and its not easy going on a vacation. especially, if you live alone. preparing to go on a vacation is an art and a strenuous one.

1. think of where you can leave those other leafy inhabitants of your apartment where they can see someone daily watering them even if they are deprived of sunshine cos noone is going to move them around like you do.

2. finish all that pending work cos when you come back there will be much more pending on you before you begin a new semester. all those half read books and papers are going to haunt me this week till I take flight after which they will qualify for that status of "work not done" which stops to arouse guilt by passing into the realm of the past tense. and this does not even include the work that I am being paid for cos that I cannot afford to award wnd status to.

3. clean out your apartment - the kitchen, the bathroom and the entire apartment. so that you are not greeted by pests, dead or alive when you get back home after the holiday.

4. stock yourself with the right amount of food such that the perishable lasts (or is trashed) exactly these few days of hard work, and that there is something to feed on when you're back (cos the bread-milk uncle shop isn't within earshot in this country, actually there is no bread-milk uncle shop here. sigh).

5. and if that's not enough buy a suitcase and plan out exactly how much will fit in so you can buy an exact sized gift for your host.

6. and last but not the least, to prepare yourself for the vacation. stop looking like what you are (a grad student in rags who doesn't care about her looks, until acne sprouts up all over her face) and wax and groom yourself so you feel good while the vacation lasts at least.

7. bear the 42deg heat while you do all this hoping it doesn't kill you before the vacation. and bear that haircut and smile about it.