Home, sweet home / Security concerns / Moving to a new country / Route to MIT / Air…

Home, sweet home

First morning in my new home. A bit lonely, but I find some of the Boston radio stations somewhat conforting. Even though I have never been a real radio listener, I realize I might do well to become one now. My record collection here is mostly limited to Sonic Youth, Rammstein, and Tuomari Nurmio. The local classical radio station complements them nicely.

A loft makes sense in a house like this, in which the only window has only one pane and even it is partly broken. Fortunately there is a door with small windowpanes between the room and the outer window. It is cold down here, but warm up there on the loft. o

I have upto 4 wireless networks to choose from and all of them are free. I will get my own next week. I think it is not so polite to use other network connections in the long run.

Security concerns

Some more-than-a-bit-paranoid official suggested that all air passangers should be X-rayed before entering their planes. This would prevent the numerous suicide terrorist from carrying bombs on or in their persons. The only problem is that some clever terrorist could well have simple X-ray blocking clothes. So, X-raying requires either making every passager to strip at the "security" gate, or requiring everyone to wear some standardised flying suit/wear. So, that one would need to tell the travel agent one's size and one would then receive suitable clotehs by mail or whatever. I am sure they will come up with this too, later.

Moving to a new country

It is really humbling to realize how many things one takes for granted at home. One has, of course, a hammer, some nails, a plate, some brushes, sheet, pillows, frying pan, a pot, and many other issues. In a new home, in some faraway country, one does not have any of these. So, one ends up spending several days trying to find all necessities. And each country has its own traditions, and one has some difficulties in figuring out where to find what. Here in Boston, finding cheap lamps was really difficult. The furniture stores do not have them, the big department stores do not either. Neither has does Radio Shack. After 3 days of looking for them, I found them in one small hardware store. Way back in early 90's, I was looking for sanitary napkins in Latvia with my girlfriend. It was getting desperate, but in the end found them in the paper (envelope, etc) department in a department store. They are, after all, made of paper, at least partly.

Then there are some more serious difficulties. One of the most irritating here in USA is the lack of trust. I do not have credit history in USA, so I am of no good at all. So, I cannot get a normal GSM-connection. Instead, I must use a prepaid one. The mobile phone company does not trust in my international credit card. This is insane, since the MasterCard-company/ my bank in Finland will always pay them. If there is going to be some problems, they will be between me and my bank. But, this is just normal, told one of my classmates. I could, as can anyone here, just leave the country and move to Mexico. But this is not the real explanation, because I can rent furniture with monthly payments with my credit card. Whatever, this is strange.

Route to MIT

I took a trial-walk to MIT. It takes 26 minutes from my home to the house of the Sloan School of Management. Surprisinly it takes as long both ways: downriver over the Longfellow bridge and upriver over the Harvard bridge. Walking down by the riverside is nicer, as there is a nice park there. Either way, this means that I will have about 1 hour of walking to do each day. Excellent, it is just enough to keep me fit and lean.

My home is south of the river in the corner of Beacon and Clarendon, Sloan is on the other side of the river in the corner of Memorial Drive and Wadsworth Street. The bridge 2A is the Harvard bridge.

Air France or Boston Logan airport sucks! Or both.

We took a close look at my bicycle with Milton. The damages are: deformed handlebar, broken brake lever, deformed frame, missing front wheel, bend mud guards, at least. Also the fork is not quite OK. This all means that I have to get a new bike. Fortunately Air France is going to pay for it! But it means that I have to use some precious hours for getting their messes sorted out. This sucks!

Cycling

Despite the hard efforts of Air France, we could get the bike in semi-ridable condition and had a short ride around the centre. We means me, Milton, and Mirja. The first stop was one rather good outdoor shop. I was not going to buy anything, but ended up getting new hiking boots. They may be necessary for getting to MIT later this month. There will be some snow. And where there is snow, the local will sprinkle a lot of salt. The result is a terrible mess, which turns shoes into pickled leather. These people cannot stand any snow, but are lazy enough not to shovel the snow away. Strange!

Cycling seems to be a good way of getting around here. I think I will start cycling quite much later. But I think it still makes sense to walk to MIT. One can think better while walking. And cycling 2 times 3 kilometers does not keep one fit.

Restaurants of the week

I have visited several restaurants this week. On Monday we went to Doyle's, a traditional American restaurant in Forest Hills. They served us decent fish and chips. Then I had lunches while shopping in two Indian restaurants in Central Square (Gandhi and Indian village). Gandhi was a bit better, but the $6 lunch buffet is well worth the money in both places. I also ate twice in Pho Pasteur in Chinatown, both time seafood fried rice. Then we had new year eve's dinner in one Japanese in Rosindale village. Not bad, rather creative food. Today we had Thai and Chinese in one smal foodcourt in Chinatown. The food was as good as the atmosphere was authentic. Next to the restaurant there is a strange Chinese bakery serving all kinds of sweet things. I am rather curious to see how good lunch places there are near Sloan building. Should be many and good...

Confusion

After some travelling and living in 3 countries in the last 2 years, I have noticed that it does not really make any difference in which country one lives. With whom one lives and whom one knows and what one does daily, for living, are the most important things. Of course, the social security systems and health care and their differences between countries are important too, but so far I have been lucky enough not to really encounter them. And it goes without saying, almost, that having not-too-wide income differences makes any society more pleasant and safe. Anyway, what I wanted to say, is that I have real difficulties in realizing in which country I am at a given moment.

Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs January 2005".