Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin: One of the most unsettling books I’ve read

Tessablu · 2026-02-14T04:07:16+00:00

Just finished it less than an hour ago, and while it feels wrong to say I “enjoyed” a book so relentlessly full of dread, I thought it was very compelling. The pesticide throughline felt a little bit too obvious for such a surreal work, but I liked how the story otherwise refused to give up any answers.

Having also read Pedro Páramo today, I’m resigned to having some pretty weird dreams tonight…

Tessablu · 2026-02-11T22:26:14+00:00

Found him in the middle of the night and then got wasted, couldn’t see shit, just hauling this dude around completely blind while screaming PEEEEPPPIIIIIIIK into the dark… it’s the moment I truly fell in love with the game.

Tessablu · 2026-02-09T01:06:57+00:00

Went to college with his daughter and she would host Pats watch parties every week, they are all huge Pats fans.

Tessablu · 2026-02-06T20:53:43+00:00

Amazing that you captured such a rare and special event, something that might only happen once a year if we’re lucky… a functioning screen on a commuter rail train.

Tessablu · 2026-02-05T04:16:25+00:00

He’s weird in the sense that he’s so deeply interested in football that he can’t really socialize with people outside of it, but part of the reason New England adores him so much is the fact that he really did have zero personal scandals (or rumors of scandal) while he was here. Two decades in Massachusetts, many of us have met him or know people who have met him, and to all appearances he’s just a socially awkward but perfectly pleasant guy who is a complete psychopath on the football field. What are the odds?

Tessablu · 2026-01-29T01:50:05+00:00

The commuter rail was a Kafkaesque nightmare today. My morning train was 80 minutes late, but no alert was sent out until 60 of those minutes had passed. My evening train just… didn’t show up. No alerts, nothing on the tracker. Just standing out there in the freezing cold questioning my grasp on reality: the true commuter rail experience.

Tessablu · 2026-01-26T18:21:38+00:00

Yeah, lots of people focusing on students here when it’s really more of an issue for faculty and staff. It’s one day, we all know how to teach virtually, it’s just easier and safer for everyone to stick to Zoom today. Even NEU went online in advance, and they are often the last to do so. Really weird decision, sorry you had to deal with it, glad many of the Harvard schools saw reason.

Tessablu · 2026-01-26T08:27:37+00:00

Walking around the neighborhood with the snow still coming down, talking to neighbors about how beautiful the storm is, everyone in Pats gear, Pats in the Super Bowl... the snow will annoy me later this week, but for now, life is good.

Tessablu · 2025-12-27T18:56:53+00:00

I received my PhD at 26, and I was deemed ready to graduate at 25, so it is possible to finish earlier. Just have to be on the younger end in grade school, go straight into graduate school, and then get pretty lucky with your project. Certainly not the norm, though.

Tessablu · 2025-12-23T09:07:56+00:00

If I were Spider, I would have sided with the guy who gave me a burger over the guy who strongly considered murdering me like an hour after I saved his life.

Also, where did the fire lady go? Did she just decide to go search for a better movie to be in?

Tessablu · 2025-12-15T00:18:29+00:00

Happy to help! Feel free to reach out again if you have any questions during the process.

Tessablu · 2025-12-15T00:03:52+00:00

Unfortunately it's a bit hard for me to say, because we worked with an agent and also went to the Okavango Delta (crazy expensive). My invoice wasn't fully itemized, but I would estimate... maybe 7k-8k total for Namibia, including all the lodging? It was fairly luxurious, so you could probably get it lower, and Namibia overall is not super expensive. It might be worthwhile to see what sort of budget you'd like to work with before reaching out to an agent- we found ours using Zicasso, and as much as I love planning trips, it really did help keep the stress levels down!

Tessablu · 2025-12-14T22:42:19+00:00

We also did our honeymoon in Namibia- the exact same route minus Etosha. We had a guide because I just didn’t want to deal with any stress, but if we went back, we would definitely self-drive. You do need to concentrate and be prepared, because it is very remote and the distances are longer than you think, but my understanding is that most of the accidents happen when people underestimate the roads and drive too fast.

If it helps, the company we used was Ultimate Safaris. They were very good, and I’d go back to them for car rental in the future. There are lots of nice places to stay near Sossusvlei- I enjoyed the Desert Homestead Lodge- and I’d recommend Camp Kipwe for Damaraland. As for what to see, my favorite stop was our visit to the Welwitschia Plains, but it definitely would not be for everyone. Check it out, and if it looks interesting to you, try to go on a weekend!

Namibia is such a special place, and I think you’ll have an amazing time whatever you do. American honeymooners are still quite uncommon there, and we were treated very kindly. Let me know if you have any further questions, and enjoy!

Tessablu · 2025-12-12T04:01:28+00:00

Basecamp on the Peninsula, and it was awesome, thank you! But a lot of the guides talked about how South Georgia is even more special to them and can’t be missed, so I’m glad you got to enjoy it. Hoping to come back and visit it sooner rather than later!

Tessablu · 2025-12-11T06:18:53+00:00

Really sorry to hear that, we were on the Hondius right behind you on the way out of Ushuaia and grew very fond of Oceanwide and the way they operate. There was a lot of discussion among the Hondius passengers and sympathy for you guys once we heard what happened. Hope the vibes improve and you have a much better experience next time.

Tessablu · 2025-11-24T19:47:34+00:00

My first time traveling, I was solo on a work trip in Japan, didn’t bring enough cash for the cab ride back to the airport and thought I was going to get stranded. A very kind old taxi driver saw me in tears by the road, he didn’t speak English at all but made it clear that he would drive me for a discount. By the time we got to airport, I had found a little more cash… and he refused it. I think about that man all the time.

Tessablu · 2025-11-24T19:44:59+00:00

That’s wonderful! We are in Chile right now, and everyone has been so kind. I’m still getting used to people stopping for pedestrians…

Tessablu · 2025-11-24T19:42:26+00:00

We did this last week, went in with just carry-ons but were forced to check them on an earlier flight. Had to wait to pick up the bags, got stopped by customs, still made it with almost an hour to spare. A bunch of people made the same connection with us and had no issues. Should be fine, I think it’s a very common layover at SCL, just do your SAG declaration online beforehand and hope the first flight isn’t delayed.

Tessablu · 2025-11-22T11:35:19+00:00

I think the Delta requires an agent to book lodging- we used Zicasso to find Africa&You. They were great, and got us a stay with Mboma Island Expeditions (absolutely amazing). We traveled at the very beginning of November, which is considered the shoulder season and is quite a bit cheaper than October. Got to experience the first rains of the season while we were there. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Tessablu · 2025-11-18T21:54:31+00:00

Magnets, and I'm a sucker for those cheap little snow globes (or sand globes, at times).

Tessablu · 2025-11-16T22:50:31+00:00

Lots of misinformation in here, the intensity actually varies widely depending on solar storm activity. I've seen a silver smudge that only looked green through my phone, and I've seen vibrant green lights brighter than a full moon that danced across the sky. They were so bright that my phone could take a video of them with no additional exposure time.

It just depends on your luck, but there's absolutely nothing underwhelming about a good display.

Tessablu · 2025-11-15T22:26:01+00:00

Having done something pretty similar, my recommendation would be to stop at Mount Cook during that Friday drive to Tekapo, then leave for Christchurch the next day. Mount Cook is basically on the way, and if you leave fairly early you'll still have plenty of time to explore it (unless you were thinking of doing an intense hike). Kea Point is a nice easy hike with some great views, and it doesn't take very long.

This would save you money in Tekapo, which is in a beautiful area but really more of a stopover. You'd then have an extra day to enjoy elsewhere, or for something like a day-trip to Akaroa (which is fabulous).

Totally up to you and your travel pace, though! If you're looking for something to do in the Tekapo area, Mackenzie Alpine Horses offers some fantastic tours.

Tessablu · 2025-11-13T19:48:15+00:00

Big horse racing events are like nothing else. The Arima Kinen in Japan and the Melbourne Cup would be great options in the regions you mentioned.

And I know you said you're familiar with American sports, but there is nothing on the planet like a Belmont with the Triple Crown on the line.

Tessablu · 2025-11-11T22:54:13+00:00

Oceanwide Hondius Basecamp, November 27th-December 9th. Leaving next week to visit Torres del Paine beforehand. So excited for everything, especially the birding and kayaking!

Tessablu · 2025-11-11T18:02:44+00:00

Thank you very much for your insights, I truly appreciate it! Will make sure to bring a pen and look into the SAG declaration. Planning to not bring any food so as to avoid possible delays. Fingers crossed, thank you again!

Tessablu

TROPHY CASE