This is for keeps! - or University's drop-out

still THE bag, even if it is 95$. 

posted by PHy @ 2:12 PM 0 comments

THE bag. 

posted by PHy @ 2:11 PM 0 comments

I bought the 2 DVDs version of Sprited Away today. I hadn't seen it yet (don't hit me with that stick) and I'll have to wait at least until tomorow evening to watch it, since I have yet another exam tomorow (the joys of being a student)

I actually went to the store to get My Neighbor Totoro, also by Miyazaki, since they were suppose to get the new Disney release today, but there seem to have been a problem, and not a single Archambault store got it. Never fear! I left my name and number to insure that they keep a copy of it for little old me. Beside, getting it after Easter vacation should help my NOT buy Totoro products from the web. Darn those totoro plushies are cute...

Since I still had about 15 minutes to kill while waiting for the bus, I checked out quickly what was new at Simons, and spotted this so nice bag, and I was already making excuses for me to buy it, until I saw the price tag. 95$. For a purse.

It's still really really nice, and if I was still 16 years old, I'd beg my mother for it, but I haven't been 16 for the last 6 years, so it too expensive for my funds.

For now, I'll just get this cram session over with, take the damn exam, and watch Spirited Away tomorow (Yeah! French sound track too! I can force it unto my mother!)

posted by PHy @ 1:54 PM 0 comments

I'm easily pleased.

I received my t-shirts from J-List today. (it did take 3 weeks, but than again, I did order while they were moving, so delays were normal) I checked outside at about 1pm, and no mail. Kinda normal for me, the mailman doesn't seem to think passing by our house daily is necessary : we usually get mail once or twice a week, a big stack of letters, and sometimes they've even been ordered by recipient. (creepy) So when I checked again an hour later (really bored) I didn't really think there was gonna be anything.

But, there was a gray greenish bag, crammed in the mailbox. With my name on it on closer inspection.

Very nice shirts, a bit longer than most of mine, but it makes them even greater.

There was a pack of tissu papers with a "Brave Soul" top and little flowers at the back. How sweet! Unexpected gift!

Like I said, I'm easily pleased.

So, in my quest to own all things remotly asian (it's not really a quest. More like an obcession) I now have three tshirts with Japanese writting on their front.

I also ordered a Gloomy Bear plush from YesAsia last thusrday (picture was posted earlier this week) but I only expect that next week, probably late next week. I'm hoping before Easter so I can freak out my nephews with it (look at the pretty teddy! It's gonna eat you alive! Yes it will! Yeeesss it willllll!)

And I got a bonzai two weeks ago. But like I told my sisters, that's not because it's asian (it's not even because The Karate Kid was on two weeks ago, because I didn't even watched it) It's because since my cat passed away a month ago, I figured I wouldn't be as sad and depressed if a plant died.

And even though I don't have green thumbs, the little guy who was one third yellow and dried out when I got it, now is all green and healthy looking. Sometimes, when I look at it, it just looks like a peice of branch stuffed in a plate of dirt, but other time, with the right lightning, it looks just like a far away tree, all zen looking with the polished rocks on the side.

Humm. This entry started out by the greatness of free tissu papers, and now I'm blabbing about my bonzai. Time to call it quit.

But just to have some interresting Google ads at right of the page, lets put in some search words : Sushi! Everyone loves Sushi! Let's hope for a sushi website ad!

Sushi!

posted by PHy @ 3:33 PM 0 comments

This is what my camera considers a close-up. 

posted by PHy @ 2:10 PM 0 comments

again, the chairs... (for some reason, I find this rather amusing) 

posted by PHy @ 2:09 PM 0 comments

Blocking the entrance - the "lets stuff a few chairs and desks so we can leave and go grab some beers" way 

posted by PHy @ 2:08 PM 0 comments

Blocking the entrance - the human way 

posted by PHy @ 2:06 PM 0 comments

I am such a scab.

I woke up this morning, or is it still called night at 5am?, to a white outside. After a great, (relatively) warm day on tuesday, the world was back to being snow covered. That usually means I have to hurry up some more to catch an earlier bus, since traffic toward university is hell when it's snowing.

On the bus, I only noticed the lack of passengers after a friend mentionned it. I figured people were scared of snow, she thought it was because pretty much all departements, except hers, were on strike for the day. Say what? Strike? Darn.

There was an assembly yesterday at noon to vote on that. I didn't stay, had enough politics back in high school and college to last me for a few years yet. I checked my school emails acounts last night, but since we didn't get any news, I figured it wasn't happening and promptly forgot all about it (along with the help of a tooth ache from hell)

When I entered my building, two security guards in full gear were posted at the entrance. A first. Still don't know what they thought might happen, cherry bomb in the toilets? The many mini posters pinned everywhere told all that needed to be said.

Not strike. "Levee de cours". Don't know how to translate it. The students decide to not go the class, but the teacher has the right to still give his class. That's bad. You never know which teacher is gonna decide to give a class to an empty room. So I stayed all day here, reading old Sushicam.com article because it is imposible to get any work done in the cafeteria, all students have decided to spend the day there.

I finally crossed over to the second building to see if the last class of the day would happen, the class in which we have an exam next week. A few student were blocking the entrance, but anyway, the teacher didn't show up. Can't blame him. Had I knowned, I would have stayed home and slept in too.

So I stole a few shots with my phonecam of students blocking classrooms, and in about 15 minutes I'll head back home, loads of stuff to do, and basicly all day lost.

Maybe the post office finally received my t-shirts from J-List. I can dream I guess.

This is no fair. Strikes are suppose to be fun.

posted by PHy @ 2:04 PM 0 comments

This as got to be the coolest teddy bear there ever was. 

posted by PHy @ 5:19 PM 0 comments

Thursday, 4pm.

Yesterday morning, I was trying to stay awake through class, the professor going on and on about calculating something like the minimum energy needed to move our Lego Mindstorm robots, but using all these complex calculations when really, all there is to do is send just a small amount of energy, each time a little more, until the robot moves.

I looked around at some point when my even my laptop wasn't entertaining anymore, and noticed everyone was light years away. The teacher must have noticed too. I mean, come on! about 60 students, eyes glazed over, either holding their heads up with their hands, or simply lying down on the desks. Why the hell does he keep talking on for 75 minutes when no ones listening?

Then I had a math class, which isn't too bad because to professor's really good and gives lots of examples. But as I wrote down what was on the board, I realized I might be albe to understand this, even answer the questions in an exam, but really, I don't want to spend my life doing stuff with this, even if it means I "lost" two years of my life studying this, which I refuse to believe, even if I am the only female student in my program this year : I won't screw up my life just for the sake of feminism.

So yesterday, I sent in my application for the translation program at university.

All that's left to do is to send in the 30$ fees, and wait to be asked to take the English tests.

Two years ago, when I sent in my first application, my mother made me the check for the fees, because the bank doesn't charge her with fees when she makes a check, like they doo for me.

This time, what with my mother refusing to talk with me about this, I guess I'll have to send it as a money order.

Nope, she didn't take it well. You know she's mad when she looks straight forward, refusing to speak using anything else then short sounds. And when she finally spoke TO me, not WITH me, she just blew up and told me she couldn't work for the rest of her life, supporting me while I switch programs, ruinning her.

Like I'm gonna spend the next 45 years of my life hating what I do just because she wants to be able to tell people her youngest is an engineer.

She'll just have to tell them she speaks and writes 4 languages.

Or better yet : screw them. What the hell does what they think matters at all?

So I did a little research on this translation program. I'm scared of making the switch, sending in those 30$, but I'm more scared of staying where I'm at. So, yeah, I'm switching. When I manage to get A in all classes because I'm genuinely interested in them, maybe my mother will come around. Having a C+ average right now, after only two years, I'm gonna end up beeing kicked out before I finish my studies, since it's departement policy that student with a lower than C average are to be kick out of the program.

This has been a depressing week. You'd think I could be excited about finding something I'm interrested in doing for the rest of my life. I've just been having anxiety attacks when I'm either leaving for school or my mom is around. This as got to stop. I'm sending those fees tomorow after my numeric analysis exam.

Crap. The exam. Gotta study.

Even if I won't need that class anymore. :)

:P~~

Now that's good news!

That, and the Jackie Chan movie on tv this week end!

Study now, then Jackie Chan during the week end while I forget everything about that class!

posted by PHy @ 4:02 PM 0 comments

Sushi and Bagels : finally together! 

posted by PHy @ 4:00 PM 0 comments

So, while I'm setting myself for an argument with my mother considering my previous post;

First, a nice Flash display of pictures form Tokyo, with great background music (it's really worth waiting for the download)
http://myweb.hinet.net/home14/weijon/20040101/20040101.htm

And second, nonsence from me. I thought it funny this week end at the groceries store to see a very asian retirees couple, the gentleman with his huge glasses and missing part of his hair, his lady with perfect perm curls, taking small steps because her skirt was tight around the bottom of her legs, and her platform shoes were quite high and with very little contact surface on the ground.

The funny part was when the gentleman, with the huge smile asian tourists would give me when asking me to take their pictures back at the restaurant downtown, picked up a bag of bagels.

It just reminded me of the shirt I wore today :

Swhartz Lee : Bagels and Sushi Deli.

I love that shirt. I have a scan of it somewhere. I'll dig it out and post it.

posted by PHy @ 5:29 PM 0 comments

I'm seriously considering switching program at school next september.

And when I say considering, I mean I pretty much decided, but I fear my mother wrath.

The deal my mom has with me (and had with my sisters and brother when they were my age) is that no one leaves the house without a degree, a certificate, or something to work with.

I'm trying to finish my second year in computer engineering (can't even spell it, in english nor in french) and that would leave me with another two years to go, and an intership to do at some point.

Now the problem is I don't enjoy a single class anymore. I don't think I ever did thinking back. Not even my programming classes, which should have been interresting to me. Not even my present 'design' class where we get to do a group project. I just find I'm not interested in anything we do, and it freaks me out when I think this is what I'm setting myself to do for the rest of my life.

The alternative I have is a translation program. I wanted to take Japanese classes, and possibly Chinese classes too. Translators who can use these languages are what is needed nowadays. And I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy the classes in this program. I might even feel like going to school for the first time in, what, 4 years? Probably more. The last classes I really enjoyed where my English classes and Philosophy classes back in college.

In september, the guys in my classes started talking about the problems people finishing in engineering had finding a job. I found an article in Jobboom Magazine, publish by the biggest work related website in the province, which looks into work perspectives for different programs. It states that computers and information graduates do have more problems finding a job in the last few years because too many were formed.

It also states just above that that there's a need for 1000 new translators per year, but only 300 graduate yearly.

Here's the link for those who speak french : http://www.jobboom.com/jobmag/20-05-texte.html

So I figure I'll try to face my mother tonight. I really want her blessings for this, even though I know I won't get them. For some reason, it's important for me.

posted by PHy @ 5:03 PM 0 comments

I'd just like to take a minute to praise something I bought today.

Best 86¢ I ever spent.

Ear plugs.

I'm sitting, upstairs, not locked up somewhere way too cold to get any work done, and the darn television isn't bothering me.

I can't read with noise around me. I'm way too easily distracted. But right now, I can't even hear myself type.

I am so bringing these at school. I might be able to study there for the first time in two years.

But for now, back to numeric analytic.

I should have done like most student and bought the darn homework from someone who's already passed this class. But nooooo. I'm too honest. Or too cheap, I'm not sure yet.

posted by PHy @ 8:49 PM 0 comments

As I was browsing through J-List monday, I kept seeing an item named Pocky popping up in various flavors. I checked a few website to figure out they're actually pretzel sticks dipped in chocolate or something ressembling it.

I remember my cousin eating regular pretzel, shaped like knots, dipped in chocolate, when I was maybe 4 years old. I also remember refusing to eat any, because I couldn't understand that the pretzels underneat the chocolate weren't salty (salt and chocolate shouldn't mix. and I was only four, give me a break)

But I also remembered seeing these somewhere. I wet to the dollar store on a whim, and after going through just about the entire store, I spotted boxes of 'Funzels'. I bought a few boxes and went home.

They're pretty good, but would probably be better if they weren't from a dollar store, and made from less cheap chocolate.

But still, a little japannese thing that's affordable.

J-List is a really cool web store, too. I ordered a few t-shirts, that I hope to get by the begining of next week since they're shipping from the US, and if that goes well, I might order a few things from Japan.

Just not now. I've spent so much in the last few week I need to take a break. And pay university fees.

posted by PHy @ 8:10 PM 0 comments

Funzels : Pocky imitation 

posted by PHy @ 8:09 PM 0 comments