<p class="ql-block">Reviewing 13 master's theses felt like plowing 13 rows of land. Each thesis was like a different récolte (/ʁekɔlt/, French, "crops"). Think persimmons, eggplants, bell peppers, green beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, millet, corn, sunflower seeds, peanuts, scallions, Chinese cabbage, and cilantro. Each had its own flavor, its own unique growth process.</p><p class="ql-block"> </p><p class="ql-block">I've still got three days left. I can go over my review comments again and again, just like watching plants sprout and grow. By the time the official defense rolls around, it'll be my showtime. I'll be ready to shine, just like a field full of ripe, healthy récoltes (/ʁekɔlt/, French, "crops"). In the IPA transcription /ʁekɔlt/, the /ʁ/ is pronounced by vibrating the back of your tongue near the uvula, creating a guttural sound; /e/ is a mid-front unrounded vowel, similar to the "e" in "bed"; /k/ is a voiceless velar stop, like the "k" in "cat"; /ɔ/ is a mid-back rounded vowel, akin to the "aw" in "law" but more rounded; /l/ is a voiced alveolar lateral approximant, as in "look"; and /t/ is a voiceless alveolar stop, like the "t" in "top".</p>