Some thoughts on San Fran: probably the most European of all American cities (after New Orleans);
thought the hippie-thing was something from back in the day and that the atmosphere of the city was somehow still reverberating that love-peace-vibe. But in fact it is still a totally hippie-infested city. It doesn't seem to be a phase that teens go through but a lifestyle.
We got some lunch from a bio-chain-market called "Whole foods"...outside: a mum, her tattooed boyfriend and their child eating salad with whole grain totally unamerican totally unidentifiable somethings sprinkled on top and the following conversation: Oh, i don't like it when my kid eats processed food..somehow it makes him way more hyperactive than eating healthy stuff. you know what, kiddie...your teacher was poisoning you when she gave you these sweets. The kid, shocked, almost choking on his pesticide-free salad: what, really, she wanted to kill me?! The mum: no, she didn't wanna kill you, but she eats different things than we do. The boyfriend jumping into the conversation: I hate blablabla. The mum: No, we never 'hate'....they were the kind of people that make their kid become addicted to crystal meth at the age of 12...
Oh: and oysters as an afternoon lunch for 1 Dollar each...so yes, i have totally fallen for San Francisco.