Jen, I've been known to cry in the loo too.

MTV have a 'nation's favourite lyric' competition on right now. I voted for The Smiths 'I would go out tonight, but I haven't got a stitch to wear' but was disappointed to see so few Blur tracks e.g. He Thought of Cars is one of my favourites. I generally found it quite hard to think of fav. lyrics... Also like BRMC 'The Line': 'and in this prison in your mind, well (where?) you were born without a spine'. Any ideas? Misheard lyrics would also be interesting.

Stick strictly to scientific issues, only touch on how you personally feel if you absolutely have to.

Just another word of warning about telling them how you feel - be prepared for them to say quite bluntly that they don't care how you feel and that you're there to do a job. I've had that and it wasn't at all nice, and made me feel much worse.

Finally, maybe your supervisors aren't that nasty and just need a little persuasion (so try this before adopting the 'resistance is futile' attitude). I really hope this is the case, and that you can be happy with your project soon. My utter negativity about the whole thing is because I've tried and hoped so hard for so long (and like I said, because I'm nearly finished).

I've also had months with nothing much to do - because I was waiting on orders arriving, waiting on technicians doing things for me... this is hard to take when you have lots of ideas you're itching to try, but you simply can't.
So, the solution. Well, I think because I'm so close to finishing I've kinda given up on finding a solution, and I'm not going to have a repeat experience as a postdoc. I personally don't see the point in talking to someone who isn't listening, you can't make them care! I think you (and me) need to find some other scientific person who is willing to listen, and to try and understand and advise even if they're not the best person to do it. I have someone in mind for this and I hope I pluck up the courage soon to do it. Maybe try and arrange a meeting with the person who DOES reply to your e-mails. Sometimes I think though that this is just 'giving them what they want', and I should put up more of a fight, but they might fight back.

Also, feeling like you're the only one (in the whole world or at least your country!) who's bothered about the project - that's SUCH a lonely feeling. Friends can help with generally feeling low, even if they don't understand what you're talking about, but it's when you have some silly technical or scientific issue that you find you actually have no-one to talk to.This is something I really don't understand - how can some supervisors be SO disinterested in their research when it's that that's keeping them in a job? I think two possible reasons are that they get distracted with teaching, and that they've been thinking about the project for so long that their enthusiasm has waned a lot.

Hey Jen, I guess I sympathise with you on a number of points. Firstly, the e-mail thing is SO ANNOYING (and really rude?) I know you can't just e-mail someone and demand a reply, but when I really really need help and nothing comes it makes me so angry (which doesn't help with the next encounter) and I feel like I'm just not worth repyling to (because I'm sure that not everyone's e-mails are treated like mine) So, the face-to-face approach is probably best. It's harder (but not impossible) for them to avoid your questions when you're right there in front of them. Wanting supervision isn't wrong, but supervisors can often make you feel like it is - just because you need some help once in a while doesn't mean you're an incompetent PhD student (I think I'm repeating what someone else said earlier).

ooh - I know a Japanese word (useful too) - "Tadaima" means "I'm back!"

The 'impression' that your supervisor isn't interested is probably more than that - it sounds like they aren't. Okay, they could just be really really busy, but I doubt it. And as much as I'd like to think that we can reason with our supervisors, it's been my experience that you can't force them to do anything they don't want to, and if you have a supervisor who doesn't want anything to do with you then that's a problem! As for what to do about it, 2 1/2 years in and I'm still trying to work that one out. I can just sympathise and say I know how awful it is, poor Jen :(

I'm with Stu - English.

TV program about how to get your husband to do what you want by treating them like a dog springs to mind. Give them lots of treats, flattery, reward them when they do something good (no matter how small), basically boost their ego while getting what you want - manipulation. PhDs are definitely male. This program was excellent - but one guy was really hurt that his wife had been making a fool of him, I wouldn't take it too far.

Yep Jen, me too. Why aren't there any BALANCED supervisors out there? - it seems like it's all or nothing.

Yep, the racoons were favourites of mine. I think it was an extra long cartoon? Maybe 40 minutes? There's not much on tele that I'd get up that early to watch, but if they brought back the racoons I'd do it. Also cities of gold, poddington peas, and especially 'round the world in eighty days' - I sent away to the BBC for an autographed (by Philip Schofield) copy of the theme tune lyrics!

99% sure I'll never be a postdoc. Not looking for any positions - my PhD has been too lonely and too difficult (just plain and simply too hard!) for me to consider a PostDoc position. I'm determined to finish the PhD, but don't feel that I can risk another experience like this (a postdoc position that I can't get out of for at least 18 months).