The sun was rising somewhere around Grapevine, California. Northbound towards San Francisco. I requested time off in order to have another day for my Thanksgiving vacation.

Six weeks passed since I started working in Carlsbad. I worked nights, from around rush-hour to half-past midnight. I was still trying to find myself while settling into a new job and a new apartment with one other roommate.

When we came to, I spent one day with family and another two with a friend of mine who I met in Film Studies back when we were taking classes at UCI. We talked about films, fixed his computer(s) and tried to relax when we could. We saw 21 Grams after catching some latte at a small coffee place not far from the independent theater. It was a good time.

It's too bad I am allergic to cats. I loved seeing Sugar and Kiwi for the first time though.

San Francisco was interesting. It always was. Only this time, when I walked down some streets (during those brief moments in Little Tokyo or near City Hall, where my friend resided) , I felt some comfort: it reminded me of my first "regular" urban walks in Japan.