Category Archives: Uni

Exams

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Suck.

These next three weeks are basically devoted to flattening my butt (more) studying (more) for exams, and then sitting those exams. And then hoping I have passed, because I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve sitted said exams, and it’s really getting on my nerves (and that’s being very very polite about it).

Anyway, I doubt I’ll post as much as I’ve posted these past weeks, not like it matters much, does it? I still have to post a couple pics of the last delicious meal cooked over at Jan’s. Maybe I’ll post some rant or so, when I need to yell or else my brain might implode-explode.

And I just noticed the spam counter has gone over the 20k mark. It only took 450 days… (No, I didn’t count them, I used this tool)

Hey Big Spender!

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I’m not a big spender tho, I usually prefer to spend the time with people rather than spend big amounts of money. However, this time I spent some money on myself, not much, and got this nice big bag so I can take all my stuff to university, in something smaller and lighter than my backpack. With no more talky talky:

New Bag

If you want to see more pics, you can see a detail, and the back. Tah Dah!

On a completely unrelated note, Jan was so nice as to whip up a couple widgets for me, so I could use yet another widget on the sidebar. Seems if you want a widget, all your sidebar has to be made out of them. Anyway, it looks good! So patient he is (-:

Can I Skip Today?

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  • I woke up at 3 am, after 4 hours sleep. Thanks family, I love you too. Sleeping this little gives me migraines. I’ve been having this kind of migraine for the past two weeks. Not happy.
  • The metro took twice as much to take me from point A to point B this morning, meaning I arrived with one minute to spare before classes started. How come I had one minute to spare? I always leave way too early because you never know when the metro service will break down. The same metro service that advertises itself saying that you can save 20 minutes in the morning if you take the metro instead of the car. That only happens one in five mornings, if you’re lucky.
  • Uni’s Wifi kicked me out more than usual, and in the end, it kicked me for good.
  • Lunch consisted of two sad uber thin slices of bread, one leaf iceberd lettuce that had seen better days, three or four slices of tasteless tomato, three slices of hard boiled egg, one canned asparragus, and spoonful mayo. They call that a “vegetarian sandwich”. At least, it was cheap (1.40€) and made to order.
  • Tried to use the wifi again after lunch: seems the building that is marked as WiFi area is not such. Zero signal
  • My phones’ batteries died. The other university buildings have plugs to spare. This one (the no WiFi one) has none. Thus I was left: phone-less, clock-less, and unable to send a message to tell Jan the building had no WiFi.
  • Exam revision: The problem I thought I had more or less decent solved? I got a zero. I got a zero on two problems, actually… I got a frigging 8 over 60 !

Now, really, can the day PLEASE finish? I’m exhausted, and it’s only 3pm.

Update: 6.30 pm, I found out they changed my Fluid Mechanics I mark, from a 4.7/10 to a 5/10, which means I passed the course(!). Do I have to start cursing my bad days to get some small good thing back? Inquiring minds want to know ( :p )

Clap to VCTOTW

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Cryptic title? Yes, it’s intentional!

First things first. Today was my previous to last exam of the season, and it was about time to take a break after nearly a month non-stop of doing nothing for myself. So, I know at least I passed one of the five courses I had this semester, because it had partials, and I passed them all. Collective YAY! please. Now it’s waiting for the other four, and taking the last one, too.

So, what did I do on my break? I’ve been a very very lazy one. And then I decided it was time for a treat. So here it’s where VCTOTW comes into action. If you haven’t clicked that link yet, I’ll tell you it’s a baking book. A vegan baking book, even. And it’s called Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World (or VCTOTW for lazy people like me). And since I can’t cook or bake following a recipe to the letter, I modified one, and the result was:

Chocolate Mocha Cupcake

That is a lovely tender delicious flavourful Chocolate Mocha Cupcake. However, my version is not vegan, since I did not have soy milk on hand, and had to make-do with what was in the pantry. Maybe you want my version? Here it comes:

Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
Adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World
by Isa Chandra & Terry Hope

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar (I used rice, since it was the only white vinegar I had)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup olive oil (or substitute your favourite oil, but it does taste good with olive oil)
  • 1 cup self raising flour, plus one teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla powder (this is ground vanilla bean, mixed with a bit of sugar)
  • 2 tablespoons instant coffee

Method:

  1. Line a muffin tin tray with cupcakes paper cups. Preheat oven to 200°C / 400F.
  2. In a big bowl, mix milk and vinegar and let to curdle. Once it has started to curdle, add oil, sugar, vanilla and instant coffee.
  3. In a second bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder, until well blended.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients into the liquids in two batches, mixing well until no lumps remain (some tiny lumps are ok, but no big lumps!)
  5. Pour into cupcake liners carefuly. About 2/3 full. Put in the oven, lower temperature to 175°C / 350 F, and bake for 18 to 23 minutes. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.
  6. Let cupcakes cool down in tray for 10 minutes, then move to cooling rack. Enjoy slightly warm with a mug of tea, a cup of coffee or a nice glass of milk.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

And now, you can clap! And also, you can enjoy my half done clapotis:

Clapotis, 45% done

It’s my de-stressing knitting this semester, it’s doing its job very well, and I hope to have it finished by the end of exams. That gives me till the 27th of june!

On a random note, if you remember this post where I showed a pile of books, four of them were cooking books, and three of them were novels. I can recomend all three novels: The Secrets of Jin-Shei by Alma Alexander, In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant, and Empress Orchid by Anchee Min. I loved them all.

Book Junkie

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I love reading, love it. I used to read one book per week, now with university and work, I’m down to about a book every two weeks, more or less. So, I was running out of reading material, and after I asked Jan for a few books to read, I decided to order some other books. What did I buy?

  • The Secrets of Jin Shei, by Alma Alexander.
  • In the Company of the Courtesan, by Sarah Dunant
  • Empress Orchid, by Anchee Min
  • Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, by Isa Chandra & Terry Hope
  • Cocina Oriental (Asian Cooking), from IKEA cooking book series
  • Cocina Vegetariana (Vegetarian Cooking), from IKEA cooking book series
  • Cocina Festiva (Party Cooking), from IKEA cooking book series
Pile Of Books
(click the pic for a bigger view)

On top of that pile of books, my first Moleskine notebook. I fell in love with these expensive notebooks a while back, and finally I caved in and bought me a large blank one. It’s being used for random writing and doodling, for collage, for memories, that sort of thing. Where did I buy it? Altaïr bookstore stocks all the notebooks in Madrid! I’m pondering getting a City Notebook for Madrid as well, so I can note down all our finds.

On a side note, I have a five day weekend! The first of may is Workers’ Day, the second is City Holiday, and I’m taking the 30th of April off school (classes have been changed, anyway – so I’m not missing anything). Plans for this loooong weekend include: knitting, sewing (I have some pretty Ikea fabric to make a yoga mat bag and a weekender bag), studying (gotta boost up the study time, exams are coming up, dammit!), taking care of sweet bunny and pet sparrow, cooking, reading, sleeping, working on freelance project, and doing pilates (Yay I’m being a good girl and doing pilates and it shows!)

Filler And Actual Knitting!

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Two exams done, four to go. Stress? Nooo not at all.

Anyway, these days I need the hair out of my way, and plain old ponytail does not do the trick. Hair falling over the shoulder? No thanks. So I’ve taken to this:

Crown Like Hairdo Hairdo part two

Yes, comfy, completely done up and hair out of the way. Less touching it while studying too. So it doesn’t get icky in a day.

And actually knitting content. Remember that kilt hose? The one I was knitting for Jan? I had to rip it, yes. And I reknitted it all, from the beginning. And then I made the foot part a bit too long, and had to rip some more… But now, it’s in good track. See:

Kilt hose!

Yay!

Now, more exams…

Got Plans?

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I got floor plans!

I’ve been putting some time into designing the renovation of this tiny appartment that, for now, is empty. It’s not a big place, only 36sqmt (or 387.5 sq ft, for you imperial users). It’s around 5.50 m (18 ft) by 6.70 m (22 ft) with a corner cut off. Right now there are: entry hall, tiny bathroom, tiny kitchen, small living room, small dining room and two small bedrooms. My plans are tearing all the walls down, and the fake ceilings and the flooring, and then build a nice appartment with a big bathroom, a kitchen with dining area, a livingroom and a bedroom. Enough for the two of us if we want to live here.

Floorplans

These are the floor plans I drew. If you click on the pic, you’ll be taken to the gallery, and the pic will be bigger and can read all the notes over the picture (hoover your mouse around).

The downside, like in any renovation, is the money. Without asking for any budget, I’d say all this would cost, at least, 30,000 euros. And me, poor student, can only dream of it for now. And make lists of what is needed (with cost estimates), and file it away for when I can afford it. Anyone want to donate? I’m going to set up a sofa-bed, for guests ;-)

On other news, exams’ period starts tomorrow, at 9 am. My schedule for the next three weeks has a lot of studying time, some sleeping, and then the following exams:

  • 9:00, 30th January, Vibrations
  • 8:30, 2nd February, Mathematical Methods II
  • 17:00, 6th February, Electronics I
  • 16:00, 9th February, Solid Mechanics
  • 16:30, 14th February (Oh love day!), Fluid Mecanics
  • 9:00, 17th February (yes, a Saturday), Solid State Physics

If you don’t see me around, now you know why. Also, as any other student, I get grumpy during this period. I will be grumpy. I will react grumpy, and I will ignore some people that otherwise would get a not-too-nice reply. You’re all warned.

On the knitting front (yes, I still do knit), I have to tell that the previously ripped kilt hose is coming along again, and I hope this time fits :p