... tutto sommato...

Le ultime ore del 2020, poi finalmente ci lasceremo questo anno alle spalle. Questo è quello che mi sento dire da ogni dove. È veramente tutto da dimenticare? Il peggior anno della nostra vita? Se è vero che s’impara più dalle sconfitte che dalle vittorie, i passati 365 giorni ci avranno comunque lasciato qualcosa. Sicuramente è stato un anno difficile, per molti davvero drammatico, ma ci sono stati momenti positivi, come in ogni periodo della nostra vita. Alla fine, la suddivisione del tempo in anni che iniziano il primo gennaio è un’invenzione umana, l’anno solare ha una durata leggermente diversa (per questo esistono gli anni bisestili, come il 2020) ed essendo basato su un movimento pseudo-circolare non ha né inizio né fine. Ecco, dunque, una lista dei momenti piacevoli che voglio ricordare del 2020, affinché quest’anno non sia “da dimenticare” completamente: 

da qui

 

• Convegno a Padova a febbraio. Sono tornata nella città in cui ho studiato da turista, con una visita guidata alla Specola in una giornata di sole, e da cittadina, rivivendo i luoghi della gioventù ed il pendolarismo tra il mio paese e la città come fatto per 19 anni. Sono stata una settimana in più dalla mia famiglia senza dover prendere ferie. Infine ho rivisto un caro amico romano in una giornata di fuga a Bologna, una città che accoglie sempre e chiunque con un sorriso… ed un fumante piatto di pasta fatta a mano. 
• Pubblicazione degli articoli dal progetto, conclusosi nel 2019, che mi ha permesso di tornare a Vienna. Tali pubblicazioni hanno anche rappresentato l’inizio di collaborazioni produttive con colleghi di qui ed in Scozia. Sempre in campo scientifico, sono stata coinvolta nella scrittura di lavori di un paio di due dottorandi, in Italia ed in Austria, nella stesura di un progetto per un dottorato in Italia che è stato finanziato e nella preparazione di un articolo dal lavoro di una mia laureanda.  
• Collaborazione con l’Università di Pavia. Era già iniziata l’anno prima, ma quest’anno si è consolidata, portando a scambi non solo di mere nozioni  scientifiche, ma anche di rapporti umani. Si è rafforzata anche la collaborazione con l'Università di Camerino ed è iniziato un affascinante progetto storico con L'Università di Firenze. Nemmeno ai tempi di Padova avevo così tanti rapporti con altre università italiane! 
• Festa di compleanno virtuale ed in presenza. Ho raggiunto la tappa importante dei 40 anni. Se la data reale del compleanno è caduta durante il primo lockdown e quindi la festa è stata solo virtuale, ma con delle belle sorprese consegnate a casa, in estate ho potuto recuperare di persona con i colleghi d’ufficio, grazie anche ad un compaesano ristoratore. 
• Settimana in Trentino e settimana in Burgenland con i miei. Sempre d’estate, ho potuto godere della tradizionale vacanza in montagna in famiglia, tra passeggiate tra i boschi dell’Altipiano e pratica di guida in autostrada. A settembre, poi, siamo andati in camper in Burgenland, ove abbiamo girato in bici fino a stancarci tra colline e vigneti, gustando la cucina locale e scoprendo posti nuovi. 
• Convegno in Giappone. Se non ci fosse stata la pandemia, quest’anno non ci sarei andata. I fondi non sono sufficienti a coprire i costi di viaggio e soggiorno, non ne sarebbe valsa la pena per un giorno solo di convegno. Invece, data l’impossibilità di prendere un aereo, il convegno si è svolto online ed ho potuto seguirlo, comodamente da casa, in pigiama (causa differenza di fuso orario, si è svolto tra le 1:20 di notte e le 7 del mattino in Europa). 
• Nuove conoscenze ed incarichi musicali. Facebook può essere utile, se non abusato. Mi ha permesso di conoscere un organista italiano, poi emigrato in Germania, che oltre ad un arricchimento culturale mi ha portato un altro contatto ed un posto ove suonare la domenica, incontrando la Vienna austriaca imperiale pre-multiculturalismo. 
• L’acquisto di un organo digitale e la ripresa delle lezioni di perfezionamento. Non solo posso dilettarmi ogni giorno, a casa, esercitandomi o anche semplicemente “strimpellando” le musiche eterne di Bach, ma questo regalo mi ha pure permesso di rivedere il mio insegnante senza dover fare ore ed ore di treno. 
• Ritorno alla geologia strutturale. Non ho abbandonato il tema di ricerca che mi ha portata all’estero, ma quest'anno ho avuto l’opportunità di tornare ad occuparmi di quegli argomenti che mi hanno entusiasmata negli anni di dottorato. Grazie ad un collega ed amico, sono pure andata sul terreno, cosa che non facevo da anni, apprezzando quell’attività che da studente detestavo.
   

Non è stato tutto negativo. Anzi, la pandemia e la crisi ci hanno costretto a spolverare la nostra creatività per trovare delle soluzione alternative. Se da un lato gli assembramenti e le manifestazioni contro le direttive del governo per arginare il contagio mi hanno fatto perdere fiducia nell’essere umano come soggetto pensante, dall’altro l’inventiva nel sostenersi ed affrontare le difficoltà me l’hanno fatta recuperare. Mi auguro che alla fine del 2021 possa fare di nuovo un bilancio tutto sommato positivo. Per il momento, non cancelliamo l'intero 2020, solo quello che preferiamo dimenticare.

USA vs. Japan

Facebook has reminded me that in 2009, just before Christmas, I went to the USA for the first time to attend an international conference. For a few years after 2013, the beginning of December meant a flight to Japan, also for attending a conference. This year, I attended this traditional conference in Japan without taking a long haul flight, but waking up at 1:20 am and connecting to Zoom still in pajama. Japan and the USA represent the furthermost destinations of my scientific journeys, so far. Two places that are so different from Europe! I've been only trice to the USA, visiting San Francisco (California), Houston (Texas), Santa Fe (New Mexico), Flagstaff and nearby areas (Arizona), and Chicago (well... the airport). I've been six times in Japan, mostly around Tachikawa, Sagamihara, and Tokyo, but also visiting Sapporo and Otaru (Hokkaido). For compensating the lack of travels this year, here is a list of 5+ and the 5- for both countries, according to my opinion and experience. Don't take them too seriously!

 

USA

+ Natural landscapes. No buildings or people for km. From forests to deserts, from canyons to mountains, from rivers to two oceans.
+ Kindness, especially in the South. I don’t mean the hypocritical servility of waiters in restaurants, but the kindness of normal people, when you ask for information. Maybe, it is a rare attitude in large cities like New York, but I’ve never got rude answers, when I asked people where I was.
+ A common language, worldwide known and used. They do their best to understand and help you, even if you are not fluent in English.
+ Proud of their mixed (European) origins. Any US citizen would proudly state his/her 1/4 Italian, 1/4 Irish etc. blood.

+ Gratis drink refill in many restaurants and 24h shops and restaurants. You can live with your own rhythm.


- Cars. Except for large "European-like" cities, you need a car, or you are stuck somewhere along a 6-lane railroad. Even when a public transportation system is present, it is often seen as mean reserved for poor people.
- Most of the people just speak English. Many of them try hard to learn another language, but they easily give up. In Europe, it is normal being able to speak 2 or more foreign languages (well… not everywhere).
- Arrogance, lack of historical culture, racism. This does not apply to all the Americans, of course, many of them fight against these issues in the society. I am always disappointed by the lack of... 3-4000 yrs philosophy, science, music, architecture, literature, etc., compensated by the arrogance of being the best or the first. You can feel that in any conversation. Btw, Europe is going down in education in the last years...
- Social differences and expensive health system. In Europe, most of the inhabitants belong to the middle class, which is almost completely missing in the USA. Poor peoples, mostly Hispanics or Afro-Americans are socially marginalized and seen with suspicion by the rich (mostly white) portion of the society.
- Tax not included in the shown price in shops. In each state, you need a pocket calculator and a table with the different tax rules.

Japan
+ Culture and traditions. Thousands of years of history, literature, painting, architecture, philosophy, etc.
+ Creativity and cleverness in living with a hostile territory (volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides, floods, tsunamis...), leading for technology and safety.
+ Respect towards other people and the creation. This is related to their culture and religion(s).
+ Rail network and generally public transportation. It is more common seeing overcrowded subway trains (with officers with white gloves gently pushing people to let the door be closed) than traffic jams. Tokyo alone has more inhabitants than the whole Austria. Tokyo-Osaka (ca. 500 km) by train takes as long as Vienna-Graz (200 km).
+ Food (for variety and price). What reached Europe is perhaps 10% of what you can get on place, not to mention the difference in taste.


- English knowledge. Japanese is not easy to be learned, especially in writing, but English is not very common, even in large cities. A lady at the Haneda airport, aiming to show the preparation for the Olympics, indicated a new sign of toilets, written in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean (I guess)... very helpful! I don't like using English as a worldwide unique language, but... it makes life much easier to a lot of people.
- The condition of women in the culture. Wait! I don't mean that women are badly treated, but they do have less career opportunities than men. It is part of their mentality. Most of the women quit studying or working as soon as they marry, and unmarried >30 yrs old women are considered weird.
- Strong honor mentality. This is also in their culture. Mistakes are not easily forgiven. A personal failure leads to suicide or rejection from the family.
- The word "no" doesn't exist (or is very rarely used). It became a recurring joke among European colleagues. We learned that "maybe" corresponds to our very rude "no" or "never".
- Left-hand drive. Like in the UK and in a few other places on the world. I didn't drive in Japan, but I did ride a bike. It is confusing. Luckily, traffic lights and bike lines are everywhere, otherwise it would have been quite dangerous. How do they manage to survive in the USA or even worse in (Southern) Europe? In fact, it was hard to find 5- for Japan, excluding the difference in mentality with Europe. I like this country very much!

Japan 6: first time in Hokkaido

The annual meeting of the Meteoritical Society always offers the opportunity to visit a new place. This time, it was Sapporo. For the 6th time, I went to Japan, supported by a bunch of reasons:

1. I like Japan, I like the food, the clean streets, the efficient transportation, etc. Besides, I've never been in Hokkaido before.
2. It was the last conference during the project that has allowed me to come back to Vienna.
3. A friend of mine, met in 2008 in the Netherlands at an organ summer school, recently moved to Otaru, close to Sapporo, and I'd like to meet her again.

Campus of the Hokkaido University

I flew with a German colleague of mine from the museum and, this time, with ANA instead of Lufthansa or Austrian. We left a hot Vienna on a Saturday and we landed in Tokyo on Sunday morning. We had to run through Haneda airport because we had just 45 minutes to disembark, pass the immigration, pick up the luggage, pass the custom, check the luggage for domestic flights, change terminal, pass through the security again, and finally board another plane. With the support of the ground staff of ANA, we made it. Despite the lack of sleep, we managed to take a bus to the city and to walk to the hotel. Our room wasn't available until 3 p.m., so we went for food and a walk in the beautiful Odori Park, enjoying the sun and the mild temperature. 

The conference was attended by a large number of scientists, but some groups were missing, including many colleagues, who are likely going to other competing and more specific meetings that will take place in the next months. This is why I didn't receive a lot of inputs on the current project, but I learned a lot on other topics, I developed new ideas, and I met new colleagues for  potential collaborations. As usual, there were other Italians, most of them with a foreign affiliation. The conference was organized in July to have the opportunity to follow live the second touch down of the Haybusa II probe on asteroid Ryugu. The social events during the conference were extraordinary good: icebreaker party with free ice cream, gala dinner with Japanese dance and drum music and delicious food for all (but the event ended at 9 p.m., quite soon for the Western habits), farewell party (although in this case the food wasn’t enough for all), several tours on Wednesday (I attended the one in the city, led by a very enthusiastic Japanese guide, who taught us something about Sapporo and Hokkaido playing quizzes), and long poster sessions with drinks and snacks. It was even offered to learn Japanese writing and to take part to a tea ceremony. Although it seemed organized in the last minute, overall the result was fantastic and the location, within the campus of the Hokkaido University, particularly beautiful.

 

The famous canal strolling in Otaru

On Saturday, all by my own, I went to the coast city of Otaru to meet the dear friend of mine I mentioned above, who had explained to me the Japanese mentality and culture much longer before I ever thought to come to visit the country. I also met her daughters, both talented musicians, especially the eldest, 6 yrs old, capable to offer a passionate interpretation of Bach, not just pressing the right keys at a good speed. Well, the mom is a musician, too, although she’s not playing the organ anymore. Otaru, a nice fisher village, famous for… glass, exactly like Murano (Venice). But also for bier, fish, and other products. The train journey from Sapporo offers a nice view of the coast, with the railway at a few meters from the water.

This part of Japan is peculiar, because a "nordic" landscape, with cows, forests, and facilities for winter sports, is mixed with the typical asiatic features, including skyscrapers, shrines, Ramen restaurants, etc. There are a lot of tourists, mostly from China or from Japan itself. The whole country is an interesting contradiction. The amount of packaging and plastic produced every day is "compensated" by the use of green ink or recycled paper. The technological advancement of the computer science is balanced by the traditional mentality about marriage and levels of respect in the speech. The enormous debts of the nation contrasts with the high cost of living and the luxury style. Slim people that eat anytime and not so light dishes. Every time in Japan is a "wow". So different and so lovely. See you soon again, Japan!

Japan and the Solar System: 12 days around Tokyo

Again in Japan, 3 years after the last time, 5th time flying to Tokyo, to attend a symposium at the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA). I realized that there are a lot of similarities between Japan and the Solar System: they are minimalist with a lot of “empty” space between a few objects, they are complex, they are old but always up to date and unpredictable, they are often affected by catastrophic events but they recover, adapt, and continue to evolve. Did you ever notice that as we have the Sun in the center of your Solar System Japan has the Sun in the center of its flag?

A kind of philosophical divagation for introducing this journey, which included some vacation, going around with a German colleague from the NHM of Vienna. The direct flight between Vienna and Tokyo is offered by AUA only in summer, so we had to transfer in Munich, a kind of black hole for luggage. This time, it happened to Julia to have her suitcase delivered to the hotel in Tokyo two days after our landing in Haneda. On the way back, we had better luck, the luggage arrived with us. Let’s talk about public transportation in Tokyo. It’s amazingly efficient, but overcrowded. People are pushed in, kindly but firmly. Although there is a continuous flow of people in and off the trains, everything is ordered and quiet. Unbelievable! The only black mark is the poor knowledge of English. I don’t like the language, but it is a necessity, you cannot aim to an international community without speaking a common language, which unfortunately is English. People are overall very friendly, but communication was constantly an issue.

After a couple of day in Asakasa, Tokyo, to overcome the jet lag (there are 8 hrs difference), we went to Sagamihara, where the JAXA is located, for the conference. We were staying at the local guest house, very cheap and convenient, but bureaucratically… “complicated”. It is always an interesting scientific meeting on the topic Antarctic meteorites, asteroids and space exploration. The group of attendees is small but selected. The international guests generally present review work, summarizing thoughts and measurements of years, the Japanese hosts present their high quality research and push the students to go international. This gives always the opportunity to learn a lot and to strengthen collaborations all over the world. The isolated location helps, too.

After the symposium, the colleague and I continued our trip going to Yokohama and returning to Tokyo (this time in Asakusa, in a lovely Japanese apartment booked through airbnb). Yokohama is cute, but disappointed my expectations. I thought of colonial buildings, I saw modern skyscrapers, a chaotic Chinatown, a reproduction of Burano as amusement park and an imitation of German Christmas markets with German and Austrian products. I liked the shore. Finally, I saw the other side of the Pacific Ocean, after the coast near San Francisco. In the remaining days in Tokyo, we saw all, really all what is listed in any touristic guidebook. The landmarks I especially appreciated, as this wasn’t my first time in town, were the cemetery district (Nezu) and the autumn colors in the peaceful parks. We also ate all what the local cuisine could offer, fish, tofu, soy, green tea, row, boiled, fried, paned, etc. We even cooked our own Japanese dinner. Everything is delicious, but I must admit that after almost two weeks I started dreaming of cheese, real bread, our beans, vegetables, and fruits. And cakes, with a crispy consistence, as well!

In about seven months, I’ll fly again to Japan. The next meeting of the Meteoritical Society will be in Sapporo. Finally away from Tokyo, exploring a different part of the country. Hopefully not as hot as Tokyo in summer. I look forward to this experience, because Japan is indeed an amazing country. If only there was a faster way to getting there… Well, the sunlight takes 8 minutes to reach the Earth and we are pretty close in comparison with other bodies in the Solar System.

Japan 4.0

4th time in Tachikawa, again for a symposium and in the framework of the successful collaboration between Japan and Belgium. A full experience, as always. This post will be partly in Italian, because some ideas would be too difficult to be expressed in a foreign language and because these thoughts are mostly of interest for my Italian friends.

Journey
Outbound Flight with Austrian and inbound with Lufthansa. It is was a very cheap combination, but extremely agreeable. A bit of nostalgia had hit me by seeing again pictures of Vienna and listening to Strauss’ music, as every time I board an Austrian plane. It didn't last long, though, because the usual manners of the flight attendants and the meals offered on board have reminded me what I did not like of Vienna. I had a tight connection in Vienna, but luckily the flight had 2h30 delay. On the way back, flying with Lufthansa, I was more comfortable. It is always a long flight (about 12 hrs to reach Europe) and I get easily bored, I don't sleep much, especially when my neighbor is snoring... Now there is a direct flight connecting Brussels with Tokyo, but it is still too expensive.

Religiosity
On the way to Tachikawa from Narita Airport, on the train, I met another Italian (I know, we are everywhere and we recognize each other immediately). This fortunate meeting offered me the opportunity not only to discover a part of Tachikawa I didn't know, but also to think about religions and the way we deal with them. (The following two paragraphs are in Italian).

La ragazza incontrata è un monico buddista ma anche una cattolica osservante, ossia ha abbracciato una filosofia di vita ed un cammino spirituale di tipo buddista che non solo non sostituisce ma addirittura sostiene la fede individuale, tanto che tra i suoi amici ci sono anche ebrei e musulmani. In sostanza, il buddismo da lei praticato non costituisce una religione a sé stante, ma un percorso filosofico. Ho visitato un tempio molto importante per questa scuola e lei pazientemente mi ha spiegato il significato dei vari riti. Il mio approccio alla religione, forse più “luterano” per certi aspetti che “cattolico”, ossia con dubbi, domande e ragionamenti (non ho mai amato il dogmatismo) non è cambiato, ma la sua esperienza mi ha fatto riflettere sul fatto che per lei il buddismo ha avuto la stessa funzione che per me ha la musica sacra. Il cammino è importante tanto quanto l’arrivo, perché la nostra vita non è altro che un lungo percorso verso una destinazione che forse mai raggiungeremo, ma che vediamo solo con la Fede.

Sinceramente consiglierei una chiacchierata con questa ragazza a tutti i miei amici estremisti, sia quelli tradizionalisti cattolici sia quelli rabbiosamente atei. Entrambi potrebbero imparare che la pace e l’amore fraterno risultano dal rispetto per il pensiero altrui. Rispetto significa anche interesse, perché c’è sempre da imparare e motivo di crescita. Sono onestamente stufa di moniti per le frequentazioni non strettamente cattoliche da una parte e commenti irrispettosi verso i credenti dall’altra. A tal proposito, vorrei ricordare che criticare l’istituzione è lecito, ma non deridere chi crede (o non crede), di qualsiasi religione si tratti!

Japanese style
Back to English, for something that has never happened before. On Sunday morning I overslept, despite the alarm! I was tired for the flight, but I always woke early. This time I almost missed breakfast in the hotel, after sleeping for about 12 hrs!

The Japanese experience has been dominated by food this time. From the traditional tea shop where the owner has explained with drawings the different varieties of tea, to the traditional restaurant for the final dinner offered by our Japanese counterpart, where four cooks were there only for us and we ate the famous fugu (puffer fish, pesce palla, lethally poisonous if not cut as it should). In between we had a delicious (after party) dinner in another restaurant, with a lot of food and sake, with Japanese professors and their students, heartily laughing and seriously discussing about science like in any corner of the world when among geologists. We had also a funny experience with a shabu-shabu place, due to the complicated order in Japanese. It is extremely difficult to communicate with locals, because even the gesture is quite different from the european style.

Science
The reason for the journey was the annual symposium on Antarctic meteorites. Scientifically very interesting for both sides, even though a very few foreigners attended it. After the symposium, those of us in the established collaboration between Japan and Belgium had a private meeting to discuss the future of the collaboration and the strategy for investigating the samples we have. I must admit that my mixed Italian-German dedication to science is sometimes in contrast with the complex way of dealing with problems typical of Japan or the Belgian easiness.

Actually, I was a bit surprised when my boss proposed to extend my stay in Japan for a couple of days. I said no, firstly because I had already other commitments in these days in Brussels and secondly because scientific research is not more important than my life (it took a long time, but now I’ve learned). I’m always happy to work on Sundays or bank holidays, I’m flexible in changing my plans if possible, but not when I’m on the other side of the Earth, just the day (less than 24hrs) before the planned flight (booked months in advance). I love my job, but I’ve already given up too many times things that I love as well, just for prioritizing  (sometimes) useless tasks. The fact that I don’t have a husband and children waiting for me at home does not imply I don’t have a life outside the office. I thank my other boss, another woman in science, for having understood my point and having supported my "no". 

 
Paris and Brussels
Finally some thoughts on what happened in Paris on Friday 13th. I read the news only upon arrival in the hotel. Initially shocked for what they dared to do, then for the reaction. I don’t think that further violence is the best answer to a similar attack in the heart of Europe. I don’t think that religion has something to do with the behavior of terrorists. I don’t think we should restrain from living normally because of fear. Death comes always unexpectedly, for a bunch of causes. An increase in security check is due (like I saw at Frankfurt airport), similarly to our regular health checks, but cancelling events such as football matches or concerts is a bit too much in my opinion. However, I do find a bit weak the general behavior of Belgium with respect to the issue.

The reaction of Japanese people was also surprising. A colleague, temporary in Belgium, was reconsidering the idea of coming back. The lady at the airport desk asked me about Brussels, as she thinks that the place is not particularly safe in this moment, but she should come for working. I indeed consider Brussels not particularly safe in comparison with other european cities, but for completely different reasons (crazy driving style, number of thefts, rapes, etc.). If we consider natural disasters and even terrorism, Japan might appear even more dangerous.

In conclusion, even though the cultural difference is a bit shocking and the journey extremely tiring, I'm happy to come back to Japan whenever possible!

Japan 3.0 - Second week

Sad weekend

I had great expectation and plans for the weekend, but finally I had to spend most of the time in my room. What’s happened? I didn't feel well and I preferred withdrawing my plans and taking care of myself. Although I have a private insurance, other than that provided by the university, I wouldn't try if it works, running into a Japanese hospital for an urgent surgery. However, it has been really sad having to cancel the meeting with local friends, who I don’t see since more than a year.

IKEA chopsticks

I had anyway the chance to visit the IKEA in Tachikawa, which was under construction last year. It’s exactly as any other IKEA in Europe, but it sells also bamboo bowls and chopsticks sets. My boss and colleagues from Belgium arrived between Saturday and Sunday and my loneliness finally became bearable.

Second week

The second week of my stay was motivated by a kind of small conference. This is why my colleagues have joined. I’ve repeated the talk I gave in Casablanca, but with one of the possible reviewers of the paper in the room. As in Casablanca, I shared the honour to chair a session with another girl, this time a sweet Japanese scientist.

Unfortunately I missed the second day of the symposium due to the visit to a local hospital. I wasn't feeling any better and the Belgian insurance recommended to see a doctor before boarding an airplane for 13 hrs. A very kind Japanese lady helped me, both supporting and translating. Surprisingly almost none spoke English in the hospital. I don’t want to tell here the whole story, but just that the diagnosis was… not determined, for sure nothing really bad. Good news! Even if I continued to feel sick without knowing the reason. Despite the high cost (perhaps not covered by the insurance, but who cares about money in matter of health?), this was an interesting experience. I’m sorry for the comparison, but I must admit that Japanese hospitals are much better than those in Padova I had experience of.

Despite the situation, I had the opportunity to laugh sincerely thanks to a couple of Italian friends and colleagues, one in Japan and one recently moved to Brunei, which is thousands km far away but only 1 hour difference in time. On Friday I felt a bit better and I joined the final dinner with an important Japanese professor in a luxury Chinese restaurant (I ate almost nothing but it was important to be there). Lovely! Mixing science and food culture, origami (one of my hobbies) and plans for collaborations. This is how conference dinners should be.

The last weekend

Three friends of mine and a colleague were in town on Saturday and I couldn't miss also this opportunity. I felt definitely better so I decided to go to Tokyo to meet them. Finally one of the friends couldn't make it and I had only a couple of hours for chatting with friends that I didn't see since long time, but it was wonderful anyway. My Japanese friend is pregnant for the second time and her older daughter is growing pretty well. The italian friend is trying to come back to Europe. The colleague won't be seen in Brussels for months. Well, I hope to meet all of them again in Europe next time!

In the afternoon I cleaned the apartment where I stayed and packed my stuff. Ready for the last short night in hotel, thanks to my boss, before flying… back. Home? Well, I’ve already discussed this point. I don’t know yet if Brussels is my home, at moment this is very unlikely and not for my will (no hopes of extra funding). The flight went smooth and I enjoyed old and new movies, traditional Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and a glass of wine. As usual I got checked in Frankfurt (I know… I look too mediterranean). It was difficult to stay awake waiting for the connecting flight, but at 8 pm I was already in my bed, in Brussels.

Conclusion

Although sick for half of the time, I loved my stay in Japan. The colors of a late autumn in the gardens, the blue sky, the snow cap on the Fujiyama, the smiling people. I look forward to going back, soon or later.

Japan 3.0 - First week

Third time in Japan. As my contract ends next year, unless a new project gets funded, this might be the last time for me as guest of the National Institute of Polar Science. For sure, this is the last business trip in 2014, before going home (= wherever my parents are) for Christmas. I booked the flight months ago. My boss has strongly recommended not to get stuck again (see what happened last time) in a random airport, so I decided to reinforce my love story with Lufthansa. Here is the summary of this experience.

The shortest night.

Why do I always book early flight? Because I like having a bus service only for me. No, I’m kidding. It was cheaper and I preferred a safe transfer in Frankfurt. Well, 3 hours have been more than enough. I had even time to be entertained by a good pianist on the free Bechstein at the airport and by a funny episode of overbooking: two volunteers were asked to travel in economy from business class, with a compensation of €1500. Incredibly none wanted to accept and a second option was offered: travelling the same evening, with €200 of compensation. They lost a great opportunity, because the renewed economy class was really good, with room for the legs and individual screen (mine didn't work properly, but I slept for most of the flight). For the first time I chose the window seat and I enjoyed the sight of Berlin from the sky, the stars in the Siberian night, already white for the snow, and the Japanese coastline. Everything went fine also after landing, including the long ride by bus to Tachikawa, the hotel checking in and the lunch in a nice tempura place, recommended by V. Overall, I slept a lot. That’s quite uncommon for me. Am I getting used to long flight?

First week: lonely, but having fun with science.

Wow! Bananas Del Monte are sold in the 7-Eleven supermarket! For non-Italians: when I was a child, there was a famous tv spot about these bananas. Except for the imported bananas, the food I bought was 100% Japanese (or perhaps Chinese). I had to figure out how to cook things by guessing japanese instructions. I’ve got a PhD, that’s easy. Kidding. It's not. But the result was edible.

Actually, one of the host almost complained that at the third visit I still do not speak (or read) any Japanese (excluding a few basic words). He’s right, but I must complain that most of the people here do not speak any English, although they work in an international institute. Honestly I can speak Italian, understandable English and German, basic French and Dutch, not mentioning Latin and Veneto (OK, the last two do not count, the first is spoken by none and the other one is known only locally). I feel bad not understanding what people say, but learning Japanese just for fun would require a big effort and a lot of time that I do not have right now. 

This “short” week was quite productive. During the day I played with powerful instruments at the NIPR (notice that here I’m fully trusted, whereas at the VUB I wasn't allowed to work alone with the SEM despite 11 yrs experience and a very cautious attitude) and I continued to learn something about meteorite classification. Dinners have been a bit lonely because alone in my tiny micro-apartment in the Akaike Guest House, which is in fact fully furnished, even with cooking facilities in Western style.

Odyssey to Japan

The 4th symposium on Polar Science, with a special session on Antarctic Meteorites, was the best chance to go back to Japan with the whole belgian team. Due to bad luck, the journey was a kind of nightmare. Nothing really so terrible, but anyway quite annoying. This is a summary of my troubles with an airline and of the great time in between.

Chapter 1: The Finnish never-ending story.

After checking many possibilities, one of my bosses (V.) and I decided to fly Finnair because cheaper than others, reliable (it has been elected the best european airline) and because the flight to Japan was supposed to be shorter with a stop “on the way”, in Helsinki. I thought that in the case we were stuck somewhere, it would have been better to be in a Euro-country. But I couldn’t imagine that my worst prediction would have become true!

Friday 8th at lunchtime we took a flight to Helsinki and after two hrs connection we were supposed to fly to Tokyo… but a delay was announced. Every 30 minutes there was an update: “in 30 minutes more information about the flight”! At 7:30 pm we were all pissed off. The commandant spoke at the microphone explaining the situation: one engine was not working properly, the technicians were trying to fix it but couldn't understand what was the problem. The situation didn’t improve in the following hours. We received a couple of vouchers for dinner at the airport. At 11 pm the flight was officially cancelled and we have been sent to a hotel for the night. It took 2 hrs to take our luggages and to reach the hotel, where a long line was waiting for registration, as there was only one person at the desk. Only at 1:16 am I was in my room. News on our flight had been promised after 6 am of the following day. Obviously we didn’t sleep much. In the morning the chaos was even worse than the evening before, with people with a transfer in Tokyo who were called for a different flight 10 minutes before the departure. We had to go to the airport to figure out our destiny: V. was booked on an evening flight through Beijing (landing in Japan one day later than planned) and I had to fly on Sunday evening with JAL, landing with 2 days delay.

The lutheran cathedral in Helsinki

Although completely covered by Finnair during our forced staying in Helsinki, the lack of information has ruined the opportunity to enjoy Finland. We managed, anyway, to spend a couple of hours in Helsinki. Helsinki is a grayish, small and expensive town on the Baltic Sea, but with an intrinsic beauty. Honestly, I found Helsinki much closer to my ideal place than Brussels, because small, clean and well conserved. Even if it was Saturday, just a few people were around, perhaps because the cold temperature. The second day I was stuck in Helsinki, I stayed at the airport: I wanted to get rid of my luggage (especially because the belgian cheese that we brought as a gift had started to stink) and to choose the seat on the plane, but the JAL desk opened only 2,5 hrs before the departure time. After all, the flight was quite pleasant. Unluckily I missed the bus to Tachikawa for a couple of minutes and I had to take the train, but wasn't a big issue.

Chapter 2: Before the symposium.

We had planned to have time to adsorb the jet lag, meeting with the curator of the museum and, why not?, having a bit of fun going for shopping in Tachikawa. Thanks to Finnair we had to change our plans. The day I arrived, Monday 11, after lunch we had a tour at the NIPR. That wasn’t the November 11 I was used to, with the official beginning of Carnival with krapfen and waltz and the tradition of the Martinigansl (goose of St. Martin) in Vienna or the “castagne e vino” (chestnuts and wine) in my hometown. At least I’m finally in Japan, not so bad. In addition, this time I’m not alone. If it wasn't for the company, I would have quitted my journey in Helsinki. We stayed in a 4-star hotel, quite busy with western-style weddings. Honestly, I've enjoyed more staying in the guest house, because I don’t like the hotel lifestyle, I prefer the freedom of camping than the rigid schedule and dress-code of a hotel, although this wasn’t the case.

The wedding garden in our hotel

Tuesday was more similar to a conference day: meeting other international participants of to the symposium, waiting for other belgian colleagues, discussing technical details of our collaboration with the NIPR. The latter has highlighted the difference in mentality between europeans and japanese: sometimes asking questions might be frustrating because they say “maybe” or “I don’t know” at the place of a clear “no” and they look more for the problems than for the solutions. Their legendary efficiency actually results in lack of flexibility. Somehow the same as for Germans.

On Wednesday we visited the japanese space agency (JAXA). Wow! I cannot say more, unbelievably exciting! A limited group of us has been allowed to enter the clean lab, where the samples from an asteroid, returned by the Hayabusa spacecraft, are conserved and studied. For that, we were dressed like astronauts, to avoid any contamination. In the evening I’ve skipped the conference banquet because quite tired and because I don’t like much this kind of social events, where one ends talking only with his friends and drinking a lot.

Chapter 3: The symposium.

The official workshop on Polar Research started on Monday but only Thursday and Friday were dedicated to meteorites. There were some good talks, scientifically or practically interesting and outstanding. It was a pity that there was no time for a poster session scheduled, although a number of interesting posters were hanging in the hall. From my side, I’m beginning to know this new community of scientists. Unfortunately, every time I change topic I have to start again to find out who are the big names and who are the crazy guys in the field. This should be the aim of the reception party, but the Japanese are shy when they have to speak english. Therefore, both Thursday and Friday the social events have been a lot of fun for us but not particularly relevant for new scientific collaborations. Anyway, I’ve greatly enjoyed the meeting, the company and the cheerful japanese atmosphere.

Chapter 4: Mission (almost) impossible, back to Belgium.

London Heathrow

If you have read other of my posts recently, you should know that every time I came back to Brussels I have experienced a kind of trauma. This time I had again some troubles with the airline, so I had no time to think to my opposite feelings towards this city. Again Finnair. Although I had a reservation for a JAL flight to Helsinki and then Flybe to Brussels, the threat of a strike has probably frightened enough Finnair for changing my flights. With my great surprise, I’ve realized the day before leaving that I was booked on a Virgin Atlantic flight to London and then British Airways to Brussels. Also at the check-in desk of Virgin the surprise was great: they couldn’t find my ticket until they called Finnair, which should have sent me the new e-ticket reference. No comment! The flight was the longest ever, 12 hrs on a full plane in a tight seat, with partially working entertainment. This is definitively the longest single flight I’ve ever done: 9569 km. I’ve read about a 19 hrs non-stop flight from Brussels to Australia. Well, I could die in a similar situation. The rest of the journey was less close to a nightmare, thanks to a mug of coffee with cinnamon and the shiny shops in Heathrow. Also in Zaventem everything went smooth, except the taxi driver (only French speaking and charged €5 more for the receipt), but that’s Brussels and we have to cope with it.

Anyway, thanks to Finnair I’ve missed two medium size earthquakes in Tokyo area, one on Sunday morning and the last one yesterday evening. As structural geologist, who would like to come back to study fossil earthquakes, what should I say? Perhaps I should really abandon this idea and keep working on meteorites, although I cannot find them as exciting as the shaking of the ground. I wish Japan was closer to Europe. Its culture is so intriguing! For sure I’d like to go back soon.

Discovering a corner of Japan 2

... continuation of the previous post

A long weekend

This was a 3-days weekend, because today, Monday, is the Marine Day. It's also my last week-end in Japan, because in a couple of days I'll go back to Europe. But let's begin from Saturday. I've spent the whole morning just for shopping. Usually girls love it, but not me. The only good thing was enjoying the air-conditioned mega stores, looking at Western prices for Western clothes. I found nothing of what I was looking for, but I managed to sort out something for my friends. I've tried to find also the catholic church I wanted to visit for the mass, but it was closed.

After 5 yrs from the Organ Summer Academy in Haarlem (the Netherlands), I met again two dear friends, obviously organists and obviously Japanese, in Tokyo on Sunday. Although they don't live in town, they came just to meet me! This is the sweetest present a friend can give. We visited the Jojijoj Temple, my first time in a buddhist temple. Oh well! The business behind the religion is the same in every confession, here as well as in a catholic sanctuary. We had lunch in a traditional Japanese restaurant. I was surprised to have to remove my shoes at the entrance, but then I've astonished my friends with my "ability" with the chopsticks. I'm learning. In the afternoon we had fun in the shopping center under the Skytree, tasting sweets and refreshing drinks and making my friend's baby smiling in front of the camera. We promised to meet each other again, in Europe or in Japan, possibly much before than in 5 yrs.

On Monday morning I bought the food for the last days, I've unsuccessfully looked for stamps for Europe, and I've reserved the bus to the airport. I would have been to see the ocean, but the weather forecast called rain and I was enough tired after two days of walking. Therefore, in the afternoon I had the last glimpse of Tokyo, thanks to the Italian physicist and his Japanese girlfriend. They have shown me the Imperial Palace and gardens and an important Shinto Temple. It was great! Far from the crowded shopping areas, in the peace of quiet little wood, where one can forget to be in maybe one of the most traffic congested cities in the world. Sayonara Tokyo, perhaps we'll meet again sooner than you can imagine! 

the last days in Japan
I must admit that Tuesday was quite boring, just work, except for the evening, when we went out for my farewell party. We were seven, from the boss to the post-doc, but I guess they asked a female post-doc to join us just to have another woman in the party, besides me, although she almost didn't say a word. I had been warned about this kind of party... In fact it has been very nice: eating good food, drinking beer and (finally) sake, talking about science, history, travels, etc. Nevertheless, the talking was a bit limited, because only the older members have spent some years abroad and speak fluent English. The sum of my and someone else's limitations produces no conversation, alcool doesn't help much, at least for them. At 9 p.m. I was already in the guest house.

Wednesday was a bit more adventurous, also because I'm always quite nervous when I have to leave. At lunch time, I've rented a bycicle at the guest house and had my first and last (for now) ride in Japan, driving on the left side. It wasn't just for fun. I looked for a post office to send some postcards. I don't want to get crazy at the last minute at the airport! In the afternoon I was almost ready for leaving, with samples for my colleagues in my backpack but a bit upset for not finding again one sample I was interested in. During a farewell tea, we ate rare and expensive cherries from the Prefecture of Tohoku, as last present for me. Finally the time to say goodbye to my kind hosts has arrived. I promised to visit again the NIPR and I wished to meet them again anyway at one of the next international conferences. Then I went to my room, to clean it and to try to organize my suitcase. My plan was to sleep at least 6-7 hours before beginning the longest day (traveling to west) of this trip, but I didn't succeed. I slept maybe 3 hrs.

The longest day. Waking up was not a problem... as I didn't sleep much. The reserved taxi was waiting for me and , oh! surprise! T.T. waved from her balcony, in front of the NIPR. She woke up at 5 just to be sure that everything was fine for me. So nice from her! The bus arrived on time and in 2hrs we were at the airport. Passports were checked 3-4 times, once also on the bus, but everything went smooth. The breakfast was a bit sad... with packed sweets and an American coffee not particularly strong. The airplane wasn't completely full, so I had more room in my row, but I got sick just at the beginning. of the flight*. Maybe the coffee, perhaps the lunch or the cold temperature in the airplane. Just the time to check my emails at Vienna Airport, in one hour I was peacefully sleeping on the last flight of the day. A taxi brought me quickly to my place, while a warm sun still shined over Brussels. Goodnight!

* From this moment until landing in Brussels, suddenly I began crying and couldn't stop. Like the last Sunday in Vienna, when I've been for the last time in "my" church and then I crossed the AKH Campus, still covered by the snow. Exactly in that moment I realized that the happy and equilibrated life I had there was at the end. During the flight I didn't cry because I was sick (common thing and also quite short), but because everything on that airplane (Austrian) reminded me my time in Vienna. I expected, somehow, this reaction when I chose the flight but I didn't imagine it so strong! Also writing these lines I cried again. This morning is going much better. There was something unsolved, not accepted, about my new life. The person I was in Vienna doesn't exist anymore, I'm back to the odious single lady I was in Padua before emigrating. I hate the place where I live, although I love my new job and I try every day to make me enjoy Brussels. Back from Japan, I should summarize my impressions on that country, not regretting my (forced) choices. But it's time to move on, saying definitively farewell to Vienna and trying to be happy also here. Even if this would be the only good thing I learned from my Japanese trip, it is a great achievement!

Discovering a corner of Japan

My 15 days in the Tokyo area, working as guest of the National Institute of Polar Research and exploring as simple tourist.

1st day-2 days: the missing night.

Traveling towards east, the time seems shorter. Actually it is. I've left Brussels in a cold and rainy morning and after a short stop in Frankfurt I've landed in a gray and hot morning in Tokyo-Narita. The flight should have replaced the night, but I didn't sleep much. I was too much excited: first time to Japan and first time in the A380, the double-decker aircraft of the sky. Due to a delay in the luggage delivery, I've missed the planned bus to Tachikawa, the following bus left almost 2 hrs later. In the meantime I've realized that my quad-band phone is already "old" for this country: only umts smartphones work here. The shuttle bus didn't seem exceptionally new or technological advanced, but what really astonished me was the behavior of the "assistants". At the bus stop, a few guys, wearing the same uniform, load the suitcases and help people find the right stop (ok, that's normal). These guys bow down every time the bus arrives and leaves! I thought that bowing was an old-fashion honor for Queen Elizabeth II...

The journey with the bus was shorter than thought and I was more tired than expected, but I got the first idea of the landscape at this latitude. After crossing green areas for km and having a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean, we ended in a traffic jam in the complex network of highways between skyscrapers. A walk in Tachikawa, my destination, made me enjoy a bit of less "contaminated" Japan, with a lot of cyclists, a few old people wearing traditional clothes, the monorail that seems outdated, the supermarket with fish seller-singers at the corners, the drummers practicing in a school, the low houses with small windows and gorgeous little gardens. Traffic is intense but not chaotic, houses and streets are minimal, clean, ordered but not too much. Bikes have a very simple lock and have a label with the name of the owner... if you do something similar in Vienna maybe you get a fine by the police because you tempt the thieves, if you try in Italy or in Brussels... your bike disappears in 5 seconds but you can hear the thieves laughing for years!

The NIPR is something in between the super-organization I've experienced in some research centers in Germany and the self-doing and randomization of happenings I've lived with in Italy. I'm staying in the guest house for visiting scientists, a one-floor building close to the research area. My room is small but super-equipped, with kitchen(dishes, glasses, forks (forks!!! not only chopsticks!), pans, etc. are also provided), bathroom, desk, tv, bed, and air conditioning. The picture is for those Italians that dream of a "bidet" when are abroad: here is built in the water closet. You can also select the pre-heating of the seat and the temperature and the intensity of the water, different for your "posterior" and front. Not tried yet, it was already a challenge understanding the instructions. The weather is awful, the hot mist can kill you, it seems Padova in the worst foggy days of July but, at least, here there aren't mosquitos. Now I'm definitively tired. Good night! (more pictures on Facebook)

2nd day: science and party time
Having a reverse jet lag is priceless. At 8 p.m. it is already dark, at 5 a.m. it is day, so I went to sleep at 8 and woke up at 5...when it is 10 p.m. in Europe. The working time was spent planning the next week and measuring 104 samples collected the last winter. I met many other scientists, but because my scarce understanding of their names and their poor English most of these new acquaintances will be forget soon by both. That's sad, I know. It's the same at many international conferences. Sometimes you meet again a person you met the first time years ago, you cannot remember his name but for some reasons you had never forgotten his face, then you become friends and never forget each other anymore. This happened to me many times, now I'm sharing the office in Brussels with a colleague I met in 2005!

In the evening there was a party to celebrate the 55th anniversary of something related to Antarctica. About one hundred of Japanese from the institute were there, exactly at 6 p.m. Official speeches of the different directors (hierarchy is amazing here) and then the cook introduced his specialities. The audience replied clapping or with enthusiastic ooooh... I did the same, but unfortunately I didn't get a word. The party was very nice, although for the 1st time in my life I've realized I'm... the black sheep, until I've recognized a "Western" face and heard that "the face" spoke English. Wow, he's European! Wait, he's French. Well, we aren't in Belgium, it is fine. He's a biologist who studies Antarctic species of penguin and is doing a post-doc here. Ok, 2 black sheep over more than 100 white sheep, but that's fun!

First weekend
On Saturday I've tried to go to Tachikawa Station for shopping but I quickly changed my mind, too hot and too expensive and western-style. I've preferred to stay "home" to work, with the air conditioning on, ... like a Japanese.

On Sunday I took a train to Tokyo. Stations are simply crazy. Tickets are sold for price, so you need to know in advance how much you should pay... not the distance. There are trains every 3 minutes, in peak hours even every minute. Stops are announced in Japanese, English and that I guess is Chinese. I've been lucky (or ability) enough to arrive at my destination, the Ueno Station, to meet John, an other Italian scientist doing a post-doc abroad and friend of a friend met in Vienna. We visited the National Museum of Nature and Science and a special exhibition about the deep ocean exploration. The museum was quite interesting but all the explanations were only in Japanese. We had lunch in a nice place with traditional hand-made noodles, then we crossed a local colorful market, just along (better, underneath) the local railway.

We've seen also the famous district of manga and technology shops but I cannot remember the name. It is famous for bars where people can play electronic games and be served by girls dressed as dolls. Sorry for the bad explanation, I know nothing about the manga world. We ended the day seeing the city from the 45th floor of the town hall in Shinjuku, just before getting lost in the subway station. But finally I reached safe the guest house in Tachikawa, just before a beautiful sunset. Thanks John for having showed me things I would have not seen alone. The next weekend I'll try to have a look to the most touristic spots in town, thanks to an Italian guidebook we found in the town hall, although I like more the authentic suburb.

A full week
A full working week is not worth of a post, except for a few episodes, one per day. On Monday morning, surprised to see me at 9 a.m., the host prof. said: - Oh, so you survived the weekend - Uhm... Japanese humor? Although I've told him many times that I feel like in Padova, or even better because there aren't so many mosquitoes here, he and his colleagues are always afraid that I get sick for the heat.

On Tuesday he informed me that an important seismic fault passes just underneath the building. A large earthquake is expected after the March 2011 event. The building is well insulated by ground shaking... but not if the fault moves exactly here. Thank you! I don't care of your precious database and sample collection... I'm terrified to be stuck here if an earthquake occurs. They said that the guest house is safe, that the safest place is the bathroom, etc. Ok, I trust them. But when the March 2011 earthquake occurred, scientists of the NIPR have been stuck in the building for days because trains stopped, the electricity was rationed (no heating, no air conditioning), and roads were closed.

On Wednesday I begun to use the microprobe. That was real fun! Never give a similar toy to a geologist! The only inconvenience was the temperature in the room: 20°C. Brrrr! I needed a wool coat to resist and then I risked to die when I went out of the building.
On Thursday my hosts brought me in a special place for lunch: a traditional Japanese restaurant famous for the thick noodle and tempura. It was delicious!
On Friday I've played with Raman spectroscopy, helped by a very kind Japanese colleague who can say two words in Italian (tanta neve = a lot of snow).
Now I'm ready for the second and last weekend in Japan!