Tuesday, January 19

My morning timetable in the winter is, in many ways, dopey. I got up, ate breakfast, paused slightly, and then missed my bus by thirty seconds. I saw it go past just as I arrived at the stop. If someone else had been there waiting I would have caught it. Instead I waited another eighteen minutes in the freezing cold. I thought about walking to Puotila but the cold and the slippery pavements put me off.

I started my morning finishing the final revision of the Nobanet questionnaire, which I then mailed to everyone. The replies suggested that it had passed the test.

I then alternated between planning the Games Theory and Design course that starts on Thursday, and finishing my submission to get my pedagogical qualifications.

I had a lengthy meeting with Liisa before and during lunch to discuss some of the details of the Nordic Narratives festival we are allegedly organising this summer. We finally decided what each of the three events would be, who they would be for, and what their goals would be. By the time we had finished eating it all seemed feasible, and it all seemed as though it might even be fun.

I spent the afternoon doing more of what I had been doing in the morning, until 16:30 when I had a tutorial which turned into an audition for a role in a student examination production. I will, apparently, play the part of Father Jacobs, a highly orthodox eighteenth century priest, in a student radio drama. It is a small but important part and I found myself channelling Vincent Price, if he was a guest star in The Archers.

Now I am at home in the dark. The snow plough has finally been down our road and has left the traditional pile of snow at the front of our drive. I am out clearing the pile and, while I am at it, remaking the paths to the woodshed and the compost. Arto, one of our neighbours has joined me, and so I am inspired to clear all of the front drive as well.

As I am just about to go in I see Pasi, from next door, coming out to join in the winter fun. In our garden candles are burning in lanterns to guide me on my way.

Later I will have a shower and watch a television documentary about super storms, which we can apparently expect on an increasingly frequent basis.