Another Universe

I am in Sturbridge. And am about to go exploring after a ridiculously long period of time just being in the hotel. The journey on Friday was hugely, hugely long: frustrating at times; and emotional in the later stages as I indulged in some introspection as a result of being tired and without other amusement, having finished my book and run down the batteries on the iPod. The train journey was fine and broken up pleasantly by Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys as well as Regina Spektor to accompany the stages of the journey where I gawped out of the train windows. My goodness, there's a lot of pretty in Connecticut. I was so astonished at the capital building in Hartford, the state capital, that I pestered my neighbour to find out what it was. I don't think she minded that much.

After the train, I had no plans so in Springfield, Massachusetts, there was more pestering but this time of people whose job it was to be pestered and so they had no right to be as reluctant. I do honestly believe, from my experience, that Americans are actually worse than English people at the service industry. I get more and more English as I get more and more apologetic for everything, including my accent which is apparently unintelligible. The train people did, however, give me information and the phone number for the bus people, leading to the most bizarre phone conversation of my life, and I've had a few. Potentially the guy on the other end of the phone had had some bad experiences with English people in the past but I'm betting he's just had bad experiences with people. He was damaged and emotionally distraught and I did question whether I was being Punk'd. I'm never going to be able to recapture it but here's a sample of the conversation after about five minutes of tension:

Me: I need to get the bus again on Thursday to get to Boston
Him: Okay, the train stops at the South Station and the Back Bay
Me: Oh great, the Back Bay.
Him: What?! There's nothing there at the Back Bay! It's industrial buildings and the docks. What are you thinking?
Me: All I've got is the name of the hotel which is the Back Bay Hilton
Him: (barely concealed fury) There's nothing there!
Me: (very carefully now) I'm very sorry, I didn't know. What would you suggest?
Him: (silence. For about five minutes. I'm genuinely wondering whether he's crying or punching a wall. Finally...) You can get the 11.15 bus service from Worcester to Boston.

I spent the whole phone conversation, which was about 10/15 minutes, feeling as if I was walking on a knife's edge. I walked through Springfield to the bus station and finally, at the front desk met someone who said they loved my accent although this was said almost apologetically after he had gawped at me and I had to repeat myself. I decided that I would put on an accent after this so that conversations wouldn't take quite such a long time when asking questions etc. It backfired. Of course. Anywho. More pretty scenery and introspection on the bus, as well as a charismatic bus driver, which was nice. We drove straight past Sturbridge which, according to the guy on the phone, hasn't had a bus route since 1995. So I needed to get the bus from Springfield to Worcester and then spend loads of money on a fricking cab to go back the way I just came.

As the cab journey progressed, I started to get bad feelings about Sturbridge. The cab driver said we would be driving through towns and I couldn't see any. There were just odd houses dotted alongside the route. As we drew closer, I had the disturbing realisation that I was right. Sturbridge ain't no town. It's a glorified rest-stop. The hotel is quite town-like as it has shopping and facilities enclosed within the main part of the building but there is no real community here. I may be proved wrong as the week progresses, and I hope so, but at the moment it doesn't look good. It has to be said that I haven't made much of an attempt so far, I spent most of yesterday in my room, with brief sojourns out to the fitness center (rubbish) and the pool to make up for my breakfast of M&Ms. I was shocked how tired I was though, which makes it slightly more excusable. So, today I am making amends and will be exploring. Tomorrow I am going to head out to Old Sturbridge Village, which I am expecting to be the best bit and I will get a two-day pass, so that's Tuesday sorted too. I'll be grand.