What gets done when not working on ones thesis

Life back in Santa Barbara obviously doesn't get me fired up like life in the Orient, otherwise you would see more postings here! Still, it doesn't mean life isn't good. My girlfriend and I have taken trips to the East coast (Christmas), San Diego, and the Northwest (Spring break), and also to that funky little patch of Danish culture nestled in the Central California hills, Solvang.

Also known as the setting for the film 'Sideways', Solvang offers a few square blocks of charming faux-Scandinavian architecture, and baked treats which go beyond their flaky facades to deliver real old-world flavor. Most notable is the unassuming kransekager, a pinky-finger sized log of marzipan pinched so that it has a triangular cross-section, and baked in a thin crust. You will wonder at $1.75 price tag attached to this wee treat only until the moment it touches your tongue, after which you will gladly buy two more to perfectly complement your afternoon coffee. The Swedish Delight did not fail its titular promise, and went well with the second coffee. Main courses were hearty and  tasted best with a sour red cabbage dish reminiscent of sauerkraut, but did not achieve a lasting place within my gustatory fantasies as the pastries have. Kransekager... I know not how to pronounce your name, but I long for you so...

In between jaunts across the country I continue to study and find myself unnervingly close to the date I should produce a longish, and sadly, required piece of writing called a thesis. I do enjoy my topic, an 11th century Chinese lyricist, but until recently there have been any number of things that demand their due attention and prevent me from getting immersed in the writing process. There were scholarship applications, taxes, financial aid applications, a somewhat impractical translation project, and even a lot of cavities and a tooth that needed pulling before my student health insurance runs out. Fortunately, Lianting, my girlfriend and fellow MA student, is providing a stellar model of thesis writing behavior to make me properly ashamed of my casual attitude towards what should be a scholarly statement of some substance. I need to whip out a chapter soon, if only to preserve some dignity!

My dilatory tactics have not been in vain, however. A scholarship has been offered which will cover a significant portion of the costs of studying more Chinese in Taiwan for 6 months. Another scholarship offer seems likely which could land me in China for 6 months as well. Seems that I have filled the coming school year, and only need to make sure I actually graduate before the next adventure begins.