Spotted right next to this bench in downtown Walnut Creek.
Back last December I noted that H&M in Walnut Creek closed their bathrooms, blaming shoplifting, however they are now semi-open, although you’ll need to contact an employee to let you in as they still have the locks.
I would like to share a story that may shed some light on H&M’s global bathroom policy. While vacationing in Tokyo last month, my family stopped by a huge, crowded four-story H&M to do a little shopping. Around that time my toddler son needed to go to the bathroom. Noticing that the men’s section was on the top floor, I decided to head up there as I figured that would be the closest bathroom. After waiting an unseemly amount of time for the elevator, we get to the top, and I quickly asked a Japanese H&M employee where the bathroom was. Turns out, there are no bathrooms in the department-sized Tokyo H&M. Incredulous, I asked whether there were any women’s bathrooms. No, nothing she replied. So with my son getting antsy, I told her my son needed to use the bathroom, and asked her whether she could tell me the location of the nearest bathroom in the area. She told me that she could not tell me. Not that she didn’t know, but that it was against store policy to tell as it wouldn’t be fair to the other store. This despite my little kid having to go badly.
In the end, despite getting very close to having my kid go potty right in the middle of the floor, we ran as fast as possible outside and found an electronics store nearby that I remember had a bathroom. But I’ll always associate H&M with their stingy bathroom policies around the world.
Am I over-reacting here with H&M bathrooms? Why do other stores, with their own shoplifting issues have bathrooms, but H&M Walnut Creek is locked down? Since this should be Friday Question of the Day, what do you think about large stores locking down or closing bathrooms?
I never realized the lights in the back of Broadway Plaza are purple. Looks pretty cool at night.
The deadline for the Walnut Creek City Council nomination period has been extended to August 15th since Council member Gary Skrel is not seeking reelection. From the City of Walnut Creek home page:
Persons interested in running for the Walnut Creek City Council may pull nomination papers and receive all other necessary forms and information from the City Clerk’s Office. To make an appointment, call City Clerk Suzie Martinez at 925-943-5819. Three seats are up for election. Candidates must be at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States, and a resident and registered voter of the City of Walnut Creek.
From the Walnut Creek City Council page:
There are five City Council members. They are elected at large for 4-year, staggered terms; elections are held in November of each even-numbered year. To learn more about individual Council members, click here. Council meetings are held the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 1666 North Main Street. For an agenda of the next meeting, click here. All Council meetings are televised live over Comcast Channels 28 and Channel 26 (Rossmoor), on Astound Channel 29, and on AT&T U-Verse Channel 99. The meeting broadcast is repeated in its entirety the following Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m. on Comcast Channels 28 and 26 and on Astound Channel 29.
Back in March I noted that a new cafe was opening this summer within the downtown Walnut Creek Library, and Cafe Pica Deli finally opened last Friday. Their original deli is located in Concord.
Check out some of the dishes:
Cafe Pica Deli has a large Peet’s Coffee selection, as well as offering soups, sandwiches and salads, in addition to various snacks.
Last week I pointed out that the colorful murals from the now closed French restaurant Le Virage in Walnut Creek have been painted over. Several months before this happened I took extensive photos of the murals and looking back I find them pretty darn cool, don’t you think? They covered the entire building, in the back and on the second floor as well. It’s too bad they are now gone. For those that didn’t see the earlier post, you can check out a mural from the inside here.
Facing N. Main St:
Notice that even the hinges are painted:
Check out more photos of the mural including the Eiffel Tower after the jump…
Those getting off Highway 24 onto Mt. Diablo Blvd. to get to downtown Walnut Creek have probably seen the sign for Bikram Yoga. This is not your ordinary yoga by any means. From the wikipedia page:
Bikram Yoga is a system of yoga that Bikram Choudhury synthesized from traditional hatha yoga techniques and popularized beginning in the early 1970s. Bikram’s classes run exactly 90 minutes and consist of a set series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (≈ 40.6°C) with a humidity of 40%, and is the most popular form of hot yoga (a series of yoga poses done in a heated room).
Since I took up running as a hobby I’ve been getting sore and so decided to sign up for the introductory deal at Bikram Walnut Creek, $30 for 2 weeks. They offer classes mornings and late afternoons/evenings 7 days a week. You can check out there schedule here. Photos of the yoga studio inside are here.
As someone who doesn’t normally sweat much even during workouts, I wasn’t sure what would happen my first class. I wore a tech shirt and shorts, and by the end of the session, despite repeatedly wiping my face with a towel, my eyes were red from sweat dripping in, and my shirt and entire clothing were literally sopping wet. I can see why most of the men work out with just shorts on. A bathing suit probably makes the most sense. The next session I went to several people dropped out mid-session because it was too much. I myself felt dizzy and nauseous during a few poses, but I stuck through it.
So why suffer through this all? For me I feel it helps my flexibility and soreness with my back and other parts of my body so I’m going to try this out once per week from now on. If you think you might be interested keep in mind that parking in back is extremely limited however there is free street parking on Bont Lane around the corner. Also, if you are uncomfortable with heat or have underlying health issues, I strongly recommend checking with your doctor first, and if you do decide to go, bring a HUGE water bottle filled with ice and water.
Has anyone done Bikram? What do you think of it? How does Walnut Creek Bikram compare to other Bikram studios?
From the Lesher Center for the Arts website:
August 17, 2012, curtain: 8pm
August 18, 2012, curtain: 8pm
Presented by Mountaintop Company Productions
Rossum’s Universal Robots (R.U.R.) is a 1920′s classic play written by Karel Capek. This production is produced by, directed by, and features local college and high school students. R.U.R. depicts a world where genetically engineered robots work alongside humans. The show explores the necessity and worth of consciousness and what it truly means to be human.Mountaintop Company Productions is a local theatre company working to explore and exhibit methods or using theatre for social change, and this will be their first mainstage production.
Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek currently has one Starbucks near California Pizza Kitchen, and a new Starbucks will be opening this October inside Macy’s according to signs plastered all over the construction area. Considering that most of the cafes are on the other side this makes sense, although I personally would have preferred a different chain like Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, but I can’t say I”m surprised. Starbucks is everywhere.
