The American Way of Life

Well, this is awkward....

Here I am in San Francisco, quickly approaching 2 months since my move here and the only blog posts I have pressed "Publish" for since I have arrived are Argentina-themed. I thought about writing about my time here, but every time I had something to say, I did not have the time and when I had time, it felt like there was nothing to say. 

So let us start with the obvious topic: Moving to the U.S. sucks!!! I am not talking about coming here, I am talking about the process of settling in, getting stuff done etc. When I moved to Ireland, everything was easy. Within five days I had a bank account, a social security number, a place to live, a social circle  and internet at home. To get all this here took me almost two months. Why so complicated? Well, mostly because if you don't have a credit history, you are no one. I am not even talking about finding an apartment - that can be remedied by moving in with other people or - like me - paying an extra deposit for a studio. It's the small things. Internet was worst. I feel like having internet at home is a basic need and should be a civil right. If you deny me my internet access, you basically take away my freedom. I got three (!!!) letters from Comcast telling me that they have deemed me non-creditworthy and are absolutely sure that I can't afford paying 30-40 Dollars for internet a month. And that was AFTER I got a social security number. Don't even try getting hooked up to the www without one. Side note: My employer even pays for my internet at home, which makes it all the more hilarious. I will stop this rant now.

Another obvious topic: Moving to SF rocks!!! Now I am talking about the lifestyle, the city and my evenings and weekends.

I have opted for a small and affordable (for SF anyways) place in a great location and I have not regretted it. Polk Street with all it's bars and restaurants is a block away from home and I can say that I live in the lovely Nob Hill-neighbourhood (alas low on said hill). The foodie scene is a lot more diverse than Dublin and I really enjoy dining out. Only problem is that it is quantity over quality in many places and the prices are often a bit steep for the quality offered. The city is so beautiful even in rainy December that I can not wait for spring. Walking from my place to the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge is around 12 km (7.4 miles) one way and a great way to spend a Sunday. Watching the sun set over the bridge from Crissy Field is just so stereotypically awesome as everyone has seen pictures like this hundreds of times. I guess everyone visiting me here will have to do this walk/cycle/bus ride with me.

Apart from that, I am working on making friends. I like the fact that Americans are rather outgoing in general and I have already met a few people that I call friends rather than just mere acquaintances (you know who you are). Although the shallowness stereotype might fit some people, I feel that the ignorant one does at least not fit people I meet. Maybe it's California or my social circle revolving around the company that supposedly hires the best and the brightest, but kudos on this one so far, Yankees.

I go out quite a lot and have already been out of the city once or twice - most recently on a ski trip to Tahoe - didn't take my Canon up the mountain, so there is only awful pictures and I stopped posting these on here a while ago (about the time when I stopped posting in this awfully hard to acquire language of Goethe and Schiller).

Ok. More things to come soon and hopefully with pictures to go with it.