Still Alive
Hey there, whoever I’m supposed to address. This is an overly overdue blog entry, but yahoo it’s here and it exists, and it will lend a sense of activity in this otherwise seemingly dormant blog.
Actually, this format of blogwriting is getting familiar, come to think of it. The previous paragraph was me expressing the overdueness of the entry, and this next part is me summing up what I’ve missed to write. Haha, predictability is an interesting thing. Not sure if it’s good or bad, though.
So what has happened since my last post? Exams, oh yes yes, the exams. My primary reason why I was unable to blog. Exams went OK, I think, although it is increasingly becoming clear to me that I really do much better in my Literature/English modules than my Maths/Stats modules.
I mugged hard for these exams, especially because, as I’ve earlier mentioned, this year, Year Three, is a most critical year, AND because I had back-to-back exams in one day for two days. It was mugging at the Central Forum, Cnetral Library, CFA Studios for me again, and with different study buddies. It’s been fun mugging with you Karen, Ivy & Rohit, Hayati, and Choir members Iris, Aaron, Joanne, Kurien, etc. It’s been fun mugging with myself, too (and this is not me just being lame), but really, mugging alone does wonders sometimes (if you don’t fall asleep).
Let me just share a few remarkable tidbits about my exams. The first day was English day, and my exams were EL2101: Structure of Sentences and Meanings, followed by GEK1046 Introduction to Cultural Studies. The EL2101 exam was very good. It was open-book, it wasn’t easy, but get this, it was the first exam ever, in my stay at NUS, that I felt confident about. Seriously. The final grade is made up of three quizzes, tutorial participation, and the exam, and Joseph has thankfully received full marks for all three quizzes, and believed tutorial participation was not a problem at all. And thus the immense feeling of relief and satisfaction after the EL2101 exam. Come on, Joseph’s one anal grammar police.
The next exam that day, GEK1046: Intro to Cultural Studies, was quite a pleasant surprise too. I checked the past year exams, and usually, the format would be one page, and a list of five questions would be given, from which the examinee would choose two to tackle, or two questions would be given upfront. When I arrived at the exam hall and took my seat, I stared at the front page of the exam in slight disbelief. This exam paper consists of two questions and 12 printed pages, it said. Twelve? I opened the paper and it was a most pleasant surprise. Lots of large cool colored images! Full-page, colored advertisements and cultural imags and icons, to be specific. Haha, that’s a first, I thought. We never have colored images in our exams, and these were lovely, lovely ads too. The first question required us to perform a cultural analysis of one of these: a promotional poster of the TV show Nip/Tuck, this strange image of a car under a blue sky, an image of Human Pac-man (a hyperreality project by NUS students), this new Ipod mixer of sorts, or this image of androgynous David Bowie, in a skirt and reclining on a sofa. The next question was to analyse a cultural object using one of the theories discussed in class, the object being either a series of Tiger Beer ads, featuring wonderful colorful images of women in exotic locations around the world, or this ad by Starhub, featuring a young family man and the tagline “I am a hub.” So Jose wrote and scribbled and wrote and scribbled for two hours about Nip/Tuck and Starhub until his fingers were sore. Cool exam, don’t you think? I’ve kept the exam paper carefully, and I’ve shown off the exam paper to a lot of people. Teehee.
The next exams, MA2101: Linear Algebra 2, ST3236: Stochastic Processes, and MA2222: Basic Financial Mathematics were far scarier and less enjoyable than my English modules, but they turned out… well, let’s just say I got through them. Linear Algebra was easier and less of a killer than I thought, Stochastic Processes was just utterly impossible to finish (I was deciding whether to carry on solving a 5x5 matrix with 15 minutes left to go, but decided to skip it and focus on other questions that got me stumped), and Financial Mathematics was just as unfinishable and it totally required calculator-punching speed.
The last exam was EN3249: The Body module, and it turned out OK. English papers are really more enjoyable to answer. This exam asked us to 1) discuss either a given poem or a passage from one of our texts, and 2) to answer one of two questions, discussing identity and mortality in relation to one text. I scribbled as much as I could, discussing J.M. Coetzee’s Age of Iron and how the protagonist, Mrs Curren’s cancerous and dying body simultaneously supports and subverts the parallel between the physical body and the tumultuous state of affairs in apartheid South Africa, and, how Grace Nichols’ Fat Black Woman’s Poems describe how a person is given an identity based on fatness, blackness, and womanhood (woman-ness?). Interesting exam too, although I could never be truly confident as I was the sole Science student brave enough to take a Level 3000 Lit module amongst 30-something Literature majors. (Yes, I’ve said all this before, but allow me to reemphasize, if only for the last time.)
So yep, those were exam days. I officially ended on the 2nd of December, and immediately afterwards a bunch of the Pinoy group headed off to Vivo City to stroll around in the mall and watch Happy Feet! Great way to end the exam season, and the semester as a whole. :)
I didn’t quite expect this to be a long entry devoted to exams, but haha, look what I got. Anyway, let’s just wrap this up then, and I’ll tell more of the fun stuff, including the Barclays Christmas Charity Concert on the 13th at the Esplanade Theatre Studio, this large-scale collaboration with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra in a big Buddhist concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium (no less than Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was guest of honour), and of course, my Dad and my sister’s visit to Singapore for a few days, before we all flew back home, here in Davao City, the other day.
And oh yeah, one last thing before I close, because there was an apparent leak in the system, the grades are already out! I got mine last week, two weeks before the scheduled release of results on 26th December. Rumor has it that the grades may not be final, and have not been moderated yet to adjust to the bell curve, but many of us think the grades seem fairly accurate. I think so, at least. Bottom line: Although Joseph still has one bad grade, 2 quite bad grades, he has a very good B+, and lo and behold, an A, and thank-you-Lord-I-never-thought-I’d-ever-receive-this, his first A+.
It was the worst of semesters, as I claimed in an earlier entry, and I’m not taking that back. It truly was, physically and emotionally and socially and psychologically, and I am just absolutely pleased, that after all that shit-swimming, it ended well… relatively. All’s well that ends well, I like to think.
Keep your enemies closer
Keep your enemies closer
It's that sort of saying that supposed to be witty or funny, or it could possibly be straight out of the successful businessman-slash-corporate-player's handbook: Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.
In the current state of mind I am in, I choose to interpret it as a quote that's in the same vein as "Familiarity breeds contempt." Enemies and friends are thus not disjoint entities, and hence friends can become enemies, precisely because they become far too close.
Friends are held close to the heart, and this precisely grants them the oppressive power they wield. They're given the opportunity to inflict the harshest pain because of their proximity. They could stab you if they want to, but we like to sweep that disturbing thought under the rug, and rely on that bright yellow sign that reads "FRIENDSHIP".
But the fact remains that friends can become enemies, however subversive and unthinkable the act of stabbing may be. Who do we trust really? Beats me.
Oh well. When life delivers a nasty surprise, sometimes we just shrug and accept the way the cookie crumbles.
* * *
Haha! Semi-random thoughts. Don't worry guys, I'm OK! =P The Joseph is well and good and getting pumped up for the exams.
* * *
Good news of the day: Of the four kilograms that Joseph lost during the Dark times of last semester, he has gained one kilo back! Good eating habits (sleeping habits are still screwed up though) helped quite a lot, so eat your bananas and apples and bread and eggs you guys!
The End
The End
My GEK1046: Intro to Cultural Studies projectmates and I finally uploaded our project online yesterday. Samantha and I worked the longest and hardest on it (the day before I was powered by coffee and slept at 7AM making the rough final draft, as Sam was similarly burdened with a truckload with essays to do on top of her church commitments), thus we both felt totally relieved that it was finally finished. It was a Powerpoint presentation about The Real Cultural Influence of Reality TV, and I personally feel it was a well-done project. I handled the layout and design, apart from a good chunk of the text, and I even included a lot of fun editorial cartoons & comic strips and googled (and searched in Flickr) for really nice images to make the presentation look sleek and classy. Each in our group of five of course all contributed input, and everyone wanted it to work. As it was only Sam and I who chose the module to be letter-graded instead of opting for the pass/fail option (module not included in cumulative grade calculation), we had a lot more at stake and thus we were given free rein to tweak it as much as we wished. Congratulations to the whole group for a job well done.
The submission was significant to me. It marked the end of the various required submissions and lectures and tutorials of the semester. It marked the beginning of Revision Week, in preparation for next week's exams. This particular semester violently took its toll on me, physically, mentally, and emotionally, and thus allow me to mark the end of that ugly period now, and consider the revision and the exams separate.
* * *
Endings are funny things. They are poignant reminders of how we performed in the events leading to it, they teach us closure, and the need to move on. I'm also graduating very soon, and hence the concept of "The End" is particularly resonant to me.
There are many endings that happen every day, particularly recently for me, and I think these deserve particular attention, so we're not caught off-guard. More importantly, to borrow from the band Semisonic, every new beginning is some other beginning's end. Time to start afresh.
It's time to take a bow, drop the curtains, roll the credits. It's been interesting, thank you very much, but now, on to the next leg.
My GEK1046: Intro to Cultural Studies projectmates and I finally uploaded our project online yesterday. Samantha and I worked the longest and hardest on it (the day before I was powered by coffee and slept at 7AM making the rough final draft, as Sam was similarly burdened with a truckload with essays to do on top of her church commitments), thus we both felt totally relieved that it was finally finished. It was a Powerpoint presentation about The Real Cultural Influence of Reality TV, and I personally feel it was a well-done project. I handled the layout and design, apart from a good chunk of the text, and I even included a lot of fun editorial cartoons & comic strips and googled (and searched in Flickr) for really nice images to make the presentation look sleek and classy. Each in our group of five of course all contributed input, and everyone wanted it to work. As it was only Sam and I who chose the module to be letter-graded instead of opting for the pass/fail option (module not included in cumulative grade calculation), we had a lot more at stake and thus we were given free rein to tweak it as much as we wished. Congratulations to the whole group for a job well done.
The submission was significant to me. It marked the end of the various required submissions and lectures and tutorials of the semester. It marked the beginning of Revision Week, in preparation for next week's exams. This particular semester violently took its toll on me, physically, mentally, and emotionally, and thus allow me to mark the end of that ugly period now, and consider the revision and the exams separate.
* * *
Endings are funny things. They are poignant reminders of how we performed in the events leading to it, they teach us closure, and the need to move on. I'm also graduating very soon, and hence the concept of "The End" is particularly resonant to me.
There are many endings that happen every day, particularly recently for me, and I think these deserve particular attention, so we're not caught off-guard. More importantly, to borrow from the band Semisonic, every new beginning is some other beginning's end. Time to start afresh.
It's time to take a bow, drop the curtains, roll the credits. It's been interesting, thank you very much, but now, on to the next leg.
Happy Post
Happy Post
I know I haven't been blogging, and I presume that equates to less blog visitors (not that I was one for the big crowd anyway -- I was more after the small intimate crowd after all, but I digress), but I just cannot quite stand a depressing post at the forefront of the blog, when I'm not quite depressed anymore. Seriously, it's just not right. And hence, this post.
Yep, Jose is in good spirits again. It may not be for long (or it may be), but everything's OK now and that's always nice.
Last week was The Week, according to Karen. And it was, on many levels. Karen and Mega, happy happy first anniversary! I know Karen is relishing my compliments, and I probably should stop, but here's one more: GET MARRIED. You're perfect for each other. =P
Michael John also came over to Singapore from the Philippines last week. I had initial apprehensions about the timing of his Monday-to-Friday visit, as it fell on a week that was incredibly toxic for me (following a similarly stressful week), the highlight of which was my 3000-word Literature essay due last Wednesday. But as it turned out, Mike's timing couldn't be any more perfect.
Thanks Mike, for reminding me to relax and enjoy myself, and for pointing out I need to go out more. :) Haha yes, the dangers of a living in a self-sustaining community like NUS.. one can very well live in it, forgetting about the "outside world". And so, dear Michael John, as much as I had a shortage of sleep in your brief stay here, I'm very happy you did visit, and I realized I sort of missed you old buddy! Haha. Besides, it was good to get reacquainted with the Merlion and Esplanade and Ministry of Sound and Clarke Quay and Chijmes and discovering Vivo City too! I'm glad you enjoyed shopping around at Orchard and Suntec and Marina Square and elsewhere too, Mike, even if Karen and I weren't there due to our classes during the day. Karen, we seriously should congratulate ourselves for making Operation: Michael John a big success. :)
*unfinished post*
Today is November 13th, and it's been a week since I made this post. I had every intention of finishing it, but I never did. It's been marked as "Draft" too long, so let's just put this up so it doesn't get too dated, shall we?
I know I haven't been blogging, and I presume that equates to less blog visitors (not that I was one for the big crowd anyway -- I was more after the small intimate crowd after all, but I digress), but I just cannot quite stand a depressing post at the forefront of the blog, when I'm not quite depressed anymore. Seriously, it's just not right. And hence, this post.
Yep, Jose is in good spirits again. It may not be for long (or it may be), but everything's OK now and that's always nice.
Last week was The Week, according to Karen. And it was, on many levels. Karen and Mega, happy happy first anniversary! I know Karen is relishing my compliments, and I probably should stop, but here's one more: GET MARRIED. You're perfect for each other. =P
Michael John also came over to Singapore from the Philippines last week. I had initial apprehensions about the timing of his Monday-to-Friday visit, as it fell on a week that was incredibly toxic for me (following a similarly stressful week), the highlight of which was my 3000-word Literature essay due last Wednesday. But as it turned out, Mike's timing couldn't be any more perfect.
Thanks Mike, for reminding me to relax and enjoy myself, and for pointing out I need to go out more. :) Haha yes, the dangers of a living in a self-sustaining community like NUS.. one can very well live in it, forgetting about the "outside world". And so, dear Michael John, as much as I had a shortage of sleep in your brief stay here, I'm very happy you did visit, and I realized I sort of missed you old buddy! Haha. Besides, it was good to get reacquainted with the Merlion and Esplanade and Ministry of Sound and Clarke Quay and Chijmes and discovering Vivo City too! I'm glad you enjoyed shopping around at Orchard and Suntec and Marina Square and elsewhere too, Mike, even if Karen and I weren't there due to our classes during the day. Karen, we seriously should congratulate ourselves for making Operation: Michael John a big success. :)
*unfinished post*
Today is November 13th, and it's been a week since I made this post. I had every intention of finishing it, but I never did. It's been marked as "Draft" too long, so let's just put this up so it doesn't get too dated, shall we?
Shared misery is halved
Shared misery is halved
It was Hari Raya day in Singapore today (or yesterday), and that meant no classes! To the Muslims in Singapore and elsewhere, it meant celebrations of joy (and food)! It was Deepavali also last Saturday, and that was a cause for celebration for all Hindus everywhere. Ah.. holidays are good things. They make people happy, and in a meaningful way at that.
My day was OK. I was productive to some extent: made some notes (though incomplete still) for my EN3249: The Body presentation on Friday, met up with Josef, a Swedish exchange student, and had a fruitful discussion regarding our Financial Maths project (Joseph and Josef haha) and he even invited me to his floor where he gave me yummy Swedish meatballs and rye crisp with roe for snacks, and later, back in my room, I was able to do a good chunk of the project and did some research on my Cultural Studies project on Reality TV.
So yep, it was a good day after all.
Samantha, my Cultural Studies groupmate and tutorialmate too in my EN2113 Intro to Film and Cultural Texts last sem, messaged me and shared she had lately been bawling her eyes out. When I asked why, she said it's because of the incredible stress she's experiencing right now. She took it out on her family members, she shared. I was like, haha! Same here Sam! I'm so incredibly stressed I take it out on the people around me. Thus I would like to apologize to Aaron, Joanne, and Iris for my recent bouts of.. weirdness, for lack of better words. And to Irene, too, my study buddy for 2 subjects this sem! Thanks for tolerating my rantings on the world at large.:)
Where is this post leading again? Hmm.. beats me. My head's too fried right now, apparently.
I can tell you though, that I'm still not well. That there's this cloud of depression that's threatening to engulf me (Charles, multi-tasker extraordinaire, Medicine Year 3 and my Bass Section Leader in the Choir, tells me this isn't quite clinical depression yet haha! Depression has been taken so loosely by the rest of the world [me included] apparently).
While shared misery is indeed halved, the loaded term in this phrase that needs to be qualified is "shared". What is does it really mean to "share"? It's not a request, it's not a demand; but I feel it's something that friends do. Now the loaded term in the previous sentence is "friends".
My "status" (or message or whatnot) on Windows Live Messenger is "alone with everybody". Owing to my incoherence and sleepiness, I shall not attempt to explain the link between the points I'm just spurting out here. But what I simply want to highlight is that given the notion that shared misery is halved, feeling alone with everybody is just plain sad, and depressing, and wrong.
* * *
Thanks Kristia, Kirth, Kerwin (all K's!) for the nice (although short) chats we had online. I've talked to Jasper too (been a while old buddy!), how are you Jacques btw? I hope you're well and safe and sound back in Davao. My other old friends and Yahoo! contacts who I haven't chatted with in a long while, please go online!:)
High school was so much fun.
It was Hari Raya day in Singapore today (or yesterday), and that meant no classes! To the Muslims in Singapore and elsewhere, it meant celebrations of joy (and food)! It was Deepavali also last Saturday, and that was a cause for celebration for all Hindus everywhere. Ah.. holidays are good things. They make people happy, and in a meaningful way at that.
My day was OK. I was productive to some extent: made some notes (though incomplete still) for my EN3249: The Body presentation on Friday, met up with Josef, a Swedish exchange student, and had a fruitful discussion regarding our Financial Maths project (Joseph and Josef haha) and he even invited me to his floor where he gave me yummy Swedish meatballs and rye crisp with roe for snacks, and later, back in my room, I was able to do a good chunk of the project and did some research on my Cultural Studies project on Reality TV.
So yep, it was a good day after all.
Samantha, my Cultural Studies groupmate and tutorialmate too in my EN2113 Intro to Film and Cultural Texts last sem, messaged me and shared she had lately been bawling her eyes out. When I asked why, she said it's because of the incredible stress she's experiencing right now. She took it out on her family members, she shared. I was like, haha! Same here Sam! I'm so incredibly stressed I take it out on the people around me. Thus I would like to apologize to Aaron, Joanne, and Iris for my recent bouts of.. weirdness, for lack of better words. And to Irene, too, my study buddy for 2 subjects this sem! Thanks for tolerating my rantings on the world at large.:)
Where is this post leading again? Hmm.. beats me. My head's too fried right now, apparently.
I can tell you though, that I'm still not well. That there's this cloud of depression that's threatening to engulf me (Charles, multi-tasker extraordinaire, Medicine Year 3 and my Bass Section Leader in the Choir, tells me this isn't quite clinical depression yet haha! Depression has been taken so loosely by the rest of the world [me included] apparently).
While shared misery is indeed halved, the loaded term in this phrase that needs to be qualified is "shared". What is does it really mean to "share"? It's not a request, it's not a demand; but I feel it's something that friends do. Now the loaded term in the previous sentence is "friends".
My "status" (or message or whatnot) on Windows Live Messenger is "alone with everybody". Owing to my incoherence and sleepiness, I shall not attempt to explain the link between the points I'm just spurting out here. But what I simply want to highlight is that given the notion that shared misery is halved, feeling alone with everybody is just plain sad, and depressing, and wrong.
* * *
Thanks Kristia, Kirth, Kerwin (all K's!) for the nice (although short) chats we had online. I've talked to Jasper too (been a while old buddy!), how are you Jacques btw? I hope you're well and safe and sound back in Davao. My other old friends and Yahoo! contacts who I haven't chatted with in a long while, please go online!:)
High school was so much fun.
Conversations with myself (edited)
Conversations with myself
Some people cheer you up just by being there. Thank you very much. If not for you, I would have broken into shards by now. Thanks too to Yahoo Messenger and Windows Live Messenger for crossing the gap.
What's your problem, Jose, really?
*paragraph deleted*
Hmmm.. maybe I should not post this on the blog. Maybe I can, but not without omissions, at least.
Some people cheer you up just by being there. Thank you very much. If not for you, I would have broken into shards by now. Thanks too to Yahoo Messenger and Windows Live Messenger for crossing the gap.
What's your problem, Jose, really?
*paragraph deleted*
Hmmm.. maybe I should not post this on the blog. Maybe I can, but not without omissions, at least.
No hangover
No hangover
It's official. (Caution: unpleasant blog entry, don't read if you want a happy post)
Although this semester has had a few of its bright moments, and even if last sem seemed impossible to top on the "worst" list, I declare this semester as the worst one ever, on many counts. I've never felt so bad about myself, until now. I think I've turned into a monster, and I'm a hazard to everyone, most especially to myself. If only I could pry my mugger self apart from my irrational, unreasonable, presumptuous, and deprived self, that would be terrific.
But since I'm helpless about that, I'll have to grit my teeth and bear with me.
It's official. (Caution: unpleasant blog entry, don't read if you want a happy post)
Although this semester has had a few of its bright moments, and even if last sem seemed impossible to top on the "worst" list, I declare this semester as the worst one ever, on many counts. I've never felt so bad about myself, until now. I think I've turned into a monster, and I'm a hazard to everyone, most especially to myself. If only I could pry my mugger self apart from my irrational, unreasonable, presumptuous, and deprived self, that would be terrific.
But since I'm helpless about that, I'll have to grit my teeth and bear with me.
Joseph gets high
Joseph gets high
The song's not very popular, but the title of this entry is patterned after Jimmy Gets High by Daniel Powter, you know, the guy who sang the smash hit Bad Day.
Anyway, Joseph's feeling all good tonight. Feeling Absolutly fine, in fact. Haha.
I thoroughly enjoyed the BBQ at West Coast Park in celebration of Ivy's birthday. Rohit, Ivy's Indian boyfriend (Ivy's my high school classmate of four years and my scholarshipmate here in SG), prepared a "surprise" BBQ for her, but Ivy unintentionally saw the groceries in Rohit's room the night before, so haha, what can I say.
Anyway, it was good to chitchat again with Korinna, another of my high school batchmates, and who I haven't quite chatted with for the longest time. I missed her, needless to say. :) Hope she and her boyfriend Sundeep go strong despite whatever odds.
Karen was there, and of course that's always a treat. Seriously. Haha I love you Chicken. Before you get any ideas, her Mauritian boyfriend Mega was there as well, and--Karen you better quote me on this--I have to say they're the perfect match. He wittily matches Karen's sense of humor, and they're just a sweet couple together.
I also met Aditi, Ivy's Indian friend, who has an American accent because she's lived in the US and has been traveling around since her dad's a diplomat, and she's ultra cool. I like. It's just bam, you know a fun and cool girl when you see her.
The Indian bunch were there as well, and they're such a fun-loving and laughing group. Being an international student myself, I've always had a certain affinity to fellow international students, even during my bridging year two years ago, and the Indian bunch was no exception. I'm glad that Ivy is in good hands.
Later, past 10PM, the Pinoy bunch of Jayson, Cecilia, Gail, and Cassy dropped over. I'm so glad they came by even if it was rather late! I miss those guys, and the rest of the Filipinos. They saw me when I was half-tipsy already, though, but no matter, it's good laugh when in good company.
Thanks to the great company, yummy BBQ food, and Absolut Vodka for making me high tonight. Thanks Korinna and Karen for tolerating my rantings on the suckiness of life, and don't worry, something has absolutly done the trick. :)
Tomorrow I'll stress about my stuff, but not tonight. =P
* * *
Dad called! Amazing. One of the very rare times that Dad calls. Not his fault, it was sort of our agreement that I would do the calling, since I get charged for received calls here, and so it's so much cheaper if I call home. Thus I was so apprehensive when I heard his voice, because something strange or unusual or God forbid, disastrous, may have just happened, but thankfully, nothing of that sort occurred.
Did you book your ticket already, was among my dad's first questions. Good thing the network was down last night, and I was forced to postpone my booking of the flight back home to Davao to today. And today I was caught up with stuff, so I wasn't able to book. And then Dad called.
Dad and Kai might be dropping Singapore 16th to 19th December! I'm very happy really. I think there's something just--for lack of better words--wrong, with your family not seeing your University, when you've been studying in it for almost four years, and the air tickets aren't even so costly because Singapore isn't really too far from home. I remember joking around and asking them, how do they really know I go to a University? For all they know I could be faking everything and going on a long holiday every time. Right?
* * *
Later when I was back at Ridge View Residences, I dropped by Joanne's room and had a fun and lively chitchat with her and Iris. I was still quite high, and it's very fun and refreshing to talk about happy things, even not-so-happy things with a fun twist, in contrast to depressing and stressful academics and choir stuff.
We should do this more often. :) Even with Aaron too.
* * *
Just now, I've just come to an important realization: Assume nothing. Of schoolwork and tests and exams, of friendship and relationships. It's just disturbing when one is suddenly slapped with a piece of irrevocable truth, subverting all assumptions, and making one feel stupid and betrayed.
Joanne posed a question I can't get off my head: Why do you even bother? Maybe I shouldn't because it doesn't really involve me, but I don't know, I guess some people just pour more of themselves into friendships, and tend to make lofty ideal notions, which in reality don't exist.
* * *
To you, I'm sorry I've been treating you like a doormat. Even doormats need doormats too.
* * *
Hmm... Apparently the highness has run out. Back to bed tonight, and back to schoolwork tomorrow!
The song's not very popular, but the title of this entry is patterned after Jimmy Gets High by Daniel Powter, you know, the guy who sang the smash hit Bad Day.
Anyway, Joseph's feeling all good tonight. Feeling Absolutly fine, in fact. Haha.
I thoroughly enjoyed the BBQ at West Coast Park in celebration of Ivy's birthday. Rohit, Ivy's Indian boyfriend (Ivy's my high school classmate of four years and my scholarshipmate here in SG), prepared a "surprise" BBQ for her, but Ivy unintentionally saw the groceries in Rohit's room the night before, so haha, what can I say.
Anyway, it was good to chitchat again with Korinna, another of my high school batchmates, and who I haven't quite chatted with for the longest time. I missed her, needless to say. :) Hope she and her boyfriend Sundeep go strong despite whatever odds.
Karen was there, and of course that's always a treat. Seriously. Haha I love you Chicken. Before you get any ideas, her Mauritian boyfriend Mega was there as well, and--Karen you better quote me on this--I have to say they're the perfect match. He wittily matches Karen's sense of humor, and they're just a sweet couple together.
I also met Aditi, Ivy's Indian friend, who has an American accent because she's lived in the US and has been traveling around since her dad's a diplomat, and she's ultra cool. I like. It's just bam, you know a fun and cool girl when you see her.
The Indian bunch were there as well, and they're such a fun-loving and laughing group. Being an international student myself, I've always had a certain affinity to fellow international students, even during my bridging year two years ago, and the Indian bunch was no exception. I'm glad that Ivy is in good hands.
Later, past 10PM, the Pinoy bunch of Jayson, Cecilia, Gail, and Cassy dropped over. I'm so glad they came by even if it was rather late! I miss those guys, and the rest of the Filipinos. They saw me when I was half-tipsy already, though, but no matter, it's good laugh when in good company.
Thanks to the great company, yummy BBQ food, and Absolut Vodka for making me high tonight. Thanks Korinna and Karen for tolerating my rantings on the suckiness of life, and don't worry, something has absolutly done the trick. :)
Tomorrow I'll stress about my stuff, but not tonight. =P
* * *
Dad called! Amazing. One of the very rare times that Dad calls. Not his fault, it was sort of our agreement that I would do the calling, since I get charged for received calls here, and so it's so much cheaper if I call home. Thus I was so apprehensive when I heard his voice, because something strange or unusual or God forbid, disastrous, may have just happened, but thankfully, nothing of that sort occurred.
Did you book your ticket already, was among my dad's first questions. Good thing the network was down last night, and I was forced to postpone my booking of the flight back home to Davao to today. And today I was caught up with stuff, so I wasn't able to book. And then Dad called.
Dad and Kai might be dropping Singapore 16th to 19th December! I'm very happy really. I think there's something just--for lack of better words--wrong, with your family not seeing your University, when you've been studying in it for almost four years, and the air tickets aren't even so costly because Singapore isn't really too far from home. I remember joking around and asking them, how do they really know I go to a University? For all they know I could be faking everything and going on a long holiday every time. Right?
* * *
Later when I was back at Ridge View Residences, I dropped by Joanne's room and had a fun and lively chitchat with her and Iris. I was still quite high, and it's very fun and refreshing to talk about happy things, even not-so-happy things with a fun twist, in contrast to depressing and stressful academics and choir stuff.
We should do this more often. :) Even with Aaron too.
* * *
Just now, I've just come to an important realization: Assume nothing. Of schoolwork and tests and exams, of friendship and relationships. It's just disturbing when one is suddenly slapped with a piece of irrevocable truth, subverting all assumptions, and making one feel stupid and betrayed.
Joanne posed a question I can't get off my head: Why do you even bother? Maybe I shouldn't because it doesn't really involve me, but I don't know, I guess some people just pour more of themselves into friendships, and tend to make lofty ideal notions, which in reality don't exist.
* * *
To you, I'm sorry I've been treating you like a doormat. Even doormats need doormats too.
* * *
Hmm... Apparently the highness has run out. Back to bed tonight, and back to schoolwork tomorrow!
Feel better in the morning
Feel better in the morning
It's been said that if one's feeling unwell at night, he should sleep just sleep it out and he'll feel better in the morning.
Thanks to a good nap, Joseph is, apart from a mild headache, feeling much better now and all ready to take on more of Financial Maths and Linear Algebra and English tutorials.
And it's not even morning yet. :)
It's been said that if one's feeling unwell at night, he should sleep just sleep it out and he'll feel better in the morning.
Thanks to a good nap, Joseph is, apart from a mild headache, feeling much better now and all ready to take on more of Financial Maths and Linear Algebra and English tutorials.
And it's not even morning yet. :)
:(
:(
Life sucks. It's worse when one realises that the common factor in all of one's misfortunes is himself. Then again, it's good he realised it long before he deludes himself into thinking otherwise.
I suck. Maybe a personality change is in order. Maybe I should go and hide my blog in a secret place too.
Life sucks. It's worse when one realises that the common factor in all of one's misfortunes is himself. Then again, it's good he realised it long before he deludes himself into thinking otherwise.
I suck. Maybe a personality change is in order. Maybe I should go and hide my blog in a secret place too.
Happiness comes in spurts
Happiness comes in spurts
Wow, that previous entry had a lot of grammatical errors. Oh well. It was a blog entry anyway, not an article or an essay, and it pretty much, like blogs do, described my state of mind at 4AM in the morning.
Too many depressing entries lately, don't you think? Well, it's not all that bad, really, I must clarify, lest you think I'm going in a hopeless downward spiral and I'm helpless and resigned to my fate.
Happiness comes in spurts, I think, and what nice spurts they turn out to be sometimes. Right now, however, after receiving my Linear Algebra 2 midterm test results, with Stochastic Processes and Financial Maths midetrm test looming in the distance, the spurts are suspended, with not quite a promise of an immediate return.
Wow, that previous entry had a lot of grammatical errors. Oh well. It was a blog entry anyway, not an article or an essay, and it pretty much, like blogs do, described my state of mind at 4AM in the morning.
Too many depressing entries lately, don't you think? Well, it's not all that bad, really, I must clarify, lest you think I'm going in a hopeless downward spiral and I'm helpless and resigned to my fate.
Happiness comes in spurts, I think, and what nice spurts they turn out to be sometimes. Right now, however, after receiving my Linear Algebra 2 midterm test results, with Stochastic Processes and Financial Maths midetrm test looming in the distance, the spurts are suspended, with not quite a promise of an immediate return.
Five depressing texts (and counting)
Five depressing texts (and counting)
I still can't believe I posted only two blog entries in September. Joseph the once-hardcore blogger--who would have thought? Oh well. There's always something blogworthy really; I just don't have the time.
It's now 3:18AM and I have a 9AM class. Why am I blogging? Do I really have the time?
No. Not really. Sleeping is the better thing to do.
I'm just sad. And maybe it's time for a wee bit of catharsis, courtesy of the Moonstruck Inc.
* * *
I've read from one of Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson that it's sadness, not happiness, that's hard to place. The book, about an ungendered person, relating his/her romantic experiences with women and even a few men, but most of all her intense longing for Louise, a married woman whom he/she has since been forced to leave. This book is one of the texts for my EN3249: The Body module, and it acutely describes a certain erotic perverseness, but one that is but a reflection of an intense desire to "corporealize" what has long been gone.
The other books we have discussed in that literature module are Roland Barthes' Camera Lucida, an academic discourse on the bodily issues in photography but which is based on Barthes' very sentimental experience of his death of his mother (whose Winter Garden photograph, he claims, captured her very essence); and J.M. Coetzee's Age of Iron, a tale of an old lady living in apartheid-governed South Africa, who was dying of cancer, and who now writes a letter to her daughter in America. She can relate to no one, but an alcoholic who one day appears by her doorstep.
Yesterday, we discussed Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis, a short story about a young man, working to support his family, who one day wakes up as a gigantic insect. I won't give any spoilers, but yes, it's another depressing story. In my trip to Czech Republic with the choir last year, one of the attractions was this room in a row of apartments (which have become tourist shops now) that was supposedly where Kafka did his writing. I knew he was one of literature's icons, and I bought a book by him, and even kept a coffeebag with his image on it, when we ate at this Franz Kafka cafe. I vaguely knew he led quite a sad life, but I did not realize until now, how depressing really he lived. He wasn't dirt poor and pathetic, in fact he was always smartly dressed, but he had this air of melancholy about him in photographs. He's a Jew, too, and that's a significant explanation. Metamorphosis, he claimed was not a confession, but an indiscretion, indicating just the same the personal and societal issues he was conveying through his literature.
I've also spent a long time during the midterm break reading Michel Faber's Under the Skin. It is the story of a female driver, who picks up hunky, muscly hitchhikers, drugs them and brings them home. She does this every day for years. But no, contrary to what readers may initially think, the book takes a darker, more depressing turn, and enters the realm of the grotesque and ugly and unnatural. It leads us to think about what really is human? What is natural? Are we really the same 'under the skin'?
It's an engaging book, but I was slowed down because I had to do close reading (very close reading in fact) of it, as I was to present the corporeal issues in the book in the tutorial in a few weeks' time (20% of the final grade). But yeah, no spoilers, but it's another depressing book.
More depressing texts to follow, I believe, as we encounter more of Kafka next week in The Penal Colony and later on, Sylvia Plath's Fat Black Woman's Poems, among others.
* * *
It's so much easier to place sadness when you have a scapegoat. I do. It's the five literary texts I've read for my EN3249. Literature is just fascinating that way. It affects you in ways you don't quite expect. It's escapism at its finest, a new realm, with new characters and more exciting events.
Escapism, really, for people who are burdened with work, and have strained physical, mental, and emotional states. Social states too. Academic states too, predictably.
Maybe there is a causative relationship between exhaustion and sadness. There is, I'm sure, between exhaustion and sleepiness, now, at 3:58AM, Joseph Sorongon will sleep.
I still can't believe I posted only two blog entries in September. Joseph the once-hardcore blogger--who would have thought? Oh well. There's always something blogworthy really; I just don't have the time.
It's now 3:18AM and I have a 9AM class. Why am I blogging? Do I really have the time?
No. Not really. Sleeping is the better thing to do.
I'm just sad. And maybe it's time for a wee bit of catharsis, courtesy of the Moonstruck Inc.
* * *
I've read from one of Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson that it's sadness, not happiness, that's hard to place. The book, about an ungendered person, relating his/her romantic experiences with women and even a few men, but most of all her intense longing for Louise, a married woman whom he/she has since been forced to leave. This book is one of the texts for my EN3249: The Body module, and it acutely describes a certain erotic perverseness, but one that is but a reflection of an intense desire to "corporealize" what has long been gone.
The other books we have discussed in that literature module are Roland Barthes' Camera Lucida, an academic discourse on the bodily issues in photography but which is based on Barthes' very sentimental experience of his death of his mother (whose Winter Garden photograph, he claims, captured her very essence); and J.M. Coetzee's Age of Iron, a tale of an old lady living in apartheid-governed South Africa, who was dying of cancer, and who now writes a letter to her daughter in America. She can relate to no one, but an alcoholic who one day appears by her doorstep.
Yesterday, we discussed Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis, a short story about a young man, working to support his family, who one day wakes up as a gigantic insect. I won't give any spoilers, but yes, it's another depressing story. In my trip to Czech Republic with the choir last year, one of the attractions was this room in a row of apartments (which have become tourist shops now) that was supposedly where Kafka did his writing. I knew he was one of literature's icons, and I bought a book by him, and even kept a coffeebag with his image on it, when we ate at this Franz Kafka cafe. I vaguely knew he led quite a sad life, but I did not realize until now, how depressing really he lived. He wasn't dirt poor and pathetic, in fact he was always smartly dressed, but he had this air of melancholy about him in photographs. He's a Jew, too, and that's a significant explanation. Metamorphosis, he claimed was not a confession, but an indiscretion, indicating just the same the personal and societal issues he was conveying through his literature.
I've also spent a long time during the midterm break reading Michel Faber's Under the Skin. It is the story of a female driver, who picks up hunky, muscly hitchhikers, drugs them and brings them home. She does this every day for years. But no, contrary to what readers may initially think, the book takes a darker, more depressing turn, and enters the realm of the grotesque and ugly and unnatural. It leads us to think about what really is human? What is natural? Are we really the same 'under the skin'?
It's an engaging book, but I was slowed down because I had to do close reading (very close reading in fact) of it, as I was to present the corporeal issues in the book in the tutorial in a few weeks' time (20% of the final grade). But yeah, no spoilers, but it's another depressing book.
More depressing texts to follow, I believe, as we encounter more of Kafka next week in The Penal Colony and later on, Sylvia Plath's Fat Black Woman's Poems, among others.
* * *
It's so much easier to place sadness when you have a scapegoat. I do. It's the five literary texts I've read for my EN3249. Literature is just fascinating that way. It affects you in ways you don't quite expect. It's escapism at its finest, a new realm, with new characters and more exciting events.
Escapism, really, for people who are burdened with work, and have strained physical, mental, and emotional states. Social states too. Academic states too, predictably.
Maybe there is a causative relationship between exhaustion and sadness. There is, I'm sure, between exhaustion and sleepiness, now, at 3:58AM, Joseph Sorongon will sleep.
Stream of Consciousness
Stream of Consciousness
Midterm break. Life sucks. Choir Ridge The Body Financial Maths. Linear Algebra assignment untouched, Stochastic Processes midterm absolutely clueless about.
How are all of you today? To you, I'm sorry. To you, I miss you. To you, try to get online I need some cheering up. To you, thanks a lot. To you, why haven't you all done your work and now I'm the one scrambling to do your crap? To you, lately it's been strange, but it's all in good fun.
Belated happy birthday Dad. You're 60! The 40-year gap between us doesn't seem to be all that wide, methinks. Owe that to my being a stubborn know-it-all, and you feeling young as ever. :) I appreciate everything, really, and I miss you guys at home.
I'm finding it hard to accept criticism, and that's a fault I need to fix. It's a qualified sort of statement, actually, as there are just a few buttons I don't like being pushed. Push them even half-jokingly, and I'll feel bad. It's not a conscious thing; it just happens. Anyway, it's no big deal, really, but expect me to be "off" for a while.
Being Secretary for NUS Choir is taking too much time. I've been calling hotels, shopping centres, country clubs with the rest of the exco to secure caroling deals. Then I personalize the business letter and send them emails. Then there's the CFA jacket proposal, then there are tje minutes of the meetings, then the choir write-ups. The politics in choir comm (both within and between exco and musico) is not fun. I tend to get affected too, so how can I really devote 100% of my attention to studies when my mind and chest are unsettled? Even if the matters don't particularly involve me, as part of the comm that manages the choir which I've grown to love, I am unavoidably affected.
I've finished the 4th book for my The Body module. It's Under the Skin by Michael Faber. It's engrossing, and it's interesting that a novel can be perverse (the first few pages depict a seemingly sex-crazed female driver picking up hunky muscly hitchhikers) and just.. heartbreakingly beautiful at the same time. It brings elements of sci-fi too, which although isn't quite my cup of tea, has brought to light some questions worth exploring: What does it mean to be human? Are we really the same under the skin? What are the deeper issues we tend to overlook when we encounter signs and people/things around us? How does the phantasmic become corporealized in a narrative text? I think I should mention that I have been tasked to do a presentation (20% of the grade) of the issues raised in the novel in our tutorial (the 10-student class of which I'm the lone non-literature major). That meant I had to read the novel very thoroughly, armed with dictionary and Google. That also meant I was reading very slowly, and consumed far too much precious mugging time. Hopefully it pays off.
My head's aching now. I want to talk about the inter-varsity Pinoy Party, and the NUS Choir performance for a Skin Centre Congress at Raffles City Convention Centre today, but I think it's time for me to study. Oh I even forgot to talk about the September issue of The Ridge, and my Linear Algebra midterm, both of which pissed me off.
I feel stupid, but I know it won't last for long, according to 'Mad Season' by Matchbox Twenty. Well, this is taking far longer than it should. Help me Lord.
Midterm break. Life sucks. Choir Ridge The Body Financial Maths. Linear Algebra assignment untouched, Stochastic Processes midterm absolutely clueless about.
How are all of you today? To you, I'm sorry. To you, I miss you. To you, try to get online I need some cheering up. To you, thanks a lot. To you, why haven't you all done your work and now I'm the one scrambling to do your crap? To you, lately it's been strange, but it's all in good fun.
Belated happy birthday Dad. You're 60! The 40-year gap between us doesn't seem to be all that wide, methinks. Owe that to my being a stubborn know-it-all, and you feeling young as ever. :) I appreciate everything, really, and I miss you guys at home.
I'm finding it hard to accept criticism, and that's a fault I need to fix. It's a qualified sort of statement, actually, as there are just a few buttons I don't like being pushed. Push them even half-jokingly, and I'll feel bad. It's not a conscious thing; it just happens. Anyway, it's no big deal, really, but expect me to be "off" for a while.
Being Secretary for NUS Choir is taking too much time. I've been calling hotels, shopping centres, country clubs with the rest of the exco to secure caroling deals. Then I personalize the business letter and send them emails. Then there's the CFA jacket proposal, then there are tje minutes of the meetings, then the choir write-ups. The politics in choir comm (both within and between exco and musico) is not fun. I tend to get affected too, so how can I really devote 100% of my attention to studies when my mind and chest are unsettled? Even if the matters don't particularly involve me, as part of the comm that manages the choir which I've grown to love, I am unavoidably affected.
I've finished the 4th book for my The Body module. It's Under the Skin by Michael Faber. It's engrossing, and it's interesting that a novel can be perverse (the first few pages depict a seemingly sex-crazed female driver picking up hunky muscly hitchhikers) and just.. heartbreakingly beautiful at the same time. It brings elements of sci-fi too, which although isn't quite my cup of tea, has brought to light some questions worth exploring: What does it mean to be human? Are we really the same under the skin? What are the deeper issues we tend to overlook when we encounter signs and people/things around us? How does the phantasmic become corporealized in a narrative text? I think I should mention that I have been tasked to do a presentation (20% of the grade) of the issues raised in the novel in our tutorial (the 10-student class of which I'm the lone non-literature major). That meant I had to read the novel very thoroughly, armed with dictionary and Google. That also meant I was reading very slowly, and consumed far too much precious mugging time. Hopefully it pays off.
My head's aching now. I want to talk about the inter-varsity Pinoy Party, and the NUS Choir performance for a Skin Centre Congress at Raffles City Convention Centre today, but I think it's time for me to study. Oh I even forgot to talk about the September issue of The Ridge, and my Linear Algebra midterm, both of which pissed me off.
I feel stupid, but I know it won't last for long, according to 'Mad Season' by Matchbox Twenty. Well, this is taking far longer than it should. Help me Lord.
Age of Iron
Age of Iron
I'm currently taking a module called EN3249: The Body: Politics, Poetics, Perception. Maybe it's just me, but it promises to be one of the most interesting modules I've taken thus far. It discusses the issue of corporeality: the bodily experience of a reader reading a text, the corporeality of the narrative and the metanarrative,
It's a level 3000 module, so I was initially hesitant to take it, as I'm one of the very few non-Arts students taking it to fulfill a Minor in English Studies and from the first few lectures, I noticed it was a small class of 35, mostly Arts majors (I'm a Statistics major) and the topic of discussion (it was Roland Barthes's Camera Lucida then on the issue of corporeality of signifiers whose images were captured in photographs) seemed rather philosophical and 'hardcore' literature, so to speak. Add to that the fact that should I take the module, it would be my sixth module for this semester, which is insane, really, but I must carry on anyway.
After an email exchange with my (pretty) lecturer and discussions with Karen, Arthur, Joanne, I decided to keep the module in the end (and drop, with a slightly heavy heart, this other level 3000 module on 19th Century Literature and Culture). I don't quite regret my decision, and I'm enjoying the intellectual tickle of this module. A cause of slight alarm, though: I went to the first tutorial last Friday, and we had a grand total of 10 students in the class (my smallest tutorial ever, and yet in another group Dr Yeo said she had only 6), and after a round of introductions, I learned that all the rest of them, are either Year 3 or Year 2 Literature majors! Haha oh my dear Lord what am I getting into? Haha.
* * *
The second book we're discussing for The Body is this J.M.Coetzee novel, Age of Iron. Coetzee is South African, and a Nobel Prize winner for Literature, and his novels, according to Dr Yeo, are depressing.
- unfinished post -
I'm currently taking a module called EN3249: The Body: Politics, Poetics, Perception. Maybe it's just me, but it promises to be one of the most interesting modules I've taken thus far. It discusses the issue of corporeality: the bodily experience of a reader reading a text, the corporeality of the narrative and the metanarrative,
It's a level 3000 module, so I was initially hesitant to take it, as I'm one of the very few non-Arts students taking it to fulfill a Minor in English Studies and from the first few lectures, I noticed it was a small class of 35, mostly Arts majors (I'm a Statistics major) and the topic of discussion (it was Roland Barthes's Camera Lucida then on the issue of corporeality of signifiers whose images were captured in photographs) seemed rather philosophical and 'hardcore' literature, so to speak. Add to that the fact that should I take the module, it would be my sixth module for this semester, which is insane, really, but I must carry on anyway.
After an email exchange with my (pretty) lecturer and discussions with Karen, Arthur, Joanne, I decided to keep the module in the end (and drop, with a slightly heavy heart, this other level 3000 module on 19th Century Literature and Culture). I don't quite regret my decision, and I'm enjoying the intellectual tickle of this module. A cause of slight alarm, though: I went to the first tutorial last Friday, and we had a grand total of 10 students in the class (my smallest tutorial ever, and yet in another group Dr Yeo said she had only 6), and after a round of introductions, I learned that all the rest of them, are either Year 3 or Year 2 Literature majors! Haha oh my dear Lord what am I getting into? Haha.
* * *
The second book we're discussing for The Body is this J.M.Coetzee novel, Age of Iron. Coetzee is South African, and a Nobel Prize winner for Literature, and his novels, according to Dr Yeo, are depressing.
- unfinished post -
Great.
Great.
Apparently, I was indeed correct when I mentioned at the beginning of this sem that this academic year will find an angrier, more bitter, me.
Latest in a string of unfortunate events: fried my 80GB external hard drive, causing me to worry about whether my TV shows, movies, a large dump of MP3's, galleries and galleries of PHOTOS, old lecture notes and tutorials and projects and miscellaneous documents for Choir & Ridge & NUS and heck even Pisay days, are still recoverable. I promised someone I'd post some recent photos in my Flickr account, and I couldn't because of this.
Golden lava still flowing off my arms, craters of red volcanoes expanding, and I just learned that the doctor who examined me a few weeks back, who let me strip and touched my legs a little longer than necessary, is rumored to be gay. More than anything, after two trips to his clinic, the red volcanoes and golden lava are still very much active.
* * *
Today the NUS Choir had its first rehearsal with the new recruits from last week's auditions. We were playing this sticker game variation of the Speed Dating game, and this pretty girl came up to me, we chitchatted and I won, and the forfeit was for me to place a sticker on her face or forehead. She said, nah, she'll stick the thing on herself. She was very nice and friendly and all (and funky too, from her big round green earrings and sassy specs), really, but I couldn't help but think that she didn't want me to stick the thing because, well, let's just say the back of my right hand is a red volcano region.
Visayon the Publicity Sec, who I like to joke around with, like Aaron, said in our committee discussion of what to do during the first practice, that maybe the forfeit for the losers of the game would involve me. He said that I would give them a hug. With my red volcanoes and crusty gold goo on my arms, I sure as hell was willing to bet it would've been a nasty forfeit no freshie would ever forget. That was quite a funny suggestion, though, I thought when Vi joked about it. Thinking about it again, I don't quite feel so good.
Tutorials begin next week. Woe to those who haven't begun studying yet.
* * *
Lord please help me decide which module to drop: EN3223: 19th Century Literature and Culture (offered by this amazing British-accented Cambridge-educated lecturer who's a staple in every year's Faculty Teaching Excellence Awardee list) or EN3249: The Body: Politics, Poetics, Perception (a very interesting module taught by this funky English lecturer whose module I enjoyed last time, although I'm worried the subject material is a bit too hardcore philosophy and literature).
* * *
The Ridge magazine is out! It's the bumper issue that's supposedly the March/April issue. (Yes, some problem with the printers I think.. the higher-up editors don't really like to talk about it much) It's still good stuff, mind you, and it's fresh from the printers. I have an article there, too, so it can't be too bad. Haha. The August issue will be out in a week's time too, methinks. Good stuff, take a copy and read.
Mugging time now. Arts modules have so many readings I should read at every opportunity I have. Goodnight.
P.S.
Thank you you lovely people for dropping by my blog and offering your kind words and encouragement. I'm still breathing and blogging, so I can't be NOT okay. (Then again 'okay' is such an ambiguous word) Thanks a lot!
Apparently, I was indeed correct when I mentioned at the beginning of this sem that this academic year will find an angrier, more bitter, me.
Latest in a string of unfortunate events: fried my 80GB external hard drive, causing me to worry about whether my TV shows, movies, a large dump of MP3's, galleries and galleries of PHOTOS, old lecture notes and tutorials and projects and miscellaneous documents for Choir & Ridge & NUS and heck even Pisay days, are still recoverable. I promised someone I'd post some recent photos in my Flickr account, and I couldn't because of this.
Golden lava still flowing off my arms, craters of red volcanoes expanding, and I just learned that the doctor who examined me a few weeks back, who let me strip and touched my legs a little longer than necessary, is rumored to be gay. More than anything, after two trips to his clinic, the red volcanoes and golden lava are still very much active.
* * *
Today the NUS Choir had its first rehearsal with the new recruits from last week's auditions. We were playing this sticker game variation of the Speed Dating game, and this pretty girl came up to me, we chitchatted and I won, and the forfeit was for me to place a sticker on her face or forehead. She said, nah, she'll stick the thing on herself. She was very nice and friendly and all (and funky too, from her big round green earrings and sassy specs), really, but I couldn't help but think that she didn't want me to stick the thing because, well, let's just say the back of my right hand is a red volcano region.
Visayon the Publicity Sec, who I like to joke around with, like Aaron, said in our committee discussion of what to do during the first practice, that maybe the forfeit for the losers of the game would involve me. He said that I would give them a hug. With my red volcanoes and crusty gold goo on my arms, I sure as hell was willing to bet it would've been a nasty forfeit no freshie would ever forget. That was quite a funny suggestion, though, I thought when Vi joked about it. Thinking about it again, I don't quite feel so good.
Tutorials begin next week. Woe to those who haven't begun studying yet.
* * *
Lord please help me decide which module to drop: EN3223: 19th Century Literature and Culture (offered by this amazing British-accented Cambridge-educated lecturer who's a staple in every year's Faculty Teaching Excellence Awardee list) or EN3249: The Body: Politics, Poetics, Perception (a very interesting module taught by this funky English lecturer whose module I enjoyed last time, although I'm worried the subject material is a bit too hardcore philosophy and literature).
* * *
The Ridge magazine is out! It's the bumper issue that's supposedly the March/April issue. (Yes, some problem with the printers I think.. the higher-up editors don't really like to talk about it much) It's still good stuff, mind you, and it's fresh from the printers. I have an article there, too, so it can't be too bad. Haha. The August issue will be out in a week's time too, methinks. Good stuff, take a copy and read.
Mugging time now. Arts modules have so many readings I should read at every opportunity I have. Goodnight.
P.S.
Thank you you lovely people for dropping by my blog and offering your kind words and encouragement. I'm still breathing and blogging, so I can't be NOT okay. (Then again 'okay' is such an ambiguous word) Thanks a lot!
I'm depressed.
I'm depressed.
And stressed and exhausted from all the co-curricular activities I'm doing and I haven't even started studying for this year's modules yet. And this eczema is the most annoying thing that's managed to corrode my self-esteem in record time. It's all over my arms, and they spew golden goo all day.
Life sucks.
And stressed and exhausted from all the co-curricular activities I'm doing and I haven't even started studying for this year's modules yet. And this eczema is the most annoying thing that's managed to corrode my self-esteem in record time. It's all over my arms, and they spew golden goo all day.
Life sucks.
Kick-off
Kick-off
There's something wrong with how this semester is kicking off. My first class of the semester is at 2PM later, Linear Algebra II, but right about now I'm feeling exhausted already. Strange. I'm supposed to be feeling this way well into the semester whenI do my sparring sessions with midterms and projects and tutorials and exams.
I never quite realized how much Choir and Ridge stuff took of my time and energy.
Anyway, everything's not so bad la. Maybe I deserve this for slacking on my duties the past few days and enjoying the remainder of the holidays a little too much. Oh well, I'm gonna be a happy boy tomorrow, I declare it. :)
While I'm at it, lemme greet another happy boy Kerwin a wonderful birthday. Yes this greeting is a day late, but it comes with my apologies for forgetting to greet (I insist I fully remembered, I just forgot to greet) and my sincerest wishes of joy and success. :) Happy 22nd, big bro.
All right, it's 4AM, it's a long day ahead, I better get fully-recharged by getting some sleep.
Life is gooooood, baby.
There's something wrong with how this semester is kicking off. My first class of the semester is at 2PM later, Linear Algebra II, but right about now I'm feeling exhausted already. Strange. I'm supposed to be feeling this way well into the semester whenI do my sparring sessions with midterms and projects and tutorials and exams.
I never quite realized how much Choir and Ridge stuff took of my time and energy.
Anyway, everything's not so bad la. Maybe I deserve this for slacking on my duties the past few days and enjoying the remainder of the holidays a little too much. Oh well, I'm gonna be a happy boy tomorrow, I declare it. :)
While I'm at it, lemme greet another happy boy Kerwin a wonderful birthday. Yes this greeting is a day late, but it comes with my apologies for forgetting to greet (I insist I fully remembered, I just forgot to greet) and my sincerest wishes of joy and success. :) Happy 22nd, big bro.
All right, it's 4AM, it's a long day ahead, I better get fully-recharged by getting some sleep.
Life is gooooood, baby.
Red volcanoes and golden lava
Red volcanoes and golden lava
I sympathize with the affected families in Bicol, a region in the Philippines, who are experiencing the horrors of a volcanic eruption, courtesy of Mt. Mayon. Mt. Mayon is this beautifully-shaped and almost symmetrical volcano that has been dormant for years, but is spewing out lava onto the villages and fields along the slope and at the foot of the mountain.
I really hope everything will turn out fine for my these poor village folk.
Lately, too, I've been experiencing tumultuous eruptions of sorts on a personal level. Nothing dramatic, it's just my skin. It's eczema, and it SUCKS BIG TIME.
Remember the rashes and boils I was talking about? Ah yes, they're now red volcanoes and golden lava. I got them in the Philippines, and after a good three weeks or so, they're still on my arms, and are all the more disgusting. The worst ones are at the back of my left wrist, three big boils that I like to call Orion's belt--although there is nothing remotely amazing or spellbinding about them. The boils are disgusting, and I hate them.
It's begun to corrode my self-esteem in fact. They line my arms in some constellation like pattern, and they sometimes get wet and oozy. I especially hate those near my wrist and at the back of my hand, because I'm terrified of scaring people away. It's not contagious, though, but if I were another person I'd be disgusted too. I've been doing a lot of socialization of sorts too lately, what with this 4-day matriculation fair stint I did for Choir and The Ridge, this Choral Workshop the NUS Choir hosted on Tuesday and the Welcome Tea for newbies on Thursday, and my Editorial meeting with the Ridge guys. Ugh, I cannot imagine how I am going to lectures and tutorials when classes begin on Monday. :(
Aaron and Joanne wanted to swim today, but I had to pass because I'm afraid I'd receive the lifeguard's whistle and thrown out of the pool for being some sort of danger to the swimmers. Oh what a sad life.
I'm still taking the medications the doctor gave me, I'm just waiting to see if they work. I'm not sure if my boils going all out disgusting is a good sign, as it means the toxins are being purged out and better days are sure to come, or maybe the doctor (who asked me to strip to check my legs too) just couldn't help me.
Anyway, I'm already tired from working for Choir and The Ridge. And school proper hasn't even started. I hope I'm able to pull through, as this year is probably the biggest academic obstacle I've ever had to face.
I'm glad I have good company with me, though. The Pinoy group, who went for this Housewarming Party cum Carina's Birthday Celebration at Normanton Park last Saturday, and my Choir buddies, especially those who stay at Ridge View Residences. My bridging-mates Korinna and Ivy are also back, and I'm thrilled that they're around.
I've set up a Multiply account, but it's currently still a mess. Anyway, for the Pinoy party photos, they're already up at jcsorongon.multiply.com. Feel free to check them out. I'll soon upload some photos of what I've been doing lately, just so Ma and Dad and Kai and friends can have a look. :)
OK, time for potassium permanganate on my wounds.
I sympathize with the affected families in Bicol, a region in the Philippines, who are experiencing the horrors of a volcanic eruption, courtesy of Mt. Mayon. Mt. Mayon is this beautifully-shaped and almost symmetrical volcano that has been dormant for years, but is spewing out lava onto the villages and fields along the slope and at the foot of the mountain.
I really hope everything will turn out fine for my these poor village folk.
Lately, too, I've been experiencing tumultuous eruptions of sorts on a personal level. Nothing dramatic, it's just my skin. It's eczema, and it SUCKS BIG TIME.
Remember the rashes and boils I was talking about? Ah yes, they're now red volcanoes and golden lava. I got them in the Philippines, and after a good three weeks or so, they're still on my arms, and are all the more disgusting. The worst ones are at the back of my left wrist, three big boils that I like to call Orion's belt--although there is nothing remotely amazing or spellbinding about them. The boils are disgusting, and I hate them.
It's begun to corrode my self-esteem in fact. They line my arms in some constellation like pattern, and they sometimes get wet and oozy. I especially hate those near my wrist and at the back of my hand, because I'm terrified of scaring people away. It's not contagious, though, but if I were another person I'd be disgusted too. I've been doing a lot of socialization of sorts too lately, what with this 4-day matriculation fair stint I did for Choir and The Ridge, this Choral Workshop the NUS Choir hosted on Tuesday and the Welcome Tea for newbies on Thursday, and my Editorial meeting with the Ridge guys. Ugh, I cannot imagine how I am going to lectures and tutorials when classes begin on Monday. :(
Aaron and Joanne wanted to swim today, but I had to pass because I'm afraid I'd receive the lifeguard's whistle and thrown out of the pool for being some sort of danger to the swimmers. Oh what a sad life.
I'm still taking the medications the doctor gave me, I'm just waiting to see if they work. I'm not sure if my boils going all out disgusting is a good sign, as it means the toxins are being purged out and better days are sure to come, or maybe the doctor (who asked me to strip to check my legs too) just couldn't help me.
Anyway, I'm already tired from working for Choir and The Ridge. And school proper hasn't even started. I hope I'm able to pull through, as this year is probably the biggest academic obstacle I've ever had to face.
I'm glad I have good company with me, though. The Pinoy group, who went for this Housewarming Party cum Carina's Birthday Celebration at Normanton Park last Saturday, and my Choir buddies, especially those who stay at Ridge View Residences. My bridging-mates Korinna and Ivy are also back, and I'm thrilled that they're around.
I've set up a Multiply account, but it's currently still a mess. Anyway, for the Pinoy party photos, they're already up at jcsorongon.multiply.com. Feel free to check them out. I'll soon upload some photos of what I've been doing lately, just so Ma and Dad and Kai and friends can have a look. :)
OK, time for potassium permanganate on my wounds.
Wounds that forgot to heal
Wounds that forgot to heal
Yey. About time for an update eh? Yeah, before this blog gets moldy despite its new template and all. 2:56AM and I should be sleeping as I should wake up at 8AM to do some work for Matriculation Fair, but what the heck. Let me type some stuff here before the past few weeks go unchronicled and I lose my sanity from not being able to well, talk about stuff.
Now that seemed to be an intro for something long and profound and insightful, but I've taken my nightly drugs already and according to the label, it "may cause drowsiness" and I shouldn't "drive or operate machinery". I wonder if the computer is some machinery I operate, but what the heck. I've been taking the drugs for three days and I've been having more restful nights since. :) They're not bad drugs, don't worry, they're for this incredibly itchy skin rash I developed the past weeks, which happen to come in two variants, dry and wet. I'll leave the icky details to your imagination. I'll say, though, that it's not chicken pox, but it sure feel likes it. That's half of the "wounds that forgot to heal" story, too.
Anyway, since my last entry, I've flown to Manila, and did a lot of socializing with friends and relatives. It's been fun, and I realize how super important regular albeit occasional contact with friends and family is. Most of my high school peers in the Philippines are in their fourth year in the universities already (I'm in my third since I took a bridging course here in SG), and so it was important for us to meet up before we venture into the dark urban jungle and get caught in the money-making scheme. I also met up with some of my closest friends aside from my High School batchmates: Jacques, Kerwin, Dea, Jasper. I rode the bus too by my lonesome to visit my grandma's sisters in Bulacan. They're extremely nice, and they gave me a lot of food! Hehe yum yum. I stayed in my aunt's place in Quezon City, too, so it was good to catch up with my uncle, aunt, and cousins.
I'll post photos soon. The HS class photos I took are up already, actually, on www.gashong.multiply.com. Gashong is the yahoogroup of my Electron class ("gashong" is a Visayan expression whose meaning I'm not sure what), and I made a Multiply account so I could upload the photos. I'm still waiting for Raissa to upload the pool photos though. :) More photos from the rest of the summer vacation soon.
* * *
I've flown back here to Singapore, and I've moved in to my new room here at the Ridge View Residences, still within the NUS campus. I like my room, although it wasn't too sparkling clean when I arrived. It's still super anyway, as it's on the 8th floor (top of the building), and I have a balcony to my right, the pantry to my left, and it's the laundry floor too. I had this mysterious neighbor when I arrived, and thought he was a sociable Indian guy because some Indian girl/s and Malay/Chinese girl went over to his place the first night I arrived, and all I saw were his slippers. Lo and behold I met him the next morning in the washroom, and it was none other than Keng Khoon my previous NUS Choir president and fellow basso. Haha. It's a choir country this place. I'm this year's Secretary, Aaron the Choir VP is a few doors down, Iris the President is on the 6th floor, KK across me, and his girlfriend and ex-Soprano-Section-leader Michelle near Iris, Joanne ex-Alto-SL on the 4th floor. Nice.
And scholarshipmates and Pisay schoolmates Ivy and Korinna are staying here too! And Karen and Wayne are just blocks away. It's a good place, this one, although I'm a bit worried that we might get sick of each other so soon. Haha. No, really.. how can I escape from my duties now when I'm so easily accessible? Haha.
* * *
So for the past few days, I've basically been doing two things: Matric fair stuff for Choir, and settling my stuff down. That's mostly it. Aaron and I are in-charge of the choir booth, and it's been a pain doing it, but thanks to the help of Joanne, Iris, Johni, we just finished about 90% of it an hour ago. It's nice! We were going for this classy look, and although I'm not sure we accomplished that totally (yet), it's a very decent effort. I'm proud of it.
I'm to help out with the schoolpaper booth, The Ridge, tomorrow too, and hopefully that will turn out less draining. I always treasure Ridge meetings though, as I don't get to meet my fellow writers much as we most always just email, so it's gonna be fun.
* * *
My skin thingy on my arms has been a major pain too. It was diabolically itchy this one time, especially after I moved a huge load of boxes and bags and into my room from the storage place in nearby Raffles Hall. It was so itchy, I had to take bath and say a prayer while scratching stroking the itchy areas on the back of my elbows and neck. I went to the doctor, and hence the creams and tablets. I've been feeling better and less itchier since, although some of the boils are still wet, and thus I'm still disgusted with myself, and worried I might scare people away.
* * *
More than the skin allergy on my arms, I'm worried about my emotional bruises. That sounded too cheesy, but it's true: I'm an angrier, more bitter version of me. Maybe it was last semester's grades (I daresay this is a major factor), maybe it's having strained relationships with some people, heck could it possibly the very rare case of homesickness? I dunno. Maybe I'm missing people too. Maybe Singapore has gotten to me? Maybe it's the excess emotional baggage that's been piling up over the years? Beats me.
I'm thankful I have this balcony to the right of my room. No other floor except the eighth has balconies. It has a splendid view of the track and field oval, some tennis court, the soccer field, the adjacent residences, a lot of trees, the commercial buildings at a distance and a good view of the sky. I go there when I'm pissed, I go there when I'm incredibly pleased. I've been there to visit, at least for a few minutes, every day since I arrived. Easily my favorite place.
Well, if I'm really super pissed, I can easily go to the balcony. Maybe jump too, if I feel like it.
Kidding.
3:35AM, and I think the drug is kicking in. Time to bed, Jose. Goodnight world.
Yey. About time for an update eh? Yeah, before this blog gets moldy despite its new template and all. 2:56AM and I should be sleeping as I should wake up at 8AM to do some work for Matriculation Fair, but what the heck. Let me type some stuff here before the past few weeks go unchronicled and I lose my sanity from not being able to well, talk about stuff.
Now that seemed to be an intro for something long and profound and insightful, but I've taken my nightly drugs already and according to the label, it "may cause drowsiness" and I shouldn't "drive or operate machinery". I wonder if the computer is some machinery I operate, but what the heck. I've been taking the drugs for three days and I've been having more restful nights since. :) They're not bad drugs, don't worry, they're for this incredibly itchy skin rash I developed the past weeks, which happen to come in two variants, dry and wet. I'll leave the icky details to your imagination. I'll say, though, that it's not chicken pox, but it sure feel likes it. That's half of the "wounds that forgot to heal" story, too.
Anyway, since my last entry, I've flown to Manila, and did a lot of socializing with friends and relatives. It's been fun, and I realize how super important regular albeit occasional contact with friends and family is. Most of my high school peers in the Philippines are in their fourth year in the universities already (I'm in my third since I took a bridging course here in SG), and so it was important for us to meet up before we venture into the dark urban jungle and get caught in the money-making scheme. I also met up with some of my closest friends aside from my High School batchmates: Jacques, Kerwin, Dea, Jasper. I rode the bus too by my lonesome to visit my grandma's sisters in Bulacan. They're extremely nice, and they gave me a lot of food! Hehe yum yum. I stayed in my aunt's place in Quezon City, too, so it was good to catch up with my uncle, aunt, and cousins.
I'll post photos soon. The HS class photos I took are up already, actually, on www.gashong.multiply.com. Gashong is the yahoogroup of my Electron class ("gashong" is a Visayan expression whose meaning I'm not sure what), and I made a Multiply account so I could upload the photos. I'm still waiting for Raissa to upload the pool photos though. :) More photos from the rest of the summer vacation soon.
* * *
I've flown back here to Singapore, and I've moved in to my new room here at the Ridge View Residences, still within the NUS campus. I like my room, although it wasn't too sparkling clean when I arrived. It's still super anyway, as it's on the 8th floor (top of the building), and I have a balcony to my right, the pantry to my left, and it's the laundry floor too. I had this mysterious neighbor when I arrived, and thought he was a sociable Indian guy because some Indian girl/s and Malay/Chinese girl went over to his place the first night I arrived, and all I saw were his slippers. Lo and behold I met him the next morning in the washroom, and it was none other than Keng Khoon my previous NUS Choir president and fellow basso. Haha. It's a choir country this place. I'm this year's Secretary, Aaron the Choir VP is a few doors down, Iris the President is on the 6th floor, KK across me, and his girlfriend and ex-Soprano-Section-leader Michelle near Iris, Joanne ex-Alto-SL on the 4th floor. Nice.
And scholarshipmates and Pisay schoolmates Ivy and Korinna are staying here too! And Karen and Wayne are just blocks away. It's a good place, this one, although I'm a bit worried that we might get sick of each other so soon. Haha. No, really.. how can I escape from my duties now when I'm so easily accessible? Haha.
* * *
So for the past few days, I've basically been doing two things: Matric fair stuff for Choir, and settling my stuff down. That's mostly it. Aaron and I are in-charge of the choir booth, and it's been a pain doing it, but thanks to the help of Joanne, Iris, Johni, we just finished about 90% of it an hour ago. It's nice! We were going for this classy look, and although I'm not sure we accomplished that totally (yet), it's a very decent effort. I'm proud of it.
I'm to help out with the schoolpaper booth, The Ridge, tomorrow too, and hopefully that will turn out less draining. I always treasure Ridge meetings though, as I don't get to meet my fellow writers much as we most always just email, so it's gonna be fun.
* * *
My skin thingy on my arms has been a major pain too. It was diabolically itchy this one time, especially after I moved a huge load of boxes and bags and into my room from the storage place in nearby Raffles Hall. It was so itchy, I had to take bath and say a prayer while
* * *
More than the skin allergy on my arms, I'm worried about my emotional bruises. That sounded too cheesy, but it's true: I'm an angrier, more bitter version of me. Maybe it was last semester's grades (I daresay this is a major factor), maybe it's having strained relationships with some people, heck could it possibly the very rare case of homesickness? I dunno. Maybe I'm missing people too. Maybe Singapore has gotten to me? Maybe it's the excess emotional baggage that's been piling up over the years? Beats me.
I'm thankful I have this balcony to the right of my room. No other floor except the eighth has balconies. It has a splendid view of the track and field oval, some tennis court, the soccer field, the adjacent residences, a lot of trees, the commercial buildings at a distance and a good view of the sky. I go there when I'm pissed, I go there when I'm incredibly pleased. I've been there to visit, at least for a few minutes, every day since I arrived. Easily my favorite place.
Well, if I'm really super pissed, I can easily go to the balcony. Maybe jump too, if I feel like it.
Kidding.
3:35AM, and I think the drug is kicking in. Time to bed, Jose. Goodnight world.
Two Weeks' Notice
Two Weeks' Notice
Heya! It's the 7th of July, and that means it's a mere two weeks before I set foot again on Singapura, and the manic schoolyear begins anew. Today also means it's exactly one week before I leave my lovely city of Davao, to drop by Metro Manila to spend a week with friends and relatives. Ahh.. time. I'm running out of it, so I'm trying to make sure I settle all my affairs pronto.
A lot has happened in my two-month visit back home, although I'd have to say that the second month was more of "Me Time", as, well, it was mostly spent by my lonesome, as my friends and my sister had to go off to school. I suspect I've mentioned this too many times here, so pardon the repeat. I don't mind being alone, really, as the Me Time I so wanted was finally here, and I got to REALLY think about my life, how much of a mess it is, and the steps I need to make to fix it.
Anyway, this post is basically just a mouthful of what I wanna say right here right now. I realize I haven't been blogging as frequent as I would have liked, but that's fine, I keep a record of the happenings in my head anyway. Of course, my blog-reading friends can ask me if you want a blow-by-blow account, although nothing is quite groundbreaking, I must warn you.
That's one long intro, but so what. Haha. Right now I'm letting my fingers do the talking, and that's how this blog entry will play out. Let's get it on.
* * *
Today is the Foundation Day anniversary of my high school, Phil. Science High School here in Davao. I would have loved to go, if only for this (usually kick-ass) Cultural Show, as I'm especially fond of my teachers over there, but I decided not to go, as I would have to go alone. My sister Kai, also a graduate of Pisay, has class till 7PM. I texted my batchmates, but most of them too had classes. I even asked my fellow Singapore scholar Carina to come, but she was busy helping her little bro with his assignments. As far as I know, the other Singapore scholars are still in Singapore, like Karen, Ivy, Korinna, Michael, Robs. My Dad's also not here, as he's out of town for a trip to Mati, for some meeting regarding the family business, so that means no car too. So instead, I'm staying home tonight.
Come to think of it, I don't know any of the students in Pisay now, as those who were in their 1st year when I was in my 4th, have just graduated in March. So except for two or three students introduced to me before, I don't have quite an affinity to the new kids. At least last year, I was able to cheer for the 4th year group (who were 1st year when I was 4th like I said) in the modeling and singing and dance competitions, as I had really good friends in that batch.
Anyway, I might still drop by to say hi to the teachers sometime before I leave. If not, maybe in December. They will still be there for sure anyway.
* * *
Last night I was slightly upset with myself for apparently being the cause of the car breaking down. My Dad says it's not my fault, and 80% of my brain is telling me that, too, but I dunno, it's still a great big coincidence that the car decided to break down right after I told my Dad that I'd like to go for driving practice.
We had just arrived from a trip to the house of my folks' friend and super-architect Tito Ed (He has designed subdivisions for the Alcantara Group, Churches, Parks, and currently the big Nature Park project by Davao City Mayor Duterte). My mom was adamant we go visit his newly-constructed treehouse, which is a good four storeys from the ground. It was lovely, and hip and cool. That man's a genius, setting up this nice outdoor open-air place, where one could have a nice chat under the trees or go stargazing. He even put a room with glass windows in the third level to serve as his office, and a bedroom on the second level. The place was still under construction, and Mama even pointed out where an outdoor jacuzzi would be mounted. Coolness.
Anyway, when we reached home, I told my Dad I wanted to go for our second driving practice, and proceeded to go to the driver seat and set the gear back to neutral, and prepared my feet and legs for the footwork. Then the car just didn't start! Sad. Dad was supposed to drive the car to Mati today, a good 3 hours from Davao, but too bad he had to take the bus. Sorry.
* * *
I had thought it was gonna be a restful two weeks before I left, but not so, apparently. From my email inbox came the news that the NUS Choir would be setting up a workshop involving secondary and primary school choirs, which would take place on August 8th, right about the time we sing for Freshmen Inauguration Ceremony, and hold the Welcome Tea. I'm bracing myself for preparations for the Matriculation Fair preparations for the choir, AND some manning time over at The Ridge booth as well.
The shocker yesterday, though, was really the deadline of submission of my desk's articles to my Exec Ed. The Chief Ed's email said it's on July 14th, and I was stunned. That was 8 days from yesterday, and I had only received three ideas from my writers (writers send their ideas first before writing their articles). I had said the deadline for ideas was on June 28th, but I MYSELF FORGOT about it so I did not bug them. Sigh. Nonetheless, it's still their responsibility to email me their ideas without me nagging them right? Sigh. I hope everything goes better next time. See, this is for the September issue, and I'm thinking it's a wee bit early. Anyway, deadlines are coming, and I pray my writers deliver, and don't hate me in the process.
I predict it's gonna be a hectic week for me, as July 14th happens to be the day I leave Davao for Manila too. I'm gonna be editing articles and submitting them just as I arrive Manila.
And, dare I say it, I haven't written my own article yet!
* * *
It's Italy and France in the Finals! Yahooo! I watched the England vs. Portugal match the other day, and that was so freakin' SAD. Beckham injured, Rooney fouled out, and England had thus only 10 players against Portugal's 11. The match was 0-0 till the end of the 90 minutes, and later even in extra time. I was rooting for England because Portugal didn't seem to play too clean, but alas, Portugal proved superior in the heart-stopping Penalty Shoot-out.
France had defeated reigning champions Brazil too, so that was an interesting development. They beat Portugal in the Semis to advance to the finals.
I just saw too the Italy vs. Germany match. It was a major upset for the home team, Germany. It was a thriller of a match too, if only for the remaining few minutes. It was 0-0 for 90 minutes, still goalless for the most part of extra time, and everyone seemed to ready themselves for the nerve-racking Penalty Shoot-out. What do you know, Italy scores a winning goal in the remaining two minutes, which sent the crowd roaring (both the German and Italian supporters, but for different reasons). The German team struggled to tie the game what little left of remaining time, and what do you know, Italy scored again! Two goals in the remaining two minutes. Awesome. Tears and broken hearts for Germany everywhere, but oh well, that's life. Sometimes it sucks.
I've mentioned my dislike for Italy for personal reasons, and so my vote will be for the French come the final match.
* * *
Last shout-out! I bought my first pirated CD's! Brownman Revival CD that's laced with a whole lotta fun Pinoy Reggae, and Ultraelectromagnetic Jam, the all-star tribute to the monster band of the 90's, Eraserheads. Whoops please don't arrest me.
Viva Original Pilipino Music (OPM)!
Heya! It's the 7th of July, and that means it's a mere two weeks before I set foot again on Singapura, and the manic schoolyear begins anew. Today also means it's exactly one week before I leave my lovely city of Davao, to drop by Metro Manila to spend a week with friends and relatives. Ahh.. time. I'm running out of it, so I'm trying to make sure I settle all my affairs pronto.
A lot has happened in my two-month visit back home, although I'd have to say that the second month was more of "Me Time", as, well, it was mostly spent by my lonesome, as my friends and my sister had to go off to school. I suspect I've mentioned this too many times here, so pardon the repeat. I don't mind being alone, really, as the Me Time I so wanted was finally here, and I got to REALLY think about my life, how much of a mess it is, and the steps I need to make to fix it.
Anyway, this post is basically just a mouthful of what I wanna say right here right now. I realize I haven't been blogging as frequent as I would have liked, but that's fine, I keep a record of the happenings in my head anyway. Of course, my blog-reading friends can ask me if you want a blow-by-blow account, although nothing is quite groundbreaking, I must warn you.
That's one long intro, but so what. Haha. Right now I'm letting my fingers do the talking, and that's how this blog entry will play out. Let's get it on.
* * *
Today is the Foundation Day anniversary of my high school, Phil. Science High School here in Davao. I would have loved to go, if only for this (usually kick-ass) Cultural Show, as I'm especially fond of my teachers over there, but I decided not to go, as I would have to go alone. My sister Kai, also a graduate of Pisay, has class till 7PM. I texted my batchmates, but most of them too had classes. I even asked my fellow Singapore scholar Carina to come, but she was busy helping her little bro with his assignments. As far as I know, the other Singapore scholars are still in Singapore, like Karen, Ivy, Korinna, Michael, Robs. My Dad's also not here, as he's out of town for a trip to Mati, for some meeting regarding the family business, so that means no car too. So instead, I'm staying home tonight.
Come to think of it, I don't know any of the students in Pisay now, as those who were in their 1st year when I was in my 4th, have just graduated in March. So except for two or three students introduced to me before, I don't have quite an affinity to the new kids. At least last year, I was able to cheer for the 4th year group (who were 1st year when I was 4th like I said) in the modeling and singing and dance competitions, as I had really good friends in that batch.
Anyway, I might still drop by to say hi to the teachers sometime before I leave. If not, maybe in December. They will still be there for sure anyway.
* * *
Last night I was slightly upset with myself for apparently being the cause of the car breaking down. My Dad says it's not my fault, and 80% of my brain is telling me that, too, but I dunno, it's still a great big coincidence that the car decided to break down right after I told my Dad that I'd like to go for driving practice.
We had just arrived from a trip to the house of my folks' friend and super-architect Tito Ed (He has designed subdivisions for the Alcantara Group, Churches, Parks, and currently the big Nature Park project by Davao City Mayor Duterte). My mom was adamant we go visit his newly-constructed treehouse, which is a good four storeys from the ground. It was lovely, and hip and cool. That man's a genius, setting up this nice outdoor open-air place, where one could have a nice chat under the trees or go stargazing. He even put a room with glass windows in the third level to serve as his office, and a bedroom on the second level. The place was still under construction, and Mama even pointed out where an outdoor jacuzzi would be mounted. Coolness.
Anyway, when we reached home, I told my Dad I wanted to go for our second driving practice, and proceeded to go to the driver seat and set the gear back to neutral, and prepared my feet and legs for the footwork. Then the car just didn't start! Sad. Dad was supposed to drive the car to Mati today, a good 3 hours from Davao, but too bad he had to take the bus. Sorry.
* * *
I had thought it was gonna be a restful two weeks before I left, but not so, apparently. From my email inbox came the news that the NUS Choir would be setting up a workshop involving secondary and primary school choirs, which would take place on August 8th, right about the time we sing for Freshmen Inauguration Ceremony, and hold the Welcome Tea. I'm bracing myself for preparations for the Matriculation Fair preparations for the choir, AND some manning time over at The Ridge booth as well.
The shocker yesterday, though, was really the deadline of submission of my desk's articles to my Exec Ed. The Chief Ed's email said it's on July 14th, and I was stunned. That was 8 days from yesterday, and I had only received three ideas from my writers (writers send their ideas first before writing their articles). I had said the deadline for ideas was on June 28th, but I MYSELF FORGOT about it so I did not bug them. Sigh. Nonetheless, it's still their responsibility to email me their ideas without me nagging them right? Sigh. I hope everything goes better next time. See, this is for the September issue, and I'm thinking it's a wee bit early. Anyway, deadlines are coming, and I pray my writers deliver, and don't hate me in the process.
I predict it's gonna be a hectic week for me, as July 14th happens to be the day I leave Davao for Manila too. I'm gonna be editing articles and submitting them just as I arrive Manila.
And, dare I say it, I haven't written my own article yet!
* * *
It's Italy and France in the Finals! Yahooo! I watched the England vs. Portugal match the other day, and that was so freakin' SAD. Beckham injured, Rooney fouled out, and England had thus only 10 players against Portugal's 11. The match was 0-0 till the end of the 90 minutes, and later even in extra time. I was rooting for England because Portugal didn't seem to play too clean, but alas, Portugal proved superior in the heart-stopping Penalty Shoot-out.
France had defeated reigning champions Brazil too, so that was an interesting development. They beat Portugal in the Semis to advance to the finals.
I just saw too the Italy vs. Germany match. It was a major upset for the home team, Germany. It was a thriller of a match too, if only for the remaining few minutes. It was 0-0 for 90 minutes, still goalless for the most part of extra time, and everyone seemed to ready themselves for the nerve-racking Penalty Shoot-out. What do you know, Italy scores a winning goal in the remaining two minutes, which sent the crowd roaring (both the German and Italian supporters, but for different reasons). The German team struggled to tie the game what little left of remaining time, and what do you know, Italy scored again! Two goals in the remaining two minutes. Awesome. Tears and broken hearts for Germany everywhere, but oh well, that's life. Sometimes it sucks.
I've mentioned my dislike for Italy for personal reasons, and so my vote will be for the French come the final match.
* * *
Last shout-out! I bought my first pirated CD's! Brownman Revival CD that's laced with a whole lotta fun Pinoy Reggae, and Ultraelectromagnetic Jam, the all-star tribute to the monster band of the 90's, Eraserheads. Whoops please don't arrest me.
Viva Original Pilipino Music (OPM)!
Fresh
Fresh
Whew. Finally the new template's up. I'm not sure if I'm crazy over it, I wasn't wowed by it when I first saw it assembled. I remember thinking, 'Oh dear. All that hard work for this.' I dunno, I was just too caught up with the coolness of Mondrian art (Google him) that I think I momentarily forgot about blending. I'm not even sure what's the tree for again. Haha. And hmm.. something tells me this new blog is too colorful for my liking. Also, I was thinking of getting rid of the cartoon characters (but I still like you Calvin, Hobbes, Snoopy and Linus of course) for a more mature feel, although I must admit I thoroughly Photoshopped that tree on the right to get rid of Hobbes (You can google for the original image if you wish). Haha, I'm proud of that tree, and hopefully it isn't too noticeable how thoroughly edited it is, the whole of it. Anyway, even if the template wasn't exactly how I expected it, it's still my baby, so I like it a lot.
It grows on you, actually. (Yes, tree included, although that sounds a bit off.) So I like this fresh new look. I was for a while thinking of a fresh new name too, but my sister thought it was so bleah I could very well have named the new blog to something hideous like "Swan Lake". Haha I won't tell what I came up with, although it's infinitely more decent than that.
Anyway, it's Moonstruck Inc. still for the meantime, and maybe for good. I don't really know. Anyway, I fixed the clickables at the left, too. It's less messier than the previous. This isn't final yet, too. Just the soft opening of sorts.
I can't do a decent blog entry now actually, as the main purpose of this Internet Cafe visit was to set this up. Anyway, I'm glad I uploaded the template on June 30th, end of the month, as tomorrow will rightfully be a fresh new start. (Yes my persistence on this whole new-beginning thing is unmistakable)
Goodbye for now, and feel free to comment on the new template.
Whew. Finally the new template's up. I'm not sure if I'm crazy over it, I wasn't wowed by it when I first saw it assembled. I remember thinking, 'Oh dear. All that hard work for this.' I dunno, I was just too caught up with the coolness of Mondrian art (Google him) that I think I momentarily forgot about blending. I'm not even sure what's the tree for again. Haha. And hmm.. something tells me this new blog is too colorful for my liking. Also, I was thinking of getting rid of the cartoon characters (but I still like you Calvin, Hobbes, Snoopy and Linus of course) for a more mature feel, although I must admit I thoroughly Photoshopped that tree on the right to get rid of Hobbes (You can google for the original image if you wish). Haha, I'm proud of that tree, and hopefully it isn't too noticeable how thoroughly edited it is, the whole of it. Anyway, even if the template wasn't exactly how I expected it, it's still my baby, so I like it a lot.
It grows on you, actually. (Yes, tree included, although that sounds a bit off.) So I like this fresh new look. I was for a while thinking of a fresh new name too, but my sister thought it was so bleah I could very well have named the new blog to something hideous like "Swan Lake". Haha I won't tell what I came up with, although it's infinitely more decent than that.
Anyway, it's Moonstruck Inc. still for the meantime, and maybe for good. I don't really know. Anyway, I fixed the clickables at the left, too. It's less messier than the previous. This isn't final yet, too. Just the soft opening of sorts.
I can't do a decent blog entry now actually, as the main purpose of this Internet Cafe visit was to set this up. Anyway, I'm glad I uploaded the template on June 30th, end of the month, as tomorrow will rightfully be a fresh new start. (Yes my persistence on this whole new-beginning thing is unmistakable)
Goodbye for now, and feel free to comment on the new template.
Not the usual
Not the usual
If you're a frequent stalker/reader of this blog (yes I know frequent can't be too frequent as my posts don't come often enough anyway), you'd know that there are a few things that don't quite come up. Don't bother thinking what they are, I'm gonna bring up one right now, and that's sports.
People who know me know that I am barely sports-minded, and that I'd much rather prefer talking about MTV, or that new song on the radio, or Scrubs or OC or Lost. Well, it's a good time for sports around the world right now, and since I've always rather thought that sports is cool and I just didn't get into it when I had the chance, I decided to catch the World Cup and NBA Finals on TV.
I watched the Sweden-Paraguay soccer match yesterday, and it was quite good. I've always appreciated soccer, from watching Kent Ridge Hall play in the Inter-Hall Games, and found it a pity I didn't know how to play and it's too late to learn. I didn't watch all 90 minutes of the Sweden-Paraguay match, though, as it was not as exciting as soccer fans would have hoped. It was 0-0 for the most part, althought there were a number of noble, although fruitless, attempts to score a goal. It was not until the 89th minute when Djungberg scored the first goal for Sweden, to the disappointment of Paraguay, who were stripped of their chance to win the Cup.
The game turned exciting towards the end, and I think I'm gonna be looking out for more matches on the sports channels on TV. I don't want Brazil to win because I've always liked the underdog. I don't know who exactly to support, but I'm a little biased, so I'm rooting for Czech Republic (because of such amazing memories at that place last year) and I hope Italy loses (because of such horrible memories at their Singapore embassy last year). Haha.
* * *
Just this morning I caught Game 5 of the NBA Finals live on TV. The series was tied 2-2, and with the Miami Heat pulling off an upset by scoring two consecutive wins in the games to catch up with the Dallas Mavericks. This 5th game was Miami's chance to tip the balance in their favor.
I could have caught the game from the First Quarter, but not surprisingly, I only decided to watch the Fourth (Haha) because the good stuff would be in there anyway (pardon to all offended sports fans). Anyway, it was a kick-ass game! Miami, I felt, had everything going for them, what with the homecourt advantage, Shaq, Payton, and the stunning Dwyane Wade on a hot streak. And so I, ever the underdog-supporter, was cheering on for Dallas, and its star players Terry and Nowitski.
Man, I was cheering in the living room by my lonesome, as Dallas seemed to have sealed the game by scoring crucial points in the last few minutes. The lead was down to two as the minutes ticked by, and then Wade would even it out, but Dallas would still inch away with two points. With barely 9 seconds left in the 4th quarter, Dallas had the lead, and the once-roaring Miami crowd was momentarily shut up. And then this Wade does the impossible and scores again, to tumultuous applause, bringing the game to Overtime with a score of 93-93.
The five-minute overtime was just as exciting, as some of Dallas previous tactics worked, and they momentarily were in the lead, but then Miami wisened up and used Wade as a decoy bringing the game to another tie. In the crucial last few seconds, Dallas was up by 1, 100-99, when Wade decided to make his move again. He missed, yes, but (because) he was fouled, so off to the free throw he went, with just about two seconds left. He shot the first free throw, bringing the score to 100-100, and the win now depended on his second free throw. Well, what do you know, he did it again, and the crowd roared. Dallas couldn't pull off a shot across the court in the remaining two seconds, so the game was Miami's.
Darn, it would have been fun to see the prepared confetti NOT go down on the jubilant Miami team and the roaring crowd. Oh well, at least the whole city of Miami is feeling very good about themselves right now. I hope it's Dallas turn to celebrate on Wednesday.
P.S. I didn't plan to devote a full long entry on sports, so I'm gonna post the other stuff next time. Part of it is my Happy Birthday to my brother Schroeder, who would have turned 22 yesterday. Rest in peace, big bro. :)
No dishes left unwashed
No dishes left unwashed
I've just finished my kitchen chores, and let me prouldly announce that there are no dishes left unwashed. I say it with a sort of leave-no-stone-unturned accomplishment, because of all chores, dishwashing hits the top 10 of my dislikes.
In any case, I'm still domesticated for my own good, but it's a good thing I guess. My friends began their classes on Tuesday, and so did my sister. I guess it's Home Alone time for me now, as I guess the time of going out with friends has come to an end as I don't fly to Singapore until mid-July. I'm not complaining much, really, as I pretty much expected nothing else.
For a while my post as editor for the Outspoken Desk of The Ridge has been keeping me busy, gathering and editing articles from my writers, nagging them if they don't submit, asking them and collecting pictures for their articles, and settling writers' matters with my bosses. My deadline's over, though, and after submitting the Outspoken Desk articles to my Executive Ed, I guess that leaves me free. Relatively. I think.
I don't check my emails often (I miss unlimited internet in NUS), and I find that the longer the time before I decide to do so, the longer my break turns out to be.
* * *
It was the 108th year of Philippine Independence on Monday, that's why the first day of class nationwide was moved the next day. I feel a bit bad that I did not especially feel a burning sense of patriotism in me that day, and all I really cared for the previous days were sales at the malls, and the weekend before Independence day turned out to be a good time to pop by the mall for good discounts. I'm sorry, dear mother Philippines, you know I love you anyway. :)
The weekend before that there were midnight sales as well, this time due to an event called "Back-to-school". Next weekend there would be another reasons for malls to issue discounts, Father's Day. Ahh you cheeky cheeky shopowners.. you always find a reason to celebrate.
I'm not complaining though. I got myself a good pair of jeans (button-fly with a bluish-green tinge), Chucks-like shoes from Bench for everyday use in school, Board shorts (as if I do surfing), and boxers! Yiheee. I'm usually a briefs person, for the record.
* * *
I've finally finished reading A Twist in the Tale, a short story collection by Jeffrey Archer. Wow, I feel so proud of myself. I've always loved short stories, because I'm too lazy to finish novels, but the thing with short story collections is that I never get to finish them--until Jeffrey Archer's.
I have vowed that it will be a new life after last semester, and part of the process is to finish off what was left undone in the past. A few days ago, I finished Harry Potter 6 (softcopy downloaded from the Internet hurhur), which I only partially read in December. Now I'm thinking of finishing up my Stephen King short story collections, two of them, which I hesitated to finish some YEARS ago because I didn't want to run out of stories, because each story was just so good (or so I thought then).
A lot to finish and settle and loose ends to tie according to my grand New Life plan, and I'm hell bent on doing everything to make this work.
"Busy"
"Busy"
Another day, another blog. The previous entry I wrapped up and uploaded only today, May 31st, because I was busy once again. With what? Busy with the usual things that have kept me busy the past two weeks I've been back home.. Ridge stuff, and Choir stuff. But actually that doesn't really cut it, 'cos most of the day Jose's doing nothing.
Haha. Nothing but watch TV and lying down and reading more Jeffrey Archer short stories, or watching Lost ofr Prison Break TV shows on his laptop. Haha. Busy with nothing, more like it. Just the way I like it too.
When I came back to the Philippines, what I had in mind was just to de-stress, because God knows it was a bad burnout I got myself into in Singapore. The grades, which I got a few days ago still haunt me, and although the feelind is not the sudden-death I-think-I'll-jump-off-building kind, I think it's even worse, because it's the gnaw-at-your-sanity-bit-by-bit type.
Anyway, aside from that, everything's dandy and well, just all in a day's work. My jobs as editor of the Outspoken desk and as Secretary of NUS Choir are keeping me typing and thinking and typing again, but that's all right.
Maybe I should post photos of the Karaoke and billiards session a good bunch of my high school friends went on last week. Haha but that'll have to wait, cos I have barely 2 minutes left in this internet cafe. Haha ciao!
Another day, another blog. The previous entry I wrapped up and uploaded only today, May 31st, because I was busy once again. With what? Busy with the usual things that have kept me busy the past two weeks I've been back home.. Ridge stuff, and Choir stuff. But actually that doesn't really cut it, 'cos most of the day Jose's doing nothing.
Haha. Nothing but watch TV and lying down and reading more Jeffrey Archer short stories, or watching Lost ofr Prison Break TV shows on his laptop. Haha. Busy with nothing, more like it. Just the way I like it too.
When I came back to the Philippines, what I had in mind was just to de-stress, because God knows it was a bad burnout I got myself into in Singapore. The grades, which I got a few days ago still haunt me, and although the feelind is not the sudden-death I-think-I'll-jump-off-building kind, I think it's even worse, because it's the gnaw-at-your-sanity-bit-by-bit type.
Anyway, aside from that, everything's dandy and well, just all in a day's work. My jobs as editor of the Outspoken desk and as Secretary of NUS Choir are keeping me typing and thinking and typing again, but that's all right.
Maybe I should post photos of the Karaoke and billiards session a good bunch of my high school friends went on last week. Haha but that'll have to wait, cos I have barely 2 minutes left in this internet cafe. Haha ciao!
Overdue
Overdue
Yep, overdue. That's what this entry is. As is the case with everything else overdue, so many things have happened since the supposed due date (whenever that is), and this may be the right time to fill you in (whoever you are).
OK, so let's start with the here and now. I'm home! Here in the beautiful city of Davao, Philippines, and better yet, right in the comfort of our own family home. Jason Mraz's Geek in the Pink is playing for the nth time on the radio (heavy rotation yeah), and I'm sitting here in the living room, having just finished my miscellaneous work for the Ridge and the Choir. My sister's preparing to go to this health and fitness club called Holiday Spa, for which she took a month-long subscription to enjoy unlimited access to the fun fitness services and classes (bellydancing, boxing, pilates, latino dance, etc). Dad's asleep upstairs, Ma's away taking some comprehensive exam for her PhD. Kai, Dad and I will be off soon--Kai to the Spa, Dad to a meeting, and I'll go to the Internet cafe to work on Choir and Ridge stuff again (email people mostly).
* * *
Last time I went online was yesterday, at the mall, right before I went with sister Kai and good buddy Jacques to watch X-Men 3. That's something blogworthy, really. I mean me going online yesterday, not the movie (although for me the movie kicks ass. Kai wanted to watch the movie twice as usual, so I stuck around).
Anyway, being online yesterday was something I looked forward to. Not with enthusiastic anticipation, but with fearful anxiety. Grades were released online yesterday, finally. I wanted the grades issue to be over and done with soonest, because I knew that last semester was the worst ever. A disaster, if you please. I was half-joking to Kai and Ma the night before that I was preparing my toold
I dunno how NUS does it, but every single time during the online release of results, I get stunned. Stunned in a good way, or otherwise, I get taken for a ride. Mmmm.. NUS, all 100 years old of it, and yet still full of surprises. Well, that, or maybe I'm just lousy at estimating my own grades.
I was correct about the general picture though, that last semester was a disaster. And, with utmost conviction, I declare that the next sem will be the beginning of a new life. A new life, ladies and gentlemen, and not just in terms of academics.
After all, truly horrible things always inspire incredible spin-offs.
Yep, overdue. That's what this entry is. As is the case with everything else overdue, so many things have happened since the supposed due date (whenever that is), and this may be the right time to fill you in (whoever you are).
OK, so let's start with the here and now. I'm home! Here in the beautiful city of Davao, Philippines, and better yet, right in the comfort of our own family home. Jason Mraz's Geek in the Pink is playing for the nth time on the radio (heavy rotation yeah), and I'm sitting here in the living room, having just finished my miscellaneous work for the Ridge and the Choir. My sister's preparing to go to this health and fitness club called Holiday Spa, for which she took a month-long subscription to enjoy unlimited access to the fun fitness services and classes (bellydancing, boxing, pilates, latino dance, etc). Dad's asleep upstairs, Ma's away taking some comprehensive exam for her PhD. Kai, Dad and I will be off soon--Kai to the Spa, Dad to a meeting, and I'll go to the Internet cafe to work on Choir and Ridge stuff again (email people mostly).
* * *
Last time I went online was yesterday, at the mall, right before I went with sister Kai and good buddy Jacques to watch X-Men 3. That's something blogworthy, really. I mean me going online yesterday, not the movie (although for me the movie kicks ass. Kai wanted to watch the movie twice as usual, so I stuck around).
Anyway, being online yesterday was something I looked forward to. Not with enthusiastic anticipation, but with fearful anxiety. Grades were released online yesterday, finally. I wanted the grades issue to be over and done with soonest, because I knew that last semester was the worst ever. A disaster, if you please. I was half-joking to Kai and Ma the night before that I was preparing my toold
I dunno how NUS does it, but every single time during the online release of results, I get stunned. Stunned in a good way, or otherwise, I get taken for a ride. Mmmm.. NUS, all 100 years old of it, and yet still full of surprises. Well, that, or maybe I'm just lousy at estimating my own grades.
I was correct about the general picture though, that last semester was a disaster. And, with utmost conviction, I declare that the next sem will be the beginning of a new life. A new life, ladies and gentlemen, and not just in terms of academics.
After all, truly horrible things always inspire incredible spin-offs.
Closing time
Closing time
OK, so this is it. I'm really leaving now. Haha, the previous post wasn't really goodbye Singapore, but this is. I'm leaving tonight for the airport, sleep there, to make it in time for my 7:00AM flight tomorrow for the Philippines. Yes I'm such a cheapskate for not choosing to take a cab tomorrow morning and incur the 50% off-peak surcharge, but another reason is that I'm afraid to miss my flight again (yes that happened before).
Ten days since that last post, a whole lot of things have happened, and I don't know, those past days were rather fun actually, but right now, I'm just feeling fatigue. Most everybody else have (or has? Hmm.) gone home, and since my block D-block isn't the vacation block, I think as of today, I'm the only soul left in the block. I don't mind really, I haven't been hanging in my room all that much, and I'm fortunate to be kept busy all this time.
I'll blog about my adventures soon (not that they're oh-so-interesting anyway), but yep I had fun and I have my friends to thank. :) But for now, Joseph has to do the final-final packing, as he has to leave for the airport by 11pm, and must chuck away the mess in his suitcases now.
It's been a thoroughly challenging 5 months, I'm just glad it's over, and that I'm going home.
Oh, and goodbye Kent Ridge Hall too. I'm not coming back here next semester, as I move to Ridge View Residences. Something tells me I should take photos of me and my empty room and the main entrance and all that, but nah, let's get the packing done first, shall we?
Bye.
OK, so this is it. I'm really leaving now. Haha, the previous post wasn't really goodbye Singapore, but this is. I'm leaving tonight for the airport, sleep there, to make it in time for my 7:00AM flight tomorrow for the Philippines. Yes I'm such a cheapskate for not choosing to take a cab tomorrow morning and incur the 50% off-peak surcharge, but another reason is that I'm afraid to miss my flight again (yes that happened before).
Ten days since that last post, a whole lot of things have happened, and I don't know, those past days were rather fun actually, but right now, I'm just feeling fatigue. Most everybody else have (or has? Hmm.) gone home, and since my block D-block isn't the vacation block, I think as of today, I'm the only soul left in the block. I don't mind really, I haven't been hanging in my room all that much, and I'm fortunate to be kept busy all this time.
I'll blog about my adventures soon (not that they're oh-so-interesting anyway), but yep I had fun and I have my friends to thank. :) But for now, Joseph has to do the final-final packing, as he has to leave for the airport by 11pm, and must chuck away the mess in his suitcases now.
It's been a thoroughly challenging 5 months, I'm just glad it's over, and that I'm going home.
Oh, and goodbye Kent Ridge Hall too. I'm not coming back here next semester, as I move to Ridge View Residences. Something tells me I should take photos of me and my empty room and the main entrance and all that, but nah, let's get the packing done first, shall we?
Gather up your jackets, move it to the exits
I hope you have found a friend
Closing Time
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end
-Closing Time by Semisonic
Bye.
Time to say goodbye
Time to say goodbye
As if on cue, the very 'operatic' Time To Say Goodbye by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman plays on my Windows Media Player. Sigh. What a fitting end to the most difficult semester of my life.
I just finished my final exam for this sem, the one for the Actuarial Statistics module that had me tear at my hair over and over for the past months. Sucked. I declare it is humanly impossible to finish the six-question exam (with parts A and B too) in 2 hours. The formulas (or formulae?) were just too many, the constant reference to both my battered double-sided help sheet (or cheat sheet as we all call it) and the Life Table was dizzying, and on top of that, I was in my semi-bulimic mode perhaps because of the sleeplessness and stress.
Anyway, 6 exams down and the semester's over man. Lessons learned: taking 6 modules (2 Level 3000, 2 Level 2000, 2 Level 1000 from Science, Business, and Arts faculties) is insane. Be careful next time Jose. Maybe I should just take a few non-examinable modules so I can distribute the stress throughout the year. And yes, I shall never ever underestimate Level 3000 modules, AND that stupid killer calculus module MA1104 that isn't even part of my core modules but which I'm taking as a prerequisite for Financial Maths).
Ugh. fsdhilsafhuasldgfag'f;lghfsdg;h;. ljrg;hksdgihsdgjfogiouiser;
OK, where was I? Oh yeah, lessons learned. Think twice about taking 7 modules per sem, and whether I really want to fulfill my ambition plan of completing two minors.
Also, dear Jose, try try try to not fall in the same spreading-self-too-thin trap again. You been falling into the same trap for a few years now it's becoming a bit stupid. OK? :)
But if there's anything that's come out of this, it's that I'm more psychologically and mentally and emotionally ready for the biggest hurdle to come, Year 3. It's a big thing because it could determine whether I could qualify for Honours Year, Year 4. It's different here compared to the Philippines, because three years is deemed sufficient for a regular Bachelor's degree, while it's generally four years over there.
The other perk that has resulted from this mugging madness of late is that the Choir fellows are so much tighter now. My God, we studied for long hours every day together. Dunno if that's a good thing, because most of us muggers are in the Choir Commitee (both the executive comm and musico of 2005/06 and 06/07 too) and we've been lately been bashing each other (in a joking way of course), but I have no idea how that will affect our professional working relationships next sem, and in front of the new choir members too. Hmm.. oh well.
OK, exams are over and I don't wanna overthink matters anymore. Maybe next week. Maybe on May 26th (or is it 25th) when the exam results will be out. In the meantime, a few of us from choir's going to the Jurong Bird Park this afternoon, and while I'm not super-ecstatic-woohoo-I'm-so-thrilled, I'm sure it's gonna be fun. My first time there too. But mostly, it's just good to be out of NUS after a long time, to just chill and relax and get the exams and schoolwork off my mind.
P.S. This was saved as a draft for the longest time, as I had originally written this entry on May 4th (unfinished), and I'm only posting it up today, May 14th.
As if on cue, the very 'operatic' Time To Say Goodbye by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman plays on my Windows Media Player. Sigh. What a fitting end to the most difficult semester of my life.
I just finished my final exam for this sem, the one for the Actuarial Statistics module that had me tear at my hair over and over for the past months. Sucked. I declare it is humanly impossible to finish the six-question exam (with parts A and B too) in 2 hours. The formulas (or formulae?) were just too many, the constant reference to both my battered double-sided help sheet (or cheat sheet as we all call it) and the Life Table was dizzying, and on top of that, I was in my semi-bulimic mode perhaps because of the sleeplessness and stress.
Anyway, 6 exams down and the semester's over man. Lessons learned: taking 6 modules (2 Level 3000, 2 Level 2000, 2 Level 1000 from Science, Business, and Arts faculties) is insane. Be careful next time Jose. Maybe I should just take a few non-examinable modules so I can distribute the stress throughout the year. And yes, I shall never ever underestimate Level 3000 modules, AND that stupid killer calculus module MA1104 that isn't even part of my core modules but which I'm taking as a prerequisite for Financial Maths).
Ugh. fsdhilsafhuasldgfag'f;lghfsdg;h;. ljrg;hksdgihsdgjfogiouiser;
OK, where was I? Oh yeah, lessons learned. Think twice about taking 7 modules per sem, and whether I really want to fulfill my ambition plan of completing two minors.
Also, dear Jose, try try try to not fall in the same spreading-self-too-thin trap again. You been falling into the same trap for a few years now it's becoming a bit stupid. OK? :)
But if there's anything that's come out of this, it's that I'm more psychologically and mentally and emotionally ready for the biggest hurdle to come, Year 3. It's a big thing because it could determine whether I could qualify for Honours Year, Year 4. It's different here compared to the Philippines, because three years is deemed sufficient for a regular Bachelor's degree, while it's generally four years over there.
The other perk that has resulted from this mugging madness of late is that the Choir fellows are so much tighter now. My God, we studied for long hours every day together. Dunno if that's a good thing, because most of us muggers are in the Choir Commitee (both the executive comm and musico of 2005/06 and 06/07 too) and we've been lately been bashing each other (in a joking way of course), but I have no idea how that will affect our professional working relationships next sem, and in front of the new choir members too. Hmm.. oh well.
OK, exams are over and I don't wanna overthink matters anymore. Maybe next week. Maybe on May 26th (or is it 25th) when the exam results will be out. In the meantime, a few of us from choir's going to the Jurong Bird Park this afternoon, and while I'm not super-ecstatic-woohoo-I'm-so-thrilled, I'm sure it's gonna be fun. My first time there too. But mostly, it's just good to be out of NUS after a long time, to just chill and relax and get the exams and schoolwork off my mind.
P.S. This was saved as a draft for the longest time, as I had originally written this entry on May 4th (unfinished), and I'm only posting it up today, May 14th.
Crunch crunch
Crunch Crunch
OK, this is another of those times when I shouldn't be blogging but I do anyway, and this time it's just to say that I'm still alive, and the reason for my absence is that exam season has begun over here at NUS.
I sat for my first two papers last Friday and Saturday, and it feels good to flush out brain disk space for those two modules Operations Management and yes-yes-it's-finally-over-that-cheem-module Regression Analysis. This week's gonna be loaded with exams too, with my Financial Accounting exam at 5PM later today, my Lord-please-help-me Multivariable Calculus on Wednesday, and viewings-and-readings-loaded Reading Film and Cultural Texts on Friday. The exam that I'm most freaked out over, that for Actuarial Statistics, isn't until May 4th, so I can focus on that after this crazy week.
Needless to say, I've been very busy studying the past days, and although it's been fun at times, right now I'm just feeling jaded more than anything. Exhausted too, but more jaded, really.
Anyway, the results for the projects and essay I did that stressful stressful week I had sometime ago have arrived, and maybe I'll talk about them sometime else, especially about the HORROR that swept over me when I got back my English essay. Hehe. Not so bad, but it was pure horror. Heh.
And hmm.. let me take this time out to say congratulations to my pretty sister for being in the Dean's List at UPLB last semester and honor student or something too the sem before that! Tsk tsk she kept it from me all along that cheeky girl! Haha now the truth is out! Hehe I've never been in the Dean's List in college too! Hehe congrats Kai! Keep doing really well over at Ateneo de Davao ok? Hmm.. lemme see what goodies I can reward you with.
6:18AM, and it's time to get up and face the new day. Good morning world, and Lord please help me with my Accounting exam! :)
OK, this is another of those times when I shouldn't be blogging but I do anyway, and this time it's just to say that I'm still alive, and the reason for my absence is that exam season has begun over here at NUS.
I sat for my first two papers last Friday and Saturday, and it feels good to flush out brain disk space for those two modules Operations Management and yes-yes-it's-finally-over-that-cheem-module Regression Analysis. This week's gonna be loaded with exams too, with my Financial Accounting exam at 5PM later today, my Lord-please-help-me Multivariable Calculus on Wednesday, and viewings-and-readings-loaded Reading Film and Cultural Texts on Friday. The exam that I'm most freaked out over, that for Actuarial Statistics, isn't until May 4th, so I can focus on that after this crazy week.
Needless to say, I've been very busy studying the past days, and although it's been fun at times, right now I'm just feeling jaded more than anything. Exhausted too, but more jaded, really.
Anyway, the results for the projects and essay I did that stressful stressful week I had sometime ago have arrived, and maybe I'll talk about them sometime else, especially about the HORROR that swept over me when I got back my English essay. Hehe. Not so bad, but it was pure horror. Heh.
And hmm.. let me take this time out to say congratulations to my pretty sister for being in the Dean's List at UPLB last semester and honor student or something too the sem before that! Tsk tsk she kept it from me all along that cheeky girl! Haha now the truth is out! Hehe I've never been in the Dean's List in college too! Hehe congrats Kai! Keep doing really well over at Ateneo de Davao ok? Hmm.. lemme see what goodies I can reward you with.
6:18AM, and it's time to get up and face the new day. Good morning world, and Lord please help me with my Accounting exam! :)
Hodgepodge
Hodgepodge
Nope, this isn't because Nestor and Ferron have in some way urged me to update this blog. It's more because, well, it's been a thoroughly disappointing day for mugging, and what the heck, I have a few minutes to spare before I grab my dinner and fly away into the night, engaging Regression Analysis in an intensive batttle of the brains.
That, and, maybe the fact that I miss blogging too, it's just that it's been overly hectic lately. So hectic, in fact, that I didn't (and don't) quite mind that some people think I'm a dorky loser, with no life whatsoever, who spends day and night mugging like there's no tomorrow. It's true I've been working a lot, but only to catch up on my requirements, which are a lot given my 6 modules, but to justify that whatever I do is not advanced mugging work, but the work of a cramming scatter-brained fellow, I don't really have time or energy or concern now. Look at me with pity or what, I don't really care. Tell me I'm ugly, so what? I have bigger concerns which require my energy and time.
OK that's not quite a nice way to start off this entry, but I guess the exam pressure is getting to me. Exams are in a week's time, and I'm still reeling from the madness of the week that jsut passed. Can I just please rest first, I tell Grandpa NUS. No, you dork, nobody rests in my household! Go grab your books because the acid test comes at the end of the week!
OK lo. So hence little Joseph's predicament.
In any case, what should be the attitude really, is thankfulness that the week is over. The weekend preceding it was the most difficult and trying weekend of my life. Actually, the pressure was building up even the week before that, as my group had to submit this incredibly draining Actuarial Statistics project. Here's a chronology:
6th April, Thursday - Actuarial Statistics project due at 11AM
Iris and I spent the whole night at the Central Forum doing this intensive project about Travel Insurance-- she went back at 6AM, I went back at 7AM, took breakfast, then went off to the Medical Library to finish the project up... and still my groupmates and I were a bit late! Printer at Science CBLC had to conk out on us too. We paid $20 for the printing because the printer fellows would not admit that their printer is defective.
10th April, Monday - Financial Accounting Project due at 5PM, Regression Analysis Project due at 5PM
So my groupmates on the FNA project were Arthur and this Malaysian guy Jason from Sheares Hall. OK so Jason is nice, really I mean it, but we our discussions take forever. I was a bit annoyed when he told me to read up the book because he wasn't buying what I was saying, but it was peace from then on (I told you he's a nice guy). Good thing Arthur was there to save the day. Haha. As for the Regression Analysis project. I didn't know why I was spending a lot of time on it, when it only accounts for 5% of the grade. Maybe because I screwed up my midterm tests, and Im totally not confident about the exam. Oh Jesus help.
11th April, Tuesday - Reading Film and Cultural Texts Essay due at 2PM. Tutorial presentation on Postmodernism at 12noon.
Now this is the film module that's hands-down the only fun module I have this semester. The essay is 6 pages long, and we were to discuss any text we wanted for stereotypes, greater cultural or social significance, that kind of thing. I decided to discuss a 1960's ad for Marlboro, and tackle the ideology promoted by the Marlboro Man (and Marlboro Country), and how it battled with government-advocated anti-smoking ideology for hegemony (government won). Anyway, I was so close to banging my head on the wall because I NEVER really cram my essays, because I take pride in doing them, but this time, I did. I did a whole lot of research before this, mind you, taking my time to really think of what to say about the Marlboro man, and my books, online references, library database articles, were already there some two weeks back, and I decided I knew exactly what I was going to say. I had my thesis checked and rechecked and approved by my nice New Zealander tutor Jane, and she liked! I liked! And so I moved on to do my Actuarial Stats and Regression and Accounting projects first. But I realized I sort of neglected this essay, and so it was mad typing and thinking and head-banging for me all night and all morning that Monday. For the same module, my group also had to present during tutorial a powerpoint about Intertextuality and Postmodernism. It was fun! I had good fun doing the slides over the weekend, because I got to talk about fun stuff like Andy Warhol and his Marilyn art, The Scream by Edvard Munch and the Simpson parody, the pastiche and bricolage in Shrek 2, the glaring postmodernism in Romeo+Juliet, the self-reflexivity of America's Sweethearts and The Player, and I even offered how Lost is incredibly pomo as well. Fun stuff, the examples and slides I thought of, with a lot of help from Sociology major Hayati (thanks thanks!), and my main concern was that I didn't rattle off too much, and my lethargy and eyebags from not sleeping much wouldn't show. Presentation went well.. Good team we got Samantha Calvin Harold!
12th April - Operations Management Presentation
Oh this was technical stuff.. Not very much to my liking, but it was useful stuff nonetheless that made a lot of sense. Weeks ago we had to submit individual term papers, and now in groups, we had to present one of the papers in our tutorial class. China guy Su Hao's paper was chosen, and he discussed Strategic Operations. It was okay la, I did my part well, although my presentation slides were a bit edited and the animation slides snipped out because well Su Hao wanted a more minimalist approach. OK lo, I didn't mind. I just hope our tutor did not find our presentation too dry in comparison with the fancy shmancy presentations some of the other groups did. It went okay too, and our all-guy group felt good after it was done. :)
13th April - Actuarial Statistics Presentation
OK after the blood-sweat-and-tears-sleepless-nights combo that this project entailed, it was time to present it to class. Collating it was a bitch, as Iris and I have realized during the compiling of the individual parts into a comprehensive report the week earlier, but the powerpoint slides for a 15-minute presentation thankfully didn't take as much effort. Still a lot of effort though. Heh. It was very nice to see Iris, Yilin, Christina, Jermaine and me getting into the group spirit and doing our part and timing ourselves and making sure the slides came on cue and we knew what we had to say. I was particularly anal about this powerpoint thing, where the animationmade by Iris left white lines on the presentation. Haha I ran to the library and did it myself (cos her laptop's language is Chinese haha). Fixed it and tralala it was okay. Thankfully, since this was my third consecutive day of doing presentations, I was most confident now, and right when I needed it, because I have a deep fear of my Actuarial Stats lecturer ever since he, well, made me look not-so-good that one time I presented a tutorial in front of the class. Hehe. But now all is well and things are okay. :) Thanks groupmates. I'll see you around and happy mugging!
* * *
Oh yeah, I went for confession too on Wednesday. It's an exhilarating feeling. People should do it too. I dunno, it's just nice and dandy when you get things off your chest and there's someone to reassure you of things, even if you already quite know those things, but decide to conveniently tuck them at the back of your head. Besides, who's to doubt an old man's wisdom? :) Quite interesting too, that Fr Frans. He's a 66-year-old Belgian priest who speaks English very slowly, but he does the Mandarin mass! Brilliant. Hehe.
Anyway, it's Good Friday today, and I went for this morning's service. Not a mass technically, Fr Richards said. If anything, I should learn to be more prayerful this Holy Week, and the coming exam weeks too. And for the rest of our lives really. Hehe.
If we trust and put our faith in the Lord enough, we will not be shortchanged. God bless us all in the exams! :)
Nope, this isn't because Nestor and Ferron have in some way urged me to update this blog. It's more because, well, it's been a thoroughly disappointing day for mugging, and what the heck, I have a few minutes to spare before I grab my dinner and fly away into the night, engaging Regression Analysis in an intensive batttle of the brains.
That, and, maybe the fact that I miss blogging too, it's just that it's been overly hectic lately. So hectic, in fact, that I didn't (and don't) quite mind that some people think I'm a dorky loser, with no life whatsoever, who spends day and night mugging like there's no tomorrow. It's true I've been working a lot, but only to catch up on my requirements, which are a lot given my 6 modules, but to justify that whatever I do is not advanced mugging work, but the work of a cramming scatter-brained fellow, I don't really have time or energy or concern now. Look at me with pity or what, I don't really care. Tell me I'm ugly, so what? I have bigger concerns which require my energy and time.
OK that's not quite a nice way to start off this entry, but I guess the exam pressure is getting to me. Exams are in a week's time, and I'm still reeling from the madness of the week that jsut passed. Can I just please rest first, I tell Grandpa NUS. No, you dork, nobody rests in my household! Go grab your books because the acid test comes at the end of the week!
OK lo. So hence little Joseph's predicament.
In any case, what should be the attitude really, is thankfulness that the week is over. The weekend preceding it was the most difficult and trying weekend of my life. Actually, the pressure was building up even the week before that, as my group had to submit this incredibly draining Actuarial Statistics project. Here's a chronology:
6th April, Thursday - Actuarial Statistics project due at 11AM
Iris and I spent the whole night at the Central Forum doing this intensive project about Travel Insurance-- she went back at 6AM, I went back at 7AM, took breakfast, then went off to the Medical Library to finish the project up... and still my groupmates and I were a bit late! Printer at Science CBLC had to conk out on us too. We paid $20 for the printing because the printer fellows would not admit that their printer is defective.
10th April, Monday - Financial Accounting Project due at 5PM, Regression Analysis Project due at 5PM
So my groupmates on the FNA project were Arthur and this Malaysian guy Jason from Sheares Hall. OK so Jason is nice, really I mean it, but we our discussions take forever. I was a bit annoyed when he told me to read up the book because he wasn't buying what I was saying, but it was peace from then on (I told you he's a nice guy). Good thing Arthur was there to save the day. Haha. As for the Regression Analysis project. I didn't know why I was spending a lot of time on it, when it only accounts for 5% of the grade. Maybe because I screwed up my midterm tests, and Im totally not confident about the exam. Oh Jesus help.
11th April, Tuesday - Reading Film and Cultural Texts Essay due at 2PM. Tutorial presentation on Postmodernism at 12noon.
Now this is the film module that's hands-down the only fun module I have this semester. The essay is 6 pages long, and we were to discuss any text we wanted for stereotypes, greater cultural or social significance, that kind of thing. I decided to discuss a 1960's ad for Marlboro, and tackle the ideology promoted by the Marlboro Man (and Marlboro Country), and how it battled with government-advocated anti-smoking ideology for hegemony (government won). Anyway, I was so close to banging my head on the wall because I NEVER really cram my essays, because I take pride in doing them, but this time, I did. I did a whole lot of research before this, mind you, taking my time to really think of what to say about the Marlboro man, and my books, online references, library database articles, were already there some two weeks back, and I decided I knew exactly what I was going to say. I had my thesis checked and rechecked and approved by my nice New Zealander tutor Jane, and she liked! I liked! And so I moved on to do my Actuarial Stats and Regression and Accounting projects first. But I realized I sort of neglected this essay, and so it was mad typing and thinking and head-banging for me all night and all morning that Monday. For the same module, my group also had to present during tutorial a powerpoint about Intertextuality and Postmodernism. It was fun! I had good fun doing the slides over the weekend, because I got to talk about fun stuff like Andy Warhol and his Marilyn art, The Scream by Edvard Munch and the Simpson parody, the pastiche and bricolage in Shrek 2, the glaring postmodernism in Romeo+Juliet, the self-reflexivity of America's Sweethearts and The Player, and I even offered how Lost is incredibly pomo as well. Fun stuff, the examples and slides I thought of, with a lot of help from Sociology major Hayati (thanks thanks!), and my main concern was that I didn't rattle off too much, and my lethargy and eyebags from not sleeping much wouldn't show. Presentation went well.. Good team we got Samantha Calvin Harold!
12th April - Operations Management Presentation
Oh this was technical stuff.. Not very much to my liking, but it was useful stuff nonetheless that made a lot of sense. Weeks ago we had to submit individual term papers, and now in groups, we had to present one of the papers in our tutorial class. China guy Su Hao's paper was chosen, and he discussed Strategic Operations. It was okay la, I did my part well, although my presentation slides were a bit edited and the animation slides snipped out because well Su Hao wanted a more minimalist approach. OK lo, I didn't mind. I just hope our tutor did not find our presentation too dry in comparison with the fancy shmancy presentations some of the other groups did. It went okay too, and our all-guy group felt good after it was done. :)
13th April - Actuarial Statistics Presentation
OK after the blood-sweat-and-tears-sleepless-nights combo that this project entailed, it was time to present it to class. Collating it was a bitch, as Iris and I have realized during the compiling of the individual parts into a comprehensive report the week earlier, but the powerpoint slides for a 15-minute presentation thankfully didn't take as much effort. Still a lot of effort though. Heh. It was very nice to see Iris, Yilin, Christina, Jermaine and me getting into the group spirit and doing our part and timing ourselves and making sure the slides came on cue and we knew what we had to say. I was particularly anal about this powerpoint thing, where the animationmade by Iris left white lines on the presentation. Haha I ran to the library and did it myself (cos her laptop's language is Chinese haha). Fixed it and tralala it was okay. Thankfully, since this was my third consecutive day of doing presentations, I was most confident now, and right when I needed it, because I have a deep fear of my Actuarial Stats lecturer ever since he, well, made me look not-so-good that one time I presented a tutorial in front of the class. Hehe. But now all is well and things are okay. :) Thanks groupmates. I'll see you around and happy mugging!
* * *
Oh yeah, I went for confession too on Wednesday. It's an exhilarating feeling. People should do it too. I dunno, it's just nice and dandy when you get things off your chest and there's someone to reassure you of things, even if you already quite know those things, but decide to conveniently tuck them at the back of your head. Besides, who's to doubt an old man's wisdom? :) Quite interesting too, that Fr Frans. He's a 66-year-old Belgian priest who speaks English very slowly, but he does the Mandarin mass! Brilliant. Hehe.
Anyway, it's Good Friday today, and I went for this morning's service. Not a mass technically, Fr Richards said. If anything, I should learn to be more prayerful this Holy Week, and the coming exam weeks too. And for the rest of our lives really. Hehe.
If we trust and put our faith in the Lord enough, we will not be shortchanged. God bless us all in the exams! :)
Sometimes you can't make it on your own
Sometimes you can't make it on your own
Trust me, i'd like to blog about something happy. I could, too, because interspersed amongst my woes are happy memories with friends and family (thanks for the emails and SMSes Ma and Dad). But I dunno, even if I want to talk about bunnies and flowers and chocolate cream puffs, I'm sorry, I'm just, on the whole, a sad person right now.
It's mostly academics, really. I basically screwed up the killer midterm tests I had to sit for the past week. By "screwed up" I mean, messed up in a MAJOR way. I'm disgusted with myself really, and something has to be done regarding my study habits. Seriously, we can never ever mug hard enough. I know I haven't been studying as intensively as I would like, although from the stress level visibls to others, people think I'm doing a pretty good job mugging. Oh nothing could be further from the truth.
The essay for my film and cultural texts module also didn't go so well, and that was a blow to the ego, because if I do bad in my other modules like Statistics, I can say it was never in my list of fortes anyway, and it's really an insane body of knowledge too, so that's that. But for English, no sir, I take things very seriously. And maybe also it's the fact that my hardcore Stats and Maths modules are rather in the danger zone right now, and this film module was one of the few bright lights left, so I'm working my ass off to make sure it doesn't get put out.
Hmm.. what else. Maybe I just should trust God more. I haven't been exactly prayerful and faithful lately, and I think in these very dark days, I should learn to make my way back.
* * *
OK, time to take a break from the depressing stuff a bit. Thanks to Hayati, Aaron, Adyll, and Iris and Joanne for being my constant mugging-mate for the past weeks. Those afternoons and late-nights at the Central Forum, at CFA and YIH one time, at KR, at Bizad faculty both inside and outside Hon Sui Sen Library, yep those were fun. I dunno if we should change strategy now that I didn't really quite do well in my tests, but thanks for the company and keeping me sane.
Ferron, Arthur, Ivy come let's do our all-nighters again like last sem! Haha I think it's high time to get mugging for the exams! Taking six modules a semester is really a pain, I fully realize now.
* * *
I went with some of the NUS Choir folks to watch the Vocal Consort's concert at the Victoria Concert Hall on March 17th. NUS Choir is connected to the Vocal Consort since we have the same conductor, Nelson Kwei, and our key singers Student Conductor Weiwei, incoming Asst. Student Conductor Adyll, outgoing Secretary Hui Yin, and incoming Alto SL Winnie are Consort singers too.
It was enjoyable, being an audience in a choir concert, so I could better understand how people feel when they go for NUS Choir concerts and performances. I liked the Consort's Latin motets, this song the Seekers, and some of their folklore tunes. The Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Choir was their guest choir, and I was impressed about their performance of "Magtanim Ay Di Biro", a Filipino folk song about rice-planting, and it being no joke. The diction was surprisingly very good, and my Laotian friend Vi even commented that the other Thai song they did was also spot-on with the pronunciation (Laotian language is close to Thai).
We crashed the Consort's post-concert snacks afterwards, and then went for a stroll by the Esplanade and Merlion, before heading for a posh coffee shop for some chitchat. This was just the night after, too, btw, of the Jason Mraz concert at the Esplanade that I couldn't go for initially because of no companion, and later, even if I was willing to go alone or even sponsor a buddy, I couldn't go because the show was sold-out! Anyway, my Ridge Big Boss Nurul got the most expensive tickets and was blown away by the performance. Haha I'm gonna get you Mr. A-Z sometime. I do need some cheering up.
Anyway anyway, I took a lot of photos before we took the night rider bus to Clementi, and a cab back to NUS.
* * *
The NUS Choir also performed for the Hatters' charity gala dinner at the Kent Ridge Guild House the night before (yes this is the Friday night of both the Jason Mraz concert at the Esplanade and the Rivermaya free show outside). It was fun. Free buffet food and great company! It was nice to get together with the choir folks before we all become muggerfied in preparation for the exams. The prawn with chilli was to die for, because it tasted like it was barbecued or something.. awesome. The fish fillet too.. heaven! It was tender and had this yummy sauce that seemed a combination of butter with a hint of cheese. Woohoo.. Yummy and expensive charity dinner! Funny thing was, four of the 10 or so tables were reserved for the performers! And guess what, the choir occupied three! Haha. I didn't mind giving a small "token of appreciation" because that was a sumptuous meal anyway! Yum yum.
Afterwards, a few of us crashed this cool and happening super senior Huai Zhi's room at Eusoff hall. Joanne, Aaron, Xuefang and I played this PC game Dynasty Warriors in his room, but as it turned out, we all sucked except for HZ and Aaron. Hehe. I just read the X-men comics instead. We hit Fong Seng for supper afterwards, before heading for KR to hang out in Christina's room where some of the KR A cappella folks hung out. We had some chitchat before turning in for the night finally at around 4AM.
* * *
And oh yeah, the past two days were random days. Haha. I felt so bad after learning of my screwed-up effed-up Actuarial Stats test, that I decided to indulge myself. It was the Ridge Writer's Night on Friday, and it was fun! Had a good chitchat with fellow writers, and they're such fun people to talk to! I'm gonna miss Nurul and Kok Weng and immediate boss Asraf! And I should've talked to Selene and Alice more! Too bad they're graduating this sem!
Afterwards, I went with new Lifestyle Editor Yvonne to the Stardust Finals. KR rocks la! Out of 6 vying for top honors in the Group category, 3 of them were from KR A cappella! Two of them made it to the top 3. The runaway soloist winner was Surath from KR too! Cool cool.
Karen SMSed later to invite me to Blooie's, this sort of pub near PGP, to have a drink with some of the Pinoys. Why not? Yep yep treated myself to a BIG glass of Hoegaarden and was a bit tipsy afterwards. Good stuff though. Although a sip doesn't have much of a kick like Tiger, the quantity (500 mL in that glass) was enough to compensate. Oh and I learned something new too that night.
Yesterday, Saturday was another random day. Haha. I was out at Clementi to settle my ATM and debit cards, and then was suddenly off to Orchard looking around for shirts and bags and stuff (but bought nothing), and then decided to have a haircut, and later was off to faraway East Coast Park to go rollerblading. Haha didn't plan it at all. Was back at NUS in time for dinner. I needed the break too, so yep that was okay.
* * *
Hmm.. what else to say ah? Haha nothing much, I guess. My mind's a blur. Yeah, I should think of happy memories when life gives me sucky experiences.
EDIT@28/3/06, 4:03AM:
Apparently the record-lows I recently hit aren't rock-bottom enough. My lousy results and the truckload of proejcts to do are threatening to break my spirit, but nope, I shall grit my teeth and hang on until this is all over and I can go home and rest.
Thank you to all those who comprise my life-support system. I hope you know who you are. Hehe.
P.S.
Ahh I love long blog entries. Yes I've said it before, but I must say it again! They drive the indifferent blog lurker away, and leave only those genuinely concerned and interested to finish reading (because really, going through it all is a chore). If nobody bothers to read, then all the personal this blog gets. Brilliant, these long blog entries.
Trust me, i'd like to blog about something happy. I could, too, because interspersed amongst my woes are happy memories with friends and family (thanks for the emails and SMSes Ma and Dad). But I dunno, even if I want to talk about bunnies and flowers and chocolate cream puffs, I'm sorry, I'm just, on the whole, a sad person right now.
It's mostly academics, really. I basically screwed up the killer midterm tests I had to sit for the past week. By "screwed up" I mean, messed up in a MAJOR way. I'm disgusted with myself really, and something has to be done regarding my study habits. Seriously, we can never ever mug hard enough. I know I haven't been studying as intensively as I would like, although from the stress level visibls to others, people think I'm doing a pretty good job mugging. Oh nothing could be further from the truth.
The essay for my film and cultural texts module also didn't go so well, and that was a blow to the ego, because if I do bad in my other modules like Statistics, I can say it was never in my list of fortes anyway, and it's really an insane body of knowledge too, so that's that. But for English, no sir, I take things very seriously. And maybe also it's the fact that my hardcore Stats and Maths modules are rather in the danger zone right now, and this film module was one of the few bright lights left, so I'm working my ass off to make sure it doesn't get put out.
Hmm.. what else. Maybe I just should trust God more. I haven't been exactly prayerful and faithful lately, and I think in these very dark days, I should learn to make my way back.
* * *
OK, time to take a break from the depressing stuff a bit. Thanks to Hayati, Aaron, Adyll, and Iris and Joanne for being my constant mugging-mate for the past weeks. Those afternoons and late-nights at the Central Forum, at CFA and YIH one time, at KR, at Bizad faculty both inside and outside Hon Sui Sen Library, yep those were fun. I dunno if we should change strategy now that I didn't really quite do well in my tests, but thanks for the company and keeping me sane.
Ferron, Arthur, Ivy come let's do our all-nighters again like last sem! Haha I think it's high time to get mugging for the exams! Taking six modules a semester is really a pain, I fully realize now.
* * *
I went with some of the NUS Choir folks to watch the Vocal Consort's concert at the Victoria Concert Hall on March 17th. NUS Choir is connected to the Vocal Consort since we have the same conductor, Nelson Kwei, and our key singers Student Conductor Weiwei, incoming Asst. Student Conductor Adyll, outgoing Secretary Hui Yin, and incoming Alto SL Winnie are Consort singers too.
It was enjoyable, being an audience in a choir concert, so I could better understand how people feel when they go for NUS Choir concerts and performances. I liked the Consort's Latin motets, this song the Seekers, and some of their folklore tunes. The Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Choir was their guest choir, and I was impressed about their performance of "Magtanim Ay Di Biro", a Filipino folk song about rice-planting, and it being no joke. The diction was surprisingly very good, and my Laotian friend Vi even commented that the other Thai song they did was also spot-on with the pronunciation (Laotian language is close to Thai).
We crashed the Consort's post-concert snacks afterwards, and then went for a stroll by the Esplanade and Merlion, before heading for a posh coffee shop for some chitchat. This was just the night after, too, btw, of the Jason Mraz concert at the Esplanade that I couldn't go for initially because of no companion, and later, even if I was willing to go alone or even sponsor a buddy, I couldn't go because the show was sold-out! Anyway, my Ridge Big Boss Nurul got the most expensive tickets and was blown away by the performance. Haha I'm gonna get you Mr. A-Z sometime. I do need some cheering up.
Anyway anyway, I took a lot of photos before we took the night rider bus to Clementi, and a cab back to NUS.
* * *
The NUS Choir also performed for the Hatters' charity gala dinner at the Kent Ridge Guild House the night before (yes this is the Friday night of both the Jason Mraz concert at the Esplanade and the Rivermaya free show outside). It was fun. Free buffet food and great company! It was nice to get together with the choir folks before we all become muggerfied in preparation for the exams. The prawn with chilli was to die for, because it tasted like it was barbecued or something.. awesome. The fish fillet too.. heaven! It was tender and had this yummy sauce that seemed a combination of butter with a hint of cheese. Woohoo.. Yummy and expensive charity dinner! Funny thing was, four of the 10 or so tables were reserved for the performers! And guess what, the choir occupied three! Haha. I didn't mind giving a small "token of appreciation" because that was a sumptuous meal anyway! Yum yum.
Afterwards, a few of us crashed this cool and happening super senior Huai Zhi's room at Eusoff hall. Joanne, Aaron, Xuefang and I played this PC game Dynasty Warriors in his room, but as it turned out, we all sucked except for HZ and Aaron. Hehe. I just read the X-men comics instead. We hit Fong Seng for supper afterwards, before heading for KR to hang out in Christina's room where some of the KR A cappella folks hung out. We had some chitchat before turning in for the night finally at around 4AM.
* * *
And oh yeah, the past two days were random days. Haha. I felt so bad after learning of my screwed-up effed-up Actuarial Stats test, that I decided to indulge myself. It was the Ridge Writer's Night on Friday, and it was fun! Had a good chitchat with fellow writers, and they're such fun people to talk to! I'm gonna miss Nurul and Kok Weng and immediate boss Asraf! And I should've talked to Selene and Alice more! Too bad they're graduating this sem!
Afterwards, I went with new Lifestyle Editor Yvonne to the Stardust Finals. KR rocks la! Out of 6 vying for top honors in the Group category, 3 of them were from KR A cappella! Two of them made it to the top 3. The runaway soloist winner was Surath from KR too! Cool cool.
Karen SMSed later to invite me to Blooie's, this sort of pub near PGP, to have a drink with some of the Pinoys. Why not? Yep yep treated myself to a BIG glass of Hoegaarden and was a bit tipsy afterwards. Good stuff though. Although a sip doesn't have much of a kick like Tiger, the quantity (500 mL in that glass) was enough to compensate. Oh and I learned something new too that night.
Yesterday, Saturday was another random day. Haha. I was out at Clementi to settle my ATM and debit cards, and then was suddenly off to Orchard looking around for shirts and bags and stuff (but bought nothing), and then decided to have a haircut, and later was off to faraway East Coast Park to go rollerblading. Haha didn't plan it at all. Was back at NUS in time for dinner. I needed the break too, so yep that was okay.
* * *
Hmm.. what else to say ah? Haha nothing much, I guess. My mind's a blur. Yeah, I should think of happy memories when life gives me sucky experiences.
EDIT@28/3/06, 4:03AM:
Apparently the record-lows I recently hit aren't rock-bottom enough. My lousy results and the truckload of proejcts to do are threatening to break my spirit, but nope, I shall grit my teeth and hang on until this is all over and I can go home and rest.
Thank you to all those who comprise my life-support system. I hope you know who you are. Hehe.
P.S.
Ahh I love long blog entries. Yes I've said it before, but I must say it again! They drive the indifferent blog lurker away, and leave only those genuinely concerned and interested to finish reading (because really, going through it all is a chore). If nobody bothers to read, then all the personal this blog gets. Brilliant, these long blog entries.
All in a day's work
All in a day's work
Woohoo. This has got to be the worst day of my life. And yes sir, I know full well that the last thing I should do is blog, but nah, I give myself permission to write this short short post.
Welcome to the pits, I tell myself. And seriously, it's true! I realized that it's been about one and a half months now that I've been constantly caught in high-pressure situations. And nope, the stress level hasn't peaked yet. Haha if March had one extra day secretly tucked in there somewhere that wouldn't count at all among the 31 days, I'd absolutely sleep. all. day. Or someone please invent some magic pill that will instantly feed my longing for a good 8 hours of glorious sleep.
Anyway, tomorrow's the deadline of the Operations Management term paper I've been typing and researching for for the longest time, and on Thursday is the killer Actuarial test. Oh, if it matters, I think I may have just lost some valuables yet again (which I just learned are hopefully found again haha), and I failed my Regression Analysis test! Sigh. What's wrong with you Joseph?
I want my "me" time too. And apparently that's harder to accomplish than it sounds.
But hey I'm giddy and hyper right now, and that's supposed to be a good thing, considering I've just had the worst day of my life. Nah, I'll spare you the details (partly because the specifics aren't too exciting anyway) but yep yep, I'm all pumped up right now to finish this term paper and get mugging for the Actuarial Stats test.
Oooh take me away people. Take me somewhere nice and warm and give me a great big hug.
Woohoo. This has got to be the worst day of my life. And yes sir, I know full well that the last thing I should do is blog, but nah, I give myself permission to write this short short post.
Welcome to the pits, I tell myself. And seriously, it's true! I realized that it's been about one and a half months now that I've been constantly caught in high-pressure situations. And nope, the stress level hasn't peaked yet. Haha if March had one extra day secretly tucked in there somewhere that wouldn't count at all among the 31 days, I'd absolutely sleep. all. day. Or someone please invent some magic pill that will instantly feed my longing for a good 8 hours of glorious sleep.
Anyway, tomorrow's the deadline of the Operations Management term paper I've been typing and researching for for the longest time, and on Thursday is the killer Actuarial test. Oh, if it matters, I think I may have just lost some valuables yet again (which I just learned are hopefully found again haha), and I failed my Regression Analysis test! Sigh. What's wrong with you Joseph?
I want my "me" time too. And apparently that's harder to accomplish than it sounds.
But hey I'm giddy and hyper right now, and that's supposed to be a good thing, considering I've just had the worst day of my life. Nah, I'll spare you the details (partly because the specifics aren't too exciting anyway) but yep yep, I'm all pumped up right now to finish this term paper and get mugging for the Actuarial Stats test.
Oooh take me away people. Take me somewhere nice and warm and give me a great big hug.
Busy Busy
Busy Busy
Yeah, can't you tell? If the absence of a blog entry here means something, it's that.
After the choir concert last Saturday, I've been taking the plunge into the deep dark world of academics, of deadlines and essays and midterm tests.
There was a Hall Bulletin Board article I rushed because I was gonna be too busy this week. Turned out, well, early, so no problem with that. Essay One for my EN2113 Reading Film and Cultural Texts module due on Tuesday. One week earlier I had written a draft that was checked by my choirmate and class seatmate Irene, but lo and behold it needed major reconstruction and fixing. I did an analysis on this stunning Honda Civic ad, whose strategy was to humanized the car by mimicking the sounds of the car's adventures by means of a 60-member choir. Superb ad I must say. Anyway, my brain was able to churn out four pages of ideas, so that should be okay. Although on Monday night as I was doing the paper I was a bit distracted by the (almost) final meet-up of the NUS Choir/post-VV party/election of new comm. But nah, it's all good, and I still love NUS Choir baby.
Thankfully my editor Asraf granted my request for an extension of the deadline for my article for the April issue of the Ridge. I would've gone berserk if I had to do it this week too.
And then It's been mad after that. Three midterm tests in four days. One on Multivariable Calculus on Friday, one on Financial Accounting today, and another one on Regression Analysis on Monday. So yep, I've been mugging like crazy the past few days at the Central Forum, at PGP, at HSS Library basement, till late night even, hoping to score well in these killer tests. Calculus was relatively okay since it was open-book and I flagged my notes and book well. The just-finished Accounting test was, I dunno. I just wanted it over with because what I'm really freaked out about is the Regression test on Monday. Although from my post-midterm discussion with Arthur on a few questions about the accounting test, I think I didn't do quite as well as I had hoped.
But no, we mustn't get disheartened Jose! We just have to hang on a little bit longer, and ace this coming regression test. Yeah yeah I've already mentioned how my sanity's now questionable and my sleeping pattern has gone haywire, so I won't say them anymore. Although yeah... let's just say after Monday's test and my submission of the Ridge article, I'm gonna get myself a good night's rest.
I'm not as gloomy as you think, though. It just comes out that way. Sigh. You're gonna do well Joseph, don't worry.
Yeah, can't you tell? If the absence of a blog entry here means something, it's that.
After the choir concert last Saturday, I've been taking the plunge into the deep dark world of academics, of deadlines and essays and midterm tests.
There was a Hall Bulletin Board article I rushed because I was gonna be too busy this week. Turned out, well, early, so no problem with that. Essay One for my EN2113 Reading Film and Cultural Texts module due on Tuesday. One week earlier I had written a draft that was checked by my choirmate and class seatmate Irene, but lo and behold it needed major reconstruction and fixing. I did an analysis on this stunning Honda Civic ad, whose strategy was to humanized the car by mimicking the sounds of the car's adventures by means of a 60-member choir. Superb ad I must say. Anyway, my brain was able to churn out four pages of ideas, so that should be okay. Although on Monday night as I was doing the paper I was a bit distracted by the (almost) final meet-up of the NUS Choir/post-VV party/election of new comm. But nah, it's all good, and I still love NUS Choir baby.
Thankfully my editor Asraf granted my request for an extension of the deadline for my article for the April issue of the Ridge. I would've gone berserk if I had to do it this week too.
And then It's been mad after that. Three midterm tests in four days. One on Multivariable Calculus on Friday, one on Financial Accounting today, and another one on Regression Analysis on Monday. So yep, I've been mugging like crazy the past few days at the Central Forum, at PGP, at HSS Library basement, till late night even, hoping to score well in these killer tests. Calculus was relatively okay since it was open-book and I flagged my notes and book well. The just-finished Accounting test was, I dunno. I just wanted it over with because what I'm really freaked out about is the Regression test on Monday. Although from my post-midterm discussion with Arthur on a few questions about the accounting test, I think I didn't do quite as well as I had hoped.
But no, we mustn't get disheartened Jose! We just have to hang on a little bit longer, and ace this coming regression test. Yeah yeah I've already mentioned how my sanity's now questionable and my sleeping pattern has gone haywire, so I won't say them anymore. Although yeah... let's just say after Monday's test and my submission of the Ridge article, I'm gonna get myself a good night's rest.
I'm not as gloomy as you think, though. It just comes out that way. Sigh. You're gonna do well Joseph, don't worry.
