January …ing

I started writing this while cooling down in my hotel room in Kuala Lumpur. I am a thermophile, loving the heat, but the hot weather is tiring. I am coming to an end of my visit and enjoyed two days off work at the beginning. I walk as much as possible but Kuala Lumpur is big and I also make use of Grabs to get me around. This is a bit like Uber but hopefully less exploitative. I’ll tell you more about my trip when I get back. Can I just mention jet lag? Travelling that far east nearly killed me, with fitful sleep and long waking hours during the night, then when I need to get up, lethargy... I am now back, finishing this post on the day of my return, just a smidgen late (but does anyone care?)

:: Listening to “What we can know” by Ian McEwan. I loved this one. Ian McEwan, for me is a marmite kind of author. Some of his novels I loved, others I could not finish. Also listening to “Departure” by Julian Barnes. So far, I am enjoying it. I also listened to a couple of crime novels, “The wrath” by Martina Murphy (always reliably entertaining) and “A death in Glasgow” by Eva Macrae (liked the story but the narrator killed the joy of listening, flat as can be).

:: Watching “Loch Ness” on the Netflix. A grisly crime drama set in a small town on Loch Ness. Also watching the Teresa Battaglia cases (in Italian), a crime drama set in Northern Italy.

:: Noticing the other day that it was still light at 4 pm. Every year, I have that same moment of sudden realisation that it is not going to stay dark forever. 

:: Loving the snowdrops in my front garden. It is not peak snowdrop time yet, but soon

:: Sewing a pair of red wide leg denims. I loved making those, using a pattern I used before with minor adjustments. I remembered the clapper to help with reducing the bulk of fabric and got the buttonhole done on my second attempt. I call that a win.

:: Knitting socks. Because knitted socks are quick to make and as a project, very portable.

:: Admitting defeat at work, telling a colleague I can’t meet a deadline. I am really disappointed with myself but there is just not enough time in the day. 

:: Feeling nervous because I have to give a welcome address and two presentations at a symposium in Kuala Lumpur, on the day of my departure. Being a nervous traveler and a nervous public speaker, this gives me stomach upsets. Edit after returning… both talks, the welcome address and the return journey were smooth,

:: Catching up with an old friend I have not seen in 14 years. This was in Kuala Lumpur, where my friend now lives. We chatted so much, we forgot to take a selfie for our memories.

:: Enjoying Frankie the boisterous puppy. He has more energy than all the people in my family combined... 

:: Trying to get the two dogs used to each other… there is some progress but Frankie is just too rambunctious 

:: Feeling close to burnout. I got in touch with my line manager because I just have nothing much left to give. With one colleague on maternity leave, another signed off sick and a third moved on a different post, I am holding on by a thread. Travelling doesn’t help. While visiting exotic places for work sounds exciting, the reality is that it is tiring and essentially an add-on to the usual workload. 

:: Being grateful to have Richard who is always here for me.

That’s it all, I am done with January. Bring on February and better still, March! Thanks for visiting 😊