Everyday you should hustle
Sunday, Nov. 01, 2020 - 10:42 am.

To me, December will last 61 days, starting today.

Last entry I mentioned I was scheduled to be a speaker at an event yesterday. It was a workshop for journalists on how to write properly about sensitive issues, and yesterday's session was about writing about LGBTQ communities.

I was invited to give a 10-minute talk, along other high-profile LGBT persons in my home country: the first openly gay candidate running for congress, a trans woman leader of a LGBT-human righs organization, and a researcher on constitutional reforms for same-sex marriage. Compared to their more practical issues and experience, my talk was only about LGBTI media representation, how it has been historically presented and how it can be improved.

Mine was maybe a less practical aspect, compared to the other talks, but I think the audience found it interesting and I was happy to talk about my PhD. Also, I GOT PAID FOR IT. The whole experience was amazing, it was an honour to be invited and share stage (well, it was online, like most things these days) with the other three speakers. I learned a lot from them myself.

Also, the payment I got for my talk went straight to my Nephew #2's bank account, so I'm happy that my trade has helped me support my family back home for once.

Other than that, my week at work was nice and easy. I got rid of a few pending subjects on Tuesday and I didn't get any new assigments. Blessed be, I was then able to focus on reviewing a few papers and checking my students' thesis progress.

Moreover, I've spent some time signing a few books and mailing them to friends here in Chile who asked to buy it. It takes time to go to the post office, I miss the UK and specially my neighborhood with its own post office, mailing stuff was so much easier there. That aside, I'm grateful for my friends' support, wherever they are in the world.

Andrew has been hustling but has gotten little response from local/indie media personalities who may review the book. We may get a blurb in the local newspaper, and one of the copies I mailed this week was for someone in Valparaiso who sort of reviews books (I think, I didn't get quite get if this was an old friend of Andrew's). I donated another copy for a raffle to raise money for the Chilean version of community food banks, which got more prominent after last year's social crisis and then with the pandemic.

Speaking of which, we're on full-on lockdown again in the city for who knows how long. But on happier news, last Sunday people in Chile voted to reform the Constitution, which was written during the dictatorship. Sunday night was joyous, although that's just the start of a complex, years-long process. The commission that will write the new constitution has already allocated seats for indigenous people, their historical exclusion being one of the many wrongs to be righted in this country.

Back to the book: I'm getting a bit dissappointed already because I can't get it moving. I can post about it on my social media, but those posts don't get a boost from others: no likes, no RTs. Like I said, my friends have been very supportive, in terms of congratulations and some buying the book (I don't expect anyone to buy just because they know me), and I'm humbled by the love. It'd help me also if they spread the word and the book transcended my social circle.

More frustratingly, most people in Latin American regions don't order books online, they expect that the books are available at bookstores. Mine won't be if no one requests it, but no one cares enough to ask for it. Bookstores are already kind of slow here, struggling to keep people's attention, and I'm a nobody who commands none.

I've been wanting to read it, also, to finally have it on paper without reading it so critically and instead to my enjoyment. I'm scared to do that, though, for fear of finding mistakes or realising it sounds cliché or corny (hopefully that won't be the case), but I'll get to it once I finish the one I'm currently reading. I found this one very pretentious, though it had great reviews on Goodreads. Yet another proof that I probably don't know what I'm talking about and I'm not cut out to "make it" in the literary world.

Fuck that shit, though. I think my book's just as good as any other. It deserves that I work harder at promoting it.

Lastly, I just bought two gifts for my girlfriend. It's out six-month anniversary on the 7th. Things between us are different from when we started out, it's less sexual (mostly because I'm lacking energy these days) and...well, just that. It's still a very supportive relationship, I have no complaints and I think she doesn't either, besides the fact that we live on opposite extremes of the continent.

Anyway. Things are going well so far. Wait. Actually, I'm getting a bit nervous about having my contract at uni renewed. My boss is doing all the paperwork, or rather all the PR, showing off my year's worth of work to the dean, arguing that I'm good for the uni's scientific productivity, and that even with all the financial cuts due to the pandemic, I'm a good asset to keep. Bless her for this. I'm a bit scared.

Other than that, yeah, things are going well. I have nice things to look forward to. I'm grateful for that.

Stay safe.

prev / next