Exciting things happened.

So, just as I'm settling down in my flat, I'm getting ready to leave again.

Some context might be relevant: This time four years ago, I was cobbling together mind-maps and flowcharts for my final university exams, sellotaping notes to the walls of my damp-ridden room, memorising pre-planned essays, and quietly putting to the back of my mind the fact that I wasn't quite sure what relevance any of it might have to my future. 

Three years and nine months ago, I stepped down from a stage in an echoey hall, holding my diploma in my sweaty hand, letting it awkwardly flap between my hands as I applauded the next person behind me and wondered if they had any more clue than I did.

Three years ago I moved abroad, and for the first time discovered the joy of speaking languages, of communicating across barriers, of learning the similarities and differences between cultures, and navigating politics, economics and manners in a totally new environment.

 Two years ago I Googled "international relations masters degree".

Six months ago I narrowed down a list of about twenty universities down to four, and emailed my old professors to ask: did they remember the girl with the ever-changing hair colours? and would they mind writing her a reference?

Three months ago I was agonising over the wording of the final draft of my personal statement. Is the word "passion" clichéd? Did I spend too many sentences on hobbies?

One week ago, I got the last of the responses from my four chosen programmes. I'd been accepted to three of them, and waitlisted at one (the result of wasting too much time fussing about with the minutiae of the application essay, and getting it in a month later than planned as a result. Don't do this.) 

Today I chose one of those programmes, and sent in my acceptance form. 

This September, I will be moving to The Hague for two years, for an MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy.

Guess I'd better start learning Dutch.

Exciting things are happening

News coming soon...

Weekend Frolics Photodiary: Glasgow

A couple of weeks ago, I ended up on an impromptu 24-hour trip to Glasgow. The city's been on my radar for some time now - I've been to Edinburgh a couple of times, but I've heard Glasgow is often considered the better option for museums, arts and character. I'm not sure if I would have got round to visiting if not for various coincidences, but I'm glad I ended up there, if only for a day. I don't feel like I got enough exploration in to make any extended comments on the place, but I thought I'd share some photos and a few thoughts! That's all.

The Pot Still - local pub famous for its massive whisky collection. I'm not a big whisky drinker, but the beautiful range on offer just begs you to try it. I ended up with something smoky and...mossy? I don't know how to describe things.

Botanical gardens. Featuring a fun carnivorous plant section (did not get to see anyone be eaten by plants). 

Hillhead Bookclub - a bar/cafe/vintage shop in the West End. Mouthwatering menu. Just on the right side of hipster.

Kelvingrove Museum - beautiful lobby (where we managed to catch a free organ concert), some interesting niches of local and international art.

Hanging from the roof of the museum. Good for photo ops.

Very important Scottish cultural product. Not a proper trip without. 

First thing that happened when I got out of the airport was a guy at the taxi rank cracking a joke at me. Last thing I saw before I went back to the airport was this. Apart from the wideness of the roads and the colour of the stone, the humour is probably the thing that sticks with you the most.

See you for another frolic soon!

My 2017 Cooking Challenge

Everything is basically a muscle. Your heart is a muscle. Your legs are a muscle. That table over there is a muscle...

No, I've lost what I was trying to say here.

Let's start again. As far as I can tell, everything is a muscle, in that you have to practice again and again, and the more you practice, the easier it gets to work it. I've found this to be true with learning Japanese, making sure I read every day, and of course working out....unfortunately, not all of these are things I've continued to do. It takes so much time to make the habit, which eventually becomes easy and natural - but allow yourself to fall out of the habit and it's suddenly as hard as it was at the beginning. It's like sweating and puffing your way through climbing up a mountain, and then sliding all the way back down on your arse.

Cooking is one of these habits for me. While living in Japan I got very used to cooking frequently, especially in bulk. But moving into a new flat with a tiny kitchen, with no radiator, in the middle of January, does not exactly inspire me. I want to be curled up in my bed with takeout, not huddled over a stove in a hoodie. Moving to a new city with loads of cutesy restaurants doesn't really help either. I've become more reliant on cafes for food - especially lunches - and it's having a bearing on my wallet and my waistline.

With that in mind, I've set myself a challenge. I will select 10 new recipes to try every month. I thought about making all these recipes healthy, but to be honest it's not my priority right now. My priority is to find joy in cooking and eating homemade food again. I'd also like to improve my basic skills - I'm not a bad cook by any means, but I could just get a little bit cleaner and more efficient with things like knife skills.

For the record, here's my first recipe. It's sort-of based on fettucine alfredo but mainly based on the fact that I love pasta and nutmeg. It was simple but went very well, and will definitely be a staple in my future comfort-eating regimen. It also turned out to be one of those recipes that gets better the day after you make it - the sauce thickens overnight and clings to the pasta all the more. Not diet-friendly, but very definitely me-friendly. I made it just before going to bed, so I will name it:

Delicious Creamy Midnight Pasta

Ingredients:
200g pasta
400ml tub of single cream
A big ol' slice of butter (50-100g)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
A generous knob of parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Boil the pasta in one saucepan, melt the butter at a medium-low heat in another.

2) Add cream, and nutmeg, grate in parmesan. Cook the sauce for the same time as the pasta, stirring frequently, and adding salt, pepper and more of the nutmeg and parmesan to taste.

3) Oh...that's it. Enjoy hot or cold.

I will endeavour to update in May with how the cooking challenge is going, and showing you my favourite recipes of the month. Maybe some of them will even be healthy!