Paper a Day Keeps the Doctor Away?

So, it is March already. February, March, and the first part of April are the best months, if one wants to experience the better side of Finnish winter. The Sun is usually shining, the snow is beautiful, glittering white, and the temperatures are below 0 C but above -10 C during the day time. After the long, dark winter months, it is now a very good moment to spend some time enjoying the outdoors, like for example going for a sunny walk on the top of nearby frozen lake - or stay inside, look at the computer screen, do some writing and occationally see the views from the window (you can choose between a parking lot and a construction yard).

My African expedition was postponed. The proposed schedule was considered to be impossible, which means that I shall be around here in Joensuu at least till the end of April. It is still too early to say, whether it will take place at all, I have to see about that. Afterall, I could use some time for my own studies too, since at the moment I am spending all my extra time to work related stuff, not to my studies. This is of course a personal choice, but for some reason I prefer being a paid employee than a student who's gone bankrupt. Yes, my fragile personal economy is strongly dependant on my lot-less-than-average salary.. :)

What it comes to SMILE project, I managed to finish the EPSS template on last week and started working on the problem-based learning template. We also got some feedback on our templates from our Greek partners. I have to say that they should consider updating their exemplary project material. The templates, which we did according to (or actually greatly surpassing) their examples, have to go through major revision. It is not only about cosmetics, but I have to seriously start looking for further literature. But there was also some good luck in this situation, the first comments that we received were just ridiculous, these latter ones were more realistic and something that we are able to cope with.

There are also "some" paper deadlines coming in: IDC´06 [short paper] is today, TEDC´06 and ISSEP´06 on 15th of March. WOW! Basically, I have to submit a paper with my colleagues to each of those conferences, which means together with the template creation process quite a fast writing process. If you combine this with my previous post, which discussed my Tabula Rasa Phobia.. It's a complete mess. And, there is also Ro-man 2006, which would be a good place to submit the robotics evaluation scheme that I am working on with my colleagues.. :)

I have also lately begun to work on my application for the JET programme. I am trying to get myself a Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) position in that programme, but the competition for the posts available is tough. I am definitely not planning to leave the university for good, but I think that a one or two years "sabbatical" would suit me well at the moment. I have worked more than five years here at the university, so I think that it is about the time to seek also for some other kind of (international) experience. But more about this later.

Interesting Stuff:
Huntington, S. P. (1993) The Clash of Civilizations? Foreign Affairs, 72, 3, 22-49.