opportunity missed?

Most final year students intend to receive a job offer before they graduate because it saves them the anxiety of being unemployed once they are done with school. Therefore, they seek out opportunities through campus competitions and the like to gain an additional advantage apart from their peers.

I submitted my resume over the weekend to a competition organized by a company whose name iwould be inconvenient for me to divulge. I was fretting all Friday morning over the structure and the content of my resume and managed to submit it a minute before the deadline at noon.

I did not check my inbox on Monday because I was at an etiquette workshop which was mightily useful. I also reached home late because I was playing tennis with friends and I thoroughly forgot about my resume submission. I only checked my inbox at 9.30pm after my wonderful bath.

To my horror, there in my inbox laid a notification letter of acceptance into the competition, sent on Monday morning by my college as well as another notification email by the company on the details of the qualifying round which was to be held the next day, Tuesday (or rather, today).

Wild thoughts raced through my mind as I quickly replied the organizer apologizing for my absence, negligience and ignorance (almost). I wanted to find out more about this organization and have thus somehow missed a golden opportunity.

I thought my world was about to crumble when my Dad quickly pointed out that an event which gave such a short time notice to their participants was probably not a well organized one. Even if it is, it was an indication of an ill-suited time for my participation. If things were to work out well in the end, my present fretting would have no effect on the organizer's decision, so why worry?

Today's devotion was on how Jesus gives us 'The rest' which is 'The refreshing', which reminds me that He is always in control and He has given me the peace that promises that all is well.

Now with his assurance, I am at rest.

ｔｅｎｎｉｓ ａｆｆａｉｒ

ｓｏ　ｍｙ　ｓｕｐｐｏｓｅｄ　ｌｏｖｅｌｙ　ｐａｉｒ　ｏｆ　ａｄｉｄａｓ　ｂａｒｒｉｃａｄｅｓ　ｈａｄ　ａｒｒｉｖｅｄ　ａｎｄ　ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｌｏｏｋｉｎｇ　ｆｏｒｗａｒｄ　ｔｏ　ｕｓｉｎｇ　ｅｍ．　Ｂｕｔ，　ｔｈｅ　ｓｏｌｅｓ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｈａｒｄｅｒ　ｔｈａｎ　Ｉ　ｈａｄ　ｅｘｐｅｃｔｅｄ　ｅｖｅｎ　ｔｈｏｕｇｈ　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｔｏｌｄ　ｔｈａｔ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｍｏｄｉｆｉｅｄ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｒｉｇｉｎａｌ　ｐａｉｒ．　

Ｉｎ　ａｎｙ　ｃａｓｅ，　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｏｖｅｒ－ｃｏｍｐｅｎｓａｔｉｎｇ　ｆｏｒ　ｍｙ　ｕｎｗｉｌｌｉｎｇｎｅｓｓ　ｔｏ　ｍｏｖｅ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　Ｂａｒｒｉｃａｄｅｓ　（ｔｈｅｙ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｒｅａｌｌｙ　ｈｅａｖｙ）　ａｎｄ　ｓｔａｒｔｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｕｓｅ　ｍｙ　ｗｒｉｓｔ　ｉｎｓｔｅａｄ　ｏｆ　ｍｙ　ａｒｍ　ｔｏ　ｒｅｔｕｒｎ　ｓｈｏｔｓ．　Ａｓ　ａ　ｒｅｓｕｌｔ，　ｍｙ　ｂａｌｌｓ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｆｌｙｉｎｇ　ａｌｌ　ｏｖｅｒ　ｔｈｅ　ｐｌａｃｅｓ　ｌｉｋｅ　ｓａｕｃｅｒｓ．　Ｉ　ｔｈｉｎｋ　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｏｎｌｙ　ｓｏ　ｃｌｏｓｅ　ａｓ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｒｗｏｉｎｇ　ｍｙ　ｒａｃｑｕｅｔ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｇｒｏｕｎｄ　ｉｆ　ｉｔ　ｗｅｒｅｎ＇ｔ　ｆｏｒ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｃｔ　ｔｈａｔ　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｉｎ　ａ　ｐｕｂｌｉｃ　ｐｌａｃｅ．　

Ｗｅｌｌ，　ｔｈｅ　ｏｎｌｙ　ｗａｙ　ｏｕｔ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｍｅｓｓ　ｉｓ　ｔｏ　ｃｏｎｔｉｎｕｅ　ｐｌａｙｉｎｇ　ｃｏｚ　ｔｈａｔ＇ｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｎｌｙ　ｗａｙ　ｔｈｅ　Ｂａｒｒｉｃａｄｅｓ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｙｉｅｌｄ　ｔｏ　ｉｔｓ　ｒｉｇｈｔｆｕｌ　ｍａｓｔｅｒ－ｍｅ．　

ＰＳ：　Ｓｏｒｒｙ　ｔｏ　ａｌｌ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｅｎｎｉｓ　ｐｅｏｐｌｅ　ｔｈａｔ　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｐｌａｙｉｎｇ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｙｅｓｔｅｒｄａｙ．　Ｍｙ　ｇａｍｅ＇ｌｌ　ｇｅｔ　ｂｅｔｔｅｒ！！！　

school starts

My first week of real school and studying is tougher than I had expected. Was not used to the long and boring lectures. In spite of all that, I did enjoy coming back to school to meet up with more of my friends.

The biggest concern I have as a final year student is my future job. What am I going to do after my graduation? Which industry am I going to work in? What about further studies? Recruitment talks by companies have only complicated the process of job searching because of the myriad of opportunities that seem to be present.

My grades are not fantastic for now therefore my final year subjects really do matter and I do thank God for guiding me through previous tough semesters- I could have scored lower than what I did.

In any case, I am feeling drained despite it being barely two weeks into school... Can't imagine what I'll be when I do start work.

PS: There is a stupid bug in blogspot which disallows me from posting images and pictures because it's always in html. darn...

PPS: Thanks darling for the flowers. They are beautiful.

patience pays

Patience really pays especially when you've completed some decade old project. My mother bought me a bead stitch kit when I was in the sixth grade and encouraged me to complete it. Here it is, the finished product of the Bead stitch last supper! I completed it before i started my teaching internship in mid May and tabulated that it took me a whole decade to complete it. Well, technically, it is incomplete because there are supposed to be threaded outlines but threads are not distincttively shown against beads. (beads are 3 dimensional) Anyhow, i'm really elated with the finished product. now only two problems remain: where to hang it and what is my new project (i get bored just so easily...)

the King and the Clown

I spent my National day evening glued to Korean films and dramas. I think that missing the National Day parade is a poor indicator to measure patriotism. (I honestly think it's a terrible proxy but this is not the focal point of today's entry.)

If you have not seen the movie entitled 'The King and The Clown' directed by Lee Jun Ki, then perhaps you may be missing out on a fine piece of art. My primary motivation to view the film was that I recently completed a Korean drama series- Iljimae, which is the Korea's version of Robin Hood with the regular quest for revenge where the lead actor, Lee Jun Ki (not the director) starred as the notable Clown in this highly acclaimed film.

I was enthralled by the film from the onset. That would be due to the opening scene of inscriptions and paintings which provided the a glimpse into the film and an introduction to the protagonists of the movie. Though the satirical and almost taboo plot was slightly ambitious (relative to budget constraints), no details were spared from depiction. Every word and every phrase, possessed vivid imageries and symbols which is rarely seen in modern film making today. No wonder this movie was a box-office clincher.

A film can have a good script, but it would take great actors to actualize the film's potential. Almost all characters were well developed despite the little screen time accorded to some. The film ends with the bittersweet utopic ideal of the protagonists leaving the palace, back to their wandering but fulfilling minstrel lives. And that ending was the icing on the cake for me this evening.

taxi queue etiquette

I think there exist an unspoken expectation of basic social etiquette that people, wherever they are from, are supposed to possess. One of them includes taking the taxi which is at the top of the queue at the taxi stand when you are top of the waiting line.

A friend and I had a great evening together watching 'Up' and decided to take a cab back because it was late and that there were an abundance of taxis. Now, I have a penchant for 'Sonata' taxis because it's more comfortable, more roomy, better suspension etc. So, I prayed that when it reached my turn, a sonata cab would be at bay. And viola, I was slated to get a sonata cab just be counting the number of taxis and people ahead of me in the waiting line.

Now, there was this chinese woman just ahead of me who a) probably overheard what I desired and was jealous, b) was jealous that I had company and she was dumped by her friend or had a lonely evening, c) was just being a bitch, d) all of the above, walked blatantly towards the sonata cab instead of the non-sonata (older and less comfy cab and at the top of the line) and plonked herself in it.

Well, of course, I did not kick up a fuss, except for the 'She's such a bitch' comments which were echoed by my counterpart. In any case, it is only a cab. But it does reflect the selfishness of people in this world that I live in. I wish her all the best and that someone else with a shorter temper would give her a piece of their mind when she attempts a similar stunt in future.

wisdom tooth extraction

There is very little preparation you can have for a wisdom tooth operation, unless you have prior experience because the experience varies amongst patients. Since you are a unique patient, then someone else's experience has little worth to you.

So, I learnt the hard way. The operation was quick but the pre and post op waiting was long. Not that it created more suspence but it irks me when I have to wait when there is little of a queue.

The worst part of the wisdom tooth op is the recovery stage. I felt so weak that same night of the op I could not bear to read anything. I woke up the next morning with a mumps-like right cheek and a half bleeding right jaw. I feel like a drug addict from the quantity and frequency of drugs I need to sustain my energy for the day.

As I have mentioned earlier, though my advice to anyone who is getting their (impacted) wisdom tooth removed is invalid, knowing of pre and post op experiences from others can somehow increase the rate of your recuperation- when you know that there's someone on earth who is going through more hell than you are.