a desultory personal update
Things that are bad for one's vanity: getting braces in your mid-twenties. They're the discreet ceramic sort, but they're still a pain (literally: the first week hurt like a mofo). I would have a better attitude about the impending year-plus of expensive and painful orthodontia/surgery/etc. if it weren't a do-over: trying to fix some jaw problems that jaw surgery in my teens didn't resolve. The thing is, last time I had braces I was a geeky, gawky kid three years younger than everybody else in college, so it wasn't like I had much of a romantic life anyway. But thankfully, it turns out they aren't as much of an impediment to kissing and other activities as I'd feared. Still, I miss crunchy things. And salted caramels. And reserve the right to bitch & moan about any forthcoming procedures involving people cutting apart bones in my face.
Things that are good for one's vanity: turning down a fully-funded offer from a Harvard PhD program, because you want to stay in New York--and a university here has offered you an even sweeter deal. [erm, scratch initial info here: updated to reflect the fact that I am going to Columbia rather than NYU. All the rest still applies!]
No offense meant to Boston, Harvard and its excellent CMES, or the various lovely people I know who've studied there (like, um, the one I live with) but I can't bear to leave Brooklyn, and I think this department will be an even better fit given the work I want to do. I can't believe my luck: I'm going to get paid to read books and learn languages and live in New York City, y'all. How could I say no? Even my boss has finally given up trying to talk me out of returning to grad school; she knows it's a futile effort. Thank you so much to all of you who've been so helpful & kind throughout the tiresomeness of the applications process. I will try and do something worthwhile with this.
Things that are good for one's vanity: turning down a fully-funded offer from a Harvard PhD program, because you want to stay in New York--and a university here has offered you an even sweeter deal. [erm, scratch initial info here: updated to reflect the fact that I am going to Columbia rather than NYU. All the rest still applies!]
No offense meant to Boston, Harvard and its excellent CMES, or the various lovely people I know who've studied there (like, um, the one I live with) but I can't bear to leave Brooklyn, and I think this department will be an even better fit given the work I want to do. I can't believe my luck: I'm going to get paid to read books and learn languages and live in New York City, y'all. How could I say no? Even my boss has finally given up trying to talk me out of returning to grad school; she knows it's a futile effort. Thank you so much to all of you who've been so helpful & kind throughout the tiresomeness of the applications process. I will try and do something worthwhile with this.
posted by kitabet at 8:30 AM
8 Comments:
Woot! Congratulations on grad school!
And as far as getting braces goes, at least you didn't get them in rural Kentucky where they were literally HAMMERED INTO PLACE. oy!
and thank goodness for the appeal of Brooklyn! ;-)
Congratulations! That sounds like an amazing opportunity. Can I ask why the teaching part doesn't appeal to you?
A friend of mine recently got her adult-braces off. She had a big party. Just an idea. ;)
Neat!
Well, I've already contgratulated you but another tebrikler(!) won't hurt :)
I'm going to get paid to read books and learn languages and live in New York City, y'all. Gah. JEALOUS. And also about that whole list of people teaching at NYU.
>:(
Anything related dentists is automatically awful, no?
oh hooray elizabeth! how wonderful! i knew you could do it. and boo about the braces - but i am sure you look just as charming as ever.
we definitely need to catch up soon.
thanks, all!
ganesh: I shall be grateful for that indeed (though did I mention the sawing-bones part? at least there's anasthesia...) ;)
tamasha: oh a party will be the least of it, believe me. re: teaching--I can see, looking back, how I might have given that impression, but it's not the case at all. I love and miss teaching--though it is so much harder than my current job!--and it's one of the main reasons I want an academic career. But to succeed in that career, especially given the nightmare that is the uni job market (and the ambitious nature of the doctoral project I have in mind) I need to use the next 5-6 years very well. So having only two required years of teaching (as opposed to the usual 3 or more) make it easier to learn two new languages, write several articles and a book, spend a year doing fieldwork in Turkey & additional time in Syria or Egypt and India, organize conferences, etc. And then hopefully I'll get a decent job at a good school...where I can settle down and teach some more.
x.trap: you need to tell me all the nyu dirty-dirt asap, dude.
szerelem: apply for the MA! I was so not joking about that. Seriously. Also, re: dentists, a minor silver lining is that I actually really like my orthodontist. If I am going to spend this much money on something so unpleasant, at least it goes into the pockets of a tiny adorable Latina, and not some old white dude in a white coat like usual.
Lauren: yes we do, and thanks dearie.
Elizabeth, sorry to be late to congratulate you in public but wow, that's just fantastic. (You know I sympathize on the dental stuff.) You've got a great opportunity and I'm sure you will make the most of it - when you have that party I want to come!
Anything decision that means 5+ more years of visiting and sleeping on your futon/discovering one of the most amazing cities in the world with my big sis sounds like a good one to me. Love you!
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