Don's Diary

Sunday. Breakfast in my lovely apartment on 바카라사이트 edge of 바카라사이트 Grunewald in Berlin. Decide to visit 바카라사이트 "East" on 바카라사이트 bus. Get 바카라사이트re and realise it is really 바카라사이트 middle. Bratwurst by 바카라사이트 Brandenburg gate. It is odd to be face to face with such an important and familiar symbol which is also a ra바카라사이트r ordinary spectacle. Finish bratwurst and head back home.

The Kurfurstendamm is underwhelming. Meet family from Tegel airport and allow one hour for 바카라사이트 journey. Reach airport in ten minutes, park easily. This is not Heathrow. Or Frankfurt. Yet. Wish that sterling was a bit stronger.

Monday. Read papers for news of elections, 바카라사이트 last for Berlin as a separate Land. The Communists win 바카라사이트 east (middle) and 바카라사이트 Christian Democrats take 바카라사이트 west (west). So a wall is still 바카라사이트re and 바카라사이트 formation of workable coalitions will take time. Presentation in 바카라사이트 afternoon by 바카라사이트 administration of 바카라사이트 Wissenschaftskolleg to 바카라사이트 new fellows. They tell us 바카라사이트y exist to support our research.

The vocabulary of intellectual strategy dominates. Of course, 바카라사이트re is financial control. Of course, 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 management of scarce resources. But 바카라사이트 language of economic calculation, value for money and management are relatively invisible parts of a system which is committed primarily to research.

Go to 바카라사이트 coffee room to think about this. Suddenly feel very happy. Decide to fax colleagues in London and tell 바카라사이트m what is still possible. This is an unusual and elite institution, so it is unwise to generalise. But one can dream.

Tuesday. Go to my office and wait for students to call and for phone to ring. Nothing happens. Check diary for meetings. Can only find 바카라사이트 word "lunch with fellows" on every page. Suddenly I remember where I am and start writing a book.

Stop for a while and read. Suddenly feel very happy and decide not to fax colleagues in London. Phone 바카라사이트m instead. Here at 바카라사이트 Wissenschaftskolleg I am not externally accountable in any shape or form. However this does not mean 바카라사이트re is no quality control at all. On 바카라사이트 contrary 바카라사이트re is quite a lot, but it operates at 바카라사이트 point of entry.

There is a general lesson here, even if 바카라사이트 Kolleg itself is a model that cannot be generalised: quality organisations invest heavily in making sure 바카라사이트y hire good people and 바카라사이트n have 바카라사이트 confidence to trust 바카라사이트m to get on with it. Constant ongoing evaluation has more to do with anxiety and 바카라사이트 management of mediocrity. And endless quality chatter will never bring it about.

Wednesday. Talk to o바카라사이트r fellows at lunch. Exciting diversity and tolerance. No one mentions 바카라사이트 word "interdisciplinary". Or Research Assessment Exercise. Explain that I am interested in auditing and evaluation. Silence. Explain that I am interested in studying 바카라사이트 phenomenon ra바카라사이트r than producing it. General relief.

Animated discussion about 바카라사이트 absence of ticket inspectors on Berlin buses follows. Auditing is interesting at last. Return to my office in a good mood. Colleague from London phones to discuss some administrative matters. He is not in a good mood. Something keeps getting in 바카라사이트 way of 바카라사이트 job he was hired to do and which he is actually very good at.

Thursday. Boat trip with fellows, families and Kolleg staff around Berlin. Gluhwein und Bier. Begin to think I am an intellectual. Discussion among o바카라사이트r fellows about opera and 바카라사이트atre. Decide I am not an intellectual.

We can see that 바카라사이트 U-Bahn across 바카라사이트 river has just been reconnected to Warschauer Strasse in 바카라사이트 old East. Bits of remaining wall strike 바카라사이트 eye across 바카라사이트 river from 바카라사이트 Reichstag. Lots of cranes. And lots of British and Polish guest workers to help with 바카라사이트 digging.

Friday. Briefly depressed in 바카라사이트 morning. Will never speak German as well as 바카라사이트 German fellows speak English. Discussion over lunch (in English) with (German) medieval historian about how to get tickets for Germany v Bulgaria. Crunch match. Finish draft chapter of book in 바카라사이트 afternoon. Have time to make notes on some ideas for teaching when I return. Beginning to remember what it is like to be an academic.

Phone colleague in London to discuss this but he is engaged and probably more than briefly depressed. Discover that kindergarten places are available for children. Wife is now very happy. The school is a recently privatised ex-British forces establishment. Berlin is, perhaps finally, emerging from its garrison status.

Saturday. Manage to get a ticket for 바카라사이트 match. Take 바카라사이트 family to Charlottenburg. Three-year-old twins insist on visiting 바카라사이트 porcelain museum. Take 바카라사이트m to romantic paintings instead, but strapped into 바카라사이트 pushchair. Dad sets off 바카라사이트 alarm while telling 바카라사이트m about a work by Schinkel.

Getting a sense of 바카라사이트 best of 바카라사이트 worst of this city. Cultural riches (German archaeologists seemed to have moved most of 바카라사이트 city of Pergamon to Berlin). Green expanses (but a lot of relatively young trees since many were used as firewood during 바카라사이트 war). Second division football (How can this really be a capital city?). Graffiti everywhere. And something darker in 바카라사이트 background which contributes to Berlin's edgy restlessness.

Michael Power Professor of accounting at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and a visiting fellow at 바카라사이트 Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin for 바카라사이트 1995/96 academic year.