pelf-ism is contagious

OK, I know, I missed last week’s “cooking” installment but it was because I had just switched hosts last week (thank God, and Edrei, that it went smoothly) and I was busy updating and installing compatible plugins. So yeah, Pelf always has her reasons

So anyway, back to the present.. The Americans spell it “colorful” but the Brits spell it “colourful”. And because we follow the British system (after years of being under their rule), we spell it “colourful”

Anyway, if you haven’t figured it out already, it’s an umbrella. And a very pretty one too. And to “complement” this pretty colourful umbrella, I even had a few pretty umbrella models!

And did I tell you that I have a soft spot for anything colourful? Check out my Flickr favourites

They’re sooo pretty, aren’t they?

It’s funny how some people perceive the strength and authority of your degree based on WHERE you obtained it from, instead of WHAT you did, and HOW you did it. Like the following conversation that took place recently:

“It doesn’t matter to me, whether to do my Ph.D. locally, or overseas.”

“What do you mean, it doesn’t matter to you?! Why not take the opportunity to do it overseas? You don’t have to pay for it anyway.”

“Well, from WHERE I’ll be getting my Ph.D. is not as important as WHAT I’ll be doing, and WHO my Supervisors will be. I mean, it’s OK if I had to do it locally, I don’t mind it. What I’m trying to say is that it’s not *that* ultimately important that I do it somewhere far far away, that’s all.”

“Don’t be crazy, everybody wants to do their Ph.D. overseas. You’re short-changing yourself if you think of anything less than flying to a foreign soil to do it.”

“Well, I’ll keep my options open, I’m just saying that it isn’t a priority to me.”

So tell me, am I weird to NOT insist on pursuing my “higher education” overseas? With the government’s intention to increase the number of Ph.D. holders in the local universities by 2010, I foresee a lot of tutors or research fellows or lecturers with an M.Sc. being sent overseas. Which means a LOT of money will be spent on them (imagine paying an allowance to a student staying in the UK for 3 to 4 years, then multiply that with somewhere between 6 and 8, you do the math) — but that’s not what I should be worried about.

What I’d like to stress, in case you didn’t get it earlier, is that I’m not against the idea of doing my Ph.D. in the US or UK. In fact, if given the opportunity, I believe I’d be one of the first few who’d sign the papers. But that doesn’t mean that I’m willing to compromise on the subject matter of or the approach to my research.

OK, now.. Yvy had just reminded me that I was tagged by Cindy more than 2 months ago and I had yet to complete the meme. So yeah, here’s how it goes:

1. Go to PopCulture.
2. On the left column, pick the year you turned 18 years old.
3. Get nostalgic over the songs *gulps*
4. Write about the songs.
5. Pass this to 5 other friends.

I was 18 in 1999..

… And the 15 chart-topping songs in 1999 were (my comments are italicized):

1. I’m Your Angel by R. Kelly and Celine Dion
   I just love how they sang this song.. So… Mesmerizing! I remember singing this over and again at the back of my head
2. Have You Ever by Brandy
   Have you ever loved somebody so much it makes you cry..?
3. Baby, One More Time by Britney Spears
   Aww.. This was at a time when Britney Spears was still “climbing the ladder”. She and her dance moves..
4. Angel of Mine by Monica
   This was one of my all-time favourites!
5. Believe by Cher
   I don’t quite like Cher because of her techno music, like this particular song.
6. No Scrubs by TLC
   I’ve heard this on radio, but I don’t seem to have anything to say about it..
7. Livin’ La Vida Loca by Ricky Martin
   Aiyoh.. This was a HOT song back then. Every now and then the radio station that I was listening to played it
8. If You Had My Love by Jennifer Lopez
   And yeah, this was at a time when J-Lo hasn’t insured her a$$
9. Bills, Bills, Bills by Destiny’s Child
   Bills?! No, I don’t think I’ve heard of this..
10. Wild Wild West by Will Smith
    I don’t remember hearing this song on the radio! Where was I?!
11. Ginie in a Bottle by Christina Aguilera
    Err.. I’d say that I wasn’t a fan of Christina. Not now either.
12. Bailamos by Enrique Iglesias
    Who can forget Bailamos?! It’s still very much a hit today compared to some other songs on this list..!
13. Unpretty by TLC
    The first time I heard this on the radio, I thought the song title was “I’m Pretty”. And I was like, “OK, I’m pretty.”
14. Heartbreaker by Mariah Carey
    Mariah Carey is one of my all-time favourite. I particularly love her “All I Want For Christmas Is You” album..
15. Smooth by Santana
    Err.. Another “I-don’t-remember-listening-to” song.

I remember I started listening to the radio when … Waitaminute, I think I blogged about it before. Here it is. And well, I’m not going to tag anybody. But feel free to pick it up if/when you have what they call “writer’s block”