Tags: conference, Eurovision, headache, PhD
Date: 15 May 2009 17:21:37
Yesterday and today my department hosted a research forum, with various partners from UK and overseas universities - in effect an informal conference. I gave a paper yesterday, and it was a really positive experience. My paper was way too long, but as there were only two of us on the panel and we had an hour and a half, we could both talk for longer than the allotted 20 minutes, and still had plenty of time for a really good discussion (even though there were only a handful of people in the audience). It left me feeling like actually I'm not so bad at this, I have got things to say, and I know that people who were there told people who weren't that it was really good. So I'm feeling happy about that. I'm hoping to expand the paper I gave into a journal article, and will take a couple of weeks to do that in a week or so's time (once I've finished the chapter that needs to be in next week, we'll see if that happens).
Unfortunately though for both days I've had the headache from hell, that the tablets aren't touching. I sent HD out on a mercy mission earlier for something stronger, so hopefully that will knock it on the head (pardon the pun).
In other news, I'm really really looking forward to the Eurovision final tomorrow. I was watching the semi-final yesterday on my laptop, and HD was minding his own business reading, but once I uttered the immortal words "Oh my word they've got dancing polar bears!" he was sucked into the cheese-fest as well. Everyone's saying Norway are the favourites, and I've no doubt they'll be there or thereabouts, but my own personal favourites for tomorrow are Germany, Moldova and Turkey. I'm a bit disappointed Holland didn't get through, but there's plenty more to laugh at so I'm sure it will be a good evening. I'm kind of looking forward to seeing how Graham Norton gets on too as commentator - I know he can be a bit OTT, but I reckon he could be perfect for this. We'll see.