Arriving in the United States...

Hey y'all,

Hope you are alive after the last blog. Yes it was mammoth, but just so many exciting things! :P
Will try and keep this shorter... but no promises!

Nothing like coming off a 16hour flight and being detained in San Francisco airport... perfect.
"Mam, where is your DS 2019?"
"Ah, I don't have it"
"Please take a seat in Secondary customs"...

Of course I forgot some 'important' piece of paper, but really was it necessary?! I needed the DS 2019 to get my VISA and I had my VISA in my water damaged passport and I had a valid passport... so why was it damn necessary? Welcome to The United States of America Margot!

Spent the night in an airport hotel, relieved to have not been put on a plane and deported. I got the CalTrain down to San Jose, a lovely 1 hour ride, starting to get a feel for the California!
I certainly got the cliche travel experience. I was waiting for a train, when a eccentrically frizzy red headed lady started talking to me. She was the kind of character you would expect to have a black cat following her around. Had an Irish background, but had grown up for the most part of her life in South San Francisco. She went on to tell me, "The US is not a safe place for people anymore, if you commit a crime, the Police will charge you for more than you did and you will be imprisoned in a unlisted prison in the desert. No one will ever be able to find you. Your existance will disappear and no matter how much people search for you, you're gone. Property of the State now. But I have a friend. Dennis. He is also Irish, an ex pat. He drives a big Catalac and can get you from San Francisco to San Jose in 35-40mins... you'll be hard pressed to find someone that can do that! If you ever get in trouble with the Police, call Dennis. He will come find you and sort everything out. But his number is unlisted. Never give this to anyone. I will know if you have given it to anyone." Proceeded to write some details on a pre made business card, stating 'Dennis - (and his number)'...
As she was nearing her stop, she said, "if you ever need me, come to (some bar) in town and ask the Barman for Babzilla. He will come find me. I won't give out my real name. Just remember Babzilla"
And she was gone. Surreal. Again, welcome to the US Margot! The first people I spoke to were customs and a loony lady... what was install for me if this was the beginning?!

Arrived at the Campus Village B (CVB) building, my accommodation on campus, the largest of 7 apartment/dorm blocks. The campus accommodates over 3000 students! A little more than I am use to at my humble UWS res with 325 students. The campus was pretty quiet as it was a week before class commenced. I met two other internationals waiting outside for the 3pm entry, an Aussie chick and Swedish guy, so boom - 2 others in the same boat. Perfect. After checking in, meeting a few other Internationals, we took a trip to Walmart to buy our necessities. Was a 4 hour experience, complete with Taco Bells dinner which had a sign saying "WARNING - Chemicals known to the State to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm may be present in foods or beverages served here." Wow.

So I had arrived in the States on the 13th August. Unfortunately a few days before that, I received a phone call from my family, saying my 90 year old Grandad Harry, had had a fall in the bathroom, spent the night of the bathroom floor and amongst other things, went into renal failure, with the doctors giving him days to live. Being a close family, there was no doubt in my mind. I was going home. By the 15th August, I was on a flight home to Sydney. I arrived on the 17th at 6:30am, made it to the hospital and spent the day with Grandad, who was semi unconscious. Being the last grandchild of 6 to visit, when he heard my voice in his room, he opened his eyes, something he had not done for 48hours. At 6:15pm, he passed away, with some of the family and I at his bedside. The funeral was organised with haste to allow me to return to the USA and commence university, so on Monday 22nd we had the funeral, in which my dad and I spoke at. Tuesday 23rd I returned to The States and started class on Wednesday 24th. 

It was obviously a hard time for me and the family, however was so nice to be able to spend Grandad's last day together. Something I don't regret for a minute!  A lot is going to change back home now, end of an amazing era for an amazing man and for all of his family, its the end of the family home that my Dad has lived in for over 50 years and a place we have all had so many memories in. But you got to celebrate what a fantastic life he had. 


Back to the States. Took a few days to recover from a physical and emotional rollarcoaster. Adjusting to a whole new culture, city and university was another challenge in itself. Thea told me a cool quote "life only throws at you what it thinks you can handle"... I guess it was one of those moments. 


The two classes I take are Occupation and Physical Dysfunction and Cultural Diversity in OT. I have those classes in seminar style, for 3 hours each once a week. My lecturer is really cool and for those OT kids, she has written a chapter in the Pendretti book, "OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY - practice skills for Physical Dysfunction" Gigi Smith is her name. So learning a wealth of knowledge from her! Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, I attend fieldwork. I am working with kids with special needs in schools throughout the Santa Clara county. So far so good!


The first weekend I was back, our gang of International students got the bus to Santa Cruz, about an hour bus ride from campus. The culture there is like that of Byron Bay I was told, but when I got there, it seemed more like an English seaside town, with its long pier, amusements/rides by the sea, cold water and no one actually in the water! The weather is actually upwards of 30degrees, but the water never seems to warm up. Sunbaking on the beach, I heard the weirdest sounds, to which i had no idea what it was, to look around and see Seals playing on the pontoon by the pier! About 30+ of these huge, ugly, scared seals (Sea Lions I think they actually were)... 


The campus takes up from 4th street to 10th street and about 6 streets wide, so is pretty big! Right in downtown San Jose. I've been told San Jose is the 10th biggest city in the US and the 4th safest city! So far since i have been here there has been a shooting (well I've heard more than one when i've been drifting off to sleep) and a sexual assault on campus... What the hell is the rest of the US like then?! a girl on my soccer team even brings pepper spray to training with her kit! Seems like a worthwhile investment!


Was at Las Vegas for the long weekend... but I will save that for my next blog! 

Hope all are well! Drop me a line if you are reading these and let me know how you are going. 


Margot xoxo