America - Part I
So. Having settled most of the housekeeping (bank, phone, apartment etc) I'm taking advantage of a momentary lull in orientation activities to collect my thoughts and update everyone on my first week in America.
But first, getting here. LT and I met up first at KLIA, since we were both headed to Penn on exchange. The flight was comfortable enough - made a little easier by my noise-reducing earphones, lots of sleep, my success in staying hydrated and surprisingly good food on Northwest Airlines. We made our first transit at Kansai Int'l Airport in Osaka, a modest and poorly signed airport for the non Japanese-speaking visitor. Some coffee and toast and 5 hours later, we piled back on the plane and set off for Detroit.
To try and get my body clock aligned, I stayed awake and watched the movies playing on the main screen (no in-seat entertainment on Northwest). Drillbit Taylor (lousy show) and Leatherheads, a (romantic) comedy/sports movie set in the roaring twenties and starring George Clooney, Renee Zellweger and John Krasinski (from The Office!). That was enjoyable - great cast, great 1920s style music and some funny moments.
12 hours later...
After an hour delay, our connecting flight took off for Philadelphia. I slept like a pig through most of the hour and a half flight, but when I woke up, the sun was shining, it was something like 27C out - it was fantastic! I guess I was bracing myself for the cold so much I forgot it doesn't start till later. Now quite fatigued, we hailed a cab for the hostel where we would spend the next 3 nights.
Unfortunately for us, we landed a really unhelpful cabbie. We gave him the address - 4640 Spruce St. But, as we got onto Spruce, he started barking at us to tell him where to go. I've never seen this place in my entire life, and there he was expecting us to point it out. We peered desperately out the windows and saw that the row of houses that flanked the road were numbered even on the left and odd on the right. Very usual and sensible. We reasoned with the cabbie that since we've just passed 4300, 4640 must be further up the road on our left and if possible could he please keep going. He got impatient, pulled up on the right side and stabbed his finger at the space betwen 4167 and 4169. "No...over THERE! Over there!" he kept saying. After about 5 minutes of confusion, we decided to pay and walk the rest of the way. The meter showed $23, but he quoted us $27. We stalled a little, unsure if he had already included the tip in his quote. Finally we decided he did, paid the $27, after which, he ordered us quite coldly to get our bags ourselves and get out.
So maybe we didn't tip him after all - but I really wasn't feeling very sorry by then. Anyway, we managed to drag a combined 70kgs of luggage up the block and a half, across the road to the hostel, and up 3 flights of rickety stairs to our beds.
Needless to say, we were out in blink.
Coming up next: More updates and photos of campus and Philly center city. Stay tuned!
But first, getting here. LT and I met up first at KLIA, since we were both headed to Penn on exchange. The flight was comfortable enough - made a little easier by my noise-reducing earphones, lots of sleep, my success in staying hydrated and surprisingly good food on Northwest Airlines. We made our first transit at Kansai Int'l Airport in Osaka, a modest and poorly signed airport for the non Japanese-speaking visitor. Some coffee and toast and 5 hours later, we piled back on the plane and set off for Detroit.
To try and get my body clock aligned, I stayed awake and watched the movies playing on the main screen (no in-seat entertainment on Northwest). Drillbit Taylor (lousy show) and Leatherheads, a (romantic) comedy/sports movie set in the roaring twenties and starring George Clooney, Renee Zellweger and John Krasinski (from The Office!). That was enjoyable - great cast, great 1920s style music and some funny moments.
12 hours later...
Detroit Metropolitan Airport, looking suspiciously like KLIA
After an hour delay, our connecting flight took off for Philadelphia. I slept like a pig through most of the hour and a half flight, but when I woke up, the sun was shining, it was something like 27C out - it was fantastic! I guess I was bracing myself for the cold so much I forgot it doesn't start till later. Now quite fatigued, we hailed a cab for the hostel where we would spend the next 3 nights.
Unfortunately for us, we landed a really unhelpful cabbie. We gave him the address - 4640 Spruce St. But, as we got onto Spruce, he started barking at us to tell him where to go. I've never seen this place in my entire life, and there he was expecting us to point it out. We peered desperately out the windows and saw that the row of houses that flanked the road were numbered even on the left and odd on the right. Very usual and sensible. We reasoned with the cabbie that since we've just passed 4300, 4640 must be further up the road on our left and if possible could he please keep going. He got impatient, pulled up on the right side and stabbed his finger at the space betwen 4167 and 4169. "No...over THERE! Over there!" he kept saying. After about 5 minutes of confusion, we decided to pay and walk the rest of the way. The meter showed $23, but he quoted us $27. We stalled a little, unsure if he had already included the tip in his quote. Finally we decided he did, paid the $27, after which, he ordered us quite coldly to get our bags ourselves and get out.
So maybe we didn't tip him after all - but I really wasn't feeling very sorry by then. Anyway, we managed to drag a combined 70kgs of luggage up the block and a half, across the road to the hostel, and up 3 flights of rickety stairs to our beds.
Needless to say, we were out in blink.
Coming up next: More updates and photos of campus and Philly center city. Stay tuned!
Labels: Life, Philadelphia, U.S.A.
