Doodles in Words

— Louisa May Alcott, American author, 1832-1888

---

Phew! It's great to be back... I thought I'd never find time again to write. I soon realized, thanks to Regnard, that I haven't posted anything for the past two weeks. Now, that's a long time away from my Internet home (or is it my apartment?). Week after week and exam after exam, it is hard to find time to blog these days. I still haven't posted my Human Behavior in Organizations (HBO) reflections yet because of my highly "unreflective" mood due to the stress incurred here. I will soon, promise. Now, it's time to blow away the cobwebs in this re-entered space. It's my turn to set you all in a "reflective" mood, HBO style.

I guess this has sense in it. Have you ever stopped to wonder which you are among the two: the one with high contentment, or the one with high passion? I don't even know where I fall among the two... Or can we fall in between, and be the classical "sitting-on-the-fence, it-depends" type where we never really decide who we are? As a wise professor once said in one of our classes, why live in the answers, when we can live in the questions? (or did I say that wrong? Anyway, it was something like that.)

It looks like the skies are clear tonight. Who's up for a trip to the stars?

---

[Painting entitled "Starry Night" by the famous Vincent Van Gogh]

And I thought I would never come back. It seems the pit still holds me one way or another. Anyway, to clear things out: yes, I was in Dumaguete a few days back, and yes I did go to the pit, twice even. The sad thing is that the second time I went there, the guards did not let me in. I had to be "cleared" or something like that. Now, that was pretty weird. I just lost my appetite to visit.

Anyway, the surprising thing was this: when I used to be employed in the pit, I hesitated in providing any support on any of the pit's projects for "maximizing" employee involvement, masking its real intentions (let's not get deeper to this). And now, there I was, at around 8 in the evening of Sunday, helping out with the Halloween decorations for my former group! Now, that really made me laugh. Well, it feels different being free from the bonds of the Swine Princess, and nothing she does will ever intimidate me again. The better part of the story is, the guard at the moment we went to the pit (I think that was almost 10 in the evening) let me in with no questions! Sigh. The pit does have its weird rules. Anyway, here are the pictures!

kapoy na, Daph?

Feng shui is the new horror

Work, work, work!

Is the work done?

Under these dark skies
Pages bound, word after word
Drowsing from a day's punishments
I will always wish to be away

Alas, to this, my Eve, I remember
The night you made me smile
Under these fake stars of night
You illuminate my path

I walk beneath this gentle light
Through the darkness
Through a night of bliss
In this city God may have forgotten

These are the nights I will remember
Amidst the many nights I will forget
Now I am under you again
As you play with my pains and joys

You are the judge of my emotions
You are the hate in a good night's kiss
You are who you are
And this will be my night.

The course Language of Business (LOB, a.k.a. Financial Accounting) has been a very unique experience for me. Coming from a Science background, I was abruptly introduced to the world of business by its basic foundation: accounting. It was literally like learning a new language: what in blue blazes is debit and credit? Payable and receivable? Revenue and expense? I came in knowing a fingernail’s tip of business. Upon my entrance, I was showered by shock and disbelief.

I will admit that it was tough at first. Starting with the pre-MBA, accounting became a “Goliath†placed in front of me to challenge, with just a “sling and stone†of knowledge. At the beginning, I was disheartened by the speed and difficulty of the topics. Would you imagine, we finished a 690-page, 14-chapter Accounting book in just 10 sessions of pre-MBA? I instantly became a semi-accountant in just two weeks. I even joked to my friends and family, “my new course designation is B.S. Biology, major in Accounting.†And why is that? The topics covered were vast: from the basic accounting cycle to the analysis of financial ratios. Now that was a challenge.

It became even tougher in the MBA proper, as there were minimal lectures and mostly cases. This meant self-study for the non-accounting-proficient, and that sadly includes me. I was forced by circumstances to get the book and start reading it for all its worth. A friend told me, “What? You’re studying now? In college, you hardly picked up a book.†Well, I am highly disadvantaged. That was the only logical thing to do. The quizzes we had week after week were taking the best of me, and I had to cope with all the stress, which did not only include LOB. And it was in this part that I learned that accounting was not just all debits and credits. Bonds, Leases, Inventories (and the infamous FIFO, LIFO, and cost of goods sold), Depreciation, and currently Cash Flows and Financial Ratios were shot at us like sniper bullets aimed at our foreheads. I was just happy that I did not lose my mind with all these topics. I would jokingly say when asked how I am, “Well, I’m still alive, so I must be okay.†And that is the truth.

For the better part of this reflection, I have to say (with no bias involved) that our professor, Mr. Larry Tan, gave it his best to help us understand this foreign language. In his part, I know it must also have been a challenge in making 128 brains appreciate (or at least comprehend) this language. For that, Kudos to you, sir! I learned a lot from the class, even if I am not from a business background. So, if there is anyone who wants to take an MBA but has no business background, you are welcomed here in AIM.

One thing I learned in all this is to take one day at a time, a case at a time. I learned that we should control our emotions and stop worrying about the future. This will only make it harder. So, the best thing to do is relax when you can, keep your cool, and do not over-study. If you think it is enough, then it is enough. Although, you should be very sure of this, or this idea might backfire. In addition to this, I learned that anyone can do accounting; all you need is practice.

I have to admit, though, that LOB was an exciting experience, despite all the ramblings I end up saying after every quiz. It made me experience some of my life’s greatest highs and lows, and in just two months. And it even made me addicted to chocolate, for that matter. I think LOB gave us a “slice of the cake†we were all going to experience throughout the MBA proper. The only thing I could do is sigh and accept (open-handedly?) all the challenges that will come my way. “Bring it on!†is all I could muster. For the two months of LOB in this term, I was slowly transforming to a better person I never knew I could be. I hope I learn to use this experience with my other subjects in the MBA.

The weary knight rides on, heading home after a long, grueling campaign. Nothing more drives this worn-out warrior than the sight of home: the people he loves, the places he has grown up in, the feeling of being safe again. But all is not easy for this soldier: his destination may be nearing, but the road is tough ahead. More steep mountains, more dark swamps, more evils hidden behind the shadows of the night await this child of war. However, he is not afraid. He may be tired inside his rusting suit of armor, but within him lies the heart of a true warrior. No task is too difficult for him, as long as his heart remains pure and brave.

It matters not how many times he was defeated, but how many times he picked up his sword again and fought back. This is the final stretch of his first battle, as he accepts it with open arms, knowing that home is only a few days away.

---

[Picture from Catholic Discussion]

Stress... Keep the smile on, and let's just let that roll. :)

---

Let it Roll
by Secondhand Serenade

The night smells like December
And we're deep under covers
Staking out what could
Be better than all the money in the world

And I'm watching you and I'm waiting
For the perfect time to start
Participating, and you signal me to stay
But I open my mouth anyway

But It's over, we're goners
It's out of our control
And if there's one thing that I know
It's that it's best to just let it roll
So let's just let it roll

Your hazel eyes paralyze my senses
Cut me down to size defenseless
I'm defenseless
And I know it's late but I'm waiting
For the moment that I've been anticipating
And I signal you to go, where it will take us, I don't know

But it's over, we're goners
It's out of our control
And if there's one thing that I know
It's that it's best to just let it roll
So let's just let it roll

Just don't waste your night before it started
Make sure I'm worth every single second, yeah!

And now, it's over, we're goners
It's out of our control
And if there's one thing that I know
It's that it's best to just let it roll
So let's just let it roll

And now, it's over, we're goners
It's out of our control
And if there's one thing that I know
It's that it's best to just let it roll
So let's just let it roll