When is a Shoe not a Shoe?

Well, if you've visited the Oakland Museum's Cool Remixed exhibit, you'd know the answer. Well, have you? No? So what are you waiting for? The OMCA sincerely tries to lure in the atypcial museum goer. If you know a kid who doesn't like museums (and, we all know at least one), take that kid down to Oak and Tenth and rock their world. Slide them through the more hum drum showing of the Birth of Cool first. You may dig the 1970 Hollywood Hills homes, but today's media-blitzed, pimped-cribbed youth might only yawn. That's when you shimmy next door to the town's version of Cool in the Cool Remixed exhibit featuring skateboard videos set to stylin' jams, apparel that hums a happenin' vibe and shoes decked out as suspension bridges and doll houses. Cool Remixed is an awesome display of O-Town's imaginative youth. It's only here until August 18, so trek on down and show some love to the creative side of Oakland.

Embracing an Ethnic Path

Talking with a friend recently, she observed that most white Californians fall into an ethnic blackhole. Unlike the East Coast, where Americans proudly claim their Italian, Portuguese, Eastern European or other heritage, Californians find themselves on the fence. Not only do many caucasians sitting out west lack distinctive ethnic characteristics, most don't even acknowledge their roots. Are they embarrassed of their national past? Do those of German heritage want distance from a fascist regime that is now more than a decade vanished? Do French-Americans feel funny owning this elite background while lacking the sexy accent?

Many of us seem to walk the streets of this nation's most diverse community rootless, trailing our crumbling dirt behind us, leaving a path away from us but not toward us. We exist mostly as this country's most obvious melting pot, having melted into an amoeba-like structure void of form. It's no wonder we enjoy a spicy tamale or tangy Korean barbeque, or that we indulge our tastebuds in sultry curries or sweet and sour pork. We want the sexy, provocative story, but not the lurid, humiliating atrocities. And, so, we find ourselves lost, floating through a town of more than 150 languages, a popular port to the world, walking by Tibetan clothing boutiques in our bland Birkenstocks and khaki shorts believing that an era of peace and love could pass as our ethnic heritage. So easily, we grasp onto mysterious religions and their alluring aromas of incense.

Who will we be, white Californians; what past will we claim; what future will we embrace? It is exciting and frightening all at once, but a moment open to all that is possible.

Trees and Diversity

Take a drive, or walk, around this beautiful city and notice the many varieties of trees. In just one city block, you might observe pines, palms, fruit and oak trees. Lower your eyes and you will discover the neighborhood's diversity doesn't stop there. In one East Oakland neighborhood, I noticed five different tree varieties and drove by an equal number of neighbors working in their front yards - Chinese, Hispanic, African-American, White and Vietnamese. Now, this was a hood in the flatlands. As I drove further up the road, where the incline changes as gradually as the scenery, I observed something else.

Cross MacArthur Boulevard and wind up into the more elevated sections of Oakland (not quite "the hills", but close enough), and you will observe equally lesser varieties of trees and diminishing ethnic diversity.

Travel back across the 580 and out into the city's crime-ridden sections, and you will observe less trees all together and more concentrated single ethnic groups.

What does this mean? I don't know for sure. It's just an observation. Which came first, the variety of trees, or variety of people; the singularity of an ethnic group or the scarcity of trees; the singularity of trees or the singularity of an ethnic group?

As I said, it's just an observation, and one I continue to ponder. More importantly, I wonder, what might happen if we planted more trees in West Oakland and the deep East, and mixed in a variety above the 580? Would we see any change in crime; and change in economic disparity, any change in city pride?

I just wonder.

Things to love about O-Town...

... diversity ... brick and mortar shops ... flat streets for family biking ... small hills for daring teens ... rec centers ... trees ... public pools ... lakes (man-made works) ... hills ... views ... mountain trails ... lakeside strolls ...  unique boutiques ... kids on bikes ... old-schoolers on skateboards ... the A's night-time fireworks shows (anyone catch tonight's? WOW!)
... more things I love later... 

what do you love about this town?

Customer service is alive and well

Recently, I became disgruntled by the number of cashiers helping me in town - while talking on their cell phones, or texting someone. Without acknowledging me, they rung up my items, chatted, texted, took my money and sent me on my way. I'd just stare in awe. Not all of these employees were teens either, if that's what you're thinking. One was a woman telling her daughter to pick up milk.

So, I started believing that people just didn't care about their job or how well they did it. I started thinking, those days are over. But then, I met Pasquale.

Pasquale (and he'll need to forgive me if I spelled his name wrong) is the guy at the Alameda Avenue Home Depot who rings up delivery orders - over by checkout 1. I came into Home Depot today to order some bark and stones for my garden. I couldn't find anyone in Gardening, and couldn't find the items I wanted. That didn't bother Pasquale. He made calls, sent other employees looking for sku numbers, even took me over to the sand bags to explain the difference in the two varieties. And, all the while, he's making jokes with other employees, telling my son he's a good artist (yes, he doodled his bored self all over any scrap of paper available), boasted about his 5-year-old who he's teaching three other languages, and helped several other customers while we waited for sku numbers and whatnot.

The entire time, Pasquale smiled, laughed and treated me like a really important customer.

Now, you can bet I will be back to Home Depot. The other places with cell-phone chatting/texting employees - haven't been back since.

Thanks, Pasquale. Have a great day!

It's a beautiful day in Oakland...

When my father took over as president of my hometown's chamber of commerce, he got all city employees to answer their phones with: "Hi, it's a great day in *****, how can I help you?".

I thought, how cheesy! However, that simple line generated more positive calls into city offices than ever. And, the infection spread, as city workers started complaining less and enjoying time at work more.

Sounds corny, I know. You're thinking, this ain't Mayberry, lady. Well, no, Oakland and Mayberry are about as different as ______  and ______ (fill in the blanks). Still, it's worth a try for this town. Imagine the next time you called downtown to check on a building permit or find out about an abandoned car outside your house, and you were greeted with this line. Sure, at first, you'd probably be taken aback, maybe you'd even hang up. Yet, after awhile, you might even like it.

What has this town got to lose? Why not try some good old fashioned hospitality? Hey, the kids might actually learn some kindness from those in high positions.

Well, you all just have a nice day, now.

If Oakland were Youth Friendly...

If Oakland really were youth friendly, it might have things like:

free shuttles to public pools and libraries...

special teen days in the parks featuring pick-up soccer or other ball games, Rec Center leaders with flyers, vendors of healthy snacks...

weekly or monthly events at alternating school campuses on Saturdays...

a youth rep on City Council...

more teen activities in the flatlands (hands-on science and art centers - like The Exploratorium)...

If Oakland really wants its youth to have focussed activities, it's going to need to give the idea a real jump start. Currently, when someone visits the Town, they don't recognize a youth-friendly environment. What they see are neighborhoods run by the small groups of outlaw youths. What they don't see are the innocent, curious ones who are too scared to go outside or to the park.

The youth are future leaders of the town, future long-term residents. Do we want to nurture in them a love for this place, or resentment?

I'd say the next mayor needs to have strong ideas (positive ones) for making Oakland a youth-friendly town.