As promised, a collection of random impressions! Previous post has status updates, this is just random thought and ideas inspired by this utterly crazy city.


1) Pride flags all down the main street of San Francisco (Market). How cool.

2) High-fructose corn syrup. It's in EVERYTHING, it tastes horrible, and they even leave out the hyphen!

3) LOTS of homeless people. I knew San Francisco has quite the homeless problem, but wow.

4) Excellent public transport. Cheap too.

5) God, everything is so sweet! I bought APPLE JUICE and I have to dilute it before it's drinkable. And no, it's not the kind that's meant to be diluted.

6) Historic time here. California solemnised same-sex marriages legally for the first time yesterday. How cool to be a part of it.

7) Went to an American movie theater. Very very small, with a whining baby behind me. I technnically shouldn't blame the staff for that, but I do, because I'd have made the woman take it outside if I were working there.

8) The game stores in Berkeley are astonishing. RPG books I've never heard of! Even all the Unknown Armies supplements I don't have!

9) This is a surprisingly safe city, from what I can tell. I've never actually felt unsafe. I'm careful, but still, pretty cool and not what I'd expected from an American city.

10) I love the Daily Show. Best. Political commentary. Ever.

11) Took a swim in the Pacific Ocean a few days ago. Cold. But what I'd expected. This apartment is right beside it!

12) Everyone here thinks it's cold right now. Weaklings. Weakling who still use the Fahrenheit system.

Hello all,

So, my first eleven days in San Francisco have been pretty eventful, to say the least. First, a status update. I'm currently still staying with the relatives' friends, who are tremendously fantastic people. I should be hearing back tonight, however, about a really cool place in Berkeley I want to rent. If not, I've been talking to the people I'm staying with about formally renting from them. I'd really love to live in Berkeley, though...

What've I been up to? Well, I had a job for all of two days last week. You know those Concern street collectors back in Dublin? The charity-muggers? ...yeah. That, but for the environment. This was, needless to say, a BAD idea. Firstly, I suck at being charismatic and charming people into giving me money (and I'm not sure I'd want to be like that anyway, frankly). Secondly, who knew a job that involved being rejected by people all day would affect someone who's empathic, sensitive, and occasionally emotionally fragile? So i quit. Admittedly, I'd probably have been fired in a few more days anyway - I raised an average of ten dollars a day, about one-seventh of my salary - but it's the principle of the thing.

I have, however, applied for a bunch more better jobs. The Gap are currently looking for part-timers and I hope to get a callback from them on Thursday. I've applied to all the game stores in Berkeley (hint: they're the best in the world) plus loads of other random jobs, some of which might actually pay off. I've also gotten on the books of an office temp agency, which should be a help.

The one good thing about the charity-collecting gig was I've gotten to know a fair bit of the city's layout - San Francisco isn't actually that big, being a lot less sprawling than Dublin. A relative of the folks I'm staying with has also shown me around a bit, which was lovely of her.

Em, that's about it on the essential info. Next, a collection of random thoughts and impressions!

Oh, and Scott, sorry I didn't reply to your comment. Please, yes, if there's anyone you'd like to put me in touch with please do - stevo991@hotmail.com

Hey all, in a rush so this will be short.

Arrived safely, made it through immigration without any bother, slightly to my surprise (I look shifty, what can I say?). My aunt's sister's friends, Russ & Jeannie, havegiven me a place to stay for a few days until I find my feet, which was astonishingly nice of them - they're incredible people (and I'm writing this on their computer, so that's not a factor at all...).

Jet-lag didn't happen, which I put down to not sleeping Thursday night and doing so on the flight instead. Going to a job fair this afternoon to hopefully gain employment, and am currently arranging to see a vacant apartment this evening or tomorrow. Once again, my luckiness shines through!

Will give more detailed stuff later, tak to you all soon. Love from San Francisco!

Writing a practice essay for my Critical and Cultural Theory exam, I managed to construct what is possibly the best analogy ever. I compared Saussure's concept of the English language as relational to it being a buckyball. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckminsterfullerene

Exact quote: "Also, language, being relational, is entirely self-supporting. It is like (to use a scientific analogy) a “buckyball”, which is a spherical formation occurring occasionally in nature of sixty carbon atoms all linked together on the outside. Although each atom is only bound to four others, and all the bonds are straight lines, they still manage to form an entirely self-sustaining structure with no anchor point at the centre."

I'm totally submitting this for metaquotes. (Wait, damn, not original to LJ.) Also, who was it said a scientific education was no preparation for the humanities? Boo-ya! :)