So why was San Francisco ranked as the happiest and healthiest city in America? One of the reasons is that there is an ocean of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in SF. Even at restaurants with meat options, there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan-friendly menus to choose from. Interestingly, you can even eat trees’ fruits in some public parks. Second, spiritual life is deeply woven into the city’s culture. For example, the oldest Buddhist temple in the U.S. and Spirit Rock can all be found here, giving spiritual release to those that need lower stress levels. Not surprisingly, the city is also home to lots and lots of farmer’s markets, community farms, and organic restaurants, starting your day fresh and healthy. And of course San Franciscans are known to embrace the outdoors. You can do tai chi in various parks, surf at Ocean Beach, or hike its beautiful trails. These are all free gym membership! Speaking of exercising, with the increasing popularity of yoga, you can even practice yoga at the San Francisco International Airport or experiment with some naked yoga in Noe Valley. People choose to spend their time exercising because it is stress-relieving and makes them happy. After a hard day sitting at the desk, breathing in fresh air and listening to the meditative pulse of Mother Nature can be the best tonic. Finally, SF celebrates community and bond-building. From free concerts to community art projects, anyone can step outside of their comfort zone to try something new. Anyone can impact others’ lives by the simple act of participating. From what I understand, having strong social ties leads to lower stress levels and increased longevity. Arts, entertainment, and recreation are all there to support residents’ well-being and nourish the soul. Perhaps when I get back to Pittsburgh, I shall partake in more community or cultural events. Perhaps I should listen to Nature’s heartbeat more often as I take a break from the schoolwork and extracurricular activities.
Japantown was a focus of my visit this weekend. Interestingly, 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of Japan Center and Japantown Peace Plaza. This Japantown (Nihonmachi) was the first Japanese American community established in the U.S. What a better place to explore Japanese culture!
This picture above is of the iconic Japantown Peace Pagoda, which is a five-tiered concrete stupa that symbolizes peace, towering over the plaza.
This past weekend, the Anime and Cosplay Festival was held in Japantown. Many people were dressed in colorful anime costume (Deadpool did make some appearances though). This reminds me to binge-watch some anime movies or TV shows such as Your Name and Yuri on Ice. After bumping into some Marios and Narutos, I explored the mall, which is home to exotic shops and restaurants such as Japan Video and Media and Kushitsuru Restaurant. The AMC Kabuki 8 Theater, which is at the westernmost end of the mall, hosts the annual San Francisco Asian American Film Festival. Below is a picture of one of the restaurants in the mall, with a gorgeous traditional roofing and a clean and simple design.
Below is a neat view of some of the colorful delicacies sold at one of Japantown’s supermarkets. Eat up!
This red bridge (pictured below) inside the mall represents crossing from the physical into the spiritual world as the self becomes purer and wiser. Basically, the bridge can symbolize the path to salvation.
I also stopped by The Museum of Ice Cream for a sweet summer treat.
The museum has various cool installations such as giant animal cookies on carousel mounts, gummy gardens, and a forest of mint leaves. In addition, you will get fed! You get to lick pink vanilla ice cream cones and savor cotton candy and mint mochis. So many ice cream flavors to choose from! Pick from (prepare yourselves) nana banana, cherrylicious, churro churro, vanillionaire, and piñata at Target stores. Cherry Potter would love it here. Or Alicia Key Lime.