Seattle is a gorgeous and fabulous city. There is so much water. Everywhere. It’s hard to believe that the Pacific Ocean is over a hundred miles away when the city seems to be surrounded by water on almost all four sides (if it is fair to reduce a city to a square). Then there is all the water that falls from the sky. And all the fountains in the city. And all the rivulets adjacent to the curbs. And all that water makes the city so green. I think all the foliage in Seattle produces all of the oxygen for the entire Pacific Northwest. It’s lovely.
But what about the rain? It’s not that it rains all the time in Seattle. I think it rains just about everyday, but not every minute of every day. It isn’t a torrential downpour; it’s almost like an afterthought, like it is part of the landscape. But the coolest thing about it is that it doesn’t seem to disrupt daily life. When it rains in Hawaii, people fall into convulsions and begin these lengthy soliloquies that start with “woe is me” while driving at 15 miles per hour. In Seattle, people keep walking. Traffic still moves. The cyclists continue to pedal. There is no running in the streets, there is no shouting about the terrible weather, there is no stampede of women who yelp about the water falling from the sky.
Another unique thing about Seattle is its numerous coffee shops. There are Starbucks that are literally 500 feet of each other. And so many people tote a cup of joe around with them. Of course, is important to note that the original Starbucks is actually not physically impressive. Before coming to Seattle, I wasn’t sure if the Starbucks flagship would be an expanded property with coffee pouring out of the walls or if it would be a hole in the wall. It is closer to a hole in a wall. The original Starbucks icon is more risqué, too – her hair is too short to cover her pendulous breasts.
Of course, diversity takes a huge hit upon leaving Hawaii. There are more Asians in Seattle than I had anticipated, but not much of anything else other than ye olde Caucasians. I haven’t enjoyed authentic Taiwanese food for the four years I’ve been up in Seattle. Despite this, I am proud to be here in this grand city as a Husky. With the beginning of spring quarter approaching, the streets of the University District will soon fill with people sporting purple clothing. Husky fans of all ages will hunker down in their purple and white sweatshirts, wrapping their hoods around their heads as they headed en masse to the stadium. On game day, there's nothing more rejuvenating than seeing a restless sea of purple, descended upon the looming stadium.
