Reading, Writing and Time Management

“How important is to read to be a good writer?” Is one of the questions Creative Writing Lecturers will ask almost at the beginning of the first Lecture. The answer is easy: EXTREMELY important. Curiously, most CW students here don’t read that much.

I do. But I used to read more. My normal quota of non-education-related books was above 50 per year, now it has dropped to around 30 to 40 at the most. The reason? Well, I’m tight with money at the moment and I have spent it unwisely. I have to admit, part of it is just the idea of getting back to Mexico with my 100+ books as it is and then adding more… but, should I let this stop me? I’m reading Neuromancer now. A book I started a month ago. That bad has it been these last weeks. But, as soon as I seat down to read a bit of it I felt invigorated to write. Hence my claim above as to the importance of reading to writing.

Most people don’t know –I haven’t seen ANYONE on MSN for months now- I have found myself in a kind of depression. My hours are too strange and I have developed a self-destructive passivity complex that distracts me. I sleep too much. Eat too little. Read too little. Write too little.

I have talked to my lecturers and Leone has helped a bit by proposing I create a “Writing” schedule for the next 6 Months of my existence. However I have found that to be most difficult –and it shouldn’t. I should talk to my parents about this, and make some kind of deal. I need a change of scenery HERE. I can’t wait until I go back to Mexico. I have to get my bearings BACK.

Let me tell all my dear friends back home… I have decided –formally- I’m going to Oxford for my Master in Arts. The last thing I will allow to stop me getting there is my own laziness. The almost-to-last test revealed that I was a Phoenix, according to the Mythical Test. While I think was over simplistic I guess it does reflect everyone’s personalities in some way. So, I will assume the mantle of the Phoenix this once. I will make Phoenix my Totem for now. Death- Change. Phoenix- Starting anew. I will grow with this new Totem before bidding it my thanks and goodbye, because I will not let myself fall again.

When Nostalgia hits me I remember all of my friends back home. Doing or having done their best at Uni and those that finished doing amazing efforts at time at work.

I think of Omar, who also has problems at times dealing with his own daemons, but if I know someone that has struggled with problems I would never want to face and not only survived, but endured, it’s him.

I think of P-chan and how he has always been willing to encourage me to do my best in Uni and even stuck his neck up for me to get me into LASCA when I asked for help.

Luis, splitting time between work and studying, but always quick to come to a friends’ help. (Well, mostly quick, unless he’s too busy :p) And all the times we have bored Elf out of her mind while reminiscing the good old days at Olinca.

I think of Elf, complaining, moaning and joking about her time in ULA, but still soldiering on to finish her work and have good grades.

I think of Koba, still studying and even with all the work, all the things coming together, he still has time to take serious relationships into his life.

Erick, who already finished, still holding on to his beloved Radio and Communications dream.

Pratt, picking everyone up at 5:00 AM the fist time I came here, taking me to the Hospital to visit my Mom and say goodbye and then driving all the way to the Airport, not to mention all the times I call him and *force* him to come have a Daiquiri with the gang despite having to work the next day.

5anto, back in Japan, calling me at 6 am to tell me he’s at Odaiba!

Damian waiting for the comic book and also with a job that takes him a couple of hours to get to; Kroup still studying at UNAM and I imagine still complaining a bit about it; Karla also finished (although I don’t know if she found a job yet); Chino (who’s actually from Korea) who I can always imagine either a) drunk, b) role playing with the best of them (sans me), c) engrossed in computer codes or d) flirting; Hikari in the states working at the Airport at ungodly times and being forced to be there over Christmas; Ghost with Computer Science, whom I haven’t heard from since I told him I STILL don’t have internet; Hector Haro, Lost In Space –the bastard-; Hector Garzidueñas, who last I heard was still working; Callejas whom I last spoke only on the phone; J.P. driving off to Toluca at the behest of his boss; Rosy, Helena and Marta, who have helped me through the years in several ways, and I have always known had the best of intentions in mind every time they cussed me.

Amilcar, Rafa, Vyaney, Aca, Fink, Jessica, Alejandra, Jocelyn, Armando, Agoran, Montoya…

Even Jose Luis Genel, Lawerence Dickens and Jesus Zurita, whom I haven’t seen much of in the last 5 to 7 years…

These are all my friends. And I still remember what some of them said aloud to me while others just gave me knowing glances: Don’t quit. This is your dream. And even if we still are your friends, if you give this one up and come back in defeat we will be very disappointed.

I have so many stories with each of these individuals. So many long conversations, unbelievable adventures, silly antics, parties, wrestling, sword fighting…

Monica Germana, my Lecturer in Gothic and Fantastic and Twentieth-Century Dystopian Fiction asked me last Friday what I would consider “Good” Nostalgia.

I would think the above is the best example. I know, that my friends hope the best for me, far away as I am, just as I hope the best for them. I know that they’ll be glad to see me back, but I know they will truly be happy for me when I finish my BA. I know some of them will complain half-heartedly about me staying here for my MA, but they will be happy for me just as I am happy for them despite the fact that I miss everyone.

Don’t get me wrong- friends like Stacey, Ripton, Emma, Mizuki, Kaori, Sam, Ross, Kiana… Leone, Peter, Monica, Mark and Sandy (from IT, not the girl) are not easily found and I consider myself lucky to have met them all. Jenny, Yukina, Erin, Michael and Shun, although away at this time are also very dear to my heart. But I could do with some of Amilcar’s Smart-Ass comments right now, or Omar’s stern but useful and honest advice, or even with P-chan showing off his latest acquisitions to name a few. ^_^

Heh, I feel better already, imagining the slapping, head-butting, punches and back-slaps I would receive along with the sarcasm, witty retorts and “brutally honest” opinions on my lazy-depression-stage.

Don’t let this stop you from making comments. ^_~ I haven’t heard from many of you in a looong time.

But, as it is, remembering you all, back in Mexico, Japan, UK and the rest of the world already has helped.

-Nya!

Ah, and before I forget;

The Quotes:

"It's not how many points you have, it's how you use them." -Ripton (While playing Vampire the Masquerade, and yes, talking about sex.)

New Link

Well, it was long overdue for me to post DJgotga's Blog link here, so I just did. To commemorate this momentous occation I have also taken YET another test from Elf's Blog due to lack of time to post something worthwhile of my own.

-Nya!



Morpheus


?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
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Just to avoid not posting anything...

So I stole it from Elf's Blog. ^_^


You're a phoenix. You can take anything from life
and emerge none the worse for wear. Others
admire you and are always chasing after you;
whether or not you pay attention depends on
your mood. Spontaneity is both a virtue and a
vice in you. Your alignment is neutral, leaning
slightly towards *good*.


What mythical beast are you?
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Random Stuff

So, I haven't posted in a while.

This last couple of months have been a bit hectic, amusing and annoying, yet somehow squishy in the center despite the burnt outside. Like something Raven would cook and only Starfire would eat.

I built my 64bit PC, finally. It looks extremely cool and, while Gamera would probably kick its ass, it would still give a fight. Which is fine by me.
The most annoying thing of building the computer was that it had a hardware fault somewhere that wouldn't let me install ANY OS. Not even Linux. I ended up buying another HD just in case it was that. It wasn't. I checked everysingle piece of the computer... it was fine... turns out that the problem was the RAM. It worked properly, but it had conflicts with the installation process somehow. We changed the RAM with sticks from another PC and it worked perfectly there and the installation process worked out smoothly. ¬_¬ RAM... of all the stupid things.

As for the internet, well I WAS going to get an internet connection with Bulldog (8megs- no download limit) but while the front page said £30 the last count was about £60 per month. To give people back home an idea that is about 1200 - 1300 pesos. So I decided to forego that venue and try my luck with "bethere" which offers a 24Mb connection, no download limits and a reasonable price. Hopefully that will be the answer to my prayers since there's so much I'm missing already.

JCS has been going on despite a little wobbling from time to time, nothing serious and I won't point out with accusing fingers, but it could and should work better.

We are showing Nausicaa tonight (at 7) it's a great film and something that any Anime lover should see at least once. Especially those that want to at least trully understand what it [Anime] is about. I do understand the irony of this, Pratt, rest assured.

I have also managed to FINALLY gather a Role Playing Group here.

The cast:

"Reverend" Ross: Gangrel
Kiana: Brujah
Sam: Ravnos
Ripton (Part-timer): Ventrue

We're RPGing the story I had with Koba, Elf, Kroup, Damian, Kaput, Mario and Karla so all of you guys are making an appearance there in your respective characters. It gets a bit complicated because Ripton has missed a couple of game sesions and he's the one that knows THE ONE (no spoilers from those that have played my story or were guests in it before. You can make comments, but keep them obscure ^_^)

Also, it is CONFIRMED that I'm going back to Mexico in December, leaving here the 14th and comming back in January.

Going to other issues, there is this guy, Sentry-kun, who has an attitude and has been annoying one of the three people I trust the most. Sentry-kun, when I met him was a little bit reserved and I got the feeling he didn't like me. No biggie anyway, since we didn't become anything more than vague aquaintances. I did notice though that he is a wanna-be.

He wants to pretend he knows something about anime, and yet, as far as I know, his knowledge of it leaves much to be desired. He wants to brag that he knows about magic... I laughed really hard at that one. And he presumes to give advice and point out defects to people he trully does not understand, even pointing out publicly issues that are personal to "prove" that he's right (which he is not.)

Sentry-kun. there is one thing about wisdom and it is that the wise keep their mouths shut when it comes to actual advice unless they have something that is worth giving.
Wise people don't "flaunter" and brag how much they know.
They don't call people "young" in a derogatory form like "my young Elf" and expect them to take it at face-value unless they trully know that person and know that she/he won't take offense.
Combine that with KNOWING the wise guy* (you) in person and you get the type of response that ensued on that particular blog. If you were surprised by the general feel of hostility, well, there's the reason for it.

*Sentry-kun, since your grasp on English reminds me of a bulldog trying to chew through a titanium-alloy bar let me point out that "wise-guy" is a derogatory expression not to be confused with being called wise.
Derogatory is not good.

Anyway, having said that, I will leave you all for now. I hope to be able to make another post shortly. BTW if any of you guys reading this gets their hands on Final Fantasy 7: Last Order English SUBTITLES please let me know and/or send them to me. Thanks!

-Nya!