San Francisco - the best place on Earth?
Friday, 4th December 2009
The West coast of the United States has always been what attracted me the most in this country. The famous Pacific Ocean beaches, the tireless sun and the warm weather make California one of the most attractive States in the country.
As a student in International Business in France, I was given the opportunity to intern in a company anywhere in the world. I chose to work as a marketing assistant for an architectural firm in San Francisco, and although I had visited the city before, I wasn’t expecting to end up on the best place on Earth.
The fact that it is surrounded by the water makes San Francisco really stand out from the other American cities: its size is “human”. It didn’t take me long to figure out where the different districts were . The Ocean on one side, the San Francisco bay, Oakland and its mountains on the other, and head straight, you will find the Golden Gate Bridge that takes you to the northern plains and the “wine” country valleys.
But San Francisco is not all about its environment. One of my first impressions after arriving in the city was the diversity of the people who live there. I only had to walk a few blocks on Market Street to hear more than five different languages! There is a big community of French people in San Francisco especially…
My first steps in the city were basically going from my home to work, taking the 31 bus from Mason Avenue to Market Street and walking to 2nd street. Even before having made any friends it felt like home and I enjoyed my everyday life. There are so many things to see and to do that it was impossible to be bored.
Then I started meeting people and go out with them, and that’s when I realized this city was made for me.
There are so many neighborhoods so different from each other and so close at the same time. If I wanted to have a drink in a typical pub, I could go to Mission district after work and later find myself heading east to South of Market to a nightclub. If I felt like buying cheap electronic equipment I would go straight to the largest Chinatown in the US, and walk a couple of blocks west to end up in Nob Hill, the Italian district. Walking just a little bit further would take me to the amazing hills of Russian Hill. All these hills might be exhausting to climb, but it’s worth when you reach the top of each and find a wonderful view of the bay with Alcatraz Island in the middle of the water.
Have I mentioned the parks? San Francisco has a number of beautiful and restful parks and squared, without naming the big Golden Gate Park.
San Francisco, for me, is one of the most multicultural cites I’ve ever visited, because it feels like being in lots of different cities at once. Speaking diverse languages and eating all sorts of food, seeing people from all over the world enjoying this lovely atmosphere is great.
More about English courses in San Francisco
More about evening foreign language courses in San Francisco
Tags: san francisco, language, languages, united states, food, english
Posted by Julien Schimel 2009-12 under Experience Cultures,
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