Getting back into the swing of things is always tough. Last quarter is always the hardest as a teacher. I know I shouldn’t complain, because I get like a fourth of the year off work, but last quarter is the one with the fewest days off. I love my job, but it is exhausting in every way possible. Days off are a more than welcome blessing. Finishing well takes a lot of work and determination. Even this first week back has been exhausting. But life is never without its small joys.
Before spring break, I got a package from my mom. I had asked her to send me some seeds, because I can never seem to get Indonesian ones to grow. So she sent me enough seeds to cover half the island of Java in herbs and cucumbers. And also a peat starter/mini greenhouse kit. So the day before I left for Bandung, I planted 6 different kinds of seeds. And when I came back, I had some little green surprises waiting for me!
That’s basil in the background and oregano in the front. I like growing things... It’s the farmer in me. So far here, I’ve only had success with cats. I’m glad to have something to take care of that I’m not allergic to.
And just a week later, this is what I have in my little window box! The oregano is on the left, that cilantro in the center just shot up from nowhere (it’s been there 3 days), and the basil is on the right.
This morning I found another little cilantro plant just barely pushing its way through the dirt, and by this afternoon, it already looked like this:
I just went and checked it again, and it already has its head out of the ground and a little leaf on top!
I think the oregano is the most fun to take pictures of! : )
In other news, there have been TONS of cicadas around my house lately! They are so loud that it makes watching movies in the early evening rather arduous since I can’t hear anything and instead have to attempt to lip read every single character. Somehow though, I assumed that even though these cicadas sound just like the ones we have in America, they must be different since I live on the opposite side of the world where everything is foreign.... Until I found this stuck on a tree outside my house on my way home from work the other day...
THEY’RE THE SAME!
In anticipation of baby plants growing when I got back, I brought with me a bottle of volcanic mud to use as fertilizer when I put them in their big kid pots. Very high in nutrients. However, since I haven’t potted the plants, some of the mud made its way to my face, and I had my first ever facial. Can’t say that I felt or looked any different after, but it was still kinda fun.
One more thing I’ve been excited about lately is the fact that I found a bunch of Penguin Classics, still plastic wrapped and in ENGLISH, while I was in Bandung. They have so much more import stuff on that side of the island.... *wistful sigh* So I bought 3 classics that I’ve never read before. I’m pretty hit or miss when it comes to liking classics. And there’s rarely an in between for me. I love it or I just can’t get through it because it is so profoundly boring and/or difficult. However, Silas Marner has proven to be quite a good read! I’ve almost finished it in less than a week. I also bought Sons and Lovers by DH Lawrence and White Fang and The Call of the Wild by Jack London. And the best part? They were only $3 each! And I love their green, recycled paper covers! Penguin Classics are cute books.
I researched online and found that I can buy the entire set of Penguin Classics for $13,000 on Amazon. Anybody want to contribute to the fund?? *wink*
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