If San Francisco were what Singapore wished it could be, Portland is kinda like what Singapore is.
it’s just abit of everything, living forever in the shadow its more illustrious sisters. in many ways i think Portland is trying to become a big city, but it’s not quite there yet.
but that’s not to say that there isnt alot to love about portland. given a choice to live in the bay area or portland, i think i’d chose bike city.
firstly, public transport is awesome. coming from a country that prides itself on having an awesome transport system, that says something. for starters, transport is free within the city center. the MAX light rail runs above ground, giving the cityscape some sort of visual incongruence as you watch a rail car crawl past you.
secondly, the place hasnt been obliterated into tourist hell. that means things actually make sense. there is actually a proper supermarket in the city center selling things at normal prices. there are libraries and schools.
most importantly, people are friendly. probably cos they arent detested by the non-existent crowds of “Portland” hoodie wearing chinese tourists. so it’s all good. and im serious about the people here being friendly. i had as much conversation here in a day as i did all week through vegas and san fran.
Stumptown Coffee, Portland, OR. I honestly cannot decide if i should have sex with megan fox or give that up for that espresso machine right there. work. of. art.
Morning started off with a coffee at stumptown coffee roasters. true to their reputation of making good coffees, a range of beans was on sale and the brew of the day which i tried was antigua. it was a medium roast. but the truth is beans from a place vary in flavour. also, the roast affects the bean as much. so from experience, the only real way to tell what a coffee tastes like is to read the description. although there are some classic beans, just because its from guatemala doesnt always mean it’s medium roast and sweet.
Lazy morning, Portland OR.
I have not had proper coffee in the longest time, so with book in hand I happily spent more than an hour in that place. totally worth it. I discovered another bigger branch so that’s where im headed tomorrow for my coffee. i just sat on my chair and watched the world go by me. that’s the kinda feeling portland gives me, so i just went with it.
next up was Powell’s a private bookstore with arguably the most number of books in any place. i really enjoyed it, it was like 4 floors of books, from the obscure to the popular. anything american bookstore that has a japanese copy of inuyasha gets my nod…
Portland has a really big food cart culture. much like the roadside stalls we frequent in asia, they are an inexpensive way to fill your tummy, often with unhealthy but pretty authentic food. just some burger joint, so it was just like some burger. lunch was not much to yell about.
As I set off to do some phototaking the clouds came in. biggest bummer of the day. :( apparently there’s a storm system coming in so i might not get anymore good photos till i get to boston. wth right, i know. i might even fly with the storm to the east coast and get stuck there. :(:(:( what a bummer.
mika and nok, ginthaifood cart, Portland, OR. check them out at www.facebook.com/ginthaifood. it’s good…
Like i said, portland is really unassuming. so much so that i feel like just giving a passing mention to the art market and all that. but at least this place feels alive, not kept alive by neon signs or forcefully fed by tourists. this place is alive, and it doesnt stay that way for anything or anyone. it’s not for show and there’s nothing that’s being touted. so for the average tourist, the gems take awhile to find, but at least you never live in the fear of the tourist trap.
Dinner was at another food cart. i think that’s all that im going to eat from here. gin thai food, run by a couple of thais, lies in a row of carts on 3rd and.. i can’t rmb. i honestly didnt want to eat any asian food. especially some bastardised version of food that americans think is asian. so it’s nice to see some locals cook food "the right way”. an entree and a drink, for 6.50. what a steal. I had a conversation with the store owners and it was nice talking to them. ended up adding their stall page on facebook, haha. It’s such a lovely thing to own your own cart and run a modest business off it. sometimes, i wish i were more like these guys, braving it out in the real world. their food is really tasty. were i in the mood for thai i would definitely go there, im sure they’ll make it big.
So. Portland really is a gem. Not much to see and do here, but what you do get in Portland, you cannot get anywhere else in the states. Its such a pity that I never got to see the wonders of the wild that is Oregon. Even in downtown, they sell outdoor goods en masse. It is a city that I have seriously failed to adequately squeeze into a jpeg.
You can get better attractions in San Francisco. You can get better jobs in Seattle. You can even get better natural wonders in Wyoming, Nevada and Arizona.
But that is exactly why you must be nuts to not want to come to Portland.
Highway ramp, Portland, OR
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