I should really be writing here more often. Forty years from now, when I’m an aged academic living in a cave lined with books, most of which I’ve written, and have no need for food, drink, sleep or human interaction because I have developed the ability to metabolize grant proposals, read abstracts with half of my brain awake at a time and – let’s face it – I’d be better off without human interaction anyway, I may forget what it was like to be 25 and a PhD student living in Australia. I may refer back to this blog, which, if not still floating around the interwebs, will be stored in a backed-up file on my hard disk because I never throw anything away, and that includes computer files. And when that day comes, I would be super disappointed if my 25 year old self had been too busy chasing cockroaches and gorging on cream eggs to be bothered writing anything.

It’s been hot and sunny the last few days, which is nice, because it’s been raining for weeks and I had started to wonder whether South Yorkshire was stalking me. Last weekend my American housemate and I went into the city to check out the Chinese New Year celebrations.


We wound up watching Chinese Idol contestants perform Michael Bolton and Mariah Carey in a torrential downpour, and eating soggy sandwiches (brought from home because we are poor) while huddled under broken umbrellas and free ponchos. Then our third housemate showed up, and he took us on a tour of Chinatown and bought us smoothies. ‘Twas an excellent night of housemately bonding.

Popped down to the Gong this weekend for Katie’s surprise birthday party. Everyone should have a surprise party sometime in their lives. I’d say she was now free to kick it in peace, but I don’t believe she’s ever ridden in a hot air balloon, and that’s also on the list.

Today I received ethics approval! No revisions needed. This means I can start experimenting as soon as the rest of my equipment arrives and I find me some participants.

Which brings me to tonight. I am going to shut off this computer, which cannot be doing anything beneficial to the approximately 38-degree air temperature of my room. My New Jersey housemate is in a state of hyperthermic misery in the next room. It’s a good night for reading about polar bear stalking in Churchill.