Packing up but still in Ithaca

I've been packing and moving for the past few weeks, and I still have a little left to do--it's the neverending story! I tend to accumulate a lot of junk that I think I "might" need at some point. Of course, I end up forgetting that I even have that stuff because I squirrel them away in "safe" hiding places and only discover them whenever I need to pack and move again.

My lease ends this week and one of my friends very generously lent me her studio apt to live in for about 2.5 weeks while she's away. It's small but nice, clean, and quiet. I better get some work done while I'm here!!

I just realized that, in the last 7 years, I've never lived in the same apt for more than a year. Because of unforeseeable circumstances, I've had to move around a lot, and while it forces me to clean and throw away junk (last week I found notes and handouts from the class I took 4 years ago on Classical Chinese--I hated that class!!), I think I'm going to be happy when I finally get to stay put for awhile.

I don't ask for much, do I?? That ain't gonna happen anytime soon, unfortunately.

I leave for New York City on Jan 14 to attend a college friend's wedding reception, have Nigerian food with Nigerian friends on Jan 15, and will be meeting an old prof and his wife for a tour of the UN on Jan 16 before flying home that evening. I can't wait!

no more car

Had to sell my trusty (tan+rusty) Toyota Corolla station-wagon today. :( Storing it in a friend's garage for the 7 months I'll be gone sounded like it would be too much for my friend even though she said it would be okay. So, thank God someone wanted to buy it.

Never realized before just how dependent I've become on a car--getting things done now takes a lot longer, and having to walk extensively during the Ithacan winter (today it's -7 deg C w/o windchill, and -15 deg C with windchill) is . . . well, it must do something to one's soul.

Badminton coaching clinic

Last weekend we had a badminton coaching clinic here at Cornell. We brought up Andy Chong, who played 3rd singles for Malaysia in the 80's and who later played in the US national team. Andy and his assistant coach Radu Milevschi did a great job--everyone had a ton of fun!

I'm playing doubles with Archit in one picture (or was it mixed-doubles??) and look at the flex on Andy's racket in this other picture--and he uses mid-stiff rackets too!