JuST ANothEr DAy

So I've been a bit under the weather and this weather really isn't helping things. But it's not like I could miss class to recoup, this ain't secondary school. Everything is timed; explicit times for food, busing-train systems, classes, late is late and I'm going to have to get used to that. Back home 2pm meant 3pm and everyone subconsciously agreed well, except the ones planning the events at the time. Lol, could remember the church days when the pastor reminded us to get to church earlier, I wonder if that's still going on. But yea today was fun as basically every day has been. If it wasn't for this sore throat I'd say that so far my experiences here have been generally wonderful - homework stress of course.

Uhh woke up at 8 for an 8:35 class, well before you start calling me lazy this class wasn't mandatory. Going today meant that I wouldn't have to go to my original class the same time on FRIDAY. This means I only have one class then!! Was a biomedical engineering class and we're still doing MS excel tutorials. WOuld prefer if we were doing actual biomed things but that's ok. I'm actually enjoying this major, was hesitant at first but after reading the textbook and being at a few classes, I'm beginning to like it more and more. Dr. Daniel? Grandmas would be proud. I've watched so many medical shows and seeing the headaches and heartaches they have to suffer made me swear that I wouldn't go into that profession. I can remember saying that I wouldn't want to become a doctor because I couldn't see myself spending day in and day out in a hospital unattached from the outside world. I want to experience this world and I thought that becoming a doctor would hinder that. Would always be tethered to a gurney or a stethoscope but I don't think that way anymore. I love helping people, being someone that they could depend on. Someone they could come to for advice or just rant if needed and being a doctor would make those instances perennial.

What doctor you ask? Well, back in the day at SMC I wanted to do radiology. I don't know but the thought of working with X-rays and radiation appealed to me. Lol, that's all I knew and still know actually and I'm currently over it. Maybe my fixation with being the next spiderman or hulk had something to do with it. Radiology...can't see myself doing that now. Now my thoughts are on neurology~neurosurgery; specializing in age-related illnesses. My biomedical engineering specialization is neural engineering so I'm already preparing for the "head"ache that is neurology. You got that right? Lol. But yes, growing up I spent a lot of time with the old folks, my grandparents, my great grandmother, who is still alive by the way at the ripe strong age of 90sumn, can't quite remember. I wouldn't want to experience any period in our futures where neither of them remember me. To ask; who are you again or what are you doing here or are you sure you're my grandson? Honestly these words would kill me. I spent a lifetime with these people, mis abuelas, and to have them waste away to nothing...I don't even want to imagine. Especially my grandmothers, who took care of me from babe to now...I love them too much to have them suffer and this would be a way to help prevent that if possible. Hence, neurology; good enough reason? I just hate suffering, hate when my close familIy and friends suffer and even the unknown man or woman on the corner street, begging for sustenance. The woman who has an uncanny resemblance to my great-aunt or one of the women in my community. Hurts me to see them like this, and any way I could help I would. Can't do so at this moment but don't worry, I'm preparing for the days when I can. Btw, was late for biomed if you didn't guess.

After that class it was quickly off to object-oriented programming, a Computer Science course at 10-11:15. The class was sort of interesting, as interesting as basic programming could be. We're learning Java programming and this kinda burns me because I told myself that I'd learn it for summers upon summers, eons before I knew that I'd be heading to this university. Back when I was in form 5, after the radiology phase, I wanted to do computer science. I liked IT and it did peek my interest. So I did research on universities and one school I liked was NYU; the university of new york. Java programming was going to be taught and if you were already proficient then you'd get bumped up to the big boy classes. Never got around to learning and NYU was just a dream. But that's definitely okay now; things come to those who wait and I'm quite the patient guy, maybe a bit too patient? So back to the class, we're just in the initial stages, declaring variables, learning about operator precedence, data types(double, char, boolean and so on). So far so good, I believe that I will enjoy this class.

After CS I had chem at 11:25-12:40. We had an exam today!!! Did I even know we had one to do? Nuh-ooope. But it wasn't bad, just 3 multiple choice questions and one calculation, about molecules, amu and compounds. Simple cxc stuff for now. These things were drilled into me from form 3 -5 so they're still there although hard to reach. I like the teacher, not like-like but she's cool, always has problems with the projector and laptop, but that makes class even more entertaining. Gonna have to go to office hours to brush up.

Lunch was food galore lol...We have only two meals a day, and the meals are unlimited...unlimited!!! You can take whatever you want, refills upon refills as long as your gut can bare it. Sadly being in this sickened state I wasn't able to take as much as I'd usually do. bUt I think I'm eating too much anyway, don't want a big belly lol. Had a veggie wrap, and some bread with meat whatever meat that was and strawberry shortcake. ALso orange juice and lots of it; my only medicine right now, tasty medicine that is, theraflu's here too.

After lunch, quickly rushed to my dorm(lol, I have a dorm) to finish some math homework for my following class at 3:15. DId as much as I could while talking to some family and family friends in the process. Don't think those connections will ever be severed. Got to class a minute late and luckily the role was still being called when I walked in. SO far math has been about vectors; dot products, cross products and equations of the plane (today's topic). A level thingies which I did quite good in so they aren't much trouble, just gotta go over. Main differences though are the way they write their vectors <> instead of my traditional () and right angled vectors are called orthogonals. Just a new name that's all. My professor is an aged man of many many seasons and he calls sums exciting lol and tries to make the class interesting using his innate querkiness. JOkes are typically dry though lol but he tries. Always looks at us like he wants approval. DOn't think he's married lol.

After class was dinner at 5, can't quite remember what it was, oh yea had a grilled cheese sandwich, potatoes, pork, a turkey sandwich, string beans and orange juice!! YEa felt reaaalllyy big after that. So, I took some time to myself and then I went to the gym. Seeing that monday was labor day, I had to restructure my training so today was back exercises. DOn't think I strained myself or anything because I wasn't 100%. DId enough to constitute an okay workout 2mrw will be chest.

Did a bit more socializing after that, went to 7-11 which is on campus, had no money so went to the center court, bought a turkey sub and protein vanilla milk drink with my bonus points. Ahh bonus points, quite convenient but I don't want to be abusing it. I've already spent and eaten enough. Couldnt even eat the entire thing had to give the rest to a buddy of mine who is another case all by himself(subsequently people, don't be impatient). And now I am here, oh and I think there's a bug passing cuz one of us was in pretty bad shape, vomiting and the works and another's not too good. Hope it doesn't last.

And now I'm here, ready to say goodnight and good morning to all the readers. This was just a typical day, more exciting stuff to come. Just remembered after gym before 7-11 I spent sometime at a "root beer social" one of the events organized to let ppl meet ppl. GOt there late but it was still fun all the same; throwing ping pong balls into empty glasses. OK, ok that's enough, I need rest.

Goodnight and have a positive energy-filled day....

A new volume....

So I haven't written a blog in quite a while and my life then compared to now is quite different. Currently surrounded by well, new surroundings, people, temperature and it is to some extent a bit overwhelming but (8)I know I can make it through(8).
Left my Helen of the West on August 22nd and now I've been living it up in the Windy City. I left my family, friends, close loved ones behind because well, life demanded that I do. Read a quote once which said that human beings are the only animals that allow their offspring to return to the nest and so I'm waiting to get back someday. Will see them all again soon enough. SO right now, just have to do what I came here to do, gain a world recognized degree from one of the top ranked schools in America, make myself and my family proud, as well as my native homeland. Really and truly that's what we all came here for, to experience something new, to once again put our country on the world map, no longer obscured by the perceived splendor of ReggaeIsle, OilLand or LittleBritain. There is much more to us than sand, sea and sun and we are here to prove it. Won't be easy but I believe we have the capacity to do it and being together puts us at an even greater advantage because we'll be able to complement each other. The strong help the weak in their area of expertise and vice versa. I hope this feeling of family does not change, ever.
I mean I like my little merry band, we'll be fine and they are all nice people although with varying levels of sociability. I'll always say that it would've been a bit better and a whole of a lot more interesting if certain people were able to come here as well but maybe this way is meant to be for some reason. While I live my life here, they too will live theirs elsewhere and aggregately we'll learn and grow from each others experiences. I just hope that we all grow for the better and that the good is us does not metamorphose or disappear completely. Although we aren't able to hang out like before or just talk as regularly I still foresee being great friends with all my past friends, the bond will only continue to develop.
So for now while I continue a chemistry assignment with the air condition serenading my skin, just know that this will be updated regularly, well as long as I get the time. College life will be fun, difficult, stressful and entertaining and details will be shared in due time...So welcome, ladies and gents to collegeLife Volume 1

A Typical Thursday on Planet Earth

So while I'm here at work grunting because I have absolutely nothing to do and scratching my head because I am "poor" and would deeply appreciate a few more zeroes in my bank account, I came upon this article sent to me by 'The Economist' (a must join btw if you're interested in world events, it's not only economics people) and it has got me thinking. WHy worry so much about mediocre things like financing when you have your life and relative safety(well, that shall be discussed in a subsequent post)? People all around the world are suffering faaaaaaaaaaar worse than you, hey listen; you have the luxury of actually reading this, enough said. So try to take this article into consideration. 

Solemn reading...

Blighted Pakistan
Swamped, bruised and resentful
Terrifying monsoon floods add to a sea of other woes in Pakistan—and intensify pressure on the president
Aug 5th 2010 Charsadda

PRESIDENT ASIF ZARDARI may yet regret sticking to a European jaunt this week, just as his countrymen struggled to cope with the worst flooding in Pakistan’s history. As the heaviest monsoon rain in decades swept away the houses of over 140,000 people, killing an estimated 1,500 and affecting over 3m, Mr Zardari was pictured swanning about in sunny France, taking a helicopter trip to his 16th-century chateau in Normandy, and promoting the fledgling political career of his son. In the process he took time to admonish Britain’s new government for daring to point out that elements in Pakistan export terrorism and to scold the West for losing “hearts and minds” in its war in Afghanistan.
Back home, the Pakistani government is fast losing the hearts and minds of many of its own people. In places anger is intense over an inadequate response to the disaster. Neighbours and relief charities, including some with links to Islamic extremists, appear to be doing a better job of helping victims than the national authorities, at least in some blighted areas.
The worst of the flooding, which began late last week, is in the North-West Frontier Province (newly named Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), including the Swat valley, the region that has suffered most from terrorism and the domestic Taliban insurgency. Last year some 2m people were displaced from Swat as a military offensive drove the Pakistani Taliban out of the scenic valley.
Although the scale of the flooding and needs of the victims would have overwhelmed any government, the provincial and national authorities have largely been in a state of paralysis. The prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, who had previously been almost absent, urged his ministers on August 4th to speed up relief efforts. Some 50,000 troops have been deployed, and thousands of stranded people plucked by army helicopters from their rooftops. But the normally well-organised armed forces have not managed to do much beyond rescue and evacuation.
Roads, bridges, electricity and irrigation canals have been ripped away. People reported how, by the time they managed to gather their children, flood water was already waist high, or worse. The United Nations says that 1.8m are in urgent need of water, food and shelter. As ever after such events, an outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera is feared. The torrent headed south, following the course of the Indus river, wrecking lives and infrastructure in the heart of Pakistan, Punjab province, and, by-mid week, in Sindh.
“We never imagined that this could happen. We were not prepared for such a big disaster,” confesses Kamran Rehman Khan, a senior official in Charsadda, one of the districts of the north-west that has suffered most. At one construction on a river in Charsadda, built by the British colonial government, more than twice the volume of water of the previous record flood, in 1929, gushed in, snapping off its gates. Mr Khan says that the effect has not only been to wipe out this year’s crops, but because of damage to the irrigation network, next season’s crops will be lost too. The areas worst hit, including Charsadda and the neighbouring district of Nowshera, as well as Punjab, are all big food producers.
Into the void have stepped aid organisations, local and international, as well as Islamic charities, some of which are hardliners. Among the religious outfits active in flood relief is Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a supposedly banned group linked to the horrific November 2008 terrorist attack on civilian targets in Mumbai, India’s commercial capital.
Such groups may now gain in popularity at the expense of the national government, led by the secular Pakistan Peoples Party, and the provincial government of North-West Frontier, run by the Awami National Party, which is also secular. Pakistanis have not been inclined to back religious groups in elections that were held fairly, but the generally hapless and lofty rule of the two secular forces since they came to power early in 2008 is worrying.
The deluge, which was many times the usual monsoon and fell farther north and west than usual, has exposed the lack of investment in water infrastructure, including big dams, much of which was built in the 1960s. The removal of forest cover may also have allowed rainwater to drain faster into the rivers.
Pakistan is lurching from crisis to crisis, with an anaemic economy, religious extremism and an uncertain political dispensation. On August 4th a suicide bomber killed a senior police commander in Peshawar. Earlier in the week a leading politician was shot dead in Karachi, ever an ethnic tinderbox, igniting a frenzy of tit-for-tat killings that left over 70 dead and all but shut the commercial capital. Mr Zardari’s attention is needed back home.

To BLog Or NOt to BLog?

I'm not one to willingly inscribe my thoughts on paper in fact, I tend to keep all feelings bottled in. All my life I've been reticent, introverted, stoic, only speaking when spoken to and really and truly keeping up with this blog will be a milestone. Right now I'm not even sure if I'll be able to. I've spent my lifetime building up this wall and doing this will at the very least produce a few fractures. But why do this? I don't know, honestly. Time for a change? I've been reading a friend's blog, and she said that writing helps her vent; makes sense. Releasing your stress on digital paper is a good avenue to do so and I have a tonne of stress to unload. Currently writing this thing at work and the radio is not helping the thinking process.
Another realization is that this blog need not follow any logic. I can write whatever I want, whenever I want without the dictatorship of a parent, teacher or boss laying down any rules. I have never had this much power before. I shouldn't even be thinking about this, just writing whatever pops up but limits are still required. This is the internet and anybody can read this, anybody!! I still need to maintain my suave, cool, intelligent demeanor. I might actually let people read this one day.
I called the blog "Placidity" because of its definition; the state of being pleasantly calm or peaceful; unruffled; tranquil; serenely quiet or undisturbed. I like calming things. Life should be placid. One should be relaxed and this blog is my way of helping me do that and perhaps others too. We are forgetting to enjoy life, to stop and just revel in the beauty of it all. I could spend hours just watching vistas, smiling to myself while thinking " this is truly remarkable, God is wonderful". Tired of hearing people seeking God through many ill-means or trying to be Him, when opening your eyes is proof in itself that He exists. I think I'll post innumerable photos of vistas and overall "pretty" things perhaps even a few people.
Being reticent, I've spent my life observing people, listening to them. I like to see people interacting in their "habitats". Sometimes I prefer to see myself on the outside with everybody else "in" and that I am only here to witness and help if I can. A man smiling has found the cure of all malice / laughter and smiles are the world's panaceas. Just thought of that and it does make sense. The ability to be happy is a powerful thing and to have a smile even in the face of immense adversity is one of man's greatest tools.
You must of realized that I am a very optimistic person and in this world one has to be. Hence the entire theme of Placidity. If I am to be a 'realist' then I wouldn't go far in life. A fervent belief in a higher being or in my case God automatically makes one an optimist; someone with a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome and I would gladly take that position over the antithesis any day. Perhaps a bit of history about me would get you to understand why I am what I am, but that will come up in a future post.
So I guess I actually have a reason to blog; very nice!
This might be interesting after all.
Pleasant day fellow world-dwellers.

Random World Thought

The world collectively is not a happy place. I wish this wasn't so but it is. Acts of violence, crime, abuse permeate the human condition and such news is no longer considered news, just another day. Why are we like this? Everytime I think of this question one thought it always prominent; selfishness. It seems that "loving each other as ourselves" is quite too bloody difficult to do and we only use others for our own gains. Why not help someone just for the joy of helping? Why must we always gain something in return? In economics, I learnt about the multiplier effect where initial investments or other forms of spending in an economy leads to a greater than proportionate increase in total spending, in short; spending begets even more spending. Can we use this priniciple when it comes to social issues, where in place of money the medium of exchange is love?

Express kindness and generosity to one person, who then does so to another and in turn another. Just one negative comment is all it takes to affect someone's entire day for the worse and this can spiral out of control infecting all persons that the primary individual comes into contact with. We are now too concerned with our quest for the "Almighty Dollar" and are forgetting what it means to be human. Back in grade school I was taught that man is a "social animal" and that's the reason we have interactions, communicate and tend to prefer the comfort of groups. Basically we need each other to survive and it only hurts us to pretend otherwise. Being intelligent does not give anyone the right to be vain, only an excuse when asked; "What compelled you to do this selfless deed?" We were made for each other, to complement one another, we weren't birthed as sworn enemies. A serious overhaul of mindsets is needed if we want this world to survive for even more generations to come.

Wishful Thinking

Created this blog because this new-found-dear-friend(you're quite a mouthful:]) thought I had a voice and a mind worth listening to. So to begin the process, here's a poem created just for this moment.


It's never too late to dream
Even as death hinders one's breath
And the wind becomes a sensation ever so slight
As memories meander through the closing doors
Leaving their trailing echoes and unrequited desires
In the realm of unfulfillment

It's never too late to be
The hand that soothes the pain
The gaze which fosters scarlet and forgetfulness,
Gentle cooing tells of a life meant pure and simple
Laughter hides insecurities and raises unasked questions
And yet; blesses the encounter

It's never too late to hope
As chances occur only when meant to
And beget unforeseen reasons to live
Once mundane formalities given vigor
With the same being different
Esperance alleviates the ill-fated

It's never too late to love
For an incomparable transcendence exists
Logic and time shattered beyond recognition
And the pieces; pigments of a lover's kiss
But veneers suppress and love is quelled
And the truth becomes meaningless
While questions return to the fray
Leaving trailing echoes and unrequited desires
In the realm of unfulfillment