Service!

It is funny how now I am home I have noticed some things I took for granted out in The States and I must start with the service industry. The night I got home I went for a delicious curry with my Mum and Dad at our favourite restaurant in the village where I live. The meal was great as always but two main things stood out. First off, they didn't give us any water when we sat down - a custom in most restaurants in America and one I love for rehydration purposes. I know I don't drink enough water. Secondly, they didn't box up our left overs at the end of the meal. I promptly ordered a jug of water to share and sadly watched my food go away at the end of the meal. Boxed left overs should be universal because really we have bought the food nevermind how wasteful it is throwing it away. It's like buying clothes and leaving half the items in the shop!?
Back at work in the restaurant I realised further how efficient service is in The States probably because the job of Bartender and Waiter are classed as a full time, affluent job. Restaurants in England just don't have the facilities US restaurants have to help the smooth running of the service business. For instance, 'Happy Hour' drink at the restaurant I work at are only on the bar till, not the waitress till, so you have to go to the bar to order your drinks as opposed to the machine running it through for you. Annoying. Also waiters/waitresses don't automatically tell customers certain things off the menu such as 'The soup of the day is....'. I have been doing this at the weekend and even though I have got good tips, the customers have looked at me like I am borderline insane. I have to presume it is because not many places do this either. In fact it has become clear that most British restaurants don't concentrate on building up a relationship between the customer and the server like they do in America. It's just a case of 'What do you want?' and 'Here it is'. I had real trouble trying to bond with these three ladies on Saturday and only by the end of the three course meal had I cracked them and got a healthy tip. Maybe it's just the British stiff upper lip syndrome but people are so unfriendly. I know I have been in the borderline false friendly world for months but it's really hard work. The other staff were laughing at me for my American ways but I am still going to bring them to the UK. Time for some hella good service integration over here....or at least friendliness.....a smile.....if all else fails, the least that can be done is a good tip? Guess my motive? Ha.

Blocks Not

It's a well known fact that everyone in California drives. In fact, the State even admits that the transport system completely favours drivers and that all other means of transport are out-dated and inefficient, especially for longer journeys. There are just no budget or useful ways to get around. I do personally love the double-decker trains but they are difficult to get to and don't run as regularly as Virgin - not that Virgin are exactly always on time mind. I've seen Greyhound buses but never seen a bus station and planes are ridiculously expensive if you are booking late. So it looks like driving it is and the petrol (gas) is cheap, especially in comparison to our inflated British prices. Driving, overall, is really easy because everything is in blocks, making it pretty difficult to go wrong. I am fairly sure the British ability to navigate our winding roads must have scored us some points in the mind capacity IQ department but I am just speculating. As for blocks, there is room for discussion as to whether or not they are boring or easy. Easy because you can just switch off and drive (apart from the dodgy San Diegan back streets where every Stop sign is a death trap). Boring because everything looks the same and it is difficult to tell streets apart without really searching for another characterisitic. I have definitely missed the challenge of finding your way around, or not in some cases, in the twists and turns of old, British roads. I guess the roads as well as the teeth are just another way that America takes away some individual identity, especially in the cities. This is a huge generalisation though and it would be unfair to pin this on all of the country especially because back up at Kyle's in the mountains I get my winding roads back. I do get the 'Big Brother' organisational feel in the cities though. Soon everyone will drive and move at the same speed too. Ok, I know I'm exaggerating now....I hope.

College Differences

One thing that I have really noticed during my time in San Diego is how much more diverse University degrees are in the States and it has made me kind of jealous that I didn't study here. Everyone has their standard Majors which they apply for and ultimately get their degree in but the ride along the way is much more interesting. For my degree I had two minors which I took in first year ('Freshman' over here), which I then dropped to concentrate solely on my degree subject. I took only classes that related to English and that was that. In the States it is more of a unit system and you have to have so many units to complete your degree. Each Major has specific classes which are compulsory but you also have a choice of what to do with the remaining credits you have. Let me tell you, the choices are vast and some of the electives are so fun! Now I am basing my knowledge here on The University of San Diego and obviously the classes vary elsewhere but Students at USD have a Core Curriculum (CC) which they have to follow and a bunch of other classes they can take to fill in the rest. The CC is pretty hefty because USD is a Catholic school. Students have to take classes in: Indispensible Competencies, Traditions, Horizons and the Diversity of Human Experience. Basically Literacy, Maths, Logic, Theology, Religion, Philosophy and Humanity. I don't know whether it is just the school girl still in me that thinks all of that would be interesting but I do. Wow, I am at that stage where school is attractive. I must be getting old. Ha. Anyway, the extra classes you can take to fill up extra credits are so awesome. You can take a avriety of different classes from Business Golf to Piano to Surfing to Photography to Billiards. Amazing. Can you imagine getting University credit for surfing? I mean that would be just too cool. Out on the glistening waves, lapping gently and waiting for the next big swell to come. And photography! It is all the hobbies you always wanted to do but never had time for. Well, going to University over here means they make that time for you. This 'time' thing is where the students here have a slight problem and I suppose I can see their point. I quote 'We have to go to school for longer to take these bullshit classes' and when you are paying $18,500 a semester I imagine these extra classes can become fairly frustrating. Especially as these extra classes mean a standard Undergraduate B.A degree takes 4 years to complete not 3 like at home. That meaning a debt of $148,000. £97,000. A small house. Y-ouch. There is also the argument that a degree is meant to 'specialise' you in one subject, not simply carry on the multiplicity offered at high school.... But you know what, I dig it (yeah, yeah I know I am picking up the slang) and would definitely recommend international education over here to others. Surfing for credit. I just can't get over how amazing that would be. And don't even get me started on how posh the campus is... 

Drink Driving

37% of the total annual car accidents in the United States are caused by drink drivers and in California specifically the statistic is 35%. The percentage is fairly high considering and you have to wonder why? Now you are probably expecting me to start talking about irresponsible youths blah de la but I have to say I blame the public transport systems. Unless you live in a city over here getting a taxi is borderline impossible. I first realised this up in Mariposa when Kyle and I wanted to attend a party and had to drag his poor Dad out at 2am to pick us up. Any form of public transport just wasn't available. Lucky for us we had a kind, though slightly wiery Pops willing to pick us up but had he not we would have either had to sleep over at the party house or drive home. No choice. One of us could have been DD (Designated Driver) but everyone knows that is never as fun and had a taxi just been available then the problem would have been solved. The same can be said for the downtown transport systems too. Granted taxis are readily available but at hyped prices and there aren't any late night bus facilities, similar to London's, on offer at all. Considering the amount of socialisers that flock from Pacific/Mission Beach to downtown every weekend, I am fairly sure a profit could be made on a scheduled coach or two leaving at 2.30am on Friday and Saturday nights.

It seems like the way the drink driving problem is being dealt with is via pumped up punishments and embedding a fear factor in all drivers. It seems fairly easy to get a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) and I am not saying drivers who blow a 0.08 or more shouldn't be punished but there are parts of the rule that don't make sense. For example, anyone under the age of 21 who blows even a 0.01 on the breathaliser gets an automatic DUI whether or not they deserve it. For example, if a 20 1/2 year old drives his/her's very drunk friends home from a party (who would've driven themselves alternatively) and blows a 0.01, they get their license taken off them for a year and a 5 year probationary period. Even if they were doing the right thing in the situation. Even if they are technically saving two other peoples lives and possible others. It just doesn't seem fair. Surely if the public transport systems were more efficient then the problems would reduce enormously as people would have options. At least back in Britain we know we deserve a drink driving fine if we get one because we have so many options for alternative means of transport. Never is one not obtainable. Obviously our transport systems have to cover a lot less land but we also have a lot less people paying taxes to improve these things so the argument doesn't really stand. The drink driving problem does need to be eradicated but at this point I am not surprised people drink and drive. What other choice do they have?

Medicine Commercials? Seriously?

As of 2008 The United States became one of the only two countries who allows direct to consumer advertising (DTCA) along with New Zealand. The mass media sales advertisement of pharmaceuticals are all over the place in the States and they always promise immediate relief to everything - viruses, flus, weight loss? Some of them are pretty harmless but one sticks out in my memory. Each one has a similar storyline and for the sake of the one I am thinking of we'll pretend it is a weight loss pill advertisement. The commercial starts off with a skinny, happy woman enjoying every aspect of life, eating, socialising, working and taking this little pill with breakfast. After a few minutes (no lies) of building up this heavenly atmosphere the scientists step in with 'Taking this medication isn't for everyone...' This is where it gets hilarious and absurd. The scientists in this weight-loss advertisement go on to say that the pill should not be taken in conjunction with an active lifestyle of any sort, in fact it becomes clear that if you so much as run up the stairs you will possibly have a heart attack. I mean, what the hell is in the pill? And how can they promote a drug which is so clearly lethal for those who don't know how to use it properly and is just plain unhealthy all together. The cruncher for me was when the price of this miraculous weight loss pill was revealed. One whole dollar. 75p. Less than a pint of milk. Excuse me but I think that is borderline murder. Advertising cough medecine when you have a virus is one thing but selling pills that could kill you if you so much as walk quickly is awful and for so cheap is just ridiculous. I wouldn't have a problem with it if I knew people wouldn't buy them but living in one of the most obese countries in the world I believe consumers will. Not to mention those victims of weight loss disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. According to various sources, the US is considering a ban on such commercials. I don't think it's a case of considering, I think it's a case of doing, and now.

Bang, Bang, Bear's Dead

Everybody knows how bad the gun laws have been in the United States particularly if you ever watched 'Bowling for Columbine' and other such documentaries. As much as the nation has progressed from offering customers a shot gun when they open a bank account, gun laws are still very lax especially as California has just allowed guns to be taken into National Parks. For those of you who know me well, you'll know my boyfriend lives near to Yosemite National Park, one of my favourite places in the whole wide world. Upon hearing the news that guns were allowed in National Parks, his immediate reaction was concern for the welfare of the animals, specifically the bears. We joked that some guy might decide he wants a trophy bear's head for above the mantlepiece that he could shoot in pretence self defence. Joke we did but there was certainly a serious edge to the conversation as the joke wasn't far from what could, and probably will, truthfully happen. It appears to me that this new law on guns will only cause more problems than solve the existing ones and that officials should look to different approaches. I can only imagine this new law has been put in place due to the amount of people who disappear annually in America's great parks, a depressing number, but surely tighter regulations on hikers and night time curfews would amount to better things than this. This concern only grew when I looked into the statistics of households with ownership of guns. 49% of American Household have a gun. That's nearly 50%. That's practically 1 in every 2 houses. That means my neighbour right now could have one because I am fairly sure we don't. This stat was followed up with 31% of adults owning their own gun. Again a huge percentage and surely just a recipe for disaster. Consider how many people visit Yosemite annually, some 3.5 million and it’s clear they're in for a problem. I definitely think guns should just be made illegal all together to erase any chance of temptation by anyone in any situation. But for my personal reasons, my Mum, Dad and I all shared an amazing bear experience in Yosemite, something which I hope others shall enjoy too in the future, without the sounds of gunshots ringing in their ears.

Hippy, Hippy Shake

After the recent earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, Mexico, Spain and China, 2012 fever reaching a peak and the fact that I am sat right on a rather volatile fault line, I realised I should probably brush up on my knowledge about what on 'earth' to do during an earthquake. I really had no idea aside from a very sketchy outline involving standing under a door frame - not really a solid plan to save my life. Earthquakes seem to be quite rife around the world at the moment and funnily enough when my good friend and I were discussing earthquakes over breakfast the other day, an earthquake had just hit Eastern San Diego. Slight worrying considering the San Andreas is 'overdue' a bit of action and everyone knows the next big one is going to be a devastating one for where ever the epi-centre is. Scientists have proven that the Southern section of the San Andreas Fault hasn't ruptured for over 300 years so it’s looking pretty bad for Palm Springs with L.A, San Diego and many other densely populated places receiving the after shocks. Scary stuff. To say I was inspired to research how to save myself is an understatement.
It's State law that all minors are educated in survival tips for what to do during an earthquake. The general idea seems to be this 'duck and cover' theory which suggests you find something sturdy and get underneath it. Quickly. Seems fairly straightforward but as with any theory there is speculation over its success. Some seem to think that you are more likely to kill yourself via doing this because when the ceiling collapses, those 'duck and covering' will be crushed to death. This apparently doesn't apply to the USA though because they have a much stronger infrastructure than other earthquake prone countries and the likelihood of building collapsing isn't very high. An alternative theory which has had proven success is the 'Triangle of Life', created by Doug Copp. Copp thinks that a better alternative to 'duck and covering' is to lie next to something solid and if the walls collapse around you, you will survive in the triangle tunnel it makes with the object you are lying next to. Copp's theory has received more criticism than anything else and it is believed that his theory will only be successful, again in third world countries with terrible infrastructure.
It's my personal opinion that neither seems very safe and in the case of an earthquake whilst I am here, I plan to just run outside into the middle of the road and dance with the shake...wait, what if the earth cracks up and I get sucked in? Ok, someone needs to come up with a better form of survival! I don't feel any better now than when I didn't have a clue what to do.

Bartender me what?

When I first got to San Diego I looked for bar work to do during my stay. It’s not that I really needed the money but I wanted to have something to do everyday. Anyway, during my brief spell looking for a job I was really surprised by how seriously bartenders work was viewed. First off, you have to get a Bartender’s license which is a four hour online course, finishing with an exam. It costs $19.95, which is fairly reasonable and each State differs on how important the license is to obtain. Regardless of this, if you have the license you are going to be in a better position than if not. Secondly, the amount of money a bartender can make in tips can be phenomenal. Somewhere up to $200 a night in some places which can add up to a very healthy income.I went along to an open interview at a bar in Pacific Beach not long ago and candidates had arrived in suits looking sharp. Not quite how I imagined it to be. Along with this there was a lot of competition. I know the economy is still struggling but surely not that many people need an extra part time job. That being my mistake, of course, because over here that isn’t what bar work is. Looks like if I ever plan on getting bar work again it won’t be quite as simple as I had hoped. I will have to crank up the British accent a bit more – that always seems to get me extra browning points. Got to use your positive assets right?

Motivation Station

My San Diegan exercise routine consists mainly of going for a run or riding my orange bike around the bay and back along the beach. There is a really good trail and it's a good 8-10 mile round trip depending on which route you take. I absolutely love it, especially on days when you catch a dazzling sunset, you find your self following the rowers around the bay or you see a beautiful wedding on one of the old-fashioned paddlewheelers twinkling with lights. The thing you notice the most though is how ridiculous motivated San Diegans are to do exercise. There are so many people around the trail doing a vast amount of different activities: Boxing, yoga and volleyball on the beach; rowers, wakeboarders and sail boats out on the bay; surfers, kite surfers and wind surfers in the ocean; and runners, cyclists, skateboarders and rollerbladers on the trail. It is so motivating being surrounded by such a bustling and active community and I definitely think the weather is to be held responsible for this dynamic lifestyle. The weather back home holds people back so much because it just hinders outdoor activities and if you have ever relied solely on a gym for your fitness you will know how mundane the same routine can become. Even though I have been doing the same bike ride for well over a week, I am far from bored. I would say I am more motivated and excited to get on my bike than I ever have been before. I love my time around the bay and so does everyone else. I know this because everyone smiles at you as you pass and that simple smile culture encourages you to keep going. The first few times people smiled at me my British awkwardness came into play and I just looked down yet now I can maintain eye-contact for at least a few seconds before looking away. Despite my slight personal disability here, I have definitely learnt to believe in the theory ‘Smile and the world smiles with you’. It’s so true and you can’t help but feel happy. Let me tell you, anything that can make me feel happy somewhere in the midst of a four mile run has to be a miracle. Smile on San Diego, I love it.

One shot, two shot, three shot, floor.

Whilst contemplating my outfit choices for this weekend's evenings out, I couldn't help but think about the difference between the drinking habits of girls over here. I specify based on gender because guys worldwide are generally same and it comes in the form of beer. Always. Yet I have noticed that us females differ in our choice of beverage on a drunken night out. Now I know European's notoriously drink more wine than anywhere else in the world, but where my friends and I will drink a glass (or two, or three) of wine back home in Manchester before a night out, my friends over here do shots. Honestly, I wasn't all too delighted about this as I am terrible at doing shots. I don't mind so much vodka and JD but tequila and sambuca just make me sick and I need at least a 30 second recovery period after taking said shot, which isn't very 'cool' in a social environment. Anyway, I am improving my technique, because it's always nice to embrace the community you are in but it has got me thinking about why our drinking ways are so diverse. I immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was to do with calorie intake, being in beautiful California where the girls bodies are amazing. After a litle surfing on the internet, I was surprised to find out that a shot of vodka, whiskey, rum or gin contains the same amount of calories as a glass of wine. For some reason I thought a glass of wine had 250 calories but I was very wrong as it only has 84-100 cals. So that has nothing to do with it. Prices are pretty similar too so that cancels that out. I had to settle with the ideal that it is the best get drunk quick tactic out there. Wine is considered a longer drink, one you take your time over, however shots are quick - and the quicker the better for me. As much as I appreciate the 'get drunk quick' method, I  shall still turn up to house parties with my signature bottle of vino with maybe 1 or two shots in mind. What can I say, it's a habit of a lifetime.

Supersized? Not surprised!

It doesn't shock me anymore that a huge percentage of Americans are obese. The fact of the matter is fast food is so much cheaper than the supermarket.
This week I have had more fast food than I normally do and I have spent less than when I cook everynight. Now granted, when I cook i do use expensive ingredients - salmon, chicken etc - but still, having the benefit of a transatlantic comparison, British supermarkets are way cheaper. There seems to be a direct correlation between cheapness of supermarkets and obesity rates but I am not going to speculate....honest.
Seriously though, when i say fast food is cheap, I mean cheap, especially if you catch it during happy hour. One of my dear friends over here got a slice of pizza the other day big enough to feed a family of four (okkkk maybe a slight exaggeration) for just $3. That is £2 in the current exchange rate and such a cheap meal. Consider buying all the ingredients and making yourself a healthier version - triple the price. Easily.
I'll give the fast food market over here some benefit of the doubt with the delicious Chipotle phenomenon where they use only organic ingredients and helpfully inform you of the calorie boundaries for each meal. For those with self-control, you can opt for the 400-700 calorie 'bowl', a healthy meal all for around 6 buckos. I, however, have not found that self control just yet and opt for the burrito at 900 cals. So yum. Particularly if you leave a little left over and put it in the fridge for breakfast the next day. Heaven.
Anyway, it is clear that America needs more than a TV show with Jamie Oliver to shift their huge weight issues especially now that the current generation of children have a lower life expectancy due to their food habits. Obama needs to address the food tax too if there is any hope of people converting to the healthy home cooked food option especially in the current economic climate. I mean, who can blame people going for the cheaper option. I can't.

Pearly Whites

I have become a lot more self conscious of my teeth since I arrived in The States. I mean, at home I have a pretty good line-up - straight, white and all round good munchers. However, over here EVERYONE has a gleaming array of pearly whites. I mean stellar smiles, right out of the toothpaste adverts and I don't think they only have brushing twice a day to thank for it. It appears from a young age, American youths are subjected to gratuitous cosmetic surgery which has somewhat wiped out any form of dental individuality. I have heard stories of children bullied in school if they had 'wonky' teeth and commercials promote healthy looking teeth to help you get that 'dream job’. The high expectations Americans have surrounding teeth is obviously subject to a lack of diversity argument in that us British have an endearing unique quality to our chompers but, if I was being truly honest, I am being sucked in to wanting a brand new set. I know, I know, I should stick to my heritage and all that, but they look so good and what with my wisdom teeth pushing mine around a bit at the moment, it’s an investment I am certainly willing to consider. This new obsession of mine was escalated by someone referring to my teeth as….British…or ‘dientes ingles’ as the Mexicans put it. They might as well have just said crooked which is what they really meant but I suppose I can award them credit for ‘trying’ a pleasantry. I guess ‘British’ teeth is what you get for having free NHS healthcare so no wonder everyone over here is anti-Obama’s Health Bill. They love their dazzling grills too much.

…I pause here because I can feel myself being pulled further into the image obsessed Western culture but considering I am probably already there in many other ways (hair, make-up) I think I’ll let them reel me in… at least I am not tattooing on my eyeliner!

Research into teeth led me to ‘Invisalign’ a company one of my dearest friends has to thank for her now beautiful gleamers. Now, it is expensive with people being quoted between $3,500 to $5,000 for the whole treatment but it lasts for a lifetime, so the investment seems worth it. I always refer to my Mum when I try to reason with things like this and she once said, about a haircut, ‘Well you’d pay £100+ for an outfit and you wear your hair everyday’. What a fantastic point to make. I am pretty sure I will spend, or probably have already spent more than $5000 on dying my hair, so why not spend it on my teeth too. Ah, I love it when I find a reasonable excuse to justify my expensive fads. Oh well, looks like I’ll be holding off on getting a mortgage for a few more years again. Always thought that was too much responsibility anyway. Ha.