Also alliteration. For those moments when you feel like sounding a bit pompous. Let’s review my 12 before 24 goals.
1. Regain some of my old swimming skills. I feel a bit incompetent in the pool nowadays, and also like I will probably drown if I have to swim more than a hundred metres or so.
So I swam fairly frequently in Tanzania due to going to the pool at the weekend kind of being a thing, but I haven’t really kept it up in England or Canada. Well, maybe I’ll figure it out later. I’ll just keep getting buff so hopefully that will help. Or does buffness sink?
Hogging all the buff
2. Keep up a daily skin/body regimen so that I don’t end up with terrible skin when I’m older (my mum says that she regrets not keeping hers up)
I realise now that I may have implied that mum’s skin is terrible, which it isn’t. I am a bad daughter. I’ve been making sure to clean my face with hot water before bed, and to moisturise before going out. I guess that’s pretty much it. And I do fancy exfoliation with this apricot jazz in the shower.
Tea is apparently good for your skin
3. Learn how to French braid
I genuinely tried this one. But I’m just not coordinated. I need to keep practising.
So bad at braids. It just looks wrong in the mirror and I freak out and take it all out.
5. Finish my thesis and defence on time (that goes without saying really)
It’s going OK, but I would really like to print out these transcripts. But I also don’t know whether printing out 400+ pages is ultimately going to be productive for me.
Thesis dog
7. Manage my money more prudently (I need to start some way other than the “in my head system”)
The in-my-head-system has been upgraded. Sort of. I’m just trying to spend no money on as many days as possible. So far, this is working fairly well, but my grant went down and my rent went up. But I’m moving back to my parents’ for at least the winter (January-April). So I’ll be able to save and pay some money off my credit card (thanks, grad school).
8. Work on getting better in MMA – groundwork and standing, and hopefully participate in a tournament of some sort (note: the goal can be met by scheduling participation even if it comes after my 24th birthday)
I’ve been going more and more frequently, and spending more time in jiu jitsu classes. I’m getting a bit better at grappling and rolling. My friend told me I need to be more aggressive so that’s what I’m trying. When I rolled with him again, he said that aspect was definitely showing improvement. YES.
Totally goes down like this. I of course can do flips. And am southpaw.
9. Learn to knit properly, rather than lumpy, too-short scarves. I want to make nice things!
I haven’t really had the time to pick up my stuff but I will at least look before Friday oh god oh god oh god.
10. Draw or paint a picture every day. I want to get better.
I really hope doodling counts. I am trying. I don’t know if I’m getting better. But I have to remember it’s just a hobby.
a connoisseur looking at my latest “draw something”
11. Make sushi again and don’t fail so miserably at it this time.
I did try to make sushi in Tanzania but it didn’t work out. I don’t want to talk about it.
12. Create a family album using all the photos my mum has saved up, plus more current ones I will take.
Going to try to maybe do it on Friday (my birthday) when I’m home. I know mum and dad have been sorting the photos. Maybe I’ll find more cute pics of child-me.
Maybe something like this
Also I think number 6 disappeared in the void. Sorry breadmaking.
So I woke up at 8 on Saturday morning, and realised I had a little bit of extra time to sleep. Then I slept in until 11. I guess the sleep issue is solved, but how, body? How? So I missed the gym… I feel pretty strongly about it.
Nothing much else to announce really, other than how supremely annoyed with myself I am. ..
The other day we went on sort of a ‘road trip’ to observe processes at the kitchen. In usual Tanzanian fashion, we didn’t actually watch them make yoghurt, but instead, we asked them about how they did it, though at one of the kitchens, I instead sat outside and washed dishes for a bit, then I listened to the Mamas and tried to understand what they were saying, though sometimes it’s hard and feels awkward when they start to laugh and you have no idea what they’re laughing about. I also scheduled two sets of interviews (which I’ve done – more on this later) for the same day, and I hope that it won’t be too difficult to do it all.
Goats at one of the kitchens
I also added some daladalas to my collection (click to make bigger):
Finally got “THE TALENT”, though it changed a bit and has the Whitedent ad on it.
Another “Hunting Dog” daladala- there are many of these, and the crowning jewel is the one that says “DOGGY STYLE” on the side. I must capture it.
After we finished, we saw the puppies and worried a little that one was missing. I finally took a photo of them. The mother started to wake up, so we dashed back inside. I cleaned my room for a bit and finally found my 3DS charger, so I can charge it and play games, though I was advised against using a voltage adapter, I have been craving a Fire Emblem session for a while.
We went to the gym again and I did intervals, since I didn’t see Daoda. My intervals were as follows:
20 jump squats, 25 press ups, 20 doubled up knee to chest, 40 elbow-sit-ups
5 minutes shadow-boxing
1 minute plank, 30 seconds side plank (left), 30 seconds side plank (right), 20 regular sit-ups, 10 side crunches (left), 10 side crunches (right)
5 minutes bag work
1 minute plank, 30 seconds side plank (left), 30 seconds side plank (right), 40 elbow-sit-ups, 20 side crunches (left), 20 side crunches (right), 40 “rowing” exercises (feet up in crunch position, hands moving from floor on left side to floor on right side), 20 Superman, 20 sit ups
Stretch out
The only thing I forgot to do was jumping lunges, but today I’ll do them. If I don’t see Daoda I’ll do a similar plan; though I did end up seeing him and we had a good time doing padwork and practising elbows, which Daoda is much better at than me.
In September
As for an update on my 12 before 24, since this post seems to be made of lists:
Swimming here is a bit expensive (10,000tsh/$6.20 each time) but after doing more laps I feel a bit more confident. I had a really vivid dream the other night about exploring a vast, clear ocean, wearing only some sort of ‘breathing suit’. The water was so clear, and the plant life and corals so beautiful, but like all dreams before I wake up, I became a bit afraid. There was something sinister as I went further in the ocean. The plant life diminished and the bottom was a dark, rich sand. Then somehow the bottom started to drop out, and then I went deeper into the darker parts of the ocean, until after going through some sort of cave, I emerged in another area of clear, bright water. Then I woke up. This sort of dream makes me want to try scuba-diving so I can explore the ocean, but I hear it’s quite dangerous and fairly expensive.
Daily skin/body regimen: wash face with just hot water on a cloth, use thicker moisturiser for face. Use moisturiser on arms and feet (put on socks). Suncream on all exposed areas, face suncream for face. At night, shower and wash face with face-wash, then repeat morning routine but with lighter moisturiser for face at night.
I’ve been trying to French braid, but it’s hard. I need to find a good tutorial online.
Haven’t baked any bread here yet, due to lack of pan and inconsistency of oven temperature. May give it a go if I find a decent bread pan for a decent price.
Working on my literature review for my thesis even more so. Hopefully going to get it done.
Have pursued some avenues for PhD work, but haven’t scheduled any appointments for August.
I only take out a certain amount of money (20,000tsh/$12.40) every day unless I plan to make a larger purchase. It also means that if someone tries to rob me, I won’t give them everything I have.
I’m working on maintaining my strength here, but I won’t have a proper place to train at least until August. I’ve found a gym about 8 miles from my Nan’s house, but I need to see about getting a bicycle there in order to travel. Must inquire with cousins.
I will try to start the knitting thing when I get to the UK, since people here don’t seem to knit as much as they make their own clothes through sewing. It’s a bit hot for wool clothing.
I’ve been doodling every day, but I don’t have anything worth showing off yet. I have to make more of an effort to put these drawings in my sketchbook. I’m also trying to write one page of creative writing every day, but I can’t find my notebook for that currently, so I’m doing that on the computer.
There isn’t any saltwater fish around here, since it’s a lake, and I’m too scared of parasites to make sushi here. Reserving it until August or September.
I’m trying to keep my photographs well organised on my computer so mum and I can make this album come September when we’re back home.
My utter surprise at how productive I’m being
As for the interviews I did two, both out by Nyakato, which is a fairly large area in Mwanza – there’s Nyakato Gedeli, Nyakato National (where all the daladalas stop), Nyakato Mecco, and so on. The first kitchen we went to wasn’t very far from National, so we just walked. Then we had to wait, since one of the people wasn’t there, and they didn’t want to talk without him. So we waited for him, and the delivery van for the probiotic came, and if we’d started on time, we could have had a ride to the next kitchen, but we didn’t, but it didn’t turn out to be so bad in the end. After that interview finished, we walked back to National and had a phenomenal chipsi mayai by the Buswelu stand. They cut the vegetables fresh in front of us – carrots, peppers, and onions. In order to get out to Buswelu for the next interview, we took a bajaji, or a sort of weird three-wheeled motorcycle thing. It costs 500tsh/person ($0.30), compared with about 400tsh ($0.25) for a daladala (though that’s for distances under 10km). It doesn’t take that long, and it’s fairly comfortable, though each bajaji takes four passengers. The bajaji on the way back didn’t have doors on the back though, so I asked him to drive more slowly, to little effect.
Bajaji driving
I’ve been looking at all my photos and videos I have on my computer and missing everyone terribly. This is the part where I write about everything I’m missing, and it sounds a bit like I’m complaining, but It’s nice to reminisce though…
Like this video of Brutus who I miss so much (and Artie too!). I miss having a cat around. And I haven’t seen the cat at Protas Shop for weeks…
the pair
Cat in a jean jacket! (the older, wiser Emily’s cat)
I miss seeing my friends on short notice and having a good time playing games or going out or harassing their cats… I’m glad I’ll see them again in the autumn, though I’m going to miss seeing them in the summer. Summer times are the best. I mean how can I take bad instagrams of flowers in mum and dad’s garden if I’m here??
I also miss hanging out with my friend Kate and all of our weird and fun and amazing adventures. I miss cooking with her and nearly burning her apartment down because her oven is a death trap and going out on long walks and watching TV shows together and playing with her cats.. I found this video we made during Nuit Blanche:
Or of playing with Aggie, one of her beautiful and amazing cats
I miss doing MMA or kickboxing or Muay Thai with my bffs in Toronto and at my new gym. I miss going for hangover dim sum with them and spending the whole day faffing about downtown and generally not getting a whole lot done, just wandering about.
The best part of hangover dim sum – tapioca pearls with melon and strawberry, with condensed milk and sweet syrup poured over. The grass jelly version is also good.
One of the buddies in question
I miss the skyline too:
I’m also missing going to art galleries and spending a large part of the day staring at paintings or chairs or sculptures or whatever and even just looking at buildings and architecture and stuff (all below from Chicago).
Speaking of Chicago, I miss these pastries:
Pastry pile from Sofitel
Or even just this ridiculous macaron thing from Nadège in Toronto:
I suppose I could try making them myself but the oven temperature is irregular even though I have attempted to fix it…
I guess one of the last things I miss the most doing is cycling and fixing bikes. Since I only have about a month left, it’s not worth spending over a hundred thousand shillings on buying a bicycle, but I miss riding so much. The ride on Ukerwere was nice but I just miss riding every day. “A bicycle is freedom” – Ray, my old landlord said that to me once, and it’s stuck with me ever since.
Fixin’ bikes. I also miss having really long nails, but I had to cut them really short for MMA. The item in the photo is a brake pad so badly worn down it’s basically metal.
One of my babies
Anyways I should get back to work – I’m at the hotel using their wifi, which is much better.
Talking to Kate, my invisible bbbbffff, who is leaving today, to my utmost and greatest sadness in that I didn’t get to spend more time with her, I learned that she had obtained her amazing French braiding technique from one of her “24 before 24” goals. I realised I’d forgotten to make some goals on (our) birthday in November, and now that the year’s half done, I decided that I should at least do some goals. So I chose to do 12. Firstly because I’m a 12 year old in an adult body, and secondly because I only have half of the time left. So without further ado, 12 before 24:
1. Regain some of my old swimming skills. I feel a bit incompetent in the pool nowadays, and also like I will probably drown if I have to swim more than a hundred metres or so.
Approximation of how I swim
2. Keep up a daily skin/body regimen so that I don’t end up with terrible skin when I’m older (my mum says that she regrets not keeping hers up)
Gotta keep that uniform paleness
3. Learn how to French braid (sorry Kate, I’m stealing this one).
I am terrible at braids…
4. Bake my own bread rather than buying it. I bought yeast and then I never used it, but I am certain that I can bake bread without too much suffering.
So I can make more ridiculous cheese boards because I’m a total effing glutton
5. Finish my thesis and defence on time (that goes without saying really)
Better get to it
6. Find and get into a PhD program of my choosing
My application process. Looking at cat videos. Obvs.
7. Manage my money more prudently (I need to start some way other than the “in my head system”)
Face of prudence, i.e. “Don’t get upsold on the guacamole agaiin!”
8. Work on getting better in MMA – groundwork and standing, and hopefully participate in a tournament of some sort (note: the goal can be met by scheduling participation even if it comes after my 24th birthday)
Breaking plates comes into it (not)
9. Learn to knit properly, rather than lumpy, too-short scarves. I want to make nice things!
Hopefully knitting sweet Christmas sweaters
10. Draw or paint a picture every day. I want to get better.
Dance doesn’t count
11. Make sushi again and don’t fail so miserably at it this time.
Not necessarily this type.
12. Create a family album using all the photos my mum has saved up, plus more current ones I will take.
Anyways, I hope it will be successful.
Ta ta for now,
Tanzania updates later, LA posts also. I swear. :<