surf or sound INEXPENSIVE Cha Cha Cha Value CARIBBEAN Put your name on the mile-long list, crowd into the tiny bar

BEACHES There are only two beaches in San Francisco that are safe for swimming: Aquatic Park, which is a patch of sand adjacent to the Hyde Park Pier, and China Beach, a small cove on the western edge of the South Bay. But dip in at your own risk there are no lifeguards, and the water is painfully cold.

SINGAPOREAN Straits Caf is what I like to call adventure dining because you never know quite what you re going to get. Burlap palm trees, surf or sound pastel-painted trompe l oeil houses, faux balconies, and clotheslines strung across the walls evoke a surreal image of a Singaporean village. The cuisine, however, is the real thing. Among chef Chris Yeo s spicy Malaysian-Indian- Chinese offerings are murtabak (stuffed Indian bread), chile crab, basil chicken, nonya daging rendang (beef simmered in lime leaves), ikan pangang (fish stuffed with chile paste), and, hottest of all, sambal udang (prawns saut ed in chile-shallot sambal sauce). For dessert, try the sago pudding. 3300 Geary Blvd. (at Parker St.). & 415/668-1783. Reservations recommended. Main courses $14 $22. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon Thurs noon 2:30pm and 5:30 10pm; Fri Sat noon 11pm; Sun noon 10pm. Bus: 2, 3, 4, or 38.

INEXPENSIVE Cha Cha Cha Value CARIBBEAN Put your name on the mile-long list, crowd into the tiny bar, and drink sangria while you wait. When you finally get seated (generally about an hour later), you ll dine in a loud and I mean loud dining room with Santer a altars, banana trees, and plastic tablecloths. Do as I do and order from the tapas menu, sharing such dishes like some of the city s best fried calamari, fried new potatoes, Cajun shrimp, and mussels in saffron broth, all of which are accompanied by luscious sauces. surf or sound This is the kind of place where you can take friends in a partying mood, let your hair down, and make an evening of it. If you want the flavor without the festivities, come during lunch.

Third Sunday of May. Carnival, San Francisco. The Mission District s largest annual event is a 2-day series of festivities that culminates with a parade on Mission Street over Memorial Day weekend. More than half a million spectators line the route, and the samba musicians and dancers continue to play on 14th Street, near Harrison, at the end of the march. Call the hot line at & 415/9200125 surf or sound or visit www.carnavalsf.com. Memorial Day weekend.