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The world according to cosmos. I don’t understand the anti-covid vaccination people at all. They are endangering the entire country and world by their gross stupidity, the leaders of the …
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Since 2016, I have been writing and posting my writing on various web pages, and since 2020 I have also podcasting. Here is a list of sites, where you can find my work. Many of these entries are duplicates. as I tend to cross-post items. Please check them out. I hope later this year to finally start a YouTube channel as well. Any advice on how to do that would be greatly appreciated.
I finally made it back to California after a three-year absence. Overall, not too bad. Expensive as hell, crowded, too many homeless people, too many druggies, too much crime. But it is not the dystopian hell hole portrayed on FOX News and the right-wing media.
Here are my reflections, along with some photos and some of my Bay Area-based stories and poems.
I was traveling with my wife, her brother, his wife, and their 12-year-old Korean niece. First time for my sister-in-law and niece to visit the Bay Area. We stayed at Travis AFB near Fairfield because the hotel costs were so high in the Bay Area.
Berkeley
Berkeley 1975 Street Scenes
Berkeley Time Travels
674 Santa Rosa My Childhood Home
Free Roaming in Berkeley as a Child
As you may know, I grew up almost 55 years ago in the Thousand Oaks Neighborhood of Berkeley. Solano Avenue was the local commercial street lined with restaurants and called Berkeley’s Chinatown because of all the Asian restaurants and Asian residents living there. It was also along with the hills, the “white republican sector” of town. Now there are almost no Republicans living in the city.
Berkeley has a lot of nice new housing, mostly high-rise apartments all over the place, who knows one of them could be mine in a few years. Solano Avenue had a lot of new restaurants to check out and lots of my favorite old ones are there.
Sad to see some of the Movie places closed, I think that there are only two movies left in Berkeley except for a Bollywood Indian movie theater in little Bombay.
For those of you who don’t know, Berkeley is so much more than Cal. There are ten official neighborhoods according to the Berkeley tourism office. Demographically the city has about 130k permanent residents, with an additional 30k when school is in session.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Berkeley (/ˈbɜːrkli/ BURK-lee) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emeryville to the south the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington to the north. Its eastern border with Contra Costa County generally follows the ridge of the Berkeley Hills. The 2020 census recorded a population of 124,321.
Berkeley is home to the oldest campus in the University of California, the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which is managed and operated by the university. It also has the Graduate Theological Union, one of the largest religious studies institutions in the world. Berkeley is considered one of the most socially progressive cities in the United States.
The 2020 United States Census[90] reported that Berkeley had a population of 124,321. The population density was 11,874 people per square mile of land area (4,584/km2). The racial makeup of Berkeley was 62,450 (50.2%) White, 9,495 (7.6%) Black or African American, 24,701 (19.9%) Asian, 253 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 226 (0.2%) from Native American, 1,109 (0.9%) from other races, and 9,069 (7.2%) multiracial (two or more races). There were 17,018 (13.7%) of Hispanic or Latino ancestry, of any race.
The neighborhoods are.
The Hills
The hills are mostly white and wealthy. Many people commute to SF or are affiliated with the University. At the top of the hills is Grizzly Peak BLD which features the best views of the entire East Bay. Behind the hills lie Tilden Park, Wildlife Canyon, and Inspiration Point. Favorite haunts of my growing up.
Tilden Regional Park is a regional park in the East Bay of California. It is between the Berkeley Hills and San Pablo Ridge.
Thousand Oaks/Solano
Thousand Oaks neighborhood, where I grew up, lies at the bottom of the hills, and is centered on Solano Avenue which is lined with restaurants and shops. It blends into Albany which was a white working-class enclave back in the day. It was known as Berkeley’s Chinatown due to the numerous Asian restaurants in the area, which are still there. I went to Thousand Oaks Elementary where Kamala Harris went a few years after I went there. The movie theater unfortunately closed.
North Berkeley
Has several sub-neighborhoods and has a BART station. It is also the location of King Middle School where I went as a teenager. There are several small restaurants and businesses throughout the neighborhood. Along Shattuck, the main street is Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto and the home of the original Peets Coffee – the best coffee shop in Berkeley and where the premium coffee revolution started in the late 50s.
Downtown
Downtown has been transformed with lots of high-rise apartments and a thriving Arts District. Sadly, the five movie theaters have all closed, leaving the Pacific Film Institute the only theater in town. There are a lot of restaurants and coffee shops downtown as well as office buildings. There are several rooftop terrace restaurants. We had dinner in the Study Room on top of the new Marriot. Great views, and decent though expensive food. We dropped $350 for seven people. Berkeley High School is located downtown as is the main public library. Downtown is a booming area filled with apartments, resturants and several live theathers including Berkeley Rep. It is also the site of the Berkeley Film Archives, the last movie theather in Berkeley, and the Berkeley Art Museum.
berkeley friends
Campus
the University Campus domiantes the city as is to be expected. there are three student districts near the campus known as Northside, Southside and College Avenue. Each features resturants, shopping and housing for student, faculty and staff. The northside is also called seminary hill because of all the religious seminaries there – Buddhist, Christian and now a Muslim seminary as well.
.The campus is huge and spreads out from downtown to the hills but most of the campus is the center of the campus a short block away from Telegraph on the South and Hearst on the North. Despite the banning of affirmative action, CAL has done a good job – lots of Asian students, international studies, some Hispanic and some blacks, and less than 50 percent white.
Lots of activities on Campus, music, and free lectures open to the public. About half the students live on or near Campus but housing students faculty and staff is a huge problem for the University community. Just west of the Campus is the new home of the Berkeley Art Museum and The Pacific Film Institute which screens classic, art, and international movies every night
“Gorgeous sunset from UC Berkeley!”
Telegraph Avenue runs south from the Campus and into Oakland. It is lined with services for students, and lots of restaurants. Lots of apartments nearby. Used to have a lot of independent bookstores, but a few are still there.
Dwight Street and Telegraph seems stuck in 1969. People’s Park is being torn down to be turned into more student housing although they are going to keep a small park there. Right now, it is a homeless encampment and has been an eyesore for years.
South Berkeley
South Berkeley lies between Telegraph, Shattuck, and Sacramento along Ashby Avenue where there is BART station. It also has lots of restaurants and places to go. Back in the day, it was also the unofficial heart of Black Berkeley as Berkeley was 40 percent black, now it is about 6 percent black due to the high cost of real estate in Berkeley where the medium price of a house is over a million and the average rent is over $2,500 per month.
College Avenue Elmwood Rockridge
College Aveue is just west of Telegraph and is lined with residential housing, including the fraternities and sororities. It also has the International House which is a dormitory for foreign students. Elwood is a residential shopping district as is Claremont and Rockrige which is just across the border in Oakland and borders on Piedmont, a traditional wealthy enclave independent of Oakland.
Elmwood is on College Avenue and is similar to Solano Avenue but a bit smaller. Nearby is the Claremont Hotel and neighborhood one of the wealthiest enclaves in Berkeley.
Gilman Street
Gilman is in northwest Berkeley and was a working-class enclave -still is to a certain extent. Nice neighborhood eateries, and live music spaces
Albany
Albany is a suburban neighborhood just west of Berkeley between El Cerito and Gilman district centered on Solano and San Pablo Avenues. It use to be mostly white working class, but is not close to 50 Asian American.
Lorin and North Oakland including Korean Town
To the west of South Berkeley is the Lorin neighborhood which is an up-and-coming neighborhood. To the south is North Oakland including the second-largest Korean town on the West Coast after LA.
This was the traditional heart of Black Berkeley. There are still a lot of blacks living in Berkeley but due to the high rent and housing costs, the city is only seven percent black, when I was a young lad, it was 40 percent black and Oakland was 60 percent black.
West Berkely/Marina
West Berkeley has been gentrified beyond recognition. Back in the day, it was 90 percent black. I spent my first few years there as that was the only neighborhood a junior Cal professor could afford. It is no longer mostly black and is a hipster neighborhood. Lots of brew pubs in the area. Lots of students live here too.
The marina is on the bay. The bay trail runs through the neighborhood. There are restaurants on the bay and the dock of the Bay which is the site of the famous song.
SItting on the Dock of the Bay
the dock of the bay
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Sittin’ in the morning sun
I’ll be sittin’ when the evening comes
Watching the ships roll in
Then I watch ’em roll away again, yeah
I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Watchin’ the tide roll away, ooh
I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time
I left my home in Georgia
Headed for the Frisco Bay
‘Cause I’ve had nothing to live for
And look like nothing’s gonna come my way
So, I’m just gon’ sit on the dock of the bay
Watchin’ the tide roll away, ooh
I’m sittin’ on the dock of a bay
Wastin’ time
Looks like nothing’s gonna change
Everything still remains the same
I can’t do what ten people tell me to do
So I guess I’ll remain the same, listen
Sittin’ here resting my bones
And this loneliness won’t leave me alone
2,000 miles I roam
Just to make this dock my home, now
I’m just gon’ sit at the dock of a bay
Watchin’ the tide roll away, ooh
Sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time
Nearby are Albany, El Cerrito, Oakland, Richmond, and Emeryville. I heard good things about Alameda but did not have time to visit.
Berkeley poems
How Berkeley Can You Be?
Berkeley is what it is,
and sometimes
Berkeley is what it ain’t.
tell me.
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Tell me
tell me.
if you think you know
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
How Berkeley can you be?
Berkeley is everything.
Berkeley is the center.
of the universe
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
and Berkeley
in Berkeley.
and you are Berkeley.
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
You have a Berkeley thing going on.
You have Berkeley in your soul.
Berkeley has taken over your soul,
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
And you are Berkeley.
Born and raised.
Berkeley until you die, dude.
Berkeley until you die, dude.
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Berkeley is more than just the students.
Berkeley is more than that.
As you know
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Berkeley is more than just weed and beer.
Which is all you need?
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Berkeley is more.
That is the best food.
In the universe
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Berkeley is more than the best coffee.
In the world
Peet’s coffee of course
Nothing else will do.
If you are true, Berkeley.
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Berkeley is more.
That Cal Football
Which rules?
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Berkeley is Asian
Berkeley is Gay
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Berkeley is white.
Berkeley is black.
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Berkeley is brown.
Berkeley is Jewish
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Berkeley is free-thinking.
Berkeley hate
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Berkeley is free to love.
Berkeley is rock and roll.
Until you die
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Berkeley if Funk
Berkeley is Hip Hop
Berkeley is hipness itself.
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Berkeley is all of that.
And so much more.
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
let your inner Berkeley out.
feel the Berkeley Freak come out.
how Berkeley can you be.
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Join the Berzerkly Vibe
Feel the Berkeley in your soul.
How Berkeley can you be?
Can you be in Berkeley,
Until you die?
How Berkeley can you be,
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Long live Berkeley
The best city
In the universe.
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
And it is your city.
Your responsibility
To be as Berkeley
As you wanna be.
Until the day you die.
How Berkeley can you be?
How Berkeley do you wanna be?
Hark, I Hear the Spirits of Berkeley Calling Me Home. Berkeley
Long Version
Hark,
I hear the spirits.
Of Berkeley
Call me home.
The more I roam in this world.
The more I am drawn.
Back to the land
From whence I came.
Berkeley, California
Is what it is?
And sometimes
It is what it ain’t.
Berkely is a “how Berkeley, can you be vibe” town,
Home to CAL with 40,000 students who flood into the city nine months of the year, University professors, staff, and students,
Yet Berkeley is so much more the ultimate college town.
It is delicious food is everywhere around the corner sort of town, An artisanal craft beer, and spirits, coffee, herbal tea, Kombucha, and wine-drinking city, where coca-cola is seldom served, gourmet ghetto, inventor of the new American cuisine revolution, home of Chez Panisse, the French Laundry, and so many other restaurants, a place where you can find every cuisine of the world at a most affordable price, a town where there are more restaurants per capita than anywhere else, where if you wanted to eat dinner at a different restaurant every day it would take you years to do so, with new places opening and closing every day.
an anti-big box store vibe, yet with a lively small business sector, more restaurants and coffee shops per capita than almost anywhere else, lots of upscale groceries, used have a large Co-op (my father was the President), and ethnic foods markets, organic food markets, Berkeley Bowl market, farmers markets, plus usual corporate chain food stores.
MOES book rules, where Howl was written, where the Beatnik writers and culture types used to hang out, and their spiritual descendants still do.
Philip K Dicks hometown, (Philip K dick dated my mom before she met my father, end personal disclosures) Thornton Wilder and so many other great writers back in the day and here and now, Jack Kerouac and Alan Ginsberg lived and loved there,
Craft beer paradise, the hometown of Peets coffee, still the best damn coffee even though they have gone corporate, the coffee revolution of the late 50s and 60’s started here in the Coffee mecca of the United States, where Café Med proudly proclaimed to one and all.
‘We Don’t Serve Establishment Coffee,
They invented the American version of the Latte” It seems there are more coffee shops in Berkeley per capita than almost anywhere else in the country,
Berkeley is also the home of vibrant tea, smoothies, artisanal spirits, craft beer, and wine culture with urban wineries and brew pubs everywhere.
a gluten-friendly city with the best GF pizza in the world the Berkeley Cheese Collective, a foodies delight,
a diverse although less day by day as it is now a very expensive city,
a very ethnic town, used to have the largest Finnish community in the U.S, lots of Russians and Eastern Europeans back in the day, a city with people, from all over the known world, where 250 different languages are spoken at home, an African-American town, used to be a very black town, 40 percent back in the 70’s now perhaps twenty percent, a middle-class suburb of Oakland back in the day, but with a black lower class, working class, who are still hanging on somehow, but still a lot of my African Americans brothers and sisters hanging on despite the high rents and housing costs, many properties rich but cash poor, joined by so many African immigrants and Caribbean African immigrants as well, an Asian American city, home of a vibrant Chinese-American community, Korean-American, Hispanic City, Ohlone Tribal city, Native Americans from all different tribes still around the city, Japanese-American, Indian-American city, an Iranian diaspora, and now Afghani diaspora as well,
French people, European people, Jewish people, but no Jewish space Lazers yet, Indian American little Mumbai community where you can get the latest Bollywood movies, food, and Indian political gossip,
an artistic city, a creative city, a Great art Museum at CAL, home of the Pacific Film Archives a real treasure for movie lovers, with more movie theaters per capita than anywhere else,
, same for bookstores, music stores,
Rock n Roll fantasy world,
A Motown-friendly city,
A funk lovers paradise
A Blues lover mecca
And there are even country fans.
a musical city -hometown to the Earthquake, Green Day, Jimmi Hendrix’s last high school, Smoke and Fog,
New flash for Tju Dave – hey dude, I loved your song, you ain’t Berkeley enough” just want to say I represent that remark, but I represent Berkeley worldwide dude and I am still as Berkeley as I wanna be, anywhere in the world, dude, end news flash.
the Psychotic Pineapple, Rubinoos, and so many others.
Tower of Power “East Bay Grease sort of town,
A Berkeley High School rocks place, (personal disclosures I was the BHS student body president in 1973-1974),
the home of the song, “Sitting by the Dock of the Bay,”
An anti-establishment sort of city yet filled with students studying to be part of that despised establishment, all vowing to change the world but the world always changes them into yet more high-price corporate drones.
with zany wacked-out politics, a city at times lost in 1969, or lost in the future, A city where being called a “conservative “is considered a vile insult,
a very progressive city, probably the most progressive city in the country, which in my opinion is a good thing, not something to be ashamed of,
a PC is a cool city that invented PC before it became a curse word of sorts, a city where there are real live Marxists, communists, and socialists but no one takes them seriously, and there are a few proto-fascist political science professors as well,
the spiritual home of the beatniks, the hippies, the yippies, and sadly the weathermen
the city that gave us “the Symbionese Liberation Army,” kidnapper of Patty Hearst,
(personal disclosure: the SLA briefly terrorized the Bay Area, and my family during the 70s calling my father “a fascist insect that preys on the life of the people, his offense = demanding that students and staff at the Peralta College be required to wear ID’s to combat a rise in violent crime on the campuses, my father not having a sense of humor did not like my joke when one morning I said,
“Good morning fascist Insect how are you today?” My mother loved it and spoke.
“Yeah, he is a fascist insect but he is our fascist insect” and laughed. My father merely glared at the two of us. End Personal disclosure)
a Political city up the Yazoo town, a one-party town but with two rival political factions, republicans and there are some of them in town, feel like they are an endangered species, (another personal disclosure, my Dad was Curtis Cosmos Aller, the President of the Berkeley Co-op from 1968 to 1985 when he died, the President of the Peralta board of Colleges, who ran for Congress in 1974 in the Democratic primary against the legendary Ron Dellums, end personal disclosure) very few Q nuts but I am sure there are some, just as there are no doubt people who believe in the lizard shapeshifter conspiracy,
(Personal note: I am a human being but once I took an online quiz to determine whether I could be part alien and the quiz said I was an alien, go figure)
A very anti-Q town, pro-science, rational type of town, filled with humanists and secular humanist types,
A hate bigotry town. Where Ann Coulter and her fellow right-wing followers are not welcome,
a town that proudly voted against Trump – 90 percent in 2016 and 2020) proud center of the “resistance” home of Antifa, BLM rules, the birthplace of the black panthers who met at the first African American high school history class in the US in the early 60s, at BHS of course, and home of the Gray Panthers, a city whose representative in Congress. Representative Barbara Lee, was the only representative to vote against the Iraq war in 2003, noting that Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11, to the rest of the country she was a dangerous left-wing radical, to the Bay Area, and me, a real American Patriotic hero.
a very marijuana-friendly city where the joke has always been pulling out a joint and it cool, pulling out a cigarette and everyone wants to send you to jail, smoking cigarettes being so uncool nowadays,
at times, a very joyful city but not enough joy due to the political disputes and anger as people in Berkeley are very into political discussions and are news junkies,
A very frank town where everyone has an opinion and is not afraid to speak up,
bike friendly, environmentally friendly city, a recycling mecca, renewable energy, friendly, where the university engineers are working to solve the world.
s energy problems and coming up with solutions to the climate change crisis, solar panels everywhere, transit-friendly, zip car friendly, uber/lift friendly, BART friendly, walkable sort of town.
at times hot city, living with the constant fear of the mega drought, fires and the big one, atmospheric rivers, polar vortexes, and another global warming phenomenon as climate change becomes nightmarishly real, but most days the same, foggy cool mornings, nice pleasant in the 70s afternoons, then more fog dipping into high 40s by midnight, used to be no rain between April and October just the cool morning fog, but nowadays with climate change, we get rain even in the summer, and they joke there are two seasons now in California the rainy season October to March and fire season April to October, all due to the non-existent climate change hoax,
To the rest of the world, a very “Berserkly place”
a Buddhist-friendly city, including a Buddhist Zen Center, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Buddhist temples a Buddhist Seminary, A Tai-Chi mecca, A centric, very zen attitude sort of town,
a liberal Christian city where fundamentalists are not welcomed, where atheists, free thinkers, liberal Muslims, liberal Hindus, new age types, and Wiccans are welcomed, home of several liberal Christian seminaries, a Buddhist seminary, and now a Muslim seminary all located on Seminary Hill)
A city where making fun of the street preachers is a fun game for the militant atheists of the city (personal disclosures that were me back in the day, I loved to heckle Holly Hubert joined at times by my old friend Julia Vinograd, the bubble lady who used to blow bubbles at Holly Herbert as he ranted about how we would all go to hell for our heathen ways, Holly Hubert is long gone by now as that was almost 45 years ago)
a crazy city. a cool city, and at times a cold city,
filled with the scent of good craziness, and sometimes very bad craziness as sometimes on a bad night things can go bad if you are in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong people, or are the victim of a drug deal gone bad when the guns come out to play to settle disputes, or knives are drawn and people get very crazy or are just unlucky to be caught up in the crossfire, or on a bad trip on bad drugs, just too many damn drugs and too many people whose minds were fried by the same damn drugs, in short Berkeley does have a dark side to it,
a city of big dreamers, a fast-paced city,
but for the most part, it is a friendly town, but not too friendly, A freaky place filled with freakazoids, A funky vibe, a funny town all around,
and you can have fun there as well as get lucky and meet the woman or man of your dreams, as there are lots of young single men and women looking for Mr. Good, or Ms. Good as the case may be,
An Oakland A, and SF giants town, forty-niners (although some hate them for moving to San Jose, the Northern California clone of LA. And Golden States warriors but everyone now hates the Las Vegas Raiders, as much every person born in Berkeley must hate LA, sort of part of Berkeley and the Northern Californian DNA to be hating on LA, the LA Dodgers, and now the Las Vegas Raiders.,
A live and let live z tude, A loony tunes place, A happy go lucky sort of vibe city,
“Hella Berkeley “city, A historical city, A Hippie town back in the day, A hip hop center, A hip city where everyone knows what hip is but can say what it is, what is hip, yal? Do you know? Hipness, like Berkeley, is what it is and sometimes is what is not,
too many homeless people living on the streets city, panhandling, and becoming a nuisance, getting into everyone’s face, destroying everyone’s mellow, lonely at times city where many people have thousands of virtual friends but few real friends.
very LGBTQ-friendly, a feminist city, a very pro-choice town,
An only in Berkeley kind of vibe,
a city where people still read a lot, where newspapers have not died but are mostly read online,
home of a rich alternative press history, although sadly most have gone by the wayside, I remember the Berkeley Barb, the Berkeley Gazette, the SF Chronicle, the Bay Guardian, the East Bay Express, the Berkeley Voice, the great underground comics like Fritz the Cat, reading online Berkeley news outlets just not the same thing at all. And BHS used to have a daily newspaper, now a weekly paper although the CAL daily is still mostly read online.
A very sad town, a special city, A city that would welcome space aliens who might already be there, an OMG place,
a rainy blues sort of day place.,
Robots are a cool city where new robots are being developed every day, a city where people are building the singularity not fearing it,
A Mask Up follows the science town badly hit by the COVID pandemic, particularly the small business that took it on the chin,
the birth of NaNoWriMo, the November Write a Novel in a Month contest, (personal disclosure -I completed three of these)
A poet-friendly place where people get poetry,
rents are insane, housing prices too, the only people who can afford to buy are people with boatloads of money, and somehow there are lots of those types hanging out, and lots of people who don’t have money who somehow manage to get by, who can afford to live here? It takes serious piles of moolah, big piles of money, lots of cash, dollars up the yazoo, trust baby parents, or selling your soul to a start-up from hell, to be able to pay the rent or lots of roommates, yet people still flock to the city, how they can afford it is still a mystery to me.
a stand-up guy sort of city,
student-friendly, kind of a suburb of Oakland and SF, yet doing its own very Berkeley thing,
home of great city parks,
San Pablo Park (home
of the annual BHS alumnus picnic)
Indian Rock Peoples Park
Inspiration point,
Ho Chi Min Park in the 70s
the Rose Garden
Strawberry canyon,
Tilden Park,
Wildcat canyon
part of the Bay Area Ridge Trails and Bay Area Bay Trails which are almost complete, doing a thru-hike of both, the Appalachian, the cross-continental, and the PC trails are among my bucket list dreams,
too cool for school,
sometimes a traffic hell place, BART trains too crowded, pickpockets and other unsavory criminal types hanging out by the BART train stations, along with high school students, druggies,
a “west Coast Rap kingdom, wine drinkers paradise, the former home of the weathermen and other leftist domestic terrorists) a wonderful world for the young at heart, a unique city, a pro-vac place, vibrant, vegetarian, and vegan friendly, yet still offering enough meat options for the carnivores, and still the ultimate university town but as you can see by now, so much more than that, yoga is God kind of town where yoga is mandatory, Yuppie place, a zany city, a zestful town, and lately a zoom work by home town, Berkeley is all of that and so more in short. Berkely is a kind sort of place, unique in all the universe and it is my homeland,
But still, I am drawn.
And want to return.
Before my time is done,
As it remains
My spiritual homeland.
Berkeley Time Travels
I grew up in Berkeley, California
In the turbulent fabled late ’60s
And in Berkeley in those days
Time seems to stand at a standstill.
On the corner of Dwight and Telegraph
Across from People’s Park
It seems to be always May 1969
With the man
Down the street
Oppressing the hippies
On the street
As they smoked their weed
Dodging the bored cops
Who looked the other way?
If they did not partake
And then I went to college
In the valley
As I drove into Stockton
I felt I was traveling again.
In time
Back to the fabled ’50s
Stockton was also.
Stuck in a time warp of sorts.
And as I left the Bay area.
And traveled the world.
I would come back.
To that corner
And just be there.
Stuck in May 1969
Again
Marveling at the changes
That had and had not occurred.
To the corner of the land
Forever stuck in time
And space
San Francisco
We toured much of San Franciso and saw the Giants Lose at Oracle Park.
The neighborhoods are still vibrant but everything is too expensive.
We drove through South Beach, Mission District, Filmore, Haight-Ashbury, Castro District, Noe Valley, Presidio, Richmond, Sunset, North Beach, and Chinatown and walked through Union Square. Ran out of time to fully explore the city.
South Beach is a newly developed neighborhood west of downtown near Ball Park and the vibrant
Dogpatch neighborhood which was recently been officially rated the 17th coolest neighborhood in the world. An ethnically diverse community with and bohemian hipster feeling.
The Mission district is south of the ballpark and is the heart of San Francisco’s Hispanic district. Still mostly Hispanic but gentrifying.
The Filmore used to be the heart and soul of Black San Franciso. It has been heavily gentrified as has the adjacent Western addition but recently there has been a revival of the jazz scene in the area.
We walked through the famous counter-cultural neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury. It still has the 67 vibe and like Telegraph in Berkeley, it seems stuck in a time warp.
We drove through the Presidio which is now an urban national park based on the old Presidio military base which closed in the early 90s. I remember shopping at the commissary back in the day. Cristy Field is a
nice, restored beach.
We toured Fisherman’s Wharf and Piere 39. A bit of a tourist trap but still worth a visit, bought chocolate at Ghirardelli Square.
We also drove through Russian Hill and Nob Hill neighborhoods which are among the wealthiest in the city and saw the famous Lombard Street but did not drive down it.
We walked through Chinatown and North Beach. Chinatown has seen better days as has North Beach. Still work visiting and walking about.
Union Square was strangely deserted as many people felt that it was just too dangerous a place – there were homeless people everywhere in the city and there was a fear of crime. Everything is just so damn expensive.
We drove through the CIVIC center which was impressive from an architecture point of view. Did not see homeless people shooting up and defecating there despite the hysteria of Fox News.
We drove through the edges of the tenderloin. I think that the Tenderloin, the highest crime area in the city, is ripe for gentrification given its central location. We did see a lot of homeless people hanging about, but again no people shooting up or defecating on the street.
The sunset area is nice. We had a great Mexican dinner at Cecilia’s by the Beach which was not too bad. Ocean Blvd was great. The beach was great but a bit cold.
SF Time Travels
Visitng SF After Being Gone for Three Years
In the summer of 2023,
I found myself.
Back in San Franciso
My homeland.
Last visited pre-covid
2018
Touring the city
With my Korean -in Laws
We stopped in Haigh Ashbury
Took photos.
Wearing flowers
In our hair
Our video
Of our San Franciso adventures
Particularly our hiking
The seven hills
And having croissants
And coffee in North Beach
Became a surprise TikTok hit.
Note: grew up in Berkeley, visiting every other year since I left in 1979 Found San Franciso is still a fascinating city to visit, is not the dystopian nightmare that Fox News portrays, but too expensive, with too many homeless and too much street crime.
Use in your story or poem the following – bold these words for tomorrow’s judge:
after our tour of SF and Berkeley, we drove down to Standford and SIlicon Valley. We walked across the Campus and drove aroud Menlo Park saw the Google main Campus. Ran out of time to further explore San Jose and Santa Clara country which is the heart of Silicon Valley. Silcion Valley started near Standford as many of the engineers that started all the tech firms were Standford Computer science engineers including the founders of Google, Apple and HP. And Thomas Edison lived in Menlo Park where he came up with many of his revolutionary inventions in his labs located there.
Travis AFB/Fairfield/Vacaville
when I visit the Bay Area, we usually stay up at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield CA which is about a 45-minute minutes drive from Berkeley in light traffic, and there is a CAL Trans train nearby as well.
It is a typical Air Force Base with a commissary, PX, hospitals, and all the conveniences and it is a lot cheaper staying there than staying in the central Bay Area.
This time around I was staying with my Korean In-laws, and we decided to check out the neighboring cities while we were there. We found that the base had a very nice military aviation museum so it’s worth a visit but non-military-affiliated people may have a hard time getting on base to see the museum.
replica of Fat Boy the H Bomb dropped on Hiroshima
The nearby towns of Dixon, Fairfield, and Vacaville are all worth a visit, as are the Delta towns nearby.
Factoid
California is the rice basket of the U.S., growing most of the U.S. rice in the vast San Joaquin-Sacramento River delta communities which are just southeast of Travis. And they are also the biggest sake producers in the world exporting raw Sakae back to Japan!
These little towns are worth a future visit.
They have lots of outlet malls nearby, the biggest shopping malls in the Northern California region., Vacaville has the Jelly Bean museum which was worth a visit as well as hosting a nice wine and vine festival when we were there.
There are wineries nearby and there are regional parks nearby with lots of hiking opportunities. Most of the year it’s not too hot except for the afternoons when they can get into the hundreds occasionally. It is not a bad place to be based for a visit to the San Francisco Bay area, especially if you can stay on base.
Dixon
My niece lives in Dixon which is about half an hour from Sacramento, and Travis and 45 minutes to the central Bay Area. While I did not get to see much of the city, it seemed to be a nice community with a cute downtown. Reminds me of Medford, Oregon where we were spending the summer.
for more info see the following Bing AI Chat info
Here are some of the top things to do near Travis Air Force Base: • Travis Air Force Base Heritage Center: A museum that highlights the history of Travis Air Force Base and the United States Air Force. It has a collection of aircraft, engines, and other artifacts that are sure to fascinate aviation enthusiasts 1.
• Jelly Belly Factory Tour: A fun and interactive tour of the Jelly Belly candy factory in Fairfield. You can learn about the history of the company, see how the candy is made, and even sample some of the flavors 1.
Note: worth a visit. loved it,
• Western Railway Museum: A museum that displays historic electric railway cars and other artifacts from the early 20th century. You can take a ride on one of the restored streetcars and learn about the history of electric transportation 1.
• Lagoon Valley/Pena Adobe Regional Park: A beautiful park with hiking trails, picnic areas, and a lake. You can enjoy a leisurely hike, have a picnic, or go fishing 1.
• Brenden Vacaville 16: A movie theater that shows the latest Hollywood releases. It has comfortable seating, a large screen, and excellent sound quality 1.
• Wooden Valley Winery: A winery that produces a variety of wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot. You can take a tour of the winery, taste some of the wines, and enjoy the
beautiful scenery 1.
• Suisun City Marina and Boat Ramp: A marina that offers boat rentals, fishing charters, and other water
activities. You can rent a boat and explore the Delta, go fishing, or just enjoy the scenic views 1.
• Vezer Family Vineyard: A family-owned winery that produces award-winning wines. You can take a tour of the vineyard, taste some of the wines, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings 2.
• Rockville Hills Regional Park: A park with hiking trails, picnic areas, and scenic views. You can enjoy a leisurely hike, have a picnic, or just relax and take in the scenery 3.
• Scandia Family Center: An amusement park with mini-golf, batting cages, bumper boats, and other attractions. It’s a great place to spend a fun-filled day with family and friends 2.
• Sonoma Harvest Olive Oil & Winery: A winery that produces high-quality olive oil and wine. You can take a tour of the winery, taste some of the products, and learn about the production process 2.
This is a shout-out to all the Americans who answered the call to serve in the Peace Corps. As some of you know I served in Gapyeong, Korea from 1979 to 1981, working as a tuberculous control worker in a rural health center. Serving in the Peace Corps changed my life in so many ways. It led to a life-long fascination with South Korea, including becoming reasonably fluent in the language, meeting and marrying my wife whom I met after my service ended, and a MA degree in Korean studies from the University of Washington in 1986. It also led me to join the Foreign Service and serve in the Embassy from 1991 to 1993 and serving on the Korea desk from 1994 to 1996.
Before joining the State Department, I taught ESL for the US Army, for the Korean Consolidated Administration school, and later at Kyunghee University for three years and Government and Asian Studies for the University of Maryland in Korea. I lived in Korea from 1979 to 1984, 1988 to 1991, and from 1991 to 1993, and have resided there as a retiree from 2016 to 2018, and from 2019 to now, residing in Yong Jong International City, near the Incheon Airport, and now in Gimpo City.
Along the way, Korea changed so much and is not the country I first learned to love back in 1979. Here are a few of my poetic reflections.
Korean Poems
Korea travels
I first came to Korea in 1979 in the Peace Corps
Stayed in the rural countryside
Where I was one of four non-Koreans
Had to speak Korean to survive
Stayed on in a variety of jobs
Including diplomatic service
I last lived there in 1993.
Non-Korean food was hard to get
Outside of the GI ghettos
English speakers were few
And the country was not foreign-friendly
There were few foreign residents
Most American service members
Some missionary types
Diplomatic corps
A few English teachers
A few ex-pat business people
Most women quit after marriage
As it was a male-dominated society
In the rural countryside
No one knew a woman’s name
They were referred
to as so and so “mom”
Or so and so wife,
Or the generic aunt,
or grandmother
Public transit was just getting going
But traffic was not too bad
Few people could afford cars
Back then the old Korea was still there
And it was a very different place and time
Going through the transition
to the country, it has become
Today’s Korea is a very different place
The rural countryside is deserted
Wilderness areas are coming back
Even wildlife is coming back
In the mountain outback regions
50 percent of the public
Live in the Seoul metro area
Including Kyeongi province
And Incheon city where I reside.
Public transit is among the best
In the world.
Internet fast and cheap
Everywhere connected
Highways are decent but overcrowded
The KTX train is fast and convenient
The Incheon airport one of the best
The choices for food are much better
Used to be it was almost impossible
To find non-Korean food
Outside the GI ghetto towns.
Now it is everywhere
Even saw a Mexican restaurant
In a suburban Busan neighborhood.
In the end
Koreans should be proud
Of all that they have accomplished.
I remain optimistic
That someday the two Koreans
Will become one again
And that they will continue
To advance and grow
But the essence of Korea will remain
Waiting for Korean Springtime
poet in springtime
The world peace forest
Stretches five miles
Through a delightful forest
Including a nice lotus pound
A winter watering hole for birds
And a small mountain
I welcome the advent of spring
The cherry trees snowing
The Tulips and roses blooming
After a cold sometimes hard winter
Especially during the COVID pandemic
Which kept so many people
Trapped indoors
As I walk the path
With the love of my life
By my side
Enjoying another springtime
Filled with love and affection
That is why I love Korean springtime.
Life in a Korean village
I am living in a Korean village as an exchange student. One day my host family asks me to go to the local health center to tell them to change the father’s medicine, and give me a note, the old medicine, and instructions. I am a little apprehensive, but they told me that was fine since the dragon who controlled the village had approved the request already. I smiled I had met the dragon who seemed to like me which made things in the village go much better. The daughter is cute.
First Trip to Korea
When I first went to Korea
Almost 45 years ago
It was a very alien place.
An overwhelming experience,
I entered a hot, humid, sauna.
The smells were intense
The food was spicy
filled with passionate heat.
chaotic
cacophonous
discordant sounds
filled the air.
the language sounded
like everyone was screaming.
Taxis honking, cars barking.
People screeching
Loudspeakers blaring
Sirens blasted the air.
Millions of strange people
Military police everywhere
With guns watching everyone.
I felt I was a stranger
in a strange land
Everyone speaking
A weird language
I did not understand anything.
Over time I got used to it
The smells became normal
The food was now delicious.
The sounds are less chaotic
Less cacophonous
Less discordant
I even eventually learned
How to speak the weird language.
I fell in love with this strange place
Which became my second home
And now I live there half the time
And half the time in the United States
Neither here nor there
Am I here
But I remain a true stranger
In a still strange land.
Buddha Prayer Stones
In Korea mountains
There is a custom
Of putting rocks
On top of other rocks
Building little towers
Of rocks
along the mountain path
An ancient shaman tradition
Taken over the Buddhist temples
The rocks piles were dedicated
To the Sanshin mountain spirits
And would grant wishes
To those who added
Rock to the cosmic tribute
Sanshin would honor
Those prayers and wishes
Winter roses
Red, black and yellow
In a field of late snow
Early March
End of winter
Beneath the early blooming
cherry trees
their petals joining the snow
along the world peace forest.
Visiting Jade Garden
jade garden 7
jade garden 8 jpg
jade garden 6
Near Chungcheong, South Korea
On a beautiful spring day
The cherry trees were in full flower
Pink and white petals
The scent
of cherry trees in the air
Other trees just starting to bloom
Red, yellow and white tulips
Beginning to bloom
The sounds of spring all around
Birds singing
People walking about.
Talking to one another
As they wander the pathway
Taking in the springtime splendor.
The sun warming up
The pathway winding
Through the Forrest.
The Peace Corps changed my life
Not in the obvious ways
That it did
I learned a new language
A new culture
Met many different people
Did some constructive
development work
And contributed to friendship
Between Koreans and the US
All the usual things that Peace Corps
Is supposed to accomplish
But the Peace Corps changed me
And I became the man I am now
Because of those two years
I spend in the countryside
Of South Korea
I went to graduate school
I became a diplomat
But most importantly
If I had not gone
to the Korean peace corps program
I never would have
met the girl of my dreams
The women I was fated to meet
I first met Angela in 1974
When I was in high school
And fell asleep in a class
And had the dream that haunted me
To this day
In the dream
I met a beautiful Asian women
Who was speaking to me
In a weird language
And then she disappeared
Like in Start treck
And I fell on the floor
“Screaming
You are you?”
I continued to have these visions
Every month for seven years
I eventually learned that she was in Korea
And so, I joined the Peace Corps
to go to Korea to find her
After I finished Peace Corps
I stuck around for another year
Thinking I would find her
But never did
Just when I was due to return to the US
To go to Graduate school
I had the final dream
In this dream
She said in Korean
Don’t worry you will meet me soon
That night getting off the bus
In front of me
Was the girl in the dream
I looked at her
And I knew she was it
And she looked at me
And knew I was it
We met up for coffee
And we dated
I proposed to her three days
after I met her
And then we married
Two months later
Despite her family’s attempts
To keep us apart
And we have been married 40 years
And I fall in love with her
Over and over again
And I still have the dream
When I am alone
Or when I am stressed out
I see her standing by the bed
Smiling at me
Saying
Everything will be alright
And it is
and so thinking back on my life
My life changed forever
When I left the US
To join the Peace Corps
Long Live the Peace Corps
this is a true story of the love of my life. I met her in 1982 when I was teaching in Korea after having finished my Peace Corps service in 1981. We got married two months after we met and have been married 33 years. I still recall the dreams of how I would met her from time to time.
I always thought this would make a great love story movie.
In the early morning dawn
I like to go for a walk
Down among the cherry trees
And flowering plants
Just to welcome
Another fine spring day
As the sun comes up
Dispelling my dismal mood
And filling me
With love
Hope and peace
As I walk the in
the world peace forest
Through the forest
and over the mountain
breathing the springtime air
alive filled with life
and I think to myself
this moment
is the moment
that I am meant to experience
life itself
and nothing more
nothing less
Just breath in life
based on a photo of cherry trees along the world peace forest near my house in Youngjongdo, Korea, and based on the April 21 writers digest poetry prompt to write a poetic sketch
About 30 years ago,
American-style coffee chains
Discovered Korea.
After the 88 Olympics,
Koreans discovered the joy
Of real brewed coffee,
Hot, Sweet, Neat
The rest is history.
hot humid weather in Korea,
outside like walking in a sauna.
Most people don’t use air conditioning
due to both expenses,
fear of air conditioning disease
(Which is a real thing).
hanging out at a coffee shop or mall
discouraged as COVID continues to spread.
Only two people can dine out at night
over 2, 00 cases a day now
only 20 percent are fully vaccinated.
temperatures will hit 40 degrees (100 + f)
later this week
as the monsoon season ends
and the August heat begins.
Koreans are learning
new words to describe this
heat dome
tropical nights
Polar vortex
Monster typhoons
Killing floods
Killing heat waves
are now common.
used to be that July and August
were hot and humid
but rarely about 100 dF.
Now that is becoming the norm,
as global climate change
begins hitting Korea hard.
the winters are colder
but much shorter.
Late January to early February
Polar Vortex swept through
the summer is longer
starting in May
and lasting until mid-September.
Autumn is lasting
from Mid-September
to Mid-December.
Spring just late April to early June
So far no killer wildfires.
As the monsoon season
Came on time
Monson flooding
Just before the killer heatwaves
the prompt was to write about the local weather Korea is experiencing a heat dome highs in the 90’s (40 C) real feel close to 100 F, with tropical nights in the 80s F. No relief in sight until late august, the second hottest summer in Korea so far but it will probably break the record heat
When sam Adams
first met her
The lady of his dreams
There was as the Koreans
Would say
Spark from heart to heart
이심촌심
isimchonsim
truly love at first sight
첫눈에 반하다
cheosnun-e banhada
they both knew
that it is just fate
운명
unyoung
that they had met
that date.
Two months later
They were married
It all happened
40 years ago
48 years after
She first came
To him in his dreams.
the prompt was to incorporate foreign words into a poem I chose Korean which is my best foreign language as I have been struggling to learn it for 43 years
May 18, 2021Venice in Korea “Venice in Korea and other Korean Stream Bed Parks ARA Canal Incheon Over the last decade, Korea has build hundreds of stream bed parks throughout Seoul and Korea. There are great… Jake Cosmos Aller — Venice in Korea. 1.5M ratings 277k ratings See, that’s what the app is perfect for. Sounds perfect Wahhhh, I don’t …
Jun 3, 2021I have reached three milestones. the World According to Cosmos now has over 4,000 followers from around the world. Thanks to all of you for visiting my site and caring about my musings about Life, the Universe and everything. Second, I have not posted 264 posts over the last few years since I started this blog late in 2019.
Jul 2, 2022Korean Summer Haiku by jake cosmos aller. General Poetry posted July 2, 2022. jake cosmos aller. Retired US Diplomat (State Department) living in South Korea. Served 27 years in 10 countries. Traveled to 55 countries, all 50 states. Grew up in Berkeley, California. Married, no children.
May 20, 2022jake cosmos aller Retired US Diplomat (State Department) living in South Korea. Served 27 years in 10 countries. Traveled to 55 countries, all 50 states. Grew up in Berkeley, California. Married, no children. A published poet, and short story writer. Finished six nove – more…
Jul 20, 2022by jake cosmos aller. Corners of the world. In 1979-1981. Than my own. I learned to speak Korean. In a town that was in the countryside. Of Seoul or the nearby city of Chuncheon. And foreign agricultural workers as well. Than when I lived there over 43 years ago.
Yeongjongdo Redevelopment Proposals ” Yeongjongdo redevelopment proposals bike rail trail in Yeongjongdo The Korean government has ambitious plans for developing Youngjongdo where I live. Here are my… Jake Cosmos Aller — Yeongjongdo Redevelopment Proposals. 1.5M ratings 277k ratings See, that’s what the app is perfect for. …
Jul 17, 2022Food Imperalism by jake cosmos aller. Biographical Fiction posted July 17, 2022. Retired US Diplomat (State Department) living in South Korea. Served 27 years in 10 countries. Traveled to 55 countries, all 50 states. Grew up in Berkeley, California. Married, no children.
Venice in Korea WHERE TO LISTEN to the World According to Cosmos breaker audio Google podcasts radio public Spotify Korea Radio public c: on PocketCasts: Visit to Gangwha Ginseng Market We…
Jun 3, 2021I have reached three milestones. the World According to Cosmos now has over 4,000 followers from around the world. Thanks to all of you for visiting my site and caring about my musings about Life, the Universe and everything. Second, I have not posted 264 posts over the last few years since I started this blog late in 2019.
Jun 8, 2021Update: Korean River/Stream Bed Parks ARA Canal Incheon Updated letter to NPS and updated photos for Cheongjecheon streambed park. Letter to National Parks Director, Minister of Tourism, and KT One of the little-known gems of Korean tourism is all the great river parks and stream bed parks throughout Korea.
Venice in Korea WHERE TO LISTEN to the World According to Cosmos breaker audio Google podcasts radio public Spotify Korea Radio public c: on PocketCasts: Visit to Gangwha Ginseng Market We…
The Korean government has acknowledged these strong ties by hosting several reunions over the years. Last month, about 80 returned Volunteers and family members traveled to Seoul, South Korea, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps arrival in the country. We were there to attend the opening of an exhibit on the Peace Corps at the …
Peace Corps opened its program in Korea in 1966, and more than 2,000 Peace Corps volunteers served there before operations closed in 1981. Since 2008, the Republic of Korea has recognized the service of Peace Corps/Korea volunteers by hosting return trips for many former volunteers so they can again visit the country. Peace Corps and KOICA …
Peace Corps/Korea brought over 2,000 Americans to serve in Korea’s classrooms, farms, and industry. From 1966-1981, the assistance provided by these Volunteers, at a critical period in Korean history, helped to cement U.S.Korea ties. Kevin O’Donnell, the first country director of Peace Corps/Korea, and fourth director of the Peace Corps will …
Peace Corps Volunteers serve in over 60 countries. Find your place in the world. … South Korea 1966-1981 2,060 Volunteers Served Caribbean. The Dominican Republic. 1962-present 13 Volunteers …
It was, as the Peace Corps ad says, “The toughest job you will ever love.” When I left Korea in the mid-70s I was certain I would never see it again. As the years passed, the recollections of my life in Korea crystallized into increasingly romanticized memories. They became nearer and dearer to me in my life’s side-view mirror.
About Friends of Korea. Friends of Korea was founded in 2002 by former Peace Corps volunteers who served in the Republic of Korea between 1966 and 1981. Since Peace Corps ended its program in Korea in 1981, the challenge for Friends of Korea has been to find a mission. Over the past several years we have been engaged in a series of …
Oct 21, 2020Oct 21 2020. 1. by James Mayer (Korea 1978-81) The Korea Times. Friends of Korea. Peace Corps volunteers and others hold a walk-a-thon to raise funds for heart surgery in 1981. / Courtesy of Nancy Kelly. No one likes to be last. But I had that distinction as the Peace Corps Korea country director, and I am forever grateful that it happened.
Connect With the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps. We are inspired by hands-on, grassroots-driven, and lasting impact. Learn more about our mission. In a changing world, building a better future together. New Opportunities Now Available. Dozens of new Volunteering openings are live on our site.
Peace Corps Volunteers and the Making of Korean Studies in the United States. Edited by Seung-Kyung Kim and Michael Robinson. Center for Korea Studies, University of Washington. Reviewed by Steven Boyd Saum . The Peace Corps sent more than 2,000 Volunteers to South Korea 1966-81, to teach English and advise on healthcare.
Mention you’re with the Korea Peace Corps Reunion. Dan Strickland (K-18; danstrickland2001@yahoo.com) is our reunion point person and is available to answer questions or make suggestions. Let us know you’re coming by sending Dan an email with your name(s), your Korean name, K-group #, and check-in/out dates.
For some reason I recalled a strange site, I recently saw in SF about seven years ago. The photos were taken recently .
Only in San Francisco
One day
While driving down Geary Blvd.
Near Union Square
at sunset
I saw something
That one would only
See in San Francisco
I saw a strange site
A sight that haunted my vision until now
I saw a white man dressed in leather
With a purple mohawk
Walking his dog down the street
Riding on top of the dog was a cat
And riding on the cat
Was a white lab rat
All were getting along
Were obviously friends
As they walked down the street
We all said
Only in San Francisco
City of St Francis
I recently moved to the Hyundai Hometown apartments in Janggi dong and have been enjoying daily walks along the ARA golden water canal.
Overall I am very impressed. It is a great recreational asset for Gimpo county.
I do have a few suggestions for improvements
Extend it
Extend it on the southern (eastern) end all the way to the Han River linking it to the Han river park system. It is only an half a mile away from the river.
Extend it on the northern (western) end all the way to Gimpo lake, also only an half a mile away. This may be more feasible as the area is not as heavily buldt up as is the southern/eastern end.
Allow Fishing
Stock it with fish and allow fishing at designated areas where you can also sell fishing supplies and have resturants available to grill freshly caught fish.
Have goats eat the weeds
Have goats eat the weeds throughout
Extend hours of boating, add in kayaks and canoes
Extend the hours of the boat until midnight, also add in kayaks and canoes ot the mix.
Have bike and scooter rentals available
Have places to rent bikes and scooters.
More shade trees
Plant more shade trees particularly in the section next to the boat house which is pretty baren.
Extend the restaurant district
Extend the restaurant district further north and West.
Install vending machines
Install vending machines for drinks throughout the park.
Free umbrellas
Have free umbrellas throughout the park.
While the first two items might be too expensive, the other items should be inexpensive and will help in maintaining the park. For the fishing, you can charge 10,000 won to use the fishing facilities. That should defray the extra costs.
Thanks
Jake Cosmos Aller
Retired U.S (Diplomat, State Department (Foreign Service Officer)
Review Julia’s American style Diner ARA canal, Gimpo near Jaangi station, gold line
******
Julia’s American style diner near the ARA canal, Gimpo near the Jaangi stion on the gold line advertises itself as an American style family diner. And that is just what it is.
We had the full brunch – bacon, bangers, beans, eggs, hashbrowns, toast, tomato slices, for 14,000 KW ($11.53 US) plus Americana coffee 2000 ($15.00) for a total of $15.00 per person or 28,000 KW ($30,00) total.
The food was great, just perfect and the coffee was great too. The portions were generous and the price was quite reasonable. This was billed as an American brunch but it was more of a British brunch what with the beans and British style bangers (sausage) included.
We are definitely going to come back. Next time we will try the pancake and split the brunch.
They also have steak, burgers, pasta, French fries. and risotto and Korean style fried rice omelet on the menu.
The deco is also diner style as is the overall ambience.
It is conveniently located just steps from the canal coming from the canal turn left at the Mega coffee shop on the left hand side of the canal and walk up. It is about a mile and half from Jaangi station on the gold line or by bus in Jaangji station. Get off and walk down the canal (turning right) cross over when you see Mega coffee and turn left up the steps.
In short, I highly recommend this restaurant. Some other American style resturants near by include the following (Trip advisor list) disclaimer: I have not yet dined at any of these but hope to do so soon and will post reviews as I get to them. Stay tuned for that.
Updated information below on Yeongjaecheon stream based on a Kindle booklet about the stream.
Over the last decade, Korea has build hundreds of stream bed parks throughout Seoul and Korea. There are great places to take a walk, to observe wild life, to enjoy nature in the city. There is some information in English on these parks but not enough. For those readers in Korea, please feel free to send me info on other stream bed parks, so I can update this from time to time.
The most famous one is the one that started it all. Cheongjejon in down town Seoul.
Formerly polluted and covered with an elevated road since 2005, this stream has been cleaned up and made into an Art and nature walkway through the heart of Seoul.
Suggested Duration:1-2 hours
It is the prototype perhaps of stream restoration.
SEOUL, South Korea For half a century, a dark tunnel of crumbling concrete encased more than three miles of a placid stream bisecting this bustling city.
The waterway had been a centerpiece of Seoul since a king of the Choson Dynasty selected the new capital 600 years ago, enticed by the graceful meandering of the stream and its 23 tributaries. But in the industrial era after the Korean War, the stream, by then a rank open sewer, was entombed by pavement and forgotten beneath a lacework of elevated expressways as the city’s population swelled toward 10 million.
Today, after a $384 million recovery project, the stream, called Cheonggyecheon, is liberated from its dank sheath and burbles between reedy banks. Picnickers cool their bare feet in its filtered water, and carp swim in its tranquil pools.
The restoration of the Cheonggyecheon is part of an expanding environmental effort in cities around the world to “daylight” rivers and streams by peeling back pavement that was built to bolster commerce and serve automobile traffic decades ago.
Environmentalists point out other benefits. Open watercourses handle flooding rains better than buried sewers do, a big consideration as global warming leads to heavier downpours. The streams also tend to cool areas overheated by sun-baked asphalt and to nourish greenery that lures wildlife as well as pedestrians.
After its opening in 2005, hundreds of thousands of people have visited the new stream with friends and family.Credit…Jean Chung for The New York Times
Some political opponents have derided Seoul’s remade stream as a costly folly, given that nearly all of the water flowing between its banks on a typical day is pumped there artificially from the Han River through seven miles of pipe.
Golden Waterway In Gimpo
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My favorite though is the Golden Waterway in Gimpo north of Kimpo airport, close to Janngi station on the new Gold Line. The Gyeongi and Gimpo tourist promotors have dubbed this “the Venice of Korea”. Not quite, but still quite nice.
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it is a 5.9 long walk way along a stream that used to be an open sewage dump back not too long ago. It is lined with trees, flowers, beaches, and quirky public art. The northern end is pretty boring though. The central and southern end is very nice.
It is lined with restaurants and cafes, and has a boat house where you can rent boats to go out on the water. The cost is 20,000 per hour. a popular boat choice is the moon boat, which is a boat shaped like a crescent moon that is ideal for a couple to take out on the water. There are also family boats and paddle boats for individuals. There are also bikes for rent.
[4K] Beautiful evening walk along Laveniche March Avenue in Gimpo Korea Tour 김포 한강신도시 장기동 라베니체 저녁 걷기
안녕하세요 Seoul Walker 입니다.
오늘은 경기도 김포한강신도시에 위치한 라베니체 마치 에비뉴의 저녁을 함께 걸어봅시다. 깨끗해진 공기 만큼이나 아름다운 노을을 계속 볼 수 있기를 희망합니다.아침 7시, 당신을 위한 새로운 영상이 공개 됩니다.
당신의 새로운 아침, 그리고 오후 저녁 저의 영상을 보며 한결 여유로운 하루의 시작과 마무리가 되었으면 하는 바램입니다. 최대한 다채롭고 흥미로운 영상을 즐기실 수 있도록 노력하겠습니다.영상이 마음에 드셨다면 좋아요, 구독, 알림 설정 부탁드립니다.
그럼 오늘도 행복한 하루 되세요!Hello all my friends, I’m Nathan from Seoul Walker.
Today, let’s walk together at Laveniche March Avenue in Hangang River New City, Gimpo, Gyeonggi-do.Ravenice March Avenue is a themed canal street created by Venetian motifs on a total of 33,000 m² waterfront commercial areas in total of 26 parcels around the golden waterway, which is an artificial waterway in the Han River New City of Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. It is a commercial facility.
Other Streams in Seoul
Jungnangcheon (Stream)
Jungnangcheon stream is the biggest contributor to the Hangang River. It starts at Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, joins with the Cheonggyecheon stream, and curves around Geumho-dong, Seongdong-gu until it finally flows under the Bridge of Gangyeonbuk-ro and into the Hangang river.
Hongjecheon (Stream)
Hongjecheon (Stream) begins at Bukhansan (Mountain) and runs for 11.1km through Jongno-gu and Mapo-gu. The stream is named after the Hongjewon, an official building where Chinese envoys were received. Once dried up and neglected, the stream was revived under Seoul’s ‘No Dry Streams’ project. Within two short years clean water was once again flowing through both Hongjecheon (Stream) and Cheonggyecheon (Stream).
Yangjaecheon Stream and Tancheon Stream are two tributaries of the Hangang River.
Yangjaecheon (Stream)
Update: there is a nice booklet available on Kindle called Gangnam Style by Kyungsuk Oh, all about Yongjaecheon stream. They recommend starting at Hangyegul station on the Orange line. At the end of the stream, it flows into the Tancheon stream and then into the Han River. When you get to the Tancheon stream, there is a nice cafe street called Cafe Street or Metasequia Street lined with eateries. if you keep going along the Tangcheon stream, you enter into the Han river park system, or you could follow the Tancheon stream bed park back towards the mountains.
Yangjaecheon (Stream) originates from Gwanaksan (Mountain) and Cheonggyesan (Mountain). The 15.6km stream flows across Gwacheon and into the Gangnam district in Seoul until it joins up with the Hangang (River). The stream flows across Dogok-dong and Gaepo-dong in the district of Gangnam, and is a popular spot with locals for its well-paved pedestrian and cycling paths. It is a pleasant patch of green in a concrete jungle. Many Seoulites visit the stream for relaxation and to spend a day being closer to nature.
Tancheon Stream is another one of the Hangang’s tributaries.
The stream is 35.6km long and starts in the city of Yongin in GyeongGi Province and ends at the Hangang River in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
* Subway Line 3, Maebong Station, Exits 3 & 4 (5 mins on foot)
* Subway Line 3 & Bundang Line, Dogok Station, Exits 3 & 4 (5 mins on foot)
Hanyeoul Stream, is a tributary of the Hangang River.
The stream is 18.5km long and flows from Gwacheong in GyeongGi Province to the southern part of Seoul. The stream’s name is derived from the area in Seoul it flows through, Yangjae-dong.
Visit Songdo Central Park
Find a pleasant oasis along the water in this large, bustling city. Canoe, ride a bike, relax on the lawn or visit rabbits and deer.
Stroll along the peaceful promenade of Songdo Central Park and view sculptures and animals. Here pretty grassy spaces border a manmade waterway while skyscrapers tower nearby. Completed in 2009, the stylish city park has become a landmark of the large city of Incheon in South Korea’s northwestern region.
In 2001, Incheon began creating Songdo International Business District on mostly reclaimed land. The multi-functional space offers residents a pleasant and sustainable place for home, work, school and leisure. The 101-acre (41-hectare) park is an integral part of the overall design. Join residents and other visitors using this vast green space and exploring the cultural institutions surrounding the park.
One highlight of the park is the seawater canal symbolizing the rivers of Korea flowing to the West Sea. Cruise along the canal under your own power in a canoe with sun umbrellas or on a comfortable water-taxi or small cruise boat.
Gaze at and visit some of the futuristic buildings surrounding the park. Tri-Bowl, with the appearance of a bowl resting on water, has cultural event spaces. The Songdo G-Tower’s diagonal lines and atriums provide a stunning setting for the offices of IFEZ (Incheon Free Economic Zone) Authority. Visit the building’s 29th-floor Sky Garden for views across the city.
Most of the streams passing through Suwon originate on Gwanggyosan or other nearby peaks. Since Suwon is bounded to the east by other hills, the streams, chiefly the Suwoncheon (and one notable tributary being the Jungbocheon), flow southwards through the city, eventually emptying into the Yellow Sea at Asan Bay. The entirety of Suwon is drained in this manner
updated publication credits. Good news Cosmos Fans! I am continuing to get published. Foliate Oak Literary Magazine has published ‘Fake Things”
foliate literary review
Plethora will publish October Falling Rain in their next edition. I also have just published my first Instagram poems as I reported earlier.
here is the poem, Fake Things with the audio attached. When I record the other poems I will send along the audio files then and also post it in the audio page for easy reference.
have joined the Instagram poetry world. Just posted my first ten poems. Learned a lot. Had to use an external software package as posting to Instagram from your computer is not user friendly. I gave up after trying to figure it out and downloaded a great program. I also learned that Instagram is perfect for smaller poems that can be linked to a visual image. Not so much for longer form poems. Fortunately I have lots of shorter poems as well as longer poems. So, I picked some of my cat poems plus one coffee poem for this exercise. The poems can be found here and at my Instagram account.cosmos’s instragram site Check it out.
xcoffee desires
over the next few days I will post the remainder of my cat poems and some of my haiku poetry. Goal is to have about 25 posted by the end of the week. I also entered Rattle’s Instagram poetry contest. Since the deadline was today that was the motivation for me to get off my butt and finally learn how to become an Instagram poet.
the audio for these poems are here. Note: I will be including audio recordings of all my poems from now on. it is a fun thing to do and I hope you like my sexy voice reading these poems with my full on Scorpio enthusiasm.
Foliate Oak Literary Magazine will be publishing my poem, ‘Fake Things” Here’s the audio version
and here’s the latest version
Fake Things
We live in a world
Of fake things
Fake Products
Fake News
Fake Calls
Fake Politics
Fake Sports
Fake Business
Fake Leaders
Fake People
Fake friends
Fake sincerity
Surrounded 24/7
By all the fake things
How can anything real exist?
bonus poem for the day
fake science
Fake Science
One of my secret guilty pleasures
Is believing in fake science
You know astrology, numerology, Chinese astrology
Tarot cards, palm reading, handwriting analysis
The gambler’s fallacy of lucky runs,
and Myers bridge typology
Objectively speaking these fake sciences
Do not appear to have any real foundation
Just belief that they tap
Into deeper darker realms of knowledge
Knowledge beyond our scientific understanding
Yet in a sense
Astrology is as real as it gets
It is based on Jungian images
Part of our collective unconscious
And who knows
There may be something to it
I am a scorpion
And a very passionate person indeed
Almost stereotypical of the type
Myers Bridge Typology
I don’t get it
Seems to be
As about as accurate
As Astrology
And not as good
As a pickup line
Years ago
A skeptical scientist
Wanted to disprove palm reading
He took photos of people
Who had just died
And asked palm readers
To predict the age they would die
The palm readers were not told
they were already dead
the palm readers predicted the age of death
with a 50 percent accuracy rate
far above the 25 chance
they would get it right
just from a random guest
The gambler’s fallacy
That there is such a thing
As a run of luck in gambling
Has been proven
A scientist ran thousands of games of roulette
And found that rather than forming a random pattern
There was a pattern to the chaos
An upward and downward spiral of returns
So in a sense, the gamblers are right
It is best to quit when you are on the high side
And walk away when you start losing
Hard to do
Hard to predict
Each time you start a new game
A new slot machine
The run starts over again
So, one could apply this rule
And make a little money
At the casino’s expense
Yeah I am a big fan
Of the fake science
Next step is to learn how to do tumbler, Pinterest, twitter,
and youtube. Advice would be greatly appreciated. The ultimate goal is to have my poetry and fiction reach out across the cosmos as I am the Cosmos, you dig?
For now, I will probably post once a week on these other sites as well as about poetry, poetry soup, hello poetry, Cosmosfunnel, sweek, open arts forum, scriggler, and poetry opus magnum as well as submitting to ten journals per week. But continue to use this site as my home base. I now have had over 1200 hits and 300 followers. Not too shabby for the first year of the world according to Cosmos.
ne.
![gw5]](https://theworldaccordingtocosmos.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/gw5-225x300.jpg)
