The bridge

Lots of things happened the past month, squeezed between the BNTC and the coming viva. KS and I managed to go to the places I had very much wanted to go: Scottish Highlands, London and Paris (at last I set foot on continental Europe, and this time not on transit). The West Coast train journey up to Fort William of the Scottish Highlands featured rolling plains, close-up mountains and tranquil rivers. It could have gotten more spectacular if we continued the way to Mallaig but the itinerary could not accommodate that. Our stopoever at Inverness, the capital of the highlands, was very pleasant. It is a beautiful city that bears some resemblance to the beauty of Edinburgh. The River Ness flowing right through the city centre makes it more so

The bridge across River Ness, symbolises the bridge of time between my recent return and now; it brings people to the other side, to territories you dream of but have never set foot on, yet untrodden and untouched. It also symbolizes the journey through the coming viva on 1 October, like a rite of passage, that distances oneself from one's work to look at it from another perspective, even to hate it, and to emerge hopefully in a blissful reconciliation with one's views, and that of others. The journey across the river this Thursday will bring me down to Chichester for the oral defense together with my internal examiner. How it would be like would be in their hands, I can react but not dictate.

The onward journey from Inverness brought us back to Edinburgh, and then to London and Paris. Remember some time ago, I lamented that the continent is so near yet so far. But things turn out that I was there, Paris, and indeed the musée du Louvre--a spectacular city that does not fail to awe.

A capture of the woman at the window, which we missed in the British Museum, was the most rewarding part of the journey. She (her kind) is a character in my thesis.

The impetus to travel was driven by the notion that UK and Europe will be more distant once life in SE Asia resumes. This is the hard-to-come-by chance to see places around here. But right now, preparation for the viva is foremost.