Red Letter Day - almost an American

I got this letter today which, I think, means I can stay here forever, if I want to, and apply to be an American citizen in five years time. The letter says I'll have a Green Card in a maximum of 90 days. I always thought getting a green card would be difficult. I remember that film called, not surprisingly - "Green Card" with Gérard Depardieu. I must watch it one day. But I think Gérard had terrible trouble getting his in the movie. John Lennon had a right hassle too. Mine was so easy - maybe I just had good advice. Sun pays for some expensive law firms who guide employees through this sort of thing.

If someone told me before December 2004, which is when Sun made the offer to have me come out here, that I would be an American one day, I would have thought that was one of the strangest things I had ever heard. I maybe will never be an American. I don't have a burning desire to be one, but I think it makes sense to be a citizen of the country where I live. Anyway - a red letter day in some senses. Pity this letter is not red!

From St Stephens Green to St Stephens Green

At the beginning of Once, Glen Hansard's character is busking at the top of Grafton Street in Dublin, just at the gates of St Stephen's Green. So, it is strangely appropriate, that I had a beer in the St. Stephen's Green in Mountain View tonight.


And here is the beer. I must stop doing that, taking pictures of beers, this is just silly! The St Stephen's Green in Mountain View, is the bar I was talking about in my second ever blog post, the one on St. Patrick's Day. But tonight, instead of playing IRA songs, they were playing Duran Duran, only a mild improvement in my opinion. Duran Duran are the archetypal pub band got lucky (or was that the Stranglers?). It's soo annoying that all this crap that I hated 25 years ago is now nostalgia, so we have to listen to it all again. There can be very few bands who sold more records, with so little talent. "Your telephone is ringing as you're dancing in the rain....". Indeed!


The St Stephen's Green is on Castro Street in Mountain View. I like Castro Street, it is essentially downtown Mountain View. Downtown Mountain View is a lot nicer than Downtown San Jose, it is much more compact.






I got the train to Mountain View tonight.

Just like last year, and the year before, there are some lovely blossoms falling off the trees, at our apartment complex.



Had a curry in the Monsoon in Mountain View, it was deserted, which is a shame, it is a nice place.


The Monsoon, with no one there!