Some changes

I've realised that revision is not just about how much time you have, but how much time you waste. Having so much time to the next and final paper (on 6th May) is really not helping my pace of revision, even though I enjoy studying for it much better. *sigh* Guess that's for being generally an undisciplined person who watches way too much TV. Dun think I'd be able to tahan the TV Turn-off Week going on in Britain now. =)

Have been in Engine studying with Guanz for the past few weeks, and I've been enjoying every single day of it, cos we finally get to spend time together, whether it's smiling at each other as we occasionally peer up from our respective notes, drawing funny pictures, or having oily Engine mixed rice/McDonalds/the occasional Arts Canteen treat for lunch and dinner. And we have come to realise that we actually can read each other's minds, for example, anticipate what the other is going to say. Sometimes, we don't even have to say it; we know what the other is thinking.

I'd like to be unscientific and say it's something to do with our 'chemistry,' but my training in Psychology has made me realise I cannot get away with touting woolly concepts as explanations. So I think the plausible explanations are that: 1) We spend a lot of time together; 2) We're predictable people with consistent behavioural patterns; and 3) We're predictable people with consistent behavioural patterns spending a lot of time together.

The rationality in science just kills the romance in things, doesn't it?

Anyway, I have also realised that even though we tend to quarrel a lot, we'd probably make a good Amazing Race team together. Besides the quarrels for viewers to gawk at, I think we have pretty strong teamwork. The realisation came in a phonecall on Monday, when some chap from the travel agency called me up to inform me that my Italian trip on 19th May would have to be cancelled/changed because there aren't enough people to make up a tour-group to depart on the 19th. We were pissed, of course, cos we're in the midst of prepping for exams and in no mood to entertain any major changes in plans. Guanz, especially was superbly pissed, because he has a tough paper today (Thursday), and definitely had neither the time nor energy to settle the issue. Still, he called up, and lambasted the tour agency.

Well, we knew we were fighting a losing battle, since the tour agency has covered its ass well with all sorts of disclaimers and standard procedures, catching us--the customers--in a quagmire that we had to get out of fast. Still, Guanz' irate phonecall yielded extra information from one of the tour managers, which helped us to make a better decision. We had collaboratively made plans to change to a East Coast of US/Canada tour package to visit my eldest sister in Canada before we got wind of the information. And it was that there's another departure date on the 11th of May for the same Italian package, just on another airline costing 50 bucks more.

The catch was that, Guanz has to upload his FYP onto the Engine website by 20th May, and he finishes all his exams by 6th May. So, if we were to leave on the 11th, he would only have a grand total of 4 days to make changes to his thesis and upload it onto the website, while having to settle matters like the balance payments for the trip. Since the trip lasts 10 days, doing his FYP stuff after getting back frankly wasn't an option. Ultimately, however, we decided to go ahead with 11th May cos Guanz said he is comfortable with it, and none of us can make it for the alternative 9th June departure. Throughout this entire decision-making process which took place in a span of less than 24 hours, we exhibited exemplary teamwork--no quarrels, no whining, no bitching at each other. So I guess when it comes down to the crunch, we're a good team, even if our folks at home don't seem to think so.

So I'm leaving for Italy on 11th May instead of the 19th.

*sigh* I'm sorry that the bimbo in me has to rear her ugly head at this point, but I sure hope I have enough time to squeeze in a facial, make contacts, go shopping, and hang out with friends in the midst of running errands for the trip. All in a grand total of 4 days. *sigh*