Incredible !ndia

I'm not sure if you've seen the add campaign, but I've seen it everywhere. Not just here in India, but in The Economist, posters on bus shelters, billboards, everywhere. Bin and I are in Jaipur right now. Yesterday was a day that can only be described as incredible. We woke early and took the train from Delhi to Agra. We saw the Taj Mahal. Nice from afar, but slightly disappointing up close. We visited the Agra Fort too, then decided to take a bus to Fathepur Sikre to see another fort. That bus ride bought back a flood of memories of my travels throughout Africa with McHale. At the bus stop we got a bus that was to leave when it was full. But there was a political speech going on so the drivers were all listening to it. So then we heard another bus was leaving, so exited one bus for another that was so packed we couldn't even make it near the door. We returned to the other bus and waited. As soon as the speech was over the driver arrived and we left.

About 20 minutes of driving later we were back at the same bus station. Wait a few minutes then leave again. The road that we took was rural, paved when the British were there but never kept up. It was a dusty bumpy mess, as I sat next to a window that did not close. It took about two hours to cover 60km. When we finally arrived in Fathepur Sikre dusk was falling and the fort was closed, so we wandered around the tiny town as people stared in awe of me (being white of course). We met some nice people, had some chai, and went by the side of the road to wait for the bus to Jaipur. It arrived after 15 minutes, but the next 5 hours of my life I was almost scared to death by the maneuvers of this driver. Indian drivers are good, but aggressive, missing each other by centimeters. I did not want to sit close to the front for fear of actually seeing what the driver saw. We eventually arrived in Jaipur near midnight and spent an hour trying to find an available room. What a wonderful day.

I will, hopefully, have time to post photos of this adventure and others this weekend when Bin and I go to his house in Calcutta...

Whitewash

First snow of the year is here! Just a dusting, but it looks beautiful from my bedroom window. I know it's nothing like what in Chicago, but a nice reminder of home.

Creatures

I had an interesting experience last week. Julia, Carlos, the Iranian, and I went to a Dutch graduation party. Well, we sort of crashed the party. Julia was friends with one of the guys in the band and he invited us. So, at about 11:30PM on a Friday night, instead of going to a pub for a beer or two, we had a different type of evening.

The party was as a fraternity house. Apparently fraternity members do not reside there, but have it as a public space. And the space can be rented out as well, as was the case last Friday. The party was for Catalijn, who now has a masters (I think) in physics! As we arrived, a group of friends were reciting poems to honor her. I don't know what they were about, since they were in Dutch, but it seemed like roast. When that was done the band started playing again, but no one danced. It seems that Dutch parties are similar to American parties, everyone talks and no one dances. But we started to dance, and dance, and dance until 2AM, when we were a bit tired and the party seemed to be ending. Thought it wasn't the best party I've ever been to, it was lots of fun, since it was so different. Hopefully we can find more parties to crash...

Sweet Home Chicago

Last weekend I was in Chicago, back home for the second time this year. This trip was much longer than last, it was six days instead of four, but this time there was much more to do. The reason that I went home was because one of my closest friends, Nicole, got married, thus much of my visit was spent doing things related to the wedding.

I've known Nicole since high school, almost 15 years, and the first adjective that could be use to describe her is, "late". One of my main duties as a bridesmaid was to make sure that she showed up on time. That was actually accomplished, give or take 20 minutes. We had appointments for hair and nails, dropping off dresses and picking up shoes, getting to synagogue, and we even made it to the rehearsal dinner on time just as the Saturday snow storm was icing over.

The wedding was beautiful. I consider myself a conservative Jew, but Nicole and Rudy are modern orthodox. So this wedding was similar to previous weddings that I had attended, but had a few differences. Most of what I was not used to was the separation of the men and women, not all the time, but only for certain parts. The men had bottles of liquor, the women had fruit salad and soda. The men entertain the groom and the women entertain the bride, so there was alot of dancing and singing. But after the ceremony the genders were once again mixed.

I didn't spent the whole weekend with Nicole, Rudy, and their families. I was able to spend some time with my own as well. On Friday morning I had the honor of waking up The Kid (my brother David). I think that it was more of me doing my parents a favor, since it is almost impossible to get my brother out of bed. After jumping on the bed, and poking at him with one of my old foils, he finally peeked his head out and declared, "I have nothing to wear." Exhibit A, to your right, is his closet.

Mom and I went to the Field Museum to see the exhibit on maps. It was incredible. They had over a millennia worth of maps. The docent said it would take about 45 minutes to view, but Mom and I spent about two hours there. I loved it, they had some of my favorite maps there (yes, there actually are some maps that I consider my favorites, such as the "Geological Map of England and Wales and Part of Scotland" by William Smith and "The loss of men during Hannibal’s march to Italy, 218 B.C. and Napoleon’s march to Moscow, 1812-13" by Charles Joseph Minard). We only had half an hour to look at the Darwin exhibit, but that was alright, since I preferred the maps. I hung out with Dad at his office and at the airport, drinking cups of tea. Every conversation with him I learn something.

Ruth was also in town, with Vince, so I got to see them at Connie and Greg's place (east meets west with the Chinese Christmas tree), plus for dim sum in Chinatown. Drew joined us as well. It was nice to see him again. He is letting me borrow one of his bike boxes so I was able to bring my racing bike back to Delft. It was surprisingly easy, though the box is a bit awkward, I did not have to pay an extra fee to bring it with. It is my baby now. I took a long ride this morning, the sun was out, though so was the wind. I was so happy to be geared up and gliding through the wetlands, chatting with Julia (we were going slow since I'm not quite in the cycling shape I was before).

It think that was pretty much my whole weekend. Oh, I did some shopping. Some of it was in the shops, but most was looking through my parent's basement, peering though boxes that I packed a year ago, looking for my shoes that I swear I left right there (not recalling that our home is actually lived in and I cannot expect things to stay put for months). It was a really nice visit home. I got to see some snow, but leave before the storm hit (though I got to watch our plane being de-iced). Time to plan my next vacation.

Istanbul

Last week Carlitos and I spent a few days in Istanbul. Although the weather was terrible, cold and rainy, just like Delft, the city was amazing.

The first thing we did, once we arrived, was go to the baths. Mom had recommended, Cagaloglu Hamami, where she had visited a few years back, which was also noted in the book "1000 Places to See Before You Die." While I have to admit that I own the book, though interesting, I find it a bit pretentious. At the baths, the books logo was plastered everywhere on everything. I found it very sad that such a beautiful and historic bath now relies solely on that book for marketing. It seemed completely unnecessary, for based on the quality of my bath I would assume that word of mouth would be sufficient.

I was first lead into a changing room and given a high school locker room size towel (maybe slightly bigger and definitely softer) to cover myself. Wooden sandals were also provided. I was then taken to the bath. It was a beautiful columned room with marble floors, dozens of faucets and sinks along the walls, and a foot high platform in the center. I was brought to a warm basin full of flowing water and with a quick flick of the wrist my guide/massuse had removed my towel and instructed me to "wash!"

I spent about 20 minutes just pouring water over myself until I was instructed back and laid on the marble slab for a scrubbing. I was scrubbed within an inch of my life. As a friend of mine has said, "You go in with a tan and come out without one." A bit more washing followed. Then was the massage. It was so relaxing that I almost fell asleep. Then another rinse. Finally I was soaped up, my hair was washed, I was rinsed off again. By that time I was absolutely exhausted and could not do anything but sit and sip tea in the beautiful entrance hall until I could gather the strength to meet Carlitos on the men's side (women were allowed to be in the men's entrance area but men were not allowed in the women's).

Carlitos' experience was a bit different. Before we went to the baths he got a shave. He seemed a bit apprehensive at first, questioning the barber on his experience (25 years) when he saw the straight razor. The barber was quite thorough. After the shave he brought out what looked like a big cotton swab that the then set alight and used to burn off excess ear hairs! After that I went off to my bath and he went off to his, but Carlitos said that his massage was not as thorough and paid a bit extra for a second one and that his whole experience was not quite as long as mine and became a bit anxious having to wait for me for almost an hour. But on the whole we both enjoyed the experience.

The rest of the holiday was spent seeing the big sites and trying not to buy a carpet. The first site was the Topkapi Palace. This was where the sultans lived for hundreds of years. In honor of Bin, our first stop was a tour of the harem, the former home of the sultans' many concubines and children. The rest of the palace was full of small museums and treasures. Then to the Aya Sophia, a church built by Emperor Justinian that was used for almost thousand years before being transformed into a mosque for the next five hundred years, and is now is a museum. It's a mammoth structure. Across the plaza was the Blue Mosque, which was just as beautiful, but a bit more slender. We also spent some time at the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar. As many of you know, I hate shopping. I hate looking and looking for something that may not be perfect and is probably overpriced. I do like spending money, but that is completely different than the act of shopping.

At the Grand Bazaar everyone was trying to sell us a carpet. The whole ceremony is quite interesting. If you even glance at carpet you will be invited into the shop. You enter reluctantly, and take a seat, trying not to look at anything for too long. You are asked if you want tea, and when the response is yes, the assistant is sent out to fine a tea boy wandering about the market. Then the carpets begin to be unrolled and piled, one on top of the other. First you narrow down the size, then the style, then the colors. Finally you have a rug that you like, not necessarily love, but like. And the negotiations start. They say a number, you say a number, you think it's too high, the price is reduced a little, you say you are a poor student, the price is reduced a bit more, you say you need to think about it, the priced is cut by a bit, you say that you need to go to the bank, and suddenly the price is a bit less. Then you take their card and say you will return. And you don't.

I actually saw one carpet I liked. It was cream and light blue and made of silk, about five feet wide and eight feet long. It would have probably cost almost the five figures (in dollars). I am glad that I did not start the negotiations on that one...

Photos will be posted later, maybe a few more stories too. But not today, I need to pack.

The Visa Raj

I'm going to India during the winter holiday. One of my best friends from IHE, Bin, has returned home and I shall visit him. I need a visa for India. Apparently everyone needs a visa for India. I know this because I googled it. I also found the application online, as well as the address and list of fees. It should be easy. But, of course, it is not.

Giorgia came with me to Den Haag. She had some documents of Bin's that needed to be certified by the Dutch foreign office, as well as the Indian Embassy. We left Delft at 9AM. The foreign office was simple, very Dutch. An orderly line, a simple fee schedule, and done in 10 minutes. Then we walked to the Indian Embassy. Once we found it we followed the signs and arrow that read "Passports and Visas" to a small basement office. There, I was informed that, no, in fact they do not process visas there, but that had outsourced it! The Indians are outsourcing now. Anyway, the visa office was down the street, about a 10 minute walk. I left Giorgia at the embassy to get her documents stamped.

I went to the visa service office, took a number, and waited my turn. When I got to the desk and my application had been approved, I was informed that the fee would be €90! But the form says €50? Well, she explained, the normal fee is €50 for the visa, but for Americans it is €75, plus a €15 service fee. I asked why that was not noted, she replied that it was noted online. I disagreed, and said that the form online was the exact same form as in the office that showed both the wrong address and the wrong fee and that if the current information had been accessible online that I would have found it. What other explanation did I have for showing up at the visa office with only €85!

Yes, I was €5 short. I've been waiting on a tuition refund from the institute that is still yet to come and I did not take out extra cash besides the €50 that I had assumed the visa would cost. So I had to wait for Giorgia. She was having her own problems with the embassy, they needed document copies and the copy guy wanted to be paid above and beyond the €50 it was costing to get the documents stamped. She said some choice Italian words to him and got the copies made and met me at the visa office minutes before it closed for the morning. Once I paid, I was informed that I had to return at 4:30PM to pick up the visa.

So Giorgia and I spent the afternoon in a cafe. Well, I spent the afternoon there and Giorgia left for a short while to meet her professor at the train station. I have no idea why they decided to meet at the train station in Den Haag, but apparently it was a useful meeting. The afternoon was much more relaxing, Giorgia was able to pick up her documents from the embassy early and I was able to get my visa without anymore hassle. And we were back in Delft by about 5PM. Only 8 hours to get the visa.

Epilogue
I was lucky to get my visa so easily. A Brazilian friend waited all day in Den Haag then found out the misspelled her name in the visa and had to return the next day for the corrected copy. Her boyfriend didn't fare much better, since he will be going to India for a three day conference, plus two weeks of tourism, he was informed that he could not get a tourist visa, but needed a business visa, thus a letter of invitation. I was lucky.

Fire!?

This afternoon I was heading downstairs for futbol. I always take the stairs when we play behind Mina. As I was approaching the second floor it smelled a bit burnt. I began to curse the boys who had a BBQ on the other side of the building the day before. Didn't they clean up? As I approach the first floor I notice the door open, and thought, what assholes have decided to keep the door open on this cold, windy, rainy day...

And then I saw it. On the ground floor. The wall was covered in smoke. The door was charred. The floor was a mess. And we have no idea what happened...

Quick Dutch Lesson

Eight=acht. Night=nacht. Therefore, N8=n+acht=nacht=night.

Last Saturday was Museum N8 in Amsterdam. From 7PM to 2AM, 42 museums were open, each with special events. We had been to something similar in Budapest in June, but we only went to one museum there. This time, we made to about half a dozen, which was quite an accomplishment with a group of ten people.

We started at NEMO, the science museum. It was like being a kid again, playing with bubbles, lifting with levers, and refracting light. Next was the Stedelijk, the contemporary art museum that had an Andy Warhol exhibit going on. Then was a boat ride to Rembrandt's house (which I declined to enter since I had been there with the family the month before, I had a beer instead). The Hortus, the botanical gardens, was next. They had a Persian theme with belly dancers, mint tea, and dates. We walked past the aquarium, and after talking with the doormen, decided to go in (not quite the Shedd, but nice). Our final stop was the Tropenmuseum, aka museum of tropical cultures, where we danced until closing.

Hungry and tired we went for a drink, since we could not find a place with an open kitchen. Gabi, Alejandro, Carlitos and I left the bar at 2:30AM, waited until 3AM for the bus to central station. At the station we saw Julia, Ruben, and Gabriel, who we had left at the bar half an hour ago (the had taken a taxi, much smarter than us) and waited for the 3:42AM to Delft, which only arrived at 4AM, and got to Delft at 5AM. We were all asleep on the train. Great night.

Spaaaah

I spent last weekend in Frankfurt, with Connie visiting Pia and Ingo. We had fun. We ate well. I adopted Connie's favorite German breakfast as my own: raw meat with raw onion. We stank for the rest of the day. But that was alright, because we sweat it out at the spa on Saturday.

The spa was nice. Apparently this was a regular activity for Connie and Pia, but it was my first time at a German spa. We spent our afternoon in the naked area. There is a swimsuit area with lots of pools, but we spent our time in the area with the steam room, saunas, pools, and tanning beds. Naked. Everyone was naked. It was not a pretty sight, but everyone looked quite comfortable.

So, the really difference with every other spa I have been to is the treatments. A sauna is dry heat. Most of the saunas at this spa were about 85°C. At a prescribed time, a dressed German man will come into the sauna and open the door and window and air out the room. It's still hot. Then he will close it up and pour flavored water on the sauna rocks. We got to experience both lemon tea and green tea. Then the fanning starts. He takes his towel and throws waves of hot wet air down from near the ceiling. It hits you like a brick. You are overcome by the heat. You can barely keep yourself sitting up and you wonder how this man has the energy to twirl his towel around for four minutes...

Then he stops. Plastic bottles are passed around. They contain honey. It is slathered into every nook and cranny. The honey is not sticky like I had expected, it glides onto the skin, then slowly melts off. After a few more minutes of heat we are released. We rush outside, not just out of the sauna, but outside, on a typical gray, cold, yet dry German autumn day. You can see the steam rising from our skin. After a minute or so we go into the showers and rinse off in the cold, then take at dip in the 20°C plunge pool. Very refreshing. But apparently not cooling enough. A few minutes later a beautiful pink pattern appears on my legs. My blood is still boiling and a map of my veins appear. It soon fades after another walk outside.

The spa was great. While there we snacked on pretzels with cheese and fresh juices, a perfect salty sweet hydrating combination. That night Pia and Ingo's former neighbors came over for a dinner of pasta, schnitzel, and chocolate chip cookies, very reminiscent of dinner parties at Connie's.

And on Sunday I left, after a great 48 hours. I wish I could have stayed longer, but the lab today was almost like a spa. Instead of dousing myself in honey I bathed my glassware in acid. Close, right?

Lockout

I locked myself out of my room this morning. Not for long, but I was worried. When I went running last night I took my room key off the chain to put in my pocket without jingling. I guess that I forgot to put it back after the run. This morning I went to do laundry, while grabbing my keys I pondered taking my phone, but decided not to, the laundry room is just down the hall. Came back to my room a few minutes later and as I took out my keys I realized the room key was not on the chain.

Well, Alejandro is a few doors down, so I can just knock on his door and go through the back porch. As I peered through his window it was dark, I was afraid, he couldn't be out already, it's only 11:30AM and he stayed up late to watch the baseball last night. Buzz, buzz, uh oh I have no phone, buzz, buzz, oh, there is movement...he answers the door.

This is easy now, I can just go through the back porch since I never lock it. Hmm, it's locked? It's locked! Who the f*@k locked my back door!? Oh, but I left the window open a touch...can I get in...yes! In through the window. I am saved. Arrrgh. I cut my finger while putting the key back on the chain.

Now I need to lock the back door because people now know how to get into my room.

The Face of a Party Animal

If anyone outside my immediate family can identify that reference, I will be impressed. Last week the new students arrived. Therefore, we had a few parties. Last week I managed to attend 6 parties in three days, plus some dinners as well. Only last night did I finally get to rest (though probably not for long).

Throughout last week new students arrived, but on Thursday the program officially began. The new students were taken on a tour of Delft led by staff and old students. They were one person short, so I volunteered to lead a group. Though I had not recently studied my formal history of Delft, I thought my tour was useful, pointing out the bank and grocery stores, explaining very clearly that one does not buy coffee at a coffeeshop, it is for marijuana, if you want coffee you need to go to the cafe, but not the coffeeshop. We also took a canal cruise. After the tour, the new students got a speech from the director, followed by their first official party, the IHE Dutch party. There was cheese and pancakes, raw herring and beer, typical music but no dancing. We met lots of new students and had a great time. For me the night ended early, considering I had defended my thesis proposal earlier that day.

Friday was much busier. That was the day of our departmental party. We had been planning this party for three months, for it had been postponed since August. The students pooled our funds and made dinner, while the staff provided drinks. So, once again we took over the school's kitchen for a few hours to cook kilos or rice, dozens of chickens, and hundred of chocolate chip cookies. Mmm, cookies. Maybe because they are easy to handle, or sweet and tasty, but it seems that about a quarter of them left the kitchen before the party (since the rule is that broken cookies can be sampled, many cookies happened to break :) The food was excellent and we had a great time, but when it was over I went to the Environmental Science party for a few hours, then a salsa party. Three parties in one night, not bad.

Saturday I slept in. But not for too long, since futbol began again that afternoon. It was nice to play with new students, but it was tiring since we hadn't played in a few months. After that I rested in preparation for the party here in Mina for new students. But in the evening, on the way over, I saw some of my classmates who invited me to their Ethiopian party (this year there are 22 new students from Ethiopia). I was on my way to meet friends, but decided to stay for a beer. Oh, but there is food, of course I will try some. It is time for the coffee? Yes, that would be nice. I cannot leave now because we are going to start dancing. For those who have not seen Ethiopian dancing, it is wonderful. I wish I had a video to share, but there is lots of shoulder movement that is almost impossible to describe. I tried to learn, but was not very successful.

Finally, there was one more party. It lasted all night, though I left around 3AM. It was lots of fun to spend time with the new students. The dancing never stopped, though I eventually did, exhausted by the busy days prior. And then it was Sunday. A Sunday that actually had sun. So Elena, Simon, Julia and I rode to town for a coffee, and I had an epiphany to cook dinner that night and suddenly it was dinner for nine at my place. While I do not have enough tables or chairs, Bin had left me with plenty of plates, forks, and glasses, plus a dishwasher too. Spend the week recovering?

Travels with Julia

About a month ago (it's been that long!) I spent a week in Corfu with Julia. I have finally posted the photos. We had a long hard summer with little time for a holiday. So when we found out we had a week free we decided to go somewhere cheap and warm. We got a deal for hotel and airfare for a week in Corfu, Greece. Maybe we went a little too cheap, while our hotel was 600m from the beach, the beach was a 5m wide strip of pebbles next to a marina. And our room fronted a road that had trucks roaring up and down all night. But after we got over these slight inconveniences, we had a great time.

Corfu is small, but not tiny. It was manageable. For three of our seven days we rented a car and explored every paved road in the north. While most of this was intentional, some was due to the lack of coordination between our map and reality. The sign would point in one direction to a town, which was on the way home based on the map, and we would suddenly end up on the other side of the island. In one case we found a cute little village of half a dozen houses and a man selling homemade wine and olive oil. How cute. How rural. I'll spend €3 for a bottle. When we returned to our hotel for sip, we discovered that it was actually vinegar. But the experience was worth €3.

We spent days driving along the coast to many beaches. Each one had its own character. Most were rocky and not sandy, but the water was clear and blue. Our favorite was Paleokastritsa. Well, I liked it alot and we were there three times, so I assume that it was one of Julia's favorites as well. There we met Nikkos, a 20 year old nursing student who rented out kayaks and paddle boats. He saw us evening out our tans, and invited us to share some ouzo. When we returned a few days later we rented some kayaks and paddled into the sea to see some amazing cliffs and caves, but within an hour my arms were aching in such a way that it could only be resolved by a bit of ouzo and a nap on the beach.

We swam. We lay in the sun. We ran for the bus occasionally. We ate well. We drank lots of cappuccino freddos. Those were excellent. It is basically an iced espresso with foam. They sweeten the coffee part before chilling it so the sugar is actually dissolved. When we first found them we had four per day until we realized what it was doing to our budget. They were perfect for the heat, every day was about 30°C, and the sun, for we barely saw a cloud. It was a really nice holiday, but a bit too short. They always are.

$20

Maybe it is lucky money. Last Wednesday was Julia's birthday so we went out for dinner and drinks (I have lots of photos to post, I know). When I arrived home at 2AM I decided to check my mailbox, which I only check about once a week. In it there was a letter that read, "...Thank you for your opinion...please find enclosed a gift voucher from American Express...you are a monthly drawing winner..." And now I am $20 richer. I was told that good things come in threes, hopefully that means my tuition refund and living expenses will arrive soon.

€20

Yesterday I waiting in line at the ATM, talking to Julia, not paying attention. The person ahead of me leaves. I walk upto the machine and try to put my card in, but it's still humming and whirring. Out comes €20. I look around, but realize that I have no idea what the person ahead of me looked like. Julia and I ask around. No one knows where the women went. Someone says, "It's your lucky day." I guess it was. I think I will use it to buy a present for my condo, since yesterday was its birthday. Maybe that's not the right word. Anniversary? Yesterday was exactly three years since I became a homeowner. Hmm, I guess I should spent the money on me...

Molly's Wedding

Last weekend I was in Philadelphia. Yes, once again I went to the US for 72 hours. I do not consider myself jetset, for a direct flight across the pond actually takes less time than a one stop layover from the west coast. Though the weekend was brief and I never really adjusted to the time change, it was fun. Molly picked me up from the airport with Sean (now her husband), who I had not previously met. I feel that it is important to meet the groom before standing up in a friend's wedding, even if it's only a day or two before. Exhausted from the travel, I spent that night working on my thesis proposal and dined on my first Philly cheese steak. I truly believe that sandwich was invented with me in mind. Consisting of only meat, sauteed onions, cheese, and bread, I do not think it could ever be improved upon.

On Friday morning McHale and Genny, the remaining two Women arrived. Genny was supposed to arrive the night before, but she her flight was canceled due to weather. We were not quite sure what weather was being referred to, since it was lovely both in Philly and New York (where she had a layover from San Diego). The rest of the weekend was spent laughing. Sure there was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner on Friday night, but it was so nice to be with my Duke friends again. McHale also brought her boyfriend Samidh with as a date, and they shared the hotel room with Genny and me. He was really cool, and brave for sharing a room for the weekend with us. We just spent the whole time being silly, though the specific of which cannot be disclosed.

The rehearsal dinner was an exercise in technology. Specifically digital cameras for those who came of age prior to their invention. Maybe the problem is not with the fact that the camera is digital as much as it is with the red eye reduction. This is what happened. Someone took a photo of the bridal party. The button is pressed, a flash goes off, the camera is moved by the photographer, a second flash goes, thus the photo is taken. It was actually aimed at the floor by the time the photo was taken, but the photographer is not yet aware of that fact. He just sees the bridal party laughing and thinks, "this would make for an even better photo." So he aims the camera the crowd again, the button is pressed, a flash goes off, the camera is moved, a second flash goes, thus the photo is taken. Of the ceiling this time. More laughter. More photographers. This occurs for a few more cycles until it's not funny any more. I have yet to see these photos.

Saturday was the big day. Up at 7AM to shower. 8AM brunch. 9:30AM hair and makeup. Back to the hotel at noon for lunch. Leave hotel at 1PM for the wedding site or 1:30PM photos. More photos. 4:30PM ceremony starts. 11PM back to the hotel. It was a long day, but absolutely perfect. Molly looked beautiful. Her dad gave the best wedding toast I had ever heard. There was drinking and dancing all night. Then it was Sunday.

Sunday. I woke up in Philly and went to sleep on Monday in Delft. It was 36 hours of planes, trains, and automobiles. I had to take a bus to New York, then a stopover in Dublin, to finally make it back home. And I am just getting over the jet lag three days later and still working on my thesis proposal.

Back in Delft

I am finally staying in one place for more than three days! So, coming soon...stories and pictures about the last six weeks.

Corfu

The vacation that I wanted or the vacation that I needed? A bit of both. I am enjoying the good weather, for I the first time in months I have gone 48 hours without rain. I am not sunburned yet, even though I have been outside for most daylight hours. Julia is making me do a bit of work on my thesis, only because her mentor is making her email him some edits. I have been reviewing lots of literature, but none of it seems relevant to my topic. But that hasn't been the whole holiday, don't despair. Yesterday we went to the beach at Glyfides and swam in the Adriatic, today we climbed forts in Corfu Town and drank many iced cappuccinos. Tomorrow we explore the north.

Excuses, excuses

The family just left. It was nice to spend time with Mom, Dad, and the Kid. Tomorrow I go on holiday, one week in Corfu. Thus, no time to write. I know I need to write about Belgium, Helsinki, Tallinn, and Berlin, about Asian night, about groupwork, about my family's visit, but I'm tired. No, exhausted. I've been working, my thesis proposal is due in four weeks. I've been fighting, I am desperate for a consistent funding policy. I will catch up eventually. Just not tonight.

MIA

The past three weeks have been a bit bust. First there was the weekend in Belgium. Then Asian night. Then group work. Therefore, I skipped town and spent last week in Helsinki, Tallinn, and Berlin. So in the next few days I will be posting. It needs to be done soon because Mom, Dad, and Kid arrive in 10 days. No, nine. Wow. Lots to do.

What You Will

Call it greed. Call it impatience. Call it stupidity. Call it what you will, but on Wednesday I finally bought myself a copy of the latest Harry Potter. And finished it this morning. I enjoyed every second of it. I already have a copy in the states, but I decided that I didn't want to wait anymore. So that's one less thing to ask my parents to bring with on their visit.

Foreign Guests

Chicago is a so far away. I wonder if I can get this written before they are off the train in Amsterdam? I just returned from drinks and dinner with Julia, Drew (my ex) and Amanda (his girlfriend). We had a wonderful time. I was a bit nervous, and asked Julia to join me as my wing man. But it turned out quite well. I really enjoyed meeting Amanda and was very excited that Drew finally got a stamp on his passport. And the fact that they brought me some presents from home really helped (a bridesmaid dress, a portable hard drive and a book in exchange fro some candy and stroopwaffels - I think I got the better end of the deal). Anyway, it was very nice to chat and catch up and I can only hope that they enjoyed it as much. Well, I can also hope that my heat rash goes away soon too, but at this point it seems to be a pipe dream...

Waiting by the Phone

I am waiting for the doctor to call me back. I am waiting to find out if I will need to take, yet another course of antibiotics. Penicillin this time, I think. I am waiting to talk to the doctor because sometime overnight my heat rash has spread from my body to my face (I don't really know how it could do that, but it did). I now have the neck of a lacrosse player, the lips of Angelina Jolie, eyelids that seem under sedation, and skin like sandpaper. Oh, and now that group work has begun, I now have the responsibilities of a $60k/year consultant (without the money, of course). Today I would rather be a have not.

"Where is My Grappa?"

On Saturday we had a Brazilian BBQ. It was organized primarily by Julia and Marquinhos, with help from Carol and a decidedly un-Brazilian Bin and me. In the morning Julia, Marquinhos, and I went shopping to Makro, which is a bulk goods store, like Costco. But the selection there was amazing, cuts of meat from every country imaginable. We were actually able to get some nice cuts of Brazilian beef to grill, and it cost almost nothing. We spent hours chopping, cutting, marinating, carrying tables and chairs, running to the store for that last bottle of sherry. We grilled for hours, adding cuts of meat, chicken, and prawns here and there, just nibbling through the afternoon and evening.

Then night fell. The party moved inside. The beer was fading and the samba was starting. And then the grappa disappeared. Bin's grappa, his pride and joy, was gone. It was consumed without his permission by some of the guests. There was some commotion, some words, some trouble. At almost 2AM, Julia, Alejandro, Marquinhos, and I were with Bin in his room as he was ranting, "Where is my grappa? Where is my grappa?"

At 10AM on Sunday we began the cleanup. It took almost two hours and I must have lugged half a dozen bags of garbage to the bins. It was a good party. A great party, except for the last hour. After our clean up we went to the beach, to Scheveningen. This weekend was the nicest of the year, around 90F on both Saturday and Sunday. Though it took a while to get to the beach, once we were there it was perfect. We lounged in the sun, drank some prosecco from the bottle, swam in the sea, had some ice cream, laughed, and gossiped and for a brief moment, believed it was actually summer.

But not for long. Today was much cooler and it rained for hours. I woke up this morning with a slight rash on my arm, that soon spread to the rest of my body. I freaked out a bit and called Julia, I needed a second opinion. She thought it was allergies, I was trying to figure out what plant I had brushed up against yesterday. Heat rash, the doctor said. My arms and stomach have the color of cotton candy and the texture of braille. It should subside within 48 hours.

The Sickness

I've been ill for over a week now. What started as a standard infection has turned into the unknown. The Dutch are very wary of prescribing antibiotics but I'm already on my second course. I hate them (the antibiotics, not the Dutch), they seem to make me even more sick than I was before. I've spent the past 10 days, more or less, sequestered in Mina, leaving maybe once a day for a short class or a brief bike ride. I have an exam today, plus another on Thursday, so I have been attempting to study (that means I've been interspersing reviewing my notes with naps), thus at least I've kept myself occupied.

It hasn't been all bad. I'm actually quite impressed with the Dutch medical system. Apparently I have had a good experience. I've always been able to get a timely appointment with the doctor, if I need medication it is sent directly to the pharmacy via computer and ready by the time I arrive, and even at the hospital when I did not have my insurance papers with me the receptionist told me just to bring it by next time and I did not have to pay a cent. Also, I have very good friends who have been taking care of me. They have made sure that I have been fed and watered and given some fresh air.

40 Days and 40 Nights

It has rained everyday for the past month, more or less. I think I should start building an ark.

Bike Ride

I wish we had taken photos. Yesterday was a very lazy Sunday of attempting to study and lounging with Bin at Julia's place, slowly feeling worse throughout the day (nothing that couldn't be fixed with a good dose of antibiotics). So in the evening Julia and I decided to take a walk, no a bike ride. As we were leaving we ran into Elena and Maria, who happened to have the same idea. So the four of us rode to a park in Delft, one that I had never been to that is less than 500m from my dorm. I need to get out more. I was shocked, but not surprised, that there was such a beautiful place just seconds away that I had not discovered yet. Maria was almost attacked by a gaggle of geese and we got shit all over our tires, but it was such a nice ride. We then went out for some coffee in the center of town, enjoying the sun until it disappeared behind the church (at around 9PM). It was a wonderful evening...

But it didn't last. After I returned home I began to feel more ill and didn't sleep much at all and ditched my classes this morning to see the doctor. I've spent most of the day lying in bed and waiting for the much coveted antibiotics to take effect. On a positive note I found out that my 8:45AM class was canceled for tomorrow and that we only start at 10:45AM instead. So I have another 16 hours of feeling sorry for myself and trying to rest, because I vow to be in a good mood tomorrow. I'm a bit bored with being...blah.

Homesick

I'm finally homesick. During the past nine months I have missed some things, but I have never felt like this. It began last night as I spoke with my mom. She had found some of my clothes in the basement and had washed them for me. I'm 5000 miles away and Mom is still willing to do my laundry. Then she told me that she had found a painting I had done when I was seven and hung it up. How could I not miss that? Dad was napping on the couch in the sunroom, fulfilling the ideal Saturday afternoon right. And the Kid was getting me my copy of Harry Potter. I wanted to be there.

Instead I was here, in Mina, in Delft, in Holland. I am doing my own laundry, lounging on other peoples couches, and buying my own books. I sleep in a twin bed with a flimsy mattress and sheets that may not ever have a thread count off 150. And my shower won't even stay on the wall.

I'm terribly cynical this morning.

I love it here, but I miss being there.

Blame It on the Rain?

This morning we had a fieldtrip up north. We were supposed to meet at school at 8PM. I had spoken with the professor last Friday and assured her that I would manage our class, since she planned on meeting us at the treatment plant, a duty that usually falls to me since I am the class captain. Anyway, I guess I turned off my 7AM alarm instead of hitting snooze and woke up at 8:10AM in a panic. I called a classmate and asked them to hold the bus for me as I grabbed for my glasses and ran out the door. I raced to school in the pouring rain, arriving at 8:20AM wet, sweaty, out of breath, and without deodorant.

We were supposed to arrive at the plant at 9:30AM, but due to some traffic/rain/my tardiness, we only arrived at 11AM. The purpose of the fieldtrip was to see how urine separation systems were implemented in Holland. From what we saw, not very well. During the day we visited two waterboards (regional authorities), a wastewater treatment plant, and saw a lab scale urine treatment reactor, all very nice to see. But our lecturers seemed hypocritical. The premise is to separate urine because it is easier to treat an uncontaminated and undiluted polluted water source than one that is mixed. One lecturer spoke of urine can be treated and the nutrients used for fertilizer, but that is not done in The Netherlands because it is too expensive, there are too many specific agriculture rules, there may be hormones that cannot be removed, etc., all while he was trying to promote this for developing countries. He spoke of how their region is shutting down its smaller treatment plants to get the economy of scale, while our current course is on decentralized water treatment systems. I found most of what we learned today to be hypocritical and not really worth 600km on the bus (yes, we were on the bus for about 7 hours today).

As we returned to Delft at around 6:30PM. The sky was dark, gray with a sickly greenish tone. It had been sunny and hot up north, but as I rode to the shops the clouds were looming. I bought my groceries in record time and as I rode home I could feel the pressure dropping. As I approached the stop lights I prayed for them to change as I sprinted through the street with the gusting wind testing my balance. I felt the first drops as I fumbled for the keys to the bike shed and seconds after I entered I heard the whoosh of a downpour. Moments later it was over.

Apparently, this is what summer is like in Holland.

Regardless, the past few days have been really nice. There have been a lot of little things that have happened...

Visit
My family has booked their flights! Mom, Dad, and the Kid are coming in September. I'm very excited to show them my nice small town. Mom and Dad have been to Amsterdam and briefly Den Haag, but my brother hasn't been to Holland yet. I'm sure he's drooling at the thought of coffeeshops and red lights ;) They will only be here for five days, but I am really looking forward to their visit.

Julavender
Julia likes flowers. She really like lavender. She likes to pick it when she finds it. Yesterday, Julia, Marquinhos, and I went for a bike ride. Though it was raining in the morning, it had cleared up by midday, so we decided to explore the small towns near by. The signage in this country is excellent, so there was no need to plan a route, for where ever we went we were always able to see signs pointing back to Delft. We rested and changed direction as we pleased. I made us stop at a cemetery for a quick walk. In one neighborhood we saw some lavender. So we stopped again and Julia started to pick some. Then some more. Then a guy came out of the adjacent house and started to question her. We had thought it was wild, but apparently it was his and he was a bit upset about our pruning. Julia offered to give it back, but he just stared us down and said it was useless since it was cut and made us feel very guilty. An innocent mistake had us fearing that the Dutch police would be arresting us at any second. We got over that fear pretty soon with a beer in Schpluiden. The lavender looks and smells very nice in Julia's vases.

Leiden
Yesterday was 401 years since Rembrandt's birth . There was a festival all weekend in Leiden for his birthday. That is not why we were in Leiden on Saturday. Giorgia, Bin, and I had planned to go for a conference, to hear a lecture about water management in Africa. We never found the facility. I lead us astray, assuming that the Sociology building would be within the university grounds, not on the other side of town. So we went for coffee instead. Giorgia and I had coffee. Bin had beer, almost deserting me and Giorgia when we told the waitress not to serve him (it seemed he was still enjoying the drinks he had the night before). As we were wandering through town we noticed some people in costume. Apparently they were Rembrandt's whores. Then we saw more. It was like Disneyland, but with dentists and nuns and painters and dead men being carried through town. There were some nice plays and celebrations that we did not see, but chose to have lunch on a canal boat and admire the crowds instead. I wonder if the lecture would have been as interesting?

Other
I have finally recovered from last Thursday's capoeira class. Julia, Carol, and I went last week after some time away. Besides an unexpected kick to the stomach (OK, I expected it, but was just a bit slow to tense my abs), the rest of the class was quite successful. We got to climb ropes like in elementary school gym class. My chest was sore for days and my legs are still a bit tight, but we had fun. It made our Saturday futbol match a bit difficult at first, but after warming up I was fine. Of course, after the game I recovered with beer and chocolate chip cookies.

Limburg

So, for the second part of our fieldtrip (which was about a month ago, wow time flies!) we went down south. We spent 48 hours in the province of Limburg. It was a beautiful, scenic, hilly area, full of tourists on bicycles. Having fieldwork all day was fun, but the evening lectures did not give us much time to explore. But, of course, I took photos.

We spent a day and a half in the field. We put our hiking books on and trekked through farmland to find small streams. Or we put on the waders to swim in the river. I was fortunate enough that my stream was a trickle only 20cm deep as opposed to the rushing stream that was 1.3m deep (or past my shoulders) to measure the flow. We took samples and analysed them in the back of a mobile lab. I'm sure the locals thought we were crazy. But I'm not quite sure who the locals are. In one afternoon we were shuttled between Holland, Belgium, and Germany. In one neighborhood you could step into the stream in Holland and get out in Germany. We would have had so much fun with illegal border crossings before Schengen.

More Photos!

I have finally posted photos from the Field Trip and Budapest!

Budapest

Last weekend was another, um, fieldtrip. I spent three days in Budapest trying to practice my Spanish (with my compañeros Maria (Spain), Mijail (Ecuador), Alejandro (Colombia), Jairo (Colombia), Christian (Bolivia), Elena (Spain), Carlos (Ecuador), and Freddy (Ecuador)). I had been to Budapest four years prior, with Mom and Ruth, and it has changed a lot since then. Or maybe I have changed since then.

We arrived Thursday night, after Freddy's graduation and a quick cocktail. Our flight was delayed due to thunderstorms in Budapest, which abated quickly, but we still saw the debris the next day. Friday was a beautiful day. We took our time as we crossed the bridge from Pest to Buda. Suddenly we were at the foot of Castle Hill, where Elena and I separated from the group to attempt to climb the hill, as opposed to taking the funicular (the others never made it too the funicular and climbed the hill as well, thought via a different route). So Elena was my date for the afternoon. We had some lemonade on the terrace, visited the church, peaked into courtyards, and had a fantastic lunch. That was one of the things that I do not remember about my last trip to Budapest, the food. I know I ate, I mean, even I have to eat. But during this trip I was acquainted with the goulash and chicken paprika that I probably would not have dared to try before. All of it was excellent. And the iced coffee, which actually was coffee with ice cream, was divine.

During lunch we ran into the others, but they still had more of the castle area to see, so we decided to meet at the Gellert Baths later that afternoon. These baths are apparently the most famous in Budapest, adjacent to a luxury hotel. When I was in Budapest last time, the baths were single sex, and sans clothing. This time, they were not. It is fortunate that Elena had recommended that I bring my swimsuit there, just in case. Apparently, the proper way to appreciate the baths are to first get a massage, then relax in the pools, so we each booked half hour appointments. We had time to first relax in the pools, one at 34C, the other at 38C, then head to the steam room (which smelled like chamomile), and jump in the 8C plunge pool. It was very invigorating. Our massages were wonderful and by the end of our three hour experience at the spa we could barely drag our feet home.

Unfortunately it took us about an hour and a half to take the tram the 3km home. This was due to some misunderstandings. While on the platform we tried to figure out how to buy tickets. There was one machine, but it only took coins. So we figured we would ask the driver of the next tram. When it arrived, as I was walking to the front of the tram to ask the driver, the rest of the group got on, and as the doors closed I was left on the platform. Alone. So I went grocery and asked about the tickets. The women gave me change and told me to buy it on the platform. OK, that was easy, get the ticket, catch the tram. I sent an SMS to the rest to tell them that I was fine and would meet them back at the hostel, but at the next stop I saw them on the platform, and they saw me so they got on. None of them had tickets. No one had change. So we got off at the next stop. There was a metro near by with a ticket machine, so we went over there trying to find enough change, almost begging. After we had 5 of the 7 tickets the machine would no longer accept our coins. So we asked another train conductor what to do. He pointed us to the ticket window that is 5 meters away where one can buy tickets with bills. We had seen the building, but thought it was closed since there were no lights on and barely a tiny slit of an opening where the ticket man was. Finally we had enough tickets, so we went back to the tram stop and waited for the next tram and eventually make it back to our hostel. We showered and dressed for dinner, hit a trendy restaurant for some decent food, then hung out at the bar telling jokes in Spanish while we waited for Carlitos (he arrived a day late due to a field trip).

On Saturday morning we were once again at the doorstep of the Gellert Baths, via another route from Pest, to climb the hills of Buda to the reach the citadel. The day was once again hot and I enjoyed the hike. But there is only so much time that I can enjoy a view, and I get very impatient in large groups. I always feel as if we are going too slow and that I spend more time waiting than I do actually exploring. I know I need to relax a bit more, but I'm not very good at it. So Carlitos and I left the group to returned back to the castle (there was more that I had not seen the day before, and he had not visited it at all, the rest wanted to go to the national museum, which I was not in the
mood for at that time). We had a really nice time strolling the palace grounds, having a beer, and finding our lunch at a street festival on the Chain Bridge, which they had closed to vehicular traffic for the afternoon. It was about then when my back started to itch a bit and I noticed my sunburn. From the photos I cannot imagine why I did not notice it before, but it was quite bad. I guess that I had forgot to put suncream on my back, though I had put some on my chest.

Carlitos and I headed to the museum to meet the others, for the museum was supposed to close at 6PM. But when we arrived it was bustling. We had seen the signs around town beforehand, but only then did we realize that it was a city wide museum night. Many museums in the city were open until 2AM with special programs. I was in heaven, it was ideal, I could have not picked a more perfect plan for the evening if I had tried. We entered the museum and met our friends and saw a nice exhibit on Ghengis Khan and his empire. It was about 10PM by the time we left and half of us dragged ourselves to dinner while the rest showered at the hostel. By the time it was out turn to shower we were so tired that we stayed in on Saturday night (well we did only finish dinner at 12:30AM).

We decided to relax on Sunday. Well, I did (try). Carlitos had not been to the baths with us before, so he joined Elena and I on a walk to the Szechenyi Baths in the park. The walk to the park was on a beautiful tree and mansion lined street. The park itself was OK. But the baths were excellent. It took us almost an hour to get in, for there was a bit of confusion as to which entrance to use, which ticket to buy, where to book the massage, etc. But it was worth it when we finally made it inside. This complex had some outdoor pools as well, plus about 12-15 thermal baths, a steam room, and a sauna with an ice machine. It felt so good to rub my sunburn with a snowball while sweating in the sauna. We took massages again, of course, but the coolest thing about these baths were the current pools. I had never seen anything like it before, they were small circular or oval shaped pools with jets at an angle along the wall. It produced a current that whisked you along the wall, all you had to do was keep your head above water. I was out of breathe from laughing the whole time, it was so much fun.

We finished our trip to Budapest with some night photos and a beer. We got a three hour nap before catching taxis to the airport for our early AM flight. I was completely exhausted by the time I arrived back at IHE, but only 20 minutes late for class.

Party of the Year

Last Friday night there was a party at IHE. But it wasn't just a typical party, it was held to celebrate the institution's 50th anniversary. So it was a PARTY! For the two days prior, I had been sequestered in the theatre with 18 other dancers eating soggy cheese sandwiches and making my own coffee in order to spend a total of 15 minutes dancing at three different moments (two different pieces on Thursday, only one piece on Friday but that was for the Prince). Let me be clear, I am not a dancer. I should have had that tattooed on my forehead for everyone at the party who came up to me and said something to the effect of, "You look like a professional...you must have been dancing for years...you looked so natural..." I think that was one of my greatest acts of deceit, ever.
To be clear, I had fun, it was a great experience. But the whole time I was on stage, wearing more makeup at one instant than I had ever worn in my entire life collectively, I was wishing that I could grab the headset of one of stage crew and try to blend in with them. I will try post a video of the dances, once I find them, but for now I have a few photos that don't show very much, I just can't decide if I prefer the one of us moving, or standing still. Our costumes were awesome. They were tailor made my the mother of one of our classmates who brought them from Bangladesh. I have to admit that I don't remember the name of these trousers, thus will not write it here until I get permission from my editor. Regardless, they were beautiful and colorful and I was a bit sad to have to return them.

After the performance on Thursday we had some cocktails (as shown here joined by Maria, Angela, and Elena), but after the show on Friday was the PARTY! As I entered our building to be greeted by champagne (would you prefer white or rose?), I knew that this would be a night akin to the lifestyle to which I was accustomed. I spoke with the head chef, Jaco (who typically keeps me well fed) to get an executive summary. The told me that the pasta bar was here, the sushi bar was there (but be sure to get there early), there was a grill in the back, and some ice cream as well. If I dared to venture towards the library I would find, among the cocktail bar and oysters, a chocolate fountain and a casino, stocked with some nice whiskey and brandy (and we even found some cigars).
I know that it doesn't sound all that impressive. It could have been a wedding, or a bar mitzvah, or even just a normal night out in Vegas. I think we were all excited when we realized it wasn't going to be a typical IHE party with the same crowd (besides the students and staff, there were about 250 guests, many of them alumni), the same food (I'd been craving sushi for ages), the same DJ (there were four adorable twenty somethings serenading us with classic rock and roll on the terrace). I cannot really explain why, but consensus was that it was a great party, we all had a good time and everyone is quite sad that we will have to wait another 50 years for another party like this.

More tales from abroad...

Free Day in Munich
During our trip we had an appointment or two every weekday. When we did not have a visit we were driving (time on the bus varied from two to six hours a day). Though we usually had our evenings free, we only got one free day in a city where we were staying during the two week trip. That was in Munich, the only city on our itinerary that I had visited previously. So, what do you do in a city that you have visited six years ago (almost to the day)? The exact same thing as last time (well, almost).

On Saturday morning Anwar, Loreen, Helga, and I went to the train station and discovered (remembered?) that Munich has a fabulous deal with their day passes (probably the best public transit deal in Europe). For €9, a group of up to five people can travel together until 6AM the next day on all the trains within the city. For the four of us our whole day pass cost each of us less than one ride. We began at the Marienplaz to watch the 11AM performance of the glockenspiel (carillon) on the Neues Rathaus (town hall). It's basically a few statutes spinning to music near the top of a spire, but it was something that you have to see in Munich. I was just as unimpressed, yet satisfied, as last time. From there was a pleasant walk to one of my favorite museums in the world, the Deutsches Museum. Though most of the exhibits are still right out of the 70's, it is a museum of science and technology with planes, ships, rockets, cars, drills, bridges, and a cell that you can walk through. This is the what the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago was based on.

After wandering back to the center of town for some bratwurst, we went to the Olympic Park, only to get caught in the rain while strolling around. We took the elevator to the top of the Olympic Tower for some great views of the Park, but the fog prevented us from seeing the Alps, or for that matter, the center of Munich which was only 3km away (though managed to find the Hauptbahnhof).

Adjacent to the Park is the BMW Museum, which had some beautiful cars that we couldn't touch and very limited information. It gave a nice brief history of the company, though it seemed to be geared towards people who actually like cars, as opposed to people who just like museums. But it was still a nice visit. Like an observant civil engineer, my favorite part was the parking lot (please note what the location of the puddles can tell about the quality of the construction).

We ended the night with one more flashback, a trip to the Hofbrauhaus (a picture of McHale and me here at age 21 is my key chain) for a liter of beer with the locals. OK, I admit that about half the visitors are foreign tourists, but we shared a table with some German guys around our age who tried to convince us that the Hofbrauhaus was a stereotype and not typical Bavaria (though we already knew that, considering how few people we saw on the streets of Munich with lederhosen, dirndls, and feathers in their caps). The beer was good, the food was great, and the people were friendly. It was the perfect way to end our stay in Munich and prepare for a six hour drive to Zurich on Sunday.

What is a Trevian?
My high school mascot. Or someone from Trier. I finally visited Trier, Germany, the namesake of my high school, New Trier in Winnetka, IL, USA. Trier is thought to be the oldest city in Germany, founded by the Romans in 16BC as Augusta Treverorum (thus the locals were known as Trevians). I managed to get my picture snapped behind the Porta Nigra (from the front the whole gate didn't fit in the photo). We were only there for an hour and a half, and it rained as we were leaving, but Anwar, Loreen, Helga and I managed to have lunch in front of a graveyard in front of a thousand year old church. It was a bit of a shame that our time there was so short, but we had to return to Luxembourg for our last night before heading back to Delft.

Luxembourg
We spent two nights and one day in Luxembourg. Our hotel was near the airport. There was nothing else nearby, even though the airport is only 6km from the city center. Luxembourg City is beautiful, its placement on a fortified cliff yields amazing views from almost everywhere. Even from the bus. After our Friday morning meeting with the Ministry of the Environment, we drove through the city (to go to Trier). From our bus window we saw valleys and parks and castles and churches and...the Environmental Science class? Pounding on windows to get their attention (we didn't), the only time we saw any of our IHE colleagues was through the bus window on the last day of our trip. It would have been nice for the school to coordinate field trip schedules so we could have a futbol match with the other group, or at least a cup of coffee. But we went onto Trier and when we returned a few hours later they were gone.

Executive Summary
The field trip was great. I would have liked a few afternoon hours free in the cities, but I do realize that the primary purpose of the trip was not tourism. Still, it would have been nice to make it to a few more museums. A few of the hotels were a bit far out of town (Zurich, Luxembourg) which limited our access to inexpensive/local food (basically the only place to eat was the hotel restaurant). And after 48 hours back in Delft we were off to Limburg.

International Field Trip

After two weeks on the road, in four different countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg, three more if you count starting in Holland, lunch in France, and driving through Belgium), my MWI class has returned to Delft. I will start with a few stories, and add more in the following days. I hope. There may be a time issue. On Monday we have fieldwork in Limburg until Wednesday, then beginning on Thursday is the 50th anniversary party for UNESCO-IHE and I will be dancing in two performances and attending parties and symposiums all weekend. But now it's a grey Sunday morning and I have nothing better to do besides look through a thousand photos and try to put some into words...First meet the team, Loreen (Philippines), Helga (Honduras), and Anwar (Bangladesh) were my primary traveling companions.

Water Treatment
In Munich, the drinking water isn't treated. No aeration, no chlorine. It is pumped from the ground and piped to reservoirs for the consumers. That meant we saw some pumping stations and not much in the way of drinking water treatment in Germany. In Zurich they treat their surface water, which meant we got to see a nice treatment plant. But of the 15 or so visits that we made during this field trip, only about 3 were directly applicable to my speciality. Fortunately, the rest (most of them) were really cool, regardless.

Futbol
In Munich we finally found a park to play in, about one week in to the trip. The match was well attended, with about 24 of the 41 participants playing, plus one professor. The pitch was small, with a tree in one corner, the ground uneven with manholes interspersed, and behind one goal was a small forest as a buffer from the major street. It was nice to stretch our legs after so much time in the bus (usually 3-4 hours per day). Water Supply beat the composite Sanitary and Integrated Urban Engineering team, but I think that is only because our team had Dr. Kebrab, who is lightening quick. And also since I got a futbol to my face with two minutes left to play. It was loud. I got hit on the side of my face and almost lost my balance. I thought that I had broken my nose, but there was no blood. Helga steered me back to the hotel and got me some ice. I had a bit of a swollen lip and my cheek was a bit pink the next day, but it didn't hurt at all. I was fine. Well, a bit annoyed because I missed the end of the match, but fine.

There was another friendly in Zurich, which was injury free, but on a real pitch, and a competitive game in Luxembourg that I didn't attend (I wanted to explore the city instead). I had hoped to have a match with another department, but the only time we saw anyone outside our program was from the bus window during the last day of the trip in Luxembourg, we saw the Environmental Science class. It was a shame that our bus kept on driving and all we could do was bang on the window to try get their attention.

Incinerators
We visited two. One in Zurich for municipal waste, the other in Basel for hazardous materials. Both were located in residential areas and only emitted steam. The energy from the waste was used to heat homes in the area and run the plant. At the haz mat site they threw entire sealed 55 gallon drums into an 1100C incinerator. From the camera you could see the contents explode and the steel melt. Apparently only six seconds at that temperature is needed to convert these dangerous chemical byproducts into inert molecules that cold be easily sequestered. After incineration there is waste, about 10% by mass that needs to be buried. But where? I think the Swiss send it all to Germany.

The Sewer of Europe
That would be the Rhine. We saw it upstream when it was clean. By the time it reaches Holland, it is not.
Swisshotel
After 10 days of the Ibis Hotel, we arrive at the Swisshotel in Basel. This can't be right, the hotel looks really...nice!? There are doormen, a concierge, a pool/gym/sauna, English newspapers. It's not that the Ibis Hotels were bad, they were just more simple. The location in Basel is perfect, about 750m from the Rhine and the center of town. Basel was my favorite city. It was quiet, almost silent except for the music, a cello and accordion player in the town hall, an orchestra practicing at the university on the hill, Vivaldi's Four Seasons creeping out into the main shopping street.

It was in Basel when I realized that I had an obsession with foreign food shops. During this trip, we couldn't pass a chocolate shop or bakery without me peering in the window (or wandering in for a moment). I had to find the street food, since it always tastes better than from a restaurant. But it's the posh food markets that I seem to like the most. The ones where the jars are arranged perfectly and the packaging so sincere that I actually believe that I will be a better person if I drink that tea or that my taste buds will be overwhelmed with pure delight by that grand cru of chocolate from Venezuela.

Up next...Free Day in Munich, What is a Trevian?, Luxembourg...