thanks Lara. thats so.... sweet. someone believes in me. here's a hug.

today, was spent catching up with admin work and doing job applications whose deadlines are in July. i read through a bit of my thesis though i was very distracted with last minute house hunting. am totally exhausted. off to bed now. preparing for an early start tomorrow. can't wait to get over and done with this supervisor meeting on Wednesday, leave and start writing up again. fingers crossed.

hope everyone's work is going better than mine - at least. lol. can't believe am laughing about it. anyway... goodnight.

my review went a lot better than i expected. am happy i got some constructive tips on how to deal with the next six months and i was also given permission to go away for a while. am happy

workwise, the work has stopped. am waiting for wednesday's meeeting, packing, shopping for gifts (getting lots of outdoors time) house hunting for september and trying to get everything sorted in the two weeks before am outa here!!! yah!!!

fingers crossed for constructive feedback in forthcoming supervisor's meeting. i can then work on that when am away.

i got one paper accepted a while ago and since then my second paper has been rejected. you can do it. just do the corrections and don't give up.

hey all. thanks for your encouragement. what could i do without all you sweet people . am over the discouragement feeling. i've decided to focus on my review tomorrow and next week am meeting both my supervisors, one of whom i last met in summer 07. i don't know what it goes to happen, but it looks like a its gonna be big. i've decided to read through my entire thesis and then whatever suggestions are made, i'll make sure i can implement them - am not gonna agree to anything i can't do. wish me luck... because this time i really need it. i sometimes feel as though this PhD process is closing in on me. am so numb, i can't work on my papers anymore. i'll stick to small distractions like reading through my work, making notes and sunbathing... but its so cloudy outside, maybe a trip to the shops every now and then will do. for now, am off to prepare my slides to tomorrow's annual review. fingers crossed.

thanks Sheena and Lara. today my supersivor emailed me. he reckons i haven't made sufficient progress. he's arranging a meeting to discuss this. am feeling so discouraged by this whole thing.

missspacey - i got prescriptions, and the doc said i should have foods such as fish, eggs and magarine a lot more. also fruits... and i should try to spend more time outdoors and not cover up so much - dressing wise. also eat regularly... to sum it up... i should find a way of living like a normal person should.

hi guys. sorry for the delayed replies. i've been feeling poorly. the doctor said i had very low levels of vitamin D in my blood, due to staying indoors for ages. that was causing the lethargy and unexplained pains. i also had low levels of other nutrients because of maybe overworking and forgetting to eat at the right times... hence the stress related illnesses, such as ulcers, irregular bowel movement, headaches... flu like symptoms and general unhappiness and not wanting to wake up and face the day.

the Africa trip is soon. i haven't got the dates yet, but its defo in July. other than that, annual review coming up soon and am not really looking forward to it. i spent the whole day in bed with a blocked nose (in summer!!!) and feeling all feverish. i just wish i could go home. trials of an international student.

hi guys. thanks.. i'll reply in detail to your posts tomorrow. am sooooooo tired. i've been down with flu-like symptoms all day.

cheer up Lara. print what you've done. and you'll be able to see the pile growing and you'll see that you're getting somewhere.

if its too bad, take a day off. otherwise you'll burn out when you least need that to happen.

we're all with you. Go Lara!

don't worry... am there right now. i've decided to take it easy and do what i can each day. it takes a few revisions for chapter to look decent, so take is easy. after the fourth final draft or so it will be so good you won't believe you're the one who wrote it. and yes, i said fourth... some say eigth... but i think if you're really making a good effort, four should produce publishable stuff... which should be good enough for your PhD. and yes, it IS hard. just hang in there.

happy birthday! take the day off! come on.

i've done some reading in the last two days as well as made job applications and practiced for verbal and numerical reasoning tests. why do firms use these tests!! i so hate them.

meanwhile, no word from my supervisor. just working away on my paper and doing an application a day. deadlines in July. hope this time round i'll be lucky. fingers crossed.

other than that, i actually got an official diagnosis for my lethargy and am getting treatment for it. if you're struggling to get up, and making very slow progress and feeling tired all day... maybe you should see a doctor. it turned out that working indoors over the last couple of years with very little outdoor time has actually taken its toll.

totally agree with you Gracie.

i think the person who wrote the paper may want to go first, because without them putting it together there would be no paper.

otherwise, do it alphabetically and it is presumed you are equal contributers.

i have had this problem with co-author's before. where i do all the writing and provide most of the data and they try to submit the paper with their name first. people are idiots! after am done with my two papers, it will be while before i co-author.

750 words - a slow start, but it's something.

thanks Lara. am also glad to be back. its inspiring to see you working so hard.