Jump-Start

Well, nothing jump-starts my brain quite like a meeting with Dr. B (my MA supervisor). We were discussing next year's Big Important Conference (which he's hosting), and he asked me if I'm still planning on coming (and presenting). I said yes. "Oh, good," he replied, "because I told this newspaper that you're coming."

He tossed me an article from a German newspaper, where he was interviewed about the upcoming conference. Reading the article was a good challenge to my gisting skills, but I found the reference: I'm evidence of younger researchers getting into our field and participating in the conference. (I'm not actually mentioned by name, but as one of his former students; it also mentions the subject of my thesis and where I'm doing my PhD.)

Boy, has that got my brain going again! I'm already back working on my German (I'm happy to say that I could read most of the article from sight, as soon as I was home and didn't have Dr. B and his wife watching me read). I'm also strategising the topic of my conference paper: it'll definitely be Keun. However, this topic will put me in the same session as one of the most important scholars in my field; Dr. B's excited about this, while I told him that it was the most frightening news ever.

Now my head is filled with research plans. Nothing makes me as ambitious as a meeting with Dr. B.