This is my study corner where I’ve been spending most of my time lately, most of the day and well into the night. The old corner desk is not really the right set up for handwritten notetaking but I have adapted. I like it because of the shelves and nooks it has, it’s allowed me to surround myself by things with utility and meaning.
On my left monitor there is a photo from Tasmania, Bruny Island I think. Love the colours of the sea. I get a new photo every 20 minutes or so, lucky Mum and I took so many. Below this monitor is a white figurine, my ‘fat goddess’ from Malta (with her back to us in this photo). She is depicted on many of the ancient monoliths on the island, a fertility symbol. I was taken with her lovely round shape, she brought out my ‘inner goddess’ 😀
Below the goddess is my giant King Julien mug from Dreamworld. It gets refilled with hot beverage around three to five times a day. King Julien is a compelling character in the animated Madagascar movie, voiced by Sacha Baron Cohen. It has a few memorable characters, I don’t normally watch much animation but Herman and I both enjoyed its humour. To the right of the mug, past the highlighter pens, with the small green LED light is one of my speakers (there is another positioned on the other side of the desk, without a light). I’m listening to a “reading chill out” playlist on Spotify, the soundtrack to my life at the moment. The music is soft, gentle and keeps me focused.
Above my centre monitor you can see my silver christening mug, recently returned to me after more than 25 years of being ‘lost in the wilderness’. Attached to the monitor is my webcam, sitting below the mug. I attend a couple of online meetings each week with my various activities. On the screen is one of the many articles I am reading for my strategic management class, we have to write a pursuasive essay about alignment of the company mission statement and business strategy. It delves into all sort of theoretical frameworks in different disciplines – economics, psychology, sociology. Below the monitor is the little Tasmanian Devil figurine I bought in a tourist info centre at Devonport. I like its simplicity and its smooth texture, the way it feels when I hold it. It is my little Tasmanian mascot while I’m studying at UTAS.
On the right there is a large framed yellow and black print of two magpies talking to each other “Wardle oodle ardle woodle”, articulating some of the lovely bird calls I hear through the day. Stuck onto this in the top corner is a favourite photo of Herman with our two girls, Spook and Ebony, pretending to be farm dogs in the back of Herm’s old Landrover Defender. This photo was taken at least 10 years ago, the two old girls are now curled up on comfy floor beds in front of the fire downstairs, where they’ve been spending a lot of their time lately.
Lots of knicknacks on the shelf below. There is a Llama figurine which kind of reminds me of our time in Peru, although I didn’t get it there. There is a desk fan which I haven’t been using since it turned cold. I’ve been rugging up with a poncho or extra jumper in recent weeks, with a pair of fingerless gloves to keep warm. As I sit at my desk I have an app on my phone that times my study and break intervals, gives me a little chime to let me know when it is time to have a break, or return to study. The study period is 25 minutes, and then there is a break of five minutes. Every four cycles there is a break of 20 minutes. This timing sequence is referred to as the ‘pomodoro technique’. It’s been a great help in keeping me focused on work while looking after my health and wellbeing, getting up for a stretch and a walk during the breaks. The app is called Work & Rest.