Thesis Writing from the Infernal Regions...

Well, thesis writing is hell. There are so many things going on right now and it's hard to keep track. I'm trying to finish a draft of my theory chapter for my Master's Thesis, and it's not going so well. Everything goes back to Fanon and Wallerstein, plus I found a good book by Barrington Moore on social transition to modernity, but i'm still suffering from writer's block. I also am submitting my absentee ballot, booking a flight to America for next month, and submitting an abstract to a conference in Hawai'i for February. Oh what a life..... Sometimes this whole grad student thing seems a bit aimless, but what can you do? I guess i've figured it will come in handy to have an extra piece of paper in addition to my bachelor's; let's hope it pays off.

The clouds are slowly forming on the horizon, and those clouds spell out J-O-B. I have basically divided my career prospects into three areas: Education, Consultancy, and Public Sector. I think will apply for consultancy positions here in Singapore, as well as Hong Kong, Dubai, and the EU (if there are any at the time); I will also apply for a few jobs with federal agencies in the U.S., and finally, for a teaching position back home just in case I decide I need to re-adjust to American society after three years abroad. It's tough in a way, because i'm very anxious about returning to a country in which i'm not quite sure I still fit. America can be a very conservative place at times, and as my viewpoint is in variable shades of gray, sometimes that might not mesh well. Nonetheless, I consider the U.S., with all its structural inconsistencies and injustices to be my home, and maybe things will be better than I imagine.

On the other hand, Europe seems to be a very attractive option, with the welfare state and what not. I am not opposed to paying taxes, so long as I get something for my money. In America I feel like we pay taxes with little in return, except perhaps cruise missiles and jet aircraft. So, on that level, I feel like we should pay less taxes or we should start getting more government services, such as in the realm of health care. Americans pay too much to go to the hospital, and, as Paul Krugman notes, we pay more per capita than most of not every other industrialised nation. I don't really know if anyone in our political leadership will ever do anything substantive about this issue, but it really concerns me.

On a day to day basis, life seems to be ok. I'm not exercising enough, but that's partially because i'm waiting for my resident card at my new place to access the gym facility. It's really a pain, and i'm not quite sure why I don't have a temporary card, but perhaps i'll cajole my landlord on that issue. I'm also contemplating getting cable TV, which would be a substantial improvement to my current 4 channel spectrum, 2 of which are in Chinese. Such things are, I admit, mundane, but that's my life.