I've talked to some of you about this already, but it SEEMED like the experiment was a disaster. BUT....we did some different analyses today, and it's quite interesting. I'm working on the simple slopes analyses. Hopefully they will turn out well!! Keep your fingers crossed -- we might be on to something! :)
Monday, May 25, 2009
Pictures from the trip to Belgium
I've posted these pics on Facebook, and here are the links...let me know if they don't work! To see the pictures in full size, just click on a picture. If you press the -> key, you can advance to the next picture [or you can also just click next].
Enjoy! :)
Hotel in Brussels
Ghent
Bruges
Leaving Bruges
Brussels from the tour bus
Enjoy! :)
Hotel in Brussels
Ghent
Bruges
Leaving Bruges
Brussels from the tour bus
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Trip to Belgium this weekend
Haven't posted much lately. I've been working on revisions to a paper, data analysis, and some other stuff. In good news, it looks like I'll have data from 60 participants by the end of the day tomorrow, so we can see how everything went!
I'm leaving Friday for a weekend trip to Belgium! I'm staying in this hotel in Brussels [be sure to watch the slideshow with the pictures of the atrium on the opening page!]:
http://www.radissonblu.com/royalhotel-brussels
And I will be doing this tour of Ghent and Bruges:
http://www.viator.com/tours/Brussels/Ghent-and-Bruges-Day-Trip-from-Brussels/d458-2200DEB02
I'm leaving Friday for a weekend trip to Belgium! I'm staying in this hotel in Brussels [be sure to watch the slideshow with the pictures of the atrium on the opening page!]:
http://www.radissonblu.com/royalhotel-brussels
And I will be doing this tour of Ghent and Bruges:
http://www.viator.com/tours/Brussels/Ghent-and-Bruges-Day-Trip-from-Brussels/d458-2200DEB02
based on 63 reviews
Duration: 9.5 hours (approx.)
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Discover two of Flanders' special gems on a full day trip to Ghent and Bruges. No visit to Belgium is complete without a visit to these two beautiful cities, just a short drive from Brussels.
After a one-hour drive through the scenic Belgium countryside you'll arrive in Ghent. Here you will visit the St. Bavo Cathedral, home of the world-famous "Mystic Lamb" painting (optional, closed on Sunday).
During your city tour of Ghent you will see important buildings from the Middle Ages, such as the Belfry, the St. Nicolas Church and the Castle of the Counts of Flanders.
Next, while driving through the Flemish countryside to Bruges, you can hear an audio history of Flanders, Ghent and Bruges via headphones. Upon arrival in Bruges, you'll visit the Lake of Love (Minnewater) and the Beguinage (convent). Take advantage of some free time to enjoy lunch (not included) before you start a walking tour to discover: Our Lady Church with a statue by Michelangelo, the Market Square with the Belfry, and the Town Hall Square (Burg) with the Chapel of the Holy Blood.
After the walking tour you can take an optional boat cruise along the canals. You will depart Bruges at approximately 6:30pm.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Pictures
Here are some pictures of where I live. I apologize that a fair number of them are sideways...I didn't realize I wouldn't be able to flip them when posting them. And some of them are kind of dark... :(
Starting in the kitchen: Fritz's Cookie Monster food bowl
Very nice stove
Kitchen cabinets, standing near patio door
Kitchen patio [there are 4 patios]. There are some big bamboo posts on the deck...they are working on building a canopy.
Back inside - Fritz!
Stove from other side
More kitchen cabinets
Patio off of dining room
Fireplace and mirror in dining room
Built-in shelves with Arnold's CDs in dining room
Dining room from standing in the living room
Dining room from further away
Built-ins in the living room
More built-ins
Patio off of living room
Couches in living room
Dark, but you can see the big window in the living room
Stairs leading to the front door
Downstairs - Arnold's office
Bottom of stairs to the third floor
More stairs
We've made it to the top! :)
Extra room, ironing room, third floor
Skylight, looking into extra room from the bathroom
Nice sinks in the bathroom
Glass-enclosed stand-alone shower
Awesome tub!!!
Bathroom from the doorway
More from my bedroom window
Bedroom window view
Looking straight down from my window
Starting in the kitchen: Fritz's Cookie Monster food bowl
Very nice stove
Kitchen cabinets, standing near patio door
Kitchen patio [there are 4 patios]. There are some big bamboo posts on the deck...they are working on building a canopy.
Back inside - Fritz!
Stove from other side
More kitchen cabinets
Patio off of dining room
Fireplace and mirror in dining room
Built-in shelves with Arnold's CDs in dining room
Dining room from standing in the living room
Dining room from further away
Built-ins in the living room
More built-ins
Patio off of living room
Couches in living room
Dark, but you can see the big window in the living room
Stairs leading to the front door
Downstairs - Arnold's office
Bottom of stairs to the third floor
More stairs
We've made it to the top! :)
Extra room, ironing room, third floor
Skylight, looking into extra room from the bathroom
Nice sinks in the bathroom
Glass-enclosed stand-alone shower
Awesome tub!!!
Bathroom from the doorway
More from my bedroom window
Bedroom window view
Looking straight down from my window
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
No blow dryer = this hair do
I guess it's kind of hard to see...but I've got my sides pulled back. It might become an everyday look if the blow dryer keeps acting up!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, May 11, 2009
They liked it! :)
I just got done with a meeting with Johan's lab group. The group consisted of me, Thijs, Tila, Sanne, and Pam Smith [an American who recently got a new job in San Diego]. We talked about my proposal, and they really liked it! They made a few suggestions, and we had some really good discussion. I really liked talking with them. They make me feel smart. :) All of them are really smart and they have a lot of interesting ideas. I really felt like we were all colleagues. It was, as a lot of things here, just different. I know I keep saying that, but I don't know how to articulate the differences. Other than, it's different and I like it!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Interesting article on Yahoo
World's Happiest Places
A new report reveals where people feel most positive about their lives
Where in the world do people feel most content with their lives?
According to a new report released by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, a Paris-based group of 30 countries with democratic governments that provides economic and social statistics and data, happiness levels are highest in northern European countries.Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands rated at the top of the list, ranking first, second and third, respectively. Outside Europe, New Zealand and Canada landed at Nos. 8 and 6, respectively. The United States did not crack the top 10. Switzerland placed seventh and Belgium placed tenth.
The report looked at subjective well-being, defined as life satisfaction. Did people feel like their lives were dominated by positive experiences and feelings, or negative ones?
To answer that question, the OECD used data from a Gallup World Poll conducted in 140 countries around the world last year. The poll asked respondents whether they had experienced six different forms of positive or negative feelings within the last day.
Some sample questions: Did you enjoy something you did yesterday? Were you proud of something you did yesterday? Did you learn something yesterday? Were you treated with respect yesterday? In each country, a representative sample of no more than 1,000 people, age 15 or older, were surveyed. The poll was scored numerically on a scale of 1-100. The average score was 62.4.
Why did the northern European countries come out looking so good? Overall economic health played a powerful role, says Simon Chapple, senior economist from the Social Policy Division of the OECD, which put together the report.
While the global economic crisis has taken a toll on every nation, the countries that scored at the top still boast some of the highest gross domestic product per capita in the world. Denmark, which got the highest score, is not only a wealthy country, it's also highly productive, with a 2009 GDP per capita of $68,000, according to the International Monetary Fund. The United States' GDP per capita, by contrast, is $47,335. Though the U.S. got an above-average score of 74, it did not break the top 10.
Wealth alone does not bring the greatest degree of happiness. Norway has the highest GDP per capita on the list — $98,822 — yet it ranked ninth, not first. On the other hand, New Zealand's happiness level is 76.7 out of 100 on the OECD list, but its 2009 GDP per capita is just $30,556.
According to a 2005 editorial, published in the British Medical Journal and written by Dr. Tony Delamothe, research done in Mexico, Ghana, Sweden, the U.S. and the U.K. shows that individuals typically get richer during their lifetimes, but not happier. It is family, social and community networks that bring joy to one's life, according to Delamothe.
The OECD data shows that another important factor is work-life balance. While Scandinavian countries boast a high GDP per capita, the average workweek in that part of the world is no more than 37 hours. In China, which got a low score of just 14.8, the workweek is 47 hours and the GDP per capita is just $3,600.
Low unemployment also contributes to happiness. "One thing we know for sure," says the OECD's Chapple, "not having a job makes one substantially less satisfied." Denmark's unemployment rate is just 2 percent, according the C.I.A.'s World Factbook. Norway's is just 2.6 percent. The Netherlands: just 4.5 percent. Many economists concur that a 4 percent unemployment rate reflects a stable economy. The U.S. unemployment rate is currently 9 percent.
My first birthday "alone"
I say "alone" because I don't have any family or friends around. Which is fine, a birthday just means you're getting old anyway. :( I did get some pizza from a place called Chipito [http://www.chipito.nl/] - wow, it was good!! I also went to the grocery store and picked up a few things. One of them being....chocolate mousse!! :) Yum. It was heaven. It was no birthday cake...but it was close enough.
It turns out that where I live is a very, very desirable location. I'm quite close to both downtown and the city center. I'm going to venture over there tomorrow, I think.
So let's see, dinner at Johan's on Wednesday night...
Johan has been taking some cooking classes, so he wanted to make us [me, Tila, and Thijs] a meal. We got there around 6:45pm.
The first course made my stomach turn - bacon wrapped shrimp. To most people, it would be delicious...but I DON'T like shrimp. I wasn't sure what to do. We each had a plate, so it would be very obvious if I didn't eat any. So...I sucked it up and chewed and swallowed fast, and followed each bite with some water. They weren't bad. The texture was kind of sick, but I could taste a lot of the bacon, which made it ok.
Next, we had what I will call pot roast, carrots, and potatoes. The Dutch name for the meal doesn't tranlate well to English [something like stringy flesh - eww!]. I don't eat a lot of red meat...but I ate it. We ate it a lot when I was a kid. It was pretty good. I liked the potatoes a lot. We also had a salad.
For dessert, we had chocolate mousse. Yum. It was really, really good. Meanwhile, the three of them polished off a bottle of red and a bottle of white wine, along with 2-3 beers each. Then Johan's wife came home from wherever she was, and wanted to sleep, so we took the party to a local pub. There, they each had another beer. Lots of drinking in this city! :) By the time all was said and done, it was midnight! Wow, 5 hours! There was a lot of good conversation. I really like Tila and Thijs. They are very nice and laid back, and quite interesting too. Everyone hates Bush, which is automatically a notch up in my book.
Thursday was a departmental brown bag. A guy gave a talk on automatic impressions we form when looking at a person's handwriting. It was very cool. I really liked their seminar. Everyone there asked questions, made good suggestions. No one seemed to attack him, and he never got defensive. People brought up good points, and proposed possible alternative explanations. It was a different atmosphere than our seminars. And the students here just think differently. I don't even know how to describe it. The whole thing was very interesting, though.
Here's a shout out to the new Dr. Rachel Reimer! So proud of you! Congrats!! :)
Fred Borgen, one of the benefactors of my generous fellowship, sent me an interesting article about the Dutch a few days ago. It's quite long, but super interesting. I'll work on choosing the most interesting parts and posting them on here.
That's about all I've got in the way of updates. I had planned to work a lot on revisions to a paper today, but two things got in the way -- 1. I had a hard time falling asleep last night, and slept in a bit today, and 2. I slammed my left index finger in the bathroom door. It really hurt to type! I iced it for a bit. It's still tender, but it doesn't hurt nearly as much now. So, tomorrow I really gotta get some work done!
Till then!
It turns out that where I live is a very, very desirable location. I'm quite close to both downtown and the city center. I'm going to venture over there tomorrow, I think.
So let's see, dinner at Johan's on Wednesday night...
Johan has been taking some cooking classes, so he wanted to make us [me, Tila, and Thijs] a meal. We got there around 6:45pm.
The first course made my stomach turn - bacon wrapped shrimp. To most people, it would be delicious...but I DON'T like shrimp. I wasn't sure what to do. We each had a plate, so it would be very obvious if I didn't eat any. So...I sucked it up and chewed and swallowed fast, and followed each bite with some water. They weren't bad. The texture was kind of sick, but I could taste a lot of the bacon, which made it ok.
Next, we had what I will call pot roast, carrots, and potatoes. The Dutch name for the meal doesn't tranlate well to English [something like stringy flesh - eww!]. I don't eat a lot of red meat...but I ate it. We ate it a lot when I was a kid. It was pretty good. I liked the potatoes a lot. We also had a salad.
For dessert, we had chocolate mousse. Yum. It was really, really good. Meanwhile, the three of them polished off a bottle of red and a bottle of white wine, along with 2-3 beers each. Then Johan's wife came home from wherever she was, and wanted to sleep, so we took the party to a local pub. There, they each had another beer. Lots of drinking in this city! :) By the time all was said and done, it was midnight! Wow, 5 hours! There was a lot of good conversation. I really like Tila and Thijs. They are very nice and laid back, and quite interesting too. Everyone hates Bush, which is automatically a notch up in my book.
Thursday was a departmental brown bag. A guy gave a talk on automatic impressions we form when looking at a person's handwriting. It was very cool. I really liked their seminar. Everyone there asked questions, made good suggestions. No one seemed to attack him, and he never got defensive. People brought up good points, and proposed possible alternative explanations. It was a different atmosphere than our seminars. And the students here just think differently. I don't even know how to describe it. The whole thing was very interesting, though.
Here's a shout out to the new Dr. Rachel Reimer! So proud of you! Congrats!! :)
Fred Borgen, one of the benefactors of my generous fellowship, sent me an interesting article about the Dutch a few days ago. It's quite long, but super interesting. I'll work on choosing the most interesting parts and posting them on here.
That's about all I've got in the way of updates. I had planned to work a lot on revisions to a paper today, but two things got in the way -- 1. I had a hard time falling asleep last night, and slept in a bit today, and 2. I slammed my left index finger in the bathroom door. It really hurt to type! I iced it for a bit. It's still tender, but it doesn't hurt nearly as much now. So, tomorrow I really gotta get some work done!
Till then!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Friday progress
Today was super windy. It actually hailed right before I left campus! I worked on programming my study today. I say "worked on" because it's not done. Inquisit is crazy. I need my MediaLab!! :)
Thijs told me about some good pizza places in the city center. I might go there tomorrow for my birthday. I was going to go today, but it just started pouring. PB&J for dinner!
Sanne introduced me to some more people today. There are 2 other Americans who are Masters students. We planned a trip to Amsterdam later this month. We're going the 31st. Sanne is going to help me plan some other trips, too - I want to go to Belgium, and I haven't decided on the other trip yet. Maybe Cologne. Any suggestions, let me know.
Kind of tired today. It was hard to fall asleep for some reason last night. It may have been too warm in my room. But I don't like sleeping with my window open at night since there's no screen. Just imagine if a bat flew in here or something -- ahh!!
Tonight will be spent watching some tv. I got one of the local city newspapers [it's actually called Spit! Ha!] and it has a tv grid on the back. There are some good shows on tonight! :)
Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I will be able to take some pictures this weekend...
Thijs told me about some good pizza places in the city center. I might go there tomorrow for my birthday. I was going to go today, but it just started pouring. PB&J for dinner!
Sanne introduced me to some more people today. There are 2 other Americans who are Masters students. We planned a trip to Amsterdam later this month. We're going the 31st. Sanne is going to help me plan some other trips, too - I want to go to Belgium, and I haven't decided on the other trip yet. Maybe Cologne. Any suggestions, let me know.
Kind of tired today. It was hard to fall asleep for some reason last night. It may have been too warm in my room. But I don't like sleeping with my window open at night since there's no screen. Just imagine if a bat flew in here or something -- ahh!!
Tonight will be spent watching some tv. I got one of the local city newspapers [it's actually called Spit! Ha!] and it has a tv grid on the back. There are some good shows on tonight! :)
Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I will be able to take some pictures this weekend...
Thursday, May 7, 2009
A few pictures...
Here are a few pictures. First is the view from my office window --
Next is my office key - cool!! All of the building keys look like this!!
Views from my bedroom...right across the street:
And to the right of my window:
From the third floor patio in the back:
And that's it for now. I'll write later about the dinner at Johan's last night.
Today was another great day on campus. Johan and I met for a long time talking about the study we're going to run next week. He is so great. He likes my ideas. I like how he questions me - why do you think it will work this way? I think he usually agrees, but wants to hear my justification to make sure I understand things. We actually both question each other, which is really good. The study should be awesome -- keep your fingers crossed it works!
Weather is gorgeous today. I am VERY tired though, so I'm going to take a nap.
Next is my office key - cool!! All of the building keys look like this!!
Views from my bedroom...right across the street:
And to the right of my window:
From the third floor patio in the back:
And that's it for now. I'll write later about the dinner at Johan's last night.
Today was another great day on campus. Johan and I met for a long time talking about the study we're going to run next week. He is so great. He likes my ideas. I like how he questions me - why do you think it will work this way? I think he usually agrees, but wants to hear my justification to make sure I understand things. We actually both question each other, which is really good. The study should be awesome -- keep your fingers crossed it works!
Weather is gorgeous today. I am VERY tired though, so I'm going to take a nap.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Josh takes the best videos!!
Anyone up for some catnip? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joSoq2h6OSk
Or how about a fight? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lGfZFuBmco
Or how about a fight? http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Languages
This is something I've been thinking about before I even got here. I emailed Arnold to ask him about the language situation here -- would I be able to buy a train ticket and speak English? Will the bus drivers know what I'm saying? His response -- Of course, everyone here speaks English...and Dutch...and French...and some German. I thought this was amazing. And sure enough, I have not encountered anyone who doesn't speak English. In fact, yesterday when I was meeting with Johan, he was able to seamlessly switch back and forth and back and forth between Dutch and English when talking to me and another colleague. Wow! And the same with the other grad students here -- they can do it so effortlessly.
It got me to thinking about the US. If you ever watch CNN, you've probably seen Lou Dobbs crying about illegal immigrants this, illegal immigrants that. And some people really believe that we should make English the "official" language of the US -- if people from Mexico are going to come to "our" country, they should damn well follow "our rules", do it "our way", and speak "our language." This is interesting on several levels. Who says "our" way is best? I don't think you see people in France demanding EVERYONE who lives there to speak French, or everyone in Germany to speak German. Many, many of these people know several languages. Is it out of necessity, being so close to other countries? Perhaps. But the fact is, these people can go many places and fit right in. This also gives them other opportunities -- they can get jobs in other countries, give talks at international conferences, etc., whereas only speaking English is somewhat limiting for us.
So why don't we value other languages? [Don't get me started on not valuing other cultures...] Do we not expect our children to leave the US someday -- maybe for a class trip, an internship, and, heaven forbid, a JOB? It's really interesting to see how very ethnocentric and allocentric we really are compared to other countries. In Japan, Greece, and now the Netherlands, most people tend to be quite accommodating. They really want to try to understand what you're saying, to help you out. But in the US, it seems like we shun individuals who can't communicate well. I've seen it happen in various classes with international students. Even in Japan, where the population is over 99% Japanese and there aren't really any reasons to, most students are taught and can speak English.
I guess I just wish our education system worked a bit differently. There are some students at ISU that have never been out of Iowa, let alone the country. And they have NO idea what's out there...they only know what they see, and that tends to be "America is the best." And they only really see white people.
I wonder if Americans would be a bit more tolerant of "outsiders" if they knew more than one language. When you learn a language, you tend to learn about the culture and customs, too. It seems like it would broaden minds, both figuratively and literally.
It got me to thinking about the US. If you ever watch CNN, you've probably seen Lou Dobbs crying about illegal immigrants this, illegal immigrants that. And some people really believe that we should make English the "official" language of the US -- if people from Mexico are going to come to "our" country, they should damn well follow "our rules", do it "our way", and speak "our language." This is interesting on several levels. Who says "our" way is best? I don't think you see people in France demanding EVERYONE who lives there to speak French, or everyone in Germany to speak German. Many, many of these people know several languages. Is it out of necessity, being so close to other countries? Perhaps. But the fact is, these people can go many places and fit right in. This also gives them other opportunities -- they can get jobs in other countries, give talks at international conferences, etc., whereas only speaking English is somewhat limiting for us.
So why don't we value other languages? [Don't get me started on not valuing other cultures...] Do we not expect our children to leave the US someday -- maybe for a class trip, an internship, and, heaven forbid, a JOB? It's really interesting to see how very ethnocentric and allocentric we really are compared to other countries. In Japan, Greece, and now the Netherlands, most people tend to be quite accommodating. They really want to try to understand what you're saying, to help you out. But in the US, it seems like we shun individuals who can't communicate well. I've seen it happen in various classes with international students. Even in Japan, where the population is over 99% Japanese and there aren't really any reasons to, most students are taught and can speak English.
I guess I just wish our education system worked a bit differently. There are some students at ISU that have never been out of Iowa, let alone the country. And they have NO idea what's out there...they only know what they see, and that tends to be "America is the best." And they only really see white people.
I wonder if Americans would be a bit more tolerant of "outsiders" if they knew more than one language. When you learn a language, you tend to learn about the culture and customs, too. It seems like it would broaden minds, both figuratively and literally.
Monday, May 4, 2009
#@!*
Something interesting - apparently the f-bomb is used quite freely [and frequently, from what I've heard] around here. Arnold was shocked when I told him it was one of our "worst" cuss words.
The real test....
Today was my first official event since I got here - the meeting with Johan. I haven't adjusted to the time yet - I've been up until 9am their time, getting up at 4pm their time pretty much since I got here. I took a sleeping pill last night and that seemed to do the trick. I fell asleep around midnight and woke up sometime around 5 or 6am. In time to chat with Josh for a bit, and sleep a little longer. There's an alarm clock online [I don't have one in my room], so I used that. Man, the internet has everything! :)
I was instructed to take the 6 or 10 bus. So, I walked to Central Station, where I arrived last Thursday, and looked for one of those buses. I got on, and asked the guy sitting in front of me if he was going to the University. He said yes, and I asked him which stop - I was going somewhere called the Spinoza Building. He said, Oh, I know there that is. And then told me when to get off.
Too bad he was wrong...he sent me to the library [unknowingly or otherwise]. I asked someone at the front desk, and they explained where to go. So, I'm on my way again. Finally, I find it. It's a fairly new building. Social psychology was on the 9th floor, so I took the elevator up there and looked for Johan's office. Bingo! Found him.
We chatted for a bit, and he asked if I had eaten lunch. Since it was just noon, I had not. So, he rounded people up to head to the cafeteria. I guess everyday, they all go to lunch together. The cafeteria was interesting. Well, I should say the food was interesting. I got one of the meals they offered for the day - some fish dish with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies [I think carrots and maybe squash]. The fish was super, super salty. I had a few bites, but could not choke down anymore. The mashed potatoes weren't bad, so I focused on those.
After lunch, we went back to Spinoza, and Johan showed me around the lab space the psych department has. Let me tell you, my jaw about hit the floor. You would NOT believe the extent of facilities they have. It's unreal! So many cubicles, observation rooms, a BAR, a virtual reality room, and others. It's all quite new. All I could say was WOW in room after room, corridor after corridor of lab space. Just wow. It was unbelievable. And really nice to see that a university values psychology so much.
Next, he took me to my....wait for it...OFFICE! I have an office! My own! It's great. It has a fabulous view on the 9th floor. I'll bring a camera when I go back on Wednesday. It has a computer and a desk, and some shelving. It's SO much bigger than the one I have at ISU. In fact, you should see the offices of the grad students here. I'll take pics. They're nicer than some faculty offices at ISU. I have access to JPSP online, which is nice since we don't at ISU. And I can print, make copies, and do a lot of stuff!
Then came the real reason I came here - to talk about my dissertation. I sent Johan a detailed outline of what I was thinking for the studies yesterday. He really, really liked the ideas. Since they have no IRB [can you believe it!?!!?] we're going to start running a study in 2 weeks. Totally insane. I think this can be pilot data, but if it works, it will become Study 2 in the package of studies. Keep your fingers crossed.
I was getting super tired...so around 4, I left for the house. They told me to catch the 6 or 10 bus home, because they both stopped at Central Station. I saw a 1 bus that said Central Station, so I just got on that one. And, I got the scenic route of downtown! It was not the one that I was supposed to take, but it got me where I needed to go. We went all over, and I saw just how big this city really is - WOW. I had no idea. There are so many cool nooks and crannies, and amazing architecture and housing, and shops...I could be here for years and never go a lot of the places I saw today.
I really like it here. The people are SO nice. In fact, a girl I met at SISP a few years ago [the social psychology nerd camp I went to in Austin] emailed me and a girl named Sanne this morning to introduce us. Sanne, who is a Radboud student, studied with Julie's advisor for a bit at Rutgers. Julie saw on Facebook that I was here, and thought we should meet so I knew someone else here. Small world...Sanne's office is 2 doors to the left of mine! She came down and chatted with me for a bit, and gave me her phone number. She seems very cool, so I think I'll be seeing her a fair amount. From the sounds of it, the grad students do a lot together. It will be cool to hang out with all of them.
The department atmosphere here is very different from ISU. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I really like it.
This seems to be my kind of town. I could see being here for more than 2 months [post-doc, anyone?] But I don't know if I can make that kind of commitment for Josh and the cats. I don't know where he would work, I don't know how we'd get the cats here, and I'd miss everyone back home. But still, it's a great place, and I'd definitely like to come back someday.
On Wendesday, Johan is cooking me dinner. :) Well, i should say, us. Me, Thijs, and Tila [his 2 grad students] are going to his house for dinner. That should be fun! Apparently Johan lives quite close to me.
Oh yeah - my hair dryer quit working today! I don't think it's the hair dryer, but the converter plug thing. It works fine with my computer, but for some reason, it did not work with the hair dryer today. I about had a heart attack when I realized that I'd have to go meet all the new people with air-dried hair. It might sound really petty and silly, but my hair is VERY fine, and looks ridiculous not blow dried. Not to mention that my new haircut requires some work. It ended up being presentable. Tomorrow's adventure will consist of me trying to buy a new one. Tomorrow is Liberation Day, another holiday here, so the University is closed. I'll probably work on a few papers and watch the rain [after getting the hair dryer, of course!]
I also found out a bit more about Arnold - from what I understand, he's some sort of psychiatric aide at a children's center. Pretty interesting.
Haven't seen Fritz today except for when I first came home, but here's Rufus [and a bit of Bradley] for your viewing pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D7fX9ULDSw
I was instructed to take the 6 or 10 bus. So, I walked to Central Station, where I arrived last Thursday, and looked for one of those buses. I got on, and asked the guy sitting in front of me if he was going to the University. He said yes, and I asked him which stop - I was going somewhere called the Spinoza Building. He said, Oh, I know there that is. And then told me when to get off.
Too bad he was wrong...he sent me to the library [unknowingly or otherwise]. I asked someone at the front desk, and they explained where to go. So, I'm on my way again. Finally, I find it. It's a fairly new building. Social psychology was on the 9th floor, so I took the elevator up there and looked for Johan's office. Bingo! Found him.
We chatted for a bit, and he asked if I had eaten lunch. Since it was just noon, I had not. So, he rounded people up to head to the cafeteria. I guess everyday, they all go to lunch together. The cafeteria was interesting. Well, I should say the food was interesting. I got one of the meals they offered for the day - some fish dish with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies [I think carrots and maybe squash]. The fish was super, super salty. I had a few bites, but could not choke down anymore. The mashed potatoes weren't bad, so I focused on those.
After lunch, we went back to Spinoza, and Johan showed me around the lab space the psych department has. Let me tell you, my jaw about hit the floor. You would NOT believe the extent of facilities they have. It's unreal! So many cubicles, observation rooms, a BAR, a virtual reality room, and others. It's all quite new. All I could say was WOW in room after room, corridor after corridor of lab space. Just wow. It was unbelievable. And really nice to see that a university values psychology so much.
Next, he took me to my....wait for it...OFFICE! I have an office! My own! It's great. It has a fabulous view on the 9th floor. I'll bring a camera when I go back on Wednesday. It has a computer and a desk, and some shelving. It's SO much bigger than the one I have at ISU. In fact, you should see the offices of the grad students here. I'll take pics. They're nicer than some faculty offices at ISU. I have access to JPSP online, which is nice since we don't at ISU. And I can print, make copies, and do a lot of stuff!
Then came the real reason I came here - to talk about my dissertation. I sent Johan a detailed outline of what I was thinking for the studies yesterday. He really, really liked the ideas. Since they have no IRB [can you believe it!?!!?] we're going to start running a study in 2 weeks. Totally insane. I think this can be pilot data, but if it works, it will become Study 2 in the package of studies. Keep your fingers crossed.
I was getting super tired...so around 4, I left for the house. They told me to catch the 6 or 10 bus home, because they both stopped at Central Station. I saw a 1 bus that said Central Station, so I just got on that one. And, I got the scenic route of downtown! It was not the one that I was supposed to take, but it got me where I needed to go. We went all over, and I saw just how big this city really is - WOW. I had no idea. There are so many cool nooks and crannies, and amazing architecture and housing, and shops...I could be here for years and never go a lot of the places I saw today.
I really like it here. The people are SO nice. In fact, a girl I met at SISP a few years ago [the social psychology nerd camp I went to in Austin] emailed me and a girl named Sanne this morning to introduce us. Sanne, who is a Radboud student, studied with Julie's advisor for a bit at Rutgers. Julie saw on Facebook that I was here, and thought we should meet so I knew someone else here. Small world...Sanne's office is 2 doors to the left of mine! She came down and chatted with me for a bit, and gave me her phone number. She seems very cool, so I think I'll be seeing her a fair amount. From the sounds of it, the grad students do a lot together. It will be cool to hang out with all of them.
The department atmosphere here is very different from ISU. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I really like it.
This seems to be my kind of town. I could see being here for more than 2 months [post-doc, anyone?] But I don't know if I can make that kind of commitment for Josh and the cats. I don't know where he would work, I don't know how we'd get the cats here, and I'd miss everyone back home. But still, it's a great place, and I'd definitely like to come back someday.
On Wendesday, Johan is cooking me dinner. :) Well, i should say, us. Me, Thijs, and Tila [his 2 grad students] are going to his house for dinner. That should be fun! Apparently Johan lives quite close to me.
Oh yeah - my hair dryer quit working today! I don't think it's the hair dryer, but the converter plug thing. It works fine with my computer, but for some reason, it did not work with the hair dryer today. I about had a heart attack when I realized that I'd have to go meet all the new people with air-dried hair. It might sound really petty and silly, but my hair is VERY fine, and looks ridiculous not blow dried. Not to mention that my new haircut requires some work. It ended up being presentable. Tomorrow's adventure will consist of me trying to buy a new one. Tomorrow is Liberation Day, another holiday here, so the University is closed. I'll probably work on a few papers and watch the rain [after getting the hair dryer, of course!]
I also found out a bit more about Arnold - from what I understand, he's some sort of psychiatric aide at a children's center. Pretty interesting.
Haven't seen Fritz today except for when I first came home, but here's Rufus [and a bit of Bradley] for your viewing pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Sunday, May 3, 2009
It was cloudy today, but....
I got a very cute picture of Fritz sleeping. It looks like he's smiling! :) It was cloudy out today so I didn't take any pictures. I'm going to campus in the morning, so I'll try to get some pictures then. I'm meeting with Johan around 11 or 12 to discuss my dissertation ideas.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
First entry
This is my first post since I arrived 2 days ago. I've been trying to get used to their time, but I think it is harder than it was in Japan. There's a 7-hour time difference, which might not sound like a lot....but think of it this way - when I usually went to bed in Iowa, it was 1 or 2am...which is 8 or 9am here. It's like staying up all night!
THE FLIGHTS
The trip was fairly uneventful. Josh dropped me off at the airport and of course I cried. :) I took a flight from Des Moines to Chicago (which ended up being a bit delayed because they overbooked our flight). Once I arrived in Chicago, I was directed to the International Terminal, which required me to ride a train to get there. Once I got to the terminal, I started looking for Luftansa agents...only to find out that Luftansa LANDS in Terminal 5, but DEPARTS from Terminal 1. Crap! So my plane is supposed to board in 10 minutes, and I'm really far away! I go back to the little train depot, and catch the train to Terminal 1. When I get there, I have to walk FAR - even through that part underground with the walkways and cool lights. Once I get to my gate, pretty much everyone has already boarded. Somehow I got a seat in the EconomyPlus section, so I had much more legroom than most people.
The flight itself was about 9 hours. They had very good food, surprisingly. For dinner, I had chicken and rice with a tomato basil sauce, a nice salad, a diner roll, and a triple chocolate chunk brownie. Yum.
There were many options for movies. I watched a French movie called "The Class." It's pretty good, I would recommend it. It was tough to sleep on the plane because of these 3 Italian guys sitting in front of me who were talking the whole time. I think they probably kept a good portion of the plane up. If it wasn't them making noise, it was this baby screaming towards the front of the plane. Sigh. At least I didn't get the swine flu, I guess...
ARRIVAL IN AMSTERDAM
We arrived in Amsterdam 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Customs was a breeze. I got to the carousel to wait for my luggage. And boy, did I wait! And wait...and wait...and wait! It took 45 minutes!!! Everyone was waiting that long. Finally, once my bags came out, it was time to get a train ticket.
The Amsterdam airport is very nice. Clean, people are friendly, and signs are also in English. I bought a ticket to Nijmegen and went to the train depot downstairs to wait for my #3 train.
The train arrived, and I, with the help of this random guy, dragged all my luggage aboard. Three pieces of luggage weighing 43, 30, and 25 pounds [and a large carryall purse] might not seem like a big deal...but it's pretty hard for one person to maneuver. I made friends with this old guy and his wife who were also going to Nijmegen, and they said they would tell me when to get off. An hour and a half later, we arrived.
ARRIVAL IN NIJMEGEN
The train arrived around 12:30. It was a very nice day, clear and sunny. I got to the train station and looked for a pay phone. Arnold, the owner of the house I am staying in, gave me his number and said to call when I arrived. So I looked everywhere, but no pay phone! Finally, I asked a girl who was standing outside if she knew where a payphone was, and she said here, use my phone! I think she knew I was not from here. She dialed Arnold's number and I told him that I had arrived. He said he'd be there in a few minutes - he lives about 2 blocks away.
His neighborhood is really cool. It reminds me a lot of DC or some parts of Chicago - rowhouses as far as the eye can see. His house is really cool. Built in ~1900, it is 3 floors. The stairs are very short, steep, and windy! I can't wait to take pics and post those on here. He showed me to the second floor, where the living room, kitchen, dining room, and patio were. Then we went up another set of short, steep, windy stairs to the third floor. This floor has my room, his room, another room, a bathroom, and another patio. I'll take pics sometime tomorrow.
We put all my stuff in my room, and I immediately laid down on my couch and went to sleep after emailing Josh that I had arrived. It was about 6am to me.
WHAT'S GOING ON NOW...
After that....not much else has happened. I've slept a lot. Got a really good bagel from the train station for dinner last night. Went to Burger King, which was interesting. They offer mayonnaise for fries, which is really popular. Their Sprite tastes quite odd, kind of grapefruity. Their trash can is interesting - there's a separate tube on the side for customers to pour their remaining drink/ice into before throwing the cup in the trash. Good idea.
I've got a great view from my room, which I will take pics of tomorrow. Fritz the cat is quite nice, and stayed in my room all night the second night I was here. He likes to purr, and he clicks when he walks on the floor! He has all of his claws.
I went to the grocery store today. I think I did pretty good. I got stuff to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, grilled cheese, spaghetti and garlic bread, toast, frozen pizza, and some fruit. I just ate an orange - wow! It was delicious. I walked past their frozen section and saw that they sell Vienetta! Do any of you remember that dessert? I think we got it once when I was a kid. They had some interesting commercials for it.
There was a restaurant close to the grocery store that looked pretty cool. Lots of outdoor seating, and it looked like one woman was eating fondue!!! I'll have to ask Arnold about it.
I am taking the bus, somehow, to campus on Monday to meet with Johan. That will be my first "official" event since arriving.
I've got a Skype number, so let me know if you want it. I miss everyone a lot, but it's nice actually living with someone [unlike living alone in Japan]. Even if they're not home a lot, I can still ask them things when they are. :)
That's it for today...more tomorrow!
THE FLIGHTS
The trip was fairly uneventful. Josh dropped me off at the airport and of course I cried. :) I took a flight from Des Moines to Chicago (which ended up being a bit delayed because they overbooked our flight). Once I arrived in Chicago, I was directed to the International Terminal, which required me to ride a train to get there. Once I got to the terminal, I started looking for Luftansa agents...only to find out that Luftansa LANDS in Terminal 5, but DEPARTS from Terminal 1. Crap! So my plane is supposed to board in 10 minutes, and I'm really far away! I go back to the little train depot, and catch the train to Terminal 1. When I get there, I have to walk FAR - even through that part underground with the walkways and cool lights. Once I get to my gate, pretty much everyone has already boarded. Somehow I got a seat in the EconomyPlus section, so I had much more legroom than most people.
The flight itself was about 9 hours. They had very good food, surprisingly. For dinner, I had chicken and rice with a tomato basil sauce, a nice salad, a diner roll, and a triple chocolate chunk brownie. Yum.
There were many options for movies. I watched a French movie called "The Class." It's pretty good, I would recommend it. It was tough to sleep on the plane because of these 3 Italian guys sitting in front of me who were talking the whole time. I think they probably kept a good portion of the plane up. If it wasn't them making noise, it was this baby screaming towards the front of the plane. Sigh. At least I didn't get the swine flu, I guess...
ARRIVAL IN AMSTERDAM
We arrived in Amsterdam 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Customs was a breeze. I got to the carousel to wait for my luggage. And boy, did I wait! And wait...and wait...and wait! It took 45 minutes!!! Everyone was waiting that long. Finally, once my bags came out, it was time to get a train ticket.
The Amsterdam airport is very nice. Clean, people are friendly, and signs are also in English. I bought a ticket to Nijmegen and went to the train depot downstairs to wait for my #3 train.
The train arrived, and I, with the help of this random guy, dragged all my luggage aboard. Three pieces of luggage weighing 43, 30, and 25 pounds [and a large carryall purse] might not seem like a big deal...but it's pretty hard for one person to maneuver. I made friends with this old guy and his wife who were also going to Nijmegen, and they said they would tell me when to get off. An hour and a half later, we arrived.
ARRIVAL IN NIJMEGEN
The train arrived around 12:30. It was a very nice day, clear and sunny. I got to the train station and looked for a pay phone. Arnold, the owner of the house I am staying in, gave me his number and said to call when I arrived. So I looked everywhere, but no pay phone! Finally, I asked a girl who was standing outside if she knew where a payphone was, and she said here, use my phone! I think she knew I was not from here. She dialed Arnold's number and I told him that I had arrived. He said he'd be there in a few minutes - he lives about 2 blocks away.
His neighborhood is really cool. It reminds me a lot of DC or some parts of Chicago - rowhouses as far as the eye can see. His house is really cool. Built in ~1900, it is 3 floors. The stairs are very short, steep, and windy! I can't wait to take pics and post those on here. He showed me to the second floor, where the living room, kitchen, dining room, and patio were. Then we went up another set of short, steep, windy stairs to the third floor. This floor has my room, his room, another room, a bathroom, and another patio. I'll take pics sometime tomorrow.
We put all my stuff in my room, and I immediately laid down on my couch and went to sleep after emailing Josh that I had arrived. It was about 6am to me.
WHAT'S GOING ON NOW...
After that....not much else has happened. I've slept a lot. Got a really good bagel from the train station for dinner last night. Went to Burger King, which was interesting. They offer mayonnaise for fries, which is really popular. Their Sprite tastes quite odd, kind of grapefruity. Their trash can is interesting - there's a separate tube on the side for customers to pour their remaining drink/ice into before throwing the cup in the trash. Good idea.
I've got a great view from my room, which I will take pics of tomorrow. Fritz the cat is quite nice, and stayed in my room all night the second night I was here. He likes to purr, and he clicks when he walks on the floor! He has all of his claws.
I went to the grocery store today. I think I did pretty good. I got stuff to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, grilled cheese, spaghetti and garlic bread, toast, frozen pizza, and some fruit. I just ate an orange - wow! It was delicious. I walked past their frozen section and saw that they sell Vienetta! Do any of you remember that dessert? I think we got it once when I was a kid. They had some interesting commercials for it.
There was a restaurant close to the grocery store that looked pretty cool. Lots of outdoor seating, and it looked like one woman was eating fondue!!! I'll have to ask Arnold about it.
I am taking the bus, somehow, to campus on Monday to meet with Johan. That will be my first "official" event since arriving.
I've got a Skype number, so let me know if you want it. I miss everyone a lot, but it's nice actually living with someone [unlike living alone in Japan]. Even if they're not home a lot, I can still ask them things when they are. :)
That's it for today...more tomorrow!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
