San Francisco, San Francisco.
Hey! If New York gets its own song then I think the big SF should get one as well! They both have impressive bridges, a ghetto and way too many art students anyway!
I'm here! Arrived, tired and hungry but at least I'm here! The walk from the station the hostel recommended me to get off at was a mission to the hostel, but that's a good thing really - it meant that I walked quite a long way meaning that I got to see quite a bit of San Francisco. I love it already! And I have only seen a tiny part of it. There isn't really much to tell you about today - I was on a plane all day so I don't think you will be too bothered if I don't give you a detailed report on that. BUT today I have noticed a load of things to write down on my little piece of paper! So here goes. This is the 5th of July in San Francisco through the eyes of Phil Clarke.
Today I was the most helpful I think I have ever been! Result! To start off G offered, last night, to give me a lift to the airport this morning. I said no because it was an early wake up and I thought he deserved the sleep... at least one of us should get some! Then at the airport I was carrying heavy bags all over the place for the elderly Spanish ladies. I was a good lad. Then again I offered some direction to an American guy in Los Angeles, and again in San Francisco. I think I have covered my 'Good Deed A Day' for the next few weeks! Then again I like helping people, its one thing I can be really good at. I declined the lift from G and I think the taxi coned me completely. People told me that it should have been about $170. So, I was eagerly waiting on the side of the road for the taxi to come along. Let me remind you that it was 6am and so they were few and far between. One came along and I had to go for it - it was getting a bit close for time. The thing is this taxi was running of a meter, the only one I have seen on a meter for the whole 6 weeks I have been here, typical! So in the end it came out about $250. All I had was $200 but luckily I had a few odd American dollars in my wallet so I managed to top it up with that. Oh well, its not like I could have used those pesos in America, and it was only a further $10, something like that, so not SO bad.
Whilst waiting for the plane to Los Angeles (Which came up as Los Aneles at the check-in desk. You can just imagine how funny the whole airport found that...) I saw a guy with just one arm. Its amazing how comfortable he was with it, obviously I didn't expect him to be uncomfortable but I would always be conscious of people staring. As I thought that I realised I was staring... so I quickly became interested in my passport. I don't really know what my point is in there. I'm in San Francisco - I don't think I need to make points anymore! In the same room as this guy there was a guy with 2 phones. Whats the point of that? Its not like you will be able to utilise them that effectively as you are never going to be able to use them at the same - just once at a time. If you only use them once at a time why not just use one phone. Crazyness...
I say some other random things in the airport, and one more on the streets of San Francisco. In the airport when I went down to get my luggage off the carousel I saw,
1. An Asian Chain Massage, or a ACM as I would prefer. They were all standing behind each other in a conga line each massaging the person in front. The guy at the back was a bit gutted, but the one at the front was loving it.
2. An animal cage that said 'Live Animal' on it that was empty. I'm just hoping that it was empty before the flight. Otherwise someone might get a nasty shock as they open their case!
3. A guy dressed in a grey cloak that looked like a cross between a Jedi and Gandalf. I wanted a picture, but I think he would have noticed me snapping up his picture. Anyway, I think I give you a good picture by Gandalf and Jedi.
I think I know everything there is about that safety demonstration as I have seen way too many in a short time. The thing that really stood out in today's demonstration was a line in the recording. "In the event of depressurization oxygen masks will be automatically released.... fix your own mask first and then if there are children next to you help them" I'm pretty sure that's not quote for quote but its something like that. The fact is I'm pretty sure its meant to be the other way around! Help the children and then fix your own! I'm pretty sure if it is your kid next to you then you are going to want to help them first! Whats the point in doing your own first? I'm pretty sure it doesn't take that long and so you will be able to manage to get there mask on and then your own? It just sounded a bit selfish to me! Also, they tell you on the video to turn off all iPods, Phones and Laptops. I had my phone on the whole flight, I didn't realise I had, and I was listening to my iPod the whole way in absence of the movies and I'm still alive. Sure, we lost 9 people from the back of the plane but that's not important, I'm alive.
As we were coming into Los Angeles there was a nice big fog covering everything. I don't know where the airport is in relation to the Hollywood sign, but I really wanted to see that from the sky. Get a few dozen photos of it as we whizz overhead. Oh well. Maybe I will just forge some photo some time. Awesome. Coming into San Francisco was awesome though! I was able to see the Golden Gate bridge off in the difference and as you come in to land you get real close to the sea... I liked it in my own childish way.
You don't get a photo of the day today because I cant find a USB thingy on the computer. Hard luck. I imagine I'm going to get some beauties as I go off soon to check out San Francisco. Maybe, if you are lucky, I will go to an Internet cafe on the street rather the one that is at the hostel. I'm pretty sure they will have all my uploading needs! The timing of the blog is going to work out perfectly. Today is blog number 38, tomorrow - Friday will be 39 and then Saturday will hit the big 40. Perfect because the day after is the day I start the tour and I will not be able to get to the computers that easy. I said I would stop at 40 so its all good!
Whilst I was thinking about this I remembered a stupid kid thing I used to think about. You know that little 'Stupid things I thought as a child' item I did in a few of the blogs - well, here is another one. I used to think that all the newborn babies where all in a line somewhere like heaven, but not heaven. Then when a mother was giving birth then the one at the front of the line would go to that mother, in that place and that country. Do you know what I mean? I used to think this because I always used to think I was lucky to live in England, compared to the poor and famine stricken countries around the world. I reckon I lost you in there, if you are not back reading in 5 mins I will set up a search party.
There wasn't a movie on the second plane - but it was only 1 hour long so that wasn't too bad. In my free time I listened to my iPod and read the in flight magazine! What a beauty! There were some articles that I could not be bothered to read but at the bottom of most of the pages they had a 'Did You Know?' section. Some gems I found out were, 1. The electric guitar was developed in Los Angeles. 2. The plastic Frisbee was developed in Los Angeles. There were loads more, but you know me, I forgot them!
There hasn't really been a song of the day, nothing has stood out. I'm listening to my ipod at the moment as I write this blog so I guess the song playing now will do,
Amie - Damien Rice.
My iPod is on shuffle so that is the song that destiny wishes to have as the song of the day. Maybe someone is listening to that song as they read this. If you are more than likely you are my soul mate, email me at philclarke@hotmail.co.uk and when I get home we can meet up and get married or something. I was thinking about destiny today, or rather I was thinking off things happening for a reason. For something to happen for a reason someone actually has to do something. For example me finding that money yesterday in the pet store, someone had to loose that money so that I could find it. Its a bit of a weak example but it gets my point. Sometimes you have to go with your gut as to do something, or not do something, for something to happen for a reason for someone else. Please say you understand that because it makes sense in my head, I'm just not that good at getting it down onto the blog.
I just ran a spell check. Why is it grammatically corect for the Internet to have a capial 'I'. Its not the name of a person or place or anything like that. I think it should just be 'internet', but the dictionary isnt going to listen to just me alone.
It is time for me to go run around San Francisco like a mad man with a camera. It is more than possible that I get arrested for excessive photography, but we will cross that bridge when I come to it.
I'm here, safe and happy.
Love always,
[clarke]
p.s. I hear some of the family are getting onto the blog these days! So a big Hello to Grand Parents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. I hope you are all very well! And I will tell you all about the travels, armed with alot of photos, when I get home. Much love to you all!
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