Sorry - that won't be the nice, well structured description of what my work is all about. I had planned it but you have to wait a bit longer for that. Yet I have to write about work, because today I feel pretty depressed (in the true sense of the word pressed down by work).

OK first I tell you today’s routine:

7:30-8:45 Got up, had a shower, breakfast and all these things in between (no animal hunting today).

8:45-9:15 Walked to University (still no bike..)

9:15 Arrived at the institute, and – however tempting - bravely avoided any extensive chat with Sylwia but went to the library.

9:25-10:00 Checked my mails (how come I spent 35 minutes in the computer lab without even writing a proper Mail???).

10:10-12:10 Worked.

12:10-13:40 Lunch break, which today I didn’t use to get lunch but to get a hair cut (now I’m 2kg lighter!) and when I returned I didn’t feel hungry.

13:40-45 Very quick mail Check.

13:45-16:00 Continued work.

16:00-17:00 As I felt veeery hungry by now I grabbed late lunch (Today was really an exception granny, promise, usually I’m always having lunch at 12 or 1!)

17:00-19:30 Continued work.

19:30 Returned to the institute and surprisingly met David (who had sort of recovered), had a coffee and a chat with him.

20:30 David went home and I started checking Mails and writing.

You see. I spent nearly 12 hours at university and my net working time was just 6 1/2 hours. I know, usually lunch break would really be used for lunch, still I wonder: When and where to did all the time disappear? How do other people manage to arrive at 8 and leave at 4? That’s why I’m depressed today. Sure, during term time library is open longer, but will this change anything? I don’t think so. I may shift working ours or divide them differently but I don’t think I can save a lot more time because reading is just too exhausting without breaks. So in my present mood I have the impression that during the next months Monday till Friday will be nothing else than getting up, going to work, and going home to sleep.

Maybe I’m too pessimistic today but if I now look on what I’ve done so far and what is still waiting… I really think one of these days I have to invest some time to get an overview on the situation. That is:
1. Count the total number of documents which I should have read at the end of these 6 months.
2. Count the number of documents I’ve read during those week and the time I spent on reading them.
3. Estimate how many working hours I’ll need for the rest of documents.

I think that this calculation is absolutely necessary. When introducing me to my work the director told me I can chose my working hours freely I just should get everything done within the 6 months. I admit that I wasn’t working that diligently the last two World Cup weeks, however, now I’m getting the impression that even if I would keep up the present daily routine (which would mean that my life here would be pretty much work only, which, if I would compare it to the life of my colleagues…) Anyway even if I’d keep up these working hours I have the impression that the workload is simply too much for 6 months, in which case I think I better talk to the Director and warn him early enough.

I feel I’m already in an aggressive venting mood by now and my sight may be blinded by rage, so honestly, please correct me if I’m wrong: I mean, seriously, I can’t see many reasons why I should work much more than 7 hours a day. As far as I know in office jobs noon break is usually included in the working hours. Furthermore I think I have quite a good idea of how such it works in such jobs: Having a coffee break, chatting with colleagues, checking mails.. I don’t want to know how many hours of an 8-hours office job really working hours. Of course They get their work done and it’s not all just laziness, yet, is the effective working time more than 6 or 7 hours? The hours I listed above are real, effective working hours. No mailing, no chatting, no doodling, no daydreaming - but entirely concentrated reading and typing. Am I a fool working so hard? Or is that in fact not working hard but simply how ordinary working life supposed to be? Should I not lament but get used to it because I am not a student anymore and that is how real life is?