Well, I'm writing this down to record because sometimes typing is easier than hand-writing (oh the modern age!) and I want to get this down. But what I'm saying is: I'm learning so much about myself. I suppose this happens every summer, especially: I'm / we're thrown out of our elements and into something new and temporary, and it forces us to re-examine our lives. Okay, fair enough. Last summer was difficult, feeling trapped and lob-less and internship-less and insecure, &c., and dealing with unresolved issues from school.
Now, this summer, of course, I'm back in Europe. I hadn't been back since December, when I left Amsterdam--thinking, maybe I'm never to return to this home. Maybe I'll never live here again. Maybe I'll never even spend extended time here again. It was okay because I knew it was going to be that way, and I'd prepared for it and thought about it, so it didn't hurt. But now it hurts. That's when you know what you want, I suppose--when you feel wistfulness or jealousy; it's more informative than a passing pondering (ah what lovely alliteration!). If you don't know your feelings: BAM! There they are. Quite informative. I have trouble knowing what I want. So here I am in Belgium, finding out I'm still in mad love with the Netherlands, that even though I used to think Sweden was the best country on Earth (with evidence to support my conclusion!)--my growing infatuation is outweighing even that thought pattern.
It begins: I come to Belgium, and I'm determined to learn French. I have my MP3 courses and my belief that I will read all the signs around me and hear French all around me every day, and then I'll be inspired & I'll learn. I visit a friend first in Paris for four days: clearly, clearly, I'm going to learn! I've studied just a bit before I left the U.S., so it'll be great. Except, I get here, and the immediate sensation I feel is--not desire to learn French, but a desperate longing for Dutch instead. Instead of billboards in French or conversations around me in French...I become bitter and I want them to be (more? exclusively?) in Dutch. Despite being in a predominantly Flemish country, I am surrounded by French. It's not that I dislike French or that I don't ever want to learn it. But when you want one thing and you're given another, you learn to become resentful. I just don't want to learn it at the expense of Dutch. And, economics teaches us that specialisation is the most cost- and time-efficient allocation of...well, energy and time. I could split my time between focusing on the two languages, but then I would be missing out on the benefits of specialisation of trade and comparative advantage. I have some training in Dutch already: comparative advantage. Not that I'm actually going to be able to effectively trade my Dutch-learning (or any skills I might acquire) with / for French skills...wait! That's not true! Aha! I have friends here learning French instead, so an effective trade can occur, optimising the utility & quality-of-language-use of everyone involved! Now I feel better.
Anyway. So it begins there. I feel upset with being surrounded by more French than Dutch, and I still firmly resolve to stay in Belgium and not travel to Amsterdam--money and time reasons, of course, but also: I want to establish myself here (as much as I can, given the time constraints). And I don't want to make myself hate where I am because it's not A'dam or a Dutch city. Isolation is key. Then I'm at these couch-surfers events, and I'm meeting wonderful people, and there are these two Flemish guys and this German girl and we're all talking and so forth...and it is revealed that the German is currently a student in Groningen, NL, and has been for 2 years. She speaks fluent Dutch now, because she is taking all of her (technical psychology) classes in Dutch. She was given a 4-week crash-course when she got there, along with the other German students, and then--right into Dutch classes. The Flemish kids say they would have sworn she was Dutch from her accent when speaking English. She's talking about how she wants to stay in the NL in the future, long-term / permanently, and how she can't stand the idea that she'd ever have to go anywhere that takes longer than 30 minutes by bike, &c. &c. and the Flemish guys are laughing at her saying, 'God, wow, you sound like a Dutch person'. And there's this craving inside of me: this desperate wistful need to be in Groningen, or Utrecht, or Muiden or A'dam...not Vleuten but maybe Leiden or Haarlem... to learn Dutch and be a confident biker. To have gone through these things.
Oh, it gets worse after that, but the point is there's an awakening. I'm now watching and listening to Disney musicals in Dutch, and of course there's Harry Potter in Dutch. Coming back to Europe, I thought at first, well, now I've satisfied the craving. I've reached the satiation point, and now there's no need to return. What a pity, but I guess I might end up staying in the same country as my home-base point for the rest of this earthly experience...travelling internationally for work, but coming back home to the U.S. Oh well. There are awesome places to live in the U.S., so I guess it doesn't matter. I hope health care gets better, but, it'll be okay. But this idea: the idea that it's over, that I don't want it anymore--it's now so painfully obviously not true. That was something startling. I have learned that my love affair with some things European is clearly not over. I don't know what's going to happen now, or where I'm going--but I'm going back to the Netherlands, in the cliche of: at some point, in some way (feels like I'm in a bad movie or heroic novel now)... Anyway.
But I have successfully celebrated at least 2 Belgian holidays / festivities so far, and plan to celebrate another this weekend. The first was the transfer of the EU Presidency to Belgium in the beginning of this month, with the 3 July celebrations going on by the Commission and Parliament buildings. Then there were the 21 July 'National Day' (dumb title or what?) celebrations here in town, lasting all day with fireworks at night. And this whole week (and some of next week), there's the Gentsefeesten (Ghent parties / Ghent festivities), with music all over the city. It's already mostly a car-free zone (HOW COOL ARE THE FLEMISH!?), so I suppose there's not a lot of traffic to stop, but it's also a student town, + again, Flemish (i.e. ish-Dutch speaking), and it's the first city / village / town in the world to go vegetarian for the planet. Once a week is 'Veggie Day', where restaurants are encouraged to offer vegetarian fare, and civil servants and public officials (and everyone else) are all encouraged to opt for vegetarian (or vegan) food. Sweeeeeet, huh? Plus, Flemish town = Dutchish town in this case, with medieval buildings and canals...can't wait.
So that's my update on my life. Interviewing European Commission officials has been fun, and I hope I do something with all of their interviews that is worth it, and that I like, and that uses their time and information well. I leave town in a week, so, that's almost it I suppose for my summer adventures! For the record, though: I do like this town. I think I would even like it a lot more if I was more secure / comfortable in Dutch-speaking, and if I then was also speaking French on top of it. But I do love this town, and my time here, and my wonderful housemate and all of her friends, and the people at the VUB. They're all great, and it's been--a right privilege to know them!
vrijdag 23 juli 2010
woensdag 7 juli 2010
Wesleyan in The World
This is embarrassing to say, but I had no idea how internationally famous Wesleyan is. I haven't mentioned the school frequently, but twice in the past two days, I did happen to mention Wesleyan--once to the lecturer / researcher I am working with, and once today to a European Commission official I was meeting with for my research, and both times was blown away by the response.
Yesterday, my professor (which I suppose is how I shall refer to him, seeing as he was my professor last fall) heard me say I was from Wesleyan, when speaking with someone else, and he says later, 'I know Wesleyan'. I say, 'You do?', meaning, 'No you don't'. He says, 'I think there are a lot of people from Wesleyan who come to Amsterdam; is that right?' 'No,' I say, 'Just me last fall and no one in the Spring. We have one or two students there right now'. He says, 'But Wesleyan. I know that name.' He says sometime between 2 and 4 years ago he taught the class I took with him to another Wesleyan student--that he recognised the name. He oversaw her thesis. I couldn't believe that. Then he said someone, a professor, from Wesleyan, had invited him to come speak on campus. I thought, he must be thinking of Wellesley or he must be talking about Peter Rutland.
An hour or so later we're both on our respective computers, and he says, 'Aha! Here it is'. He's checking his e-mail records and he reads off a name. I say, 'What is that?' It is the student from Wesleyan. I think back and realise I know exactly who that is--a friend of mine from campus who just graduated, and who advised me on studying abroad in Europe directly after they got back from Amsterdam. I am astounded and flabergasted. I say, 'I knew [they] took a class there called Latin American development or something, and loved it--but I didn't know about your class! How funny!' O connections, the world, ah! O my! And then I ask, 'And the professor?' He searches his email again. 'A Professor Rutland'. I shriek with delight. 'Rutland! I knew it was Rutland! I didn't realise it would be [student's name], but I knew it would be Rutland! How fabulous!' And then I explain to him about Wesleyan Word Wednesdays and--better yet--the weekly CSS Monday lunches and talks and tell him he absolutely has to come in the future. He communicates, basically, that he has no intention of doing so, by saying he won't ever be in the area or in the U.S. I am disappointed. But isn't that funny? Then he says to me, 'Wesleyan. That's a big name, isn't it?' I say, 'Yes, but it gets confused with other names in the U.S., like Ohio Wesleyan and Wellesley'. I reflect on what has just happened. 'Ah, Rutland!' I say. 'I completely adore him. He's fabulous and famous, and of course very international. He was the chair of CSS. It would be Rutland. He's hilarious and brilliant'.
Today, with the European Commission official. He says, at the end, 'Which university are you from, exactly, again?' I say, 'Wesleyan University, in Connecticut, in the U.S.' He says, 'Ah, yes! Wesleyan. Yes, I was in Middletown once'.
WHAT.
He knows Middletown? He knows Wesleyan is in Middletown? You have got to be kidding me. This is absurd.
'Ah yes, I was visiting a friend there once, visiting the campus. Wesleyan. Very international school, good reputation--known for being a bit progressive, isn't it?'
Oh man. I come to Brussels, and finally someone (many people?) knows (know) what Wesleyan is.
Yesterday, my professor (which I suppose is how I shall refer to him, seeing as he was my professor last fall) heard me say I was from Wesleyan, when speaking with someone else, and he says later, 'I know Wesleyan'. I say, 'You do?', meaning, 'No you don't'. He says, 'I think there are a lot of people from Wesleyan who come to Amsterdam; is that right?' 'No,' I say, 'Just me last fall and no one in the Spring. We have one or two students there right now'. He says, 'But Wesleyan. I know that name.' He says sometime between 2 and 4 years ago he taught the class I took with him to another Wesleyan student--that he recognised the name. He oversaw her thesis. I couldn't believe that. Then he said someone, a professor, from Wesleyan, had invited him to come speak on campus. I thought, he must be thinking of Wellesley or he must be talking about Peter Rutland.
An hour or so later we're both on our respective computers, and he says, 'Aha! Here it is'. He's checking his e-mail records and he reads off a name. I say, 'What is that?' It is the student from Wesleyan. I think back and realise I know exactly who that is--a friend of mine from campus who just graduated, and who advised me on studying abroad in Europe directly after they got back from Amsterdam. I am astounded and flabergasted. I say, 'I knew [they] took a class there called Latin American development or something, and loved it--but I didn't know about your class! How funny!' O connections, the world, ah! O my! And then I ask, 'And the professor?' He searches his email again. 'A Professor Rutland'. I shriek with delight. 'Rutland! I knew it was Rutland! I didn't realise it would be [student's name], but I knew it would be Rutland! How fabulous!' And then I explain to him about Wesleyan Word Wednesdays and--better yet--the weekly CSS Monday lunches and talks and tell him he absolutely has to come in the future. He communicates, basically, that he has no intention of doing so, by saying he won't ever be in the area or in the U.S. I am disappointed. But isn't that funny? Then he says to me, 'Wesleyan. That's a big name, isn't it?' I say, 'Yes, but it gets confused with other names in the U.S., like Ohio Wesleyan and Wellesley'. I reflect on what has just happened. 'Ah, Rutland!' I say. 'I completely adore him. He's fabulous and famous, and of course very international. He was the chair of CSS. It would be Rutland. He's hilarious and brilliant'.
Today, with the European Commission official. He says, at the end, 'Which university are you from, exactly, again?' I say, 'Wesleyan University, in Connecticut, in the U.S.' He says, 'Ah, yes! Wesleyan. Yes, I was in Middletown once'.
WHAT.
He knows Middletown? He knows Wesleyan is in Middletown? You have got to be kidding me. This is absurd.
'Ah yes, I was visiting a friend there once, visiting the campus. Wesleyan. Very international school, good reputation--known for being a bit progressive, isn't it?'
Oh man. I come to Brussels, and finally someone (many people?) knows (know) what Wesleyan is.
dinsdag 6 juli 2010
No longer in Amsterdam, maar in Brussel
Here are the updates for many days. Hail the return of my monster-blogs!
I spent 4 brief days in Paris first with a close friend of mine from school who'd been studying there, and then to Brussels. It was hot and muggy when I got here, and my backpack far too heavy, but I found my way to the apartment after many many hours of delays, traffic on the bus from Paris, and wrong turns when coming out of the Metro into my neighbourhood! When I move in, my renter sets me up with a Belgian phone and sim card he already has and doesn't use...so nice! I find myself thinking, wow, that's good fortune. And kindness.
The first week went slowly. My roommate hadn't moved in, and I didn't know anyone or any French, really. I've lost most of my Dutch, which was never much to start with. I spent most of every day trying to get myself to do work, interviewing European Commission officials for my undergraduate research thesis, and trying to get to know as many different parts of the city as possible. I did far too much comparing to Amsterdam, but I'm learning to love the place now.
Brussels is neatly-sized, with soooo many extraordinarily distinct sections, so it can feel very large (especially when you're just getting to know it and don't speak the language)--the size is small enough to be unlike New York City or Paris or London, but somewhere large enough to feel city-like. It's like the size of DC, which is perfect (though DC is--believe it or not--much more homogeneous spatially than this place). It's true I never really felt Amsterdam was city-like. It was city-like in a....neighbourhood-y, downtown way. Which is good! I loved it! But it wasn't a classic 'big-city' feel like the others I mentioned (which is not a bad thing, just a thing I've noted). And neither is Brussels, but it's still something new. It reminds me a lot of Washington, D.C., with maybe a mix of Amsterdam thrown in. Lots of international people, cultures, languages, the government is centred here, but also the streets are wider and more open, the buildings are shorter and more utilitarian, and the architecture is very 1800s Victorian brick townhome. Amsterdamian, like I said, only with lighter colours and more variety thrown in. I miss the water, though, but there are lots of parks here and fountains everywhere. When the Sun is not oppressive and hot (Summer is my least favourite weather / season!), it is downright gorgeous. It's downright gorgeous even in the Summer Sun, but everything is better when the Summer Sun is not glaring on it.
At the end of a week, my new roommate (well, housemate) moved in, and she's both Polish & Greek, plus she speaks English and is learning French...we're bonding over our French skills (hers are still better than mine, though), our love of international relations and the EU, and living in Brussels without knowing anyone else.
At the end of two or three days with her, my friend from school (who was just in Paris) came to visit for 4 days, and she taught me to love the city! She's right: it's such a funky, lively little town! By that, I mean city. But it's so surrealist, so postmodern, so...eccentric and down-right strange! The public art and metro art alone would tell you that, even if the Magritte museum wasn't stationed right in down-town Brussels. We of course go. My 'Use-It' guide and map says 'Brussels is the capital of surrealist Belgium, and that's also how we speak. One of the nicer insults is "skieve lavabo", which means "twisted sink"'. It's something you really notice, about the city, though! It's full of personality and wit and quirkiness, all in its own little bundle of self-pride and also kindness. My friend noted that people smile at you here in Brussels and appreciate when you try to speak French (she can; I just try, badly, but still), whereas in Paris you get sneers. My housekey is a funny thick old skeleton key, and I like it :) It's nice living in the city, having only one roommate, and having a kitchen and terrace and living room all to the two of you! I love it :)
On Thursday, 1 July, my roommate and visiting friend and I went to the 'Ommegang' festivities in the centre of the city. Ommegang (ommegang.be) recounts the tale of a divinely-inspired medieval theft of a Virgin Mary statue in Antwerp by a working-class Brusselier womyn, and her miraculous return with the precious object. It became an annual procession ('ommegang' means to 'walk around') that turned into a cultural and national event, and now it's somewhat of a tourist attraction (by somewhat, I mean, majorly!). It was awesome. Big parade, medieval costumes, historically inaccurate weaponry (guns? in the Middle Ages???), ridiculously towering oversized character-costumes that people managed to maneuverer around, and two different height-layers of stilt-walkers...which culminated in a stilt-battle, with the last person standing winning the hand of some beautiful lady or other. Also horses, of which we saw more left-over evidence the next day. Mmmm.
On Saturday, 3 July, the city celebrated the beginning of the Belgian EU Presidency with an evening and night dance-tutorial and then concert, outside by the EU and European Commission buildings. The event was called 'I <3 EU' and culminated in a pop singer-star floating from a gigantic pink balloon, in a ridiculous pink and white hoop-skirt dress, various other famous artists (singer / guitarist from Placebo, the guy who does 'Alors Danse'), a live-people enactment of the EU flag (yellow-clothed trapeze artists hanging in a circle formation, doing stunts and then ending with their arms and legs out to form star-shapes, and a blue banner dropped behind them), and TONSSSSSSS of fireworks, which we loved! It ended around midnight / 12.15am, so we figured: Happy Fourth! An international, EU-loving Fourth :) Better than we do it at home, I think.
Sunday, 4 July, the Tour de France comes through town. I miss it by about 5 - 10 minutes, but....!
Monday, 5 July, the Tour de France starts up again in Bruxelles. I plan to go to the Parc de Bruxelles near the Royal Palace to watch it start up, but as I head out of my apartment to go down to the Metro (AWESOME PUBLIC TRANSIT SERVICE HERE), I see a crowd of people lined up past my view up and down the large street running through the neighbourhood, maybe 2 blocks from my house. There are crowd-control fences and friendly neighbourhood police officers. I bring my picnic sandwich and set down here for a bit to fill out some postcards. Then, all of a sudden and without ceremony, around 12.20pm, for about maybe 15 or so seconds (at most?), bikers WHIZ past us! Then, they're gone, and the people around me look so dazed they only really start clapping as the bikes are leaving, then get into it once all the dozens and dozens of cars with the dozens of spare bikes on top drive past us (which takes much longer than the bikes themselves!) I do my laundry by hand today, because laundromats are expensive and far away and in French, and I try typing up some notes from my interviews with EU officials. But it takes so LONG and my arms start to hurt! I pack up for the next day, because I know I can do it tomorrow, when....!
Tuesday, 6 July: First day at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel working with a researcher / lecturer I took a class from in Amsterdam. He gives me the key to our office (his office, which I'm sharing), and brings me to the hour-long staff meeting at 10.30am. I am introduced, and then sit through another hour during which time a PhD student presents his work, research questions, and initial findings. The hour culminates in a 15 - 20 minute debate on law versus political science PhDs and methodology, and I find myself thinking, this is good to know, since this is something that will give me insight into the process! Not a poli sci PhD then, maybe. I find myself thinking about Economics a lot, especially because there is a sign right in front of me listing off the VUB's degree programs, with 'Economics' listed prominently atop the 'European Politics and Law' degree which, of course, also catches my eye. I love Europe. I love European politics and International politics, but why do all American poli sci programs focus on the U.S. or North America? Uninterested. Le sigh. To my right is a hand-written profile of all the six-week-long summer program participants, like little personal introductions one might write out in fourth grade. Most of the students speak upward of 4 languages, and they're all around 22-30 years old. Some of them have degrees in economics, and I find myself envying them. I felt that way about CSS once. I meditate on this idea / fact while listening to the lecture.
Back in the office of the researcher I'm working with, my U.S.-to-European plug converter I have to attach to the end of any electrical plug I need to use isn't working (again), and my computer's about to lose power. I borrow his Mac charger plug since he's run out to various meetings and won't need it, and when he comes back, I tell him. I explain my converter was making popping and fizzing sounds, and would charge for about 5 seconds before the light would fade again. He looks like he's scratching his head mentally and he says, 'Huh! That's not good', and looks as though he wishes I hadn't kept trying with the charger to make it work, like he's afraid I would hurt his electrical outlet extender. He's probably right to be thinking that. So, he gives me the European plug adapter socket thing that attaches into the Mac adapter (the little plug that slides into the bulky rectangular prism...you know what I'm talking about; I don't know the words for it, but you know what I'm talking about). He says I can keep it because he has like 3 or 4 of them. I feel weird taking it, but Goddess knows I need it! My computer charges successfully after that.
The key to the office has a smiley face in it, where you can put it on a keychain. I choose one of the eyes, but I know I could have used the smile. It makes me smile whenever I see it (despite the fact that I've just violated one of its invisible eyeballs). What a silly office key to have!
This is my update. There are many things I've forgotten, but I love you all.
xoxo
Miranda
I spent 4 brief days in Paris first with a close friend of mine from school who'd been studying there, and then to Brussels. It was hot and muggy when I got here, and my backpack far too heavy, but I found my way to the apartment after many many hours of delays, traffic on the bus from Paris, and wrong turns when coming out of the Metro into my neighbourhood! When I move in, my renter sets me up with a Belgian phone and sim card he already has and doesn't use...so nice! I find myself thinking, wow, that's good fortune. And kindness.
The first week went slowly. My roommate hadn't moved in, and I didn't know anyone or any French, really. I've lost most of my Dutch, which was never much to start with. I spent most of every day trying to get myself to do work, interviewing European Commission officials for my undergraduate research thesis, and trying to get to know as many different parts of the city as possible. I did far too much comparing to Amsterdam, but I'm learning to love the place now.
Brussels is neatly-sized, with soooo many extraordinarily distinct sections, so it can feel very large (especially when you're just getting to know it and don't speak the language)--the size is small enough to be unlike New York City or Paris or London, but somewhere large enough to feel city-like. It's like the size of DC, which is perfect (though DC is--believe it or not--much more homogeneous spatially than this place). It's true I never really felt Amsterdam was city-like. It was city-like in a....neighbourhood-y, downtown way. Which is good! I loved it! But it wasn't a classic 'big-city' feel like the others I mentioned (which is not a bad thing, just a thing I've noted). And neither is Brussels, but it's still something new. It reminds me a lot of Washington, D.C., with maybe a mix of Amsterdam thrown in. Lots of international people, cultures, languages, the government is centred here, but also the streets are wider and more open, the buildings are shorter and more utilitarian, and the architecture is very 1800s Victorian brick townhome. Amsterdamian, like I said, only with lighter colours and more variety thrown in. I miss the water, though, but there are lots of parks here and fountains everywhere. When the Sun is not oppressive and hot (Summer is my least favourite weather / season!), it is downright gorgeous. It's downright gorgeous even in the Summer Sun, but everything is better when the Summer Sun is not glaring on it.
At the end of a week, my new roommate (well, housemate) moved in, and she's both Polish & Greek, plus she speaks English and is learning French...we're bonding over our French skills (hers are still better than mine, though), our love of international relations and the EU, and living in Brussels without knowing anyone else.
At the end of two or three days with her, my friend from school (who was just in Paris) came to visit for 4 days, and she taught me to love the city! She's right: it's such a funky, lively little town! By that, I mean city. But it's so surrealist, so postmodern, so...eccentric and down-right strange! The public art and metro art alone would tell you that, even if the Magritte museum wasn't stationed right in down-town Brussels. We of course go. My 'Use-It' guide and map says 'Brussels is the capital of surrealist Belgium, and that's also how we speak. One of the nicer insults is "skieve lavabo", which means "twisted sink"'. It's something you really notice, about the city, though! It's full of personality and wit and quirkiness, all in its own little bundle of self-pride and also kindness. My friend noted that people smile at you here in Brussels and appreciate when you try to speak French (she can; I just try, badly, but still), whereas in Paris you get sneers. My housekey is a funny thick old skeleton key, and I like it :) It's nice living in the city, having only one roommate, and having a kitchen and terrace and living room all to the two of you! I love it :)
On Thursday, 1 July, my roommate and visiting friend and I went to the 'Ommegang' festivities in the centre of the city. Ommegang (ommegang.be) recounts the tale of a divinely-inspired medieval theft of a Virgin Mary statue in Antwerp by a working-class Brusselier womyn, and her miraculous return with the precious object. It became an annual procession ('ommegang' means to 'walk around') that turned into a cultural and national event, and now it's somewhat of a tourist attraction (by somewhat, I mean, majorly!). It was awesome. Big parade, medieval costumes, historically inaccurate weaponry (guns? in the Middle Ages???), ridiculously towering oversized character-costumes that people managed to maneuverer around, and two different height-layers of stilt-walkers...which culminated in a stilt-battle, with the last person standing winning the hand of some beautiful lady or other. Also horses, of which we saw more left-over evidence the next day. Mmmm.
On Saturday, 3 July, the city celebrated the beginning of the Belgian EU Presidency with an evening and night dance-tutorial and then concert, outside by the EU and European Commission buildings. The event was called 'I <3 EU' and culminated in a pop singer-star floating from a gigantic pink balloon, in a ridiculous pink and white hoop-skirt dress, various other famous artists (singer / guitarist from Placebo, the guy who does 'Alors Danse'), a live-people enactment of the EU flag (yellow-clothed trapeze artists hanging in a circle formation, doing stunts and then ending with their arms and legs out to form star-shapes, and a blue banner dropped behind them), and TONSSSSSSS of fireworks, which we loved! It ended around midnight / 12.15am, so we figured: Happy Fourth! An international, EU-loving Fourth :) Better than we do it at home, I think.
Sunday, 4 July, the Tour de France comes through town. I miss it by about 5 - 10 minutes, but....!
Monday, 5 July, the Tour de France starts up again in Bruxelles. I plan to go to the Parc de Bruxelles near the Royal Palace to watch it start up, but as I head out of my apartment to go down to the Metro (AWESOME PUBLIC TRANSIT SERVICE HERE), I see a crowd of people lined up past my view up and down the large street running through the neighbourhood, maybe 2 blocks from my house. There are crowd-control fences and friendly neighbourhood police officers. I bring my picnic sandwich and set down here for a bit to fill out some postcards. Then, all of a sudden and without ceremony, around 12.20pm, for about maybe 15 or so seconds (at most?), bikers WHIZ past us! Then, they're gone, and the people around me look so dazed they only really start clapping as the bikes are leaving, then get into it once all the dozens and dozens of cars with the dozens of spare bikes on top drive past us (which takes much longer than the bikes themselves!) I do my laundry by hand today, because laundromats are expensive and far away and in French, and I try typing up some notes from my interviews with EU officials. But it takes so LONG and my arms start to hurt! I pack up for the next day, because I know I can do it tomorrow, when....!
Tuesday, 6 July: First day at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel working with a researcher / lecturer I took a class from in Amsterdam. He gives me the key to our office (his office, which I'm sharing), and brings me to the hour-long staff meeting at 10.30am. I am introduced, and then sit through another hour during which time a PhD student presents his work, research questions, and initial findings. The hour culminates in a 15 - 20 minute debate on law versus political science PhDs and methodology, and I find myself thinking, this is good to know, since this is something that will give me insight into the process! Not a poli sci PhD then, maybe. I find myself thinking about Economics a lot, especially because there is a sign right in front of me listing off the VUB's degree programs, with 'Economics' listed prominently atop the 'European Politics and Law' degree which, of course, also catches my eye. I love Europe. I love European politics and International politics, but why do all American poli sci programs focus on the U.S. or North America? Uninterested. Le sigh. To my right is a hand-written profile of all the six-week-long summer program participants, like little personal introductions one might write out in fourth grade. Most of the students speak upward of 4 languages, and they're all around 22-30 years old. Some of them have degrees in economics, and I find myself envying them. I felt that way about CSS once. I meditate on this idea / fact while listening to the lecture.
Back in the office of the researcher I'm working with, my U.S.-to-European plug converter I have to attach to the end of any electrical plug I need to use isn't working (again), and my computer's about to lose power. I borrow his Mac charger plug since he's run out to various meetings and won't need it, and when he comes back, I tell him. I explain my converter was making popping and fizzing sounds, and would charge for about 5 seconds before the light would fade again. He looks like he's scratching his head mentally and he says, 'Huh! That's not good', and looks as though he wishes I hadn't kept trying with the charger to make it work, like he's afraid I would hurt his electrical outlet extender. He's probably right to be thinking that. So, he gives me the European plug adapter socket thing that attaches into the Mac adapter (the little plug that slides into the bulky rectangular prism...you know what I'm talking about; I don't know the words for it, but you know what I'm talking about). He says I can keep it because he has like 3 or 4 of them. I feel weird taking it, but Goddess knows I need it! My computer charges successfully after that.
The key to the office has a smiley face in it, where you can put it on a keychain. I choose one of the eyes, but I know I could have used the smile. It makes me smile whenever I see it (despite the fact that I've just violated one of its invisible eyeballs). What a silly office key to have!
This is my update. There are many things I've forgotten, but I love you all.
xoxo
Miranda
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