The Thing with Vacations

...is that most of the time, you go back to reality like you were never away.

My three-day week happened to be as stressful as an 80-hour work week. Even though:

1) I just came from a vacation,
2) I spent time with good friends,
3) I ate delicious food and,
4) I got paid this week.

Thursday, I was already so down that I had to buy something. Yeah, shop-theraphy works for me as a temporary solution. I had to pick wisely even at this state. The choices include Appleseed DVD (don't know if it's worth it), Dishwalla - Greetings From the Flow State (wasn't there when I went back for it), Better Than Ezra - Before The Robots CD ($47.95, highway robbery), David Lynch's Blue Velvet DVD (pricey as well), High Fidelity DVD (not available) and other miscellaneous CDs and/or DVDs, or another good book.

In the end, I got a copy of Damien Rice's first album, O. It's good music, and mellow enough to fit my current mood, which is down, but not out. Not yet suicidal down as in The Cardigans - Long Gone Before Daylight (which I bought the Chinese version weeks before for a bargain $9.99), though.

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Pau dropped the suggestion of a retreat for this Lenten season. (It's perhaps the only season that Singapore hasn't capitalised on yet). I think I need to go to one.

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I am required to take an exam on investment banking financial concepts. 1000+ pages in a week or so, on top of actual productive work.

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Flickr account is expiring. Paging Noel ;)

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Housemate Nes, hope you had a nice vacation. And don't mind what I said about vacations :D

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I managed to avoid using my credit card this month. Credit cards are evil! Letting you spend money you have not earned yet is dangerous for financial stability. So I'm quite proud that I was able to achieve such resistance to temptation. It's all about control.

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You know there are just no slow news days on Philippine politics and showbiz.

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How do you get into a state when you are really ready to take a vacation? You know, like in school, you take summer vacations, and not worry about old things when you come back.

How's that for an axiom: The thing I miss most about school is summer vacations.