The US dollar is (or at least until recent events come to fruition, has been) the world’s reserve currency, and in many places with high inflation and domestic price fluctuations it is a more stable and valued currency.
Stranger
I could possibly understand that situation in some countries - but Canada and Aruba and Bermuda? It’s more likely that they accept USD to be attractive to American tourists but I’m still kind of surprised that it’s apparently not a huge hassle to do their banking etc when they accept American dollars.
I actually know of a currency exchange booth in downtown San Francisco, so they definitely exist, at least in the big cities that get a lot of foreigners.
The Bermuda dollar is exactly equal to the US dollar, and both currencies exist there on an equal basis. When I was there i was just as likely to receive my change in American coins as Bermuda coins.
Admittedly this is a very unusual arrangement.
I am still astounded they wouldn’t pick her up. I do not care what the “expectation” is from the organizing group. IMHO you go and pick her up. I am amazed they wouldn’t think to do that.
Just my $0.02
If she ever comes to Chicago I will pick her up and drop her off wherever she wants in the city.
I don’t believe it was stated that the host family would not pick her up. Rather, the issue was that an arranged shuttle was available and OPs daughter declined it for reasons. This all happened before the host family and location was even identified.
I don’t travel much, but I’m told that for some of the major providers here (Aus), the answer is “Thanks, but we don’t act on that. Big Data and AI algorithms automatically block your card when used overseas, you have to call us to have it reset after that happens.”
Maybe. I guess I do not understand how these exchange programs work. I can’t imagine not meeting her at the airport. I’d be standing as close as I could legally get to the disembarking passengers with a big sign welcoming her. Even if there was a shuttle.
That’s just me though. Apparently others are content to do less.
That’s what I always do, have cash spread in various bags/suitcases/jackets so that if one gets lost/delayed/stolen, I’m not completely SOL. She’s seen me do this ever since she was a toddler, so she knows the drill. Whether she follows my advice or not is her call of course.
In theory, I would favour cards, but I really want to have all my options open when I’m abroad. Plus, my recent experience of having both my cards, credit and debit, declined randomly has certainly made me very wary of the card-only approach.
I suspected as much, which is why I had exchenged euros for dollars before going to New York last summer.
Luxemburg and Belgium had something similar before the Euro.
The family was not involved. My daughter declined a private shuttle from the organization. I saw her yesterday, and she’s confirmed that she will bring this up when they get in touch online.
Ah, that’s really nice!
I did two exchange programs like this when I was a teenager. For the first one, the family did come and pick me up after a couple of days on a university campus with the organization staff. There was no question of them showing up or not, it was obligatory, but then I was significantly younger than she is now. The second time, I was completely on my own, and barely older than she is now.
All right, I have some news.
She will be staying in Culver City. What should she see and do around there?
She’s already decided to take an Uber, as it looks like it’s only a 40-minute ride from LAX.
Her flight is on Saturday, and she’s really excited !
Oh, gosh, Culver City is a lot closer than 40 minutes from LAX. Of course, traffic can always be weird.
I’m not sure which part of Culver City she’ll be in, but the “downtown” part of Culver City has nice shops and restaurants. The Museum of Jurassic Technology is there, and it’s a quirky, interesting place. MGM studios (although they’re not MGM anymore) are right in the heart of Culver City, but not much to look at from outside. Sony Pictures apparently has tours. A metric shit-ton of movies and TV shows have been filmed in Culver City since the silent days, but they’re not always recognizable. For example, I love the movie Grosse Pointe Blank, but it wasn’t filmed in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, it was mostly filmed in San Marino and the Westside. The place where the high school reunion took place was inside the Veteran’s Auditorium on the corner of Culver and Overland.
That’s a must-do, IMO, but I am not in touch with the sort of thing that traveling daughters might like, so take it with a grain of salt. The Baldwin Hills overlook is the high point of a nice park to hike around, and is where a lot of the dramatic pictures of downtown LA are taken.
She’ll also be very close to Venice, with both the beach walk and the hipster shopping district centered on Abbot Kinney Boulevard being fun. The Santa Monica Pier is just up the beach too.
Also not far from LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) a museum much better than its name, the Peterson Automotive Museum (my old guy interests leaking out but still cool for many) and the La Brea Tar Pits which I thought were cheesy but fun. The window shopping at Santa Monica Boulevard, Rodeo Drive and Beverly Drive is close and kind of fun.
I love the wall of dire wolf skulls! And if you’re there when the people are working in the lab, it’s fun to watch them.
There is an In-N-Out on Venice, so that’s convenient.
Another nice scenic (and trendy) hike is Runyon Canyon. That’s about a half hour drive from Culver City with no traffic, but from the top she can see the Hollywood sign, Griffith Observatory and downtown LA skyline and maybe even a sweaty hiking celebrity or two.
That’s what Google Maps told me but she has confirmed that it’ll be quicker than that.
She will be staying near Washington Boulevard and Jefferson Boulevard.
It looks like this is close to where she will be.
I’ll tell her about this.
What happened to Westwood?
If she goes to In-N-Out, don’t let her forget to ask for stickers (free), and a paper hat like the employees wear (free).
It will make a nice memento of her trip!
so what’s the issue with her “host” family?
or is your daughter so sure of herself that she can navigate LA by herself? turning down transportation from LAX?
I… don’t know.
She was supposed to get the host family’s contact information two weeks ago. She only got it on Wednesday.
I imagine that the organization had made plans with another family who ultimately cancelled, so they had to find a replacement at short notice. This is not a rare phenomenon in exchange programs, I knew a guy who had that very problem. Twice. While he was already in the host country.
What’s the Washington Boulevard-Jefferson Boulevard area like?
She’s taking a Uber. She definitely can manage that.