Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain

So my besties from Los Angeles came to visit this past Easter weekend. As it was the first visit to San Francisco for one of them, we hit the usual spots. When we were in the city and I was offering various options for getting around town, they suggested we walk from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf so we could pass through Chinatown and North Beach on the way.

Here we are in Chinatown. (You'll have to trust me on the "we are" part as I promised my friends I wouldn't post pictures of them, and then I succumbed to the peer pressure and didn't post pictures of myself.)

One of my visiting friends has been fortunate enough to spend time in the country of China, as opposed to just the town. When she goes, she fulfills her American tourist duty by picking up all sorts of kitschy souvenirs for her family and friends, including things similar to the bag pictured below.


Unfortunately, such was the bag she brought with her to San Francisco, and such was the bag she was wearing while walking through China (the town). Her friends from China (the country) have previously told her that, while such souvenirs are readily available to tourists, the locals are actually (and understandably) offended by things featuring Chairman Mao and communist propaganda. Since she's a sensitive gal, she hung her coat over the strap so it covered the image--no small sacrifice as it was in the forties while we were there.

We were also treated to an indie parade of sorts. When I could hear the drums and see dancing dragons up in the distance, I got really excited as the Chinese New Year Episode of Reading Rainbow made a lasting impression on me as a child. Unfortunately, it was not the best-organized indie parade and the tail kept having to confer with the head (see below). And yes, seeing this did kill the magic. Butterflies in the sky my eye.