JAZ Blog: 知ってる？カリフォルニア州　NorCal編

３月も半ば。もう咲いている桜も発見しました！
今回から連続で、カリフォルニア州出身、日本在住のBriannaが同州を紹介してくれます。
英語の勉強にもなりますよ～
今回はサンフランシスコを主にご紹介！

California has about the same land area as Japan, and the distance from Los Angeles (in the south) to San Francisco (in the north) is about the same as the distance from Tokyo to Osaka. This means it's impossible to see everything in California in one day. People who visit California with limited time should focus on one area - the north or the south.

Northern California (called NorCal) is relaxed and natural. NorCal makes us think of "hippies", which are people in the 1960s who loved nature, love, and peace. The weather might be rainier

than the south, but the air is cleaner and there is more green. The culture in NorCal might be close to Oregon or Washington.

Hippies!!

NorCal has San Francisco as its biggest city. It's a historical city that became big in the 1800s when adventurous people went to look for gold. I think this history has influenced the character of the city, because people there are known for their progressiveness and diversity. For example, it's the city with the oldest Chinatown in the U.S. and the largest gay population in the world. The Gay Pride Parade is one of the most famous attractions.

Another appealing part of the city is the appearance. The buildings are old-fashioned, colorful, and unique. The city is small enough that you can walk everywhere (I recommend this instead of using a car), but be careful, because it's also famous for lots of steep hills!

A visit to San Francisco would not be complete without fresh seafood from Fisherman's Wharf.

The most famous symbols of San Francisco are the Golden Gate Bridge and the cable cars.

The two most famous universities in NorCal are Stanford and UC Berkeley. The students at Stanford are more conservative and elite, but Berkeley is famous for progressive politics and student demonstrations.