Dear Dad and Mom,
This semester is finally winding down—we only have one week left. Classes ended today, and I just finished an exam this morning. I have one more final next Thursday, plus a "take-home final," which means exactly what it sounds like: a final exam that you complete at home.
Time is flying by; I can't believe the semester is almost over. Right now, everyone in the U.S. is gearing up for Christmas, the biggest holiday of the year. Even the office doors in our department are completely decked out with beautiful, festive decorations.
This Thanksgiving, five of us—including my roommate, two neighbors from Taiwan, and me—split the cost of a nice rental car and drove down to Houston. The drive took about two to three hours. Cars were flying down the highway at 70 to 80 miles per hour (about 120 km/h). I’m sure that sounds terrifying to you! We hit the road at 9:30 in the morning and didn't get back until 1:00 the next morning.
We spent most of the day touring NASA's Johnson Space Center. Looking at the Saturn V rocket, the Mercury-Redstone rocket, and the spacecraft, I found myself thinking of you, Dad. I wished you were here.
bitter1 Afterward, we drove around Houston just exploring. Since Houston is right on the Gulf Coast, there are some nice sandy beaches and the scenery is beautiful. We even drove out to an island and ended the day in Chinatown. It was unbelievable—you don't even need to speak English there! We found a Chinese restaurant and treated ourselves to a wonderful seafood dinner. It was there that I had lobster for the first time. On the way home, all the passengers fell asleep—we were exhausted. Life in the U.S. can be pretty hectic with classes and work, so whenever a holiday rolls around, we look for any excuse to get out and have some fun. The whole trip only cost us about $20 each for the car rental, gas, and seafood. That doesn't include the $12 admission ticket to NASA, though, which is honestly too expensive!
Thanksgiving is also when Americans go absolutely crazy shopping. We went to a huge outlet mall about forty minutes outside of Austin. Since they're direct factory stores and it was Thanksgiving, everything was deeply discounted. I got a good deal on a CD player at the Sony store. The crowds were unbelievable. Aside from being on campus, I have never seen that many people gathered in one place in America. Just finding a parking spot was a nightmare!
I'll definitely move early next year and find myself a new roommate. I posted an ad online, and an American student got in touch with me. He seems like a really nice guy who is fascinated by Asian culture. The only downside is that the place is a bit expensive at $320 a month. It's actually a very reasonable price for a fully furnished two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment right next to campus, but it's still a stretch for my budget, so I haven't made a final decision yet. His current Japanese roommate is moving out at the start of the month, but he told me he's willing to hold the room for me until the end of February.
You mentioned reading some articles about the hardships of studying abroad in the United States, but honestly, it doesn't feel all that
bitter2 to me. Sure, the coursework is a bit more demanding than back home, but it's manageable. And in terms of health and finances, I'm doing better than you might think.
My health insurance here at UT is excellent. As a TA, I get the exact same coverage as the faculty and staff. My premium is $180 a month, and a doctor's visit only costs me a $5 copay. Prescriptions are just $5 as well. The plan even covers dental! Medical insurance over here is very complicated, and a lot of it goes over my head, but I'm just hoping I stay healthy so I never have to figure it all out. The air and environment are much cleaner here anyway, so I doubt I'll be getting sick that much.
An income of about $1,000 a month is enough to live well here. I don't really keep a strict budget, so I don't track where every dollar goes. I just paid off the loan for this semester's tuition on November 30th. I also spent quite a bit when I was getting settled. Buying a phone, a TV, a CD player, and other necessities added up to more than $300. After paying two months' rent, I still have about $400 left. Unfortunately, next semester's $1,200 tuition is due in a week, so it looks like I'll just need to take out another student loan. I'm hoping to find a job this summer. If I can save a few thousand dollars, buying a car shouldn't be a problem at all.
So there's no need to worry. I have more than enough to live comfortably here. Please don't try to save every penny because of me. Taking good care of yourselves is what matters most!
Take care,
Tong
12/07/95