Christmas is finally over, and the city is going back to normal. In Starbucks near my house they finally stopped playing non-stop Christmas music and went back to quiet jazz in the background. The T is running more frequently again (and not one train every 30 minutes). The traffic returned to the streets and people can be seen again.
I have spent my Christmas eve in an Italian restaurant in North End part of Boston. Quite expensive, and not the best food, but I had to get out of the house and see some humans around me.
The weather has also smiled at me and it got up to 10 degrees today with sunshine at parts of the day. The best part is that the snow finally disappeared and the streets are clean enough for walking easily.
I got my house fully accessorized this week, when two friends left Boston and gave me a full kitchen (pans, pots, utensils, plates and appliances) and some other stuff like a DVD, a dining table and chairs, a fan, a humidifier and more. It's unbelievable how a pickup truck full of boxes can really upgrade your living experience.
Work was a little slow this week, but it is understandable, since MIT was practically empty this week. One more week of slow working is coming up ahead with new year's coming up.
Hopefully, this Tuesday I have an overnight measurement that should move me on to the next step in my research. I hope that it will go out well, even though first experiments rarely succeed as anticipated.
That's it. Only 12 more days (and counting).
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
The Blizzard of 2009
Just like in the movies, Christmas is near and it's all white outside. It started snowing yesterday night and it snowed until 16:00 today, the thin powdery snow piled up to knee high in some areas. And I waited until 15:00, and when I walked up every wall in the house I went for a walk in the snow. It was really quite beautiful (See pictures). 
The roads were open all through the snow, and most of the sidewalks were also kept clean. The only sense of urgency came from the TV that kept reporting on the 'Blizzard of 2009' and 'the Storm of the decade'. Apparently TV all over the world likes to exaggerate to keep the viewers watching. I found out that my new boots were watertight and that my new The North Face coat (like every American around) is really warm and perfect for the cold and wet weather.
As for me, I've been working in the lab everyday now, I have started training on different instruments around MIT and I have been ordering a lot of chemicals and labware. I finally feel like I'm doing something and starting to gain the recognition of my peers when they come to me and discuss different scientific issues with me. I am slowly settling into a position that's good for me and makes me feel good and comfortable.
This holiday season is felt well around MIT and the Boston area. The department of Chemistry had a Christmas party with food, drinks and Karaoke, almost all the professors went up to sing and there was a nice atmosphere all around. Most of my lab mates left, this weekend, to be with their families during the holidays and all the undergraduate students have their semester break, so MIT is very quite (which is calming). The Israelis are pretty socially active, and I find myself going out almost every night, sometimes to bars and sometimes to other people's homes. So it is not lonely at all.
Less than 3 weeks before Or will join me, I'm already waiting impatiently, planning every move like going to the airport, taking her to know the city and to get her winter cloths. Everything is planned and the clock is ticking away.
The roads were open all through the snow, and most of the sidewalks were also kept clean. The only sense of urgency came from the TV that kept reporting on the 'Blizzard of 2009' and 'the Storm of the decade'. Apparently TV all over the world likes to exaggerate to keep the viewers watching. I found out that my new boots were watertight and that my new The North Face coat (like every American around) is really warm and perfect for the cold and wet weather.
As for me, I've been working in the lab everyday now, I have started training on different instruments around MIT and I have been ordering a lot of chemicals and labware. I finally feel like I'm doing something and starting to gain the recognition of my peers when they come to me and discuss different scientific issues with me. I am slowly settling into a position that's good for me and makes me feel good and comfortable.
This holiday season is felt well around MIT and the Boston area. The department of Chemistry had a Christmas party with food, drinks and Karaoke, almost all the professors went up to sing and there was a nice atmosphere all around. Most of my lab mates left, this weekend, to be with their families during the holidays and all the undergraduate students have their semester break, so MIT is very quite (which is calming). The Israelis are pretty socially active, and I find myself going out almost every night, sometimes to bars and sometimes to other people's homes. So it is not lonely at all.
Less than 3 weeks before Or will join me, I'm already waiting impatiently, planning every move like going to the airport, taking her to know the city and to get her winter cloths. Everything is planned and the clock is ticking away.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Christmas all around
So this week started with a promise of rain and very low temperatures, and at least the later was true. It snowed at the beginning of the week (the picture is of the view from my window at home)
. After the snow the temperatures fell below freezing, this left ice puddles on the roads and sidewalks. At least the ground is frozen and we don't need to worry about mud.
The real problem around here is not the low temperatures, even down to -5 degrees is still manageable, the real problem is the winds. The wind chill factor here is very important, this means that the temperatures you fill can be a lot lower than the measured temperatures. This week, with the wind chill factor considered we have reached around -13 degrees during the mornings. And I must say that in that temperature your nose, ears and chin really ache. But, due to this weather, I went and bought a new winter coat, one that can keep me truly warm.
So Christmas is coming soon and trees and homes are decorated with lights, in all the stores they play annoying repetitive holiday music in the background, the TV shows only Christmas movies and people spend endless hours shopping before the holidays.
Yesterday (Saturday) noon, as I was walking the freezing streets of Boston I saw police cars and a large crowd of people. As I got closer I saw what was making all the commotion was about - around a 100 people, men and women, young and old, thin and fat were running in the street, wearing nothing but a Christmas hat and underwear/bathing suit (See photos)
. I don't understand what they were thinking with the temperatures around -2 and the wind blowing hard. Only when I got home and watched the new I found out that it was the Speedo Run in which each person has to donate no less than $250 to run in a speedo down the wintery streets of Boston.
Some Israelis also met for the first candle of Hanuka, which was really nice. Around where I live you can see many Menora's in the windows, and also lights in the shape of dradles, candles and more. It seems that the Jews here really want to resemble the christians and have lights and decorations so they found a way to decorate for Hanuka.
So that's it. Next week we have the department's Christmas party and I'll update you after watching respectable scientists turn into drunks.
. After the snow the temperatures fell below freezing, this left ice puddles on the roads and sidewalks. At least the ground is frozen and we don't need to worry about mud.The real problem around here is not the low temperatures, even down to -5 degrees is still manageable, the real problem is the winds. The wind chill factor here is very important, this means that the temperatures you fill can be a lot lower than the measured temperatures. This week, with the wind chill factor considered we have reached around -13 degrees during the mornings. And I must say that in that temperature your nose, ears and chin really ache. But, due to this weather, I went and bought a new winter coat, one that can keep me truly warm.
So Christmas is coming soon and trees and homes are decorated with lights, in all the stores they play annoying repetitive holiday music in the background, the TV shows only Christmas movies and people spend endless hours shopping before the holidays.
Yesterday (Saturday) noon, as I was walking the freezing streets of Boston I saw police cars and a large crowd of people. As I got closer I saw what was making all the commotion was about - around a 100 people, men and women, young and old, thin and fat were running in the street, wearing nothing but a Christmas hat and underwear/bathing suit (See photos)
. I don't understand what they were thinking with the temperatures around -2 and the wind blowing hard. Only when I got home and watched the new I found out that it was the Speedo Run in which each person has to donate no less than $250 to run in a speedo down the wintery streets of Boston.Some Israelis also met for the first candle of Hanuka, which was really nice. Around where I live you can see many Menora's in the windows, and also lights in the shape of dradles, candles and more. It seems that the Jews here really want to resemble the christians and have lights and decorations so they found a way to decorate for Hanuka.
So that's it. Next week we have the department's Christmas party and I'll update you after watching respectable scientists turn into drunks.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Sardines in a box
Just a short thought - did you ever try to imagine how sardines feel like in a closed box? Well, all you need to do is ride the Green T Line on rush hour. People stand packed like sardines and all are quiet like fish (no one complains or confronts anyone for standing too close). Amazing.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
A winter wonderland
So winter is here at last. After a very warm Wednesday, with temperatures at the 20's, Saturday was cold... really cold. It even snowed. So after watching the snow pile in the streets I woke up to a beautiful and white (yet cold) Sunday morning. But the real problem is that at night the temperature are well below freezing, son the snow melts and re-freezes as ice on the side walks. And even worst - on the trees. It's not really nice to have a piece of ice fall from a tree onto your head!!
Here's a thing that came to me - if you live in a place that is as cold as your fridge, that's a cold place. But when you live in a place that's even colder than your icebox - life's is though!
As for my week. It was a good week for my science. I finally returned to the lab and started my new research. It was fun. And also my last article from my PhD was accepted for publication. So, yes, a pretty good week. And as always extremely busy. I don't really know where most of the hours of the day go to, but it seems to me that 24 hours a day is really not enough. I leave home early in the morning and arrive back late at night, and when I finally sit in front of the TV and check the time I find out that it is almost time to bed. That's crazy.
We had another group party this week. This time it was the boss' Christmas party. It was really nice, and I am really enjoying the people I work with. There was good food, good people and great fun.
So that's it. Only a month until my beloved Or (and CJ) joins me. I can't wait.
See you on the next post.
Here's a thing that came to me - if you live in a place that is as cold as your fridge, that's a cold place. But when you live in a place that's even colder than your icebox - life's is though!
As for my week. It was a good week for my science. I finally returned to the lab and started my new research. It was fun. And also my last article from my PhD was accepted for publication. So, yes, a pretty good week. And as always extremely busy. I don't really know where most of the hours of the day go to, but it seems to me that 24 hours a day is really not enough. I leave home early in the morning and arrive back late at night, and when I finally sit in front of the TV and check the time I find out that it is almost time to bed. That's crazy.
We had another group party this week. This time it was the boss' Christmas party. It was really nice, and I am really enjoying the people I work with. There was good food, good people and great fun.
So that's it. Only a month until my beloved Or (and CJ) joins me. I can't wait.
See you on the next post.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Breaking news and weekly update
Let's start with the most important thing - most of you do not know that Or and I are pregnant, so now you know. The latest news are - it's a boy. Yes, we have a boy in the oven. So from now on, all who want to refer to my future baby boy can use his temporary name : CJ (stands for Costi Junior, of course).
So now this is out on the open. and moving on to this week...
This week was all around Thanks Giving, or it's new name - the American Yom Kippur. I walked the streets of Brookline during the holiday on Thursday and I hardly saw cars or people in the street. It was dead quiet. All the stores were closed and there was nothing to do. It's days like this when you really miss home and your family.
This weekend I finally got connected to cable TV, internet and phone at home. It totally changes your life, when you suddenly have a variety of options for the evening hours.
I had to buy new shoes, I have already torn one pair since I am walking so much. So I looked for a shoe outlet in the Boston area and I found one that is just one bus ride away from my house. I got on the bus and rode it to Ruxbery, just south of Boston. The final stop of the bus was on Malcom X street which immediately made me more alert. I got off the bus and found myself as the only non-minority in the area. People looked at me strangely, but I went over to the store. There, a security guy started watching me closely, and when I asked him what the problem was, he said that I am carrying a bag (my small Crumpler bag) and he wants me to give it to him. Well, I guess that in an all-black-neighborhood, the white guy is always suspected as a shoplifter... I told the security guard what I thought of his request and left the store towards the bus, as quickly as I could.
Later a friend took me out of the city to the big shopping areas where I got 2 pairs of shoes, but I still had my strange and fearsome experience of the day.
It has been a long and exhausting week, and I think I'll go to bed early, so this short update will be enough for today.
Until the next time.
So now this is out on the open. and moving on to this week...
This week was all around Thanks Giving, or it's new name - the American Yom Kippur. I walked the streets of Brookline during the holiday on Thursday and I hardly saw cars or people in the street. It was dead quiet. All the stores were closed and there was nothing to do. It's days like this when you really miss home and your family.
This weekend I finally got connected to cable TV, internet and phone at home. It totally changes your life, when you suddenly have a variety of options for the evening hours.
I had to buy new shoes, I have already torn one pair since I am walking so much. So I looked for a shoe outlet in the Boston area and I found one that is just one bus ride away from my house. I got on the bus and rode it to Ruxbery, just south of Boston. The final stop of the bus was on Malcom X street which immediately made me more alert. I got off the bus and found myself as the only non-minority in the area. People looked at me strangely, but I went over to the store. There, a security guy started watching me closely, and when I asked him what the problem was, he said that I am carrying a bag (my small Crumpler bag) and he wants me to give it to him. Well, I guess that in an all-black-neighborhood, the white guy is always suspected as a shoplifter... I told the security guard what I thought of his request and left the store towards the bus, as quickly as I could.
Later a friend took me out of the city to the big shopping areas where I got 2 pairs of shoes, but I still had my strange and fearsome experience of the day.
It has been a long and exhausting week, and I think I'll go to bed early, so this short update will be enough for today.
Until the next time.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
One more week - one more story
So I haven't written in a week and already got different people reminding me that I need to update everyone - so I guess I will let you all know that the blog will be updated once a week from now on (unless there is something really really important to report)
This week was the first time I entered the lab to join a guy in his measurements. This was fun, since I have not worked in the lab for a long time. But this week was more of an "understand where you are" week. I went to several talks during the week and I found out, that unlike my previous university, here going to talks is sacred. Everyone shows up on time (even the professors), no one leaves in the middle (not even during question time at the end) and everyone listens to every word the speaker says (AWAKE!!).
And again the Israeli card got me some good stuff - an Israeli professor came to give some talks at MIT so several of us, Israeli postdocs, got an MIT credit card and were sent to have lunch (where ever we choose no matter the cost) with the guest.
I also started knowing my group a lot better. The people are really nice, and the boss (although he is not around most of the time) is a real fun guy. We had my first group meeting and we had, on the table, 2 bottles of beer per student (that's 72 bottles) plus snacks, later we had a group party where beer was a total water substitute and people got wasted (including the boss and his secretary). But this only shows me that people who work really hard and are very smart (and trust me - these guys are) can also have fun.
From all I was told ahead of my arrival I thought that MIT is a very cold and unfriendly place. But, I guess I have reached a very friendly group, and things look good in that sense.
I finally got myself a MacBook Pro 13'' beautiful, fast, smart, sexy, light, durable, hot computer!!! It arrived in the mail 4 days ago and I hardly had time to play with it. But the very first thing I did when I got it was the most American thing I know - I took it down to Starbucks and had a coffee while surfing the web.
As for my getting settled in - yesterday was the "shopping" day. I had to get to the cable company's office, since I don't have a social security number and a credit history (remember that - it will come up again later), I had to present myself in person and leave a $50 deposit for my cable/internet/phone connection (all are coming on Tuesday - Yay!). On the way back I stopped at a furniture store and got a sofa (that opens into a bed - for all you guests) and a TV stand, they told me They'll deliver it in 1.5 hours, but when I got home after 30 minutes it was waiting for me already. So I assembled my new (and quite cheap - money wise not quality) furniture and left for the next errand.
I went grocery shopping with my new shopping cart - yes, like the old ladies. It is very comfortable to carry food this way and I was able to get a whole week's worth of food home. But I couldn't rest yet - If I'm getting cable and internet on Tuesday I need several things for that...
I took the T to Best Buy and bought a 26'' HD LCD TV, a wireless router and a phone. Luckily for me Thanks Giving is just around the corner and the holiday sales already started in most places.
Then I rested in my new living room, TV, sofa and all.
Today I decided to get a cell phone contract, that's because I pay too much for calls. So I went to a verizon store and checked a deal of a Blackberry Storm touch screen phone that allows me to get another phone for free, and both will have a family plan (don't forget - Or will join me soon, and we need to get everything ready for her). So I got all the details and started signing up, when all of a sudden the clerk (who knew I was a foreigner) asked me about my credit history (AGAIN). This time, since I have no history (yes, for most American companies I was born as a 33 years old with no money) I had to leave $800 deposit. NO WAY, I left without a phone - but just across the street was an AT&T store. I went in and tried to find out if their pre-paid phone lines are cheaper than what I'm paying now. $60/month for unlimited talk and text was their offer... But hey... Verizon offered me 2 phones with a 2 year contract at $120/month for 900 minutes... I guess I have showed them :)
So now I'm home, after a home cooked meal (almost - clam chowder [from a can], rice [in a bag], freshly squeezed orange juice [from a box] and asparagus [which I really prepared]), the laundry is done. And I can sit here with my new MAC (and internet from the neighbors) and write you all.
That's all for now.
P.S. You quickly learn that Israel can never be like the US. Here, when you order small you get big, in Israel it's vice verse. Here people in the street ignore you or just smile and nod their head, in Israel they cannot help themselves acknowledging you for better and for worst. Here, even the city animals (sparrows and squirrels) are calm and don't mind as you walk very close to them, in Israel they are as neurotic as the human population.
This week was the first time I entered the lab to join a guy in his measurements. This was fun, since I have not worked in the lab for a long time. But this week was more of an "understand where you are" week. I went to several talks during the week and I found out, that unlike my previous university, here going to talks is sacred. Everyone shows up on time (even the professors), no one leaves in the middle (not even during question time at the end) and everyone listens to every word the speaker says (AWAKE!!).
And again the Israeli card got me some good stuff - an Israeli professor came to give some talks at MIT so several of us, Israeli postdocs, got an MIT credit card and were sent to have lunch (where ever we choose no matter the cost) with the guest.
I also started knowing my group a lot better. The people are really nice, and the boss (although he is not around most of the time) is a real fun guy. We had my first group meeting and we had, on the table, 2 bottles of beer per student (that's 72 bottles) plus snacks, later we had a group party where beer was a total water substitute and people got wasted (including the boss and his secretary). But this only shows me that people who work really hard and are very smart (and trust me - these guys are) can also have fun.
From all I was told ahead of my arrival I thought that MIT is a very cold and unfriendly place. But, I guess I have reached a very friendly group, and things look good in that sense.
I finally got myself a MacBook Pro 13'' beautiful, fast, smart, sexy, light, durable, hot computer!!! It arrived in the mail 4 days ago and I hardly had time to play with it. But the very first thing I did when I got it was the most American thing I know - I took it down to Starbucks and had a coffee while surfing the web.
As for my getting settled in - yesterday was the "shopping" day. I had to get to the cable company's office, since I don't have a social security number and a credit history (remember that - it will come up again later), I had to present myself in person and leave a $50 deposit for my cable/internet/phone connection (all are coming on Tuesday - Yay!). On the way back I stopped at a furniture store and got a sofa (that opens into a bed - for all you guests) and a TV stand, they told me They'll deliver it in 1.5 hours, but when I got home after 30 minutes it was waiting for me already. So I assembled my new (and quite cheap - money wise not quality) furniture and left for the next errand.
I went grocery shopping with my new shopping cart - yes, like the old ladies. It is very comfortable to carry food this way and I was able to get a whole week's worth of food home. But I couldn't rest yet - If I'm getting cable and internet on Tuesday I need several things for that...
I took the T to Best Buy and bought a 26'' HD LCD TV, a wireless router and a phone. Luckily for me Thanks Giving is just around the corner and the holiday sales already started in most places.
Then I rested in my new living room, TV, sofa and all.
Today I decided to get a cell phone contract, that's because I pay too much for calls. So I went to a verizon store and checked a deal of a Blackberry Storm touch screen phone that allows me to get another phone for free, and both will have a family plan (don't forget - Or will join me soon, and we need to get everything ready for her). So I got all the details and started signing up, when all of a sudden the clerk (who knew I was a foreigner) asked me about my credit history (AGAIN). This time, since I have no history (yes, for most American companies I was born as a 33 years old with no money) I had to leave $800 deposit. NO WAY, I left without a phone - but just across the street was an AT&T store. I went in and tried to find out if their pre-paid phone lines are cheaper than what I'm paying now. $60/month for unlimited talk and text was their offer... But hey... Verizon offered me 2 phones with a 2 year contract at $120/month for 900 minutes... I guess I have showed them :)
So now I'm home, after a home cooked meal (almost - clam chowder [from a can], rice [in a bag], freshly squeezed orange juice [from a box] and asparagus [which I really prepared]), the laundry is done. And I can sit here with my new MAC (and internet from the neighbors) and write you all.
That's all for now.
P.S. You quickly learn that Israel can never be like the US. Here, when you order small you get big, in Israel it's vice verse. Here people in the street ignore you or just smile and nod their head, in Israel they cannot help themselves acknowledging you for better and for worst. Here, even the city animals (sparrows and squirrels) are calm and don't mind as you walk very close to them, in Israel they are as neurotic as the human population.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Finally at home
So I finally moved into the apartment today. It was a crappy day for moving because it rained all the time. I got the bed delivered and all my clothes are finally out of the suitcases. I even found an open internet WiFi access which I am currently using.
It is really empty and I had to go and buy a blanket, a chair, a pillow, a pot, a pan and a lamp. The store has a delivery service which actually started today and I was the first customer to have a delivery (but I didn't get a discount for that)
If you want to know what my apartment is like, here are some photos:
the living room :
the kitchen :
the bed room :
the restroom (yes, it is BLUE!!) :
and the view from our balcony :
That's it for today.
PS - I see the pictures shifted position, but you are all smart enough to figure it out.
It is really empty and I had to go and buy a blanket, a chair, a pillow, a pot, a pan and a lamp. The store has a delivery service which actually started today and I was the first customer to have a delivery (but I didn't get a discount for that)
If you want to know what my apartment is like, here are some photos:
the living room :
the kitchen :
the bed room :
the restroom (yes, it is BLUE!!) :
and the view from our balcony :
That's it for today.
PS - I see the pictures shifted position, but you are all smart enough to figure it out.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Postdoc in New York
So I'm in New York. Just gave the same talk twice at a long evening of mingling with old (and I guess rich) American Jews.
I got good feedbacks and even a counseling job offer - this guy said he is the investment manager of several rich families and he want me to advise these families in investing 200 million dollars in energy entrepreneurs. Of course he said I will be paid a good commission for my advise. I didn't answer him yet...
When I got to the hotel I found that I'm in a luxury suite (see pictures attached) made of two rooms, a bath and kitchen and a welcome basket that included food, a T-shirt, a baseball cap and some small PICHEFKES.
Ohh, the good life!!
I got good feedbacks and even a counseling job offer - this guy said he is the investment manager of several rich families and he want me to advise these families in investing 200 million dollars in energy entrepreneurs. Of course he said I will be paid a good commission for my advise. I didn't answer him yet...
When I got to the hotel I found that I'm in a luxury suite (see pictures attached) made of two rooms, a bath and kitchen and a welcome basket that included food, a T-shirt, a baseball cap and some small PICHEFKES.
Ohh, the good life!!
Monday, November 9, 2009
A short update - apartment found
So I finally signed a lease and I will get the apartment on Thursday! I also bought a new bed which will be delivered to my new apartment. Apparently, being Jewish and Israeli is a big plus in Brookline (and also my big round smiley face!).
The company that owns the building had a problem with the fact that I don't have a credit history in the US and that I don't earn enough for their building. So the real estate agent brought me to their office. I was welcomed with the words "Shalom doctor" - yes, the guy there was a Jew and he was really interested in what I do, so after a few minutes of science talk (with no real scientific substance to it) I got the apartment.
As for the bed - the sells person found out I'm Israeli, and surprise surprise, he is married to an Israeli. So I checked out different mattresses and beds and he said "tell me which on you want and how much you want to pay". I picked a mattress that costs $500 (a really comfortable one) and I said I am willing to pay $500 for the mattress + box + frame (the beds here have a mattress laying on top of a big padded box on a frame, there are hardly any beds like in Israel). The price for the whole thing + tax + delivery was $800, so after some persuasion from my side and a long talk on politics, he called the main office and got the OK to get me the whole package AFTER tax and delivery for $500.
Also, the owner of the B&B where I am staying drove me around Brookline, Boston and Cambridge yesterday, and then she took me to Target (a huge warehouse of stuff for home) just to get me some bedsheets. She also gave me towels and dishes for my new place. She's so nice.
So I'm getting along, got the apartment, got my project at work, and I'm leaving for New York for two days tomorrow morning.
And for all of you asking for photos - you'll have to wait until the weekend when I'll find my camera in my luagage.
That's all for now.
The company that owns the building had a problem with the fact that I don't have a credit history in the US and that I don't earn enough for their building. So the real estate agent brought me to their office. I was welcomed with the words "Shalom doctor" - yes, the guy there was a Jew and he was really interested in what I do, so after a few minutes of science talk (with no real scientific substance to it) I got the apartment.
As for the bed - the sells person found out I'm Israeli, and surprise surprise, he is married to an Israeli. So I checked out different mattresses and beds and he said "tell me which on you want and how much you want to pay". I picked a mattress that costs $500 (a really comfortable one) and I said I am willing to pay $500 for the mattress + box + frame (the beds here have a mattress laying on top of a big padded box on a frame, there are hardly any beds like in Israel). The price for the whole thing + tax + delivery was $800, so after some persuasion from my side and a long talk on politics, he called the main office and got the OK to get me the whole package AFTER tax and delivery for $500.
Also, the owner of the B&B where I am staying drove me around Brookline, Boston and Cambridge yesterday, and then she took me to Target (a huge warehouse of stuff for home) just to get me some bedsheets. She also gave me towels and dishes for my new place. She's so nice.
So I'm getting along, got the apartment, got my project at work, and I'm leaving for New York for two days tomorrow morning.
And for all of you asking for photos - you'll have to wait until the weekend when I'll find my camera in my luagage.
That's all for now.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
The first week
Well, I decided to try and keep a blog and update friends and family online.
I hope I can persist with that - so let's give it a try...
I have just finished my first week in the Boston area. It was extremely tiring.
I landed last Saturday after a very turbulent flight and a 17 hour trip, and got straight to the B&B. It's a nice and quite residential area.
I have started the week with a very very long walk (about 5 hours) to asses the distances from Brookline (where I'm staying) to MIT and to downtown Boston. The only positive aspect of this walk was to find out that Apple opened a new store in downtown Boston, right where I need to change between the T (under/overground train) and the bus.
Monday was my first day of work - and as I entered the main building of MIT I was awe stricken with the power and size of the buildings. A nice but strange thing is that almost all labs in the MIT facility have a big window that allows everyone that walks the corridors to view what and how people are working in the lab (luckily for me - our labs are not like that).
I started by filling forms in HR and the International Scholars Office, got my MIT ID card, a bank account and started safety training - all on the first day!
The next couple of days were spent mainly on doing safety training and getting to know the mazes of the buildings. Every building here is numbered, but not consecutively!! So moving from one building to another requires a map.
Except me, there are 4 more Israelis in the Department of Chemistry. One is also in my research group. They have been extremely friendly and helpful, showing me around and giving me helpful tips to get settled in.
They also tell me horror tales about some of the professors here. About their huge ego and terrible human relations. It seems that most chemistry professors here work their groups very long hours and might even call their students names in public. Luckily for me, my professor is known as a good person, not a slave driver and the group really likes him. People at the lab come to work late (around 10-11) and leave work whenever they feel like it. No one supervises their time and work, so only the motivated people (which is the whole group) can succeed in such a setting. The only problem with the boss is that he is hardly available.
Speaking of that - I have tried to meet him this week and our meeting was postponed 7 times. I guess I will meet him next week (maybe). I don't really need to meet him, since I am starting to understand what my project is by myself. Once I start working on it I would not have to meet him. So we'll just wait and see.
I think I found an apartment, which was also a big ordeal, I saw between 10-15 apartments, most crappy. Just like Israel, the real estate agents here are pushy and not always truthful. I had to pull out of a deal in the last moment because all of a sudden the fees and payments grew and the terms agreed upon changed.
But now I found a nice apartment in Brookline, a fifth floor (with elevator) 1 bedroom apartment. I will be signing the lease on Monday (if everything goes as planned). That should take off some of the pressure and allow me to work in reasonable peace of mind.
I think I covered much of this hectic week. (You see how long this post is!). I hope that I will settle in and start working full time, which means a lot less to share.
Till the next time...
I hope I can persist with that - so let's give it a try...
I have just finished my first week in the Boston area. It was extremely tiring.
I landed last Saturday after a very turbulent flight and a 17 hour trip, and got straight to the B&B. It's a nice and quite residential area.
I have started the week with a very very long walk (about 5 hours) to asses the distances from Brookline (where I'm staying) to MIT and to downtown Boston. The only positive aspect of this walk was to find out that Apple opened a new store in downtown Boston, right where I need to change between the T (under/overground train) and the bus.
Monday was my first day of work - and as I entered the main building of MIT I was awe stricken with the power and size of the buildings. A nice but strange thing is that almost all labs in the MIT facility have a big window that allows everyone that walks the corridors to view what and how people are working in the lab (luckily for me - our labs are not like that).
I started by filling forms in HR and the International Scholars Office, got my MIT ID card, a bank account and started safety training - all on the first day!
The next couple of days were spent mainly on doing safety training and getting to know the mazes of the buildings. Every building here is numbered, but not consecutively!! So moving from one building to another requires a map.
Except me, there are 4 more Israelis in the Department of Chemistry. One is also in my research group. They have been extremely friendly and helpful, showing me around and giving me helpful tips to get settled in.
They also tell me horror tales about some of the professors here. About their huge ego and terrible human relations. It seems that most chemistry professors here work their groups very long hours and might even call their students names in public. Luckily for me, my professor is known as a good person, not a slave driver and the group really likes him. People at the lab come to work late (around 10-11) and leave work whenever they feel like it. No one supervises their time and work, so only the motivated people (which is the whole group) can succeed in such a setting. The only problem with the boss is that he is hardly available.
Speaking of that - I have tried to meet him this week and our meeting was postponed 7 times. I guess I will meet him next week (maybe). I don't really need to meet him, since I am starting to understand what my project is by myself. Once I start working on it I would not have to meet him. So we'll just wait and see.
I think I found an apartment, which was also a big ordeal, I saw between 10-15 apartments, most crappy. Just like Israel, the real estate agents here are pushy and not always truthful. I had to pull out of a deal in the last moment because all of a sudden the fees and payments grew and the terms agreed upon changed.
But now I found a nice apartment in Brookline, a fifth floor (with elevator) 1 bedroom apartment. I will be signing the lease on Monday (if everything goes as planned). That should take off some of the pressure and allow me to work in reasonable peace of mind.
I think I covered much of this hectic week. (You see how long this post is!). I hope that I will settle in and start working full time, which means a lot less to share.
Till the next time...
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