Fact: It is 1,272 miles from Seattle to Tijuana, Mexico.
Fact: As of this afternoon, there are 13 suspected cases of swine flu in Washington state.
Fact: I saw two people walking around downtown Seattle wearing surgical masks today. Two of thousands, but still -- two.
Which begs two questions: Are surgical masks trendy? And HOW THE HELL did swine flu make it up here? Someone please explain...
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sucked in
When I move somewhere new, I enjoy reading books about or based in my adopted home-region. It gives me some perspective when I write -- and keeps me from saying embarrassing things around complete strangers. "You mean the Olympics were never held in the Olympic Peninsula?" That kind of thing.
I'm starting with a classic: Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer. It's set in Forks, Wa. (though you all know this already, since I'm at least a couple years behind this trend.) And much like its lead character, this book has the potential to eat me alive. I can't put it down. I read it in the kitchen while making dinner; while walking outside; at the gym; during lunch; instead of working; at night before bed, and first thing when I wake up. I wake up early, just to read it. I feel horribly guilty, like I'm addicted to a teenager's diary. Though I have technically learned something about NW Washington state: 1. It rains there more than anywhere else in the US. 2. There are vampires there.
Does anyone have any other recommendations on good Seattle, Washington or Pacific NW literature I should check out? I should be done with this paper-based cocaine tonight.
I'm starting with a classic: Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer. It's set in Forks, Wa. (though you all know this already, since I'm at least a couple years behind this trend.) And much like its lead character, this book has the potential to eat me alive. I can't put it down. I read it in the kitchen while making dinner; while walking outside; at the gym; during lunch; instead of working; at night before bed, and first thing when I wake up. I wake up early, just to read it. I feel horribly guilty, like I'm addicted to a teenager's diary. Though I have technically learned something about NW Washington state: 1. It rains there more than anywhere else in the US. 2. There are vampires there.
Does anyone have any other recommendations on good Seattle, Washington or Pacific NW literature I should check out? I should be done with this paper-based cocaine tonight.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Seattle first impressions
1. On a nice day, there are a LOT of low-flying planes just south of Seattle – kind of disarming for a couple of NY/NJ transplants. Then you notice they’re just propeller planes, and the Boeing airfield is right there, and it makes a bit more sense. But when was the last time you saw 7, 8 planes flying around in the same small airspace?
2. Seattle really is beautiful – especially the skyline. There are trees in five shades of green, and crazy manmade structures like the Space Needle and Safeco Field with its retractable dome. There’s Puget Sound to the west, mountains everywhere -- though Mount Rainier is currently closed. Not sure how you close a mountain, but there was a sign that said so.
3. Something else to get used to: the high number of homeless in Seattle. Granted, we're coming off a year in Singapore, where I literally never saw a single homeless person. (I think they were put on boats to Indonesia -- one of those "don't ask, don't tell" policies.)
4. Conservation is a big thing in Washington, which is one of the most liberal states in the US. To preserve land space, houses are built very close to each other and there are few, if any, train lines running to the suburbs. It’s a big point of contention here – no train tracks ripping through green space, but more cars on the road.
5. Our neighborhood Belltown is supposedly “the place to be"...woohoo! As I’ve read, Belltown used to be a gritty neighborhood a couples blocks off the waterfront, but after some serious gentrification and condo-building, now boasts some of the best bars and restaurants in the city. And to quote my friend Allison, it really does feel like Brooklyn with more trees. We had New York-style pizza one night, Spanish tapas the next in a place straight out of Prospect Heights. There’s this bar called Stony’s with “Coney Island” and circus stripes painted on the window fronts. There are usually a lot of pierced, Mohawked twentysomethings in black hoodies sitting outside drinking beer and brooding. Grunge is definitely alive and well in Seattle. I have to work on my brooding.
2. Seattle really is beautiful – especially the skyline. There are trees in five shades of green, and crazy manmade structures like the Space Needle and Safeco Field with its retractable dome. There’s Puget Sound to the west, mountains everywhere -- though Mount Rainier is currently closed. Not sure how you close a mountain, but there was a sign that said so.
3. Something else to get used to: the high number of homeless in Seattle. Granted, we're coming off a year in Singapore, where I literally never saw a single homeless person. (I think they were put on boats to Indonesia -- one of those "don't ask, don't tell" policies.)
4. Conservation is a big thing in Washington, which is one of the most liberal states in the US. To preserve land space, houses are built very close to each other and there are few, if any, train lines running to the suburbs. It’s a big point of contention here – no train tracks ripping through green space, but more cars on the road.
5. Our neighborhood Belltown is supposedly “the place to be"...woohoo! As I’ve read, Belltown used to be a gritty neighborhood a couples blocks off the waterfront, but after some serious gentrification and condo-building, now boasts some of the best bars and restaurants in the city. And to quote my friend Allison, it really does feel like Brooklyn with more trees. We had New York-style pizza one night, Spanish tapas the next in a place straight out of Prospect Heights. There’s this bar called Stony’s with “Coney Island” and circus stripes painted on the window fronts. There are usually a lot of pierced, Mohawked twentysomethings in black hoodies sitting outside drinking beer and brooding. Grunge is definitely alive and well in Seattle. I have to work on my brooding.
"Rainy" Seattle
I know, I'm tempting fate with that headline...but it's been sunny seven out of eight days since Greg and I moved to Seattle.
I'm currently sitting on the rooftop deck of Greg's apartment building, where there's free Wi-Fi and panoramic views of Puget Sound. I'd probably be drinking a glass of prosecco if it wasn't 11am. (No need to go the Hemingway route yet.) Once I've gotten my camera to cooperate with my computer, I'll upload photos of this view. Mount Rainier is off to the left, and it's unreal -- like it's painted onto the sky. I can't stop staring at it. I'm having a staring contest with a mountain, and I think I'm losing. This is probably the No 1 sign that I need a job -- but I've been pretty content writing and exploring since I got here, a bit every day. I have a meeting with the editor of Seattle Metropolitan magazine next week, and I've been working on some pitches, too.
Speaking of jobs: Greg's almost done with his first week of work at Amazon, and he loves it. He goes to work in T-shirts, and works a couple floors above the CEO, Jeff Bezos. And in the "small world" category, we had dinner last night at a Malay satay house with a Singaporean guy named JS who's 1) on Greg's team and 2) lives in his building. ha!
We've also spent some time at our friends Courtney and Joe's house in Maple Valley, about 20 minutes outside of Seattle. They've really made us feel at home since we got here. They also have Rock Band, so I will spend half of my time there perfecting my vocals on "Dani California." Courtney works for Microsoft, so I got to meet her for lunch at the "campus." It literally does feel like a college campus for thirtysomethings+ -- people were sitting around in shorts and T-shirts, eating from the brand new (awesome) food court, and playing basketball on their lunch break. Not too shabby.
The four of us also went to a Mariners game on Saturday night (hard to believe we waited two whole nights before going to a baseball game). Safeco (Mariners) and Qwest (Seahawks) stadiums are within walking distance of Greg's place -- granted, it's a 25-minute walk, but it's along the waterfront. You can stop for crab cakes along the way if you get hungry. The game was quick (efficient pitching?), our seats and the stadium great -- though the Mariners lost 2-0 to the Detroit Tigers. But at least we were getting an authentic Seattle experience (ohh zing!). We're already planning on going to the Yankees series in July.
Tonight we're having dinner and going bowling with Travis and his fiancee, Margot. Travis and I grew up together about three houses down from each other on Rosalie Ave (small world reference #2). And then tomorrow, all of our stuff comes! It's been on the road, being shipped, for about 10 days -- if anything happened to my bag of shoes, so help me...
I'm currently sitting on the rooftop deck of Greg's apartment building, where there's free Wi-Fi and panoramic views of Puget Sound. I'd probably be drinking a glass of prosecco if it wasn't 11am. (No need to go the Hemingway route yet.) Once I've gotten my camera to cooperate with my computer, I'll upload photos of this view. Mount Rainier is off to the left, and it's unreal -- like it's painted onto the sky. I can't stop staring at it. I'm having a staring contest with a mountain, and I think I'm losing. This is probably the No 1 sign that I need a job -- but I've been pretty content writing and exploring since I got here, a bit every day. I have a meeting with the editor of Seattle Metropolitan magazine next week, and I've been working on some pitches, too.
Speaking of jobs: Greg's almost done with his first week of work at Amazon, and he loves it. He goes to work in T-shirts, and works a couple floors above the CEO, Jeff Bezos. And in the "small world" category, we had dinner last night at a Malay satay house with a Singaporean guy named JS who's 1) on Greg's team and 2) lives in his building. ha!
We've also spent some time at our friends Courtney and Joe's house in Maple Valley, about 20 minutes outside of Seattle. They've really made us feel at home since we got here. They also have Rock Band, so I will spend half of my time there perfecting my vocals on "Dani California." Courtney works for Microsoft, so I got to meet her for lunch at the "campus." It literally does feel like a college campus for thirtysomethings+ -- people were sitting around in shorts and T-shirts, eating from the brand new (awesome) food court, and playing basketball on their lunch break. Not too shabby.
The four of us also went to a Mariners game on Saturday night (hard to believe we waited two whole nights before going to a baseball game). Safeco (Mariners) and Qwest (Seahawks) stadiums are within walking distance of Greg's place -- granted, it's a 25-minute walk, but it's along the waterfront. You can stop for crab cakes along the way if you get hungry. The game was quick (efficient pitching?), our seats and the stadium great -- though the Mariners lost 2-0 to the Detroit Tigers. But at least we were getting an authentic Seattle experience (ohh zing!). We're already planning on going to the Yankees series in July.
Tonight we're having dinner and going bowling with Travis and his fiancee, Margot. Travis and I grew up together about three houses down from each other on Rosalie Ave (small world reference #2). And then tomorrow, all of our stuff comes! It's been on the road, being shipped, for about 10 days -- if anything happened to my bag of shoes, so help me...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)