Today I had to meet her at 2 am SLT for an interview session. She teleported me to a cozy lounge. When she was about to start the interview, suddenly my 13 years old girl said "I am hungry. I have to eat or I will die. (@_@) May I have pancake please?" It was going to be a long interview so I couldn't let her wait.
Kali briefed me with her research code of conduct as I moved my laptop from my desk to my kitchen. I prepared all ingredients in a bowl while reading her text. Every once in a while I stopped working on my pancake and answered her questions.
Trust me, I answered all questions that Kali asked wholeheartedly and I still managed to make pancake in three different flavors.
I used to think that I needed two lives to be able to function properly in the roles I have at home and at work. I saw a little chance to be able to enrich my professional and personal life off work hours . I didn't think it was possible to be able to cook dinner and not miss a book club meeting, to garden and not miss a conference, to be a mom and not miss an intelectual discussion, or to make pancake in a late afternoon and not miss a participation in a PhD research.
Thanks to virtual world technology I got a new perspective on how I could do both activities simulataneously. I can attend a professional development program while chopping onions. I can mop the floor while listening to a lecture, and so on. I don't have to live twice after all to enjoy the pleasure of home and the pleasure of having intelectual development.
(The above candid photos taken by a very hungry girl inspired me to write this post)