And you can bet your Rice-a-Roni that I took a trolley, a couple actually, and rolled down Lombard Street, my intrepid cousin driving.
And here is where I visited my first Whole Foods. I've been wanting to for so long. There are none in Quebec or US Border Towns.
We dropped in the Haight-Ashbury store (too cool) which is a small one, on the way to Golden Gate Park. It's all very ironic. Fitting, though, in some way, as Whole Foods, I guess, could be considered High End Hippy.
This sign (above) was outside the store, but I'm not sure if it's just a local sign.
It was a wonderful experience (my husband just DOESN'T understand) and irksome too. For the meats at this Whole Foods were about the same price as my local stores in Quebec, my Loblaw's, IGA, or Metro (and I read somewhere that the San Francisco Whole Foods are the most expensive branches).
I ranted to my husband about the Walmartization of the Quebec Food supply, except we pay through the nose for this expensive crap.
The closest thing we have to a Whole Foods is as if you mated Adonis (the bargain priced 'immigrant' store with few pre-packaged goods) to Health Tree, the overpriced Health Food store.
And what do you know, on the news today, a study from the HEC people, the University of Montreal business school, saying that Quebec is in danger of becoming the poorest province. Apparently, the one-time perks of living in Quebec, like low food prices, have disappeared.
Just what I have been complaining about for two years!
Many Right Wing types will blame our social programs, but the real issue is language laws. In today's horrible economic times a locality needs a language policy that is seen as an edge, not a liability.
And, as the article said, our education system is a problem. Half of all Quebec children don't finish high school, and those that go to college LEAVE for better jobs. and it doesn't matter what political bent they are. Indeed, years ago, a friend of mine, an avowed separatist with a Masters, moved to Alberta for a good job in the gas industry. He never looked back.
Beautiful beautiful city, San Francisco. And now it's off to Manhattan Beach, to check out the Whole Foods there. My cousin loves Trader Joe's, though.
