sqrewloose

Life's pretty crazy right now. I have been living on the fast track for the last few weeks, and I don't foresee the use of any brakes until the plane I'm on is well on its way to my home country.

With the final target of my project in sight, my work hours reached a peak of 14 hours last Thursday. I changed gears and worked extra hard for the last few weeks as I wanted some sort of closure/results for my project, before I take 2 months off to go back to Malaysia. I can't testify that working long hours and weekends is a good thing, but the satisfaction of reactions (or experiments) working and being able to carry a starting material through so many steps, slowly but surely getting closer to the target compound makes the long hours and non-existent lunch hours worth it. (Note: Chocolate is great when you don't have time to eat and need a lot of energy!)

At the same time, I have also started "mini-supervising" a friend, a third year student with some work that she's doing in our lab, coordinated Chemistry helps sessions for first year students, mentored Maori and Pacific Island students via Awhina, packed and is still in the process of packing to move out of my flat, looked and is still looking for someone to take my room on Glenmore Street, and I have yet to start on writing that research proposal!

But I'm looking forward to the week to come, as things start to wrap up (hopefully), seeing that I am one and a half steps away from making a fluorescent compound! I'm looking forward to some catch-ups with dear friends before I leave... and my neurons are already pulsing with excitement as I brainstorm for to-do's when I'm back home. Satisfying my food cravings is definitely at the top of the list, but I am also determined to not let this holiday go to waste, and so.. I'll be bringing some homework back- some work-related stuff, some intentional reflection time and also some artsy-futzy hobbies which I have been wanting to get on to. Oh, and maybe some cooking and baking too!

Right, gotta get some sleep. Swine flu has hit New Zealand. And funnily enough, my biggest fear is not whether I will manage to make my final target, but rather if I drive myself sick on my way back, and happen to have flu-like symptoms at Malaysia's Immigration checkpoint... it'll be quite sad but also funny if I get quarantined in my own country! Gotta pile on the Vitamin C's!

sqrewloose

What's wrong with MetService?! It predicts absolute downpour for this week, but really, it hasn't rained much at all, albeit the drop in temperature outside. So, now it's meant to be raining for the rest of the weekend! Hopefully they'll be proven wrong again. It's so cold now, especially in this flat, cos we don't have carpets, and the ceilings are rather high. Windows in the sun room which doesn't have curtains doesn't help either! If I ever get a house here, I'll make sure I get double glazed windows, central heating and heated toilet seats- houses/flats in the city are so old, and backward. I guess generally, houses in NZ are poorly insulated!

But guess what? I'll be back in warm, humid Malaysia in TWO WEEKS! I'll be on the plane in no time, I'm getting excited! Though, the excitement is mixed with uncertainty of the future, and also of the two weeks to come especially regarding work! I've been working crazy long hours (averaging 10-11 hours a day) and have been robbed of any form of life outside of work. But I keep telling myself, keep persevering, it's ok, it's not for long. Well, deep down, I absolutely love what I do, and so I don't mind working the long hours. And besides working, I'm dreading having to pack up my life into boxes, yet again. I need to look for a place to store all my boxes and furniture too! All that plus work in two weeks! Blehh... I guess I have home sweet home to look forward to. I will have my first taste as being the "only child", for two months, I don't know how I'll survive . Also, seeing Dan will be like dating all over again!

So, whoever's reading this and is back in Malaysia/Pg- please drop me a line via fb or something- would love to catch up with YOU!

sqrewloose

This is called screwpine leaves. I've always had difficulty in trying to describe this essential ingredient in Malaysian cooking. Normally, I get confused faces in exchange for a very bad attempt at describing what the leaves look like. But now.. aha! Screwpine leaves!! I don't think this is actually going to help, but at least I have an english name to it!

On a different tangent, but still on the topic of food- What is typical Malaysian food? I'm supposed to cook a Malaysian dish for the Easter Festival at my church this Friday- featuring international cuisine amongst other things, but.. I can't think of any Malaysian food- well at least any that I can cook! No, don't tell me nasi lemak, cos I don't know how to make it! And I've never made decent curry in my entire life.

Cream puffs is what I was thinking of making. Don't ask me why I think that's Malaysian!

sqrewloose

The orange hues disappeared as the hands made 360° turns around the clock. The sunny day was gradually replaced by a still night. It was eerily quiet, not even balmy, the trees barely swaying. This is rather unusual for Wellington as most moments outdoors are spent with the wind blasting from all directions. There is a reason why my hair brush lies abandoned and rejected in the corner of my dresser. And if I may add, Mr. Wind abides by Murphy’s Law, in that you almost always receive a head wind, when you are late for some appointment and you are power-walking up a hill. It sends you walking with a 45° lean, I guess that’s what our salur separuh bulat and cerebellum interpret as the most efficient angle to gain balance and speed.

The quietness of the night lingered as the remaining people hurried along home. Actually, most people would have been home savouring dinner after a long Monday. Only a some, like the man who was walking his cute little jack russel, the lady who was heading home after a workout at the gym and the couple stepping into the fish and chips shop remained outdoors. I wonder if they noticed the unusual night.

As I soaked in the still night, my feet carried me along the now familiar route home. Dim light illuminated the intricate carving on the antique chair, while the majestic mirror peered through the glass windows, into the street. I should make it a point to visit this quaint antique shop when I have the time. The Original German Bakery bore a “CLOSED” sign, I noticed that not much old bread was left on the shelves as I suppressed thoughts of the delicious schneckenudels (cinnamon buns). Walking home at 8pm with nothing but a fruit and nut muesli bar in my belly did no good to my hunger pangs. I’ve heard that Red Tomatoes Pizzeria makes great gourmet pizzas, mental note to self- gotta try it one day. Holy Cow served Indian food I think, but the music which travels from this “restaurant downstairs” never appealed to me. Pratha 2 Go had an opposite effect though- it added to my pre-existing cravings for Malaysian mamak food.

The lady in blue overtook me, as I allowed my mind to wonder, most of the time not far from the topic of food. Then there was a blank for a moment, my brain zoned off after 12 hours of work, but snapped back into alertness as I approach the shortcut- access path to G. Street. As I turned to face the steep flight of steps going down, the blue vintage car with a soft top rolled around the bend. I wonder what the driver does in the day. I see the proud driver with a hat go past me in the mornings when I walk to work. My attention was drawn back to the steep descending cement steps. So much easier going downhill than in the opposite direction.

I recited Psalm 23. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. As if on cue, I heard a stream flow down the bank on the right, under the bridge. Even though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I shall fear no evil for you are with me. I saw my shadow projected on the ground, shrinking in proportion to each step. Your rod and your staff they comfort me. As season for discipline perhaps? You prepare a table before me, in the presence of my enemies. I saw a cat observe me from two flights of steps below. I refocused on the steps, and glanced up at the cat again, but it had disappeared. How very cat-like. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Then I scaled the 30-odd steps to an old wooden house I now call home. I caught up with flatmates over spaghetti bolognese for dinner, followed by the enviable job of taking the rubbish and recycling down to the street, in two trips. Yes a total of six times up and down those uneven steps in the span of 2 hours. Crispy dry clothes were folded and put away. Crispy dry clothes send endorphins to my hippocampus, the same way stepping on crispy autumn leaves does.

And now deeper into the quiet night, I bid it farewell as I shut my eyes and look forward to a new day tomorrow. Oh, what a blessing to be able to sleep and know that tomorrow will come!

sqrewloose

Gah.. I really should be sleeping, what with a cold that I can barely keep at bay. But.. I had to unpack.We have a flat inspection tomorrow, the new flat which we have just signed a lease for.

The last 3 weeks has been crazy- a blur. I need to stop. Put everything down. Stop making plans, stop seeing people. I need to retreat and hide. I need to do less. I need to suppress the driven-ness in me, for now. I need to give myself time to catch up physically, emotionally and mentally.

I'm so tired, tired of trying to make time for people, to please them, to do everything! Weekends end up to be more work than weekdays, and no, unfortunately we don't get extra weekends to recover from the weekend.