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!

At train distance

If I cannot change the place where I live, I must change my mind about. It's my fault if a feel bad, get sick, and only "survive" here for the job. I must think different. I must remove all my prejudices, because there are for sure tons of good things in Brussels I cannot see just because I don't want to. One of them is the location. Close to all the most important capitals of Europe and to the most lovely cities of Belgium. Let's explore the neighborhood by train!

Freaky Friday in London

A business trip to London has given me the opportunity to cross the Channel by train for the first time. The expensive Eurostar is pretty fast and comfortable. Well, we had to pass through security and passport check (3 times on one way! as many as the borders we crossed) like at the airport and the train has the moquette, but it was much better than flying to Heathrow. I remember my first opinion about London, not much different from what I think of Brussels: dirty and chaotic. But London has a soul that I'm still looking for in Brussels.

Anyway, the reason of the trip was meeting the curator of the meteorite collection in the Natural History Museum. It was the best visit ever! Not only for the opportunity to discover the "secrets" of the museum and the job, but also for the bright example of efficient conservation and research at the same time. I've learned a lot and probably also loved a bit more the city. The funniest moment was... eating fish&chips with the museum people at the restaurant reserved for the staff. Time flew so fast... I had no time to meet a friend of mine... I must plan other trips to London!

Saturday in fairy city

Although the one day trip to London made me quite tired in the evening, the day after I planned to go to Bruges. I wanted to visit the famous city but also meeting again another organist, who I had seen the first and last time in 2008 in Haarlem. The only Belgian I knew before moving here. After having been already twice in Antwerp, let's see something new.

The weather tried to persuade me to stay in bed in the morning, but then turned into a windy a sunny day. The journey by train (I love the weekend-tickets!) was peaceful and in a good company of hundreds of tourists. The town is lovely! It sounds a bit fake, not because rebuilt in a fake ancient style like Dresden, but because the time seems to have stopped centuries ago. There are almost no architectural signs of modernity. The only baroque church I've seen sounds weird like a black sheep... and it was the most modern church nearby. The friend of mine, born and grown up there, explained and showed me many corners that are usually skipped by tourists. In the meantime we talked about music and common acquaintances. That's the way I like to visit a new place!

Looking forward to traveling again!

One month: 5 things I like and 5 that I dislike in Brussels

After the first month in Brussels, let's make a cold analysis, picking a short list of what I like and don't like of this place.

Things I DO NOT like:

1. The dirtiness. Streets are not washed every day like in Vienna but it is also a matter of culture. Dog poo is everywhere. Garbage bags are exposed in front of the door the day before the collection. Buildings and trains are dusty and filth, outside as inside, and they stink. You can often hear stories about rats in the apartments but nobody relates their presence to the general lack of cleaning.

2. Public transits. Never on time, especially buses that are stuck in the traffic. Dirty, old and never renewed, especially some tram lines and the underground. Not reliable at all. Very often it is quicker on foot than by bus or tram.

3. The racial hate between Flemish and French-speaking people. For a foreigner is already difficult to learn one of the two languages but then you are treated in a different way depending on the language you choose. Many French-speakers, especially from the low class, do not speak English or any other language. German is one of the official languages in the country, but is spoken only by a few people.

4. The traffic. People drive with one hand on the gear and the other on the horn, bus drivers included. Pedestrians risk their lives whenever they cross the street, even with the trafic light; bicyclists should better stay at home.

5. The tap water. It is rich of limestone deposits, you need a filter even for cooking and the pipelines get easily obstructed. Obviously, bottled water in restaurants and bars is almost as expensive as beer, but tap water is not for free here (as it is in Vienna, instead).

after Wikipedia

What I like.

1. The weather. I know, most of you would hate it, but I really love the unpredictability of the local weather. You can experience 4 seasons in one day, you'll never get bored. The sky is not just gray, like in some parts of Germany, but changes every hour. Ok, you have 10 months of Autumn, 1 month of Spring and 1 month of Winter.  That's it.

2. The kindness of natives. After Vienna you learn to appreciate every Bonjour, "madame", "s'il vous plait", and smile.

3. The opening time of supermarket. I live really close to the center, nevertheless supermarkets are complete and open till 8 p.m. every day. You don't have to buy food once a week, you can buy just what you need, day by day. But there are also many street markets, not limited to the morning.

4. Wi-Fi. Internet is available almost everywhere. In bars and restaurants but also on the street. In the latter case it's not free of charge, but it may cost less than a meal in a restaurant. Actually, I don't like that you pay by volume of traffic rather than by time...

5. The beer. It is much more alcoholic than that in Austria or Germany. It is tasty, because of extra herbs. So, if you want to forget all the things you don't like here, just drink a second beer. Even if the serving is much smaller than half liter or a pint. Glasses are amazing.

Finding 5 good things was a difficult task. Limit myself to only 5 bad things was difficult as well. What I don't like in Brussels reminds me Padova, where I encountered the same distress. Other things of the everyday life here remind me the time in Padova, such as the use of my laptop instead having an office computer, sharing the office with other colleagues, the needing of public transportations to get to work, the humidity and the following feeling of cold at home, having a bathtub, playing the organ on Sunday for an Italian church, etc. It seems that I always lived here and the time in Vienna lasted just one night, as a rare, sweet dream. Let's get back to reality, it's not so bad after all. As long as the work is fine and friends are good, I can bear the life in a not-perfect place. Maybe I can even enjoy my time here!

First week and birthday in Brussels

The first impression has been confirmed. I don't like much this city, probably we don't like each other. I've discovered only yesterday evening the touristic side of Brussels, which is exactly what one might expect: kitsch shops selling kitsch object, day and night, tribes of Italian students on school trip, weird lights on historical buildings. The weather tried to show me the best of the place, gifting every day of at least some hours of sun and clear sky. No way, I envied my friends in Vienna, who were complaining for the snow in April.

My flat is in a perfect location and after buying some IKEA furniture it looks also quite cute. As a friend of mine said, it is an ideal "nest". But this does not make me forget the many defects and troubles. The first day the code for the main door, sent by email by the landlady, didn't work and I couldn't get in. Then she gave me her personal code, but I expect she will change it again without any warn! Then, trying to open a window we broke it (glass too much thin! and weak frame) and I'm afraid I'll have to pay for it. The gas heater in the bathroom is noisy and was checked less than a month ago as dangerous for the bad ventilation (CO danger!). The washbowl is cracked. There are many scratches in the old furniture (built-in, impossible to remove) and on the wooden floor. etc. etc. The landlady didn't yet reply to my message. Perhaps I'm too much picky... Well, let's think positive, at least the CO cannot accumulate in poisoning concentrations, because there are too many drafts! However, this was the best solution I've seen. Maybe it was just a matter of luck.

The bureaucracy of every beginning is long and frustrating. Here, sometimes it works quickly and very efficiently, sometimes one is stuck for stupid reasons or someone's rigidity. Probably it is not the rule, but I've observed that the flemish speaking belgians work faster than the french. Then, I hate people that do not speak any other language than their own, here for French as well as in Italy for Italian. Anyway, I managed to get almost all I need (electricity, gas, bank account, health insurance, private insurance, double email account and keys from the university and the museum, monthly ticket payed by the university, etc.), but still fighting to get the registration, internet access at home, and the contract for water. Public transits are dirty and generally not reliable, often it is quicker to walk, exactly like in Italy. Prices are generally a bit higher than in Vienna. Finally, I don't agree with the chosen music in the metro (Toto Cutugno???) and dislike the sweetish buskers.

Stop complaining! As my former boss said, one goes where the work is. So, let's talk about the job. This is the good part. Perhaps it will be challenging to deal with three different institutes and a dense schedule, but people I have to work with are very friendly. Well, I'm not anymore so innocent to believe they'll never try to cheat me, especially those who are kinder with me now, but at least we can discuss about work as a team. I'm happy to find so many geologists in this field. I'm not the only one, so I hope to learn quickly what I need and then to begin to be productive.

organ in the basilica of Grimbergen

And my birthday? I've celebrated it one day in advance, with my parents, without whom my relocation would have been much more complicated and traumatic. We enjoyed a sunny Sunday in Grimbergen, with local beer, market, carillon and the monks singing Plain Chant. Yesterday I've been introduced to the work, meeting people from all the three institutions. The evening was very nice, dining with a good friend, who has been and will be a great help for my settling here. Maybe, after a while, I'll appreciate Brussels like her.

Hunting a flat

Day 1. 

Alarm at 4 a.m., metro at 5, bus at 6, flight from a snowy and windy Bratislava at 9, landing prior than scheduled in Charleroi, bus, lost in the railway station, metro, lunch, and then phoning and visiting flats until 8 p.m. It has been a long day. Three out of four are flats I'd never consider to live in. Let's hope in tomorrow! 

But the weather was amazing: sunny and warm the whole day. Even if not, the warm reception from my host was enough to warm my hearth for months! She's so sweet! She deserves a monument! In conclusion, I'd like to tell here a funny episode that occurred during the transfer by bus from Charleroi to Brussels. There was a car accident on the highway and only one lane was available. The bus driver tried to be "smart" (I'd say... "Italian"), overtaking by a parking area on the right but was stopped by an angry policeman. They had a strong argument, while the passengers were angry too for the delay. I commented what happened with the person sitting next to me, who asked information first and if I had understood the French speech of the policeman. It came out that this guy is a "Kiwi", he comes from New Zealand. Cool!

Day 2.
Another long and busy day. My search was even more disappointing than yesterday. I've been waiting for a tram that never came, I had to walk for km just to visit a flat with an external toilet. One hour by car with a speechless estate agent to see three large and old flats. The evening visit wasn't totally useless because the agent proposed other new solutions to be seen tomorrow.I want to make a decision by tomorrow, anyway.

The episode of the day. I was not recognized as Italian by an Italian to whom I spoke English at the beginning. Unless I've an austrian accent, this was a kind of compliment. For sure I have to improve, especially the writing style, but there is hope I can succeed one day. A tasty and fully Italian pizza has magnificently concluded the day. At Fratelli La Bufala's, highly recommended.

Day 3.
Although I was expecting a long day, visiting 4-5 flats, my choice took then just five minutes. The first appointment was in the early morning for a small flat, in down town. I arrived much in advance, so I visited a church nearby. Despite some disadvantages, the cuteness of the place caught me and I decided to take it. Let's thank God! We spent about one hour discussing some details, on Friday we should define the contract. I've spent the rest of the day canceling the other planned visits and planning the relocation. Thanks to a Belgian friend, the law about renting a flat is not anymore a mystery for me. She explained me also my rights about electricity, internet, health, etc. Well... it seems to have been back to Italy.

In the evening, my host and I visited the small weekly market in Chatelain. It's pretty cute. We bought there our dinner, with local vegetable and cheese cakes, chicken sausages, and a delicious crumble with leek and raspberry. That's time to celebrate!

Day 4.
Nothing remarkable.

Day 5.
Contract signed. The landlady is very precise, but a bit strict. It seems that her own interest, or better the safety of her propriety, is more important even than the law. I've never dealt with a private landlord, I guess this is the "average" attitude. Beside that, she is an artist, rich, noble (uh, never forget that Belgium is a kingdom), very active, and emancipated. We could understand each other.

The main room

Anyway, I've been in the flat to measure the windows and the floor for the furniture I want to buy. The kitchen is new and completely equipped. The bathroom is also comfortable but the washbowl has a shallow crack. The main room is luminous, this morning it was even reached by the sun, but the old wooden parts (floor, wardrobes, door) are full of scratches and dents. The walls were not freshly painted, so there are a few marks of the previous tenant.

Oh well, nothing is perfect. With my touch, the flat will be lovely and very... "bohémien"!

P.S. Belgians... The lady in the bank has explained me that "quatre-vingt-dix" is understandable but not used by Belgians, who instead use "nonante". No comment!

Day 6.
Is it spring? Uh, it should be, but it's snowing here! If my flight tomorrow is cancelled, I have to buy a ticket to Italy, because there are no flight to Bratislava until Tuesday and I need to be in Vienna on Monday. I'm worried and angry also for another reason. As my flight is early in the morning, I reserved a room in a cheap hotel close to the airport. It is less than 500 m from the departure hall... but there are no sidewalks or a direct way. I had to take a taxi from the airport to the hotel and I must take another one tomorrow morning, €10 one way. The taxi driver didn't speak English. Seriously, at an international airport!?! Thanks to God I know numbers and a few words in French. Anything else? The landlady didn't reply my e-mail, as expected. The public transits do not respect the schedule. If this is Belgium, you cannot blame me because I LOVE GERMANY!

At least shopping this morning was entertaining. I've seen a couple of things I'd like to buy for my new flat. But the most important things are the furniture and internet. Hopefully they'll not take too long, after the order. The lunch in a "bio" restaurant wasn't bad. The bulgarian dinner yesterday was good as well. I can't wait that this period is over, but I'm afraid I can forget the relaxed feeling I had in Vienna. It is like having gone back to Italy.

Day 7.
Actually it's the return day. Return to civilization that means Vienna. I woke up much earlier than needed. Outside was completely white, the ground was covered by 20 cm snow. OMG, will our flight be deleted? The morning taxi driver was on time, again he spoke just French. My attempt to have breakfast at the airport failed because I poured my coffee on my jacket. The boarding was on time, walking through a snowstorm. The airplane has just been defrost when new ice was forming on the windows. We began to leave the gate but suddenly stopped. After 20 minutes the captain said that we were stuck in the middle of the taxiway because the airport truck failed to move the aircraft... the ground was too much slippery and the airplane too much heavy. We had to wait another truck and finally took off, 30 minutes late. The rest of the journey was boring and depressing. In the evening I realized how much I'll miss Vienna. I've never felt "at home" in Vienna, but everything was so comfortable and reliable. Goodbye Vienna!

Time to say goodbye, again

When the unexpected happens!

1. Elections in Italy. A catastrophe! The country is almost equally divided in 4 parts: a) non-voters, b) democratic left party (PD), c) middle-right party (PDL, that means Mr. B.) and d) Grillo's political movement (M5S). For who doesn't know Grillo, he is a former comedian who is against everyone and everything. It is almost impossible to form a new government, therefore in the meantime the country is the chaos, under the threat of the expulsion from the European Union.

2. Although Mr. B. didn't win, the number of votes he received and the current chaos in the government have convinced me to carry out what I promised: I will progressively loose my "italianity", beginning from the language of this blog. I'm NOT English native speaker, but I do prefer to practice a foreign language, even with many mistakes, than to use any longer the language of a country I don't feel anymore to belong to. My only 3-4 Italian readers can  use the "Translate" button on the top of the page, anyway.

3. The Pope has resigned. Ok, by now it is well known. I was shocked by this news. I liked so much Joseph Ratzinger as Pope and as fine theologist. I'm afraid that the Catholic Church is going to have a new schism: progressivism versus traditionalism, depending on the new Pope's orientation.

4. A good news in my life: I got the job in Brussels! I'm going to leave Vienna in a couple of weeks, surprisingly with a bit of "Sehnsucht". I must admit I feel nervous because the project requires skills I still have to acquire. The priority now is finding a flat. Then the move is the big deal. Only after that, I could begin to worry about the new job! But I do not have the time to say goodbay to Vienna in the proper way, after three debated years.

5. Before getting crazy with the stress of a relocation, I have spent almost two weeks vacation at home. I mean the real HOME that means... anywhere, but with my parents. Not mentioning the crazy cat Schwarzy. Actually I was in Italy, not strictly in my hometown, but rather enjoying the snow at 1000 m a.s.l. in a happy enclave between Italy and Austria. The last relaxing family days... who knows when I'll have again such an opportunity!

6. I'm sharing my flat with another Italian scientist. She is looking for a flat since months but the estate market in Vienna is fast and tricky. It's hard to get used to a new shared life rythm but it might be good to reduce the stress by relocation. Furthermore, I do not have the time to feel alone during this "interregnum".

In conclusion, I'll miss Vienna, not only the city and its (cultural) life, but also the people I met here. Friendship is different when you live abroad: in a  situation of needing, acquaintance quickly evolves into a close friendship! Probably I'll miss also the landscape: the snowy mountains, the quiet Danube, the woody hills, etc. Not forgetting the weather, with cold and icy winters and windy and sunny springs. I'll miss the respect for pedestrians and cyclists, the overall good behavior, on the road as well as at home. I'll miss the opportunity to attend so many concerts and operas for a little price and with very skilled friends. I'll miss the language, I mean German, for sure not the horrible Wienerisch...

However, I'm full of enthusiasm and hopes for the new life in Brussels. The crisis I encountered in Vienna the first year abroad seems far away and after three years I feel quite confident. I expect the same from the Belgian experience. Per ardua ad astra!