Since this was just another normal work week, my aunt and uncle had work obligations, so I was happy to learn my aunt was willing to take some time to take me out for a quick lunch before dropping me off at Stanford so I could have a look around at the campus of a prestigious school while she went back to work. It really sucks that all my photos from this day were badly corrupted because I managed to get some pretty decent photos with it.
First up, my aunt took me for a quick drive-thru lunch at In-N-Out Burger, the only fast food joint they ever go to and one that she highly recommended. And I can't agree more. Burger was juicy and full of flavour, and it felt like you were eating a real burger, not just another fast food production (a la McD's). The best part was the fresh cut, fresh cooked fries! They're known for their fries - each location has a custom made potato slicer, and they prepare, slice, and cook fresh whole potatoes right to order! You can instantly tell they're really fresh, and they're just the right size - halfway between McD's shoestrings and regular cut fries.
On the road on Stanford campus leading up to the main buildings. It's hard to make out, but it was all lined with palm trees! It gave me the feeling that I was about to step foot into an actual establishment of higher education.
It's a bit hard to tell from the photos, but the campus was beautiful even though it started to lightly rain; it's a shame these photos don't do it justice. All the different buildings made it feel like something you'd expect for a university, full of history and a sense of higher education...UTSC can't even compare, which feels like an oversized high school hahaha. It almost reminded me of a small Spanish villa, until classes must have ended because then a stream of students on their bikes came rushing out from all different directions, making their way to other parts of campus - it was actually quite amusing to see, I've never seen something like that happen before on campus.
A better look at the palm trees as I walked down the road leading up to campus to get into downtown Palo Alto (the small town where the campus is located). It definitely had a small town feel, and while a lot of stores were catered to students, it didn't completely feel like a campus town, which is always a good thing.
After spending some time in a local Chapters reading up on some cook books, I headed over to a Red Mango (frozen yogurt) shop I had passed by earlier and decided to treat myself with some frozen yogurt! I had the pomegranate flavour - great texture and taste, plus Red Mango markets it as being healthy for you because of the yogurt and real ingredients they use (think Yogen Fruz up here)...relaxing on a sunny day and I left perfectly satisfied.
I dropped into a chain pharmacy/convenience store (I forgot which one), took a look around, and couldn't believe what I found: shelves upon shelves of candy and pop! The candy especially comes in bigger sizes and in more varieties (plus a lot of US-only candies) than I've ever seen in Canada. I really couldn't believe the selection and portions of sugar that was offered in a regular convenience store...now I completely understand why diabetes is such a problem in the US.
Of course, I couldn't try a little something myself...the American jujubes! I only found out after my trip that jujubes refers to different types of candy in different countries, so I was totally not expecting the tiny, hard (but still "soft candy"), chewy candy when I bought it...so different from what you think of jujubes if you've grown up in Canada! I definitely prefer Canada's jujubes better hahaha - they're so much chewier and softer (ie. easier on the teeth).
My aunt managed to step out of work really quickly and picked me back up at Stanford, then dropped me offer at a local electronics chain store to see if I could find any of those awesome US electronics deals I always see when I'm at home. And wouldn't you know it, with my luck, absolutely nothing worth buying (even though the place was huge)! In fact, most things were on par or even pricier than in Canada?! What happened to all the deals I usually see!?
And that pretty much wrapped up the day's activities. It might not seem as exciting as my other daily adventures, but it was a very interesting experience just to get a sense of some of the local community. And it was definitely nice to see what a university campus should look like haha. It was similar enough to the types of places we have here in the GTA that it felt quite familiar, but I still was very aware of the fact I was not in Canada. And plus, who can say no to the sun and mild January temperatures after growing up in Canada?
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment