In the last few days of 2013, I introspected on how the year had treated me and imagined a conversation with 2014.
Me: Went on unforgettable trips to Bombay and Dubai, survived CELTA, switched careers, lived in Europe for nearly two months, spent the best ten days ever in Germany, started teaching, was gifted a mountain bike for my birthday, had seven articles published, started running, ran two 10K races... let's see you top that, 2014!
What I imagined 2014 to have said: Challenge accepted.
What 2014 actually said: Bugger off, you twit.
Sigh.
I've been completely brain dead since mid-December, so much so that I've had to shamelessly delay writing my annual resolutions post, which sucks. Two jobs that took up 11-12 hours a day left my mind and sometimes my spirit in shambles at the end of the work week. Thankfully, I get both Friday and Saturday off. I've a new found respect for single parents that work long, grueling hours to support their children.
Why am I working two jobs, you ask in bewilderment? It was just to see if I could handle it. The first is just a temporary one that I'll be done with in 11 days. Hallelujah!
The other's a part-time teaching stint at a language institute. I taught a six-week course that ended less than two weeks ago and I loved it. I've realized that teaching English is a lot about give and take, if you allow it. I learnt so much about my students' cultures, countries, customs and traditions. They loved talking about food and we'd feel so ravenous at the end of class!
The only other interesting thing that happened since this year began is an injury which resulted in my right index finger getting swathed in an over-sized bandage for a week.
What happened, you ask out of idle curiosity? I was blending some meat and some of it got stuck in the blade. So I popped my finger in to dislodge it. Meanwhile, my left thumb suddenly developed a mind of its own and pressed the power button on the blender... while my finger was still in.
Quite a bit of blood sprayed around the kitchen and we might have consumed some that night. My finger however, is firmly attached to the rest of me. I am truly blessed.
My bike is perhaps my most treasured possession right now. I'd been planning to buy one for some time but the purchase was delayed when I traveled. My friends amongst the Q8FootSoldiers gifted it to me (and right in time, I had a meeting planned with a seller the same weekend!). My parents weren't happy at the prospect of me sharing street space with the psychopaths here but since I don't care for cycling amidst the traffic either, I mitigated their fears with the promise of either cycling early in the morning or with friends. The mother said she was glad I didn't tell my friends I want a dog.
I didn't meet many of my resolutions for 2013. And I don't feel the drive to even keep any for 2014. I made a list that I misplaced and I don't really care about finding it.
It's been ages since I wrote the last Deutschland Diaries post and Day 3 has been saved as a draft for over two months. I do intend to continue it, so stay tuned. There'll probably be a long overdue audit first.
