Impressions
Some notes:
- On my second afternoon I walked all the way to the train station from my house, passing rows of smart houses with neatly manicured lawns. It was two in the afternoon and silent save for the occasional car driving past. I had the feeling that I was walking not in reality but rather in a still-life painting, where everything in the landscape was neatly preserved.
- I bought a pair of shoes, an annual ritual here in the U.S. where shops actually carry my size. The salesman came over and described each pair I asked about in minute detail, using terms I hadn't heard before. He then asked me what my favorite dish was in China. I told him I was fond of a mashed potato with spices dish. "Daaaaamn!," he said.
- Walking around I caught myself staring at obese people waddling around like penguins, their bellies spilling over their belt as they ambled into the parking lot.
- My mother and I bought clothes in a crowded shop. "That was chaotic in there," she said as we were leaving. "Really?" I said. I hadn't noticed.
- I remembered what good bread is supposed to taste like. I drank a pint of strong beer and felt immediately tipsy. I overheard a woman at Starbucks order a double decaf non-fat latte to go, and had to resist asking her what the point was.
- In Berkeley I tried and failed to parallel park while my friends laughed hysterically.
- I went to a trendy Vietnamese restaurant last night with three friends, all of whom are successful young professionals. We had conversations about BlackBerry phones, business class lounges at Heathrow Airport, good credit card deals, billing hours at a law
firm, wine, and after hours clubs in San Francisco.
- I've been amazed- every day- by how clear the air is. Yesterday apparently was a "Save the Air Day" here in the Bay Area, which I found hard to believe.
- I've developed a bizarre aversion to television. I just won't turn it on. In Beijing my friend and I watched the American ESPN, and I found myself wishing the volume was turned down.
- Finally, and I don't think I'm alone in this, I couldn't help but notice how much.....stuff there is here. The supermarkets, shops, and restaurants are all so neat, clean, well-appointed, and stuffed to the brim with merchandise. I will say that I do live in a nice suburban town, but the absolute and total lack of shabbiness has absolutely shocked me.
And wow...people are friendly.
