days 3-4

I had a client presentation yesterday and a last-minute cram preparation the day before that so I did not get to post my days 3 and 4 drawing challenge. So here they are:

Day 3 - Favorite Food

This was a tough choice but I picked something that I would eat at any time, regardless of moods or cravings. Fruits. I love fruits. They are healthy, light, and refreshing. They are the most natural foods ever and they are sweet in the way that only fruits can be. To represent fruits I chose watermelon, and here I show the red and yellow variety both of which I love. The yellow tends to be sweeter and is more expensive than the more common red. Watermelons remind me of summer and beach trips and childhood.

Day 4 : Favorite Place

My favorite place is by the sea. And my most favorite place is having a writing/reading/creative desk by the sea. With endless supply of fresh coffee. Piles of books and Moleskine and a bottle of ink and a fountain pen. A typewriter. And the sea swishing and splashing a short distance away. The sand scratchy beneath my feet and between my toes. The wind gentle and refreshing. The sun shielded by a printed cloth umbrella. And a soft pile of pillows nearby for quick naps.

syrupy slow

That is how today is. The day is bright and hot. The air is thick with heat and humidity. I managed to finish a number of to-dos in the morning (except for swimming because the pool was scheduled to be cleaned today), But after lunch I was caught up in a languid spiral towards sleep. I was seeing dream-images even before my eyes were fully closed or even before I could fully rest my head.

I woke up half an hour later, still heavy with sleep but starting to recover some sense of reality. I was thirsty, as if I've trekked through a desert, although my dreams were mostly about running around a small office that looked like a cliche from the 70s. I gulped down a glass of cold water, then I settled by the window with two fresh cold oranges (bought already peeled at a discount -- it's the supermarket's way of selling fresh fruits that only have a few days left in them).

the cold sweet-tangy juice burst into my mouth as i bite. cold pulp bits soothe my tongue and throat. orange scent mist around my face.

When the oranges were gone I made myself finish up the chores so I would have absolutely nothing to do until dinner.

As for work, I still have one more document to finish but I made a firm decision to finish it early tomorrow morning. The heat would not let me work in peace. And the sun kept on shimmering outside, distracting me. So rather than trap myself in front of the laptop for the rest of the beautiful day trying to complete a document that my mind could not focus on, I decided to let it rest. Looking at my to-do-list, I have about 2/3 done. The rest are due for this evening, and a couple have been bumped forward to tomorrow.

After this post I will lose myself in my books. Somehow I find myself in a very intense reading mode. I actually want to just read for days, only pausing to eat, swim, bathe, and maybe a little sleep. In the daytime I want to be by the open window, reading, with endless cups of coffee alternating with endless glasses of ice-cold fruit juice. In the nighttime I want to be in bed, my feet cushioned in a blanket, my back and head propped up by pillows, reading, while very soft music faintly plays beneath the silence of the night (maybe the soundtrack from the likes of Il Postino and Chocolat).

I want more oranges.

snapshots

I am still trapped with work so to keep this blog alive I am posting stolen snapshots throughout the super busy days. My sister has been staying over at my place to help me out with data transcriptions.

My sister has been taking charge of breakfast to help me out with the daily tasks and chores. This one is scrambled egg with toast and butter.

Lots of caffeine keep us awake at least until midnight. Then we start nodding off no matter how much coffee we take.

My sister's version of Omurice for breakfast : first she fried rice in onions, a bit of soy sauce, and a bit of tomato catsup.

Then scrambled egg cooked into a pancake shape is put on top.

And then it's ready to eat! I would like to try this with fresh tomatoes instead of tomato catsup.

The occasional treat -- caramel sundae especially after an intense kendo practice.

Kendo practice has to fit into the schedule somehow because of the exam in February. It's pretty tough pushing myself physically after days of incomplete sleep hours and full days of mental fatigue.

Fruits to help refresh and revive the mind. Dragonfruit is soooooo delicious!

Pasta with salmon and cream which I invented for lunch yesterday.

Mogget caught sniffing at the onions... 

Mogget : What the heck is that smell?

Mogget : Seriously, what is that smell?

A special thank you to Chrystina who has been visiting and commenting frequently -- I'm definitely appreciating the online company especially through the wee hours! :)

Also happy to see Hana back to posting about her happy adventures and dropping by to visit this blog a few days ago. :)

Am loving all the visits from happy creative people!


Have a great Friday everyone!

fruit-picking

Had lunch at my parents' house then spent half an hour picking jamaican cherries, locally known as aratilis, from the backyard.