Today was my last day at work. After heading back from Chicago, I lingered in Philly for two days, in order to work with Simone on her research. We’re all caught up now, and have an agenda for the next month or so, so I won’t be coming in tomorrow. She asked me to install … Continue reading
Today’s my dad’s birthday, and of course I’m not in Chicago to spend it with him. Birthdays and holidays are important to him, at least more so than they generally are to me (which isn’t saying much, I suppose). If I understand the situation correctly, I think he values the timing of action over its … Continue reading
I have a new travel bag for slinging over my shoulder, a gift from my father. It’s a heavy duty black duffel bag that looks like the elevator bomb from The Matrix. My dad always used to travel with this one, come visit Pennsylvania and I’d see it in his hotel room, or in the … Continue reading
About to sit down to an excellent dinner of “soupy chicken,” a ravishingly simple concoction of my father’s that involves lightly breaded chicken breasts on rice soaked in broth with mushrooms and other accoutrements. For the evening, Emily requested a movie night, so we’ll be watching “300″ and “Babel,” back-to-back. I’m gonna see a lot … Continue reading
I didn’t know what Spanish moss was. It was hanging everywhere from branches like neuron clusters, with acorns, which I didn’t expect. Add to that the ducks that look like turkeys, and the threat of alligators erupting out of the sidewalk to maul me comically, and I’m not sure I want to go back. But … Continue reading
I did a lot of driving this week, both around the city and back and forth from Harrisburg on the turnpike. For days it’s been pouring rain like some kind of supremely disappointing apocalypse. Driving so much in heavy rain in an old car made me pay close attention to how well certain things were … Continue reading
It’s too quiet around here. In the fog of sleep deprivation last night, the single sound I heard most was pinched sniffling. Everyone for some reason trying not to cry, when everyone already is, together. And stifled weeping is tragic, and tears burn. I don’t actually miss any of them. This is likely foresight speaking, … Continue reading
In the last post, I referenced my repressed desire to expectorate some nice your-mom jokes on these kids. The appropriateness of this kind of joke has been the subject of much controversy during this program, as there are individuals enrolled here who absolutely will not weather derogatory references to their mothers; it’s almost come to … Continue reading
Earlier in the week, the ESLP students made a pact that Friday night would be spent “together,” as it’s their last night in the States. No other plans than that. Well, it’s 11:30pm on Friday, and this is boring as hell. Everyone’s here in the dorms, and it’s by far the quietest night I’ve ever … Continue reading
After five weeks of hanging out with these European students, I’ve noticed that by and large these kids are way more racist than the comparatively cosmopolitan Philadelphia college students I’m used to. Now, as a young white male, I can damn well sound racist if I want to, given that it’s often necessary to participate … Continue reading