Life moves fast. We had our first day of orientation today. I registered for classes, settled my tuition bill, and started moving into my office at school. Next week is the first week of class and we also start our TA assignments. Yes, Tracy is a TA now. I get to grade and hold office hours for unfortunate Intro Psych students.
The Psych building is about 5 years old. The building is new and spacious. I share an office with one of my cohorts. Next door to us is the office shared by the other 2 first years. There are 4 new students in the Social/Personality area this year among which I'm the only girl. That is pretty much unheard of in the Social Psych area - usually the demographics are female heavy. The 4 of us, I have a feeling, are going to get really close as we pretty much take the exact same classes our first year here.
Because I don't live near a bus line, I have to drive to get to school. The commute is about 5-10 minutes by freeway (which in Austin is considered a stone's throw away). I ended up buying a white 2002 4-door Chevy Cavalier. It's small and gas economical, but the pollution score not up to par. Still, it's nice to own a car without dents or duct tape. It's also a dream to navigate and to park. I have my University of Michigan decal proudly displayed on the rear window.
I live in a cute 2-story condo with 2 other girls I met on Craigslist. NC, the owner of the condo, is a 2nd year Counseling Psych student at UT. Counseling Psych is in the Educational Psych Dept, so we're in different departments, and it amazes me how different her department is from mine although we're both Psych. NC is 28 (I'm guessing) and already has her Master's in Counseling Psych. She's been great at showing me around town and helping me get to know Austin better. JR is 27 and an interior designer. Although we keep our condo very clean and bare, I snuck a peek in JR's room and it's gorgeously decorated. She and I like the same TV shows and sometimes watch reruns of Friends, What Not to Wear, and (cringe) Lifetime movies together. Our condo is in a shadier part of town, but luckily my next door neighbor T looks out for us. She's the type to constantly peer out the window with one hand on the phone to call the police or to warn us if anything is happening. She's already helped me out with finding safer parking and kept me in the know with who's been arrested and which neighbors are fighting with whom. Bless her heart, I think we all need neighbors like T.
I joined a Yoga studio in Austin and have been going daily. The studio is huge with 4 locations spread throughout the city. They offer 350 classes each week taught by instructors well versed in human anatomy and yogic philosophies. I've been finding that having a knowledgeable instructor makes a HUGE difference in my practice.
There is just so much to do in Austin. This weekend I'm going to learn to be a pool shark (my officemate made his gas money to drive down to Austin through playing pool). Saturday there's the annual Hot Sauce Festival as well as something called Flugtag where people build flying contraptions and try to fly them off the bridge. It's going to be a full 5 years ahead of me, I imagine, but I'm really excited about them!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Local Foods
One of my favorite activities over the last week and a half I've been in Austin is to explore the local grocery stores. Here is what I found:
There is no Meijer in Austin; however, there are both Super Targets and Super Walmarts. I haven't been to the Super Target as it's too far away to drive for food, but my parents and I went to Super Walmarts while they were here. The prices are fair and it's nice to get everything in one place, although I feel like the quality of produce is a little lacking. Still, because I'm from Ann Arbor and have been inundated with criticisms of the way Walmart treats its employees, I tend to stay away from that store.
H.E.B. reminds me a lot of Kroger. The store brand products are cheap (like their oats and kitchen supplies) and they also have a selection of whole grain pastas and rice (although whole grain is not as available as it is in the Midwest). The produce was a little disgusting in the store I visited but that may not be true of all the H.E.B. stores. I'll probably mostly shop at H.E.B. for all my non-produce food.
Randalls (yes it has an "s" in its name) is convenient because it's right by my condo. It also reminds me a lot of Kroger. The prices are pretty cheap as well, with the exception of dairy products. The produce here is good - I bought bananas here when I couldn't bring myself to buy the bananas at H.E.B. Still, since yogurt and soy milk are my staples, I can't shop anywhere where prices are over $3 for each product.
Fiesta is huge. It has an overwhelming selection of international foods and produce. I went yesterday and had a lot of fun. The patrons mostly consisted of Mexican Americans - I felt a little out of place shopping there - but I got a lot of food for cheap. There are also open market stands lining the outside of Fiesta selling clothing, accessories - reminds me a little of the outdoor stands in New York. I'll definitely come shop here again.
Lately, I've become more convinced about the benefits of eating local. Between Time Magazine's article on local foods, and a fellow first year in my department expounding on the environmental impact and health benefits of eating local, I'm starting a habit of buying most of my produce from the local Farmer's Market. The prices are a wee bit higher, but I buy so little food each week that I feel it's well worth it. This week, I bought my bread and produce from the Farmer's Market. In the future, I may buy my honey and start preserving my own fruit. It's nice because they only sell what's in season. I've never had okra before, but the stands are teeming with okra right now, so I bought a pound and cooked Smothered Okra. The garlic from the market is harder to peel, but when I cut into the tomatoes, I was amazed by how deep the color was. And the food really is so delicious and fresh.
One of things that surprised me about shopping in Austin was that they don't give you an option of paper or plastic when it comes to bagging up your groceries. Everything is plastic and they use a lot more bags, I feel, than they need. My roommates use the bags at home as trash bags, but between the 3 of us, we have enough already to last us the year. I finally caved and purchased 2 reusable grocery bags online. I figure, if I'm going green, I should start doing it right.
There is no Meijer in Austin; however, there are both Super Targets and Super Walmarts. I haven't been to the Super Target as it's too far away to drive for food, but my parents and I went to Super Walmarts while they were here. The prices are fair and it's nice to get everything in one place, although I feel like the quality of produce is a little lacking. Still, because I'm from Ann Arbor and have been inundated with criticisms of the way Walmart treats its employees, I tend to stay away from that store.
H.E.B. reminds me a lot of Kroger. The store brand products are cheap (like their oats and kitchen supplies) and they also have a selection of whole grain pastas and rice (although whole grain is not as available as it is in the Midwest). The produce was a little disgusting in the store I visited but that may not be true of all the H.E.B. stores. I'll probably mostly shop at H.E.B. for all my non-produce food.
Randalls (yes it has an "s" in its name) is convenient because it's right by my condo. It also reminds me a lot of Kroger. The prices are pretty cheap as well, with the exception of dairy products. The produce here is good - I bought bananas here when I couldn't bring myself to buy the bananas at H.E.B. Still, since yogurt and soy milk are my staples, I can't shop anywhere where prices are over $3 for each product.
Fiesta is huge. It has an overwhelming selection of international foods and produce. I went yesterday and had a lot of fun. The patrons mostly consisted of Mexican Americans - I felt a little out of place shopping there - but I got a lot of food for cheap. There are also open market stands lining the outside of Fiesta selling clothing, accessories - reminds me a little of the outdoor stands in New York. I'll definitely come shop here again.
Lately, I've become more convinced about the benefits of eating local. Between Time Magazine's article on local foods, and a fellow first year in my department expounding on the environmental impact and health benefits of eating local, I'm starting a habit of buying most of my produce from the local Farmer's Market. The prices are a wee bit higher, but I buy so little food each week that I feel it's well worth it. This week, I bought my bread and produce from the Farmer's Market. In the future, I may buy my honey and start preserving my own fruit. It's nice because they only sell what's in season. I've never had okra before, but the stands are teeming with okra right now, so I bought a pound and cooked Smothered Okra. The garlic from the market is harder to peel, but when I cut into the tomatoes, I was amazed by how deep the color was. And the food really is so delicious and fresh.
One of things that surprised me about shopping in Austin was that they don't give you an option of paper or plastic when it comes to bagging up your groceries. Everything is plastic and they use a lot more bags, I feel, than they need. My roommates use the bags at home as trash bags, but between the 3 of us, we have enough already to last us the year. I finally caved and purchased 2 reusable grocery bags online. I figure, if I'm going green, I should start doing it right.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Everything's Bigger in Texas!
In the 8 days that I've lived in Austin, I've made a few observations. I think it's safe to say, "Toto, we're not in Michigan anymore." The saying "Everything's bigger in Texas" is true from what I've seen.
1. State Pride. I really think Texas takes this to another level. Not only do they have a Texas day parade, but when we crossed the state line on our way down here, Texas symbols and icons appeared EVERYTHING. I'm talking billboards, road signs, even bathroom doors of rest areas. Not for 5 minutes have I forgotten I'm in Texas, and there's always something less than 200 yards away to remind me in case I do.
2. The traffic. Austin is not built on a grid. And the freeways do not work the same way as they do in Michigan. Roads rise up on bridges and wind and swirl over and under one another. It's almost futuresque in appearance. Luckily for me, I live at the intersection of three freeways in Austin. I got a hands-on crash course on how to be an aggressive driver.
3. The heat. I was warned, I really was. But Austin is really hot and humid! Unfortunately, my car's A/C is not in the best condition so commuting around town is like sitting in a sauna. I try to make the best of it and remember that a steam sauna has health benefits and promotes weight loss. The sun is stronger too. I'm already 2 shades tanner and my hair is a shade lighter from the sun.
4. The night life and live music. I love Ann Arbor, but Austin puts Ann Arbor's night life to shame. Every other bar has live music and downtown gets so busy that it's routine practice to block off a few of the streets from traffic weekend nights. The Austin City Limits music festival (ACL) is coming to town bringing with it artists like Bob Dylan, Bjork, The Killers, Amy Winehouse, and more. I'm also going to a Tori Amos concert in November with my roommate. How I'm going to afford to do all this? I have no idea.
5. Friendliness of the people. People are really talkative here! I've met my next door neighbor (she's a talker!) and I find myself having conversations at my yoga classes, grocery stores, even Target. People are really easy-going and very interested in getting to know who you are. Sadly, the only place I've been so far where not a single person greeted me was the church I visited last Sunday...
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Road Trip
Finally (somewhat) settled in Austin! Here are pics of our trip down.
First stop: Kokomo, IN where Richard was born.
My old school:
First stop: Kokomo, IN where Richard was born.
My old school:
Saturday, August 04, 2007
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