Return to Uni

 Tomorrow, my uni campus will reopen after five-and-a-half months. When it had closed at the start of spring, I was worried I would struggle as I had never worked from home before. My life revolved around the PhD room. Turns out working from home is not so bad. My bedroom, the house and the surrounding are quite pleasant. I bought a desk for my room just before we locked down, and now that decision seems like a no-brainer. I haven't been very productive workwise, but I have been in good health and good spirits. What more can one ask for?

I have realised I am a person of habits and routines so going back to university will doubtless entail a significant change in routine. No more cooking in a leisurely manner and I will have to plan my dishes based on what is easy to carry for lunch. I might have to forsake afternoon coffee that I have become quite used to and think of what to do with the excess milk. But, I don't think I am going to go back to my routine before lockdown, which had me in uni from 8 am to at least 6 pm. My bedroom has become more than just a place where I sleep and exercise. I am aiming for an easier pace of life with fewer hours spent working but achieving more within them.

Of course, all this depends on how long we stay open and whether I feel safe going. I might be back to working from home within a few weeks, in which case it will be just a much-needed change of scene. If the pandemic will teach us anything, it will be to become more flexible. 

Biryani Flop

 When I was at the Indian store last month, I came across two Pakistani Masala brands that are highly recommended. My heart leapt with relief as beginning to get worried that my masala stock might not be able to last until my next trip to India. Whenever that will be. Now, I wouldn't have to worry as I had access to masalas which might be better than the brand I  favour. It turns out the Pakistani brands are even more popular than I had imagined as I found them in Tesco the other day. I picked up a pack of the famous "Bombay Biryani Masala" and tried it today.

I bombed. The biryani turned out gloopy because I overcooked the rice. In terms of taste,  I wasn't impressed either. I had used just half a pack because I didn't use as much rice as the recipe suggested. But, even half the pack set the taps in my nose running. But, apart from the heat, the biryani tasted a little bland. Either I had screwed badly or y palate doesn't favour this particular masala brand, or both. In any case, I won't be attempting a biryani any time soon. 

Morning Routine

Over the past few months, I have slipped into a morning routine that is coordinated with my housemate's. His room is directly below mine, so I can hear him when he wakes. If I am not out of bed by the time he wakes up, which is most days. I lie in and wait for him to leave. We get along fine, but I am not a social person at the best of times, and I would rather him be out of the way as I do my morning routine. He has a sports car, and for some reason, he leaves the engine idling for a few minutes before he leaves. Sometimes, he starts the engine and comes back into the house to perform his ablution while it warms up. When I hear the thud of the door, followed by a change in the tenor of his engine's sound, I know he has left for the day. In recent days, I have become lazier, so I wait for the radio news bulletin, which plays every half hour, before I get out of bed.

After brushing my teeth, I make myself a morning cup of tea. As the tea bag soaks in the water, I put away the dishes drying on the rack. I was in the British habit of dipping the tea bag a few times and chunking, but have now realised that its a collosal waste of tea. So now, I try to have something keep me occupied so that I let it soak for a few minutes. Tea ready, I go upstairs to my room and sip it as I listen to a classical music channel on the radio while sitting cross-legged on the floor. Tea finished, I do eye exercises until loo time. And, then I am ready to work for an hour or so before exercising or doing yoga. After a quick shower, I have breakfast.  So, that's my morning routine during Covid Times. I wonder if it will change in the coming months and years.

Elbow/Shoulder pain

 I have decided to see a chiropractor, or osteopath, as they say here if my elbow and shoulder pain doesn't subside within a week. The pain started soon after I began an intense body-weight routine shortly after we locked down. It grew worse over the months, and eventually I had to take a break from upper-body exercises. I had known something was off for a long time because push-ups, which I am usually do quite comfortably, had become increasingly difficult. 

As a frugal guy, I have to constantly remind myself not to scrimp over food and health. I have tried various Youtube exercises to fix the pain, but they haven't worked. So, now its time to bite the bullet and see a professional. The pain is not unmanageable, but I hate not being able to exercise. I have been doing more cardio in the form of cycling and running, but its not the same. With summer nearly over, I should also get my shoulder in working order before the weather makes exercising outdoors more difficult. In one of her yoga videos, Adrienne casually mentioned her chiropractor. So, if a yoga queen like her needs a chiropractor to fix her, who am I to feel any shame in taking the help of a professional? Come to think of it, most athletes rely on professionals to make sure their bodies are in tip-top conditon. It won't hurt me to visit one once in a while

Form Over Substance

 As I was slogging over my PhD chapter today, it just occurred to me that I might be spending too much time making sure my writing "flows", and what I write reads well. Is that the journalist in me refusing to become an academic, prioritizing form over substance? Is this what is slowing me down? And, maybe I could work on the form later once I have the substantial part figured out? I don't know. One aspect of this issue is the philosophical debate about the relationship between form and substance. Does substance change when form changes and to what extent, etc. etc. But from a more practical perspective, ss someone who thinks through their writing, the act of typing, deleting, retyping and moving things around is central to my process. That is not just the way I write, it is also the way I think. At the risk of romanticizing academic writing, I do feel it is quite a bit like creative writing, as I wrote yesterday. On the other hand, maybe I shouldn't have a fixed idea about how I work, and be open to try new approaches. To try to leave sections unfinished when I am stuck, and move on to other sections. To my credit, I have been open to trying out new things more out of necessity than out of an openness of spirit. When you consistently miss every deadline, and the project's progress defies every expectation, it is probably essential to be flexible. And, the elephant in the room is of course the pandemic and how it is affecting me personally as well as my working style. 

The Work Habits of Creatives

 Something I have increasingly been wondering about is the work habits of creative people. Do they follow a routine or do they just coast along until inspiration seizes them, assuming, of course, that other responsibilities leave them enough time to do so? Since my work schedule has become increasingly erratic over the past weeks and since I am yet to be seized by inspiration, I would really like to know.  I am not pretending that writing a PhD thesis in the social sciences is an artistic endeavour. But, it is beginning to feel like it. And, a part of me hopes that it is because I am banking a lot on non-linear progress. I haven't been idle over the past five months--far from it. I can feel the wheels turning in my brain, but I have precious little to show for it in terms of actual output. I can only hope that the level is rising on the other side of the dam (which I cannot see) and words will burst forth one day. It must, because my meandering cannot go on forever. Either inspiration will seize me or frustration will. And, maybe, just maybe, frustration can trigger inspiration. On the plus side, I am able to prevent dud days from getting me down. Most ambitious projects are leaps of faith, especially when one is sequestered by oneself in the middle of a global crisis. At such times, it is only reasonable to lean on faith more than one ordinarily would. Because there is not much else to lean on. 

I Enjoy

This evening, I dug into Yoga with Adrienne folder on my computer and decided to do a session I hadn't done in years. The session I picked was titled 'I Enjoy'. On days like today, when I felt like I was standing in a cloud of dust thrown up by my wheels spinning in place, it was just what I needed. I am trying to make a conscious effort to enjoy my PhD. The chief obstacles to my enjoyment are the scale of the task, which still feels momentous, and the pace of progress, which feels sedate. I am trying to put these perceptions out of my mind and rediscover my curiosity and wonder about my topic. Despite missing every deadline I have set myself for the past six months, I haven't grown sick of my topic. I still find it intriguing, which I suppose is an encouraging sign. So, I took particular comfort from Adriene's words towards the close of the session--" All we can do is do our best and try to enjoy". I am fairly confident that I am following the first part of that statement, so all I need to do is work in the second part.

I have managed to keep myself in good spirits so far, of which I am proud.