I really enjoyed this conference, people. Feminists rock. I felt like everybody understood and related to my experience and could offer great advice. I also presented myself in the advice-dispensing capacity while hanging out with graduate students.
I also discovered that my university has very strict research guidelines compared to many other institutions, which confirms my belief that I’m working at the right place. Other places accept book reviews and encyclopedia articles as research, while mine doesn’t even want to look at them. Also, my university doesn’t take into account book contracts or accepted articles, only stuff that has already been published. This made me feel very good.
My talk was very successful and people even asked me to send it to them. And there were so many questions that we had to cut them short because we ran out of time.
To celebrate this successful conference, I’m now at a place called TGI Friday’s that I never visited before but that I know many Americans like. And I’m going to order something called “a whiskey cake” for dessert. I’m writing the post now before the whiskey cake has an effect on me.
Clarissa's Blog 
Oh god, I hope TGI Friday’s is not something that many Americans like. Most of the people I know mock TGI Friday’s – we constantly suggest going there just to laugh at the idea. Maybe I am just spoiled since I’ve always lived on US coasts near major cities where most chain restaurants are looked down upon…
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When I was booking a hotel for this conference, 80% of reviews praised this hotel for being close to this TGI place. This is why I decided it was some sort of a cultural landmark. How is one supposed to become Americanized if people immediately begin to make fun of one’s attempts? 🙂 🙂 Again, I’m kidding here. That whiskey cake probably did have an effect.
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So what did you think of your Friday’s experience? I agree: there is something quintessentially American about it: big portions, bland food, sports on the TV. It may not be a facet of American dining I’m particularly proud of or attracted to but it’s American nonetheless. 😉
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The food was oversalted but that is a problem I encounter even at very expensive places. But the service was very fast and the place was not loud at all, so I liked it. I think I’m becoming very American. 🙂
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You made me curious enough about the salt to look it up. You weren’t kidding. My rule of thumb is to try keep foods under 1 mg sodium for each calorie. Most of TGI Friday’s appetizers and meals are at least 2 mg sodium per calorie. At least the whiskey cake is low sodium: 450 mg for 790 calories. ;)(http://www.tgifridays.com/_images/pdfs/Nutritional.pdf)
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I have high blood pressure, so I can smell high salt from a mile away!
There are places where even desserts are salty. The worst salty dessert is Black Forest cake. Bleh.
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I see… I am betting they praised it because having any half-edible restaurant within walking distance of a hotel is very convenient in most American towns that normally require driving everywhere.
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“TGI Friday’s… many Americans like…”
Haha oh my God. I see it’s true that it’s still 1985 in the Midwest… Seriously, Friday’s used to be the “thing” when I was in my 20s, and had to have a different liquored-up ice cream drink every week, but the last time I ate there a few years ago (in Orlando, land of the tourist restaurant) the quality of their food had slumped, or maybe my tastes had evolved since I’d quit drinking boozed-up ice cream.
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I make one little attempt to introduce myself to the mainstream American culture and look at all the flak I get from my high-brow readers. 🙂 🙂 Kidding!
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I am probably jaded because most of my Friday-going was in Miami in the 80s and then I moved to Orlando where all the food is bland in order to avoid offending the tastes of tourists. Then again, they did make a good Mississippi Mudslide.
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I had never investigated this place so now I am looking at its website. I see why it could be a useful place and I find the idea of a restaurant where it is always Friday charming.
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I first thought you were talking about investigating this conference. 🙂
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🙂
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Congratulations on your talk! May I ask what it is about?
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This! Of course, people were very interested in a subject like that.
Thank you for the congrats!
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Cool! If you’re sending it to people, may I ask for a copy? Or is it in Spanish? (I only ask because I don’t speak Spanish, and my friend is in Elementary Spanish I.)
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Oh, this is so nice of you! The article is in English and I will gladly send it to you when I get home. I warn you, though, it’s literary criticism. 🙂
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Thank you!
I may be a science major, but I love literary criticism. And my friend (an English major) would love to read it, too. 🙂
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I’m glad everything went great! There are few things better in our profession than attending a conference where you feel you have learned, made useful connections, and made yourself known to the academia. Also, there is nothing worse than attending a conference and feel like the whole experience has been a total waste of time. Don’t you think?
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