Coit Tower

Wanna know the history behind Coit Tower? I've never been there, but here's the lowdown:

Coit Tower was constructed at the request of Lillie Hitchcock Coit in 1933 for whom the tower was named. Coit was quite a character! Not only was she married into money, she was born into money. She was like the real Calamity Jane (only Calamity Jane was a fictional character and Coit was a real person). She was way ahead of her time-smoking cigars, gambling avidly, living on the edge. Cuz she was born into money and married into more money made her behavior more acceptable to others.

In her day, she wasn't known best for her antics instead she was known best for obssession w/ firefighting ever since she was rescued from a fire as a child. She grew up to become a volunteer firefighter for Knickerbocker Engine Co. No. 5 In those days, fires broke out frequently due to the material use to construct buildings at that time. Lillie Hitchcock Coit was always found helping put out fires.

Although she died in 1929 (right at the start of the Depression), she still had money to her name, using the money to commission Coit Tower in honor of the firefighters which she adored. She also wanted the area to serve as a beautiful spot (What a beauty!) for viewing the city which she loved.

IMHO, I think she was a girl ahead of her time-no one fault her because of her money. She did a noble duty helping fight fires amongst the other firefighters. I admire her spunk, spirit. Unlike some people, she didn't spend her inheritance on frugal things-she wasn't greedy w/ her money-instead she used her money to serve her community for generations to come-she gave back to the community. She had a good soul. I wish there are more like that nowadays. Maybe there are and we don't see it? But everybody is into commericalism. Buy, buy, buy! they tell us. And when we do buy, it just gets consume. Nobody will know our legacy unlike Lillie Hitchcock Coit. Her legacy is the Coit Tower. We must sustain (like that'll help, but whatever!) We must leave something behind, like some sort of legacy, kind of, sorta what dear ole Lillie Hitchcock Coit did way back in her day did-maybe a time capsule? Any suggestions?

Notice

Sorry I get my info from other sources. I try to add my own opinion to these references but I need references! Sorry!

San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade

Since Chinese New Year's upon us, I'd like to take this moment out to address a live studio audience. (J/K)
San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade is the Chinese New Year Parade-the biggest one outside of Asia. Originated in the 1860s during the Gold Rush era, it is the biggest and most watched parade ever! Around Chinese New Year, Chinatown is hoppin' with 2 fairs-Chinese New Year Flower Fair and the Chinese Community Street Fair, ending with the Chinese New Year Parade. Be there or be square!
Named one of the top 10 parades, over 100 units, including floats & specialty units which feature the theme of the this year's zodiac (this particular year is the year of the rabbit, my brother's year; last year was the year of the tiger-my new nephew's year and so it goes), will participate in the (extravagant shall we say?) parade. Nowhere in the world will you see a lunar new year parade with more gorgeous floats, elaborate costumes, ferocious lions, and exploding firecrackers. Some of the parade highlights include elaborately decorated floats, school marching bands, martial arts group, stilt walkers, lion dancers, Chinese acrobatics, the newly crowned Miss Chinatown USA and the Golden Dragon.
The Golden Dragon is over 201 feet long and is always featured at the end of the parade as the grand finale and will be accompanied by over 600,000 firecrackers! The Golden Dragon was made in Foshan, a small town in China. The Foshan dragonmasters formerly made all the costumes for the Cantonese opera, and the Golden Dragon bears many operatic touches, such as the rainbow colored pompoms on its 6 foot-long head. It is festooned from nose to tail with colored lights, decorated with silver rivets on both scaly sides and trimmed in white rabbit fur. The dragon, made on a skeleton of bamboo and rattan, is in 29 segments. It takes a team of 100 men and women to carry the Golden Dragon. This is also considered an honor to be chosen for the grand finale.

Rain or shine, come watch the parade!

As for me and my fam, we usually watch it at home, but one year my mom and I were lucky to get into a building that was right over where the parade was passing us by and we saw the action up-close n' personal.  We took it all in and had fun doin it to the nth degree! We had a blast! Great times Great times! If we only had a chance to do it again...

Gung Hay Fat Choy! (Happy New Year!)

May the year be prosperous (unlikely since y'know the economy) but who knows with a lil luck...

Old San Francisco Maps

 Wonder how old San Francisco was likeway back in the day? Well, here's a peek

 Here are some old San Francisco maps from back in the day:



1776



1848

1849-50

Lske in the Mission

Area destroyed by fire of April 18-21, 1906

How about this blast from the San Francisco past?!



49ers-then & now



Ah the good ole days! waaaaaaaaaaaaay back when gold and red were synonymous to Super Bowl back in the 80s when they won practically every single Super Bowl consecutively from 1981 to 1994. Back when we had Joe (and Jennifer) Montana & Dwight Clark. The unstoppable 49ers! In my heart of hearts, I always wanted to be a cheerleader... But I cheer them on in front the TV where I got front row seat front n' center. Not to mention Roger Craig. As the Queen song went, We were the champions, no time for losers. I think they wrote that song for Joe Montana's 49ers team. We were unstopppable. Let us show them losers what we're made of (I'm  talking about you, Dan Marino!)
One of my fondest childhood memories are of me and my brother along with my parents watching practically every 49ers game As a avid fan, my brother even collected 49ers cards.  (It didn't hurt that Joe Montana was great eye candy!) Back then in the 80s the 49ers ruled Candlestick! (Remember, we only had 1 ballpark, so no separate ballpark for football n' baseball!) Yes, Giants were lousy back then too, but as a kid, what did I know? I always held out hope that they would win someday! Well it took a whole new millenium for them to achieve that goal! Well, I digress...
As I was saying... Bill Walsh +Joe Montana=49ers red n' gold (in the form of a Super Bowl trophy)!
Steve Young may be a good player (and incredible eye candy!) but not Super Bowl material. After Steve Young's 49ers brought them to the Super Bowl but was massacred. I didn't watch much football after that.




Nowadays, there just one word for what the Niners are: they 'suck!' Even though they've a new coach, no one but no one can replace-he's irreplacable- the one n' only the greatest coach that ever walked the field of Candlestick Park, coaching the legendary players of the 80s in the locker room-the one n' only the late great Bill Walsh. (Let's have a moment of silence, please.)
49ers (and Giants and Golden State Warriors) all the way!

Angel Island

Used as an immigration base for Chinese (unfair! unjustice! Give us human rights!) from 1910-1940, it was sort of a West Coast Ellis Island. Like an immigration station for Asians, mostly Chinese because of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, many immigrants spent years on the island, waiting for entry..

As you can see from the upon picture, they were poked and prodded like animals; they weren't treated like decent human beings, which is totally in the wrong.

They were also made to live in tiny, prison-like quarters. Many immigrants spent years waiting for entry. Sad but true. It just breaks heart to hear how many of my fellow Chinese ancestors suffer to come to this old gold mountain, as they called it, where there's no chance of opportunity for them.

Because a fire destroyed the administration building in 1940, subsequent immigration processing took place in San Francisco

In 1962, the Chinese American community successfully lobbied the State of California to designate the immigration station as a State Landmark.
IMHO, why would they want to do that?That period of time was a horrible time for us Chinese Americans. The federal, state, local governments excluded us from being Americans even if we are born in this country-the land of opportunity.
You know, San Francisco means Old Gold Mountain in Chinese, meaning there will be good fortune in the Wild Wild West.
Us Chinese and Japanese should not be segregated 'cuz of our race. Chinese should not be sent to a immigration station out in an island or Japanese should not be sent to internment camps during the war whether or not they are born here. It is human rights. It is the principle of the matte, that is simple enought!