Had I not live in Beijing for three years, I wouldn’t have dared to re-pot myself again. Five years ago, I had an anxiety attack on that final “one-way-trip” to Beijing with the entire family in tow. I was leaping into darkness with nothing more than a faith. The family trusted me. Should they?
Seattle’s public transportation really impressed me. The light-rail connects SeaTac to downtown (about 15 miles) in about 50 minutes, with a fare of $2.50. The whole downtown is “ride free zone,” one can jump on and off any bus, street car, or light rail, for free. The water-edge, the east shore of Elliott Bay, has a special bus that runs free all day along the Alaskan Way. Ferries come and go from the terminal near the King Street Station that has Amtrak and other rail transportation too. There is a down town tunnel that allows buses and light-rail train to traverse without other traffic interference. My commute is less than 10 minutes one way.
Speak of Seattle and pouring scene from the movie comes to mind. People thought of grey sky, wet clothes, and chilly winds. Yes, the city gave me all those during my first week, but sun showed its face most of the days. The rain did not bother me much. I was under-prepared for the cold, though.
Of course this is the Starbucks city. Within 50 paces, you are sure to spot a Starbucks, sometime more. I have been conditioned to like Peet’s but never dislike Starbucks. Honestly, Pike Place Roast is quite drinkable. It is quite nice that Starbucks defines the lowest quality here. Pretty much all coffees here are quite good. I fear that the coffee here will spoil me like Beijing’s Chinese foods. I have developed an aversion to Chinese restaurants ever since I came back. Sigh…
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