THURSDAY:

Today was visually unexciting as I was at my desk all day.

Hard work (?) in the office

I have been asked to proof read 20 pages of one of the final year PhD’s thesis on our project. This reminds me how far i have to go till i am in a position to do my own writing up…

Thursday evening I met up with some friends and we tried an Ethiopian restaurant on Caladonian road, near King’s Cross. First time I had tried this sort of food and was really very pleasantly surprised to find it unlike anything I’ve tried before. There were several stew/curry-ish dishes served on a sour dough bread/pancake. no knives and forks, we ate with our hands. Very fun and communal.

The lovely Ethiopian dish.. bread and several spiced veg/meat combos.

FRIDAY:

Yes its Friday, and i am sick of my desk so i went and helped out on the last of our ‘Astrophysical Jet’ shots.

There was a power cut last night (around 8pm) and this mean our Vacuum systems and various computers all went down, so firstly there was a little fuss getting everything back on line, then down to business.

Timing our cameras and probing laser pulse

The shot unfortunately didn’t go so well electronically as our Marx banks all mis-fired. We repeated the shot in the afternoon however and all went very well…

As the sun is out we went to the Union as a group for lunch.. last friday before it is crammed with Undergrads again ( ^^) and that was lovely.

Cherry tree (?) in full blossom in the union. Spring is here!

Guy disapproving my 'photo blogging' at lunch

I even got my shades out. This photo attracted rather a few 'top gun' comments. pfft.

So that afternoon I was back at the desk.. designing away.

View from level 8 tea room. Loving the sunshine!

So the weekend is almost here… the week flies by.

Here are some fun things I’ve come across:

The Sun with different light filters..

some beautiful shadow art..

In the office today twiddling my thumbs before the 1st year transfer viva.

more later….

3 course meal? christmas crackers? and its only the 9th Dec. Super

feeling the cheer!

I went skating last night! Very fun and highly recommendable. It was £13.25 for boots and 1 hour. They do student rates at off peak times and in January. I couldn’t wait for student rates however to have a long over due whiz around the ice. And what a setting! The museum is wonderful at night.

Wintery fun

This man gave me a pair of blue socks

Get your skates on...

Second year PhD got off to an interesting start. For the last two months I have been stressing on the ‘Transfer Report’- an epic of my research done thus far, what I want to do, and an extensive literature review. This is now in its final drafting stage (thank goodness)  and life may return to a more normal pace soon.

Have spent last two weeks in America, One in Atlanta on the APS (American physical society) Plasma physics conference. and the second with family in Eugene, Oregon. Science sure sends you places!

I have brought back many things from the states, including some form of flu (I am praying not of the swine variety) meaning my first day back in college was in fact spent in bed.
I am off to drink more tea and sleep further, although I wonder why my body is requesting more after the 12+ hours it has already taken!