The Chi around you!

I just got off a conversation with someone who was just perpetually pouring cold water over what I've said. Is the person being realistic? being practical? being truthful? I dunno, but after a long while, such negative tactless speeches annoy the hell out of me, especially when they're not the experts and I seem to be channelling these less-than-positive energies into this blog! Farout, I'm polluting my blog with all the insensitivities, instead of the rara-happy thoughts. 

So anyways, I have an assignment due in 1.5 days and I am very calm about it. Oh well, I guess this comes with age - this zen approach - I need to look for more positive people to associate with! 

Dum dee dum...

1 more month

I just came back from home, but I want to go home. It's ultimate sianness and I just don't have the energy to go through another cycle again. blehs. 

okay, that's my five min. Back to assignments. 

taxes, reits and the lot

Have I turned into a commerce student already? My head is filled with all these figures, and am trying to break the code of them all. I should mind map the whole tax system related to property, and I immediately thought of this hillarious post: 

http://klaustoon.wordpress.com/2009/04/06/building-services-i-how-to-reserve-a-room-in-the-gsd-goes-wild/

Writing

I am in a writing mode, as opposed to doing assignments, rather than facebook, I've taken to blogging as a way to ahem, relax... But that said, I just wanted to say that my very short 6 weeks at the GSD was truly inspiring. I've never really talked about it, but I've learnt 

- to respect and appreciate the work of architects, especially architects like Dan Piteira

- that we are all deep down the same

- that it is possible to learn and create in 6 weeks 

- to wake up and be inspired to learn and absorb, and just be excited to attend classes (yes, how nerdy)

- to be environmentally more aware 

- to appreciate chocolate chip cookies (and that it is NOT a substitute for breakfast)

- Diet Coke ("DC") is addictive

- Macbooks are super light and should always be chosen over a heavy dell

- having a pink dell is so not the way to be popular 

- there are strange people walking around, e.g. girl in red bow

- that things that I don't do in my youth do come back and haunt me (e.g. drafting) 

- the wonders of google, wikipedia, planetizen, sketch-up

- that every city has its own issues, e.g. the big dig, the fort point channel

- that the departed was shot in South Boston 

- that urban sprawl and suburbanisation are not the way to go 

- how New Orleans was affected and that people who cared about their homes wanted so much to do something about it

- sometimes in a s***ty neighbourhood, people do want to do something about it but don't know where to start

- to sort out the recyclables 

- group work is tough sometimes

- that I have to make a decision and every stroke of a pen reflects your thoughts

- about transit-oriented developments

- precedents 

One year onwards, a little late on the entry, but I have to say it has been a great 6 weeks and I do appreciate what I have learnt. 

A break from CGT

Lately I was affected for days by what someone told me over lunch about how my decision had disappointed someone. It was stuck in my head for days, until I remembered how that period was marked one of the darkest in my life. Had I chosen to stay on just so not to disappoint someone, wouldn't I be letting myself down if I had then lost it all?

What then?

On a happier note: I have cracked the code of Capital Gains Tax!

What a mixed bag of Friday

I now allocate 5 min of my day to b****ing about things that irk me, just so I spend the rest of the 23hrs and 55 min being happy. It is impractical to assume perfection that there will be no complaints or disgruntles for any given day. 

So here's for today for what happened yesterday that I felt bothered and thought that it was spoiling my mood for the entire day, hence the 5 min limit. 

I used to 'fong fei kei' quite a bit, and though it was unforgivable, I found that it is actually a clear indication that things / relationships are not working out. However, I was in constant denial that this lack of effort was actually more about me (a) not being interested (b) feeling obligated. So when somehow I was on the receiving end, I have decided, along with this 5 min rule, that I was going to streamline.

Because I could not find a better explanation for me making a journey and having someone tell me he/she could not meet because of some half-arsed excuse. Maybe it's karma for all the feng fei keis that I've done, but I'm glad in the meantime, I found people who mattered. 

These are some of the best decisions I have ever made - this pruning and the five minutes rule, along with my low tolerance for people who turn up only in need.

Meanwhiles, ingredients for a fabulous Friday: 

REITs, fish head, bkt, drive-thru, drums, cars, kopi-o ais, low traffic on the f1-bridge, all sorts of crabs, hell's kitchen, emerald hill, mojitos, HH dolls, alley bar, gollywogs, real fake goods, blackboards, streamlining, pretending to be PC phrases, low traffic on f1-bridge back. 

Closure

In my walkabout, I find myself having to shed the familiarities that people expect of me, the way I spoke, reacted, walked, dressed. I have moved on, somehow, and the things that I used to enjoy no longer interest me. It appears not to make sense but I have taken on a different path some time ago and I no longer want to look back anymore. There was a story of how a group of people's decisions were affected by just one person. It just doesn't make sense because at the end of it, then what? 

5 mins

Of late my patience have deteriorated, or rather I have learnt to appreciate myself more, i.e. I suffer no whines! (Even though that's what I'm doing here). I no longer tolerate trivial pursuits of how the universe is out to get you, and make it a point now that I don't complain. 

No more weather too hot, too cold, too far to walk, too late, too rainy, too fast, too slow, how now? How come? Should have. 

Rather now, weather too hot? stay out of the sun, weather too cold? wear an extra jacket, too far to walk? cab! too late? Run. You get the drift. 

All the whining etc will not throw the sun out of its solar system or make it hide behind the clouds, autumn is here so temperature's falling, it's nature! How can anyone spend time talking about something one can't change? 

Change yourself, move on, find a solution! 

easter break

I'm excited about going home, to see the 3 boys, them screaming across MSN is simply not good enough! 

The pace has been rather good, so far, not the best, but improving, and I have dropped the extra subject that I had originally wanted to do so that I could focus on my core subjects. I didn't think I could give my all in it. Already sustainability, REITs and trust accounting are all that I can think about nowadays, in between the gazillion things I want to do in a week's time: 

play with the nephews, bak kut teh, eclipse clothes, beef noodles, hair straightening, colouring, facial, massage, shoes, play with the nephews, drive, meet up with friends, bags, earrings, club, play with nephew. 

note the recurring items.