On learning from your mistakes

If Man is imperfect, why do we strive for the impossible (i.e. perfection)? Why should making mistakes be so painful?

Things to be doing

3 Down and 2 to go!

Now, I should once again be studying (like really), but I had two depressing head-banging, nerve-wrecking papers today. The first was Lit, and I cannot for my life recall watching that episode of South Park that the exam paper asked me to write about. I don't even recall watching it... Ungh. Philo was worse. I should have studied for it. Instead, felt like sleeping throughout the paper. Darn. I tell you, it's not fair...open book makes you not want to study.

Right now, i shall indulge in A List of Things to do next week.

1)Go Tea Bone & chill
2)Read books
3)Get hair cut
4)Give blog makeover
5)Blog somemore
6)Study for last paper
7)Youtube/Crunchyroll/Veoh... you get the picture

List of Books to read (or planning to):
-Fragile Things, Neil Gaiman [I want! I want!]
-Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Haruki Murakami
-Tale of Genji, Lady Murasaki Shikibu [must finish this scandalous book]
-The Remains of the Days, Kazuo Ishiguro [it's sitting at home]
-The Polysyllabic Spree, Nick Hornby
-The Magic Toyshop, Angela Carter
-The Gormenghast Trilogy, Mervyn Peake [it's sitting at home]
-and... Georgette Heyer stuff of course. She is like my comfort read. Not the brainy kind. It's the witty kind.

A Reminder that there is life beyond exams

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantmentit is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.


Max Ehrmann, Copyright 1952.

The Exam Hush

Hello everybody!

It's me again! It's the exam period now. So guess what I should be doing... OK, so sociology paper is over.. now it's one down, four to go. I don't believe I have ranted about how abysmal my exam timetable looks (now let's not even start to describe my future grade, but yeah...) My last paper (before anyone else comes up, asks, and then looks smug at me), ends next Friday Afternoon. Good. Now, that's done. What shall I rattle on about next?

Hmmm. Has anyone attempted to study in the library recently? By library, I do mean the one at NUS... It's freaky. It's quiet. It's like that hush before an orchestral concert in the Esplanade... only ten times more stressful. If someone so much as gets off their chair.. u can sense it without looking up. The floor by the way, is carpeted. The chairs by the way are heavy. If anyone walks past... it's as if a rhino or elephant or some huge... African savanna mammmal trotted past. That's how quiet it is.

Maybe I'm exaggerating.. but only a little!!!

Argh!

Please... Keep all dancing in virtuality

A bird caught something wiggly today. Then, when I was politely trying not to stare, since I can't abide by wiggly things, the bird hopped over (wiggly thing in tow), and I had to make a wide berth round it. The two cleaners who were walking out of the rubbish dump area stared. Can't blame them.

Then, an over-excited person decided to spray me with water from her cup. An over-enthusiastic twirl from the chair did that. Never knew playing Audition could get you wet... especially when you weren't the one playing... ...

Sometimes, it's easy to feel what it's like in the twilight zone.

Of ramblings and musings

The deep breath before the leap.
The edge of the cliff.
The space between the frying pan and the fire.
The damne void.

Thou haste reachede the ende of thy roade. Whither will thou go now? To blogge? Or to studye, as a goode student muste? I saye, the ende is also the begininge. Of what? Of depressinge studyynge ande revisione, what else? Buggere alle this. The daye is too beautifule to be spente studyynge. I will blogge insteade; it is a muche bettere occupation to hath.

One of these days...

I was nearly struck by lightning at a certain faculty that shouldn't BE struck by lightning. I fear for my safety when I know these people are the future builders of our wonderful garden city-state...
It doesn't help either that a week later, back at said faculty, the electronic exit barrier at the car park refused to budge, and a whole train of cars and shuttle buses formed. Any longer than it actually lasted and it would have formed a most lovely bottle neck. Anyway, people ended being late for class. No surprises there since we were stuck for a good ten minutes or more... and of course, someone's hp/bus radio (i don't which) HAD to be blarring the damned lyrics "I like the way you move..."
Now, you tell me: can this really be just "me"?

5 Things to do to cure essay block

For all those who suffer from that sub-species of writer's block: Essay Block (EB)!
(And also for those who suffer from the further sub-categorisation of EB: specific EB which only targets certain kinds of essays, like literature essays for instance.)

1. Sleep. Divine intervention might just occur, and your essay miraculously saved. Other than that, it's tons better than agonising over it...

2. Get Drunk. There must be a valid reason why artists, with their famous amount of creative juices are also alcholics and smokers... There is... right?

3. Eat Sweet Foods. Eat something sweet; the walk taken in search of food will also do you good.

4. Play Rabbit Games. This doesn't work. It's just fun.

5. Take a Walk, Ladies. The walk will clear the stuffiness from your brains. Besides, walking around in anguish will ensure that no one will disturb your study territory, since they'll avoid you as they think you've gone mad.