Sunday, September 28, 2008

Questions from Home

Shirley, my beloved wife, who's trip to join me is in the offing, sent these questions today by IM.

1. You have your skype ready to go?
I loaded the program at home, but never got past the test call. I will load it again today (Sunday), and perhaps we can talk tonight. Skype is great, I am told. Another world-shrinking Internet capability. If you are a Fulbrighter, and you don't know about Skype, I suggest you Google it.

2. Do you have any english language tv news there?
The BBC and CNN are on the cable. I have yet to find the CNN channel at the apartment, but then, I have not had a chance to search for it other than casually. It may be there, or we may have to upgrade the service to get it. The full time cable Internet service, however, is proving robust here in Cluj. I have been keeping up with the news via Yahoo. Which reminds me, I was saddened to hear of Paul Newman's death. Cool dude.

3. What about newspapers?
I have yet to go to a newsstand. Probably a good one will be found at the gara. If I find the NYT, I'll let you know.

4. How are you adjusting to our apt?
It is a nice apartment in an old building. Least convenient is the fact that you have to walk up two long flights of stairs to get to it, and you have to unlock three doors to get in or out. On the plus side, it is central in the city, it is nicely furnished, it has a king-sized bed, it has wonderful views of old Cluj, and the landlords are great folk, both professors in the Faculty of Letters at UBB. I will say that after yesterday's long drive from Bucharest, I was very glad to get back here. (Pics are from our bedroom window.)

Thanks, Shirl, for leading me to provide some practical information to our readers. Keep those real-world questions coming!

Other news: I had oatmeal for breakfast for the first time in two weeks! My heart thanks Nancy Sherman for the anti-cholesterol property of her find!

Today I plan to go to my office to see if the three boxes of academic materials from Plymouth have arrived yet. I want to make the office my normal work station, so I will also start work on my syllabi today. Priority goes to Labor Management, both because it meets Wednesday, and because I am not sure what that course should contain. In America I teach it as a Labor Movement/Labor Law/Contract negotiation/Contract maintenance course. What is the context of the labor-management relationship in a formerly communist society? What are the EU/Romanian labor laws, regulaing agencies, regulations, and practices? Research needed! Today, I'll begin.


3 comments:

SKM said...

Our bedroom views look great. Always wanted to live near water. Guess this is my big chance.
Thanks for the answers to my mundane yet practical (to me) questions.
Good luck with your research. May you find what you need.

Unknown said...

...just got caught up... great job on the blog! It's awesome to be able to share your life abroad so intimately and instantly! (My life seems boring by comparison) You continue to make me proud, and I am glad I don't have to learn Romanian economics in 2 days. Keep up the good work!

Duncan McDougall said...

Thanks, Brian! Great to see you and Nika earlier this month! All the best in Miami, my No. 1 Son!