LSD is the drug suspected to be responsible for the delight of Alice in Wonderland. Today though I'm trying to read it in Swedish - Alice i Underlandet. It's actually even more trippy.
The reason for my sudden increase in desire to understand Swedish is a lecture today in which my colleague and lecturer announced that he would be delivering the course in Swedish. Thankfully the other students failed to turn up, so I have two more days to become fluent. I'm not entirely sure how Alice i Underlandet will help me discuss Research Methods, but something has to sink in surely? In addition my supervisor is delivering a course beginning on Thursday which discusses the philosophy of innovation - in Swedish.
This week I feel unnaturally tired and quite lazy. Only the thought of saving for flights home at Christmas - and shopping in Stockholm beforehand - is preventing me from leaving my Goddamned bike at home and catching the bus. Yes, today I was knocked off. If you're driving around a roundabout what do you not expect the car at the next incoming road to do? Stop halfway into the roundabout perhaps? Well, some lovely Swedish lady just stopped her bike straight in my line of cycling and then excused herself by saying she wasn't sure what I was doing. I guess the indication, gaze and general straight line in her direction wasn't clear enough.
Later this week I should be on my way to Southampton for a conference. It's on wave power so the details of the presentations are likely to go over my head but it's a good chance to get a stronger connection with the research team I'm researching and also a better understanding of the technology area.
At the end of next month I'll be in Finland and fingers crossed I'll have an interesting paper of my own to present there. I'm quite excited as I've never been to Finland, although I did live with a Fin for just over a month when I arrived here.
Last week I attended the NFF conference at Stockholm Business School. It was a wonderful mix of established researchers and PhD students presenting their latest thoughts on a variety of management subjects. Along with the presentations, which gave me a few ideas about how to pursue my own project, the social events made me feel a tad guilty. I guess it's time to start earning your place when you find yourself on the guest end of a gala dinner in Stockholm City Hall, surrounded by gold mosaic and tasting fantastic food.
Incase you were interested we were served with a sour cheesecake and caviar, sirloin steak and the best potato gratin I have ever eaten (sorry Ulla, yours is delicious too) and finished with a strawberry centred peach mousse with handmade marshmellow and vanilla ice cream. Add in a glass each of Champagne, white wine, red wine, dessert wine, coffee and copious amounts of beer in a bar in town later and I'm very, very happy that someone had more faith in me than I did.
I think tonight an early night and an early start tomorrow to begin making my time here count...
