Friday, July 25, 2003
Enter...the freak out.

North Carolina is definately the South. I guess I thought it might be, but I didn't really realize what that was going to mean. And I know, after less than a week, I still don't reeealy know. But here are some ways that the South is different from the West:

1. You can never be on time. Well, you can be on time to the first thing you do that day, but you will forever be late after that. Why? Because people here have no sense of urgency. Everywhere I go- be it the supermarket, the mechanic, the bank- whomever I come into contact with will engage me in an- at least- ten minute conversation. For instance, when I was at the bank starting my new account, I learned about the "flood of '99", how Carls Jr. Burgers took over the Hardy's chain, what there is and isn't to do in Rocky Mount for a divorced woman, how since we can't strap kids anymore we can't scare them into listening in class...well, you get the point. And this was just the bank. In California, there may be chatting, but it is just while someone is helping you. They keep typing or whatever. No, here they lean back into their chairs, cease all other activity, and the chatting is what you are doing. It is bizarre.

2. People in the South are way nicer than people in the West. No kidding. I mean, I have never had so many people randomly offer me places to stay, cars to drive, dinners to eat, you name it. And I am not talking about people I know at all. Like today, my car died and I had to take it to a Good Year tire (yes, this is the car I just bought two days ago). The other customers at the Good Year were offering me their cars to drive and their places to sleep. For reals. Like, I just saw them there and they were going to give me a car. In the end, the guy who worked at the GY gave me a car to drive. I have it right now. Weird.

These are just two ways, but shit is weird. My day has kinda sucked. Yeah, the car dying didn't help. But I was also all alone in a giant apartment with no television, stereo, nothing. Very depressing. So I chain smoked and cried. Then I realized I was being melodramatic and got tired of myself. Then I remembered that I could still go back to my new friend Joe's house and that he had internet and cable. So now I am here and feeling a lot less depressed. But it is sort of romantic to be all alone in a new state feeling miserable. But after the romatic vision of it wore off, I realized I really just wanted to watch the Baby Story and email people. So here I am. I'm sorry to anyone who talked to me today and had me insist on being sad. Kudos to those who tried to talk me out of it.

I need to start work or something. I miss my friends. Now I don't only miss Oakland, San Francisco, and Portland friends, but I also miss my TFA friends. How fair is that? I am going to go watch Baby Story. Thank God for TLC. ¶ 3:57 PM