1:45 pm

January 2, 2010

Yes … this is my neighborhood … I’ve lived here for about a year ……………………… I actually became homeless in New York … and I moved in with family here…My family bought me a ticket and brought me back here ………………………………… it’s changed a lot … It’s much better … much cleaner than in the 70’s … You saw too much crime then … Now police are riding around, that’s good … Lots of people are walking on the street…it’s a lot cleaner and safer …………………………….. there’s a place under the Bayshore freeway ……….. there used to be so many people there … 50 or more … Now I go through there every Sunday to go to the flea market … and maybe I see one or two people there

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10:54 pm

December 17, 2009

I lived in this house for 7 years … so this has been my neighborhood for a really long time …………………. I remember when I first moved here I was dating a guy who is half mexican ……….. he kind of showed me around this block …………………. he said to me … you might be the whitest girl that I know ………………….. before I really knew what’s going on here …………… and I think he kind of opened up my eyes to the street and I really appreciate that about him ………………………. nothing specific ……………   everyday occurrences ………………… oh  yeah … absolutely … I think it has changed incredibly … there are a lot more places for white people to go on this street ……………… like I said I lived here for 7 years so it’s good for me … a person that lived here for 20 years … that is not a white person might think it’s not so great ……………………. I am not sure what was going on in those spaces before they were catering to the hipsters … I am not sure ………………. it’s still a good mix ………………….. it’s not completely overrun yet … I don’t know if it will ever be … I don’t think it could be because it’s a very good mix of people living in this neighborhood

12:54pm

December 15, 2009

I know … I know … speak english … speak english … I already …………….. no … voy caminando aquí y oyé que el teléfono llamaba … yo pensaba que alguien estaba llamando para ayuda …………………………….. vivo en san francisco pero no vivo aquí ……………………………. lo que haya aquí … se encuentra murales … eso es una area muy cultural  …………………………….. aca estoy en frente de un mural de latinos de varias paises … es un mural de latinos que viven en otros paises …………………. no … no … solamente que yo veo esto mural muy frecuentamente …………….. voy a mí trabajo aquí en la calle 24 ……………. en un restaurante ………………………. la torta loca ……………………………..no … alla no pasaba nada … todo tranquilo … todo bien … solamente negocios … y eso es todo por lo bien

[no, I was just walking and I heard that the telephone was ringing … I thought someone was calling for help … I live in san francisco but not here … what you have here … you see lots of murals … it’s a very cultural area … here I’m in front of a mural of Latinos from various countries … it’s a mural of Latinos living in other countries … no … I just see it often … I go to my work here on 24th street … in a restaurant … la torta loca … no … nothing happens there … it’s all quiet … it’s all good … just business … and that’s for the best]

6:00 pm

December 6, 2009

…[Art in Storefront] I don’t know nothing about that ………………..yeah [this is my neighborhood] ……………. No [favorite place] … I roll everywhere  !

11:15 pm

December 3, 2009

… I’m technically homeless … but I have a place where I stay here in the mission ………………. it’s not my neighborhood but it’s my favorite neighborhood right now……. my favorite neighborhood used to be North Beach but now………………………………….. It’s a long story – it’s an alternative kind of living where I don’t have to pay rent ….. and in the process, you meet lots of interesting people who live on the street …….. it’s kind of a spiritual place they live in … a real interesting perspective …………………… I’m going to try to get inside again soon … maybe I’ll take what I learned and try to get into politics  eventually ………………………………………. I don’t know if you know,  you called the pay phone here … there’s an AA place right here and I just walked out and the phone was ringing …………………………What’s your name? ………………………………. Mine’s Paul … thanks for the phone call.

10:14 am

November 29, 2009

… no, I don’t have time to answer any questions, I only listened, ringing ringing, so I answered ………………… no, I don’t speak Spanish ……. or OK OK hablamos ………………. estoy aqui, pero puro mojado pues no tenía ganas de hablar en espanol ……………………… yo vivo allí en 22 y Potrero pues no, no es mi vecindario ………… encuentro aca para jugar futbol con mi amigo, vive en 24 y folsom …………………….. no tengo historias, solo … ………………aca muchos han muerto – yo soy……. choque! …………………………………… no, no, en serio, yo soy soltero y busco una novia …….. soy un novio, buscando una novia …………………………… si usted tiene uno, cortelo – podemos hablar mas una vez.

[ok we can talk but i am here purely illegally so i didn’t want to speak in spanish … I live over at 22 and potrero so this isn’t my neighborhood … I meet my friend here to play football, he lives at 24 and folsom … no stories, only … that many people have died here … I am … CHOQUE! … Seriously, though, I am single, and I’m looking for a girlfriend … I’m a boyfriend, and I’m looking for a girlfriend … If you have a boyfriend, then drop him – we can talk more then. ]

1:50 pm

November 25, 2009

… the guy who was here … he is gone …………………………………………. I tell you … the guy is gone … sorry man.

10:33 pm

November 20, 2009

yoooooo ….. wowowowow … yo ! …………………………………. hey man … you called a payphone ………………………. you know that ? ……………………… I have to get somewhere … sorry !

8:47 pm

November 19, 2009

… [I see] beautiful murals … beautiful victorian houses ………. it’s a lovely night … all colors … faces … black … white … brown ………………… [I hear] airplanes overhead … people walking ………… definitely familiar … feels like home to me … no it’s not my neighborhood but I come here twice a week …….. last thing I ate was a burrito … actually it was a torta which is a mexican hamburger … beef … loaded … fully loaded ……….. walgreens  is my favorite store here

8:03 pm

November 19, 2009

[I bought] a wig … I didn’t really like it