Well, my first week of work has come and gone and I've started to get settled into my new apartment. In terms of work, it was more of just getting settled into my office, which I share with two other PhD students, one of which works in my lab. At least I my desk is next to a floor-to-ceiling window, looking out to what is now a dried-up golf course and then onto the expanse of northern Lubbock, plains as far as the eye can see, full of farms, most of which grow cotton. I couldn't really "do" anything other than get settled in and start reading some papers pertinent to my project because a) I'm technically not allowed to do lab work until I complete mandatory safety classes/exams (only takes a couple days to complete), b) I need to find out more about my project and read up more on background information, c) I have to turn my brain on, which may take a little extra kick and d) I've been really busy getting my SSN, a phone and had many items of furniture delivered. So anyway, it was kinda slow at work, but I got to meet many people, half of who I have already forgotten their names. But it's interesting that somehow I feel as if I'm treated with a little bit more respect being a post-doc vs. a graduate student - or maybe that's just in my head...ah well, so far I'm really enjoying this transition. I'm sure I'll have my struggles when I start doing lab work again, and learning lots of new things - let's just hope this learning curve isn't too steep, cause somehow I get the feeling that there are a lot of expectations (and justifiably so) from my supervisor and probably others. But at least my supervisor seems supportive and really happy that I've joined her lab.
As for my apartment, I've just gotten my TV and a TV stand (which weighed a hefty 100 lbs!)...tomorrow I will pick up a cable box and at least will be able to watch TV! This past week, I also received my SSN, which is like the golden ticket in the USA - without it, I couldn't do much...having received it yesterday, I was finally able to sign a cell phone contract. These are a maximum of 2 years in the US, vs. 3 years in Canada, something, I'm appreciative. And as I did at Queen's University throughout my graduate studies, I got a discount being affiliated with an educational institution...not much, but hey, I'll take the 15%. So I got the HTC Evo 4G that's only offered by Sprint. Yup, it's 4G, as apposed to "3.5G" in Canada because the network protocols used in Canada aren't compatible with these higher speeds and neither Rogers or Bell will likely be willing to put lots of money to do a network overhaul required to support 4G in the next long while. The phone comes with an unlimited messaging and data plan (which is useful considering the speeds akin to high speed internet (lite) I'm used to. I've since started using my phone as an internet source by connecting it to my computer via the provided USB cable and through downloading a free app on the phone and program on my computer. My next step is to remove the requirement for this cable to use the internet on my laptop and turn my phone into a wifi hotspot. However, in order to do that, I need to "root" my phone (give it administrative options, not possible with the iPhone) and install a bunch of things...it's actually quite complicated and I haven't mustered enough courage to try it, but I'm watching lots of youtube videos and reading lots of material to help me prepare for it! That way, whenever I'm near my phone (i.e. it can be in my pocket), I can use my laptop and surf the internet at high speeds (where 4G is supported) anywhere...on the road, at work, at a coffee shop, at many major cities throughout the US...but then again, at worst, the cable can act as the internet carrier and a way to keep my phone charged.
What's next...well, although I can't do this on the weekend, I'll need to purchase car insurance (I'm still covered by my previous insurance purchased in Canada), then get my car serviced and inspected by a certified dealer (just testing to make sure the basic mechanics work - brakes, lights, wipers, etc.), which is required if I am to be able to officially register my car in the State of Texas. This is supposed to be completed before a month past my arrival date...so as long as I get this before Christmas, I'm fine.
I've also received my bed frame, so hopefully I can get that built this weekend before my mattress gets here on Monday...I also received a toaster oven I ordered and expect a microwave Monday and a blu-ray player...all that would then be missing is a couch to sit on to enjoy my new TV! I'm gonna put the Men's Final from the Olympics on and blast the Canadian National Anthem for all to hear!! (and then run and hide so I don't get beaten).
Eek, Monday and half of Tuesday I have to go for new employee orientation...I've heard it was boring to the point of torture - not looking forward to it, but I don't know what I don't know, so I can't imagine how bad it'll be until it's too late...let's hope I survive it!
Lastly, it got up to 26-degree Celcius today, while the nights get down to freezing - the temperature swings can be a LOT compared to 4-5 degrees back in Toronto...tomorrow the high will only be 13 degrees. Geese are starting to arrive from probably Canada...that's right, they ARRIVE in the winter...I'm so used to birds leaving as winter approaches...they arrive now...so different...as are the tumbleweeds I see every so often and which I almost drove into this past week. Apparently they get piled up high on fences at a certain time of the year...
Btw, did I mention booze are super cheap down here? $9 for 1.5L of Yellow Tail wine (or $6-7 for a regular sized bottle)! Alright...that was a lot of typing...until next time...hopefully my apartment will be close to organized soon!
