First week in a new place - start of a cross-cultural race

Dear blog readers,

A number of first impression from my new home country and more specifically my new home state. Captured during my first week of introduction courses and days zooming around in my small rental car.

This is clearly a car land and the idea of taking the bus is remote and most places are beyond walking distance.

• The pillars of society contradict each other - "Everybody have the freedom to choose" and "Everybody have equal rights". Both sound nice and I have never reflected on that they partly contradict each other, wonder which of the two that should carry extra weight.
• Getting the vital numbers - without a social security number and a bank open to provide you with a creditcard you can not move an inch. Just missing the drivers license one now.
• Finding a place to live - easy you are in a country where people move arouand, all places have a leasing office, and you get assisted to visit 7 places in a day and make up your mind the day after...
• TV channel line up - should I stick to the basic (that is 100) or go for the full enchilada (450). Wonder why premium sports is not considered a basic need, and always come last in any country. I'll go for 10 channels if I could start picking at the premium end.
• Traffic lights - Red and green are different. You can turn right on red, which is a good idea. Yellow is interpreted as accelerate harder, and the time from red to green for the other guys is short, and cars beating the yellow is great to avoid.
• Back into checking -I have not written a check in 8 year, but it is great in some situations. I have a bunch of new ones and ready to go.

All the best until next blog is around.