I got a JOB. (Wut wut?).
Didn't really see that happening today, but after the interview they asked me to go in tomorrow morning and start. Full time barrista (who saw that coming?). I'll finally have something to do with my day! AND I get to interact with PEOPLE, which is a concept that was beginning to seem really foreign to me. I guess it might be the part that I'm most excited about.
yay me!
21.3.07
7.3.07
6.3.07
"og" means "and" in danish...funny?
So my plan to hit the ground running once I got back hasn't worked out quite as planned...yesterday I got food poisoning, spent the day and night crawling to and from the bathroom. Not exactly the greatest start I can think of, but I'm feeling much better today and by tomorrow I should be back to normal. Worked on my resume today -- I don't really like writing my qualifications on paper. I'd be much more comfortable with a person to person interview in any case, but I guess with what I'm going to be doing (going door to door handing people my resume) I really don't have much of a choice.
Cheers!
Cheers!
4.3.07
Yay!
Finally got pics posted! Click on the pictures below and it should take you to my photobucket albums. The Europe one ended up being HUGE (even though it's only a portion of the pictures I took) so I had to split it up into Europe and then Venice. The Europe album actually catalogues my journeys backwards, starting in Paris instead of Amsterdam, so if you want to view it chronologically start with my London pictures. All told, I don't have nearly enough, but I guess they'll have to do.
Tell me what you think!
-m
Tell me what you think!
-m
23.2.07
Italy! (continued...read the one below first).
Right! So! Where was I? Um...ROME! Saw the pope, it was madness. We spent the rest of that day wandering around in the rain (it has now rained on me in every single city so far, and only at the most appropriate times...if that makes sense.) The next day I took off to Venice...I had NO idea what I was in for. People were telling me in Rome "Oh yeah! Carnival! All right!" and I agreed, but I really had no idea.
Carnival.
All right.
Arrived in Venice in the evening (about a 6/7 hour train ride from Rome). I had finally gotten to see the Italian countryside -- it's beautiful, and ranges from these beautiful rolling hills to mountains to impossibly flat valleys. Parts of it reminded me of Texas, actually.
The hostel I where I stayed was situated right on the Grand Canal, the canal which cuts through the center of the city. The first night I wandered up and down it, getting lost in the alley ways and trying to get myself oriented. Which proved to be impossible at night, and almost just as hard during the day (by the end though I think I had gotten the hang of it.) I saw a few small Carnival signs, but I wasn't out very late, and it was limited to hundreds of people wearing masks and just as many vendors trying to sell them.
The next day was the last day of Carnival...practically the PERFECT day to be in Venice. The whole day was nothing but celebrations, and I took the opportunity to do some REAL wandering in between the random marching bands and street performers and hoards of tourists and party-goers.
Venice really is one of the most fantastic places I've ever been. It's made up of over 110 islands and in between those are well over 400 bridges. There are no cars in the entire city, just at the end of the causeway where they are required to park (it would be impossible to drive through anyway). To get around quickly, you take a water taxi. It's a maze of narrow alleys, market squares, churches, canals, and bridges (really, that's pretty much all there is to it). And while it would have been nice to be there in the summer, winter definitely has it's appeal with the low cloud cover and the haze shrouding the tops of the taller monuments and churches.
That night I went to the end of Carnival...and WOW! It was without a doubt one of the highlights of this trip, if not my life. The Piazza San Marco, the largest square in Venice, was completely lit up with colored lights and patterns, and was FILLED with people. I got there around 10 o'clock, right as the last main band went on. It's hard to describe...but they were a sort of big band who danced...the sound was incredible and by the end of it the crowd had really loosened up and people were really beginning to celebrate (it was either the band or the fact that every other person had a bottle of wine in their hands). After the band, the crowd (which was really just MASSIVE) moved to the canal for the fireworks show. And let me tell you, while Italians may not be the most punctual of people, they know how to put on a show. The whole extravaganza was put to music blasted out over the crowd from these massive speakers. Some music (almost all easily identifiable english tunes which were fun to sing along to -- "Crazy little thing called love", and "Imagine" as an example. The best part (and part I will probably never forget) was El Tango Roxanne from Moulin Rouge. It's hard to describe if you haven't heard the song, but at the end, when the song reached it's climax, the sky just EXPLODED.
And so I caught the crowd home and went to bed.
The next day I went to Murano -- called the "Glass island" for good reason -- the glass from there is world famous and it's practically the only industry in Venice (or what is considered Venice) besides tourism. There are some beautiful trinkets there, and the island itself is less crowded than Venice, which makes it much more quaint. Also, there is no causeway to the island, and the only way to reach it is by boat...which, let's face it, is just cool. After wandering around there for a while I took the water taxi which went around the city and got some wonderful views of parts of Venice I hadn't gotten to. I discovered that while it IS a very walkable city, the quaintness of the various neighborhoods that you discover make you just want to stay put when you find them, lest you wander off and lose them. (did that make sense? it did in my head.)
And so that brings me (sort of) to here. I was really dreading the night train from Venice it Paris, seeing as how the last one I was on was a hair-raising experience. But the train I got was actually very comfortable and filled with really friendly people. I can't possibly express what a relief that was, and I actually got to Paris (fairly) well rested.
Well, I hope that was sufficient to keep you folks entertained until I can update you on my Paris adventures (which I'll probably do from London). I'll be back in London on the 25th, I'm cutting my Paris visit a bit short just because I'm eager to see my dad and get back to an English speaking country...not very adventurous I know, but you try traveling alone for 3 weeks and see how you feel :).
Love you guys, miss you all.
-Michael
Carnival.
All right.
Arrived in Venice in the evening (about a 6/7 hour train ride from Rome). I had finally gotten to see the Italian countryside -- it's beautiful, and ranges from these beautiful rolling hills to mountains to impossibly flat valleys. Parts of it reminded me of Texas, actually.
The hostel I where I stayed was situated right on the Grand Canal, the canal which cuts through the center of the city. The first night I wandered up and down it, getting lost in the alley ways and trying to get myself oriented. Which proved to be impossible at night, and almost just as hard during the day (by the end though I think I had gotten the hang of it.) I saw a few small Carnival signs, but I wasn't out very late, and it was limited to hundreds of people wearing masks and just as many vendors trying to sell them.
The next day was the last day of Carnival...practically the PERFECT day to be in Venice. The whole day was nothing but celebrations, and I took the opportunity to do some REAL wandering in between the random marching bands and street performers and hoards of tourists and party-goers.
Venice really is one of the most fantastic places I've ever been. It's made up of over 110 islands and in between those are well over 400 bridges. There are no cars in the entire city, just at the end of the causeway where they are required to park (it would be impossible to drive through anyway). To get around quickly, you take a water taxi. It's a maze of narrow alleys, market squares, churches, canals, and bridges (really, that's pretty much all there is to it). And while it would have been nice to be there in the summer, winter definitely has it's appeal with the low cloud cover and the haze shrouding the tops of the taller monuments and churches.
That night I went to the end of Carnival...and WOW! It was without a doubt one of the highlights of this trip, if not my life. The Piazza San Marco, the largest square in Venice, was completely lit up with colored lights and patterns, and was FILLED with people. I got there around 10 o'clock, right as the last main band went on. It's hard to describe...but they were a sort of big band who danced...the sound was incredible and by the end of it the crowd had really loosened up and people were really beginning to celebrate (it was either the band or the fact that every other person had a bottle of wine in their hands). After the band, the crowd (which was really just MASSIVE) moved to the canal for the fireworks show. And let me tell you, while Italians may not be the most punctual of people, they know how to put on a show. The whole extravaganza was put to music blasted out over the crowd from these massive speakers. Some music (almost all easily identifiable english tunes which were fun to sing along to -- "Crazy little thing called love", and "Imagine" as an example. The best part (and part I will probably never forget) was El Tango Roxanne from Moulin Rouge. It's hard to describe if you haven't heard the song, but at the end, when the song reached it's climax, the sky just EXPLODED.
And so I caught the crowd home and went to bed.
The next day I went to Murano -- called the "Glass island" for good reason -- the glass from there is world famous and it's practically the only industry in Venice (or what is considered Venice) besides tourism. There are some beautiful trinkets there, and the island itself is less crowded than Venice, which makes it much more quaint. Also, there is no causeway to the island, and the only way to reach it is by boat...which, let's face it, is just cool. After wandering around there for a while I took the water taxi which went around the city and got some wonderful views of parts of Venice I hadn't gotten to. I discovered that while it IS a very walkable city, the quaintness of the various neighborhoods that you discover make you just want to stay put when you find them, lest you wander off and lose them. (did that make sense? it did in my head.)
And so that brings me (sort of) to here. I was really dreading the night train from Venice it Paris, seeing as how the last one I was on was a hair-raising experience. But the train I got was actually very comfortable and filled with really friendly people. I can't possibly express what a relief that was, and I actually got to Paris (fairly) well rested.
Well, I hope that was sufficient to keep you folks entertained until I can update you on my Paris adventures (which I'll probably do from London). I'll be back in London on the 25th, I'm cutting my Paris visit a bit short just because I'm eager to see my dad and get back to an English speaking country...not very adventurous I know, but you try traveling alone for 3 weeks and see how you feel :).
Love you guys, miss you all.
-Michael
Italy...Mamma Mia...
Ok, SO I realize I haven't posted in a week (is that really all? It feels like a month?) but I've got some really great excuses...bad computers, busy wanderings, etc...
But I've only got 14 minutes left on this computer, so I'll hurry up and tell you what I can.
Florence was incredible, it rained when I first got there, after the sketchiest night train ride in the long history of sketchy train rides, and I was angry and wet and lost. But then I went for a walk to the top of the Duomo there...Santa Maria? And when I got to the top (462 steps!). The skies had cleared and the sun had made it's triumphant return to the world of Michael. It was perhaps one of the most picturesque things I've ever seen. The buildings in Florence all have those red tile roofs, and it's a pretty small city situated in a valley surrounded by tall hills, a beautiful river, and in the distance, some incredible mountains. It was the beginning of my Italy experience.
Went to Rome the next day, but didn't arrive until nighttime so I still hadn't seen the Italian countryside. The hostel (Freestyle) was in the middle of the immigrant quarter, which is pretty shady if you don't have any idea where you are. But I found it, got some free pasta (awesome!) and went to sleep. Spent the next day exploring the city, and Rome is amazing. It doesn't have the small-city charm of Florence or Venice, but at some points where the hills are cut away you can see that the whole city is built on the foundations of previous generations. The Colloseum, while it IS a very imposing, impressive structure, is too surrounded now by wire and fencing and men dressed as gladiators to be really impressive. The Forum, however, and the gate beside it, are absolutely incredible -- truly amazing, considering they were built well over one thousand years ago. I also walked to the Vatican and did a runthrough of St. Pauls, which is the MOST overwhelming piece of architecture I've seen in Europe (and that's saying a lot!). But then again it IS intended express the power and wealth of the Catholic church.
That night I met a guy from Paris (Julian or "john" if you couldn't pronounce it correctly) and he told me he and his friends were going to go to the Vatican and check out the mass (it was Sunday the next day). Sounded cool, so around 9 we headed over. The walk to the top of the Cathedral was 5 hundred something steps, and at the very end of the walk there are spiral steps which can only be about a foot and a half across and which go up so steeply they have a rope hanging down to guide you so you don't fall. The top, from which you could see all of Rome plus the Vatican, was astounding (I got some great pics...you'll see them eventually...::sigh::). After that we wandered around for a bit, then went back to the Vatican at noon. We heard some guy speaking and realized that while we were gone the square had filled with literally thousands of people. And in this tiny little window, speaking in 5 different languages there was the pope.
And now I've run out of time, but I've got so much more to tell you, I'm going to buy more...
But I've only got 14 minutes left on this computer, so I'll hurry up and tell you what I can.
Florence was incredible, it rained when I first got there, after the sketchiest night train ride in the long history of sketchy train rides, and I was angry and wet and lost. But then I went for a walk to the top of the Duomo there...Santa Maria? And when I got to the top (462 steps!). The skies had cleared and the sun had made it's triumphant return to the world of Michael. It was perhaps one of the most picturesque things I've ever seen. The buildings in Florence all have those red tile roofs, and it's a pretty small city situated in a valley surrounded by tall hills, a beautiful river, and in the distance, some incredible mountains. It was the beginning of my Italy experience.
Went to Rome the next day, but didn't arrive until nighttime so I still hadn't seen the Italian countryside. The hostel (Freestyle) was in the middle of the immigrant quarter, which is pretty shady if you don't have any idea where you are. But I found it, got some free pasta (awesome!) and went to sleep. Spent the next day exploring the city, and Rome is amazing. It doesn't have the small-city charm of Florence or Venice, but at some points where the hills are cut away you can see that the whole city is built on the foundations of previous generations. The Colloseum, while it IS a very imposing, impressive structure, is too surrounded now by wire and fencing and men dressed as gladiators to be really impressive. The Forum, however, and the gate beside it, are absolutely incredible -- truly amazing, considering they were built well over one thousand years ago. I also walked to the Vatican and did a runthrough of St. Pauls, which is the MOST overwhelming piece of architecture I've seen in Europe (and that's saying a lot!). But then again it IS intended express the power and wealth of the Catholic church.
That night I met a guy from Paris (Julian or "john" if you couldn't pronounce it correctly) and he told me he and his friends were going to go to the Vatican and check out the mass (it was Sunday the next day). Sounded cool, so around 9 we headed over. The walk to the top of the Cathedral was 5 hundred something steps, and at the very end of the walk there are spiral steps which can only be about a foot and a half across and which go up so steeply they have a rope hanging down to guide you so you don't fall. The top, from which you could see all of Rome plus the Vatican, was astounding (I got some great pics...you'll see them eventually...::sigh::). After that we wandered around for a bit, then went back to the Vatican at noon. We heard some guy speaking and realized that while we were gone the square had filled with literally thousands of people. And in this tiny little window, speaking in 5 different languages there was the pope.
And now I've run out of time, but I've got so much more to tell you, I'm going to buy more...
17.2.07
coming soon...
Really long post coming soon...but I don't have the patience right now. PLUS! I think I found an internet place where I can post pics.
Miss you all,
Oh and I'm in Rome
-Michael
Miss you all,
Oh and I'm in Rome
-Michael
14.2.07
Berlin, pt. 2
Change of plan:
I stayed in Berlin an extra night, I'm skipping Vienna to head a bit further south in an effort to get to warmer climates. In about half an hour I'm getting on a train to Florence, and I'm staying there for a night and then heading to Rome. Hopefully I can find a place to stay, because I don't have any reservations at a hostel there. Should be fun!
The rest of my stay in Berlin was amazing. Not just because the city was beautiful and alive, but because the people I met there were so much fun. I had the time of my life at the hostel last night just sitting and talking until 6 a.m., when the bartender finally turned on the lights on full and we were forced out. I would definitely like to return and spend more time here later on down the road.
Well, got to catch that train.
I stayed in Berlin an extra night, I'm skipping Vienna to head a bit further south in an effort to get to warmer climates. In about half an hour I'm getting on a train to Florence, and I'm staying there for a night and then heading to Rome. Hopefully I can find a place to stay, because I don't have any reservations at a hostel there. Should be fun!
The rest of my stay in Berlin was amazing. Not just because the city was beautiful and alive, but because the people I met there were so much fun. I had the time of my life at the hostel last night just sitting and talking until 6 a.m., when the bartender finally turned on the lights on full and we were forced out. I would definitely like to return and spend more time here later on down the road.
Well, got to catch that train.
11.2.07
Berlin!
So it started snowing in Amsterdam and has followed me all the way to Berlin.
Hamburg was relaxing -- to cold to really get anything accomplished so after a short tour of the city I just chilled out at my friend Asti's place.
The hostel here (CityStay Hostel) is big enough to pass as a dorm. It seems clean and safe enough though, and is right in the middle of what used to be East Berlin.
Feeling a bit under the weather. My throats bothering me a bit, I think mostly as a result of the cold weather and living off of bread and water (and some fruit salad when I can find it.) Anywho, I'm really hungry, so I guess I'll go on a mission to find some food.
More tomorrow,
Love,
-M
Hamburg was relaxing -- to cold to really get anything accomplished so after a short tour of the city I just chilled out at my friend Asti's place.
The hostel here (CityStay Hostel) is big enough to pass as a dorm. It seems clean and safe enough though, and is right in the middle of what used to be East Berlin.
Feeling a bit under the weather. My throats bothering me a bit, I think mostly as a result of the cold weather and living off of bread and water (and some fruit salad when I can find it.) Anywho, I'm really hungry, so I guess I'll go on a mission to find some food.
More tomorrow,
Love,
-M
8.2.07
to interpret "agh!"
It's really cold here. Really cold. Maybe the second coldest place I've ever been to. While taking my morning walk, I (of course) got good and lost. Eventually a blizzard started up and while it did make everything very pretty and dreamy, I got completely soaked. Also, turns out when I get that cold my nose gets a nice cherry red, so I looked ridiculous as well. I did, regardless, get to explore the city, although I missed seeing the rembrandt and van gogh museums. It's a beautiful city, and easy to navigate because the canals simply surround the center, so as long as you keep track of where the center is with respect to your positioin, it's nearly impossible to get lost (I wandered out of the center away from the canals of course). So far today I've had a (big) fruit salad and two pieces of bread. Oh and some water. That's healthy, right? The hostel is extremely laid back, with a bar that's always open and a great location. Plus it's really clean in the bedrooms. The whole thing was a bit overwhelming at first (to finally interpret AGH!), but I'm getting used to it over time.
-Michael
-Michael
7.2.07
5.2.07
oh!
I forgot to get addresses before I left, so post your address if you want a really amazing postcard from some random european city.
sweet jeebus. my feet are tired.
A few points on London:
1. Maps are only useful to a point...after which they become simply aggravating. Also, if points on a map look close together and you think "oh, I can walk there no problem...no need to take the underground", immediately stop what you are doing and punch yourself in the face.
2. The weather in London is every bit as wonderfully horrid as they say it is...today was cold, cloudy, and drizzly. The sun even made a short appearance to tease me before disappearing again, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the following dreariness.
3. Don't expect to see wizards. I didn't see any traces of them. I know that's really stupid, but I'm pissed off all the same.
NOW!
If you couldn't tell by the aforementioned points, I spent all day trekking around London. I visited tons of the sights (westminster abb(e?)y, big ben, the national gallery, the tower of london, tower bridge, a random pub, etc.) Seeing as how I only got three hours of sleep last night due to jetlag, I'm amazed I made it that far.
I've still got two hours before I'm supposed to meet my dad at some place that I have no idea how to get to, and it's getting dark. Not sure what I'm going to do in between now and then. OK so the princess diaries is playing in the internet cafe and it's really distracting. um. uh...
Sorry I haven't gotten any pics up...I took more than a few good ones today and I SWEAR they will be up soon.
remember! comments = instant love.
love,
-m
1. Maps are only useful to a point...after which they become simply aggravating. Also, if points on a map look close together and you think "oh, I can walk there no problem...no need to take the underground", immediately stop what you are doing and punch yourself in the face.
2. The weather in London is every bit as wonderfully horrid as they say it is...today was cold, cloudy, and drizzly. The sun even made a short appearance to tease me before disappearing again, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the following dreariness.
3. Don't expect to see wizards. I didn't see any traces of them. I know that's really stupid, but I'm pissed off all the same.
NOW!
If you couldn't tell by the aforementioned points, I spent all day trekking around London. I visited tons of the sights (westminster abb(e?)y, big ben, the national gallery, the tower of london, tower bridge, a random pub, etc.) Seeing as how I only got three hours of sleep last night due to jetlag, I'm amazed I made it that far.
I've still got two hours before I'm supposed to meet my dad at some place that I have no idea how to get to, and it's getting dark. Not sure what I'm going to do in between now and then. OK so the princess diaries is playing in the internet cafe and it's really distracting. um. uh...
Sorry I haven't gotten any pics up...I took more than a few good ones today and I SWEAR they will be up soon.
remember! comments = instant love.
love,
-m
4.2.07
LONDON!
LONDON is AMAZING! Dad and I were discussing how I've never been to a city this large before...it's incredible. Somewhat intimidating, but incredible. The apartment is a bit out of the way, but I think that's actually nice in this case -- it's nice to spend a day in the city and then run back to the apartment. So far we've walked through or by practically all the major sights, but there's still a lot more exploring to be done. Tomorrow and the next day I'll still be in London, but Wednesday I'm off to Amsterdam. I'll be taking pictures and posting them within the next few days, as I still have some time left at this internet cafe.
Cheers!
Cheers!
29.1.07
23.1.07
plans
My Europe plans are done! They are as follows:
Arrive in London on February 3rd. Spend a few days wandering around the city.
Fly to Amsterdam on the 7th, stay at one of the most famous hostels in Europe (the Flying Pig Uptown).
Hamburg on the 9th, stay with a friend there for two nights.
Take the train to Berlin on the 11th.
Take the night train to Vienna on the 13th (9 1/2 hours)
Night train to Rome on the 15th (12 hours!)
Train to Venice on the 19th (right at the tail end of Carnival).
Night train to Paris on the 22nd.
Paris for four nights, then back to London on the 27th.
Leave london on the 3rd of March.
That's what I call a whirlwind tour. I'm sort of scared...traveling alone to all of these places. I should come back with more than a few good tales, but I would say the excitement outweighs any trepidation I might be harboring. In the meantime, I'll be reading up on rudimentary Italian and French. Also, I should have a digital camera, and most hostels offer free internet (for ten minutes or so...) so I should at least be able to post some pictures so people can follow the madness.
Also, this week I'm planning on doing a few hikes, so expect some pictures of the bay area shortly.
Love to all,
-m
Arrive in London on February 3rd. Spend a few days wandering around the city.
Fly to Amsterdam on the 7th, stay at one of the most famous hostels in Europe (the Flying Pig Uptown).
Hamburg on the 9th, stay with a friend there for two nights.
Take the train to Berlin on the 11th.
Take the night train to Vienna on the 13th (9 1/2 hours)
Night train to Rome on the 15th (12 hours!)
Train to Venice on the 19th (right at the tail end of Carnival).
Night train to Paris on the 22nd.
Paris for four nights, then back to London on the 27th.
Leave london on the 3rd of March.
That's what I call a whirlwind tour. I'm sort of scared...traveling alone to all of these places. I should come back with more than a few good tales, but I would say the excitement outweighs any trepidation I might be harboring. In the meantime, I'll be reading up on rudimentary Italian and French. Also, I should have a digital camera, and most hostels offer free internet (for ten minutes or so...) so I should at least be able to post some pictures so people can follow the madness.
Also, this week I'm planning on doing a few hikes, so expect some pictures of the bay area shortly.
Love to all,
-m
16.1.07
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waltzing matilda
Not much to report. I've spent the last 5 days in solitude, as my dad's gone on a weekend trip to L.A. (he's getting back in an hour). Today was the first day I felt good enough to go out and about. I took the subway over to San Francisco and checked out Powell st., it's where all the big shopping centers are (Neiman Marcus, Macy's, Louis Vitton (sp?) and H&M) I had grand plans for buying a hat at H&M, but all they had were winter ones. Bummer. Also went to by the Metreon, a sort of mall near downtown, in hopes that they were showing Pan's Labrynth, but to no avail. I'm still working on how to get my pics up, and I promise that you guys will be able to see them soon.
Love!
-M
Love!
-M
12.1.07
waltzing matilda
Well folks...I made it. It seems like I've been talking about this forever, and I'm finally here. More on "here" in a bit.
For now, let's have an update. So far this vacation I've been to North Carolina (Durham), New Jersey (Princeton), Massachusetts (South), and every state in between there and Texas. I then flew to Phoenix, where my dad picked me up and we drove to the Grand Canyon, then Los Angeles. The Grand Canyon is big...really big...you can't possibly imagine how BIG it really is. L.A. doubly so, only in a very different way.
Spent a few days in L.A. before flying up to Oakland. It was enough time for me to realize why it is that some people move there and never look back. There is a movement under the whole city -- one can tell that everyone there knows exactly what they want and what their doing, where they're going and where they want to be. Whether this is just a cleverly crafted illusion or the actual truth, it still scared the shit out of me. I (currently) prefer an environment where people wander about aimlessly, as it's always comforting to feel that everyone else is just as lost as you are.
Time for the now.
I've been sick since monday with a cough and a cold. It completely threw off the plans I had for getting off to a good (productive) start here. I have therefore spent the first few days of my new life on my dad's couch eating cough drops like candy and watching reruns of "Mythbusters". Oh well. The weather here just got cold. It's the kind of cold that makes your ears ache, too. SO I can't exactly go gallavanting about lest it aggravate my condition. A few more days of this won't be that horrid, but if I'm still sick after the weekend I'm going on strike. (?). I have, however, been writing and reading as I planned (though not in the volume I would have liked). Here is something I wrote this morning at the coffee shop.
I sat next to an attractive, trendy girl in a black hoodie. Everyone here wears black hoodies. I opened up the Murakami book I had been trying to wade through, but upon doing so I realized that my nose was running horrendously. I had to put the book up so I could concentrate on sniffling as discreetly as possible. Instead, I took out my notebook and began writing brilliant introspective prose. Tis allowed me to concentrate more on myself, thereby opening new realms of sniffle control. I thought about my plans for the day -- ocean beach was always a fun expedition, but it was cold (yes...the kind of cold that makes your ears hurt), and I didn't feel like freezing in a giant field of blowing sand. Then again maybe I did. A walk, either way, was in order.
Despite my self-proclaimed knowledge of all things bay-area, I knew my way to precious few spots by way of public transportation. Busses scared the bejeezus out of me. Having to stick your dollar in quickly while a line of people wait impatiently behind you. Not only are they in a hurry, but so is the driver (to a frightening degree). If, as in my case, you hadn't a fuck-all clue how much fare was, or indeed any knowledge of how the bus system worked at all, you were screwed.
I decided to walk somewhere. Home sounded cozy.
More later.
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