October Fun

Happy Autumn, everyone! I’ve been pretty busy with TAing two classes, taking two full classes and two seminars, on top of my research stuff and traveling to see S and family (who are all two hours away… sigh). But I’ve also managed to enjoy autumn a bit. Here’s a little bit of what I did:

My bunt cake!

I’m not a big cool weather person, but there are a few things about the fall season that I love, including PUMPKINS! My mother knows how much I love pumpkins and baking, but as a grad student she knows I don’t have much time to bake these days, so she sent me an amazing care package…

Thanks Mom!

 

… That included spice cake mix and cans of pumpkin puree! I’m so into this recipe: add a can of pumpkin puree to cake mix and, ta-da, you have pumpkin spice cake. I made a bunt cake out of one batch, and I can’t wait to make some cupcakes soon.

I’ve also been doing a bit of shopping. I noticed that vests have been really popular up here in New England since forever, and so I finally caved and got one:

Along the CT coastline!

There was a great sale at Gap last weekend ($20 for vests that usually cost $50), so I splurged and I’m so happy did. I’m love how my vest keep my core warm! It makes romping around in the leaves, or hanging out by the wind-chilled coastline, so much more pleasant.

Climbing up Long Mountain!

 I’m also very lucky to TA a geologic mapping class. It’s so much fun to have my job be adventuring around the Pioneer Valley’s mountains, especially with the foliage being so colorful these past few weeks.

Me with my pumpkin spice latte!

And, of course, I had my first pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks this weekend while I graded homework. And I was so snug and content in my sparkly scarf from Damascus. I can’t believe it’s been over six years since my trip to Syria. I wish I could go back so much.

Well, it’s been a whirlwind adventure learning how to be a grad student. More news on that to follow, I promise. Meanwhile, enjoy autumn where ever you are! Even if the air isn’t cool and crisp, maybe you can sip a pumpkin spice latte!

Ayn al-Shir: The Evil Eye

Happy Tuesday! It’s a beautiful autumn day up here in New England. I hope to get out and enjoy it a little bit between running errands around campus!

Anyway, on top of leading my first class ever, and spending about two hours on one question of my civil engineering homework, I drank coffee way too late in the day and now I can’t seem to fall asleep. The idea of doing more work right now seems cruel and unusual, so I figure I’ll write a post on one of my favorite superstitions in Arabic culture…

The eye! Al-ayn!

Maybe you’ve seen it before, because it’s also in Greek and Turkish culture too. Anyway, the ayn is a fascinating phenomenon because it explains so much about the culture while it also has a dual-meaning of being both lucky and unlucky simultaneously.

If anyone would like to comment with their own opinion on the ayn, feel free, but here’s my understanding: the idea behind the ayn is that every person wants a lot of things that they don’t have yet. Which makes sense! I know I’m definitely in that boat. I want multiple degrees, a satisfying and challenging career, and a family, which is not easy to pull off. So, the idea expands on that theory to say that a person who wants what they don’t have will look to someone who already has that stuff and get jealous. Like, I might see a hydrogeologist and want their career! The theory behind the ayn continues to suggest that a person’s desire or jealousy can create bad luck for the person who already has it all.

Now, I would hate the idea of creating bad luck for someone who is five years ahead of me in terms of life goals, which is why this superstition is a little scary, to say the least. But there’s something incredibly endearing about the ayn for me, and I think it’s because I associate it so much with my mother-in-law. If I have car trouble or if I spill a whole cup of tea on me before I run out the door, mummy-in-law will say something like, “The ayn is on you, habibti.” And even if I’m upset at my mishap, I can’t help but laugh at her confident assertion that someone is giving me serious eye.

Even if they don’t believe in it, it’s rare to find an Arab family without an ayn somewhere in the house. Now, I don’t think everyone is as into the ayn theory as my mummy-in-law, but what does this possibly illuminate about Arabic culture? Well, I’ve noticed that people can be rather humble at times when I wonder how they aren’t proudly announcing their accomplishments. A friend might wait for a long time to announce their job promotion, or avoid telling people how well they did on a test, or be shy to show friends their new car. And then, when things like that happen, I wonder how much the underlying cultural assumptions that develop the ayn also play into that tendency towards conservatively discussing achievement.

Whether or not it’s real, I still keep the eye on the wall, because you never know!

The Power Zoning Out

Happy Sunday! I just came out of a super hectic week, and before I gear up for another homework-filled week, I figured I’d talk about something that I’ve been doing a lot of lately: zoning out.

When someone comments on my organization and productivity, I always let them know that a) I’m really just a hot mess who’s figured out how to control her messiness, most of the time, and b) I would be nothing without my many mini breaks throughout the day.

A lot of people ask me what that means. Mini breaks? You stop working a lot? Basically, yes! But it’s not that simple. A few things I make sure to do during my mini breaks is to really feel like I deserve it, have a clear intention for my break, and zone out.

A lot of people spend their days stressing about when they’re not being “productive.” A student might feel guilty about spending an hour doing something (cleaning, having dinner, talking to friends, you name it) besides studying. I lot of people think that working hard means working non-stop without taking breaks or doing much self care at all. If that works for people, then that’s completely fine, but it simply just does not work for me.

What I do is schedule almost every day, except for Sundays, and I break down every day into roughly half hour increments. For each half hour, I spend twenty-five minutes focusing on one task. No multi-tasking. Just one thing! And then, at the end of each twenty-five minutes, I take a break and zone out.

By zoning out, I mean completely removing myself from that task and letting my mind wonder. That usually means walking away from my desk, taking deep breaths, maybe refilling my water bottle, and giving myself the freedom that I think I deserve after focusing so hard on my task. These mini-breaks really help me to stay focused, relaxed, and positive. It feels like I’m getting many rewards throughout the day, when really all I’m doing is framing the way I think around my work so that I feel better about it.

When I say I have a clear intention for my break, I mean I think about what I could do during my break to make it feel as rewarding as possible. That could be anything, from checking in with an old friend to doing a few squats!

To keep myself on track, I usually use www.mytomatoes.com. This is a simple online Pomodoro technique tool that is free and easy to use!

My tomato page today! I usually don't "tomato" my time on the weekends. :-)

So, that’s basically my way to get stuff done! Good luck with all the busy things in your life, and let me know how you stay focused!