Is distance really such a bad thing?

I can't concentrate on my studying for tomorrow's phonetics exam at all...

Been preoccupied at the thought of the next two semesters and how tough they will be. And thinking of ways in which to minimise my workload. I was thinking of staying here over the summer holidays (in Australia, this is late November - February) and completing one philosophy course while working here instead of going back to Thailand at the end of the year. That way, in my final semester of my undergrad, I'll only have three subjects left, instead of four!

And then another thing... honours is only a year, and it's possible to do one semester overseas. I've been thinking of NUS in Singapore or Monash Malaysia (because I want to study Malay languages - a consequence of my interest in the Southern Thai conflict), for one possible path in life... Or else, going to Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain or Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Chile and doing part of my degree in Spanish (and possibly aim at a UN career?)...

Anyhow, of all those, I've managed to find a department of linguistics that looks approvable for honours-level studies in NUS and in PUC

But ... that means I'll be far away, and I don't want history repeating itself. So I suppose sticking in the South-East Asia region would really be the best. How ah? I can't be in two places at the same time!


**This plan has been edited on 18 June, 2006, following a revision of the plan, and knowledge of earlier graduation**... and again on the 22nd, after discovering that some units are compulsory and clash with others...

The plan - Undergrad:

Winter holiday, 2006

Australian Linguistics Institute - course worth 12 credit points, or two units!

Semester 2, 2006

Second Language Acquisition and Attrition

Aboriginal Languages of Australia

Res Cognitans: Descartes on Mind and Knowledge

Political Philosophy

Summer, 2006-7

Science, Happiness and Death in Stoic and Epicurean Philosophy

Space, Time and Deity: themes from Leibniz and Hume

The plan - Honours

Semester 1, 2007

Linguistics Study Abroad Program

Semester 2, 2007

Minor Thesis (16,000 words!!)

Dood!

The Dood sent me a funny video of a comedian doing a really great Bush-impersonation... Check it out!

I got my sociolinguistics essay back today with an HD! Woohoo!!! (Dood, the washing machine celebrates with us :P) and a glowing comment:

Excellent research and a well constructed argument, beautifully written.

She was also telling me after class that I really should do honours with her and that she thinks that I should be able to go straight into a PhD after it. I told her I'm graduating mid-year next year, though, and would have to wait around half a year for the honours program, and she said that wouldn't be a problem... Sorted!

Yay!

And yeah, to top off a good day at uni, I finally cleared things up with the MUISS people :)

2 new posts in philosophical writing

I got one philosophy expository (about the doctrine of Anatta) back yesterday with an HD (Yay!), so I've posted it here.

My previous expository (a comparison between Hinduism and Buddhism with some explanation of Karmic theory) only got a credit :(, but keeping to tradition, that is also online.

Right now I'm working on my final philosophy essay, which I shall post after I've handed it in.

Also, on Tuesday, I handed in my sociolinguistics research essay, which I felt was too rushed in the end and didn't finish very strongly, but I've posted it in my social commentary blog nonetheless (It's called Educational reform in Southern Thailand - A Sociolinguistic Look). The background for this essay was a 'media scrapbook' (also an HD!!).

None of my other work this semester is worth posting, trust me... unless anyone is interested in phonetic transcription, acoustic analysis and phonological rules of sound change (very very very boring)

Must not call

So worried, and keep telling myself not to pick up the phone cos it's better that way *sigh*

Breathe in... it's all fine... breathe out, don't panic

There are two 3,000 word essays and 4.5 hours worth of minutes (equivalent to 9 hours of work!) to do before too long...

And I'm worrying about a person instead and eating lots of popcorn cos it makes me feel better...

Aaarrrrrrrrrgh!!!!!

You're laughing

I feel so stupid for falling for such a stupid trick - the oldest trick in the book, yet angrier that someone I think of as a friend would manipulate me like that...

I dreamt I was walking alone, talking to everyone I met, but keeping a safe distance. Why? Because attachments are illusions, and each life lasts only as long as a thought.

In that dream, I was neither happy nor sad. I just was. It was a very peaceful dream.

Which goes to show - nobody can bring you happiness but yourself. It's all in the mind, and there's no mind you can know but your own.

emergency number?

You know, in the past month we've had the police over twice... The 'D' is getting good at calling the cops, and I still have no idea what the emergency number in Australia is... I reckon we should find out soon...

Before you, my good readers (i.e., mom and dad), freak out, no, the house wasn't burning down, and murderers were not trying to break in.

The first time we raised the alarms was because of the wind... hehe... 'D' had left the balcony door open whilst cooking on a very windy day, and it had blown open the hatch on the roof of the bathroom.

I came home, took a shower, and saw that the hatch was open...

I asked 'D' whether he'd tried to get to the roof, which he claimed he hadn't done. So we thought... maybe somebody had tried to break in.

Well, needless to say, we felt pretty stupid when we figured it out... but I was freaked out for days afterwards with just the *thought* that what if someone was spying on me in the shower...

That caused a couple funny incidents to follow... I didn't know 'D' was home, and I heard some noise in the bathroom. I don't know what I was thinking, but I decided to storm in and see what it was. And there he was, my housemate, very calmly shaving. I screamed. I think 'D' was more than a little bemused.

During the night when the cops were there, we had some fun at their expense, too... hehehe...

We wanted to know if we could get them to take off their shoes in the house, so we put up a sign near our door while we were waiting for them to arrive - "Please remove your shoes". So, ofcourse, they did not take off their shoes, and stomped all over the carpet with them. The very strange thing was, however, that the cop that was going to check out the hatch had to stand on the washing machine to get near the roof... and he asked for newspaper so that he wouldn't get shoe-prints on the washing machine!! ??!!

... and last night the cops were over again... this time because of an incident concerning a disgruntled student... won't get into the details of that one. This time the cops left their flashlight accidentally and 'D' called the emergency line again to report it! Bwahahahaha!

Anyhow... can someone please tell me what the Australian emergency number is?

On another note - seems I don't have to feel TOO bad about myself, although I know there are quite a few people who are angry with my right now... or maybe I'm no answering the questions right... but this is how another one of my procrastinating efforts at quizzing came out:

Greed:	Very Low
Gluttony:	Low
Wrath:	Very Low
Sloth:	Low
Envy:	Very Low
Lust:	Low
Pride:	Medium

The Seven Deadly Sins Quiz on 4degreez.com

photoshoot

 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
  

A balance?

Been working for a week now... *phew*

It's good to work though... have more incentive to save :)

I stopped getting the small scholarship I was getting from Finland, so gotta support myself a little more...

By the way, since I know you read this - Isa and Mae - just thought I'd let you know that it's ok, I'm balancing my time. I quit all my extra-curricular involvements (Student Union stuff) so that I'm not spending too much time at non-academic pursuits.

Australia is more expensive than you'd think!

I'm enjoying the restaurant I'm working at (it's on Bourke street) - nice, chilled out attitude, very friendly co-workers, approachable boss :) (except ... upstairs... hmmm...)

For a while I was living my life a week ahead of myself because I seriously thought we are a week ahead of the time we are really in (means I did my assignments well in advance!! Yay!)... I really lose track of the time when it gets to this time of the year.

Procrastinating again... I really should be doing my assignment! ;P

Missing you...

Haven't seen you since...

Since ...

I started my new job... since last Sunday I haven't seen you... or have I? My memory is shocking. Did I see you Tuesday night? I don't know, it just seems too long ago somehow. I DID see you Tuesday.

But, I miss you, and I don't want to pick up the phone and call you because I'm afraid you'll be too busy to talk to me, or angry with me because I was out last night...

*sigh*

***edit***

There's a f***ing spy network out to get me... I can't miss people I care about, and go about my own musings without people getting all offended...

I'M NOT a structured person. I change my mind every three seconds... and I don't mean things that I write or say to hurt anyone. Things I say and do are true in that moment, and nothing is the same over an extended period of time...

As Bhante Nagasena said:
"A life lasts only as long as a thought lasts"

Everything is true only for a moment.... and semblance of continuiety is but an illusion brought on by a quick succession of moments....

Each moment is true... but what is also true is that there is no past, no future...

Just like a sound comes from a flute - from nothing - and fades away - as nothing. Nothing exists except for this moment.

Kindred spirit - the god of dreams

Did quiz instead of working/studying...

Which of the Greek Gods Are You?