I am all about the culture.

Last Friday, I went to SF with Chris and spent the morning in his office working on some old Chinese illustrations. We had lunch at the Asian Art Museum and I spent an hour or so in the afternoon, meandering around, photographing faces and patterns.

Then I went to the SFPL. Even being in the library for a short time made me realize how nice it is not to have to deal with crazy people reeking of urine.

After Chris was done with work we went to the DeYoung for the Birth of Impressionism exhibit. We had tickets for 7:30 but got there at 6:30. On Friday evenings, admission is free (except for special exhibits) and they have bands and ballet demonstrations and art projects for kids. It was packed.

I had some tea with lunch that contained something I was allergic to (Earl Grey with bergamot?) and felt lousy so the crowds were a bit too much for me. Chris was listening to the docent but I couldn't bear the crowds.
I really needed something to eat. The DeYoung Cafe has a fancy prix fixe menu ($15) but I just got chips. Chris got some slimy mushrooms and a tiny bottle of wine.

Since the exhibit was about the birth of Impressionism, a substantial portion of the exhibit focused on the popular works of the time when impressionism was still shocking.
I had seen most of the paintings before but not this one that I really liked by Cezanne of Maincy Bridge.

After the museum closed, we went to a nearby Chinese restaurant that someone recommended to Chris but there was a long line. We wandered around for about an hour looking for someplace good but not too crowded. We finally headed over the bridge but by that time many restaurants were no longer serving. We ended up at Nex which is next door to Mua on Webster. They had only been open for a few days. The decor is grungy cool and the food was good. I had pizza and Chris had Steak Frites. There was a loud party of drunken men and women nearby that included a woman whose laugh could have pierced a flak jacket. The waiter was wonderful, kept touching Chris and gave us desert. It was an incredibly rich chocolate concoction with whipped cream and, unfortunately, hazel nuts. I ate it anyway and, by the time we got home, my lips and tongue were numb.

When walking back to the car, we noticed a huge number of people heading to Mua to dance. The women almost all looked like streetwalkers and the men looked like pimps. When did I get to be such an old lady?