onsdag den 20. april 2016

California with MIchigan eyes

Som en del af at vaere forsker vanker der ind i mellem en konference, og dette foraar stod valget mellem Banff i februar eller San Diego i april............ Det var IKKE et svaert valg! Derfor sidder jeg nu i palmernes skygge efter at have spist frokost paa Salk Institute:

As part of being in science there are sometimes conferences involved, and this spring the choice was between Banff in February and San Diego in April....... Well, that was NOT a hard choice! So here I am, writing away in the shadow of the palm trees after having had lunch at the Salk Institute:


Foer jeg kom herned var jeg endda saa heldig at kunne bruge weekenden i Bay Area, og noerj, hvor har jeg haft glaedet mig (mens andre medlemmer af familien har vaeret paent misundelige). Jeg har ogsaa vaeret noget spaendt paa hvordan det ville foeles at komme tilbage efter vores noget turbulente tilvaerelse, siden vi var der sidst. Ville det foeles fremmed? Som at komme hjem? Som noget helt 3.? Tjo, foerste tegn paa at jeg nok har aendret mig en helt del skete i toget paa vej fra lufthavnen. Jeg skulle bo hos venner i El Cerrito og endestationen paa den togtur er Richmond, der er kendt for at vaere super fattigt og kriminelt. Derfor er det ikke sjaeldent at der er skumle gangsteragtige typer med toget - denne tur var ingen undtagelse. Men i stedet for at blive intimideret kunne jeg ikke lade vaere med at taenke: "hey dude. I live outside Detroit. It takes more to intimidate me now". (Ja jeg taenker paa engelsk....). Og saa blev jeg helt overvaeldet af hvor velholdte veje og huse var. Asfalt uden huller, fine huse med haverne fulde af blomstrende, duftende buske, og en lang gaatur i den lune aftenluft uden at blive gennemaedt af myg.

Before I went down here I was lucky enough to spend the weekend in the Bay, and I have been super excited (while other family members were super jealous). I have also been a little nervous about how it would feel to be back after all the turbulence in our lifes. Would it feel strange? Like coming home? Or something unexpected? Well. First sign that I have changed happened in the train going from the airport. I was staying with friends in El Cerrito and the last stop on that train is Richmond, which is one of those poor and criminal areas, where you would want to stay out. Often there will be gangster like young black guys on the train - and this trip was no different. But instead of feeling intimidated all I could think was "Hey dude. I live outside Detroit now. I am not scared of you". And I was completely overwhelmed by how nice and well kept the houses and the roads were. Smooth black asphalt without potholes, lovely houses with the gardens full of flowery bushes, and a long walk uphill in the warm air without getting eaten by mosquitoes......


Loerdag fik jeg baade set en gammel kollega, vaeret i San Francisco (hvor jeg koerte med sporvogn og solede mine blege ben paa Union Square, mens jeg naesten ikke kunne haandtere hvor mange mennesker, der var allevegne):

Saturday I had breakfast with an old colleague, I went to San Francisco (where I got on the cable cars and exposed my pale legs to some sun on Union Square, while I had a surpisingly tough time adjusting to the crowds of people everywhere):



Og saa spiste jeg frokost med ham her (den mest velklaedte mand jeg kender i miles omkreds):

And I had lunch with this guy (the most well dressed man I know even by San Francisco standards):





Sidst men ikke mindst ventede der en middag hos Marit og Thai, hvor vi brugte en hel del tid paa at grine af Michigan roever historier (at vi laver road kill bingo naar vi koerer langt og beundrer vaaben i supermarkedet). Bl.a. fik jeg Hedda til at billedgoogle "meanwhile in Michigan" der fik hende HELT overbevist om at hun kun kan trives i Californien.

Last but not least I had dinner with Marit and Thai, where we spent most of the evening laughing at our crazy Michigan adventures (like playing road kill bingo when driving, and  admiring weapons in the grocery store). I got Hedda to picture google "meanwhile in Michigan" which REALLY convinced her, that she would never survive outside of California.

Soendag var jeg tidligt oppe og fik sneget mig ind i Wild Cat Canyon, selvom det vist ikke var helt lovligt........ Og jeg hoerte praerie ulve hyle til hinanden fra bakke toppene. En lille smule creepy


Sunday I was up early and sneaked into Wild Cat Canyon, even though it was not allowed...... And I heard the coyotes howl from the hill tops. A little creepy



Inden jeg floej videre soendag blev jeg fodret godt og grundigt af med baade laekker mad og fantastisk selskab hos Lucy og Josh. Og en lille smule sol i deres gaard (hvor jeg i oevrigt overhovedet ikke opdagede at jeg blev fotograferet - hrmpf)

Before I went further south I was treated to the most delicious brunch and wonderful company at Lucy and Josh. And a bit of sunshine in their backyard (where I did not realize I was a paparazzi victim until I found this picture on facebook. Hrmpf ;-)






Og nu sidder jeg her. I La Jolla paa konferencens sidste dag. Fuldstaendigt smadret oveni hovedet af videnskab, gensyn med gamle kolleger der faar mig til at huske paa hvor haardt alting var inden vi forlod DK, og et intenst oenske om at kunne se hvad fremtiden bringer af jobs og bopael.

And now here I am. In La Jolla on the last day of the conference. All busted in my head from science, meeting old colleagues which brings up the not so fun memories from before we left Denmark, and an intense wish to be able to foresee what the future holds of jobs and where to live.





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