Wheels

'Wheels,
Burnin’ down the road, hitting overload'
AC/DC


I am pleased to report that I am now fully mobile! Good times! Aside from the occasional left-hand-randomly-changing-gear tick (!) and the odd clutch pedal moment, I now cruise the roads feeling pretty relaxed. I've driven at night, in torrential rain and on the highway, too. Being on the *right* side of the road is still a little odd, but I must have adjusted as Kristin's video of driving up the hill to my house made me feel distinctly nervous...as though the car was on the *wrong* side of the road. Bizarre. I'm becoming more concerned about my driving upon my return home than for the duration of my time here!

All I needed in the end was to believe in myself. Although credit must be given to WAAF FM (www.waaf.com - check it out as you can listen online for free and it's closest thing I can get to Bogiez!) as, as my constant companion, the rockin' tunes they air have been doing what good music does best: absorbing me entirely whilst simultaneously empowering me: some old school 'DC helped me to successfully navigate a tricky junction with ease! Having only brought one CD with me (as I have an ipod and itunes on my laptop) this station never ceases to brighten my day: Tool, Korn, old school Metallica, 'DC, 'Sabbath and Godsmack are all staples on the playlists. WAAF is a piece of Massachusetts I will definitely be taking home with me!

Armed with this musical artillery (no, not the Thrash band - no capital 'A' ;)), I have ventured solo several times now, exploring malls and the local 'shoppes' (I kid you not - that's the actual spelling for a retail park near Northbridge) in a bid to do some dreaded shopping for school trousers (aka 'pants') and shoes...seeing as I actually have to wear them this term (boo!). The retail park was much the same as those in the UK and the mall was a smaller version of Cribbs Causeway (though I have since been told there are better malls in the vicinity). Shopping in Macy's, a department store, the biggest difference I noticed was that there is no tag system for changing rooms - often they're individual and you can just walk on in - and even when a shopper uses a 'manned' one they are responsible for returning any unwanted clothes themselves.

Each state is responsible for determining its own taxes and the nice thing about Massachusetts is that clothes aren't taxed. I therefore found clothes shopping relatively inexpensive. Though, sadly, still traumatic! Food shopping is much the same, cost-wise, as in the UK, albeit more confusing as food isn't taxed but other products (such as kitchen roll) are...though the prices on display aren't inclusive of tax. Being somewhat numerically challenged (tax in Mass is currently 6.something %), I am therefore never *quite* sure what I'm actually going to be paying! It's the same in restaurants, where neither tax nor tips are included in the menu price. So whilst at face value it seems quite cheap, once the tax and a 20% tip have been added, an average meal is roughly equivalent to its UK counterpart (though minus the magical refills).

The experience of shopping, especially food shopping, is interesting in other ways, too. Being in a supermarket here is like being in an alternate universe - it all looks roughly the same at first glance, but on closer inspection, it's really not. The supermarkets here are a little bigger than those closest to my house, and more equivalent to the average size in the UK. There are, however, wider selections of some products, such as processed meats, dips and boxed goods. I think the ice-cream section is larger too, and some tubs are so large that they could come in handy for washing the family car when they've been emptied! Actually, most products come in larger standard sizes - economical for families but I'm conscious of the waste factor when you're buying for one: bottled fruit juice, for example, is generally sold in huge cartons or individual portion bottles. There is a large selection of chilled bottled coffee creamer - it's like the stuff you get in small pots in cafes in the UK but people use it instead of milk here, often flavoured with vanilla or some other substance. Boxed products seem popular, notably powdered drink mixes and dried mac 'n' cheese.

Being allergic to both garlic and onions, I've really struggled as they're in pretty much anything that's been prepared here, whether that's in a supermarket or a restaurant. Not that I mind too much as I usually prepare fresh produce myself anyway and there's a farm shop nearby that I can use for just such a purpose. I've noticed other differences with foods, too: bread products taste as though they have more sugar in them; recognised brands of chocolate (like Cadbury's) neither look nor taste the same; hot dog sausages are abundant but the sort of sausage we have in the UK is harder to find and brands are generally unfamilar and those that aren't look unfamiliar. It's really interesting as I'd not really considered the differences I'd find in the minutiae of these everyday things. I'm aiming to try as many unfamilar brands and products as possible in my time here in the effort to squeeze as much out of this experience as I can!

A question I'm often asked is what food I miss and I've struggled to answer as I'm not especially attached to anything to *that* extent. However, yesterday I had a sudden craving for a Sunday roast, something I don't believe I can actually get here...except maybe on Thanksgiving! Oddly, it's something I rarely have at home...go figure!

But I digress - I believe the focus of this missive was actually being on the road, not food! Although there are parallels between the two: again, there are many differences, aside from the obvious. Speed limits frequently alter on a given section of any road and they're generally slower than those in the UK. Near a stop sign (which are frequent and cars MUST stop at them), the speed will drop to 25 miles per hour. On a highway, the speed limit is usually 55 miles per hour. As I travel have to stay alert as the speed limit signs on a stretch of road may look something like this: 30 > 35 <25> 35 > 40 < 30. Junctions have a flashing red or amber overhead light and a 'first come, first served' system. At traffic lights, cars can turn right on a red light. Pedestrian crossings are just two painted lines and there aren't any lights to mark them so drivers have to be vigilant: they're meant to stop. Town pedestrian crossings have a 'countdown' system and a white man instead of our green one. Few crossings have buttons to press to control the lights. Round-a-bouts (aka Rotaries) are seldom found but if you encounter one you *have* to keep moving...and to the right! The biggest difference for me, is, however, that using a mobile whilst driving is legal, though it's currently in debate.

Having not driven abroad before I'm fascinated by these differences...my next challenge will be to navigate the many tolls and busy junctions to reach Boston Logan when my boyfriend visits. Wish me luck!