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.

Silence the Violence

Wednesday was National Stop the Violence Day. Perhaps you witnessed the many Oakland youths standing on street corners with signs promoting an end to violence. Some kids and I noticed them in our neighborhood. The kids even told me to honk in support. We did, and the neighbor kids cheered for us. Wow, how nice to see our neighborhood kids out urging people to think about peace. One kid struggled between deciding to hold up his sign or hold up his pants. He somehow managed both. It was a bit of a feel good thing for us.

...until a boy in my car realized he had seen that same boy earlier in the day. He said that same youth had walked up to a kid at the bus stop and intimidated another kid with a golf club. "Are you sure that's the same kid?" I asked him. 

"Yes, trust me, it is."

"Why would he be holding a peace sign now after having beat up a kid earlier?"

"Don't know. Maybe he's getting paid, and getting seen."

Surely there's a more positive way for these kids to be seen these days. 

Youth Options

Attending a forum on youth in Oakland at City Hall last night, I was pleasantly shocked to learn of the numerous programs offered to support our kids. Everything from Radical Roving Recreation Programs to gang prevention and intervention to school options for incarcerated or critically ill students. However, I was also disappointed to hear of the high non-graduating rate in town. OUSD estimates that of the students entering 9th grade in 2005, about 40% did not graduate in 2008. Now, where they went, no one knows for sure. Some just dropped off the radar; others transferred to charter schools; and others moved out of town, or out of state. So, tracking the start of that class of seniors in the fall of 2007, another 18% did not cross the high school stage in June this year. Clearly, the biggest problem OUSD and the town face with students is simply getting them to class and keeping them in school. Oakland probably has more violence, truancy and gang intervention programs than other U.S. towns our size. I'd love to see a comparison of similar towns. So, as I like to look for solutions...what do you think is the best thing we can do to keep kids in school, and off the streets?

Solutions

Someone said, Focus on the problem and see nothing change, or focus on the solution and make change happen. Do you want to be a problem-maker or a problem-solver? I'm sure most people want to think they are looking for solutions to problems. But, most aren't. They are merely spotlighting problems. Like my blog yesterday. I didn't offer a solution - though, if you read between the lines, you might say I did. The town shouldn't sell permits to fast-food franchises in low-income, high-crime neighborhoods. Okay, so, yeah, that's a suggestion.

The real issue is: What can replace these restaurants, and how can it be done, and who will want to set up shop in neighborhoods that gather lots of crime? I want to know if this town has a plan for its future, or is it just putting band-aids on the little problems. Yes, hooray for FBI and the sweep of gangs yesterday. But I'm not shaking hands with the government yet. Who regulates the sales of guns and bullets? Why not put a $10,000 tax on bullets - or whatever it costs a city and family to pay for clean-up and burial of a murder victim.

If the town isn't taking back control, the people should.

Fried Food and Crime

Driving about this beautiful town, one can't help but note the changes from neighborhood to neighborhood. Take a trip through Montclair in the Lower Hills and you won't see a single fast-food restaurant. Instead, you'll see coffee shops, fast fresh food or fruit-drink types. Spin your wheels down Park Blvd and watch what pops up as you drive under the 580 and the name changes to 14th. Decor switches. Buildings in need of paint, more corner stores and quick greasy food joints sprout like weeds the closer you get to FootHill and International Boulevards.

It doesn't need to be that way.

But it is. As a resident with no political clout, I wonder what I can do. What do you think?