If it is Thursday, it must be Mountain View, California

Danny Yeung

Our SARS Prevention

As soon as Tony and I walked into Eat Street(食街), a small Chinese eatery on Castro Street in Mountain View, the waiter greeted us and said, ' Ah! It must be Thursday!' Eat Street reminds me of the Won-ton shops in Hong Kong with roasted ducks, pork and chickens hanging on display in the street window and a steamy cooking area by its entrance. I love their beef ligaments and salt fish fried rice.

After lunch, we strolled west on Castro Street, the main street of Downtown Mountain View. The downtown area was renovated and redeveloped in the 90s. Castro is a two-lane street with landscaped dividers at a couple locations. They are more like giant flowerpots. The sidewalks are wide. Most eateries have tables outside. We walked pass the Mountain View Performance Art Center and the adjacent City Hall. Behind these buildings are a small park and the City Library. Old oak trees and redwoods shade the park. At the west edge of the park, beautiful red maples frame a small Japanese garden.

The 700-block is where our destination-Starbucks Coffee- is located. From a distance, our favorite table seemed tiny under a couple tall redwoods. The filtered sunlight kept our regular spot bright and warm. A few of us, Bay Area Lighters, have been meeting here every Thursday for the past three months. Tony and Pat coined the name 'Ching-Tom -Ng -Kwok' (清談誤國)club for our shindig. I call it BSC (吹牛會)for short.

Going to the meeting every week is like a homecoming for me as well. I lived in Mountain View 30 years ago in an apartment complex on Rengstorff Drive next to Rengstorff Park. Everyday I drove by the rundown Rengstorff Mansion occupied by pigeons. It was the subject of many ghost tales.

In the 90s, the city developed its shoreline into a park. Most of the land in Shoreline was converted into natural or semi-natural areas. Marshlands were brought back to life. A golf course, clubhouse, and sailing lake were also built. Next to the park, the city allowed Bill Graham to build the now world famous Shoreline Amphitheater with its landmark huge tents. The fate of the Rengstorff Mansion also changed accordingly. It was renovated and moved to the Shoreline Park near the Shoreline sailing lake. I saw this Victorian again last summer. It is magnificent. I learnt that it was built in the mid-1800s and was once home to a Mountain View pioneer, Henry Rengstorff. He once owned docks that were located on the present location of Shoreline Park. The docks were an essential part of Mountain View history. Before the train came to town they were the quickest and easiest way to ship goods to and from Mountain View via the San Francisco Bay. During the docks' heyday, Mountain View's agriculture was based on vineyards, wheat, and hay. This area was known as "The Valley of Heart's Delight" instead of Silicon Valley.

If you find yourself in the San Francisco Bay Area and have a few hours to spare, come join us and take a walk around the downtown area. Your heart will be filled with delight. For me, I always go home with new ideas and a fresh point of view.

If it is Thursday, it must be Mountain View, the heart of The "Valley of Heart's Delight".