Freedom comes at a price

On February 24, 2006, one month had passed since I arrived in the Land of Freedom. During this time, I had come to realise that 'freedom' does not come cheap. Things are expensive here. A meal (a stable e.g. rice or potato and two side dishes) costs on average USD6+ with 5% tax in Maryland. Eating out is a luxury especially when there is service involved. Then, you have to add another 10-15% tips for waiters or waitresses who are not paid much. So tip them unless service is really bad!

Staying alone away from family also constitutes a form of freedom. When you are alone in a new place, you can act or behave differently from where you hail from. You tend to be more uninhibited since no one knows you. However, staying alone also means you have to do all the house chores, such as laundry, cooking, washing etc alone. For example, it can get pretty tiring and boring since you have to work in the day and then come back in the evening to prepare food. That is why I cooked 'for an army' at one go (as Betty would described my cooking portion) and eat the same food for several days. Buying microwavable ready-to-eat food is an attractive alternative.