TGIF!!!

Thought Spurts on a lazy Friday afternoon:

* Boyfriend will be here tomorrow morning (Saturday) until Wednesday. Oh baby, we are so going to have a post-Valentine lovefest. I'm so excited, I'm ready to jump out of my skin!!!

Incidentally, our (long-distance) conversations lately have been deliciously naughty. Sweet!

Okay, so preparations in order:
Sexy red lingerie? Check. V-day gift for him? Half-check. Recipe for dinner? Check. Liquid melty chocolate? Check. Exfoliated, smooth glowing skin? Check. Sultry make-out music? Check, check, check. Raunchy movies? Check. Some weed? Check.

...I better shut up at this point. My mind's in horny mode right now; I just don't think it's appropriate for me to further give too much info. I'm sure you couldn't care less. =)

On to the next topic / Back to geekeries:
* You know how I've been preoccupied lately about my career goals and the future, yada yada? Well, the reason is that never in the past had I really given much thought about the future.

But now that I'm out of school and wanting to move up to a high-power job, I'm starting to appreciate the importance of goal setting, because up until lately I had no career or life goals. Up until this point I was just living on a day-to-day basis, no sense of direction. Over-educated, Under-stimulated. It was quite horrible. It's scary once you realize you're not getting any younger and that your silly, carefree ways are not as cute as they used to be.

I'm used to living in the moment, being silly, procrastinating, making mistakes, testing boundaries, enjoying life (yes, even my nerdiness is enjoyment for me). Throughout my school life (and early career years) I just kinda trusted that things would work out well, and that I didn't have to plan. (Come to think of it, life is too fun to have it rigidly planned out! Planning sometimes takes away the sense of adventure.)

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, now I'm finally excited about the future again because I can see it more clearly. I'm actually excited to wake up each morning, unlike before when every day felt like drudgery. At least now I have something to look forward to. I can actually visualize who and what I aspire to be--and I don't just mean that in terms of career (although career is a major part of my dreams--a successful career gives you bragging rights a sense of pride, you know). At the end of the day, I want to feel like I've lived and loved and felt happy. I want to feel like I've contributed something noble to the world. I don't want to grow old feeling like I've wasted my life in aimless fashion. I'll continue having fun, but this time I want a sense of purpose and direction.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I now have goals and a life mission. The best part is, I now actually know how to get there. I have a plan--a legit one! Doesn't involve stealing somebody else's ideas or sabotaging their projects. (...Hah, just kidding. I would never steal or sabotage just to get ahead. I'm a smart independent gal, for Buddha's sake! No need to commit a crime. =))


Next stream of thought:
* I miss school. I really do. In two years or so I'd like to go back to do a Master's degree (an MA or an MBA, or both). My boyfriend agrees and supports it (after all, he's a nerd. The cute and stylish kind of nerd, not the yucky stereotype).

I've been window-shopping for prospect schools for quite some time now, and I must say, I'm really impressed with some of 'em. I like how some universities have come up with really innovative graduate programs that combine on-site residencies and distance learning. Students won't have to stop working for two straight years as they complete their graduate studies.


("Geeks Anonymous" from phdcomics.com)


* Speaking of graduate school, why would anyone want to complete a Ph.D.? I don't quite get it. You spend five more years of your life in school doing rigorous academic work, spending xx thousand dollars... then what?

("Why are we doing this?" from phdcomics.com)

Just curious. My boyfriend's doing his Ph.D., and I don't understand why. Then again, as long as he's happy and he loves what he does...

I can't wait to see him.

...

Ph.D. = "Piled Higher and Deeper"
from phdcomics.com

A late greeting, but...

Happy Lovin' (and Anti-Lovin'), Bloggers!

Feeling alienated?

"Life is hard, and then you die."
~Woody Allen

Conclusion: Enjoy life. =)



Humans have a higher nature which...includes the need for meaningful work, for responsibility, for creativeness, for being fair and just, for doing what is worthwhile and for preferring to do it well.

~Abraham Maslow
(that dude you faintly remember from your psychology or business class =))


*RELATED POST (maybe): Generation X by Coupland

"Creative Collaboration" article excerpts

I looooved Cultural Studies as an undergraduate student. Now that I'm at a stage where I have to figure out how to convert my nerdy passions into "bread and butter" (or in my case, rice, cuz I'm Asian), I've developed an interest in organizational culture. I find that many of the rhetorical stuff I learned concerning culture, politics, society, blah blah, are applicable in the business environment. I just have to develop a stronger nose for business, then combine it with my humanist (idealist?) background to develop insights that utilize "the best of both worlds," so to speak.

(I did major in business, by the way, but dropped out of it because my interest in humanities and social sciences was too strong to ignore. Besides, I didn't like my classmates in business school. And yeah, I sucked in Accounting. There, I said it.)

Anyway, here are excerpts from an excellent article, a case study about company cultures, published in a trade magazine. The article's title is "Unleashing the Power of Creative Collaboration: A Look at Three Real-World Stories About Human Potential." Here's the author.

Communicators are helping people interact and connect with each other. They have, in a literal sense, become architects. They are using their expertise to not only design events and speeches...but also to help design office environments that encourage collaboration.

...

Success in today's global economy boils down to the single, universally recognized objective of getting more for less--with one exception: human resources. Human labor is not a disposable commodity. It is a unique creative resource for the future of the organization.

...

We're not talking about money now. We're talking about liberating untapped potential, about energizing employees and engaging their commitment and enthusiasm.

Give people a chance to grow and they will blossom. Entrust them with greater authority and they will take on greater responsibility. Educate them to understand the changing business dynamics and they will make excellent business decisions. Encourage them to collaborate and they will amaze you with their inventiveness.

If you're further interested in this article (for educational, non-commercial purposes), I can lend you a copy (as long as copyright geeks won't sue me for it). Just leave a comment or contact me.