A Cat in the Alps

Salut!

I am currently sitting on the terrace (roof) of my apartment building overlooking the beautiful Salève mountain. Unreal. The weather is beyond beautiful here which is definitely not conducive to productivity. Thankfully my research is somewhat flexible in that I can do it anywhere I can bring my laptop (and usually if there’s wifi when I need it!). Geneva is getting to be more amazing each day and I’m afraid that it will be even more difficult to leave in June.

I traveled to Neuchâtel last week to meet with my professor. It was so great to get in person feedback on the work I have been doing for the past month and a half. The department I am working under at the University of Geneva has allocated me some funding to travel to Neuchâtel more often which will definitely be great- it’s pretty lonely all by myself in my adult office.

I have finished collecting data on family leave policies from about 42 countries and am now in the process of converting that qualitative data into quantitative data to be put into an SPSS (an amazing yet sometimes overwhelming statistics program) dataset. It’s proving to be quite tedious as each country’s policies are so different and it is sometimes not beneficial to water down the data so that there is one common variable that applies to most of the other countries…but I’m working on it. Ah! Ladybug just flew onto my sunglasses. Beautiful. Yet at the same time alarming. Digression, sorry.

Anyways, my two French classes are almost over- only about 3 more classes left! I am increasingly freaking out over my two finals –one next week and the other the week after that- although I think I might be the only person in my class who is as I am the only person who is taking the classes for credit (the rest just need an attestation which is basically a certificate saying they took the course). My final oral French presentation is next week and I do not hesitate when I say that I really do not want to do it…but I have no choice. Although I have to say that I am happy I was able to choose my own topic- my research! It’s been great learning how to say what I’ve been studying for the past 3 months in proper French…now I just need to be able to convey it other people.

Aside from all my studious activities…I was able to travel to Sevilla, Spain to visit some of my amazing Clark friends who are studying there (and who also came to visit me)!- although their program ends tomorrow-ah!

Needless to say, it. Was. Incredible. I went with my friend who was doing some travelling after her program in London ended as well as two of my friends from my University here. The week we went was Feria which is this giant festival that happens once a year.

The women wear traditional dresses

and there are horse-drawn carriages

and dancing

and you basically get transported back in time and then realize that yes, this is reality and you are in Spain. Amidst all the dancing, tapas, bull fighting (yeah, right…didn’t go), river strolls, churros and gardens, it was so nice to see all my friends (cue cheesy prime time TV background music). But really it was such a comfort to see everyone and know that 1. They were all alive (not that I ever thought the contrary) and 2. That they were having an amazing time and 3. To be infinitely jealous that they were living in Sevilla (a cafe for 1.20 euros…unfair).

Side note: a few of us went to a soccer-sorry, a futball match- which was definitely an experience to say the least. May I say that for the first time in my life the line for the women’s bathroom was at LEAST ten times shorter than that of the men’s. AND there were three male bathrooms for every one female bathroom. I kid you not. At halftime-key word halftime, as I walked by the winding line of males jumping up and down (exaggeration) I literally vocalized my amazement to no one as I waited behind TWO, yes two, women. Amazing. Just amazing. Although startlingly short female restroom lines may be the only benefits of such a male dominated activity. That and ….no, no, can’t think of anything else at the moment. Anyways our team, Sevilla Betis tied against Atletico Madrid in an epic last 5 minutes where Madrid scored. Horrible. But amazing. The range of emotions that were experienced throughout the game was just incredible. The passion and anger that surfaced was great to watch and I reveled in the fact that I somehow got caught up in it as well. BETTIIIISSSSS (We also all bought flags).

And lastly- need to get going, my face is on fire from this ridiculous sunlight (seriously. It’s 6:30pm. Switzerland, who knew?)- my trip to Stirling Scotland! To visit two of my other lovely Clark friends who are studying there. Ok, fast recap. Stirling!