Settling into

On 2nd of August 2007, I was brought to a stop from over 900 kph in less than half a minute. While high up in the air a pelican searched for its lost offspring, I came out of the flying machine. The air smelled differently. The sky was an unfamiliar shade of blue. I was in a different country.

A few hours later, as a squirrel prepared its bed for the night, a car zoomed past its hedge towards east. As I looked out its untinted window, I saw a dark campus with three-feet railings on the side of the roads. I couldn't wait.

A few days later, I decided that I couldn't eat junk forever and wanted to start cooking as soon as possible. It was around that time that the sun decided to cover itself and I felt relieved that I had an umbrella.

On 6th of August 2007, I was told what rights I have in the classroom as a teaching assistant. I also learned that 911 is the favorite number of most paranoid people here. At the same time, I realized that it was prime and suddenly felt respect for it.

Three days later, as a few hares hopped around under the sun searching for food and a bunch of sparrows thought Wabash river to be the best thing to fly above, I was made to sit in a huge air-conditioned lecture hall a mile away and told how I must maintain my status in this country. I still find the phrase funny.

During the next week, when my department orientation was going on, I sat in a classroom, looking outside the window wondering where the hell all the animals were in this place. And it was then that I started noticing stupid-looking dogs that people here have as pets.

On 15th of August 2007, I gave the Oral English Proficiency Test and I am till awaiting my result, after having taken two classes.

On 18th of August 2007, I lay on the rocking chair in my room, exhausted but satisfied, after having shifted all the luggage and furniture to my apartment.

Two days later, while a few sparrows searched for shelter from the downpour and it thundered louder than a lion's roar, I went to my first class and stayed awake throughout. A week later, I bunked my first class unintentially. A day later, I bunked another just because I didn't feel like walking all the way to the class.

On 23rd of August 2007, at 7:30 AM, I took my first TA recitation class ever, when I would much rather have been sleeping on my cozy bed.

On 25th of August 2007, as a few sinister monkeys broke branches of a mango tree in an institute campus tens of thousands of miles away, I finally got to get out of the town. I fought with the waves, burnt my back, enjoyed volleyball, Frisbee and even amateur trekking. Totally satisfying.

During the next one week, while the big fish searched for the smaller fish to feast upon in the Wabash, I enjoyed free food in a lot of places.

As the days passed, it hit me suddenly that more than a month had passed since I came here and I remembered an old saying about time.

On 5th of September 2007, early in the morning, which happens to be now, I feel that I'm running out of my 'a bird fragged' photos. It's time to get my camera out and take a walk.


And as you no doubt have already guessed, I badly want to visit a zoo.

________________________________________________________

And below is a pic just for the heck of having one. That's the Wabash river at night. No points for guessing who the cameraman was.

And here's one more, just to give some company to the first one. That's me on the trail along a pond next to Wabash.