2014-11-28

Happy Tofurkey Day!


I am thankful for many things—

For my parents, who are alive and doing their thing. For my sister, who cheers me on. For my brother-in-law, who is good not only to his wife and his daughter, but also to his punkish sister-in-law. For my niece, who is awesome and nuts. For my pk, who is.

For my research, which gives me a chance to sojourn in Japan. For my apartment, which is falling apart and is so charming. For my flare jeans, which have put up with me for so long.

For the seasons here, which I am still getting used to. For the rowdy school kids, who never seem to be able to keep their voices down. For the old folks, who descend the stairs very slowly.

For music, which has given me friends. For food, which has given me inspiration, For language, which has given me everything.

Mmm...I want some pecan pie......

2014-11-26

Na-Go-Mi!

Actually, I'm not really sure what 和み (nagomi) means. If anything, it feels like something that shouldn't be written with an exclamation point at the end...

I think it means...something soft, something gentle. Something soothing, something relaxing.

I'm sure it's supposed to reference ideas of peace and harmony.

It must also be intentional (on someone's part) that it gets used to describe things that are "Japanese".

But how? Why?

I have to spend some time improving my language skills.

Please tell me if you have suggestions for Japanese/Mandarin/Korean textbooks...

2014-11-24

セブンーイレブン・・・いい気ぶ〜ん

皆さん。私の近所に、新しいセブン−イレブンがオープン致しました。これは嬉しいなぁ〜・・・

何しろオープンセールで、なんとマヨネーズ一本無料!と言う事で、貰ってきましたよ、私も。いや、一応ちゃんと買ったんですけどね、メロンパンを。

さて、折角近所で二軒目のセブンができたので、これから自己中的な「TOP 3」を各カテゴリー毎に選びたいと思います。そのカテゴリーはこちら:

お弁当
麺類
揚げ物
総菜
オリジナルパン
おにぎり
サンドイッチ
オリジナルデザート

自分でも相当暇なんだな〜、と思います。でも、忙しい時はついコンビニのおにぎりに頼ってしまう。セブンさん、これからもよろしくお願いします!

2014-11-19

GSA #10: On Organizing Your ABD Time

(Today is a "get some work done" day, so of course I take a break by blogging...)

I had three years of coursework and then three years of ABDness. Looking back, I don't feel like I did much during those ABD years—I mean, I think I can count them on one hand. Year 1: 1) apply for external fellowships, 2) write prospectus; Year 2: 3) collect sources, 4) write chapter drafts; Year 3: 5) finish and defend dissertation. Um...that's it?!

When I think of it that way, those three years seem so compact. Every day passed so slowly and yet so fast, each moment just slipping right into the next.

But maybe because of that, it's easy for me to think now about what needs to get done during ABDness. It probably helped that I'm a freak who loves to plan and write up to-do lists, but at the end of every quarter, it helps to lay out what you need to do in the following quarter. Provided that you already have a prospectus, here are some things that might help in order to get through that nebulous ABD zone.

  1. Outline your dissertation. Yes, the whole thing. And yes, it's OK to have "I. Introduction. II. History. III. Theory. IV. Textual analysis. V. Conclusion." (That's how most of my chapter outlines looked at the beginning anyway.) It's just important to have a single outline/document that lists all the (planned) sections of the diss so that you can see what needs to get done before you can defend it. (This also helps because outlining one chapter often gives you ideas about what to include in others.) 
  2. Fill in the outline. I said "at the beginning". Go back to your prospectus and imagine every single section that would have to appear within all of the sections. Which historical events will you have to explain? Whose biographical details will you need to include? Which authors, which texts? The more you do this, the more excited you'll get about your dissertation. (Or at least you...hope?)
  3. Insert all your past papers into your outline. I'm telling you, this is the lazy bum's guide to getting through ABD. Once you have a filled-in outline, it's possible to see which pieces you've already written might belong in the diss, and if they do, where. Those seminar papers were not for naught! 
  4. Revise your outline. Did you find that many of the "pieces" you inserted don't have the perfect fit? Revise your outline (i.e., the individual chapters as well as the larger diss) so that they do. And all the pieces that were left on the cutting room floor? See if you can't reframe things further to make those fit, too. After all, you wrote them—they must be related to your larger scholarly project. [Note: OK, by no means should you be unreasonable and try to shove things in where they really don't belong. Just keep in mind that your diss will continue to evolve anyway, so you might as well front-load the evolution and give yourself a head start.]
  5. Figure out the sources you need. This is easier if you've written grant proposals, but given your revised and filled-in outline, list up all the sources and pieces of information you'll need. Is it something you can look up in an article, in a book, on the Internet, in an archive? Build yourself a plan that enables you to collect the things you need, when you need them. (Maybe it'll even include a trip to an exotic location!) Prioritize, and be flexible. There will always be more things you'll need, and always things you won't be able to get to. That's OK—you can save them for your book project.
  6. Now—write! No, really. Start with the first paragraph of the intro, or the last paragraph of your conclusion. Start anywhere, but just be sure to write. The damned thing's not gonna write itself; at some point you have to move from planning to writing. And let's hope it'll be a fun process.
Do this at the end of every quarter to celebrate turning in grades, and you'll be done with that puppy without even knowing what hit you.

As a friend of mine (who had a Ph.D. in some sciency, bioengineering field or whatever) once said: at some point you have to lay out all the papers you've got, put them in an order that makes sense, figure out what's missing, and go churn out the missing pieces. That's what ABD is about, really—a whole lot of figuring out, and a whole lot more of churning out. Enjoy.

2014-11-17

夜喫茶 #2: サンデイオフ

あらら、写真ブレちゃってますね。おかしいな、まだこの時点では酔っぱらってなかったのに。

先週の水曜日はサンデイオフに行ってきました。「外で食べる」=「外で飲む」の私にとって(不思議だ)、サンデイオフは唯一何度もお邪魔してるお店です。お手頃な値段でワインが飲めて、おまけにお料理も美味しい・・・文句ありません。

あ、あります。と言うか、『本日のグラスワイン』が7月からず〜っと同じなので、「グラスワインのメニューっていつ変わるんですか?」とお尋ねしただけですけど。ま、ウォッシュのチーズとレーズンがあれば、私は何でもいいですけど。

2014-11-14

I tried on Jimmy Choo shoes and am never going to do that again.

I was at the International Terminal in Haneda Airport, which is full of brand name boutiques catering to the moneyed people who travel overseas for fun. I was walking around to kill time, when I spotted a Jimmy Choo store. Although I usually keep "window shopping" to (literally) looking at things through the window, for once I thought it would be fun to walk in and pick things up. And oh, how lovely those shoes are! So dainty, so lacy, so sexy... The assistant brought out a pair of black heels in my size so that I could try them on. But they...just looked so wrong. They didn't match my feet, my legs, my clothes, my face, my hair. And the price tag didn't match my wallet, which wasn't a surprise. How depressing, Jimmy Choo. I guess I'll just have to stick to my flip-flops from now on.

2014-11-12

GSA #9: On Giving Conference Presentations

This dude is about to go give a "presentation"...in his undies...!
I realized that the main reason why I write these posts is because I need to discipline myself into practicing what I preach...

Presenting at conferences is a great way to explore ideas and get feedback and questions. But there's also something huge about the opportunity to practice giving presentations that I'd totally forgotten. (Shut up. I'm an idiot. I know.)

After having a blast at PAMLA and spending time with awesome people, I am resolving to do the two following tasks for my next presentation.

Go off script. Oh come on, conference presentations are only 12 to 20 minutes long. If your idea of getting people to become engaged with your work is by reading off of letter-sized paper for that long, you've got some rethinking to do. Besides, when (not if) you give a job talk, that shit is like 45 to 50 minutes long! You might as well practice giving lovely (and long) presentations (with visuals) when you're given that opportunity (which might be rarely for those of us who don't teach our own classes).

(I understand that some people can read beautifully from a script, and if you are one of those people, more power to you. I am not. I also think it's fine to have a partial script or an outline as long as it enables you to stay focused, make eye contact with audience members, and riff a little. I saw two of my friends giving such presentations at PAMLA, and I was like...that's what I should be doing!)

Practice. Why, why, why do I always leave presentation preparations 'til the last minute? Somebody please kick me. At least I've moved beyond that point of forcing my companion to look for a Kinko's with me near the conference site. But conferences are opportunities for you to get "out there" as the awesome scholar that you are—don't blow them! People remember you if you are good or bad, and then kind of forget you if you are mediocrely somewhere in between. (That's an actual word? Wow.) And if people are going to remember you, it'd better be because you were polished and professional—because then you get to make friends and join awesome projects in the future!

[At some point I want to go to a conference just to go, without having to present anything. If anyone has suggestions for a good conference to crash, I'm all ears.]

2014-11-10

夜喫茶 #1: ペルル フェルクリン

何を隠そう、今私は名古屋に住んでおります。

それでですね、滅多に外食しない私ですが、タマ〜にどっかに立ち寄った時は、その記念としてここに記録を残しておきたいと思っております。

と言う訳で、『夜喫茶』シリーズ第一弾。先週の金曜日、川名の駅の近くのペルル フェルクリンに行ってきました。スイスチョコとフランス菓子のお店で、アパートと職場の間にあるので、いつか行ってみたいと思っていました。そうしたら7日は7周年記念との事で、オーダーが一割引!行かねば、の使命感でした。

注文したのはショコラショーとティラミス。(両方一遍に頼むかよ、普通・・・でも頼むんだな、甘党だから。)ショコラショーは死ぬ程美味しかった。毎日飲みたい。(死ぬけど、そんな事したら、多分。)ティラミスも美味しかったです、やや甘めだったけど。

でも・・・でもですね。もう何か特別なイベントがある日にお店には(特に初めてのお店には)行かないと決めました。だって・・・サービスがメッチャスローなんだもん。おそらく私はとてつもなく短気だからそう感じたんだと思いますが、レジの人達なんて・・・「ママゴトやってんじゃねーんだよっ!!!」と叫びたくなる程ゆったりとした感じでした、はい。

喫茶店では、確かにゆったりと時間を過ごしたいです。ドタバタと追い出されるのはイヤ。でも、ココアを作るのも、商品を包装するのも、会計をするのも、落ち着いて、それでもなおかつテキパキとする事はできる筈。お客様がくつろぐ為にも、お店の人はスムースに物事を進める。そんなサービスを私は好みます。

2014-11-07

Life is uncertain—eat dessert first.

Did I tell you I love desserts? I do. I love desserts. As little kids might say, I would marry desserts if I could.

This morning I was looking up images for donuts and came across a great recipe for donut holes from Gluten Free on a Shoestring—and even though I can't deep fry things, it at least inspired me to think of baked alternatives. (I saw some recipes for banana bread donuts...mmm.)

And why was I looking up images for donuts on a random Friday morning? Because I'm feeling stressed; I am a stress eater; I don't want to succumb to being a stress eater; so instead I look up images of things I want to eat. Thankyouverymuch, Pinterest.

Good food has always been one of my favorite things. And even though there is plenty of evidence that sugar is toxic, I would much rather live a short life with sugary desserts than a long and prosperous life without.

So, in order to allay my stress and think happy thoughts, I decided to do a little thinking about some of my favorite desserts. I think they fall into several categories.

  1. Cakey things: Cakes, donuts/doughnuts (especially coconut), cookies (especially chocolate chip), cupcakes, quick breads, pastries, muffins, etc. Throw in a tres leches cake and I'm in heaven. And even a fengli su for good measure, since that's translated as "pineapple cake". 
  2. Creamy things: Ice cream, flan, panna cotta, crème brûlée, cheesecake. I think this category also includes other cold but dairy-free things, like sorbet, sherbert/sherbet, gelato, etc. (Somebody please tell me how these things differ from each other.) I also get the feeling that "rice pudding" and tapioca pudding belong here, since rice isn't really cake. (But then "mochi" should go under cakey things, so...)
  3. Fruity things: Um...fruits. Mango, watermelon, Asian pear, pineapple. Peaches and grapes. Sweet berries, lots of them. Dragon fruit.
  4. Chocolatey things: CHOCOLATE. 

And then there are the random snacks, like anything you could get from Trader Joe's. I'm also a huge fan of marshmallow puffed rice treats. And anything with sea salt or chile. Dah...

Diabetes and hypoglycemia, be damned. Being healthy is one thing, and eating well and being mindful of what goes into the body (whether it be too much sugar, fat, etc.) is important. But I also know that eating something small and sweet can often lift my spirits. I can learn later about alternative and "healthier" sweeteners—brown sugar? cane sugar? agave, maple syrup, honey?—but for now, I would rather just go ahead and eat that dessert first; who knows what unexpected thing can happen in the course of my meal.

2014-11-05

GSA #8: On Submitting Abstracts to Conferences

I love going to conferences for three reasons: 1) visiting cool places with subsidy, 2) getting feedback on my work from an unfamiliar audience, and 3) expanding my academic (and social) network on my own terms. And since I received a question on how to go about submitting to conferences (e.g., writing up an abstract from scratch or what), I decided this would be a good time for me to articulate my own conference submission system.

As I mentioned in a post on how I appreciate conference abstracts that at least gesture toward making an argument, having a paper already written makes it easier (I think) to write a more convincing abstract. At the same time, I often use conferences as a space to explore new ideas and take a break from my dissertation project (even if things end up connecting anyway).

To that end, I (like most people) take one of two approaches to submitting abstracts to conferences:

  1. Take a paper lying around and write an abstract based on that, or
  2. Write an abstract for a paper I want to write, that also fits the conference field/theme—for an ongoing project, for a potential future project, or for fun

Approach #1 becomes easier the more seminar papers you accumulate each term. Presumably out of those papers there should be one or two that you'd be interested in developing in the direction of the conference field/theme. (Early in my Ph.D. career I gave conference presentations based on a paper I wrote in undergrad and even a paper I wrote in high school—shut up, it was my Extended Essay for the IB Program, and it's still a paper I'm hoping to return to and revise into an article one day. Apparently my interest in gender, modernization, and Japanese literature was already in place at the tender age of 16.)

Approach #2 is good if you can make yourself write the paper just for the conference, and even better if you can write it as a seminar paper too—because then you've just killed two birds with one stone! Plus if you can get comments from the prof before you head off to the conference, your presentation will be even more polished. And thus, your coursework and research mutually develop each other.

After you write the abstracts (and papers), you can put them in your "dissertation folder" if you think they belong there. Whether they get accepted or not, after a while you start accumulating words that help construct backgrounds, potential arguments, and threads of future exploration. 

I'm seeing all these CFPs this quarter for grad student conferences, and I get kind of wistful that I can no longer apply to them. (Grad student conferences tend to be cheap (even free), and with excellent food.) Anyway, freshly off the PAMLA boat, my next couple of posts will probably deal with 1) the actual giving of the presentation and 2) organizing panels. Probably. Maybe.

[That was the view from the gate for my flight out of Haneda Airport last Wednesday...in front of Hokkaido Kitchen. Man, did their curry smell good...]