(no subject)
All in all, Portland is a great place. It's a fairly large city... large enough to get lost in if you don't know which bridge is which. Great transportation... and all the bus stops have covering for the constant rain (of course, as I say that, the sun comes out...). The ones downtown are like little rooms, and folks always have tea or hot chocolate so it smells good...
The best place is the South East side. That's where they have the "People's" food co-op, with a ton of locally grown food, and where, once you shop there, you become a member and eligible to vote in company decisions. There's also the Back 2 Back Cafe, run by the Wobblies! Big IWW logo on the front door...
By far, my favorite place has been the Red and Black Cafe. There are no bosses... the workers decide what to do for themselves, they split the money equally amongst themselves... they switch jobs with each other when they get bored or want to try cooking or running the register. Portland folk are pretty friendly, too. There are always labor unions or local progressive groups meeting in the Red and Black... it has a peaceful, but exciting air... feels like things are always happening, and there's a comradery about the folks there.
With dishes like the "Roasted Rich" sandwich, Che's Chili... and my favorite, the Black Dragon noodles. Noodles with peanut sauce, peanuts, tofu, and some green plant that I can't remember the name of... anyway, fantastic stuff.
Heard a few musicians there... The Cobalt Season and Jeff Wetherell... The Cobalt Season is a man, Ryan Sharp, and his wife, Holly (who's a few months pregnant)... they saw all of their friends settling down into suburban American life... and it kina scared them, it was depressing... so they set out, and have been travelling since. Jeff Wetherell is a friend of theirs that lives here in Portland. He sings honest songs, and has an amazing voice. The best I've heard in person, actually.
Aside from that, I've been exploring the city... trying to find folks who can tell me where the local Food Not Bombs is meeting... though everybody seems to direct me someplace different, and the phone numbers I've gotten haven't yet worked.
Anyway, exploring the city is enjoyable enough, and I have until Monday to do it.
The best place is the South East side. That's where they have the "People's" food co-op, with a ton of locally grown food, and where, once you shop there, you become a member and eligible to vote in company decisions. There's also the Back 2 Back Cafe, run by the Wobblies! Big IWW logo on the front door...
By far, my favorite place has been the Red and Black Cafe. There are no bosses... the workers decide what to do for themselves, they split the money equally amongst themselves... they switch jobs with each other when they get bored or want to try cooking or running the register. Portland folk are pretty friendly, too. There are always labor unions or local progressive groups meeting in the Red and Black... it has a peaceful, but exciting air... feels like things are always happening, and there's a comradery about the folks there.
With dishes like the "Roasted Rich" sandwich, Che's Chili... and my favorite, the Black Dragon noodles. Noodles with peanut sauce, peanuts, tofu, and some green plant that I can't remember the name of... anyway, fantastic stuff.
Heard a few musicians there... The Cobalt Season and Jeff Wetherell... The Cobalt Season is a man, Ryan Sharp, and his wife, Holly (who's a few months pregnant)... they saw all of their friends settling down into suburban American life... and it kina scared them, it was depressing... so they set out, and have been travelling since. Jeff Wetherell is a friend of theirs that lives here in Portland. He sings honest songs, and has an amazing voice. The best I've heard in person, actually.
Aside from that, I've been exploring the city... trying to find folks who can tell me where the local Food Not Bombs is meeting... though everybody seems to direct me someplace different, and the phone numbers I've gotten haven't yet worked.
Anyway, exploring the city is enjoyable enough, and I have until Monday to do it.