Good opportunities

Several good opportunities have come my way this week.


Opportunity #1:  On Saturday, 6 Feb, a group of students, faculty members and "hanger-ons" (spouses) traveled to London for a day visit.  It was a pleasant train ride into the city and lasted about an hour and a half.  It also allowed me to spend some one-on-one time with my progamme director (Tony).  He's a great guy, very supportive, and an expert on social contexts of death and dying.  Anyway, we made our way from Paddington Station to Westminster Abbey where we received a private tour and got the low down on the historical coronation site.  After hangin' with the remains of Edward I, Richard II, Elizabeth I and Mary, Newton, Handel, Chas Darwin, Charles Dickens, and others...

Note: I must admit it was a great deal of fun.  I mean, I touched the tomb of Edward I!  
Well, it means something to me.

we moved on to  the National Portrait Gallery where we spent quite a bit of time in the Tudor wing.  After analyzing some of the "ars moriendi"(art of dying) from the 16th and 17th centuries, it was on to the London Museum of Art.  Lunch was held in Chinatown, but don't ask me where we ate.

*I certainly recommend a thorough tour of London.  Everything is fairly close together and I'm sold on returning as soon as possible.  Although only a brief taste, it was quite an experience. 

The rest is all academic- but pretty exciting to me as I feel like I just passed GO and received my $200.

Opportunity 2:  This Tuesday, I will assume the role as a undergraduate social science statistics tutor at the University of Bath.  It's a nice gig and only requires an hour of my time every two weeks.  It pays well too.

Opportunity 3:  There is a conference at the University of Edinburgh in June where I can present one of my papers from this past fall semester.  It's titled: Lost but not found: the case of the missing dead.


Opportunity 4:  Tony has suggested that I further develop and submit another one of my essays to the Journal of Death Studies.  Yes!  This one is titled:  Violent death: reconstructing the Colloseum.

Opportunity 5:  Tony has asked me to write a 500 hundred word book review for publication in the journal: Mortality.  This is a peer reviewed journal that is chair edited at the University of Bath via the Center for Death and Society (CDAS).


Opportunity 6:  I became the student representative for my degree programme back in October and have upgraded to the Chair of its departmental committee meetings.


Opportunity 7:  Tony just invited me to participate as a student reviewer for a committee designed to assess and evaluate the Masters of Science in Death and Society Programme in April.  Every graduate programme receives a 5 year annual review by a committee composed of various administrative officials, external colleagues and prior students.

So things seem to be going quite well after my first semester and I have some nice opportunities that in all actuality won't take up too much time or overwhelm my schedule.  Still, Sarah and I are looking forward to our upcoming move and visit to Rome.  We're psyched!!!