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This Siberian tale begins in the Amsterdam airport medical center.
Take this, he grimaced and handed me a small black bag. I can't go on.
Inside the bag were permits & 7k in cash. My heart & stomach collided. We'll be OK I said too forcefully. And with that I was in charge. 1/
Take this, he grimaced and handed me a small black bag. I can't go on.
Inside the bag were permits & 7k in cash. My heart & stomach collided. We'll be OK I said too forcefully. And with that I was in charge. 1/
The flight to Moscow was tense. My plan had been to brush up on some Russian. But now my mind was racing around like a ball in a neon pinball machine. Flights, permits, equipment, ping, ping. And slowly, it dawned on me. Our trip, in planning for months, was already a failure. 2/
In that moment blasting towards Moscow, I discovered a valuable & strategic lesson that I come back to time & time again.
Redundancy.
In our planning, we had all chosen tasks. Specialized tasks. It never occurred to me that my advisor would need to bail, yet here we were. 3/
Redundancy.
In our planning, we had all chosen tasks. Specialized tasks. It never occurred to me that my advisor would need to bail, yet here we were. 3/
The customs agent walked around our cart, then looked at me amused, or bored. It's for science...we sample the ground? I pretended to dig.
His eyes narrowed. Soil? The word ricocheted off concrete walls. No soil, I said w/ emphasis. Peat!
Ah, he nodded. Then we were free. 4/
His eyes narrowed. Soil? The word ricocheted off concrete walls. No soil, I said w/ emphasis. Peat!
Ah, he nodded. Then we were free. 4/
Traveling through Moscow with 5 foot long peat corers is an adventure in itself. A 30 mile cab ride somehow took 3 hrs, but we made the next flight to Siberia. Passengers were drinking, heavily. We shrunk into the background. When we landed, there was a man waiting for us. 5/
Our host was a young woman from the Peat Institute in Tomsk. But this man was waiting for us. I introduced myself. He looked surprised, then said "You Turetsky?. I think Turetsky, bah!" He pounded his chest. "Not Turetsky, hehehe." He bent down & patted me on the head. Oh boy. 6/
The trip progressed well. I discovered that our host also was early career. Our campaign was important to her job. We bonded during field work. She showed me how to crack pine nuts. Together we discovered that permafrost was thawing in peatlands not only in 
, but also in 
. 7/
, but also in . 7/
She saved me one day, in the bog.
Amidst a group, I was searching my bag & pulled out a GPS, which I always carried. I hadn't realize this was illegal as a foreigner. She threw her rain coat at me, pretending to joke. I watched the men frown, but no one noticed the GPS. 8/
Amidst a group, I was searching my bag & pulled out a GPS, which I always carried. I hadn't realize this was illegal as a foreigner. She threw her rain coat at me, pretending to joke. I watched the men frown, but no one noticed the GPS. 8/
There are power structures in science around the 
, but this was next level. My host was a talented botanist. We spent hrs interpreting macrofossils in peat cores. She was belittled daily & kept the mens' vodka cups full. She had no choice but to smile. I started to seethe. 9/
, but this was next level. My host was a talented botanist. We spent hrs interpreting macrofossils in peat cores. She was belittled daily & kept the mens' vodka cups full. She had no choice but to smile. I started to seethe. 9/
My trip ended with a conference in northern Siberia. My host attended too. We both gave talks. We both were asked questions in loud angry voices. I answered w/ a voice I never knew I had. Later the man heartily congratulated me, but ignored my host. Power structures again. 10/
My crew decided to bypass my host & use Russian Academy members to help get our samples back home. I was furious.
Don't you care about our samples? they asked. Not more than her, I snapped. I started to cry so did what many of us are forced to do at times. I hid in the WC. 11/
Don't you care about our samples? they asked. Not more than her, I snapped. I started to cry so did what many of us are forced to do at times. I hid in the WC. 11/
Conference banquet, Siberian style.
Vodka toast for every country! Next is- Merritt will do it. I'm American, I forced through my teeth. Close enough, someone pushed me up & handed me a glass of vodka. Shit.
I looked around the sea of faces. I found my host & she smiled. 12/
Vodka toast for every country! Next is
- Merritt will do it. I'm American, I forced through my teeth. Close enough, someone pushed me up & handed me a glass of vodka. Shit.I looked around the sea of faces. I found my host & she smiled. 12/
I'm not playing. I walked to a table & slammed my glass down. The room hushed. I gave a toast of some sort. I don't remember much. It had to do with me, & her. We were the same, but not. Science was changing. We are swimming in data; it's about relationships now. 13/
I wish I had downed that vodka then walked out, not looking back. I wish I had said more. But I was a token too, just further up the chain.
My host had to work part-time jobs. I wrote letters, tried to help. Eventually we lost touch. She is the real "queen of peat". 14/
My host had to work part-time jobs. I wrote letters, tried to help. Eventually we lost touch. She is the real "queen of peat". 14/
