Great, Hectic Weeks

This has been and will be the few most hectic weeks ever! So last week wast the week before the non-teaching week and I had to clear a gazillion student reports (exaggeration) before I came back for my sister's wedding this week. Well, so I worked night and day in that week trying to sort everything out and lo behold I got sick for the seventh bloody time this year. I think it's just the coping with stress and not knowing when to stop because I think I can just weather through the slight sickness which always just gradually gets worse. Anyways, was also finalizing my conference paper submission.

Ok, so. The wedding itself was on Tuesday, 28/09/2010. Lots of preparations went in beforehand and Lydia was super stressed and my mom too, so it was great that everything turned out wonderful. The church reception was in the morning and everything went rather smoothly. Except for one thing which is the father that was supposed to conduct the ceremony was on leave and a stand-in father came in at the last minute. And man, this father was crap. I think even he wasn't believing the bullshit sermon he was giving. He sounded like just reading from a piece of paper. Also, the father looked more like the devil's minion or something. He had a nice goatee going on, exactly like how you would picture the devil. But other than that, everything was good.

And the wedding dinner in the evening was great, very glitzy. Well, also I must mention at this point my heads were in the clouds, not only from being deliriously happy for my sister but also because I had taken flu meds and allergy meds which I know now should not mix, because the ceremony might as well have been on a cruise ship and I would be none the wiser. The floor was literally going up and down and swaying side to side, I had trouble keeping vertical. And add to the slight alcohol intake to go with it, yes, I was pretty much knocked out by the end of the night. So I think it's a combination of all that and exhaustion, because I did 2 hours of gym at the hotel the day before, because I thought I was all better. Well, I'm just rambling, still dizzy from all that.

But yes, the ceremony went great without a hitch and by the end Calvin was drunk and KO'd as well, Lydia was alright, she and Cynthia and the rest of the lot went to have drinks after which I did not join, too busy being horizontal on the bed. Well, it was a wonderful day overall and went of with not even as much of a hitch, don't think Lydia could have asked for anything more, and even my mom was sobbing that her daughter's being 'given away' so to speak...

Oh yes, and the next week. With no respite, I need to finish off more corrections of my conference paper tomorrow because it is so very due! And when I'm back I need to prepare for the SUT technical evening which is in 2 weeks time. AND I start Swedish classes coming Monday, get back to Perth Monday morning. So yeah, life is very much super-filled to the brim, and I don't think I'd have it any other way. Give me POMODORO POWER!!!

this week in food

Well, this week was very liquidish, and next week's probably the same because I only cooked half the things I planned to cook.

The first one is tomato and spinach soup. This was great, even though it looked all green and stuff, but that's due to the spinach. Well, it tasted wonderfully refreshing and you didn't get sick of it because there's no cream in it, lots of herbs.

Ok, second one is butternut squash and cumin soup with herb dressing. This tasted good too but you get sick of it if you have too much, because there is cream in it. But I'd totally make these two soups again.

And the last one is a sort of dessert, honey and orange rice pudding. Warning, do not make this! It is fucking disgusting. I hate you Brian Turner, your recipe sucks ass. I feel like puking now, having just made it just now. And I can follow instructions, I made it exactly as you said. The amount of double cream and milk you use is sickening, and the honey just compounds the nausea. Fuck you. I will never make this again. How funny it is that it looks the best of the three but it tastes so awesomely bad, I cannot even describe it properly. Do not make it, I did not even finish this thing. It is going down the drain.

Meeting the quota & Expectations

I have for the past few months tried to read about a book a week, and well, although I enjoy it, I have been reading books that are fast-paced and thrilling. But I have been neglecting the more substantial, meaty books. So I think I shall give up on the 1 book a week and go with whatever books is beautiful. I mean there is no meaning to pressure myself to finish reading quick if I don't enjoy it. Say like eating, some foods you just need to eat slowly and savour. So reading Tess of D'Ubervilles and Dante's Divine Comedy, I will read this very very slowly to get the full effect of the beautiful words. And be totally immerse in that world. I mean, the important thing is not the amount I read but the quality of transportation to that dimension and how it is there. Reading fast will make it a horrible experience.

I guess the same goes for my story writing. Stop with the expectation on myself. I should just stop thinking of what I think people will accept and what is nice, what is cliche what is not. If my story is cliche so be it, but I need to have it be totally organic to me and be acceptable to me to be a story that I myself would read again without the apprehension that this story is pretentious, not genuine. There needs to be my heart, soul and honesty of my writing. Be it twisted or horrible, it is still my story. If I am happy with it, all I can do is hope other people appreciate it. I rather have fewer people appreciate my work than be a sellout.

Limited Time

Sometimes when I nap in the afternoon, it's only for 10 minutes, but the dreams I have they span an entire afternoon a few days. So the perception of time is really a thing in the head I think. Well, days are 24 hours because that's when the sun rises and sets. But the minutes and seconds in the days. The perception of days in a year, perception of sunrise and sunset connected to time. I think it is the human brain requiring some sort of order.

I mean even the concept of weekends is artificial in itself. But somehow it is so ingrained now on weekends, people do not usually work. For me it is to the point now, if you do not work on weekdays, you would feel this feeling of immense guilt. And if you work on weekends, you would feel indignant, of why you have to work. It is all artificial.

There is something to be said about the limitation of time and how far human can reach in mental evolution. I am still scratching the surface, so I cannot say much.

books books books...

So I tidied up my books and found I did not really have enough space now. So had to clear to of the compartments for my books. Also, I got some books from the library. Ordered several from Powells, amazing place to get books you want. I ordered several and hope to get them soon! Really looking forwards to reading those.

Dead Blogs

I do not think anyone reads my blog at all. And so I thought, why do I bother typing anyways. No one read anyways. And I thought, why don't I just make my blogs private. Well then I thought, no one reads it anyways so what's the point. I guess it would just be less sad that way, if it were private, like it's not to be read by others on my own volition.

Then I get to thinking, does it really matter if anyone reads or not? Well, not really. I'll keep writing anyways. And what if no one ever reads it. Mmmm, well. whatever. I'm happy writing, And I'm happy reading my writing. And it serves as my journal anyways. Oh well...