Christmas.

We went to Sweden for Christmas - was wonderful. Loads of snow (but I'm told there's been nearly as much in the UK anyway so not much to brag about!) but not all that cold. No less than minus 10 I don't think.

The flight back was terrible. We cheaped out and got a connection in Amsterdam. The one inch of snow in Newcastle as we were leaving did however close the airport for three hours. So of course we missed our connection... Got to Schiphol, and queued for two hours or so to get booked on a transfer flight - and then the transfer desk closed. Fun fun. So, we had to go down to baggage claim and queue for another two hours to get a pass to a hotel room. It was now well past 2am. We then waited half an hour to get a coach to said hotel - before boredom, frustration and cigarette cravings got the better of us and we left. The next flight to Stockholm was at 7am and not knowing whether we'd be able to get on it we thought it better to wait by the ticket desk which would open again at 5.30am than to go to a hotel, sleep two hours (or, oversleep...) and then come back.

Mike dozed on the floor for a bit while we waited for the desk to open. We were second in line when they did - and they told us we'd already been transferred onto the first flight! It was a relief obviously, but still frustrating to not be told anything and having to worry all night.

That plane, too, was late setting off. About an hour. But we finally made it to Stockholm (12 hours late?)!

Just one more problem... you guessed it! Our bag was lost. So, another queue to report that. And then home - baking & socialising, 20+ people over in the evening and then - SLEEP! And the bag arrived the next day. Lucky, all the Christmas presents were in there!

That's all for now, folks.

It's raining today. It always rains when I'm geared up to walk to uni.

Presentation is coming along nicely. It's tomorrow, so that's good... I've restructured the writeup though, it didn't seem logical to do the different sections and then have to talk about the different aspects I'm looking at in each section - so now there will be a section all to do with articulation rate, one on voice quality... etc etc. It is fun work actually, I am rather enjoying it. Despite all the pissing and moaning I've been doing recently, and will be doing over the next two weeks.

So - it's raining today. The sky's a sheet of grey and there's a steady stream of tiny drops against my window. It doesn't really encourage going outside. Well, I do enjoy the odd walk in the rain. But not when I'm going somewhere.Esp not getting there and having to sit there soaked for hours. Like in Amsterdam - one morning the skies just opened up and we had a bit of a trek to/from the tram to the uni. We were completely soaked for most of the day.

But that's enough about rain.

So, Paula and I went to Amsterdam for a week, for the IAFL09 conference. It was generally pretty good. Intense - 4 days of solid presentations, 4 sessions running at a time. Some of it was interesting, some left us with 'so what??' bouncing round in empty heads (well - mine, at any rate) and some went slightly above my head. There was a whole lot of police interview stuff and discussions about the role of the interpreter in the courtroom which really doesn't interest me. Not much on speech BUT it was good to see what else is out there - and the IAFPA conference will cover that stuff.

It was really good to meet (or at least, see) people whose names you've seen in palces, such as Maaike Verrips, Ton Broeders, Margaret van Naerssen, John Olsson, Diana Eades, Tim Grant... etc.

Amsterdam is very odd. I'm not sure I liked it. Parts were lovely, some parts were run down (like you get in any city, I guess!) and then there's the Red Light District and similar areas. We walked in very much by accident (no, really) and it was... odd. I can't think of a better word to describe it. The windows & the girls were the least odd bit. They kind of just stood there with massive grins on their faces. But the odd bit was.. well, all the lights. And the guys/men just stood staring. Not only at the girls in the windows but at any woman walking past. How weird it must be to grow up in Amsterdam, especially as a bloke.

Best leaflet we saw all week though - 'get your photo taken in a Red Light window' ... I'll leave you with that thought.

Will post some photos soon - no, not of me in a window.

Well I'm neglecting this blog, as always.

Currently finishing the last module of my MSc before starting on the dissertation. Almost over. I think I'm quite happy to be done, get it overwith. Just need a job now.

Got a wedding to go to on Saturday. Going to Amsterdam for the IAFL conference next week. To Sweden 16-31/7. Cambridge for the IAFPA conference after that. Will see if I can fit writing the dissertation in there somewhere...