Maggie Ishino |
When extreme warm weather prevails as it often does in Los Angeles, I feel a great pang of homesickness for the beautiful city by the Golden Gate—San Francisco. I have such nostalgic memories of this city and reminisce about the good times and wonderful friends I left behind.
It was in the Fall of 1953 when I first arrived in San Francisco to enroll in a dental nurses training school. In order to curtail expenses, I worked for my room and board in the home of a delightful Jewish family as a mother’s helper. My main responsibility was to care for a 9-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl. I also became acquainted with Flopsy, the family Cocker Spaniel whom I came to love. I think she loved me, too, because three times, she climbed three flights of stairs (my room was in the attic) to come and visit me after the evening dishes were done and the children were asleep.
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The highlight of being in this home was to join the family in the Passover Feast. It was most interesting to re-live the scriptures from Exodus in this traditional Jewish rite.
San Francisco is an exciting city built on seven hills surrounded by the blue Pacific. I consider this city the Paradise of the West. It is a city with culture and offers so many people advantages, opportunities ad beauty to all who live and visit it.
My five girlfriends and I bought season tickets for plays such as “Hello Dolly,” “My Fair Lady” and those others, which were so popular in the early 1950s. I lived very close to Fisherman’s Wharf so I would take a bus and buy three lobsters, which was $3.50 for one lobster (honest!) and then prepare a lobster dinner for six.dinner included scalloped potatoes, peas/carrots or some other vegetable with a nice tossed green salad and, of course, garlic sour dough bread. For dessert, we would have jello, ice cream or pudding with fortune cookies. Then the six of us would go to the theater and have a very enjoyable evening. The most wonderful two hours I have ever spent in a theatre was when we went to see the Bunraku Troupe performers from Japan. They performed a well-known Noh play and it was absolutely fascinating to see how they manipulated the Bunraku dolls, each weighing approximately 44 pounds because of the wooden poles to which they were attached.
In the summer months, people would flock to see free operettas, talent shows or plays performed by amateurs in the Sigmund Grove Park. It gave me the feeling of friendliness because those who sat next to me or around me, shared their thoughts about the performance and performers as if we were friends for a long-time.
The city gives one the feeling of togetherness. The city itself is not widespread and there is a closeness, a proximity. Since the public transportation is so convenient and reliable, one can easily travel from one place or another, whether work, shopping, visiting friends or across the Bay to Oakland or whatever or wherever. The world famous cable car is such a fun ride and an unique means of transportation that one never loses the thrill or excitement of each ride.
People complained about the foghorns, but they used to lull me to sleep. Whenever I heard them, it gave me a sense of security and I would drift off to a good night’s sleep. People complained about the weather being too cold, but I found it most invigorating and it gave me the incentive to do many things and to be alive.
San Francisco is famous for its restaurants. The city offers something for everyone’s palate, price range and atmosphere. It is a melting pot mixing people of many nations who share their gourmet dishes, their cultures and their art with those who are willing and privileged to do so.
Ah, San Francisco, the beautiful city which was so good to me. It gave me aesthetic, courage, hope and friendship, the greatest treasure of all.
Perhaps, some day I will return to San Francisco and find my heart.
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