10.23.2007

on passing IE 27, being a book worm, and a lot more


First off, i would like everybody to know that i passed IE 27! Thank You, Lord! I was asking for a 3, but You gave me higher. You are so good to me, and I'm thanking You for that. :D

Anyway, for those who don't know what IE 27 is, let me give you a short description of this course: IE 27 or Probability and Statistics for Industrial Engineering: Applications of logic & probability in industrial engineering; random variables & their functions, descriptive statistics, discrete & continuous probability distributions & their applications. Sampling theory. Estimation & tests of hypotheses.

IE 27 is probably the hardest subject among 3rd year IE students in UP during the first term. Statistics shows that only 1/3 of the batch passes, while the remaining 2/3 either fails or drops the course. What's actually so scary about it is the fact that once you fail, you are already delayed for 1 year. Sad, but true. That's why i swore to God before that I wouldn't fail this. I also made a promise to myself that I would study very, very hard for me to pass it. And I'm glad I just did. :D

But that doesn't mean i have to bid adieu to random variables and probability theorems. So not. I still have to take IE 28 which is much, much harder than 27. Actually, I'm already scared now. Haha. But I know God is with me, and He'll help me with it.

Anyway, sembreak seems to be a little boring for me. I should have not removed Ragnarok from my pc. I'm planning to come back especially now that it's free. Yep, you heard it right. Ragnarok Online is now FREE to PLAY. I tried downloading the whole client through Limewire but SKYdsl is pretty slow. What pain in the ass! Argh. I'll just have to find a cd installer next week.

Last Sunday we went to Gateway to find some Beverly Cleary books but we ended up buying Jean Ure's "Pumpkin Pie" & "Skinny Melon and Me", and Chloe Rayban's "Drama Queen". I already finished reading the first two and will start reading "Drama Queen".

I first read "Pumpkin Pie". What made me so interested in this book is the short description of the story on the back. It says there, "This is the story of a drop-dead gorgeous girl who has long blond hair and a figure to die for... I wish! I am Pumpkin, and I am plump."

Jenny (known as Pumpkin at home) is plump and this does not overly bother her until she and best friend Saffy decide to join a drama club. There she is teased by some unpleasant girls, and when an over-the-hill actress turns up to talk to the club and makes a cruel remark about Jenny's weight, she is mortified. This has the effect of making her binge eat more, encouraged by her chef father who is also a foodie. After Pumpkin has her picture taken for use on a book cover, she and Saffy discover the book is about a fat girl with learning difficulties. She is so horrified that this triggers a serious diet, with bouts of making herself sick when she has to eat. She is good at hiding the weight loss, but bulimia threatens, or even anorexia, and she becomes difficult. She and Saffy fall out, and in the midst of her misery, she realises that Petal and Pip (her siblings) also have major problems. The three of them become supportive of each other for the first time, and their parents have to accept their part in their children's problems. Pumpkin learns to accept she will never be slim, but that she will control her eating and be happy with her body.

Man, I can say that I can relate. Weight is also my problem, just like Pumpkin. Just like her, I lose my self esteem sometimes and look at myself as an ugly, plump bitch. But then I realized, what's there to be sad about?! I mean, come on, nobody's perfect, and if I'm not like this then everyone would be jealous of me! Just kidding! :D

I'm learning to love my body now, though I still like to lose more pounds, I'm beginning to accept the reality. That I'm like this, yeah, a bit on the plump side, but who cares? I'm beautiful (yuck), I can wear what I like to wear, and I can pull off clothes fashionably. And oh, bigger means there's more to love. There's more to explore, and more to adore. What's to be sad about?

But then, I still love to shed some baggages. Haha!!


I started reading "Skinny Melon and Me" last night and I just couldn't stop reading. The story is not actually about Skinny Melon, but Cherry (the "me" in the title, lol). The title is a little misleading, since the story focuses more on Cherry's relationship with her family than on her friendship with Skinny Melon.

The story is about the British 11-year-old Cherry Waterton who is keeping a diary -- not because she wants to, but because her teacher tells her it will "clear out her cupboard." Cherry's cupboard is rather full these days: she's angry about her mother's marriage to picture-book illustrator Roland Butter and disgusted that they are having a baby. Roly tries to be nice, pushing rebus letters under Cherry's door, but Mrs. Butter is writing her own letters to a friend, detailing how miserable Cherry's behavior is making her.

Cherry's diary makes an interesting counterpoint to Roly's sweet, hopeful messages and Mrs. Butter's letters, which show her as suprisingly unaware and often unsupportive of her daughter.

The story is really good. I love it. It is somehow the same as Beverly Cleary's "Dear Mr. Henshaw". (I haven't read that one, my sister just gave a glimpse of the story.) Readers, especially those who have experienced divorce and remarriage, will see something of themselves in Cherry, but parental fears and feelings will come more into focus as well.

Plus, it's really fun deciphering Roly's messages to Cherry! :D


There it is. I guess I've written a lot. I'll be back once I finished reading "Drama Queen" and tell you guys how I like it.

'Till here :D

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