Culture Shock

I'm now living on once-foreign soil, and I'm in culture shock. Have I moved to Bali permanently, you ask? No, friends, I've done what at one point I would have considered totally incomprehensible - I've moved from San Francisco to East Bay, El Cerrito, of all places. There was a time that my friends and I raised an eyebrow at those who opted to live on the other side of the Bay Bridge. As in "Do you really want to go to that bar tonight? It mostly attracts a bridge and tunnel crowd" Well, the worm has turned.

It was increased space for a cheaper price that called to me, the opportunity to have an office for my marketing and copywriting work and a studio for my silversmithing hobby. Of course getting away from a certifiably crazy roommate might have played a part. Ya think? Anyway, I got to tell you, it is a fabulous space, but there are some cultural adjustments. You wouldn't think a bridge would make that much difference, but nobody wants to cross that bridge once they get home at night if they don't have to.

Here is how my life has changed:

BREAKFAST

SF (San Francisco): Walk to neighborhood coffee shop owned by a French woman for latte. Drink latte and eat bagel and lox amid Parisian photographs and genteel music.

EB (East Bay): Actually MAKE my own coffee, because it's either that or get in the car and drive to Starbucks over at the shopping plaza.

GROCERY SHOPPING

SF: Grocery shopping? I just walked down the street to one of 50 restaurants: Vietnamese, Chinese, Indonesian, Italian, Greek, Salvadoran, Mexican, Singaporean, Korean, Thai...

EB: Trader Joe's and Berkeley Bowl, home of all fresh produce. (East Bay also has fabulous restaurants, but from where I live, you have to drive to them.)

PARTYING

SF: Cocktail party at home before going on to the "flavor of the week" restaurant followed by dancing at the prime time club followed by dancing at the after hours club followed by dancing at the after-after hours club.

EB: Vegetarian fare at friends' house while watching them try "Supernanny" or "Nanny 911" techniques on their two year old who is standing on top of the table, stomping the serving bowl of broccoli with his small foot and screaming, "No vegables! No vegables!"

EXERCISE

SF: Working out on Nautilus equipment in the gym after work before heading out for cocktails at that trendy new bistro.

EB: Hiking around Tilden Park.

HANGING WITH FRIENDS

SF: Sitting in a hot tub on the deck of a friend's condo overlooking the City with a glass of merlot (Have you noticed an alcohol trend in my SF lifestyle?) while discussing: a) Where to meet before the next anti-war rally, b) Are Gavin and Kimberly off or on? c) Is it wise to add a Nano to one's iPod collection, given its short battery life? d) Any of George W's voluminous incomprehensible antics

EB: Visiting Fairyland, because most of friends bought houses here when they had kids. On the up side, I'm seeing a lot of friends I had almost lost track of when they moved to East Bay.

FASHION

SF: Sleek black lambskin jacket, sleek Prada boots, Armani sunglasses
EB: Either fringed jacket and Indian tunic or a sweat suit

There are no doubt a lot more changes I have not yet faced in moving to East Bay. Anyone out there have any Bay Area culture shock observations of their own? Joyfish?