Commoner's Three Laws of Ecology
1. No action is without side-effects.
2. Nothing ever goes away.
3. There is no free lunch.


First few days
After a disaster start to the US, things have kinda settled down.
Time slowed while I made my initial perceptions of the US - which is really quite important. (Don't they say - The first impressions are the best impressions)

The brite morning which I woke up to comprised of the following:

1. Clean air. Slightly cool. Lots of trees.
   
2. Wide spacious roads, with a small track of grass followed by a concrete footpath.
   
3. Very less vehicles on the otherwise spotless clean road - You cant even see the dust which usually collects on Madras roadsides.
   
4. Vehicles zipping by very fast, yet sticking to their lanes. No lane violations
   
5. A swimming pool in the apartment complex - thoh I was not to live there, as it was a seniors.
   
6. Nice air-conditioned buses, no standing, and absolutely free (for UT students ;) )

Everything is big in Texas. Especially Austin. Its a very flat town => not may tall buildings, there isnt really any space constraint here. Even the downtown has only a few buildings over 20 floors.
But it is big, sizewise.
Also with an interstate, a major highway and about 3 state highways, there are a lot of multi-layered crossings, which I got to discover when the college arranged for a tour of the city.

Food was always a problem in my mind. The first morning, I had something called Tortillas (pronounced Torteeyas) - which looks much like Roti.
Then, the senior took us to the UT campus - a nice cool lazy 20 minute speedwalk!! from there. Got myself checked in at the Office there.

I had to get my luggage!. Remember - I had mentioned that it was coming in the next day morning flite. So, off I went to the airport. Retrieved the baggages and then took a taxi back.
Luckily, I did not have jet lag, otherwise, I would have been sleeping by now.

Then, there was a load of departmental work to do. I had to get some forms filled up, had to attend orientation sessions and all, and also, look for an apartment.

I moved into a new place - on Saturday evening. Two 1 bedroom 1 bathroom apartments for 4 people. It was kinda small, but the rent was less, and it was a furnished apartment. That solved a lot of hassles.
I mite probably shift in next May to a larger place - when the lease expires.

Also did a lot of grocery shopping. At some big department stores.
Here you dont have that road-side shops which sell small quantities of stuff.
You buy it => You buy it big.
And if you buy it big => You need a car to bring it home - which I dont have - thats the initial problem.

Things have settled down. With the help of a senior who HAD a car, went on to an Indian store to get Dhals and spices which are usually not available anywhere else.
So with that, myself and my roommate have started cooking. He handles sambhar and rasam, while I handle the curries and also pitch in washing the dishes - a backbreaking job.
And till now, I have survived, having eaten out only once so far.