Hello, Yellow...

as i squeeze the last bit of white-&-milk-chocolate-frosting-in-a-tube - my latest 7-11 discovery! - into my mouth, i contemplate my last week of the semester. of course, it was all supposed to be wrapped up by the 18th, maybe the 25th, latest, but what's a few extra weeks amongst friends?

I rode on a new yellow bus yesterday. My beloved little green buses are currently being phased out in favor of natural gas powered buses. As a student of renewables, i feel it is my duty to support the new buses. but truly, they're not nearly as much . Despite the rather cramped seating, which often pinned my knees to the seat in front - or that seat in the back row, next to the door fom which you could go flying out of should one turn be too violent - if it were not for the low, arguably not so effective, metal bars... and the bus drivers, dashboard littered with m-150's and buddha amulets, weaving traffic like they're in formula 1 - there's no doubt, the green buses are purely FUN! The new ones are awfully pretty and clean, and quiet and nicely air conditioned - but you can't open the windows (no breeze, even if it is exhaust-heavy!), and if you're not sitting next to someone, you're sitting sideways. And it costs 12 baht, instead of 6.5. Much more boring. But the windows are nice and big, and they are actually slightly bigger, so they truly fit more people... i know it's the RIGHT thing, but i'll be sad when i can't get a little green bus ride anymore...

But, the change is good, so bye-bye, green (i'll miss ya)... and hello, yellow!

Cake

it's that time of year again. the one where you're s'posed to be wiser, or satisfied with yourself in some way - and i guess this year has brought some true change to my life, for which i am both grateful and proud - but it's hard not to wince over the scuffs and mistakes along the way.

it's okay, though - there's a bunch of golden moments - Plus, i got sunshine, a chocolate cake, and new shoes... what else could a girl want on her birthday?

my birthday always marks the last season of the year - the one you pull out all the stops, figure out what you're gonna do to really finish it off with a kick...

well, the season will start with a final exam. okay, a little rough, but we'll make it. then 4 more exams... okay, i can do that. see, progress: not nearly as stressed out as i was for midterms... like jumping into cold water... i'm good now ;)

A short trip home will be quite welcome - it actually feels like the first vacation i've truly earned since i quit my job 1.5 years ago. Then singapore on my way back. Carbon Forum Asia. very excited about that, and more about it when it comes around...

so there it is... Save the celebration 'til the weekend :)

Skip August...

sheesh, i feel like i just stepped out of the spin cycle. i can't believe a "little" paper on solar PV and a couple of exams tripped me up as much as they have... i stressed too much, too early in the game - which got me sick, twice - and had my mum in town - and i totally went about that paper wrong, so i think i did 6 times the work that was necessary, and of course the END became a Wonderland pursuit of meaningless proportions... until Today! Phew, just in time to get a hold of myself for finals, but i still feel ten times LIGHTER.

I've been in bangkok for over 4 months now - and i can't decide if i feel at home here or not. i like living on my own, except when i'm procrastinating, there's no one to step in and catch me in the act - and down the rabbit hole i go. and when i start having conversations with myself - path A or path B... or is there a C - oh, it's definitely not so sane when no one else is actually there! And once in a while, it's a bit spooky.

Watched Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds" this weekend - loved it - i did leave with an odd sense of satisfaction - and loved the fact that this film openly ridiculed the Bully, questioned its sanity, and stood up to it. What kind of justice could even begin to level out the level of injustice carried out by the nazis?

More soon...