(17th April) "You look like a dorky scientist"
One of the first things an American said to me after I touched down in LA. Hell, I was just glad to be there. This was the woman at Customs, and she was pretty cool (she was telling me I looked a lot better in my passport photo and advising me to cut my hair).
One thing I like about Americans, they are (in general) more outgoing and friendly than a lot of other cultures. And the Customs and Immigration people seem to treat people pretty well. I know I've had less pleasant treatment in Wellington airport, in the town I was born, where I'm a citizen, than I have in the US.
But at the same time it's clear that anyone who infringes the rules even slightly, even if it's just a procedural issue or irregularity, could well run into trouble (my sister's dance teacher was put in jail for three days then deported, and she was just there on a short visit to learn more about dance).
So after a 24-hour trip where I got to meet the world's campest steward, lose $10 dollars in an AT&T phonecard dispenser, and make 20 phone calls trying to get through to Cory, I made it to New Mexico. On-time. And Cory was there only half an hour later, if that (impressive, as she thought she'd be working late). It was all a bit more low-key than I'd expected, she just sat down beside me (having walked up from behind me), "Hi". No running across fields into each others arms. But it will do me.
Only downside so far is that we're both really tired, she's working 12 hour days, and I'm in a different time zone. So, we get home: 1am she's desperate to get some sleep. I can't, so I go sit in the lounge and read till 4am (which is only 10pm, my time). At which point I can sort of get to sleep, so I do, and sleep through till 11am, just in time for Cory to get up and go to work. Where she will be till midnight. Thank God she gets some days off. So here I am, on her roommate's PC, waiting for her to come home <3
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