A look in the past: Studying...

Are you sitting comfortable and having something to drink? Good. So my thesis. I mentioned my thesis several times in my posts, but I never really mentioned what it is about basically…I didn’t want to bore you guys with the subject. But okay, some of you wanted to know and it slowly becomes a danger for future postings...so you all deserve to know what's holding me in its grip for the weeks to come...First, let me tell you a little bit about my school career. At the moment I study sociology for my Master’s degree at the Erasmus University. Before this I studied Human Resource management (HRM) for 4 years and I got my Bachelor’s degree. Here I also had to write my first thesis and this thesis was connected to a international project ( and a two week trip to Lithuania ^_^!). But okay, studying went fairly easy and I graduated at the age of 20. After graduation, I decided to go for my Master’s degree in Sociology. This study is like an extension of my previous study, so a lot of information is known to a certain level and therefore seeing resemblances in theories, understanding how society works was not that difficult. But now I'm at the end again and the final challenge is my thesis...

It seriously looks like I'm giving the finger to my laptop...that I didn't mean to do...

I can tell a lot more how the years of studying went, but I will spare you all the details. The thing that makes it difficult now is the continuing editing process. My first thesis wasn't that difficult to write, maybe it made it easier for me because I loved the international aspect of my thesis and I wrote it in English. For some reason writing in English comes more fluently for me than writing in Dutch...and I'm Dutch -_-. Either way, the rules for handing in the final research were not complicated at all. I started with the subjects’ individualization and globalization last year and after reading lots and lots of articles and theories, I came across one article from Julian Le Grand, that caught my eye immediately. Le Grand did a research about the motivation, agency and public policy of civilians, which he categorizes as Knights & Knaves.

In short, knights are altruistic of nature and knaves are self centered. A civilian has each role, but one can be more present then the other. This depends for example on generation differences. I want to combine these motivations with an up to date subject and I chose aging of the population. The main thoughts of my thesis is: how motivations could have changed over time and how civilians will support labor market participation of elderly and also why they wouldn't support this.
To do this, I have to analyze data and keep reading and keep analyzing information. After reading a bunch of things…again…I’m struggling with the definition and use of certain words. And it is important to get all of this straightened out now, before I really start with the data (Luckily I already have the data, thanks to my professors!).
But yeah, finding the right definitions, otherwise it will be a real pain in the ass, to edit it afterward. Don't get me wrong, I like Sociology and I find it really interesting to see how an individual can act like a society, but all these years of studying just really made me tired and I’m losing my motivation to study like I used to ^_^’…

Throughout the years I often got the question ‘Why didn’t you study Arts or did something with drawing for that matter?’. Well, this is a story for another post…I think this one is already quite long hehe (and I just stuck to the core elements haha!). But if you want to know more or have questions about something more specific about my thesis, just let me know.
Thanks for reading this ehm...more 'serious' post hehe! Hope you liked the doodles too ^_^! I didn't do something fancy with them this time.

Ciao!

Lost in the World of Communication...

Hello Hello!!!

Finally a blog again! It took me a while though, I wanted to post this yesterday, but I had to make a few pictures, but the lightning sucked in the evening, so I'm doing it today *yeeey*
Okay yesterday was a typical 'what was I doing again?' day. Every time I started something my mind drifted away and I realized that I was doing something totally different. The ones who read my profile a bit more careful, know that I'm working on my thesis *tries to hold back the fear to run away...* You see! There it almost happened again!

But yeah, I wanted to organize my folders, because while I search for information I always save other articles, publications for future use. So when I was working on the key elements of my thesis, I saved a lot of other stuff while I was searching through databases, the web...really you had to see all the files...and yes I cleaned it all up. I'm quite proud at myself, because when I clean things up from my PC I always have this vague voice at the back of my mind in a high pitched singy voice *Perhaps you can use it...who knows...*. I also have this when I try to clean my room and I have lots of school papers. I know that I have everything on CD as backup, but still too throw all that paper away...I find that very hard to do -_-'

Decisions, decisions...

But yeah, there I was cleaning up my files, ignoring that tiny voice and only kept the information I needed. That should have taken me less than an hour to do so....it took me more than 3 hours o_O. I mean like, I'm not kidding here...it took me three hours to clean up my files. You want to know what I did? Well actually, I don't really want to say it....okay please don't laugh or anything...*looks around if nobody else is listening*...okay ehm...I was on Facebook, Twitter and MSN...all at the same time *ashamed*...

I didn't even had a Twitter account...but I was too curious and too bored, so I made one. And you don't have to do a thing! People are following you out of nowhere. Really the strangest thing haha. yeah...seriously you can sleep and people will follow...

So yeah Twitter....for me it really feels like a big chatroom. Everyone is yelling, whispering, screaming something and if you reply...chances are very high you won't get something back. I thought it was a way to communicate with each other and not a place where you just spill your thoughts or URL's and not really caring if someone says something back. Perhaps its more a tool to follow 'celebrities' and stay up to date. But I missed the interaction with others on that site. This doesn't go for the ones who did say something back though! Very nice to have had a few conversations via Twitter. (You don't know, if they read this hehe). But this is just my perspective ^_^. How about you? You have a twitter account? Or even considered making one?

But I shall continue my story. Where was I? Oh yeah! I also reacted on status updates on Facebook, something I never do. I mean I like Facebook, but till a certain level. I have a lot of friends abroad, so it's easy to stay in touch. I got to know that a fellow student was also familiar with doing non-school related things and was stalking Facebook, just like me ^_^ (he also had to work on his thesis). And the worst part was after a large conversation by exchanging comments (One reaction on a status update, can lead to many other reactions...), I wanted to work further and he asked me a serious question! I mean I was like: Wow! A serious question! How can I not answer that, serious questions can't be ignored, so I wrote him an email ^_^. Oh yeah and I stalked people on MSN, something I usually do actually hehe, nothing new there. But today it seemed worse than ever...*sighs*


So slowly I found my way out again, but man! it was quite strange and the day flew by. I did managed to work on a few pieces of my thesis though, so I didn't waste my time entirely...

Oh yeah yesterday, my cousin and niece stopped by and later a neighbour came by and we were all drawing. Well, I was more like the teacher and helped them if they needed help. But it was quite difficult to give them all attention, especially if they all asked a question...at the same time.

Aah who to help first??

Who to help first?! I was running around..trying to help them as good as I can...and I have a problem explaining how to draw something, since I just draw and don't really think about it haha. Somewhere in between my mom decided to tell a story about *thinks* Omg I can't even remember what...*the shame*....please don't tell my mom about that okay...

But it was a lot of fun *getting a creative vibe again*. My cousin even decided to make a blog ^_^. (blogging is contagious!!). His name is Shaquille and also likes to draw. So if you would pay him a visit and perhaps leave a comment, I (and he also ofcourse ^_^) would be very happy.

But yeah I was lost in the world of communication...too much communication means tends to mess up my brains I guess...who is familiar with this? Please tell me I'm not the only one....pretty please...

Hmm perhaps the ones who read my blog, noticed that my style leans towards anime....I will tell in my next blog more about this ^_^! For now, I think I will make a few more sketches again haha.

Till next time!!

Note: Please bear with me...the sketches above were made very very quickly...but I wanted to capture a few moments, so hope you still like them ^_^.