On Tuesday, I had a formal meeting with all three of my supervisors for the first time in six months. Before going to the office, I was extremely nervous more so than for our previous meetings. That morning, I was woken up by a bad dream in which I was really late for the meeting and had to rush to the office. So, I made sure I arrived 30 minutes ahead of schedule and read all the documents relevant to the meeting.
I needn’t have worried. The atmosphere was relaxed, we all hugged and my supervisors’ responses were very positive. I think it was the very first time I’d received lots of compliments and encouragement about my work. I am finally able to feel confident that all my fieldwork activities have taken me in the right direction to answer the research questions, even though I struggled with some methodological issues before and even during my fieldwork. One of my supervisors told me: ‘this data allows you to perform research not just for your PhD but also after PhD, probably five years from now.’ I was very happy to hear that and I am so lucky to have obtained a successful data collection.
We then discussed the next steps: clarify a definition and analytical frameworks and complete transcription and translations. Now I am very clear about what I should do. My motivation to complete my research has been restored.
Bread making
Recently, I have been enjoying bread making. Last weekend, I made herb dinner rolls with ham, onion and corn. This weekend, I made Finnish cinnamon rolls. When I make bread, I become so focused. I started bread making when I was little and in my early 20s I was very enthusiastic about it. Opening a bakery cafe was my dream in those days, but I just enjoyed it as a hobby. It might be a very good thing that I’ve started doing something I love in my spare time.
My achievements in week 77
- Gained confidence in my research!
- Identified what I should primarily do for the next three weeks.
Goals for week 78
- Enjoy participating in a conference.
- Read key literature and papers and write summaries.
