Week 82: A little bit of relaxation and bread making

On Tuesday, I had a face-to-face meeting with my supervisors, which was very productive. Through our discussion, I suddenly realised my misunderstanding of a topic I had tackled over the last month, which had actually given me trouble when writing about it.

Sometimes, we students take weeks or months to figure out a matter that supervisors know very well and can teach in a minute. I finally understand the real meaning of what my supervisors suggested to me, and I can clearly picture my next goals.

Editing

I had worked on converting my MA dissertation into a journal article. I sincerely appreciate the reviewers’ effective comments and suggestions. Over the last two weeks, I have worked on responding to their revision requests. This was also a great experience because I now know the subject matter much better than I did two years ago, when I wandered into a jungle of the broad topic.

I also confirmed that a debate in the paper is still a hot topic. This taught me that the data I once collected can remain valuable in a specific context for a long time. Conversion into a journal article might also lead to a good opportunity to meet an expert in the field in the future.

Cleaning the house

On Friday, I thoroughly cleaned the kitchen, dining space, entrance and bathroom. It feels truly refreshing. Some people create a routine for yoga or meditation as a practical way to relieve stress. For me, a daily or weekly habit of keeping the house clean and tidy is the most effective way to stay positive and motivated.

Anpan

Today I baked anpan, Japanese sweet rolls filled with red bean paste.

I prepared the paste yesterday, to give it time to become firm overnight. The dough is very soft, similar to brioche but less sweet; baguette dough also pairs well with this filling.

I baked 12 rolls, wrapped them in a bag and put them in the freezer after they were completely cooled. I love the natural taste of sweet beans and freshly baked bread.