Five and a half weeks down...twenty-two to go

It already seems eons ago that Mary and I stayed with Oliver and Daria. It was a sunny Thursday afternoon in Boston, and we went straight from the airport to a bar in Newton to sup some ice cold Samuel Adams (we had already been up about 20 hours on account of getting to the airport ludicrously early because of the baggage crisis). They have a new Toyota Prius. Now I don't usually get excited about cars, but it's top of my list when I replace Monica the Renault ("shakin' her ass..." and being lovingly taken care of by Samreen - I hope). It automatically cuts in to run silently on self - generated electricity at appropriate points - like magic - energy efficient silent running at lights and when the car's at a standstill. Only Daria didn't realise it was still on and left it idling at a parking bay for 4 hours. Happy days!

It was also lovely to catch up with the family: Avis, Craig, Russ, Holly and Josh, my nephew, who is 7, and it's the first time I've met him. Now that's bad, isn't it? And you heard it here first...I'm not being that slack again.

Since the US Open I have kept in touch with the Number 1 Nico fan. I sent her a copy of a picture I took of Nico and our favourite Chilean ball boy, Patricio, who kept us entertained on the Monday morning when it rained for the first hour. She is going to publish it on the Men's Tennis Forum Nico site. Milly...published at last.

Some of you will know Trudi, my friend in Washington, as she came over for New Year. I will defintely see her on the way back in Feb but we are trying to co-ordinate to meet in South America. I wasn't planning a jaunt to Buenos Aires but apparently it's the "Paris of South America", so that might be on the cards for December. A bit of Tango, perhaps?

The clinic work is going well. I'm not doing anything earth - shatteringly exciting yet, but next week I start sitting in on the joint professional meeting and shadowing the acupuncturist on the Tuesday evening session. I am also going to do some very dull admin for the HIV/AIDS unit. They are V grateful (it's that dull!) and are trying to arrange for me to shadow rounds with their specialist. It's going to be really useful for me to experience traditional/alternative treatments dealt with in this way. No-one who comes to this clinic has proper insurance, yet they get access to these treatments because they are needed, not because they can afford them. They also do some work with the homeless, who can come in and use the facilities, such as showers, etc. You all know how I feel about this stuff: Neo-liberalists, Reagan/Thatcher as notables, who started dismantling our health care services. If people don't have access to the facilities to keep them healthy how can they take part in 'democracies'? There are so many ways to disenfranchise people, education and health being the top choices. But hey, the tax burden is down apparently...so that's good. Enough...

So, my new American buddies are really lovely. Jill is a teacher working with the teenage mums project and Dave is a pastry chef who has just sold his share in a restaurant and is looking to open something new. I'm going to spend a bit of time in San Francisco with Jill before I head off to Yosemite for 4 days of camping and walking in the middle of October. I'm going to save Route 1 for February, or perhaps my next trip out, as I'm going to be fairly busy at the clinic until I leave in October for Peru.



Erin, Jill and Milly in the bar of that hotel they made Pretty Woman in (forgotten the name)... locals say that I am singularly the most`unimpressed by Hollywood´ person they have ever seen...

Richard and Carol have been friends of Ivy's (Norwich Ivy) since she was a young artist doing the Santa Monica thing in the 70's. We had a lovely day last weekend pootling round Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Topanga. It's one of the things I really love about Venice;just off the beach area you've got cafes and one - off shops, a more bohemian and actively political culture. Then you can stand on the beach and be looking at the beautiful sunset over Topanga and the Santa Monica mountains which are a short bus ride away. I think I'll be up there for a stroll one day this weekend. We spent some very peaceful time last weekend in the Self Realisation Fellowship grounds and lake area where they have some of Gandhi's ashes. It was really beautiful and mystical in the way that Machu Picchu is. Carol works on Santa Monica boulevard so has become a great lunch partner! They have two gorgeous parrots, one of which speaks incessantly and rather amusingly calls for Richard in Carol's voice and vice versa!

Jill, Dave and I were at a "totally gay" bar in West Hollywood last night (still in West Hollywood you are pretty much either very buffed and gay, or wearing kitten cream lipstick and Muscovite...and that's the men...boom boom). I've never seen such a fuss made over a bee. As the new barman came to take over from Lily Savage behind the bar, Lily screamed, "this is no place to work...the conditions...there are 30 million bees and that's no exaggeration...", as one very tiny and obviously rather tired and dopey insect (on account of being sprayed by Lily with Windex for the preceding half an hour) dozily and pathetically buzzed occasionally round the pineapple.

Chatted for a while with a couple who had been together for 20 years that evening. A few years ago there was a mass gay ceremony held in San Francisco when it became legal for same sex weddings. They went up and queued for nearly 24 hours in the rain and eventually got their licence and had their ceremony. A short time after this was recinded when the law was overturned and licences revoked. They were offered their $60 back but have kept the licence for the day when they are all invited back to have the licence and their marriage solemnised. We drank to that with a very large mojito.