The 59th and final post in my first academic year

Changing my annual monthly calender on my study desk and I find it funny and relieved at the same time while reading my plans and notes made within this first year of my PhD study in foreign land.

There were heaps of planning and I am glad and can proudly say that most of them are achieved. There are emotional remarks in which most of them expressing my anxiety throughout the different states of first year in PhD:

• Research proposal approval
• Choosing and building framework for the dissertation
• Prepare for candidature confirmation
• Applying for research grant and ethics approval
• Attending seminars and conferences and presenting papers
• Preparing for fieldwork

I thank God for a rather smooth first year in which major goals are achieved albeit worries and sadness following the occurrence of the least expected family problem(s) during one of the most critical time of my study (literature review and candidature confirmation). God, please bless my family good health.

I thank my hubby for always being there and had helped me to manage things that are out of my reach, and has been my good cook, my rational financial manager, and my most therapeutic psychiatrist :)

Now I have my January and February 2010 planned. For March-December 2010, this would be another kind of challenge not only in my research but also in my life. I will be living and conducting research in another foreign land in which I don't speak fluent local language (not to say that I am very fluent in English or Aussie English :p). Luckily, this journey would be accompanied by my lovely husband who vows to continuously give me all supports that I need.

May the Tiger new year brings me to another level of good achievement, both as a PhD student and a good person :)

Final post for year 2009...kot

Out of 6 tasks listed only 3 and a half done:

1. KPT progress report Done!
   
2. UKM progress report Done!
   
3. Research Commencement Plan for Korea Foundation: 4 sections to be answered professionally 3 sections are done, left the most difficult section Research Methodoly T_T
   
4. Interview questions Errrr.....
   
5. Reply to Faculty Committee (New!) Done!
   
6. Books review Errrr.....

The rest will be done before the next supervisor meeting on 13th January 2010^^

These are kinda my new year resolutions ad, hohoho!

Happy new year 2010^^

December works before vacation

Be hardworking. Be very hardworking.

Including one sudden task received yesterday:

1. KPT progress report
2. UKM progress report
3. Research Commencement Plan for Korea Foundation: 4 sections to be answered professionally
4. Interview questions
5. Reply to Faculty Committee (New!)
6. Books review

After Christmas@New Year 2010:

1. Interview questions (refining)
2. Email completed, no error-research commencement plan to Korea Foundation
3. Contact pople in Korea
   
4. Books review, to be done as many as possible
5. Korean language training
6. Writing papers
7. And many more paper works
   

My eyes: @_@

How to be productive

The secret to productive goal setting is in establishing clearly defined goals, writing them down and then focusing on them several times a day with words, pictures and emotions as if we've already achieved them.

• Denis Waitley

未来は...

미래는 이다... heading to the way I want it to be?

打起精神!

Things to do on the 30th Novmber 2009

Go to office on Monday to get my official ethics approval letter, YES!

Print Calender 2010, thanks to Huey for the tips!

Photocopy book chapters.

Borrow discourse analysis books.

Report to my supervisors on my research affiliation to SNU and my research commencement plan.

Waiting for confirmation from Asia-Pacific Conference organiser on my paper this Wednesday.

Forming interview questions... I am ready to be laughed at >_<

Aja! Aja! Fighting!

Research Affiliate

Checking email in the early morning after an exhausting day, found out Seoul National University's Graduate School of International Studies (SNU's GSIS) accepted my request for affiliation, HOOOORAY!

I am going to conduct research in Korea based in SNU (currently the top 47 university in the world from the previous top 50 position; certainly the best in South Korea), how terrific is that!

Prayers work. Thank God.

Korea Foundation research grant: next actions

Received the Letter of Invitation and Korea Foundation Research Grant's T&C today and have to get into action immediately:

1. First of all, i have to rush for completing the letter of acceptance (Attachment 1) and mail to KF before 27 November (Next Friday), or, in other words, reach their office before next Friday! (Use express courier international mail---$37 T_T)
2. Contact Seoul National University/Yonsei university for affiliation with the Attachment 2 (It takes months to get Letter of Affiliation from the institution and need it for visa application!!!)
3. Modifying or even rewrite my research commencement plan (This is the Attachment 3 that needs to be sent to KF kyaaaaaaaaa)
4. Considering which accommodation option is the best (I personally prefer private studio or apartment, but home-stay with other Koreans seems great too)
5. Considering the option of getting sponsored flight (pay first reimburse later or ask KF to book right away and use the new prepaid ticket system)
6. Reread the 29 pages Terms and Condition again and again; and staring at the 7 attachments to be responded T_T

Ethics application done, next up ASCJ application

Amendment made to the provisional approved application.

Talked to supervisor about some weird questions posed by the committee, typing, and then emailed.

Another thing checked from the list.

Next up, submitting abstract and application for next year's Asian Studies Conference in Japan (ASCJ). I doubt I can find other co-panels within one week so will submit for individual paper presentation.

After that... Preparing interview questions. Emailing people in Korea.

Lots of heavy works to be done.

I am smiling nonetheless :)

The happiest day in my research life so far

I am extremely happy now, no words can describe my gratitude towards the people who have given me moral supports and endless encouragement to motivate me.

I have received result notification from Korea Foundation that I have been selected for The Korea Foundation 2010 Fellowship for Field Research program.

My prayers have been answered.

Thank you GOD.

The 50th post is a happy post

I checked email just now and supervisor has sent the feedback on my presentation... he said "The presentation looks good" and "you appear to have made more good headway"; though some improvements are needed but I am very happy already.

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

The result will be revealed any time now! Pray for me!

I want to obtain the Korea Foundation's research grant.

I will conduct field work in South Korea next year.

Amen.

Panic (〒︿〒)

\(≧□≦)/

The conference thingy the faculty thingy the presentation thingy the writing thingy the meeting with supervisor thingy

Don't panic dude.

Take a deep breathe~~~~

and believe that everything is already in His hands.

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

The result will be revealed in early November.

I want to obtain the Korea Foundation's research grant.

I will conduct field work in South Korea next year.

Amen.

Social Sciences Buddies Peer Group formed!

We shall see the South-east Asian Power beaming at the Conference later, YAY!

Looking forward to our mini colloquium :)

It's great to have peers in our PhD journey.

Writing the conference paper

Just submitted my abstract so now am working on the writing T_T

The first part will be the definition on strategic stability, which I will include Hoeber (1968), Kokoshin & Kortunov (1987), Zhong and Pan (2004), Loo (2005), and Delpech (2001).

I think I need to give more of my analysis and opinion this time, which I lack of doing so in my literature review writing.

My conclusion on the definition (the working definition for my research) is:

Strategic stability is a condition that minimises the possibility of accidental or inadvertent wars breaking out between adversarial states, where policy-makers do not face unavoidable pressures to make sudden shifts from non-violent to violent strategies, and in which various strategic forces in the world are able to establish and sustain a strategic framework for basic relations between and among them.

Next, I will talk about the military-strategic aspect of the strategic stability. this will be the intersting part because I will be:

looking at the crises occurred in 1994, the local military balance is more important than general regional balance of power, because the high level of military preparedness and confidence in intelligence systems displayed by the US-ROK military alliance has helped to maintain the regional strategic stability.

I will give empirical evidence such as the data and facts and events on KPA (Korean People's Army-North Korea) vs ROKAF (Republic of Korea Arms Force-South Korea) and USFK (United States Force Korea) along the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). Intersting facts such as the tunnels and the intelligence information will be part of my presentation.

Oh, headache. I need to write and prepare for presentation at the same time. Need to get them done before I go to Tasmania.

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

The result will be revealed in early November.

I want to obtain the Korea Foundation's research grant.

I will conduct field work in South Korea next year.

Amen.

Abstract and Conference presentation

Awaiting confirmation from my Zoology friend on the species and the name of this bird that approached us while we're having lunch on the Simpson Place's lawn.

UPDATE: It's some kind of Starling^^

My supervisor's feedback on my abstract is that I still need to narrow down my scope and be more specific. So am working on it and will submit by this Friday.

And I have to write a conference paper and make a presentation out of it. My dear friend suggested we will have a "study circle" kind of group to practice among close peers especially to improve our presentation skill. Way to go girl ;)

*Click on the image to enlarge*

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

The result will be revealed in early November.

I want to obtain the Korea Foundation's research grant.

I will conduct field work in South Korea next year.

Amen.

Abstract for conference paper

I just emailed my supervisor my abstract. He will be off to Singapore this week but I have to start writing the paper. I hope this paper sharpens my literature review.

Will my prayers be answered?

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

The result will be revealed in early November.

I want to obtain the Korea Foundation's research grant.

I will conduct field work in South Korea next year.

Amen.

Postgraduate Colloquium of School of Social Sciences LTU

Presentation in progress. All were chaired by senior postgraduates.

Audience includes senior postgraduates, first year and second year postgraduates, Postgraduate convener and another lecturer of the school.

I presented on why am I working on U.S.-Korea relations and strategic stability, the two themes in my literature review and its basic conclusion. I finished my presentation exactly in 10 minutes and I got 2 questions from the floor during 5 minutes Q&A session.

Though some people came up to me and say I did a good job and they understand what I am trying to say, I am still dissatisfied with myself such as the wrong vocab used, funny grammatical mistakes and weird sentence structures in one or two sentences (written and spoken).

Anyway.

Overall I think it is a good exposure for me on how to do a presentation in front of academic audience in Australia. Most presenters go into details (regardless wide range of fields of audience), which is something for me to learn as my presentation is something very general about my research.

I like how Claire, a presenter from Anthropology program presented her research in great details without using powerpoint. I want to be like her---it is exactly my dream posture that I picture my future presentations. And also Chung, a Vietnamese who draws everyone attention by his creative opening and after his presentation everyone can't stop talking or thinking about his creative opening. And his research is very interesting: New Religious Movements in Vietnam.

I am actually running out of ideas on working on my conference paper's abstract so I think it may be good for me to blog about my postgraduate colloquium experience. Now I need to get back to work, hmph.

On another note: the Korea Foundation replied to my enquiry about the result announcement---- it would be postponed to early November.

So... I have to pro-long my prayers for 1 more month^^ Please extend your prayers for me too, I thank you very much orz

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

The result will be revealed in early November.

I want to obtain the Korea Foundation's research grant.

I will conduct field work in South Korea next year.

Amen.

Seeking advice from supervisor on conference paper

I will meet my supervisor tomorrow for his comment on my presentation this Friday and also the abstract and content of my conference paper.

Wonder what he will say about my ideas. I have to be very focus on my work tomorrow!

Conference paper?

What is strategic stability and why Korea?

US-ROK security alliance and strategic stability?

Post-Cold War strategic stability and Korean Peninsula?

Domestic politics dimension of Korean Peninsula's strategic stability?

Military-strategic notions of US-ROK security alliance and regional strategic stability?

While thinking hard about what to write,

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

The result will be known within this 2-week time.

I want to obtain the Korea Foundation's research grant.

I will conduct field work in South Korea next year.

Amen.

Finally submitted it!

Taken when officemates were not in, nyeknyeknyek

After much dragging-on-forever pain in completing the forms, finally I submitted my ethics application today! I can say I am lucky: I lack one signature and coincidently my co-supervisor who is supposed to be on leave until next week dropped by his office this morning! So I managed to complete the application form and submit in 3 copies: Microsoft Word, PDF (when will the photocopier in UKM office has this function of convert scanned documents into PDF?), and hard copy to RGSO.

After that, I went to pay the rent and had lunch with Tracy at Life Skill cafe that serves very nice Vegetable firatta (?---gotta check the name again^^) and spinach quiche^^

Yesterday I had done my presentation for postgraduate colloquium which will be held next week at Mt. Macedon. It's just a 10 minutes presentation but it would be a prelude to 4th November's Postgraduate Conference for School of Social Sciences. Am cracking up my head to see what's inside my brain to write for the conference paper. Although it's just a school level conference, I hope it will give me an idea for future's REAL THING conference. I have planned to attend an Asian Studies Conference in Japan next year but I am yet to ask my supervisor's opinion about that. The deadline for paper submission is in November so basically I have to get the draft done before the end of October. Had asked my experienced friends regarding writing for conference paper and am impressed by their intelligent and hard work :) I wish I can be proud of myself in that way one day.

All the best to my department mate who will present her paper in a conference at Serbia in November :)

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

The result will be known within this 2-week time.

I want to obtain the Korea Foundation's research grant.

I will conduct field work in South Korea next year.

Amen.

On Monday

Hopefully everything goes smooth on that day so that I can submit my ethics application.

Dear boss, you have to be in your office on that day, LOL.

Am working on the presentation for the Postgraduate Colloquium from 8 to 9 October. My presentation is on the 9th. This is some kind of warming up exercise before the 'real thing'--- the postgraduate conference on the 4th of November.

Powerpoint... should be no problem and an easy task for me. The problem is how to carry out a good public speaking. I have an inferiority complex to speak before the native speakers, but I think I would do it like the way I did for the research workshop. But of course hopefully with more improvement.

It looks like it's going to rain for the whole week. What a gloomy Spring. It's so cold that it reminds me of the unpleasant Winter memory of working inside my own room for 3 months. Shivers. I broke one umbrella already and seems like the second umbrella won't survive for long, if the weather continues to be rainy with strong wind.

Anyhow, my happy September is almost over, and the decisive month of October is around the corner.

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

I want to obtain the Korea Foundation's research grant.

I will conduct field work in South Korea next year.

Amen.

Meeting with supervisor, ethics application and all sorts of applications

As long as you are working on human subjects, including conduct medical or social experiment(s) on them, getting in touch with them, i.e. playing with them, observing them, or even talking to them for a minute hours, then, my dear, you need to apply for human research ethics approval.

I only need to interview approximately 25 people (majority Koreans) in South Korea for an hour to 2 hours, but I need to apply for ethics approval, which, according to my European comrades, is unheard of in their countries.

Am currently working on Human research ethics application. Met my supervisor today and many thanks to his help on my grammartical errors and to simplify the answers. The part that I thought as the most difficult part----interview questions is actually not complicated and tough at all----only need a general description and a sample of 3 questions. Done. And I created 22 funny questions on this appendix. FML.

I feel that the grey and white hair grew on my head is not worth it LOL.

Sometimes things are just as simple as they actually are. Human, or the people who are entrapped by the "high" ideas---are making all the simple things tough. Padan muka.

I have my back-up plans ready too. Luckily my supervisor is 100% supporting one of my back-up plans---apply for faculty grant and go for a shorter field work in South Korea. However, please pray for my success, Korea Foundation is still the best option. All these backup plans are for "just-in-case" case or the worst case scenario.

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

I want to get the Korea Foundation's research grant.

I will conduct field work in South Korea next year.

Amen.

Post-Panel Meeting works

What does sky mean to you?

The sky on top of Bundoora Park

I can lay on the grass (make sure no ants and all LOL) and staring at the sky and think about many things. Good for meditation as well^^

The panel meeting went surprisingly well and I am very happy for it. Though I thought I should be criticised more, hmmm....

Thus I am now working on ethics application so that I will be allowed to conduct my field work out of the campus.

Asides from the frustrating questions that are unrelated to my field, I am forcing myself to come up with some decent interview questions which is part of the appendix I need to attach for the application. All of my fellow postgraduate friends take it easy and I envy them for easily come up with 15 to 25 questions for submission. However, I wish the questions I'll come up with are the questions that I'm going to ask in the real field work-----because I don't have the slightiest idea of make up fake questions for the sake of fulfilling application requirement!

My supervisor is flying to Switzerland today so I still have one more day to list down the possible interview questions. I am going to meet him next week to discuss about my ethics form which is already filled out but may be some alteration to the answers is needed.

And also, I have been praying very hard since the day I post express to South Korea my Korea Foundation grant application. This month is the screening process and next month all of the awardees will be announced. There are approximately 40 people will be selected every year from 6 regions all over the world, hence it is really very competitive. I am a Malaysian who falls under Australiasia region because of the instution that I'm currently studying in, and every year average of 2 or 3 people from this region will be selected-----but all of them are of Korean heritage! This worries me a lot. Despite my strong belief in the Law of Attraction a.k.a. The Secret, I am a super pessismistic and reslistic person so I am now working on back-up plans... which I am going to tell my supervisor next week.

According to my time line of research work plan, I should commence writing the early part of Chapter 3 and may be 4, but I think I have to really have to squeeze out some time to say no to many distractions and really focusing on reading, thinking, and writing. Which could mean that I will commence my energy-draining life again: sleepless, potato chips, and internet-less. I would make my September as honeymoon-like as possible with a little work to do every now and then; and I will start the full work routine in October, which will last into the middle of November, and honeymoon again. Huhu, ada secret planning lah ni, kuikuikui.

I have also got my mentor and I hope this would improve my professional academic writing skill and also sharpen my thoughts on producing ideas. I am determined to make September a happy month and I think I did and am still doing it :)

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

I want to get the Korea Foundation's research grant.

I will conduct field work in South Korea next year.

Amen.

My birthday wish

By the sound of this title, it should be one of my procrastination post. But my birthday wish is deeply associated with my further research plan: I wish to get Korea Foundation's research grant to conduct field work in South Korea next year.

Oh God, I know I am only religious during the time of crisis and of urgent. I know I am not a good follower. But I believe in the law of attraction that if you wish for something strongly you will get it. And the law of attraction works in every religion. And I also believe that my on and off prayers had reached You, and I know a little wish and prayers from my dear friends had also worked wonders.

This is the biggest personal birthday wish I ever have. I've read many jokes about how human wished for world peace and God granted human's other grand personal wishes instead of world peace. I used to wish for world peace for many years when I was young and I think they were not granted. So now, all I wish, is a realistic, not-tougher-than-a-realising-world-peace-kind-of-wish.

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

I want to get the Korea Foundation's research grant.

I will conduct field work in South Korea next year.

Amen.

Meeting and Panel Meeting

Just had a meeting with my supervisor and there are lots of rooms for improvement to be made on my chapter writings.

Next week, on Friday 28th August at 10am, is my panel meeting. There will be 3 panels and me. Don't know how is it gonna be like but I pray for more criticisms and questions so that I can better my writings and thinking. Amen.

Praying hard for my panel meeting next week! (Argh!)

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

Finally a first diagram of my framework!

Although I barred myself from internet surfing and blogging, I could not wait to show the framework that I have just came up with for my study, OMG finally!

Although it has yet to be finalised and confirmed after 3 years of research, it is nonetheless the first fruitful outcome of my hardwork: I work on this for 3 months! I can't believe it! It looks simple but actually there is a complexity theory behind it that makes me sleepness for nights and days without caffein intake

(丌^丌)

My conceptual framework is Startegic Stability, and I attempt to redefine it and later apply it in my case studies. My case studies are North Korea Crises in 1993-1994 and 2006, which occurred during Clinton and Bush Jr.'s administrations respectively. I want to see how the US-ROK security alliance affected the regional stability by using my proposed framework, which should be able to cover issues that the old startegic stability concept not able to cover.

**********************************************************

I will meet my supervisor tomorrow, and the meeting will be about:

1. My first progress report for the higher Degree Committee
2. Confirmation of my panel meeting and when is the exact date to submit my works for it
3. Consulting about Faculty or School's *****
4. Year-end Postgraduate Conference?
5. Update my progress >_<

キャ~ ドキドキ

Praying hard for my panel meeting in 2 weeks time! (Argh!)

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

Say no to Internet

A shorebird by a small lake at Bundoora Park, Melbourne, Victoria

Will remain offline until the end of this month. So no more updates until September.

Wish me luck on my panel meeting a.k.a. candidature confirmation meeting!

Muacks!

Praying hard for my panel meeting in 3 weeks time!

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

Praying hard for my panel meeting in 3 weeks time!

123456789

Tonight after midnight we will experience the only 123456789 moment which occurred only once in the human history.

What I've done so far until 12:34:56AM 07/08/09?

1. I was born at 08:55AM on 22/09/83
2. Went to Gospel Chapel Kindergarten from 1988-1989
3. Went to S.R.B. Chung San from 1990-1995
4. Studied at S.M.K. Riam for one year in the year 1996
5. Then S.M.K. Lopeng Tengah from 1997-1999
6. Transferred to S.M.K. Chung Hua Miri in 2000 and graduated in 2001
7. Working part-time for half-year and went to Kolej Tun Datu Tuanku Haji Bujang Miri from June 2002 - November 2003
8. Working part-time for 4 months and went to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia on 13 June 2004 together with 3 other hometown friends: Siaw Kim, Hsiao Ching and Jin Wen.
9. Knowing lots of BFFs for life during 3 years study in UKM from 2004 until 2007.
10. Working at Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research for 4 months, graduated with Honours on 11 August 2007, working for UKM since 11 October 2007.
11. Sat for TOEFL and GRE in November and submitted applications to Columbia University, University of Washington, SAIS of Johns Hopkins University, and university of Colorado Boulder in December of 2007.
12. Tutoring for the first time on January 2008.
13. Received offer letter from University of Washington on 22 March 2008.
14. Submit applications to POSCO scholarship and Sogang University in April or May 2008.
15. Awarded Sogang Scholarship for 2 years after an interview and Sogang university's admission in June 2008. Applying for Australian National University and La Trobe University.
16. Rejected POSCO and Sogang in July 2008.
17. Confirmation letter from LTU, apply for Study Leave in August 2008.
18. Received La Trobe University's offer letter in September 2008, study leave approved.
19. Went back to Miri to see family and friends.
20. Departing Kuala Lumpur on 4 December 2008 and arrived in Melbourne 5 December 2008.
21. Beginning one of the toughest journey in life since December 2008.
22. Experiencing emotional turbulence throughout the first half of 2009.
23. About to finish 2 chapters, a proposal and a literature review of totaling more than 15000 words by the fateful 123456789 moment. 85000 more words to go.

I am so going to walk down this bumby winding road. Life is short, live it to the fullest, don't waste time on whining and complaining.

Wasted 25 minutes to write this post. Continue my work ~("￣▽￣")~

For the love of bookstand

Have been looking for this for a long time, finally I own one! T_T

You can adjust the leaning angle at the back.

And the clips for keeping the book still, perfect! No need to holding the book on one hand and typing with another one hand!

You can lay on your stomach on the bed while reading the book. Do some exercises by stretching out your hand to flip to the next page!

Just place next to your PC and laptop for quick reference while typing out your ideas, superb!

Can hold up to 2 articles or papers. Say yes to bookstand and no more procrastination due to aching wrist! \(≧▽≦)/

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

Praying hard for my panel meeting at the end of this month!

Drawing framework

After getting myself done with the writing of literature review, now it's time to build a working framework for my study. First I have to portray what are the weaknesses and limitation of the old framework according to my literature review:

So next I shall come up with a new framework which I think is more suitable and applicable for today's world and especially for my regional case study:

Still blank, LOL

Because I explained 3 theoretical perspectives for my conceptual framework (complexity, balance of power, and offense-defense/security dilemma theory), I am still drafting on many pieces of paper and struggling to come up with a comprehensive, easy to understand (OK this is the hardest part), yet able to present the "complexity" of the variables in a coherent way, in that limited space shown above.

Wish me luck. *somewhat feeling unwell and want to puke*

*self-imposed deadline: within this week* (丌^丌)

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

Praying hard for my panel meeting at the end of this month.

From Korea Foundation

Click to enlarge

I keep my fingers crossed and...

Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard Praying hard

and

Praying very hard.

(丌o丌)

Please say a prayer or two to yours truly.

Or simply mutter to yourself "I hope Ping gets Korea Foundation's research grant..."

I need a lot of that \(≧o≦)/

Thankies \(≧3≦)/

My current mess

The current and the latest mess on my desk, next to my laptop.

The main book that is now guiding me my rethinking and reorganizing of my writing.

The articles: used, is now using and will be used. Only I know where to pick out that specific article. Muahaha.

Praying hard for my Korea Foundation's grant application.

Praying hard for my panel meeting next month.

Never give up

This is very important.

Next~~~

Just submitted Korea Foundation research fellowship application.

Now pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard pray hard

Next~~~

• La Trobe Human Ethics application.
• Rewrite rewite rewrite rewrite rewrite! I'm very unsatisfied with my chapters writing! How come!
• Reading writing thinking Reading writing thinking Reading writing thinking Reading writing thinking as usual.

Minds are like parachutes

"Minds are like parachutes; they work best when open." - Lord Thomas Dewar

Rather to fail with honor

"Rather to fail with honor than to succeed with fraud." - Sophocles

Quote from Antigone:

Έρωςανίκατεμάχαν

Wonders are many on earth, and the greatest of these
Is man, who rides the ocean and takes his way
Through the deeps, through wind-swept valleys of perilous seas
That surge and sway.
He is master of ageless Earth, to his own will bending
The immortal mother of gods by the sweat of his brow,
As year succeeds to year, with toil unending
Of mule and plough.
He is lord of all things living; birds of the air,
Beasts of the field, all creatures of sea and land
He taketh, cunning to capture and ensnare
With sleight of hand;
Hunting the savage beast from the upland rocks,
Taming the mountain monarch in his lair,
Teaching the wild horse and the roaming ox
His yoke to bear.
The use of language, the wind-swift motion of brain
He learnt; found out the laws of living together
In cities, building him shelter against the rain
And wintry weather.
There is nothing beyond his power. His subtlety
Meeteth all chance, all danger conquereth.
For every ill he hath found its remedy,
Save only death.

Sophocles

Sophocles (Σοφοκλής) (around 496 – 495 until c. 406) BC, born in the town of Colonus, a village not far from Athens. Sophocles is the second of the three great Athenian tragic poets, and the one with whose plays we are most familiar: the names of Ajax, Antigone, and Oedipus are well-known. Of his 118 plays (some sources as the Suda say 123 plays), however, only seven remain, in which people are confronted with extremely difficult situations.

Fortunate Sophocles who after a long life died, a happy and a gifted man after writing many fine tragedies he made a good end, having endured no evil. Phrynichas

Source: Michael Lahanas