Wednesday, September 21, 2011
In the Netherlands
A quick update: I made it safely to the Netherlands, where I spent my morning hunkered down in data analysis time. I've rented a bike here to help get around more easily and had some exciting adventures carrying my duffle bag, my laptop, and my purse on the bike yesterday. However, I (and my stuff) made to my gracious host's apartment in one piece! More updates when I get back to SanSe on Saturday!!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Travel
I've decided I'm never going to be a great or stress-free traveler.
If I pack in advance and spend tons of time getting ready, I feel totally overwhelmed, pack and unpack half a dozen times, and still manage to simultaneously over- and under-pack, bringing too much extraneous stuff and not essentials.
If I wait until the day before to get things around, I also feel overwhelmed and rushed.
I leave tomorrow morning for 5 days to the Netherlands and the following things are stressing me out:
If I pack in advance and spend tons of time getting ready, I feel totally overwhelmed, pack and unpack half a dozen times, and still manage to simultaneously over- and under-pack, bringing too much extraneous stuff and not essentials.
If I wait until the day before to get things around, I also feel overwhelmed and rushed.
I leave tomorrow morning for 5 days to the Netherlands and the following things are stressing me out:
- I'm flying on this cheap-y discount airline called Vueling, and similar to a lot of American discount airlines they want to charge for everything from choosing your seat to checking luggage. To encourage people to check their bags they have this incredibly stingy carry-on policy. You get one bag at 21X16X8 inches (much smaller than your average carry-on) and then a "briefcase, purse, or camera." I had planned on packing in this very cute Kate Spade small duffel bag I have. Unfortunately, the bag is 19.5X14X8.8 inches (almost 1 inch bigger than the depth allowed by the airline ... so now I'm faced with a dilemma. I'd really rather not check this bag as it is new, soft-sided, and adorable. Plus, I'd rather be able to carry it on. Since it is soft-sided, there's a chance I could just not pack it super full and hope that it fits. I'd also rather not find out at the airport that I need to check it because it costs 20 euro to check at the gate and only 8 or so to check online. Plus, I'd rather not try to get everything in a tiny bag that goes over my shoulder, if I'm going to end up checking anyhow, and could have a more convenient wheeled bag. So, do I take the chance that I might be able to carry it on? Or do I make the call now to just check a bag?
- In a similar, is this risk worth it vein - I have to take the bus from Donostia to Bilbao airport tomorrow. The buses leave every hour on the hour and arrive in Bilbao at :15 past. My flight leaves at 10:25, so taking the 8 am bus, and getting in at 9:15 SHOULD be okay, since Bilbao is so small ... but if I have any hassle with security, or need to check my bag, it might be tight. The problem is my other option is taking the 7 am bus which will get me in at 8:15 (2+ hours before my flight), and requires me to leave my house at 6:20 to get to the bus station to get my tickets. Which seems pretty awful. But what would be more awful than leaving my house at 6:20 would be missing my stupid flight because the next flight to Amsterdam? Thursday morning. The workshop starts on Thursday morning, so that would not be fantastic.
I'm not much of a risk taker, so I'm tempted to just check my bag and take the earlier bus. But I'm also not much of a morning person, and I purposely GOT this bag as a little carry-on for these sorts of flights.
Hopefully, I can decide tonight and have a stress-free morning tomorrow, and a low-stress travel day!!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Breakthrough
Apologies for the silence recently. I had visitors after my trip to Paris and then have been swamped catching up with work.
Things here are mostly great:
- I feel like my Spanish has made a huge breakthrough since my return from France. The day I got back I started my new group Spanish class, which has been really good. I've been in Spain for the least amount of time of anyone in the class and have been studying Spanish for the least amount of time as well, but am not so far behind. I also started two intercambios (language exchanges), which have been really helpful. Even though I still make tons and tons of mistakes, I can hold my own in conversations in Spanish for about an hour at a time. It's still completely exhausting, and I'm sure I'll hit more walls as I continue to learn, but there's been a huge leap.
- One sign of that leap is that people tend not to switch to English as much with me when I'm ordering, etc. It still happens sometimes, particularly if I'm with someone who clearly doesn't understand Spanish, but mostly I can function in Spanish if necessary.
- A second sign of that leap is that I've been asked on several occasions now to order for other Americans or Brits in bars. Recently, we were at a bar and a guy asked if I spoke English and then asked me for food recommendations. I told him and as he tried to order, the waiter clearly didn't understand him. The waiter looked at me as if to say "help? Please?" So, I rattled off the order. It was a pretty great feeling because I think even 2 weeks ago I wouldn't have been brave enough to do it!
- At that same bar, I had my first non-service oriented conversation with Spanish strangers. These two guys thought it was hysterical that the bartender kept calling me "Señora." To be fair, the guy was probably 18 years old, so I probably did look really old to him. Anyhow, the guys were asking me (in Spanish) why he was calling me "señora". We had a nice back and forth about how I might look young but I'm actually an old married lady (a phrase that apparently works in translation).
I am so, so happy about these developments. I don't know what caused the leap, but I think having to be brave with French, a language that feels easier and more familiar, while I was traveling made me a little braver.
I head to Holland next week for a few days to attend a workshop. I'm really excited about the workshop and about catching up with some friends there. I'm hoping to talk to some people about my work to get some ideas for how to spin my work. Hopefully, it will be great.
In other news, being abroad for the 10th anniversary of September 11th because the news coverage is so detached. While Spain is more empathetic than a lot of countries due to their train bombings in Madrid in 2004, it was strange to be in a place where it didn't dominate the news coverage. FC Barcelona had just been here to play Real Sociedad and the game ended in a draw, which was much bigger news than anniversary memorials. I did take some time to reflect on being in Boston that day, which was the origin of two of the flights - everyone was so worried that those were flights that carried their friends or family - many worried with good reason. I remember lots of fighter jets flying around the city and a lot of uncertainty, largely because all of the cell phone lines (and many other forms of media) were jammed, so news was slow coming in. BU continued to have class that day, which a lot of people criticized that day (and continue to criticized), but I appreciated because it gave us SOMETHING to do other than sit, transfixed by the news (there was plenty of that too ...). Anyhow, I'm sure there's more I could say about that day and the 10 years since... I'm sure that's true for everyone. In some ways, I was glad to be here where it wasn't the focus of the entire day, but was still glad to take some time to remember how much everything changed that day.
In addition to being pensive about that, I'm sort of tired of living away from Pete. I cannot wait for him to come here in a couple of weeks, but I'm ready to live in the same place again. So, fingers crossed for the job market to fall on my side this year. I have a list of about 20 jobs in the US that I'll apply to this year (which may grow as jobs continue to be posted). If I don't get anything from the tenure track market, there will be some big decisions to be made in late-winter/early-spring, but I'm trying not to worry about them now.
I'm hoping to enjoy some of the big film festival happening this weekend. I have tickets to two movies on Saturday, but wasn't able to get tickets to some other shows I was hoping to see. Hopefully, it will be a lot of fun. I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of Penelope Cruz (though I work with a woman who looks uncannily like her) or Javier Bardem, who often attend the festival. Part of me is ready for the weekend ... but another part is worried about a one day work week here next week! I'm sure I'll feel really behind, but hopefully really invigorated on my return!
Things here are mostly great:
- I feel like my Spanish has made a huge breakthrough since my return from France. The day I got back I started my new group Spanish class, which has been really good. I've been in Spain for the least amount of time of anyone in the class and have been studying Spanish for the least amount of time as well, but am not so far behind. I also started two intercambios (language exchanges), which have been really helpful. Even though I still make tons and tons of mistakes, I can hold my own in conversations in Spanish for about an hour at a time. It's still completely exhausting, and I'm sure I'll hit more walls as I continue to learn, but there's been a huge leap.
- One sign of that leap is that people tend not to switch to English as much with me when I'm ordering, etc. It still happens sometimes, particularly if I'm with someone who clearly doesn't understand Spanish, but mostly I can function in Spanish if necessary.
- A second sign of that leap is that I've been asked on several occasions now to order for other Americans or Brits in bars. Recently, we were at a bar and a guy asked if I spoke English and then asked me for food recommendations. I told him and as he tried to order, the waiter clearly didn't understand him. The waiter looked at me as if to say "help? Please?" So, I rattled off the order. It was a pretty great feeling because I think even 2 weeks ago I wouldn't have been brave enough to do it!
- At that same bar, I had my first non-service oriented conversation with Spanish strangers. These two guys thought it was hysterical that the bartender kept calling me "Señora." To be fair, the guy was probably 18 years old, so I probably did look really old to him. Anyhow, the guys were asking me (in Spanish) why he was calling me "señora". We had a nice back and forth about how I might look young but I'm actually an old married lady (a phrase that apparently works in translation).
I am so, so happy about these developments. I don't know what caused the leap, but I think having to be brave with French, a language that feels easier and more familiar, while I was traveling made me a little braver.
I head to Holland next week for a few days to attend a workshop. I'm really excited about the workshop and about catching up with some friends there. I'm hoping to talk to some people about my work to get some ideas for how to spin my work. Hopefully, it will be great.
In other news, being abroad for the 10th anniversary of September 11th because the news coverage is so detached. While Spain is more empathetic than a lot of countries due to their train bombings in Madrid in 2004, it was strange to be in a place where it didn't dominate the news coverage. FC Barcelona had just been here to play Real Sociedad and the game ended in a draw, which was much bigger news than anniversary memorials. I did take some time to reflect on being in Boston that day, which was the origin of two of the flights - everyone was so worried that those were flights that carried their friends or family - many worried with good reason. I remember lots of fighter jets flying around the city and a lot of uncertainty, largely because all of the cell phone lines (and many other forms of media) were jammed, so news was slow coming in. BU continued to have class that day, which a lot of people criticized that day (and continue to criticized), but I appreciated because it gave us SOMETHING to do other than sit, transfixed by the news (there was plenty of that too ...). Anyhow, I'm sure there's more I could say about that day and the 10 years since... I'm sure that's true for everyone. In some ways, I was glad to be here where it wasn't the focus of the entire day, but was still glad to take some time to remember how much everything changed that day.
In addition to being pensive about that, I'm sort of tired of living away from Pete. I cannot wait for him to come here in a couple of weeks, but I'm ready to live in the same place again. So, fingers crossed for the job market to fall on my side this year. I have a list of about 20 jobs in the US that I'll apply to this year (which may grow as jobs continue to be posted). If I don't get anything from the tenure track market, there will be some big decisions to be made in late-winter/early-spring, but I'm trying not to worry about them now.
I'm hoping to enjoy some of the big film festival happening this weekend. I have tickets to two movies on Saturday, but wasn't able to get tickets to some other shows I was hoping to see. Hopefully, it will be a lot of fun. I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of Penelope Cruz (though I work with a woman who looks uncannily like her) or Javier Bardem, who often attend the festival. Part of me is ready for the weekend ... but another part is worried about a one day work week here next week! I'm sure I'll feel really behind, but hopefully really invigorated on my return!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Traveling
I am at the airport in Paris, waiting for my flight to Biarritz. I got to the airport too early, probably, but it is worth not having to run around like a crazy person in an airport I don't know.
Overall, I had a great time in Paris. The city is great for wandering (which I did yesterday morning by myself and most evenings with my friends). Going back to San Sebastian is sort of bittersweet. I am mostly happy to be going back to my apartment with my bed (sleeping on a couch for 5 nights didn't make my body too happy) and to be cooking for myself (or at least eating pintxos). I'm also feeling reinvigorated for work and am ready to be back in the office tomorrow. I'm also sort of sad though because I'm going "home" but home isn't Chicago, which is where I usually get to go after a conference. It is sort of weird and lonely to go from traveling for a conference to being "home" by myself.
The good thing is I am moving into a time where I will get to see Pete more over the next 3-4 months than I have in the previous 5 or so months. He will be in Spain three weeks from Thursday. Then after he leaves, I will be home (and with him in seattle) less than a month after that. Then it's about 6 weeks til Christmas. So it's all much, much more manageable than the most recent huge break between my trip in July and his upcoming trip here.
I'm still working on not wishing away the time I had here. Upon my return today, I am kicking my Spanish into high gear with several hours of Spanish classes per week and the start of an intercambio or two (where I practice Spanish and English with a native Spanish speaker). Work is also kicking into high gear as subjects start returning for our experiments next week! Very exciting! More when I'm back in Spain!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Overall, I had a great time in Paris. The city is great for wandering (which I did yesterday morning by myself and most evenings with my friends). Going back to San Sebastian is sort of bittersweet. I am mostly happy to be going back to my apartment with my bed (sleeping on a couch for 5 nights didn't make my body too happy) and to be cooking for myself (or at least eating pintxos). I'm also feeling reinvigorated for work and am ready to be back in the office tomorrow. I'm also sort of sad though because I'm going "home" but home isn't Chicago, which is where I usually get to go after a conference. It is sort of weird and lonely to go from traveling for a conference to being "home" by myself.
The good thing is I am moving into a time where I will get to see Pete more over the next 3-4 months than I have in the previous 5 or so months. He will be in Spain three weeks from Thursday. Then after he leaves, I will be home (and with him in seattle) less than a month after that. Then it's about 6 weeks til Christmas. So it's all much, much more manageable than the most recent huge break between my trip in July and his upcoming trip here.
I'm still working on not wishing away the time I had here. Upon my return today, I am kicking my Spanish into high gear with several hours of Spanish classes per week and the start of an intercambio or two (where I practice Spanish and English with a native Spanish speaker). Work is also kicking into high gear as subjects start returning for our experiments next week! Very exciting! More when I'm back in Spain!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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