a quiet week

New Haven is small, and allegedly unsafe, we receive terrorizing mail from the administration relating the last assaults in the campus area. I did not feel unsafe for one second in New York, in New Haven I have little possibilities to experience, spending all my day in the British Art Center and the evening I am so tired I just have a nap on the sofa. Today, big event, we will go shopping with the fellow(s sic) colleagues. It seems that the only supermarket is far enough that we will need to share a taxi. The few grocery and food shop near the campus area have no fresh food. They may have some apples, pears and lemons, hard like stones and so polished with silicon spray that one may even think back with nostalgia to esselunga's fruit section!!!
Food is not cheap as the received image of the US tells, it is at least as expensive. On the other hand, it is possible that food is cheap, but it is not the one I am able to understand.

My experience with NYU has been very useful in these first days at the centre, the performative side (yes) of american institutions, the tours, the presentations, the clapping of hands, so overdone for an italian (european?) were familiar to me. On the other hand, everybody remembers my and my colleagues first names, it is part of their professional requirements. Very impressive.
Why then, in tv series dr House, they use surnames? I thought that in professional relationship, in the east coast, they might adopt surnames. But no. Any opinion?