The old and the new

I moved office about a month ago and I'm starting to feel the slight dislocation from my previous practically perfect 'official' working space. I was very 'open' to the move even though I knew it would be to a larger more open-plan working space (housing 15 students). In the old 'office' 6 of us actually did share an office with a door that closed and everything. Our comings and goings were more predicable and there were times when I could be all alone in the office for days on end. Also I had a view - I could watch the comings and goings of the university as they went to and from The Hub (the biggest staff diner on campus).
But the cracks in our new little space are beginning to show - a clash of practices between those of us used to a more carefree and accommodating stance on noise levels and movement and who generally use our official working desk as a secondary location for our academic activities, and those who use the space as their primary working area and are more used to whispering and hushed tones. I think it will work itself out - eventually.

My old desk with view of the staff diner in distance.

My new desk - with view of the wall, and two people on either side of me. Luckily I have one friendly neighbour who enjoys being a great distraction engaging me in long chats about English history, the HE system and whatever else takes our fancy .

I'm back on a mission (thankfully getting some enthusiasm back) - reading around the notion of ethnography (yes, again) and had this brilliant idea just as I got out of bed this morning - wouldnt it be cool to be a PhD student doing an autoethnography on my own PhD? Ouch! maybe not - too much self reflection and reflexivity, but a cool idea nonetheless. Any takers?