PTSD

ballad of the homeless grad student

1. At my second BNC, I have moved on from the quietly awed girl to the girl who pushes popular culture on everything and everyone. Good points? Got to meet pretty much all the authors of this book and chatted (oh, yes, really--I'm in shock too, mind) with BigNameFilmandIR bloke who was lovely and discussed some good tips about teaching and visual media.

2. In case yous think this is all about "oohhh...what fun famous IR people are", also met up with new folks from unis across the oceans--British, Danes and Chinese. Considering doing linked terrorism panels for next year. Will probably be too lazy, when the time comes, to do it but we'll see. In any case, it's all about building communities of people to talk with, so we can overthrow the formal modelling, defining terrorism types. I live in hope (but not with bated breath).

3. Putting pop culture in everything is actually a great idea--people are amused and yet intrigued.

4. Planning to stay at a hostel and then realising said hostel only has a bed in a 10-bed dorm available (and one loo to share!) leads to playing musical chairs with the hotel rooms. Also leads to being homeless on the last night and having to kip on a couch in the lobby (from where this posting is being written so I am a productive homeless person and not a blot on society--yet).

5. On that note, avoiding the hotel cleaning staff is more difficult than yous would reckon...

6. Running into the supervisor for my Masters thesis on the lift late at night (on the night when I'm homeless). Chatting to him, a Canadian, making me realise I miss Australia.

7. Giving up the chance for dinner with "ImpIRPeeps" to hang out with a mate I'd not seen in months. Walking around Chicago and catching up with stuff and just bludging.

8. Getting loads of free books and wondering how I will a) take them to Washington, b) carry them about when moving.

9. Chatting with 2 out of 3 members of my committee and having oddly similar conversations with very different types of folks.

10. BNC 2007 Lesson? A charged phone is a necessity in life.

Off in search of a shower...I hear (more) cleaning staff about and should probably vacate my sofa before they venture past again.

posted by Priya @ 5:08 AM