It’s still FREEZING here, and snowing a bit on and off — though not much, compared to what Boston or NYC is usually like. Found out I cannot start my new job until all of my paperwork is completed (it’s in processing but not yet completed). So I can catch up on other stuff while waiting — redesigning an organizational website, answering emails, ploughing through IQ84 (my endless-but-good Murakami novel), etc.

I just ate almost an entire box of cookies.

Soon it will be Valentine’s Day. I used to paint rocks and wrap them in poems as Valentine’s presents for friends during college. But sadly I can’t mail anything to anybody from here because customs charge ten billion dollars when you send anything internationally. Alas.

J’irai où ton souffle nous mène,
dans les pays d’ivoire et d’ébène.

KopenhagenerStr., originally uploaded by pazonada.

KopenhagenerStr.

The good thing about our modern era is that technology like Google Street View lets me be places where I otherwise cannot be. Or at least lets me feel like I am there. Here is where I actually am (though picture is three years outdated, and the building is now yellow and sans graffiti and there’s snow on the ground):

Relatedly, I hear it’s creepily warm in the States. Rest assured, it is normal February freezing temperatures here. I am off now to open a bank account and buy a prepaid phone.

WORD TO THE WISE: even if you’re off contract and successfully manage to jailbreak your 5.0.1 iphone, it will NOT unlock even with ultrasn0w and Sam configured if your model firmware is 05.16.05. So don’t waste three days trying to do it! Ugh.

Granted, I have no idea what I’m talking about. I made all the details up; I don’t know when the buildings were made, I don’t know if the Stasi used to work here. But BOY DOES IT FEEL THAT WAY. Sigh, East Berlin.

• homemade marmalade from portugal is delicious.
• we have russian meat in a can:

• it is FREEZING. just because you visited berlin in january twice before doesn’t mean this january will be as warm. single digits, people. negative in celsius.
• just because t-mobile germany CAN unlock your contract-expired iphone 3GS doesn’t mean they WILL.
• everything is closed on sundays. like the states, back in the 80s.
• “antrag auf erteilung eines aufenthaltstitels” means “application for a residence permit”, and you have to cross your fingers.
• i ordered breakfast three times, entirely in german, and was successful.
• just because the US post office tells you that the package you shipped to yourself will reach germany in 7 days doesn’t mean that over two weeks later it will have arrived.
• babies. babies are all over prenzlauerberg. cute litte bundled-up babies, who stare at you imploringly while their athletic-looking moms push them in proper prams.
• i fixed the comments section. so if you weren’t able to leave any before, now you can. did you hear that? now you can!!

I’ve been living with different friends for the past six months, and tonight I am moving to Berlin, Germany to take a job as a research scientist with EIT-ICT in partnership with Deutsche Telekom Labs. I am moving alone. I will be living with my friend in East Berlin. Do I speak German? No, not really, but the job is in English. Didn’t I take 5 or 6 German classes over the past few years? Yes, but I don’t remember much. I’m hoping it’ll come back to me. Why am I so obsessed with Berlin? It’s a cool, affordable city with a lot of art/media/mobile/tech stuff going on, and it’s a great era to be there. Also the pastries are excellent. When will I be back? I’m on contract through the end of the year. Will I return to Boston? Ha! I hope not. I plan to live in New York City, unless I am getting wildly successful in Berlin.

Meanwhile, I will still be connected to MIT as a CMS research affiliate, and might teach or do research again here (re: HCI) in future. I am very grateful for everything MIT has done for me, and its lovely employees and students and faculty. Special shout-out to CMS, to the Glass Lab, and to the Pottery Studio.

I think that is all for now. Email me if you don’t have my new contact information and would like it. Goodbye!

This school has been so good to me.