I'm a PhD Candidate, No Big Deal

As of yesterday, I am officially enrolled as a PhD student at the University of Canterbury.  Yay!!  Now I need to get business cards that say ‘PhD candidate’ on them and hand them out to everyone I see.  I’m obviously joking, but it’s been done.  Apparently starting at the beginning of the month was a bad idea since scholarship pay-outs come at the end of the month, so I just missed mine.  Guess I’d better find a 7-11 to stand in front of.

It’s a bit hard to understand New Zealander’s at the moment.  It’s a thick accent and they have alternate words for just about everything.  Hopefully I catch on soon...they seem a bit annoyed when I ask them to repeat what they’re saying 3 times then shrug and say, yeah, I’m sorry, I have no idea what you’re saying.

Of my five new roomates two are Indian, one is Afgani, one is Austrian, and the other is British (although she is apparently a New Zealander now cause she’s been living here for 3 years, duh).  No kiwis!  Two of them are also PhD students, just in different fields.  Unfortunately, they’re the type of PhD students who are decidedly right about everything strictly because they are PhD students.  Annoying.  Four out of the five are also boys, so the place was a MESS when I moved in.  Don't worry, I've gone on a thorough cleaning binge, so it’s much better.

Overall, it’s been a lot of fun getting settled and exploring the area.  I’m super stoked to get started on my thesis.  There are even possibilities of getting involved with other projects at the same time.  Antarctica?  Who knows…I’ll keep you posted.

Besos!