gimme, gimme, gimme.

by this time next week, i should be all set for THE presentation of my life.

a peek at my laptop's desktop clearly shows my current state of mind:

and yes, I AM JUST DOING IT. not literally 'just' doing it, but nonstop driving my mouse. i'm getting there, one line at a time. =)

i have to produce six 30"x40" presentation boards (because i don't think the boards i have submitted last friday will cut it), a 1.2mx1.2m scale model, a fully rendered computer model of my complex' exterior, a better version of my powerpoint presentation, and those a3 working drawings (probably around 50 sheets of CAD stuff).

antindi lang. antindi ko lang. =D

thank God for my ever so wonderful family --- Mommy, Tatay, Ate Loy (and Kuya Earl), Lorraine, Lesly and Lizette, Tito Father; and of course, my roomates and friends --- I am staying sane.

Little steps. I'm getting there. =)

plans.

thesis life is definitely taking its toll on me.

----

forgive the vanity. =)

this is a picture of me the week after ate loy's wedding... when i singlehandedly outlived the first semester.  

i sported four huge pimples! 

(which, in my theory, represents the four architectural subjects i took last semester.)

just thinking of how i can go through the next months is enough to make me lose my appetite. haha. 

(but i do eat EVERYTIME i work on my thesis. it's my way of bribing myself.)

---

whenever thesis work enter my mind, i suddenly feel a rush of energy and i get to accomplish a LOT of OTHER things.
(yes kids, our generation has a term for it. it's called "PROCRASTINATION".)

like today, when i was wondering how i can translate my newly conceived architectural concept (because, as my thesis adviser said, i need to 'make sabog' pa.) --- i suddenly felt the urge to laundry my undies and clean all my shoes.

(actually just one pair of sneakers, one pair of running shoes, two flip-flops and 1 rain shoe. i can't stand dirty footwear so i really make sure they are clean everytime i wear them.)

i was planning on eating outside in time for dinner. (plus, i need to buy some basic stuff. cotton for my facial toner, bread for the weekend.)

then when i checked my bag from last night, i was surprised to see a cheeseburger from McDo. i am not one to ditch perfectly good food so i ended up eating it along with my stock of pineapple juice.

i only have barely two weeks to finish up all my architectural plans. (one week, if i want to refrain from being stressed over printing.)

i wanted to go home over the weekend, but  i can't. i need to tie myself here at home, focus all i can and get down to business.

so, here's me. PLANNING.

i need a gameplan and i need it now!

----

i met up with two of my good friends from work last night. i had a blast. ^_^

before our 'reunion', i have to spend some time in fully booked first. 

(just because the smell of books make me happy.)

while waiting for mia, dean and i had dinner at TOSH (located at sm annex).

i had my usual favorite: carbonara. =)

the three of us watched a movie together. (the movie isn't even worth mentioning. hahahaha.)

and then we stayed at padi's point (in skygarden) for a while. 

before parting our ways, we took a couple more pictures (more pictures on my facebook):

i do need some random quality time with friends. 

now, i feel like i am ready to face my thesis again.

----

wait. i want cibola's carbonara for dinner. 

qualms.

that cliche about the sudden (and really stupid) downpour of doubt whenever you are nearing the end?


IT IS TRUE. i think that's exacty how winners and losers are determined. 


the act of winning (or succeeding) doesn't really matter, as long as you know you gave it your best shot.


----

i had my first architectural consultation with THE-BEST-THESIS-ADVISER-EVER last thursday. we did met a couple of times for the thesis proposal, but the latest meeting was different.


albeit, mas nakaka-pressure. @_@

our last thesis submission for this sem is due in less than a week. i am not even halfway through it and honestly, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN FINISH IT.

deep (real deep) inside my heart, i know i'd rock this thesis year. but my braincells (yes, i am blaming YOU!) aren't really cooperating.

good thing i know myself more than anyone else. i am resorting to some positive reinforcement. (see: my "work desktop" picture.)

as of yesterday, my sketchup output looks like this:

if it doesn't make any sense to you... well, it's because it's really not making any sense SO FAR. 

----

here's how i go about "drafting" my architectural scheme. =)

and here's what i need to wrestle for the next two weeks:

----

and yes, my sister's wedding is next weekend. i haven't even seen my dress yet. i don't think i'll have the time to buy the shoes. all i know is that i'd be there, i can't miss that for anything. =)

----

when inside the consultation room last thursday, i played "chess titans". i just have to post this since it was the first time i played the toughest level (where the computer "thinks" for the longest time) and i am just so proud of myself for winning. ;p

i played black. here's the white queen sacrificing herself:

a couple of moves after that, i won the game:

----

btw, this blog is best viewed using google chrome. thank you for pointing out the mozilla problem though. i haven't used mozilla in ages. (and seriously, i am a bit curious on how you guys happen to stumble upon my blog! ;p)

cut and copy and tape and paste.

for almost my entire college life, i've been ranting about how ridiculously tedious it is to be an architecture student. those seemingly endless nights you'll need to spend for the sake of complying with all the course's requirements--- that's where procrastination comes in handy (it relieves some pressure off your chest); and the art of cramming never cease to provide the very much needed rush of energy.

take it from this girl who's never even had a chance to enter a romantic relationship. being an architecture student (and holding a position in the student government, being active in the college, and working part-time on the sides) is more than enough to make me happy.

enter this sem. my form 5 (which is UP's version of a registration card, fyi) is paid for a single subject. A. SINGLE. SUBJECT. that's a faaaaaaaar cry from all the academic loads i've been taking since 2002. (there, student number giveaway. hahaha.)

i have every intention of filing a leave of absence and work full-time for at least the next five months--- but i have to enroll. lessen the load. abide the rules of the college.... all that jazz.

so i figured, hey maybe i should try a call-center job. i've been blessed with the ability to pull all-nighters. i love learning. i can speak in english... hah. that'll be an "easy" job..or so i think. (this isn't really a post dedicated to sharing my short-stint as a technical support agent for at&t uverse so i'd cut this part of my mumbling short.)

my point is: after resigning from that "full time" job, i suddenly have A LOT of time in my hands. something i am not really ready for. i rarely have all day to laze around--- yet after resigning, i have DAAAAAAAAYS to laze around. this caught me off guard. it did.

so i read up on everything i can put my hands into. i watched EVERY tv show i've been missing on. i bonded with dell many times over. i took on sketching again. (i even dance when nobody's watching.haha.)

and i spent my birthday at home (in quezon) for the first time since i entered college.

----

i went home last weekend.

truth is, if given a choice, i'd rather stay at home. in quezon. i know it's all in my mind, but time is slooooow in the province. it's also not as scorching hot as it is here in the city. i have the license to just sit in front of the tivo all day and still manage to accomplish a lot.

case in point:

i was able to frank gherry myself in less than 24 hrs. (fyi: gherry is the architect of Guggenheim Museum and has been known for using "sketch models" to aid his design process.)

here's my finish product:

that's my "study model" for a structural plate. we're tasked to design a architectural studio building. this one's due on the 23rd. i wasn't really planning on creating a sketch model, but the atmosphere in our study area is oozing with positivity and creativity--- plus, there are a lot of scrap folders and mat's lying around. 

that model, my friend, didn't even cost me a single peso. 

----

note: i originally wrote this post last thursday, but my internet was just too slow last week. original post was entitled "so i'll make some more lists", and was supposed to be all about my knack of getting too obsessed with organizers.

i am not really much of a random person, at least in terms of things i do. i love planning and looking at the big picture. for some reason, 2010's (so far) been full of random things. which i am lovin'.

note to self: don't worry, we are still right on schedule. =)

(and hey, i spent all day yesterday redoing all my floor plans and creating another sketch model. that means, i trashed everything i've been conceptualizing for the past three weeks. i was just not happy with how my building looked like when i saw it in manual 3d. so i literally spent all day yesterday starting from scratch... me thinks i am falling inlove with architecture all over again.)