GalaxSea

One of the guys in the lab (Carsten) is going to be spending some time in San Diego this September and October. I think he's really nervous about going to a place where he doesn't know anyone, and he's hoping that people will be nice and hang out with him on the weekends. Consequently, he's trying to improve his karma by being really nice to me. He's a nice guy anyway, but he's really made an effort to make sure I'm not too lonely.

So yesterday he invited me to go with him and his girlfriend to a place called the GalaxSea - a cross between a public pool and an amusement park. I kinda imagined that I'd be swimming laps, which was technically possible, but there weren't actual lanes. So I'm there in my giant one peice bathing suit and goggles trying to swim back and forth between the couples flirting in the pool. It was strange. But my companions were really impressed by my swimming ability - I think because I was willing to put my head underwater.

The best part of the GalaxSea is that after swimming we got to go down two different waterslides. They were the kind that you find at White Water - you go down on a raft through a tunnel. Next we paddled around in the heated pool for a while, which was full on nooks and crannies for hiding and making out. I tried to make a lot of noise when going around corners.

Later, in the hot tub, I tried to thank Carsten for keeping me from another evening of watching Dexter alone in my room (although it's a really good show) by giving him some tips about America. "Unless you're a professional swimmer" I said, "you should never wear a speedo." I also pointed out that American men do not wear capris - "pants must come all the was to your shoes and shorts can be from the kneecaps to three inches above the kneecaps. These are the only appropriate lengths." Carsten looked worried, but I told him I'd check his clothes this summer and alert him if he wore any clothes that wouldn't fly in the U.S.