(no subject)

[oyceter]

So we drove down to Monterey today to pick up old college roommate. I forget sometimes how beautiful California can be -- mostly when I think about it, I think of things like the wonderful weather and the loads of Asian goodies. But it was beautiful today.

It's fall/winter here, and that means instead of having the normal brown mountains with dry plants, everything has suddenly sprouted under the rains, and the entire landscape is covered with this thin layer of shimmering, flourescent spring green. I like how while the rest of American is dying during winter, California is coming to life. It somewhat lessens the usual seasonal depression. So there were the suddenly lush mountainsides, and the slanting light, coming down through a really gorgeous cloud cover, would every so often illuminate a little nook or cranny and make it seem like a spot of paradise.

I deeply love living here.

New Jersey was never home to me. It was too cold, and too damp, and filled with too many American people. It was very hard to get used to after eight years in Taiwan. Plus, I always stuck out like a sore thumb, I felt. Here, it's very different. There are assorted ethnic markets everywhere we go, and so many different types of restaurants and people and shopping centers. And while many people at work are your standard American, there are also a lot of people who are from different countries who have just settled down here. Back in Princeton, you were from very far away if you were from California ;). I enjoy the melting pot feeling here very much.

And the weather, of course.

Comments

home

[(Anonymous)]

that's the way i feel about houston, with the exception about the weather (although recently it's been COLD here). i love the melting pot feeling, and that was completely lacking during my trips to the northeast.

(anlee)

Re: home

[oyceter]

Hee, just the weather part of the Northeast drives me nuts. I guess it's eight years of getting used to sub-tropical weather.

Alas, I keep trying to lure people to California, but no one seems to listen to me =(.

So, you didn't grow up in the Midwest...

[chungag.livejournal.com]

I think it's funny that you thought you stuck out like a sore thumb in NJ... NJ is actually a fairly diverse state (although, yes CA is more diverse). In OH, where I grew up, Asians only make up 1.2% of the population... and the area we were in had even less. I dunno if I'd complain about having too many American people around... it's kinda like complaining that there are too many Chinese people in China...

Re: So, you didn't grow up in the Midwest...

[oyceter]

LOL! Well, I grew up in Colorado, actually, but since I moved away when I was eight, I don't have very strong memories of any sort of diversity. Mostly all I remember is that all my friends were from other Chinese families -- we all went to the same church and Chinese school, etc.

I actually thought NJ was hugely diverse when I went there, but that was because I hadn't lived among so many non-Asians in my life for quite some time! It is definitely more diverse in Taiwan ;). But it was really hard getting used to living around so many non-Asian people after living in Taiwan. California seems like a good in-between.