The plans made during the coming weeks and months will determine the course of the next year or so of my life. It’s inevitable, I will go back to work when we return to Canada (since my previous connections at the Lottery Corp. have dissolved). The main topic I am discussing with myself (most distinguished member of the Becky’s Life Advisory Board) is what I WANT to do. Nursing is going to be a part of the solution no matter how I look at the question. But just how much of the solution…and in what forms?
I am toying with finding two part-time jobs. One that I can work at down South that will allow me to take leaves for 2-4 weeks every few months so I can nurse in a Northern location. I just feel HEAVY when I think about settling into a full-time job at one hospital in one unit. And HEAVY means it won’t make me happy. Probably didn’t before, but I didn’t realize there were so many options available.
I’m feeling reflective this week, uninspired. The thought of looking at photos and posting them doesn’t excite me. Maybe I am starting to live too much in the future. Am forgetting the gift the present holds - the gift of time. Time that I can use how I like. And I certainly don’t like using up a whole day reading a book! Feel like I need something more to show for a 12h wakeful period than a few pages turned.
Yesterday I tried out the toaster oven that friends of ours passed along to us when they left SweetMeet 2 for Canada. It’s the only company-bought ‘oven’ in the building. So I am grateful to have it for two months. I made cupcakes yesterday. But only because I couldn’t find baking soda in the grocery store to make muffins. Had to settle for the Betty Crocker cake mix (the white one with the colored sprinkles inside) and Betty Crocker chocolate icing (which they should put warnings on regarding it’s addictive nature… and which I may or may not have ate a spoonful of after decorating the tops of the cupcakes…). So far I have had 4 cupcakes. It occurred to me that since arriving, I have gained weight. Generally, I look less waif-like and love it. FINALLY growing up and putting some meat on my bones. It is now occurring to me that with the re-introduction of a busy job, night shifts and skin loss (Canada is a terrible place for skin in the winter), I will once again reduce in size and float in my scrubs. I am the only woman in the world hoping to keep weight on. Consider me smacked and grateful.
At present, I am reading a book about hostages and opera, compliments of a girlfriend I miss very much. Love how books can connect minds and souls. And love how I can choose to fill my head with the same words someone else did. Like picking a piece of a favorite person and installing a small bit of them in me. Had a conversation on this topic with my mum this past week. Was wanting the titles of books she’d read as a youth. When I get home, I’d like to start a regular book club with my mums (I have two I like) as an opportunity to think, derive, and dream together.
For now, it’s back to my book. And maybe cupcake #5. Don’t hold it against me.
Peanut at 20+ weeks enjoying the sunset at Nika
With Dani leaving in a few days, a few of us really felt the need to get away from Male and relax at a resort, girly style. JM, Dani’s hubby extraordinaire, organized two water bungalows at Nika for Wednesday night this past week. Lee was present on night #1 as he had the day off (one guy and four women… it would have looked bad if all four of us had left our wedding bands at home). One night quickly turned into two when there weren’t enough seats on the outgoing planes to transport us back home… OH DEAR, STUCK AT A LUXURY RESORT. Whatever shall I do?! Karen, Ali, Dani and I played scrabble, ate, snorkeled, read, ate, swam, ate, listened to some fab tunes, and drank wine (as early as lunch time one day). I swear, in my real life back home, I work really hard… I really do.
Ali’s belly (above) is just beautiful. Ali might have a touch of pregnancy brain, but she’s still better-read, better-traveled, and more articulate than I. With this small deficit present, I have a chance to keep up now. What a pleasure it is to spend time with women I admire.
As I type this, it has started to pour. I hear monsoon season is just around the corner. Perhaps ‘upon us’ is a more acurate description given the present weather situation (a loud and solid downpour). To look forward to in the coming monsoon weeks: potentially flooded streets contaminated with animal urine, sewage and general stinkage. Hopefully the blitz on emptying out the road-side drainage systems of hundreds of pounds of dirt and garbage these past months will help the water drain easily. If it doesn’t, this girl will be purchasing a pair of rain boots. Or a small boat. Which-ever is less costly. OH and an umbrella.
This is my favorite shot of our entire trip to Sri Lanka. Taken by Lee (and his tripod), who, as usual, worked hard to set it up for a good 10 minutes before perfection was achieved. And isn’t it perfection? I may be biased, but we look like fun. I’d date us. Which, segway, is the reason I am posting it today. Four years together, and three married (March 24th for all you in the opposite time zone). We get better every year. Like one of those funky wool scarves that gets fuzzier and more comfortable the more you wear it, doubling the enjoyment and softness factors with each wearing season. Well, one of us is fuzzy. But seriously, no one could have clued me in to what being married was like before I was. And though it’s not always easy, I have to say, the benefits are astounding. Studies show that married men are healthier, live longer, and are happier. I respond: DUH, they have us! I also think we are both better people for all the growth we’ve undergone these past few years together. I think it’s safe to state that nothing else grows a person quite like a committed relationship.
In art, in travel, in life, and in love, you are, more than ever, my home.
Yours, Becky
We borrowed a macro lens from a good friend for our trip to Sri Lanka. Boy I had fun with it. Life is so interesting up close. And using the macro, especially on manual, is such a different photography experience for me. Sitting, waiting for the right shot, taking multiple photos, hoping that once back at the editing desk, there is one that has the area I aimed at in perfect focus. There were a number of days that I kept the macro on all day - sort of as a challenge. To see what I could produce. And it gave me a different avenue to play on than Lee (who I cannot compete with when using a Nikon). But he wanted to play too… and time and time again, he out-shot me. Darn him and his knowledge of camera settings…
I did, however, manage to come up with a few shots I am proud of.
En route to Kitugala from NE we stopped in a few spots along the side of the road:
1. to pee and administer first aid to myself post grabbing my razor while trying to reach the toilet paper roll in my bag
2. to chat with a mum and her little son (who was at first, quite afraid of me and my white skin, but two minutes into the conversation about teething he warmed up to me and wanted me to hold him.)
3. to check out the very BC-esque pine tree forests along the mountains (felt like we were in Canada)
4. to get a great view of Adam’s peak in the mist from the balcony of a person’s house… While Lee set up his tripod, I played peek-a-boo with the resident’s one-year-old daughter. The view of the mountains was stunning.
Lee lining up his shot
Apparently, in this shot somewhere is Sri Lanka’s first hydro-power plant… I just think the view is beautiful.
Finally we arrived at our hotel, which turned out to have an extensive set of restaurants heading down the slope to the river behind it. We watched fireflies while we ate our pasta (they brought me ‘tomato sauce’ for my olive oil-based veggie sauce…i.e. ketchup…they must have spoken to my grandma about her spaghetti sauce recipe before making my dinner).
There was a really noisy air conditioner in our room that I had to stand on a chair while leaning on the wardrobe to operate… so in the middle of the night, when I was freezing, I didn’t venture to mess with it for fear of concussion.We were up for breakfast early, then took a walk across a suspension bridge just down from our hotel which led to a sprawling town on the other side of the river.
The view from the restaurant at our hotel, overlooking the ‘River Kwai’
There was a sleepy dirt road lined haphazardly with little houses and tea fields. As we walked along, it seemed the slower we went, the more pictures we found we had to take. First, we noticed a beautiful creature of the lizard variety (gecko, lizard??)… I got some shots then Lee had at ‘er with the Macro. We had many other encounters with nature: lizards copulating, two large centipedes who fell from the tree beside me, puppies (Pinky and Channy), a goat…
The sign at the suspension bridge over the river…let’s take a closer look at the ‘3′
hmmm
pretty-izard-ecko…not really sure what it is, but it’s beautiful
We then went back to the hotel to re-shower and get ready for the drive back to the airport. The drive was uneventful as we were both pretty tired and ready to get back to Male and REST. This vacation was busy and tiring on account of our getting up so early for good light. The sheer amount of traveling/sightseeing we jammed into our 8 days likely had something to do with it as well.
Nice to meet you Lanka, we hope to see you again soon…
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