Limbo

Nakakapanghinayang...

Pero ika nga nya, 'either you ask, tell or shut up, basta tama na.'

Uppercut. Ang bangis.

Klaro na.

Touch move.

Word of the Day

POLYGLOT - knowing, using or written in several languages (Oxford Dictionary)

This word got my attention on some stuff that I was reading--I just had to post it ^^;

The Finish Line

Seven terms in the making. Seven bloody terms. That’s how long it took me to get to the finish line. That’s how long it took for me to remove the “Cand.” at the end of my name.

Unless, of course, something gets f*kcd up at the last minute that voids all my effort to beat the March 31 deadline. But it’s the start of the week and so far, I haven’t received any gloomy news…but then since the registrar already accepted and received my requirements, I guess I’m 95% good. Unless the CDs didn’t work…(but darn it, I checked that—I did, I did! Stop being paranoid, jennai!!! >__<).

So there. *cricket sounds*

.
..
…
….
…..
……
…….
……..
………
……….
………..
…………
………….
…………..
……………
…………..
………….
…………
………..
……….
………
……..
…….
……
…..
….
…
..
.

I don’t feel any different. On the contrary, I feel the bodily symptoms of whatever illness my immune system suppressed during the course of my writing are coming back. I guess all things will really sink in when I march on June, or maybe when I fit (and pay for the rental) my toga.

In the meantime, I’ll enjoy my new shoes ^_^ A gift to myself that made my wallet cry and my superego slapped by my id for not listening to my gut feel (when I should’ve bought the damn shoes at Tagaytay on SALE price…but nooo, I just *had* to double check if it’s worth it, etc., etc., then I ended up buying it anyway on a regular price two weeks later in Manila...where I further ended up drooling on how cool it looks that I don't think I'll be able to use it to its full potential because it won't look as pretty anymore @__@). Oh dear.

To Limbo and Back

Last week was crunch time part one. I took a week off just so I can entertain the grounded theorist and get some work…okay, A LOT of work, done. It was exhausting, both physically and mentally.

It’s funny since a colleague of mine, who’s also on the same situation as mine, decided that we needed a break before we worry about the next step. So earlier in the week, the moment we gave our outputs (me to my adviser, she to her panelists), we will detox and play tennis. It was suppose to be this week since it’s the only time that both of us are free. Yet for some reason, there’s this weeklong athletic event in Rizal that will end mid next week….when both of us are no longer free.

It seems that fate is playing with us again. We’ll see. Out next common free week again will be the first week of March (I’m sure I can afford one hour of tennis in my prep week, right? ; ) If by some reason, we still can’t play on that week, fate is definitely making us finish our academic requirements.

And today, the results are in---OVERHAUL 160, people!!! Grounded theory is sucking the life out of me. I never thought writing this type of research would yield varying degrees of “qualitativeness”. Just when I thought my Results section was qualitative enough, my adviser tells me to make it more qualitative. At first, it’s like she’s speaking in German, or rather it’s in English but it felt like German ^^; I met with her in the late afternoon and I walked away with the stuff that I need to revise, a stiff neck and a headache.

So, until then, I doubt I’ll be able to update again. Next week, I’m going back to my “zone” and start revising (and getting “high”, as my adviser said it helps when writing the Discussion ; )

Darn, this is a boring post. :P

Crunch Time

I’m not supposed to be doing this but the grounded theorist is not looking so…

The next two and a half months will be crucial and I will need all the self-discipline and delayed gratification that I can muster to finally put an end to this bloody unfinished business I started two years ago.

So much for distraction from watching the Aussie Open—technically, there’s no point (okay, I’m being too cynical…). Justine Henin-Hardenne didn’t play and Marcos Baghdatis is out (which is sad, I’m afraid his last year’s success would look like a fluke peppered by 'crowd advantage'). I’m not even sure if Nikolay Davidenko is playing—haven’t heard any mention of him. And Marat Safin—oh dear, that guy can play like crap sometimes and still win—makings of a former top seed player? ; ) Oh yeah, there’s still his sister, Dinara, to watch out for but her matches are hardly televised.

That being said, I want my Tenipuri ;p.

ME + BLOG = Lack of update in the long run

I felt that this update is so obligatory. It’s either nothing noteworthy happens or I’m too lazy (and/or busy) to update. Unfortunately, I don’t have the same enthusiasm as my blog role model Dmitry Tursunov (Visit Tursunov Tales ; ) when it comes to blogging. Enough with the excuses, knock yourselves out with the latest random ramblings below.

>>> I’ve always liked the rain as far as I can remember—even the time of the recent blackout (where I blamed that on individual incompetence rather than the weather). I should be happy that even in December, it’s still raining…right? Well, yeah but when it gets in the way of something that I also like and have not done in a long time, it gets a little complicated. I still like the rain, only this time, I start to compromise when it should rain (yeah, like that’s really possible…)

>>> I want to play tennis at Rizal, dimmit!!! And several forces of nature—scheduled tournaments, unavoidable circumstances and weather disturbances included—have been preventing me from doing so. I have cognitively practiced my swings, rationalized with my superego (and convinced myself in the process) that spending close to 500php for an hour of play will not kill me, and thought of the event as a way to cap off the term! I seriously need to get my tennis fix.

>>> Fortunately, I could always count of Quiaps to accompany me during SPS rooftop practice sessions. She’s reformed now and has ceased flashing her ************ to security, LOL!!! Seriously, it can be a good body-mind exercise when you’re hitting a ball against the wall while figuring out why people behave the way they do.

>>> ACE just ranked Marat Safin’s back to back volley against David Nalbandian (IIRC) as the play of the year. What Marat did was awesome! Quick reflexes and sheer skill and control—scoring a point despite taking a dive and losing his racquet?! Drool…I mean, Damn… ; ) If only he gets his act together, he might beat Federer—again. Hehe.

>>> Speaking of Fed, it’s such a fun match to watch when he’s playing against Rafa. Fed changes—he’s more aggressive, goes to the net more often and he’s pumped when he scores a point after a long rally…some things you don’t see everyday. It’s actually matches like these that make me want to watch Fed play—even if there would be hints that he will win, there’s variety in his play and Rafa makes him work for every point.

>>> YAY!!! Justine’s year end rank is #1!!! It would be nice to see a rematch of Australian Open 06 next year—Justine owes Amelie a good game.

>>> My new friends every school day morning are a pair of earphones, YouTube and Tenipuri. I’m still obsessed with it, especially the chibi episodes. I also came to realize that my life would get to nowhere if I have DSL installed at home and bring my new friends with me. Consequently, I will just end up being entertained with them and…not move.

>>> I recently saw Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X) Second OVA, the part where Kenshin died (yes, Choco, you read that right—don’t go in denial now). Much as I like to be objective about the whole thing…I can’t—this doesn’t compare to the first one!!! The whole thing, for me, was just what Kaoru wanted—it was all about her, and Kenshin—being the ever-so-greatful ronin that he was, didn’t really have any objections. The ending was nice, since I had my own, twisted, anti-Kaoru/pro-Tomoe interpretation to it. Bottomline is—Tomoe rocks. If there was no Tomoe, there would be no cross shaped scar, Kenshin would not exist…and maybe Kaoru will not end up as a lame damsel in distress disguised as a feisty master of swordsmanship.

>>> Animax has brought back Ranma ½ (again). I’ve always like the concept of that series, kind of like who-would-have-thought-of-it plot. I find it original…and it brings back memories when T-chan and I did some artwork for a contest and she did most of the chibi Ranma characters. The artwork won, by the way. ; )

>>> The FIFA governing body has trimmed down its nominees for Footballer of the Year Award (or something like that). The candidates are Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho and Fabio Cannavaro. I want Zizou to win but I don’t think he will; I think Cannavaro will win but I don’t want him to; If Zizou will not win, I’d rather have Ronaldinho win. Twisted logic, huh?

>>> If you’re wondering why there’s hardly anything here about the grounded theorist and what she’s been up to, it’s because such information is classified at this moment. What she’s willing to divulge is that she is alive and starting to kick. Hopefully, we’ll get to hear from her by next year.

>>> *looks out the window* It’s still raining. I hope it stops soon. I’m gonna play tomorrow.

Time and Tennis

Time has a very sneaky nature. In one moment, it would look like you have lots of it but the next, it creeps up behind you and makes you realize that you don’t have enough, or that you are running out of it.

Time flies, even if you’re not having fun (like when you’re cramming for something). It’s interesting—I’m not exactly the type with a *really* hectic and fixed schedule (it’s flexible, actually…sort of) and yet, I still feel time passing by rather quickly (especially when I get reminded by cues like calendars ; ). My school’s time zone and my exposure to it for almost 10 years (…’darn it! it’s that long already?!?!?!’ >>> see what I mean?…) doesn’t help either.

Fifteen days ago, I confidently thought that I would be able to work on my thesis once regular classes ends since there will be 3 long weeks before the next term begins. Then yesterday, after glancing at my calendar, I was stunned to see that I have just a week left—and I still need to do my load preps for the next term!

Thus, next week I shall continue my race with time with utmost focus and concentration.
.
. .
. . .
. . . .
. . . . .
. . . .
. . .
. .
.
Oh, crap…It’s the US Open quarters to finals matches. Must-not-get-distracted….

***

If I would define ‘ambivalence’ in terms of the US Open, it would be the match between Andrei Agassi and Marcos Baghdatis. Since I liked them both—Agassi, for dramatic purposes of ‘could-this-be-his-last-game-ever-?’, and Baghdatis for, well, maybe a validation of his other grand slam hard court performance—I didn’t really care who would win. Or so I thought.

After resisting the temptation to skip the Friday workshop I’m supposed to attend to, I found out later that day that Agassi actually won a 5-setter. I was like, ‘Wow! He’s really good and/or lucky! His battle goes on….etc.’, then I thought, ‘Aw, man—Baghdatis lost! Why???? *speechless*…’.

Well, at least it wasn’t Julien Bennetau who had beaten him this time.

I hope Sportplus would show the rerun of that game….maybe I should’ve skipped the workshop after all. Hehehe, kidding.

***
I can’t resist thinking of this “What If” moment of Agassi’s final game: “He would reach the US Open finals but he loses on a penalty because he displayed violent behavior with his tennis racquets…breaking them using headbutts!” LOLOL!!!

Zizou, anyone? ^o^ I know, I know—that would be uncharacteristic of Agassi but it’s still funny to think about it since…well, they are both bald and both of them have their first and last names begin with the same letter…

Okay, that was stupid…you can stop reading now…

*gets strapped in a straight jacket*