EES London office
This week I’ve been working at the EES London office (pictured above) in preparation for my time in Cairo. I’ve been making the daily 1 hour commute from Meldreth Station to London King’s Cross (via Platform 9 3/4 - this will only make sense to the Harry Potter fans among you!), rugged up in my winter woolies and rain gear (I guess I wouldn’t be in Britain if it was any other way!).
The main purpose of my time in London has been to strategise my role with the EES Director, Dr Chris Naunton, and other members of the team before Cairo. As I will essentially be on the ground in Egypt offering a new range of practical skills in Egyptological research, grant writing, public presentations and museology etc. to Egyptian Egyptologists and archaeologists, we have been working closely together to identify our target audiences, best approaches to delivery and engagement and a potential schedule for the next 3 months. Upon arriving in Cairo, it is expected that I will spend the first fortnight or so orienting myself with the Egyptian Egyptology scene in the country before a soft launch of the workshops where I intend to trial some small, regular meet-ups around core research skills for Egyptology focused specifically on individual students’ needs. I expect this to evolve based on demand and as I get a better handle on everything.
I’ve also been spending a significant amount of time preparing the content for these workshops and revisiting and questioning my own research practice and output. There are some skills, such as abstract writing or public speaking, which tend to come naturally, particularly if you’ve been doing it for many years. But, to teach these types of skills to someone else, you do need to stop and reflect on your own work (and that of others) in order to breakdown the components - some of which can be seemingly small and insignificant, yet have an immeasurable impact on the outcome. As a result, I’ve been brainstorming with colleagues about various ideas for delivery and engagement. Fortunately, there is also the opportunity for me to draw on other scholars who will be in Cairo at the time, so they too can share their personal insights and expertise.
Work aside, I’ve been immersed in aspects of Whaddon village life this week and it’s been absolutely delightful! From table tennis in the local village hall to wine tasting at our neighbour’s house, it’s certainly a world away from my sky rise apartment in North Sydney and, of course, pending time in Cairo!