Days started to get colder here. Tired of battling with the lower temperatures in our apartment, we gave up and finally turned the heating on.

This month of November 2024 has been quite exhausting, which brings us to the first point.

Health (Skip if it’s TMI for you)

In September, I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). There is no cure for that condition, but having a healthier lifestyle can alleviate the symptoms. Taking birth control pills is a way to have regular periods, so I was prescribed one I took it several years ago with no issue whatsoever, but I stopped after 1 year because I felt like it was ok without it. Besides, my accutane treatment had ended, so I didn’t have to keep taking it.

I began the first packet as soon as my period started and everything was fine… until I forgot to take my pill on the 8th day. I started bleeding like crazy and experiencing awful cramps the day after. Despite that, I kept taking my pill every day at a regular time. The bleeding decreased over time, without never fully stopped even at the end of the packet (21st day). After finishing the packet, I again bled a lot the two first days… so badly that I stained several pairs of pants and chairs, even if I had changed my pad less than 2 hours before. I also experienced horrible hormone-induced mood swings during that no pill week, but everything eventually got back in order when I started my 2nd month.

I also got sick at the end of the month, so overall it was not a good month health-wise for me.

Cooking

There are months during which I will be very motivated to be in the kitchen, and it was the case for November. I tried various dishes, some for the first time, like Peking duck, sushi and jiaozi. I have phases like that, hehe… Not sure it will carry on next month though.

DPR: THE DREAM REBORN WORLD TOUR 2024

Clay workshops

I booked two initiation workshops at a clay studio with a voucher that a friend gifted me for my 30th birthday last year (right before it expired lol). The first one was a pottery class and the second one, a modeling class.

Both workshops were awesome. The pottery workshop was a nice introduction to the potter’s wheel techniques. I was right to wear track pants because it was easy to get our clothes dirty despite wearing aprons. With a little practice, it’s possible to make nice bowls and plates!

I struggled to pull and raise the clay without my fingers getting in the way at some point, bumping into the clay and deforming my hard work :’) I still managed to make a kind of soup plate and a small bowl (not featured on the pics). Actually, I made 5 pieces of pottery, but we could only keep 2, so I chose the most successful ones.

Clay modeling was less technical, and we had more creative freedom too! I chose to make a water pitcher because I wanted to make something more ambitious than plates or bowls that I made the day before. That’s why I only had time to make only one piece. The only thing that was a bit of a shame is that the instructor was pretty much overwhelmed with the number of students.

The clay pieces will undergo a first round of firing before enameling then a second round of firing at a higher temperature to seal everything. These steps are done by the atelier, so I just have to retrieve them in January.

(I posted this quite late since I kind of forgot about it…)