Day 25: The little things that make me go "Boom"

1. I keep forgetting to take pictures. It's such a simple process, just slide and click.

2. Eye contact. The people I interact with lately don't seem to practice this crucial process in communication. Cultural differences maybe? On that note, it's difficult being hilarious while being Chinese. I'm still trying to figure that last part out.

3. My childishness. I drive myself crazy all the time. It's a weird paradox, but it can happen. I've seen it. Just imagine Kronk's dual conscience from the Emperor's New Groove. Only... I think I have about five more of those homunculi living in my head.

4. Inconsistencies.

5. My inability to scream. I'm super frustrated, but I don't know why. There's absolutely no reason for me to feel this way. Hormones... maybe?

Day 24: Being consistent once more~

My gawd... The room's so dark it's messing up the colors. So we had a very wet and cold morning, a glorious sunny afternoon, and a thunderstorm raging through the night. Been a while since I last heard thunder crackling like a bag of chips.

Day 23: Of messy tables, birthdays and sighs

The three "topics" aren't exactly related... they're mere sentiments I'm having at the moment in relation to my summer "vacation."

Yeap, I've moved into a new room in another residence hall. Damn, it's dark in here... This will only last until July 8th and three days after that, it's Malaysia once more~ I can't wait to get back... The long flight doesn't seem as intimidating anymore.

My table feels messy. Even though I've arranged the papers accordingly, it remains unsettling for some reason. I also have to work until 1am later tonight, so I'm really not looking forward to it, considering how I'm already nodding my head off.

Seiya's (my foster brother in Japan) birthday is next Tuesday and I successfully forced myself to send that card to him. I frustrate myself by always procrastinating with the greeting cards--it's not that difficult at all! I just don't understand how that could even be a chore. However, I do hope he would reply. I always have this fear of sending things away through air-mail. I keep thinking they would somehow disappear into the Pacific or something...

On sighing... it's just a habit that Alicia and I just picked up, and it's annoying us both like crazy.

Oh my, I am absolutely tired... I might just very well take a nap before reconvening with my group at 7pm...

9th Month, Day... 21?!

I'm not dead yet. And I emphasize that last word with ambiguity. Allow me to summarize my finals, my first week of summer and my job as coherently as possible. I'll promise not to rant along the way... if I could.

I must apologize for not updating the blog. Everything just seems to be pacing at the speed of light, and I'd much rather stop and smell the flowers. See? I've been separated from the writing board for so long that I'm spewing cliched expressions now. Bloody hell.

Despite that, I've been rather consistent with the six items.

...

Well... that's hard to say too because I don't exactly have my six items for May. I've been basically wearing either my pajamas or my NSE uniform (red polo and khakis, though I prefer to use the word chinos...). But I do have several items for May, for instance:

Seersucker shirt and denim shorts with flip flops. A staple for summer I suppose... I also have this brown shirt with a large puppy in front of it that I've yet to take a picture of. Aside from these three, I'm really just in my comfy clothes.

Now, for finals, it turned out pretty well. I'm still a 4.0 scholar and the pressure's on to maintain it during my final semester. Just one more, and I have nothing more to worry about, at least, for my undergraduate degree.

The first week of summer right after finals had been one of the best weeks for a long time. I had nothing to worry about, except the whole moving-in-and-out process--but even that was okay because I actually like packing my things up and arranging them (I know some who absolutely abhors the idea). Transportation was the only problem but even that was sorted pretty quickly.

Most interestingly, I did nothing but eat, sleep, shower and play Pokemon all day.

Stereotype. Stereotype. Stereotype. Stereotype. Stereotype.

I know, but it was fun. And somewhat nostalgic. It's the whole philosophy of "collecting things"... Our lives are made up of the things we see, touch, hear, feel... a "collection" of sensations, emotions, memories and experiences. This one just happens to appear as cute and bouncy sprites.

I had NSE camp the Monday after that glorious week, and this was the only photo I took of the camp:

Nothing fancy, but I find this therapeutic somehow...

A tree?

Yeap.

Just a tree?

Just this tree.

My job? Tiring. I appreciate the information, but I wish we had more hands-on experience. I feel more comfortable with that. To think, I never had training like this back at INTI when I worked for marketing. The results were the same now and then (customer-satisfaction-wise), though "training" then constituted only a brief informational session the day before enrollment.

So much to say, but so little time for expression. I'm actually doing my laundry right now, just when my roommate's entering a deep slumber. One can tell from the huffs... huffs... huffs...

I'm still not sure if I'll be able to update this regularly thanks to our hectic schedules (we even have to work weekends... goodness...), but I'll try. The only thing keeping me sane at the moment is writing to a silent (or absent) global internet community.

Days 19-24: Just one more week now...

Well this week seemed to be a record low for me... in terms of my outfits. Since it was cold, all I wore were the chinos, the shirt I woke up with, and a coat. It's either wet or windy... Gah...

Well, I'm done with my linguistics course~ Sort of... I finished my final paper and the final group presentation's looking good. Ironically, this makes me even more reluctant to finish the 40 pages I have left for my other courses... 20 by this Friday, and the remaining 20 by the following Wednesday.

This is enough to make a middle-aged lumberjack to cry tears that can flood the entire nation...

...

I... don't see how that could ever possibly relate to my own misery.

Day 18: I sound different...

I thought I'd never need to wear wool again for a season or two... Well, I've been proven wrong:

Hang on... what's that behind me...?

Ahh. That... made me ill. I'm now plagued with the flu and a bad cough. This should not be happening to me when it's a fortnight away from the end of semester....

Days... 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17: I told you I would be gone for a while...

Day 12:

Meh... Just a regular Tuesday...

Day 13:

Well... I was lazy to put on anything really. I almost ran out in my PJs, but I decided to put on the chinos in the end... with a belt... and the cardigan. Though, I did spend quite some time deciding flip flops or shoes. Part of the motivation also stemmed from the fact that I had been invited to do a reading of my published story, so I guess I had to make some sort of an "appearance."

Here's proof:

Spot the odd one out. 8) It shouldn't be that difficult.

Day 14:

Class was cancelled. So I practically lounged in my room all day with messy hair and... well, messy hair.

Day 15:

Damp. Just... Eurgh... Misery misery misery. I swore not to wear anything made of wool the day the sun came up and I was forced to put on a thicker jacket just because it was so cold. Dang it. I forgot to take a picture, though... My apologies. Other than that, it was just the chinos and my my slumber (to those who understand... "selamba") shirt.

Days 16 & 17:

Weekend. Need I say more?

I guess I'm beginning to see my relationship with this blog as a relationship "relationship"--the longer the separation, the more excited I am "meet" it again. What can I say about the past week? Just more literature that fucks with my mind. Oh and final projects too. I've got my coffee by my side so I'm well equipped. I'm adamant on finishing my linguistics narrative tonight, so we'll see where that goes~

I'm feelin' PRODUCTIVE.

Days... 8, 9, 10 & 11: Wow...

Day 8:

Day 10:

Day 11:

For Friday and Sunday, I had to put on formalwear because of two honors convocations I attended. Otherwise, I literally exeunt my room in PJs... In my defense, I only had one class on Friday (my linguistics course had been cancelled) and, well, it was a Sunday.

Now aside from the final projects I have, I need to do my laundry. It's been put off since Friday and I'm about to run out of my... ahem. Not good. While I'll be doing this, my barley will be boiling and I can't somehow tilt the lid in a satisfactory angle--I want it to boil but I don't want it to spill over the cooker. Well... this is what I get for using a rice cooker with only two preset options--"Warm" or "Cook."

I find the structure of my sentences primal... somehow.

Oh, in addition, there's a high chance that I might be on hiatus for about a fortnight or so. The pictures will be up, no less, though that's gonna be it until the end of April. Two weeks is one heck of a short period to finish 40~50 pages...

Day 7: Wet wet wet

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Splish. Splash. Splish.

Sigh...

I didn't even bother to change since it's so...

Day 6: I almost missed today's as well...

I forgot to take today's photo too! Gah... But it wasn't very different from yesterday's outfit. I wore the shorts again with the striped shirt. The other striped shirt. Otherwise, nothing much going on 'cept for my sudden addiction to my PSP. Which is uncanny in my opinion since just the week before, I was ready to bash it to the ground due to frustration. Oh well.

Day 5: I know I missed...

And then it got too warm for the cardigan...

Day 4: Plastic...?

So... I wrapped my assignment in plastic and handed it in to Dr. Vogt... I wonder if he'll get the statement... Oh well, he likes avant-garde, so I hope that would appeal to him in some way.

Day 3: Okay... so I wouldn't be sleeping tonight after all

Only because I slept for most of the day. Even though it was a beautiful day. Now, it's just cold and windy. Well, I've got my mug of coffee and I'm prepared for another night of complete academic isolation.

Oh, before I leave, I find this a little ironic: IF one is prepared to leave Facebook for 3 weeks, in hopes of separating oneself from an addictive social network website, why continue to use Twitter then?

... hmm... Let me rephrase that.

I find it funny, somehow, that some people would refrain themselves from using Facebook, yet still maintain they're reachable via Twitter. Why not go all out? Just stick to emails . Remove all notifications from Facebook/Twitter to avoid temptation/distraction. Sure, in this time and age, technology seems almost inseparable to us. We're virtually married to it. And it makes me quiver to think that the longhand might be extinct in a decade or so... Think about it, all it takes are high schools to implement using computers for assignments and ta-dah, no one would care about legibility anymore since everything can be done with a keyboard. Is it... sad? Or is it just an evolution of language itself that I should learn to accept?

...

Waaaay off topic here.

Anyway, I just thought it interesting how we occasionally act. We say something, and then we subtly defy them. We live in a paradox. We are a paradox. Nothing makes sense anymore! I blame Ander Monson's Other Electricities... Since he mentioned that the book was supposed to be uncomfortable to the reader, I couldn't bring myself to finish all of the stories. Out of 159 pages, I stopped at 139. Mindfuck. MindfuckED.

Language poetry... Hmm...

Day 2: Time to pull it together!

Ta-dah~ I think I skipped this process for the past two months, so I'm indoctrinating it once again. The chinos are lavender, though it isn't very obvious here...

So, it's work night on a Saturday and I'm feeling pumped! Sure it's the weekend, but I wanna sleep on Sunday night, so might as well "cram" now.

8th Month, Day 1

Happy April Fools' Day! Thought I'd wear something loud just for the occasion... Both the shirt and pants are part of the six items anyway. The glasses, however, was borrowed. It's a little skewed to the right... Still, it completes the whole geek chic look.

I'll be posting the other items tomorrow, since my night has been spent entirely on scrubbing shoes... Yes, the damnation for not discovering talc as a solution to sweaty feet. But they're clean now, so I'm happy~ What a way to celebrate April Fools'.

Day 31: What an inglorious way to end the last day of March

Well, I don't have pictures for today either, that's because I woke up at friggin' 6pm. Yes, I missed my class for today (luckily, I only have one class to attend on Thursdays). Oh, and I realized I should've at least mention what I wore yesterday even though there weren't any pictures to solidify my claim... Well, it was the striped singlet and the blue Y-neck shirt. And the pair of jeans. And my... not-so-white pair of shoes. Without socks. With a lot of talc powder. It works... aromatically.

I'm just annoyed with myself for being unable to participate in what would have been a very interesting class discussion on the feminist interpretation of the Arthurian legend--Mists of Avalon. Sure, the number of pages can be a quick turn off but the characters are so moving! At first glance, Igraine might've been some ordinary housewife who's (soon to be) the unwilling wife of Uther Pendragon and mother of the future High King of Britain. Bradley did a stupendous job changing that part of the legend. Igraine actually wants to be with Uther, not with Gorlois. And her character just shines through above all the other whiny knights and rulers of pre-Round Table Londinium.

I just love that woman's attitude. For instance, she likes it when Uther asked Gorlois to divorce her so Uther could marry her. But at the same time, she's equally mad at Uther for daring to request this without even asking her consent to the matter. Sooooooo feministic... all the more reason why I'm hooked by the first five chapters (which spans for about 70 pages... not a light read).

And the fact that Bradley treats religion (well, Christianity mainly) through a feministic lens is eye candy for me. Her arguments are sound and she points out the many ironies--things English majors live for and by. Sigh... I swoon over great literature...

Alright, I've had and still am having my caffeine so I'm pumped for tonight! And I shall be posting my clothes for April tomorrow~ April's about to look more... floral-sy... if there ever was such a description. The stakes are higher... I suppose, considering how difficult it will be for me to not get sick of them by the end of April, as I am of March's selection.

More colors? Yes. But the individual pieces stand out in themselves, so it would exactly make a lot of sense to layer it with even more accessories...

Argh... I guess you'll find out what I mean by tomorrow... Good night and good day!

Day 30: Mists of Avalon

Okay, so I chose not to take pictures for today, just because I was tired... Once the pair of jeans were slipped out, forget it!

So... Dr. Lyons warned us that The Mists of Avalon would "challenge" our faiths. Should be interesting, considering I'm not a Christian. I should like to see how this faith is portrayed by Bradley.

Day 29: Whoops...

Yikes... I didn't realize I hadn't posted yesterday's post. Miserable, miserable weather. I really hope it will get better by the end of the week..

Day 28: Undecipherable

For some reason, Blogger refuses to upload my pictures... Sheesh. Sorry for being late. Completely slipped my mind. I really should be sleeping at the moment, and I really don't feel like going to one of my classes tomorrow... But I must! sigh...

Okay... something's definitely off with my connection, if not, my browser. Everything seems to be opening up a tad too slow for my preference...

I might crash soon. It feels imminent. I'm too tired... and it's been only a day! SHEESH...

Well, listening to lively Japanese conversations over the radio is soothing somehow... Though I can't understand a single word they're saying. Maybe it's through this confusion that I'm able to appreciate the language itself... How very odd yet wonderful~

Update:

Well, I got it up. And yeah... I look... deceased. Eurgh...

Day 27: The "Ideal" Language?

Catherine Prendergast's Buying into English hit it home for me. Her book focuses on how English has been commercialized in post-communist states, quickly rising to become one of the leading commodities for anyone who wishes to succeed in a neo-capitalist nation--Slovakia. Is neo-capitalist overrated, or aptly put? Perspectives differ, though the effects are obvious. I can relate to that, to a certain degree; though the motivations of my "English" seemed more imperialist than capitalist.

And here I am, learning the language I love, hoping to teach Japanese students, in some suburban town off Tokyo, English. I feel the choices Prendergast's characters (though... this really is a research based book, the people Prendergast interviewed have been given pseudonyms) have had to make during the transition from a communist state to a nationalistic one. Well, for a decade or so.

In all honesty, looking back at the English I had been exposed to during my primary and secondary school years, I can't help but wonder if the British Council's "English" really had been England's "black gold." Peter and Jane by Ladybird colored my toddler-hood, if there was ever such a word. Did they perhaps imply something else with their golden locks and happy smiles? Do I like Peter?

Critical pedagogy is slowly beginning to look very appealing to me...

Day 26: Exposure

I know I blame the literature I've been invested with for shaping my character, and it's true! Now, I'm not typing this because I lauded over this to someone and had to defend it in my blog. I just felt like sharing the psychology. Though I can't attach a technical name to the emotions generated whenever I read something, I'm sure almost everyone feels the same way towards the novels, movies or music they've been exposed to.

For instance, if one feels sad... DON'T BLOODY FRIGGIN LISTEN TO MUSIC THAT FEEDS DEPRESSION!!!

Ahem.

Common sense, though apparently, a very hard thing to do. Whenever I used to be down, Coldplay's "The Scientist" was played repeatedly for hours. Well, we have our moments. Just don't... encourage it.

Still, that's an example of "I'm feeling sad so I'm listening to dismal music." What about the other way round? Like... "I'm feeling fine, really, but I've to read 30 books on suicide for this semester." Now... doesn't that sound a little frightening?

Of course, I haven't had any suicidal characters. Yet.

I think.

Maybe a couple, but they don't come to mind.

...

Anyway, the fact that I'm reading waaaaay too many accounts of protagonists drifting away into the abstract, sometimes overthinking things far too often for their own good, I can't help but feel the same way too. It doesn't make it easier when their experiences are so relatable. It's difficult to find error in their rhetoric. They're true. They're honest.

But really, one needs something uplifting in one's routine every once in a while too! Look at it like a scale. On the right, "Sad." On the other, "Happy." To me, there's an additional component--the neck of the scale which represents "Objectivity." These are very, very general terms no doubt, so everyone might wish to replace them with different things.

Life is made up of both sad and happy experiences, and we unconsciously weigh them on a scale. Sometimes, we can view these experiences (or emotions if you like) objectively, and console ourselves (whenever a situation gets rough) or remind ourselves (should we get too excited of our "successes") that these "experiences" are mere variables that we can control to a certain extent. I believe that if we want something to be "happy" or "sad," we make them a happy or sad experience.

Thus, balance sadness with more happy things. I confess: I watch Oofuri to keep me motivated because I damn well won't be able to find that amount of team spirit and respect in my current reading list. I suppose reality won't always grant me that sort of euphoric sensation of being part of a close knit group whom I can completely throw my faith on. It can be harsh at times, though I admit I can occasionally overanalyze the situation.

All the characters in the show always appear to be gung ho about baseball matches, even when they're against powerhouses as opponents. What is it that keeps them going? It isn't that they're not worried or scared; they're extremely nervous! Yet, there's nothing a loud yell of "NICE BATTING!" can't do to send healthy tremors down the batter's spine.

I try to encapsulate that in my life. I used to think everything's a bore, since everything can be easily dissected. What's the point, if it can be broken down so easily? Nothing fazes me.

Aaaand this is the part where I get all philosophical and get down to explaining the meaning of life... WAS IT WORTH IT?!

Ahem.

There are things to get worked up for--we just have to seek them out. We need a healthy dosage of, well, everything to keep us motivated for the next day. I'm trying to shake off my unhealthy habits (The chips... the chips I say!) while trying to adopt newer and healthier options. And when I say healthy, I don't just mean "healthy for the body." We should take better care of our mental health too. Always know that there is a solution to every problem, and it all begins with that first step. Whether we actually take that first step would depend on our discipline.

Which is why I'm still training myself to wake up at 6am every morning, though I suppose that's just nostalgia of my high school days. But it doesn't mean it's still not a goal I try to achieve. I'm working hard for a better tomorrow.

BIG SMILES. LIKE YOU MEAN IT! 8D

Day 25: Aaand it's back to classes.

Well, not quite. I mean I still have the weekend, but I'm getting started on my work now.

...

Was that even supposed to sound uplifting?

Anyway, I'm driven to finish my work by tomorrow. Somehow. At least the major ones. What are the "major" ones anyway? Hmm... I was in danger of losing my appetite for literature, or doing whatever I was doing for that matter. But now, I kinda feel as if I've regained my desire to do better. I've been really slacking off lately... Sure, it's been... "fun," but not as enticing as the stuff I can potentially do at this age.

I'm being vague here. To put it simply, I'm no longer jaded with my current situation. It's only boring if we make it boring. So, why not make life interesting? Probably an expression that's used far too often. Some might even think it common sense. But aren't all trivialities? It's the trivial ones that often go overlooked in life, being trivial in themselves. Yet, they affect us so. Thus, fix 'em I say, and work for a better tomorrow!

Day 24: I-it's scary...

I think I'll let myself off Dissidia for now... It's back to five matches per day. Everything's so much more difficult right now, and the fact that I have to spend a lifetime just to unlock new items seems a wee bit ridiculous...

Oh well, it's Thursday night-- no, Friday morning. Sigh, spring break's come and gone, and I've barely touched my work. If flipping a couple of pages counts as studying, then I have. Huzzah for wishful thinking.

Day 23: Riverdance!

Well of course it looked better live. The closing act was phenomenal, though I've seen it countless times on Youtube already. My only complaint is the venue, it didn't seem to do enough justice for the wonderful array of performances. This should've been held in a proper theatre or hall, not some ice hockey stadium...

Day 22: Dissidia Duodecim...

That's it... I'm totally addicted. Good thing it's spring break. Ta-ta~!

Day 21: Ookiku Furikabutte

Yeah... this anime's just the thing I need to get me motivated. Everything just seems so high-spirited that I just feel like shouting "Banzai!" for the fun of it.

Oh, here is one picture taken of my trip to the Quilt Center:

Yep. That's a quilt right there. Beautiful, no?

Day 20: Ahhh~

I just love lazing about. Why, it might be my new favorite hobby! I only need to do a thing a day. I did groceries yesterday, and I did my laundry today. Nothing more. Epic bliss.

What's more, I need not worry about my clothes for a week! Pajamas for Spring Break! The irony! Ahhh~

Day 19: An entire day wasted on...

Well, groceries. Again. This time for milk and some fruits. I got two Nissin instant noodles just because I wanted to try them and, boy, do they taste good with a handful of shredded lettuce and an egg. Ahh~ I can live with this for a week.

Day 18: Quilts and Ice Cream

Take that for an optical illusion. Who knew something so country could look so techno?

So I visited the Quilt Center with SY and Azrina. The exterior looked astounding, so I was a little disappointed with the exhibits. I mean, I am not seeing the 3700 quilts the center so promotes--if most of them will be in storage for the next ten years (I'm not exaggerating here), why bother highlighting a quilt not available in all three levels? Although, we did stumble upon a couple (what I would call...) futuristic pieces. Azrina has all the pictures so I'm hoping that'll come up soon.

After the little adventure at East Campus, we then head over to the Haymarket Area, where we just had to go for Ivanna Cone's. Neither had been there before, so I saw it as good excuse to indulge once more. Maybe I should bring more transfer students from Malaysia more often... Then again, I don't have that many coupons...

It had been a wonderful day~ Though I've yet to kick the habit of sleeping late... Heck, I needs to shower now!

Day 17: Ahh... Badminton

Well, I wore PJs the entire day, but that's not the exciting thing that happened today. I've been playing badminton for 3 hours after a gratifying dinner. Not the best of ideas, but it was fun to play again~ Just one more day before spring break... I feel lazier by the minute.

Day 16: Manifestos!

Well, this really should've been posted yesterday since I read 'em manifestos then. They were fun, though mostly crazy. It was a different sort of crazy too. I thought them angry, though Dr. White pointed out the philosophers were peculiarly jubilant about the madness. Funny, funny names too. Dada? Nada.

And just when I thought I could get some peace and quiet with my book, me roomie plays his guitar. Oh dearie me...

Day 15: The graded life

I look awkward. Hmm. I blame Dr. Vogt for mentioning that all humans are awkwardly walking through life. That statement is affecting my POV at the moment. Then again, this picture isn't an accurate representation of what I actually wore during the day as well, considering that I was walking in my pajamas the entire afternoon. Oh well...

Grades, grades, grades... Is there really a necessity for them? Is it even accurate? Of course, a lot of professors agree that the system itself is faulty--how can one be truly "correct?" Maybe because I come from the English department, so I guess there never is an answer.

I don't even know why I'm having this sentiment right now, it's not like I'm doing badly in any of my classes. Heck no. I just find it curious how many students' lives are governed by numbers and figures. Everything's just a mathematical equation. Plus, minus, multiplication and division. Exponential increment? Rapid disintegration...

Hmm... What a curious thought...

I actually just woke up. I was that close to missing tonight's post... Sheesh.

Day 14: Sien...

The title basically shows how tired I am of everything at the moment. Gaaaaaahhhh. Just felt like saying that. GAAAAAAAHHHH. Yeap, feelin' very sien at the moment.

Day 13: Not a fan of this feeling...

Oh this is not going to transform into some sappy, emo-esque post. I'm just feeling really lazy about everything so it's not exactly the best mood to occupy oneself in.

I have...:

Two scripts to prepare.

Two presentations to prepare.

Two books to complete. Well, maybe more.

Basically, I'm experiencing post-Malaysian Night and pre-Spring Break syndromes. Definitely not healthy living. And the only thing to spice up my life at the moment is a little can of wasabi flavored almonds. Enticing, no?

Day 12: Five hours for groceries?

I guess the browsing took longer than expected... Though the journey there and back was two hours, and we had to wait an extra hour for the bus to arrive again, so I suppose we weren't that fascinated with the colorful Oreos on display for a long time.

Anyhow, it was a bloody waste of time. The groceries were important no less, yet the amount of time invested in chips, crackers and wasabi coated almonds just doesn't seem to justify the two hour bus ride.

No wonder people are complaining about rising gas prices. Nothing is within walking distance.

Day 11: So... close!!!

Whoops... I forgot to reorient the picture. But at least it adds... perspective to the image I suppose. I randomly picked out the blue shirt over a white singlet I had been wearing. Then I ran out.

GAAAAAHHH... Allow me that momentary frustration because I kept reminding myself to post before it's too late. And now, it's too late. Oh well.

And I have a friggin' migraine for some reason... Sheesh...

Day 10: The issue about sneakers...

So... I'm on time. What took me so long I wonder?

~

Respect.

Dead, or alive? Everyone should practice it, shouldn't they? Should I blame my own incompetence in conversations? I realize that my ability to speak is marred by the fact that I'm hanging around too often with fellow Malaysians. Or is it? I enjoy their company immensely, no doubt about that. The error doesn't lie there. Still...

There's something about the way certain Nebraskans communicate that irks me. I don't know why. Maybe it's wrong to generalize. But I shan't reveal their names. Maybe my upbringing's to blame. I have been raised and bred in a culture that warns me not to put my feet to the level of another's chest, especially when the other's sitting on that chair. It's just... rude. Am I wrong to maintain such sentiments?

Yes, I am wrong. Biased, maybe. Incorrect to assume that whenever people lift their shoes and place them on my armrest, I should be indifferent to it. Though isn't it ironic that people preach about hygiene when those pair of sneakers might've just exited the lavatory? Ignorance is bliss in this example I suppose.

And then, they complain when they become ill. What charming little children they are! I almost certainly feel the necessity to tuck them in bed and shove that spoonful of sugar down their throats.

Respect is so fragile. So insignificant, it seems. Though... is it worthy of concern?

Day 9: Maybe afternoons would be better

Yeah... I think I need some vitamin Bs...

Day 8

Day 7: Mutton for lunch~

Day 6: The day after...

Alright, so I missed out a lot posts. I'm sorry. The irony is that I haven't been busy the past week, so I slept more. Eh? I keep falling asleep at about nine, barely an hour after dinner, and then find myself waking up in bed the next morning at five. I've become lethargic. I'm trying to avoid coffee, but I guess it can't be helped. I'm already halfway done with my can of Starbucks.

At least I feel awake now I suppose...

Kristy thinks I'm cheating with my posts because of my tardiness. Ah well, at least they're up I say. I find it odd though that I remember to take the pictures, yet never found the time to post them up. Oh well... I'll be returning to the usual routine again.

That is, if I survive the amount of work I have tonight.

Day 5: Malaysian Night!

Soo... I don't exactly have pictures from the night... But once my fellow photographers have uploaded them on Facebook, I shall post them too.

Day 4

Day 3

Day 2

7th Month, Day 1

Day 28

I don't know why... But this picture is just hilarious to me.

Day 24 ~ 27: The atrocity!

I should whip myself for slacking so much. Though reading wise, I'm actually on schedule. Anyway, here's what happened on Thursday:

I only had one class, and I remember it snowing so I didn't bother dressing up, choosing instead to conceal my pajamas with my coat. Though, things got pretty interesting in the evening:

Yeah... I had a couple of friends to help me with the curls. For about an hour. That just proves what amateurs we are. I'll try to get the more flattering pictures from one of them later. And just to compare it to my regular hair:

I don't have natural curls, though it looks wavy. Sometimes I wonder if it's really just the way I comb them with my fingers that makes them look like this.

And then, for Friday:

Nothing special. I just put this on and took off. I'm getting bored of February real quick... Thank goodness March is just a day away.

I've also been reading T.H. White's The Once and Future King. Well, I'm technically only a book away from finishing the series since I've finished The Ill Made Knight earlier this morning. My favorite is still The Sword in The Stone, partly because it deals with King Arthur's childhood, though mostly because Merlyn shoves his beard into his mouth whenever he's flustered or frustrated. The chain of events in the series are familiar, though slightly different than that of Malory's or Tennyson's. Still, it is a fantastic read. I mean, who would expect to read about bolsheviks and Freud when reading about the Round Table? What fun!

Day 23: The irony!

On the day I remembered to take a photograph, I forget to post. Hah. Anyway, I had the mid-term exam for my short story class and I'm pleasantly surprised with my memory. I mean, I can't even locate where I put my keys at times but I guess it still holds strong for academic purposes.

Well, I'll be posting again tonight (if I don't forget to do so...). And boy do I have a bone to pick with the weather...

Day 22: I guess it's no surprise that I'm having a hellish week...

It's not the workload, really, I'm just not feeling very comfortable lately, that is all. It was the yellow cardigan and the red check shirt today.

Day 21: Little to say, much to do

Big mistake - I forgot to take pictures again. But, I wore the yellow cardigan with a black singlet.

Day 20: 8 packets of... happiness?

Well, Justine went over herself to buy me a carton full of Maruchan's instant noodles. I told her she's mad, but thanked her nonetheless. I now officially have eleven packets of Har Mee and seven packets of Justine's specially delivered instant noodles. Yum~

Day 19: I'm late... though for a good reason

Well, I hope it's a good reason, though it does prevent me from writing a longer post.

I'm watching The Importance of Being Earnest (the one with Colin Firth... and to think, I just watched The King's Speech today...) after finishing the play by Oscar Wilde. Very charming indeed~

Day 18: TGIF

I'm in desperate need of sleep. Good night, world!

Day 17: Perfectly lethargic

The title says everything I need to say about my mood today. Oh well, back to more "soul searching."