East Coast: New York & Philadelphia

I spent my first week in New York and Philadelphia wondering what the hell I got myself into. I was somewhat lost in my new life. I was now living as a vagabond, but my close friend and cousin helped make the adjustment as easy as possible.

New York: I arrived to Charles' apartment on Monday night and found myself on his girlfriend's couch. Brittany (Charles' girlfriend) lives on the corner of 12th and 3rd in Manhattan. It borders between Union Square and East Village, which was a perfect launching point for our adventure. Let me note that since I am on tight budget, Paris Hilton clubs and fine dining were not on the agenda. What we did accomplish was walking through Central Park,visiting the Metropolitan, watching the St. Patrick's Day Parade, strolling through South Seaport, and touching the bull of Wall Street (this poor bull gets molested everyday). I met a lot of Charles' and Brittany's friends and even had time to check out the new movie "The Crazies". I give it a alright, rotten tomatoes gives it a 72%. Overall, New York was a great time where I learned more about the city. In regards to Manhattan, I learned it's a fast-paced city where you work hard and play hard. Charles and I just played hard.

Philadelphia: I arrived in Philadelphia during the middle of the week to
visit my cousin and cousin-in law. They lived in Philly the past few years and have gotten to know the city pretty well. Meghan (my cousin) works for the city and Judd (cousin in law) works for a non-profit.
While in Philadelphia, I had two firsts. One, I tried Ethiopian food for my first time. It was quite tasty, but it took a second to get used to eating without utensils. Second, I went to my first drag show. The drag show starred Martha Graham Cracker, who is a 31 year old, 6"3 hairy male. Martha would not be considered an illusionist because of her mere size and hairy body. With all distractions put aside, Martha has a great voice, which made the performance enjoyable and fun. Aside from my firsts, the city of Philadelphia has a lot of US history (Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin, Independence Hall) and character, but the city has been on the decline. People started leaving Philadelphi in 1950 when factories began shutting down and there were no jobs. This has caused many pockets of Philadelphia to become desolated. Much of this land has no real value now so the city started take over many of these pockets. Overall, Philadelphia is a city with character and history, but struggling to find its former self.

Overall, the past week has been great. Everyday I am getting more comfortable with my new way of life. I want thank again Megan, Judd, Charles, and Brittany for your great hospitality. Check out the pics I have uploaded (link is on right hand side).

Currently in Iceland! Freezing, but loving it!

Chris

San Jose del Cabo: Pina Colada

For the past week I have been vacationing with my Mom and her husband in San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico. Their second-home is in a condominium complex, Casa Del Mar Phase II, which is about 9 miles north of the more well-known Cabo San Lucas on the Baja Peninsula. To give you a little background: my mom, Cathy, and her husband, Jim, are both retired teachers and live here from November to April and spend the rest of the year in their home in the San Francisco Bay Area. Not bad living!

The complex community is made up mostly of retired folks who prefer to spend the winter months basking poolside in the Mexico sun. My sister and I, both in our mid-twenties, were definitely the sole representation of our age group. This didn't bother me though because I was here to clear my head rather than stay up late and have tequila poured down my throat at Squid Row. Instead, most nights I crashed early and chugged chocolate Nesquik.

I do have one definite weakness when I am down here in Cabo: the pina colada. A girly drink, yes, but irresistable nonetheless. Full of sugar and cream, it's more like a dessert than a cocktail. My mom has been keeping track and I managed to suck down five within the eight days of my stay. Take at look at my face.

With most new experiences, new ideas or revelations come about. My mom volunteers at an ESL (English as second language) program in San Jose del Cabo called Liga Mac, and I was invited to help teach the high school students she works with. I got to spend two hours helping my mom teach the six teenagers that were in the classroom that day. I liked connecting with the students and helping them progress with their English skills. Learning the language is especially crucial for them because they are living in a tourist city and will probably use it in their future careers. The experience has inspired me to look into finding a short term English teaching position in Europe before I head to the World Cup. We will see.

A yellow fever shot, TB test, my goodbye party and I depart to New York on Monday!!

Adios Mexico!

CW