9/11

I can't really tell you that I've witnessed a cumbersome day here at San Diego. Although 9/11 was for sure remembered all over the country, I was pretty much unaware of any ceremonies. Probably because I was very busy with faculty and personal stuff...

Today I've moved out of the hotel. I'm currently subletting an apartment from an Italian graduate student. She went to Rome for a couple of weeks (end of September), and I've moved in. The apartment is very nice: 1 bd + 1 bath, small living room and a good kitchen. Lots of ammenities: jacuzzi, fitness center, swiming pool. This is no doubt a luxury condo!
Now it's time to get back to earth and look for a (more) modest but definitive accommodation. I need to focus 100% on school pretty soon. In the following days I'll have to select what courses to attend... the choices are varied!

After more than one decade of leaving behind Apple computers and surrender to Microsoft Windows; today, in the place they're originated from (CA), I've bought my first computer (Apple). It's a white MacBook. I'm very happy with it, and I should say that graduate students are very well treated here. In Portugal this same machine would have cost me 1199EUR, whereas here I payed 1099USD, which was already nice... but I also got an iTouch and an all-in-one printer... pretty cool!

So I can already be video reached through skype (look for: zemariacp).

Cheers!

PS- tomorrow I'll be joining a PhD celebration party. One of Andre's colleagues has made it!