It's the Moment of Truth

...and they delivered, big time!

And So It Begins

I spent a decent amount of time yesterday in the UE library. It was my first meeting with my professor for my Project Study. I arrived at 2:00 pm and I don’t think she was pleased about that since my other classmates were there since morning. I hope she will let it slide since I charmed her in our short chat. Okay, that was just my wishful thinking. From my experience first impression really don’t last when it comes to school. It is a gradual process of presenting yourself as a serious and hardworking graduate school student.

So I diligently stayed in the library with my nose on the books. Taking down notes, reading books and most of the time scratching my head. Hey, I need time to let things sink in my skull. As I review the syllabus of the course, I already have an idea on what our professor expects from us. Aside from making us go loco, she wants us to do two things in the same time. She requires us to start researching for our academic paper while we will also have lessons on how to make an appropriate one in terms of language forms, rhetorical styles and red flags against plagiarism.

I think that the syllabus that she prepared will forcefully drive me out of my undergrad stupor. She has a lot of requirements that include group/pair works, reflection papers and quizzes. And if that is not enough, we will have a mid-term exam and oral presentation about the research that we hopefully had been still alive to work on. When we completed those feats, that’s the only time that we will focus on our research paper, which is to be completed from week ten to fifteen.

It is indeed a momentous task and I can’t be overwhelmed by it. If I will plan it properly, improve with my time management and deal with my ‘commitment’ issues, it will still be feasible. To cheer myself up, next Saturday, we are going to UP Diliman Library to do our initial research. Honestly, I was really not looking forward for the books stocked there. I was thinking that the UP campus would be a welcome change of scenery. Nothing will make it even more obvious that I have a goal and ‘now’ is the time to finally achieve it.

'SEX' in Real Life

SATC 2 in Abu Dhabi
The fact the that the sequel of Sex and the City was shot in Abu Dhabi added to it’s depth compared to part one of the movie. It was impressive that it was able to tackle the sensitive issue of feminism in a Muslim country and also showed the grandeur of the Middle East which is truly the ‘city of the future’. It never meant to criticize the seemingly backward and repressive state of women in this country. But it cleverly depicted the hidden beauty of their women just waiting to be revealed from a restrictive tradition. Their layered wardrobe that has the colorful, glamorous and latest collection of a global brand underneath represented this sentiment.

Samantha and the ‘Youth Obsession’When told that the outfit that she likes might be a too young for her, she confidently countered, “I am fifty fucking two and I will rock that dress!” One should not allow anyone to tell her that something is impossible to achieve because she is too old or too young for it. Looking young already became a must, and there are tons of beauty concoction that is true to it’s promise to delay aging. What is more important is how young you feel inside which is not available in any beauty shop. Feeling young is skin deep; it can be acquired if we will follow our guts and ‘just go for it’ ignoring the catty remarks of others and whatever our real age is.

Charlotte and Being Picture Perfect
We tend to project a certain image to the society, which sometimes cost us our sanity. Charlotte had major family issues that she denies to herself because she doesn’t want her ‘picture perfect’ image to be shattered. Her bottled emotions bubbled up to the surface forcing her to cry and to hide. When she finally decided to forget her pride and confess her weaknesses and fears, she was liberated at last. She admitted that her girls drive her crazy, that she is far from being the best mother or wife and was guilty to even think her husband will cheat on her. Sometimes we just have to trust our friends that they will listen to us, that they will understand and will never criticize.

Miranda and Knowing Thy Worth
Miranda feels that her boss treats her badly and she is not appreciated in her work. At first she had been understanding and considerate about it. But a smart and confident career woman like her knows when to stop kissing his boss’ ass. She already had enough of the palm of his boss’ hands every time she tries to speak her mind. Working women should know their worth and will not settle for anything less. The only place that they should be is somewhere that respects and appreciates them and will give them a spacious room for growth. It might not be where we are now, but we can draw a career plan to get the job that will compensate us well and satiate our passions in life.

Carrie and Forgiving Thyself
Carrie screwed up when she kissed her ex-boyfriend Aidan. She knows that it can cost her marriage and her true love. But she gathered her courage and came clean to John. When we made a mistake, it is sometimes difficult to face it. We tend to blame others and the circumstances but never ourselves. Forgiving thyself starts with being humble to realize the wrong that we committed, then being logical to know what to do about it, being brave to apologize for it and hopefully, be also given a sparkling ring as a sign of forgiveness by the person that we hurt.

Hate.Humbled.Hope

a JOY to be with

Aspire

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, including Hogwarts Castle and Diagon Alley, at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla. is set to open on June 18, 2010. - www.time.com

Third is the Charm

Two years ago, I already finished all the required units for my Masters in UE. I can say that I ended it with a ‘bang!’ because I got excellent grades in my last two subjects, Philippine and World Literature. The next step was to take my Comprehensive exam, and pass it, so that I can finally take on my Project Study 1 and 2.

Comprehensive exam in UE Graduate has been reputed to be a ‘dream killer’ because of its’ difficulty and that only a small percentage can pass in the first try. So when it was my time to take it, I really studied so hard during my free time at work and in the weekends. Armed with what I managed to review, high hopes and steely determination, I took the test last and was examinee number 18. I thought that it was a good sign because eight was an infinity number and one plus eight is lucky nine. It made me smile, until I opened my envelope and read my test questionnaire. What followed was a flurry of ideas, stored knowledge and practical application as my hands tried to keep up to scribble it all down.

I have to admit that I had a self-imposed gap years afterwards. It was just months after I had the exam, I was quite relieved that I finished it, I was so pleased with myself but really afraid to know the result of the test. The last thing that I did for my Project study was to research for Related Studies and have my professor check it. Then in early 2009, I met someone. My friends can swear how difficult it is to catch my attention. But he did. I was turning 27 at that time; I dared myself to do something about it. And I came out broken hearted. Only my closest friends, Cherie and Jeje, know the gory details on how I got myself hurt. I fell from the clouds but I swipe the dust off my shoulders and life went on. I immersed myself in the daily grind and enjoyed giddily what life has to offer me.

After rising above from being sidetracked, everything was going great, but at the back of my mind, something is still incomplete. So with a renewed spirit, I marched to UE and inquired for the result of my Comprehensive exam. I’m glad I did. I did not just pass but I did it with flying colors.

This will be my third chance to finally accomplish what I was set to do. I will try my best that this will also be my last. I don’t want the silhouette of the diploma that I am aiming for. I want the real thing.

Family Drama

I vividly remember that it was my Ate Herb who lent me two books that chronicled the patriarch and matriarch family history of the Wakefields of Sweet Valley which spanned almost three generations. Yes, they are the parents of the California blonde twins, Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield that I fondly read during my high school days. That was one of the most complex and most exciting read that I had during my early bookworm years.

When I got hold of Sidney Sheldon classic, Master of the Game, I was once again submerged into family drama, adventure and intrigue which destroyed and unified a proud family dynasty. Its’ theme had been entirely different from my Sheldon’s favorite book, Doomsday Conspiracy, but the author’s magic in weaving an intelligent, complicated, entertaining and easy to read books gave him the immortality as the master story-teller.

The book started with the young Jamie McGregor who repeatedly risked his life to make his dreams of being rich come true by mining diamonds in South Africa. His adventures to gain his riches are overwhelming as it involves the harsh land of Africa, vultures, sharks, riptides, landmine, guard dogs that made a survivor who crossed the line between life and death several times. His hatred to his father-in-law and wife had been his motivation and his son’s tragic demise had been his end.

And then, there was Kate Blackwell, the manipulative heiress who turned his father’s fortune into a worldwide dominance. It was a rich-spoiled-tomboy girl story which bloomed into a cunning, scheming beautiful businesswoman who gives importance to her conglomerate, Kruger-Brent, first before anything else, even her own family.

Kate’s twin granddaughter’s Eve and Alexandra are the extreme opposites. Eve is the slutty, Omen-like sister. Her goal in life is to seduce as many men as she can and be the sole-heir of her grandmother’s empire by murdering her own twin sister. And Alexandra is the clueless, affectionate and naïve one who had the luck of overcoming her evil sister’s plan of eliminating her.

It was Tony’s story which had been the best part of the book. He is the smart, handsome, promising son of Kate Blackwell. He loves her mother so much, so even though he has not interest in business, he enrolled in a business school. He told his mom that he doesn’t change his mind to pursue his love in arts. Stripping his famous surname, he became an ordinary, struggling painting student in France. There he fell in love with a gorgeous model, Dominique, who took care of him and persuaded him to showcase his paintings in a solo art gallery. With his mother’s connection, they were able to invite a reputable art critic who can make or break an upcoming artist. In the newspaper the next day, his art exhibit had been given an extremely bad review saying that he should just be a house painter. Discouraged and heart-broken, he finally accepted to work in her mother’s company.

Without his knowledge of the strings that her mother attached to him, he later married Marianne. There is a huge risk in her pregnancy, but with the encouragement of Kate, they kept it a secret to Tony. Kate’s goal is for Kruger-Brent to have an heir, even if it means that she needs to sacrifice Marianne.

In the final reckoning, it was time for Kate, the Master of the Game, to face the consequences of the manipulations and scheming that she did. Marianne died as a complication in her risky-pregnancy. Tony was informed that her mother concealed to him that he could lose his wife. It was also revealed to him that Dominique was paid by his mother to be with him France and that she also bribed the art critic who destroyed his dreams. Tony just snapped, he shot his mother with a gun several times in her own room and slashed all her clothing saying that she was possessed with the evil that was Kruger-Brent. He became unstable and violent, he was lobotomized in the asylum to spend all his life free from the hurt that his mother inflicted him and he can at last pursue his goal of being a great painter.

Living in Denial