It’s been a week since I landed in San Francisco, and I’m still battling jet lag. 🌎 Becoming a global talent might not be in the cards for me! I thought I’d adapt in a few days, but now I find myself falling asleep at dawn and waking up when the sun is high. This morning, I was jolted awake by the sound of the cleaning lady abruptly opening the door.
“How shall we clean today?” she asked.
Half-asleep, I mumbled to do it later, and she replied, slightly annoyed,
“When exactly is later?”
“Oh, at one, please,” I said. She closed the door as if there was no point in further discussion. Checking the clock, it was already 2 PM.
After a quick wash, I headed to the bank where I’d scheduled an appointment. I needed to check if the money I transferred to my new account had arrived and applied for a credit card. The advisor mentioned it would take about a week to issue and encouraged me to use it frequently.
“The more you use it, the better your credit!”
Of course, you need to pay it back to build that credit! Anyway, the only thing left now is to go house hunting. I’ve sent out tons of emails right after arriving and got my first response yesterday. Today, I’m off to check out the place. Settling in is different from living a steady, everyday life. Before movie nights or magazine flips, it’s all about finding a home, setting up a bank account, and getting the gas connected.
Just a short bus ride, and the urban vibe fades away. Once you leave Market Street, it’s all about old single-story buildings and quiet streets, making you forget you’re in San Francisco. It almost feels smaller than Seoul – though the actual size is similar. The city you see in the media is filled with skyscrapers and bustling tourists, but in reality, it’s more like a countryside town with just a fancy downtown.
After spending days in downtown, my mind was worn out, but Lombard Street, where I arrived to see the house, was a peaceful residential area that eased my heart. The landlord, a kind-hearted Chinese grandfather, was very friendly, and although the studio was a bit old, it was clean and cozy. Still, I realized I wasn’t sure what to look for when choosing a place to live. There’s so much I don’t know.
I told him I’d check out a few more places and get back to him, then took a stroll around the area, discovering a small cupcake shop. I don’t usually have a sweet tooth, but I went in and ordered a cupcake with organic iced coffee. For the first time since arriving here, I pulled out a book I carried daily but never opened.
Feeling hungry, I left the café and walked around until I found a pub-style restaurant nestled in an alley. Despite it being an early dinner time, it was quite packed, making me wonder what everyone’s occupation was. I asked the staff if I could sit alone, and with a warm smile, they said, ‘Of course, take a seat at the bar!’ So I did, but the menu only had dish names with no pictures, leaving me clueless about what to order. I put down the menu, seemingly designed for locals, and asked the waiter for a dish and beer recommendation (I’m not familiar with alcohol either). The waiter recommended a locally brewed beer, saying it was fantastic.
The beer was indeed amazing, and the octopus dish was too salty. Maybe the beer was so good because the dish was so salty. As I gulped down the beer, leaving the appetizer half-eaten,
I thought, “Life’s not too bad here.”
and muttered to myself.
* There are many websites for house hunting, but I used Craigslist https://sfbay.craigslist.org/ on a friend’s recommendation. It’s a pretty old site that operates independent communities by city through URLs, and it’s handy for trading second-hand goods, too. (I’ve never traded second-hand stuff myself, too scared!) My friend mentioned people even look for gay partners there, and I wondered, “Friend, how do you know that?”
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