You Say "Potato", I say (Brown Rice)

There are some regional differences I really need to get used to.

1) Jaywalking in front of cops. In San Jose (downtown), the police actually ticket people for this infraction. I suppose being the safest large city in the nation, the police have to have something to do and a way to generate revenue. There are a lot of beat cops in the neighborhood where I'm currently staying (good and bad- good 'cause they're needed, bad 'cause... well... they're needed). Odds are, if there's a cop nearby and you're jaywalking, they've either got better things to do, or you're following them in doing so. Especially in a land of one-way streets, odds are that at some point it's safe to cross against the light.

2) On line vs. in line. "On line" to me is what I am currently- online, as in connected to the World Wide Web, the Internet, etc. Here, it also indicates one is standing in a line, queue, whatever you'd like to call it. When I was talking to my friend on the phone yesterday and had to make it quick (as I was next in the queue), I said "I'm in line, on line, umm... I'm at the post office, I'll call you right back". Yes, I know I'm understood regardless of what phrase I use, but it does make me feel like I stick out in doing so.

3) Invisibility. I can be as invisible as I choose. I *love* that. If one wants attention, one can certainly get it, but you can wander around equally as unnoticed if that's what you want. No eye-contact or interaction really required when leaving the house. Of course, this can be a bad thing if something really bad is going down and you need people to take notice, but there are frequently negatives for positives.

Having been a frequent visitor to the area, these aren't exactly new to me. Just the little things that stick out to me in my day. I'm sure there are several others I just haven't noticed or don't pay attention to. Then again, I've always heard tales of "rude" New Yorkers, etc. I've never experienced it. Sure, some people are a little more abrupt, but it doesn't mean they're not good people.