Arrival in Burlington, Vermont, United States

The excitement about this trip made me exhausted, but couldn’t get me into sleep. Wednesday August 23, we left home 4.30am (!). It was like two years ago, on the airport with my dad, only this time he headed East, to Indonesia and my British Airways took off 7.20am.
London was a mess. At the screenings (many!) custom guarders warned us not to bring any liquids and cosmetics (not even lip balm!) and we had to take off our shoes… God… but I managed to bring my liquid eyeliner anyway, just playing neglected…
I flew back in time and arrived at JKF at 11 in the morning. At the customs I was asked what I intended to do in the States and that’s about it. I guess Muzio, as his nametag said, was pretty weary of all the questioning every time.
Then I had this premonition, which unfortunately was true: my cherished red backpack was not on the carrousel! It turned out that almost everybody who had a transit in London lost their luggage! I was lucky to have at least one suitcase found. A lot of luggage got stuck at Heathrow, so an amazing line was queuing at Lost Luggage to fill in forms. I was afraid I would miss my next flight, because JFK is huge! The hall I arrived was BA only. I had to go by fly train to get to the departure hall of Jet Blue, which was luckily just one stop away.





VERMONT… State of the Green Mountains, yes, I felt the difference right away. Small, friendly Burlington Airport, wooden interior, no ads on the wall but pictures of Vermont view instead. A professor from campus picked me up, we went to the drugstore and then to the Living/Learning Center, my residence for the upcoming year! I took a shower and went to the first meeting of the international students, PIZZA PARTY…. what else could it be…

From now on I’ll introduce the Oh-My-God-List I made of all the Oh My God shocking things I see around, capture and experience.

OMG1
Lots of pizzas….pfff… and all the big 2 lt bottles of soft drink. The most funniest thing were the cups… They were HUGE, I really have to get used to all the customary XXL sizes here.




INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
The nearly 50 international students formed the biggest international group UVM have had. Chinese, Japanese, Romanian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Swedish, English, German, Spanish, Croatian, Mexican, Canadian, Korean, Belarusian, Nicaraguan, Argentinean, French, Australian, Swiss, Austrian; all were represented. Yvonne and I were the only two from the Netherlands, and she’s from Utrecht University as well.





HOUSING
I’ve applied to Making the Mark House which means yu’ll get involved with all kind of programs concerning art, drawing, painting and stuff. At the application form I’ve emphasized how badly I wanted to live in that house, since drawing is my first passion. But somehow they placed me as ‘unprogrammed’ in the Anime Art House… ☹ Yes, I am really sad, because there’s this other international guy who didn’t had any preferences in the programs but he got into Making the Art House! I’m pretty mad about it, because it’s kind of unfair. I’ve seen his suite and it’s wonderful! Art is just all over the place! The walls, paintings and stuff… Oh, that should’ve been my home! I can still participate into their programs, but I just really want to live there. Besides; I got a horrible view from the window in my current room and sunshine hardly reaches my place to lighten it up a bit.
So I’m not satisfied with my room and I’m going to try to change it. The first two days I was all-alone; in the room and in the entire suite (one common living room and four rooms, some double, other single occupied, and two bathrooms –which are newly renovated, thus clean!), while other internationals shared rooms or suites with each other or locals. I really felt lonely, because I had nothing; no TV, no music (no mp3 and the batteries of my laptop ran out after the first night, and my charger is in my backpack), no friends. Up till now I haven’t stayed in my room over half an hour, because I just don’t like it. I haven’t personalized it because I’m planning to leave anyway.
Friday morning my roommate arrived. Ellen Anne Simpson… Yup, a real loca freshmen! Sunday morning other junior students arrived, and the guy next to me plays guitar and chello (though not very good yet!!). The suite is more livable now with all the Japanese anime drawings on the walls, but I still don’t feel at total ease.

OMG2
The first days we had a lot of FORMS to fill in. Name, address, blabla… But you know what box no 5 of the social security form asked for? Race/ethnicity!!!
1) Asian, Asian-American, Pacific Islander
2) Hispanic
3) Native American
4) Black (non Hispanic)
5) White (non Hispanic)
The question was optional, but still…!!! How could they divide human kind into these five categories? Ehm, Arab? Persian? Ehm, so much more? As an anthropologist, and as a person, I was pretty shocked by this question.

OMG3
Everyone is TOO FRIENDLY over here, anytime! I appear too rude compare to them. Drivers? They stop for every pedestrian everywhere, anytime! In Amsterdam they won’t even stop for yu at the pedestrian crossover, but here, when I intended to crossover, hesitating along the MIDDLE of the main street, the driver just stopped for me! They even stop when it’s red, for me!

AMERICAN LIFE
This is my first time to the States, I’ve only known it from TV, commercials and video clips… but it’s all true. What I saw was what I got. The HUGE TRUCKS, pick-up cars (there are Eat Cha cars everywhere Mel & Ari!), grocery stores, porches, everything. I feel like I’m at a big movie set, just like in Warner Brothers Movie World. I still cannot believe I’m actually in the States, because yu know what this place reminds me of? Brisbane. The cute wooden New English houses, the streets, the shops, and also because there are not many Afro-Americans… just Brisbane. It’s only when people start talking I realize; I’m in America dude!

Please check out more pictures at http://www.pixum.nl/viewalbum/?id=2235304