Quick late-night conference thoughts

Q l-n c t #1: I can't wait until I can understand spoken German. I seriously can't wait. Especially after that moment when the chair of one of the sessions told everyone to feel free to "ask questions in whatever language you feel comfortable." Which apparently made it okay for everyone to ask me questions, after my paper, in German. Could you write that question down on a piece of paper and leave me alone for half an hour? Thanks.

Q l-n c t #2: I don't particularly like being the muckraker who makes extreme claims counter to what everyone else has always said (apparently). Especially when I'm making said claims about works that are beloved by everyone in the room. It means that, after your session, you are not swarmed by people who just want to talk more in depth about your topic (that's what I'm used to), but by people who want to scold you.

Q l-n c t #3: When you're a brash, upstart PhD candidate, some faculty types feel comfortable scolding you for your controversial claims. (Okay, so perhaps there was some hyperbole in my claim. But I still maintain that it's true, and I'm not taking it back. When I re-work this for publication in the conference volume, I'll just couch it in less extreme terms, but back it up with evidence that proves he's wrong.) (But part of me fears that others took my statement about that work as personally as he did, and that I somehow now have a bunch of secret arch nemeses in my field, and that they all hate me and the rest of the conference will be awkward.)

Q l-n c t #4: The Big Name Scholars who were presenting on the same topic as me? Some of the nicest people I met today. One of them was clearly nervous before she talked. The other one took me under his wing, and helped me when people were asking me questions in German. He also hovered nearby when people were scolding me and trying to prove I was wrong about most of my claims, and sometimes jumped in with more evidence to support some of my claims.

Q l-n c t #5: I made a bunch of friends today. There is a significant number of female grad students of the same age in this field (apparently), and we all get along like a house afire. One of them even gave me pantyhose, because I was wearing a skirt and was cold in the conference room (she's staying at the hotel). It was nice having lunch with them, discussing the future of our field and what contribution our generation is making/will make.

Q l-n c t #6: Dr. B was really proud of me and my paper. He was thrilled and thought I did really well. And he didn't think there was anything wrong with the claims I made. And both Karl and Dr. Department Head also came out just to hear my talk.

I'm ending off on a nice thought.