Top Reasons Ithaca is Different from Maryland

AKA Disconcerting things that will Confuse you for Weeks!

This is written sort of as a companion to my New England article. It is not supposed to be in-depth, just some of the little things you barely notice that make you realize you are truly in a different place.
  1. Joggers. Everywhere you go, any time of day, any weather, you will come across someone jogging. All ages and sexes are represented. I am not sure if people up here are healthier, or if I happen to live along a prime cross-training route.
  2. Cell Phones. This is probably a "years have passed" change rather than a "change of venue" one, but I am shocked by the number of people walking to classes that are talking on cell phones. At least 50% of people are doing it, if not more.
    Even more disturbing are the people with "hands free" kits.. for all the world it looks like they are insane, talking and gesturing to themselves.
    Who all these people are talking to? The only thing that makes sense is that everyone walking to class is talking on the phone to someone else walking to class. Why they can't just meet up and talk in person is beyond me.
  3. Intensity of the Undergrads. I never realized how carefree the students were at MD, especially as they seemed a bit intense compared to some nearby liberal arts colleges.
    A prime example of this. First week of classes, a bright sunny Sunday, you find girls sunning on the underclassman quad. Normal, right? Every single one was either reading a textbook or doing homework. It's like being in Bizzarro-world.
That's all for now. Things aren't as different as they were in Massachusetts. In fact, upstate New York is sort of a blend of New England and Mid-Atlantic life. For example, in Maryland you can only get regular hot-dog rolls. In Massachusetts the regular hot-dog rolls are these weird monstrosities... the Maryland kind are called "Coney Island Style". But here in NY the normal ones are normal, and the weird ones are called "New England style". Actually this was a rather pointless example.