What a weekend it has been so far. First off, allow me to back up a few days and state for the record that 1-UP has been very well behaved. She's almost stopped biting (me) completely and continues to amaze me with her intelligence and her penchant for going bonkers. I've also had a vet visit, which she performed admirably well. There was some issue with trying to get her claws cut but after letting her lick out of the Nutripet (a pet vitamin treat) tube, the silly girl was so happy that she just went limp and let the vet finish with her in 30 seconds flat. All the while she was licking from the tube completely oblivious that she was being groomed. It seems like Nutripet works wonders as a ferret pacifier. I gotta get more of that stuff! She needs to have another vet visit to get neutered soon, and I feel kind of sorry for her. Unfortunately, its a necessary procedure as female ferrets in heat never come out of it unless she's mated. If she doesn't go under the knife, she would bleed to death in under a week!
Now, back to the week proper. Most of my time has been spent in group meetings trying to finish my first assignment for the semester, which has been submitted on Friday. My good friend Rachael came to visit Sydney as well, so after taking her to the backpackers in Bondi where she was to stay on Thursday night we went out to Home in Darling Harbor for a few drinks. As usual, the place was packed to the gills with people dancing the annoyingly loud and techno garbage they had put on. As Rachael came with several friends the whole group of us lounged around in the RNB lounge where the music was of a much more sensible decibel range and my brain finally stopped vibrating. Still, it got to me eventually and I excused myself at the comparatively sedate hour of 4am and made my way back.
Seeing as to how today was Rachael's last day in Sydney, I went out to meet her at Bondi beach for lunch and we hung around the area. Lunch consisted of lamb ribs by the beach and it was a spectacular day. The sun was out and the beach was full of people. After getting a Maxicab for Rachael and her friends I went back to get ready for the highlight of my day.
Earth Hour.
Or more specifically, Earth Hour singles event at Sydney World Tower. That's right, I spent Earth Hour in the company of single men and women culled from all across Sydney from a dating website. And what a night it was. The food was excellent (considering the fact each course was no bigger than 2 slices of baby carrot and food the size of a small cracker). The were 5 courses in total, and at the end of each course the men were instructed to move to the next table and meet the ladies while having the next meal. All in all i'd have to say that the event was pretty interesting. Considering that the age group was supposed to be between 25-39, I think there were a few men and women there who had to get creative with their age. The view from World Tower itself was beautiful as well, and we all turned to look on the city when it was time to cut the lights. As expected, only a handful of buildings shut down while the rest of Sydney sparkled prettily in defiance. Personally, the whole Earth Hour idea seems like a big publicity stunt. we would probably get more results if we had Earth Minute every day of the year, than an Earth Hour once a year that people hardly care about and are likely to forget the very next day. But hey, who am I to complain?
After the even was over everyone retreated to the revolving bar downstairs and had a round of drinks while I made idle chatter with some new friends over a tall glass of orange juice. As is my custom, I soon got bored and impatient of drinking and proceeded to make my way home. Upon entering my room I was greeted by a very guilty looking 1-UP who was still awake (naughty girl). Come morning i'll have to check and see what she's trashed while i'm out.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Punctured
My little ferret has proven to be quite the cute handful! I've let her have the run of my bedroom and she's had a lot of fun tunneling under my quilt and chewing on my Wii nunchuk thumbstick. Watching her scoot around with reckless abandon is fun in and on itself. It's hard not to smile when the silly little thing goes bonkers for no reason other than the fact that its happy. There's only one little snag - its a bit bitey. Ferrets love to nip and nibble with other ferrets as part of their play. The problem is, a human's skin isn't as thick as a ferrets (though I do know of some extremely thick skinned people). This pretty much means that a ferret will bite on your extremeties as it plays, and it hurts. The little girl doesn't draw blood often or anything, but both my hands are covered in red, criss-crossed welts as a result of her teeth. Fortunately, its only a trait baby ferrets have and most of them will outgrow the phase as they get older. This is a blessing because being carnivores, their jaw strength will easily increase past the point where they can break a man's bones.
Currently, i'm training her out of biting by scruffing (holding her by some loose skin behind her neck much like cats and parent ferrets) and saying no. I've only had her since Thursday, but by now she already knows that when I say no, scruffing is sure to follow so she lets go. Intelligent little girl. Now that I can stop her from biting, i've got to train her to refrain from it altogether. To help me do that, i've bought a spray that I can coat my hands and legs with that will give her a terrible taste if she bites. Sooner or later she'll equate human skin with yuckiness and she'll stop. Then I can train her proper ^_^. Ferrets are smart little creatures and if i'm not consistent i'll be playing right into her paws.
In other news, I finally went to try acupuncture out today. The whole experience was over in about 30 mintes or so, and having a very specific request (I needed something to help me sleep) the practitioner only stuck about 7 needles in me. 1 between the thumb and forefinger on each hand, another pair on my wrists, 1 for each leg and finally a single needle for my forehead. I've also got some ginseng pills and a herbal detox to try out.
Why not? I've tried pretty much everything else.
Oh, i'm also very happy to announce that i've decided on a name for my little bundle of toothy mischief. She shall henceforth be known as 1-UP. That's right. She's named after that sweetest and most magical of lifegiving mushrooms.
Mario would shed a tear.
Currently, i'm training her out of biting by scruffing (holding her by some loose skin behind her neck much like cats and parent ferrets) and saying no. I've only had her since Thursday, but by now she already knows that when I say no, scruffing is sure to follow so she lets go. Intelligent little girl. Now that I can stop her from biting, i've got to train her to refrain from it altogether. To help me do that, i've bought a spray that I can coat my hands and legs with that will give her a terrible taste if she bites. Sooner or later she'll equate human skin with yuckiness and she'll stop. Then I can train her proper ^_^. Ferrets are smart little creatures and if i'm not consistent i'll be playing right into her paws.
In other news, I finally went to try acupuncture out today. The whole experience was over in about 30 mintes or so, and having a very specific request (I needed something to help me sleep) the practitioner only stuck about 7 needles in me. 1 between the thumb and forefinger on each hand, another pair on my wrists, 1 for each leg and finally a single needle for my forehead. I've also got some ginseng pills and a herbal detox to try out.
Why not? I've tried pretty much everything else.
Oh, i'm also very happy to announce that i've decided on a name for my little bundle of toothy mischief. She shall henceforth be known as 1-UP. That's right. She's named after that sweetest and most magical of lifegiving mushrooms.
Mario would shed a tear.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Rise of the Rodent
It is a glorious time to be me. The powers-that-be (more specifically, Australia Post) has finally decided that I should receive my preconfigured wireless modem today. A few minutes of wiring and a bleed inducing head knock on my shelf later, and VOILA! The wonderful magic of the all knowing and all encompassing Internet is flowing through the cyber veins of my computer and other networked devices. No more late nights at the freezing cafe accompanied by my customary McDonald's apple pie. No more fishing for loose change to feed the machines so I can continue my ranting and raving. More importantly, my sister has no reason to hang around the dodgy shopkeep anymore. Hooray for one less worry!
But no ladies and gents, boys and girls, that's not all!
I have finally, after years of missed opportunities made a commitment to bring what i've wanted for so long into my house (and heart). That's right, I am now a proud owner of a BEAUTIFUL, absolutely GORGEOUS cream coffee colored, sable ferret. Yep. A ferret. A LADY ferret no less. One of poise, distinction, class, and poop. I've brought the cage home but haven't assembled it yet so i'll only be bringing my new love home tomorrow but i've visited her pretty much daily for the past few days to make sure she's doing fine. Expect many, many pictures and shenanigans to follow.
But no ladies and gents, boys and girls, that's not all!
I have finally, after years of missed opportunities made a commitment to bring what i've wanted for so long into my house (and heart). That's right, I am now a proud owner of a BEAUTIFUL, absolutely GORGEOUS cream coffee colored, sable ferret. Yep. A ferret. A LADY ferret no less. One of poise, distinction, class, and poop. I've brought the cage home but haven't assembled it yet so i'll only be bringing my new love home tomorrow but i've visited her pretty much daily for the past few days to make sure she's doing fine. Expect many, many pictures and shenanigans to follow.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
The King of All Cosmos
It seems that I can't put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard in this case) without spouting some kind of melancholy gibberish lately. Boo. Boo I say. For the sake of variety let's instead take a look at everything else that's been happening in my life. It's not all that bad actually.
For starters, my brain damage inducing ambidexterity exercises are going pretty well. With my right hand, my writing no longer looks like a geriatric baboon wiped its butt on a leaf and pasted it onto a clean sheet of paper. Instead, it has graduated to the realm of looking like something a deranged spider monkey might come up with if given some very primitive writing tools. Once my skills elevate past the animal kingdom I might actually be able to show people the results.
Physically speaking i'm also happy to notice some subtle improvements courtesy of my swimming, pilates and yoga regime. I'm still a long way off from what i'd be proud of, but its nice to see my clothes filling out a bit, and not sideways either. I also seem to be putting on a bit of weight, which is more than likely caused by me eating proper food this semester. The last one was great for taste, but not so good for nutritional value. I'm still having some lethargy issues but I think thats got more to do with my mental state than anything else.
On the relaxation front, i've made quite a fair bit of progress on a bunch of my older, unfinished games. I've also finished a few new ones as well, including the quirky Beautiful Katamari on the 360. Oh King of All Cosmos, how manly is thy moustache, and how awesomely powerful is thy tennis serve. Once again the tiny Prince is called upon to fix his father's glorious mistakes (this time involving a black hole torn into space courtesy of said awesome tennis serve). After several rolling adventures, I was finally able to plug the evil hole by shoving a massive Katamari close to about a million kilometres in diameter into, thereby stopping the Cosmos from leaking to King only knows where.
Speaking of the Cosmos, i've finally managed to weasel a whopping 50% discount on a SkyScout. Needless to say, I am the proud owner of yet another gadget that will not improve the quality of my life in the slightest. What it WILL do, however, is cause me to wander the streets on sleepless nights while I look up the name and history of just about everything I can see in the sky.
If I can't sleep I might as well educate myself.
For starters, my brain damage inducing ambidexterity exercises are going pretty well. With my right hand, my writing no longer looks like a geriatric baboon wiped its butt on a leaf and pasted it onto a clean sheet of paper. Instead, it has graduated to the realm of looking like something a deranged spider monkey might come up with if given some very primitive writing tools. Once my skills elevate past the animal kingdom I might actually be able to show people the results.
Physically speaking i'm also happy to notice some subtle improvements courtesy of my swimming, pilates and yoga regime. I'm still a long way off from what i'd be proud of, but its nice to see my clothes filling out a bit, and not sideways either. I also seem to be putting on a bit of weight, which is more than likely caused by me eating proper food this semester. The last one was great for taste, but not so good for nutritional value. I'm still having some lethargy issues but I think thats got more to do with my mental state than anything else.
On the relaxation front, i've made quite a fair bit of progress on a bunch of my older, unfinished games. I've also finished a few new ones as well, including the quirky Beautiful Katamari on the 360. Oh King of All Cosmos, how manly is thy moustache, and how awesomely powerful is thy tennis serve. Once again the tiny Prince is called upon to fix his father's glorious mistakes (this time involving a black hole torn into space courtesy of said awesome tennis serve). After several rolling adventures, I was finally able to plug the evil hole by shoving a massive Katamari close to about a million kilometres in diameter into, thereby stopping the Cosmos from leaking to King only knows where.
Speaking of the Cosmos, i've finally managed to weasel a whopping 50% discount on a SkyScout. Needless to say, I am the proud owner of yet another gadget that will not improve the quality of my life in the slightest. What it WILL do, however, is cause me to wander the streets on sleepless nights while I look up the name and history of just about everything I can see in the sky.
If I can't sleep I might as well educate myself.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
The anatomy of Guilt
So by now i'm sure you've gathered that i've been having trouble in the barren wasteland formerly known as Paradise. At this point i'm pretty sure that irreparable harm has been caused to the friendship between Her and myself. I'd like to say that the whole affair is regrettable, except I don't regret it.
I've often wondered what it is about me that members of the fairer sex initially fascinating but eventually come to revile. It's like the story of the ugly duckling in reverse, or a butterfly turning into a worm. Given my track record I can no longer discount the fact women sometimes don't know what they want (aren't we all guilty of that to some degree?). I'm all but convinced that the problem lies with me. There must be something I do (or don't do) that just turns things sour after a certain point. With some people it simply happens faster than others. I'm not being a featist either. Given my experiences, the only logical conclusion I can come to is that there's something broken about me. And this is what puzzles me. I'm no angel, but I know i'm a pretty decent guy.
Another mind boggling but sadly common observation i've made is that people seem to be 'happy' to be stuck in one abusive relationship after another. I say happy because that's the only way I can justify their behaviour. I mean, taken at face value, who in their right mind would willingly continue a bad relationship? Does pain really equal love? Sometimes I feel like the only one who can see that statement for the brand of insanity it really is. Does that mean that my crime is that of clarity? Or is my problem the fact that I make people face themselves. Truth has always been a bitter pill to swallow and that will never change. I'm no stranger to running, i've lived my whole life running to or from something. The one thing i've learned in my years of that futile endeavor is that you can never run away from yourself. So why not stop and face it? How can people make the same mistake over and over again?
Is it familiarity?
Is it because a bad relationship the only they've known so it's the only thing they look for?
Does a person who knowingly hurts your feelings and puts you down love you? Where does one draw the line?
I guess my choice in women have also been suspect. In a way i'm just as messed up. I go for people who have been in terrible relationships and try to 'fix' things. I try to show people that nice people still exist. And then I get front row, center seats for when they come up with some idiot excuse or another and go into another relationship EXACTLY like their last one. A classic case of same shit, different smell. I guess I just haven't learned my lesson as far as that's concerned. And it frustrates me.
In life, assholes get the good girls. And nice guys get nothing. I'm tired of people thinking of me only when times are bad. I don't want to be the guy they confide in or call when they have issues, and promptly forget when their boyfriends are behaving. I need someone confident. Someone who has a backbone, and the balls to admit how things are really going. No bullshit, no smokescreens, no regrets, and no guilt. Someone willing to take responsibility for their own actions.
In a way I guess She was right.
I deserve better.
I've often wondered what it is about me that members of the fairer sex initially fascinating but eventually come to revile. It's like the story of the ugly duckling in reverse, or a butterfly turning into a worm. Given my track record I can no longer discount the fact women sometimes don't know what they want (aren't we all guilty of that to some degree?). I'm all but convinced that the problem lies with me. There must be something I do (or don't do) that just turns things sour after a certain point. With some people it simply happens faster than others. I'm not being a featist either. Given my experiences, the only logical conclusion I can come to is that there's something broken about me. And this is what puzzles me. I'm no angel, but I know i'm a pretty decent guy.
Another mind boggling but sadly common observation i've made is that people seem to be 'happy' to be stuck in one abusive relationship after another. I say happy because that's the only way I can justify their behaviour. I mean, taken at face value, who in their right mind would willingly continue a bad relationship? Does pain really equal love? Sometimes I feel like the only one who can see that statement for the brand of insanity it really is. Does that mean that my crime is that of clarity? Or is my problem the fact that I make people face themselves. Truth has always been a bitter pill to swallow and that will never change. I'm no stranger to running, i've lived my whole life running to or from something. The one thing i've learned in my years of that futile endeavor is that you can never run away from yourself. So why not stop and face it? How can people make the same mistake over and over again?
Is it familiarity?
Is it because a bad relationship the only they've known so it's the only thing they look for?
Does a person who knowingly hurts your feelings and puts you down love you? Where does one draw the line?
I guess my choice in women have also been suspect. In a way i'm just as messed up. I go for people who have been in terrible relationships and try to 'fix' things. I try to show people that nice people still exist. And then I get front row, center seats for when they come up with some idiot excuse or another and go into another relationship EXACTLY like their last one. A classic case of same shit, different smell. I guess I just haven't learned my lesson as far as that's concerned. And it frustrates me.
In life, assholes get the good girls. And nice guys get nothing. I'm tired of people thinking of me only when times are bad. I don't want to be the guy they confide in or call when they have issues, and promptly forget when their boyfriends are behaving. I need someone confident. Someone who has a backbone, and the balls to admit how things are really going. No bullshit, no smokescreens, no regrets, and no guilt. Someone willing to take responsibility for their own actions.
In a way I guess She was right.
I deserve better.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Too good to be true
It's official. The saying "I'm not good enough for you" is the thing I hate the most in whole wide world.
More than hypocrites.
More than posers.
More than automated telephone queues.
More than techno.
More than shoddy workmanship.
More than misrepresentation.
Having heard that God damned sentence twice over the past 6 months is almost more than I can take. I thought beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that rubbish. I guess some people can't stand what they see in the mirror so they think everyone sees them the same way.
I'm not being fair. I'm writing in anger.
But I mean every word.
More than hypocrites.
More than posers.
More than automated telephone queues.
More than techno.
More than shoddy workmanship.
More than misrepresentation.
Having heard that God damned sentence twice over the past 6 months is almost more than I can take. I thought beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that rubbish. I guess some people can't stand what they see in the mirror so they think everyone sees them the same way.
I'm not being fair. I'm writing in anger.
But I mean every word.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Voluntary brain damage
On a whim (I seem to be doing that a lot lately) I decided to try and improve my skills with my right hand and essentially shoot for ambidexterity. To that end i've acquired a small training software on the DS that supposedly helps to increase a person's skill with their non dominant hand through a series of exercises done daily. In addition to that, i've also been consciously favoring my right hand over my left when going about my day.
I imagined a world of possibilities.
A world where I can use such common everyday items such as viciously right handed can openers with ease. Yes, that's right, can openers. And that's not the only thing designed with only right handers in mind either. The odds are stacked against me. Take a closer look at things designed to be held and operated and you'll see what I mean too. Stuff like scissors, hell even video game controllers.
I also thought would help rewire my brain for better efficiency. In that, I was half right. As I trolled through the internet earlier today I found this gem of an article, cheerfully entitled "Ambidextrous people are Brain-Damaged". Gee mommy, does that story have unicorns and faeries in it?
No Timmy, it does not.
AND NEITHER DOES YOUR LIFE.
Here's an excerpt of this beautiful, moving composition.
Consequences of Converting Handedness. The handedness of a human being is an expression of an inborn, innate lateralization of the cerebral hemispheres where one side dominates. In the neural system, the tracts are "crossed". Thus, a dominant right cerebral hemisphere results in a dominant left hand and a dominance of the left cerebral hemisphere is responsible for right-handedness [18].
Converting handedness, whether it be from a dominant left hand to a non-dominant right or the reverse, (especially during writing) does not result in a change in cerebral dominance but rather a multifaceted cerebral disturbance or damage. This functional cerebral damage (dysfunction, blockage, and inhibition of brain functioning) can then be manifest in the following primary disorders: disturbances in memory for all three areas of information processing (encoding, storage, and recall); difficulty in concentration (early fatigue); difficulty in reading and spelling (legasthenic problems); spatial disorientation (e.g. confusion of left and right); speech problems ranging from stammering to stuttering; fine motor disturbances evident in writing and other activities requiring precision.
The primary consequences can then go on and transform into secondary consequences: feelings of inferiority; shyness; introversion; overcompensation; defiance to belligerence; braggadocio; provocative behavior; bed-wetting; nail-biting; emotional problems that can last into adulthood with neurotic and/or psychosomatic symptomology; and personality disturbances [ 3,4,7,8,9,11,14] .
The next paragraph is entitled "Cerebral Disturbances". In BOLD.
Hmm, I think I might not exactly be helping myself with this ambidexterity thing.
The full article is available here:
http://www.linkshaender-beratung.de/english/Ambidextrous.htm
Figures that the writer is German.
In other news, the telephone at the apartment has finally been connected, so my ADSL application should fall through over the next week or so. I've also met with the interior designer again to revise the original concept he had submitted to decorate the apartment. The new proposal should cost a significantly smaller amount of money.
Anyway, i'm off to write "I have voluntary brain damage" 50 times with my right hand. That ought to be juuuuuuuuust peachy.
I imagined a world of possibilities.
A world where I can use such common everyday items such as viciously right handed can openers with ease. Yes, that's right, can openers. And that's not the only thing designed with only right handers in mind either. The odds are stacked against me. Take a closer look at things designed to be held and operated and you'll see what I mean too. Stuff like scissors, hell even video game controllers.
I also thought would help rewire my brain for better efficiency. In that, I was half right. As I trolled through the internet earlier today I found this gem of an article, cheerfully entitled "Ambidextrous people are Brain-Damaged". Gee mommy, does that story have unicorns and faeries in it?
No Timmy, it does not.
AND NEITHER DOES YOUR LIFE.
Here's an excerpt of this beautiful, moving composition.
Consequences of Converting Handedness. The handedness of a human being is an expression of an inborn, innate lateralization of the cerebral hemispheres where one side dominates. In the neural system, the tracts are "crossed". Thus, a dominant right cerebral hemisphere results in a dominant left hand and a dominance of the left cerebral hemisphere is responsible for right-handedness [18].
Converting handedness, whether it be from a dominant left hand to a non-dominant right or the reverse, (especially during writing) does not result in a change in cerebral dominance but rather a multifaceted cerebral disturbance or damage. This functional cerebral damage (dysfunction, blockage, and inhibition of brain functioning) can then be manifest in the following primary disorders: disturbances in memory for all three areas of information processing (encoding, storage, and recall); difficulty in concentration (early fatigue); difficulty in reading and spelling (legasthenic problems); spatial disorientation (e.g. confusion of left and right); speech problems ranging from stammering to stuttering; fine motor disturbances evident in writing and other activities requiring precision.
The primary consequences can then go on and transform into secondary consequences: feelings of inferiority; shyness; introversion; overcompensation; defiance to belligerence; braggadocio; provocative behavior; bed-wetting; nail-biting; emotional problems that can last into adulthood with neurotic and/or psychosomatic symptomology; and personality disturbances [ 3,4,7,8,9,11,14] .
The next paragraph is entitled "Cerebral Disturbances". In BOLD.
Hmm, I think I might not exactly be helping myself with this ambidexterity thing.
The full article is available here:
http://www.linkshaender-beratung.de/english/Ambidextrous.htm
Figures that the writer is German.
In other news, the telephone at the apartment has finally been connected, so my ADSL application should fall through over the next week or so. I've also met with the interior designer again to revise the original concept he had submitted to decorate the apartment. The new proposal should cost a significantly smaller amount of money.
Anyway, i'm off to write "I have voluntary brain damage" 50 times with my right hand. That ought to be juuuuuuuuust peachy.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Acupuncture and the cure for lethargy
I haven't been at my best these past few weeks. Between not sleeping well, feeling knackered all day and having constant mental blanks I retained enough sense to wonder what the hell was going on. More importantly, I began to consider possible measures I could take to shake the cobwebs out of my head (and off my body, it seems). Seeing as to how i've been considering giving acupuncture a try, this seemed like the perfect excuse to give it a shot. I made an appointment with a local Chinese medicine practitioner and proceeded to get myself checked out. In keeping with the whole 'I keep forgetting stuff' theme that i've got going on, I forgot to bring my wallet along with me. Fortunately my sister Sabrina was on hand to bring it over.
The checkup itself was fairly brief. The guy just checked my pulse from my left hand, then my right and took a look at my tongue. The diagnosis - I apparently have something that's screwing around with my liver. There was also something about some Yin energy blockage (or was it leakage?). Acupuncture was discussed as a possible solution but considering my strapping young age, the guy recommended that I try some herbal remedies first before going for the needles. Curses. Foiled by my youth! So I walked away from the encounter sporting some Ginseng pills for energy and a bottle of pills that will help detoxify my liver. I'm supposed to gulp down 10 of those buggers 3 times a day. Fortunately, they're tiny and spherical in shape so that hasn't been an issue so far. I strongly suspect that they're roach dung despite the ingredient label claiming that it contains powdered root of some such miracle plant.
After the whole affair I decided to get some new duds and shoes seeing as to how the pair I was wearing are pretty much destroyed. Gotta love that comfort though. Nothing beats an old worn in shoe for that. I'm also currently on the lookout for a good pen. I'll probably hit the city soon and pick myself up a nice Parker or something we'll see.
I am also currently obsessing about this:
http://www.celestron.com/skyscout/index.php
I wants it. I wants it bad.
The checkup itself was fairly brief. The guy just checked my pulse from my left hand, then my right and took a look at my tongue. The diagnosis - I apparently have something that's screwing around with my liver. There was also something about some Yin energy blockage (or was it leakage?). Acupuncture was discussed as a possible solution but considering my strapping young age, the guy recommended that I try some herbal remedies first before going for the needles. Curses. Foiled by my youth! So I walked away from the encounter sporting some Ginseng pills for energy and a bottle of pills that will help detoxify my liver. I'm supposed to gulp down 10 of those buggers 3 times a day. Fortunately, they're tiny and spherical in shape so that hasn't been an issue so far. I strongly suspect that they're roach dung despite the ingredient label claiming that it contains powdered root of some such miracle plant.
After the whole affair I decided to get some new duds and shoes seeing as to how the pair I was wearing are pretty much destroyed. Gotta love that comfort though. Nothing beats an old worn in shoe for that. I'm also currently on the lookout for a good pen. I'll probably hit the city soon and pick myself up a nice Parker or something we'll see.
I am also currently obsessing about this:
http://www.celestron.com/skyscout/index.php
I wants it. I wants it bad.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Game (over)
Well, it looks like my stint at Game/Games Wizards have finally come to an end. I can't in all honesty say that the experience was entirely a pleasant one, but all in all the memories were more good than bad. Most of my issues with the company stem from the fact that things aren't as organized as it should but who knows? That might have been exactly what a video game retailer is about.
So I guess now its time to hit the job market and see what's out there for me. I'm not going to be picky at this stage, so long as I get a position that offers advancement that is related to my field of study.
It would seem that i'm undergoing a pretty radical change, from cleaning up my clothing to a new fitness regime, and now i'm free for a new job. I wonder how things will look like 6 months down the line. Where will I be, what will I be and more importantly, who will I be?
Who will I be?
So I guess now its time to hit the job market and see what's out there for me. I'm not going to be picky at this stage, so long as I get a position that offers advancement that is related to my field of study.
It would seem that i'm undergoing a pretty radical change, from cleaning up my clothing to a new fitness regime, and now i'm free for a new job. I wonder how things will look like 6 months down the line. Where will I be, what will I be and more importantly, who will I be?
Who will I be?
Saturday, March 1, 2008
I do
There's an almost magical feeling you get when you watch someone tie the knot. You know the feeling. The hope that the newlyweds will beat the odds and be one of those fairy tale couples you keep hearing about but never really see.
Today, I was privileged enough to witness Alan, who happens to be my mother's business partner, and Kylie get married. The simple but heartfelt ceremony took place on a boat with the gorgeous Sydney Harbor Bridge as an eye catching backdrop. The weather was behaving and it was a glorious sunset. It would seem that the union is truly blessed. On this post I would like to near-immortalize my best wishes for the happy couple and sincerely hope that life brings them nothing they can't overcome as a pair. Not to mention all that other stuff like happiness, joy and good tax returns.
As we continued to cruise back and forth in the numerous bays in the area, I found myself in relative solitude on the cold, wind upper deck (from which most people had previously retreated from once the sun had set and the temperature drop a few notches). I put the noise and the dancing people behind me while I spent time gazing out across the water and watching seagulls circle the ship, no doubt eager for a morsel or two. After a while I realized that while my gaze continued to stretch across the scenery, my attention had long turned inward into myself. For a normally social person, I dislike crowds and loud music. In parties I would more often than not find a relatively quiet spot and just...be. I would watch people enjoy themselves and sometimes wonder why I never quite fit in. Not that i'd even want to sometimes. Still, it makes me wonder. Here I am, standing apart from totally likeable people, wishing someone would join me in self imposed exile.
I pushed my thoughts away from such a depressing and nonsensical line of thinking and thought about my current situation in life. My studies, my nonexistant employment, my almost-but-not-quite relationship (which I still can't say for sure). I seem to be at a crossroads. On the one hand, the life I know and am quite comfortable with is very nearly at an end. On the other hand stretches that black, gaping chasm of the unknown. What I would give for a guiding light. Or a map. And as it turns out, guidance found me.
In an odd and decidedly atypical moment of clarity, I felt as if my life was revealed to me. Every decision, every consequence, every mistake, smile, tear. Everything. Maybe it was the way the light reflected over the water, or the way the sea churns and pulses like a living being. Maybe it was the way the seagulls, a ghostly blue-gray in the darkness circle the vessel with such grace and dignity that it made me feel like I was the animal. Either way, something triggered my most recent epiphany. The feeling is defying my attempts to put into words.
And the lesson I learned is simple really. What it is, I cannot say for the moment.
The funny thing is, I wasn't the only person staring off into the distance. Several other people were also lost in the moment. I can only hope they find the answers they were looking for.
They say no man is an island.
Tonight I know for certain that they're wrong.
Today, I was privileged enough to witness Alan, who happens to be my mother's business partner, and Kylie get married. The simple but heartfelt ceremony took place on a boat with the gorgeous Sydney Harbor Bridge as an eye catching backdrop. The weather was behaving and it was a glorious sunset. It would seem that the union is truly blessed. On this post I would like to near-immortalize my best wishes for the happy couple and sincerely hope that life brings them nothing they can't overcome as a pair. Not to mention all that other stuff like happiness, joy and good tax returns.
As we continued to cruise back and forth in the numerous bays in the area, I found myself in relative solitude on the cold, wind upper deck (from which most people had previously retreated from once the sun had set and the temperature drop a few notches). I put the noise and the dancing people behind me while I spent time gazing out across the water and watching seagulls circle the ship, no doubt eager for a morsel or two. After a while I realized that while my gaze continued to stretch across the scenery, my attention had long turned inward into myself. For a normally social person, I dislike crowds and loud music. In parties I would more often than not find a relatively quiet spot and just...be. I would watch people enjoy themselves and sometimes wonder why I never quite fit in. Not that i'd even want to sometimes. Still, it makes me wonder. Here I am, standing apart from totally likeable people, wishing someone would join me in self imposed exile.
I pushed my thoughts away from such a depressing and nonsensical line of thinking and thought about my current situation in life. My studies, my nonexistant employment, my almost-but-not-quite relationship (which I still can't say for sure). I seem to be at a crossroads. On the one hand, the life I know and am quite comfortable with is very nearly at an end. On the other hand stretches that black, gaping chasm of the unknown. What I would give for a guiding light. Or a map. And as it turns out, guidance found me.
In an odd and decidedly atypical moment of clarity, I felt as if my life was revealed to me. Every decision, every consequence, every mistake, smile, tear. Everything. Maybe it was the way the light reflected over the water, or the way the sea churns and pulses like a living being. Maybe it was the way the seagulls, a ghostly blue-gray in the darkness circle the vessel with such grace and dignity that it made me feel like I was the animal. Either way, something triggered my most recent epiphany. The feeling is defying my attempts to put into words.
And the lesson I learned is simple really. What it is, I cannot say for the moment.
The funny thing is, I wasn't the only person staring off into the distance. Several other people were also lost in the moment. I can only hope they find the answers they were looking for.
They say no man is an island.
Tonight I know for certain that they're wrong.
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