Categories: phd
Tags: interviews, Moldova, Chisinau, fieldwork, PhD, home
Date: 30 August 2007 16:10:32
I eventually landed back in Moldova just before 11pm local time, having woken up at 4.15am (Wales time). HD very wonderfully drove me to Gatwick, then drove back to Wales to do a full day's work - he's such a good guy. Needless to say I howled at the airport again, as usual - I'm getting fed up of these tearful farewells, they're really draining! By the time I got on the plane I was shattered, and actually slept through the entire takeoff, which I don't think I've ever done before
I spent a few hours at Budapest airport (not enough to make it worthwhile to go into the city centre, but too many in what has to be said is possibly the world's most boring airport). Free wifi is extremely random there and I only managed to get a few minutes just before take-off, so I was a bit antsy. I was met at the airport by the usual crowd of taxi-drivers, the first one to reach me in search of my custom was quite creepy looking and scary, but fortunately he asked for a really extortionate fare so I felt justified and not at all guilty in telling him it was too much and walking away! I'm back staying in the same place as before, and it's now looking like I can stay here till the end of September when I leave, so that's one weight off my mind. Unfortunately they are giving me such unhealthy food (and in such vast quantities) that it's definitely not weight off anything else, if I'm not careful the plane back to Romania next month won't be able to take off.
Having got to bed really late I then couldn't sleep despite being exhausted, and then I had to get up at the crack of dawn again today as I had a workshop to go to. That went well and I have a number of interviews lined up over the next few days, although the one I really want is still being a bit reluctant, so if praying's your thing please can you pray she'll stop putting me off?! I have to go back this evening and sort out some new questions for someone I hadn't expected to interview who I'm seeing tomorrow, even though what I really really want to do is go to bed really early! Sigh - no rest for the wicked.
Tomorrow is apparently national Romanian language day, so there are lots of events going on in town. Not sure if I'll go to any - I don't feel like I'm back in the Moldova vibe yet and could do with a bit of headspace just to think about what I'm doing and what I need to do.
I'm missing HD lots too. I know it's less than 6 weeks till I'm back in the UK, but I'm really tired of these long separations now. I want to be in the same country as him again (even though we're at opposite ends of it - at least it's better being opposite ends of a country than a continent!).
I'm sure I thought of something really earth-shattering to mention too, but I've completely forgotten it.