If you stay as long as I have in San Francisco, you realize the Castro scene is quite the sport. When a tourist comes to town, everyone here is relieved to meet someone ambivalent to the drama.

So there I was haplessly glued to my camera’s viewfinder, taking photos of it all, mumbling dreadful things about the Castro (yet again). But for the second time in a week, I spotted Samuel, who is visiting from France.

We first met at Folsom where he let me take a Polaroid. And then again at the Castro Street Fair. Throughout the entire day, we were continuously bumping into each other, eyeing each other, talking to each other. Like 3-5 times in 2 hours!

The conversation shifted from a pleasant hello to exchanging contact information to what we do for work. By the end there was a “we must be in touch”.

“I’m glad we met and ran into each other all day long,” he told me in a message after the event. “Here is a picture of my dick with a padlock. I was about to put it on when you asked to take a Polaroid. Feel free to use it as well if you like.”

As dramatic as the Castro seems, there is unbelievable beauty even if it’s just here for the weekend.