I’m writing this on the train home. Another term has quickly passed us by but I think it’s been a good one! I feel like I have direction, purpose and there are lots of exciting things to look forward to. The first 6 months of the PhD have more than lived up to expectations and I’m looking forward to more!
Although it is a bit studenty of me to be talking about the end of the week on a Thursday morning, the working week which has just passed has been a good one. The weather obviously helps and although it’s a bit cloudy and foggy this morning, we have had some glorious days this week which makes me feel like Spring has sprung!
Monday: I received feedback on the draft of my literature review/theoretical framework. On the whole, it was positive and it seems that I have made good progress this year. I’m told I clearly like social constructivism and sociological institutionalism so should spend less time trying to justify other approaches as I don’t really sound convincing when I do. So I feel I can position myself in academic debates a bit better, and dare I say it, label myself a ‘constructivist’?!!? I know this is a big deal for me, always one to avoid nailing my colours to the mast!
Tuesday: St Patrick’s Day. For once I managed to get through the day without consuming a drop of Guinness. The day started off with a presentation by one of my fellow politics PhD students, this was really interesting. And although I’m no IR theorist I enjoyed the talk and I felt I could make some connections with how I see the world. Whether my questions were that perceptive is another matter!!! Then later in the day we, me, the PhD student giving the presentation, another PhD student and a friend from the MA year went for a drink in Wylam, in the Tyne Valley. So I’m told, Wylam station is the oldest railway station in the world that is still working! The pub in Wylam is superb, largely because the brewery is in the same village! Anyway, the reason we went there was to try the special St Patrick’s Day brew – Paddy Whack! A nice tasting bitter coloured GREEN!!!
Wednesday: I went to Hull to meet the Portuguese academic José Magone who has made a brief return to Hull where he was a lecturer before he took up his chair in Berlin. As he’s the main man writing books on Portuguese politics in English he’s an important chap to make contact with. As the weather has been good, we sat in the street and drank coffee and a good chat. Although you couldn’t really mistake Hull for Lisbon! Anyway he gave me lots of tips and suggested lots of people to contact. Most importantly it’s just good to let him know that I exist and have read (and purchased) his work! Once we’d done I got the train back to York. I had a wonder round the city streets and had a couple of pints and got some dinner. Had a walk up to the Minster in the early evening sunshine, was nice! Most importantly found a few very good pubs and a beer shop. The problem comes in convincing the girlfriend to get me what I want… I have decided that when I submit my thesis or pass my viva (one of the two) I want to crack open a bottle of Chimay Grande Reservé. This is a trappist Belgian beer, about 9%, but this particular one matures in the bottle so gets better with age and it comes in a magnum champagne bottle! So it’s a litre and a half of dangerously strong (and rather expensive) beer!!!! But I need something to work towards!
So, Easter holidays… I need to get my progress review stuff sorted and prepare for my two presentations in May. And, most importantly, have some time out and relax!