Blogging on a lazy Saturday afternoon
I'm pretty sure I should be studying for something - oh, like Theology or SA - right now, but it's a lazy afternoon and the computer lab is rather quiet, so I feel like blogging.
Academics
So it's been two weeks since the Christmas break ended, and so far, I think I'm doing fine with my academics. Last January 6, we had a long exam in Law, and to my surprise, I got the highest grade in class. Most people don't believe me when I say this, but I am honestly surprised when I get my grades because I'm a pessimistic person; I usually expect the worst when it comes to my grades. (On the other hand, when I expect good grades, I usually get lower than I expected.) I'm hoping that I will also do well in the Law midterms, especially since Sir Santiago seems to expect a lot from me. It's kind of nerve-wracking how he often calls me to recite when I'm off-guard, so I've had a lot of embarrassing moments in his class, but I really enjoy Law class (the subject matter is interesting and the prof is awesome), so I take it all in good fun. Last time, when no one could answer a certain question in class, he suddenly called me and threatened (jokingly, of course) to give me an F if I couldn't answer it, and I was already going "Auauau" (an expression of nervousness, which I borrowed from an anime) in my head, because I don't like it when I can't answer a question right! Haha!
We also received our Accounting long tests, and I'm actually disappointed with my grade. :( People say that it is high, but when compared to the highest scorer's grade, I don't think it is, so I have to do better next time. Sadly, though, the current topic - bonds and other long-term liabilities - is rather difficult, so I don't know how I can score high in the next exam. (And it doesn't help that I'm not exactly fond of my current Accounting prof, who makes it difficult for me to enjoy Accounting.) I don't even know how I will survive the week of January 26-31, because it will be one hell of a week - Accounting exam, Law midterms, plus some projects for my org.
Next Wednesday, I'll be having my Theo orals, and because I get nervous easily, I can only hope that I will do well in the orals. Before the Christmas break, we had our Theo long test (it was a written exam), and I got a totally unexpected high score - first time I ever got an A++, haha. I want to get a high score in the Theo orals, too; I hope I don't run out of things to say.
T-Th classes aside, my M-W-F classes are fun as always. I really enjoy Nihongo class, but time seems to fly out the window, because it always seems to end soon. The same goes for Asian history. We just had our Histo long exam last Friday; already I'm aware that I have a few mistakes, but I do hope my score will be fine. SA is, admittedly, a bit of a bore - it has to do with the way the subject matter is presented (it actually has potential to be interesting), and with the fact that our class is at 7:30 in the morning. One of the few things that I'm looking forward to in SA class, though, is our study on cosplayers. However, we don't have a clear idea of the guidelines, so we haven't started working on it yet.
Extra-curricular Activities
Not as planned! It seems coincidental that two projects I'm working on, Battlefield Beta and AMA Expo are to occur at almost the same time, the end of January (aka Hell Week). I'm actually worried about both projects. I only started taking leadership roles in orgs this year, so I don't have much experience in handling projects. And so far, I don't think I've been doing a very good job, especially with regards to the AMA Expo. There's been some misunderstanding, it seems, and while my quick-thinking co-managers have fixed the situation, I can't help but think that I screwed up badly. And I'm thinking of the bad impression I must have left on them, and on the person I've been communicating with. What if they don't want to work with me again? I can only breathe easy once the AMA Expo is over.
As for Battlefield Beta, it's supposed to be a Statistics mini-camp (spanning three Saturdays) / contest for high school students. I was looking forward to this project, but now I'm worried that things might not turn out as the project heads planned. It would be a shame if this event didn't become as successful as we hoped it would be.
Speaking of A-Stat... to run or not to run in the elections? I really can't decide. I don't know if I can handle the pressure because I burn out easily.
But org-related matters aren't entirely dismal. It's Celadon Month, which means that there will be lots of Celadon projects this month! I want to help out with at least one project. Celadon is fun, but other than managing its website, I haven't done much for Celadon lately. I miss the amusing Celadon projects; I want to be in on the fun!
Also, I joined PressPlay, a journalism contest presented by our school paper (The Guidon) and DLSU's school paper (The LaSallian). For the creative non-fiction category, I submitted a paper that I wrote for English class last year; it's an eyewitness report of one of my trips to Japan. Last night, as I was about to sleep, my mom told me that a text message came in - I won first place! Is this for real? Am I not dreaming? Wow, I haven't been writing for sometime, but winning a journalism contest motivates me to get over my writer's block and actually write something. That's not all - the feeling of victory and motivation to write again aside, I'll get P5000 (cosplay money, haha) and, I think, a few other prizes! The awarding ceremony will be held in a few minutes; I'm nervous! (Shout-out to Sir Exie: Thank you so much for the constructive criticism, Sir! Without those comments, I don't think I would be able to revise my paper very well.)
Here's something touching in relation to placing first in the Creative Nonfiction category: my mom texted me today while we were having our NSTP recollection. She told me to keep up the good work. "Ur parents may not be showy but we r proud of you," she said. My eyes were tearing up when I read that message, because I am not that close with my mom. Sometimes I think that she doesn't like me very much, so I sometimes get argumentative with her and vice-versa. And there were times when I would angst about how I think my mom is indifferent to me, because I sometimes felt that she didn't give a crap about my achievements. :( I guess my mom is, like me, not emotionally expressive. And in this sense she reminds me of Oryou Sonozaki from Higurashi, who projects a mean and uncaring image on the outside, but is actually nice and soft on the inside. This message really tugged at my heartstrings so I'm not erasing it. <3
Personal and Miscellaneous Matters
Our school offers a program called JTA (Junior Term Abroad); as the name implies, it gives promising students (those with high grades and who are involved in extra-curricular activities) a chance to spend one semester of their junior year abroad. I don't know whether to go or not. On one hand, I want to spend lots of time in a foreign land (preferably Japan), but on the other hand, I will miss some people, things (like my computer - this is silly but I love my computer), and opportunities. I might also be lonely because my close friends have no plans of applying for the JTA, and some of my friends who will be applying for the JTA plan to go to different countries (e.g. Singapore, France, Taiwan). I'm still trying to weigh the pros and cons.
Other random stuff:
- I can't wait to go to another cosplay convention! If Toujin will push through with its music festival, I will be very happy. :) But if that doesn't push through, my friends and I will have time to prepare for the Tagcom convention (Feb. 28-Mar. 1) and the much-awaited Ozine Fest! I will try cosplaying Rika or Mion sometime.
- I am worried about my health. I don't think I have an ordinary cold, because it keeps coming back (or perhaps it hasn't gone away at all). And I get strange symptoms like migraine and fatigue. Am I immune to cold medicines? Or am I just not taking my medicine consistently (I am guilty of that)? I'm worried, but I'm trying not to think about it because I can be a hypochondriac sometimes.
- I am hooked on Higurashi. I like Rika; she is really cute, especially when she says "Nipaa~". I like Takano and Tomitake too; somehow they remind me of Villetta and Ougi, except Villetta isn't evil. I am both disturbed and amused by the characters' bouts of psychosis and maniacal laughter. I'm currently looking for the live-action version, despite people saying that the live-action movie is bad. Yoohoo! Does anyone have a copy? XD
- I want to watch Kuroshitsuji.
- "Karen", I am so happy for you with regards to your grades in you-know-what subjects! *clap clap clap*
Academics
So it's been two weeks since the Christmas break ended, and so far, I think I'm doing fine with my academics. Last January 6, we had a long exam in Law, and to my surprise, I got the highest grade in class. Most people don't believe me when I say this, but I am honestly surprised when I get my grades because I'm a pessimistic person; I usually expect the worst when it comes to my grades. (On the other hand, when I expect good grades, I usually get lower than I expected.) I'm hoping that I will also do well in the Law midterms, especially since Sir Santiago seems to expect a lot from me. It's kind of nerve-wracking how he often calls me to recite when I'm off-guard, so I've had a lot of embarrassing moments in his class, but I really enjoy Law class (the subject matter is interesting and the prof is awesome), so I take it all in good fun. Last time, when no one could answer a certain question in class, he suddenly called me and threatened (jokingly, of course) to give me an F if I couldn't answer it, and I was already going "Auauau" (an expression of nervousness, which I borrowed from an anime) in my head, because I don't like it when I can't answer a question right! Haha!
We also received our Accounting long tests, and I'm actually disappointed with my grade. :( People say that it is high, but when compared to the highest scorer's grade, I don't think it is, so I have to do better next time. Sadly, though, the current topic - bonds and other long-term liabilities - is rather difficult, so I don't know how I can score high in the next exam. (And it doesn't help that I'm not exactly fond of my current Accounting prof, who makes it difficult for me to enjoy Accounting.) I don't even know how I will survive the week of January 26-31, because it will be one hell of a week - Accounting exam, Law midterms, plus some projects for my org.
Next Wednesday, I'll be having my Theo orals, and because I get nervous easily, I can only hope that I will do well in the orals. Before the Christmas break, we had our Theo long test (it was a written exam), and I got a totally unexpected high score - first time I ever got an A++, haha. I want to get a high score in the Theo orals, too; I hope I don't run out of things to say.
T-Th classes aside, my M-W-F classes are fun as always. I really enjoy Nihongo class, but time seems to fly out the window, because it always seems to end soon. The same goes for Asian history. We just had our Histo long exam last Friday; already I'm aware that I have a few mistakes, but I do hope my score will be fine. SA is, admittedly, a bit of a bore - it has to do with the way the subject matter is presented (it actually has potential to be interesting), and with the fact that our class is at 7:30 in the morning. One of the few things that I'm looking forward to in SA class, though, is our study on cosplayers. However, we don't have a clear idea of the guidelines, so we haven't started working on it yet.
Extra-curricular Activities
Not as planned! It seems coincidental that two projects I'm working on, Battlefield Beta and AMA Expo are to occur at almost the same time, the end of January (aka Hell Week). I'm actually worried about both projects. I only started taking leadership roles in orgs this year, so I don't have much experience in handling projects. And so far, I don't think I've been doing a very good job, especially with regards to the AMA Expo. There's been some misunderstanding, it seems, and while my quick-thinking co-managers have fixed the situation, I can't help but think that I screwed up badly. And I'm thinking of the bad impression I must have left on them, and on the person I've been communicating with. What if they don't want to work with me again? I can only breathe easy once the AMA Expo is over.
As for Battlefield Beta, it's supposed to be a Statistics mini-camp (spanning three Saturdays) / contest for high school students. I was looking forward to this project, but now I'm worried that things might not turn out as the project heads planned. It would be a shame if this event didn't become as successful as we hoped it would be.
Speaking of A-Stat... to run or not to run in the elections? I really can't decide. I don't know if I can handle the pressure because I burn out easily.
But org-related matters aren't entirely dismal. It's Celadon Month, which means that there will be lots of Celadon projects this month! I want to help out with at least one project. Celadon is fun, but other than managing its website, I haven't done much for Celadon lately. I miss the amusing Celadon projects; I want to be in on the fun!
Also, I joined PressPlay, a journalism contest presented by our school paper (The Guidon) and DLSU's school paper (The LaSallian). For the creative non-fiction category, I submitted a paper that I wrote for English class last year; it's an eyewitness report of one of my trips to Japan. Last night, as I was about to sleep, my mom told me that a text message came in - I won first place! Is this for real? Am I not dreaming? Wow, I haven't been writing for sometime, but winning a journalism contest motivates me to get over my writer's block and actually write something. That's not all - the feeling of victory and motivation to write again aside, I'll get P5000 (cosplay money, haha) and, I think, a few other prizes! The awarding ceremony will be held in a few minutes; I'm nervous! (Shout-out to Sir Exie: Thank you so much for the constructive criticism, Sir! Without those comments, I don't think I would be able to revise my paper very well.)
Here's something touching in relation to placing first in the Creative Nonfiction category: my mom texted me today while we were having our NSTP recollection. She told me to keep up the good work. "Ur parents may not be showy but we r proud of you," she said. My eyes were tearing up when I read that message, because I am not that close with my mom. Sometimes I think that she doesn't like me very much, so I sometimes get argumentative with her and vice-versa. And there were times when I would angst about how I think my mom is indifferent to me, because I sometimes felt that she didn't give a crap about my achievements. :( I guess my mom is, like me, not emotionally expressive. And in this sense she reminds me of Oryou Sonozaki from Higurashi, who projects a mean and uncaring image on the outside, but is actually nice and soft on the inside. This message really tugged at my heartstrings so I'm not erasing it. <3
Personal and Miscellaneous Matters
Our school offers a program called JTA (Junior Term Abroad); as the name implies, it gives promising students (those with high grades and who are involved in extra-curricular activities) a chance to spend one semester of their junior year abroad. I don't know whether to go or not. On one hand, I want to spend lots of time in a foreign land (preferably Japan), but on the other hand, I will miss some people, things (like my computer - this is silly but I love my computer), and opportunities. I might also be lonely because my close friends have no plans of applying for the JTA, and some of my friends who will be applying for the JTA plan to go to different countries (e.g. Singapore, France, Taiwan). I'm still trying to weigh the pros and cons.
Other random stuff:
- I can't wait to go to another cosplay convention! If Toujin will push through with its music festival, I will be very happy. :) But if that doesn't push through, my friends and I will have time to prepare for the Tagcom convention (Feb. 28-Mar. 1) and the much-awaited Ozine Fest! I will try cosplaying Rika or Mion sometime.
- I am worried about my health. I don't think I have an ordinary cold, because it keeps coming back (or perhaps it hasn't gone away at all). And I get strange symptoms like migraine and fatigue. Am I immune to cold medicines? Or am I just not taking my medicine consistently (I am guilty of that)? I'm worried, but I'm trying not to think about it because I can be a hypochondriac sometimes.
- I am hooked on Higurashi. I like Rika; she is really cute, especially when she says "Nipaa~". I like Takano and Tomitake too; somehow they remind me of Villetta and Ougi, except Villetta isn't evil. I am both disturbed and amused by the characters' bouts of psychosis and maniacal laughter. I'm currently looking for the live-action version, despite people saying that the live-action movie is bad. Yoohoo! Does anyone have a copy? XD
- I want to watch Kuroshitsuji.
- "Karen", I am so happy for you with regards to your grades in you-know-what subjects! *clap clap clap*