It feels as if I have not written any thoughts down for this blog forever, and probably this is true. First I did not want to write because things were not going all that well. All our plans were overturned by Ben not getting the job in Germany we were so hoping for. Then we had trouble with our noisy neighbor again and in total we were quite frustrated. So I decided not to write about it. I think I put enough frustration in this blog as it is and it is time for a change.
So we decided to make this change and are currently searching for a better flat (or at least a better area). I also decided to apply for another job. It is an internal application within the company I am working for already so with a bit of luck that might even happen. All in all if we are successful all will be better. So keep your fingers crossed that we will be moving in August and then I will finally have time to concentrate on my studies again, which now are pretty much put on hold, except for the conference preparations I am occupied with at the moment. I will attend one conference in July and one in October and so far this is all I have planned for the rest of this year. And then I will finish the thesis before the end of next year. Ambitious?! I know, but I need to get it done, or I never will!
July 16, 2009
This has been a really good week for me! For the first time in quite a long time I was really happy with the progress I made in one week. Seems that the excitement about starting a new chapter has led to really good motivation and resulted in an excellent work flow. I just hope that it is going to stay that way as I rather prefer being content with what I’ve done to thinking that I could have done more. I also had an interview at my department for a GTA position, which I really thought did not go all that well. But here we go, next term I will have the chance to teach. And this gets me even more excited. So if you should meet on campus, be careful, I might just about be ready to burst with all the excitement.
June 7, 2009
For almost two weeks I have been having a cold now, which is quite unfortunate when you think of all the lovely sunshine. My colleagues at work keep asking me, ‘why are you wearing a scarf, it’s way too warm for that!’ Well, I know but my throat obviously doesn’t and it does not want to get better, either. But I can breathe a wee bit better now again, and do not wake up every 5 minutes because I think I might suffocate. I also am busily working away, both at work and on my theses, so I do not have all that much time to regret all that sunshine or my red nose in here. I am still excited about this new chapter and think it is going to be fabulous. There you have it, a tiny tad of self-confidence from me. Anyway, I wish you all a very nice summer with more lovely sunshine!
May 31, 2009
This week has been really good. A lot of sun to enjoy, not too much work so that I could concentrate on the studying part of life and a new chapter ahead about which I am really excited. I have not even finished reading the novel about which it will be, yet, and already there are so many possibilities presenting themselves that I cannot wait to dig my claws in 
Apart from that I have a sore throat and what one of my friends would call a head cold but I guess that is all the more reason to stay in and read. Yesterday Ben and I went to see ‘Night at the Museum 2′ which was a good lough. The movie is really fast paced and there is hardly time to get bored plus it is hilariously funny. At least if you like this sort of humour. Ben and I really enjoyed it and in parts I was laughing tears.
And that’s it for this week. Have fun and enjoy the lovely weather!
May 24, 2009
This very nice Rolling Stones inspired Title is of course totally irrelevand as today I am only going to share good news. Just as the equally Stones inspired motto of my life ‘you can’t always get what you want’ but then again ‘don’t you worry try a little harder’ my life never seems to be easy and yet it never is so bad that I would like to change it radically. I hope I did not manage to totally confudse you now. And in case you wonder what it good about the above, well nothining really, just wanted to share the philosophy of some very wrinkly old men, whom I admire greatly. But here follow the good bits:
I finally managed to finish that d*** chapter, complete with footnotes, bibliography and ready to be handed in for my annual review which will take place on June17. I don’t know why so early, considering the fact that my second year only begins October4. But, of course all the bureaucrats want to fiddle with the documents as well and this gives them a good chance to have done so by the end of August, so that I can re-register in September. But the important thing is, ’tis done! I am so glad that I can finally move on to something else. Not that I will not come back to this chapter. It is after all only a draft, but a change of scenes from the 15th to the 19th century will do me good. I really enjoyed reading all about the history of the time, but in the end I was also quite confused because some bits of the histories were quite repetitive, whereas others weren’t and I could never remember which said what and why. So on to new adventures now!
Also, it is not long till summer now, meaning; I will soon be attending 2 weddings and 2 conferences (sounds like this could be the title of another odd movie ) I will go home and see my family after more than a year. I will miss Ben and Maya loads and loads of course but a bit of excitement will do me good.
And that’s it. Lot’s of pleasant prospects. Life’s good after all.
May 17, 2009
I felt that since it’s been a while since my last post, I should write something for the world to read. But on the one hand the world seems to have better things to do than to read random blogs and on the other hand I have absolutely nothing to say. Sometimes I wonder what I am doing with my life. Sometimes I feel that it is absolutely boring and nothing ever happens. Then again, if this is so, I wonder why I never have a spare minute in my day. I am always work-working or study-working and in the very few moments I grant myself for relaxation I only get round to watch some TV or do some knitting. I guess it’s up to me to decide whether there is something totally wrong in my life, or if this is just how it is supposed to be until I finally complete that PhD. And I will, that’s for sure. Well, I didn’t mean to discourage you. After all there are people who are luckier than me and manage to attract funding and then the whole work-work part will be missing and you can fill this gap with something like a social life etc. So don’t let my weird mood get you down. After all the weather is getting really nice now. So enjoy the sunshine!
May 3, 2009
Finally I have the end of this chapter in sight. I am sure that I will finish it next week at the latest- a first draft that is. Of course I will have to put in a continuous effort in improving and completing it, as well as the others. But with the end so close, I finally feel a bit freer and actually look forward t the next chapter, which my supervisor says will be a lot easier than this one. He said the same thing about this chapter as compared to the previous one, so I am not so sure if I am going to believe him. But I am sure that a change of topic will do me good.
In our house things are weird at the moment. Our downstairs neighbour’s flat has been broken into last week. Which of course does not make us feel any safer here even though we decided to move in summer (when the lease is up). We try to comfort ourselves and make fun of the situation in bringing to our minds that all our electric appliances have German plugs and are quite old into the bargain and thus any potential burglars will not be too happy with what they might find in our flat. We just try to take things as they come at the moment, but more and more things seem to happen, that make it clear for us that we will not stay here beyond the PhD which would have been possible in the original plan. Now we keep ourselves going by telling us that it will not be longer than the end of next year before we finally can return home.
With this I am of course not trying to dissuade anybody from moving here. The University is excellent and the programmes of study and support are great. Only the circumstances do not seem to turn out right in our particular situation. We miss our friends, sociable outings, for which we do not seem to find the time or the money (yes even students are not excluded from the Credit Crunch), and our families, the garden at home, the countryside…We are just not made to live in the city and this was probably a very important lesson we learned here and something that helped us to decide where we want to live in the far away future. So even if the overall experience for us does not seem to be paradisiacal, we learned many things that will be important to us in future times.
April 15, 2009
After a really bad patch both private as well as where the thesis is concerned, I finally feel that things are getting better. And I do not only mean the weather which was really lovely (if still coolish) the last few days. I have been suffering from some kind of stomach disorder this week but on the positive side this kept me in the house and I got loads of stuff done. Mostly for the thesis that is, so I can finally see me finishing that d****d chapter within the next 2 weeks or so. Keep your fingers crossed.
Apart from that nothing exciting has happened, but as experience told me, this can be a good thing too, we could have had a window thrown in again, after all, which would definitely have caused excitement but not the pleasant kind. Our neighbor has had a party for the last two days going and Ben gets really annoyed by it because we have to turn up our TV quite a bit in order not to hear his music. In fact even then we still hear it. Yesterday he seems to have discovered that you can take out the base and that makes things a lot more acceptable. Hope he will not party on throughout spring and summer, as I need to study at some point. We intend to move in summer but till then we will have to live with it one way or another, so hopefully he has some insight with his hard working neighbors.
And that’s about it. Is the life of a part-time working part-time studying no time for anything else student not very exciting? I am even looking forward to the weddings and conferences in summer and autumn, just for the change!
April 4, 2009
What do they say? It can always get worse. And so it did. Last week we had another window thrown in (the third in the cause of a year). The last time that happened was quite q while ago, so we thought we might as well renew our lease, as we really do like the flat. A week later the window was thrown in. So here’s some advise for anyone moving somewhere completely new: 1. when people tell you this is a bad area, trust them, even though you think it does not look bad at all….looks can deceive. 2. Never ever sign a lease that says that if you want to get out of it early you will have to continue paying the rent until another tenant is found.
So as you can imagine the last week was rather upsetting for me, Ben and Maya. Even more so, as it took almost two weeks till the window was replaced. And the agency had a couple of excuses for that as well ranging from bad weather (hello? this is Scotland!) to the measurements I have given them were incorrect. But finally it is done and I do not care to think about it anymore. Consequently Ben and I had a lot of discussion of future plans etc. I called my work Union to get legal advice and made many more calls and sent various email, but all to no avail. we will have to stick it out until the lease is up.
All this means that PhD wise I had a totally unproductive week and have been trying to catch up ever since. I am slowly getting towards the end of another chapter, but there is a strong emphasis on slowly. So wish me luck and bear in mind my advice. And I hope you all will have a good week next week!
March 14, 2009
I did not have a very good week this week. Of course this happens to all of us, but just as I thought that I had really gotten the hang of my time management, I got sick. I was off work for two days and I slept most of the time. Probably I needed it, too. But still, it shows you that if something unexpected happens your lists and plans go just out the window and you fall considerably behind. And that doesn’t make you feel good either.
Then I went back to work today just to be sent home again, as the assistant manager had not told the manager that I would be back today, despite the fact that I had called to let them know, and she covered my shift. That made me so mad especially as it was not my fault but it is going to be my loss as I really need the money. But, of course I cannot help that now.
On the other hand it gave me the opportunity to catch up a little, which I did. So possibly I should just see the bright side. Another good thing that happened this week is that Maya finally got her stitches taken out so that she got rid of that collar as well. She is really happy now.
Apart from that, this is a week better not to be remembered.
February 28, 2009
