I'm sitting at a sunny sidewalk cafe in San Francisco, taking a lunch break from my research at the Holocaust Center.
This morning I took the train up to the city. I worried about it all day yesterday because (*whispers*) I've never taken the train up here before. It takes about 30 minutes longer than driving and that's if you don't have many transportation transfers within the city. Luckily I only had one. Anyway, I planned for an early train, but had a backup because I'm almost always late for everything. I arrived in time for the backup, but after I bought my ticket, I ran to put the parking permit in my car window. When I was halfway to my car I noticed that I was supposed to keep the ticket with me. The train arrived, so I turned and ran to it. I was there in time, but they shut the door in my face, so I had to wait 30 minutes for the next train! At this point I regretted leaving my book at home in order to lighten my load (and to assure that I did my homework on the train). Nevertheless, I arrived here without further incident and the sun is shining, so I can't complain.
Husband thought my nervousness yesterday was silly, especially considering I took trains and buses (buses are so much scarier!) alone in Prague and Munich, with only a few phrases of Czech and German at my disposal. I guess it's easier to step outside your comfort zone when you're forced to.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Silly
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4 comments:
Hope the research is going well and is not too harrowing. I'm always bringing my research along instead of books and I end up reading the advertisements and back of cereal packets instead!
Angie, you're so right about stepping out of your comfort zone only when you're forced to. I spend most of my life trying to make myself understood with my inadequate Thai in a foreign country and yet the other day I got scared to ask an antiquarian bookseller for help in researching my novel. Pathetic.
You're doing great - hope you're getting what you need.
A lunch break at a sidewalk cafe in sunny (sunny, did you say sunny?) San Francisco. That sounds like a pretty good day to me - even with the train delay.
Yvonne, it went fantastically well, but I think I'll have to make another trip up since all the material is non-circulating.
I know exactly what you mean! :)
JJ, I think it's doubly scary when we have to be brave and talk about our writing. It's like outing ourselves in public all over again!
Chad, yes, sunny! It was gorgeous and a lovely day despite the inauspicious start at the train station.
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