tsunami

this has truly been the year of disasters. in particular, the asian countries. it's like blow after blow after blow.

nature strikes, and we are reminded that we don't control it. we are reminded of our mortality--our frailty. sure, we could have lessened the damage through decent early-warning devices in the Indian Ocean, but lives and livelihood would still have been lost. the images we have seen on television have been heartbreaking: the loss is staggering. i can't even begin to describe it. whole families are lost, and the ones who survived have no means of continuing their economic survival and have to depend on the charity of others.

as sad as i am about the tragedies, i am awed by the human response, the capacity for compassion. no matter how many times i see it, i am struck with wonder.

death comes in bulk once more.

i'm a friggin' idiot

in trying to get help and materials for my website, i looked to world wildlife fund philippines for help... which they didn't exactly give. and i relied so heavily on that that i ended up writing and making up the material on my own.

fast forward to last sunday. in a sudden panic because i only have two articles to show what Filipino children is doing to help the environment, i emailed to some yahoogroups of environmentalists from the philippines. today, one person from that yahoogroup emailed me to ask me to email my materials to him through his personal email because yahoo doesn't accept attachments anymore. and THAT requires effort on his part. i mean, some people would probably just say "ah, interesting" and then be too busy to follow up on their interest, right? but this person is an ANGEL. to me, anyway.

another very generous help came from an unexpected direction yesterday, within 24 hours of my email (isn't it nice when people respond promptly? wow) to the junior inquirer, simply asking for permission to post a copy of their articles on the website. her reply included THREE contact persons. AND i got my first compliment on my thesis when she called it "very commendable." imagine that.

i contacted two of them so far, and one of them already replied today, with a brief write up of their club, called the Friends of the Seven Lakes Foundation (FSLF) Kids in Canossa College in Laguna. i read the articles that were attached and i am SO inspired. i mean, it's wonderful, what they're doing. make your kids study in that school. it'll be good for them. seriously.

anyway, the woman who contacted me was very enthusiastic to help me. she told me that she will be here this friday until sunday, and she will bring pictures for me. and because three kids will be with her on this trip, i can also have an interview with them.

again, i am a friggin' idiot. WHY did i not tap into the right resources earlier?! WHY?! i overlooked them. BUT right now i'm as happy as a fly in warm poo because it turns out that people like my idea and are very willing to help.

a fly in my ointment (agh. flies again? sorry): I STILL DON'T LIKE MY DESIGN. HEELPP!!!

rewards, rewards

because of my hard work these past couple of days, i deemed myself worthy of a reward: a new book, The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson.

soon, i'll put up a site with my book wish list. oh yay!

spraining the brain

my thesis is far from over. but it's nobody else's fault but mine.

actually, the biggest thing that i'm really getting pissed about is my design. i mean, seriously. it's like, i know good design when i see it and i can improve on an existing design. but somehow, making one up seems to be beyond me. i mean, i am coming up with designs, actually, but they don't seem to me to be designs that would appeal to children.

and so now i'm dissatisfied.

anyway, today, someone told me that my thesis project was "very commendable." aw shucks. but seriously, the woman who said that was great. she gave me a lot of contact information within 24 hourse. wonderful.

i like my project. i do. but the design. the design is just driving me crazy. and the worst thing about it is that it's ME that i'm up against. i just want to crack my head open and see if there are any ideas that haven't made it to the forefront of my mind yet.

the thesis room

i think this is the most number of people that i have seen in the thesis room. seriously. everybody looked like they were on their last legs.

my head hurts.