Oh yeah...

I have a blog. Goodness, I've been that busy. There are days I just collapse into bed and wonder at how I've stayed sane another day.

I got a part-time job as a private English tutor and I'm thrilled about it. My salary is great because I actually have savings right now (useful for those misery-induced shopping sprees and salon trips, not to mention extra cash for US trip--hehe) and I can pay for my ballet classes at Turning Point. The perks are pretty awesome too. My tutee pays the transport fees and I get snacks after each session. One time, he thought I looked really burned out and he gave me a couple of vitamins. It takes up around three hours of my time everyday so I have to cut back on afternoon naps and some extracurricular activities. But I think that this is doing me a lot of good and not just financially. It's a great way to learn new things and I believe it's helping me become a more mature and responsible person.

My GRE review is coming along very slowly these days because I'm busy with my academic load. I got 1.00s last semester and I want to just go out there, scare myself and push myself to see if I can pull that off again this semester. I love most of the classes I have and I'm so eager to learn more in the areas I'm interested in such as time series forecasting and SAS. I'm not turning into that much of a geek or GC to sit at my desk each single night, burning the midnight oil. But I am pushing myself in class to really listen and absorb concepts (and not let my mind wander) and when I get back to my room I review things and try to figure out my problem areas. I still have loads of fun though. The roomies and I have started our Bridge and Pusoy Dos Season and our Video Cityis as used as ever (we actually feel like they're not churning out movies fast enough!).

I've requested vegetarian meals from our canteen because I want to go back to my eating habits five years ago. My brother Omar initiated the idea and we're both trying to get back to the healthy lifestyle our mom brought us up on. College corrupted us for a while but we're trying to get back on track. Mom was right, junk food everyday is BAD.

About two weeks ago, I sat myself down and faced the fact that I can't do all the things I have to, want to, and committed to do this year. I've bitten off more than I can chew. So I'm not joining an academic org at all. Good-bye Red Cross application too. I can't attend ballet class twice a week anymore. I'll have to make the best out of just one class weekly. That reading list will have to wait because all I can handle right now are my statistics texts and maybe a paragraph of Sense and Sensibility every other night, if I'm lucky.

I've also decided not to be active in DCF. I might attend GAs but I can't do it every week. Not as a leader, not even as a member. I expect problems over this but I can't do it because I don't have the time or the desire. Yeah, a pretty cold-hearted decision I guess. I'm hoping I can work out the Dance Team sessions into my schedule because that's something I don't want to give up right now. Dance is one of the things that still makes me smile these days. It's a sanctuary for me and a place where I feel like I can still communicate with God and not feel angry at Him. It's a great feeling when I dance, like I'm part of something bigger than me, something beautiful and powerful. I feel ackward and stiff but it's okay.

Since we're on dance... Teacher Mylene's banned me from pointe work for at least a month. That's sad news for me but at the same time, I know she's right. I've gotten weak over the summer (not surprising) and I need to recover what little strength I once had that got me to my toes. Last class I went to, I barely lived through the barre exercises. There are things to celebrate though. The front split is getting better and so is my extension in my left leg.

Each day has it's good and bad elements, but this is my year and I choose to celebrate each little victory instead of weep over the ruts in the road.

PS New on my list of things to do in my life:
Go to one Winter Olympics (and hopefully witness Michelle Kwan finally get the gold she deserves)
See Jamie Sale and David Pelletier skate