That you may find reality in my uncanny existence, I think today, the blog missive will attempt to pull those tortoiseshell glasses off. So, pull up a chair and let me put the kettle on :) Let me tell you some of our downs in Canberra so far...
1. I still seem to be the only person I know among students in the department who is not receiving a stipend at the end of the month, or bi-monthly, from a generous funder.
2. Hence, on Aloha Fridays, when the guys and gals invite for a pint, I craft a sob-story of having to rush to get Kimo out of school and that Wendell's on his shift, and such; I refrain from beer simply because I have no money for flavoured drinks of any sort.
3. When your budget is $20 (or less) a week for food, vegetarianism becomes a close friend and the stretching of food becomes my Arts and Crafts session - how do you rebirth a meal? Of late, a slice of home-made bread dunked into a doctored-up from-the-can satay sauce was surprisingly satisfying. Not so different from eating a RM1.50 roti canai telur (egg paratha) from the local vendors in Sabah :) As for Kimo, he eats his usual balanced diet, but now, jello is a daily addition because a pack of jello makes a good 4 servings, enough to last him the week (on alternate days). Sad? But true...
4. Finding Xmas wrapping paper a little pricey at AUD$3-4, I proceeded to recycle the papers in my office. Stark white, I got a friend to sketch Chrimassy-looking cartoons on it, which I proceeded to colour in. Said friend's hubby got so sad at my measly colour pencils (2 shades of silver and 2 shades of purple), he went to get "magic colour" (inked color pens) at the campus newsagent. I'd say, that was the best looking wrapping paper I had ever seen! Personalized, too. Touched, grateful and humbled? True!
5. And...
... what am I thinking?
I am just not cut out to moan! Maybe when I show off to my sister next time, that I had made it through sheer grit! [Anything to get Tania's goat!! :)]
BUT... seriously, the following are what counters all the sad stuff combined:
6. That I cannot complain that we have been blessed today: We have a house-sitting stint coming up, where we get to save some money! True! And about time...
7. Kimo has successfully been weaned off his diapers! He now can pee and poo on his own, albeit, with a minor mishap or two. Still! And about time...
8. Wendell has a job that pays, not as much as he would like, but it pays!! Good! And just in time...
9. I have written over 30,000 words since I arrived for thematic papers that may or may not feature in my dissertation/thesis. This is equivalent in length to an Honors thesis. Really? Yup, took a lot of time...
10. My revised thesis topic is the most daring, most beyond-my-imagination, most new, most scary, most different, most exciting to anything, any academic thing I have done in my life. Truer than true! The time has come...
Happy weekend, all!
"What doesn't kill you can only make you stronger"
p/s Not forgetting neighbours and friends who give away toys and food that cheer us to no end: Satay sauce among many things spiced-up our meagre diet; Second-hand toys galore for Kimo to supplement his cars and blocks. The kindly neighbour giving his kids toys away due to their leaving for their home country this week, said that it was our "right" to receive as neighbours! How cool is that? A merry Christmas for Kimo indeed!