Cultural differences in bedding & Alligators in Florida

[merle_p]

So I arrived in I. yesterday, in one piece. There were no problems with my baggage, the flights, my visa or customs; the house turned out to be in much better condition than I'd expected; and considering that it was the first night at a new place and also freaking hot, I slept quite well. So, you know, I thought I was absolutely fine with being in

Comments

[veritty]

Don't know anything about Miami, but it's the small things, absolutely. I get these problems when I'm just travelling (and sometimes even coming back, when I've spent a reasonable time somewhere else and got accustomed to something), so I can't imagine how it would feel upon moving. D:

But I'm glad you're feeling better! <3 Hope you'll get used to it in no time.

[merle_p]

Hope you'll get used to it in no time.
Oh, I'm sure I will. I feel stupid already for freaking out like that, it was just that I thought it would be an easy task to buy a comforter, and then I realized that it really wasn't ... and then I was like: "Oh my God, how am I ever going to get my PhD if I can't even figure out what kind of duvet to buy?" :D

[svz_insanity]

*hugs!* So, you know, I thought I was absolutely fine with being in a new house, in another city, in another country.

Until I went to Target to buy a pillow and a comforter. I know the feeling exactly! I can see myself in the same position, roughly twenty days from now.

I still don't understand the purpose of a top sheet. I honestly don't.

I'm also pretty certain that there are no alligators roaming the streets. My parents visited Florida and Miami when I was younger and I think they would have mentioned reptiles if there were any. But Florida will be lovely in December, I'm excited for you two.

[merle_p]

I can see myself in the same position, roughly twenty days from now.
Hehe, so we can commiserate with each other tomorrow :)

I still don't understand the purpose of a top sheet. I honestly don't.
So glad I'm not the only one who feels like this! I mean, the beds look nice when they are made, so I guess it would be fine if people didn't actually have to use them!

[purple01_prose]

There's no fear of alligators, unless you go into the swamp at dawn or dusk.

I live in Tampa, but to the extent of my knowledge of Miami, unless you paint yourself with blood and go play in the swamp, there shouldn't be any fear.

[merle_p]

Thank you for the information! That's what I thought. I feel incredibly stupid for asking this, but since I've never been to Florida, I thought I should ask someone who actually knows before I tell my sister not to worry!

[purple01_prose]

No fear. There are no stupid questions! (...well, there are, but that mostly deals with creating a bill to wage war on Justin Bieber)

[sahiya]

American beds are ridiculous. I much prefer sleeping with just a duvet.

Alligators are totally harmless. I think.

And now, okay, the substantive portion of this comment: I totally feel your pain. I will never forget arriving at my student housing in Manchester and realizing that it was a PIT. An absolute DUMP. It was international grad student housing and people lived in it year round, so it hadn't been thoroughly cleaned in, well, ever, and the kitchen was disgusting and it felt like a prison and I had no internet and the bed was tiny and all I wanted in the world was my mother to be there with me, so that she could snap on a pair of rubber gloves and help me scrub the grease stains off the wall behind the stove. But she wasn't there, so I did it. After having a good cry, because sometimes that's what you need.

*hugs*

[merle_p]

I know! I mean, this isn't even remotely as bad as what you experienced in Manchester, so I probably shouldn't even complain. And it's not like I'm obsessed with cleaning or something, I just have this thing about dirt that I don't know where it's from. The kind that a row of former tenants have left behind ... and that sort of makes me miss the pretty, new, clean two-bedroom apartment that I left behind. Oh well. I wanted to be a student again, so I have to get used to living like one

[sahiya]

Former Tenant Dirt is the worse, because it isn't yours. Our current place was spotless when we moved in and I was so happy.

I have invited you to chat (I think . . .) using my fandom gmail, which is the same as my LJ.

I would be totally up for hosting if you'd like to fly out for a weekend. Probably a long weekend, considering the length of the flight. Or . . . hey, here's an idea, you could come for Thanksgiving in November! That would be awesome.

I am always down for introducing people to Doctor Who - especially since, as a TW fan, I know you won't be put off by the cheese and the bad special effects.

[merle_p]

Oh, bears! Now I have to find out if there are bears around here! So far, I've only seen a couple of deer (who actually are roaming the streets, mostly at night), and at one occasion, a furry, pudgy animal that I couldn't identify (and people seemed to disagree on what it could have been, so I'm hoping to run into another one, so that I can take a picture!).

And yes, I'm not overly concerned about the alligators. It's just that my sister can freak out over a lizard on a bad day, so talking her down after an impromptu meeting with an alligator would probably be difficult :) So before telling her not to worry, I really wanted to make sure that there's nothing to worry about :)