Long time since I wrote a post in this diary open style. Yesterday I started the day with a couple of meetings, both canceled, one canceled after one minute as the female colleague I was talking to, was called by the school that she had to pick up the daughter. The main meeting was the presentation of a new project initiative about software engineering. The presentation was for an internal committee at the faculty. The feedback was polite, yes, but I perceived it as so negative that I had to fight against tears. I wonder how constructive it is to let a professor from a totally different field to judge my work and my ideas developed through 30 years. I would never dare to give feedback to a professor even in Database or AI, being Database and AI Computer Science subfield as well. Anyway. Then I went to SINTEF to meet Silvija Seres who should interview me for her podcast. I have followed Silvija for some years and I find her intelligent, brave, beautiful. Face to face she is even better. I had not even combed my hair nor looked my self in the mirror, I can only imagine how I will look like in the pictures. The conversation with Silvija gave me a lot. I told that I regret I have been too open and shared too much, she says that if you are open, the openess protects you. We talked about software, art, social innovation. She told me that one of the other women who was interviewed told that the merit of having many women at IDI is Reidar Conradi’s merit. I am happy for this. I also think that it is unfair that women do not recognize other women, as Monica, Anne, Pauline, I have been there for 20 years and the young women who are at IDI now never met Reidar, so it is strange that women prefer to recognize men than other women. When I left Silvija, I told her “I am motivated” and I am, I should have payed her for the boost I get from the conversation. I hope the negative feedback I get from the previous meeting also help me in the long term.
Yesterday we also get a rejection to a Marie Curie IF application, the science part get 4,2 out of 5, but still rejection.
The day ended for me with a dinner with my girl friends, not common activity for me, very nice very sincere evening. Not least, biking between Ila, Gløs, Strindveien, Solsiden, and back to Ila in this winter day was good. Today is time to work hard.