had been pretty hectic. And that's an understatement. For most of the days I'm at the Shell House, I was usually on two laptops to migrate (and test) the important reports from one model to another. Even had to work overtime for two days. And we're still not done yet.
I did say two laptops usually, right? Now here's something unusual:
Three laptops during OT.
If there's just one person is in front of a counter with a sign that says "Please fall in line", is he/she actually making a line? Or just a point?
Follow-up question:
a. If you answered line: How is that possible when a line could only be formed if you have at least two points? (I'm assuming that an individual represents a point here.)
b. If you answered point: Is the said person breaking the rule imposed upon him/her by the sign? Or is the sign/rule erroneous to begin with?
... I am now without a mountain bike. It was an 18-speed metallic blue Giant mountain bike with front and rear shock absorbers. Even after nearly a decade, the paint still looks new (that is, if you'll ignore the scratches). It still rides well and has great balance (I could ride it through traffic without touching the steering bars). Its brakes could use a replacement though. Plus I suppose the gearshift mechanism got damaged when it crashed one time. The seat had been changed twice and the tires (both the interior and exterior) had been replaced on countless occassions. I used to ride it wherever, in the rain, under the sun, during a storm, across floodwaters, wherever. The farthest distance I've covered on that bike was from Makati to Paranaque. That trip took me 45 minutes, one way. Back when the brakes were still functioning properly, I used to ride it fast and push the front brakes suddenly so that the rear part of the bike rises while the front skids on the asphalt. I used to get a kick out of that. I had gone to a lot of places on that bike: Makati, Pasay, Manila, Paranaque, Mandaluyong, etc. Practically, all over the Metro. On it, I had found out a lot about the highways and byways of Metro Manila. I rode it down a flyover once. I walked beside it whenever it had a flat tire; once I had done so from CCP. I brought it to Starbucks and Bob's (Torrelorenzo) when the Old Malate were still alive and active. And I also remember riding it to church one night, when I went to talk to a priest when my dad was admitted to Makati Med due to a motorcycle accident. I pushed on the pedals as hard as I can then, only to be disappointed with everything I believed in. I was never the same after that. By the way, Aleck gave it a name: Jaya. That's because she misheard me when I said "Giant". Wish she hadn't named it that though; makes it difficult for me to ride my bike.
Needless to say, I loved that bike. And now it's gone. It would not have been this big a deal with me had it been any other bike. And I'm not grieving its loss because it's such a great bike. It could've been a BMX or any locally assembled bike and I'd still love regardless. It's also not because it's been with me for years, not because of sentimental value due to the time it was mine. Not that. Not any of those reasons.
I love that bike, simply because it was the last thing my father gave me.
CDC: Do you have a fragile ego?
RMB: Yes. And a huge one at that.
RMB: Lucky me. What an awesome combination, don't you think so?
CDC: Lethal!
You know how a person, as a manner of respect (or a way to set up his inquiry), says to another "Can I ask you something?" before actually delivering his or her question?
How do you suppose does that person prepare the other for the question (quoted above) he or she had just asked?
(And maybe this sudden sympathy for the man is because our house is located on the street named after the famed scientist/mathematician/inventor. And might I add that that street intersects with one that goes by the name of what is, perhaps, his most famous phrase, "Eureka.")
Anyway, I got the info on Archimedes while reading about the origin of the number(?) zero in Seife's umm... well, "Zero". I came upon a part that talks about Archimedes' death. This was during the Roman invasion of Syracuse. Apparently, Archimedes' genius helped keep the Romans at bay. However, the city was eventually sacked and poor Archimedes - who was 75 at that time - wasn't aware of this at all, simply because he was busy drawing circles in the sand, trying to prove a theorem. When a Roman soldier asked him to leave, he said he didn't want to just yet, because he wanted to finish his proof. Angered by this, the soldier struck Archimedes down on the spot.
At this I felt like crying.
Because I want to die that way. For something I believe in. And with something I love doing. Unfortunately, there isn't much left worth dying for nowadays. I think. (Ah, well. Maybe I really was born in the wrong era. Die in this one and it comes around full circle. Just another one drawn in sand, I presume.)
"I walk the same path, say the same lines. I do this every time, do this every time."
This time it's actually worse.
1. A fulltime job as an IT Consultant for Shell. (This is from 9AM-6PM, Monday to Friday, at the Shell House in Makati. And recently, there are more tasks than usual.)
2. A month-long tutorial session for a Korean girl (From 7PM-11PM, Monday to Friday, somewhere in QC. I barely make it there on time. Haha.)
3. A Mango project I had received from them just now. Gonna work on this over the weekend.
Well, so much for rest. None for the wicked. But look on the bright side, after a month, I'll definitely be richer. Dead, yes. But nonetheless, there'd be more money. Haha.
