I have to start with an apology to the citizens of Manhattan and Washington. You see, I have a problem. I am a serial eavesdropper and quite an accomplished busybody. I love other people's conversations no matter how mundane they may seem and I am good at it. I can hear an extraordinary amount of conversations simultaneously and keep track of them, I can ignore the boring ones and zero in on the saucy ones and, as the ultimate entertainment, I can relay all this to my dinner companions whilst also offering fictional backstories for the people whose privacy I am invading. Yep, I am that girl.
Anyway, after almost a month of not grasping the native language well enough to practice my above mentioned skill I WENT CRAZY in NYC and Washington! I offered advice to strangers, I made inane conversation with bagel sellers, I smiled knowingly after I listened to teenage girls describe their teenage angst in their teenage way (and then watched them scowl at me with their teenage attitude), I gave money to the destitute which I'm sure they would have preferred I just took back because then I asked them all about their lives. I was painful and I offer a humble apology but gee it felt good.
On the topic of retirement equity though, not having a language barrier also made for some really interesting meetings. I was able to built better rapport and get a lot out of each encounter.
The US political scene is so interesting at the moment and not only did I devour other people's supposedly private conversations, I also devoured the newspapers. The broad issue of gender equality is having a really polarising effect on the country as a whole but also within both major parties.
I had the unforgettable honor of attending an Emily's List function with some truly incredible women who are running for Senate seats. Their insight added a lot to my research but the function itself was interesting also to observe the tone that EL sets in the US, the way they describe their mission and how they fund raise. It was a great learning opportunity.
In Washington I spent a great afternoon with researchers from AARP and then we celebrated International Day of the Older Person (it frightens me how comfortable I felt) where I was honored to meet Professor Muhummud Yunus, the father of micro-finance. I got so much from him, including a business card and a promise to talk more.
Latin America now - big changes afoot here as the pension reform committee has just handed a report to the President. But no more conversations to eavesdrop on so I am getting a little homesick!
