I can proudly announce that my teaching, marking and associated admin is now done. I would be lying if I said that I was thrilled to return to England to finalise and distribute briefing paper feedback and then mark 50 or so exam scripts. But it’s all done with now. And, for I shall focus on the positives, it was touching to receive kind and appreciative comments from my students, it was encouraging to read a good exam answer (even though the really good ones were few and far between) and it was really good to have all my exam marking confirmed by my moderator. This is particularly exciting as it means that I am now, in Zen fashion, at one with my mark scheme. While there is a certain amount of objectivity in marking exams it is hard to pin down just what makes a 63 a 63 – it comes from within. And when your within seems to chime with the accepted norm of what a 63 should be, then you can say you’ve got the hang of this marking lark.

So, after the assorted demands on my time during January, this means that this post is my first post for 2012. Before I left Newcastle for Christmas I had to go to the library to get a new student card as mine was set to expire at the end of 2011. Oh the shame, but now I have another year on it and hopefully I will be graduated as the holder of a PhD by the time this year is out. Without too much to distract me in the coming months (teaching was a demand on my time more so than I ever thought it would be!), I should be in a position to submit by the summer. At least that is the plan, but I do feel like it will be a nigh on impossible task so am grateful for any physical violence anyone wants to inflict on me in order to make me get on with it and get it submitted! (Alternatively if you beat me up so much that I can no longer type, I’ll just have to take a holiday for the next 6 months – somewhere in the sun, mmmmm).

Not much on the agenda for 2012 other than submit the thesis. I have got some mates coming up to the Toon for a stag night next month which should be fun. I have lived in this city so long and seen so many stag parties hit the streets, it will be weird to be in amongst it! Should be fun though. We shall see what the year has in store. At this point last year I did not expect I would be going to France, Glasgow, Lisbon and Canada in 2011.

Actually, yes, Canada. So I had a wonderful time but after seeing so many people, so many places and getting over jet lag both ways I feel that after the best holiday of my life – I still need a holiday! But I did get to relax and it was good to switch off University life for a couple of weeks. My travels took me from London England, to London Ontario, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. I ate lots of nice things and was surprised at how much decent beer I was able to find. Among my very Canadian experiences was having Timbits at a hockey game and I did see someone shovelling snow off their doorstep using a hockey stick! O Canada, we love you!

The flight back to London, via Amsterdam was rather eventful. Someone died on the plane. The stewards tried to wake a man when we began our descent into Amsterdam but he didn’t respond. On the short hop flight from Amsterdam to London we shared the plane with the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte! So with someone not making it across the Atlantic it was a sombre mood but nothing could dampen what was a wonderful trip but while that is not very pleasant thing, you need to stay positive and look to the future. In fact when I went through the boarding gate leaving Toronto the steward, wishing me a pleasant flight, addressed me as Mr Robinson – as I walked down the ramp I said that I won’t be called that the next time I come to Canada! So let’s get this done and out of the way.