Nose in the Books: PhD Comps!

The other day my friend asked, where in the world are you...you seem disconnected? I am not rafting in Colorado. I am not riding camels in Morocco. I am not drinking grappa or eating pizza in Italy. I am not hiking through the rice paddies in Vietnam. I am in the dichotomous world of studying for COMPS; sometimes I find it agonizing, painful, and stressful while other times I find it enlightening, calming, and intellectually stimulating. The word "Comps" may not mean much to you, but to an American PhD student in their third year, it means a big-freakin' exam. Here is the deal, as a rite of passage into the PhD world (as if there has not been enough hazing), I must successfully pass an exam that has my brain and butt feeling like mush. The week of August 30, I will receive four questions, within four consecutive days--one question each day. I am expected to have researched the topic extensively in order to write a 10-12 page paper on-the-fly, in four hours, with nothing but my brain and a computer (no resources, no books, no bottles of wine, no internet, and no cheat sheets allowed). Citing is expected. That means that I need to memorize all authors that I want to cite and have a fairly clear idea of what I am going to write. So, there you have it...the reason I am in a cave right now.

Here is a day in the life of Leasa (right now): Wake up (no alarm...ahhh!). Make an egg with cheddar cheese and tomato on an English muffin while preparing Earl Grey tea. Sit down at my computer. While catching up on email...eat. Scan BBC headlines. Shower. Pack a lunch. Go to coffee shop (preferably Jit Joe's). Order green tea. Stick blue ear plugs in my ear. Read. Take notes. When the stomach growls, eat lunch while reading. Yawn. Yawn again. Pack up. Go home. Grab a book. Crawl in bed. Read until my eyes close. Nap. Wake up. Yoga. Luckily, my evening schedule is not as routine. Some nights I meet a fellow PhD friend to study at the library, while other nights I teach yoga or take time off to make a delicious dinner with Charlie. So, there you have it. The joys of COMPS! Okay, it is not all that bad, but I am developing what I lovingly call the "PhD butt".

Ice, Ice, Baby!

Recently a friend received an "icing". This is when a Smirnoff Ice (an otherwise disgusting alcoholic beverage) is presented as a gift to an unsuspecting friend, partner, or foe and if they accept the gift (in disguise of course) then they must drink it on one knee. Okay, it is a rather cheesy and started as a fraternity drinking game (shocker!), but it has spread like rapid fire from the Frats to Ashton Kutcher to the workplace to my own PhD circle of colleagues. The original group of guys called the game, "Bros Icing Bros" and even created a website to post videos/photos. Smirnoff was not a fan of the game and shut down the frat-astic website. The PhD posse gathered last Friday to celebrate one of our colleagues passing the BIG exam and it resulted in a "Bro Icing a Sister". (I think they might need to change up the name of the game to make it more gender neutral.) Anyway, it was all taken in with good humor and added a little zest to an already HOT (95 degrees) and spicy evening at Cali n Tito's.

New Floor to Dance Upon...

Ick, that is mold under the (faux and fancy) wood floor in my apartment. As described in an earlier blog post, after my international travels I arrived home to a flooded apartment. The air-conditioner unit had spewed nasty water all over the dining room floor. Lucky me, the cleaning fairy flew in and cleaned the murky water before I got home (thanks, Charlie!) But, we think that the water might have been sitting on the floor for a good 2-3 weeks, hence the mold underneath the wood panels and the bowed wood. Can you imagine the smell? Ick!

The good news is that UGA housing only let one month go by before fixing it. I gotta say...I was rather impressed by this short turnaround. They also fixed the air conditioner unit which is a necessity in this hot box I call home.

Local Farm Share: ROOTS!

About 10 miles outside of Athens the 13-acre farm, Roots, is known not only for its organic and sustainable farming techniques, but also for offering community supported agriculture (CSA). You may be asking...what is a CSA? Well, let me tell you, because Charlie and I are CSA devotees. During the Georgia farming season (April-October) community members can purchase a "share" and receive weekly baskets of colorful and delicious fruits and veggies. After my Euro trip, Charlie and I decided to join for the remaining summer months. Every Tuesday from 4-7 p.m. we make a trip to the farm and pick up our "half-share" (feeds 1-2 people and includes 5-10 items). The best part is that we do not know what the weekly cornucopia includes until we visit the farm and see the nicely hand-printed sheet of paper that outlines the number or weight of certain fruits/veggies. All of the fruits/veggies are laid out on tables as we hand pick the appropriate amount. The other day we came home with carrots, tomatoes, corn on the cob, blueberries, Thai basil, eggplants, summer squash, cucumbers, and a pepper. Awesome!

The tag-line for Roots, "Growing the good stuff in Athens, GA since 2006!"

So, while not studying (yep, the girl needs a break) we are coming up with creative ways to eat the ambrosial delights. The other night we made a delicious curry with squash, carrots, pepper, eggplant, and basil. Every week has included some variety of basil, hence we now have fresh pesto chilling in the freezer. Oh, and the veggies also made a special appearance in a spicy Indonesian Laksa dish. Incredible! More to come...

Chicago

My last memory of Chicago was in 2001 when a group of five of us, including my father, limped our way across the Bank of America Marathon finish line. While the marathon was a great way to experience 26 miles of the Windy City by foot, this most recent trip allowed me to actually relax and enjoy the big city charm of Chi-town. It was a little hotter and did not include carb-loading, chaffing, or stretching my endurance, as this trip was all about vacationing. Ahhhh! We met up with Charlie's brother, Will, his girlfriend, and Will's three sons. It was an eventful three days, despite the fact that I escaped for a few hours every day to study (Oh, the joys of being a PhD student on vacation). We, of course, ate Chicago pizza, watched fireworks on the 4th of July, enjoyed the Taste of Chicago Festival in Grant Park, and took a wicked speed boat ride (of which I got soaked and the boys remained dry...hmmm, no wonder they told me to sit in that "special" seat). It was great to meet Charlie's family and see him in a whole new light as "uncle Charlie" (insert image of three small boys jumping all over him). The last day Charlie and I enjoyed a bike ride along the lake and a delicious dinner at Eve.

World CUP action!

I was taken by the World CUP hype while in South Africa and ever since I have found myself tuned into the games. Despite the U.S. and the Brazilian loss I am still watching. My interest in the World Cup, however, began in 1998 during a European Weimer vacation in France. That was the year that France not only hosted the Cup, but also won the Cup. (Too bad for the French this year...wah, wah!) My father, during one of his cultural immersion "walks" in France, found a refugee housing complex across the street from the hostel showing all of the games. One night we found ourselves in this tiny room, with a small black and white TV, acutely tuned into the Iran vs. USA game. Surrounded by Iranian and Iraqi refugees cheering for Iran, I realized that the World Cup means so much more than just simply kicking a ball. It is a sense of national pride when the local people emotionally share their love (and sometimes their yearning and sadness) for their country. Devoid of international politics, war, violence, hatred, and greed the game of soccer symbolizes how two countries, players and spectators, can come together in a friendly competitive game. Back in 1998, the U.S. opposed the Iranian Revolution, hence the tensions between Iran and the U.S. were high. Yet, somehow this game brought together a group of Iranians and Americans in a friendly battle for goals. By the end of the first half we were so captured by the refugees pure passion for the Iranian team that we were cheering against our own team. The fact that none of us from the Weimer clan had ever taken an interest in the World Cup until that very unique evening probably took the sting out of the U.S. loss.

Nonetheless, I am now hooked!

More World Cup F-U-N!

We hosted a little BBQ for the U.S.-Ghana game and here are a few photos from the small gathering...complete with dancing (see photo), Brazilian caipirinhas, and kebabs in the rain. Nice! Thanks Martina, for sharing the great photos, delicious drink, and dessert.

Too bad, so sad, U.S.A!

Back to Reality...in Georgia!

When I arrived home...my car was dead and my apartment was flooded by a leaky air conditioning unit (see photo of wood floor that has now bowed). Welcome home!

Currently, the heat index is unbearable. The average temperature is 100F/37C with 70-90% humidity. At night, the temperature drops by about 10-15 degrees making it more bearable. However, the bugs eat me alive no matter how much Deet I lather upon my body. Argh. Hence, I have discovered that this summer (hopefully, only this summer) I will be indoors most of the time. This is an extremely challenging endeavor for a Colorado girl who has spent most of her summers playing outside.

Alas, I am here for a reason: to study. I take my BIG final PhD comprehensive exams (called Comps) at the end of August. Back to the books.

When my nose is not glued to the books, I will enjoy the silver lining life has to offer: spending time with Charlie, teaching yoga, attending to my flowers (see photo), and eating fruits and veggies from local farmers in the area.

Travel Stats

After traveling 24,411 miles (39,285 km), here are the final travel stats:

11 airports:
Atlanta, Amsterdam, London Heathrow, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Oslo, Rygge, Brussels, Alicante, London Gatwick.

8 countries:
England, Netherlands, South Africa, Turkey, France, Spain, Norway, and Belgium

6 airlines:
South African Air, Turkish Air, Delta, KLM, RyanAir, EasyJet

38 hours: longest travel day (Atlanta to Cape Town)

10,726: United miles earned
9,112: Delta miles earned

140: Papers graded
14: Wines tasted in Stellenbosch
12: Dropped Skype calls
6: Weeks of traveling
5: Friends living abroad: spent QT with each of them
4: Boxes of Belgium chocolate in my luggage
4: Bottles of peri-peri spice in my luggage
2: Delayed flights
1: Flat tire

San Juan Festival

Las Hogueras (bonfires) de San Juan is an annual festival that begins June 20 culminating with bonfires on June 24. What began as a Pagan holiday celebrating the summer solstice and the longest day of the year, has now morphed into one big street party with afternoon rocket explosions (that make it sound like a war-zone), open-air cafes, and paper maché structures. The day I left Alicante festival-goers were setting up for the big party. Over 88 beautifully detailed structures were being erected throughout the city center... only to be burned down the last day of the festival. Firemen (bomberos) set a strict timeline for the burning of each structure wherein surrounding buildings are doused with cold water before the structure is set ablaze. While I did not get to enjoy the festival in its entirety, the pre-festival vibe was enough to make me want to go back for more.

La Playa & Montañas: All in One Day!

Ah, vacation! Our day started by laying on the beach for some good 'ol vitamin D absorption. Ah, la playa! Then, after a Euro-style lunch (baguette, cheese, meats, fruit) we climbed Benacantil Mountain to the Castle of Santa Bárbara (Castillo de Santa Bárbara) that stands proud overlooking the town of Alicante. The origins of the castle go back as early as the 9th century when the Muslim governed the Iberian Peninsula. The best part of the castle: the 360 degree views! We had a super sunny, blue sky day which made for some great Nikon moments.

A Gnarly Blood Sport: Bullfighting

Bullfighting in Spain is traditionally a cultural event, yet it has become a controversial topic...rightfully so! It is the cruelest "sport" I have laid my eyes on.

Here is an email I sent Charlie, "Can you believe I have tickets to the bull fight tomorrow? I thought it was a dude dancing around with a red scarf...but I did NOT know that they still actually KILL the bulls. WTF? What have I signed up for? Okay, before I judge, I must see it with my own eyes."

See it with my own eyes, I did. I also heard the bull moaning and the people clapping with my ears. So wrong! The bull suffered for a terrible 15 minutes as they continued to stick him in the spine with sharp sticks and the matador taunted the bull with the red cape. I took photos until I started to feel ill, then I turned away and snapped photos of the wooden seats...yeah, a great object to photograph, ha ha! Anything to take my mind off of the animal cruelty inherent in this blood sport. Marijke was braver than I was, as she watched the entire killing, but then said, "Okay, I do not think we need to see another killing." And, she was quiet for the rest of the evening. We arrived home (30 minutes after we had left) and Ali, in her nurturing way, fed us Spanish pastries and turned on an American comedy to take our thoughts away from the morbid experience.

Spanish Tapas & Sangria: Delicious!

Apparently Alicante is the birthplace of tapas, a small portion of food usually sitting on a thin piece bread, served either hot or cold. Ali brought us to a sweet little tapas bar called Lizarran where the cold tapas are beautifully arranged on the bar. There are about 25 different cold varieties to choose from. But, don't go overboard with the cold tapas, because before you know it the waiter exits the kitchen with a platter of hot tapas to choose from. Oh, and don't throw away the toothpicks...that is how you pay. The different size toothpicks depict the different prices of the tapas, ranging from 1-2 euros/each. And, let me not forget to say that the sangria's are delicious!