Viva

This morning it was clear and sunny, but -7°C, so I worked in my hotel room until it was time to travel into West Berlin to have lunch with my friend M. The café he'd suggested was closed, so he took me up to the student "Mensa" on the 20th floor of the Technical University's "Skyline" building, with its fine view of the Tierpark and the city centre. 

After eating, we went over to a lecture theatre for a seminar given by the external examiner of the PhD candidate whose viva then followed. This was a 90-minute public event attended by about 40 academics, fellow students and friends. Once the jury had met to approve the award of his PhD, we all went to a Sicilian restaurant for a meal. I wanted the opportunity to chat to a potential PhD student, and divided my attention between him, a French researcher I know, and a local academic that I've known for years. It was a pleasant evening, if long and noisy. 

I'm now on my journey back to my hotel in East Berlin.