Often in my posts I’ve talked about my strange routine. I’ve mentioned waking up at 11 am, I’ve nagged about going to work at 4 pm and I’ve cursed coming back home at 2. This might have made many of you wonder whether I work as a night guard or something. So today, let me clear your misconceptions a bit and talk about my routine and why it is like that.
I work as a desk editor of a newspaper and yes, I work in the evenings AND during weekends. For those who ask me why I have a working Sat-Sun, well — Do you not get your morning paper on Sunday and Monday? Yes, we sacrifice our weekends to make them. For those who’ve asked me repeatedly why I can’t opt for a morning shift, again — Would you not want the news of India’s victory over Australia in the WCT20 match flash in the paper the next day? Had I gone home at 5 pm, how would that have been possible? Make no mistake, I am in no way defending my schedule (probably the only perk it offers is not having to wake up in the morning to the alarm’s shrill tone), but it helps little to complain as long as you’re there.
Okay, so I wake up basically whenever I feel like, or at least I have the luxury to. It can be 8.30, it can be 12.30. My husband almost always has left for office by the time I wake up. I spend my morning hours doing my own thing — reading (books, blogs and articles), watching movies or TV series, cooking, shooting or making lists. Oh yes, I am a major list maker. I’ll talk about it some other day. Around 3, I start getting my act together and by 3.30 leave for work. Now comes the most dreaded part — the journey and the cost thereof. My office is a neat 18 km from home, but I travel in car pool. So basically in ends up 25 km a side picking and dropping people on my way. It takes me roughly 3 hours, breaks my back in the process and the motion makes me nauseous almost everyday. By the time I come back I’m a dead duck and my husband (who comes back home much earlier in the evening) is too sleepy to catch up about our day. There have been instances when we haven’t met or spoken for 3-4 days at a stretch, and no, we don’t even get weekends together to make up for the hopeless weekdays. This, in short, is the story of my life. Enviable, no?!
I work as a desk editor of a newspaper and yes, I work in the evenings AND during weekends. For those who ask me why I have a working Sat-Sun, well — Do you not get your morning paper on Sunday and Monday? Yes, we sacrifice our weekends to make them. For those who’ve asked me repeatedly why I can’t opt for a morning shift, again — Would you not want the news of India’s victory over Australia in the WCT20 match flash in the paper the next day? Had I gone home at 5 pm, how would that have been possible? Make no mistake, I am in no way defending my schedule (probably the only perk it offers is not having to wake up in the morning to the alarm’s shrill tone), but it helps little to complain as long as you’re there.
Okay, so I wake up basically whenever I feel like, or at least I have the luxury to. It can be 8.30, it can be 12.30. My husband almost always has left for office by the time I wake up. I spend my morning hours doing my own thing — reading (books, blogs and articles), watching movies or TV series, cooking, shooting or making lists. Oh yes, I am a major list maker. I’ll talk about it some other day. Around 3, I start getting my act together and by 3.30 leave for work. Now comes the most dreaded part — the journey and the cost thereof. My office is a neat 18 km from home, but I travel in car pool. So basically in ends up 25 km a side picking and dropping people on my way. It takes me roughly 3 hours, breaks my back in the process and the motion makes me nauseous almost everyday. By the time I come back I’m a dead duck and my husband (who comes back home much earlier in the evening) is too sleepy to catch up about our day. There have been instances when we haven’t met or spoken for 3-4 days at a stretch, and no, we don’t even get weekends together to make up for the hopeless weekdays. This, in short, is the story of my life. Enviable, no?!
The only thing that helps me steer through the days are stuff like this Watermelon and Feta Salad. I make this quite often as it’s quite fuss free and extremely palatable. The juiciness of the watermelon, the sharpness of feta and the hit of chillies are truly a match made in heaven. So try this out if you too, like me, spend mundane Monday mornings on your own!
Watermelon and Feta Salad
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Ingredients
- Watermelon, cut into cubes: 1 small
- Feta cheese, crumbled: 3-4 tbsp
- Olive oil: to drizzle
- Balsamic vinegar: to drizzle
- Lime juice: 1 tbsp
- Salt and pepper: Optional/to taste
- Fresh parsley/basil leaves: 2 tbsp
METHOD
1. In a big bowl, line the watermelon slices.
2. Sprinkle the crumbled feta on the watermelon slices, squeeze a slice of lime, drizzle a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and add a teensy bit of salt and pepper if you wish (remember, feta is quite salty!)
3. Plant some fresh parsley leaves in between the watermelon slices and you’re all set for summer!
