Food and baseball

Okay, so whenever people talk about the US it usually revolves around food.

Yes, the portions are huge and they offer to box everything you leave up (this is still quite an alien concept. Cold mash potato anyone?). We have, however, discovered a chain of fab sandwich bars that are throughout the city. This sandwich is a dinner in its self. You take two huge slices of bread (about an inch and half thick each). Add a filling of your choice plus lots of cheese. They then place a thick layer of coleslaw. It’s just a big sandwich I hear you cry! Then they place a layer (about an inch thick) of chips. Done 1000 calories in a sandwich. I may need to seats on the plane back to the UK!

Last night Luke took me to my first baseball game. I really enjoyed it until the last half hour (it lasted 2 hours 15 minutes). The experience was like nothing in the UK, any sports fan will tell you there is a different feel at football and rugby match, but this was so different again. It was an event, not just a sports match. From the singing of the national anthem, to the home players having music that they walked up to the bating plate to (I would love to known the reasoning behind some of the choices), then there was The Great Pierogi Race. Most people around us seemed not to care what has happening on the field but went for the atmosphere and the entertainment. Can you imagine Sting (Wasps mascot) firing hot dogs into the crowd at a London Wasps match? Thought not. Or having a song and dance at half time (7th inning stretch) at the Emirates, complete with sing-a-long words under the big screen? (Luke has video of this on You Tube) Nope. These are the norm when you watch baseball especially when you watch the Pittsburgh Pirates or

Bucs play. I also had my first hot dog and pretzel- will pass on them next time, but I can’t wait to go again.

First sighting of Batman (ish)!

We were invited out by Luke’s Cultural Adjustment Officer to a prom in the park event. On route there I gave this lady and her husband (both of whom are into their 60s) a heart attack as I squealed ‘Batmobile, look Luke, it’s a Batmobile’. Luke then explained what I was squealing about to our hosts and informed me it was ‘actually the tumbler’. Sorry! Sadly Mr Bale was not there when we were, he was there much later in the day…still I have four weeks to see him!

Buses and the ghetto

Buses and the ghetto

With a new sense of confidence I decide to try to find a local supermarket to buy a few bits and bobs. Luke had managed to find one about a mile from the flat (loft) and had said that I was not to go there alone. Remember me saying that I could not explore our side of the river? Well basically it is because it is the ghetto and Luke had been told it was not safe for him to go there. Armed with the iPad I set off for Wall-Mart.

Now I should explain that there is a function on all Apple products called maps, I have never really used this, but over the coming days this would be my lifeline. You can put destinations in and the clever little computer will tell you not only how to get their on foot but also by public transport and road. So I put in Wall-Mart's address and our Zip Code. Off I go.

After walking around looking for the bus stop on the iPad for half an hour (it was meant to be a block away) I find it. (I was later to discover that it was not the one I was looking for, but in the next hour that was going to be the least of my worries). The Route 1 to Freeport turns up. On I jump and tell the lady where I

am going, she kindly explains that I am going in the wrong direction and offers to drop me at the next bus stop, going back in the opposite direction. This was a HUGE mistake. I got off the bus in an area where I was told by Luke not to go, for what were now obvious reasons. There were large groups of men of various

ethnic backgrounds hanging around on every street corner. The whole place had a very run down feel to it. I feel that generally I am a confident person who is not fazed by this sort of thing, but I was suddenly very aware I was a young woman on my own surrounded by large groups of men just loitering about and looking

shifty. The next 40 minutes were the longest of my life, and in this time I did contemplate trying to find my way around, but in the end stayed put. In all the person safety talks you her the police officer always tells you to look confident and act confident- bit difficult in this case believe me (especially when you are aware that you have an iPhone, iPod and iPad in your bag for starters- muggers paradise or what!) Anyway bus turns up I am on it before it has even really stopped (they open the doors while they are still moving) I arrive at wall-mart and have a strong coffee.

Lessons learnt:

1. Don’t go into the ghetto!

2. The buses have the same place on the front whether the are coming or going to that place- this makes getting around tricky at best.

3. Paying for buses is just as confusing; you pay on some when you get on them and when you get off of them on others???

Questions!

I have been amazed by how friendly and helpful everyone has been in the city.

When I have been lost people have even taken me to my destination just to be helpful. However because I am British and from London (it is just easier to say that) it does not mean I was a close personal friend of Amy Winehouse. It’s like saying you are a friend of Madonna because you live in New York. I also was not

invited to THE wedding nor did I go into London nor do I know Kate!!!!!! Rant over.

Navigating the city

Luke gave me the iPad and told me not to go anywhere on our side of the river (see next post for why), but to explore over the river or ‘Downtown’. Okay so for my first day I decided to find all the important landmarks- Luke’s office, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue! The good news about these landmarks is that they are all next to each other, but bad news for the credit cards (they are frantically burying themselves in my purse as I type). Having a couple of hours to kill before meeting Luke, I did what any woman would do shop! While having a facial I discovered that they are filming Batman here and decided that my mission over the next four weeks is to spot Mr Bale or at least some Batman related things! Luke found dinner had, I had survived my first day alone in the US.

Weasy has landed and the tale of the eye drops.

I am the person who wakes up at 3 in the morning on Christmas day, through excitement. I am the person who counts in sleeps before a big event- much to everyone’s annoyance. This is my blog about my big adventure.

So after a seven-hour flight sitting next to a lovely lady, who decided to tell me how rubbish the UK was for at least 2 hours of the flight. (I had no choice but to listen as my laptop had no power left and the film choice was dire at best). I found myself in America at Boston Airport. Next border patrol, not a problem.
Collect baggage, again not a problem.

Up until now my trip hand gone like clockwork, including using British public transport to get to Heathrow (A small miracle in itself). However with 40 minutes to get my connection to Pittsburgh I found myself running about 2 miles (in flip flops with two suitcases) through the airport to check in my bags again, as the ‘connection belt’ was broken. Arrggghhh! I cleared check in with ease and then went to security control. Now I realise these people do a very tough and essential job, however searching my handbag over a 10ml bottle of comfort eye drops, was this really necessary? Especially when I had my laptop, iPhone and iPod all in my wheelie bag with their various cables? I dare say some people will say yes, but when they questioned me as to why this liquid was not in a proper clear bag and what it was used for (surely the label- summed up the later question?). I answered them truthfully and said I had used them on my transatlantic flight and forgot I had stuffed them in my handbag (while running two miles through the airport, so I would not lose them). By now I can hear all the business people around me huffing and puffing as they clearly are trying to catch flight, and the security control were not processing anyone else and then decided to scrutinize my handbag very slowly (lots of interesting stuff: purse and passport etc). I got a stern telling off and told to make sure all liquids were presented correctly for inspection. I apologised and tried in vain to get away as quick as possible and make my connection. I made my flight (the passenger who was sat next to me, needed her own seat and half of my seat for her bottom, thank goodness that the flight was only and hour long) and landed in Pittsburgh
and found Luke. Phew... let the fun begin.

PS Did I mention that certain Hollywood stars were meant to fly in the same day as me?