Traditional Mother

Calling home was probably the worst decision on a Friday night, or I guess it's just my decision to talk about returning to grad school.

Relates to a recent article I read on Wall Street Journal.

Show encrypted text

Changing or changed?

I hardly blog nowadays on the pretense I'm too busy with work that I have more things worth spending my time on. While chatting can be just a way to pass time I think it's more so important to do so now that everyone's so geographically diverse.

People say internet opens all possibilities to communications, but it also to some point destroys the essence of it. We can see someone online on our contacts list, and that could just be a dear friend whom you've not spoken to for some time, but you take for granted cause you assume he/she'll be online the next time too. Time goes by the procrastination becomes a habit and no one really talks anymore.

Now when I go online and I stare at a long list of contacts. All of a sudden I realise everyone feels distant. I believe when we get too one track minded on the present things will come to pass and be only seasonal, where nothing is everlasting.

Something I received in my mailbox which really made me ponder for a moment:

The Charlie Schulz Philosophy

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.

You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them.
Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4 Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies..
Awards tarnish..
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special!!
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials...
the most money...or the most awards.
They simply are the ones who care the most

"Everybody's changing and I don't feel the same" - Keane

Or it could just be me changing?

Back to School (Again)

How does it feel sitting for a test after ages of not doing one? Sort of dreadful: the same old routine all over again. Ensuring you did sufficient preparation and the anxiety if you pass or fail since this time around the stakes are higher too.

Classes can be pretty dreadful too, with long 8-5 hours and the presence of some obnoxious people adds to the bane. This is also the first time in my life I’m encountering a bona fide bimbo! She will shriek when she gets excited, talks with that irritating bimbo slang, bitchy, overconfident and guess what, she’s blonde. To do her just, as a saving grace she’s friendly.

Yet, I don’t know if a bimbo is worse, or someone who could just ramble on and on at the speed of light. Two of the combined: they really make a team. My ear drums are at their limits and I’m looking forward to a seat rotation.

Subject matter’s pretty interesting actually. Instructor’s pretty cool: a paunchy man who looks a little like Hitler, who is after all a little sadist. All in all, school’s still good whereby you still have the dominant control over your time.

Ultimately, do I miss uni? Honest answer: yes, but not the studying. The friends, the company, the crazy moments, the blitheness, and if uni was in a more urban area I think I’m really going to miss my student life greatly.

Puuuuuutttttt

I was told this explains me PRECISELY. No denial. LOL

Stay Cool.....

This is absolutely indispensable to cool your burning cheeks, and anywhere else you need cooling.

I’d now think extreme cold is more treacherous than the extreme heat, because this chunk of ice took much longer than I expected for the desert heat to melt down. Thus imagine what an iceberg could do.

Land of the O-mans (and ladies)

Just to retain the allusion to the country's name, the plural of man is mans.

An eye opening experience. People as warm as the weather. Food which is ironically better to my liking than Thai. The experience here cleared all preconceptions I had before I came to Oman.

It almost feels surreal to thread the desert and be out in the sweltering summer heat, or even to see a camel saunter by, and to top it up, a desert BBQ.

I was dead wrong to think that I need not a single dime in the desert because there's a barber and a convenience store out here.

Water here is inherently hot. In UTP I had to first jump under the shower head due to the chill, here I jump too but due to the heat, and being extra cautious to not overheat one particular part of the body. There's absolutely no need for a water heater here. My brother would relish in this. I always rebuke him for blasting the water heater back home.

Education level here I believe is of higher standard. Most of the folks here hold a diploma or a higher diploma and they can well get a good paying job. Not to mention very good English command of the people here. There really is not difficult at all to make yourself understood.

Owh and have I mentioned about a joke cracked a fellow local Omani: as of now, there are 300 dicks and 1 pussy here on camp. Poor kitty cat.

Living in containers, despite well furnished and air conditioned for the first week is fine, but the subsequent weeks, I think I'm getting sick of it. Initial weeks in the desert are fun, too long I think I'll go bonkers. Nonetheless I know I will miss my stint here. It's after all the human nature to be contradicting, yeap, grass (sand) is always greener (finer/browner?) on the other side.

A Revival, from the Desert

It's been a long while, almost eternity. Few reasons to be motivated to blog: Dean had a customised picture link to my blog which was totally awesome, and the fact that we've all since graduated the best way to keep ourselves abreast with the progress of peers is via a blog.

A lot happened since June, with a lot to gain and lose. A whole new exciting world to explore, a lost family member, months long HK like lifestyle due to major renovation and the dire need for sampatness. I officially miss the karaoke sessions singing at the top of my voice, the regular (not even occasional) Coffee Bean cakes and muffins, purposeful hunt for food and all the outdoor expeditions.

Everyone's moving on, embarking on their own respective journeys. Opportunities to hang out now becomes so rare that even chatting online becomes difficult. These are the times when solid friendships are being put to test, or times we have all taken for granted now being being cherished more than ever. My only wish is for convocation to be as complete as it can be. A final gathering. An official close to a great chapter in life.