Do I have a sign on my forehead that says "Strange men please talk me!" because I seem to attract them, I guess I should be pleased, at least men are! This particular weirdo was a poor helpless 54 year old divorcee who appeared to be drug addled and entirely dependent on other people. I initially got whiff of it because he had to have a woman help him onto the bus, seriously. Despite the fact he could walk perfectly adequately he needed someone to hold his hand. He spent a good part of the journey with a phone attached to his ear discussing ridiculous bits of the journey and his emotions with 3 poor women - Anne, Diane and his 80 year old mother - I felt so sorry for them. He kept asking whether this was the bus for Santa Barbara ("yes."), did he need to get off here? ("No. You stay put for the 10 hour journey.") Where are we? ("Bloody well listen to the driver, he just told you, or look out the damn window, its written just there!" Or politer words to that effect) Can he have a cigarette here? ("Yes, the driver just told you that you could. Use your ears man!"). He also kindly woke me up when I had just managed to doze off. Bastard. He was such a strange man that he told me Jesus had some to his front door and he had met him (no joke, he honestly told me this and this is a man who is so messed up that lying would stretch his mentally capacities to their limit) and that he could immediately trust me because I study religion (no mate, its because you are a needy sap who requires a mother figure to tell you what to do). He admitted that he had got married at 19 and his wife was more like a mother. At one point his stupid ex-wife was typing a love email for him as he dictated it - I mean good God! I was so pleased to get off the bus and be shot of him.
This afternoon I met some Mexican students, on of whom I'm travelling with. The girl (Claudia) who I'm travelling with has been in the US for 2 weeks but hadn't really spoken English until she met me. There is clearly a cliquey thing going on there, but it was really nice to make some new friends. We went to the thrift store - a second hand shop that doesn't give its profits to charity. I had hoped to buy an electric kettle (they are rare in America), a teapot (how can I cope without one?) and a clothes horse. I failed on 2 of 3, but I did manage to get hold of a teapot and so was able to have a good brew later.
We also went to a supermarket and I finally got hold of some good fruit and veg! After travelling for a week and a half I was gagging for some fruit and veg, my body was crying out for healthy food. So I spoilt myself - nectarines, melon, avocado, bananas, apples, tomatoes, courgettes (in American - Zucchini), lettuce, green peppers, chilli's, so nice! It was an absolute bargain too - I only spent $20 but I also got 2lbs of pork and some rice. I can be healthy again!
When I got back laden with shopping (I also brought back an iron of mine that UPS were holding hostage) I met my room mate for the first time. Lisa is lovely, we seem to get on well although there are a fair few cultural differences! We made a curry together (the first she'd ever had!) and it was really nice. More important than the curry she brought a bottle of red wine with her and I got the first wine I've had since I've been here and its so good! I've really missed full bodied red wine! We might go out and meet some of her friends and continue the drinking. The more people I can meet the merrier.
After a shaky first few days in Goleta I seem to be steadying out, I'm meeting lots of people and I haven't got to worry about buying lots of things because I've done it already, things can only get better! (Now there's an opening line for a horror story...)
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