Surprise emails
Sometimes, good luck just finds you. Often not, of course. But sometimes. I need to take the joy while I can.
I have been having trouble finding people who speak the language I’ve been primarily concentrating on. In other words, it’s not spoken anywhere in Europe or Asia. Which means that I need to beg my main informant in Canada City to either give me data by email (not even vaguely optimal, for various reasons, especially her limited email availability — and not because I am doing anythign particularly tricky) or pray she has time on my brief weekends home.
But suddenly I get an email from someone who speaks this language, studying in Switzerland, and who is writing a paper on things I’ve done a fair amount of work on. A co-author of mine sent her to me. I figure that she’ll be willing to help me out with data, especially if I help her out with . . . well, I have no idea what. But whatever it is, I’m happy to help. Even if she doesn’t help me with what I’m looking for.
In other news, something dripped in my oven into some place I couldn’t dream of reaching. I’m hoping that I’ve burnt it out, but I’ll likely try again tomorrow. I want to make a cake, and smoke is not so much good for cakes. Pizza is less fragile. Though it tastes odd. Oh well.