Teaching, Teaching, Teaching

Good news are rare these days. So here are some good news: despite the pandemic, I secured (almost too) many courses to teach! I love teaching university courses. But I'd never thought that I would teach five different courses (at two universities) this semester. After I initially thought I might have only two courses at …

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Please Respond! Publish or Perish (Part II)

We have to publish our research. Particularly if we are junior scholars who just finished our PhD or are still working on our PhD, our publications often decide whether we have a chance to stay in academia—or if we have to leave. I talked about the difficulties to find the time and the material in …

The Joys of Mansplaining

Thank you, dear men, for your endeavors to explain the world to me. Thank you, dear men, for explaining my research topics to me. Thank you, dear men, for approving of my decisions. I had no idea what I was doing for years before you came around and explained everything in one or two sentences! …

(Not) Doing Fieldwork in Times of COVID-19

How does one begin a new research project these days? It's difficult to begin a new research project without funding. It's difficult to get funding without (a lot) of experience in a new field. So the plan was clear: use some of my own funds for a brief, exploratory field trip to the new place …

Back to School.

These are crazy times. Who would have thought that a virus—just the flu, basically—would change the entire world for who knows how long. Most freelancers in education and research probably struggle with this: less work or, for at least some, no work at all. I lost my main source of income, but luckily not all …

The Elite.

A few months ago, I started teaching culture, cross-cultural comparison, and intercultural communication to privileged (mainly white, mainly male) management students. Before I had my first day, I had expected excited, motivated students eager to learn about cultures and how to communicate with business partners around the globe. I'm not sure why I had these …

At the AAA in Vancouver

When I booked my room for this year's AAA in Vancouver, I didn't think too much about it. It was quite cheap, the reviews accordingly, but without funding, it had to do. It can't be too bad, right? When I arrived in Vancouver on Tuesday, public transportation didn't work as expected so I decided to …

Still Alive. I Think.

It's been a while. The job at the coffeehouse, in addition to teaching and (unpaid) academic work, drained all my energies, and—eventually—made me sick. I had to reduce and/or cancel everything I love to do. But in the end that wasn't enough. And all I did was: work. So, I had to make choices. Do …

Love Letters From My Students

A few days ago, I came across an old course evaluation. Every time, I'm afraid of these evaluations. For no particular reason. There are always one or two students who complain and/or criticize. But most of them are satisfied or even happy. (And I cannot make everyone happy--one or two critical responses are perfectly fine, …

Making Coffee: My First Few Days

I thought I'd share a few impressions about my first few days at the coffee house. I'm a first-class barista now. Not. Okay, so: my first two days were quite good. I have great colleagues (mostly), most of them are patient. The customers are similarly nice and patient. My third day, a Saturday, quickly turned …