San Fanny-tastic!

This pic is classic "Tatyana". Those who know me, know that I love finding the "Greekness" in the world around me during my travels. For some reason, it brings me a sense of calm and happiness that my "people" are around. I say this jokingly, really... It's just become a little habit of mine to seek out the Greeks (and the restaurants that generally go along with) on my adventures... here is the evidence of Greek people in San Fran....


Let me tell you about my "detour" during my L.A. trip. I jumped on a plane and flew out to San Fran for the day on Saturday. It was a last minute plan, as I learned that there is a huge burlesque community in this city. My plan was to meet with two fabulous (and very different, adding to my fascination with the art form) performers from different troupes.

But first I had to GET there. My first meeting was way out in Berkeley and I didn't have a rental car so I had to figure out the AirTrain and the BART. What a maze..my head was spinning as I tried to navigate :




























Cryptic signs, oodles of connections, and lots of trekking through deserted airport parking areas (so glad it was daytime!)...but miraculously, I made it to Berkeley!

There, I hooked up with Simone De La Ghetto from Harlem Shakes (first prize for coolest alter-ego IMO!!) -- took me to a vegan restaurant. This was a first for me. Those who know me know that I cannot nor wish to even try doing without meat. I’m ok with vegetarian dishes from time to time, but vegan was a totally new experience. And what a way to make my vegan dining debut! The place was called Café Gratitude and the vibe was incomparable. The menu only had foods with “live” ingredients, which I learned means organic, natural non-animal and uncooked. And the menu (and the atmosphere) is built around affirmations. I ordered the American coffee and was brought a steaming cup with almond milk and was told that I’m courageous…. later on that I am Elated and I’m beyond warm. The waitresses deliver these affirmations so naturally and genuinely, that you beam ear to ear without trying…. Check them out… Now I’m curious to see if anything in Toronto measures up!

We had a great chat about the black community in burlesque and how it’s a tiny niche in itself….. about how Simone's had to lighten the performance load while starting up a new career in real estate and raising her little boy. But the plan is to get Harlem Shakes back in full effect this fall -- the world needs to see what this troupe's about. Didn't get a chance to meet "Allotta Bouttay", the other current member of the troupe. Guess I'll have to see if her Bootay is Allotta to handle some other time!

I didn't think the whole San Fran trip through and as a result, was dressed in L.A. clothing (platform sandals, linen pants and a short sleeve shirt). As a result, by midday, I was a shivering, foot-aching mess. So I hopped into a warm cab, and snapped a few pics on the way to my next meeting:




Then I met Kellita – a lovely petite woman with a HUGE smile who does salsa-infused burlesque (read: booty shaking like the earth is quaking) locally. Her troupe is called Hot Pink Feathers. I LOVE her showgirl style – mind you all of this is building up to the NYC burlesque festival which I’m attending soon which will be the ultimate spectacle, but I love that this act is all about shaking and anyone who knows samba will know that the booty never stops… Again her smile was contagious, and as is the case with a lot of these troupes, she’s looking to build a cross country tour and audition new members as many come and go... our meeting was brief and I felt like I had been pulled into a charismatic tornado, still reeling as I stood in her lobby and plotted my next move.

With only a few hours to go before my flight back, I headed off to the Pier.



I am a seafood junkie. I really wanted to grab some crab from a street vendor because it looked sooo good, but my temperature predicament hadn't bettered, so I decided to dine in. This in itself is a milestone, because to my recollection, I have never had dinner by myself at a restaurant (and I'm not talking Subway or Harveys). But I grabbed a lovely booth at a place near the pier, ordered up some crab and wine, and took in the view. Progress is being made, folks!



San Fran was nice but brief. WAY too busy everywhere downtown for my liking…. Lots of homelessness concentrated in the downtown area, which is a bit uncomfortable, and way too cold in August (people were in winter coats already), but the views were amazing and I'd love to go back with more time to explore. For now, it's back to LaLa Land.