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.