What I’m up to
Lots of time with family.
We’ve spent the last few days in Carlisle, PA with Paul’s brother’s family, including my niece E whom I hadn’t seen since she was a newborn. We were lucky enough to be there for her second birthday party, and it was delightful! I really love my in-laws.
We started packing for our return to Taiwan. Notable items we purchased: shoes, a box of Rice Krispies, an upholstery vacuum, a CarPlay unit for the Prius, a variety of OTC medication, deodorant, swimsuits, a package of corn tortillas, stacks of books.
We head back this Friday. I have experienced fleeting pangs of homesickness, but mostly the summer has gone by so quickly there hasn’t been time to feel homesick at all. What I look forward to the most: my bed, my bathroom, Taiwan prices, driving the new car.
What I’m NOT looking forward to: the heat, unpacking, the transition back to work mode. I am looking forward to work, just not the in-between.
What I’m reading
Pretty much every spare moment, I’m reading for grad school. So far I’ve been able to get every assignment in comfortably early, but it is REALLY hard to keep up with the reading.
I finally finished Outline by Rachel Cusk. (I do not think I’m going to meet my reading goal this year!) This was a unique read — it’s pretty much a series of interactions between the narrator (a woman teaching a writing class in Athens) and the people she encounters. The narrator is characterized primarily by the way she tells other people’s stories. It’s the kind of book that inspires me to write. I’ve already borrowed the next in the trilogy, Transit.
I’m also listening to Clytemnestra by Constanza Casati, based on some recommendations on Threads (←mixed feelings). I love Circe, so I’m trying to have reasonable expectations.
What I’m thinking about
Compartmentalization.
I have pretty much been alternating between hanging out with people and working on grad school classes all summer. As I mentioned, I’ve barely read a book for pleasure. I have watched maybe a total of 10 minutes of TV (The Witcher… but I did download the entire second season of The Bear to watch on the plane).
And… I have not been checking work email.
When I’m on summer break, I feel so far away from work. It’s a good thing — I definitely need the mental break! — but it makes it scary to go back even though experience has taught me that once I’m back, it’s not too difficult to slip back into normal life.
I am a little nervous about having to juggle my various responsibilities this coming year: my new job at the library, teaching two classes each semester (one of which is new), taking two grad classes each semester, continuing Chinese class, and… you know, life.
I wrote above that I’m not looking forward to the transition back to school, but rereading what I’ve written so far, it’s clear I’m already mid-transition. I think that’s good?
What I’m learning
The big bummer about taking these condensed courses over the summer is there’s so much content, I really feel like I’m cramming (rather than thoughtfully processing). Right now, I’m learning about research ethics as well as knowledge organization systems, but trying to get everything done as fast as I can (so I don’t appear anti-social!) means I am not retaining as much as I’d like.
For one of my classes, I have to keep a log on my personal “information interactions” for two weeks. Things I’ve noticed so far — I Google a lot. I also rely on mental notes often (instead of saving information or writing it down). I think in real life, I also buzz through things and don’t retain as much as I’d like.
So… maybe it’s not just my lack of time that has me processing grad school the way I am; maybe it’s just how I operate.
One tip I encountered that’s helpful: approaching note-taking not so much as recording main ideas, but as planning talking points. The idea is to formulate how you’ll talk about the content or apply the ideas while/after reading, rather than just summarizing. I think this is helpful for school, but also for life (e.g. this book is interesting; how can I write about it in my newsletter?).
What I’m digging
My new Owala FreeSip water bottle. Super digging the weird straw set-up. It’s a great bottle to drink from while lying prone haha.
I fell down the rabbit hole of drugstore dupe TikTok, and I thought I’d share my favorite (US) drug store essentials - essentials meaning I restock pretty much every time I come back: Milani Baked Blush (US), Physicians Formula Murmur Butter Bronzer (US), NYX Tinted Brow Mascara, NYX Color Correcting Palette.
Grammy and Lucy made beignets this morning. I’m definitely digging that.
Forest green. I’m suddenly drawn to the color.
What I saved
This soy-marinated egg recipe looks delicious and easy (Tiffy Cooks)
My fav Ted Chiang on AI (Vanity Fair)
I appreciated this sermon, given by the Moderator of the General Assembly at the Presentation of the Royal Honours of Scotland.
Until next week,
Kate
Enjoy the rest of your time there in U.S. 😍
I hope that you are finding time to rest as well.
I’m definitely going to try the soy marinated eggs! I do miss those from Taiwan!