of the hood

this week has been productive to say the least. trips all over manila to talk with some fellows concerning dual citizenship. trips all over manila to process my student visa/i-card. trips to and from campus to sort out this uniform business. what have i gained in the last week or so? a better knowledge of the city, ticket stubs for iron man 2 and robin hood, and a copy of batman: battle for the cowl.

things with school are moving smoothly. nothing left to do but pick up my uniforms when they're ready. that, and orientation on june 11. other than that, it's all about fixing up the apartment to make it livable. when the 'rents vacate, i can install my tower 200 and start sculpting my muscles.

what am i looking forward to? the start of school actually. i want to know what kind of challenges i'll be facing. somehow, being in anticipation of the upcoming tasks is making my blood boil. i'm excited to see how i will fare in this battle of minds. i will show everyone my power.

what's next? some study possibly. a wedding to attend (a cousin from my dad's side) maybe. meeting with another cousin to procure a desk and a bookshelf. due to boredom and transportation constraints, possibly more movies.

"You have to keep moving forward. That goes double when you're scared..." - Kittan, TTGL

heartbreaker

so, here i am in the home country - philippines. it would be nice to be able to state in black and white terms that "it's good to be back". however, i'd say the feeling's a little closer to bittersweet. i'm here away from the friends and family i know to a whole new set of comrades and cousins. it feels like how it first did in denver - unfamiliar, limited, routine. my world in colorado consisted first of school, my apartment, and every now and then the springs. it eventually expanded to encompass more than just a few streets and more than just classmates. i wonder if it will be like that here?

i am armed with a little more than i had when i first went to denver (car aside). i have a much more powerful entertainment system (thanks, macbook pro), a wider range of music (thanks, new itunes), and a burning sense of confidence in myself (thanks, gurren lagann). when i first went to denver back in 2000, i was timid, lonely, and easily depressed with little sense of purpose or direction. now, i am here in the PI for an incredible reason and a stronger sense of who i am and what i want to become. so, i am not worried about the outcome. i'm just missing some old friends.

i met some of my soon to be classmates today during enrollment. i am pleased, but i also feel a sense of loss over my old study group. where are the wahdans and the trans? what happened to the study sessions at a campus not our own? what happened to the weekends of study punctuated with trips for middle eastern food and spicy kimchee ramyun? where are my golf buddies? where are my fellow best hit generation members? you're not gone, far from it. you're with me, just not physically. just as you helped me before, i know you'll help me again. i'm not doing this alone.

"Abayo ja nai. Issho da rou?" - Simon