USA | Crossing Borders

- Weather -

Bipolar Bellingham.

It was winter when I arrived.

There was some snow in sight...melting snow. The cold hit me real hard on my first day despite its appearance (it didn't look that cold, but who was I kidding?). That was the main reason I felt homesick for the first two days upon arrival - it was so cold, I suddenly felt helpless and immobile.

Thoughts like "I can no longer walk freely without feeling cold", "Am I gonna get frostbite?", and "Will I ever survive winter?!" were running through my head. Clearly, I was overreacting.

Day two, got over my overreaction and out to explore the campus with Vara.

The blame was on myself as I was being an ignorant-tropical-climate girl. Prior to my departure, I read that it's uncommon for snow occurrence in Bellingham (although it's quite up north), and I equated snow with cold. And since there's no snow, it shouldn't be cold #logics. I was dead wrong. The moment I stepped out of the plane was when I learned my lesson to bundle up in at least five layers.

Six layers, excluding the beanie.

Evening walk

(Photo credits: Vara)

Uniqlo's HEATTECH thermals were my lifesaver - I had them in Regular, Warm and Extra Warm (both long sleeve t-shirts and leggings), and of course my Zara waterproof detachable parka, my best buy ever!.

Speaking of no snow in Bham, it actually did snow! All the talk about climate change is real, guys. I remember the morning it first snowed...sometime in early February. Knowing I've never experienced real snow in my entire life, Olivia (my roommate) woke me up, whispering "Naomi! Naomi!" from her side of the bed. "It's snowing!!", she said as I groggily answered her. We spent the next few minutes staring out the window, too excited to fall back asleep.

Winter was beautiful when everything from the roads to the rooftops, trees and car windshields were covered in snow. I had my share of fun walking as it snowed (except when it's against the direction of the wind, having snowflakes jabbing my eyeballs), but it gets old after awhile.

Walking was my main mode of transportation, yet I didn't buy snow shoes. So I ended up braving the slippery grounds in my good 'ol Chucks which made it one heck of a workout for my legs - it felt just like walking in sand, heavy on the feet. Plus, due to my shoes' lack of traction, I had to be extremely cautious and conscious of my footing so I don't slip and fall flat on my face (or butt). It was quite tiring that there were times when all I wanted was to prop my butt down by the sidewalk and take a rest.

Snowing at The Ridge

Pumpkin Spice Latte to warm up!

Spring arrived late in Bellingham this year. Instead of mid March, it started to feel like spring only at the beginning of May. I remember being frustrated with the cold and was hoping for it to be less cold (ala ancient societies praying for rain).

I loved the springtime! Colours brought life back into the landscape with leaves growing back on the trees and flowers blooming (I mean, being replanted). The weather was (close to) perfect, everyone spent more time outdoors! It was still chilly, but as long as it wasn't raining, it's all good.

First warm day since we arrived! Out comes the shorts and tank tops!

Bubbles are still amusing at our age

Here comes the Flower Killer in spring.

Frisbee on Harrington Field

(Photo credits: Vara)

Chillin' after class

(Photo credits: Vicky Gonzalez)

Enjoying ice cream on a cliff at Teddy Bear Cove.

(Photo credits: Vicky Gonzalez)

Sunny day out at Seattle Premium Outlets (it was HOT).

It rains plenty in Bellingham, a trait shared by states in the Pacific Northwest.

Bipolar Bellingham is a term I came up with in describing the quick and frequent weather changes of Bham. It can be snowing in the morning and sunny by afternoon...yes, that drastic. It gets really gloomy too when it rains for a couple of days in a row.

The rain however, is more like a drizzle to me, coming from Malaysia where pouring rain and thunderstorms are a norm. I see why Seattleites don't give a hoot when it rains though - 1) used to it since it rains a lot, 2) the rain ain't pouring. Umbrellas are rarely ever used by the locals, so I braved the rain in my hooded waterproof winter jacket to blend in with the locals (no, I'm kidding. There's really not a need for umbrellas).

Bumped into fellow Malaysians (from UoW) on campus. It was a rainy day, as usual.

Needless to say, the weather app was easily in my Top 3 Most Used App list (with Google Maps and Whatsapp being the other two). Quite refreshing, if you ask me...as I never needed it in Malaysia. Just a look at the temperatures (current and forecast) could determine my happiness or sadness, plan my mode of transportation, determine my outfits and how many layers to have on. You know what they say, it's the little things in life? Yeah, AccuWeather showing me digits above 15°C (I always use Celsius) was my good dose of happiness. Oh, technology, what would I do without you?

My friends back home warned me about the wind, but I wish they made it a strong enough point for me to give it more thought. Let me tell you, the wind really don't play. Imagine a nice sunny day out, strolling back to my dorm from the dining hall and suddenly comes a gush of (cold-ass) wind. My immediate reaction was a frozen stance, feeling very betrayed.

Did you also know that wind can burn? Shocker, at least to me. Seriously, the wind is practically the devil.

Unlike the Sun which you can feel its heat burning your epidermis, the wind does it gradually. So sneaky! My cheeks and knuckles started to hurt early into my stay, and I didn't know why till I Googled it.

Wind burn.

My knuckles were so badly burnt that I could get away with telling my friends I punched someone... because it sure looked like it. Thank God I brought the Zam-Buk ointment (it's a miracle balm, for sure) which helped with the healing.

Cracked knuckles

For a city girl who hails from a hot-and-humid-all-year-round country where the Sun goes down at 7:30pm, it really was a great experience having to live through both winter and spring (and daylight savings!). There's no denying that the 5-ish sunsets and short opening hours of stores irked me and it was something I had to get used to.

The long winter nights and monochromatic sceneries made me understand why people tend to be more depressed during winter - the lack of sunshine and gloominess can dampen spirits.

Although I whined a lot about the cold gushes of wind (Vara can certainly testify to that, with me "ARGGGHHH-ing" a lot), I actually miss the chilly weather where I don't sweat nor worry about my makeup melting off. I must say though, on several occasions I felt a bit scared when the wind blew as it was really strong (not just cold)...like my tiny body was gonna be blown away!

- Geography -

Same same, but different.

Strolling on University of Washington grounds.

The USA is approximately 30 times the size of Malaysia. Covering such a wide geographical area gave sort of a different vibe and feel across the borders, which I came across through my travels.

It doesn't differ much in Malaysia perhaps due to its smaller piece of land. The temperature, plantations and geographical look pretty similar throughout.

If I were given a choice, I'd love to live in Washington where the air is so fresh and the lifestyle is comparatively laid back. Ironically, I'm also very fond of New York and San Francisco for their familiar city vibes which I missed when I was in Bellingham - the variety of malls and stores, the restaurants and cafés which has food that fits my taste buds better, the bright city lights. D.C.'s very organized and well-structured urban planning appealed to me too, but it has a lack of greenery.

WASHINGTON is very green and laid back.

Air so fresh, you want to inhale deeply. And there's so many parks to visit!

Ricky and Artemis at the peak of Big Rock, Mount Vernon.

Sweden and Russia canoeing at Lake Whatcom

(Photo credits: WWU International Student & Scholar Services)

Oyster Dome

Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park

Swedish model in the middle of nowhere, on the way to Port Angeles

View of the Seattle skyline from Kerry Park

Downtown Bellingham

SAN FRANCISCO, CA is a mixture of city and history.

Quaint little shops in Sausalito, a crooked driveway on Lombard Street, and big city vibes in the heart of the city.

San Francisco's Chinatown

Lombard Street

Misty Golden Gate Bridge

"Let me go to Alcatraz!"

Streets of Sausalito

Union Square

PORTLAND, OR is quite similar to Seattle, but with quirkier street signs!

Unfortunately, I didn't visit any Grimm filming locations :(

Is this sarcasm?

Portland city

Tilikum Crossing, over Willamette River

LOS ANGELES, CA is so colourful literally and figuratively.

Fast food restaurants are in abundance at every corner!

Flight Club street wear store

Muscle Beach

LAS VEGAS, NV is a desert where people don't ever sleep.

Filled with brightly lit hotels, casinos and restaurants...and trucks for special services driving down the roads.

Part of the Vegas Strip

The famous dancing Fountains of Bellagio

Thunder From Down Under strip show

WASHINGTON, D.C. is very clean and organized with short buildings

(no skyscrapers, unless you count the Washington Monument as one).

Oh and the best part - free well-maintained museums.

View of the Washington Monument

Abraham Lincoln Memorial

Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

The United States Capitol

NEW YORK, NY is a big-ass city just like what you see on TV.

People walking everywhere, food trucks of Middle Eastern food are also everywhere.

Central Park

Statue of Liberty

Times Square

I count myself very fortunate to be able to visit the places I did, and one day I shall return to revisit them to cover areas I missed due to limited time. It was quite a bummer that I didn't get to explore New Jersey at all although I stayed there for two nights. But all is well, there's always another chance.

- People -

...and culture.

The people I crossed paths with were generally nice and polite (except the drunk and high homeless people who swears like a mofo). It's a common culture for people to say "Hi, how are you?" which makes the Malaysian in me feel kinda strange at first. Despite my awareness of said culture, I wasn't used to having strangers greeting me. It's so common that I wouldn't go a day without being asked how I was doing.

Came across this helpful person when Vara and I had trouble locating the library.

One of my International Student buddies, who gave my friends and I a lift to the mall.

Where I came from, we always have in our pockets the get-the-fuck-away-from-me look ready to be used whenever needed. And then we scurry away. Being brought up in a society that shy away from strangers, most of us repel when put in such situations.

Initially, I didn't know how to reply - should I really tell her about my day and ask about hers? Because I don't think either of us have the time to discuss about our day within such a short time frame (how to compress even half a day into 3 seconds or less upon having my Student ID swiped at the dining hall or as I board the bus?).

It took me a change of mindset to be more open and gradually, I learned (by observing *cough* eavesdropping *cough*) to simply answer with a "I'm good. And you?" or sass it up a bit for some casualness with a "I'm good, it's sooo cold outside!" #macamyes #siscuba (Only applies depending on the country I'm in. Because typical Asians in Asia who asks "How are you?" usually want something from you, no such thing as just because. They really don't give a damn how you're doing lol).

As I got accustomed to it, I started appreciating those very small talks and saw it as less of an invasion of privacy.

Another thing I noticed about the Americans is that they march...a lot. Throughout my stay, I witnessed a number of marches for different causes. The announcement boards were updated weekly with new posters advertising events concerning women's rights, LGBTQ community's rights, against Trump, in support of Trump, Black Lives Matter, taxation, climate change...you name it!

Perhaps it's due to the nature of it being the land of the free. We rarely have marches in Malaysia (famous one is BERSIH, a rally for clean and fair elections).

Women's March in Seattle

Mexicans march in support of Trump in Los Angeles.

Brides of March in San Francisco

Coming from the Asian side of the globe, I'm used to 1) having malls 10-minute drive within my reach (in every direction), and 2) having restaurants open till late night, if not 24 hours. Having the mall (singular) and shops close early made me slightly uncomfortable, although I don't necessarily hang at the mall for the entire day.

I still don't understand why the mall closes earlier than usual on Sundays though. Isn't the weekend a time when you can make the most money? Could it be a family-time culture? Businesses close early to spend time with family, while families stay in for quality time? Someone please enlighten me.

In my opinion, I guess we have shopping malls and cafés sprouted everywhere because of our climate - too hot to hang outdoors (sweat and sunburn galore!). Being in Bham with only Bellis Fair and so many outdoorsy things to do made me more inclined to do activities other than malling (yes, it's a term we have) - ice skating, picnicking, hiking. The weather is so nice that a non-hiker like myself was willing to hike. Imagine that!

Picnic at Cornwall Park

Hiking up to Oyster Dome

(Photo credits: Vicky Gonzalez)

At the peak of Oyster Dome

(Photo credits: Vicky Gonzalez)

Out in the sun after lots of water fun.

(Photo credits: Vicky Gonzalez)

Firing some guns

(Photo credits: Hampus)

Still on the topic of culture, food compasses a huge part of it. And I wanted to share that with my friends! I took part in the Global Gourmets Banquet, an event on campus which showcases local national dishes by working with the chef. Nasi Lemak was chosen out of my three options (other two were Char Kuey Teow and Cendol) and although I didn't have to chance to be in the kitchen, it turned out rather decent.

From time to time, my friends and I would head over to Fred Myers for groceries to cook up a meal together. We hardly bought frozen food (except the sausages we got from Costco during our trip to Port Angeles) as we preferred our fruits, veggies and meat fresh.

It was so much fun cooking and sharing food! Not to mention, my friends were treated to delicious Malaysian home-cooked food for an entire week when Michelle came over! She brought Malaysian spices with her, while groceries were paid for by my mom (thanks, ma and ah chao!) and it was da bomb!

First time at the local Asian Market

Malaysian home-cooked food

Global Gourmets Banquet student volunteers with Chef Steve.

(Photo credits: WWU International Student & Scholar Services)

(Photo credits: WWU International Student & Scholar Services)

***

Being on this exchange program was a dream come true. Taken out of the bubble I was brought up in and placed in an entirely new environment really gave me new perspectives on life, in general. This experience fed my interest in learning what makes a person tick.

After an interview about natural disasters awareness with two journalism students, it came to my realization how geography influences a person - Malaysia being a relatively safe country in terms of natural disasters made me ignorant and unaware of safety measures if an earthquake were to happen (the Pacific Northwest is prone to it). Thank God there wasn't any!

An observation I found to be interesting was when discussing with Dane on how I should write about my exchange program experience. He told me to make comparisons, and gave me an example of what he observed about our group of friends.

Certain countries share an individualistic culture, while certain others share a collective one. The U.S. being more of the former, Dane noticed we featured our communal habits at the dining table which I didn't realize. We have this thing where one of us (most of the time Vara) would bring fries or cookies to the table for everyone to share. He was surprised by the gesture, although to us it's normal to share food. A true anthropology major, he is.

Waffle cheers!

Take me back to sweater weather.

Share with me your experiences abroad in the comments below!