The uni life, the insightful life, the hard life, the new life, The life...of U of M

This is my second week in the Minnesota, studying in the U of M, in Minnesota. Looking back those times before a week, and comparing those life in one week, it's completely heaven and earth. And right now I still can't believe I had to clean my own room, wash my own clothes, manage my finance, cook myself food, and arranging my own transport.

Well, I might had the same life in INTEC times, but it's more different, perhaps I could say, more challenging. INTEC's hostel is free, but my current housing's costing me a whooping 420usd. You can mess with the hostel, but not cleaning the kitchen here results you to get kicked out from the house.

There's bus from the hostel to the school, and Rapid KL route is kinda easy to use. Here, it's a complete different case. You will still get lost even you hopped on the right bus, and you'll still blur despite after doing your research route in internet. And well, there's sth more. The bus goes one way and once you missed your destination, be prepared to hop to 2 buses to get it back.

In home, try give a mum a call, and you'll get your money with some nagging. Here? You'll better hopped to your university cafe (TO WORK, of cuz) if you are broke. And the final thing. You walked out from your dorm, you will see faces that you are so familiar that you would have dream them in your dreams, but well, here, the moment I stepped out from the room, expect to say hi to...a thailand guy, a vietnam girl, a china guy, or a local minnesotian. Going to U of M, you might meet someone from Germany, Norway, Ecuador, and more. When Malaysia boosts that they had cultural diversity, I just said, it's nothing if you compared to u of m that has people from 139 countries!

If I'm actually comparing, I will be ended up with an entry of how good Malaysia is, and how shouldn't I take JPA and went to US =.=. Nevertheless, life is not looking behind the shadows of past, or lights of future, it's about present which is now, when I typed this entry for my blog.

And now I had already whined enough, let's get to the things in U of M

People

Yep, it is perhaps one of the greatest change I had seen in the U.S. It is so different in Malaysia, and well, it is so very different from my point of view about those Americans.

I don't know what you guys think about the Americans, but this is what I think about the Americans. What's my sources? Heroes, Hollywood movies, Prison Break, and perhaps American Pie maybe...

They are a bunch of ignorants that will start a fight if you irritate them just a bit. They drink booze and go for ecstasy like hell. They live sex and rave parties They hate Asian especially chinese. They speak yo yo to you and next minute you got a holler up. They are unfriendly, and to sum up, they are a bunch of bastards for the Asian.

This is the thing I thought before one week, and that's what I experienced in this one week.

I lost my way few times, and they offered help WITHOUT me asking. It happens inside and outside the campus...

My plastic broke while carrying loads of stuff, and a lady rushed out from a car and offer me a new bag, again, WITHOUT me asking.

I was given a seat in the full bus, when my hand was carrying two packages of heavy foodstuff.

I asked direction to place for gazillions times, and each of them gives a detailed explanation to me.

For the first time, i saw almost every single people thanked the bus driver for giving them a ride, and the bus driver always greeted back with a " You're welcome"

I just horrified when I know buying medicine without a prescription can result to a penalty, which made me realize how drugs are controlled severely by the US government, and ya, people below 21yrs cannot drink booze, and everyone goes by the law

And lastly, I am welcomed by an American family, and despite his work as a scientiest in marine life, he was willing to fetch me to buy my groceries , my bike, opening an account, and buying my cellphones, perhaps listening to my imperfect English whine at the same time, without showing hints of anger or fatique...

Well, It doesn't give a conclusive view about Americans, but well, those things also remind me that I cannot judge Americans by those movies either. It's unfair to the Americans.

They might valued privacy and secret much more than we Malaysian. They might not get close or intimate to you (fearing u as a gay), they might spoke in fast pace, and you might found it hard to have them as true friend. However, they are overall a friendly bunch of people and unless they are busy, you can always have a chat with them.

Right now, i was trying to avoid myself from mixing with the Malaysian only because I know I would miss a lot of good social experiences. So far, my progress aren't that good. I tried to mix with some international group from Norway, Ecuador, and German. (Texas college were made to be extreme cold so that no girls wear skirt :( , from what I learned from those bunch of people). And my housemate Ian just give me a treat of his totilla after I praised his nice cookings =p. (perhaps looking hungry in the process...). Well, things aren't that hopeless after all.

I shall make my journey (or my studies ) in America an experience I can boast of when i back to malaysia, and perhaps turning to another new leaf in the process.

Sorry, no pictures, kinda lazy to upload