I don’t know if I am on Vancouver time, but I am most definitely not on Oxford time. I have been falling asleep to the accompaniment of early morning light, birds, and the sounds of people starting work in the Latin American Studies Centre upstairs. Then, I have been waking up in the early afternoon. This is something that I will certainly have to change before 1st week – indeed, before my shifts manning the Strategic Studies booth at 8:15am during 0th week. The fact that scads of my friends come onto instant message programs when it is after midnight in Oxford definitely does not help matters.
On Monday of 3rd (correction) week, I am giving a twenty minute presentation on EU fisheries policy in West Africa at the Wadham Research Forum. Thankfully, I already gave a similar one at an event run by Kerrie Hop Wo, and I still have the Powerpoint presentation somewhere. I will just tinker with it a bit to suit the new audience. Presenting might be a good way to get myself known a little bit to the members of the Wadham faculty, before I start dining with them once a week as part of my Senior Scholarship.
On Friday of 1st week, I am going to a conference on climate change in Reading. Things like conference participation are excellent for feeling like a really serious and determined student. Many thanks to Ben for directing my attention towards it. I will also feel like a better student once I have waded through the massive pile of thesis related books and documents that are now strewn about my room, waiting to have notes taken on them and then neatly filed.
Alas, I must be off to read for the thesis and optional paper, as well as work on that presentation, the fish paper truncation, and the student loan appeal. If I can blast, badger, and cajole myself out of bed at a sensible Oxford time tomorrow, that will be good for the advancement of such projects.
PS. Lindi referred me to this photographic blog. I have only looked at a bit of it, but it seems quite good. I hope her upcoming trip to South Africa passes safely and enjoyably.
PPS. I haven’t taken a photo in Oxford worth putting online yet, but I will go hunting tomorrow and backdate some images once I get them.
PPPS. For 18 quid today, I got a membership to the Phoenix Picturehouse. It includes three tickets, 1.50 off all other films, at least six free previews or exclusive screenings a year, and a two-tickets for 10 Pounds deal every Tuesday. You also get programs mailed to you and can book tickets for specific screenings for free. It makes the cost of seeing films at what seems to be Oxford’s best theatre more reasonable.
[Update: 4:25am] The time has come for the tick-over method of sleep pattern adjustment: stay awake all night, then try to go to sleep at 11:00pm or so tomorrow. I have been reading quite productively for hours now, so the time spent adjusting will not even be academically wasted.
