I spent all day in yesterday and was up at 7:00 am this morning to continue writing, but I am finally seeing the end of it. To keep my energy level up, I loaded up with some rather unhealthy study snacks. I truly LOVE M&Ms! Wish I was a little more productive though….
I am in the middle of intensive studying since the deadline for my Food Policy assignment is on Monday. I actually took a day off today to just focus on the essay (I will work Monday instead which otherwise is a government holiday here in the U.S.) I am writing about private standards in the agri-food industry, and it is really interesting even though I am also stressed (as I always am when I am about to submit something). But this morning when I was having breakfast at Java House on Q Street at the same time as I was reading a research article on retail standards and smallholders in developing countries, it hit me that I am really one step closer towards my long-term dream of getting a PhD! The articles that I read and the essay that I write are on a topic that I will be able to use directly in my future dissertation, given the research that I would like to undertake. As is the next topic that we will write about on the Food Policy program, at least if I chose it wisely. Doing a PhD is something that I have thought about since I was in university, so it will really be a long-term dream coming true! Though for now, the first step is to submit the assignment on Monday. Any great goal has to be achieved through small steps – right?!
I have this feeling right now that my life is kind of out of balance. Or I have felt like this for quite some time actually. That I am always a little behind on things. That I don’t do all the things that I would like to when it comes to experiences, creativity, or my social agenda. That my wardrobe doesn’t look as professional as it should and that my clothes are a little too worn out. That I am always falling behind on laundry and often (like right now) on cleaning. And because of my studies and the fact that I prioritized a lazy Sunday at Cafe Madeleine in Georgetown, I didn’t had the chance to properly shop groceries for the week, and hence now that I need to use the 3 hours of free time that I have every evening for studying, my fridge is empty and I live on crisp bread with creme cheese and tea. Alternatively (and even worse), I pick up something for dinner from CVS (a convenience store with almost solely processed food) on my way home. I haven’t exercised in over a week and anyway, it never feels like I really get into a good exercising routine. And at the same time, I should really spend a little more time on my work in this period. This imbalance is probably due to bad planning and the lack of proper preparation for the coming week during the weekend, and my goal for this spring is to be better at keeping routines. (After I have turned in my assignment on Monday, that is.) But right now, I wouldn’t mind having a personal assistant! Does anyone else ever feel like this? Any advice on how to get things in balance?
I am currently using the office of the person leading the task I am working on as he is on mission for a week. When I was about to write something down the other day, I realized to my surprise that he doesn’t have any post-it notes on his desk. I don’t understand how anyone can survive without post-its! Fortunately, since I am so dependent on these small sticky-notes, I constantly carry around a bunch in my bag, and so I didn’t have to manage without.
On my desk…
In the end, I had a very nice evening on Valentine’s Day. I was taken to a restaurant with South Mediterranean cuisine a little outside central DC. When we were on our way there, my date was joking that he was taking me to a Philly Cheesesteak place and I guess he wanted to see if I was disappointed but since I had been craving hamburgers for the past weeks and I have never had a Philly Cheesesteak, I thought it sounded great. It wasn’t until we sat down at the table that he asked me if I understood that he was joking. Well, I think it is the thought that counts so it would have been fine with me. (I’m obviously a quite cheap Valentine’s date!) But our dinner was probably slightly better than a Philly Cheesesteak… (I wanted to insert a link for those of you outside the U.S. who do not know what a Philly Cheesesteak is, but for some reason that function doesn’t work right now. But do google it or check it out on Wikipedia!)
Lamb, “Greek” salad, vegetable gratin, and shrimps in hummus…
It is impossible not to notice what day it is today when you live in the U.S. There are adds for heart-shaped jewelries and chocolates everywhere, mostly targeting men and their wallets. The other day, I came to think of my first Valentine’s Day here in the U.S. I was 20 years old, Swedish, cheery, and naive – a combination that was probably quite cute, and so I received several gifts and cards from different guys (among other things my then favorite perfume Sunflowers by Elisabeth Arden, just to give you an idea of exactly how girly I was back then). It was such hype and I don’t think I have experienced a similar Valentine’s Day since, but at the time, it made me feel very American! Like I was in one of those high-school TV shows!
And yes, I do think it is cheesy! But I like the Swedish name for this day: Alla hjärtans dag, or All Hearts’ Day. It means that it is a day to pay small compliments to your close ones, and even those not that close. There is far too little of that in our world! And Valentine’s Day comes particularly timely since February lacks a nice holiday. My plan for this evening was to invite friends over for strawberry cupcakes and champagne, but I got invited out on a date instead. I don’t know where we are going yet because it is a surprise, and so I am quite excited and really looking forward to finding out in a few hours! (Regardless, it will be a nice contrast to last year when overly romantic Mr. M took off on a five-week long mission on Valentine’s Day and I got to celebrate by myself in the snowstorm…) I also decided to indulge a bit today and treated myself to Godiva strawberry chocolate bar for my coffee break.
Lots of love to all you you!!!
It is one of these grey days when the rain is hanging in the air and all you want to do is crawl up in the sofa with a cup of tea and watch movies. Preferably British costume dramas. Unfortunately, there is no time for this today since I need to focus on my studies and work on my assignment, which is due in about two weeks. It’s going well though. I finally received feedback on my second assignment on the Food Policy program and I got a high enough score to get a top grade for the first semester. And yesterday, I scored a 100% on my Romanian exam. I might take a break later today though, and squeeze in an episode or two of some BBC series…
Right now, I am in the middle of another intense period. I just started my new work assignment and have a huge file of reading to catch up on (467 items to be more exact), and at the same time I have a Romanian exam tomorrow and my first food policy assignment for the semester is due in little over two weeks. Fortunately, I got a new coffee maker for regular coffee a while ago, and it has proven to be my best friend in this period. Well, almost anyway. But it has certainly increase my productivity in critical situations in addition to me lately having people over for Sunday afternoon coffee. A very good investment indeed!
My mini percolator
I have a pair of socks that A told me the other day he really like because they look a bit childish. Or playful perhaps. I don’t remember the exact formulation, but for some reason it reminded me of what one of the girls in my class, Annika M-S, told me my first year in high school. She said that she thought I was so playful and cheery that I would be perfect as a kindergarden teacher. Being a kindergarden teacher is of course a really nice job, but at the time, I really wanted to pursue a career in something arty like being a stage performer or working in film, so I wasn’t very happy about the comment. Now, 20 years later, I can only observe that neither of us were right and that my career took a completely different turn.
I really like the socks though!
My friend Maria just made her Youtube debut! She sings in the S:t Matteus Choir in Stockholm and this is from one of their concerts last fall when they sang Mozart’s Requiem. Unfortunately, I can’t really locate Maria in the choir, but it is beautiful so listen and enjoy!