in summary [amy]
Still in South Carolina. It's a nice place. People are genuinely more polite here, despite the accusation from west coasters that it is fake. (What is politeness but being nice when you don't want to be?) It takes effort and I appreciate it. Lately on my trips home, I've actually been taken aback by the sterner faces, and that most people will not hold the door open for the person behind them. (And this is coming from me, who has been accused of having an "unwelcoming facial expression" by a certain southern instructor. This is probably more useful to me in California since it keeps me from looking liking a grinning idiot to be taken advantage of. I also suspect that women are more expected to be cheerful.)
There are seasons here, which I like. The summers can be sticky, but you get used to it pretty fast. It would have been even better if I had updated my wardrobe to be more climatically-appropriate. (My closet is tailored for the Eternal Fall of San Francisco, so now is actually a good time for me.) There's colors in fall, and most of the highways are lined with forests. And most of the year the humid air keeps my californian skin unusually healthy, instead of cracking and bleeding as I'm accustomed to at home.
People are not more racist here. Californians fear the south. Californians fear the racist south. After living here, then going home, and coming back, I've found that people are just racist everywhere. It's not good, but I think it's something we are more likely to point out in other places than in our own.
Politically, I'm an oddball here. In a big way. S'all I'm going to say about that.
All that being said, I think I'm ready to go back soon, as nice as it is with inexpensive beer, good wings, and nice people. In the mean time, an anthropomorphic potato.

LIAM: What's up with the deal with blogspot not accepting ftp hosting anymore?
There are seasons here, which I like. The summers can be sticky, but you get used to it pretty fast. It would have been even better if I had updated my wardrobe to be more climatically-appropriate. (My closet is tailored for the Eternal Fall of San Francisco, so now is actually a good time for me.) There's colors in fall, and most of the highways are lined with forests. And most of the year the humid air keeps my californian skin unusually healthy, instead of cracking and bleeding as I'm accustomed to at home.
People are not more racist here. Californians fear the south. Californians fear the racist south. After living here, then going home, and coming back, I've found that people are just racist everywhere. It's not good, but I think it's something we are more likely to point out in other places than in our own.
Politically, I'm an oddball here. In a big way. S'all I'm going to say about that.
All that being said, I think I'm ready to go back soon, as nice as it is with inexpensive beer, good wings, and nice people. In the mean time, an anthropomorphic potato.

LIAM: What's up with the deal with blogspot not accepting ftp hosting anymore?
