It's been 6 months already to be in NZ

I arrived Palmerston North on April 8th, 2007. It was the Easter eve. At Auckland airport custom, I was asked to show my passport by an officer. He approached me when I was standing in a queue to get through the x-ray scan. I showed him my official passport and he was surprised to find that I am a PhD student at Massey. Maybe it's the gear I had on that day. It's a tiger top, brown trouser, brown boots, looking nothing like an academic person. (What do you expect me to wear?)

I didn't have any problem getting through the custom because I was carrying no food at all. (I'm buying a lot of junk food now and Joan calls me the "Junk Food Queen". Having three more years here, I will have tried all the lollies and chips in the supermarket. It's the only pleasure I can have here. I haven't left the city once since I arrived six months ago. Actually I am waiting for a friend to join me, she supposed to come in September but unfortunately she couldn't make it. She will be the only one friend that I want to travel with in NZ. We promise to go to Rotorua together by driving. Anyway I still waiting for her...


หกเดือนแล้วสินะ มาดูกันว่ากว่าจะกลายเป็นหัวข้อวิจัยต้องทำไงบ้าง ไม่ได้หากันง่ายๆ หรอกนะคะ อ่านกันจนจะเกลี้ยงห้องสมุด เอาจนได้หล่ะน่า
The first two months was chaotic and depressing for me... I missed my family and friends quite a lot. I called home often, wrote heaps of post cards, and spent a lot of time chatting online. Later on, I am quite settled and can move on with my life here. I have been reading a lot like I have never read this much before in my life. Read everything that i feel it relates to my research. My research topic is not a spoon-fed idea from my supervisors. I have to travel "all around the world" to come up with this study scope. To get a research topic, what I have done so far can be listed here:

1. Read -Read- and Read. Professor White once told me that to study for a doctoral degree we should devote a lot of time for reading. We should give time to "DEAR = "Drop-Everything-And-Read" How can we write our own research without reading the others'!

2. Reflective thinking what have you done and what should you do next.

3. Keep record of your reading and studying each day--dont rely on your memory-- you are too old than you think!

4. Plan a study routine and stick to the schedule everyday

5. Talk about your study with somebody else--not many people will understand why you are studying about this topic-- but it will help to tell someone.

6. Eat good food- have a good rest- spend some money to find yourself a treat(like new clothes, cosmetics, or shoes..(too many treats now)

7. Don't you give up or give in-- can't turn back -- have come this far..

8. Live like a hermit-- less social gathering--less emotional factors-- more religious views on life

9. It's good to know where all the books you want are and check the shelves everyweek to find new arrivals.

10. Day-dreaming about the graduation day - who will come and what will you be wearing--where you will take friends and family to eat out?