Happy 2020!
We welcomed in the New Year over a roast chicken dinner and Prosecco.
It’s been a lazy, relaxing and peaceful time for us. I made a list of my New Year’s resolutions:
- complete my PhD programme
- look for career options that use my skills
- cook or bake one new thing each week
- learn a new skill
- give myself more compliments
I’ve now started the fourth year of my PhD programme. The countdown to my thesis submission has begun. This time last year, I mapped out my third year, aiming to complete all the draft chapters of the thesis. But lots of unexpected things happened, and I had never thought that the results chapter would require so much work over the whole year. My supervisors helped me work on it, and without their support, I would have been much more behind schedule.
For my fourth year, I won’t plan precisely, and I don’t know how much time I will need to finish editing.
I am currently writing it up to complete the first draft of my thesis, and every single day is very precious.
Cookery bibles
Over Christmas, as gifts, I received an Italian cookbook, a pastry book, and oenology guidebooks, from Luca’s family. I felt genuinely happy that they knew that I love cooking, baking, and wine, and these are wonderful presents for me. These will become my cookery bibles for a lifetime. Good cookbooks are something that makes my life happier and that give me more ideas and joy. I will certainly try all the recipes!
Japanese–English translation
I have decided to learn Japanese–English translation at the weekends and signed up for an online course.
My intention is simply to know the basics of the methods. For the past four years, I’ve assisted Japanese scholars and business people in translating, reviewing and interpreting, even though I have never been formally trained. Although I am too amateur to see the experience as a career option, this little effort in learning the methods might give me a chance to produce something better and help someone else succeed. This really excites me!
My achievements in Week 157
- started taking an online course to learn Japanese-to-English translation skills
Goals for Week 158
- edit Chapter 6
- write and edit Chapter 4
- prepare my classes for the new term