¿Y tú qué has hecho?

So, it's the end of the school year and everyone is gearing up for final exams. I was "fortunate" enough to have all of my exams this past week: 4 finals in one week. Add to that a 10-page paper due for this past week and "fortunate" only begins to describe how I feel...

But seriously, I can't complain. I have no more classes and no academid reason for going back on campus. I only have to finish one more paper and then I'm on the job hunt full-time.

This paper is for a course called "Interpersonal Communication Skills" from the Social Work department. I had to do a video-taped role play as if I were a social worker with a client, and now I have to critique myself on it. Yup, it's pretty subjective, but it's also worth 40% of the term grade, so I have to fulfill all of the minimum required areas in this paper.

The main, and most daunting, task is to critique oneself, something that doesn't happen to often in North American culture. We're so used to people critiquing us and to a degree we wait for it. Also, to look at ourself and our actions, to look at anything other than our outward appearance, is alien. Yet, we can learn so much and the world would be a much... quieter place. If we all looked at ourselves before complaining or criticizing others, we'd see how inadequate our own actions are, and we'd be likely to a) not be as quick on the quips and b) do more ourselves. Actions really do speak louder than words, but we're not all listening.

On another note, I'm looking forward to my interview with Red River College for their Creative Communication program (read as: Broadcasting). The application process is pretty long and protracted, but it's highly competitive. You start with the basic paper application. Then, you have to take a series of three written aptitude tests. Then, you have to send in a portfolio (max 15 pages) and a photo essay. Then, there's the interview, and then you're in (I think/hope).

I go in for my interview on the 13th, and Miranda's sure that I'll nail it, NP. I'm sure I will, too, but I REALLY wanna get in.

This would then take me into the RRC/U of W's degree program in Joint Communications. I should be set to enter the world of broadcasting after that.

So, that's what I've been doing. ¿Y tú qué has hecho?

The Simpsons Personified

Well, hot damn if this aint seriously COOL!
Saw this on CoolHunting.com. It's a live commercial for UK sattelite provider Sky that recreates the Simpsons beginning, almost to a tee.

Check it out!!!

Yup, I'm still alive. (Lo siento)

Hey all,

Yup, I am still alive and kicking! I've just been crazy busy with school, et al.

I'm just taking a quick break to update this, especially after noting that a certain Mary T left a comment. It's great to hear from you, Mary. I'll take another time to reply to all of your inquisitions, Mary.

Anyhow, here's a quick update:

Fav album (right now): Herbie Hancock's "Possibilities" -- This man had been THE MAN for innovative music, ever since 'Watermelon Man'. On this album, I especially like "A Song For You," a duet with X-tina (Christina Aguilera, for the uninitiated). She's got a great set of lungs, and I LOOOVE how it's mixed down. When you put on a pair of headphones, it sounds like you're at the keyboard sitting right beside Herbie. Listen for the bass drum. A mi, me gusta.

Fav director (this instant): Miyazaki-san (aka Mr. Hayao Miyazaki) -- creator of "Spirited Away," the recent "Howl's Moving Castle," and my personal fav "My Neighbor Totoro." What I especially love about his films is that you can watch them alone, with friends, with a significant other, or with family, and it's all good!

Fav food: Being that it's the Fast, any will do. Really. As long as the sun's down, I'm ALL over it! ;)

Things that are keeping me busy:

School: 3 tests this week, one last week. Ugh. My Brain's full....

Work: Seeking out a summer job, in the Wpg area, if possible

Life: Working through "the 'big-M' workbook" with Miranda (I'll keep you posted on how it goes)

Volunteering: With the UofM Spanish Centre, I'm part of a play called "¡Yo Soy Don Quixote! -- The misadventures of a student as Don Quixote."

Home: still need to clean up my room (nope, not gonna post pics of that one) and we've got 3 new students and one is leaving in less than a month.
So, I figure that's enough to keep anyone busy.

iZombies, Everywhere!!!

Need I say more?

rehash, rehash, rehash, ad infinitum, ad nauseum

I listened to Coldplay's "X+Y" album today and came to what I consider a very important realization about the band Coldplay. Here it is, in mathematical formula:

(U2 + early Radiohead) * big label hype = Coldplay

Think about it, next time you listen to a Coldplay album...

Reading, reading, reading; Raw-eyes!

It's funny. The day that I'm running a little late(10 minutes) for a 3 hour class, that is the day that the class is cancelled. Yummy. On the upside, I now have 3 hours until my next class, so I can get some reading done.

It seems that reading is what university is all about. Or, at least that's the case for my first year, but I'm not complaining. I knew (or, had an inkling) of the concepts that we've been reading about, but now I know the names by which acadaemia identify them, and have a deeper understanding of them and how they've been observe to interact with one another. It helps that I am studying what I want to study.


On another note, for all those journallers and wanna-be journallers out there, I've found the coolest journal to compare how you' ve progressed over time. It can also appeal to all thoe who want a viable means of time-travel. It's called The 5 Year Journal.

It's a hardbound, 266-page journal organized so that - as the title says - you can keep 5 years of brief entries in a single book. There are two days on each page, with five years of three-line entries for each day. Now three lines doesn't sound like a lot, but it's enough to capture the essence of the day.

I think that it's a decent way to start journalling, because how much writing is 3 lines, really?

It's available at Amazon, or you can check out www.The5YearJournal.com.

¡Maestro, Musica!

Just a quick update on what i've been listening to recently:

David Bowie - Life on Mars
... a classic, nihilistic sort of song, which has fit my mood lately: cautiously optimistic

Seu Jorge - Life on Mars
... yeah, it's a cover, but what a different, and cool, direction to take that song in

Seu Jorge - Tive Razao
... this reminds me of Brother Iz, but with samba percussion. Me gusta mucho.

Beyondjazz.net podcast(s)
... absolut gutness from Finland, I think.

Buena Vista Social Club - S/T (album)
... especially "El Cuarto de Tula"

Gorillaz - Dirty Harry

, and of course what ever else i come across. What are u tuned into?

Back in the swing

It's been a while, so I thought I'd update you all in regards to what's been happening in my life.

First of all, if you haven't heard (which is likely), Miranda and I are in a relationship that's more than just friends. It's an interesting relationship, because both of us weren't looking for a relationship at the time, yet we are very happy in this.

Second, I got a new digital camera (thanks to the Xmas $$$ I got). It's an Olympus and in the Americas it was released as the Stylus Verve S. In Europe and Asia it was released as the mju-mini DIGITAL S. I got mine from Japan, and is thus the mju-mini DIGITAL S. It's 5MP of goodness, small, great design (one piece of metal wraps around the whole thing making the body), and it's surprisingly versatile.

To celebrate the acquisition of the new camera, I've opened a Flickr account, to which I'll be adding photos soon. I'll also be posting the link to my Flickr album soon. For those of you who aren't familiar with Flickr, it's "the best online photo management and sharing application in the world," and is now owned by Yahoo! (big up Yahoo! -- making the internet a better place). If you've got a collection of photos that you want to share, or need a place to put photos that you add to your blog, Flickr's the tihs.

School's in full swing. I've got 3 courses, one being a 2nd yr course: Interpersonal Communication Skills. It's a cool class, and even though there's only been two classes, it already has me thinking about how I communicate -- which was my goal in taking the course. I did fall behind in my Spanish a bit over the holidays, but I'll get that back up to speed in no time. All i need to do now is keep the TV turned 'OFF'.

Other than that... ummm... oh yeah! I took an entrance exam yesterday to get into the Joint Communications program, and it was pretty not bad, to borrow a phrase. It had 4 parts: a general reading test, an essay, a current events and media test, and a grammar and punctuation test. I completed it in 3 hours, and I was exhausted afterwards. Of course, it didn't help that the exam was at 9am and I stayed up till after midnight helping Miranda make sure she was all packed. But I made it, and now I have a 3-part take-home assignment: a resume and biography, a portfolio, and a 5 picture sequence that is to tell some story (I got that camera just in time!).

Ummm, I think that's it. I have other things to share, but that'll be up here soon.

Oh yeah, one more thing. This Wednesday Meleyna's getting married to Jordan, so !Muy Felicidades!, and the last weekend of January Miranda and I will be in Edmonton for my buddy's wedding. Oh yeah, and the first weekend of this month had me at another wedding, Alex's. January seems to be wedding month for me. Well, not FOR for me, but... uhhh... yeah... I get a lot of use out of my suit this month. ;)

"That's it. Battle update is ovah!" - (in the Iron Chef announcer style)