To: Phil
From: Program Coordinator
Date: August 08, 2006
Subject: Fields Institute Summer School

Dear Mr. [Phil],

On behalf of the Organizers for the First Ukraine-Canada Summer School in Mathematical Sciences I am pleased to invite you to The Fields Institute and the University of Toronto as a Visiting Member during the period 14 - 26 August, 2006. Updated information about the program can be found here.

During your participation in the Summer School your accommodation will be reimbursed up to [insert buttloads of cash].

Sincerely yours,
[Mr. Program Coordinator]

A couple weeks ago, I applied to attend this summer school on Dynamical Systems at the Fields Institute in Toronto. It’s meant for selected graduate students from Canada and 5th or 6th year undergraduate students from the Ukraine.

There’s two reasons why I chose to go through the lengthy application process, where ‘lengthy’ should be replaced with ‘fucked-up’. I’m not sure how competitive the positions were, but they made me send in a CV, university transcript, two references, and a sample of my awesome biscotti.’

Okay, here’s the first reason: The course will be a fantastic opportunity for me to expand my CV. I can effectively tell the world I took an intensive class in which my name was carefully considered and selected among the few elite geeks of Canada willing to substitute a month of booze, parties, and hot chicks for hours and hours of lectures. Certainly something to help my graduate applications as a Ph.D. candidate in the winter.

Now the second reason: The course will help me get back on my analytical toes just before school hits me like a sack of bricks in September. I’m always afraid of losing my touch and this two week vacation will totally drain whatever fun is left in my system.

Wicked, eh?

More thoughts to come as I board the train to Toronto in 9 hours.