From Hella to Howarrya and Back Again

I grew up outside of Boston, lived in San Francisco for almost 5 years after college, returned to Boston for graduate school two years ago, and am now moving back to San Francisco yet again.  This post is all about the random, little things I’ll miss about Boston, as well as the random, little things I’m looking forward to experiencing again in San Francisco.

Things I’ll miss about Boston:

Greetings:

The ubiquitous Howarrya?;  Yep, whether at Logan, Starbucks, the DMV, or Trader Joe’s, you can always count on a few classic Howarryas (pronounced just like it sounds when said quickly).

Moreover, here in “Beantown,” a good ol’ howarrya is usually followed by one of the following (with a thick Boston accent of course): guy, champ, sport, kid, and bud.  As in, “Howarrya? Doing OK champ?” or “Howarrya? Sup with you bud?” or even “Howarrya? All done with that sport?” 

I, like most, often take these little greetings for granted, but now that I’m poised to leave again, I cherish each and every one.

Superdudes:

What is a “superdude” you ask?  Well, it’s hard to describe exactly as there are various degrees of superdudeness, but it basically boils down to the following: A superdude is typically a guy that has an affinity for tight shirts and/or wifebeaters, hair gel, Bud Light, and of course, knuckle sandwiches. 

You know a superdude when you see one.  These guys can be pretty annoying, but I must admit, they also can be quite endearing.  For some reason, there seems to be a higher than normal concentration of these guys in Boston.  God bless ‘em.

Winter and No Happy Hours:

Haha.  I kid, I kid.  I certainly won’t miss these two things.

Things I’m looking forward to again in San Francisco:

Wackjobs:

If people watching were an official sport, the commissioner would most certainly reside in San Francisco.  Basically, every day seems to be Halloween in this city.  Where else can you see a delusional pirate complete with a parrot and eye patch, a man in full S&M gear complete with assless chaps, and a Silicon Valley entrepreneur complete with a neatly trimmed beard, Versace glasses, jeans, a nice shirt, and flip flops all cohabitating in the same patch of grass in a local park?  Nowhere.  Exactly.  

Protests and Parades:

It is very rare that a week goes by in San Francisco without some sort of protest, picketing, or parade.  Themes for these events run the whole gamut from gay rights, to anti-war, to hotel wages, to mythic crystal worship.  You name it, there’s an event for it. 

Yes, these gatherings can often snarl traffic, screw up your morning commute, or make you want to poke your eyes out with a fork sometimes, but all in all, the relentless, ironic pursuit of San Franciscans to be against everything and anything is often quite entertaining.  

Hipsters and Hella:

OK, OK.  You got me.  I am definitely not looking forward to teens clad in SF Giants gear preceding every adjective with “hella,” or to a sea of tight jeans, one-speed track bikes, plaid, moustaches, Keds, and messenger bags.  But hey, at least the Mission bars have Happy Hour!!