Holiday Season

I haven’t posted a whole lot recently, with the MA thesis taking a great deal of time and energy. And it will probably remain more quite than usual around here for a while now, as several weeks of travelling commence. Katrine and I will enjoy many parts of Australia, including Alice Springs, Darwin, Cairns, Brisbane, Whitsundays, and more. It will be great to be away, and great to share a wealth of new experiences together.

For those of you who understand Danish, you can read some travelogue on katrineogkenneth.wordpress.com. Pictures are availbale on flickr.com/photos/kennethbirch. We will update these sites when we have the opportunity. And don’t worry – we will eventually return to a more stable existense, and this blog will once again awaken from its slumber.

A Long, Deep Sigh of Relief

My feelings may not be as elated as they are for other people in similar situations. Nonetheless, today marks a turnaround in my life; the end of a chapter. I have finished my time as a student. Today, my MA thesis has been handed in for judgment, concluding six months of work, and five plus years of studying. While the final judgment may take up to two months from this date, I have no doubts that I will pass, and receive the title of MA in Information Studies.

The writing process has been surprisingly pleasant, although I had been looking forward to it in advance. I have been extremely lucky in finding a perfectly suited and very willing partner in LEGO Australia. It has been a great experience working with them, and I am also happy that the Australian angle could be turned into something interesting. The opportunity of doing field work in a foreign country, while at the same time living with my parents in Sydney with no big distractions and food every day has been a good combination. The writing process has not at any stage been stressful, and I have managed to stay more or less excited about the topic throughout.

A big thank you goes to Andreas, for printing the paper and handing it in back in Århus.

My thesis is titled “LEGO Australia: Internal Communication”, and is written in Danish. It comprises a systems theory study of the communication in this organisation, with issues such as communication media, team spirit, cross-departmental relations, and more. If anybody is interested, I am happy to email a copy of the English summary (3 pages) or the Danish report in its entirety (80 pages).

A new phase of my life is about to start. I don’t know exactly what that entails, work-wise, neither short-term nor long-term. But I do know that for the next month or so, I will enjoy some well-earned time off. Starting next week, Katrine and I will travel around Australia, visiting Uluru, Darwin, Cairns, and the east coast from Sydney to Brisbane and beyond. Not a bad way to celebrate.

The last six months have been fun, and I am very satisfied with the result, no matter what grade the report eventually will earn. But it does feel good to finally be finished!