PhD switch off: Summer in Otago

Summer is the season to be jolly and a time of merriment in Dunedin! December in New Zealand is certainly something that I look forward to. The campus would be exceptionally quiet as many would be away for the festive season and long breaks.  It's a time that reminds many of us PhD candidates to take a few days off (after many long hours of research work) for the year.

Yet, a number of my friends and I find it difficult to unplug from our work. Consciously allocating time for work and non-work activities apply to many aspects of our life as a working adult. It is not uncommon to


hear the pressure of deadlines looming (i.e. article, essay or grant applications) that most of us felt restricted to do non-work related activities. A tight timeline made it really hard to 'switch off' even when we have worked for more than 10 hours every day of the week. 

Still, I try to practice a balanced social lifestyle instead of one just for work. I find these activities are food for my soul especially when being alone and abroad without family on festive seasons! Some of my past happy summer fun is as follows: 
Balls of fun and colours.

a. Winter Solstice
As a Malaysian of Chinese heritage, I grew up with the tradition of making 'tang yuan', a dessert consisting of glutinous rice balls, to celebrate the Winter Solstice in December. My cousins and I would sit next to grandma to make the little balls. Because it is a celebration in the Northern hemisphere, the seasonal name does not go along in the Southern Hemisphere. It's akin to the 'confusion' of having wintery Christmas when one is in the South. To keep my childhood tradition, I invited friends to make them with me in Dunedin. We made many colourful balls and added some 'Kiwiness' to it with some kumara into the gingerly syrup. 


Christmas joy!
b. Christmas
I like the little goody bags that spread the joy of Christmas from the International Office . It is a thoughtful act for students who are far from home. I was fortunate to have friends extending invitations to join their family for Christmas. Their festively decorated interior and pine tree certainly brought joyful spirit. Their hospitality and lovely food made me feel warm because their company reduced the feeling of missing my family. I truly appreciate being part of their celebration. 

Happy new year from Dunedin!
c. New Year Fireworks
The town was a busy place on New Year Eve. The countdown event in town was something to look forward too with live bands and food stalls. While some friends preferred the bigger metropolitan size of celebrations, I very much prefer Dunedin's countdown which I felt was less chaotic. Along with my friends, we enjoyed the firework display to start the year as the City Town Hall Clock struck 12 with sparkling fireworks on its backdrop.
Big Sweet  Cherries
d. Cherry Picking
Freshly plucked cherries at the orchard is one of my most look forward summer activity. I am truly delighted by the farmer's generosity to allow visitors into their orchards. The highlight for me is enjoying the moment of plucking and tucking the juicy fruit at the same time. My friends and I were literally having cherries for lunch. I bought a bag of cherries to munch for the rest of the week too! 

This wonderful summer Otago activities are wonderful memories for me to cherish in the future!  
This post is also published on i-studentglobal.

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