Dear Dad and Mom,
August 16th was the longest day of my life.
Zhou-he walked me right to the plane's boarding gate.
2 Since this flight went to Tokyo first, most of the passengers on board were Japanese. It took a little over two hours to fly from Shanghai to Tokyo, and once we landed, everyone had to get off the plane. I wandered around the Tokyo airport for a while. Just a few hours earlier, I had safely assumed that every Asian face I saw belonged to a fellow Chinese. That assumption no longer held, and for the first time in my life I found myself hesitating over whether to start a conversation in Chinese.
Around 4:00 p.m. Tokyo time, I boarded the exact same plane, sat in the exact same seat, and headed toward L.A. This leg of the trip took over ten hours. I ate two Japanese meals on board (sushi, sashimi, salad, etc.) and was really happy with them. I also watched two movies during the flight. After flying for a while, it got dark, but then just five or six hours later, the sun came up again!
By the time we landed in L.A., it was already past 10:00 a.m. local time. I had just over an hour before my connecting flight departed. The customs line was long and slow, and because my departure gate was changed at the last minute, I almost missed the flight. By the time I finally settled into my seat on the flight to Minneapolis, I was so wiped out that I couldn't even manage to eat lunch. The final flight to Austin was pleasantly quiet, with only about half the seats occupied. I got a window seat this time, and the view of the sea of clouds, painted golden by the late afternoon sun, was absolutely beautiful.
After getting off the plane, I met Hai, the classmate who came to pick me up, at baggage claim. He drove me to the temporary apartment where I would be staying and then took me grocery shopping. The supermarket was large and bright, with goods neatly laid out on the shelves, row after row. It felt as though they sold absolutely everything I could think of. Groceries here are surprisingly inexpensive, especially bananas, eggs, milk, and orange juice. I bought thirteen items for twelve dollars, which still felt very reasonable. Afterward, we stopped by Hai's place so I could call and let you know I'd arrived safely. He and his wife live in the university's married student housing, which is really nice and incredibly affordable at less than $300 a month. The place where I'm staying temporarily is also great and has everything I need. That night, after taking a shower, I finally went to bed around 2:00 a.m.
I woke up around 10:00 this morning and had some milk, bagels, and a banana for breakfast. After noon, jet lag hit me and I felt so sleepy I went right back to bed and didn't get much done today. Tomorrow morning, I plan to go to the department and see the secretary.
Even though there were technically only two layovers, thanks to the extra stop in Tokyo, the whole trip felt like four separate flights strung together. It was truly exhausting, although I actually felt surprisingly energetic right after getting off the plane. My first impression of America has been very positive. One thing that struck me immediately was the air. Back home, it carries a lived-in smell of food and daily life, whereas here, it feels cleaner and even has a faintly unfamiliar scent.
I'm going to sleep now and will write more tomorrow.
Tong
08/17/95
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I woke up at 5:00 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. In the morning, I took the university shuttle to campus. In Austin, university students get to ride the bus for free. I went to the department's Graduate Office, where I picked up some materials and forms to fill out. Walking around campus, I really felt a bit hot under the Austin sun in the summer. In the afternoon, I called to schedule my oral English exam.
Tomorrow and the day after are the weekend, so I can finally relax a bit.
Tong
08/18/95
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When I woke up this morning, it took me several hours before it suddenly dawned on me that today was my birthday! For lunch, I baked myself a frozen pizza, so I suppose that counts as my birthday celebration. Tonight, I'm heading over to Hai's house to eat dumplings.
I will probably stay at this temporary apartment until the 24th. Once I move into my own place, I will let you know my address so you can finally write to me.
Wishing you the best,
Tong
08/19/95