American Holiday, and University Tour

[beerlaodrinker]

Nice one AO your girls will be miles ahead after gaining a quality education

[grasshopper]

There may be another way, AO. If the girls enroll and do a base course at a high level university in LOS, some have a relationship with universities around the world and offer scholarships for the student to complete his/her degree on campus in the States. One of my boys scored one while at University of Sydney and ended up for a year or so at firstly, UC campus at San Diego and then the Brookings Institute in Washington. Certainly broadened his outlook and made many international friends too. Reason for San Diego campus? He wanted to surf at Huntingdon Beach!

[WorldNomad]

So, four years for one kid..........$100,000 to $250,000. Double for twins, like AO and I have.

Holy cripes.

Time for you and AO to get together and start your own university.

It's insane, actually - the ruse and con which is the beloved university education in the States.

Most buy into it so easily.

Buy into what? Getting a good education? Forget getting a job if you do not have one. Even if you have one you are not guaranteed a job. Best of luck ao. You can never go bankrupt for student loans in the US, just prepare for huge debts if the girls get a loan.

[ltnt]

Reason for San Diego campus? He wanted to surf at Huntingdon Beach!

Why not "Wind n Sea?" La Jolla world renowned for surfers. Lot closer than Huntington Beach and far better surf!

[grasshopper]

Beats me, ltnt. I wasnt familiar with the surfing spots on the West Coast. Although he did make La "Hoya", he told me.

[ltnt]

^That's good. Its spelled La Jolla, but sounds as you've spelled it. Mexoide! I lived nearby for a year. short walk down a dirt trail in those days.

[aging one]

Well so we took off to visit and old friend who was born a week before I in Saudi Arabia. He is now retired after 30 years in Saudi but always in Aramco camps.

Dillon's beach




human and dog frisbee




nice houses on the hillside




Jim my mate is a musician as well. Doing Wild Nights by Van Morrison


Nice pool and deck around the barbecue area, it was about 32 in the middle of the day but down to 17 at night.


9 month old boxers, high tech swim gear for American dogs.



Then it was time to cook, as we had the room for free. but before it was 4:20 time, which is all day as he stopped the clock in the "skinning up room"


Then it was dinner time and we found some fresh salmon caught off Bodega bay that day.


some nice shrimp kebabs


veggies, yellow squash, zucchini, mushrooms, red onions, and bells


Margarita's either strawberry or regular


Home made apple pie


served, and many more to come, but its been go go go. only 9 days left and it seems like we left yesterday. Off to Disneyland and California Adventure tomorrow

[terry57]

^

Disneyland, Oh yes a really fun day out.

Brilliant place.

[palexxxx]

Looks like you are having a great time. Well done. Great pics.

[grasshopper]

miss those barbie dos a lot.

[gusG]

Good on you AO.
All the best for you and the family.

[patsycat]

It's so nice, after all the years i have been on TD - to see those little girls grow up to be such lovely young women.

Good luck to them, whatever they choose to do in life. They have obviously had a good start.

(now, where did i see that chastity belts are cheaper if you buy in bulk!!!)

[MeMock]

That salmon looks the ducks nuts.

[david44]

here in the UK are starting to look frightening now never mind what will happen over the next 7 years.

Tell me about it! Depends where your kids end up in the UK. London will cost and arm and a leg. Just finished I year here myself and I have no idea how I will pay this stint of school back. Main issue in the UK will be the housing. Can't see rents going down unless more houses get built in that time. All the best to your girls AO. Looks like a nice part of the world

Scotland had free courses last time I looked.Aslo free for the Irish maybe due to the need to attain the level of expat

BBC News - Irish passport key to fee waiver in Scotland
BBC News - Irish passport key to fee waiver in Scotland

[BobR]

Did you consider Sonoma State University? I'm from California and the area around Sonoma and Santa Rosa about 50 miles north of San Francisco is absolutely beautiful. Its wine country with orchards everywhere, the nicest area in California and one if the nicest in the US.


Are you familiar with California's 2 year junior colleges? They can do their first 2 years at a junior college then transfer to a 4 year State university. Its much ESS expensive that way.

[rickschoppers]

^
Agree. I went to community college in Santa Barbara for 2 years before transferring to a 4 year college. Since I was paying my own way through, it was much less expensive even back then and remains the same today. The Community College system is very good to get most of the lower level classes out of the way and it also gives you more time to declare a major.

As I remember AO, you are technically a California resident, no?

[aging one]

Bob, they have worked so hard and long they will apply to mostly UC schools, along with a few private, yes they will have a couple of state uni's if the scholarships and financial aid dont come through.

UC Santa Cruz.

The main Library, huge as are all of the ones in the system, 3 floors underground.


All through the redwoods



The Environmental science building, toured on all campuses

[aging one]

But before we went through San Rafael on the way down to SC. a few shots of one of the first Missions, and then the fun before the tour of the university, the old boardwalk in Santa Cruz, including the Giant Dipper the oldest wooden coaster in operation.


Used to go to mass to check out the Catholic girls.


The Giant Dipper on the boardwalk. It was after 7pm when all the shots were taken, the late sunsets were a surprise and a delight to the Thai visitors.


It was dollar night, all rides for a buck and it was crowded.


The beach and pier in the background.


Then south to Monterey Carmel, the 17 mile drive. In front of the Pebble Beach inn where we could afford to park.


Right near the 16th Tee.


The oldest beach house in Carmel, granite, and a great view of the Pacific.


A little afternoon siesta for the seals.


4 or 5 million and this place is yours. So many estates for sale, the economy is up and people are looking for $$$


A nice private beach





Taken from the Tee to the Hole



On the way to Big Sur down Highway 1.

[aging one]

so we set off highway one south through Big Sur







Bought sandwiches here and had a nice picnic on the creek. Not much water as California is in a severe drought.


The fog was gone by lunch and the sky was bright blue.


Made a pit stop for a coffee and ran into a bunch of middle aged bikers.

The northern California coast.

Yes that is a house on top of the rugged bluff

If you click the enlarge photo option you can see the gray whales, pity I did not have enough zoom, but we had binoculars. Rarely seen south of Big Sur


windy road let me tell ya.

cool tunnel right on the cliff

Right at 100 years old now, must have been hell building highway 1.

A colony of sea elephants that had gone from 2 to over 400 in the last 6 years.

relaxing it was about 22 degrees.

Trusty little Toyota Altis, it was brand new 1100 miles on it when we picked it up and 4050 when we dropped it off. A great deal at $620 for a 28 day rental.

[Ratchaburi]

Great Thread AO I hope all work out about the Uni for the girls.
Good luck mate

[Storekeeper]

AO ... Nice thread mate. It only took two years in Washington State but now when I encourage my step-daughter to consider schools other than UW or WSU her immediate response is ... "I'm going back to Washington" ... I hope she gets into UW but she seems to have here eyes set on WSU for some reason.

What are the "Top 2" on your girls' wish list?

[aging one]

3 right now sk, Berkeley, UCLA, and Santa Barbara. They will have two fall back schools as well, USF and Sonoma state if the $$$ are just not there. UCLA is a beautiful campus, but its in LA and being from SF that is going to take some getting used to.

UCLA was hit by a big flood which took care of two parking garages, the main quad area, and sadly the recently refurbished Paulley Pavillion home to UCLA basketball, a giant water main burst on Sunset Blvd and flowed downhill. 4 million dollars was spent refinishing the hardwood floor just before the flood, it looked like this on the day we were there.


The soccer field which was also flooded.


The Authur Ashe Health Center


The main Library with over 3 million books. Notice the subtle differences in the two towers.


Environmental Sciences.


The student housing up on "the hill"


The inverted water fall.



Part of the school of Music, Lionel Richie teaches there.

Engineering a completely green building


Just a lovely campus, not to much to worry about crime for the parents, as its wedged in between Beverly Hills, Brentwood, and Bel Air.




From there we headed to Claremont McKenna and Occidental the last of the southern California schools.

[ltnt]

Definitely a big vote against Santa Barbara...party school all the way. My step son spent 6 years there. His fraternity had test cheat sheets on every course offered. Complete waste of time, money and a life. He never recovered.

On reflection California is the perfect place for two young females to be introduced to Americas universities...not. I humbly suggest a Plan "C."

Send them to University here in Thailand. It will age them uniformly and upon graduation they can take graduate studies outside if they see the need. during this time you and your wife will not rapidly age and grow distant...

[aging one]

Send them to University here in Thailand. It will age them uniformly and upon graduation they can take graduate studies outside if they see the need. during this time you and your wife will not rapidly age and grow distant... __________________

Appreciate the thoughts ltnt but if I was going that route they would have been in University for a year already. Passing the IGCSE tests is the entry ticket to any Thai university including the international universities run by said Thai universities. Having worked at one for over 20 years and done part time work at 4 more of the prestigious ones there would be nothing to challenge them.

What you make of UCSB is up to you. Sure you can party your ass off but at the same time you can get one hell of an education. I will not allow them to be part of or associate with anything to do with the Greek system even the honor ones.

If Davis, came through as well as UCSB I would have them go to Davis...

[ltnt]

How are you going to control their activities from 14,000 miles away A.O.? Davis for Vet med?

I think you have good intentions but man...Cal Un'is are filled with crap these days both student body and staff. How about a small mid-western school for girls only?
Stevens? My first ex went there and later, during Isla Vista at UCSB. Get this, an Art History major...