Can you say Cheeeseburrga?

I am writing this blog from Seattle. At the moment it is Spring Break and I have been on quite the adventure over this annual (traditionally Skanky) Americana holiday bonanza. I realize that I haven’t updated this sucker for a few weeks which means either: a) I’ve been too lazy b) I’ve been too busy or, c) I am lacking in commitment to my blogging career or d) I have been sucked into the Hulu vortex (which is actually quite close to reality...STAY AWAY FROM IT, YOUR BRAIN WILL BECOME A GELATINOUS LUMP.....but filled with such awesome things as EVERY EPISODE OF FAMILY GUY....) Yes.
It has been a hectic first two months for us in Chapel Hill. I have been thrown in the deep end with Uni…it is very different to the University of Sydney. I really like my classes though sometimes struggle to see the relevance to reality. It is a lot less applied and more theoretical. There is a real emphasis on numbers and statistics in research, which really suits me, considering that I failed grade 10 maths. Yes, I am guilty of innumeracy. There are also plenty of actual nerds (boo, hiss). Do they realise what nerds they are? Do they care? Do they understand that food comes in other forms to bars and snacks, and that not everyone gives shit about their thesis topic nor how many books they read per week? I am getting a little over this American idea that unless you are completely killing yourself with work and saraficing every comfort, moment of free time and slice of breaking out, you are a SLACKER. They are addicted to the shit. It is a right of passage to be overworked, underappreciated, and completely dedicated to the grind. I think this aspect of American culture has annoyed me the most. Maybe because I want to have as many opportunities as possible to enjoy life, go on holdays and not chain myself to a desk, that I would probably be considered an American slacker. Yes, I can live with this. And proudly too. Give me a public holday, a 4 day week. Give me unions and 4 weeks vacation a year. Give me superanuation and a decent wage. I'll work hard and not hate you for it. Hakuna-matata.

Other than ranting as per previous para: we’ve been exploring the local region, along with Chapel Hill specifically, in much more detail over the last 2 months. We have now seen Raleigh (which is the capital of North Carolina). Raleigh itself is OK (learning towards blah). It’s pretty much a ghost town on the weekends with no shops or…people. It is very strange how there is so much action at the mall and yet so little in the city. I was a little disappointed by this. What does it mean? Why do people like spending time at soulless shopping malls with fake perimeters and artificial environments, but not in the cities which are supposed to provide a hub? I guess it is a comofrtable bubble for most people who like things to be contained and controlled. In my view this is boring and a little depressing.
On the first sunny warm day of the winter (which was a few weeks ago in mid-Feb, we cycled to a nearby town called Hillsborough. It was 15 miles away. We took the back roads into the town and the old highway back into Chapel Hill. The route there is spectacular. We passed farms, forests, rolling hills. It was scenic and peaceful. We saw old homesteads and American flags big enough to wrap around a house. There was also a discarded McCain/Palin poster by the side of the road that we were so tempted to take home and defile. The effort of biking home with the poster outweighed the benefits of Palin hatin, especially since she has been made redundant (phew).
We have become much more familliar with our local area. This is mainly because it is not all that big. At all. In fact, you’d have to do all of 3 days exploring to actually see most of Chapel Hill. That said there is a fairly impressive array of bars and cafes, restaurants and shops. We’ve gone to a few a bars, and one in particular, Mansions 462 is my favorite. I am planning on remodeling the next house that I live in on the décor of this place: from the zebra-print walls to the antique lamps, and the pimped out Manager who I have seen wearing a bowler hat and pinstriped suit. I will also take him with me. Even though he’s probably 60+ but would clearly have some funky dance moves to match the atire.
So, I have been on an early Spring Break, having left North Carolina 5 days ago. I left a week earlier because it is cheaper and I wanted to avoid the holiday crowds. I stopped in Chicago first, which is very, very awesome. I would love to spend more time there. I really needed to be in the built up urban, city environment and realized how much of a city parasite that I am. This was an interesting realization as I had always romanticized about moving to the country, the fresh air, the land, space….horses? Maybe. Now I know that I am definitely drawn to cities much more. I love the diversity, the action. After Chicago, I flew to Seattle, which is also amazing. I am staying with Becca her mum and Arturo in Kirkland. Seattle is beautiful and I’ve had such a great time hanging out with them. We’ve done lots of exploring of various suburbs and townships….admiring the yuppies and their vegan cafes and wineries. My kind of place (minus the crocs, bootcut jeans and Northface jackets of course).
This is some belated news but I managed to score a job as a research assistant at UNC. I work on a few different projects for a Professor in the Department of Public Policy. She is very cool and I am so glad to be working. It is good to have some extra cash to work with.

Well, signing off for another length of time. Not sure when I’ll write again, but I’ll attempt to keep it updated.
PEACE