walk. The next morning I went for a stroll in the bishop's garden, then along the Thames in Putney. In the morning at home, I went early for my morning shit, which worked out fine, because I was training for the next day, my flying day to San Francisco, I hate to go to the bathroom on a plane, usually, I don't have to go early in the morning, more so in England where I drink tea and not coffee, so I did a little bit of shit training, so I will be in good form for my flying day, but the toilet after flushing did not sink, that stinking brownish water came slowly up, I was shocked it would overflow. Here I was treated to stay as a guest in the poshest of all London, in an exquisite apartment building with Mahogany wood paneling and the Rolls Roys auto dealership right around the corner, and that stinking brownish water full of my shit was on its way to overflow posh Mayfair and in the afternoon my flat owner would arrive from abroad finding the flat underwater with some shitty floor liquids. . . So please let me stop here about my English flushing problems in London ...
Still, I managed for a boat ride on the Thames to Greenwich, where I checked if the 0 meridian was properly positioned. It is. Flying day from London to San Francisco. I booked this flight 2 and a half months in advance, already then I did not get a window seat. This is a big problem for my well-being, I'm a painter artist, and my job is looking, staring, in a car, on a motorcycle, train, or plane, with or without an open mouth, I'm a first-rate voyeur, I have flown to San Francisco many times, 30 to 50 times, I always had a window seat, during the flight, ¾ was overcast, not England, all of Canada, landing over Sonoma and Marin and Golden Gate Bridge. Zinfandel Walk to the Hotel, then the Marina, and back. Balboa Café, Petaluma, nach der Ankunft im Flughafen von SFO machte ich zwei riesen laute Juchzer vor Freude, my spirit was jumping to the moon.
V.2
I had a window seat, not at the check-in, though. I booked my flight in August, 3 months ahead, and all window seats were already gone. Without window seats, I was down. I'm a first-class voyeur, this is my profession, non-stop looking. 11 hours not be able to be a voyeur, ugh, oh no what a perspective for a painter. Only in the airplane, shortly before take-off, I spotted an empty window seat, so I asked the stewardess if I could change seats, and it was ok with her. I was in heaven even before we were in heaven. Most of west England I could see, so Scotland, then it started to be overcast, of Greenland I could see for about 10 minutes, but that was impressive, white glaciers on and on, then over Canada just a white cover, approaching the USA it started to clear up, first snow in sight, Idaho was white, and before Oregon a bit, many volcanoes, then northern California, ugh then it went all so fast approaching San Francisco. The plane flew close to the Pacific Coast, along Tomales Bay. Sonoma County, Marin County, Napa, some reservoir lakes, which I bicycled many times a long time ago, Mount Tamalpais was the only place I could spot for sure before spotting the Golden Gate Bridge. I finally landed here where I wanted to belong.
Since I had only hand baggage, I was the fastest through customs, even though US Customs are the toughest with their questions, they have my understanding. Hopping on a door-to-door shuttle, soon after, I made my first stroll from the downtown hotel to the marina. At the *Balboa* Café, I tasted my first *Zinfandel* wine. On the solid ground coming from heaven, I still was in heaven. Thank you for being in San Francisco.
Etwa 09Nov2005, nicht mehr sicher, denn mein Blog stürzte mal ab, kann auch eine Woche früher sein, ich flog immer mitte Woche, meistens am Dienstag und blieb für rund 3 Monate in SFO. Ab Februar wieder Arbeit in der Skischule Flims/Laax.
