Okay so this post is actually what I originally had in mind to talk about when I started on the previous post. But somehow, that one took a rather introspective turn and the title just didn't seem fitting anymore.
This topic is one that I've been longing to talk about for a while now 'cause I think it's one of those life lessons that are simple truths, but ones we often forget in the hectic jumble of life. I hope that by writing it here, I'll have a somewhat permanent place to come back to when i'm right smack in the middle of that jumble.
It's been said many times before but it's true. Happiness is a mindset. It's not a state or a product of your circumstance, it's not the things you have or the people who are around you. It's who you are. And (cliche as it sounds,) it comes from within. Happiness is an innate quality (one that can be learned, but most definitely one that's "self-inflicted"). Of all these, the most important is that happiness is a choice.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Self thoughts
I realised lately that I've become very money-focused and materialistic. Not in the traditional sense exactly, but in the way that is always sourcing out the best deals and bargain-for-your-buck even if those ways may not always be ethically-sound. For example, just yesterday I was thinking of watching a movie with my sisters. So that'd be 3 tickets, right? Well on weekdays before 6, the cinema near my house offers a student discount at $7, slightly cheaper than the $9 for normal tickets. But even better than the student discount, is the senior citizen price of $5.
So I was thinking, it doesn't really seem to matter to these cinema companies whether they make $2 more or less on each ticket they sell - either way, it seems as if $5 is enough to guarantee them a profit. Anything above that is just extra revenue. So I though since both my parents are considered to be in the senior citizen bracket, why not just borrow their cards and get the discount for my sisters?
But when I explained this brilliant plan to my family, they were less than impressed. My sister actually said that she wouldn't mind paying the full fare if that's what she had to do to watch the movie. She wasn't a senior citizen, nor was she a student anymore.
I dont know. I'm still undecided on this matter. Am I being too business-oriented and money-driven? Is this something I should suppress? But isn't being business-savvy a good thing? Knowing the value of things, and how to use what you have to the best advantage? Or is that very deceitful and materialistic. I mean you could argue that this is a small matter and I may be right in saying that these companies probably rip people off in other aspects like selling over-priced bags of chips, but the mindset of doing the business-smart thing may not always be doing what's best for everyone. What I'm trying to say, is that acting in your own best interests is a questionable way to live. And in this world where the phrase "Who are you to judge?" is so often used, sometimes we need a judge. Sometimes our actions need to be questioned in order for us to remain proper good people, and not let our lives fall into a total state of anarchy.
I guess you don't need to judge others, but you can't be too accepting of yourself as well. If you see/sense something in you that you're not happy about, have the courage to stop. And change.
So I was thinking, it doesn't really seem to matter to these cinema companies whether they make $2 more or less on each ticket they sell - either way, it seems as if $5 is enough to guarantee them a profit. Anything above that is just extra revenue. So I though since both my parents are considered to be in the senior citizen bracket, why not just borrow their cards and get the discount for my sisters?
But when I explained this brilliant plan to my family, they were less than impressed. My sister actually said that she wouldn't mind paying the full fare if that's what she had to do to watch the movie. She wasn't a senior citizen, nor was she a student anymore.
I dont know. I'm still undecided on this matter. Am I being too business-oriented and money-driven? Is this something I should suppress? But isn't being business-savvy a good thing? Knowing the value of things, and how to use what you have to the best advantage? Or is that very deceitful and materialistic. I mean you could argue that this is a small matter and I may be right in saying that these companies probably rip people off in other aspects like selling over-priced bags of chips, but the mindset of doing the business-smart thing may not always be doing what's best for everyone. What I'm trying to say, is that acting in your own best interests is a questionable way to live. And in this world where the phrase "Who are you to judge?" is so often used, sometimes we need a judge. Sometimes our actions need to be questioned in order for us to remain proper good people, and not let our lives fall into a total state of anarchy.
I guess you don't need to judge others, but you can't be too accepting of yourself as well. If you see/sense something in you that you're not happy about, have the courage to stop. And change.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Amused
Hey!
So recently I made a buying decision that fairly blew up about 2-thirds of my internship pay.. But I feel that it was a worthy investment, and I'd much rather spend it this way than on something potentially frivolous that wouldn't help me out or add value to my life in any way.
Okay enough suspense. I purchased a Macbook Pro with Retina display and am loving it now more than ever (because I just installed Microsoft Office and Adobe for freeeee~ student perks). This way, I have the comfort of familiarity when working on school stuff, plus the added perk of the heartbreakingly pleasing aesthetics that Macs are famous for :') Also, I think one thing that Apple definitely has over other laptop brands is its keyboard. I've read a lot of reviews and watched multiple videos of people talking about what they like (and dislike) about their MacBooks. Yet, I don't recall any one mentioning the wonderfully designed keypad that it has. Now I am no computer genius, so bear with me as I attempt to describe the amazing usability of this machine. I think it's the spacing of the keys that makes each one so comfortable to press. Without forcing you to stretch your fingers too far or contort them in weird positions, it gives you just what you want, without too much effort. Know what I'm sayin' ?
For some reason, when I bought this, all the 13" Macbook Pros with 128GB were sold out islandwide!! And no one even knew when the new stock was to arrive.. How does that happen?!! My dad insists that it's a marketing ploy to get people to pay that additional 300 dollars and just buy the 256GB one instead. I for one think the fact that school starting for all the universities might have something to do with the low stock of laptops in stores at the moment. Marketing ploy or not, I fell for it. hee. Moving on~
What's got me so tickled is when I went to school today to ask if the programmes (mentioned above) could be installed under school licence. The dude at the counter (which I'm sure was Filipino, i love Filipinos, they're funny) was the one who helped me out with the installations. Let me just digress here and relate the ridiculous way in which my school's IT help department works. It's a room called the IT Help Desk with whitewashed walls and a bench for you to sit on and wait. Upon entering, you have to type your student number onto a screen and hit the 'ENTER' button. Following which, a receipt with a queue number would promptly dispense with those classic receipt machine beeps. Do you see what I'm getting at? White walls, benches, queue numbers?? The place is literally a clinic !! All that's missing are the sick people. (Which they sometimes have as well).
Anyhow, on this exceptionally empty day (empty because it's actually exam period for the peeps who're still in school - I'm exempted because I had internship this month.. though now probably more broke than the schooling kids.. ) you'd think they would make an exception with the queue number system because, quite frankly, there was no queue. But they do love their protocols! So I typed in my student number and before I even had a chance to sit down on the bench, it was called!!
I walked right over to the counter and told them I wanted to install Adobe. Here I'll skip right to the funny bit which is when the guy asked me to come up with a password for my account. 8 characters long, 1 symbol, 1 uppercase. Shouldn't be too hard. right? nope. I had at least 10 unsuccessful tries with different combinations each time. If it wasn't so ridiculous, it would've been infuriating.
So naturally, since the guy was the IT expert, (and I was at the IT HELPdesk), I swerved the computer in his direction and asked for help. He kept telling me that I had to follow the instructions (which I was!!) and then turned to his computer friend and laughingly joked that I "still can't get in" because apparently coming up with a password was probably the simplest IT thing to do and yet it was hard for me. huh. Still having trouble, and wanting to harness his IT expertise instead of just having him sit there waiting for me, I suggested that maybe he could invent a password for me and just tell me what it is. My adobe account was hardly a private thing anyway. At which point he said, why don't you use your boyfriend's name? Which sent his computer friend into a fit of laughter.
My reaction was to laugh it off with them, just saying "my what?.." and moving on as if I hadn't heard it. But what I should've said probably instead of feigning ignorance of his reference to my non-existent better half was this:
Computer dude: "You should write down your boyfriend's name"
Me: "Oh I don't have one, but..what was your name again?"
"And how do you spell that?"
*Proceed to type it in*
Just for fun! :) HAHAHA That would've been really funny. And I think he would've appreciated it too. I mean if you want to joke/flirt, just make it obvious. Don't do the snide obscure remarks that just make things awkward. I think he might've actually helped me more after that too. Too bad I only think of these funny comebacks after I've left the crime scene. LOL okay I don't know what I'm saying anymore. But yes, this is what had me amused on the bus ride home.
Will check in again with something more common-sensical and less frivolous next time! Hope you have a good day too :)
So recently I made a buying decision that fairly blew up about 2-thirds of my internship pay.. But I feel that it was a worthy investment, and I'd much rather spend it this way than on something potentially frivolous that wouldn't help me out or add value to my life in any way.
Okay enough suspense. I purchased a Macbook Pro with Retina display and am loving it now more than ever (because I just installed Microsoft Office and Adobe for freeeee~ student perks). This way, I have the comfort of familiarity when working on school stuff, plus the added perk of the heartbreakingly pleasing aesthetics that Macs are famous for :') Also, I think one thing that Apple definitely has over other laptop brands is its keyboard. I've read a lot of reviews and watched multiple videos of people talking about what they like (and dislike) about their MacBooks. Yet, I don't recall any one mentioning the wonderfully designed keypad that it has. Now I am no computer genius, so bear with me as I attempt to describe the amazing usability of this machine. I think it's the spacing of the keys that makes each one so comfortable to press. Without forcing you to stretch your fingers too far or contort them in weird positions, it gives you just what you want, without too much effort. Know what I'm sayin' ?
For some reason, when I bought this, all the 13" Macbook Pros with 128GB were sold out islandwide!! And no one even knew when the new stock was to arrive.. How does that happen?!! My dad insists that it's a marketing ploy to get people to pay that additional 300 dollars and just buy the 256GB one instead. I for one think the fact that school starting for all the universities might have something to do with the low stock of laptops in stores at the moment. Marketing ploy or not, I fell for it. hee. Moving on~
What's got me so tickled is when I went to school today to ask if the programmes (mentioned above) could be installed under school licence. The dude at the counter (which I'm sure was Filipino, i love Filipinos, they're funny) was the one who helped me out with the installations. Let me just digress here and relate the ridiculous way in which my school's IT help department works. It's a room called the IT Help Desk with whitewashed walls and a bench for you to sit on and wait. Upon entering, you have to type your student number onto a screen and hit the 'ENTER' button. Following which, a receipt with a queue number would promptly dispense with those classic receipt machine beeps. Do you see what I'm getting at? White walls, benches, queue numbers?? The place is literally a clinic !! All that's missing are the sick people. (Which they sometimes have as well).
Anyhow, on this exceptionally empty day (empty because it's actually exam period for the peeps who're still in school - I'm exempted because I had internship this month.. though now probably more broke than the schooling kids.. ) you'd think they would make an exception with the queue number system because, quite frankly, there was no queue. But they do love their protocols! So I typed in my student number and before I even had a chance to sit down on the bench, it was called!!
I walked right over to the counter and told them I wanted to install Adobe. Here I'll skip right to the funny bit which is when the guy asked me to come up with a password for my account. 8 characters long, 1 symbol, 1 uppercase. Shouldn't be too hard. right? nope. I had at least 10 unsuccessful tries with different combinations each time. If it wasn't so ridiculous, it would've been infuriating.
So naturally, since the guy was the IT expert, (and I was at the IT HELPdesk), I swerved the computer in his direction and asked for help. He kept telling me that I had to follow the instructions (which I was!!) and then turned to his computer friend and laughingly joked that I "still can't get in" because apparently coming up with a password was probably the simplest IT thing to do and yet it was hard for me. huh. Still having trouble, and wanting to harness his IT expertise instead of just having him sit there waiting for me, I suggested that maybe he could invent a password for me and just tell me what it is. My adobe account was hardly a private thing anyway. At which point he said, why don't you use your boyfriend's name? Which sent his computer friend into a fit of laughter.
My reaction was to laugh it off with them, just saying "my what?.." and moving on as if I hadn't heard it. But what I should've said probably instead of feigning ignorance of his reference to my non-existent better half was this:
Computer dude: "You should write down your boyfriend's name"
Me: "Oh I don't have one, but..what was your name again?"
"And how do you spell that?"
*Proceed to type it in*
Just for fun! :) HAHAHA That would've been really funny. And I think he would've appreciated it too. I mean if you want to joke/flirt, just make it obvious. Don't do the snide obscure remarks that just make things awkward. I think he might've actually helped me more after that too. Too bad I only think of these funny comebacks after I've left the crime scene. LOL okay I don't know what I'm saying anymore. But yes, this is what had me amused on the bus ride home.
Will check in again with something more common-sensical and less frivolous next time! Hope you have a good day too :)
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Coming into focus
Woahh so much has happened during the lapse between this post and the last.
That's probably the understatement of the century since the gap of 2 years is more like a gaping fissure than a hole. So what have I been up to these past 2 years? Well first off, I'd like to qualify that in my long absence from this space, I've set up quite a number of other blogs and webpages that have served as my outlets of stress relief and creative expression. I hope this doesn't come to the attention of the Blogger authorities, but I actually moved on to explore those other accounts with Wordpress. That said, now that I'm back to using Blogger, I'm liking it a lot more than Wordpress. And I'm not saying that just 'cause.
That's probably the understatement of the century since the gap of 2 years is more like a gaping fissure than a hole. So what have I been up to these past 2 years? Well first off, I'd like to qualify that in my long absence from this space, I've set up quite a number of other blogs and webpages that have served as my outlets of stress relief and creative expression. I hope this doesn't come to the attention of the Blogger authorities, but I actually moved on to explore those other accounts with Wordpress. That said, now that I'm back to using Blogger, I'm liking it a lot more than Wordpress. And I'm not saying that just 'cause.
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