So, I have been a resident of the United States of America for just over three weeks and I'm still not used to everything. I am still patiently waiting for my Social Security Card/Number to arrive so I can be an official member of the US working-class. Yes, I have been working at my job at GameSpot.com as the Sports Previews Editor but I haven't been paid yet (which really sucks!) , owe my "landlord" rent and am living off of my Canadian Credit Card.
I am hoping that the last remaining issues that still exist are taken care of by the end of this week. My out of country cheques that I deposited into my US account will clear by the beginning of next week; I was told that Social Security takes anywhere from 3-4 weeks. Since I officially registered that on the 10th of July, I should here something sometime next week.
But although America and Canada are quite a like, there are still a lot of differences I am still getting used to. I am currently living in Oakland, CA. It wasn't my first choice but it was the only place I could secure prior to leaving Vancouver. I really had my heart set on a place in San Francisco but trying to get a place from Canada and without actually seeing the place, made that next to impossible.
I don't hate where I live, far from it. The townhouse I reside in is stunning. It's a four-bedroom place that I share with a roommate who is also the owner and works with me, although not in the same department. I have a large room with plenty of space and the rest of the house is extremely spacious. I don't socialize with my roommate too much since we work very different hours. I am up at 7am and at work by 8:30 while he doesn't arrive until much later. Meaning we also finish at different times.
This is where I begin to not enjoy where I live. It is extremely far from everything. In the mornings, I can get to work in about 30 minutes because there is an express bus that picks me up near my place and drops me off about a 10 minute walk from the office. That's not bad, but it's the evenings where I have problems.
Since moving to the States, I've gained a bit of weight. Not too much, about 5-7 pounds, but enough that it bothers me. For the first week or so living here, I did no physical activities and that "laziness" caused the sudden weight gain. So, I decided to get a gym membership. Although I was a loyal member of the YMCA for the four+ years I lived in Vancouver, the price of a gym membership at 24 hour Fitness was too good to pass up. I signed up to one by my work but it allows me to use any one of their many locations.
Thus began my journey in to which gym to use. The one nearly across the street from my work building is always packed around 6pm when I go which makes it extremely difficult to get onto a cardio machine. It has a great machine area but the cardio section is extremely small. I tried to show up early in the mornings when it was less busy but I am not a morning workout person and I didn't like having my smelly, sweaty gym clothing with me at my desk throughout the day.
So I decided to go to one in Oakland. It's not exactly close to where I live but it's size makes it extremely easy to do the workout I want. But there lies a new problem. I've discovered the unsanitary lifestyles of the people of Oakland.
I don't know if it's just a certain group of people or everyone in general, but I just don't get the logic/though process of these folks. The Oakland 24 hour fitness has a swimming area with steam and sauna rooms. I loved to spend 10-15 minutes after a hard workout in these rooms, so this was another reason why I wanted to go here. But every single time I've been there during the week, both rooms have people in there fully dressed. I am not talking about those people who are uncomfortable with the way their stomach look that they wear a T-Shirt, I literally mean people in there with shoes, socks, pants or shorts and a shirt. These are people who workout or play some basketball and immediately after finishing there, enter the room. It's freaking disgusting.
Since there are no lifeguards, there is no monitoring the area and it's unbearable. Then, the change room is always messy and people don't clean up after themselves. The floors don't have drains but I see people squeezing water/sweat out of their clothing and onto the floor.
After this, I decided I will no longer frequent this location during the week. I will still probably attend on weekends since I won't be in San Fran but if it gets worse, I don't know what I'll do. While the two gyms I have tried in the SF area don't have steam/sauna facilities, they are significantly cleaner.
The problem with Oakland is that nothing is close where I live. I am in East Oakland and I really don't want to drive but because of my location, I have no choice for most things. I went to the movies for the first time on Sunday and decided to take the bus. The trip was only about 45 minutes each way but the theatre was an older one and I can't seem to find any of the more modern ones nearby. I have nothing against the cinema but when it comes to choice, it only features a few films and not a wide collection.
The other issue is that I haven't had the opportunity to make any friends here. But I am to blame for that. There was a great chance during my first week to socialize with some people from work but instead of doing that, I went to Sacramento to see a friend from Vancouver who came to visit. I really don't know why I went since it was someone I'm not particular close with but I did want to see more of California. Since then, there hasn't been an opportunity to hang-out with people from work and to make friends, or at least acquaintances. I am hoping that changes but again, I think because of my location, it won't be easy. I need to join a sports team or do something outside of work that will help me integrate with more people. I am seriously tempted to take a class, possibly a language one or automotive repair and maybe meet people that way. I'm not looking for love, just people with similar interests. I had such a great circle of friends both in Ottawa and Vancouver and I'd love to have the same thing here.
I could keep complaining about my situation but I do have to remember that it is only temporary. I have every intention on moving to San Francisco in January and then getting around will be so much easier and my life will be so much better I hope. I felt like ranting and this is what came of it.
