And the Diamond-hard Hardness of His Heart Was Transfigured into Light

... That's 2 lines in a row now from the same author! Barbara Hambly rocks.


To know more is to love more. At least that is how it is with me. The more I know about something, or someone, the more I love them. Or the more I love, the more I love. >The harder the fall, the harder the fall? Hahahaha<. I'm saying this now because I'm beginning to realize I'm not so unteachable when it comes to music. And that the more I know, the more fun it is to know more. Right now I know that Phil Collins wasn't the first to do "You can't hurry love." Yes. Let's celebrate my small achievements. And I like Bamboo just because. I like the way they sound.

Shattering into a Thousand Green Jangling Pieces

My body is going into self-destruct. Or shut-down safety mode. I am constantly tired and sleepy, and my eyes if they don't get better may need an operation. Hopefully the antibiotic will work.


I had my sister drop the medicine into my eye. I was supposed to look up as she squeezes a drop in, look down, and without squeezing my eyes shut, swish my eyeballs around to spread the medicine. I was moving my eyeballs in a clockwise direction, while Rudd was making counterclockwise movements with her finger.

Dammit!

"Hey, you're making me dizzy!"


And she starts snorting in hilarity.


Harhar.


========

He caught my eye the first time I saw him. Now he has grown in power and is coming into his father's heritage: compassion for those without the power to defend themselves. I knew there was more to him than just a pretty face.


So now it's confirmed. I LOVE SESSHOMARU-SAMA!


Scanlation! Scanlation! Scanlation!

========

Interior design is not as fun as it seems. We had the pet project office walls repainted and it took us about an hour (or more) to reach a consensus on wall color choice. Gahhh. The floor tiles would be even harder. But it's gratifying to see the paint job done well and on time. Now the walls don't have mysterious, ugly, sooty handprints.

========

I have this classmate in statistics class who is such a sweetheart. I bet he has dozens of older sisters. It's my pet theory. Maybe I should ask him next week.


Oh, why do I think he's a sweetheart? Nothing much really. It's just that he's the kind of guy who would pick up your umbrella when it gets knocked off your chair (even if he had nothing to do with it getting knocked off), simply because. Doesn't seem much I guess. He really had to reach over to do it, you know. The umbrella didn't fall on the side close to him. I dunno. Maybe I'm just touched by the casual kindness. He actually does his part in group works too! (then again, this should be expected since we're graduate students). If I were a guy, he's the kind of guy I would want to be.


Sounds weird I know. But I wouldn't be me if I didn't sound weird.

========

Arrgghh. I have to dance the cha-cha on Sept 1. Not that I hate dancing, and didn't I say I >secretly< style="font-style: italic;">

I Speak but Nobody Hears

...or at least you don't.


I don't know where to start. Even when I'm not saying it out loud, just thinking out my feelings is a stressful thing.


What I'm wondering is, is it better for the both of us if I just stay away completely? You don't really need me anyway. I doubt it would make a difference to you. Or that you'd even notice. Whether or not I'm here.


I'm being unfair of course. I know that too. It's just that this whole thing is making me stupid, and I've been desperately trying not to let the whole situation make me behave like a stupid, petty, unfair girl. I'm seeing signs of it already.


... I'll see you around.

This Year is Gonna Be Incredible

Wala lang, just my attempt at having a line from a song as my blogpost title.


Plot twists have been popping up both in fiction and in real life, so really there's a lot going on, just been too lazy or busy to update.


But, since I am the way I am, the initial emotional flavor of these important events doesn't really linger as long as they do with other people, so I guess I won't be writing as colorfully about them as I otherwise would have been had I written about them immediately. Anyway...


Here they are, updates, in no particular order:

1. Very important story developments in the manga series I've been following, ever since my sister introduced me to it: Inuyasha. Kikyou has died, a second time, and Inuyasha seems to have lost the will to fight (temporarily). Losing your first love, a second time, does that. Poor boy. Things will get better though. Because this is a children's comic, and what I like most about stories written for children is this: there's always redemption in the end. I believe in redemption.

... Also, Sesshomaru (Inuyasha's superhot, metrosexual, full-blooded youkai half-brother) just met up with his mother (she's still around?) and seems to be upgrading is sword. He just slipped into Hell in the last chapter, in pursuit of a dog who took his ward. Sooo looking forward to what will happen next.

All in all... really significant turn of events, and 400+ chapters into the series Rumiko proves she really does have many, many more stories to tell.


Yes, important story developments in fictional stories I follow count as updates to my life :-)

2. It just really hit me recently, that the report I was working on in CEM, was connected to this. Pretty interesting stuff. If only I had more time to do it. We just wrapped up last Friday though. The people we talk to are really nice though. Not like clients in the other job.


3. Got promoted and got a raise. Yey! The first in all my 6 years of working. Because when you're self-employed there are no raises unless you're making more money. I guess I wasn't at the time. I feel a bit more grown up now. Just a bit more. Until I think about my lack of savings, which makes me feel like a newbie to the working world. Haay, depressing.


4. Got a haircut.


5. And well, since I find good news in other people's lives updates to mine as well, I would like to take the opportunity now to congratulate people with good news in their lives: Joa, who will be getting married next year, and Hazel who has been grabbed by a cable channel to host a medical probe-team type show. Very cool girls! Let's take over the world!

Blue?!? But Everyone Likes Blue... :(

Your Power Color Is Blue

Relationships and feelngs are the most important things to you. You are empathetic and accepting - and good at avoiding conflict. If someone close to you is in pain, it makes you hurt as well. You try to heal the ones you love with your kind and open heart.

What's Your Power Color?

My Demon Aura Rates...

You Are 20% Evil

You are good. So good, that you make evil people squirm. Just remember, you may need to turn to the dark side to get what you want!

How Evil Are You?

Hmmm. Did I really answer as honestly as possible? Mwahahahahaha!

A Week of Pivotal Stories

This week has been an amazing week of good stories!


Of course, they're all fictional.


Still. That's never stopped me before from crowing in delight. :D


Briefly, a rundown:

1. House, M.D., 2nd season, Episode 2: Ka-iyak!

2. Carnivale: Ben Hawkins finally finds Scudder! Management is a freak! (but we knew that) Pervert Brother Justin is Management's Son! Ben Hawkins grows in power! Episode ends with: Sophie in Brother Justin's House! (ewww...)

3. Carnivale part 2: after Wikipedia-hunting, I find (apart from more than I really needed to know :)) that: Scudder and Brother Justin are of the House of Dark, and Ben Hawkins and Management are of the House of Light; and... Brother Justin is actually Sophie's father... (will he cut off her right hand?)

4. Inuyasha: NARAKU!..... Kikyou...


5. And of course... Superman Returns


I'll probably take these up in detail some other day, or in the other blog. Still writing Hatim's paper. Grrrrr.

Cold Turkey

That's how I should quit. And it should start by me quitting reading this particular person's blog. I just find it... depressing. Unfortunately, when I don't find previously mentioned blog depressing, it's actually quite entertaining. Besides reading it makes me feel connected.


But I should stop that.


...This is hard...

Legend of the Condo Heroes

Uhm, the title is a kind of lame pun on the Chinese story / legend / anime, now telenovela, "Legend of the Condor Heroes." Yes, the pun is somewhat related to my blog content :)


In the news this week... been condo unit hunting. (see?) Unfortunately, there's always something off about the units we've seen. Of course, there's a budget so we're limited by that. And there's a preferred location, which narrows our choices even further. So far, what we've turned up are either:


- Accessible but too cramped / small for 3 people (2 girls and a boy pa, so there'd be dressing up problems)
- Accessible, nice neighborhood, but the unit itself has no windows (Live on aircon air? These people are nuts!)
- Accessible, hotel-like, what the unit lacks in kitchen amenities, it makes up for with a roomy bathroom (duh), but the street is close to seedy bars


It's hard to look for a nice place on a budget. :-( (That's another duh comment, isn't it? Hehe.)


Most recently, just this morning, we looked at some DMCI homes in Taguig (mid-rise, residential condos with resort-type amenities... yes, they have POOLS!!!! Waaah!). DMCI, the makers of allegedly 90% of the stuff in Makati (shouldn't that be the Ayalas? :)) and the sultan's palace in Brunei.


And the units are nice. Really nice. Except they're for sale. But they're actually affordable! Except they're too far from well, CBDs (Makati and Ortigas). As in public transport coming from Cainta is probably more convenient to get.


But there's a pool!


Except if we're going as far as Taguig, we might as well get the DMCI condo units near Cainta. (Which I just found out now also have pools. Waaah!) But we just learned this morning that all the 2-bedroom units are sold. That's the smallest unit for the East Ortigas Mansions.


Waaah!


What looked like a weekend of unexpected accomplishments turned out to be a weekend of eliminations. Actually it was a whole week of such. >Sigh<. I want to move out. Take myself to the next stage of evolution. Or growth. The Adult Stage. ============== Note: Yes, childhood lasts a long time in our house. Up until the age of 30, if you don't do anything about it. I better do something, and fast!

A Solitary Blue

It feels like I'm not a part of your life anymore. I guess this means I still have some way to go because it hurts me. If I were successful in my objective, it shouldn't hurt like this, right?

How Do I Teach Them That?

... How do I teach them wisdom, and compassion, and how not to abuse their powers?

--- Luke Skywalker to Mara Jade, on the instruction of his sister's children

Have I mentioned?

One of best parts about going to graduate school is the classmates.

Because you are all older, wiser and different, listening to your classmates share their experiences in class is like seeing the world again for the first time; or seeing the possibilities of your own life anew for the first time in a long time. I like this feeling. Like I'm free. That I can still claim my place in this world. That I'm not too late.

All I need is courage.

Yesterday we had Psych 220: Research Methodology: Issues and Problems. Yeah, it sounds boring. But really it isn't. Probably because the teacher isn't. She's sharp, and tough, and funny and sensitive, and you get the feeling that she's reading you like a book, even if you're just sitting in class (or maybe especially if you are just sitting in class). This woman with her 2o years of experience in field research; whose work changed her; whose work seeks to change other people's lives. Of course my mind immediately made up romanticized images of The Noble Researcher's Meaningful Life in the Field, although I know the truth is far from that idyllic picture. It's just nice to be inspired. Who says inspiration had to be realistic?

But... back to reality. After this class, I ride home with one of my friends, and her friend from work, Joa and Helene. Sometimes Joa's father drives us; sometimes her papa does :-). And this is fun too.

I miss my friends.