[chinese blood, irish heart] - DEFUNCT

I have been putting so much hope and anticipation into running this Angkor Wat marathon in December. Not only it would've been a great way to celebrate my birthday, but accomplishing my first marathon at such a magical place was my one way to get me out of this lull. I feel by achieving this feat I would be re-energised somehow. I've been out running about 10km every 2-3 days and it feels great as my endurance is improving. Running also gives me great clarity: in other words, I don't think about anything else other than my breathing. That clarity is in fact, blankness, voidness, or to put it more romantically, peace. I've also been actively avoiding any social outings that'd require heavy drink or smoke. I had been banking it as a pseudo-remedy for my recently unfounded lethargy and creative lull.

THAT, and I've always wanted to see Angkor Wat.

But now my hopes have been utterly shattered by the fact that I won't be able to get my visa due to my passport's looming expiry. The fact had completely escaped me. I even bailed out of work apply for my passport renewal yesterday at the consulate but it'll take at least 4 weeks to get it done, i.e. I'll have it back on December 5th at the soonest - the race is on the 7th. But fuck it, I'll still pay the registration fee because the deadline is coming up. So if in fact I do get my new passport before the race, hopefully the Cambodian embassy has one of those express one-day visas available.

I initially wanted to leave on the 3rd to get acclimatised etc. I even got my boss to write a letter for me urging the authorities to process it quicker so I can go there on a 'news assignment'. Apparently it works according to the nonchalant woman at the consulate. But I don't know, it just looks highly unlikely my plans will go... according to plan. I shall be obsessively scouring my post box in the coming weeks.