From One American to Another
Hi.
Welcome to Beyond Ordinary Guides, where we curate gorgeous imagery, locally cherished spots, and accessible stories. We hope you enjoy!
Welcome to Beyond Ordinary Guides, where we curate gorgeous imagery, locally cherished spots, and accessible stories. We hope you enjoy!
Cars line the street, letting you know that you are close to your destination before any buildings come into view. Gravel made from oyster shells paves the parking lot. A wood paneled beige building with smokey blue trim and a "Live to Shuck" sign in front of it greets guests as they arrive. You get the feeling you've stumbled into a hidden small town hangout, even though Hog Island is well known in the Bay area. Employees go about their work in their Carhartt jackets and thigh high waders. The place hums with steady movement.
"I'm a San Francisco resident," I say as I get out my wallet to show my ID.
"I can always spot 'em," he replies with a smile. I'm flattered. He offers me a map and off I go.
I’m always on the lookout for cool, free things to do in the city. I mean, who isn’t? So when I discovered Neighborhood Days at the California Academy of Sciences, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. Neighborhood Days provides free entrance to the California Academy of Sciences for people who live in a certain San Francisco zip code on certain days of the year. No matter your feelings about corporations, a big “thank you!” to Target for sponsoring these free days at the Academy. General Admission on a normal day is $35 per person, making it quite the savings.
Only in Goa will you dine at a nice French restaurant on the beach with stray dogs begging at the side of your table and naked babies running around. It's hard to tell where La Plage restaurant ends and the beach begins.
The air is different here. As soon as I stepped off the plane, the cool, humid air confronted me. With it, it carried the thick smell of bonfire from that night's trash disposal.
This morning we started our Indian holiday. Like India itself, today overwhelmed me with people, color, smells, beggars, traffic, and more people. I don't believe that one could look in any direction and not have at least one person in his or hers peripheral vision. In Old Delhi, near the Red Fort, people, vendors, bikers, motor bikers and cars cover every available centimeter of ground. And this on a Sunday, when the "normal" day-to-day market was closed. The used market operates on Sundays.
Welcome to Beyond Ordinary: The Blog! I realize the name I've chosen is quite bold. I mean, who proclaims to be beyond ordinary? Especially someone who looks and sometimes feels quite ordinary. But the purpose of Beyond Ordinary is to encourage each person to tease their limits, venture out of their comfort zones and live a life less ordinary.
