Wednesday, May 5

I have spent the day at Arcada working. To my surprise almost everyone else seemed to have had the same idea. Instead of an empty room, I found myself in a mask-wearing queue every time I entered or left the room.

Fred arrived, then Klaus and then Robert. Tomas appeared and we had a long conversation that touched on a lot of past and present concerns, including what the process of becoming an emeritus at Arcada will actually mean.

Riku arrived to have his laptop upgraded with the result that I moved into another room to have my scheduled meeting with Russell Southwood. Finally Suzanne, whom I had never met before, arrived in time for me to help her with the printer.

At 16:00 I logged in for the final doctoral seminar of the year, at which two of us presented our papers or plans. Randa went first and presented the theoretical part of her first paper. At 17:15 I went second and presented my revised plans. Both Mats and Risto attended, and I received some very interesting suggestions from both of them, and also from Johanna.

At 18:20 I left the building and stepped into something that felt like a cold evening in January. Bitterly cold winds lashed hard rain at an angle into my face.