The Graduate

Three years. I spent three years stuffing my brain with accounting concepts. It was only supposed to be two years, but Canadian income taxation rules screwed me over the first time.

Post-secondary education in Canada gave me a taste of hell (figuratively, of course). Here, full-time study is taken quite literally. I had 32 units in one semester. Maximum of two lectures and maximum of two lab classes for every course. Two or three quizzes in one day. At least two projects or assignments due in one week. Eight-hundred-dollar-worth textbooks, as heavy as a century-old tree. Reams of handouts that went to the trash at the end of every semester. Nine hours in school. Crazy instructors who are buddies with Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, and the Abu Sayyaf. Gossiping classmates. Cute guys as freakin' jerks.

Can you believe I actually got sick after every exam week? Stress? Heck yeah!

But I have survived.

I now have a Diploma of Technology in Financial Management - Professional Accounting.

Praise God!

Harmonica Boy

Oops!... I did it again!

Why do gorgeous eyes and killer smiles get to me? And why am I always attracted to guys I'm too chicken to talk to?

OK. I first saw this guy one early winter evening. We were waiting for the bus to arrive. I saw him smiling my way. I initially thought that he was smiling at me, but, due to recent events, I now think that he was only smiling my way then. Anyway, I saw him while waiting for the bus a couple of times since that first night. One time, I was reading a title in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series (can't remember if it was Chicken Soup for the Romantic Soul or for the Christian Woman's Soul). I was reading with poor lighting, though I should have known that I could turn the little lamp just above my head on. Just before he got off, I looked up at him and he was smiling, as if he was mocking me. Then I noticed that the little lamp above me was suddenly on.

I didn't see him for the entire Christmas season until February. I first saw him again this year while waiting for the earlier bus. I had a good look at him then: He's Caucasian, tall, and has a not-so-huge-not-so-small built. He has a bit of a stomach, though. He wears a pair of specs and always - and I mean, always - wears a black-and-red toque. Therefore, I had never seen his hair. He always carries a huge Tracker backpack with an off-white hard hat hanging from I-don't-know-what. And from the hard hat, I assumed that he works for a construction company. He actually used to wear a badly torn pair of huge brown shoes; now he wears a darker brown shoes. He also wears badly torn jeans - to the point where I can see his bare - and hairy - thigh. He also has a huge silver timepiece dangling from his jeans. He either reads a book or listens to his CD player while waiting for the bus and while on the bus - like me! And I actually saw him playing harmonica on a Saturday!

I actually can't figure out where he lives. He normally gets off at 180th at 60th. But he also gets off at two different stops, like he did last night, leaving me wondering if he was going to see his girlfriend or fiancee or, worse, boyfriend.

But, on March 11th, he was standing in front of me on the line. His cellphone was strapped to the side of his torn jeans. His cellphone display was in my full view. It said, "hi justin". I assume that he's straight, so I deduced that his name is Justin. Sad to say, I've never had the nerve to talk to him.

Unfortunately, I don't think he's interested in me at all. But just like the JC-Chasez-look-alike from BCIT, Justin a.k.a. Smiley a.k.a. Harmonica Boy is now officially my Ultimate Boytoy. I'm wondering, just like my friend Jon does, when I'm gonna have the guts to talk to him.

Quiz Results Rant

ARGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Nobody can say that I didn't study for the tax quiz last week. Seriously. You can say that I didn't study enough, but I still studied.

I flunked it!

I only got FOUR out of SIXTEEN! Only 25 percent!

I thought I understood RRSP Deduction Limits, Taxes Payable for Individuals enough to get those questions right. Not!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

Weird thing is, when I calculated what I should get in the final exam to get at least 50%, I discovered that I only need to get at least 38.57% to pass!

Guess I still have a chance to get this thing over with this year.

Do you think so, Heavenly Father?

Friendster and Blogging

Even Friendster has joined the trend. Can you believe it?

Three Years After

Three years. I can't believe it. It still feels like a week ago when I first stepped on Canadian land.

After three years of being here in Canada, several things in my life have changed:

• My faith - I became a Protestant on March 26, 2002. I proclaimed it to my church on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2003.
• My career - I used to be a Statistics major, but I switched to Financial Management (Professional Accounting)
• My standards for the opposite sex - He should be H.O.T. [please refer to http://www.geocities.com/butterflykissesjc for more info; click "Bookworm" and go to "Christian"]
• My employment status - I'm working now!
• My choice of guys - I tend to like more white guys now... Hmmmm...

But some things still haven't changed:

• My choice of food - I still love Filipino dishes. Nothing beats tinolang manok and nilagang baka.
• My choice of language - Filipino for life!
• My love for my long-time friends - Especially for my best friend!

Next step? Take my oath as a Canadian citizen.

Next stop? Switzerland.

My Favourite GRAMMY Winners

47th Annual GRAMMY Award Winners

Song Of The Year & Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
Daughters
John Mayer, songwriter (John Mayer)
Track from: Heavier Things[Aware Records/Columbia; Publishers: Sony/ATV Tunes/Specific Harm Music.]

Best New Artist
Maroon5

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Heaven
Los Lonely Boys
Track from: Los Lonely Boys[Or Music/Epic Records]

Best Dance Recording
Toxic
Britney Spears
Avant & Bloodshy, producers; Niklas Flyckt, mixer
Track from: In The Zone[Jive/Zomba Label Group]

Best Electronic/Dance Album
Kish Kash
Basement Jaxx
[XL Recordings/Astralwerks]

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
If I Ain't Got You
Alicia Keys
Track from: The Diary Of Alicia Keys[J Records]

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
Call My Name
Prince
Track from: Musicology[Columbia Records/NPG Records]

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
My Boo
Usher & Alicia Keys
Track from: Confessions Special Edition[Arista/La Face/Zomba Label Group]

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
Musicology
Prince
Track from: Musicology[Columbia Records/NPG Records]

Best R&B Song
You Don't Know My Name
Alicia Keys, Harold Lilly & Kanye West, songwriters (Alicia Keys)
Track from: The Diary Of Alicia Keys[J Records; Publishers: Lellow Productions/EMI Music Publishing, Ye World Music/EMI April Music, Uncle Bobby Music/EMI Blackwood Music & A Dish-A-Tunes Ltd.]

Best R&B Album
The Diary Of Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
[J Records]

Best Contemporary R&B Album
Confessions
Usher
[Arista/LaFace/Zomba Label Group]

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group
Let's Get It Started
The Black Eyed Peas
Track from: Elephunk[A&M Records]

Best Rap Song
Jesus Walks
Miri Ben Ari, C. Smith & Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye West)
Track from: The College Drop-Out[Rocafella Records; Publishers: Konman Entertainment/Gimme My Publishing Co./Hip Hop Since 1978 & Mapleshade Productions.]

Best Rock Gospel Album
Wire
Third Day
[Essential Records]

Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
All Things New
Steven Curtis Chapman
[Sparrow Records]

Best Score Soundtrack Album For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
The Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King
Howard Shore, composer (Howard Shore)
[Reprise/WMG Soundtracks]

Best Song Written For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
Into The West (From The Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King)
Annie Lennox, Howard Shore & Fran Walsh, songwriters (Annie Lennox)
Track from: The Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King[Reprise/WMG Soundtracks; Publishers: New Line Tunes/BMG Music Publishing.]

Hear Me

(Written by Kelly Clarkson/Kara DioGuardi/Clif Magness)Published by Smelly Songs (ASCAP)/K’Stuff Publishing (BMI) administered in the U.S. and Canada by ArtHouse Entertainment. Administered outside the U.S. and Canada by EMI Music, Ltd./Blue Iron Gate Publishing/EMI (ASCAP)

You gotta be out there

You gotta be somewhere

Wherever you areI’m waiting…

Cause there are these nights when

I sing myself to sleep

And I’m hoping my dreams bring

You close to me

Are you listening?

Hear me

I’m crying out

I’m ready now

Turn my world upside down

Find me

I’m lost inside this crowd

It’s getting loud

I need you to see

I’m screaming for you to please

Hear me

Can you hear me?

I used to be scared of

Letting someone in

But it gets so lonely

Being on my own

With no one to talk to and

No one to hold me

I’m not always strong

Oh I need you here

Are you listening?

Chorus

I’m restless and wild

I fall but I try

I need someone to understand (Can you hear me?)

I’m lost in my thoughts

And baby I’ve fought

For all that I’ve got

Can you hear me?

Chorus

Bebo

I have another online diary/photo album/ address book.

http://jclover27.bebo.com

Not to mention, http://www.zorpia.com/solitaire.

Harharhar...