crunch

(Technically, as it is 12:55am right now) 2 more days until my last final!

I am trying to cover as much ground as possible, but when a course surveys 22 different thinkers on the topic of aesthetics, it’s really difficult to keep their theories all neat and organized.

Anyway, I’ve also been slacking off a little; keeping up with the filming of Sherlock Season 3 (THOUGH SOMEHOW I HAVE NOT BEEN SPOILED YET, PLEASE DO NOT RUIN THIS FOR ME) and my affection for BC only increases… That man is really taking over hollywood! I’m so happy for his success.

I’ve been watching Glenn Gould videos (we studied him in class). I really do think I have a thing for old dead guys. He’s so charismatic here! And very intense too, which i no surprise. I don’t really go for the easy going type, it seems.

OH! BrainPickings has been really brilliant lately! I’ve go so many entires bookmarked for later.

rescuing a lost weekend

It’s been a great week, generally speaking. I have a ton of reading to get through, as usual, but more on that later. I saw Frida one last time this past Friday with a friend. I had a really nice time (though I was surprised that we go through the exhibit in an hour, I took 2 hours my first time there) and it was so good to meet up with her. And then I sat in Mount’s Hedwig lecture. I can’t remember how he did it during first year – but everything he said was so easy and obvious to me. I suppose that is a good thing – that I did some growing.

I worked till 9pm on Friday but didn’t get any work done because I was chatting with co-workers. One of the things I love about my job is that most people there are thoughtful and have interesting things to say (since we’re all nerds by default).

And then the lost weekend began – rather than prepping for my exam and doing readings for my other classes, i watched 3 seasons of Mad Men. Do I regret it? No, but I feel terrible. So I’ll have to do my best to catch up now. Sigh, just thinking about it all is depressing. One thing to keep me upbeat is my dinner at Canoe! i can’t wait!!

PS. The Australian Open is happening and i’m rooting for Roger, obviously.

PPS. Made plans for Reading Week, eeeeek

PPPS. I managed to write poems this week – oh, how i’ve missed it so!

 

 

constant spiral

Reading Aristotle has been a remarkable experience. The reading for this week’s lectures are metaphysics (book 1), topics and post. an.. I read all this in one go a couple of days ago and had about 20 sticky notes with “?!?” Written on them. If you recall, I was mad at myself for not having bought the book earlier (amazon carries it for $15 less, but shipping takes any from 1-2 months and I didn’t exactly plan ahead). Anyway, I gave all these pages another go last week and eradicated about half of those WTFs. And then last night, I more or less understood what I was reading. Today in lecture, my professor confirmed most of my understandings of the text. It felt so good! I love it when things like this happen, because it reminds me how important and useful it is to read things multiple times. This also gives me confidence in my ability to read critically. It’s never easy, but it is all worth it!

It’s funny how I consistently underestimate the magnitude of a seemingly insignificant thing. I remember being obsessed with Melba toast in middle school. I thought I was being so cool and ‘grown-up’, eating microwave melted harvest cheese on those things. Some girl in my french lesson (this is outside school) asked during one of those inane ‘breaks’ “Is that Melba toast?” and I proudly exclaimed ‘yes!’ Till this day, I have no idea why she asked – and whether she got anything useful out of my answer. Did she hate Melba toast, and thus, anyone one who relishes in their inexplicable crunch? Was she craving for Melba toast and wanted some of mine (granted it didn’t have cheese on them)? So many questions, and all of them MAJORLY IMPORTANT and FRUSTRATING at the time. I can only laugh now. I think we all do when we look back on our youth.

I had a terrible night’s sleep – tossing and turning into the wee hours and scrambled out of bed at 8am to wash, dress, and run out to catch the 8:30am subway. I had an ice-capp last night because my Wednesdays are fiendishly long. It was only an ice capp, and being a java-junkie, i didn’t think much of it. But man, did I suffer through the night. I eventually fell asleep to the dulcet tones of my Shakespeare prof (whose lectures are really really great, but he’s got a really soft, subtle voice that you hate in class because you can’t hear the damn man (I had to sprint from my preceding class from the otherwise of campus to ensure that I got class in time to get a decent seat)). Anyway, suffice it to say that my head’s not in the greatest shape now, but I have so much reading and prep to do for next week, and I have a poetry deadline on Monday that hasn’t even sunk into my brain properly.

I had a pretty frustrating shopping experience today. Although the upside is that I only ended up spending $20 + tax on a northface hoodie (originally $60!!!), I also wasted a lot of time and energy picking and then ditching new winter coats. I can’t wait till I’ll fully independent, when my parents have no barring on what I buy/not buy.

I was supposed to skype with a friend early this evening to discuss and finalize reading week plans – but she never turned up. I detest that sort of thing. But I can’t even muster up the energy to be upset about it. Still, ARGHHHHH!

The 4th season of Cabin pressure started off on what I considered to be a weak episode. The voice actors are clearly trying to elevate the writing, but the story felt so stilted and inorganic. I hate that I feel this way, because I love Cabin Pressure (And not just because BC is in it. I really fell in love with the whole cast and their dynamics!)

I went to the gym today (and I shall spare you the thrilling tale of me being locked out of my locker because my lock suddenly decided to stop working. This ended with my lock being destroyed by a staff member) and did all my usual exercises, so I’m not even sure the soreness I’m feeling in my legs are due to inactivity or due to activity. Hahaa

I need to be more prudent with my spending. I’ve afraid that with the new semester, my sending habits are about to spiral out of control. I am consistently spending $15 on food on a single day. I used to be good at keeping it below $10. Time to bring my own coffee again~ And snacks!! Fruits! Stop buying biscotti singularly!

Sigh, i’m running out of steam and I haven’t started on my Plato and etc readings…

renewal

it’s only the 2nd days of the semester and already I have about 50 pages of readings to do. Granted, I’ve completed this week’s readings so it’s not exactly urgent, but I’m one who likes to be ahead with my course work (you never know when cramps are going to hit me). I had Shakespeare this afternoon, and everytime I walk away from that class completely enlightened. I don’t always agree with the prof’s arguments, but he has such a way of examining and clarifying and unfolding the text that no matter how many times I’ve read a certain play, he will show me ALL THIS STUFF I’ve missed. It’s so wonderful.

I’ve started on my Aristotle readings and so far it’s smooth sailing. The metaphysics are fun to read, but the logic stuff (post an, esp) is dull. i think I still have unfavourable emotional residue from Modern symbolic Logic. i did all right in that course, and thinking back – it was fun and interesting. But that’s me reminiscing after freaking out over the exam, so I don’t know how valid (harhar) my opinion is.

I started a new course with Kingwell, and I am so psyched about this course. After much shenanigans and money spent, I got myself a copy of ‘Philosophies of Art and Beauty’ – can’t wait!!!

Hmm, I’ve got my eyes on the Estee Lauder pleasures hand cream and the clarins bb cream. Together, they will set me back $00 (not including tax). The only time I’ve splurged on cosmetics is on these gorgeous Dior eye shadow pallet, and shishedo lipstick and liner… Do I deserve unecessary luxuaries? Shoppers has a $10 back for every $50 purchase… eeeeek! Should I?

PS: Kim Woo bin is killing it in school 2013

UPDATE: My make-up obsessed friend recommended that I get samples from Sephora before i buy them. Smart!!

 

protagoras

its exhausting. but man, i’ve never had so much fun studying for a final before (logic was done and dusted last night. whew!) I’m only on my first of…many many dialogues and i know they won’t all be fun narratives like Protagoras…but GAH, i love this!!

I’m sure i’ll be reduced to an aporetic state soon enough though. so let me enjoy this, please~

term end in sight!

oh God, will i ever master the devil that is Modern Symbolic Logic? Just when I think I’ve got it pretty good, it springs an impossible question at me. Anyway – the only way I can survive it is by studying systematically. I’m on 6.3 right now and the final is on Tuesday (there are 7 units in total, but I for sure don’t know all my stuff for unit 5 or unit 7). My room is an utter mess, and I haven’t relaxed (save for the bouts of web surfing) in the last 3 weeks… After logic final is my Presocratics and Plato final… so yeah.

And i agreed to work through the holidays—so I won’t be getting much of a breather at all. People ask me why I work this much, I’ve not saving $ for anything in particular (heck, I window shop a ton, but I never actually spend this money. But i think I might treat myself this Xmas, a nice bag, nothing above $500 though)

My eating habits? Terrible – it’s all according to my study and work schedule. Yesterday I was running late to work (I was in a meeting at school till 1:30pm). I had an omelette sandwich in the morning but NOTHING else until 8pm at night. That’s DANGEROUS, but what could I have done? Told my student to wait while I grab some food?

But there are many things that are keeping my spirits up! I cannot wait to go back to the Frida show again, and ugh—just so many iTunesU videos that patiently await meeeee…

 

taking the plunge

I have convinced myself that Sherlock would make an excellent subject for my linguistic anthropology paper. So i went ahead and did it – when i get it back, I shall post portions of it~

 

Leonardo de Vinci: Anatomy

I got up to Unit5 Part A.7 of Symb. Logic last night and simply got too bored to continue studying. So I whiled away the night (I slept at 3am!) by watching countless episodes of anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations”. Man, it’s always a mistake to watch food shows when you’ve only had a large veggie salad for dinner – but I persevered! I didn’t eat anything else, seeing it was so late in the night and there’s nothing I fancied in the house.

Whew! I’m literally starving…

Just  came back after eating a marshmallow sandwich because i didn’t have any toast spread left. It was surprisingly tasty. Hmm, looking at my agenda is going me headaches. The day after Tuesday’s midterm, I’m to meet up with my TA about the preliminary draft for my paper. Ugh, as you all know, I only have an outline. I suppose there’s another sleepless night! I’ll do a very detailed outline (with citations and everything) but there’s no way I’ll write 10 pages after that midterm.

During my procrastination this morning, I discovered touchpress apps! they are supposed to be fantastic! I bought the Da Vinci one – if it’s as good as it promises to be, I’ll probably get The Waste Land one too.

I need to get off the internet!! LATERZZZ