It has been a hate relationship with my MS Word formatting, APAs and EndNotes for quite sometime. Now, it's official. I have to come to 'heart' doing all of them. Just paid focused attention to each and everyone of them in order to understand them really well
That took a total of 2-3 weeks of focused attention, then more
Wk 1: My EN + APA started to make more sense while spending quality time over at my BFF's place. Quality time = girl-talkin' at the beach, at her apartment with her loveliest kids, Raylai and Avi; teacher-talking and more ghorl-talkin' while doing our daily morning walks. Our conversations would sometimes start before we went to bed then we'd wake up about 3am to talk shortly. Fun, tears and laughter in between. We talked lots about her school, my research, our life questions, our troubles & worries, our future projects, our families, our marriages, probably some days of the future past. That was really great catch up time given the constant viber exchanges we've had since my Toowoomba months and days. So much love in the air surrounding us all--the positivity benefitted me, MY Endnotes and MY APAs.
Then of course, I enjoyed the uber-self-contained space. Did my version of simple breakfast and minimalist cooking which the kids easily fell for - scrambled eggs with seaweed, Vietnamese pasta with fried fish tofu, grilled cheese sandwich with seaweed, fried egg with cheese & seaweed on top.
Wks 2-3: The Corona is getting really Covid - sounds like morbid = so real. There was news of 3 deaths in my extended circle. After 1 RWLeague, 1 PGECR Zoom and 1 Consultation on my auto-ethnography came sadder news. My Uncle Vic and Aunt Mila were diagnosed with the virus, with my Uncle being at his worst situation. My Tita Ely (motherside) in the meantime had to be admitted in the hospital and being treated as a possible PUI. Those few days felt quite uncertain. One early morning, the certainty came- my Uncle Vic passed on.
In the meantime, U.P. sent out news of a Professor who likewise passed on. Then a memo - travel ban was in place.
These times, hard to think really. Last year with all the meaningful noise on climate change, then the Taal eruption start of 2020, I was most certain that our generation will be wiped out due to some major natural catastrophe happening one after the other at different regions of the world. I didn't see this pandemic coming at all.
I could no longer hold on to the joy I've felt being with my best friend. It was being chipped away one by one since the lockdown and my Toowoomba trip cancellation... gone were my plans of seeing my housemates, Lolita and Catherine. In a matter of days, the lockdown has become Luzon-wide, that included where my family was.
I paused to thank the Lord as my Miranda reached our home before the lockdown.
Wk 4: While my husband busied himself with securing our food stocks and actually cooking more rice meals, I proceed with chapter edits based on Dr Redmond's feedback.
I paused to thank the Lord for the approval of my extended study and for the funds finally transferred (USQ census date) and an email from Leonie which came on a Sunday. Oh my, that was precious weekend time it made me cry.
Wk 5: I distracted myself with finding ways to access and play with MS Teams so I can recommend its how to's. I reviewed the Techtorials on MS Word styles and creating tables while befriending my daughter's choice of music = Harry Style's 'Falling' song. It goes with my finally falling in love with the idea of my List of tables and figures FINALLY working. I so get my APAs, thanks to Tricia and Emma. I've started to imagine helping any researcher learn those tricks.
I paused to thank the Lord for little things which keep me going.
Wk 6, end of Easter break - I am overwhelmed with tears. Amidst reviewing my viber chats with my BFF, finally getting over my uncle's death and learning that my Aunt's xrays have cleared with her trial meds finally working, and a new Lazo babe forthcoming, there was so much more to be thankful for.
Just when I noticed I'd stop talking to God (yep, I do that when I'm upset with Him), I was reminded of God's ways and my best memories pre-Covid. Let me list thy ways:
> my best sojourn at Toowoomba
> a trip in the planning for the nth time which finally happened
> a Siargao island surprise
> my 2019 VIPs
> my 20th wedding anniversary by the beach
> my 20th wedding anniversary at U.P. chapel
> Collaboratiore 2020
And now, newer memories:
> new research ideas brewing
> trying out new cake recipes
> paying attention to Zoom voices and accents
> getting to know my own family as housemates, haha: living with Mauro's moodiness and great hairdo, loving Miranda's muscle building and breadmaking, enjoying Vic's enjoyment of online classes -- most of all, gigil-mammal time :)
Amen to that!
That took a total of 2-3 weeks of focused attention, then more
Wk 1: My EN + APA started to make more sense while spending quality time over at my BFF's place. Quality time = girl-talkin' at the beach, at her apartment with her loveliest kids, Raylai and Avi; teacher-talking and more ghorl-talkin' while doing our daily morning walks. Our conversations would sometimes start before we went to bed then we'd wake up about 3am to talk shortly. Fun, tears and laughter in between. We talked lots about her school, my research, our life questions, our troubles & worries, our future projects, our families, our marriages, probably some days of the future past. That was really great catch up time given the constant viber exchanges we've had since my Toowoomba months and days. So much love in the air surrounding us all--the positivity benefitted me, MY Endnotes and MY APAs.
Then of course, I enjoyed the uber-self-contained space. Did my version of simple breakfast and minimalist cooking which the kids easily fell for - scrambled eggs with seaweed, Vietnamese pasta with fried fish tofu, grilled cheese sandwich with seaweed, fried egg with cheese & seaweed on top.
Wks 2-3: The Corona is getting really Covid - sounds like morbid = so real. There was news of 3 deaths in my extended circle. After 1 RWLeague, 1 PGECR Zoom and 1 Consultation on my auto-ethnography came sadder news. My Uncle Vic and Aunt Mila were diagnosed with the virus, with my Uncle being at his worst situation. My Tita Ely (motherside) in the meantime had to be admitted in the hospital and being treated as a possible PUI. Those few days felt quite uncertain. One early morning, the certainty came- my Uncle Vic passed on.
In the meantime, U.P. sent out news of a Professor who likewise passed on. Then a memo - travel ban was in place.
These times, hard to think really. Last year with all the meaningful noise on climate change, then the Taal eruption start of 2020, I was most certain that our generation will be wiped out due to some major natural catastrophe happening one after the other at different regions of the world. I didn't see this pandemic coming at all.
I could no longer hold on to the joy I've felt being with my best friend. It was being chipped away one by one since the lockdown and my Toowoomba trip cancellation... gone were my plans of seeing my housemates, Lolita and Catherine. In a matter of days, the lockdown has become Luzon-wide, that included where my family was.
I paused to thank the Lord as my Miranda reached our home before the lockdown.
Wk 4: While my husband busied himself with securing our food stocks and actually cooking more rice meals, I proceed with chapter edits based on Dr Redmond's feedback.
I paused to thank the Lord for the approval of my extended study and for the funds finally transferred (USQ census date) and an email from Leonie which came on a Sunday. Oh my, that was precious weekend time it made me cry.
Wk 5: I distracted myself with finding ways to access and play with MS Teams so I can recommend its how to's. I reviewed the Techtorials on MS Word styles and creating tables while befriending my daughter's choice of music = Harry Style's 'Falling' song. It goes with my finally falling in love with the idea of my List of tables and figures FINALLY working. I so get my APAs, thanks to Tricia and Emma. I've started to imagine helping any researcher learn those tricks.
I paused to thank the Lord for little things which keep me going.
Wk 6, end of Easter break - I am overwhelmed with tears. Amidst reviewing my viber chats with my BFF, finally getting over my uncle's death and learning that my Aunt's xrays have cleared with her trial meds finally working, and a new Lazo babe forthcoming, there was so much more to be thankful for.
Just when I noticed I'd stop talking to God (yep, I do that when I'm upset with Him), I was reminded of God's ways and my best memories pre-Covid. Let me list thy ways:
> my best sojourn at Toowoomba
> a trip in the planning for the nth time which finally happened
> a Siargao island surprise
> my 2019 VIPs
> my 20th wedding anniversary by the beach
> my 20th wedding anniversary at U.P. chapel
> Collaboratiore 2020
And now, newer memories:
> new research ideas brewing
> trying out new cake recipes
> paying attention to Zoom voices and accents
> getting to know my own family as housemates, haha: living with Mauro's moodiness and great hairdo, loving Miranda's muscle building and breadmaking, enjoying Vic's enjoyment of online classes -- most of all, gigil-mammal time :)
Amen to that!
