CultureShock! San Francisco

Frances Gendlin

Description

CultureShock! San Francisco is the complete guide for those who wish to make sense of the most open and probably the most tolerant city in the United States. San Francisco is the most beautiful-ravishing-cosmopolitan city in the United States, with clean air, sparkling water on three sides, steep hills rising in the middle of the city, and breathtaking views.Quaint cable cars clang up and down the hills, and exotic aromas waft through the streets. People are outgoing and friendly. But although beauty and charm stretch far, they do not tell the entire story. The deeper story unfolds as you come to understand the city and its residents. This book, while offering information for the first-time visitor, also focuses on where tourism ends and where daily life begins. Whether your stay is for a month or two, or a year or two, this essential guide provides the information you will need for a successful stay in the City by the Bay.

Sujets

• Travel writing
• California

Informations

• Publié par: Marshall Cavendish International
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789814779784
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

2018 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Ltd Text Frances Gendlin
This edition published in 2018 by Marshall Cavendish Editions An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International

All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Requests for permission should be addressed to the Publisher, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196. Tel: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail] Website: www.marshallcavendish.com/genref
The publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents of this book, and specifically disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose, and shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
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Marshall Cavendish is a registered trademark of Times Publishing Limited
National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing in Publication Data
Name(s): Gendlin, Frances.
Title: CultureShock! San Francisco : a survival guide to customs and etiquette / Frances Gendlin.
Other title(s): CultureShock!
Description: Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2018. | Includes index.
Identifier(s): OCN 1046624055 | ISBN 978-981-47-7978-4 (ebook)
Subject(s): LCSH: San Francisco (Calif.)--Social life and customs. | San Francisco (Calif.)--Description and travel. | Etiquette--California--San Francisco.
Classification: DDC 979.461--dc23
Printed in Singapore
Photo Credits:
All photos by San Francisco Convention Visitors Bureau, except page 68 (Age Fotostock/Adam Jones); page 74 (Age Fotostock/Renaud Visage); pages 7 , 37 , 133 , 234 , 258 (Photolibrary). Cover photo by Ivana Cajina ( unsplash.com ).
All illustrations by TRIGG. Map on page xviii by John Zaugg.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Culture shock is a state of disorientation that can come over anyone who has been thrust into unknown surroundings, away from one s comfort zone. CultureShock! is a series of trusted and reputed guides which has, for decades, been helping expatriates and long-term visitors to cushion the impact of culture shock whenever they move to a new country.
Written by people who have lived in the country and experienced culture shock themselves, these books provide all the information necessary for anyone to cope with these feelings of disorientation more effectively. The guides are written in a style that is easy to read and cover a range of topics that will give readers enough advice, hints and tips to make their lives as normal as possible again.
Each book is structured in the same manner. It begins with the first impressions that visitors will have of that city or country. To understand a culture, one must first understand the people-where they came from, who they are, the values and traditions they live by, as well as their customs and etiquette. This is covered in the first half of the book.
Then on with the practical aspects-how to settle in with the greatest of ease. Authors walk readers through topics such as how to find accommodation, get the utilities and telecommunications up and running, enrol the children in school and keep in the pink of health. But that s not all. Once the essentials are out of the way, venture out and try the food, enjoy more of the culture and travel to other areas. Then be immersed in the language of the country before discovering more about the business side of things.
To round off, snippets of basic information are offered before readers are tested on customs and etiquette of the country. Useful words and phrases, a comprehensive resource guide and list of books for further research are also included for easy reference.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Note
Introduction
Map of San Francisco
Chapter 1
First Impressions
Chapter 2
The City Then-And Now
Climate
Earthquakes
Thinking about Place
District by District: Finding Your Own
Downtown North of Market
Mid-Market to Hayes Valley
Yet Questions Persist
And Around the Bay
Chapter 3
The People by the Bay
So, What Are They Like?
A Sense of Humor
Gays in the City
Making It Work
Chapter 4
Finding Your Social Niche
First Encounters
Some Helpful Hints
Chapter 5
Settling In
Formalities for Foreigners
Into the City
Finding Your Nest
A Child s World
The Student Life
To Your Health!
Up and Down the Hills
Chapter 6
Food Lovers Haven
Gastronomic Superlatives
The City's Specialties
What's Hot-Or Cold
The Markets
That s the Spirit!
Chapter 7
Enjoying the Good Life
Culture-High and Low!
Music
Films
The Sporting Scene
Shop Till You Drop"
Books
National Holidays and Local Events
Chapter 8
The Bay and Beyond
Over Land and on the Sea
Farther Afield: The Wine Country
Chapter 9
Business and Employment
Business on the Pacific Rim
The Start-Up
The Job Search
Chapter 10
San Francisco at a Glance
Some Well-Known Americans
Abbreviations, Acronyms and Slang

Culture Quiz
Dos and Don ts
Resource Guide
Further Reading
About the Author
Index
DEDICATION
To Judith and Gerry
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
San Franciscans, you will come to understand, are an opinionated lot. My friends and colleagues in the City by the Bay cheerfully gave me helpful suggestions for information to be included in the original edition of this book almost two decades ago, and they were no doubt either gratified or disappointed upon reading it. (None said they were disappointed. I didn t ask.) Nonetheless, I truly did appreciate their comments, and mentioned them happily in the several later editions. Now with this new effort after another decade, I am grateful especially to Claudia Schuster, who gallantly tried new restaurants with me and who helpfully told me her opinions of this city she also knows so well. I m grateful too, to David Handy for having driven me to the far reaches of the city; his understanding of the emerging neighborhoods South of Market helped enormously. And thanks to Laurie Armstrong at the San Francisco Travel Association and its retail outlet the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Center, whose materials were timely and helpful.
NOTE
With so much varied and detailed information, all guide books, no matter how current, suffer from some suddenly outdated information or an error or two-especially in San Francisco where new has always been at the forefront. So, regardless of all our efforts, there may be an error here and there concerning a business that has suddenly disappeared or a neighborhood that has changed seemingly almost overnight. If there are any such anomalies, they are, of course, mine alone, despite all the research and checking-and perhaps, the fickleness of the San Franciscans. Some things are sure, however. There is an old joke among chauvinistic San Franciscans, that one of these days there will be a big earthquake here, and the rest of the country will fall into the sea. But as of the book s publication, at least, the city was intact: the big one had not hit and San Francisco and the rest of the continent were still firmly attached. So, if other things have changed, as of course they must, try to take it in your stride. Just enjoy San Francisco for what it is, on that particular day. The next day it might be something different, after all. One of the Tourist Office s quotes actually is Never the same. Always San Francisco.
But note that guidelines about regulations, addresses, and Internet sites were current as of Summer 2018, to the best of our research and knowledge. Neither Marshall Cavendish nor I can bear responsibility for any changes in immigration laws (which are being tightened considerably and continue to change seemingly with little notice or explanation), prices that have risen since this writing, quality of products or accommodations, the disappearance of a shop, the occasional unsatisfactory meal (yes-rare but true even in San Francisco) or any other such inconvenience. San Franciscans may be faithful, but as you will see, they are always looking ahead, causing the city to appear to be changing day by day.
Examples Described
Readers may be surprised to find some spelling inconsistencies and should understand that this has more to do with the American psyche than a malfunction of the word processor. Although our American ancestors rebelled against the British and forged their own spelling of certain words- theater and center, for example-some current Americans seem to find British spelling more elegant. Thus there might appear here a shopping centre or two and a theatre or two amid the centers and theaters, but it doesn t matter, for they are American in every important regard. The same holds true for the word cafe, which is American, but which may variously be spelled caff or caf , depending on the nationality or whim of the owner of the establishment. And all prices are in US dollars.
Throughout the categories we describe hundreds of services and restaurants that are, in fact, representative examples, for there are surely already more in any category, and while some leave, others will no doubt appear. Of course, recommendations are subjective. Each guidebook has its favorites, or at least indicates something the writers have found of interest. That they differ in their listin