More Lecture Prep and More Shopping

Day 16: So far, I have given 10 student lectures (4 scholarly writing, 3 Evidence-based practice/finding evidence, 2 research design, 1 autism), with one more evidence-based practice talk scheduled for psychology students next week.

Currently I’m working on adapting the evidence-based practice and scholarly writing talks for faculty. I also need to prepare talks on grant seeking/writing and teaching and motivating students to conduct research.

My final workshop will be a journal club format to critically appraise evidence. A lot of preparation ahead, but I am excited to present to faculty. I stayed at my apartment, thinking it would be quieter, but it is under construction so it is loud from morning until very late. I have heat and headphones, so I can get work done, and it is nice to give my driver a break.

In the afternoon, Eliza and I went shopping again – this time for curtains and rugs! The fabrics are amazing and you can get complete window dressings (sheers, drapes, tie backs, etc.), for $40-$80. There were some incredible, decorative sheers for less than $4. There were so many choices it was impossible for Eliza to choose.

We spent several hours comparing before deciding to take pictures and get her mother’s opinion. We were going to take a tea break to warm up (it was freezing and everything is outside!), but shops were closing, and we still wanted to see rugs. There were beautiful Asian and Turkish rugs of all sizes and qualities. I saw some gorgeous, big rugs I would love to bring home for my living room. Unfortunately, they won’t fit in the luggage, so I settled for a smaller remnant.

Eliza found a nice big rug for her mom’s home. We still had some shopping to do, so it was funny to drag the giant rug along with us. When we got cold, we had a nice dinner of laghman, kebab, samsa and tea. With Eliza, I enjoy the conversation even more than the food.

Neither of us have local phone numbers to use an app or call directly, so getting a taxi back was challenging. Eliza had her mom’s extra phone (not a smart phone) and called home to have her parents arrange a taxi. It never arrived, so I was grateful to be with a native speaker who easily found alternate transportation.