Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy 2011!

Finally 2010 is over! I personally thought I have had some bad years before, but this was surely the more complicated. 2009 seemed to be the year to be forgotten with all the contract renewal problems and looking for something and so, but the whole conjecture of 2010 was very hard.

It started with hope, like every year. We had just moved to Munich, where Fernanda has got a position on a prestigious lab. Moving would be good for me, since Munich has 4 institutes in astrophysics and some short term contracts are available sometimes and being in the city would make it possible.

Arriving there had already some complications. Flats are very expensive and childcare is inexistent! That plus some contract complications for Fernanda where already a sign. We solve problems, that's what we do for a living.

Long story short and not chronologically. Fernanda's back pain turn out to be a disk hernia that repeated itself 10 weeks after the first surgery. Health insurance complications solved 30 minutes before the first surgery and after the second one a lot of treatment and physiotherapy. Still recovering and preventing a third intervenction.

That meant 4 months of absence in about 6 months of work. Coming back was basically to find out her boss was as much of an asshole as she was told and she quit to maintain her mental sanity. Lack of professional respect is a very bad characteristic for a scientist.

On my side, given the crisis, probably, short term contracts and visitorships disappeared, not to mention the larger term contracts. So after a while I've got a technical job and I don't regret it. Actually I should have done this before, but maybe I was not ready. In fact, I am enjoying the new job, a lot! Let's see what happens, now that Brazil has joined ESO.

Sports went pretty bad also. Short rides are not compatible with the city and time for larger ones not compatible with life.

Of course not only bad things happened. Matheus is growing healthy and that's what's important. Fernanda is recovering and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. There we are.

Now we are looking for a flat in Garching, so I can be closer to work (instead of spending 2.5-3 hours a day back and forth) and we will have a place at the kinder garden of the city ... the problem is finding a "family size" flat in such small and student oriented city.

Well, 2011 starts with a lot to be decided, but as every year with hope for a better year. I won't say "it can only improve since it can't get worse" because I did it last year and was proven wrong!

Happy new year!

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