Getting used to Kansas a little more

Well, I am getting used to Kansas a little more, after coming here for about 3 weeks now.
Have been struggling with the work, and with the sense of directions for a while.

There are a few things happened this week.
1. I met a German colleague, who has been here for nearly 4 months, and will be back to Germany end of this month.

I met him through picking up a request his EU colleagues sent into the Mailbox. My first impression of him - very rigid, very robotic.

But he is a nice guy, we went out for dinner, and he showed me around the town, teaching me how to get my sense of directions correct. And soon, I think he is more like a human now.

We are going out for a shooting game with our other colleague this weekend. I am not sure if it is the American thing, but it seems like most people here enjoy shooting.

Anyway, I guess I would probably ended up witnessing their kills.

2. I got a food poisoning yesterday, vomit and diarrhea non-stop.

Couldn't figure out why, but I suspect it was the ravioli. See, the food packages here are not large, they are XXXL. So I split the ravioli into 3 portions. Cooked them in 3 different meals. I guess I eventually got sick by the 3rd meal.

I was really lucky to have my Malaysian colleague and his wife. His pregnant wife bought me some anti-diarrhea pills, and got me healed within 4 hours.

Now I am all good, went for huge salad bowl at the barbeque shop at lunch with my department this afternoon.

Coming into USA, is like entering Alice's Wonderland for me, because everything is opposite.
1. Driving on the opposite site.
2. People in the supermarket also walk like they drive -- on the opposite side.
3. People seldom do reverse parking here. I guess they have plenty of parking lots, and the parking space is huge as well.
4. Light switch -- flick up to switch on.
5. Door lock -- turn clockwise to unlock.
6. Insurance policy states things in opposite way -- Insurance policy usually tells people the minimum coverage. But here, they tell you how much you have to pay, before insurance starts to pay for you.

I guess item 4 and 5 could be the installation problem in my apartment...
Speaking about my apartment, never in my life I sleep on a bed so thick, I felt like an ant sleeping on a huge loaf of Danish Whites.

Settling down in Kansas

Arrived Kansas yesterday afternoon, met my boss (L) in the airport. He is a pretty strict guy, I wonder if I could deliver what he expected out of me.

The HR here is a nice lady, she is much more professional than the HR we had in our branch office. She has an a very pretty oval face. So let's call her Ms. Oval.

I was taken care well by L and Oval. The apartment they arranged for me is very beautiful. This is the first time in my life, I had an apartment all by myself - I could have breakfast while surf net on the cute little round dining table, I sleep on a bed so thick which made it looks like a huge loaf of bread, I even have a walk-in wardrobe. I felt as if I am living in the Hollywood movie setting!

Spent yesterday and today cleaning the house, will report to work tomorrow - April Fool.

There are a few priorities I need to sort out now - social security number, bank account, credit card, driving license, and car.

I am sitting on the dining table, looking out to the balcony, the sun is going down on the left hand side, people coming back from work, I am enjoying this serenity before starting to work tomorrow. I wish I could have more of these quiet moments in my life.

I love this little round dining table.