So a week has passed in sunny California and I still can't believe I'm here. From the drivers on the wrong side of the road (who drive like maniacs) and the fact that the roads are so big that I can't actually jaywalk (that's running across the street like a headless chicken for those who don't get the lingo). There's also how surprisingly kind some Americans are... Like wow I was actually surprised. (I came here with the notion that they were all rather mean and scary. I think it's the gun laws. I've really got to not be so suspicious about that...)
It has taken me quite a while to acclimatise to the American way of life, that being a sleeping pattern, the size of the portions and cup sizes (legitimately, the small here is a medium-large back home. I mean what is up with that??) And I'm sorry but why would you add the sales tax at the end of a purchase? Just put it on the price tag and save every single person in this country the hassle!
Numbers are also quite weird here, the clothing conversions, currency differences, time zones, various new buses, the lot. When faced with this I do definitely prefer ye olde London.
Shopping is quite fun when you've got money... I have found this out when shopping at MAC and not having to say 'no' when the bill rises quite high. I have to admit, the quality is very good and I am very happy with my purchases. That's christmas money well spent!
Orientation and meeting people from CSULB (the reason I'm here - not just to shop) was probably my favourite bit of the week. Managing to meet people from back home in England here was good, finally people who understand the annoyances of American life (believe me, at the end of this week I have found a few). But studying here sounds rather exciting - when I've sorted out what modules I'm taking. Apparently I've taken some fourth year modules, which is much higher than what I'm supposed to be studying. I mean I'm a second year and I don't even get how I was accepted onto the modules... Ah well, nothing that can't be fixed.
Learning that more money needed to be spent on health insurance was rather irritating, seeing as this trip is already being the most expensive thing I've ever done. The universities and embassies and representatives don't really tell you how hard it is to part with all this money (and how much money you're going to end up spending). I can't imagine doing this for a year, 6-8 months is fine with me! (Parting from my family and boyfriend is probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do and as much as I can't wait to do this experience there's a part of me that just needs to be in the arms of the boyfriend and the mother... At separate times of course).
As the week went on I started spending more time outside of my hotel than in. I have gone to various retail parks and enjoyed the sunshine (like wow sun. This is a foreign concept in January). It's been over 20 degrees which has been fab and oddly enough I've been enjoying it in the heat?
I have also found that my university gives me free gym membership for the entirety that I'm here. If that's not awesome then I don't know what is. Summer beach body here I come! (Then I leave to go home at the end of the summer for another drab and cold autumn... I might actually miss the sun!)
There was a rather good way that the university got us to learn the campus plan - and actually getting us pumped for it. Myself and a few friends (Courtney and Nour who are both also from England) did a selfie scavenger hunt which was fun... Till we came third. But we did have a lovely chat with some of the staff who made it all feel nicer and easier. Afterwards Courtney and I attempted to go to Afters, which apparently does a doughnut stuffed with ice cream. I must find this it sounds delicious (and rather fattening.) but we ended up getting the bus in the wrong direction and went to IHOP instead... Maybe if I was hungrier I'd enjoy it more. I got the bigger breakfast option (of course) and only managed to eat three pancakes. I'm rather disappointed in myself. I can usually eat much more than that.
Sadly this week I suffered from a very bad headache that just so happened to coincide with the basketball match that I so wanted to attend. I did however go to the welcome party and meet some Welsh students... Also originating from London/the surrounding areas. It doesn't feel so lonely here as I thought! This university has a bowling alley in the union, a games room, full of wii's and PS3's and also about 10 pool tables. There's also a swimming pool, one of two (or three). This is so American I have to admit. There is even table tennis equipment! It's going to be so hard going back to Swansea where there are two pool tables and a swimming pool/gym that costs too much to use.
Signing up to the radio station here at Long Beach is going to be very beneficial to me, I feel it. Hopefully I'll get some experience working on it and return home and work for that one too!
I've also been to an aquarium where allegedly one could pet the fish. Did that happen? No. Of course it didn't. It's me - animals quake in fear of my boisterous London personality (and some humans but let's not get into that). I was being quite nice, not too loud, and I didn't swear that much (there were kiddies around and you never know how these kids are being brought up, regardless of location. I just do it at home [all the time] because us Brits are exposed to lots of scary stuff).
So after leaving the rather underwhelming fishie place we went to Chili's where I was so disappointed! My steak and "fries" (chips guys, they're called chips... or pommes frites) looked and sounded scrumptious - even without the not-so-healthy dosage of hot sauce I tip on my most of my food nowadays. Well slap my ass and call me a donkey that steak was cold by the time we managed to get our food. A cold steak! I asked for it rare not bloody tartare! My friend Eugene got his at least 5 minutes later... By which all of our plates were cold even with half the food still on our plates (yeah we didn't wait. Girls get hungry, especially those who have been traipsing around Long Beach all day). So I called the manager over and in true cockney fashion decided to complain about the horrendous quality of the food in which we were supposed to pay for, and the service which was pretty sub-par, I mean, it was a Friday night sure but it wasn't that busy. Anyway, I complained, got the food reheated and managed to score 2 free desserts (puddings). 2 desserts. For 5 people. You what mate. Do I look like I share food, especially when there is an Oreo cake on the menu (which was the most expensive one but hey ho #expensivetastes). But oh wait! the Oreo cake was seasonal and they didn't technically serve it. I bet it was because the company was too damn lazy (or "busy") to update the menu. Great impression on us Brits there. Fantastic. We managed to get her to give us teh original version with like four crumbled up Oreo buscuits and tipped them onto of the weird cake/ice cream/melted chocolate concoction. It was alright. (But I won't be going there again).
But anyway, the last thing I've done this week was go to Los Angeles. The City of Angels/city of smog, future hotspot for one of the world's worst earthquakes/and so on and so forth. We hiked half way up Runyon Canyon Park (mountain?)... Till we realised the view wasn't great and moved on to the next mountain range which was 12-14 miles across several mountains at the Griffith Park/Observatory, and attempted to get one of those hipster tourist shots of the Hollywood sign. We gave up when we were told it would be another 2 hour trek and we'd already done 2 hours. If we'd kept going we would have made it... But that's for another time when we all have more stamina and energy (and water). We have till June to go again and even though it gets hella hot during the summer months, we'll have adjusted to it by then (I hope).
Then we went to Hollywood Boulevard and oh my word where are the movies getting all these clean lovely shots of well established businesses and whatnot. At first all we saw was dirty sidewalks (pavements) and several closed down shops! Drivers are crazy in LA and decide to undercut, overcut and in general drive like deranged maniacs. I mean we had at one point gotten into the right lane and somebody come from the lane to our left, go in front and swerve over to he exit lane (Like in The Birdcage, for those of you who have taste in films. Just kidding, but seriously watch it it's fantastic.)
I'm just really shocked at the quality of everything in Hollywood. Maybe I'll just end up bypassing the city to go to Universal and Harry Potter (My birthday and April could not come quicker).
What is rather surprising though is the amount of McDonald's I've seen... Or the lack of them. I might not have been to much of SoCal but I've only seen two branches. I swear there were more of these - I've seen more Chipotle's (which is hella lush) than McD's!
Well anyway, tomorrow (or sunday, whatever time it is when you're reading this) is when I finally leave the abysmal excuse for wifi I have and upgrade to eduroam and the free gym! I have to repack. Which I have not done. Excuse me whilst I go and pack my life up again.
On to greener pastures!
Au reviour!
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