Thursday, September 28, 2006

WEAI, bonny lad

On Tuesday morning I awoke to an e-mail in my inbox informing me that I had been chosen as a fellow at Columbia's Weatherhead East Asian Institute (WEAI). Apparently they will now take over my funding for this year, relieving the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of the obligation. In practical terms this doesn't actually mean a whole lot; the funding is substitutional, not additional, so I'm no better off financially. It is, however, something of an honour, looks good on a CV, and involves turning up for dinners and panel discussions, etc. with fellow scholars. That's by no means a bad thing - though it may take up some of my time, it will widen my circle of contacts and get me a little better known in the field, which may come in handy in a couple of years' time when I'm looking for a job.

By a bizarre coincidence, WEAI - pronounced as one word - is also widely used in the dialect spoken in north-east England, where I grew up. Whey aye, as it's spelt, means something like 'Of course'. Can't imagine that had much to do with it, though.

7 comments:

Giscard said...

Congrats on WEAI. On account of some summer funding that came me way, I am a fellow as well. Alas, won't be at no dinners anytime soon.

Anonymous said...

Tuckysan, found a link to this on the bottom of an email somewhere - classic stuff but haven't seen much abuse from the lads!!!!

Glad to see that things are going well in the US, where about are you living? Drop us an email sometime

Cheers

Nobby

Rob T said...

Nobby! Good to hear from you old chap. An e-mail is winging its way to you as we speak. As for where I'm living...well, I'll give you a hint - the answer's hidden somewhere on this blog...;-)

Anonymous said...

But saying "I live in New York" to us guys over the pond is like saying that you live in London when actually you live in Bristol!!

Rob T said...

There's a Bristol in nearby Connecticut, as it happens, but I'm in the real deal, Noo Yawk City baby. Borough of Manhattan, Upper West Side in Morningside Heights. Right here.

Anonymous said...

Looks like Nobby has an admirer!!!!

Let's not offend the mighty city of Bristol - is there a stoke in America???

Pocket

Rob T said...

Yes, there is. It's apparently little more than a hamlet, though. Oh how the mighty are fallen in the new world.