San Francisco Part I

You know when you avoid doing something for so long, and it's always in the back of your mind just niggling at you? But not doing it is still easier than actually doing and it just becomes this awkward thing that you know you need to do, but it's been to long. Every so often I'd catch myself thinking, that would really good to blog about so I don't forget, but I'd remember that I still hadn't blogged about America and it would all be avoided instead.

But no more. I will blog every day, or at least mention something random or funny that happened. I need to make this ultimatum or it's not going to happen. So without further ado, America!

San Francisco Part I

The day before I left for America, I was fluttering around at my parents place, still finishing things and packing. Yes, I was in Brisbane despite flying to San Francisco from Auckland. I had to catch a horrid early morning flight, which was only really horrid because I had to get up at 415am since my parents live so far out. Le sigh. Dad was really sweet and made sure that I got checked in all okay, carrying my suitcase and giving me cash so I could get breakfast. Aww.

Dad cutting his delicious carrot cake

Waiting at Auckland Airport was boring and stupid, but luckily they let me check in early (6 hours early!), so went through security and took over a whole row of seats. Airport seats are not made for laying on.

What's up with people queuing really early? Do they really think that they will miss out on their seat? Anywoo, despite the gunners I made it to my seat, sulked a little about my travel agent not booking my vege meal, got over myself and settled down to watch the entertainment. How did people travel long distance without it? The meal was predictably bad since it was all about the meat, but they had cheese! I may have danced in my seat. Sleeping on the plane was also predictably bad and I have no idea what I watched. But that was ok, I had cheese! Plus, since I didn't order a vege meal, I got to have pancakes! Mwahahaha, suck it stupid Englishwoman sitting next to me who wanted it but had ordered a vege meal (She got all shity at me when I declined to swap seats with her husband because he was sitting in the middle seat).

Air NZ AKL-SFO 7/10

Of course, karma had it in for me and I ended up stuck in a line with Stupid!English couple. Le sigh. The American Customer officers were carrying guns! It was scary, and the actual customs guy was very rude and seemed quite frustrated with asking me questions. I was terrified that he wouldn't let me in, and so glad that I managed to remember the name of my hotel. I was pretty much grinning when I got through - I'm sure I'm on some list now. Opps.

I had it all planned out that I would catch the BART to the Powell St station and it would all be sweet. Except, I failed at the first hurdle of getting a BART ticket. It's not like other ones where you select between your destinations and it tells you the ticket price and spits out the change. These ones require you to view from the list on the side how much your ticket price is and then use the up/down to equate the ticket price tot hat which you need. It seems such an antiqued system, and it confused people other than me - Americans!
I made it, eyed up people walking past and made it onto the BART tube thingy. I did manage to get off at my stop, dragged my suitcase up to the top (because I seemed to have lost the ability to turn around and check for working escalators), and promptly got lost. All my preparation in looking at street view, and I fail. Thankfully, I am a geek and printed off a map that indicated I was one block over to the right and I needed to go up and left. Totally okay. Found hotel, checked in and discovered that it was .....not what the pictures suggested. The whole of the second floor (because I insist that the Ground Floor is not the First Floor) was draped in painter's plastic. It was very um, not polished? Disappointing? Who cares, it had a running shower and a bed? Hell yeah.

Once I had worked out that the light switches were in fact, not broken, I got to experience the pure joy that is showering after flying/airport grossness for over 24 hours. It was truly glorious.

I had a few hours before I was meeting up with a friend, so I took the receptionists advice and checked out the Apple store. Free internet! Let's not discuss how long it took me work out how to use an Apple computer, but I appreciated the free internets and the lack of gun on the security guard.
Afterwards, I hung out in Union Sq before jumping on a open deck bus for the request red bus tour. Not exactly built for great audio, however I managed to catch a few things as we circled around. And I got snap happy:

Awesome graffiti

Post - Great Fire buildings, with copper framing

Pretty Buildings

More Pretty Buildings

Union Square

Very Blurry Alcatraz

IHOP!!!!
(International House of Pancakes)

Yellow School Bus! Barnes and Nobel! World Market!

I went back to my hotel to get ready to meet up with my friend, only since my phone wouldn't roam unless I was at the airport, there was a mass miscommunication and I ended up in the restaurant and he waited for me in the hotel lobby. Fail. Anyway, I gave up about an hour later (stupid waitress looked so sorry for me), and I had a grilled cheese sandwich.......never again. It was brown, all of the meal. Ugh. I ate some and then regretted it, and Wham! Jet Lag! I think I managed to tip, but hell if I know I did it right, and this fear followed me everywhere.

I managed to make it back, pass out on the bed and awoke at 2am when the garbage men in the alley below decided to play games. American TV? Just as bad as NZ TV at that time, although their early morning news is weird and kind of false? I'm not sure exactly, but I found this in NYC and LA as well, so I guess it's normal for them.

Next: San Francisco Part II - windburn, walking, trams, culture shock and pie