Monday 20 August 2012

PhD begins this week!

Friday, 24th August begins a new era. I called the Prof. almost two weeks ago (yes I have been too busy to come here and write about this), to explain why my master's certificate was late and to see if there was any chance of being able to extend my PhD application instead of having it rejected for being late.

In all honesty, I did think it would be rejected. I mean I had one extension when my supervisor was too busy to mark my work so I could finish for my original June deadline. So, I called the Prof. and he said that they had been discussing me a lot in their meetings, somehow this made me think "OH well, this isn't going well", then before I could complete the sentence in my mind, he said "congratulations, welcome to the team"... that was it, I was shaking and I lost for words... shocking for anyone that knows me as losing words is not something that happens to me!

He repeated a few times, and I said my thanks for the opportunity. Then was the next shocking turn of events, when could I start? I thought it would be October as time is getting so late and my master's certificate still isn't here, but alas I start on the 24th August, with or without the certificate. It will be there soon, at least!

Then, the chaos begins, booking a hair cut and colour as I currently resemble a sheep dog crossed with a poodle. My mom says your hair can't get curlier as you get older, I have to disagree based on the evidence my hair is getting curlier!! straightners all the time is coming soon! Along with the continuing shock of Finnish hairdressing prices, 130€ to get my hair cut by a stylist and coloured.... oh my days... Eero jokes that along with my 100€ dentist cost last week he will soon have to replace me with a cheaper model... in his dreams! Wednesday afternoon, is my hair luxury time.

Then tomorrow I am going to meet my new friend Marika, in the city who wants to speak mostly Finnish so this is a dream! finally someone who wants to help me get the hang of this language all the time! Whoohoo though I know it will be slow to begin with as I am used to speaking English with random Finnish inserts at home =)

I was shocked at the rate of pay for the PhD, I am earning almost twice as much as I did working full time in the UK and I am only a research scientist! I have designed my normal business cards for this new position for conferences, but not ordering them until I get my works email sorted out! =)

So what am I a research scientist and PhD candidate in, you ask? Well, I am hoping to finish in 3 years and I will be researching in the field of industrial energy efficiency =)

Yesterday, we painted half of the living room ceiling and this morning it looks awesome, I am having problems finding any bits we missed so that is really good!

So, that's one of the things now Facebook official, for the others I am afraid you just have to wait and see!

No doubt I will be posting about my first day on the train home from Espoo on Friday =)

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