Is this California?

This post is especially for my friend Meanne who's been bugging me to update this one. So here it is.

It's been 2 days since I got in California. One can only think that life so far is wonderful. After all, the words luxury, fun, and extravagant lifestyle all seem to match with the place. It's been complete opposite for me, however, at least for now. This isn't quite like DC where once out of the apartment, you can easily find your way to different places. I didn't even get to use Lonely Planet's guide anymore. Right at the same block are Starbucks, Capitol Lounge, a pretty decent bar in which one could have brunch (and more), a little more walking and there's Bank of America, on the other side is a FedEx Kinko's and when you walk further down and cross the street, it's the Church. The metro station is also just 2 blocks away. For that I love DC so much more.

Here in California though, it's been tough. It might actually be tough for the coming days and months. I live right outside campus, so going to school wouldn't be a problem. But I don't intend to just go to school. One thing that makes California a wonderful place (or so I heard) are those places that create the buzz. Beverly Hills. Sunset Boulevard. Hollywood. Disneyland. Universal Studios. Even UCLA. But not a single one of them could be reached just by walking. You just don't wanna do that. Everything must be driven to. If you don't have a car, too bad for you. Well, I don't so too bad for me. I haven't tried going to any of those places riding a cab. But I suppose, with the traffic on those freeways, which I unfortunately experienced on my first day here, I believe the fare would be plain horrible.

Second thing, the food. Yesterday, I just had one full meal. At 630pm. Then my second 'meal' was at 1am- a box of Chicken in a Biskit. I promised last night that today I was gonna have some gooood meal to compensate for the starvation I experienced last night. BUT. How could I have known that hailing a cab here in LA is such a no-no? Therefore, even without a specific place in mind but definitely with a plan to eat somewhere good, I tried hailing a cab... and I failed. (I was actually trying to hail a cab to head somewhere where I could buy a refill for my prepaid phone. Then I realized later on, after I went grocery shopping, it wouldn't have been wise to have traveled 2 miles just to get a refill since there's a nearby T-Mobile dealer here.) So for my supposedly gooood meal for the day, I ended up at Burger King eating a Bacon Double Melt meal. Count that as my ONLY meal for today. Just about an hour ago, I decided to munc on Ritz because I could hear my stomach grumbling. It's been like that for several hours. I got some more food from the grocery today but all of them could only be cooked with an oven. But I had second thoughts because....

Third thing, I think the rat that's been going around in here came from there. When I opened it last night to look if it was clean, and then closed it again, that's when the rat started roaming around the place. This morning, when I woke up, I heard some noise coming from one of the luggages I used. Voila, the rat was in my room. Point is, the rat might've been living inside that oven for the days it's been alive. It might have been pissing and pooping on the racks. The thought is just plain sick and disgusting. I don't know how the hell I am gonna use that oven.

Fourth, I loved my life in DC because there were so many people I could bug whenever I want. But here, I don't even have a roomie! Before, I would've said I would've preferred not having a roomie than having a roomie I don't like. Well now I'm not gonna say that. Because there is such a thing as having a roomie that you like. And I don't have that. The dorm-mate that I have here is younger than me and has been here for 2 years or so, which means he already has his own friends. And I don't. I've been stuck here in my room for the last 3 nights, letting time pass by chatting with some college friends (oh thank you!) and that's it. But it's been only 3 days. I don't wanna conclude things just yet. I will let a week or two pass before I pass the judgment. That's exactly why I can't wait for Monday, the day I meet the people I will be with for the next year.

I could only hope that I make some good friends, like I did back in DC. And that by the end of next week, I would no longer have to rant about being by myself, stuck here in my room, with nothing but biscuit to eat at midnight and nowhere else to go... because this isn't how I envisioned California life to be.