The SF Bay Area - first impressions
Well, the flight is familiar torture. The plane leaves just before midnight, after a full day of packing. Check-in, passport control, security, gate, take your seat, buckle up, what would you like to drink, chicken or beef, feature movie, try to sleep, try to read, try to watch the movie, try to make conversation, belt sign, buckle up, final descent, seat upright, flaps, touchdown, reverse thrusters, taxi, deplane, wait 3 hours in a sleepy airport, repeat, but this time in English.
I arrived at SFO around 10am PST, which is a total of 22 hours from the time I entered TLV. It took me way too much to rent a car though, so I left SFO around noon.
Now this is going to be weird. It all feels very familiar.
I have been to Los Angeles for a considerable time, and it feels like LA here. The weather is perceptibly colder, but it is the same California, the same kind of people, the same cars, the same buildings, the same chain stores. It feels like one of the many other business trips I’ve made to LA. I don’t feel “at home” but I do feel “at ease”.
Californians are a weird bunch, but there is a different weirdness factor at play in SF as opposed to LA. As for first impressions, I can see how you would say what you did. The sad fact is that most of the major US cities are very similar in looks. But I think you’ll find the folks in San Fran a bit different.
Comment by Xavier Ashe — June 29th, 2005 @ 3:23 amI actually had the same feeling last time I was in the states (Newark and New York specifically). I think after a while, all big cities start to look alike, not to mention Airports..
Comment by Oded — June 30th, 2005 @ 2:25 amWelcome to the Bay Area!
Comment by Davi — July 6th, 2005 @ 11:45 amBe sure to check out the local color… we have these clever little coffee shops called “Starbucks,” probably utterly unlike the places you might have at home!
(Actually, I was under the impression that SF=LA is fighting words, for either group. Someone ginned up a whole “mockumentary” about the great Californian civil war, a la Ken Burns’ Civil War on PBS.)
Comment by RosS Stapleton-Gray — July 27th, 2005 @ 1:18 pmAh, here it is: http://www.insmogandthunder.com/pressrelease.html
Comment by Ross Stapleton-Gray — July 27th, 2005 @ 4:11 pmReflecting back on it, there are a few differences, but no matter how I portray them, I’ll end up pissing off one group, possibly both
Comment by arikb — July 27th, 2005 @ 11:44 pmWelcome to one of the best American cities.
Comment by Jacob Appelbaum — July 28th, 2005 @ 12:10 amThank you all
Comment by arikb — August 2nd, 2005 @ 4:27 pm