Ties: A 2009 Reflection

I've been writing so much academic papers that I'm beginning to think I've lost my touch in expressing myself in prose. Perhaps now is a good time to recount the essences of this year's experiences and see just how much 2009 has contributed to my life. I couldn't say that this year was the grandest year for me, but nonetheless, there were circumstances that I allowed to happen, those that I chose to get involved in and savored the ups and downs that came along with it. In the perpetual sense of 'charging it to experience', I'm glad I got something out of all of it.

My realizations center around different types of people that I got to talk with, made bonds with and discovered the extent to what they can be for me. For one, I realize that the ones you least expected to listen to you would be the ones who can listen the best. It does not take for one to be a constant companion, nor to have someone in common with, to be able to qualify as a person who you can rely on. It does, however, require a bit of trust-even if that trust is guided by intuition and the small, considerate and thoughtful things that have been done in the past.

The irony is that apparently, commonalities are not necessarily the key to immediately building and settling bonds. I personally find that puzzling as the bonds I've made in the past were laid with a foundation of generic, perhaps even shallow interests such as listening to music, watching television or reading books. Yet, such bonds turned out to be very formidable and more reliable.

It's rare to find people with a high level of similarity in traits and interest. I realized that in the event that it happens, I see myself nurturing possible bonds that can come out of it. After all, quick logic tells me that if I can create and maintain solid relations with types of people I mentioned above, what more with a very select few who share very similar characteristics? Well, 2009 has shown me that sometimes, similarities can come with tradeoffs. While it can guarantee ecstatic states of interactivities, it is not a short cut in establishing the degree of bonds that my 'quick logic' had me perceived.

In this, I saw yet again, how the little things mattered—acknowledgment, concern, consideration, ambient presence and awareness of others. I felt all of these off hand among the 'generic' ones and now I wonder, maybe these fuel the bonds deeper than mere similarities. Tradeoffs, as someone explained to me what these things are. I see now how it can sometimes make or break the degree of one's relationships to others.

To hang on, to be open and to see were the responses that I chose to do with all the bonds I've nurtured this year. I say again, that the insights that I got were immensely useful. I achieved a sense of what I can give, what I can do, what I should've done but didn't, and what others can also willingly give and extend to me. The emotions, both good and bad, that came along with it serve as a reminder that while I try to maintain a grasp of how things should be, there are things that can be very hard to control. In such circumstances, I remind myself who I am, what I am capable of doing and what I should do. And in the process, I should relearn to listen to my gut feel.

In 2010, I hope to reclaim the ties that I might've left in hiatus due to other things I got preoccupied with, or sometimes, with the explorations that I ventured into. As a result, I have learned more about me, about other people and what makes them tick. I don't intend to burn any bridges as everyone has made a mark on who I am and who I am not. I do, however, intend to thread bridges—both old and new—with greater care and see which is more stable when I cross it as I carry misery or joy.

Thank you, for making this another year of learning experience.

Buhay ni Jennai: Emotified

Matagal ko nang gustong gawin ang post na ito. Nakuha ko ang idea sa entry na ito sa blog ni Paupau. Ganito ang mga magiging reaksyon ko sa mga nangyari sa buhay ko kung emotified.

1. Nosebleed

· Basta si Magno ang teacher ko sa PhD—kahit anong subject, di lang advanced statistics.

· Nung first time kong tinuro ang Biopsychology Laboratory at inaaral ang parts and functions of the human brain

· Nung inaaral ko ang grounded theory para sa thesis ko

2. Stress

· Nararamdaman pag papalapit ng ang midterms. Tumatagal hanggang pag-submit ng grades.

· Pagiging lab coordinator, prof at estudyante sa isang term. Ngayon yun.

3. Clueless

· Nung nag-test ako sa advanced statistics sa pag-interpret ng tables at graphs at sablay ang ibang sagot.

· Pag na-realize ko na dapat pala na nag-pa-advise na ako kung anong subjects ang kukunin ko sa susunod na term o dapat na inasikaso ko na ang study grant applicationko. Pero di ko kaagad nagawa kasi clueless ako sa schedule (di ko pa nai-internalize na estudyante na uli ako).

4. Grrrr

· Pag may nag-cut na pedicab sa akin sa Quirino at nagpunta sa leftmost lane (kung saan ako naka-pwesto) at mabagal na pumapadyak sa harapan ko. Nagbago na ba ang rules sa kalye? Mabagal na ba ang takbo ng traffic pag sa leftmost lane?

· Pag may mga jeepney driver na sarili lang nila ang iniiip at walang pakundangang paparada sa gitna na kalye para magsakay o magbaba ng pasahero.

· Pag nakikita ko ang payslip ko at ang kinakaltas sa sweldo ko para sa tax.

5. Work

· Pagnagka-cram ng final paper, take home exam or research paper.

· Pagnag-check ng papel ng mga estudyante

6. Puppy eyes

· Pag desperado ako dahil may requirement sa PhD at malapit na ang deadline. Halimbawa: ang pag-harass ko sa mga kaibigan ko (yung pedeng i-harass) para sumagot ng survey.

· Pag umaasa na maurong ang deadline ng mga requirements, o mawalan ng pasok kinabukasan dahil malakas ang ulan.

7. Running

· Kapag nakumpleto na ang requirements sa school ilang oras bago ang deadline.

· Pag naurong ang deadline ng requirements o suspendido ang klase kinabukasan

· Kapag naka backhand crosscourt drive winner ako.

8. Sayang

· Pag marginally out ang tira ko sa tennis at bumalik sa deuce ang score.

· Pag di ko natira ang high-bouncing shots ni ghostlightning dahil sa bilis ng spin ng bola

· Pag nalaman ko na kulang ng 1 point para pumasa sa exam dahil pinalitan ko ang unang sagot na tama naman pala.

9. Hearts

· Pag tinira ni solar ang isang high ball gamit ang mala-Agassi na topspin forehand na may kasamang talon.

· Backhand slice ni mechafetish

· One-handed backhand ni Henin

· Gameplay ni Zidane sa football

· Taong marunong mag-violin

10. Ahhh

· Pag natapos ang isang term at may bakasyon na lagpas sa limang araw.

· Kapag maganda ang palo sa tennis

12 Days of Christmas List: 12 Random Thoughts from 12 Random Christmas Prompts

1. Wishlist. Technically, these are things that I don’t really need but I wouldn’t mind getting, but wouldn’t kill me if I don’t have it. Usually, a list like this goes up to 12 things, but apparently, mine gets only to about half, in no particular order:

Tennis Racquet: An effective placebo during bad hitting days.

Fujitsu or Asus Laptop: Just because people say that a prof is fit to have one.

Barricades: To reduce wear and tear of my new tennis shoes. And because the name sounds cool.


Nintendo Wii: For the interactivity factor in gaming—and with proper planning, I can make a psychological study and incorporate the Wii in it.

FM Modulator: Simply to play MP3s when I drive since All-Neu only plays audio cd.

An Alaskan Malamute and/or a Siberian Husky: The sheer cuteness is enough to make me hug everybody.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1841-1919: A Dream of Harmony (Basic Series): Eyecandy, technique and relaxation.

2. Godparents. Back when I was younger, it’s tradition to go collect gifts from godparents, and other older adult relatives. One particular memory that I really like was visiting an uncle and he would bring out a box full of 1-peso coins and all the kids will take turns grabbing all the coins we can get at only one time using both hands. Another is that my other aunts and uncles would ask kids a color—green, brown, orange, red or purple. Most kids would choose orange or red, the bright ones. I would choose purple and this leaves the adults shaking their heads—that’s because that’s equivalent to PhP100. Hey, I can’t help it if that’s really my favorite color, right?

3. Godchildren. The point where one is identified as no longer young is when s/he stops collecting gifts from godparents. Another sign is s/he instead is the one being approached by the kids of the new generation, the new batch who will continue the tradition. I found it a little hard to get used to this, since for a long time, I was usually treated as “the kid” (being the youngest in line in both sides of my family). The moment the tables have turned, I was like a deer-in-headlights. Choosing gifts for children is such a challenge for me—and yes, even when I decided to get them stuffed toys, I ended up wanting the gift for myself.

4. Christmas Songs. The first time I encountered “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” by Johann Sebastian Bach, it was from the soundtrack of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The violin was so awesome that it instantly became one of my favorites after “Air”. Recently, I found out that it’s also considered as a Christmas song—I’ve heard three renditions already and I don’t think I’ll get tired listening to it again and again.

5. Divisoria. One should experience shopping in Divisoria during mid-December, with the whole package of great bargains AND the hassles of vehicular and human traffic. Even just once. When I went there with my mom a couple of weeks ago, the streets were swarmed with people and if not for the safety concerns, I would’ve photographed the whole scene.

6. Santa Claus. There’s this Filipino dubbed Italian movie that was shown on cable some nights back. The scene showed that there is more than one Santa Claus that delivers toys to kids. I was intrigued by the idea ^_^. Anyway, I distinctly remember three gifts that I received from Santa Claus on separate Christmases—a set of colored pencils, a bike and a volleyball. No one really told me that Santa Claus wasn’t real, only that when I became “old enough”, I was informed that Santa Claus does not cater to my wishes anymore. The parents took over from there.

7. Traffic. This is the reason why I’m too lazy to bring a car anywhere a few days before Christmas. And a reason how commuting can be less of a hassle since I can go for alternative routes, or maybe walk and burn calories in the process.

8. Climate. I love the coolness during December. Unlike many others, I prefer less sun, less heat and humidity, and more of the chill and occasional light drizzle here and there.

9. Gift Giving. Usually, people give gifts to their loved ones. I learned to give gifts to security guards and janitors. It’s one of the things that my parents used to do when I was still studying in grade school and high school, and when they used to work. They would also give gifts to security and maintenance people, mostly ordinary, usable objects and nothing fancy nor expensive. Now, I do the same but since Uni is rather big, I’m only able to give to select individuals that I get to meet frequently—usually in SportsCom, Hepalane entrance and Engate.

10. Home Alone. I’m referring to the movie. No matter how many times I watch this, I don’t get tired of it. Surprisingly, I also still laugh at the slapstick humor and there are still scenes that get me even at the tiniest bit (i.e., the pigeon scene/finale in the sequel).

11. Home Decorations. We used to have a 7-foot Christmas tree that never failed to annoy my brother to hell. It had a stubborn stand that only with the finest touch will it stand tall; otherwise, it ends up as the leaning Christmas tree. I was too young to help at the time and they won’t let me anyway. Eventually, I was allowed to help when I got older and I took over handling the stand, which also challenged me—but it’s not like I’d let that get me, right?

12. Chocolates. I only eat chocolate candies between December 25 to January 1. It started a couple of years ago for me to see if I can do it—no one put me up to it and I don’t get a prize for keeping up with the deal. Today, I already consumed a couple of bite size Crunch and half a pack of Lindt chocolates. I’m making room for Ferrero Rocher and Meiji’s Macadamia nuts.

There, instant list! Hehe. Now that I’ve got these out, time to return to formal, academic writing. Tomorrow, it’s youth research all over again.

Hiatus, Jumper (***spoilers***) and Tennis Tales (Days 44-47)

I didn’t get to update because work got busier and I had an encounter with a nasty virus. I’m well now—been so for a while, thankfully—and catching up with work. It’s just sad that I’m banned for playing tennis for one more week as part of the recovery plan. Oh, and I eat. As in EAT – double the servings of rice, more fluids, snacks in between and mandatory consistent vitamin intake. I’m anxiously waiting what these will do to my weight, especially since I don’t get to burn the calories. XD

~~~

Instead of the usual life happenings, I’m going to share my opinion on the recent movie that I saw with Quiaps—Jumper. In brief, it’s about a guy (Hayden Christiansen-[sp?]) who can teleport, makes money out of it and visits places, gets the girl he’s always wanted since high school, gets hunted down by mysterious people, finds out there’s another one with the same powers as he does (Jamie Bell!!!), teams up briefly to fight bad guys but team up didn’t last long enough (irreconcilable difference I guess, haha!), protagonist defeats antagonist (Samuel L. Jackson), saves the girl, learns about past and teleports with the girl to travel around the world.

Hn.

The Good:

I personally liked the concept behind the film—teleportation and how would an average person deal with it.

The you-are-not-alone and the you-are-going-to-be-hunted bits are plot clichés already but the reason for the hunting—evolved religious fanaticism was interesting.

The teleportation CG wasn’t bad either—it reminded me a bit of the SilverHairedMen+Sephiroth+Cloud fight scenes in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, but this time with real people.

Jamie Bell. When I saw his name on the opening credits, I just knew I’ve heard that name before. I only remembered (IIRC!) now that he starred as a ballerina wannabe kid in Billy Elliot. Compared to Hayden’s acting, I liked Jamie’s better because I was able to like his character. Although Jamie’s character isn’t really the complex type, it just worked—he nailed it so well that I didn’t even notice Hayden looked better than him.

Samuel L. Jackson’s character didn’t die. Or perhaps it was stated in his contract that his character shouldn’t die. Rightfully so, because with the way the plot worked out, it would’ve been a shame if he died.

The Bad:

Underdeveloped plot—which is sad because for this type of movie concept, it had such promise.

The time spent on the high-school-type-impress-the-girl-and-date-her-then-make-out-with-her scenes was a little overemphasized that I felt it would’ve been better if such time was spent for further plot development. Also, it’s not as if the girl was pivotal in protagonists’ way of performing his ability to teleport anyway. Plus, the mystery behind the disappearance of lead guy’s mom was intriguing but only resolved at the very end, like somebody remembered that it should be brought up but the roll of film is almost out. The religious fanaticism motivation to hunt down “Jumpers”, as well as their back grounds—how they became as such, how they acquire their Jumpsites and make it “theirs”, etc were hardly explored. I wonder if the basis of the story used for this movie was actually a first draft or something.

The Ugly:

Lacks development of characters and storyline. Oh, wait-I already said that. And that is why I’m glad Samuel’s character did not die because the plot was not worth it. In short, the movie has great promise—it has some intriguing moments and makes one anticipates for more but fails to deliver.

So the verdict? I saw this movie in Shang. Not worth the money I paid for, considering that Shang is more expensive that the average movie theater. At best, I’d be willing to watch it from a ripped off DVD—but that’s because I like topics on teleportation. I suppose for those who cling on actual characterization and plot, wait for it in cable. But if you fancy Hayden fan service or a sucker for Jamie’s accent and have a companion to treat you to a movie, go for this.

~~~

I can’t remember much of my tennis practices prior my hiatus, except for the last session where I actually practice approach shots and finish the points with volleys. It’s sad because I was getting the feel of it but now I’m worried that the month-long absence of practice would defer the progress. I wouldn’t be surprised though, and it’s also sad that I won’t be able to do my monthly 10 hours of tennis resolution this month.

Yesterday though, Quiaps had a tennis session in Rizal and I accompanied her, sitting on the sidelines…green with envy. I was suppose to play with her but the moment I mentioned it to my mom the night before, she was ready to deploy a checkpoint to make sure that I cannot leave the house with a single tennis paraphernalia. So, I urged Quiaps to take the hour instead while I watch (and finish coding a research project). But, being pasaway and all, when Quiaps took a break, I borrowed her racquet, checked out for any Rizal guard (I’m not in the proper attire) and hit for 5 minutes with the ballman (yes, man—the dad of our usual ballkid). I was satisfied even if I chose not to run after balls I usually do so I can hit it. I suppose this means I still have it. Can’t wait for next week when I can officially get back to practice.

December Tennis Tales, Term End stressors, Goings out with Friends and New Year Resolutions

I haven’t updated for a long time so this will be the year-end wrap up.

For the month of December, I played a total of six days (days 35-39), the last being today was around two hours. I got hold of another instructor—I’ve seen him around the courts for some time, jolly person. Let’s see, as far as I can remember, we did forehand and retreating backhand drills (hitting a backhand drive from near the net then going farther back to the baseline) as well as forehand drives, practiced some volley and smash, and return serve + backhand volley + forehand volley combo (my backhand volley…sad ^^;). I did a session in Rizal also, which would probably be repeated next month (my wallet winced in pain). The highlight would probably be the doubles match I got to do today, to which we won (my partner was the aforementioned instructor)! I’m happy as long as it’s not a bagel but winning was a bonus, LOL! I still double faulted, of course, but turns out that some of my volleys were okay (more or less). After that, I had a rallied with a trainer for an hour (I had rest while waiting for a doubles match to finish).

Regarding the stressors, I don’t even want to go there since thinking about it is enough to replicate the stress I went through. For some reason, this term was the most cram-felt, in terms of term end obligations. I felt the exhaustion (enough for me to miss the department Christmas dinner). I’m just hoping that come next term, there wouldn’t be any aftershocks of this term’s academic concerns. Hay.

This month also marked the time where I was able to meet all 3 sets of friends that I met in different context. My meeting with Greys and Gemma (yeah, I’ll use their first names since I forgot the pseudonym I referred to them before and I’m too lazy to look it up now…) was a blast, though it might’ve been uber blast if we were complete. Still, it was nice to have refreshing conversations again and for some reason, it felt just like before, only the themes that we talked about changed. But the way each spoke—very much the same. I also met with Kat, which almost didn’t push through this month. We basically caught up with each other while trekking the whole of MoA…twice, I think. We also had an unspoken exchange gift or sorts ^^;; Heehee, the chibi PoTs were nice—domo! Finally, Quiaps, Choco and I went to our yearly retreat(!) to Sta. Rosa to attend Missy’s birthday party. But since that was in the late afternoon, we met earlier and hung out at a mall and later continued unwinding in a coffee shop, before heading to the party. Apart from the usual catching up talk, we basically kept eating the whole time…it’s unusual of us. Yeah, this month was pretty good in terms of meeting with friends.

Finally, below are some of the resolutions I am considering doing next year:

To keep in shape:
- Playing at least 10 hours of tennis each month
- Should I decide to eat chips, I can only do so twice in a month, to which if the said month has passed, the unused chances-to-eat is not transferable to the next month.
- Sweets are defined as donuts or cakes or ice cream. For the span of January to October, I shall only indulge on any of them twice a month.

To keep me sane:
- Unless it is school or research matters, STOP overanalyzing everything.
- Smile to people I transact with, be it a team teacher or a tiangge vendor.
- Don’t think so much about all things….oh, I mentioned that already.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, ALL! ^__^

Lattes Make Me Dizzy

This is the second time it has happened. Before, I thought the culprit was the place I had cafe latte, which was Figaro. But now, Starbucks had the same effect. However, the latte from Nescafe coffee vendos have no such effects. Hmm, maybe I'm allergic to expensive lattes. LOL!

I finally finished checking the grad papers--YAY! I just needed to leave the house and not come back unless I'm done. Next will be the undergrads--until the new batch of grad papers arrive @__@

I played tennis again this morning and for some reason, I was actually exhausted a bit more than usual. I wonder if it was a good idea to play on one's second day or maybe it's because of the rest I got over the weekend. This explains why I'm tired the whole day and opted to go out because I just might end up sleeping if I stayed at home.

It's back to work tomorrow. Crunch time.

I’ve been working all day…*O_o*

I’ve been slacking off at some points in the term and now that it’s about to end, the momentum is picking up. I’m not technically cramming yet. Actually, my mind is at Centrino level processing what to do next and how to plan my next move.

I’m tired. X_x

It’s a bit disappointing though that I didn’t finish what the grad school course I have to fix. My dial-up won’t let me upload the stuff I need to upload. I’ll take that as a sign that I should go out tomorrow, rent and then check papers.

On a lighter note, I wrote this last year and I think I should update it:

I am hardly a morning person. The only possible reasons that I would wake up before 6AM are:

I have to cram for something
I have to be early somewhere and I’m on color-coding
I have to drink medicine if I’m sick
I have to watch a football or tennis match, perhaps a final
I have to play tennis

Yes, folks. I finally took advantage of the Tennis Club in City Hall and have been trying to play decently three times this week. And to justify the last point I updated above—I play at 5.45AM. FIVE FORTY-FIVE IN THE FREAKIN’ MORNING!!! That means I wake up at 4AM (but get out of bed at 4.30AM, hehehe). It was also because of this which was why I was able to watch the final set of Montreal Finals. Hehehe, I beat my old record of 5AM to watch World Cup!

That’s it. I’ll probably have hangover aches and pains tomorrow—physically and mentally.

Cogitations of an Idle Mind ver…3? 4?

I feel the need to update this blog but I can’t seem to connect with my muse who usually gives me the drive to write about something. So for now, I guess an update on what I’ve been doing would do…

I have less than two weeks before school starts and work begins again. I still haven’t made my preps. *looks at piles of junk on desk* I’m not even done completely fixing my room. But there’s a big improvement compared with the last year or so.

If I was such a loser for watching 300 way too late (meaning, DVD only), it’s a different story for Spiderman 3, which I saw on the second day of opening. Choco already blogged about this and while I didn’t really feel the slight drag of the movie that she felt, I quite agree with her assessment(!) about the movie. It wasn’t bad but I didn’t feel the urge to get the DVD, unlike maybe Fantastic 4. Spidey 3, imho, invested on emotions and character development—the last fight scene was really great, though. And yeah, do watch out for Harry Osbourne ^_^

I just finished revising one of the research projects (with Magnus and Quiaps) and I noticed how much difference 2 years made in terms of writing style. I recognized some of the portions I did in the paper and since I’m fresh from finishing my thesis (a.k.a the blissful journey to hell and back), I realized how, erm…my writing style has changed ^^;; Also, the way I looked at my old writing style…hehehe, it could use a lot of work.

To the Twilight Zone and Back

Have you ever had the experience of looking for something when you know exactly where you left it but it’s not there? Like you were really, really, REALLY sure you left it there (especially since you just touched it three minutes ago) and then it’s gone?

That happened to me last night and I was close to thinking that something was playing tricks on me. Of course, the rationale side of me persisted that I stayed up until 3AM looking for the lost item.

The lost item was my eye medicine, Tobradex—a rather expensive one like all other eye meds. I usually place it along with the old depleting cotton buds container inside my closet. Before I use it, I have to have a lid scrub using baby shampoo so I picked the eye med from the container, set it aside in the pile of clothing beside the container and brought the container to the sink for the lid scrub. I opened up a new container of cotton buds and after that, I went back to my closet, sifted through the pile of clothes and looked for the eye med. Just as I was about to put it, I noticed it felt different. I checked the label and it was a DIFFERENT eye med!!! (Yes, I have many eye meds lately…)

I sifted again. There was no other eye med there. I was like…WTF??? I kept checking the name of the other eye med—it was not Tobradex. Then I thought…was I using the wrong med this whole friggin’ week?!?!?! But no, I tested the consistency and what I put in my eye the night before had a different consistency with the current eye med I found. I even went as far as turning my closet upside down—TWICE— (the second one was when I decided I cannot sleep until I find that eye med which has no logical reason why it should disappear just like that) to no avail. And yes, I came close to thinking that perhaps, something supernaturally funny was going on. Finally, I gave up. There was a stray cotton ball on my floor from all that clothes turning and throwing so I went to the trash can to throw the cotton ball.

Then I decided to check the trashcan. The Tobradex was there.

Again, I was like, WTF?! How the hell did that get in there? I still can’t remember until now but maybe it was when I opened the new container of cotton buds and threw away the plastic seal around it. But I still don’t remember getting the Tobradex med so how did it end up in the trash?

Oh, and it didn’t help that before I went to bed, I drank a small bottle of vodka mudshake. I mean, COME ON—I didn’t get drunk on such minimal alcoholic content!

Seriously, I wasn’t drunk. Dimmit. >.<

Series Rave

[Begin rave.]

I confess…I officially like Avatar: The Last Airbender. I further confess…I’ve been watching it since it’s first season.

I don’t care if it’s a pseudo-anime. Hell, its animation can make some of the animes out there make a run for their money. The plot, character design and development, the animation—I really, really like it! ^__^ I’d say it’s a refreshing change to see an American (it’s Nickelodeon) animation using this approach, something that I’d see in Japanese animation. And the concept of “bending” the four elements was really good! ^o^

In case you’re wondering what this series is about, I’ll leave you to this site with really comprehensive take on the series: AvatarSpirit. (Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS)

Did I mention the awesome animation (oh, them fighting moves!) and character development? ; )~~ And Zuko’s character, I like! *sigh* Why do scarred men make the most interesting characters? I just had to put this pic up from season 2. (Better make the right choices, boy… ; )

If this were a book or a graphic novel, I’d read it! Wah…there’s still a third season on the works…I want a DVD o_O.

Pic credits to (mostly to) AvatarSpirit, as well as Answers.com.

[End rave.]

On another note…looky-looky! I got an Easter Egg. The folks and I ate at Harbor View again (the toitle is still there, btw ; ) and they had Easter Egg giveaways. I don’t know what’s inside…I don’t want to open it and ruin the pretty sticker ^^; I hope it’s not food, hehehe.

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*

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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.

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.

MeRrY cHrIsTmAs! MaLiGaYaNg PaSkO! mErI KuRiSmAsU! hApPy ChRiStMaS!

LOL!!! If you’re not familiar with Tenipuri, this might not be so funny. Let’s just say that they are teammates and Santa’s the narcissistic captain and Rudolph is his loyal slav—I mean, minion who only utters that monosyllabic-sounding reply. By the way, I did not make the above pic--credit for the art goes to ‘snowbunnyluv’ (go visit her deviant art site).

***
An uncle and my cousin and his family came over for lunch today. I saw my nephew and niece again and I can totally relate to Choco and K-chan about kiddie antics and how it can completely ruin(?!) one’s mood to be a “diligent-student-who’s-suppose-to-do-her-thesis-blah.blah.blah…” aka “pagpapanggap” hehehe. See, the niece likes dogs (I like dogs..) and the nephew worships Spiderman (I think Spidey’s good…) so I ended up…playing with the kids.

I rarely feel at ease mingling with kids but for some reason, today was an exemption. They kept asking my mom to give them their gifts and mom tells me to give it to them…and I delay it. Hahaha! I was the one who chose their gifts—a stuffed dog and a Spiderman action figure where he kicks this wall-thingy. When they finally got their gifts (after ripping off my late night, time consumed, hard-worked gift-wrapping in less than under a minute), we played with them. The wall-thingy was like a 4-piece puzzle which I was unable to put together but nephew did it...quickly.

[Darn it! What the hell was that about?! Here I am trying to get some higher learning and I can’t put together a freakin’ 4-piece wall-thingy puzzle!]

Ahem…My cousin brought with him his laptop and we tried to go online and talk with his mom (my tita) in the States. It turns out that he’s got some Death Note anime with him and shared it with me. Great, another temptation to resist—good thing I’ve read the comic already so it’s not that hard.

In the afternoon, a little last minute grocery shopping with mom and later in the evening, bro and I went to cousin doc’s house to deliver gifts. We basically exchanged presents ^^; While we were there, old stories came up about my entire mother-side cousins and their childhood escapades and mishaps, including which adult went crazy because of it. I wasn’t with them at the time because either I was way too young or not born yet. Cheh…youngest ; )

It’s Christmas Day. I can finally eat chocolates ^_^

***
If you’ve watched anything that’s dubbed, mostly likely, you’d know what voice actors are. Since I don’t watch telenovelas and more into anime, they are called ‘seiyuu’ in Japanese. It’s amazing how their voice give rise to different characters, from the sickeningly saccharine sweet tiny voices of anime girls to feminine-sounding voices of samurais (hehehe, that’s Kenshin again for you, Choco), to feminine-sounding voices of female-looking samurais and shinobis…who are actually…men…Ergh, you guys get the point.

Still, nothing beats seeing the voice actors of The Simpsons! There are only 6 of them and they make up almost the entire neighborhood of Springfield! And their talking voice are actually different from their character voices—really different! They were the guests on Inside the Actor’s Studio and the host (dunno his name) even joked that he’s never had 30 simultaneous guests in his show. The fun part there was when the “characters” were interviewed and the voice actors went into action. I got lucky that I channel-surfed at the right station ^_^.

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.

Cogitations of an Idle Mind v.1

• Doing research is more fun when it’s not a requirement. I’ve done about 3 of these already and the experience was worthwhile. Of course, there’s pressure but not as much since I don’t have to think that my graduate degree will depend on it. Unfortunately, that is not the case with my thesis at the moment.

• Unlike most people, rainy days cheer me up. I like to watch the rain fall from the sky. I love the coolness it brings as well. Consequently though, this reinforces laziness and the desire to sleep for that extra ten minutes.

• A couple of weeks ago, I finished watching Full Metal Alchemist. The anime isn’t so bad, as a stand alone, that is—comparing it to the manga is another story. I liked the idea that our world is actually what’s on the other side of the gate. And Maes Hughes is just so funny. Too bad HE…

• And last week, I rewatched FULL METAL PANIC/TSR/FUMOFFU. The story is just brilliant. It’s taking a while for the next installment of the translated novel to be uploaded though.

• What does an archer, a sniper and a three-point shooter (in basketball) have in common? I don’t know what to call IT but if you do, tell me. Whatever IT is, I’m fascinated by it. It has grace with stealth in it. Success rate seems 50-50 and the presence is so covert. No wonder I tend to like people/characters with such roles. What can I say—it’s better than a swordsman, close-range battle or slam dunk!

Today and a 2-Day Recap

The day went so fast today and even if I did stay at school the whole day, it felt like I hardly did anything! I mean, I’m still stuck thinking about school matters over the weekend and hardly crossed out any of my things-to-do list. And it’s not that I didn’t do anything about it…I did but some other instances got in the way, instances that were related to what I was supposed to do. Darn. @__@

My consolation was the weather. I love the rain and it’s been raining for the past two days [three including today]:

Wednesday: Classes were suspended before noon but I stayed in school to do some work that I finished at around late afternoon. On the way to the parking lot, I was well equiped with an umbrella and jacket but the rain was so hard and the wind giving its share, my umbrella almost flipped on its underside [?] and my pants got seriously soaked. It was a change driving in heavy rain though—you can’t be too fast…but it doesn’t matter—there’s some kind of unhurried feel to it. The slightly flooded roads will slow you down anyway.

Thursday: A freaked out Choco [who woke up early to prepare for school only to find out that it was suspended again] texted me about the class suspension. I opened the TV, saw the announcement on the news marquee on ANC then immediately flipped to BBC and CNN--I was more interested on the news when Zizou spoke about on what really happened during the World Cup finals. I tried to guess that, assuming he was indeed provoked, it must be something degrading about his Algerian roots and his father. My guess wasn’t a bull’s eye but it was close on the derogatory part. Of course, whichever way you put it, what he did was uncalled for and the sight of a ‘magnificent footballer’ acting in such manner appalled a lot of people [or in my case, elicited a ‘zizou-what-the-hell-were-you-thinking?!’ reaction]. But then, France’s former coach Michel Hidalgo had a point when he said "We have made him into a god, we have canonized him, but he's above all a man, and a man is fragile and breakable…he isn't Zorro, or the god of soccer." I guess when we prime ourselves and perceive someone to be so great, it’s a lot harder to accept that s/he has human frailties as well—someone who can make some stupid mistake just like everybody else.

WC ’06 pt 3: FRA – POR @ DaWn

I am hardly a morning person. The only possible reasons that I would wake up before 6AM are:

- I have to cram for something
- I have to be early somewhere and I’m on color-coding
- I have to drink medicine if I’m sick

Waking up really early to watch the delayed telecast of the France-Portugal semis at 5AM was not in the agenda. Although, I programmed the TV to switch on at around 5AM [I did the math and estimated what time the game will end in Munich] so CNN or BBC can update me on the bloody score—then I will go back to sleep. Of course, after finding out that France won, I watched the delayed telecast anyway…at 5AM! @_@

Probably, the best part in that game for me was not the penalty shot that did it for France but the sportsmanship and mutual respect that the team captains displayed at the end of the game. Zidance (FRA) and Luis Figo (POR), once teammates in Real Madrid [Spanish Football Club], hugged and exchanged shirts [tradition, tradition]. (Plus, a bonus glimpse of nice-looking torsos…heck, both of them are yummy, period! LOL!)

WC ’06 pt 1: The Greatest Sport on Earth

I’ve always wondered why football (soccer, to some) is dubbed as such. If you look at it, it’s just a bunch of people kicking a ball, trying to score a goal in a span of 90 minutes. At the end of the game, you can practically count the final score with the fingers of one hand—if at all there is a score since a scoreless game is possible. I’m not a hardcore fan and I must admit, I sometimes find football games to be boring.

But for some reason, I can’t get myself to dislike the sport. I haven’t played a single game of football—the first time I kicked the ball, I hurt my toe and I sprained my foot the second time I tried [so much for potential…LOL!!!]. Despite that, the interest never left—dormant maybe, but the appeal of the sport never waned.

Three things truly fascinate me about football. First, the skills—control the ball without using one’s hands—kind of defies ‘logic’ such that tasks usually done with one’s hands have been designated to other body parts [feet and legs primarily]. Next is the stamina it takes for a footballer to play the sport well—that pitch is pretty big. Finally, football draws out emotions from men— ^o^ LOL! I have never seen a sport that makes grown men literally cry in agony or rejoice in jubilation—and we’re not even in the finals yet! And the emotions do not stop there—take a look at the fans and their joys and sorrows reflect those of their team.

I don’t recall the exact commercial blurb prior to the start of the World Cup Germany 2006 but it said something like it unites people and stops a war. Well, if the idea behind a bunch of boys and girls kicking a ball around, trying to score a goal in a span of 90 minutes makes nations set aside their differences and join in the display of camaraderie and excitement of the game, then maybe football can indeed be the greatest sport on the planet.

Why Blog?

It’s funny how the silliest things can make people do what they claim they would not do. I, for one, always told everyone [Quiaps and Choco can attest to this] that I would never start a blog because I would probably end up not updating it. Even if I did, it would take up so much of my time because I’m so obsessive-compulsive when it comes to writing and editing. However, I realized that it will drive me insane not to be able to spew out thoughts that I would like to share, but have very few to share it with in the real, non-virtual world [damn, that sounds so like my thesis…*shudder*].

So, what made me start this blog was a bet between me and um, myself [see, the insanity’s kicking in]. As some of you might know, The World Cup [Football/Soccer] is being held in Germany and I’ve been trying to follow it through delayed telecasts and CNN/BBC/official website news—especially when the team I root for [Les Bleus - France!] began to regain the spirit that made them victorious in World Cup 1998 after a series of mundane performances before going through the quarterfinals to beat the current champs Brazil [YEAH!] and facing off Portugal in the semi-finals.

I told myself that if France wins against Portugal, I would start a blog.

Now you know why…and who won. ^_~