Getting around in California is easy—if you have a car! The freeway makes covering vast and wide areas quick and easy, but if you don’t have a car public transportation is quite challenging. It’s no wonder everybody drives in California! But I won’t let this minor issue hold me back!
Distance is one thing, getting back before it gets late is another
As I only have limited time after office, I didn’t want to waste my time waiting for the bus just to get around. Cabs may be convenient but they’re quite cost prohibitive. So I was left with two things I can consistently rely upon: my feet! They may not walk or run that fast, but they can take me anywhere—further than most people define as walking distance.
Just one of my “walks.”
For my first week in California, I was able to get around within “walking distance” radius of my hotel and work place. That may not be much, but I did find some interesting items:
Tiny disposable toothbrush that has toothpaste in the middle
Flowers are just everywhere!
I wonder what this thing that looked like chips of wood that they use to cover the ground…
Sunvalley Shopping Center
(when was the last time we had a two-storey mall?)
adidas Underwear?! Why don’t we have these in the Philippines?
A runner store (where I got my latest winter running gears)
Jollibee is expensive this side of the globe
(price does not include tax yet)
There are also some sights that I fortunate enough to capture with my phone’s camera:
Clear blue skies that ensued after a few days of rains
Kind of makes me feel like it’s fall but it’s actually winter
Lots of birds (see the top of the lamp posts)
As for food, we’ll it’s definitely not a problem!
Chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolates.
Microwave-ready meals are good for those who can’t cook, but it’s bad for your health (crazy amounts of sodium)
The yummy burger of In-N-Out
Delicious pizza from Zachary’s
Free lollipop after you consume your pizza
Also tried some Vietnamese noodles
Who said Japanese food is light? 😀
One of my guilty pleasures that I hope reaches the Philippines
Another one that I wish we have in the Philippines
Fortunately, by Friday (which was coincidentally Valentine’s Day) I had some friends willing to drive us (those who don’t have cars) around so my range had widen by a huge margin. We spend the early part of Friday night shopping in Livermore followed by dinner in Walnut Creek with some of the best Thai food I’ve ever tasted!
Let the shopping begin!
I wasn’t looking for anything in particular so I only got the things I need like this carry-on bag by Kenneth Cole
Our feast at Kacha: the appetizers
Our main dish: all sorts of curries, fried rice, and Pad Thai
I may be away from home and love ones during Valentine’s Day, but thankfully I didn’t spend it alone and had some wonderful distractions. 😀
Lucky shot I guess 🙂
Overall, my first week in California far exceeded my expectations. Knowing nobody when I arrived and having no car, I didn’t expect that I’d get this far!
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Bay Area Chronicles
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