Impressions of Seattle

Seattle has been really cool so far*: there is a lot of water and it is surrounded by "big" nature. (On clear days you can see Mt. Rainier in the distance, a pink cartoon mountain stencil in the sky.)

Here are some things I've done up to now**:

• Go to Bollywood night at the Baltic Room, which is happening every 2 weeks this summer.
• Get a bike. :)
• Go to the Pride Parade.
• Help set a world record: most zombies in one place at one time!
  
• Watch the 4th of July fireworks from Bainbridge Island from a sailboat sailing from Shilshole.
• Attend an amazing Decemberists concert at a local park.
• People-watch on Capitol Hill.
  
• Go to the Space Needle.
  

The one less cool thing is that I've been living in Redmond, which is a 25-minute bus ride into downtown Seattle, not counting the 20 minute to the bus stop (on weekends, since the bus doesn't stop everywhere), the time to wait for the bus, and the time to walk to the final destination. There is also supposedly terrible traffic on and around the bridge going over Lake Washington, which one must cross to travel between Seattle and Redmond. Life involves tradeoffs. :)

* I have been here for 3 weeks now.
** I owe most of these plans to one Ms. Jennifer Nan. <3