So the end of the story - I was in Philadelphia, and I liked it. Who knows, maybe I'll move there someday.
But for now, I am in Minnesota. The Twin Cities to be exact. All over the Twin Cities to be even MORE exact. I've been hanging out with friends, doing some reading and even used the library at Northwestern to do some studying.
This weekend, I return to my childhood - Manitowoc, WI.
I think I've been in a different state every sunday since I've been back in the states.
Jul 26, 2007
Jul 18, 2007
Supa' Sta'
Some of you know, some of you don't - I am staying on the Eastern University campus outside of Philadelphia (in the 'burbs). Its a christian university, and like many colleges, opens its campus up to events throughout the summer while students are away.
Since I've been here its been soccer camps galor (which has been kind of fun. I have spent an afternoon or two watching the high school games).
Tonight, I was out doing my laundry, and I had to walk through a sea of campers, who were chilling after a hard day of playing. As I'm walking, a bunch of kids start staring at me, and a few start whispering to their friends.
I switched my laundry from the washer to the dryer and then walked back out. Again, the staring. I started to feel uncomfortable. I wasn't sure if it was good staring or bad staring.
As I walked back to retreive my laundry, the little pip squeaks were STILL looking at me! Finally, one came up to me, and with wonder and awe in his voice, asked,
"Do you play for Delco?"
And thus I realized why all the gawking. I am currently wearing an FC Delco jersy I was given five years ago for helping out with a soccer camp in Philadelphia. FC Delco is a sort of minor league soccer team. So apparently he thought I was athletic enough to play for the team. It was an ego booster.
Anyway, I laughed and apologized. I wasn't the superstar he thought I was.
I should have given him my autograph, though.
Since I've been here its been soccer camps galor (which has been kind of fun. I have spent an afternoon or two watching the high school games).
Tonight, I was out doing my laundry, and I had to walk through a sea of campers, who were chilling after a hard day of playing. As I'm walking, a bunch of kids start staring at me, and a few start whispering to their friends.
I switched my laundry from the washer to the dryer and then walked back out. Again, the staring. I started to feel uncomfortable. I wasn't sure if it was good staring or bad staring.
As I walked back to retreive my laundry, the little pip squeaks were STILL looking at me! Finally, one came up to me, and with wonder and awe in his voice, asked,
"Do you play for Delco?"
And thus I realized why all the gawking. I am currently wearing an FC Delco jersy I was given five years ago for helping out with a soccer camp in Philadelphia. FC Delco is a sort of minor league soccer team. So apparently he thought I was athletic enough to play for the team. It was an ego booster.
Anyway, I laughed and apologized. I wasn't the superstar he thought I was.
I should have given him my autograph, though.
Jul 14, 2007
Stompin' Grounds
So I'm back in my old stompin' grounds - the late great city of Philadelphia. Well, its still a great city.
To be fair, I haven't been back at teh REAL stomping grounds. Yet. Tomorrow I will be moving out and about around the city, and I'll have a chance to take the 13 trolly down woodland ave to my old street of Rheinhard. My old roommate still lives on the street, and supposedly in the same house. I tried to get ahold of him, but it seems that he is as hard to get ahold of as every one has said.
So I'm just going to show up at his house. If he still does live there. Otherwise, someone else is going to get a surprise visitor.
I also realized how much I like the city of Philadelphia. Now, if I'm giong to be honest (and I am going to be), I will need to tell you that I'm not really in Philadelphia. I'm actually in the suburbs. And some very nice suburbs at that. So I guess I really like the suburbs of Philly. I'll let you know if the city itself is as great as I remember it being.
And it probably will be. The dirty streets of downtown, the hustle and bustle to get onto the trolly's and subways. The dunkin' doughnut on every friggin' corner of downtown. Yeah... those were the days... though it remains to be seen if my memories truly capture the moment - or if my brain has photoshoped the memories and dressed them up a bit.
To be fair, I haven't been back at teh REAL stomping grounds. Yet. Tomorrow I will be moving out and about around the city, and I'll have a chance to take the 13 trolly down woodland ave to my old street of Rheinhard. My old roommate still lives on the street, and supposedly in the same house. I tried to get ahold of him, but it seems that he is as hard to get ahold of as every one has said.
So I'm just going to show up at his house. If he still does live there. Otherwise, someone else is going to get a surprise visitor.
I also realized how much I like the city of Philadelphia. Now, if I'm giong to be honest (and I am going to be), I will need to tell you that I'm not really in Philadelphia. I'm actually in the suburbs. And some very nice suburbs at that. So I guess I really like the suburbs of Philly. I'll let you know if the city itself is as great as I remember it being.
And it probably will be. The dirty streets of downtown, the hustle and bustle to get onto the trolly's and subways. The dunkin' doughnut on every friggin' corner of downtown. Yeah... those were the days... though it remains to be seen if my memories truly capture the moment - or if my brain has photoshoped the memories and dressed them up a bit.
Jul 7, 2007
Back in the ol' US of A
After about 25 hours of traveling, I have finally returned to Texas. In some ways, it is kind of surreal, but in another sense, it seems very... normal.
Surreal: When I got into the London Heathrow airport, I was struck on two different fronts. First, all of the signs seemed incomplete to me. For a while, I couldn't figure out why all the signs seemed to make me feel this way. Then I realized - there was no Arabic accompanying the English. Weird.
I'm so used to a language barrier - having to reexplain, use different words or pronunciation more clearly - that I found myself ready to strain to communicate to people. And when the first woman I spoke to (who wasn't white) was a brit, I found myself a little taken aback.
My mom and brother picked me up from the airport, and she asked what I wanted to do for dinner.
"Chipotle." The best burritos this side of the border.
What about other things I'm excited about? Well... I'm not really sure. There are so many western things in Bahrain, that sometimes I'm not sure what it is I've missed until I see it.
Don't worry. I'll keep you posted.
Surreal: When I got into the London Heathrow airport, I was struck on two different fronts. First, all of the signs seemed incomplete to me. For a while, I couldn't figure out why all the signs seemed to make me feel this way. Then I realized - there was no Arabic accompanying the English. Weird.
I'm so used to a language barrier - having to reexplain, use different words or pronunciation more clearly - that I found myself ready to strain to communicate to people. And when the first woman I spoke to (who wasn't white) was a brit, I found myself a little taken aback.
My mom and brother picked me up from the airport, and she asked what I wanted to do for dinner.
"Chipotle." The best burritos this side of the border.
What about other things I'm excited about? Well... I'm not really sure. There are so many western things in Bahrain, that sometimes I'm not sure what it is I've missed until I see it.
Don't worry. I'll keep you posted.
