The thing about trips abroad is that you can’t complain! You are supposed to have fun and if not, then there is something wrong with you. You are expected to have fun, and everything is supposed to be perfect. That’s why it’s called ”abroad”, ’cause it’s fun…

OK then. Fun it is. Keeping my spirits high. Looking at the bright side. Positive perspective and shit.

The flight was ok, even though I had the saddest little seat in the back of the plain, with a little “dos” next to me (he was afraid to look at me for the entire 12 hours), I think I managed to sleep most of the flight. Of course I woke up for an occasional chicken with something old as a side dish, but other then that, my sore neck proves I actually slept (for a while I even tried to stash some pillows on the little sleeping dos, for a better position, it actually worked…)

Finally, NY and some friendly faces - Kooty is as sweet as always, carried my bags all across the city to get me on the train to Phily. Actually she helped me, but so did this guy (I was supposed to meet him, to give him something from his dad, a friend of my mom, the guy is some one I dated like 7 years ago, and then he asked his dad not to invite me to his wedding… funny story). Kooty joked that I have a guy in every harbor (airport for that matter) after he carried my bags and had coffee with us… But never mind that… then I got to Phily…

 And then the solitude begins…

The place I’m staying at is the cutest little condo, I suspect that my dorm room wouldn’t be as cosy and nice. It’s even got cable TV. The city is big and gray. Or maybe it’s the weather (it’s warm and humid but cloudy and gray… very gray…). Kind of gives you the feeling that it’s the end of the world.

I remember now why I didn’t like NY to begin with (and now Phily for the similar reasons) It’s coffee and cigarettes hell! You can’t smoke anywhere. And you don’t even feel like ’cause the coffee is sooooo crappy! It’s terrible. And they pay 2$ for a cup of this crap! Talk about looking at the bright side - After a few hours I have managed to operate the coffee maker at Michal’s apartment and now I can have cups and cups of this crap for free. Amazing. I want to have a smoke and I feel like a criminal.

But enough about that. The campus looks nice, lots of people, been to the orientation today, all of the foreign students are from Asia (A.K.A small and yellow. Some are indian with a funny accent. One Muhamad from Syria. Scary…). I think that there is a problem with my visa, and my health coverage, but I’ll try and sort it out tomorrow.

To all of you who are worried for me, nothing even looks like a Michael… Or John for that matter. All alone here. And who said that the world is easier for blonds? Who?!

Anyways, I do hope my mood gets better, it’s sort of grayish, like the weather (it’s raining now, I might as well have went to London, at least the TV is better). And I do hope that the black people on the streets will stop mumbling things as they go by me, sometimes it’s “how’ya doin’?” but sometimes it’s “get de fuck ‘outta here”… on the other hand maybe I’m getting it all wrong and it’s all about cultural differences. Which reminds me that I have to write my seminar.

Bye for now.

They say that there is a thin line between love and hate; I think that it can be considered true about most of the strong emotions. The thing is that sometimes it seems as if it’s all a matter of definitions, whether I decide to call it depression and sadness or rather euphoria and joy. The level of excitement in the brain is the same.

Now, what the fuck am I talking about? You see, I can’t quite decide how I feel about this trip.

There are times when I tell people that I’m going to study for one semester in the states and then travel for a while and all that, and it sounds absolutely great. What can be better? New country, new people, excitement, crap like that. And when I tell about it, I feel like the luckiest girl ever “look at me, I’m all grown up now, going to study and travel abroad”… That’s the euphoria part.

And then there are those times when I find myself alone in my room, staring at the familiar walls, wandering “what the fuck was I thinking?! Is it too late to cancel? Maybe just cancel the ticket and it will all go away?” Cummon, don’t say I’m a chicken, It’s just pretty scary! To be all alone, new school, new kids, I don’t even know if I like Americans… They all talk funny and pretend they care… And I didn’t get all the courses I wanted, and the ones I got I’m not sure I want.

What was wrong with staying here? In the war stricken, good old, hot-as-hell,
Israel?

I got one semester left, I know the drill, lot’s of spare time on my hands, all of my friends have moved to Tel Aviv (finally, you see the light!)… Hang out? Go to the beach? But no! I’ll go and freeze to death with those snobbish IV league kids, who are 10 years younger then I am and think it’s cool that I’ve been to the army (how little do they know).

That’s the depression part (for all of you who fail to keep track of my whining post).

And I don’t have any winter clothe…

And no shoes either…

And I get these mails from Penn about orientation saying “On Sunday we will all go for a tour in the old city, and then have a drink at Joe’s and then a steak at Mike’s and after that totally informal cheese and wine evening, no tie (but no jeans either)…We are so cool and welcoming and we love you all and welcome diversity…” GOD!

I already hate them…

And the girl I’m going with asked me to baby-sit her dog…

Dear friends, help little Lika to feel better about herself (although most of you think it’s fun and envy me for going).

Or just say whatever you feel like.

P.S. next time I promise more foul language, more juicy stuff and maybe even some legal stuff to keep it down to earth. I’m warming up… Keep track…

Isn’t this a silly line? I think it was used for programming exercises long long time ago, or at least that’s how it worked when I took the silly idea to study C language. But never-mind all that, what’s most important is that I have a blog!!

Yuppey!

That means I can share my wonderful and interesting thoughts with the world. Or does it mean I’ll have to narrow my thoughts to the minimum that I’m willing to share with the world? Well, that is yet to be seen.

Right now what matters most is that I have a blog! I just have to decide who do I tell about it… Never mind it’s on the web for the world to see, I trust the world not to care for me enough to read this crap. But I probably should tell some people about my new way to communicate.

And the name is silly too… Not only that “lika” was already takes (Who the hell is named lika these days? What kind of a name is it?!) but the blog title is also pretty dumb. Hopefully I’ll change it some sunny day (unless some good friends will convince me not to).

So let’s turn it into a blog test: Who thinks my blog title is silly and should go away? And I want to see you offer something better.

Shoot.