well...... adventures aplenty to be had here.
i find the locals really friendly.. we have even had people just say hello as we walk past them in a park (2 guys playing baseball for example) we are often approached in the street by people offering assistance in us finding our way. its a very tourist friendly city.
got approached in Union Squaqre to be interviewed on tv for a food channel.. so not only have i been on internaqtional radio this trip, but also now on tv.
went to buy some beer at the local 7-11 and i got asked for ID. can you believe it? i actually got carded... when i said i was 36 she said i didnt look it, so ill take that as a compliment. but god that was funny.
spent a day wandering around the castro area, shopping for new clothes etc.. i really have to stop buying clothes now.
but managed to get acouple of paiurs of jeans, a handful of tshirts, a pair of CAT boots and a new pair of sneakers. thinsg are pretty cheap here.
weather has been a bit sketchy.. mornings are cold, and foggy.. the days are usually warm enough to wear a tshirt.. except for yesterday when i decided to wear shorts and a tshirt it turned bitterly cold at 3pm, and i was caught in the middle of the city freezing my ass off.
hard to believe the trip is coming to a close. the past 5 monts have been magic but im almost ready to be home again. its going to be so strange to arrive in my house...everything will look familiar and yet so strange. not looking forward to the hours of housework that must be awaiting me. i left in such a rush i dont even remember the state of my house anymore.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
USA USA USA
well.. Washington was great. very very hot...
Day one there was memorial day.. we meandered from memorial to memorial, taking lots of pics.
the spy museum was fun, very interesting and informative. found the info on the cold war of particular instrest.
you also had to opportunity to learn a cover to keep the entire time you are there.. you get 5 mins to memorise your cover, then you go watch a movie on something else, then you approach a computer which mimics the immigration officer asking questions. i was John Campbell, im 32 clothing salesman who lives in USA. i was born in mandeville Jamaica and headed for budapest for 14 days on business.. man i can still remember it days later. anyway.. once you pass that (i ansered all questions right) they give you another mission and then at the end of the museum theres another computer test and i got that right too. hmm perhaps career opportunity. hahaha
started chatting to the flights attendant on the washington to chicago flight, John.. who was really nice.. and he upgraded me to first class. (i was stunned) had to sit in economy for the chicago to san fran flight... man that was a long flight..seemed never ending.. even though it was only 4 hours.
San fran is really nice. the people here are so incredibly friendly.. we have had people ask us if we need help finding things, have had guys just say hi as we walk past.
tried to go out for dinner 2 nights ago.. only to discover that the kitchens start closing around 9.30 here.. weird. so we went fdor a wander to Castro...had not yet even stepped foot in the street and already i had a guy offering me 20 bucks to see my cock. (aparently he was having a bet with his friends about seeing a guys cock by the end of the night) i said no.
yesterday we went to the marina area.. very pretty.. saw the palace of fine arts and walked all the way back to the wharf.. i was exhausted.
last night we went to alcatraz... the night tour was great.. very cold but great.,.. you learn so much about the island and its histroiy. not just the penitentary years either.
today is gay day.. and we are going exploring the castro and mission districts.
Day one there was memorial day.. we meandered from memorial to memorial, taking lots of pics.
the spy museum was fun, very interesting and informative. found the info on the cold war of particular instrest.
you also had to opportunity to learn a cover to keep the entire time you are there.. you get 5 mins to memorise your cover, then you go watch a movie on something else, then you approach a computer which mimics the immigration officer asking questions. i was John Campbell, im 32 clothing salesman who lives in USA. i was born in mandeville Jamaica and headed for budapest for 14 days on business.. man i can still remember it days later. anyway.. once you pass that (i ansered all questions right) they give you another mission and then at the end of the museum theres another computer test and i got that right too. hmm perhaps career opportunity. hahaha
started chatting to the flights attendant on the washington to chicago flight, John.. who was really nice.. and he upgraded me to first class. (i was stunned) had to sit in economy for the chicago to san fran flight... man that was a long flight..seemed never ending.. even though it was only 4 hours.
San fran is really nice. the people here are so incredibly friendly.. we have had people ask us if we need help finding things, have had guys just say hi as we walk past.
tried to go out for dinner 2 nights ago.. only to discover that the kitchens start closing around 9.30 here.. weird. so we went fdor a wander to Castro...had not yet even stepped foot in the street and already i had a guy offering me 20 bucks to see my cock. (aparently he was having a bet with his friends about seeing a guys cock by the end of the night) i said no.
yesterday we went to the marina area.. very pretty.. saw the palace of fine arts and walked all the way back to the wharf.. i was exhausted.
last night we went to alcatraz... the night tour was great.. very cold but great.,.. you learn so much about the island and its histroiy. not just the penitentary years either.
today is gay day.. and we are going exploring the castro and mission districts.
Monday, September 04, 2006
sweet south
well, america is sure full of surprises.
after the rain stopped we went out drinking, and chris took me to a typical southern bar.. well.. traditional perhaps.. was called the Thirsty Camel.. was interesting to say the least. we had gone to Coogans first for beers and a pizza, and so of course i had to try a BUD. nice beer.. becks is better but i chugged back a few regardless.
went exploring on a naval ship called the USS wisconsin.. that was fun
ill say one thing for this town.. ooooh eeeee they got some nice southern rough trade down here.. yummo.
went shopping at Walmart.. which was 3 times bigger than any i had seen in germany.. and boy did i get a broad cross section of locals there.. i was pretty much gobsmacked at it all. then we went to the wholesale shopping where you buy in bulk.... had seen it on family guy so was curious.. man you can buy just about anything in bulk there.. including pianos.. hahaha.
today we went driving around.. ended up down in North Carolina.. took a car ferry across a waterway (since i have been on a car train, ferry was the next experience)
saw my first slack jawed yokel today!!! have given up trying to count the number of american flags i see.. way way way too many to count.. so today started counting road kill, and managed to get up to 12. contemplated scrapin them up and sticking them on the engine to par broil, and serve them up for supper with some grits and collored beans..but since we got shrimp earlier.. it seemed a little excessive.
went to Kitty Hawk today, and saw the birthplace of flight. seemed only fitting since i have worked for an airline most of my life, so it was a poiniant place to go see. the courtyside is beautiful... and full of so many cliches, although it dont get to be a cliche for nothing.
i can now see why they say america is full of big skies.. the sky seems huge here and goes on forever... i think cause its so flat on this side and not a lot of highrise skylines to carve up the sky.
today got to 80 degrees F.. not really sure what that is in real tewrms.. just over 26 C i think but man the sun was strong and biting.. got a bit of colour.
got me some good pics today. battlin hard not to pick up the local accent.. its growing on me and i find it so cute. especially the more southern twangs you hear now and then.
after the rain stopped we went out drinking, and chris took me to a typical southern bar.. well.. traditional perhaps.. was called the Thirsty Camel.. was interesting to say the least. we had gone to Coogans first for beers and a pizza, and so of course i had to try a BUD. nice beer.. becks is better but i chugged back a few regardless.
went exploring on a naval ship called the USS wisconsin.. that was fun
ill say one thing for this town.. ooooh eeeee they got some nice southern rough trade down here.. yummo.
went shopping at Walmart.. which was 3 times bigger than any i had seen in germany.. and boy did i get a broad cross section of locals there.. i was pretty much gobsmacked at it all. then we went to the wholesale shopping where you buy in bulk.... had seen it on family guy so was curious.. man you can buy just about anything in bulk there.. including pianos.. hahaha.
today we went driving around.. ended up down in North Carolina.. took a car ferry across a waterway (since i have been on a car train, ferry was the next experience)
saw my first slack jawed yokel today!!! have given up trying to count the number of american flags i see.. way way way too many to count.. so today started counting road kill, and managed to get up to 12. contemplated scrapin them up and sticking them on the engine to par broil, and serve them up for supper with some grits and collored beans..but since we got shrimp earlier.. it seemed a little excessive.
went to Kitty Hawk today, and saw the birthplace of flight. seemed only fitting since i have worked for an airline most of my life, so it was a poiniant place to go see. the courtyside is beautiful... and full of so many cliches, although it dont get to be a cliche for nothing.
i can now see why they say america is full of big skies.. the sky seems huge here and goes on forever... i think cause its so flat on this side and not a lot of highrise skylines to carve up the sky.
today got to 80 degrees F.. not really sure what that is in real tewrms.. just over 26 C i think but man the sun was strong and biting.. got a bit of colour.
got me some good pics today. battlin hard not to pick up the local accent.. its growing on me and i find it so cute. especially the more southern twangs you hear now and then.
Friday, September 01, 2006
The joys of america
having a ball looking though chris' cupboards trying to find the sugar.
some highlights include
can of bruce's yams (dont know why i think thats funny)
kosher salt (can salt be kosher??)
imitation butter flavour salt (tastes like real imitation butter..not that crap real butter shit)
the biggest fuck off jar of peanut butter i have ever seen
now i i could nly get his two cats to stop followng me aroudn the house and just sitting and staring like a scene from the village of the dammed cats..or the kindergraten scene fro the simpsons with all the babys acting like the birds from Hitchcock... i could relax
Airplane Thoughts
Hearts torn asunder
time and time again
every fleeting moment
is adding to my pain
deep within my soul
falls eternal rain
my psyche barely holding
against the heavy strain
behind the sparkling eyes
this is my dark refrain
not the best i know.. but gimme a break i was tired.
time and time again
every fleeting moment
is adding to my pain
deep within my soul
falls eternal rain
my psyche barely holding
against the heavy strain
behind the sparkling eyes
this is my dark refrain
not the best i know.. but gimme a break i was tired.
Ich muss durch die monsun
well.. folks, we are right in the middle of Hurricane Ernesto. you know its not good when he morning radio comes on, and the first thing you hear is.....there are accidents all over, in fact there are so many accidents, they dont have time to tell us (to the radio station) how many accidents there are.
poor chris is having the worrisome decision, if he should go into work.. since half the area is closed.. all courts, schools, government buildings... in fact radio is saying, if u dont need to go out.. dont.
sigh.. well im just glad i got here last night, and not yesterday or that flight would have been horrendous.
leaving zyrich iwas incredibly hard... almost totally lost it as i put the bags in the boot of the car..and i barely held it back walking through the immigration.. many a silent tear has fallen over the past 24 hours.
sitting at heathrow for 5 hours..AGAIN.. has made me totally over London.. and never never going via there again..the place is a hole. but i was very glad of all the security checks.. even if i had to take off my shoes for the xray.
the immigration officer last night on arrival looked like something out of the village people.. and i had to have 2 fingerprints taken and a digital photo.. so now im on file... funny, this is what the stasi was like back in the day.
driving down from washington to norfolk took over 3.5 hours and we finally pulled in at 3,15am or something...we even stopped off at a truck stop.... man and i thoughti saw heaps of trucks and truckers in Europe.. man.. there is was without end.
so stuck at home today playing with the laptop and Chris' 2 cats.. its great to see chris again, and i know the next 7 days wil be fun.
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