Bitching in Malay
Language class today was cathartic. Basically, it was two and a half hours of talking about my frustrations and worries about the direction of my thesis. What was nice about it is that one teacher just recently finished her thesis, and the other is in the middle of trying to get his done, so I was in good company. Of course, as it IS language class, all bitching had to be done in Malay. This was good, as I realized my vocabulary for whining in Malay is not so robust. It was also good to hear two other people tell me they have dealt with the same frustrations and concerns as me while working on their thesis, which reminds me that I'm still on track and that it'll all come out fine in the end.
My frustration was compounded slightly by my meeting with my thesis advisor yesterday who strongly suggested I go back to Indonesia and do some more interviews and get some more primary resources to back up my thesis. I think she's right, so I will, it's just that it's a chunk of time that I can't afford to give up, but at the same time, I can't afford not to. So probably the week after next, one more trip down to the National Archives and to interview some more people. Hopefully there won't be any earthquakes while I'm there... things have been a rumbling lately in those parts.
Oh yeah, and yesterday I jatuh down a lubang and now my kaki is bengkak and lebam. :-(
All bitching aside the sun is shining and there is even a little breeze blowing today. The thesis is a pain in the arse, but what would be the value if it were easy, right? Guess I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning...
posted by Traveling Dudie at 2:28 PM
1 Comments:
Theses are supposed to make you crazy. If they didn't, you wouldn't feel such a sense of accomplishment when they are finished. They extract a little bit of your soul because you have invested so much in the process, the degree, and your passion for the topic. That's the kind of thesis worth writing, the one that pulls together all you learned so laborously, and has a life of its own, forms the basis for other work down the road. It validates you. Orals are a lot like that, too! Hang in there, Dudie. The end of the tunnel is in sight, and what you will have accomplished will outlive you. Congratulations. See you one of these days, I hope.
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