Main Gate Square: constantly changing

If there's one thing I've noticed about Main Gate Square (aka University Ave.) in the past four years, it's that things are constantly changing and always expensive.

The very first time I visited University when I was in high school, I remember there was a J. Crew store and we ate at Gentle Ben's. Well, the Gentle Ben's is still there. But J. Crew is gone, as is the White House Black Market, skateboard shop and countless other stores that followed it. Not to mention the restaurants--one slot on University changed twice in the last year because both attempts at an upscale dining experience on-campus were (go figure) too expensive for most college students. Hah.

A bunch of new places went in last year--The Cereal Boxx (a cereal restaurant: utter stupidity in types of restaurants, but I'm intrigued because you can bring your pets on the weekends now), Sultan Palace (yummy Afghan food), Saigon Pho (intriguing Vietnamese food), Villa Thai (expensive but tasty Thai food, though I've heard the service is very poor), Paradise Cafe (soups, salads and sandwiches and all of one vegetarian option--I've never been impressed although the baked goods are...good), and a handful of clothing, hat and beauty stores I never set foot in. There's also an Aveda going in now.

And Fuku Sushi. A sushi restaurant right off of campus--my absolute dream, right?

Well, that depends on how pricey it is. I can easily drive a block away to Sushi Cho for the cheapest sushi in Tucson that I've discovered to date. Since sushi is generally expensive, I guess we'll have to wait and see when Fuku Sushi opens. And also see how many veggie options there are.

See, Fuku Sushi is going into the same slot the last two unsuccessful, expensive restaurants were planted and uprooted. Perhaps the spot's cursed--it burned up two years ago when it was home to Chicken Daddy.

All I can say is, that sushi had better be tasty, and it had better damn well be $3 or less for a generous avocado roll.

Update to the Saga

So, more about my Bursar's account charges, just in case anyone's interested. This one comes with some good advice...

The reason I was charged in-state AND out-of-state tuition is because I applied to graduate school at The University of Arizona. Apparently this changed my status to that of an out-of-state student, I incurred charges for the current semester, and I had to fill out a domicile affidavit. Now I have to wait a week until I can be considered an Arizonan again. Yay. But, the good news is it had absolutely nothing to do with Prop 300. Hah.

So, if you want to apply to grad school at the UA and you're still an undergrad there, wait until the first few weeks of school have passed (if possible, based on deadlines) and THEN apply. I don't think they can charge you a few weeks into the semester. Not that they should be able to charge you for out-of-state tuition if you've already paid you're in-state tuition, but I'm not in charge, now am I?

Foreign Relations

When I studied in Germany in 2006, everything was set up in advance. I had a place to stay (dormitory), it was easy to get from the airport to the dormitory (although I stayed with grandparents, but that's a different story), and I knew I would be able to get around without a car.

When my tandem partner got here in the fall semester, he had no idea where he was going to live. Luckily, a friend who'd arrived before him had made arrangements for him to get from the airport and finally found him a roommate. He soon discovered he'd need a bicycle because Tucson is too spread out and there isn't adequate public transportation. He also discovered it was difficult to get groceries, as the closest grocery store was a bike ride away.

Last week I got an e-mail from a German girl who was on her way to Tucson and, having missed orientation week, wanted to know the cheapest way to get from the airport to the hostel she hoped to stay in. Hmm. Taxi? Expensive. Bus? Probably doesn't operate after 10 pm. So I offered to pick her up. She hadn't been able to exchange money for dollars in Chicago, and there was no place to do so in Tucson. Why would there be? The hostel (only one in town, as far as I know--and the first time I've ever heard of it) doesn't offer locks for lockers.

Then, I went to help her find a place to live, since she had no idea where she was going to stay with a few days before school starts. Apartment offices? Supposed to be open on Sunday, but all miraculously closed. The UA International Affairs office had told her it was super easy to find housing in Tucson. Hmm, not by my experience.

Does the university actually think lying to poor foreign students makes getting used to a strange place any easier? If they do, they're assholes. If I'd had to find a place to stay in Leipzig, I'd have been a writhing ball of nerves--a wreck. And they expect people to do it here like it's a piece of cake.

Therefore, I have decided (with a bit of prodding from my mother) to make the German Club more active in helping German, Austrian and Swiss (and maybe even those from Lichtenstein, should they come) students have an easier time of getting into Tucson and adjusting to life here. I mean, we can't just leave them homeless and (depending on the season) sweaty, wandering the streets of Tucson.