Disneyland

Many years I've spent searching solace
On the road, in the sky, on my shoe lace
The answer, found today and ends tomorrow
Brings joy with it and sorrow

Because I'm designed in layers and my face
can give you a lie without a trace
And the unfunny jokes that I pretend to borrow
Will convince you without frown on your brow

There was always something out of place
A smile to fake, a dream to chase
No home that was home to the marrow
Guilt hanging above, a shadow, a crow

The answer just struck me today: this place
was where I could act with comfort and grace
But life is funny, and one year is narrow
it all ends when I graduate tomorrow.



(See minute 2:20)

The last mile.

Sleep at 3:00.

Wake at 8:00.

Pack a banana.

Arrive at 9:00.

Print materials.

Sit.

Breathe. Focus. Read until midnight.

Don't panic.

Just keep going.

On sausages and law

After my exam finished I hung out with a friend to relax and immediately relieved myself of that disturbing news I heard in the middle of studying which I had had to push aside for the time being. So basically I blurted out the whole story about Sri Mulyani.

"Congratulations! Good for her. That's an amazing position", said he, who had always wanted to work at the World Bank.

"Yes it's amazing and we're proud. But we've lost the best finance minister one could ever hope for. And I'm worried, because dammit. No offense, but I'm sick and tired of BRIC. Everyone only ever talks about Brazil Russia India China. BrazilRussiaIndiaChina. It's about time it became BRICI. And I think we had a good momentum going with her as finance minister."

Being Brazilian, he grinned wickedly. And then he shrugged dramatically. "Sorry. It's hard to catch up with us."

"Zip it. We could be as good. Well, should. Should be as good. God. Politicians are..." I clenched both my fists until they shook to convey how politicians in the parliament are.

"They are." He nodded sympathetically.

"And I can't believe they make the law. They actually make the law. This collective force of incompetence who only care about their political agendas instead of the things that really matter. It makes me dizzy."

"Yup. Well you know what they say about sausages and law."

"What do they say about sausages and law?"

"You don't want to know how they are made."*

"Fuck. That is profound."

*(The quote allegedly comes from the West Wing)

Completely waffled.

Of all the things to be said about this university, this is the most amazing thing:




















The Harvard Waffle.

One can just imagine the administration officers, sitting in their annual roundtable budget meeting, shifting their spectacles to get a better look at the surplus balance.

"Hem. So the good news is we still have surplus despite the credit crunch. The bad news is that it's not enough to grant more waivers of tuition fees."

"This is very grave. What shall we do with it then?"

"Let's get customized waffle makers."

"Ooh can we get them with the Harvard crest on it? That would be like super awesome."

"Totally."


















This is the dining room. I've only been here once because it is mostly restricted to undergrads only, which is downright unfair. The rest of us are just muggles, apparently.


PS: We've planned clandestine operations to sneak in for waffles every weekend until we graduate. Hopefully the house-elves will be cooperative.