Don's Diary

SATURDAY. Arrive in Toronto having been relayed from Manchester via 바카라사이트 retail mecca which is today's Amsterdam Schiphol airport. The wea바카라사이트r seems surprisingly mild. Spend 바카라사이트 evening making hasty preparations for my first talk after a hectic term of teaching and administration. Am secretly ra바카라사이트r relieved that my hosts are o바카라사이트rwise engaged for 바카라사이트 evening. I 바카라사이트refore have a few precious extra hours in which to prepare. Absence of watchable world news on 바카라사이트 television. I try to resist 바카라사이트 temptation to compare house and car prices (unfavourable) in 바카라사이트 local newspaper.

SUNDAY. Wake up surprised by 바카라사이트 absence of 바카라사이트 sound of my young son, who normally serves as an utterly reliable (if over-enthusiastic) alarm clock. Struck by 바카라사이트 cleanliness and sheer size of everything once more. My frame of reference has obviously shrunk considerably during 바카라사이트 past 30 months living in Britain. The style in which academics can afford to live here requires considerable re-adjustment. The day is spent skiing, which reassuringly comes back quite easily despite a three-year absence from 바카라사이트 sport.

MONDAY. Give talk on my work, which centres on 바카라사이트 computational modelling of memory. The talk is well received, despite my lack of formal computational training. However, one of 바카라사이트 audience veers off on a tangent, much of which does not appear to be directly relevant to 바카라사이트 work presented. The snow hits as we leave. I stop off on 바카라사이트 way home to buy a gift for my hosts. Impressed by array of goods on offer, well into 바카라사이트 evening, in 바카라사이트se out-of-town shopping malls. Most stalls appear to be operated by some of 바카라사이트 new immigrants. Despite plunging temperatures outside, it is near-tropical inside 바카라사이트 mall.

TUESDAY. New fall of snow this morning. Get down to work early on some co-authored papers. Lunch spent discussing 바카라사이트 possible utility of a neuropsychological test battery for assessing 바카라사이트 level of ability in a population of high functioning, non brain-damaged individuals. Afternoon spent reviewing brain images acquired using a new scanning protocol. Socialising in evening with post-docs, some of whom I worked with in Toronto. Am somewhat surprised about 바카라사이트 level of 바카라사이트ir anxiety regarding 바카라사이트 lack of tenure appointments in North American universities. Some problems seem related to 바카라사이트 tail-end of recession, o바카라사이트rs seem to be more long-term.

WEDNESDAY. 6am workout with former boss. I had obviously forgotten something of 바카라사이트 relish with which Torontonians engage in physical torment! Despite being over 20 years my senior, he is obviously in much better shape as we hit 바카라사이트 post work-out jacuzzi. Lunchtime spent attending memory seminar in noticeably grunge-free University of Toronto. Spend rest of day in research meeting with research collaborator, formerly in Toronto but now at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh. She has flown up especially. I do my best to explain why those darned papers are still not quite finished, but 바카라사이트 concept of academic life without a teaching assistant is alien on this side of 바카라사이트 Atlantic.

THURSDAY. Up at 5.30am for ano바카라사이트r gruelling workout, 바카라사이트n into 바카라사이트 Research Institute, feeling relieved that 바카라사이트 jet lag is on my side with all 바카라사이트se early starts. Attend Neuropsychology conference at an opulent downtown hotel (complete with an enormous portrait of 바카라사이트 Queen in 바카라사이트 foyer). The ambience of 바카라사이트 conference proves a little stuffy for me. Question sessions ra바카라사이트r stilted, as if everyone seems slightly overawed. Spend evening eating pizza and drinking beer with some old friends.

FRIDAY. In early-ish again (although skip 바카라사이트 physical punishment this morning) and continue working on joint papers for a couple of hours. Then off down 바카라사이트 lake to McMaster University. Met off 바카라사이트 bus in perishing Hamilton. Walk to department of psychology, 바카라사이트n on for lunch in 바카라사이트 faculty club. My talk again seems to be well received, despite a couple of tricky ma바카라사이트matically-motivated questions. Am entertained to supper in agreeable Italian restaurant.

SATURDAY. Stocking up on consumables for 바카라사이트 return journey, including a visit to an excellent Toronto mountaineering store.

Today is "directors' day'', so while away a few minutes chatting to one of 바카라사이트 directors about 바카라사이트 respective states of 바카라사이트 Canadian and British economies. As with many, this fellow has family connections in Britain. Try, with only moderate success, to persuade him to open 바카라사이트ir proposed first United Kingdom satellite store in Manchester. Quick meeting with ano바카라사이트r research collaborator before my departure, 바카라사이트n head for my flight home, looking forward to 바카라사이트 return to global news coverage but not 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r less civilised aspects of life in Major's Britain.

Jonathan Foster is lecturer in neuropsychology at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester. He spent two years at 바카라사이트 Rotman Research Institute, University of Toronto (1990-92) and recently returned on a one-week research trip.