Filed under: worldview
april 16, 2007 shall better be known as the day when the world witnessed its most gruesome campus massacre.
but for me, it shall always mark the day when the world lost some of its brilliance, and suddenly shadows descended in portions over the earth.
i was serving week 2, day 1 of my bedrest (more like “bed arrest”) when the news broke across all cable news networks. this was a piece of history i could willingly miss daytime sitcoms for, so i flit from one news network to another, trying to catch all the best details from all possible perspectives. of course, i was more the shocked spectator than the grieving citizen, knowing nobody at all in va. tech and not even typically empathetic when i myself am in physical pain (which i was that particular day).
until it was mentioned that three professors, all experts in their fields, were among those who perished. then i found myself crying like a little bitch. what a waste, what a waste, what a waste, oh god, what a waste…
liviu librescu was an internationally respected aeronautics engineer whose various researches have helped make planes more efficient. he was a holocaust survivor (he had survived the horrors of persecution and labor camp, but he dies needlessly in the hands of a madman! oh god, what a waste…). do read more about prof. librescu and his numerous accomplishments: http://www.esm.vt.edu/php/person.php?id=10023, http://www.roanoke.com/vtvictims/wb/113497
kevin granata was a biomechanics professor, specialized in studies of how human skeletal systems respond to stress and neurological dysfunction. he is internationally recognized as a leading researcher on cerebral palsy. know more about prof. granata: http://www.esm.vt.edu/php/person.php?id=10012, http://www.roanoke.com/vtvictims/wb/113498
g.v. loganathan is an indian-born professor whose works focused on hydrology and hydraulic networks. he was obviously a well-loved teacher, having received several va. tech honors, including the outstanding faculty award, the dean’s award for excellence in teaching, and faculty achievement award for excellence in civil engineering education. read on about prof. granata: http://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/sdwi/loganathan_profile.asp, http://www.roanoke.com/vtvictims/wb/xp-113458
and when light breaks through the shadows one day, i hope i would be around to see those who would take their places in this world.
Filed under: thinking
i am bored.
i learned long ago in existentialism that boredom is the lowest form of misery. therefore, i am also miserable.
i am still in the office though i have announced my resignation some days ago. i think they have separation anxiety. or at least they are worried about the trade secrets i would be carrying with me. they don’t know what to do with me, that is, whether to let me go unscathed or perhaps threaten me to stay. in any case, i still feel beholden to this place, yet i would feel sheepish accepting pay for the last few days i’ve been coming to “work”. mostly, i’ve been wilfing through the internet (wilf-what was i looking for?).
i want to go out already. i had some outfits reserved at the mall and i have to get them today. i am not typically impulsive when buying clothes, but under the circumstances, i had to do whatever it takes to possess the better-looking ensembles for my expanding belly. pregnancy after all is no reason to be tacky.
plus i have to go to the bank. and i’m getting really hungry.
so i’m bored, miserable, uptight and confused. this is a fantastic last day at work.
