I finally have an answer to my illness. My long and drawn out symptoms have been diagnosed. I freaking have whooping cough! Yah, it's a bitch. I've been sick since January. It was REALLY bad in the beginning, where I actually missed several days of work.

Let me share with you the 4 stages to this lovely virus.

1. Incubation, 2 to 3 weeks. No symptoms.

2. Prodrome. Runny nose, sneezing, mild fever, and a mild cough that progresses in intensity. You think you just have a cold until you realize 2 weeks have passed.

3. Paroxysms. The worst part of it all, lasting up to 6 weeks solid. I was not spared one of those 6. Characterized by spasms and coughing fits so severe you can't stop and you can't breathe, and sometimes to the point of making yourself puke. Mucus so thick and sticky you constantly gag on it. Yep, I had that, only we thought I had a stomach virus on top of a sinusitis.

4. Convalescence. Coughing that lasts another 4 weeks, though generally the severity lessens. Just when you thought it was all over, that you're finally well because you have 1 or 2 weeks with few symptoms...WHAM!

Episodes and spasms can continue to occur over the next several months, especially with a cold or over exertion. Hello! My name is unpaid graduate student who works too fucking much and doesn't sleep because she's up all night coughing and her lungs are so tired and her abs are beyond fatigued.

So there you have it. That's whooping cough. I only ever associated it with babies but guess what - you could be as lucky as an adult! Oh, and no, it's not contagious once you receive antibiotic treatment, which I did many, many weeks ago when I thought my head would explode from the pressure of sinusitis.

we had to leave at the ass crack of dawn, but what an amazing view from 30,000 feet


this is where my tuition money went, paying for this resort hotel to go to this conference


i didn't see the sun for 4 days due to interviews, but as soon as i had the opp, i snuck carey in and we slathered on that sunscreen


because it was very bright and sunny!


and jumped in this sublime aquatic environment


or rather, slid into it using this way fun slide


and flopping in awkwardly at the bottom


we discovered the waterfall makes an excellent massager


and then you float in suspended animation with your ears just below the water line so you can hear only your heartbeat


i bid farewell to the few people i cared about


and we checked into this stellar 'resort hostel' i found online


a private paradise


surrounded with lovely blooms


in the evening hours we hit universal studios, where carey ran into jaws


and i ran into the nascar team (yah, i know it's lame)


and we both ran into 'imhotep' on the revenge of the mummy ride


all i'm gonna say is it was hot, wet and exhilerating....this sign wasn't joking - and as carey suggested, it now hangs over my bed ;)

That's as good as any place to end for today. There are more but they'll have to wait. Ciao.

Yes, I'll eventually get to the rest of my Germany photos and Orlando. For now, here's my adorable nephew Ryan, one shot from Germany and a sun teaster from Florida. Ciao.

Just got back last night from a week in Orlando. I spent 4 days interviewing for jobs around the world and 4 days playing in the sunshine and universal studios.

Al Gore was the keynote speaker at my conference. I gotta tell you he's quite the comedian. I especially enjoyed his immitation of Bill. Esentially I got to see a live presentation of "An Inconvenient Truth". He's a very captivating public speaker and I took a lot of notes on his powerpoint slides. Err, I mean whatever the Apple version is. It's not like any of that information is new. We know we kill our planet. You can't go a single day without watching someone abuse it. Flicking their cigarette butts on the ground, trash on the streets, not recycling etc etc.

Then came the point when I literally jumped out of my seat in applause. Really, I can't say how many times I fume about the crap on tv. Not the shows, you can watch whatever you want to. The media however just kills me. We need to spend more time spreading knowledge about what MATTERS rather than the umptillionth time you turn on the news and hear the latest bullshit about custody battles for Anna Nicole's fatherless child. That's the truth.

I interviewed with so many places I can't even remember them all. My intentions were to be highly selective and I only scheduled 4. Next thing I know I'm booked back to back for 4 days! I had a few second round interviews on site, which is good news. I hope to receive some on campus interviews from a few places. Particularly the Qatar Foundation. That place sounds SO amazing and it's all brand new. It's my chance to jump right in with a dream job, working overseas, as well as sculpt and mold the very foundations of the program. My chance to create something from nothing, begin a new chapter in my legacy, begin my journey to my personal legend!

The best part is, Qatar is actually inviting their final choices for a campus interview. Can you imagine...traveling half way around the world for an interview! Simply amazing. Of course my enthusiasm is not shared by, oh I'd say 100% of the people I've talked to about this job. Everyone freaks out when I mention it. Or first has to ask, 'where is Qatar' and then freaks out. Should I mention this is THE wealthiest nation in the WORLD? 70% pristine beach coastline, adventure sports out the wazzoo, dessert, a successfull ex-pat community, and the opportunity to learn much more Arabic and learn from others.

I suppose this is where the anthropologist in me has always come forward. My pursuit of travel is not only for the adventure but for learning about the people, the culture, the customs. I like learning about that and sharing it with other people. The more we know about our differences, the more we learn how much we really are alike. When you can begin to do that, you can begin to break down the barriers of injustice and hate.

Gosh I have so much more to say but I need to pace myself. The rest of my Germany photos and Orlando photos will follow in the days ahead. Ciao.

Interviews with:

Harvard
Cornell
Wellesley
Qatar Foundation
Niagara University
SUNY Brockport
SUNY Oswego

Let's hope a job comes from one of them!

Dusseldorf. (yes, there are still more to come)



in the brussels train station on my way back to germany i spotted this. i am convinced it is the world's largest vending machine. you could buy anything from beer and cheese to toilet paper and pepto-bismol.


we enjoyed such a beautiful sunny day, i'm not sure why Christoph was still wearing his jacket


i wonder what the inside of this place looks like


we went up this tower, all the while in the elevator i was being solicited to be a slave wife by a beer breathed indian man


you get great views because of the window angles


neat


but i was surprised to see sheep in the middle of the city


i really want this knife stand


to go with this awesome sink


wonderful old town square


golf clubs in the recyle bin?


fooooooooooooore!


really, i wasn't looking for it, it found me


remember that candy lipstick?

I dropped off my bike yesterday morning to get repairs. Breaks were screwed, shifter was broke and my back wheel was bent. I just got the call that she'll be ready for pick up after 5 today! She's a jem and I can't wait to start riding to work again. The guys at the shop were impressed with her, guess it's been a long while since they've seen a classic schwinn. Now the weather just has to stay cooperative :)

p.s. more europe photos tomorrow

In this cluster...Koln, Brussles and some place in the Netherlands.



took the train from weisbaden to koln


beautiful scenery all the way


i stayed with my friend elisa


the most famous cathedral in germany, dom zu koln


this train station vending machine was full of printer cartridges, just in case you REALLY HAVE TO HAVE ONE RIGHT NOW!


i also met up with my friend christoph and the first thing i did when we stopped to have a beer was knock over this cafe table and all the chairs and everything on it....charming and classy


lots of narrow winding streets in the netherlands, it was almost a bit creepy, especially once i can show you a video i took while there


even the mannequins are creepy


everybody, and i mean everybody, rides bikes there


probably to work off all these fries- they are everywhere


i took another train to brussles but was never able to contact my friends


i had to look up a youth hostel but they were full...this is me waiting and wondering if i'll have to sleep in the train station or get lucky and snag someone's cancellation


even if i had to sleep in the train station it would have been kosher cuz i'm cool like 'danger girl'


but i got lucky and then ended up with this lovely view


i checked out the atom thingy


which i think looks cooler at night with a little play on the camera


and just for fun

Breaking photos down into groups. This is around Weisbaden, Mainz and the Rhein River Valley.



friend i made on the plane ride over (from syracuse)


my aunt and her father


rhein river spotted by a swan


my aunt feeding the swan


my uncle by a giant wine press


pretty


my uncle, aunt and cousins


church entrance in mainz


mainz


lots of schnapps flavours to choose from


super yummy preztels! no comparison to ours


dom in mainz


dom in mainz....prost! (cheers)


dom in mainz


over 30 dance party!


i guess buffalo follows you wherever you go


public toilet w/ automatic sani wipe spray


my first beer in germany


i had no idea germany was covered in roman ruins


this one took me a moment to figure out


castle or 'berg'


view from castle


right, that's the name of it


have you seen the seinfeld episode when kramer gets 'ass man' license plates? i found his house.


from another castle's spire


this little birdy couldn't get enough of himself in the mirror


taking the ferry across the rhein


small town in the wine valley


same town


mountain top view


those guys in the middle are actually life size


close up of the side angel


i ask myself, where to next?


weisbaden's claim to fame


in action


coolest public phone ever! touch screen with internet access.

Back in the US of A. I have plenty of pics, but am drowning in work. That stupid bitch (at work) that has caused me so much grief has done even more damage while I was gone. I didn't think it was possible. People were taking bets as to how long she would last if she walked in the office before I headbutt her. Details later. Ciao!