So I landed in the US dreading going through immigration - would they believe I'm not here to work, will my tent be suspect, will I make a smart ass remake and get in trouble, will the queues be so long that I miss my connecting flight.... Fortunately all this was not necessary. I proceeded to have the easiest passing though LAX customs that I have ever heard of.
Firstly there was literally no queuing at all - note:fly I to LA on a tuesday!
And then I had a flirtatious customs officer! Even featuring a 'that's what she said' joke. Well played USA, well played.
And there in I realised that my time in the states will be better than anticipated. Excellent.
Changing terminals and getting On the next flight was straight forward. And allowed me time for a nice wood fired pizza. First lesson in tipping.
For the first few days in San Diego I stayed at this funky hostel in Ocean Beach:
I was very glad to have chosen this suburb. It's kinda like the laid back California you'd imagine. Nice beach, surf right on the beach, lots of seagulls and pelicans and plenty of fishing on the pier. The people of this area are very chilled - lots of skateboards! And there is a nice selection of bars and eating places on the little strip near the hostel. On Wednesdays there was even a great little fresh food market lining the street.
After checking in and resting on the first day I needed food and again to escape the backpacker world. So I strolled up the road and decided apon a sushi bar (imagine a fancy pub on the corner where you order fine dining sushi rather than fish and chips). Striking up conversation with another solo diner at the bar next to me to find out that I couldn't have chanced on a better first friend in San Diego. The lady, Mina, is owner of three of San Diego's best bars, one which was just down the road and hosted probably THE best view in the whole city! She ever so kindly took the bill for my meal at the sushi place and we proceeded to her place, Wonderland, where we raided the kitchen (the biggest commercial kitchen I've ever seen) to make ourselves some dessert! As it turned out we didn't end up meeting again, but I'm still very thankful for her company that night, free food and some good tips about the local area.
The next morning a long walk was in store.
Before catching the bus downtown and finding a lunch spot. Pulled pork really is the rage at the moment.
On returning from my wanderings downtown, I met a new girl in my dorm room. An English girl who had just finished a one year placement in New York (fashion design). We went for a sundown walk on the pier and then for some famous fish tacos nearby. With San Diego being so close to Mexico (Tijuana is just a few km away), Mexican cuisine is huge, and the dish of the town in particular is the mahi mahi fish taco. Amazing!
The next day Katie (English girl) and I took ourselves out on an adventure. First we walked for about an hour to where we thought a bus would pick us up to go down Point Lomma, the near by peninsula that hosts some of the naval barracks (probably the major industry in this town), a momument right at the end of the reserve and an unexpected, mile or so long military cemetery. Pretty profound having white crosses pass you on both sides of the bus for km's.
Great views from the top of the point
Across the way, between us and the city buildings is the other peninsula that hosts the naval base. We saw a ship go to sea passing us every 10 minutes or so.
From Point Lomma we took a few consecutive buses to arrive at Mission Beach and Pacific Beach. These are the two touristy, 'party' destinations. But to us seemed basically like a huge strip of beach with rental commodation all the way along (apologies for no photos) and only a few places to eat and drink at either end (of a 4km stretch). And all exposed in the sun. I'm sure there's more to it, but I was happy to just have lunch, walk and an icecream on the bus home. A GIANT icecream at that.
Then we went to Wonderland, the bar from the other night that Mina owned, for nachos and sunset yet again. It really does have the best views in town!
The next day I made my way across town to my new home for the next few days - the Doubletree Hilton in Mission Valley (not mission beach from yesterday). This really is not a special location, at all. It's just a valley with highways, shops, housing and a creek. But having a course here for the next few days, makes it much easier to just fork out at stay at the same hotel.
On the way there I spotted two particular things on interest. One - when taking a bike on a bus, you just slid it on to the rack on the front (see below). Super quick and handy system.
And then a young guy, (who looked like he'd had a stroke or some other neurological disorder), boarded the bus. With his giant pet iguana. Who was happy to roam all over his wheelchair and the bus. This made for conversation with the other passengers that I sat quietly and listened to in amusement. Only in America I guess hey?
This does however, bring up the point that, as you know, the poverty and healthcare in the US really is shameful. Homeless people everywhere, including huge numbers with disabilities. And the only other people catching the bus were sick and disabled, no young kids hopping on and off like I would usually see. Really shitty to know that they can't get the care they need.
So the reason I'm in San Deigo at all is to attend an osteo course. It is a paediatric cranial course, run by one of the worlds most renowned children's clinics. The reason for the clinics prestige is all down to this woman; Viola Frymann. She is probably the most famous living osteopath in the world, being the pioneer for children's osteopathy. Now, with a lifetime of mind blowing work and research behind her, senility is setting in, so she no longer teaches (although did up until very recently), and in her legacy they are opening a new centre in town. The centre (in all honesty is a bit contrived) theorises that once she's gone, the legacy will be best continued through multiple people rather than one or two, so basically every paed Osteo in town will be working from this centre.
Consequently I was invited to the opening and got to meet the legend herself. This really is something special - there would hardly be an osteopath in the world today who would not be using a technique or theory of hers in everyday practise.
And! It happened to be her birthday!
At this function, I was fortunate enough to meet Geraldine. She is a Canadian-born, Australian/RMIT trained osteopath who has spend most of her career working in New Zealand, until moving to San Diego last year. It turns out, of course, that we have all the same friends and basically know all the same Osteo's. And even more lucky for me - she is one of the best Osteo's around, treating basically exclusively babies for 20 years and making a name for herself in AUS and NZ. We got along literally like a house on fire. After the function, reminiscing about things despite being new friends, we headed with a friend of hers to La Jolla (pronounced La Hoya) cove for some food, drinks and a view.
La Jolla is like the upper class part of town. Gorgeous cove and nice bars and restaurants. Really pretty stuff - cobblestones, stairs and fairy lights around the little cove/promenade. I went there again the next night with some other Osteo's. (Fine dining the second time.... Thanks to the credit card of one very successful Osteo)
See the seals below on the rocks?
The next three days were the course. Before I go in to any details about this, I need to first describe the Osteo situation worldwide. In most countries around the world, osteopaths are the same as in Australia - manual therapists who work with the osteopathic philosophies. However, in the USA only (the birth place of Osteo), things changed a century ago, and osteopaths procured prescribing and surgical rights, arguably going against what osteopathy is about. What this means for modern osteopathy in the states is that the DOs (doctor of osteopathy) are basically the same as MDs (medical doctors), yet with the osteopathic philosophy and some manual techniques taught. They are practically the same, but work from their own hospitals, rather than in the usual medical stream (and would use the manual treatment more than traditional doctors, even in emergency room etc.). Although the lines are blurry. Then there are the 10-15% of US DOs of whom the traditional teachings strike a chord and choose to pursue a career as an osteopath as we would know them. This means focusing their rounds on OMM (osteopathic manipulative medicine) and some further study. Ultimately, however, those that do choose to go that way can have not only a really good career, and makes some good dollars, but also have a lot more freedom than osteopaths back at home, due to having full medical licensure. Not a bad thing.
So in the course there were about 16 of us of varying ages and backgrounds - a few paediatricians, a few Osteo students, a couple of MDs, a herbalist, and handful of DOs (Osteo's) and a few of us from overseas (Poland, Russia, New Zealand, Italy, Germany and me). So it was a good bunch - ultimately the 'less medically experienced group', I.e. Those of us from overseas, were on the front foot, having being working in the context of this learning for years, yet for other paediatricians and doctors of 20 years experience, much of this was really new. So it gave a good balance of respect. And of course, I was the youngest :)
I made quite a few friends here, which made the course extra enjoyable. In particular two of the final year Osteo students - one from New York and one from North Carolina, the recently graduated MD from California, the German girl and one of the helpers (see latter paragraph). Dinners out every night!
As for the content of the course, it was as expected. Some stuff I already knew, some seemed irrelevant, but most of it was useful and informative. Overall pretty happy. And a bonus, I can now be a member of the American paediatric osteopathic academy, a pretty exclusive club of just the traditional style Osteo's who do a course like this. Nice for the resume anyway!
A bonus for the weekend was meeting the course helpers. In total there were 5 experienced Osteo's teaching us. One of which Charles Beck, who I learnt ALOT from, and he has offered me a place in some course that he's running as well as a chance to come work in his clinic. A job I cannot take! But alas, I will endeavour to visit him in Indianapolis before I return home in November. Just a few days in the clinic there will improve my skills immeasurably! This guys is the real deal Osteo.
After the course finished, I met up with Geraldine again as well as some of her friends. Checked out another part of town, Coronado, which is the part near the naval base. Good company and a nice final night in San Diego!
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