Monday, July 11, 2011

San Francisco, just days before the 1906 Quake

I have to say San Francisco is my absolute favorite city in the whole United States, hands down.
I love the people, the mentality, the weather, the hills, the views, the strong coffee, the wine, the history, you get the idea. I love everything about San Francisco, everything but the earthquakes.
I studied at UC Berkeley in 1995, and that is when I got to know the city from the inside out.
I did live in Berkeley, which is across the bay from San Francisco, but I enjoyed many weekends and many days off and lazy afternoons in this awesome American city.
I have to say I always got super nervous when driving the Bay bridge into the city and I am still traumatized by the 1989 earthquake, which I missed by a hair's-breadth.
The only factor that would prevent me from living in the area again is my personal desperation fear of earthquakes.
The video below touched something very deep within my fear of earthquakes.
See, the film historian featured on this week's 60 minutes show researched and discovered that this video was filmed just a couple of days before the big earthquake of 1906, the film maker shipped the movie off to New York by train, just "THE DAY BEFORE" the earthquake, which completely destroyed the film maker's office and would certainly have destroyed the movie along with it.
It is shocking to imagine that many of the people seen on this video only had a couple of days to live.
The film maker placed the camera on the front of a cable car and filmed a normal day on the life of San Franciscans on Market Street, the city's main thoroughfare.
If you have never been to San Francisco, you definitely need to make it a priority and get over there on the first chance you get. Also make sure to rent a car and drive up to Napa valley, you won't regret.
It was just too sad for me to watch all the innocent people completely unaware of their fate just days away, but on the other hand, the film has an incredible historic significance for the city and for our nation.
If you enjoy history as much as I do, you will LOVE this film, and if you are as emotional as I am, you might just have tears rolling down your face the entire length of this video, just like I did. ;)

6 comments:

Jim said...

After living there for 24 years... I definitely left my heart in San Francisco.

But Rio runs a good second.

Jana said...

Ohh I agree, my hands down favorite place! Thanks for sharing... definately think even though Ive never lived there some piece of my heart got stuck there over by the wharf!

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Jim,

You must have great memories from these 24 years in that wonderful city. :)

Ray

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Jana,

The "Wharf", I love the "Wharf" too!
What am I saying, I love EVERYTHING about San Francisco! ;)

Ray

Fiona said...

Wow. I really really love San Francisco too. My best friend is moving there in a couple weeks and I look forward to the day I can go visit her! Thanks for sharing that video. It's cool (... I didn't have any tears, but still found it to be a really really nice blast from the past.)

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Isn't it great Fiona?
I know, I couldn't help to think of all the people in that video that would perish in the Earthquake just days after the video... I am too emotional too!
Good to hear from you!! Glad you enjoyed.

:)


Ray