Stars and stripes

"I'll be back," are the words Arnold Schwarzenegger engraved next to his hand prints outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. When reading these words at the end of my last trip to the US I decided I needed to come back. So there I was less more than three years later staring at the same slab of concrete.
Hollywood was the final destination on my brief visit to Los Angeles. The rest of the time was spent visiting the famous beaches of Venice, Santa Monica and Malibu. Venice was the most crowded and interesting of the three with many spectators watching the street performers and artists.
Following my brief visit to the 'City of Angels' I continued on to Indiana. Indiana is a College town in western Pennsylvania, home of IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) where my Dad is an Associate Professor. The town has hardly changed since my last visit here in 2005, although my Dad has moved into a much larger house on the other side of town with his wife Marsha.
I have spent my time so far exploring the town and the University as well as watching a lot of cable television. Indiana is located roughly an hours drive away from Pittsburgh, the home of the 2009 Superbowl champions, the Steelers. It is quite obvious the town is still basking in the glory of their teams win with decorations aplenty.
The University has many activities designed to entertain students many of who cannot legally drink. Last weekend Dad and I attended Unity Day where IUP students from all over the world dress in the respective countries dress and serve food and dance for the spectators. For a few hours there I forget I was in the USA.
The economic crisis is all over the news although it has not stopped the locals from getting around in their large 'Yank Tanks'. The weather has also been fairly random, yesterday I woke to small collections of snow forming outside and today was sunny shorts and T-shirt weather.
This weekend I am heading to Philadelphia to race up the stairs of the Museum of Art doing my best impersonation of Rocky Balboa.