The third world chronicle!

It's been 22 days now since I arrived in the US and it is only fitting that I share my experiences while I have time to spare between setting up a reaction. After a hectic week of getting my Visa done, I took of to possibly the the adventure of my life. The first in my long family tree to be travelling abroad, there was a sense of excitement as well as anxiety. To top it all, the knowledge of maniacal US immigration officers and the racial divide which still exists here to a certain degree.

Atlanta: Wow, an airport or a five-star hotel? At a time when Indian airports are crammed for runways and airspace, I saw a whole fleet of runways. And then, stepping inside the shuttle was an acknowledgement of stepping into a developed country. Americans are lucky to some extent, there economy, though in tatters, is well-settled and they can only expand now. This brings with itself a stable lifestyle and emphasis on making it a better place to live.

Tucson: By this point, I had a mild shock. Everyone told me when I was leaving that my phone won't work here. Not only was it working, it was miraculously receiving AT&T signals too! My to-be-roommates had arrived there without a plan to identify there new Indian friend! I'm from the sub-continent, it's not hard to spot me out. A hectic day of me moving in and Dwanna moving out on the same day led me feeling exhausted. Didn't I just come on a 23 hr flight?

Surprisingly,I was feeling rejuvenated the next morning, partially due to the excitement of seeing the cutting-edge research I was going to do and mostly due to the delicious breakfast of 'cactus' cooked by Cris, who according to reliable sources, had never even cooked for his girlfriend. But then again, we are both straight and I am likeable! Walked upto Bio5 in 10 minutes which was almost routine owing to the luxury of walking I have back at IITB. yep, no motorised vehicles allowed over a 550 sq. km. campus. The details of my project will turn you off, so let's just say I was pleased to find my workplace overlooking a beautiful mountain and that I was working on a $800,000 grant project! Money anybody?

What followed what a good settling in-period which often had me passing out at 8 in the evening and then waking up at 3 in the night. That's screwed, try converting it into Indian standard time and you'll find out the lifestyle we're accustomed to at IIT. There was no place for boredom though with Cris, Sara and Cory giving good company and I had 3 cool American friends in no time. Sorry for skipping a crucial part, my eating adventures! I cannot cook to save my life, and here I was in a foreign country with 14 packets of ready-to-eat Indian food and lot of Maggi. From then, I am only proud that I can cook rice efficiently now and manage pretty well even if there is no one to take me out. Not having a car in the US is a bitch, Edgar is a prime example of it. :P

And it's time to setup the next reaction. I'll follow this up pretty soon, only problem is what followed in the subsequent weekends is scandalous and I'll censor it to my comfort. It's my blog guys, I'll write whatever I want to.:P

And as Americans say for sending off- 'Later'!