Louise's thoughts

Spring

Since I have not experienced a dark and cold Danish winter, I have a hard time appreciating the nice and sunny spring that we are now seeing. I even feel a bit ungrateful about my failing ability to say 'Oh, the weather is so nice, lets sit outside'. I sat outside the past five months everyday for lunch and frankly, I don't care that much. Besides my fair skin burns just by staying in the sun for 10 minutes, so it is usually even less pleasurable afterwards. I want to sit inside where the large Scandinavian windows let in light but not the sun.

Perhaps my lack of sunlight is the reason for me being less cheerful than usual. My mood is just not keeping up and I still feel weird in this country full of Danish speaking people who do not apologize when they slam the door in my face. Although my desk faces the window in my office now and although I have new exciting office mates (and old nice ones too), I can't seem to get going with anything. Sure, I do my work and even my thesis writing is going well, slow but well; but little things ad up and missing Irvine friends (and advisor), getting job application rejections, thinking I was dating a guy and then find myself being ignored, all ad up to me being in a really bad mood. So I hope I will cheer up when I go to my second favorite conference next week, where I will have to sell myself ('cheap, brilliant HCI/ubicomp researcher for sale. Will take best offer from university or industry located close enough to big city, offering possibility to do independent research in relevant topic, great teaching experiences too.'), mingle and network, have fun with all my California friends and get research input. Just thinking about it makes me in a better mood already.