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No, it can't be this late in April already!!!
minor panic starts to set in--I want my thesis submitted at the end of May, because I'd like to travel in the US in June, and I need to be in Italy to take up that job offer at the end of June (this assumes that all goes well with the visa application and paperwork etc.)
I lost some working time today heading in to town to talk to the woman at the Italian consulate. Yes, it turns out that Hobart has one. It is a one-woman office, and it isn't listed on the web page listing the Italian consulates in all of the other capitol cities in Australia, but when I couldn't get any of those phone numbers to work, I tried the phone book, where the Hobart consulate (but none of the others) is listed. When one dials that number the voice on the other end says "hello" (not "Italian consulate", nor even the name of the travel agency, which is on the door of her office). When I told her I needed to know what sort of visa to apply for, she told me I needed to bring in my application, passport, passport photos, and all supporting documents. This not being as helpful as I might have liked, I printed out the e-mail letting me know that I have been selected for the position, and went in. She read the letter slowly, moving her lips as she read the words (and so I guess that she learned English later in life), and then printed out the form for me (which is good, because I couldn't find any forms on their web page) and let me know that I'd need information on my salary and health insurance. She looked at me funny when I admitted that I didn't know what the salary was yet. (As one who has been on a student budget for most of my life, it is reasonably safe to assume that the salary will be "more than I'm used to", what more do I really need to know than that?) Armed with solid information, I then went back to uni and e-mailed my contact in Milan and let him know what details I'd need to apply for the visa. He replied with salary details (why, yes, it is more than I'm used to!) and let me know that he'd have a copy of the contract (in both languages) soon. So I can put "visa application" on the back burner till I get that, and keep focusing on thesis stuff.
Which is not as far along as I want it to be, but I am determined to succeed in the goal of done on time to travel in June. I've just completed the last calculation for chapter five, so I hope to give that one its final edit (and checking that the numbers quoted match the new, officially final version of the table of results) and get the figures together tomorrow. ok, that is a long list, it might go longer than just tomorrow, but I sure hope not much longer). Then I can fill in the last of the holes in chapter two and write chapter six (discussions and conclusions). I think I've been doing a good enough job with organizing the figures that there shouldn't be much time elapsed between finishing chapter six and having a good copy ready to bind and turn in.
Other things to do--investigate air fares and see how many places/friends I can manage to visit during early and mid June (if you want to see me on that trip, let me know. If you've got crash space, let me know that, and if there is a special event you think I'd want to attend during that month, let me know that too--I may not get to see everyone I want to see during that trip, but I can try!) Check out how long shipping takes, and figure out by when I need to ship stuff such that it gets to Italy around the same time I do. Then make time to open up the packed boxes and get![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
clovis_t's stuff out and re-pack things before shipping. It is going to be a busy next few weeks! They say that sleep is for the weak, but, alas, if that is true, then I am week, because I am not willing to slight myself on sleep (though, I will squidge it around to odd times in the day as needed).
I lost some working time today heading in to town to talk to the woman at the Italian consulate. Yes, it turns out that Hobart has one. It is a one-woman office, and it isn't listed on the web page listing the Italian consulates in all of the other capitol cities in Australia, but when I couldn't get any of those phone numbers to work, I tried the phone book, where the Hobart consulate (but none of the others) is listed. When one dials that number the voice on the other end says "hello" (not "Italian consulate", nor even the name of the travel agency, which is on the door of her office). When I told her I needed to know what sort of visa to apply for, she told me I needed to bring in my application, passport, passport photos, and all supporting documents. This not being as helpful as I might have liked, I printed out the e-mail letting me know that I have been selected for the position, and went in. She read the letter slowly, moving her lips as she read the words (and so I guess that she learned English later in life), and then printed out the form for me (which is good, because I couldn't find any forms on their web page) and let me know that I'd need information on my salary and health insurance. She looked at me funny when I admitted that I didn't know what the salary was yet. (As one who has been on a student budget for most of my life, it is reasonably safe to assume that the salary will be "more than I'm used to", what more do I really need to know than that?) Armed with solid information, I then went back to uni and e-mailed my contact in Milan and let him know what details I'd need to apply for the visa. He replied with salary details (why, yes, it is more than I'm used to!) and let me know that he'd have a copy of the contract (in both languages) soon. So I can put "visa application" on the back burner till I get that, and keep focusing on thesis stuff.
Which is not as far along as I want it to be, but I am determined to succeed in the goal of done on time to travel in June. I've just completed the last calculation for chapter five, so I hope to give that one its final edit (and checking that the numbers quoted match the new, officially final version of the table of results) and get the figures together tomorrow. ok, that is a long list, it might go longer than just tomorrow, but I sure hope not much longer). Then I can fill in the last of the holes in chapter two and write chapter six (discussions and conclusions). I think I've been doing a good enough job with organizing the figures that there shouldn't be much time elapsed between finishing chapter six and having a good copy ready to bind and turn in.
Other things to do--investigate air fares and see how many places/friends I can manage to visit during early and mid June (if you want to see me on that trip, let me know. If you've got crash space, let me know that, and if there is a special event you think I'd want to attend during that month, let me know that too--I may not get to see everyone I want to see during that trip, but I can try!) Check out how long shipping takes, and figure out by when I need to ship stuff such that it gets to Italy around the same time I do. Then make time to open up the packed boxes and get
clovis_t's stuff out and re-pack things before shipping. It is going to be a busy next few weeks! They say that sleep is for the weak, but, alas, if that is true, then I am week, because I am not willing to slight myself on sleep (though, I will squidge it around to odd times in the day as needed).