Flatmates...The Unsung Heroes of Ethnographic Fieldwork

I have arrived in Rotterdam! Much to my body's chagrin...all travel and no sleep makes Ms. Long a loopy girl. (Jack said it better but hell, I'm tired)

After tying myself up in knots for the better part of two weeks I've finally flown the coop and ended up at my destination. I spent 6 hours and 59 minutes sitting in a cramped A-310 Air Transat flight next to some very lovely husband-wife couple, who were Dutch-Canadians. Their life stories included the husband Tom, who had just been sprung from a two and a half month hospital stay, who recently walked home with a new metal hip for all his trouble. I learned about their foray into providing a group home for young boys/men (apparently for financial reasons although that wouldn't be the first thing that comes to my mind). Accordingly I also learned about two of their residents, both in prison only one on death row. They sweetly reminisced about how one of the boys originally came to them as a 12-year-old male prostitute in downtown toronto and unfortunately had not ended up much better off (currently awaiting transfer to the Kingston penitentiary because his status as a sex offender was leaked to the general population). The another mentionable, was a young man who is currently sitting on death row for his 22nd year (or something close) in Alabama. 'This man is alright' my Dutch companion said "he's found Jesus. When we visit him I have to take off my bra and show them that I have nothing in the underwire of my bra. We get into this underground room where we meet our 'boy' and there we pray and sing with him, he likes to say grace over the only food we're really allowed down there, potato chips." I'm thinking, who is looking at this sweet bird-like lady, 77 years old in skin, eyes, movement and intentions and thinking...maybe she's got a shive in there somewhere...

Anyway, I arrived, claimed all 35 kgs of my luggage and wheel (and warbbled) over to the train. Catching the train was relatively easy minus a few brief heart attacks when I suddenly thought that I wasn't going in the right direction. Having showed up in Rotterdam Centraal (Station) I proceeded to wait for 1 hour for my roommate P. (P-dot) came to pick me up.

P. doesn't know me from a hole in the wall. I found his want ad for a roommate on an Americanized or rather Canadianized website (justlanded.ca) entitled PhD/exchange student. I thought...well of course, that's me. Anyway, Paulo came to the station to pick me up, helped me buy a tram card (I still have to figure out if it's good for other things as well), lifted my huge-ass suitcase into and out of the tram and MOST importantly up the 4 flights of stairs to the flat. The man is a saint. After a brief tea, he was off for the day, but not before showing me my spotless room (a room that use to be his but which he has acquiesced), and a tour of the 3 bedroom flat. It's more than I could have hoped for. P. is really very nice. He's already got a bike lined up for me and I'm off to find a cell phone tomorrow. Although I arrived alone here, P. and P.'s apartment has solidified my resolution for being here.

But P. was off for first day duties at the uni so I wrestled with my suitcase, unpacking the many rolled clothes into my newly acquired closet, and setting up my webcam so that I could promptly call QueenB. Although we had technical difficulties it was wonderful to talk to her. I showed her my room, the place, etc. We made another phone date for tomorrow morning. I also phoned my partner when he got up this morning in Canada for work. It was wonderful to see him although his service provider (satellite internet) made our web cameras continually freeze. Funny faces sometimes and really frightening ones at other times. After signing off again (I'm sure saying goodbye will become easier at some point for me) I tried desperately not to have a nap and lost horrendously.

An hour later I was back in action walking down the street to buy groceries. Quite a feat considering that I am not at all comfortable with the language. The man checking me out said he didn't know english and then tried to explain some free movie ticket plan to me. I didn't understand it, he gave up after trying - poor guy, he was really trying to help me, I just wasn't with it I don't think. Left there and came back to my flat which I found after only one wrong turn. That's not bad! But lost the battle to sleep again. As I write this I'm slowing drifting again.

So there is more to tell but it'll have to wait for later.