Since arriving in America, I have been recovering from jet lag, sorting everything out, buying a car, opening accounts, and running everywhere. The internet was finally connected yesterday; only today did I remember to write. Preparations before school are more or less complete, so perhaps the next few days will be easier.

Mom will probably mention on her Moments that the other three were taken into the little black room at immigration because of SEVIS or something—some system malfunction, anyway—while I passed through without a single question. I did not know any of that at the time. After collecting my luggage, I sat on a bench forever before finding the airport Wi-Fi. The brother meeting us outside waited with me just as long. Thankfully, everyone emerged safely in the end.

The first day did not feel especially different. Some parts of America resemble China: airport layouts, left-hand-drive cars, road planning, and so on. Only after settling in did the many small signs of being newly arrived appear. SI units are so advanced, yet America refuses to use them in daily life. Fahrenheit, miles, ounces—my brain cannot convert fast enough. Prices in dollars look fine until you multiply them by seven. America also leads the world in wasting energy: you do not even turn off the air-conditioning when leaving home. No wonder the country consumes such an enormous share of the world’s energy. Food has been easy enough. Outside, there is fast food and glorious unlimited refills; at home, pork chops, beef, and roast chicken. Good thing I do not need to worry about gaining weight, hehe.

The defining feature of Texas—or most of America—is vast land with few people. Waste appears not only in energy but in space. We moved into a detached house belonging to brothers and sisters, surrounded by broad lawns. The neighborhood even has an entire private lake for residents! Walking around it is pleasant despite the questionable water quality. (Wait, is that a familiar round-headed extension over there…?)

Lawns sound wonderful but are genuinely troublesome. To create a good first impression for prospective buyers, the neighborhood has an association dedicated to appearances. It even regulates the maximum height of the grass. Watering and mowing are therefore unavoidable. I have not tried mowing yet, but yesterday I spent the entire morning watering. In nearly forty-degree heat, I did not dare leave the building’s shadow. I waved a hose over the lawn forever to cover one tiny patch and periodically sprayed insects off my legs. Compared with that, the leaking hose barely counted as an incident. The worst part was the total lack of positive feedback: the grass did not become greener; even the ground did not look wetter, except where the hose leaked. I cannot imagine how the neighbors keep going.

Speaking of neighbors, allow me to praise one perfect neighbor nearby. (He cannot read Chinese, so I am free to improvise.) According to Julie, who lived here before us, Tony “knows how to do everything and owns everything.” Somehow my parents contacted him, and while they were out he came over to install our water filter. His hands moved so expertly through the three-way fitting that I barely had time to pass him a utility knife and other tools. Today he returned with his whole family, shared a secret farming location—the nearby furniture market—and brought many things we needed. When yesterday’s fitting came up, he dismissed the cost as nothing. His wife added, “I can’t believe he didn’t already own that. Our house has every kind of thing that might help a neighbor.” I looked at the unopened supplies they had delivered exactly when we needed them and believed her. So dependable. When will I become someone like that?

And what was I doing? Following my parents through supermarkets and carrying things. While the bank processed our business, I ran beneath a nearby oak and found my first cache after crossing the ocean to America—a tree hide, naturally. The moment Geocaching opened, thousands of caches surged toward me. (Most were gray and unavailable, noooo.) At least I will never lack something to do… once the weather cools down.

A few days ago we visited the school Dad will attend. That day’s conversation deserves an entry of its own, so I will save it. The campus is worth mentioning, though: rich in culture without sacrificing natural beauty. Julie said she and her husband took their wedding photos there. I seized the opportunity to photograph a few DBU birds. (I miss my Sony RX100 so much, aaaaaah. Can I truly not let go?)

Today we finally finished putting every large and small thing away. Attached: desk photo~ I do not own much, and most of it must move to school, but special mention goes to the mechanical keyboard, Kindle Voyage, and portable hard drive rescued during the move. Honestly, almost every move lets me acquire something good from my parents amid the chaos. Leaving Hangzhou last time produced an iPad and a pair of FIIL headphones. (I returned the headphones to Mom; they hurt my head.) Very satisfying (

The desk is not crowded, but it contains enough for daily study—how did you know I scored another 20/20 on the pre-enrollment Calculus test, haha?—and hobbies. I finished editing my absurd little video here and will play CCBC 16 here in the future. Once broadband finally arrived yesterday, I caught up on all the entertainment missed offline and produced some entertainment myself. Please visit Bilibili BV1guhbzZEto and follow Zhuge Tianyao, thank you meow.

Time zones matter. When I post this, many people may not see it because they are at the gathering, while many others will wonder whether today should be August 3. My brother and I argued for ages over whether America is one day ahead of or behind China. In summary: time zones exist. The “time travel backward” I mentioned before came from crossing the International Date Line between Fiji and America. I will probably continue writing mostly at night; the reader’s time simply changes to morning. Serial readers, please adapt automatically. (Does your update frequency truly support serial readers? Also, isn’t that just surveillance?)

And finally: Sojourner’s Diary — America Arc, officially launched! Welcome to Earth Online, where a new player reviews the American server.