Coming out of isolation and we've been doing just fine

Hello, it's Mitchell here, or as you may know me, Dr Masterson,

Since the last post we've basically had 2 major events:

1. We had some of the best takeway I've ever had

2. I become a doctor

Yes this is the correct order, the food was insane.

My viva was a video call (currently the default due to COVID so they didn't even have to make any extra allowance for me), due to it having to be within British work hours the call started at 5:30am here. Obviously I knew this was coming which was a big reason why we tried to delay shifting our sleep schedule as much as possible. Emily had to get up early and then shut herself in the bathroom (it was a little cold outside at that time) while I had the call in the main room of the airbnb.

Fortunately the wifi behaved very well (likely aided by the fact no one else was really using the internet yet here) for the THREE HOURS it took to complete the viva. The actual viva was pretty good. Three hours is barely enough time to discuss a whole thesis, especially when the person being interviewed (me) absolutely loves to talk. I think both examiners were a little annoyed but preferred it to the alternative of me not talking very much. One question specifically I was completely unable to answer and at a complete loss and just talking nothing for several minutes until I found the note I has actually written in the thesis about it which the examiner had missed. I had to take notes on the back of our negative COVID test results that we'd printed to get us through airport security as we didn't pack a pad of paper (our bags were very full and I had also packed the whole thesis which I did need to refer to too).

The viva was immediately followed by a video call with my supervisors who wanted to congratulate me and then various internet posts which you may have seen followed by a lot of messages and congrats. I then went back to a day of work.

Emily has reminded me that I did not talk about the best takeaway we've ever had. So it's called Kimchichanga and is a fusion of Korean and Mexican food. It sounds like it would be weird, but it was so good! Maybe the most unhealthy thing I've ever eaten (Emily's had fries inside a burrito) but tasted AMAZING. I had the namesake - a kimchichanga which was a tortilla filled with tofu, gaucamole, Korean BBQ sauce and some others and then deep fried and smothered with sour cream. I may die tommorow, but at least I'll die happy.

This is Emily now taking over for the Doctor as we still have a lot to update you on but Mitchell has some very important doctor stuff to attend to right now. 

This is just a nice photo of me

Let's continue with Thursday. We applied for an apartment and have sent off our information. We just need to wait and see if they'll accept us without a US credit score. We haven't heard anything yet, but fingers crossed we should have a move in date the week after next! We were also going to apply for another one in the area too, but someone swooped in and nabbed it before we got a chance.

Mitchell got a call about setting up an appointment to get a social security number (yay!), but fell down at the first hurdle when they asked if we'd been out of the country in the last 14 days (boo!). So hopefully they will call him back soon and that will be one more thing ticked off the list. 

Friday marks the start of our very exciting weekend of adventure. Mitchell had a meeting with his lab group first thing, so I went to hunt out some tea. I found myself a green peach iced tea and wandered through the town. A garden which had been shut when we passed it before was now open so I headed inside and it was lovely. Small, but it had a fountain and shady paths and a herb garden with mint, rosemary and lavender growing. I sat on one of the benches while I drank my tea and read some of my book, only occasionally getting bonked on the head by bits of falling palm tree.

Oranges growing in the city

On the way to the park

The park and some of those shedding palm trees

Herb garden

Japanese garden area

In the afternoon we ventured out to the big bank building a little south of where we're staying. It was a very lovely walk, each house is completely unique; one minute you're in the South of Spain, then the Israeli desert and then the slopes of the Swiss mountains. 

For those of you who want to have a little snoop of the route you can check out Google maps here

The walk we took on Friday

But, we reached the area which was a plaza with a lot of restuarants, a cinema and loads of fountains and chairs to sit outside, right in the middle of a retail park.

Out for lunch at the retail park

The banking part was easy enough, we've set up a joint account and our cards should be on the way soon! While we were waiting for our appointment, the security guard was chatting to us and it only occured to us as he turned away that the implement in his holster was in fact a real gun. 'Merica 🦅

That was basically it for Friday as the appointment took a lot longer than anticipated. We headed back and ate dinner outside on our patio as it was a lovely evening. 

Also, at some point over those last two days I did actually get sunburnt :( It was on the inside of my forarms where I hold my book. Should have stayed inside and watched TV.

Saturday was a busy day. We started early and headed to the farmers market. There were a lot of stalls with fresh produce; the most popular items were strawberries, avocados and oranges, all locally grown. The Riverside area is known for their navel oranges so we bought a bag and some other goodies. 

Navel oranges, rosemary sourdough bread, strawberries, mulberry yoghurt, giant avocado and a cinnamon bun

In case you needed to see the size of this giant avocado

Once we got back to our apartment, we devoured the cinnamon bun (it was a two person job) before setting out to get our vaccine! We're very lucky, California is giving them out for free to anyone, regardless of residency or medical insurance cover. We both got the Pfizer and they gave us a wrist band saying "Stick it to Covid" to celebrate. This was in the pharmacy Rite-Aid, so we also picked up some toothpaste.

Vaccinated and sat down for 15 minutes to make sure we didn't faint, we went next door to get some groceries. Nothing much to report here except that I had to physically remove myself from the snack aisle. I say snack aisle, at least 25% of that store was snacks I'm sure. 

Ah yes, every English person's favourite: spread

Vaccine, shopping and a lunch of giant avocado done, we went to visit the UCR campus. This was our first time on the bus, but they have an app to buy tickets and it works pretty well (£1.25 for a single trip anyone?) 

Campus was beautiful (it's no Santa Barbara, but then what is?) So many outside eating spaces and open green areas. Our favourite part was the area called "Picnic Hill" which was a little grassy patch with some picnic benches, but to get there you had to climb a little hill along paths and stepping stones through some very dry trees. Tiny lizards were everywhere, and because it was so dry you could hear it every time they scampered away. 

Not pictured: all of the final year students getting graduation photos with this sign

Taking a rest on picnic hill

This is Mitchell's new building on the left

This morning (Sunday) we had decided to do a local hike up Mount Rubidoux. Fuelled by our breakfast of strawberries and mulberry yoghurt from the farmers' market, we set out just before 10am, by which point it was already 20c. I had brought a shirt to cover my arms and Mitchell was in jeans because we didn't know what to expect from the top of the mountain, but it quickly became clear that the weather does not change with the altitude like we'd expected. It was a steep climb, but the views of the city that we now call home were amazing and well worth it. The area itself looks like it's been pulled straight from Greece with the small shrubby trees and the occasional bridge. 

Apparently they have an Easter service at the summit here every year

Everything the light touches Simba

It took us a little over 2 hours start to finish and there's another route we can do another day which is apparently longer, but less steep. We came home and had more avocado for lunch (we still haven't finished that behemoth). 

Wildlife update! So many tiny lizards everywhere! Another couple of hawks spotted and this furry little skunk which we were lucky to see (and not smell) on campus. 

Lizard hiding on the tree

That's all for this week. Next week Mitchell starts work in the lab and we'll hopefully have some good news about out apartment hunt. Apparently there's also a bus somewhere that goes straight to Downtown Disney (the bit with the shops which you don't have to pay to get in!) so that will be coming soon for sure!

Peace

Emily and Mitchell

xxxxxxx