B U R N

Strange things are happening in my area.

A thief jumped the fence and broke into our bike shed yesterday. Not only did he break the padlock, but he removed the entire locking device by pulling out the screws. This must have made an awful noise on an otherwise quiet night. There were three expensive bikes parked in that shed, and it would have been easy to walk away with them. Investing such effort, it would almost seem natural to nick at least one of them (I would!). Still, nothing was missing. Or so I thought until I discovered that my front light had been stolen and the rear light tinkered with. He took the bike light and the holder with him, an operation that requires a screwdriver, fiddling with tiny screws and thus a generous serving of patience. Now, who on earth would do that?

In a completely unrelated event - yet, adding to the mystery - I swear to god I saw a man in earnest discussion with a cat the day before.

The title of this post pays a not so subtle reference to Murakami’s ‘Kafka on the Shore’, a brilliant book whose plot revolves around a man with the ability to strike up conversations with cats and make fish and leaches fall from the sky. It is weirder than it sounds, but all the more compelling.

My thesis as a whole may be confidential, but all those great people who helped me deserve some praise. Here are my acknowledgements (pdf). And, as a little bonus, I have added the Examiners’ Report (pdf).