Couscous salads and evening outings

(Written in mid October)

The time between mid September and end of October is full of work, couscous salads and interesting evenings.
Music, theatre, poetry and "Black mirror".
Keeping myself busy until the days of escape and relax.
Beautiful night London provides the best opportunities for amazing evenings.
I saw Coco and the Fellas on a Sunday evening and danced like crazy with some lunatic actors.

A long walk in Putney Heath or Central London, interesting discussions on human, God and interpersonal relations keep my mind going.
I lay down in the evenings imagining that moment at the station and comparing it with the moment of short awkwardness of the 4 hands ("τόση αμηχανία για τέσσερα χέρια"). Let this be beautiful again, like your face in the black and white pictures you send me.
Two great weirds.

November again

I will count my years in Novembers.
It is not because of my name day, neither because of the falling leaves as the end of an era.
There is a mystical quality in this month for me, as if, when my parents concieved me in Kalavrita, November 1985, a circle started and always gets updated every November.
And this year's update has been pretty amazing, I must say.

 This November started in beautiful autumny Austria with long strolls in cities, parks and museums. A dream-like atmosphere and intense bonding moments.
I couldn't imagine such greatness and fullfillment and yet it came to me.

A couple of break days in London and busy preparations for conference followed.
A conference participation that I hadn't anticipated and was least ready to go, as I was expecting to be at a fellowship interview.
But all went well, as long as I lowered my expectations of what I would present.
At the same time, given the lost chance of the fellowship, I was offered a position I couldn't turn down.
Senior post doc; I suppose it's just a title to make me feel better, it could show a bit in the income, but no tremendous changes from where I am now in this respect.
The changes, which I consider an upgrade, are the toys I would be allowed to play with, so many methods available in the MPI! And, of course, the PI, an established professor in the field.
I am as happy as I could be landing my foot in JFK and reading the email with the offer.
I go to the conference with an air of success and determination about the quality of my work.
RE-CO-GNI-TION. Α-ΝΑ-ΓΝΩ-ΡΙ-ΣΗ. This is what I told my family and friends.

At the same time, I had an invitation for a lecture in my old department in Athens, where I did my undergrads in Linguistics. It is amazing how things turn out. I am so happy to be coming back after a couple of years of hard work abroad. Even if it's just for a short contribution.

The new tomorrow, I am looking forward to.

But first! I'm gonna have a wee (thank you Amanda, for this association). No, I meant I need to wrap up the work at Imperial. Analysis and writing up. I'll give my best and let go after.