Know ThyCity

It strikes me how little people know about their own city, especially if they have been living there for at least five years. You don't have to know it inside out - that's the job of tourist guides (unfortunately, not F.O.B. taxi drivers), but you should have a basic knowledge of the main commuter routes and places to hang out. I was eavesdropping on a conversation the other day, where someone was looking for the closest underground station to get from Center City to UPenn (presumably UPenn med. school) because they had a seminar there. This person had been living in Philly for five years already and one would expect they knew their way around, at least, the central part of the city!

What generally happens is that when people move to a new city, or even if they visit it for a while as tourist, they find out not only the major tourist attractions, where the locals never bother to go, but also they explore the alleyways, the hip neighbourhoods and the local gems that become overlooked by the tourist guide. At least, this is what I'd do. Fair enough, some might need to spend a huge amount of time and energy in the lab, working, studying, or getting used to a new culture and language. But in the face of all odds, you'd still need to relax and travel around living up to the sense that "travel broadens the mind". In my mind, nothing broadens it more than finding a neat fusion cuisine restaurant tucked away in the corner of, say, UPenn.

A city is like a friend (or an enemy) - however you deal with it, you have to get to know it.