That's a wrap... for 2016 at least

It is almost that time of year when South Africa shuts down, and I know I won't be blogging again before the end of 2016. What a year it has been (for the world - for me, personally, it hasn't really been that noteworthy). I look forward to it being over and I hope that 2017 includes more rational decisions in the global community.  I hope that people will be kinder and make decisions that are rational rather than from a place of fear. I hope that science will not be ignored and that Trump will turn out to not be an idiot and that Zuma will stop being one. 

However, I hope to make the most of the rest of 2016 and I hope you do too. I love this time of year, I love the sunshine, the long days, the bubbles and crisp white wines. I love that I get to see most of my family and be in touch with friends I haven't spoken to in a while. 

I am looking forward to lazy days, early morning walks on the beach, plunges into the pool and cuddles with the dogs. I am looking forward to laughing and being a tiny bit silly. I can't wait to hug my folks (and all the people I love) and eat mom's mince pies. 

I am also looking forward to 2017 and making NY resolutions that I may, or may not keep. I want to explore my beautiful country more; to swim, in rivers, seas or pools; mostly, I want to make sure that no matter the number of horrible news stories I read, that I am kinder and optimistic and proactive in speaking up for things that matter to me. 

A campsite just outside Greyton. I can't wait to find more fab
places to visit in 2017! 

So, I wish you all the very best over this festive season and I hope it is safe and happy. I hope you have fun and come back to 2017 ready to also be kinder and optimistic and proactive in speaking up for things that matter to you, because, more and more, I think we need to stop relying on someone else to sort things out and we need to make sure our voices are heard. 

OK, but MOSTLY, just have a lovely festive season and drink champagne and wear sunscreen! (Apologies to those up north - but you can enjoy mulled wine and wear... LOTS!)

Champagne and happiness

After my previous grumpy post, it is quite nice to be able to write that things are looking a little brighter again - although that might also be because of my recent wine-drinking opportunities (more on that later). 

The Bay Hotel, Camps Bay. What a setting!

The charges against poor Pravin have been withdrawn and Abrahams looks silly (and is now sad that people are judging him in social media - but my sympathy is limited given what he did, very publicly, to Pravin and our economy).  And while I am having a TRULY awesome week, Zuma isn't which isn't a bad thing in my opinion. (Unfortunately I rather suspect that he is indifferent to public opinion and can't even be bothered to feel sad). Thanks to the magnificent Thuli's State Capture Report, Zuma, van Rooyen, Eskom and the Guptas etc. are under scrutiny and even though it might just be the beginning of the process and Zuma might still pull some magic out of his corruption hat, it is a start.

And in international wins, Namibia reversed the decision about phosphate mining! Whoop whoop! We will be keeping an eye on you (and South Africa's marine phosphate mining decisions) though! A huge marine protected area was declared in the Antarctic... not just huge, the hugest and it is a pretty amazing achievement because it required collaboration from a bunch of counties (which gives me hope for other things that need inter-country collaboration, e.g. climate change mitigation and stopping fishing subsidies). And wonderful Leo is doing wonderful things (which totally justify teenage-Shannon thinking he was the best-ever.) Not only has he made #BeforetheFlood (which I haven't watched yet, sorry Leo) but he is putting his name behind other environmental initiatives too (I realise, he isn't a saint, just someone lucky enough to be famous, but there are MANY famous people doing nothing).  

Even the coffee was extra special!

Of course, there are still unresolved problems and so, dear rational and active citizenry, please don't get too relaxed yet (and looting isn't justified during marches no matter what the cause you are marching for) but it is important to celebrate occasionally too.  

I had a fabulous but slightly surreal mid-week. Firstly, I drank wine at the ridiculously beautiful Bay Hotel in Camps Bay at the Norway-South Africa Science Week. The Science Week was all about discussing future opportunities for research and collaboration between the two countries which is a wonderfully hopeful thing to be discussing (particularly in beautiful settings, first Camps Bay and then the Waterfront).

Cheese should always have glitter and come with
champagne. It was all so pretty!

And then, I got to start celebrating Christmas early... Completely out of the blue, I received an email from Pick n Pay inviting me to their "A Taste of Christmas" event. I didn't really know what to think or what it would be or whether it was real (it wasn't Google-able).  BUT, it was real and it was magnificent. I am happy anytime I arrive somewhere and they hand me champagne (which really doesn't happen often enough) but that was really just the tip of the ice berg. All the staff were so welcoming and friendly, I felt like I had mistakenly found myself in the VIP section. Judging from the bewildered but happy faces around me, I think I wasn't the only one. 

Pick n Pay outdid themselves, the setting was stunning, the food amazing, the atmosphere fantastic. I kept waiting for a catch, but the only catch I found was that I ran out of space in my stomach (and even then, we were sent on our way with Christmas cake, a personalised Lindt teddy bear, Ferrero Rocher balls and a chocolate mince pie - although I sort of stole that, wrapped in a serviette). Pick n Pay has a great range of Christmas gifts too, we chatted to one of the buyers and she said they have increased their Christmas range by ten fold (maybe, I had had champagne and am never good at remembering details). 

Champagne with a view

I was very sad to leave the elegantly glittery cheese platters and the ridiculously delicious stollen (not to mention the gin cocktails, champagne and wines that I couldn't drink too much of because of that whole driving thing), but I am so grateful to Pick n Pay for such a fantastic evening. I felt completely spoiled and loved every moment of it! I only wish that I had had more room in my belly.


P.S. Don't worry Mom, I didn't waste space on mince pies, I know yours are the only ones worth eating! 

Bit early - NYE Resolutions

So, the end of the year is coming at break neck speed. I am pretty excited because I know I have a job for January - so next year won't start out with me feeling lost and panicked... I have gotten sidetracked already... This blog came about because one of my friends sent me this link, hoping to inspire me to make the most of time but it also made me a little sad.

Say I live until 85... and pretend I am already 33...
It sounds depressing but read on for why I worked
this out. 

While I am excited about 2016 and the possibilities it brings, there are some things in my life I still need to change. A lot of these things are hangovers from the PhD - I know that's crazy because it has been a long time since I finished with that - but it really impacted on how I spend my time. From the start of my MSc I didn't really have a holiday, weekend or evening that I didn't spend working or feeling guilty about not working. (Since I am not all that diligent, the guilty probably outweighed the actually time spent working). It is a little bit exhausting feeling guilty all the time. 

Let's say I read a book a week... That's a lot of books still
to read which is pretty cool... but there are always so
 many books out there...
Let me know what you recommend!
Also - approximately
the number of chocolates I will get to eat
(blush - another NYR could be required)...
I wouldn't want to do this with glasses of wine.

Especially during my PhD, I limited what TV series and movies I allowed myself to watch (this means that while I frequently sit awkwardly in conversations about pop culture I have never heard of, I can/do quote the series I did watch more than anyone I know - go on, ask me about Harry Potter or How I Met Your Mother (but not the last season because it was a disappointment)...), I felt guilty if I went out. It meant that I didn't exercise as often as I should - this is a crazy thing because exercise would probably have helped my body cope with stress but it isn't something I enjoy so I would hardly prioritse is in a time-limited world - right? This left me feeling unfit and disinclined to join social activities  that required exercise - a real downward spiral. Oh, I also didn't have much money, so while there are some types of exercise I do enjoy, I didn't feel like I could spend money on it. Do you know, at one stage I stopped reading books - can you imagine?? (Actually, I remember when I was doing my MSc and had field work on Robben Island, I used to love that on the ferry trip over there I had 45 minutes of guilt free reading - because I really couldn't do anything else - which is crazy because that should not have been the only time I was doing my favourite favuorite thing.)

And say I get to go to a new country every year...
53 pins seemed a lot but it was tricky to place them
and lots of pins in Europe (sorry Australia). 

Anyway, this is not limited to PhD-ers of course. People are always busy! How often do you find that it has been weeks or months since you have spoken to, never mind seen the people that you really really care about? And it isn't that it is anyone's fault, it is just a fact of hectic life and geography. I hate the the time I can spend with the people I love is limited. For me, it never feels like enough. BUT, it is the festive season/year end so not a time for sadness but active reflection: it is important that when you are with people you love that you are truly PRESENT, that you make the most of it, that you embrace every moment and treasure it (even if the moment is annoyance or frustration or impatience - because Inside Out (yes, I watch movies these days) teaches us that all emotions are important).



The link summarises with three pieces of advise: 1) Live in the same place as the people you love 2) prioritise and 3) quality matters. I can't do much about 1, I have people I love all over the world and I am sure that most people have the same problem, but you can do something about 2 and 3.

53 Christmas Trees to decorate and Enjoy

So, as you spend time with your families this festive season, be grateful you are together (even over Skype/Whatsapp/Email - technology is pretty awesome) and be present! Go swimming, eat ice cream, SMILE, listen properly and laugh sincerely and drink only good quality wine/champagne! Gosh, I sound like a hallmark card... cringe. Seriously, my 2016 resolutions are to prioritse the people and relationships in my life, to exercise (but only the fun types of exercise), to be present and to have FUN - and to continue trying to save the world of course!!!

I have over 19 thousand days to make the most of... how about you?? And I am going to start by making the most of my awesome family (which is obviously the most awesome family in the world) all being together, so I might not write for a while, happy festive season!!!  

Magic Faraway Tree

Authentic photo of my view -
can you spot the magic faraway tree?

There is a tree that I can just see out the window (if I lean back and swivel a little) of my office in Kirstenbosch. It is weirdly taller than everything around it. I could, I suppose walk to it one day to see if it is because it is on a little mound or if it really is just huge, but I like to think of it as just a huge tree looking down at all the other trees. When I started here, it was bare of leaves and stood out like a majestic Winter Monarch. (Although in those days, I wasn't at the window desk so I had to walk over to the window to see it or go upstairs for tea - but it was Winter so I was drinking lots of tea). Even without leaves it was striking but as what passes for Spring in Cape Town approached, it started to get those light almost neon green leaves, just a scattering at first and then over all its fingers. Now, not only does the sun shine finally shine through the window, but the tree is covered in a thick coat of dark green and stands out against the lush mountain slopes behind it.

I know that that was a long paragraph to describe a tree, but the thing is I have become quite fond of that tree. And not just the tree, but having an office on the side of a mountain that is as moody as it is beautiful. I love being able to predict how long from when the rain starts falling that the waterfall will start cascading down the ravine - that is of course when I can see the mountain through the clouds. I love that during the course of the day the shadows seem to highlight different portions of the mountain (although I didn't love it when the sun disappeared completely at 3 pm in the depths of Winter).  I love that the trees right on the top of the mountain look like Lego trees and that the rocks change colour. I want to giggle gleefully every time I drive home because I have the mountain on my right and the whole of Cape Town spread out for me on the left (it is also good in the morning when the Stellenbosch mountains are waking up with the sun - but I tend to be more distracted in the morning). On that note though, I also LOVE that the drive here is so short and that finding parking is so easy!  I also love having my office to myself (at least some of the time) and that I get to write on a big white board in four different colours!!!

All this exuberant happiness is bubbling to the surface because it is SUMMER! This part of the year feels a little like downhill cycle (I have not been on a bicycle for ten years, blush, but I remember liking that feeling) towards (dare I say it?) Champagne season. To be completely honest, this has been a tough week, I have found the protests personally emotionally draining for reasons I can't quite articulate because I have not been involved in them or directly affected by them (nor do I want to comment on them so I am going to stop there). I  have been rejected from another job post interview - which is quite a feat actually because I have only applied for two things since starting at IOI-SA, maybe it was three. And I have started to realise that soon I am going to have to acknowledge that my end of contract date (24 December) isn't that far away and I need to be proactive about finding work (AGAIN).   

Summer sunset concerts and long sunshiny days

And YET, these warm long days fill me with happiness. Soon I will be going to visit my folks for long walks on the beach and two of my favourite friends that I haven't seen in far too long will also be there. One of my favourite friends from Canada is also in town at the moment for a conference which is really exciting. I also feel like people start to come out of hibernation (or maybe it is just that I come out of hibernation) and start organising things to make the most of the fabulous weather, the very air starts to smell of braai smoke, jasmine and sunshine. There are exciting things happening in town, the open air movies, summer sunset concerts and because it is an El Nino year we might even be able to swim in the sea without loosing toes (I am trying to find a tiny positive in a global weather phenomenon that is likely to cause drought and possibly other horrible things that I am not insensitive to I promise!) And then, (dare I actually say it) there is Christmas in 9 weeks and my family will be together which is the most anyone could ask Santa for (but looking forward to the pool and braais and champagne too!) 

So, with sunscreen on, let's make the most of the sunshine and happiness... (Regardless what happens on Saturday evening - but holding thumbs for a Bok win!)

Bright eyed and bushy tailed

The whole (this isn't the word I wanted but can't think of another) glamour of the PhD thing wore pretty thin after a couple of months of unemployment. It doesn't come up that much in casual conversation but the "what do you do?" question does.

So although this blog isn't about how to survive a PhD, it is about surviving the next step (and let's face it, I'm finished now so most of my blogs aren't going to be about surviving PhD anymore but rather about surviving WITH a PhD). I have spoken about my feelings for interviews before, so imagine my stress levels when I flew down to Cape Town for two interviews on a Monday afternoon a couple of weeks back. I was worried about my performance in the one interview because I was feeling a bit deaf in one ear and didn't feel like I was really sparkly enough. I also heard myself saying something along the lines of wanting to save the world and cringed (hopefully only in my head but my expressions sometimes do things without asking). 

The other interview was exactly the reason not to like interviews. I would hardly call myself arrogant so did not see any reason for someone to be almost antagonistic about the whole PhD thing. It is a difficult thing when you are applying for something that doesn't require a PhD to get the balance between confident/capable (so therefore you should hire me because really I am fantastic) and not drawing attention to how over qualified you are. Let's make this one thing clear though, PhD's are not just for people trying to avoid the real world... This is an example of how the questions went: 

Question: "How good is you knowledge about marine science."

Answer (feeling: "yay I can do this one"): I feel confident about my knowledge in marine science. 

Response: "People with real knowledge know they still have so much to learn"... ???????

Of course it wasn't all his being antagonistic that made that interview awful, I also completely choked when he asked me to explain, in Afrikaans, how to catch invasive crabs.

Being back in Cape Town helped me get over the stress because I was quickly distracted with catching up with my friends once the interviews were done. And what helped even more was when, 1.5 weeks later (after three rejection letters, that didn't get to interview stage, in the meantime) I finally got an email that said yes!!!!

The best thing is that it is an organisation that does just the sorts of things that make me excited to be working for them. I hadn't heard of it before (and neither had a lot of people I've spoken to) so I'll be telling you all about it soon. It is only a short term contract but I couldn't be happier. The NGO is called IOI-SA (the South African branch of international oceans institute) and I am really excited to get some experience with an NGO and governance issues. I hope it is a step in a great direction.

And I promise my excitement isn't just because I will be working at one of the most beautiful places in Cape Town (Kirstenbosch) and it's only 4.2 km from home.

P.S. Things would have been very different for me if I hadn't had such a supportive family looking after me while I job hunted. I don't mean just by feeding me, they also believed in me and didn't let me give up on pursuing a job I could feel passionate about. I loved my month in Ramsgate and my time in Johannesburg and in Walvis Bay. Even though I was frustrated that I wasn't out saving the world (in some small way), spending time with my family is a treasured luxury. Thanks universe.

A month in Walvis Bay

So, I didn't keep you updated at all but now it is time to catch up. I went off with hopes of sunshine and desert warmth... but, in the first couple of weeks there it was colder than I had hoped. I might be imagining it, but it definitely felt like there was only about a half hour of sun a day. Thankfully, in the second part of my month, there were many glorious weather days, and even when it was misty at the coast, the sun was shining in the desert. Besides, being really close to Humpback whales and dolphins and lots of rad wildlife and cheap wine can cheer me up even on a misty day! 

The lagoon and The PUB

I have mentioned that I have worked with the dolphin project before, but only in lovely Luderitz. (I was sure that Luderitz was warmer and sunnier but my colleagues told me that I was always cold in Luderitz too... oops, I  am clearly a whiner). It is difficult not to compare the two places, just like it was difficult not to compare the first trip to Luderitz with the second. A good and bad thing about Luderitz is that we were pretty isolated from the public while doing field work, meanwhile, in Walvis Bay, there are dozens of tour boat operators and we would launch at the waterfront to the ABBA soundtrack being played at the coffee shop next door. Thus, all the embarrassing, completely ungraceful jumps on and off the boat are in the public eye and I was less excited about wearing scruffy field work clothes but there were coffee shops that played ABBA and had with free WiFi so that made up for it (and my scruffiest field work clothes are in Cape Town). It still felt like there was only one pub (there were more I am sure but who knows where) and that didn't have the same great atmosphere as Barrels, in Luderitz, but it did have R11 wine!

The pretty Namibian Dolphin Project office
at the Walvis Bay Waterfront.
Note the cool baleen sample from a 
Sei whale that stranded in WVB.

The other fabulous thing about WVB is that sea conditions are amazing (in the mornings anyway) which is important for someone like me (how unfair to suffer from sea sickness when you are a marine biologist?). We also had a much nicer office set up where members of the public could come chat to us about whales and dolphins and tell us what an awesome job we are doing... Well... that happened sometimes at least. 

This poor shark was rescued in Henties Bay, Swakopmund
and Walvis Bay - but he kept up his friendly grin.
(There were no dolphins in stock)

Seriously though, the Namibian Dolphin Project is doing an awesome job. OK, I know that sounds like I am bragging, but I was only there for a month so I can't take any credit for the awesome stuff they are doing so it really is sincere praise. They are pretty much the only people doing work on cetaceans in Namibia and have done some great novel research. They are the point of call for the strandings network too, and during my month there now we held a number of workshops trying to get the public aware of what to do and who to call in the event of a dolphin/whale stranding. They are also the people that speak up for dolphins when Environmental Impact Assessments might otherwise ignore them. Check out their webpage for more information - but if you don't have time just trust me that they are awesome.

The two common dolphins species that are fairly resident in WVB are the Heaviside's and Bottlenose dolphins. The Heaviside's dolphin only occurs in the Benguela region (west coast of South Africa and in Namibia) and my highly scientific opinion, they are adorable! The ones in Luderitz were particularly playful and awesome to watch. In WVB they are less acrobatic but that's OK because the Bottlenose dolphins make up for it.

This is a Bottlenose dolphin fin. You can use them to ID
individuals and estimate population size.
This is just taken with my normal camera from a tour boat.

Bottlenose dolphins occur around the world, but the different populations are not necessarily mixing with each other. They are also highly social animals, and each population could have unique cultures. This makes the fact that there are fewer than 100 individuals in the Namibian population really scary. The great thing is, we saw at least 2 calves this trip and some dolphins mating. I had been hoping to do a post doc on their population genetics to see if there was any mixing with the other populations in southern Africa, but unfortunately haven't been able to secure funding yet (which is crazy because obviously I am awesome, but more importantly, these dolphins deserve some attention and protection!) 

Ruddy Turnstone

The best thing about Walvis Bay is definitely the wildlife. From the cottage we could look out on the lagoon which is home to thousands of flamingos as well as pelicans and dozens of wader species. I actually fell for a new bird species, the Ruddy Turnstone. I am not sure why in a sea of pink flamingos these LBJs caught my eye, but they are really just so cute and, AND, they actually turn stones (got to love the people that name birds).







You are pretty much guaranteed (I base this on my 2 out of 2 experiences) to see black-backed jackal near the salt works. Even the dolphins came right into the lagoon which is a much cheaper way of seeing them. Of course, if you want to have luxury encounters (i.e. they include Old Brown Sherry, delicious snacks and champagne), WVB offers a bunch of tour boat options for wild life encounters with informative guides that are a great experience but might be just a little too up close for some (fancy a seal on your lap?)

This trip was also the closest that I have even gotten (or hope to get) to a Humback whale. Unfortunately I almost never take me camera or phone on the research boat but you will have to trust me that it got VERY close. It feels a little bit unreal to think that that happened last week and now I am back in Johannesburg loving the fantastic autumnal weather and on the job hunt again.

Yip, many, many people -
it was so crowded
I didn't bother going to the top -
nothing to do with the
super soft sand and steep slope. 

PS For those of you that are thinking of going to Namibia as tourists, I highly recommend Swakopmund and a day trip or two down to Walvis Bay. Swakopmund is a beautiful little town whereas Walvis Bay is only beautiful near the lagoon and at sea. Obviously you would go to Dune 7 anyway, EVERYONE does... I suggest going during the week because then it might be a little quieter.

I have entirely failed to mention all the seals, which is
unfair because they are so much fun to watch as they
play in the waves. This is one of MANY at Cape Cross
(He had the coolest hair!).
Seriously, the tour guide comment is there is one seal for
every person in Namibia.

Perks of unemployment

a book about how difficult
it is to find your dream job
 - well, sort of... 

Being unemployed sucks (I know that's not the title of the blog - I will get there). It is scary, demoralizing and frustrating. (I definitely thought I would be saving the world by now.) You have no idea when it will end, your bank account misses the days when money went in and not just out out out (and this is with very limited spending thanks to awesome family). You don't have medical aid (eek, although I feel almost rebellious without it, and I have very few moments of rebellion). You can't make future plans because you don't know where you will be in 6 months time (I am looking for work ANYWHERE in the world).

So good, but so sad

It is also frustrating that your poor CV has to carry the burden of introducing you to complete strangers and convincing them that you really are awesome (because of course I am). It is shyly being sent to the far flung places in the world, and more often than not you don't even get told if it got there. Personally, I am also not sure what level to pitch my CV at, is it really true that you don't have to tick ALL the requirements, or am I wasting their time if I haven't explicitly worked on Zebrafish? 

Totally oversold -
this is not a romantic
story. 

There are also the hermit-inspiring questions: "What are you doing now?" and "What are you going to do next?" (Not to mention the stories about the awesome jobs OTHER people have found - although I promise I really am happy for them!) All of this makes life vaguely terrifying. 

BUT, I am a silver lining, bubbles and whimsy kind of girl - at least on Fridays. There are good things about being unemployed.*

LOVELY. Emilio was
my first crush (in
Young Guns II)

I was genuinely exhausted and run down when I finished my PhD , so a bit  of a break is a gift from the universe (do you hear that universe? Only a BIT) and so are the vitamin B injections. I have time to do yoga and not spend Savasana thinking about how I should be writing my thesis (that doesn't mean I am actually able to think about nothing yet). I have time to play with the dogs and play dress up with my wonderful nieces. 

I have also had time to indulge in my all-time-favourite thing - reading. At times during my PhD I had to ban  my self from reading because I get very resentful of having to do anything else when I am in the middle of a good book. Now I have been able to gleefully indulge in book after book. (The book I have just finished was of course a Terry Pratchett - "Snuff" - because it was the best way to cope with the very sad news of him passing away last week, I am not ashamed to say there were tears). 

Just coincidence I also
read this TP this month

I have also (and I say this with some trepidation) had time to try writing a little children's story of my own. It of course includes limpets and sardines because there really should be more books that do. This is a real luxury because it a completely self indulgent thing to do and when does one have time to just write for the whole day? (Unfortunately not in my pajamas drinking champagne**).  I am struggling a little with what should happen next, unfortunately, so maybe champagne would help. I have even spent some time trying to figure out how to draw cartoon faces - for illustrating the book - although I suspect these will only ever see the inside of my notebook. 

Life is better now!

Of course, the reality is, most of my time is spent trawling the internet for possible job openings. This and applying for the tiny proportion that is appropriate takes up an extraordinary amount of time. This is particularly true when you have to fill in the applications online. (And I still have papers that need to be published looming over my shoulder). But one of the good things about searching for jobs in conservation and fisheries is that the internet searches bring you to amazing organisations that are doing really cool things. There are organisations that I have never heard of that are doing exactly what I think needs to be done in the world. There are people that are truly inspiring that I hope to be like one day. (For example: Check out "The Center for Biological Diversity" and the amazing things "Zoological Society of London" are doing and many other cool things that are happening including the discovery of lots of new species by WoRMs). 

This made me Fernweh

Read it! 

While I was chatting to one inspirational person doing cool work I noticed on her wall a sign that said:

"I just want to save animals, drink wine and take naps"

My sign would read:

"I just want to save animals, drink wine and read books - but - could someone please pay me to do so"^

*I suspect this is only true if you have an amazingly generous family, that are willing to feed you, like I do. 

** This is a Terry Pratchett reference, from Snuff #

# I guess including footnotes is also a Terry Pratchett inspired thing, especially when you have footnotes that have footnotes. 

^My sister rightly suggested that reading is way better than napping - napping tends to make me grumpy. 

Happy days

Beautiful Benji in the holiday spirit

It is that time of year... I am heading off to KZN and intermittent internet so will not be posting much but will hopefully get some pictures up of "THE BIG DAY" which is... can you imagine.... tomorrow!!!!!!!

Today there is lunch with the Vice Chancellor and various other important people that I have obviously never had any dealings with before and tomorrow is "THE BIG DAY". I feel weirdly stressed out about it, but I imagine that will fade once I have the red cape... wait... RED CAPE! I am also not sure what to expect from this lunch, so hopefully, in between drinking lots of champagne, wine, cocktails and long walks on the beach (where the water is warm enough to swim in - if you can drag yourself away from the champagne, wine and cocktails) I will get a chance to tell you about "THE BIG DAY" and (probably slightly cringey) lunch. 

Meanwhile, HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Take a break and enjoy spending time with your family and switch off the stress a little! (I am still trying to figure out how to do that, but I think the change of scenery will help!) 

Never ending story

stolen off Facebook

The internet is amazing, and it turns out that I can see where the people that have looked at my blog posts have linked to the site from. (That was a poorly constructed thought, but I am running on adrenaline (I didn't sleep very well last night, 1 am seemed the perfect time to fix the font size of my page numbers) and carrot cake...) Mostly, the people that view my blog are my Facebook friends. So, that means that most of you have seen that I have handed in the FINAL copy of my thesis, but I am going to blog about it anyway. I promise that I will stop expecting you to be happy for me soon... but there is still graduation to come. 

I think some of it makes quite
pretty wrapping paper...

This is now the third time, so I am beginning to feel like a local in the DDB  (doctoral degrees board), and a little bit responsible for the deforestation in Brazil. (Although, if you receive a gift from me in the next couple of months, you can expect it to be wrapped in previous editions of my thesis.) After the tears and general sense of relief and weak knees when I got the result, this moment is some what of an anticlimax... Even though it is the end of something, I now have to try get the thing published so I need to start rewriting it - again. And of course, the dark cloud in the corner of my vision: the "what next" question needs to be dealt with. But when I left the DDB I decided that at very least I had to get a cake. 

It is, after all, important to celebrate everything. I mentioned this in one of my very early blogs, it doesn't have to be "the final hand-in" that you celebrate, it should be every small triumph along the way. Life is short and you don't need an excuse to drink champagne or eat cake. So, I am going to take the rest of the day off - COMPLETELY and enjoy the moment, but first, I have a mug to smash on Jammie steps...