Got nerds?

Picture day at school.
Swear, the camera adds 10 lbs. :p


---

--Billie Holiday, Blue Moon

Cool big toys...

Y**** sends:

X says:
is this at home?
yup
Batman is new too?
kaga batman udah lama
see how big they are?
YES
hahaha
the lamp...spotlight?
yes
that's exactly what it is
HUAHAHAHAHAHA
are you gonna bring all of these back home?
yup
hehe...harus dipack yang bener
harus jadi pajangan utama....and my mom will like it!!!
huahahahaha
oh ya?
your mom does?
no...maksudnya...i'll make her likes it
hoaohaohaohohaohahoahooahoha

The "evil" chocolate industry

If tobacco products are packaged with compulsory warning sign such as "Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health," the chocolate industry seems to follow (although I think, it is not required to have such thing). Look what I found strategically placed on the back of the Hershey's Extra Dark:

"The natural antioxidants found in tea and certain fruits like berries and grapes can also be found in Hershey's Extra Dark. This is good news; however, like most indulgent treats, Hershey's Extra Dark should be enjoyed in moderation. A serving of Hershey's Extra Dark Cranberries, Blueberries & Almonds is 3 blocks (37 g) and has 200 calories and 12 g of fat."

It helps a bit. I was tempted to have a second serving, or to hell with it, the whole bar, but I just stopped.

Weekend Edition

Last year, between R and I, we scavenged a lot of computer parts --mostly hard drives and memories-- from Z*a*c*h*r*y's trash container. Since I inherited this built-in-the-mamoth-era office computer last March, I haven't had a chance to install any slave drive for it. Finally today, the first thing I wanted to get done was just that.

It was my luck that not only the scavenged hard drive did not work, but also the computer could not recognize the original drive after I pulled the non-working one off. It finally comes to live again, but not after several plugging and replugging cables and what not and subsequent restarting attempts.

What is it with me and computers?

----

Two hours into my sleep last night, err, this morning, err, wee hours of Friday morning, I woke up with a sudden pang of pain in my lower stomach. It'd better be associated with the shedding of the linings of a certain wall, I thought. And it was.

I just didn't want to sacrifice any more of the precious hours of sleep to succumb for it. I've been on a constant lack of sleeping situation since forever plus the black eyes just don't do one justice, no? But the cram was too excrutiating and there was no way I could continue sleeping without taking any analgesic. The problem was that we were out of anything like that at home.

But wait. What did Dr. X find lying around? A box of non-drowsy Dayquil, which, it turns out, contains >90% acetaminophen. Bingo! It definitely would work for the pain. And it did.

---

I succeed in assembling a group of five or six of us to go watch the musical tonight. Let's see how much fun it would be.

--

Koko N*a*i*b*o*r*h*u: dulu kan si ucok kalo kita ajak panjat pohon nggak pernah mau
xinda warrior princess: oh ya?
xinda warrior princess: aku mau nggak?
Koko N*a*i*b*o*r*h*u: kamu kan kalo aku manjat kamu juga ikut

Hi hi hi...

-

Was on a three-minute phone call to Daddy, wishing him a happy birthday. 54 this year! He was at work 100 kms away from home and won't get home until Thursday. Poor, Papa. I miss him and Mama so much.

My Father and me, Gili Trawangan, December 2004

In a relationship

How do you feel when suddenly proposed over dinner to be a partner in a long term committed relationship between two persons?

Ha ha ha. Sorry to disappoint you guys. This is nowhere near that kind of relationship.

I've been asked to join a friend in a serious quest to shape our respective bods. The plan is that we have to go running in the morning (7 AM-ish, for 20 minutes) and in the evening (8 PM-ish, for 40 minutes), five times a week starting next Wednesday.

FYI, I said yes. Let's see how exactly committed I am. I'm sure he is very.

Ade, Ika, NY, coba kalian di sini...

Ai kan jadi tak pusing nyari temen nonton. Hu hu hu.

Halo say,

Eh, elu suka nonton model-modelnya Broadway musical gitu tak?
Ada Singing in the Rain nih, yang bikin teater lokal.
http://thetheatrecompany.com/2005_rain.shtml

Gue pengen nonton wiken ini nih sam taim. Tertarik-tertarik?

--X

Kalo nggak ada yang pengen, ai pegi sendiri sih.

---

How I wish this PMS passes already! I've been eating insane amount of food: French fries with melted cheese on top, a bag of Lay's with tuna salad dip, a bag of Hershey's Heath, exactly 1.5 boxes of cereal (without milk). And those were just for snacking, multiple times, everyday. I have to do grocery shopping again tomorrow. Can you imagine? And don't get me started on the mood swing and the break outs along the chin. Oh!

Godspeed, dear

ah gue paksain tidur aja lah
iyah bagusnya gitu
kalo ga ya bengong aja ah
ha?
jangan ah
hahaha
ntar makin negatip lagi
ho oh
hahaha
yo wis lah
GOOD LUCK
thanks
need all the luck in the world...
and beyond
ho oh
and
i'll bring my towel this time **
hahahaha
HOAOHAOHAOHAOHOAHOHAOHA
later
bye

**A reference to his favorite...The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy

3:21 AM

3:21 AM, lights off, headphone on. Couldn't sleep (again), said my prayers, been crying (again), been laughing, been thinking. The whole roller coaster ride. A bag full of mixed feeling of everything and nothing. What are these? Don't tell me....early signs of breaking down? Not just yet, let me finish just a bit more.

And you...would you please be happy for me, for once?

He lets me do it

Northgate et. al.

Out of the errands I planned to run yesterday, I managed to do everything but the laundry and the cooking.

Got pulled up by the cops for not having properly working brake lamp.... minutes after I left the garage place where they just fixed the darn thing. With the receipt at hand, I explained the situation. They let me go with a warning instead of a citation. Don't even want to correlate that luck factor with the fact that I dressed to expose some feminine features that afternoon: a mini skirt and a (somehow) cleaveage showing top. Ha!

At last minute, a friend of a friend was visiting and was interested on having a racquetball match with yours truly --hence, the postpone of laundry and cooking. We went to the Rec Center at 8 PM and was done by 9. The guy plays squash back home, so he says it's quite an (easy) experience to try racquetball.

As I was about to ponder on what to do after the Rec trip, my friend proposed to us a taste of Northgate night life. I said, sure, without realizing how complicated it is to get ready and this is on top of that I probably don't have anything "decent" to wear.

The guys picked me up at 11:30 and that officially jumpstarted the bar hopping experience of 2006. Got through some racist bouncers. Somehow danced to a lot of countries, R&B, and the 80's. Didn't drink too much: a Sake Bomb, a Long Island, a Bailey's and a Bud Light. Didn't realize that some guy was picking moi up. Did okay with the high heels.

Afterward, we went to IHOP. I didn't get home until 4:30 in the morning and even then still felt restless. Before I tried to go to bed, I left you an offline message, "hoi...pa kabar kerjaan."

So now, thank you, I do

You've seen me on my lowest low
You've seen me on my highest high

You've seen me bored and lonely
You've seen me rounded and happy

You've seen me questioning myself
You've seen me when I am not

You've seen me mad and angry
You've seen me nice and easy

You've seen me prickly and sweaty
You've seen me as a "beauty"

You've reminded me of hopes
You've offered me comforting words

You know me all too well
Yet all this time, I took you for granted

So now, thank you
I do

How much more solitary could my life be?

And here's the plan for up to, I don't know, whatever time it needs to finish all of these...

• Change The Rage's broken driver's side brake lamp
• Get The Rage state inspected (registration renewal)
• Grocery shopping
• Get quarters for laundry
• Do laundry
• Lunch....to finish up the best semi-homemade Chicken Pot Pie evah made(I'm still proud of myself)
• Assemble food stuff for next week (still have no idea what)

Then, it's probably back to the lab again. There are new samples ready for measurement and analysis. Needs to prepare myself for the "big" Tuesday individual meeting with the advisor. Wish me luck?

PS:
Am I losing you, even as a friend too?

TGIF?

So here is the plan for up to 10 PM tonight:

Daily Mass at 5:30, followed by a culinary trip to Taqueria Arandas for some chips and salsa and Chimichangas with milanesa, maybe I'll get some Horchata too. Then, off to downtown Bryan and surrounding areas to look around if they sell any Mexican dresses at all --Miss Didi has been wanting one of those so bad, I forgot why. And then be back home just in time for this show.

Afterward, I'll probably just go running again. But I've been running three days straight, gotta get some rest and might as well just take the time to finish reading that book I've been carrying around in the purse for quite some time now. But then again, that Prada movie sounds fun.

We'll see.

Happy Weekend!

Btw, meet my "Shawn Spencer"...Ha ha ha. Gotta love the guy.

...

Canoeing Down the Brazos River

It was all started when I got a phonecall from a certain Miss G****** at 10:30 PM Saturday:

Hey, X, we are looking for somebody adventurous and we have this one seat left for a canoeing trip down the Brazos River tomorrow. I know, this is all last minute but...
[cutting her] K, I would love to come!

At seven the next morning, most us of the group of 16 adults and 4 children gathered at Mr. G's, the usual HQ. We didn't leave until around nine, though, due to Miss G's "rubber clock"-ness. Fixings for sandwiches, breads, chips, soft drinks, waters, and watermelon were loaded to four ice chests and into the cars. And then we headed to the starting point off a bridge in HW 21 with the eight canoes all tied up on top of two trucks and two SUVs.
Once the canoes were unloaded to the ground, the four drivers drove the SUVs and the trucks to the landing point. The rest of us waited down the bridge (the birdnests hanging under the bridge were interesting, I've just never seen anything like that), applying thick layers of sunblocks, getting the canoes down to the river and loading the ice chests and ourselves to the canoes. Meanwhile, a Union Pacific train passed by with the conductor waving at us.

The river at this time of year is shallow with almost no current. The river carved resulted in meandering path, sort off. Even with the constant rowing motion, the blazing heat, it was still worth an experience.

We spotted different kind of birds such as Sandpipers, Herons, Sparrows, even Eagles and flock of Vultures. The landscape along the river changed from walls of high sandy points, to where it was just a wide open space, to the parts where there are heavy greeneries. There was a nice white sand beach with bushes of wild flowers in the background. It kinda reminded me to the beaches of the East Coasts.

We stopped by for our lunch after two plus hours rowing at a shady beach. Two hours after, we made another pit stop on the white sand beach. This time it was just to float on the river. What fun!

After another two hours rowing, we finally made it to Snook. It took us almost two hours to pull the canoe up the ground and to load them back to the cars.

There are things that will be kept on your memory. This canoeing down the Brazos would for sure counted as one of the most memorable.

Kritik

Nda, gue boleh bilang sesuatu tentang lo gak?
Hmm..Apa?
Lo bisa nerima kritik kan?
Ya bisa aja...
Kalo menurut gue, lo tuh kurang menghargai diri sendiri.
Ha? Maksud elu?
Ya contohnya aja, kita ambil masalah yang paling deket.
Emang lo harus demonstrate lower value seperti itu? Kalo dia yang di posisi lo, apa dia harus bersikap kayak gitu buat bikin lo happy?
Ehm, ya nggak juga.
Nah, makanya. Pikir deh baik-baik, menghargai diri itu penting, kalo gak orang lain juga gak ngehargain lo.
Yah, tergantung sikon-nya lah. Tapi makasih, elu ada benernya juga.

Excerpt

...on a pedestal, dear, not in your arms. That's all I've ever wanted.

Pretty please

There are several stuff that I really, really, really want to happen by the end of the year:

1. Badger the advisor for possibility to take the p*r*e*l*i*m exam.
2. (If possible) Arrange for it for sometime in either early October or late November.
3. Attend and present stuff at that (beach) conference on late October/early November.
4. Go home for Christmas & New Year (if possible, a three week break)
5. Get the visa approved and come back here to finish.

And that would make it my year.

It's A*P*L, yo!!!

It had been a lazy Saturday morning. At 12 o'clock, I finally succeded to drag myself out of the bed....to sit in front of the computer. Yes, I know, what a potato!

I usually won't be checking the school e-mail on days like this, but what did I know, I pointed the mouse to that nifty Thunderbird. 5 new e-mails, 4 research related...and in one of those, it says this:

Reviewer Comments:
Reviewer #1 Evaluations:
RECOMMENDATION: Publish in A*P*L with optional revision
Paper Interesting: Yes
Original Paper: Yes
Sufficient Physics: Yes
Well Organized and Clear: Yes
Free From Errors: Yes
Conclusions Supported: Yes
Appropriate Title: Yes
Good Abstract: Yes
Satisfactory English: Yes
Adequate References: Yes
Clear Figures: Yes
OVERALL RATING: Very Good 

Woohoo! That's one respectable journal, surely an improvement from that other one we submitted to last year.

I know exactly just what to do for at least a couple of hours this fine Saturday afternoon... working on the correction and e-mail it back to the advisor for a final submission.

But before, I will open that Sparkling Grapefruit Juice and drink it from whatever left wine glasses there are in the cupboard. Alcohol will have to wait. Ha ha ha.

..

H*a*r*a*f*i*a*h

Hey you,

I can finally start to look at you straight in the eyes. Ternyata bukan momok yang menakutkan seperti yang selama ini dibayangkan.

Halah, mulai lagi...

Whoa, I don't follow the STS-121

NASA, we have an Aggie astronaut!

'His biggest moment of the trip?

"I think it will be seeing the Earth and the oceans and continents rolling by without the lines you see on a map," Fossum, who was selected to be an astronaut in 1998, says. "To get beside the International Space Station -- to see it in space, not just pictures of it like we've seen before -- I think that will be a huge thrill." '

--Michael Fossum '80

Just finished designing

my own coat of arm.



Ha Ha Ha...

Oh, my, I love these guys!

Oh baby dont you know I suffer?
Oh baby can you hear me moan?
You caught me under false pretences
How long before you let me go?

You set my soul alight
You set my soul alight

(You set my soul alight)
Glaciers melting in the dead of night
And the superstars sucked into the supermassive

(You set my soul alight)
Glaciers melting in the dead of night
And the superstars sucked into the 'supermassive'

I thought I was a fool for no-one
Oh baby I'm a fool for you
You're the queen of the superficial
And how long before you tell the truth

You set my soul alight
You set my soul alight

(You set my soul alight)
Glaciers melting in the dead of night
And the superstars sucked into the supermassive

(You set my soul alight)
Glaciers melting in the dead of night
And the superstars sucked into the 'supermassive'

Supermassive black hole
Supermassive black hole
Supermassive black hole

Glaciers melting in the dead of night
And the superstars sucked into the supermassive

Glaciers melting in the dead of night
And the superstars sucked into the supermassive

(You set my soul alight)
Glaciers melting in the dead of night
And the superstars sucked into the supermassive

(You set my soul alight)
Glaciers melting in the dead of night
And the superstars sucked into the supermassive

Supermassive black hole
Supermassive black hole
Supermassive black hole

Muse-Supermasive Blackhole
http://myspace.com/muse

Sunday

• Been saying no to go with the guys for a Houston culinary and window shopping trip.
• Been ten minutes late to the 11 o'clock Mass and watching babes, glorious babes running around and making cute noises.
• Been doing grocery shopping on one of the most busiest times of the week.
• Been baking Atlantic Salmon (farm raised) with simple lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil and had it for lunch with curly french fries.
• Been scrubbing the oven, the microwave, the countertops, the kitchen floor, the dirty crown molding by the floor, the doors, the AC.
• Been eating saltine crackers with cream cheese and guava paste.
• Been putting an end on the old blog and turning it into an archive instead.
• Been reading a few chapters of Chesterton.
• Been watching While You Were Sleeping and Gladiator (and cried during both, everything is crying material these days).
• Been having general discomfort with the right hand, palm, and fingers.
• Been painting my toe nails.
  
• Been wondering how you have been doing.

First Friday

Yesterday morning, as I was walking to school on my usual route by the church, reaching for a pack of bubble gum in my purse, a feminine voice suddenly calling for me. It was a girl I knew just a couple of weeks ago. Her name, interesting enough, is Immaculate Conception, roughly translated from her native language.

Immaculate Conception and I exchanged a few words and then I got introduced to her friend. Afterward, I excused myself to continue walking.

"Sure, you go on," she said. "I will sit in the church for a while to spend time with Jesus and then I will go to school myself."

"Oh, I thought there is something else," I said, somewhat ignorant.

"No, no."

Right after, I pondered on the thing I had just said to her and later realized, that right that instant, I was unconciously branding her as one of those holier-than-thou type of people. I even remember a few seconds later that I tried to justify myself thinking that one doesn't need to be in church to be with God. And there, I was turning into a holier-than-thou myself.

My token view is that there's nothing wrong with what you do on your personal relation with the greater Force. It's the "advertisement" that I don't agree with...to some extend.

In this case, I feel mistaken.

I suddenly wanted to go to the daily 5:30 PM Mass, and what did I know, it was the First Friday.

Waiting, still waiting...

• Do you see through what I need to convey?
• What really is going through your mind?
• Are you angry?
• or stoned or anything else in between?
• Do you think it's plain silly?
• Will you ever forgive?
• Or, will you be a good champ and understand?
• Will it be that much different from now on?
• Am I making such a big deal out of this?
• Please, can we laugh about it now?
• Oh, wait, do you even remember?

Will I have the answers to those burning questions of mine?

Referral

1. e*l*o-g*u*e
2. a*k*u-k*a*m*u

Oh, dear, why don't we refer to each other with the first one. I don't know why, I just don't feel comfortable everytime you happen to use the latter. We are just friends gitu loh!

Detached

My dear Miss Didi has been working (for two days) on this very appropriate and beautiful line art apropos to my so-called detachment process. It pictures a sweet, innocent looking girl looking up to the sky sans an umbrella so that the rain pours upon her.

What makes it more to the point is the accompanying lyrics she chose, of the song by none other than Miss Norah Jones. Here it goes in all actuality:

What am I to you
Tell me darling true
To me you are the sea
Fast as you can be
And deep the shade of blue

When you're feeling low
To whom else do you go
See I cry if you hurt
I'd give you my last shirt
Because I love you so

If my sky should fall
Would you even call
Opened up my heart
I never want to part
I'm giving you the ball

When I look in your eyes
I can feel the butterflies
I love you when you're blue
Tell me darlin' true
What am I to you

Yeah well if my sky should fall
Would you even call
Opened up my heart
Never wanna part
I'm giving you the ball

When I look in your eyes
I can feel the butterflies
Could you find a love in me
Could you carve me in a tree
Don't fill my heart with lies

I will you love when you're blue
Tell me darlin' true
What am I to you
What am I to you
What am I to you

Really appreciate it, Hon.

Spelling Bee

When you spell out a word to me, I will have trouble to put all the letters together and usually end up guessing for it by a combination of the context of what was on the conversation and by the sound of the first letters at the beginning and at the end. It will work as long as it doesn't involve an unsual name or something random. A hypochondriac will think of this a sign of brain deterioration. I'm not sure if I am one.

This morning, on a phone conversation to fix my login problem to a certain webscheduler, the person in charge gave me a random password and I, to my wonder, was able to "decode" the said password as it was, no trick, no guessing. Hooray!

It was Q-W-E-R-T-Y.

Btw, I just realized, they are the first six letters of the left part of the second row of the keyboard. I usually use the first four on the left of the third row.

Rock-a-X*i*n*d*a

Ctrl+T, headphone on, sleep.

1. The Smashing Pumpkins, Farewell and Goodnight
2. The Smashing Pumpkins, Thirty-Three
3. Snow Patrol, Run
4. S*a*m*s*o*n, K*e*n*a*n*g*a*n T*e*r*i*n*d*a*h
5. The Smashing Pumpkins, Beautiful
6. Julie London, Cry Me a River

Reason # 187 why you were diggable: You watch The Cosby Show
# 188: ...and Mad about You

Happy 4th!

How could one feel even lonelier when one is among good companions?
Would it be ever somebody to hold one's hand?
See how lovely the fireworks crack...

Question

What do you give a girl -who has everything that she needed in this whole wide world- for her birthday? Pictures? I don't know...

• Browse a collection of pictures, somehow assuring yourself that you have decent quality ones to work on.
• Turns out, you only have a few of no flash, blurry, underexposed set from that hookah session at a local joint.
• Have an imsomnia moment before finally remember the address of a certain free online photo album you think you've stored pictures from two or three years ago on.
• Find a set of ordinary looking, unfocused, or in general, even worst pictures from the said album.
• Settle for the no flash, blurry, underexposed set from that hookah session at a local joint.
• Work on your usual collage style from the said pictures.
• Run to Target thinking you can kill two birds with one stone: print the finished collage and get a physical frame for it.
• Find out that collage resolution is way too small for printing.
• Go back home, rework the collage, making sure it works for a 4 x 6.
• Go back to Target, get printing done.
• Printing lady suggests getting one in done in B/W, agree
  
• Browse frame aisles, looking for artsy yet affordable frame
• Find a stand alone one which works both sides
• Go back home to work on the frame and the pictures
  
• Remove glue mark on the frame's glass cover with Nail Polish Remover
• Remove Nail Polish Remover mark with rubbing alcohol
• Try to place the two pictures perfectly in the middle of the frame
• Give up on being perfectionist

Drama

Not a single day gone by without me questioning what could have happened had I not acted on the worst possible decision ever taken. This not knowing has killed the cat. In retrospect, at least, there are lessons learned, points taken, and one's self grown.

Life is a drama, a pretty good one.

Always a good blog fodder

I'm in the middle of things again
couldn't even taking care of my own
Ur own what?
my own stuff
and here they are asking for advices
tsk tsk tsk tsk
Haha
yes
haha
Those who don't have appreciate more
haha
in them I see me
Single asian catholic phdbound girl seeks companionship?
ah
you know what I mean
I know

Hello World!

Ah, it's so nice to be around here. New place, hopefully new perspective on everything.

Later.