Numb

Today, I got my first assessment from my manager. It's been four months since I started this job. I like this job. I am glad I could choose what I wanted to do. At the same time, I realized one thing. Now, my life is confined in a pattern. I wake up, take a shower, go to my table, and work until 6 pm. I am usually tired after work. What I generally do is make a decent meal, plate it nicely, take a picture, and upload it to Instagram. Everything became a perfect routine. 

When I was a grad student four years ago, I started cooking to break my pattern. Back then, I couldn't even make a simple dish. I only knew how to make Ramen noodles with eggs (at least I was good at making instant noodles).

I remember my first "fancy" dish. It was garlic oil pasta (aglio olio). I clearly remember it because it was bad. The garlic was burnt, there was too much olive oil, and the pasta noodles were undercooked. It was a disaster. After four years, I could proudly serve delicious oil pasta to my friends. It took many years to reach that level. 

These days, I feel bored. I would say a little numb. I still like cooking, but after it became part of my life, I got used to it. I guess this is a good time to start something new. Something that can break my routine and proudly show to others after several years.