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 which I had tackled over the last month and which had actually given me trouble in writing about.
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 had suggested to me and can clearly picture my next goals.
Paper 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 now I know the subject matter very much more than 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 how data that I once collected can remain valuable in a specific context for a long period. 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 and similar to brioche, but less sweet; baguette dough also goes 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.
My achievements in Week 82
- sent out the final draft of my paper
- identified my goals (narrower objectives) for the next month
Goals for Week 83
- work on my analytical framework
- bake focaccia