The true gods sigh for the cost and pain, - For the reed which grows nevermore again As a reed with the reeds in the river. - E.B. Browning
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Eternity
What I don't get is why at this moment, 5am in the morning and nowhere close to finishing the godforsaken dissertation, I'm wondering how the hell anyone's supposed to have eternal life/experience eternity. Cos I won't have lived for an eternity till I've lived until the end of eternity, but if I've lived until the end of eternity, then I wouldn't have lived for an eternity cos eternity has no end. Right? Unless by eternity you mean the absence of time. But my poor mortal brain can't envision living without time (or deadlines, for that matter). I mean, without time, how do you... move? Or do anything? And without time, how can you have eternity? Isn't eternity supposed to be endless time? I'm sure physics has some answer to this, perhaps something to do with curved time-space or black holes or... you know, whatever.
It's like, I don't think any of us knows what true eternity or true nothingness is. I really don't know what infinity looks like. If there's such a thing. And you know, when I think about the universe (on the rare occasion that I do think about the universe), I get a little confused. Things I've figured out: the universe is like, really big. It's got plenty of stuff in it. But then, what's outside the universe? More stuff? But what's beyond that stuff? Or maybe outside the universe there's nothing? But then how can something exist within nothing? Or maybe the universe is all there is? So it's like, never-ending? Or maybe it wraps around itself infinitely (that word again!)? Like a roll of cloth that never ends? Or maybe the concept of space doesn't make sense when talking about the universe? Or perhaps everything is just a nothing that has expanded? So actually, everything is just a very big nothing? Does any of this make sense? I don't know man. It's strange to think that there's something out there so big, something that we don't really know much about (well, I don't know much about). Hell, I shouldn't even be thinking about this.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Another panicky email to my supervisor
I figured I'd better give you an update on the dissertation.
I was hoping to give you the draft by Wednesday, but I'm having some difficulties.
I'm increasingly worried about the word count. The last section on post-Cold War ASEAN is taking up a lot of space. I'm worried about putting in enough details for this section, but I'm also concerned that the sections on the rules & institutions of international society are too superficial. As it is, I think I've exceeded the word count already, but I'm not done writing the last section, and I still haven't expanded the earlier sections.
Also, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to reconcile the logic of a minimalist international society (a la Bull) and a discussion of the difficulties faced by ASEAN. I think the main probem is that Bull's international society is both global and minimalist, and is not easily translated to the regional level of analysis or to the study of regional institutions.
If ASEAN collapses this does not mean a collapse of global international society. If ASEAN collapses does this mean an end to Southeast Asian international society? Prior to this we'd made a distinction between the Association and regional international society, but does this not mean that there must be a definition of Southeast Asian international society that is independent of ASEAN? If so, what defines Southeast Asian international society? If ASEAN is merely an expression of regional international society but not constitutive of regional international society, then the decline of ASEAN is not automatically equivalent to the decline of a minimalist Southeast Asian society, even though it might indicate problems with this regional society. But if my focus is on explaining regional international society, then isn't my discussion of ASEAN a bit off the mark?
I don't think it's impossible to use Bull to understand Southeast Asia. But I have a bad feeling that I need much more space to translate Bull's ideas to the regional level. Am I thinking too much into it?
Sorry for another long email! Thanks!
Regards,
Elaine
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Rainy nights
But this was on my MP3 tonight:
Rainy Night in Georgia
Brook Benton
Hoverin' by my suitcase,
Tryin' to find a warm place to spend the night
Heavy rain fallin', seems I hear your voice callin'
"It's all right."
A rainy night in Georgia,
a rainy night in Georgia
It seems like it's rainin' all over the world
I feel like it's rainin' all over the world
Neon signs a-flashin',
Taxi cabs and buses passin' through the night
A distant moanin' of a train seems to play a sad refrain
To the night
A rainy night in Georgia,
such a rainy night in Georgia
Lord, I believe it's rainin' all over the world
I feel like it's rainin' all over the world
How many times I wondered
It still comes out the same
No matter how you look at it or think of it
It's life and you just got to play the game
I find me a place in a box car,
so I take my guitar to pass some time
Late at night when it's hard to rest
I hold your picture to my chest and I feel fine
But it's a rainy night in Georgia,
baby, it's a rainy night in Georgia
I feel it's rainin' all over the world, kinda lonely now
And it's rainin' all over the world...
The song brought back a sharp memory of how just 2?3? years ago I used to play this CD while lying on my bed, waiting for sleep. I haven't done that for a while. Nowadays I either fall asleep on my sofa or stumble into bed, too tired to care. These days my head is filled with so many thoughts (mostly frivolous), I'm a bit tired of the mental chatter going on up there. A thought chases upon the tail of another thought that I'm barely done with; I'm like a whirlwind of words.
I walked home tonight - yet another thing I haven't done for a while - and bought a beer on the way. It's a slightly chilly night (for Singapore). I'll have class early tomorrow.
Suddenly I feel incredibly tired. I think I'll take a hiatus from blogging. 'scuse me while I disappear. Just for a while.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Recovering from religion
A few disclaimers first, just in case there're any online vigilantes who might love to get me into trouble. This is Singapore after all, and multi-racial, religious tolerance etc etc... First, I know next to nothing about religion, and therefore I do not pretend to make any authoritative statements about any religion. Second, I don't endorse the opinions expressed on the site hyperlinked above. In fact, I'm highly suspicious of the credentials of the site. I randomly clicked a link on the page, and was brought to a poorly written piece by Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America. Okay... Needless to say the article was almost entirely about us good Americans needing to carry guns to defend ourselves against these crazy jihadists who could appear anywhere, anytime.
Nevertheless, I'm not slamming the entire site just yet, because I don't really have time to explore the site thoroughly right now.
But Islam Watch reminded me of Recovering Christians, another site I used to frequent. It seems as if every religion has its share of rebels. However, Recovering Christians seems a lot more moderate, and publishes contributions from Christians. The entries there are also less driven by current events (unlike Islam Watch, which is overly preoccupied with terrorism issues & Iraq), and thus comes across as more reflective and introspective. Also, there seems to be more of a debate on Recovering Christians. Islam Watch's shout of 'turn away from this false religion!' however, is practically deafening, and much less palatable.
Woman, fall not in love
I don't know what it is about relationships that turn otherwise sane, rational, normal, grown-up (ok I know that blogthings quiz said my real age is 15) women into psychotic, dependent, neurotic, paranoid lunatics.
I was in a horrendous mood today, the kind of mood that turns me into a cross between rabid dog and frazzled, paper-pushing bureaucrat - constantly furious, likely to bite, obsessed with details and prone to bossing people around. Then just because LSB did the smallest of things, I was suddenly insanely happy, and all was fine with the world.
I won't even say what it was because it's really too embarrassing to admit that something that silly could stop me in my frothing, raging tracks. Not even on this blog, which has become the biggest liability to my good reputation. (oh wait, I am the biggest liability to my good reputation.)
And then there're these other times where his disproportionate influence over me sends me reeling in the other way, and storm clouds gather, the ground shakes, rain pours, and I'm all melodramatic tragedy, and my life is an amalgamation of the best korean soaps.
I just don't know what men do to women. It's crazy, you know. It's like he's the wind and I'm the windvane. He's the temperature and I'm the thermometer.
... ok, I'd better stop here now. *embarrassed* You can guess what kind of love poems I'd come up with.
You have no idea how frustrating this is. Is it just me? Am I unschooled in the art of boyfriend management? Is there a training school I can send him to? Or is there some code of conduct that he needs to adhere to in order to maintain a healthy, normal girlfriend? Should I just kick him until he stops messing with my mind?
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Violin
I started the violin unforgiveably late (I shall always blame my parents for forcing me to take up the piano instead of the violin), when I was 19. I remember when I first started, I was a voracious learner. For about a year, I wanted to learn everything straightaway - shifting, double-stops, vibrato... everything. I borrowed books on the history of the violin, playing techniques, music theory, all of which I've forgotten, because I've got a horrendous memory.
But even during this period, when I was the most fascinated by this instrument that was so different from the piano, I practised a maximum of twice a week. Because that's the kind of student I am. I hate practising, and I get deathly bored if I have to spend too much time on one thing. Some might call it lazy, but I prefer 'easily bored'.
Which is why I'm half-convinced I'll never survive a PhD, even though the idea of studying still appeals to me. But let's leave that bit of angst for another time.
I'll never be any good at the violin, but that's precisely why I feel like going out and buying a stack of cds right now. Because I know I'll never be able to produce that kind of music, the only way I can own that sound is to buy it.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Efficiency
The efficiency just boggles my mind. I'm the most inefficient person I know. I ALWAYS procrastinate. Always. I just don't understand efficiency. I seldom miss deadlines, but I never finish my work before the deadline either. I'm dazzled by my supervisor's efficiency. He's such a wonderful supervisor! I'm so excited about efficiency!
Even though I've received a ton of essays to mark, I haven't touched a single one. And I've had them for weeks! My supervisor would have finished marking them a long time ago. Shame on me!
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Once newly dead
Yet this particular case more than others caught my attention, for a simple reason: Amara Tochi was sentenced to death for drug trafficking. Yet he might not have even known that he possessed drugs on his person.
In fact, Justice Kan noted in his findings that "there was no direct evidence that he knew the capsules contained diamorphine. There was nothing to suggest that Smith had told him they contained diamorphine, or that he had found that out on his own".
That leads us to a troublesome and haunting question: can you be sentenced to death for drug trafficking without even knowing you were in possession of drugs?
I've only just read this blog entry dated 25 Jan 2007, and hence did not know about this case until more than a month after the event. So this guy's probably been dead more than a month already. I don't even have to search for updates on the case to know this because if Singapore decides on the death sentence, no pleas or appeals of any sort could make any difference.
Just for the record, I don't approve of the death penalty, and I feel inexplicably guilty that I did not know about this death till long after the event.
And why am I surfing the net when I've got 4000 (ok, now 3500) words more to go by 5pm today? I don't know really. I'm starting to feel bored with my course of study and beginning to think my interests lie somewhere else. (and this is not just dissertation angst speaking) This is, of course, disastrous.
But you know, academic woes somehow pale in comparison to larger troubling issues like the state's willingness to kill without convincing proof of guilt.
scrubs - guy love
It's guy love, between two guys! *chortles*
Thanks Joyce for the link!
4000 words more by 5pm!
Letter to a reptile
I know you're hopelessly in love with either 1. my Doritos (a yucky taco flavour), 2. my beautiful human self, or 3. the heat from my laptop. You might also feel attracted to the pile of notes on my table, but I think that's highly unlikely. You're not silverfish after all, and silverfish are probably the only creatures who might like my very boring notes.
However, please stop trying to sneak up on me/my Doritos/my laptop. It freaks me out a bit, because as much as I think baby lizard feet are terribly cute, I don't fancy the thought of accidentally squashing you or munching a mouthful of Doritos-flavoured lizard. It's a really bad time now, you know. I have to hand in the first draft of my dissertation by 5pm tomorrow, and I'm only at 5000 words. So if you come any closer to me, I swear I'll scream and wake my daddy up so he can get rid of you. Be good! And no tail-dropping please!
Regards,
Elaine
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Break from thesis
I can't help comparing this thesis experience with my previous thesis experience. I'm actually much more relaxed this time. (though I'd better not jump to conclusions till tomorrow)
Perhaps it's because of yet another raise in stress threshold.
Perhaps it's because this time I Actually Consulted My Thesis Supervisor And He Knows What I'm Going To Write About. (at least in general)
Perhaps it's because I no longer feel as if I owe it to the whole world to do well.
Perhaps it's because they make us hand in a first draft before the final deadline.
Anywayz. The last time I spent about 5 days doing the really relevant research, and about 2.5days writing. This time I've hardly done any research, but I'm making up for it by starting to write 3 days before the deadline. So hopefully it should work out fine. (I'm now at 1350/10000 words, and the bloody thesis is due this Thurs. Well, at least the 1st draft.)
*yawnz* darn I'm sleepy. Too bloody relaxed... Help! I'm in such deep shit!
Ok ok that's it. I should go back to work. (I wasted another hour slacking! Can you believe that?)
Monday, March 05, 2007
Faces of Italy
Faces of Italy
This is Vespucci.
Vespucci’s dream is to find his son and tell him important things. He twists his head quickly at me with a lost and quizzical look, and then he returns to a thoughtful gaze.
Vespucci is currently homeless and cannot remember where his son is
This is Skye.Skye’s dream, she says with a stalwart demeanor, is to be a successful dermatologist.
Skye is currently modeling in Milan during summer break from medical school.
and so on. If you want to see the faces behind these dreams, click on above link. :)
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Nora, The Piano-Playing Cat (www.ravenswingstudio.com)
This cat has more talent in its tail than I would have in my entire life! (How else did it make it so big?)
Friday, March 02, 2007
History and History
Abe Rejects Japan’s Files on War Sex
TOKYO, March 1 — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe denied Thursday that Japan’s military had forced foreign women into sexual slavery during World War II, contradicting the Japanese government’s longtime official position.
Oops. I can't imagine many people being happy about that.
Now I have to write my dissertation by next Thurs.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Current Music Obsession: The Red Violin
I'm not particularly impressed by the film, but the soundtrack... *smoke rises from fried brain*
It's an original score! And a very good one at that! Joshua Bell played it! It's beeeeoooootifffuuuuullllll!
It's really a bad idea to be listening to the soundtrack now, because I can't concentrate on anything else (read: revision for the paper). And the regular fits I get while listening to the soundtrack make me very tired... It's tiring to remain ecstatic for hours on end. Talk about blowing my mind.
I need something brainless... M-Pop, here I come!