Eugene, OR - Part 1

[kenjari]

I have spent the entire day just getting here, and I am exhausted. Why is sitting on a plane so tiring? Why am I finding that jet-lag from three hours time difference is so much worse than from five? I'm sitting in a restaurant after a delicious dinner that I had a hard time eating. All I really wanted was my night-time cup of tea, even though it's only 5pm.
Despite all of that, I'm getting a very positive impression of Eugene and the university. Things have started off well.
First of all, Oregon is gorgeous. From the plane, it looks incredibly green and lush, a place of pine forests, hills, and mountains. It's just as nice on the ground. too. There are mopuntains in the distance, yet also plenty of open space. The aiurport shuttle driver was a friendly retiree, quite pleasant to talk to. He told me about how he moved to Oregon from Los Angeles in 1969 and how much he likes it here.
I'm staying in a very basic but comfortable hotel only about three blocks from campus. It's also a short walk from several restaurants. And it has a coffee hut right outside. I wonder if it also sells tea. There's a small supermarket across the way, too.
After checking into my room, I took a walk over to the campus to see where the music building is and get a look around. Most of the buildings at the Univeristy of Oregon are pretty new, and things are laid out fairly square. It seems nice enough, and it's easy to find stuff. The music building is a good size and it's right next to a graveyard.
Luckily, the folks in the Graduate Office at the School of Music were still in. I met Dima Plamer, who had helped me get information and such during the summer. She was really great. Even though I dropped by unnanounced, she answered my questions, gave me a schedule of classes, and took me on a tour of the building. Things are off to very good start.