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.