This is my current view out my window as I write this entry. In Brussels today it is a gorgeous +11C with the sun shining and flowers blooming. As a native Saskatchewanian, it is actually surreal that it is February 7th. Normally for this weather it would have to be mid-May. I had to strongly hesitate to go out in a t-shirt today to get my groceries. I already get enough looks 'parading around' in my light summer jacket.
Right now I'm sitting at our kitchen table basking in the beautiful weather coming in from the living room windows, as Tom is lying on the couch sick listening to Pink; "What happened to the dream of a girl President? She's dancing in the video next to 50 cent." So true, I love Pink. Makes me think of an article I read this morning actually in the NY Times about steps being taken to improve women's situation in conflict areas in Africa. Why, you might ask, does a lyrics from a Pink song make me think of NGOs and activists in the DRC? Because being in an International Masters programme studying International Conflict and Security, surrounded by people with similar interests and global views, living in one of the most international and diverse cities in Europe, is first of all an amazing life-changing experience, but also allows you to push your intelectual boundaries and find sources of inspiration and intelectual debate in all aspects of life, including song lyrics. Being here, whether you like it or not, you are immersed in the world of international current events and theories; so you better learn to love it. These days with all the activity in Northern Africa, just walking in to the campus (read: hallway and 5 rooms that form BSIS) you can hear several discussion about the feasibility of the current Egyptian demands on the Presidency and how Obama's stance is affecting various forms of international support, or a debate over which countries the spillover of social media protests against undemocratic regimes might affect next. There is also after class beer, followed by (while) watching a movie/documentary about technology and the Iranian Revolution last year. And this is all not including classes, readings, essays, or our dissertations (thesis), for which the formal deadline for the proposal is fast approaching. Most definitely it is a lot to handle, but it is amazing all at the same time.
Then there is normal life as well. Things going on in that realm include our rental lease expiring end of March and Tom and I going our separate ways looking for new places to live. He is moving in with a few of his colleagues in a place that is much closer to work, and will allow him to move out in August when he leaves Belgium. As for myself, I don't know where I will go; Try to find a studio (1 bedroom) in Ixelles neighbourhood, or see if anyone I know is also moving out and wants to find a place together. We shall see. I'm also looking at getting another smaller tattoo soon. Thankfully, since apparently tattoos are crazy ridiculous expensive here, I have a connection through Wendy's friend's brother who is a tattoo artist in Mons. Even if there is no reduction, just finding a good artist with a style I like is half the battle. So we will hopefully head back to Mons soon and see what he thinks. I'm also going back to Berlin the 17th to 20th to visit Vera and Julija and party German style for the weekend (better start preparing now...). I am very excited to be seeing them and Berlin again :)! I absolutely love Berlin, I would move there if I could. And perhaps one day I shall... Although, Vera is making an impromptu trip to Brussels this weekend to visit David, so I will get to see her on Friday I already. She might even be moving to Brussels in September to do a year abroad here (fingers crossed). Florian, who you might remember is from Marseille and was my roommate for 3 months back in Saskatoon, is spending a night on my couch in Brussels this Thursday on his way to Prague I believe? Either way, he is leaving soon for a 6 month trip to Latin America, and is making his rounds before he leaves. I am also taking part in a 3 day Climate Diplomacy Workshop from the 25th to the 27th lead by an international expert on the subject for, get this, completely f-r-e-e thanks to BSIS. It includes Information Sessions, Mini Negotiation Simulations, and an all day United Nations Climate Change Conference Simulation. Very excited for this as well.
Life here is... crazy, as you can tell. It's just changing so fast, it's hard to keep up. And just when you catch up, you have to brace yourself for larger changes that are still coming. Like anywhere I suppose, here it has the potential to be incredibly exciting, captivating, and adventurous, however if you choose not to take advantage of those opportunities, like a few people I know or myself at times, it also has the potential to be incredibly dull, depressing and lonely. This can be caused by several factors, but sometimes simply because it's hard and things are so different. Sometimes you just miss how easy and comfortable life was before. Completely restarting your life across the ocean isn't easy. There are times when I miss my life back in Saskatoon so much. I miss my friends, my apartment and it's location on Broadway, my car, stereo and music, my TV, video games, books and art, my kitchen, even my job. As exciting as this life is, or can be, and as amazing as all the opportunities are, as the saying goes "there is no place like home," and that is my home. To re-make another life and 'home' here is the goal I guess, but it really is difficult and time consuming, haha. I am living the repercussions of having to leave absolutely everything and everyone you know behind to step forth into the unknown and unsure, with no possibility of returning "home" and having everything the way it was...(mostly because I had to sell everything to afford to come here). I realize that it was my choice, and one that was made for very good reasons that I absolutely do not regret. But it makes me think that I still had the possibility and the capacity to choose to leave and restart. I truly do feel for immigrants and refugees that don't have that choice, and are forced to leave everything they know to escape to another country, to sometimes never return. Or even IDPs, people that are displaced in their own country.
However, speaking of all this and everything that is going on soon and this weekend, I have a lot of work to do on my dissertation topic for it to even be ready to propose to my dissertation supervisor. But it is so hard to pry myself from articles, discussions, and non-academic writing and force myself to delve back in to academic journals and articles.. 6 more months to the day, and I am finished. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment