Tita

That's what we call our boss. Yes, we're weird that way. HAHA Our salary, we call it "allowance." She brings us lunch everyday. Often, she brings us cupcakes and pastries for merienda. Sometimes, when we work late, she even buys food for us.

I can't believe how awesome this person is. We are all in awe of her. Seriously.

Tita came from a old-rich family. Her husband, Tito, practically owns Bukidnon. She was part of the first batch of Mgt-H students of the Ateneo. She didn't finish. She went to the States and studied Economics there. Now, she's finishing her thesis for her PhD in Clinical Psych. They live in Forbes. They donated a building in the Ateneo. She is incredibly religious. Her two sons are on their way to become priests. Her daughter is a Theologian. None of these she told us, we just googled them. HAHAHA

Recently, however, our building (our office is only 2 rented rooms in the building) has been abuzz about a scam. Tita warned us that media might come if they find out where she works. See, Tito is purportedly involved in a scam that has been on the frontpage of the news the past few years. Last week, a plunder case was filed against him. I am absolutely confident that Tito did nothing wrong. Anyhoo, people in the building are supposedly scared of being "assassinated" and that Tita's "8 bodyguards" are bothering them. Hell no. Tita does not have a single bodyguard. I was just so pissed at these people. Clearly, they have no idea who Tita and Tito are.

Tita is the simplest, smartest, and most compassionate person I know. Today, we had a one-on-one meeting about what I've been doing. She was so depressed about the condition of the poor. We talk about the poor everyday. We pray for them frequently. Her whole life is devoted to the poor. They are constantly in her heart.Everyone in the office feels inadequate coz her quality of work puts everyone else's to shame. She knows each and every single detail about of sample villages. Down to how far these GK villages are from the town proper.

I know I'm still not comfortable around Tita. Nangliliit ako.HAHAHA I'm just not up to her level of dedication and I feel as though I'm disappointing her. Being around her just makes me realize how lacking I am. HAHAHA It's such a humbling experience. I can't help but feel that God really led me to work for her. I know. It's weird. I am the opposite of what Tita is. However, I feel that everyday I am around her, I am moving closer to becoming like her. HAHA Tita is really awesome.

To top all of these, she even skypes! Awesome.

5 Reasons Why 2011 Is Awesome

1. Work
Extra income! HAHAHA I know I don't particularly like the work I'm doing but hey, money is money. Mukhang pera?! HAHAHA It's a decent pay for what I do.

2. Sony Walkman
I won one in an online contest by AXN. Oo, pumapatol ako sa contests. HAHAHA Not much but it feels awesome to win something! Though, i don't know what I'll do with it. HAHAHA

3. Travel
My known travel plans this year: HK/Macau by March, Beijing in April, Korea in June. Salamat sa airfare promos! HAHA Aside from this, my boss and I had a talk. I'll be parttime from Feb to March so that I have time to study. Actually, she doesn't appreciate that I have to leave work early for school! HAHAHA BUT, she promised me travel sa summer. Not Bora, Palawan, etc. But travel is travel. I'll go around our 31 villages around the country. Mind you, 3 lang dito ang Manila. Sana ituloy niya! Ay wait, 30 lang pala ang pwede ko puntahan. Sa Sulu yung isa. Scared.

4. Econometrics Test
I got the highest score in the Econometrics test! POTAH. So happy about this. Ako na mayabang sorry. HAHAHAHA Well, nobody knows really but those who read this coz I haven't told anyone. HAHA I expected to get a low grade but I got a good grade! YAY! So happy. haha Though, I had an unfair advantage. I got a copy of my professors powerpoint presentations and a sample test. Both of which my friend and I never shared to anyone. HAHAHA Competitive much? Ganun daw talaga eh.

5. Switzerland
I might go. Joke. Di ako nageexpect but surely hoping. HAHA I got an email today from a Leadership Seminar I applied for. I got in. Don't think this is prestigious! It's not! HAHAHAHA Around 1 thousand people got accepted, i think. Now, I need 3,000 Euros! Yes, 3,0000 Euros. :| I WILL NOT GO IF MY PARENTS PAY FOR IT. It's just no practical.

Though, there is hope! HAHA My dad works for government and knows people. And the government has "discretionary" funds for situations like mine. Shet. I hope I raise the 3,000 Euros!

When I told my dad that I got in and that I needed sponsors. He replied "Try natin. Sagot ko. Don't tell your mom I'll fund you." I said "NO, I won't go if we pay for it." He replied "Don't worry. *toot* will pay for it." I hope!!

When I told my mom about it "Ang laking amount niyan. Anong libre?" HAHAHA Oh, mom, so jologs. hahahaha

I'm not expecting but I really hope I raise the 3,000Euros. Shet ka, dad, pinaasa mo ako! :| HAHA

Weekends Don't Exist

Here's my schedule last week that'll overlap with the coming week. Huhuhuhu

Monday: GK Site visit the whole day for work.

Tuesday: Work, work, work. Class at night.

Wednesday: Work. Dinner with friends.

Thursday: Received the questions for International Econ Midterms exam at 2 in the morning. Woke up by 7. Work til 5pm. Class from 6-9pm. Start with the Intl Econ Midterms til 2am.

Friday: Woke up at 7am and skipped work to do the Exam. Finished by 5pm? Huhuhuhu. Class from 6pm-9pm. Only 5 people showed up for class. The rest were working on their Midterm exam. Got home by 9.30pm. Finished editing my answers by 10.30pm. Sent! It was due 2am of Saturday.

I also received another set of questions for Dev't Econ midterms Friday night.

Saturday: Woke up at 9am. HAHA It felt good to sleeeeep. Procastinated til 3pm. HAHAHAHA Started reviewing for Dev't Econ. It's now 6pm and I haven't started. It's due at 10 in the morning tomorrow. :O Must start soon but my brain's not working. Huhuhu

Tomorrow: Finish the exam in the morning. In the afternoon, i have to make a powerpoint presentation for Int'l Econ due Monday. Report on Tuesday.

If I survive til Tuesday, make another report for Dev't Econ over the next weekend.

Summer, please come fast!

To top all of that, my boss at work has been extra hard on me. I'm a research assistant and yet she keeps on making me "memorize" all the GK sites under our research by heart. Small details about all of those. What are the differences? How many houses? How many people?? Health clinic? Public school? Homeowners association? And muuuuuch more. ADDICT KA BA?!?!?! I bet di mo rin memorized, okay?! I was just supposed to encode data not study them! Wala nang capacity utak ko. HAHAHAHAHA

Rant over.

Work

I got a job last Tuesday. I was offered the job after the interview and I started working the following day. It was all too fast. I wasn't prepared so my whole week (acads-wise) has been fucked up!

Anyhoo, work is good, for now. I guess everyone who's new to a job always has this perspective that the work is good. I'm a research assistant for an American-educated Filipina taking her Doctorate in Psychology. I basically arrange her data and files. She's awesome.

Why she's awesome: she babies her research assistant! I love it. I get paid an decent amount. She brings us lunch everyday!! I am so happy about this. HAHA She's partially vegan and yet she brings for us all sorts of viands! Today, we had liempo, chicken afritada, and calamares. To top that, she even brought cake! HAHAHAHA Ako na matakaw. Ang babaw ko shet. We also have a full "panty" of chips, cookies, and soda.

I love the fact that she brings food for us coz that means I don't spend at all everyday!! HAHA I can save moooooooooney since my mom has decided not to give me allowance coz "i'm working already."

She's also really nice. Too nice for my liking though. HAHA Ummmm, not that I don't like nice people but I just feel weird around them. They're really engaged in their research work and she's really doing this to help the country out. It's really noble. I just don't fit in too well, i guess. But, it's been a good influence really. We pray before meals. Prayers that really come from the heart. And today, I went to mass with them. See? Good influence!

And I don't really have much work to do, for now. I constantly find myself on Twitter. I take millions of little breaks to go around campus. I've watched a couple of videos on youtube. I've went out of the office just to stay outside the office. Work isn't that much demanding for now so I really do have a lot of free time.

I'm enjoying work for now. I just have to find balance between work and studies! One need not suffer hopefully.

I Live in a Teleserye

Yesterday, I got a job. Yay, i thought to myself. I can get some money for me. That was in the morning.Great, 2011 might be awesome after all. That was the end of it's awesomeness.

Later that night, my dad was confined in the hospital. He has been complaining about his eye a few days before New Year. He had them checked and stuff. They said he just needed glasses. We got the results a couple of days back but the doctor wasn't in the country or something and couldn't articulate the results. Yesterday, we found out that he has high everything. I dunno what specifically my mom meant by everything. Blood pressure? Blood sugar? I have no idea. All I know is that my dad is in the hospital.

And crap just keep on piling up.

My dad's in the hospital.

My mom and sister had a MAJOR fight.

Minor shit: I have so much to do so little time! And I have a headache. Works just seems to be a hassle all of sudden. And it's only Day 1.

Meh

Today was gonna be a good day. I really, really, really thought it would be. Guess not. I found the urge to blog for privacy matters. HAHA

The plan today was simple go to school to submit Econometrics HW, try to read book, go to Xmas party, go to class, follow to Xmas after party. Good day. I really thought it was gonna be a good day. One thing I took for granted: my moods. HAHAHAHA

SHET. It's such a bad day to be off!

I was perfectly fine in the morning. I was having one of those rare good mornings. I was singing to my morning tunes! Rarity! Anyhoo, I dunno where my mood turned ugly. I just suddenly felt the world was slapping me with all my inadequacies! You have no idea.

I cut class coz I thought the Christmas party and after-party would be too much to miss. I knew the lesson for today. I can manage to skip class today. Now, I feel like I should have attended class! It's not even coz the party was bad. It was fun I just really wasn't in the mood! I can't even explain. It just really felt like the world was showing me what I should be but am not.

Shet. I don't want this crappyness to linger throughout the weekend!!!!

Preparation and Self-Doubt

These two are expected to have a negative correlation. (Shet. The first thing that came to mind is an Eco joke. If you don't get of that sentence's relation to Eco, you are not an Eco major. HAHAHA)

Anyhoo, what most people don't know is that I actually prepared for the 2nd semester. I spent weeks reading up my undergraduate books. Though, obviously not sufficient, it has helped me a lot to be more prepared for my MA. Right now, I am still not having a difficult time. I hope it remains this way forever. HAHA

I had two classes this week. Development and Econometrics. We had a shitload of things to read for Dev't: 200pages, more or less. I didn't finish it. I probably read 130 pages of it? And I felt guilty about it. However, my brain just didn't want to accept info anymore. HAHA However, it turned out to be more than sufficient. A lot of my classmates read 1 book. The undergraduate level basic information book. I felt good that I had to drive to read more than the usual. HAHAHA

However, during recitation, I was just too shy to recite. Sucks for me!! I knew the answers. Just didn't have the confidence to spill it coz I was doubting myself. Don't get me wrong, I was able to recite. But I feel like I could have delivered more. I need to get my confidence back. :|

It was a whole different case with Econometrics. It was a school holiday last Friday. I thought we wouldn't have class. I read nothing for it. Turns out, we weren't affected by the school holiday. Anyway, the session was devoted for review of some Statistics concepts and Econometric modelling.

Thank God I read up before the semester started. I was able to understand the lesson, for the most part. HAHA And one instance just proved how much I was doubting myself.

**
My professor said that Regression models had to be linear in both parameters and variables. I remembered from my old Econometrics book that models only had to be linear in parameters. (Proof: Log-Linear models are not linear in variables!) Anyhoo, I wasn't sure but I checked my notes and it agreed with me. (Yes, when I read before the semester, I took down notes. Nerdmode. I hope it lasts!)

Anyway, I asked my friend if I was write or not. She said I was. I wanted to tell my professor but I couldn't. I asked her to but she couldn't either. HAHAHA We ended up just accepting whatever the professor said.

**
I hate that I have so much self-doubt. I swear, people are not giving me enough credit and it is affecting my confidence. Just saying. HAHA

I need to be always prepared for school! I hope I can do it! I don't want to slack off. Although, unfortunately, I have feeling I will. Please slap me if I do.

Btw, I am starting to like my MA classmates. There are pretty nice people there. It feels like Survivor. The old vs. the young! HAHA Ofcourse, I go with the young. :))