10%

Dragon Quest

Chitown, Oakland

By Carl Fisher

May 3^rd, 2016

Alley cat

I was on the prowl for some interesting photo ops and knew that there were still lots of places in Oakland that had yet to be explored. I only had to drive a few blocks off of Broadway in the direction of Chinatown before a dark alley beckoned. Fortunately it wasn’t that dark and there was little chance that I would be accosted. The alley appeared to be deserted. I sure didn’t want to wake any slumbering beast of a homeless person. I hear they can get quite ornery when roused.

there be dragons

While my original intent was to look for random street art/murals, after my initial stroll down the alley I found myself in fortune cookie territory. Actually, I didn’t see any of these tasty after-dinner treats. I think it was just too early in the day. I don’t think they are the best of breakfast foods anyways. I did see lots of dragons though and what surprised me was just how many there were. I had found my new focus.

Of all shapes and sizes

Who knew there was so much variety?

Stumbled upon

I eventually got dragoned out and shifted my focus to other colorful tableaus. And in case you were wondering, no there were no people out walking around that day. At least that’s the way it would appear from looking at my photos. There actually were a few people out, but they were usually a distraction so I calmly waited for them to pass before pressing the shutter. There was one exception though, as you’ll see below.

Just say no pumcho

After my China Town explorations, I was ready for a pumcho (that’s pumpkin and chocolate for the ignorenti) muffin and a little coffee perk me up, so I headed to Jack London square and the East Bay-renowned Farmer’s Market. Well, you can imagine my disappointment when there was not a vendor to be seen. The area was deserted. It was most unusual. Was it not Sunday? Had I somehow lost a few hours of time? Turns out, the Farmers market had changed management and it was on a hiatus for two weeks. No pumcho!!! Oh well. It forced me to consider other options for baked goods. As luck would have it, there was a happening little cafe in the square that had gotten lost (at least to me) in the normal hustle and bustle of the farmers market, the Steel Rail Public House. I think what really attracted me was the smell of just-cooked bacon. I’m sure even vegans can’t help drooling just a little bit when they get a whiff of that fatty goodness. You could put bacon on poo and there would be only the slightest hesitation before someone chomped into it. Well, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But it’s not too far from the mark. Despite the temptation, I was strong. I stuck with a modest-sized pastry and paired it with a Bicycle coffee. Not quite as refined as Blue Bottle coffee, but there was no wait and I didn’t have to wade through a crowd of hipsters when my pour over was ready.