Side-effects may include...

This is the first blog I have ever posted. I think it is about time. Time for some blogging. We (Devin and I) are now living in America. And it is time to document the experience. I will be minimal with describing the details. Because details, description, are boring to the reader. So, I will ensure to jump straight to the facts. And the funny bits. The bits of amusement that tickle the fancy of this Australian traveller and soon to be, student, of the 'land of the free'. Or so they keep telling me. Let me set the scene for you, dear reader: We are living in a townhouse style place in a smallish (100.000 population) town called Chapel Hill in North Carolina. It is what is described as a University town that is extremely 'liberal'. Whatever that means. It is quaint and cute. There is a great main street with pretty cool cafes and restaurants. But let me backtrack. We arrived here about a week ago. I got on a plane from Madrid to Miami then the Raleigh. This was all on the 1st Jan. Which was pretty ridiculous. But I made it. I was greeted at the airport by Cathy and Kevin Zimmer and their sons David and Matthew, who are friends of my parents, and now, of ours. I was wretchedly sick from the flight thanks to some craptastic food that they fed us. It was creamy cheesy pasta which went well with my allergy to dairy. Anywho, after getting off the plane...oh, did I mention I thought we were going to die whilst attempting to fly to Miami from Madrid? It all started with the shitty service and obvious cost-cutting that American Airlines (who I had to fly with) were clearly undertaking. I mean, they are the pits. Really. Don't recommend flying with them. We were apparently 'stuck' at a certain altitude with horrible, horrible turbulence. It was bad. So bad, that I was actually gripping my tray table. Hanging on for dear life. Because that 7 centimetres of hard plastic was definitely going to save MY life if the plane started to nose dive. Anyhow, how did I get so distracted? No long winded anecdotes, I told you, dear reader.

So, we're in the United States. In North Carolina. Did I mention that this is technically the south? They are still fighting the civil war in some parts of the State, apparently. Our furniture salesmen, a top bloke, carries a loaded handgun. Everyday. On his belt. He also asked Dev and I if we were "wed". Still, a lovely guy. He basically furnished our room for us, on a very slim budget. Other than the gun toting furniture guy, we are being entertained on a daily basis by the friendly folks with their southern accents. Cleetus style. We are also, just as entertained by eavesdropping on conversations between African-American women (younger, in particular) who seem to fill every stereotype in my mind...with the head 'side-to-side' "oh, no she di'n't!" reactions.

Next stop of cultural 'adjustment': The FOOD TRAIN. Well, other than the notoriously nasty cheeses (none of which I can eat anyway) is the copious amounts of sugar, corn and soybean that is in, um, EVERYTHING. We were literally queasy for the first few days of arriving. Since we have moved, we shop fairly exclusively at the co-op which has an amazing selection of foods for fussy shitheads like me on new age wacky diets that consist of goats cheese and blueberries (among other healthy rubbish). Strange things thus far: drinks are GIANT and BOTTOMLESS. You can refill your glass til you are about to piss straight Sprite. The drink of choice here is iced tea. Oh, and alcohol is ridiculously expensive to buy in a restaurant. No one is BYO. They don't understand the concept, except for at parties. Which is really to be expected.

My last cultural analysis of this place, after week one: Sports players are revered as demigods. No shit. I am saying this as an Australian: where sports players can rape and pillage and it is excused as 'part of the culture'. Basketball, gridiron and Baseball. People go nuts over them. There are cable channels (note the plural) that are dedicated to college sports (mainly basketball), exclusively. Hmmm. Note to self: do not attempt to understand the game because it just means that locals will attempt to talk to you about it. In this case ignorance is certainly, on the way to bliss.

Final comment: the big box stores are AMAZING. They are also incredibly unethical. But, wow. You can buy tampons, a lettuce, a pair of jogging shoes AND a couch all in the same shop. Most of the chain stores are like this, huge, addictive, and totally engaging. We have probably spend a total of 3 out of 10 days in America, mouths open, trawling big box stores. Target is our weakness.

FYI I will be starting tae-kwon-do classes whilst we are here. And I am really excited about uni. I am feeling motivated and inspired. I am also sounding slightly evangelical. Seems like this place is already rubbing off.