29 Feb A summer day in winter

Hi everyone !

Today I would like to talk about a dreamy day I spent at Dolores Park. I was there on a Sunday, which was so warm and sunny I thought I was sunbathing on a beach during a hot summer… Californian winter is awesome! With some friends, we planned a picnic in Dolores Park, to enjoy the sunniest part of the day, and arrived there, the arms loaded with chips, sandwiches and other not so healthy stuff. It was completely crowded, I was amazed: we had trouble distinguishing the green grass!

After finding a nice spot, I could properly live the experience of a “summer” picnic in a San Francisco park. First I was totally transported by the moment, enjoying the warmth and the joyful atmosphere surrounding us. I was also thinking of my family and friends back home in France, freezing their asses! Then I began observing the people around us and was captivated by the variety. Ranging from 15 to 35 years old, it was mainly friend groups or couples hanging out, with their dogs (lots of dogs). Some were playing cards, other playing and listening to music, or doing sports. There was even a couple of cheerleader teams training, throwing a tiny man or a skinny girl in the air. It was funny looking at all of the faces turning to them, waiting for an impressive figure. My attention was quickly grabbed by a group of hippies, high guys and bobos, dancing around musicians playing drums pretty loud. At first it was only a couple of them, then the group grew and finally a dance floor was created at the middle of the park, filled with people enjoying themselves in broad daylight. The scene was pretty entertaining, between hippies going into a trance and dancing frenetically, couples demonstrating publically their love, topless girls having the time of their life…

This day was at the same time incredibly relaxing but also very diverting… I will most definitely do it again! (And you should too)

‘Talk to you next time folks!

Adele, French exchange student at SF State