August and everything after

Probably, I started working to soon after dad passed away. It wasn't possible to focus on work those weeks in May and June. One lecture that I was supposed to give had to be cancelled as I hadn't been able to prepare a proper one. Talking sense when supervising students during the B-paper course was quite a challenge. No suprise then, that I couldn't really find a way to submit the article.

Finally, the summerholidays started, we travelled to Holland and I could sort of relax. It was right in those first weeks of the holidyas that I regained some concentration and on 15 July, I submitted the article.

Now it's the beginning of August and slowly I start working again. Trying not to exagerate. It will be a while before comments on the article will reach me. Instead, reading texts I should have read before is a good way to start up. At work, not many people have returned from their holidays, which also smoothens things.

Later on, there will be kick-offs and meetings. And Peter and me will have to start planning for the Autumn version of the course about population, urbanisation and mobility. I will also have to make plans for two new articles and field work for these articles. But now, I will read Brian Berry's classical reader (1975) about urbanisation and counterurbanisation.

Mourning and sorrow

These last weeks have been a complete chaos of feelings and thoughts. As you may know. May father died in April. All other things are unimportant. I was there in the Netherlands and stayed for some weeks.

For work this meant that nothing particular was done in April. My colleagues kindly took over the lectures I was supposed to give and the seminars I was supposed to lead. One lecture was cancelled as I thought that I could do it, but in the last moment realised that I wasn't able to focus at all.

I am now together with Mats and Ann-Cathrine lecturing on a course about writing a scientific paper. This involves more consultation work than lecturing, which could be good as it requires a more practical way of focussing. I find focussing on practical matters somewhat easier than focussing on theory, concepts and academic writing.

This week, I took over after Anders, who was supposed to organise a Nordic Urban Workshop. This is to be held in Örebro in October, and about 20 PhD students are expected to participate. Event organisation is something we learned at European Studies and I am happy to be able to practice that now. Together with a research administrator, we are planning and making a flyer.

The PhD course on Mobility was already finished when the tragedy happend. No new PhD courses are planned for this Spring term. There may be one course coming up in the Autumn. A course on quantitave methods, here in Örebro. Would be good not to travel too much.

And yes, I am trying to finish my article soon.