Update...
So... I haven't been writing in this thing very often this semester... Suffice it to say that apart from the fact that I have a grad position that I'm happy with lined up for next year, the last two months have left a lot to be desired.
The emotional and intellectual stress/exhaustion that comes with grad recruitment was only the tip of the iceberg. Then there were the 40+ hours of lectures I missed to go to 3 full weeks of interviews... and the frantic effort to make up lectures (while missing even more because there was no point in going to uni when I'd already missed so much)... and the car accident that I was lucky to get out of physically unharmed (considering that it did $5500 of damage to the front and driver's side of my car)... and the mad cramming to prepare for exams... and the extraordinarily long exam period... during which (naturally, it has to be during) Mum gets diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
The motto of these last two months has essentially been "Take one thing at a time, and enjoy what simple pleasures I can."
Mum's surgery today went smoothly, but we'll have to wait for the tests to come back to get a definitive answer on whether the cancer has/has not spread to other areas. Was at the hospital today from 6:30am to 1pm, and then again from 3pm to 8pm. Is thoroughly tired... They're keeping her for at least 2 to 3 days, which means I'll be spending the rest of the afternoons this week at hospital, and will probably stay home with her for the last week of my mid-year break. Anything after that, at this point, is anybody's guess.
Apologies to the people I promised to catch up with during these holidays, but haven't as yet. Unfortunately, at this point, it looks like I'm going to have to take a rain check for at least a few weeks.
For now, sleep.
P.S. I thank everything under the stars for health care professionals (*hugs tuowei* Especially you!!) I also thank everything under the stars that I am NOT one of them.
The emotional and intellectual stress/exhaustion that comes with grad recruitment was only the tip of the iceberg. Then there were the 40+ hours of lectures I missed to go to 3 full weeks of interviews... and the frantic effort to make up lectures (while missing even more because there was no point in going to uni when I'd already missed so much)... and the car accident that I was lucky to get out of physically unharmed (considering that it did $5500 of damage to the front and driver's side of my car)... and the mad cramming to prepare for exams... and the extraordinarily long exam period... during which (naturally, it has to be during) Mum gets diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
The motto of these last two months has essentially been "Take one thing at a time, and enjoy what simple pleasures I can."
Mum's surgery today went smoothly, but we'll have to wait for the tests to come back to get a definitive answer on whether the cancer has/has not spread to other areas. Was at the hospital today from 6:30am to 1pm, and then again from 3pm to 8pm. Is thoroughly tired... They're keeping her for at least 2 to 3 days, which means I'll be spending the rest of the afternoons this week at hospital, and will probably stay home with her for the last week of my mid-year break. Anything after that, at this point, is anybody's guess.
Apologies to the people I promised to catch up with during these holidays, but haven't as yet. Unfortunately, at this point, it looks like I'm going to have to take a rain check for at least a few weeks.
For now, sleep.
P.S. I thank everything under the stars for health care professionals (*hugs tuowei* Especially you!!) I also thank everything under the stars that I am NOT one of them.