So I’ve been getting a bit behind on my blogging again even though I meant to carry on positing everyday. To those of you that (maybe) missed me I apologise!
Basically, as many of you already know, it’s essay writing and exam season. Arguably my least favourite time of the year. Having said that, I’m more or less on top of my work. Also, the essay I’ve left till last is possibly my favourite literary topic ever.
Gender writing.
I love this topic so much that this is the fifth time in two years that I’ve chosen it for the basis of my essays. I know, a little bit like overkill. I’m starting to worry that I won’t be able to write about anything else if I carry on this way. But I can’t even make myself care as I just find the whole thing incredibly interesting. Pretty much anything related to gender and writing I am sure to be fascinated by.
I don’t know if it’s because it is still so relevant today, or if it’s because it covers a huge time period and endless writers and poets. Either way, I’m obsessed.
Today has been spent reading through pages and pages of secondary criticism and putting together a plan (which is almost half of the essay’s word count). I have made notes and taken quotes from around eight texts today. I could have gone further…
Anyway, now that I’ve got my literary obsession off my chest I can share with you some photos of recent eats and tell you about my workouts!
Breakfast this morning was one I haven’t had in a while. (I say this as though it’s completely different to normal. It’s not. I just changed toppings.)
Weetabix with raisins and cinnamon. Out of all the spice bottles I have in my cupboard the cinnamon has by far the biggest dent in it, followed by cayenne pepper. I think everyone knows how much I like my cinnamon!
Yesterday I did something I haven’t done in a long time… I exercised! And I’m not talking a short session of weights or a little bike ride, I mean a proper, full-0n, hardcore, high-intensity strength training session. It felt so good to get properly sweaty and out of breath from a workout again, it’s been quite a while if I’m honest. I won’t be doing them everyday but I do think that it’s good to exhaust my body physically from time to time, it’s as though it reminds my body what exhaustion feels like when it is unrelated to chronic fatigue! It clearly worked anyway because I slept for 10 hours last night. 10 whole hours. Crazy stuff!
Lunch today was something I don’t eat often but really should:
A sandwich. As a child I was a super fussy eater and particularly hated sandwiches. I know it’s a strange thing to hate but there you go, apparently I could be a strange child.
I’m still quite fussy about my sandwiches now, I prefer having them in baguettes, pitas, ciabattas or bagels and if I can’t there is one very important criteria: the bread must not be in any way soggy. Got that? I abhor soggy bread. So I always lightly toast mine and only eat freshly prepared sandwiches.
Apparently I’m still quite fussy.
My lunch was made doubly reminiscent of childhood because I also had an innocent fruit tube. These are definitely aimed at children but I just don’t care. Plus they were on special offer so I got two packets and that means I still have 11 more tubes!
Dinner yesterday was a celebration of bright colours:
Edamame bean, broccoli and quinoa stir-fry. It tasted as fresh and delicious as it looks. You will no doubt be seeing this again sometime in the next few days!
Dinner tonight was of a somewhat less healthy but still incredibly satisfying variety:
Tomato ravioli with a heavy covering dusting of Parmesan. I needed some comfort food after a long day of being sat at my desk researching and writing. I have to say, my love of pasta will probably never diminish.
Over the last couple of days I’ve had a huge craving for coffee of the iced variety so I’m going to have to get some in the next few days, I’m sure it’ll help with my work anyway 😉
Although this doesn’t satisfy my craving it definitely still tastes good:
Lesson in how to make something super healthy become less healthy. Stir one ENORMOUS spoonful of Nutella into some Fage Greek yogurt. Pure indulgence. Delish.
Last of all I will leave you with a photo of a little treat, another small indulgence, I bought myself the other day:
This is the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait. I’ve been seeing these lip butters on heaps of beauty blogs lately and I just had to get myself one. During exam period I tend to get incredibly stressed and anxious so I’ve created a little tradition of treating myself to a few little niceties now and then to cheer myself up. I might sound a little materialistic but oh well! I’m really glad I bought this, it’s a lovely colour and the sheerness makes it really subtle and pretty.
What was your favourite thing to research/write about whilst at college or uni?
Any strange things you’re fussy about eating?
Do you like to buy yourself treats when you’re having a tough time? Bought anything recently?
Love Live & Learn 
🙂 I like your enthusiasm for your studies! It’s refreshing. (I don’t mean that to sound patronising…it’s just everyone is so stale about it by final year and it’s nice to hear about someone who still likes their subject). Wow, I actually can’t remember the last time I enjoyed an essay! 😦 Erm, I really enjoyed a second year exam on Tolstoy (despite not particularly liking his novels) and a paper I did comparing attitudes to literature in an early Soviet and late Soviet novel – it’s funny how things ignite your interest! Oh and I still yearn for WWI poetry and the A-level synoptic paper on it sometimes!
I’m getting less fussy I think. But … I hate butter in sandwiches (except marmite), especially cheese sandwiches. I hate plain cheese sandwiches anyway but put butter in there and it’s a rare thing that I won’t eat! I can totally see why you’d dislike soggy sandwiches. Who likes them? I had a bad experience this week with soggy pitta bread and tuna! (Ooops.) Suffice to say it wasn’t my best sandwich experience!
I think pasta is one of the greatest foods, ever. I can never be eaten enough!
Have a great long weekend! 🙂 Good luck with the essay!
* It
lol. I definitely can be eaten enough! Sorry!
I’m not always that enthusiastic 😉 Just when it’s a topic I particularly love haha. I can imagine people do get a bit fed up, for me its less the subjects, more the assessments which take the joy out of it! The only Tolstoy I’ve read is Anna Karenina but I loved it 🙂
Oh I’d forgotten about that! I only like butter in baguette sandwiches, it’s horrible in pitas or normal bread, I usually have those with hummus or mayo etc. So basically yes, I’m really fussy.
No, no it can’t. Glad we agree 😛 Hope you’re doing okay lovely!
I really need to try yogurt + nutella! What a great way some flavor. It’s really healthy if you compare it to most desserts though. That pasta looks decadent and I love sandwiches!! But I can’t stand soggy bread either. That’s great you’re writing about something that interest you! I like writing about food. Haha, go figure. But I really love the history of the particular food/dish and finding out how it came to be.
It’s delicious and as you say, not actually that bad! I love writing about food too, I would absolutely love to be a food critic 😛 The history of food is really interesting actually 🙂
Gender and literature was one of my favourite areas of study too! Though you could probably have guessed that. One of my favourite essays was about the representation of women in literature and art from 1660-1714. I basically got to write about how awesome Margaret Cavendish and Aphra Behn were, how Alexander Pope had some weird ideas about women, and I also got to analyse Fragonard’s ‘The Swing’ painting. This was all helped by the fact that the woman who taught that module was wonderfully insane and once spent a full hour showing the class pictures of gardens and comparing them to vaginas! What texts are you covering for your essay?
That stir fry looks so good! So does the yoghurt and Nutella. I once had some yoghurt & Nutella gelato in Italy and I thought the flavours went so well together, but I’ve never thought to mix them myself.
I also really enjoyed anything to do with contemporary fiction. I studied a module in recent Australian writing and film which was great fun, and I unexpectedly loved one of my third year modules which was about British literature in the 1930s. Now I will stop rambling about my degree haha.
That sounds like a brilliant topic! This essay was comparing representations of gender in Charlotte Dacre’s Zofloya and Charlotte Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, I could have easily written twice the word count haha. I love lecturers like that, mine are all quite tame actually (although the Medieval English department are all a little ‘eccentric’…
Nutella gelato is so so good, I miss Italian gelato, nothing compares here! I might have to try freezing some yogurt and Nutella!
I’m hopefully going to be doing a contemporary fiction module next year which I’m really looking forward to 🙂
Good luck with everything! I really like the idea of treating yourself during this stressful time. A littlesomething small that doesn’t cost much can really make a difference!
Thank you Allison! I agree, treats make it all bearable 🙂
Your food pics always makes me hungry no matter what time of day it is! hehe 😉
I think its always fun to buy small treats during stressful times. Plus it always makes me feel better, so I guess it’s working?? haha
Thanks Kris, I’m glad you like them! I completely agree, it definitely helps. Especially if you order online, getting parcels always cheers me up 🙂
That greek yoghurt looks fab! I did an Art based degree and then a more academic MA, I really enjoyed writing about community development theories around power and experiential learning!
That does sound really interesting! What was the subject of your MA?
My essays always seem to end up being a gender discussion, too! I’m so worried I’ll eventually end up accidentally repeating myself. One of my theory essays last year was just one long argument about the difference between sex (male/female) and gender (masculine/feminine). As convoluted as the argument became, it was really really interesting.
Also – spoonful of M&S Irish cream mousse paste in greek yogurt is an alternate to nutella that is equally unhealthy and equally amazing.
Haha me too! That sounds really interesting, I love comparing representations of the two. Ooh that sounds delicious, when I’m back home I’m going to go buy some M&S Irish cream mousse paste 🙂
That parmesan cheese dusting had me drooling. I am excited for your workout exhaustion! Good job!
Thanks Brittany! It felt pretty good 🙂
When in need of pasta inspiration – I’ll definitely have you in mind (I’m totally clueless when it comes to eating/cooking it- old bad habits).
And I’m a very picky eater actually :P. I’m VERY particular about my bananas (they have to be perfectly ripe), eggs, sandwhiches … and the list could go on. But the good thing about me is – when I’m hungry anything and everything tastes good 🙂
😛 Well let me know if you ever need any tips!
My boyfriend is ridiculously fussy when it comes to bananas but I’m more relaxed. I’m really fussy about eggs too though!
Love edamame beans! And I love eggs too 🙂 Kim*
http://www.100days100ways.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/eggs/