Hi everyone,
For anyone interested in knowing and/or discussing my first impressions of San Diego...here they are
.
I arrived last Tuesday the 23rd of December.
I will just touch on a few of the highlights only as I could already write a small booklet on the things I have seen, experienced, and learned while here...even though I have been here only a few days.
Before I get into some of what my first impressions are please do not take anything I have to say as meaning in any way, shape, or form that I am not glad to be here. I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to get out of the bitterly cold weather up north. As I think I said in one of my many posts....if it comes down to it...I would rather be homeless and literally so in the warmer weather of San Diego than living in a nice apartment in freezing cold weather...like there was in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada where I came from.
Overall...the whole area has struck me as being rather...well...a bit run down. Not at all what the pictures of San Diego that I have seen on the Internet would lead one to believe that San Diego is like.
The bus system here is...well...okay, but certainly not what one would think a big city bus system should be like. Some buses run once in a hour, once a day, or even once a week. Many buses do not run very late into the night and stop service at around 7:00 or 8:00 pm.
Unlike the buses, the trolley system is quite good and runs often. Unfortunately many of the trolley stops seem to be in a bit of out of the way places where one must generally get on the buses to get anywhere. Which makes the trolley system no better than the buses for getting around. It does seem possible to get to many places on the trolley line itself (like going to a buffet restaurant for example at the Palomar stop) but one must travel quite a ways to do so. Something one would not have to do locally if the buses ran more often and/or to more local locations.
I spent an entire day doing little more than riding the trolley lines around until I covered the whole system.
Window cleaning is almost for sure not very possible straight from the trolley due to there not being much around at many of the trolley stops.
The bus lines and trolley are full of what I can only typify as the lower classes (if I can put it that way). I have been one of the few white persons on board. Most are of Mexican descent and black with the occasional Philipino.
By contrast and to explain why this struck me...up in Edmonton, Canada...most people taking the bus and subway where white. One rarely if ever saw a black person.
Here there are young black guys walking around everywhere with hoodies. Homeboys. I have nothing against black people per se and none have bothered me. On the contrary they have been quite nice but it has left me with an impression that the whole place is kinda run down. Not just the houses I have seen but the people are more typical of inner city Chicago than what I had previously believed to be beautiful San Diego.
I still have not seen what I saw in the beautiful pictures I saw on the Internet. I think that may be mostly because I have stuck close to bus and mostly trolley lines (I have no car at this time).
I've never seen homeless people like I have here. I don't mean in quantity...I have not seen that many. But in the squalor in which they seem to live. Last night I saw what I can only describe as body bags in downtown San Diego itself. Apparently there are homeless people rolled up in them trying to keep themselves dry.
It has rained almost incessantly for a few days. Light rain but all day.
Today the sun finally broke out but the weather is still pretty chilly. Even for one such as me who was living in -30 C weather before I arrived.
Some bus drivers here know a lot. Some don't even know how often or how late their buses run! Most bus drivers speak a very poor English such that it's hard to sometimes understand them.
I've also met a number of persons who don't speak any English at all.
I went to a mall today and it was wall to wall people (Plaza Bonita). The same kind as where on the buses. Homeboys and their girlfriends. Black folks everywhere. Mexicans. Hardly a white person around. Again I am not making a judgement of such persons...just stating a fact for anyone interested in knowing my first impressions.
It's been like little Havana or even parts of Miami.
I have been asking a lot and I mean a lot of questions of everyone who has been willing to talk to me. Most everyone has been willing to talk to me...which is interesting given that I am in a big city.
One lady on the trolley warned me about Chinese having plastic surgery so as to look Spanish. Huh?
When I walked into a bank to establish (or rather re-establish) my long dormant bank account...there was this guy asking me, while I waited in line, what I wanted to do. He said "Hi boss, what are you doing today?". He then gave me a slip that indicated what I wanted to do to give to the teller. When I got to the teller...the teller said..."Hi boss, what can I help you with?". It was pretty funny. Never been to a bank where they call me boss
.
One guy tried to get me to go into Mexico with him and visit his pad. He said he could get me a place of my very own for a measly $60 a week! I politely declined his offer. Though I hear from many that such deals are there for the asking - if one is inclined to take some risk of increased violence living in Mexico.
One beautiful young, slightly drunk, girl also invited me to get off the trolley and go play pool with her. I politely declined that one too
. It was Christmas eve and I guess she was feeling a bit lonely. On the other hand I have noticed that most women freely talk to me here. I don't know if that has something to do with me or with them but it's kinda odd that such happens in inner city San Diego. Up north, even in relatively peaceful Canada, women in inner cities don't usually talk to strangers that freely. I have been asking questions of anyone around me and if a woman is the only one that seems nice enough to talk...I will usually approach them and ask if I can ask a question.
I went into an insurance office to inquire how much auto insurance costs here and was pleasantly astounded at how little it is. I was paying $109 a month up in Canada for commercial use of my vehicle (for window cleaning). $1,000,000 coverage (they wouldn't sell me the minimum of $200,000 required in Canada). Here? Only $26 a month for non-commercial use and $28 for commercial use with unlimited mileage. Unreal! And they didn't bat an eye when I told them I would like to live in my vehicle eventually.
The lady who gave me the quote was...well...bouncing! Up and down. I had to follow her face like one would follow the old style bouncing balls that guide one while singing along to a song
. I looked down and noticed that she was literally sitting on a big bouncing ball. She told me that they do that to get exercise LOL. All the office "chairs" in the office where bouncing balls. Only in California...I think.
Haven't see the police hardly at all. Up north I saw police everywhere. Canadians in Edmonton think more police are the solution to more violence (which I don't think they are) so they hire more and more police and never think they have enough. You see them everywhere. Here? I've seen maybe...two police cars. That's it. Ugly looking black and white cars.
The trolley I was taking today (the blue line) initially couldn't get through downtown due to a bomb scare. The police had closed the line. Fortunately they reopened it and I was able to continue.
You know I can't believe I seriously considered coming down here, buying a small tent, and camping out at the end of a bus line. Now that I am here...such a thing would have been crazy! At least here in San Diego. It's hard enough to get around by bus without having the added burden of making sure the bus you are taking actually runs with enough frequency that you can get to and from where you need to go.
The bathrooms here...are absolutely filthy. All over. In malls, restaurants, downtown. Absolutely filthy. And they have no mirrors in front of the sinks. Someone told me they are that way because the building owners don't want San Diegons preening themselves too long in the bathroom. Don't know about that but that's what I was told about no mirrors in front of sinks. They are to the side. So one has to lean over the sink and look at one's self sideways to see if their hair is straight
Nice buffet: Hometown Buffet. Cheaper and better than up north.
Got to go to the bathroom in the downtown area? Forget it. Keep on going until you get out of the downtown. No one will let you in to use bathrooms for free. Well...there is ONE bathroom at the Civic Center trolley stop but it is ABSOLUTELY filthy! No door on the one stall...not stall at all for that matter! You must be let in by a guy standing behind what is presumably bullet proof glass.
Something Town Center at the end of the Green Line trolley was pretty nice. The only modern and nice shopping center I have yet seen that does not look run down and that is not run over with homeboys wearing hoodies, their girlfriends and other assorted and colorful characters.
Lots of palm trees and assorted other tropical bushes in between the generally run down houses.
It remains to be seen what I will do for a living. Not sure yet. I am sure the Lord will provide for me here as He did for me up North but I am just not sure what form that provision will take. Might start selling flowers instead of window cleaning. Might try window cleaning at hotels. Not sure.
Renting a private room (in a foreclosed property) from a really nice guy at $80 a week. Includes shower, use of laundry machines, heat, kitchen and he has even offered to rent me his car if I get off the ground with window cleaning (and presumably just if I want to rent it). I might just go around and move every few months from one foreclosed property to another. Never thought about it but it might be a great way to get cheap rent.
Bus passes that allow one unlimited travel for one day on most bus lines and the trolleys are $5. Less if one buys multiple days.
That's about it for now...unless someone wants to comment on what I said in which case...I will certainly comment back when I get more situated internet wise.
Can't wait for that truly warm weather to show up
. I haven't seen the ocean yet. Been too busy.
My plane trip here only cost me $193 US + $25 for a second suitcase. Great airline. PM me if you want to know which one it is.
If anyone wants to meet me in person...you know the technically homeless guy who used to live in his truck...feel free to PM me and we can meet at the Starbucks at the American Plaza trolley stop (if convenient). I promise you won't be embarrased to be seen with me. I will bring my Rolex and wear my best clothes
. I'm also a decent coversationalist and am a great listener. It may be a couple of days before I respond since my place doesn't yet come with internet (but we're working on that).
Carlos
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My first impressions of San Diego....
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