April F.O.C.U.S
April was action-packed, but somewhere in the middle of all of it, the month managed to feel unhurried.
Favorites
Easter came with two extra days and I chose to spend them on rediscovery. We played tourists in our own city: walked the park, tried something new for brunch, let Sydney be slow for once. The find of the month was a Japanese restaurant one block from our front door: Gyukatsu Kyoto. They serve Kyoto-style wagyu cutlet, panko-crusted, brought to the table on a small hot stone grill where you finish it yourself, one slice at a time. Around it: a bowl of miso soup, steamed rice, and a small lineup of condiments—dashi soy, a thicker sauce for dipping, wasabi salt, and then a raw egg yolk which adds flavour to steamed rice. I’am always amazed by Japanese cuisine and am glad this feels within reach!
Outings
All thanks to my husband who thoughtfully plans our weekends, this month is about discovering Sydney Park. Rolling hills that remind me of MS Windows wallpaper, dogs running loose (I think I’ve grown my familiarity on different breeds), families with no particular agenda, lying on a mat against green grass—it feels utopia. As if it can’t get any better, Sydney's autumn has been cooperating lately: cool enough for a jacket with blue skies and bright sun warming the air. We've been back twice since the first visit and I am already looking forward to the next. I think I will doze off this time.
Challenges
Hola Maria is stalled. Building a jewellery brand means the product has to earn its place, and I want to do it right. I aim for my brand to be beautiful enough to want, made well enough to last, and priced in a way that respects the person buying it. I've been working through suppliers carefully, looking not just at what they produce but more importantly, looking at the vibe: whether the materials are responsibly sourced, whether the craftsmanship holds up past the sample stage, whether the people behind it operate in a way I can align with. It takes a while, but am hopeful it’d be worth it.
Uplifts
Stanford LEAD is in full swing and it is a lot, in the best way. The coursework is rigorous and the pace doesn't let up, but the professors bring it to life in a way that makes you want to keep up. What I didn't expect was how much I'd be learning from the cohort itself: people from different industries, different countries, different ways of solving the same problem. Most mornings now start with black coffee and an open module.
Shifts
I moved back to an old club, now taking group lessons at White City Tennis. A few others didn't make the cut: one ran bookings through a WhatsApp poll (which technically works until they put you on the wrong class); another had coaching with obvious favoritism, where court time was never quite equal and that is hard to unsee once you notice it. White City was a different story. The coach actually watches your form: how you're gripping the racket, where your feet are before the ball even arrives, and gives feedback that sticks. Everyone gets a turn at the baseline, everyone rallies, nobody is standing around waiting while one person hogs the drill. The people are genuinely nice too, they’re the bunch that cheers a good cross-court shot and doesn't make you feel bad about the ones that go wide. Exactly what I was looking for.
