Thursday, October 08, 2009

MS in US: A Year Later

This is the continuation to my previous blog: Buckling up for MS-The Story so far.
To recap the blog a fresh MS aspirant after lot of efforts and hardship (physical and mental) landed in US and now the story continues.

Surprisingly even though US is a huge landmass and depending on where you land the experience may differ but everyone still shares a similar journey. Let me play Dumbledore and pull out the some thoughts off of an MS aspirant in US for the first time. (These thoughts transcend gender bias)


  • How come every car is behind the other in a single line? These guys seem to be really disciplined drivers.
  • Almost all roads are like highways!
  • Black or Nigger is taboo. Use African American
  • Anyone who walks by me greets me!
  • Remember the wolf from looney toons cartoons with jaws open and tongue rolled out and eyes popping out watching the seducing dancer come on stage?: girls and their attire
  • After getting over jet lag all there has been is look for assistantship, look for part-time job, look for apartment, and look for roommates….hufff….
  • Some Americans are really very fat! No wonder they are the biggest consumers, literally.
  • African Americans –babbans, Mexicans- makhlu, chinese or Japanese – chinki White Americans – amru, gore; American born confused desis(ABCD) ….
  • Need to improve my culinary skills, food is expensive here!
  • Better get used to western toilets quickly. Tissue please
  • Can’t have a mobile unless I have SSN….
  • Thank God there is laptop in this world. What would I do without one!
  • Z is not pronounced zed but zee!
  • It’s a law to mow the lawn in front of the house and keep it clean!
  • Coin operated laundry: Hate the dryer, shrinks all my clothes
  • People pick their pet dog’s poop with tissue and throw it in the dustbin!!!!!!
  • Coffee to go or food to go sounds so much cooler than pack the coffee or pack the food.
  • At least 15% tip in restaurants, barber’s shop, and cab! Money hungry thugs!
  • What??? If more than 4-5 people go to a restaurant 15% tip is compulsory!!! It can be seen in the bill as gratuity!!! Insane…
  • American food: So bland…
  • McDonalds is not the same as it was back home :(
  • Finished a subway footlong! Never thought I could eat this much!
  • Honking is considered rude!
  • The streets are so empty…
  • Only a handful of national holidays…
  • Driving: Aarrgh ! I hate the discipline…
  • Oops I am driving on the left lane, I missed a stop sign. What!!!Now I have to yield for vehicles before merging into traffic!!! Why can’t I just make a cut and whizz away…
  • There is no signal at a cross road just a stop sign and still the traffic is regulated without a cop controlling it!
  • I want to see exactly how and when does my credit history build… arghh
  • What’s with the thanksgiving shopping craze! Stand in line at night and wait for stores to open in the morning! Sounds interesting! Things people do to get stuff cheap! What the hell its worth all of it!
  • Indian street: Reckless drivers honking, Indian restaurants, groceries, saree shops, pan shop along with Pakistani restaurants and shops. Feels at home.
(Region dependent thoughts)
  • Why aren’t people more excited about first snow?
  • Four to five layers of clothing every day, it’s so irritating.
  • I don’t want to go out for groceries I just came from outside… Again put on all that clothing … arghhh
  • Enough with the snow already, its been four months now. No wonder people were so excited with first snow!
  • Temperature today is >0 deg C: Yay! It’s a beautiful day (Now I know what this phrase actually means!)

  • Got a mail from someone asking me to evaluate his chances in my university…he he I was in that place a year ago…. I better reply quick as I know how anxious aspirants can be since I was one.
  • Forgot to reply, somehow got busy, can’t even find that mail now…. And I was thinking the senior who did not reply to me a year back was a jerk… but I guess it happens. :P
  • A new batch of students joining…it’s amazing how I am a senior to them even though some of them are elder to me by age, by experience….. I guess it’s because I have one year US experience. :P
  • Better start preparing for full time job interviews/internships…..
  • One year done and I hope more to come…..


These were some thoughts roughly summing up the experience of living in US for a year. Dumbledore is tired now. But feel free to dig in to the magic pot and pull out some more thoughts….