What block, the writer said...

It has been almost two months since my last post. Sporadic access to the internet during the month I was in Malaysia (and Cambodia) did account for part of the hiatus; but the rest was due to sheer lack of motivation. I did reams of writing last semester and was all "written-out" by the end of last year. My mind was bursting at the seams with things to write about, and no, they were not ALL political stuff. I've been dying to write about my solo backpacking trip to Cambodia last month but never quite found the inspiration. I found myself staring blankly at the computer while my mind swam with various Cambodian observational and experiential tidbits itching to be told. Words simply escaped me. It felt like I was running on empty while passing by a road sign that says "next gas station 300 miles ahead." I want to get to my destination but there wasn't just enough in me to push me to get there.

And this writing lethargy is dangerously infectious. I can get by with not updating my blog, at least for the time being, but I simply cannot afford to lollygag in trying to finish my thesis. It has been in the backburner for the past seven months, and a coal-powered stove is not enough to heat it back up; I need a damn 5000-watt microwave oven. Fast! At least it's about 60-70 percent done, I think. All I need is to revise its thereotical framework, tweak some of the arguments, and find more supporting sources, preferably primary ones. I could have gotten a lot of the primary sources in Indonesia during the winter break if I followed through with my original travel plan; instead I went to Cambodia.

Anyway, speaking of Indonesia, there's a very good chance that I'll be spending a year in the country teaching English and doing research. I just heard back from the Fulbright committee that it has recommended me to the host country (Indonesia), and now it's up to its Indonesian counterpart to approve my application. This final stage is typically bureaucratic, and barring any unforeseen setback, the approval is virtually guaranteed. I'm just totally psyched at the prospect of spending a year in Indonesia, which I've never done before. While I've been there plenty of times, the longest single stretch was only two weeks. I'm so pumped up that I even registered for the SCUBA Open Water course on campus the other day. Finally, I'll get my PADI C-card after a long procrastination. Trust me, there'll be a monthly diving excursion the whole time I'm in Indonesia. And yes, Miss Rocket, you're cordially invited to tag along on these diving trips.

That said, the tantalizing prospect of going to Indonesia this coming September should be motivational enough to whip myself into shape and get done with my thesis. I should get cracking now. Or maybe I'll just wait for tomorrow. That's what I've been telling myself every day...