20-day Winning Streak

Getting on top of all is a great feeling. Winning is the biggest thing for most people because all sacrifices and hard works had paid off, and most importantly, all desires and goals are met. Just like in a basketball game, the winning team celebrates after the final buzzer sounds. Team manager smiles, coaches do the victory punch in the air, a star player shouts and taunts, and the mammoth crowd go nuts. Just like what the 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers felt when they bagged the record for the longest winning streak in NBA history. They had 33 straight wins, and man, this is epic!

Though I am just a normal person, I also have my own winning streak, in the span of 20 days. I consider it a winning situation because I've achieved several goals in these days, and the feeling was awesome. The feeling got even better when I was able to help and support others because of a certain activity happened inside this incredible 20 days. Yes, the harvested personal goals are self-fulfilling, but the highest satisfaction is when we extended our arms for others, being able to see the smiles in their faces and being able to feel their thankfulness.

My recent project defense was last January 6. This is my scheduled preliminary defense for my Senior Project. I was shaky because our last defense before this was still last year, and I feel that I don't know how to be in a defense anymore (*hahaha! damn*). I'm feeling nervous because 5 hours before judgment, I'm having trouble with my documentation in Latex formatting. Since the last time I had this stuff was last year, I can't figure out why I can't import pictures (e.g. diagrams, input and output images, etc.) which are necessary for documentation purposes. I even asked a friend how to do this, but still, we can't figure out what the problem is. We even tested my codes in his laptop, but still, shit happens (*WTH man! hahaha!*). Well, as a result, and as what is expected, I was not able to deliver my documentation during my defense. Nevertheless, I just let the bad feeling slip away so that my presentation would not suck. Luckily, the defense was a success (*looks up, do the sign of the cross and say thank you Bro*). And the biggest part of it was when I looked up my recommendation sheet, and the things written their are just about my final documentation and some sort of refactoring.

When I woke up in the morning of January 7, I still have a sort of hangover because of what happened. I was very happy indeed because the pressure was diminished. Though my SP is not yet finished, I think this is already the time that I should award myself because of the hard work exerted. And guess what, the very first thing came into my mind is to reinstall Warcraft 3 in my laptop because my hands are already itching to play DoTA (*jyeah!!*). Because of my SP, I have decided to delete ALL games in my laptop so that I can concentrate on developing it and writing my documentation. I have decided to deprive myself in playing computer games because I have realized that all that I can get here is pleasure, and the long time spent is just a waste. But, since the status of my SP is a bit better than it was before, I can play games again (*yeeeeey! cheers!all smiles!*) :D

After 2 days of gaming, I was shocked when I saw an email from my project advisor. The mail contains a message from him, saying that I need to finish my documentation because we will make an article format of it and submit it in a committee which handles a yearly seminar/congress about computing science. Since I already heard the said event because a friend of mine was a participant last year, I had goosebumps because I can't imagine that my work could be an entry in this big event. Yes, it will undergo first an initial screening, but man, I can't even imagine that my work deserves an initial screening in this momentous event! For further information, I searched this event in the Internet so that I would be able to know the important dates that must be noted. And the very first thing I saw is the deadline for the submission of papers, and it says "JANUARY 10, 2012, before 12 mn". DAMN! (*heart palpitates*) Because of this, me and my adviser rushed finishing my documentation. All I can remember is that I am in front of my laptop for the whole day, doing just one thing that must be submitted urgently.  Luckily (*i was lucky AGAIN. LOL! :D*), we were able to submit it on time, I mean, an hour before the deadline!

January 11 comes, and I started playing games again in my vacant hours. I was in addict mode again, because I already finished the required documentation, and also because I miss Counter Strike and DoTA so bad. I was so hungry for this kind of excitement because of the deprivation I have issued to myself for the sake of my project. It was fun, though I play like a noob because I have not played these games for a long time. Furthermore, the feeling was different compared to what I felt the last time I played these games because I can't feel the guilt anymore, I mean, I don't anymore have the feeling that the long hours of playing are just wasted times. 

Aside from gaming, I also gave time for my group mates in planning sessions about our outreach activity and legacy project. These two are requirements for an incomplete 9-unit subject, thus, we really have to pick up the slack because the completion date is near. Again, we had cramming moments finishing the documentations and the overall flow of the outreach activity which was held last January 21. We sacrificed leisure times and several sleeping hours in order for us to be able to serve our objectives for the beneficiary school. (*insert haggard face here*) Nonetheless, we ended with a successful outreach program which was conducted in my Alma Mater. The event was so good because we were able to share our knowledge in our field to those senior high school students (*deep sigh of relief*). Also, It was a great feeling for me because it feels so good to be back in the school you've spent your 4 high school years. It was a deep nostalgia, and I was very happy because I came back here not just as an alumnus visitor, but as a speaker of an event.  

These happenings brought so much fulfillment to me, thus, I consider these as notable experiences. I have gained many learnings and realizations from these. Indeed, I was able to prove that all hardships will be paid off, and all sacrifices will turn to great, notable results. We should never forget to reward ourselves with something which makes us happy so that all haggard moments would turn into joyful events. Currently, we are aiming for the legacy project which is due this Saturday, December 28 (* worried :| *). Since it would be so aching if we end up failing this 9-unit subject, so I have decided to end this 20-day winning streak. I think that I already had enough prize for the current success of my SP, and now, I think this is already the time for more academic endeavors, because the doors of March are already knocking.