Life here in Boise moves a bit slower than was the case in California and Hanoi. That has taken some getting used to. It's especially noticeable in the way people drive here. Not only do they obey the traffic laws (including the speed limits!) but they're almost unfailingly polite when behind the wheel.
For example, every morning I take O to work, then head for the gym. Taking O to work is against traffic, so it's a piece of cake. Getting to the gym, however, puts me in the middle of the morning rush. Said rush is laughable, really, by California standards, let alone compared to Hanoi; it actually takes about two or three minutes longer than it would any other time of the day.
But there's a section where there's a traffic light just before a short stretch of freeway. Just before the light the road widens from one lane to two. Just after the light, the freeway ramp narrows from two lanes to one before opening onto the freeway itself. I know, great traffic flow design. Anyway, there's usually a long line of cars waiting at the signal to get on the freeway. But here's the thing: it's a single line even though there are two lanes!
In California, and certainly in Vietnam, that brief second lane would be filled with people trying to get onto the freeway a few car lengths ahead of their original position in the flow. In Boise, that would be considered rude. No one tries to push their way to the head of the line. They wait their turn.
Weird, but kind of sweet. The place is growing on me.
P.
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