Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Sometimes morning news
can change in a split second a thought "I made a mistake" to a thought "Whatever. At least I have time to set things right".
Monday, July 16, 2012
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Don't eat up my slack!
The first week of the new summer schedule trial revealed its major fault: I somehow forgot to include time slots for meals and rest :)
Very true actually! A Freudian slip in time management... Why putting on your schedule something that does not really take place in your life? :) I eat at my desk or in the car, or on the way from classroom to parking lot... Have rest in car or - techincally "family" time is rest too... Or while doing laundry or cooking - my Dad would say that change of things you're doing is itself a rest.
From the other hand I started to get jealous and protective of my time as never-never before. Almost irritated when something unplanned comes up and messes up my plans. Our professor in Operations Management tells us scarry stories about contractors fired because of inefficient time use; and I do feel those project managers right now, sometimes holding myself tight from yelling outloud: "Don' eat up my slack!!!"
Very true actually! A Freudian slip in time management... Why putting on your schedule something that does not really take place in your life? :) I eat at my desk or in the car, or on the way from classroom to parking lot... Have rest in car or - techincally "family" time is rest too... Or while doing laundry or cooking - my Dad would say that change of things you're doing is itself a rest.
From the other hand I started to get jealous and protective of my time as never-never before. Almost irritated when something unplanned comes up and messes up my plans. Our professor in Operations Management tells us scarry stories about contractors fired because of inefficient time use; and I do feel those project managers right now, sometimes holding myself tight from yelling outloud: "Don' eat up my slack!!!"
Saturday, June 23, 2012
I realized that without an efficient time management system I won't survive this summer
Had to update my schedule :) So now I have a schedule that breaks down all 7 days of the week by activities and time slots. The day would now start at quarter to 6, and finish at 11. And would have shorter period of time for studies, chores and self-development every day. Even the weekends have blocks of several hours for catching up with work, studies, family and social life =)
Looking forward to pulling off this experiment successfully!
Looking forward to pulling off this experiment successfully!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The spring was hectic.
The summer promisses to be even more crazy.
Note to self: if one day I find myself missing this time of my life: remember about my rejected petition for internship excemption, request for additional evidence from CIS, and Lisa's rejected petition for housing off campus.
In addition to the 45 hour work week, 2 classes and insane heat.
And with desperate attempts to create somewhat significant life memories...
Note to self: if one day I find myself missing this time of my life: remember about my rejected petition for internship excemption, request for additional evidence from CIS, and Lisa's rejected petition for housing off campus.
In addition to the 45 hour work week, 2 classes and insane heat.
And with desperate attempts to create somewhat significant life memories...
Monday, May 7, 2012
Me in the language-learning world
How awesome would it be to be the main character in some foreign language study book?!
First, I would have had a very typical, very traditional name for the country I was born in, and for the language the book was written for. Margot in my world of Manuel de Francais. Margaretha - in some Deutsch ohne Probleme :) Last name would be pretty typical for the area too; although it could have an unusual sequence of letters, if would be no longer than 2 syllables, and definitely shorter than 11 letters.
In the event if I was not born in the same country where the action in the units of the books takes place, I could still be a lucky tourist or a visitor to this country. Say, came to Rome to visit my friend for a month and meanwhile - picking up a little Italian :) My host family would be extremely friendly and nice to me: in the very first few units they all introduce themselves to me, would show me around the city, do a tour of the local sights. In the following few days I would visit a local university and talk with one of the local professors about the differences in education between their country and my home country. I would go to a grocery store and purchase some random amounts of some random foods: one kilo of apples, 200 gr of cheese, salad, 1/2 kg of potatoes. Then I would go to a shoe store and would purchase the second pair of shoes I was recommended.
In the middle of the book I would see a doctor about something minor. I would complain about simultaneous headaches, sore throat, loss of appetite and sleep - and would sounds as miserable about it as possible. The doctor would take my temperature and diagnose a cold or a flu; write a prescription for something good for fighting merciless seasonal flu and would see me off with all the most pleasant wishes to get well and promises to check on me in a couple of days to make sure my cold is getting better. Whatever you came to your doctor with, he will never look at you like at an idiot, and would be most sensitive, polite and pleasant. In foreign language study books everyone is always sensitive, polite and pleasant - wherever you go. Talking back ,swearing and being rude is never considered in these books :)
Once feeling alive again I would head out to a local museum or art gallery. I would talk about entertainment and music with my friend, ending up in a long discussion with all her family about their tastes and preferences.
Having realized that it is about my time to leave, and I have not tried much of the traditional cuisine, my friend would invite me and several friends of hers to a restaurant where the traditional dishes make at least 50% of the menu.
On my departure day, the whole family would say buy to me, me a good trip back and would be invited to stay with me whenever they go to my home country :) everyone would be polite and pleasant. After all, all the foreign language books are about nice and pleasant adventures in A foreign country with a happy ending :)
First, I would have had a very typical, very traditional name for the country I was born in, and for the language the book was written for. Margot in my world of Manuel de Francais. Margaretha - in some Deutsch ohne Probleme :) Last name would be pretty typical for the area too; although it could have an unusual sequence of letters, if would be no longer than 2 syllables, and definitely shorter than 11 letters.
In the event if I was not born in the same country where the action in the units of the books takes place, I could still be a lucky tourist or a visitor to this country. Say, came to Rome to visit my friend for a month and meanwhile - picking up a little Italian :) My host family would be extremely friendly and nice to me: in the very first few units they all introduce themselves to me, would show me around the city, do a tour of the local sights. In the following few days I would visit a local university and talk with one of the local professors about the differences in education between their country and my home country. I would go to a grocery store and purchase some random amounts of some random foods: one kilo of apples, 200 gr of cheese, salad, 1/2 kg of potatoes. Then I would go to a shoe store and would purchase the second pair of shoes I was recommended.
In the middle of the book I would see a doctor about something minor. I would complain about simultaneous headaches, sore throat, loss of appetite and sleep - and would sounds as miserable about it as possible. The doctor would take my temperature and diagnose a cold or a flu; write a prescription for something good for fighting merciless seasonal flu and would see me off with all the most pleasant wishes to get well and promises to check on me in a couple of days to make sure my cold is getting better. Whatever you came to your doctor with, he will never look at you like at an idiot, and would be most sensitive, polite and pleasant. In foreign language study books everyone is always sensitive, polite and pleasant - wherever you go. Talking back ,swearing and being rude is never considered in these books :)
Once feeling alive again I would head out to a local museum or art gallery. I would talk about entertainment and music with my friend, ending up in a long discussion with all her family about their tastes and preferences.
Having realized that it is about my time to leave, and I have not tried much of the traditional cuisine, my friend would invite me and several friends of hers to a restaurant where the traditional dishes make at least 50% of the menu.
On my departure day, the whole family would say buy to me, me a good trip back and would be invited to stay with me whenever they go to my home country :) everyone would be polite and pleasant. After all, all the foreign language books are about nice and pleasant adventures in A foreign country with a happy ending :)
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Done.
Was able to put all Jons and Michaels into the right place, got the history and the civics right... 6 in a row answers were correct, did not have to go up to 10 :)
Thoughts of the day: If a simple sentence "When is Thanksgiving" suffices for language proficiency, - my work emails are definitely quite impressive.
And - following their method of placing the position in front of the name, I should ask to be addressed at work as Consultant Rita =)
Thoughts of the day: If a simple sentence "When is Thanksgiving" suffices for language proficiency, - my work emails are definitely quite impressive.
And - following their method of placing the position in front of the name, I should ask to be addressed at work as Consultant Rita =)
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
I logged out of my second International Markets Finance exam
with a strong feeling that it is as bad as it gets: the final tasks was to summarize Dodd-Frank reform: one sentence for each title...
Nevertheless, the Bank Analysis project proved me completely wrong.
I looked at the task list and understood that this project alone should weigh full course worth credits. There was so much to do, that even with the instructions and UBPR already distributed to us I could hardly imagine where to begin to get the best use of my time (which I barely had).
By the time I fished out all the numbers and was done with the calculations for DuPont analysis I got pretty optimistic about finishing this project by the end of summer semester :) NIM and Burden analysis got me completely lost in UBPR: could neither understand where the numbers in the example came from, nor - how the calculations in the example were done and results were obtained if the formulas in the instructions were used.
By the time I got to peer analysis I realized I would only finish this project when I retire.
The analysis itself was, as always, the least painful part. The bank sucked badly compared to its peers throughout my whole analysis sections - luckily for me, since the actual entity was shut down in 2008...
With project and tasks like this, I sometimes feel it's not even possible to get the bottom of it ; but eventually, with just abit great deal of persistence, flax seeds oil, coffee and Visine - I manage to break through. Some time after that the story repeats itself =)
The bottom line and the note to self: to go over this post if I ever decide to go to grad school.
Nevertheless, the Bank Analysis project proved me completely wrong.
I looked at the task list and understood that this project alone should weigh full course worth credits. There was so much to do, that even with the instructions and UBPR already distributed to us I could hardly imagine where to begin to get the best use of my time (which I barely had).
By the time I fished out all the numbers and was done with the calculations for DuPont analysis I got pretty optimistic about finishing this project by the end of summer semester :) NIM and Burden analysis got me completely lost in UBPR: could neither understand where the numbers in the example came from, nor - how the calculations in the example were done and results were obtained if the formulas in the instructions were used.
By the time I got to peer analysis I realized I would only finish this project when I retire.
The analysis itself was, as always, the least painful part. The bank sucked badly compared to its peers throughout my whole analysis sections - luckily for me, since the actual entity was shut down in 2008...
With project and tasks like this, I sometimes feel it's not even possible to get the bottom of it ; but eventually, with just a
The bottom line and the note to self: to go over this post if I ever decide to go to grad school.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Somethimes I feel that if I take one more step forward - I will die
... and then I will fall down on the ground and fall asleep =)
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
"Tap to the left... or to the right...." (c)
I made myself an unexpected gift this year and... somehow, from out of nowhere, I was able to download Liquidator.
I've no idea why for the past many-many years I only remembered about this computer game right before this New Year. Of course, I was already getting a different impression of the game now; some things did not seem to be that exciting anymore, some seemed just absurd...
... But nevertheless I got carried away by a wave of memories of how, these many-many years ago I played this game with my school best friend, on her computer, in her room. Back then this was one of the few Russian action computer games, something rather original... We had one keyboard so we had to share our responsibilities in such a way that my friend was navigating while I was jumping, shooting and opening the doors. After a while we would switch =)
... We would burst into evil giggling; we mocked at the voice and the catch phrases of the operator in the game; shoot napalm into walking skeletons, ghosts and wizards; and once, when we opened a door and were suddenly attacked by some weird butcher with an axe - we both screamed outloud =)
I've no idea why for the past many-many years I only remembered about this computer game right before this New Year. Of course, I was already getting a different impression of the game now; some things did not seem to be that exciting anymore, some seemed just absurd...
... But nevertheless I got carried away by a wave of memories of how, these many-many years ago I played this game with my school best friend, on her computer, in her room. Back then this was one of the few Russian action computer games, something rather original... We had one keyboard so we had to share our responsibilities in such a way that my friend was navigating while I was jumping, shooting and opening the doors. After a while we would switch =)
... We would burst into evil giggling; we mocked at the voice and the catch phrases of the operator in the game; shoot napalm into walking skeletons, ghosts and wizards; and once, when we opened a door and were suddenly attacked by some weird butcher with an axe - we both screamed outloud =)
Saturday, March 31, 2012
The daily routine rush sucks you in so smoothly and unexpectedly you don't even notice it
until at one moment you realize you are out of juice and out of breath and your thoughts are straggling. Quantity of tasks are inversely proportional to quantity of time.
No, no one said it would be easy. But with hindsight - I should be probably used to this by now, if not ashamed of the spontaneous moments of weakness. If at 10 I could combine school, with good grades in my "special mathematical class", music school, extra English lessons, books, friends and some creative activities - 15 years later, I just must be a professional multi-tasker!
"Breathe!" - says my boxing instructor.- "If you do not breathe you won't get enough strength and concentration for your punches".
"Don't forget to breathe" - says my yoga instructor,- " You are rushing into your poses too much. Take it slow, move smoothly and keep on breathing deep".
...If I have already done so much to bring myself to where I am now, I bet I can do more. There is nothing in my life now that has not happened before, in one form or another; only when knowledge and skills grow and develop - the challenges become harder, and the goals - higher. And that must be a good sign :)
So I continue working, and studying, and writing, and reading, and running, and punching, and cooking, and learning something new, and playing the piano, and laughing with friends, and making travel plans, and planning my next big leap.
And breathing...
No, no one said it would be easy. But with hindsight - I should be probably used to this by now, if not ashamed of the spontaneous moments of weakness. If at 10 I could combine school, with good grades in my "special mathematical class", music school, extra English lessons, books, friends and some creative activities - 15 years later, I just must be a professional multi-tasker!
"Breathe!" - says my boxing instructor.- "If you do not breathe you won't get enough strength and concentration for your punches".
"Don't forget to breathe" - says my yoga instructor,- " You are rushing into your poses too much. Take it slow, move smoothly and keep on breathing deep".
...If I have already done so much to bring myself to where I am now, I bet I can do more. There is nothing in my life now that has not happened before, in one form or another; only when knowledge and skills grow and develop - the challenges become harder, and the goals - higher. And that must be a good sign :)
So I continue working, and studying, and writing, and reading, and running, and punching, and cooking, and learning something new, and playing the piano, and laughing with friends, and making travel plans, and planning my next big leap.
And breathing...
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
New Year cleaning
You know that your regular workouts finally start to pay off... when scrubbing a
dark dye spot in a bath tub with a double force makes it come out =)
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