first day of school today (or yesterday, technically). as I emerged from my apartment and strolled along what would be my commute to class everyday, I had a realization: holy shit this is the first day of class of my last year in college. it's kinda strange when I think about it. I remember the first day of class of my first year in college (I managed to fall asleep in class already). ah that's the first and last time I take a course in astrophysics.
but aside from that reflection, I ran into an interesting (or should I say predictable) debacle in class today. so I'm enrolled in Tagalog, right? but I was one of those unfortunate souls who happened to be on the waitlist (I've made it from 11 to 9, bitches!) however, the problem is that the class was capped and thus...us unfortunate 14 were not able to take the class. so we did what any good Filipino would do (after the proper incitement from our professors): bitch and complain about what we want and how it's sOo unfair because we're brown. "it's your ball game...it's your chance to tell people how we feel...because you have a right to take a Filipino-Tagalog class if you want to...is it because of racism?"
so that all said and with the right people pissed off (some of them went so far as to "call their mamas" to give the dean some lip), the waitlisted 14 convened outside the classroom and drafted a letter explaining our woes and what we wanted, which essentially was another section for our class. we got the letter signed by everyone in the class, typed it, printed it, and marched on over to the dean's office. as expected, we were stopped by the secretary, directed towards some other guy's office, and were redirected once again. at that point it had already been 2 hours and people had to go to other classes or whatever they were up to.
my conclusion? activism leads to...not much. let's be mature about this: it ain't personal so don't try and make it that way. we only lose credibility.
"it is in the nature of us Filipinos to complain to get what we want. that is the only way to make change."
-Prof. Andersson
...and that's why the country is in constant turmoil.
9/24/07
life lessons, learned and re-learned
Today/tonight defintely was a re/learning experience for me. Alot of things I'd already known or learned the hard way before had to be reiterated to me tonight, and the thing that pisses me off is that I knew all this before! Yet I still continue to do these things...
lesson: rap concerts never turn out well.
And especially those rap artists who are mainstream and whose lyrics in certain songs consist mainly of "why you wanna go and do that huh?" For example: went to go see T.I. tonight. I know of maybe, 3 or 4 songs of his, though he is a mainstream rap artist. I've learned this lesson before, with Talib Kweli, Living Legends, Lupe Fiasco (though Common gave a pretty good show): many hip-hop songs just sound better on recording. Don't get me wrong, I love the music...most of it just doesn't sound good live. Besides, I'm not even that great of a fan of T.I. anyway.
lesson: I've outgrown the whole random party thing.
Hell, I think I've even learned this summer that I might be outgrowing the whole party thing really. But there was just something tonight that clicked in me (again) that made me realize that I probably shouldn't go out to the parties of people I don't know. Went out to some party at the "Love Boat" with some of Rene's A-Phi-O friends. The lights were dimmed, the room was crowded, the place was muggy. Music blaring out of those creature speakers, people gathered together to pour shots, get together to take a picture with the shot, and take the shot accordingly. Following was a few seconds of silence while the shot was digested, and almost immediately the group of people reconvenes again behind a digital camera for yet another picture. Seems like something that would be fun amongst people you know, but I've realized that I'm just not that into college parties anymore, especially the ones that your roommates bring you to. Arrival time: 12:38am. Departure time: 12:46am.
lesson: I don't care what you say, Budweiser is shit.
Especially warm Budweiser.
lesson: there is such thing as too much time with someone.
let's not get into that.
lesson: don't buy anything for the home unless you are completely sure that it actually fits
I should've taken the measurement first before I spent $5.99 at Target for that stupid towel rack.
lesson: one glass of red wine a day is good for you
It also makes a good night cap. I've almost forgotten the good buzz it leaves you with too.
lesson: good TV after 2am is hard to come by nowadays.
And yet I'm still watching.
"I applied for a job at the mental hospital today. They said I need 24 hours experience with a retard. So uh...do u want 2 hang out?"
-RM
lesson: rap concerts never turn out well.
And especially those rap artists who are mainstream and whose lyrics in certain songs consist mainly of "why you wanna go and do that huh?" For example: went to go see T.I. tonight. I know of maybe, 3 or 4 songs of his, though he is a mainstream rap artist. I've learned this lesson before, with Talib Kweli, Living Legends, Lupe Fiasco (though Common gave a pretty good show): many hip-hop songs just sound better on recording. Don't get me wrong, I love the music...most of it just doesn't sound good live. Besides, I'm not even that great of a fan of T.I. anyway.
lesson: I've outgrown the whole random party thing.
Hell, I think I've even learned this summer that I might be outgrowing the whole party thing really. But there was just something tonight that clicked in me (again) that made me realize that I probably shouldn't go out to the parties of people I don't know. Went out to some party at the "Love Boat" with some of Rene's A-Phi-O friends. The lights were dimmed, the room was crowded, the place was muggy. Music blaring out of those creature speakers, people gathered together to pour shots, get together to take a picture with the shot, and take the shot accordingly. Following was a few seconds of silence while the shot was digested, and almost immediately the group of people reconvenes again behind a digital camera for yet another picture. Seems like something that would be fun amongst people you know, but I've realized that I'm just not that into college parties anymore, especially the ones that your roommates bring you to. Arrival time: 12:38am. Departure time: 12:46am.
lesson: I don't care what you say, Budweiser is shit.
Especially warm Budweiser.
lesson: there is such thing as too much time with someone.
let's not get into that.
lesson: don't buy anything for the home unless you are completely sure that it actually fits
I should've taken the measurement first before I spent $5.99 at Target for that stupid towel rack.
lesson: one glass of red wine a day is good for you
It also makes a good night cap. I've almost forgotten the good buzz it leaves you with too.
lesson: good TV after 2am is hard to come by nowadays.
And yet I'm still watching.
"I applied for a job at the mental hospital today. They said I need 24 hours experience with a retard. So uh...do u want 2 hang out?"
-RM
9/23/07
temporary retirement
...or, unemployment, to put it more bluntly.
It's been over a week since my last day at the job that defined much of my life the past couple of years. I can't imagine too many things I have involved myself in that wasn't connected in some way, shape or form in this thing called access control. I remember how I was first intrigued by the job, how I had known few people who were in it, how I applied, was 20 minutes late for the interview, and how I finally met the faces I recognized behind those tall green desks and black machines. Little did I know how much this job which required me to be a professional piece of nighttime decorative furniture would affect me.
And though I can thank this job for many of the friends I've made, many of the parties I've attended/hosted, many of the hours of sleep I've lost, much of my love life and most of the times I've blacked out, I can't help but wonder why I was able to just give it up so easily this year. It was a fun and memorable experience, and I'll probably be talking about it for years on out, but I guess this is just an indication that I've decided to move on and "grow up," cause as I've always said, there's so much more we could be doing in the 8 hours we sit in these chairs and slide identification cards through a machine.
But I've been wondering lately, "what else could I be doing?" as I sit at my desk at night reading through the anonymous confessions of people through homemade postcards. Naw, I can't say I regret leaving this job. I don't miss the hours and I don't miss the residents. I will miss the people though. It was a tough job, and after those long nights we would come out of it better friends cause we survived through that 8 hour long "battle" (as Alan put it) together. Yeah, I'll miss that. But it's time to move on, it's time to get back to sleep.
And besides, as long as the facebook invites keep coming, I'm happy.
"Rieber 1 to OCH Dispatch, I'll be signing off my radio for the year. If you need to reach me, you can do so via facebook, email, or landline. Thank you and have a good night. I have officially stopped caring."
-Solo's last radio call
It's been over a week since my last day at the job that defined much of my life the past couple of years. I can't imagine too many things I have involved myself in that wasn't connected in some way, shape or form in this thing called access control. I remember how I was first intrigued by the job, how I had known few people who were in it, how I applied, was 20 minutes late for the interview, and how I finally met the faces I recognized behind those tall green desks and black machines. Little did I know how much this job which required me to be a professional piece of nighttime decorative furniture would affect me.
And though I can thank this job for many of the friends I've made, many of the parties I've attended/hosted, many of the hours of sleep I've lost, much of my love life and most of the times I've blacked out, I can't help but wonder why I was able to just give it up so easily this year. It was a fun and memorable experience, and I'll probably be talking about it for years on out, but I guess this is just an indication that I've decided to move on and "grow up," cause as I've always said, there's so much more we could be doing in the 8 hours we sit in these chairs and slide identification cards through a machine.
But I've been wondering lately, "what else could I be doing?" as I sit at my desk at night reading through the anonymous confessions of people through homemade postcards. Naw, I can't say I regret leaving this job. I don't miss the hours and I don't miss the residents. I will miss the people though. It was a tough job, and after those long nights we would come out of it better friends cause we survived through that 8 hour long "battle" (as Alan put it) together. Yeah, I'll miss that. But it's time to move on, it's time to get back to sleep.
And besides, as long as the facebook invites keep coming, I'm happy.
"Rieber 1 to OCH Dispatch, I'll be signing off my radio for the year. If you need to reach me, you can do so via facebook, email, or landline. Thank you and have a good night. I have officially stopped caring."
-Solo's last radio call
9/17/07
forgot to click "publish post."
Upon looking at my computer's clock one day recently, I made a slightly horrifying realization: Wow. It is the middle of September. It is thus nearly the end of the summer. Reflecting on this fact, I thought about everything that had happened in these past three months, all the highs and the lows, the fun times and the downright emotional times, the times when I felt that this summer would never end and the times I felt that everything was just happening so suddenly.
It's been an interesting summer, and it's sometimes hard to believe how much things have changed since that day I lugged a carload of my belongings down four stories with no elevator (today the situation is practically the same...though now I'm lugging a carload of my belongings up two stories with an elevator using only a grocery cart). Yes, those were different times and I was different then. It feels like only yesterday, while at the same time the situation seems so foreign to me.
How and why did so much change over the course of these past three months? It's only a short while, but the amount of detail I could into could have me writing for days.
But it's not to say that it was a bad summer. It's been enjoyable at best, yet there are some regrettable things that happened as well. I will admit, I have done things this summer that I am not entirely proud of at all, and well if I could, I would change what I did. But alas, my only justification is that I was a truly different person back then, and at the time I was going through a sort of phase, I guess. But aside from that I must say that this probably has been one of my more eventful summers (though it still comes short of last year). I've traveled, I've partied, I've visited family, I've made new friends, I've made a little money on the side, I made it on national
television in polka dot pajama pants, I've made my brain more susceptible to seizures and rotting on account of hours upon hours of watching a screen filled with colorful dots and lines. It's been interesting. It's been fun.
Aside from all this, I still can't help but wonder that I've gained nothing this summer. People I know had internships, studied abroad, or other various exciting activities. I mean, I worked two jobs, spent all my time at work, lost most of my day to sleep, and my free time was spent analyzing passages such as "Faith is just this paradox, that the single individual as the particular is higher than the universal, is justified before the latter, not as subordinate but superior, though in such a way, be it noted, that it is the single individual who, having been subordinate to the universal as the particular, now by means of the universal becomes that individual who, as the particular, stands in an absolute relation to the absolute."
Did you catch that?
I mean, I feel like I would've accomplished more had I not worked as much and sat on my ass all day. At the very least, my brain and my body would have had a break. Now it's already the end of summer and all I'm really feeling is a sense of burnout. Fall quarter is nothing to look forward to either, with school just waiting to take me out for another horrendous spin. It's just a scary feeling knowing that this truly is the beginning of the end of this parable we call our college careers.(and for the record, yes I reserve the right to relate our college careers to parables as there are many lessons learned along the way).
Look, I'm even too burned out to continue writing.
"I don't get it, Mark. You're not that great."
-LT
It's been an interesting summer, and it's sometimes hard to believe how much things have changed since that day I lugged a carload of my belongings down four stories with no elevator (today the situation is practically the same...though now I'm lugging a carload of my belongings up two stories with an elevator using only a grocery cart). Yes, those were different times and I was different then. It feels like only yesterday, while at the same time the situation seems so foreign to me.
How and why did so much change over the course of these past three months? It's only a short while, but the amount of detail I could into could have me writing for days.
But it's not to say that it was a bad summer. It's been enjoyable at best, yet there are some regrettable things that happened as well. I will admit, I have done things this summer that I am not entirely proud of at all, and well if I could, I would change what I did. But alas, my only justification is that I was a truly different person back then, and at the time I was going through a sort of phase, I guess. But aside from that I must say that this probably has been one of my more eventful summers (though it still comes short of last year). I've traveled, I've partied, I've visited family, I've made new friends, I've made a little money on the side, I made it on national
television in polka dot pajama pants, I've made my brain more susceptible to seizures and rotting on account of hours upon hours of watching a screen filled with colorful dots and lines. It's been interesting. It's been fun.
Aside from all this, I still can't help but wonder that I've gained nothing this summer. People I know had internships, studied abroad, or other various exciting activities. I mean, I worked two jobs, spent all my time at work, lost most of my day to sleep, and my free time was spent analyzing passages such as "Faith is just this paradox, that the single individual as the particular is higher than the universal, is justified before the latter, not as subordinate but superior, though in such a way, be it noted, that it is the single individual who, having been subordinate to the universal as the particular, now by means of the universal becomes that individual who, as the particular, stands in an absolute relation to the absolute."
Did you catch that?
I mean, I feel like I would've accomplished more had I not worked as much and sat on my ass all day. At the very least, my brain and my body would have had a break. Now it's already the end of summer and all I'm really feeling is a sense of burnout. Fall quarter is nothing to look forward to either, with school just waiting to take me out for another horrendous spin. It's just a scary feeling knowing that this truly is the beginning of the end of this parable we call our college careers.(and for the record, yes I reserve the right to relate our college careers to parables as there are many lessons learned along the way).
Look, I'm even too burned out to continue writing.
"I don't get it, Mark. You're not that great."
-LT
9/3/07
siks.
6.
Put that number 3 times in a row and you've got something evil going on.
That's twice the number of days Jesus spent in his tomb.
According to Wikipedia, 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. Six is the second smallest composite number, its proper divisors being 1, 2 and 3. Since six equals the sum of these proper divisors, six is a perfect number.
A perfect number, eh? Guess 6th time is a charm...
That is the amount of online journals, blogs, whatever you wanna call them that I have started and unsuccessfully kept. The length of the blogs range from as long as a year and two months to a mere 55 minutes. The websites on which these blogs existed range from diaryland to xanga to blogspot. Needless to say, my attempts to start online journals have been inconsistent and flaky at best. I tend to lose interest in writing in these things after a while, since seemingly I only write when I'm feeling emotional. But I guess this is a trend I can break this time around, possibly. I say this every time, but will this one stand the test of time and my ultimate un-desire to write? I always answer the same way too: m'eh.
But why now? Why should I decide now to provide a place for others to be able to read into the depths of my life? Following the crowd? Or am I just feeling a sudden urge to vent again? Should I write about my day/week/month here? Or should I save this for my commentary on life in general? Hell, I dunno. First thing I've gotta worry about is making sure I actually continue to write in this thing anyway. That said...
Put that number 3 times in a row and you've got something evil going on.
That's twice the number of days Jesus spent in his tomb.
According to Wikipedia, 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. Six is the second smallest composite number, its proper divisors being 1, 2 and 3. Since six equals the sum of these proper divisors, six is a perfect number.
A perfect number, eh? Guess 6th time is a charm...
That is the amount of online journals, blogs, whatever you wanna call them that I have started and unsuccessfully kept. The length of the blogs range from as long as a year and two months to a mere 55 minutes. The websites on which these blogs existed range from diaryland to xanga to blogspot. Needless to say, my attempts to start online journals have been inconsistent and flaky at best. I tend to lose interest in writing in these things after a while, since seemingly I only write when I'm feeling emotional. But I guess this is a trend I can break this time around, possibly. I say this every time, but will this one stand the test of time and my ultimate un-desire to write? I always answer the same way too: m'eh.
But why now? Why should I decide now to provide a place for others to be able to read into the depths of my life? Following the crowd? Or am I just feeling a sudden urge to vent again? Should I write about my day/week/month here? Or should I save this for my commentary on life in general? Hell, I dunno. First thing I've gotta worry about is making sure I actually continue to write in this thing anyway. That said...
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