I'm prone to late onset of jetlag. 03/09/09

When I've gone across the ocean or Mexico, sometimes the jet lag takes a few days to catch up. I've stayed awake for up to three days straight, especially when leading student groups. In Madrid my traveling companions would collapse in their hotel rooms shortly after arriving. They all fell asleep immediately. I've tried to do likewise, but never have been able to. I usually go to the ATM, have a café cortado or vino y tapas and try to find the nearest bookstore. If I have time I go to the museo to go look at Picasso's Guernika again. I've determined which Metro lines go to the key places: the big Corte Inglés and FNAC. This elevates me to intrepid know-it-all tourist tour guide for friends and family who finally wake up, hungry and needing money, caffeine and a ciber-café. Four days later while they're avidly shopping, taking pictures, or learning about some important piece of history, culture, geography or politics, I'm slogging behind, eyes half-closed and dragging my feet. With a voice that sounds like Tom Waits and that fails to articulate in either language I apologize and explain, "No, I can't walk any faster right now. I'm not doing this on purpose."

Everyone told me that after my written exams all I'd be capable of was sitting on the couch and staring at Stella or maybe looking at pretty colors on a TV screen. I did both of those things on Tuesday afternoon. The TV program was a National Geographic special - Dogs in the Womb!* But I was pretty alert and awake up until about 10:00 yesterday morning. I stumbled and mumbled around Davis, not registering the 105 degree heat. I met two new people who I'd actually like to meet up with and talk with again. So even though I hadn't left my own timezone, I found myself explaining that I'd just taken my written qualifying exams and that it was just now catching up.

As for how those written qualifying exams went? I feel pretty unqualified.

* Watching the program just validated that I'm not mommy material. Or that I'm part dog. I realized that every time I've looked at a pregnant friend's ultrasound image, after a minute or so of trying to locate the baby, I've had to finally just pretend, "Oh, yeah, there's the little hand!" However, one of the pregnant canine subjects from Dogs in the Womb was a chihuahua on whom the scientists performed an ultrasound. I was immediately able to see the diminutive doggies on the ultrasound image with no problem whatsoever, discerning little paws and the beginnings a tail.