A vacation to Seattle: skyscrapers, Space Needle, raw fish

By: Danielle Appleton

Posted: 11/18/08

Corvallis is fantastic; I love campus and the fact that everything is beautiful, relaxed and you can walk or take your bike everywhere. However, I wanted to experience a big American city while I had the opportunity to, one with huge long streets crammed with shops, roads full of cars and sidewalks packed full of people.

So, this weekend we spontaneously jumped on a Greyhound to Seattle.

On the journey, I was contemplating what I should "try" this week. My friend suggested that since we were visiting the coastal city of Seattle - famous amongst other things for its fish markets and aquariums - I should try sushi.

It will surprise some people that I have never tried sushi, as it seems to be one of those things that either appeals to you or makes you want to run to the nearest Carl's Jr. for a burger and fries. I definitely fall into the latter category.

I actually do enjoy eating fish. I would be crazy not to since the British classic dish is fish and chips at the beachside, but the thought of raw fish has never sounded like it would be at all appetizing. Although I am willing to try things once, I was not at all convinced that I would enjoy this delicacy.

I adored Seattle as a city, playing the part of the typical tourist and roamed the streets with a map in one hand and my camera in the other.

I was amazed at how tall the buildings were - unlike any skyscrapers we have in England - and obviously started the day by travelling to the top of the Space Needle.

As lunch time approached, I pointed out some pizza places and nice cafes, but my friends led me directly to a sushi restaurant. The restaurant was a buffet and as I walked along the bar full of carefully crafted bundles of fish and rice I was reluctant to even put one thing on my plate.

However, as a money struggling student who feels like she is being stolen from directly out of her checking account because of the exchange rate, I thought I should get the most out of this twenty-dollar buffet lunch and started piling my plate high with a selection of Japan's finest.

The first thing I tried was harmless enough - a bunch of rice wrapped with smoked salmon - but I had selected the simplest looking piece on my plate. As the sushi looked more complicated and colorful, the taste of it got worse and worse.

If I was to stick with the basic and most bland pieces on the buffet, then I was enjoying the meal, but otherwise I couldn't even stomach some of the strong tastes. I had to force a lot of it down.

I think I can safely conclude that I am not going to be a regular sushi eater. In the end, I did get my money's worth of food, as the buffet also included sushi-style desserts, and I piled my plate high full of mini cheesecake pieces and chocolate cakes, and finished every single one.

Not as healthy or sophisticated as the sushi, but what's a few calories for an all-you-can-eat dessert?

Danielle Appleton is an exchange student from London, England. The opinions expressed in her columns do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily Barometer staff. Appleton can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com.