It's the 9th week of the Spring semester, a.k.a my second semester as a graduate student in the U.S. Alhamdulillah, so far I feel like I'm on the right track. Currently working on my thesis proposal (Tentative title: Designing and creating video materials to promote communicative L2 ability and enhance wilingness to communicate in academic and social settings), waiting to hear from my *cross-your fingers* soon to be out-of-department committee member, thinking about my PhD plans (I know, I know, I'm way ahead of myself), and working on some research ideas. I'm living the life that I want and enjoy it immensely.
But compared to last semester, I've been procrastinating a lot. I like to say that I'm having fun, too much. My friends insist that there's no such thing as having too much fun. I say there is, and it's called chronic procrastination, with a twist. I'm saying with a twist because procrastination is always perceived as wasting your time and being unproductive. However, the optimistic me looks at procrastination using a whole new lense.
1) Perfecting my cooking skills
My family has doubted my ability to be wifeable* for many years. I don't cook at home, but I did start baking a year before I moved to the U.S. to continue my studies. I bought a small electric oven, baking utensils, etc. And let me tell you, they were impressed.
But still, it was baking (I'm not saying it's bad, it's just to my family, wifeable means you can cook more savory food). So in the U.S., I started experimenting with the different savory recipes which my cousin sent me. It started with the humble 'bakwan'....
And quickly 'escalated' to more complex, flavor packed, Indonesian dishes.
Cooking takes time. I need to go shopping, prepare the ingredients, serve food, and then clean up. After that, I'm usually too tired to do any school work. Interestingly, cooking helps me relieve stress. It's meditative. The act of chopping and stirring is very relaxing to me. So besides helping to sooth my taste palets' homesickness for Indonesian food, I get to improve my cooking skills and relieve stress. Very productive, don't you think?
2) Sleep
Okay, you might think that this is unproductive. But hey, a grad student needs sleep too you know. And you sleep when you can. Not necessarily when you want to. So whenever I get the chance, I sleep. I sleep like my life depended on it. I sleep on the bus, in my study room at the library, while waiting for the rice to cook, while waiting for the class to start, in between classes at the grad student lounge, etc.
Usually after what I call my 'power naps', I feel refreshed and get a lot of work done. It might not work for you, but it sure does for me!
3) Planning trips
This is definitely my favorite way to procrastinate. Often when I'm stuck on a paper, I would just open this 'Holiday Planner' folder on my laptop and work on my travel itinerary. Currently I am working on researching for places to visit in Utah. During summer break, I hope to visit the West and East coasts. Oh, and there's that Coldplay concert in Chicago! Woooo!!!
And why do I say this is productive, you ask? Uhh, I'm in the U.S. Why wouldn't I travel? Traveling helps you realize what you can do. Like, how you can actually travel alone (18 hour bus ride return) without ending up in Alaska or something, unless you were on the way to Alaska of course (Oh, I plan to go there too!). And the fact that I could travel for 4 days with only pack a backpack and a small carry-on. Man, if I was in Indonesia, I'd have two suitcases! You also get to meet new interesting people, like this Russian photographer that I met at an airbnb, and a Korean guy who I poured out my heart to. He was a great listener. LOL.Though the most important thing that I learned from traveling without my parents was that I can actually take care of myself really well and plan my own trips.
4) Write blog posts
I promised myself, that if I get to study abroad, I'd write more often. Now that I'm studying in the U.S., I am writing very often. Well, writing academic papers. It's not that it's not fun, it is if you're as passionate as me about the teaching of English as a foreign language, or any other subject that you're just really into. But I also wanted to share my experiences as a grad student studying abroad, especially in the U.S., in the hopes that people find my articles motivating, and that yes, it is a struggle worth to 'fight' for.
Writing my experiences will also help me recall all the things that I went through, memories that I will share with my children in the future and cherish for the rest of my life. It is in no way a chance for me to 'brag'.
Writing my experiences will also help me recall all the things that I went through, memories that I will share with my children in the future and cherish for the rest of my life. It is in no way a chance for me to 'brag'.
5) Read fiction
I remember during my undergraduate studies, I was able to read five novels in a month. Most of the novels that I read were in English, which helped me with my reading skills. I was also in the literature department, so it was kind of a 'must', though reading has always been my favorite pastime. My favorite themes are horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. But I would occasionally read romance and other themes if people recommend them.
Nowadays, even being able to read a short story before sleeping is a blessing. I'm just too busy keeping up with my assignments that I forget to relax and enjoy a story or two. I'm currently trying to read more fiction. I picked up a collection of sci-fi stories which are really entertaining and it actually helps me sleep better.
Do you have any recommendations for bedtime stories? Whether it is a novel or short story, please leave a comment!
Besides those five activities, I was also thinking of learning a new language. Summer is coming, so I think I'd spend some time learning Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Spanish, and Italian. Ah~ Can't wait for summer!
_____
*A term that signifies that you are ready to enter the battlefield... a.k.a being a wife with many skills.
No comments