In the Eyes of the Beholders

"Leah Garchik informed us in her syndicated column on San Francisco Chronicle that

Danielle Steele told the Wall Street Journal, which describes her as "newly Parisian," that she has left San Francisco.

"San Francisco is a great city to raise children, but I was very happy to leave it. There's no style, nobody dresses up - you can't be chic there. It's all shorts and hiking boots and Tevas - it's as if everyone is dressed to go on a camping trip. I don't think people really care how they look there; and I look like a mess when I'm there, too."

I am afraid that I have to agree with her and I do find that not only San Franciscans look way too casual, myself included, its much praised beauty is overrated too.  San Francisco is surrounded by natural beauty of a specific kind and if it's your thing then you are in heaven; if not, you will find yourself trapped.

However, San Francisco does have legions of its defenders, on fashion front and on the beauty front.

It all depends on the perception and reaction of the beholders.

The comments by Steel reminded me a very interesting anecdote.

Danielle Steel, the romantic novel and New York Time best seller, is known for her novels concentrating on the rich and the famous and had a huge followings, particularly women, had at least one of her novels branded as pornography by Chinese censors.  That "pornography" book was Family Album.  Wikipedia described is thus:

The novel came out in March 1985 published by Random House. The novel tells the story of Faye Price (later Thayer), since World War II to her death in present day. It relates her professional life as an actress in Hollywood's golden era to finally becoming one of the first female directors in Hollywood. But more important to her is her family life, from her marriage, the birth of her children, separations and reconciliations with her husband, the struggles to raise her children, and the problems they go through once grown up until, in the end, they come through stronger from the ordeal.

Yet, for Chinese authorities, in 1990s, the book was inundated with sex, drugs, hippies, free love, homosexuality, protests, Viet Name War, and death.  The only missing element was incest.  Porno!

I wonder if Steel would be amused or not.