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I've arrived in DC, and it's absolutely scorching here - 93 degrees, which translates into Centigrade as super hot. I spent today with a Brazilian woman named Marie who is here to meet her daughter. We walked to most of the key monuments - Washington, Lincoln, Vietnam and Korean - and we also visited the National Botanic Gardens and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum (which was incredible!). This city really is beautiful and feels like somewhere I could spend an indefinite amount of time. It has a feel to it that New York, awesome as it was, didn't have. The hostel is lovely - everyone is super friendly, especially two Scottish girls who were sharing my room last night, Allison and Shona. In a strange twist of fate I also met in the sixth floor bathroom a girl called Rhiannon who used to play in the National Children's Orchestra with me, here on a choir tour. I haven't seen her since we were thirteen, and I'm still amazed that she actually recognized me!
As I sat on the Greyhound listening to Radio Nowhere, somewher in Orange County Virginia between Charlottesville and Fredricksburg, I thought it might be kind of fun to put together a list of ways in which the UK and the USA are different. First of all, there are "drive thru"s everywhere, and not just for food - you get drive thru pharmacies, banks and probably other things as well. Then there's service in restaurants - refills as soon as your drink is half empty (or before, in some places), menus as soon as you walk through the door, food within ten minutes of arriving... very nice indeed. Food servings are way bigger here, but if you can't finish your food at a restaurant they'll put it in a box for you to take home with you. All you can eat buffets here don't actually mean all you can eat - they mean eat as much as you can, which is significantly different. Oh, and junk food! You can't find a bar of Galaxy to save your life, but the Yanks have Graham crackers, which come in adorable teddy shapes, and they have Goldfish crackers, which are a staple of the diets of just about every American child. Laws on alcohol are super-strict - no drinking under 21, no alcohol allowed on ANY college campus regardless of your age (even if you're doing a PhD, apparantly; you can be expelled). On the other hand, you can walk into a Walmart and buy a gun. Speaking of guns, you know all those 'Cash for Gold!' adverts we have in the UK? Here, they have 'Cash for Gold and Guns!'. Yup. Really. Trade your guns, which kill people, for cash, which doesn't (Mitchell and Webb reference, hands up who got it).
I'll add more tomorrow when I think of it. Right now I need to go and find a pharmacy and a grocery store. Tomorrow I'm going on a tour of Capital Building! Should be awesome times. Until then.
Brewster out.
- comments
Pa Vivid post - I felt I was there while still on my sofa. Amazing coincidence to find yourself having a NCO reunion! Take care daughter dear! xxxx
david Add to soundtrack of your journey...Springsteen '41 shots' Try to pick up utube version & check out lyrics. Keep safe, Brewster
Egs me, me I got it! oh pick me!