This is my first journal entry in my brand new laptop! Whohooooo!
It feels great finally having a laptop. I actually was initially disappointed when I discovered that Dad didn't buy me the smaller and more portable ebox laptop (whose screen size is 12''), but when I discovered the features that this laptop has, I became more and more convinced that Dad made the right choice.
For starters, even though the screen is bigger at 15'' (and thus the laptop is heavier and more difficult to bring to school), watching DVDs turns into a very cool experience with the big LCD screen (I think that this laptop's screen is at least as big as our PC's monitor!). I guess that this is the time to savor widescreen computing. Haha, finally I can watch the Interview With the Vampire DVD that I bought in the States, because for some reason it won't play on our DVD player. Also, this laptop has a more reputable brand; its Compaq (by HP) brand is much more trustworthy and has greater quality than the ebox laptop I initially chose (I don't even know the brand; I don’t think it's global). Therefore, I can safely presume that this laptop is of better quality than the ebox, and therefore has less chance of conking out after years of use.
Also, this laptop comes packed with many features that the ebox doesn't have (at least, its spec sheet didn't list them). For starters, it actually has a Memory Card Slot, which means that I can transfer information such as music files and pictures from my phone to the laptop and vice-versa without using Bluetooth. Also, it comes installed with Advanced Norton Anti-Virus which, together with the Opera Browser I intend to install, will effectively keep nasty viruses away from my beloved system. To my surprise and delight, I also found that a muvee Movie Editor is installed in the laptop, which means I won't have to download a demo version of it - perfect for our Zoology documentary project!! Most importantly though, the laptop comes with built-in Wi-Fi (though I think I still have to subscribe to a service, or get a router), Bluetooth, and LAN connection, which the ebox doesn't have and which will come in handy for on-the-go internet surfing. Yahoo!
The only thought that nags me is that this Compaq laptop costs about 70,000, which is 10,000 pesos more than the ebox I originally chose. This is because this laptop costs the same as an Apple iBook, which is my dream laptop. But maybe if I had the Apple iBook I would have had some sync issues. And let's not forget: the Apple iBook does NOT have the Microsoft Office suite of applications, which are the programs that I most need in a laptop since they are utilized for schoolwork. Also, there are much much fewer downloadables available for Macs than for Windows operating systems. I suppose the iBook just looks sleek but it just lacks the necessary things that I need in a laptop. Also, its white chassis gets dirty so easily (the ebox also has a white casing), and a laptop that would be brought to school should get ready for some travel wear-and-tear (thus I am happy with the Compaq's plastic exterior but sleek silvery metal interior).
In conclusion, because of the great features it comes installed with, its wider screen that is more conducive to a cinematic DVD experience (not to mention a bigger screen means not having to squint to see the smaller letters that would be seen from a smaller 12-inch screen when typing long papers for long hours), and its overall usability compared to the Apple iBook and the ebox laptop, I think I'm gonna have some great times with this baby (its heavier weight notwithstanding; it would probably be a more enjoyable experience to use a laptop with a wider screen anyway). That is, if RAJ doesn't mess with it.
I am more than just a DL.
It's not that I'm complaining. I'm actually overjoyed that I've made it, like I've finally seen the fruits of my long, hard, sleepless labor during the first sem. But this achievement puts the bar of expectation higher, because everyone seems to expect more from me now that I'm a DL.
For example, when someone in our family asks if my studies are going well, my dad immediately buts in
"Oo, dean's lister nga yan eh", and he never fails to rub it in to everyone we meet. I understand that he's only being proud of me, but I resent the fact that this achievement has made me a like a glittering ornament to be shown and appreciated, but never understood. And of course, when somebody hears it, they say
"Wow, ang galing! Keep up the good work!", which implies that they'll be expecting me to work harder than ever and they won't accept any excuse for mediocrity.
If I study until late at night, it's because I'm a DL. If I always carry a complete supply of pens, paper, staplers and erasers as if I were an outlet of National Bookstore, it's because I'm a DL. If I get a perfect score in a quiz, it's because I'm a DL. It's like my whole personality, motivations, insecurities, and hard work were simplified, made superficial, and crammed into those two enigmatic letters.
Even though I am a DL, I get sick of studying too. I too get afraid that someday I might not be able to meet the high standards and expectations that everyone sets for me. I too get afraid of disappointing people. I too want to take a break from all the long tests, projects and papers that are continually loading our backs. I too have a fear of failure. I cram and procrastinate, sometimes I copy and paste material from the Internet. In these,
I am just like everybody else, and maybe my being a DL is just due to the fact that our Botany grades were curved.
In short, being a DL is not the end-all and be-all of everything. I have to work twice as hard now to maintain it and meet everyone's expectations on what I have to achieve. Everyday I'm afraid that somehow I'm going to fall short of this, what with the hellish Chem...
Don't just judge me because I am a DL. I'm more than that.
I'm a person too.
Well well well. After an uncharacteristically long hiatus in blogging, I am glad to say that I'm back! Finally.
We've just moved to another condo unit, thus we didn't have phone, cable, and internet connections for about two weeks. It was just like being thrown back in time to the Paleolithic age (well, not really!). It's funny how relatively recent developments in technology such as the Internet and Cable TV are already so assimilated into our lives that they're almost necessities. At least for me they are.
I'm so glad to have my internet connection up and running. I hate using our school's internet connection because it's too slow for me. Also, now I get to use my great Opera browser, which I believe is faster than both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox (not to mention it has mouse gestures which I subconsciously use when using other browsers!).
I've been reading my past blog entries and it amazed me how depressing they are. I guess I'm now back in reality, with my two feet planted firmly on the ground. Whatever delusions that were feeding on my brain back then are gone now, what with the restoration of comforting normality and day-to-day routine. Looking back, the dreams and fantasies that have haunted me then are
pure poppycock (with British accent!).
I am my old, apathetic, cynical self now. Hurrah!I am back to earth. Back to reality. Back to alternating between stress and boredom. Back to commuting to school every damn Friday via MRT and LRT.
Back to my insufferable
I Wonder Why's...
- Zoology. It has definitely replaced my last semester's first love, which was Botany. I feel as if we're studying ever more minute details of the Processes and Metabolisms of Life by the day. For example, as if Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, and Telophase of Meiosis I weren't enough (yes, there is a Meiosis II! great!), Leptonema, Zygonema, Pachynema, Diplonema and Diakinesis just had to be studied under Prophase, which are apparently all about the pairing up of homologous chromosomes, the replication of sister chromatids and the crossing-over of non-sister chromatids (God, it makes me feel like such a genius to write all these highfalutin terms and actually know what they're all about!). I suppose whoever invented the terms in science must: a) have an unrealistic measure of common people's intellect and capacity to memorize; b) be intellectual sadists who'd like to see the brains of students bleed from memorizing such tongue-twisting terms; and/or c) have a superbly inflated ego who'd like their names permanently and obviously associated with scientific concepts for posterity (Okazaki fragments and Avogadro's number, anyone?).
- Filipino. Fil 12 isn't as bad as I thought it would be (or maybe it was just Prof. Coroza of last sem's Fil 11 scaring us). Though still a definite eye-opener, the subject has actually become enjoyable, more so because the teacher is personable and humorous. Also, if it weren't for the subject I wouldn't have watched the great Filipino indie film "Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros", a deceptively simple movie with a great plot that made the most of its low budget.
- Paramita. Thanks to the efforts of Mia who introduced me to non-mainstream Filipino music, I've grown to like the sad, soulful, reflective, sometimes angsty and always lovelorn songs of this indie band. I've heard that their lead singer's been nominated for Drummer of the Year at the NU Music Awards last week because she plays the drums and sings the vocals simultaneously. Whoa, man. Whoa.
- "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West". Everyone familiar with the Wizard of Oz story knows that the scary, crazy villain is the Wicked Witch of the West, famous especially for her death via being thrown with a bucket of water. In this book by Gregory Maguire, the Wicked Witch is given a name, an unhappy home life, unappreciative parents, a desire for equality between social classes, a vendetta against the tyrannical and despotic Wizard, and a tragic love life - all motivations that led her to her destiny as a Witch. The book poses questions about good and evil, since what we are usually led to see and fear as a one-sidedly evil and demonic character may be originally good but led astray by negative circumstances (think Freud's theories). After reading this novel, I'll never think the same way about fairy-tale villains again.
I could write lots more, but I can't. I'm too tired from my long commute from school a while ago. But before I end this entry, I'd like to leave a final (teaser) question...
Why is it that the lines for the MRT ticket counters that say "Exact Fare Only", which are presumably the equivalent of Express Lanes (10 items or less) in groceries, actually have LONGER lines than ordinary ticket counters?Human nature.
