Fermenting
My lecturer used the term 'ferment' to describe the process of mental preparation one engages in in order to produce a piece of work.
To me, fermentation simply means I'm rendered paralysed by the topic in question to be unable to produce a single relevant sentence.
My fermentation period for my current report took more than 2 weeks. A period of time when I simply read journals and scribbled on scraps of paper on whatever that came to my mind. Words. Phrases. None of which made it to my actual report.
People say writing is about getting started. Once initiated, ideas will pour out in torrents all the way till completion.
I say writing is about forcing yourself. Of remaining in front of the computer even when no words seem right. Of spending 4 hours to come up with 300 words.
Then the glorious horror of reading one's own work and and realising that it makes no sense.
And having to go through the fermentation period again.
Like wine? My foot.
Labels: Kill-me
Xiu Juan out
@ |9:10 PM|
Canned inspiration
After reviewing more than 100 pages of Australian health statistics, I realised I need something more than a strong aversion to deadlines for me to persist.
I am in dire, DIRE need of inspiration.
On the other hand, I'm proud to announce that I now have a good idea of healthcare in rural and remote Australia. Never mind that the information will cease to be of use 4 months down the road.
Labels: Kill-me
Xiu Juan out
@ |9:32 AM|
Disappearing act
Back from my rural attachment, back from my short trip, back to school. I haven't had internet for the past 5 weeks so excuse me for being slow in navigating the new blogger interface (so blogger has been bought over by google?)
For my final attachment of my Ba.App.Sc. (hahah I get a kick out of typing that out. Yes, Occupational Therapy is an APPLIED SCIENCE, my dears...does it change your impression of what I do? I bet some of you still INSIST on thinking that I can ONLY massage my patients, stubborn ignoramus) I have requested for a rural placement - which means I had been posted to a non-metropolitan area, ie not Sydney.
Taree train station
Manning River - about 200m from the hospital where I was attached. It's pretty in a quiet way. I liked the fact that there are not too many things (people and boat) on the river which would have spoiled its tranquility. But it probably reflects something about the tourism here, heh.
The little cottage where I stayed in. The round cylinder is a rain tank - many of the residents who stay beyond the city centre depend on the rain for water. Taree was having a long bout of drought while we were there so many of the farmers had to buy water to support their farms. Rain water tasted...interesting. Water bought from the city tasted so terrible, residents would rather buy their drinking water from supermarkets.
The surroundings of the cottage. Our hosts have 17 acres of land, so we were sort of living in the forest, hahaha. We could see wallabies (smaller version of kangeroos) when we were driven out in the morning.We were quite lucky to befriend medical students from UniNSW...one of them was able to drive us to explore the area dring one of the weekends.
Ellenborough Falls - the highest single-drop waterfall in the southern hemisphere
Waitui Falls - less impressive, but more fun because we could waddle into the water
Harrington's Point. The photo doesn't do enough justice to it. It's a very long peninsular-jetty that leads to another coast.
Xiu Juan out
@ |2:17 PM|