The work has started!

Wow, it is finally getting real. The contractor took a team of about 5 guys to the house for two days and well, what can I say, the place looks different! I think in this case pictures say way more than words. So here goes: a random selection of what I have received from the contractor. Notice that the stair in the kitchen is gone--that took quite some deciding and lots of back and forward, yes, no, what-shall-we-do-kind of pondering. See how in many places the original brick is exposed. We will actually do this intentionally in several places. Robert and I see no reason in trying to make perfect and new a 100 year old house, so we will try to focus on some of those original elements such as the supporting beams and the brickwork. The openness that is created by taking away those ugly doors is amazing,but we are not sure whether we can work out something to keep this airy feeling. We have to pass the energy-efficiency exam and of course do not want to burn money to keep the place heated in the winter of course. A short post this time but a very important one indeed. Back to work now here in Texas.

Rob's Fulbright, my office, and Lientje's feet

June already. We have been quite busy since getting back. Especially Robert. He was thrown right back into work the very day after arriving. It was not an easy week with Evelina suffering majorly from jet-lag (i.e. up every night hungry, confused, and screaming and not in the best mood during the day) and us not being able to catch up on much needed sleep. We are definately glad that is all over! She is back to her adorable lovely self -- although I must admit that the toddler tantrums have begun. Oh my... we thought they would come at 24 months, not at 14! We are slowly learning to ignore them but it is very difficult.

Oh, but I was writing about Robert. He was one of the main organizers of the annual James Joyce Conference this year. The conference takes place alternatively in Europe and the US. This year it was held here in Austin, organized in honor of Robert's boss, the director of the HRC, who is also a major Joycean. Robert was able to bring his mentor from Bologna, Italy over to Austin for the conference so that was a nice reunion. The conference was also a great venue for him to show of and promote his book! (He walked around with his book around his neck with a sign that read: Buy my book! -- Just kidding!) He also curated a very clever exhibition on Joyce from the Ransom collections, moderated a panel and presented a paper. The timing of it all was perfect. One other major thing was perfectly timed as well. Robert had just announced at his job that he will be leaving them because he was awarded a Fulbright Teaching Position at the University of Antwerp. We had found out about this a while ago but had kept silent for reasons of work-politics etc. It was hard to remain hush about it, because obtaining this very prestigious award is quite a feat and one ought to be very loud and happy about announcing it. So it was great that he was out of the closet (so to speak) about it and was able to tell fellow Joyceans that he will be working with yet another major Joycean in Antwerp next year. He had a busy week but a rewarding one. And of course the week ended in Father's Day.

How amazing that in just one year Lientje went from a little round-cheecked nonsense-babbling baby to a toddler running up to him in bed, screaming "papa!" with a card that she had scribbled on herself and accompanying the card with a big wet kiss. It was a very wonderful moment. She was incredibly sweet, as if she knew this was his special day. She also brought back a card from day care for him. I see her every day, but that footprint on the card nearly shocked me. Have her feet really grown that much? The little footprints we received in the hospital are etched in my mind. Wow, she has grown!
On Father's Day we took part in the annual Hyde Park Historic Home Tour here in our very own neighborhood. It was muggy and hot and not altogether pleasant, but we saw some interesting old houses completely renovated and pooked around for ideas. I have been wanting to do the tour since we moved here, and I finally got us tickets. See, it takes leaving to actually do these things!

Little news on our house in Antwerp. Work begins this week, so I will have pictures to post as they come in from the contractor! Stay posted.

I have moved in to an "office" at the university's fine arts library. It is a closet-size room with a desk and a shelf and white walls and I love it. It gives me a space to work away from everything else. There I do not hear the screams of the sweeper who wants to be run, the murmurs of the muffled laundry in the hamper, or the yelps of all the things in the closets that need to be cleaned out. It is quiet in there and I hope to be able to do lots of work. I will have to post a picture of that space sometime. It will show how little can make one happy, ha.

In Belgium on June 10th the elections shook up the country. The old established favorites of the Socialist and Christian parties were voted out for a completely new party called after its founder Mr. Dedecker. He tried previously to be adopted by one of the existing parties but no one wanted him, so he ran on his own, with great success thus. While the greens also won some votes back, the other major winner and especially in the province of Antwerp is the extreme right Vlaams Belang -- Flemish first, i.e. everything and everyone non-Flemish out. The most nationalistic party around, they are gaining prominence every year. The votes so completely shook up the existing parliament that a new one has to be decided upon. The current one immediately visited the king to resign. The prime-minister Guy Verhofstad had been in his position for 8 years and (in my humble opinion) had placed Belgium on the political worldmap. He was not necessarily Bush's best friend, and did not feel that just because Belgium is a small country it cannot have a voice in world-politics. At the moment a person appointed by the king called a "formateur" is trying to put together a suggestion for the king on how to proceed with further nominations based on the elected parties. In Belgium parties must form coalitions to reach the right number of seats (when a single party does not have enough votes) in parliament. This often proves to be a very difficult process, especially when parties have opposing views on major issues such as for instance the budget or immigration legislation. The country now waits. They hope to have some plan of action by July 21, the Belgian National Feast Day. It struck me, seeing the winning parties on the news, that everyone was cheering and singing with beers in their hands. (No champagne for the Belgians!) One winning party-leader said in his acceptance speech: I realize that the hard work now needs to begin, but for the moment I do not care one bit about that and I am going to focus on drinking as many beers as possible." He was applauded loudly. Yes, that is the country we are moving to! Can you imagine Obama (or Hillary!) saying that upon winning the elections, ha!

For now, greetings from Texas with love. I promise more pics next time.