Starting to Have a Routine

Although I HATE having my picture taken, and always have, I occasionally find I just have to share one of me anyway. Perhaps I was worried that people might think I'm not really here. Perhaps I just wanted to "show off" a bit, as I am STILL enamoured with the view from my apartment. Whatever the reason, here I am, standing in my kitchen, getting ready to head downtown for a little grocery shopping.

Never one for routine, really, it seems I have developed a bit of one now. I usually wake up around 6:30am. For the first couple of weeks I was here, it was 4:30am, but I've worked myself out of that little problem, for the most part. After my shower, I start in on emails and try to catch up a bit on the news. This week, I check the World Cup updates when I get up. I used to look and see what's happening back home as well, but I've modified those habits a bit too and tend to check in on what the BBC says is important in the world instead. This week I seem to be drawn to following the sad news of ethnic clashes in Kyrgyzstan.

I only eat breakfast once a week or so. If I do, it's usually because I skipped supper the night before. My largest meal here is usually lunch, but on nights when I go out (1-2 per week) I often eat a good sized meal for supper. If I don't go out, supper is usually sliced potatoes, sliced tomatoes, or something along those lines. Oh yes, a friend and I are involved in a "Pizza Challenge" this month, with our goal being to find the best pizza in Port Moresby. But, that's another blog posting, I think.

The rest of my day has been split between two activities, but starting this week, it will be a 3-way split instead. I generally spend about 8 hours focusing on business. We are working hard to build something new, and it's a tough battle trying to get our foot in the door at the moment. Still, we seem to be making some headway. I also generally spend 2 hours focusing on homework. I sometimes spend another hour or so travelling down "rabbit holes" (unplanned side tracks that come up while I am researching topics) as well. This week, however, I am adding a new dimension to the plan by putting in 3-4 hours on ExxonMobil (Houston) work. Yeah, I know that adds up to a VERY long day, but if you stop and think about it, you'll see that it really does work out okay. I live alone, have very few friends here, have no television and no habits (drinking, golfing, knitting, whatever) to take up my time, so what else am I going to do? Besides, as you might have heard me say before, I really do like my work.

So, that's it in a [very big] nutshell. I have a routine, of sorts, in PNG, and I like how it keeps me busy, focused, and engaged in activity. However, I am starting to be curious just how long I can hold up at this pace. :-)