I have been home from Malawi for a good three weeks now and have been graced with some of the best weather Edinburgh has ever seen. Yes, it has been dry, warm, and sunny - everything a good summer should be! (But everything Edinburgh never is!) It really is a completely different city when the rain and wind are not slapping you in the face and it is not dark by 3pm. The weather has been so persuading that I even find myself considering looking for jobs here. Whenever this happens I just remind myself of the deep, dark depressing days of winter, which account for a good two-thirds of the year here.
As you can image, I have been spending a lot of time outside, both to soak up the sun and as a form of dissertation procrastination. I have taken to daily walks up Arthur's Seat - you know the dissertation must be painful if I am putting it off for exercise. Anyway, I officially have a subject for my paper (something about security obtainment through savings-led microfinance and the strength of gender neutral development targeting on child welfare in Malawi) and am working daily on it. I think it is going to leave me completely uninterested in my subject and weary of taking any job with writing. Give me numbers!
When I am not attempting to get work done outside, I find myself at Starbucks. There are some one-of-a-kind Starbucks in Edinburgh located in buildings that have been around for ages. The mahogany paneling and million dollar views always get me thinking of the impressive people that have been here before me and usually helps get the dissertation inspiration sparked!
