Listen: Blocked

Tomas is talking to himself. He is reflecting on the day on his way home from work, a semi-regular audio-diary he agrees to keep for me after I have finished the main period of my research. “What am I going to talk about?” he wonders aloud. There’s a pause, and then he settles on his theme for the day: “I think I might talk a bit about working and project management and time management.” His daily commute takes about ten minutes—over Minchinhampton, then down through winding, wooded lanes into Stroud valley. The monologue is punctuated by the sounds of a now familiar journey: gears shifting up and down; the engine strains then idles; frequently indicated turns:...