A Growing Family

No, we are not getting a baby! And still we had an addition to our little family last week. She arrived at our flat last Wednesday at 8.34 pm and her name is Maya. Maya is the cutest little kitten. She is between black and brown with a white spot under her chin and she is so tiny but growing every day. She is also a great explorer and interested in the most obscure things like computer cables and lamp feet. But most of all she brings joy, fun and excitement in our lives, which sometimes seem to involve only work and study. Ben (that’s my partner’s name and he officially allowed me to use it) is especially excited and he says he spends a lot less time in front of the computer and rather plays with the kitten instead.

Maya had her first vet visit on Friday and he discovered that she has ear mites. Now she needs to get drops in her ears twice a day. I guess you can imagine how much she enjoys that. But apart from this she is perfectly happy and healthy, plays a lot and sleeps even more. She even starts to get picky about her food. Thankfully she prefers the cheap stuff!

 

And now for those of you who aren’t interested in my private life one bit: I have finished the first draft of the first chapter of my thesis. It is a little more than 16000 words or 53 double spaced pages long. I am so proud and happy that I still could jump up and down and dance around! For those of you who know me personally, maybe I even will. J I am just so glad that finally I have something to show for all the time I have been here. In the beginning it certainly felt as if I would never get used to studying again. And when I finally had gotten used to it and had found a rhythm, then it felt as if I was always working too much and was too tired to study. But now that I can show results, I don’t feel all that bad anymore.

 

But first I have my first annual review coming up. And I have no idea what that is going to be like as nobody tells me anything. All I know is that another person of the department is going to read what I have written and then he/she, my supervisors and I will sit down and talk about it. So if you know anything else, please feel free to enlighten me!

 

And once more back to private life: Ben is going to get a new job! He has still an upcoming interview and one job offer. So, I am not going to spoil it for him by spilling the beans and you will have to wait till next week, when we will definitely know which it is going to be. So, finally things seem to turn out really well for us. Of course, I would still appreciate a scholarship, but it looks as if we are going to make it either way now. Life’s good!