It's been a while, I know. Let's just put it this way: I'm still here for a while.
But I wanted to get back up and running and posting and writing again. Coming up tomorrow, I'll be interviewing Rosen Trevithick about her new book, Straight Out of University. My interview is part of her six (seven?) part blog tour to promote the book.
So, if any of you are still out there reading, check back tomorrow!
As I mentioned previously, this week I made my way back across the pond to take part in my DPhil viva. I won't know my results for a few weeks, but I thought I would take this opportunity to make what might be my last post from England for quite a while.
The viva seemed to go pretty well. I am happy with my answers, and so was my supervisor. It is now only a matter of how major or minor my corrections will be. I don't think I was asked anything extraordinary or unfair - it was all reasonable and more or less expected.
I also had many opportunities to catch up with friends over dinner, brunch, parties, etc. For me, those experiences were just as important as the academic ones during my time here.
Sure, it's not the same as it was when I started, and many of my friends are no longer in Oxford. But it was a great feeling to pick up where I left off, even after nearly eight months away.
Stay tuned...this blog isn't done just yet.
Love from the land of Ox,
Kaitlin
I may have submitted my thesis, but I'm not done yet. I just found out this week that I'll be headed back to the UK to have my viva on March 30.
I can't believe this is actually it.
So today I went with my mom and my sister to Babies 'R' Us and Pottery Barn Kids to buy and exchange a few things for my sister. As I walked around the stores, I noticed a lot of things were divided into themes: jungle animals, cars, teddy bears, sports, etc. It got me thinking about how when we're little, a lot of our "likes" are chosen by people around us. I can't help but wonder if babies would decorate their rooms differently if they had the ability to choose.
Do you think we like or dislike certain things simply because they're what our parents like or dislike? In my family we're not really cat people, mostly because my parents were never really cat people - none of us kids grew up longing for a cat or anything. On the other hand, my sister and I h a t e Kenny G because one summer my mother l o v e d him, and played his tapes endlessly during long car trips. I think we came to hate him because we associated his music with being bored and motion-sick.
Anyone else have any examples?
