Timing is my worst enemy.
Good News: I got a scholarship from the University of Birmingham.
Bad News: I’m not going there.
Times like these make me want to be post-modernist. I hope I see life as nothing more than a tapestry of errors, where incidences are not connected to a completed whole. I wish I were as demented as Baudrillard who can just say that such an event did not actually happen or like Vattimo who encourages people to celebrate the unfairness of life.
When I launched my post-graduate applications, Manchester is my clear number 1. It has a renowned sociology department with interesting course offerings unavailable elsewhere in the planet. A lot of my respected colleagues went there, like Randy David, Dodong Nemenzo, and yes, Gareth Richards. The School of Social Sciences has an excellent research arm and I’ve never read a crappy publication from Manchester. The city has its own charm, even if it is the rainiest city in England. I may know nothing about football (actually do I know things now, thanks to Nicolo and Mike), but I am definitely up to speed with the Mancunians’ alcohol tolerance.
While my parents keep on reassuring me that money is not an issue, for me it still is a major consideration. I never had a debut or any of those huge parties and they never gave me fancy gifts (limited to office supplies and printers), but they’re willing to splurge on education. Or maybe they just want me out of the house. The bottom line is, I chose the more expensive path and I’m very embarrassed by that.
This makes me re-evaluate my decision. I already dropped Birmingham, good thing they offered to keep my slot for PhD. That at least responds to my medium-term goals. I also dropped ANU for this, considering they were giving grants too (But hell, it’s an exchange program in Singapore. I did not go to ANU to go to Singapore). Manchester better be worth it.
Bad News: I’m not going there.
Times like these make me want to be post-modernist. I hope I see life as nothing more than a tapestry of errors, where incidences are not connected to a completed whole. I wish I were as demented as Baudrillard who can just say that such an event did not actually happen or like Vattimo who encourages people to celebrate the unfairness of life.
When I launched my post-graduate applications, Manchester is my clear number 1. It has a renowned sociology department with interesting course offerings unavailable elsewhere in the planet. A lot of my respected colleagues went there, like Randy David, Dodong Nemenzo, and yes, Gareth Richards. The School of Social Sciences has an excellent research arm and I’ve never read a crappy publication from Manchester. The city has its own charm, even if it is the rainiest city in England. I may know nothing about football (actually do I know things now, thanks to Nicolo and Mike), but I am definitely up to speed with the Mancunians’ alcohol tolerance.
While my parents keep on reassuring me that money is not an issue, for me it still is a major consideration. I never had a debut or any of those huge parties and they never gave me fancy gifts (limited to office supplies and printers), but they’re willing to splurge on education. Or maybe they just want me out of the house. The bottom line is, I chose the more expensive path and I’m very embarrassed by that.
This makes me re-evaluate my decision. I already dropped Birmingham, good thing they offered to keep my slot for PhD. That at least responds to my medium-term goals. I also dropped ANU for this, considering they were giving grants too (But hell, it’s an exchange program in Singapore. I did not go to ANU to go to Singapore). Manchester better be worth it.
posted by sabine.strohem at
4:36 AM
6 Comments:
wait.. Mike, as in Mike CHUA taught you football?
You learn something new everyday. :))
And remember what I said,
DON'T Be A VICTIM! :D
esp. to timing.
By
david, at 5:33 AM
OMG. MIKE CHUA TAUGHT YOU FOOTBALL?
i echo david's surprise. wala lang. :)
you are obviously a more rational person than i, so i do hope that manchester lives up to your expectations, or at least, makes the trade-offs worthwhile.
should the football culture and the sociology of the pub subculture ever truly permeate your being, a visit to Old Traff should make you happy for a couple of days. weeks. months.
;)
By
tet, at 1:52 PM
Si Pat lang talaga friend ko, obviously I'm talking about a different Mike -- Mike from Nielsen. Besides, is Chua truly incapable of talking about football?
By
sabine.strohem, at 4:08 PM
obvious naman different mike. nakakatuwa pa rin sabihin though. :D
By
david, at 12:53 AM
Gaga ka. I sitll can't get Oxford out of my head. :P
By
Anonymous, at 5:05 PM
Think of it this way: you're meeting Alasdaire McIntyre(?).
By
Anonymous, at 11:53 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home