That Beach and I Are Friends Now

Yesterday, around noon, I met up with my friend from Portland, Jason, who has been here for several months. I was supposed to meet him at a Starbucks by a particular subway station. After arriving up on the street from the subway, I couldn't find the Starbucks! I was kind of frantically running around trying to find it, not wanting to be too late, as I had no good idea of what time it was. It was useless to try to ask people in the street where it was because none of them seemed to know what I was talking about, but just as I was trying to not freak out, one of my coworkers from school tapped me on the shoulder. Weird! I'm waltzing around lost in a city of four million, I just got here less than a week ago, and I run into one of the half dozen people I know, right when I need some help! Thank you, Lord. So he pointed me to the coffeeshop, and soon after Jason arrived. I hadn't seen him since september, and it was good to catch up, chat about all things Portland, and hear how his time was going here. We left that disgusting, ubiquitous monument of American commerce and stopped into a noodle shop to grab some food before going to the beach. Well, I thought it would be a beach. We didn't go to the beach where there is sand and people hanging out and sipping mojitos in the sun under umbrellas, but rather a more secluded area where the ocean is met by fierce cliffs and rocky outcroppings. We walked to an area about two blocks from the school I teach at, and there were these little steps, leading up what is for all intents and purposes a mountain. I am glad I have sturdy shoes, because we hiked for at least two miles, and I was heaving like an 800 pound gorilla, sweating like a fat kid. The trail led up through a foresty area for awhile until we got over it, and hiked down to the water. It was very physically demanding- I haven't done anything remotely athletic in a LONG time. But finally we got to where we could see the water.

It was insanely beautiful. Like a travel magazine. We were able to hike down to where the rock met the water, and watch the surf come in. There were all of this barbwire and foxholes left over from the Korean war, ostensibly so that if war breaks out again, they have the necessary infrastructure already in place. It was so amazing, like 70 degrees, sunny, breezy, salty, gorgeous. I had been missing the ocean dearly for so long, and this was such a new angle to be viewing it from! I loved it. We sat there for about an hour and shot the bull and scoped the place out. It will be perfect for setting up a grill and having a little American style barbeque once it gets hot enough. I wanted to jump in so bad but I had no shorts. We hiked up out of there by another route and finally got back to the part of the city with concrete and stoplights and cars. Jason took off to go to something, and I hung out at the apartment for several hours, writing and catching up on the world's news. All the kids I know were out for valentine's day, and I thanked myself for being, on that one day, that awful holiday I have always had some inexplicable hatred for, single.

I decided to go out and stroll about town in the hip neighborhood I live in. I went to this bar I had gone to briefly the previous night, where lots of westerners hang out. I ordered a rum coke and mulled over a book at the bar for a little while, then noticed two white kids sitting across the bar, speaking english. A definite rarity! I walked up and sat down beside them, as seems to be the ritual when you see other white people here. One of them was from Newfoundland, and the other was, from all places, Columbia, Missouri! Small world (excuse the necessary cliche, please). They were very cool, and it turns out that the Missouri kid new some roommates I lived with this summer in Portland who were also from Columbia. Weird! The Missouri kid had to take off but the Newfie (slang for a Newfoundland person) and I went to this other bar where they have a pool table. He was very cool, Chris was his name, and we talked about all sorts of stuff. We later went to a place where he said there was live jazz music, and saw a good little performance. After exchanging information and plans to meet up again, I ambled off back towards home, stopping by McDonalds on the way and exercising enough dexterity and hunger to eat two Big Macs WHILE WALKING BRISKLY and quickly fell into bed, checked out for the night. It was great. I awoke today and laid in bed for a couple hours, watching msnbc.com videos and drinking green tea.

I am about to go out with some kids from my building, to hit up some arcades. They have crazy arcades here. They're like Disneyland. Tomorrow I start my first full week of teaching, and I look forward to the necktie chafe.

Isn't that weird?!

Get awesome, and stay gold.