America! F**k Yeah!

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The thing that is so weird about America is how familiar it all is, yet I seem to be experiencing some of the strangest kind of culture shock of my life! It's as if someone has taken all of the over-the-top, in-your-face hyperbole of every bad Hollywood film or American sitcom and plonked it into real life... only the sad thing is that it's the other way around. It is ACTUALLY like that! Everyone is shouting all the time! Everywhere...EVERYWHERE there are advertisements demanding you buy stuff... or ELSE! There is a looming ominous feeling that you are about to be sued, shot or shafted by someone.

At this stage, I'm just trying to adjust myself in order to be able to connect with someone on a human level. I'm going to be staying with a CouchSurfer tonight, which should help as she sounds like a down-to-earth, cool person. But so far, I've just been spending most of my day feeling bewildered (not to mention jet-lagged), overwhelmed and trying desperately to find something to eat that isn't overtly made of poison!

Of course, I'm sure it's not that bad and I'm just overreacting due to my culture-shock. Milwaukee actually seems like a pretty cool city. I mean apparently a woman can walk down the street at night and not get mugged! That's cool right? Plus there are a lot of groovy looking bars with live music. I was picked up late last night from the airport by Jeff, a cool rocker dude who plays mandolin with the Violent Femmes. He's quite a man about town, and has been giving me the royal rock 'n roll tour of the city. He's got a lot of impressive stories, like hanging out with Dweezil Zappa and Steve Vai and playing in a comedy band called Beatallica, a Beatles-Metallica takeoff, who have fans such as Metallica themselves... totally metal.

Got our first gig on Thursday night at a dingy bar downtown, then playing at PrideFest supporting the likes of Etta James and Brandy (haha!). Hopefully I'm out of my daze by then, 'cause it sounds like some interesting times are ahead!

So, now that I've re-ignited this Travelblog, feel free to keep in touch and write me lots of lovely comments (especially since I've committed Facebook suicide and have no other way to stay in touch with people except email). Will get my camera-phone up and running and hopefully my next post will contain many entertaining photos of life in the US of A!

Love,
Charlie.

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Photos

Fire Hydrant
yes, i've only been here 3 days... these novelties haven't worn off yet

Our stage at Pridefest
Aparrently there's gonna be 5000 people watching us! Should I be nervous??

New Uke!!!
I still love Lila, but I bought this awesome Washburn ukulele from Jeff who plays in the Violent Femmes for $60! It's gonna be a welcome companion on my travels!

Poison food warning
Saw this in a cafe at LA airport... pretty much an "Eat Food at own Risk" sign! :S Arghh!!

American Geography
...i was slightly amused on closer inspection of this ad...

Comments

[Lexeh!]

HHhhHHHhHHHH
Helleh! good to hear you got there safe and sound. Are u gunna get a sim card? let me know if u do! Orbit is hap. taking a bit of getting used to, but the other night, i drove him, and cops were pulling cars over, and they pulled over two other cars and let me pass!!! hahah. awesome. anyway, luff you.

[Angie]

Here we go again!!!
The blooger is back!! Keep us informed! Take care! mwa!

[Dad]

Well..there in crazyland!
Great idea getting your blog up and running again, we were all so entertained and informed in your last batch of travels. If you don't get a phone you can still reverse charges, just to know you're livin' ,laughin' etc. Have you got that can of pepper spray yet? No, really , take care . I'll be thinkin' of you Love Dad

[Struth]

weeh-hey!
Whoa! How did you end up in the States? DOn't recall hearing about it before I got the TravelBlog email! Anyway, hope you're enjoying yourself so far! There are actually a lot of nice people around, they're not all horrible movie cliches, and when I was there in '07 we didn't come across a single Bush-ite bigot or the like. A tip which I know you will appreciate: If you're somewhere for a few days and you actually want to get groceries to make yourself some food etc, do your shopping at a place called Whole Foods - it is a chain of stores that are basically supermarket-sized health food shops! They have pretty much everything food-wise that a normal supermarket would have, except it's the organic/biodynamic/comparatively healthy-and-ethical version. Of course, there's all the health-food-shop stuff like psyllium husks and LSA meal etc. and they also have toilet paper and all the other non-food stuff you would need. I absolutely can't wait for Australia to get something similar... Check it out: www.wholefoodsmarket.com - there is a 'store locator' and stuff, so you can see if there's one nearby no matter where you are. Hope that comes in handy for ya! Have a good time! Struth xo

[chazlie]

good food! thank gawd!
thanks for that struthie!! i looked em up! they sound awesome :) need as much healthiness as i can get to beat this bleedin flu... :S i know everyone in the US isn't a knob... i was just jetlagged and sick and happened to be surrounded by MidWest rock n roll knobs, so i didn't get the best introduction :P cant wait to get to some west coast banjo pickin and mandolin strummin folkies... or whatever other cool gypsies live around there :) hehe... thanks for readin my blog :) talk soon! love C. x ps. I bought an awesome electric uke!!! did you see? it's a washburn and was only $60. not as nice as Lila of course, but good for travelling! :)

[Karl]

culture shock
I really do have to say I find it funny when people do come to the U.S. including my inlaws. Most go to these big cities like Milwaukee, Chicago, New York. They form an opinoin on what they see and the people they meet and I also would be in shock ( I hate the big cities ). While you are in the area go to Cedarburg to see an older German town talk to Wendy at the Washington House Inn for some history. Also check out La Crosse on the Mississippi for some of the best views of the bluffs and to meet some of the most freindly helpfull kind people in the state. Let me know if you head over here and I will help you out. Really do your self a favor and go to the rural areas rather than the big cities you will be suprised at what you will find.