myBLOGS

January 30 2007 | Tuesday | 08:45pm

"SUPER-DETAILED LAUGH TRIP"

My day has been spent for thesis researching. It could have been a very serious day, tediously reading journals and the like, but thanks to the oh-so funny occurrences, my expected boring day had become so hilarious.

Along with my group mates Dez, Anne and Judy, we visited De La Salle Library (in Taft) to search for resources on our thesis regarding "Broadsheets as Daily News Entity That is For and By The Elite". I jumpstarted early by reaching the LRT station at 8:45am. Supposedly, Judy and I would meet at Blumentritt station but I lately received her messages and she just went ahead at Doroteo Jose where Dez was waiting. We were all heading to Vito Cruz station since that's where DLSU is located. So anyway, obviously I was behind Dez and Judy. Funnily, due to a number of passengers, it turned out that I reached Vito Cruz ahead of them. How come? Well, thanks to my "palusot strategy", I luckily rode a train immediately, squeezing myself to the side of oldies and disabled which was definitely spacious as compared to the other portions of the train. The train guard was staring strangely at me, perhaps thinking why I was there and wondering what's my disability! Hahaha. I just remained quiet and in case the guard have questioned me, I would just do hand signals to pretend that I'm deaf and mute. =p

My friends ate first at McDonald's. Later on, we already entered DLSU campus where we almost got lost since the library was like playing hide-and-seek with us. So anyway, we spent hours of finding sources and reading journals in a frigid and tranquil Periodicals section. As compared to UST, the library gives freedom for users to get many periodicals at once. Also, I think the newspaper profiling of their library is much better than UST. In general, we were given good services by DLSU library. The 100-peso library usage fee was worth to pay.

Few hours later, we got worn out and so we decided to take a break. We took a lunch at KFC. While eating, I just enjoyed the exchange of stories among us. It was a perfect time to talk about issues, gossips and untold tales which all of us can relate with. Haha, it's been our hobby to do that and I guess that's one traditional activity. No more doubts once the topic has been raised.

We went back to DLSU and I met Kc (high school friend) who's now studying at DLSU. Aside from returning the Sims 2 CD to her, she showed us the way to the bookstore. While walking, Kc and I exchanged good laughs as we talked on random things. Pretty much I really missed Kc whom I seldom see and talk with nowadays.

Continuing our research, we went to the Filipiniana and Thesis Room at 4th floor. Since we've just eaten, I was feeling so sleepy then. My nerves just got awaken when I entered the Thesis Room and tried to run away from the guy librarian as I took two books from the room. Haha! I thought I could escape like what I did in the LRT train. =p Anne and the rest teased me when the librarian followed me at Filipiniana section who told that I must fill up the photocopy form first before leaving the Thesis room.

Wackiness continued when I thought of exploring the map books at Filipiniana. The book titles were very funny! One book is titled, "Citi Guide ULTRA: SUPER-DETAILED Atlas of Metro Manila". Hahaha. Forgive my corniness! Oh common, the title seems exaggerated! As I opened the map book, more funny things welcomed me. I was trying to look for my street (since it's a super-detailed map) when I encountered odd street names! I never thought that there's an area in Metro Manila called Ulilang Kawayan! Hahaha. Sa isip-isip ko, kailan pa naulila ang kawayan?! Nakakaawa naman siya. Moreover, there's an area where streets were named next to beauty queens -- Margie Moran St., PILAR PILAPIL ST., etc. Perhaps it will interesting to write a dissertation in the near future on origin of Metro Manila street names. Hahaha.

Around 5pm when we left DLSU. We decided to research more in the UST library. On the way, Dez and I had loads of fun again as we played "Last Man Standing" inside the FX. I became a victim of my own joke. Until we reached UST campus, I was still laughing hard to my Salmonela joke. It may sound corny but here was my joke (bare with it!): We were naming Spanish words in our Last Man Standing game. Suddenly, I ran out of words starting with the letter "S" and I thought of Salmonela. Defending my answer, I told Dez that Salmonela is the Spanish term for female salmon (HAHAHA). I added that a young female salmon is called Salmonelita!!! Grabe talaga. Our stomachs ached hard because of that.

We met several classmates (who researched for their thesis too) in UST. My brain hardly functioned already as we tried to find books on social classes at the Social Science section. Two hours later, we called the day. I idled for a while at the AB Pav (with Dez, Madie, Anne & Arene) but soon enough, I went home already.

My sole is aching until now. Plus, I'm still chuckling. =D

When you're happy and you know it, you really have to show it.

When you're happy and you know it, laugh out loud!

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January 28 2007 | Sunday | 11:26pm

"OPTIMISM"

UST Women's Volleyball tasted their first defeat in the UAAP. It seemed a sorry loss for them, because the game reached to 5th set and the final score was just a 2-point deficit (against FEU team). When the buzzer sounded and FEU supporters began to cheer loud, as UST's supporter, the feeling was heartbreaking. They fell short during crunch time.

Anyhow, I still enjoyed my day. Even though it pained me to wake up early this morning (11am was too early for me haha), I must say that my trip to Ateneo gym was such a fantastic moment. My day was richly filled with laughter, thanks to Ate Flo's undisputed jokes. After a while, I never laughed that hard. Shouting and getting nervous on every rally in the UST-FEU match was a unique incident. Jokingly bashing with our friends Diah and Carol (who were cheering for FEU haha), was indeed funny. These occurrences are priceless and timeless. Even though the team I was rooting got defeated, at least I won many unforgettable experiences.

As cliché says, "In sports, there's always a winner and a loser".

After the game, we saw again Denise' mom. A week ago, when we watched UST vs ADMU, we got to know her because their family was seated in front of us. A while ago, we happened to chat again and she shared her insights on UST's defeat. Well, she said that setting aside the loss, at least the team knew the feeling of how to be defeated. She added that it's hard to be complacent when winning records intend to show that the team is unbeatable. "[Natalo sila] para alam din nila yung pakiramdam ng matalo at matutong lumaban sa susunod," Denise' mom said. I got swayed by those petty wisdom words. I applaud those kind of people who remain optimistic despite an obvious downfall.

We saw Ging, UST's team captain who's our closest friend in the team, before going home. Her appearance spelled sadness, as though she was just trying to smile while facing the three (Carol, Ate Flo and me) of us. Obviously, it was about their sorry loss. We can't blame her. Kung kami ngang nanood lang eh nalungkot, paano pa kaya yung naglaro? Ate Flo slightly cheered up Ging when she gave a box of Cello's donuts as we continued saying, "Ok lang yun" (That was just okay) and "Bawi na lang sa susunod na laban" (Just catch up to the next game). Despite our cheer-ups, Ging remained the same. We didn't stay long and Ging lonely went to their bus.

Later on, as we ate dinner at McDonald's, I took the guts to text message Ging. It's my first time to send a friendly message to Ging after what happened in the past (The San Pablo issue). Perhaps it was her sad face which melted my pride and decided to show my sympathy. Ging immediately replied to me. I am happy that we talk again as friends, optimistically hoping that it's for real this time.

* Too bad I didn't catch Rogi's game against Gonzalez in the Australian Open! Since I was out of the house, I just received messages from Kristine and Kuya Jun that he won in 3 sets (7-6; 6-4; 6-4). Even though I didn't see his game, of course I feel so happy! It's Rogi's 10th straight Grand Slam title. Also, Rogi's performance in the AO was outstanding that he didn't drop any set for the whole tournament! Talk about greatness.

Remember that the game is not yet over until the buzzer echoes to the huddle.

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January 26 2007 | Friday | 09:58pm

"OXYMORON"

Chewing eight pieces of bubblegum for six hours can tire out a jaw. Believe it or not, I got into the "bubblegum addiction" again. I got over the addiction before, but incidents triggered me to go back in the act.

It has been a very exhausting day. Staying in the university for nine straight hours isn't a sweet fortune at all. I reached school at 12 noon. Most people could have probably napped on that hour, nevertheless I caught myself in a hurry while crossing the pedestrian at Dapitan Street. I thought that I would be late for Literature class. Well, aside from traffic on the way, I was just too lazy to head school.

Preliminary exam results in Literature were already given. My grade was just average, but perhaps I would thank God already for passing because the exam was quite hard. We spent the entire time checking and computing grades. It was totally boring. My nerves just got awaken when my classmate told about what she saw when she went out of the campus for a while to get her notebook from the dormitory. Lance, my classmate, told that a student got hit by a speedy jeep at Dapitan and the student's foot got injured! My face simply turned pale when I heard it. I'm just a person who easily gets carried away when it involves accidents with bloodsheds and injuries. What a bitter accident for the student. Suddenly I realized that shocking incidents are just around the corner.

Our Art Appreciation professor was missing in action. I spent the vacant hours mostly for chit chat. I happened to talk with Dez as regards to our "boring life". I'm not sure if we're both putting boredom in the same context but as for me, I'm bored with the routine of my life. I feel gloomy because it seems that my daily experience gets identical, in the sense that I don't get anything new and flashy anymore. Have you ever felt that way? Have you reached a point where you feel like lost on track because new road signs are absent? It's weird actually, but I hope I still make sense.

Political Dynamics was my last class and I almost closed my eyes while seated in class. Our professor finished the recitation and I felt quite envy to those who got called at that time because most of them got high scores. When I had my chance of reciting before, I got a failing grade. Regrets and frustrations were again in my head. Life has never been consistently fair on me. Nobody's to be blamed except me. Hay talaga. Quoting Sir Tayao, "Shit happens and you just have to deal with it".

Before going home, I passed by Seven Eleven. Finally, I threw my bitter-tasted bubblegum so that I can eat properly.

Would you believe that sometimes, sweetness can only be found in bubble gums? I do so. You seek for the smallest sweetness especially when you want to escape from the unfortunate, lazy, shocking, boring, and unfair day.

Bitter sweet. Sweet bitter. Either way, it's an oxymoron. Talk about combining two opposite feelings.

The way you deal with your struggles depends on how you view them. Always remember, there are no hopeless situations but only people who think hopelessly.

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January 25 2007 | Thursday | 07:41pm

"GRACE UNDER PRESSURE"

I think I saw one of the best tennis matches by Roger Federer a while ago. He emphatically won straight sets against a tough contender, Andy Roddick. Huge expectations were on him before that match. Roddick, a sixth seeded player, had recently beaten Federer in Kooyong Classic (an exhibition game in Melbourne too). Personally, I also noticed Roddick's improvements and so I thought he might snatch a win from Federer.

Agreeing with the Star Sports commentators, they mentioned that Federer must play with grace under pressure in order to win. Amazingly, Federer rose to the occasion. Grabe.

It has been months since I keep track of this athlete. Apparently, I got hooked to tennis because of him. My daily schedule gets harder to balance when Rogi has matches. A tennis match usually eats up 2 hours or more. Nevertheless, I'm still eager to squeeze my limited time on tennis. Aside from the delight of seeing great matches, to some extent I pattern my situation to every tennis player especially Rogi who attains success despite numerous criticisms.

Federer continues to reign, but for sure many players would want to beat him. I believe that it's not easy to stay on top, because there are forces who and which will attempt to pull you down. The harder it gets when you're top-seeded because people will envy you and the tougher it becomes because all eyes are on you. Behind his success, I seem to read the mind of Federer. There's pressure, no doubt, but he doesn't mind. For that, I admire his focus.

In my case, on the other hand, there are times when I become anxious when people begin to look at me. Whenever I attain huge accomplishments, I prefer not to severely broadcast it since I don't want people to begin critiquing me. There are 'devils' who are fond of putting people down. I've proven that for a couple of times. It hurts me when there are devilish acts behind me especially when they are former friends and co-workers. I mean, I don't do anything against them, but they topple me. That's one great oddity in life and I simply want to avoid them.

Perhaps that's why I embrace the fact that I applaud Federer as an athlete. His attitude as a top-seeded player captures me. I won't be a tennis player in the future, but I want to adopt the high-spirited attitude of a tennis player. =)

One of the biggest flattery is knowing that just by being your wonderful self, you make a bitch extremely insecure of himself.

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January 21 2007 | Sunday | 07:25pm

"AROUND MANILA FOR A DAY"

The moles on my feet were very much in control of me today. What a day it has been.

It was an early start of the day for me. My mom woke me up around 8am. Along with her and our driver, they accompanied me around Manila to take photographs for my Photojournalism project. So far, my planned theme is 'Manila's Finest" -- showing scenic places in Manila.

Our first stop was in Quiapo. Of course, I took photos of the historical Quiapo Church which houses the Black Nazarene. Aside from that, I attempted to photograph some small businesses around the church. There were odd products for sale and services offered such that of Pamparegla (supposed herbal to adjust menstruation) and pampaligo sa kapapanganak lang na bata (supposed herbal bath for newly born child). There were also fortune tellers who read palms or use tarot cards and massage services which can be easily found on streets. I just got anxious when suddenly, a flower vendor warned me for taking pictures of the fortune tellers. She said that most of them don't want to be photographed and they might got mad at me. Later on, I decided to go away already. Baka kako pagtulungan pa nila ako dun hehe. I came back to the car and went to the next place.

Just a few minutes away from Quiapo, we reached Intramuros. It's an amazing scenery that some buildings there have been preserved from the Spanish era. First, we dropped by Manila Cathedral, popular for its stoned outside and domed roof. The church's glass windows are also very nice. It reminded me of what we've been learning in Art Appreciation (hehe). Definitely, the cathedral's windows belong to the Gothic style. Anyways, four streets away from there is St. Agustin Church. Upon entrance, I noticed the artistic ceilings which essentially are far better than Manila Cathedral. It also has wonderful chandeliers which fascinated me so much!

As we walked further, we saw more ancient structures and the shutter of my camera kept on clicking. My mom and I went up to a mini bridge wherein we saw the entire view of Intramuros. The breeze passed smoothly on us. It was my mom's first time to stay at Intramuros and appreciate it. I seemed to agree when she said that we always yearn to travel other countries but we less appreciate the Philippines.

Before leaving Intramuros, we passed by an old building which has a museum. I didn't go up to the museum anymore since cameras aren't allowed. Instead, I just went around the place and saw some notable antiques such as huge church bells (kampana), old-style carriage (karwahe) and I even took a photo with a costumed guardia civil! Oddly speaking, I was like a tourist in my own country. Actually, there were Koreans touring the place as well and it seemed like I was one of them.

It was about noon when we headed Roxas Boulevard. Extreme heat of the sun didn't stop me from walking on the sand and taking shots of Manila Bay. The bay may be smelly and dirty, but I guess I'm just a huge fan of the sea and I still loved it! Few people were around the bay since it was noontime. I used our driver instead as my model for the scripted shots. He was so funny!

Minutes later, we crossed the street already to eat lunch. My mom and our driver went ahead at Max's Restaurant while I still went to Malate Church. It may be quite small as compared to the three churches I previously visited, but its stoned outside looks antiquated and for me it's beautiful. I also took shots of some kalesa (a Philippine version of carriage) which were standing by in front of the church.

I finally came in the restaurant to eat and rest. Oh boy, what a trip it was. Despite extreme heat and numerous walking, I can say that I loved what I did. It was indeed an adventurous experience of touring Manila's finest places. Perhaps there's a need for me to thank Sir Rotor after all. Haha.

(I'll post my photos soon!) ^.^

***

Past 1:30pm when I called the day for school tasks. I spent the rest of my time in sports. Along with Ate Flo, we watched live UAAP Women's Volleyball at Blue Eagle Gym in Katipunan (Imagine, how far I've gone! Haha). The first game was won by FEU from UE (3 sets), while the second game was more exciting since it was UST vs. ADMU. By the way, we met Jc in the gym and he sat with us even if he was rooting for Ateneo. Haha. The match was pound-for-pound especially the 2nd set! We almost lost our voices for the rallies and deadlock scores. But at the end, UST definitely showed their dominance and winning the game in 4 sets. After the match, we met Ging who was even kind enough to let us ride in the UST bus. At first I was really shy to ride in the bus, but since Ate Flo insisted, I was just forced to come already. Nakakahiya talaga (haha), pero dahil si Ging naman ang nagyaya, aba eh sinamantala na namin ang libreng sakay. Pero parang ayoko na yatang sumakay ulit sa UST bus, dahil kamusta naman si Mamang Driver na animo piloto kung magpatakbo ng bus -- LUMILIPAD! Ani nga ni Ate Flo, "Nakipaghabulan tayo kay Kamatayan". Hahaha!!!

Makisaya biyahe tayo, kilalanin ang ganda ng Pilipinas.

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January 17 2007 | Wednesday | 11:44pm

"NOCTURNAL"

It's not bad after all to be a nocturnal. But is it worth to stay late?

It has been days of total torment for me. I caught myself wanting to have more than 24 hours in a day since I cannot do all my tasks! My prelim exam is on-going and my night lamp is still open. Yes, I do hope it won't overheat. Haha.

Last Tuesday was Literature and Political Dynamics (the ever-so-dreadful) exams. Honestly, I didn't get any sleep Monday night because the readings for Pol Dy were just too long. The more frustrating thing was, when I took the exam, I still missed many items! Grr. I knew in my heart that I gave effort, but still it wasn't enough. Hay talaga. I felt like my eye bugs were not worth it.

To ease the frustrations, I came with my friends at SM San Lazaro since it was also Anne's birthday celebration. She treated us dinner at Aristocrat. After so, we went to the arcades and spent some amount in playing basketball. My arms got worn out at that time but how I love the pain. It seemed that I poured all my frustrations in shooting. Haha. Later on, we went to Center Stage (a videoke place) and didn't mind having exams for the next day. Birit kung birit, lalo na nung patapos na yung oras namin. It was really fun. =)

I went home around 9pm. I was so tired already but I have to review for Art Appreciation. Knowing my professor in that subject, she's extraordinary and out-of-this-world in giving exams. Most of my classmates would say that it's useless to study in Art App, but I still reviewed just for the sake of doing my part. I was awake until 3am. Despite an all-day tiresomeness, I managed to stay late.

But perhaps I was quite wrong for exerting a night-until-dawn review in Art App. The questions given were like UFO! Talaga naman. I just got rid of the frustrations again by watching UAAP volleyball. Good thing UST won against Adamson in 4 sets and I got an awesome afternoon of volleyball action. Mabuhay ang floating serve ni Tabaquero. Hehe.

Meanwhile, this afternoon's exam was Photojournalism. Isa pang nakakalokang pagsusulit ito. Hay talaga. Supposedly, it's a course which must be subjective, but it turned out as an objective one. It was another outlandish type of test. He included items which he didn't discuss at all! Totally unfair. Again, I took time studying notes last night, but none of them appeared in the exam.

I drank sleeping pills today and it's strange that I still don't feel any drowsiness. Perhaps I really got used being awake during the wee hours. Tsktsk. Tomorrow will be Spanish and Retorika prelims. I just finished reading the book in Retorika. I extremely hope that we'll have a good type of exam.

* My passion for tennis influences me very well. I got referred to write for a tennis-related website and I love it! =) I'm not paid for my articles (1 2), but I don't care at all since the experience earns me the challenge in writing an international sports story. By the way thanks to Kuya Jun for informing me about lawntennisnews. Manfred [the webmaster] has been a very nice person to me.

Isn't it sweet whenever efforts bare fruits of success?

Remember, the difficulty of seeding a plant pays when you want to obtain a well-grown tree at the end of summer.

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January 09 2007 | Tuesday | 10:40pm

"IN THE HANDS OF TIME"

Suddenly I miss my childhood. Those were the days when my only problem was on how to spend time for playing. How I wish to go back to those long and gone days of my life. Things get more and more complicated right now, to an extent that I cannot control my own time.

I'm going nuts on how to budget my time today. I have been clotted with unfinished school tasks which I honestly do not want to accomplish anymore. Nakakatamad na talaga. Each day, I would wake up under the same routine -- that is, to require myself to read tediously. How I wish the clock will fast forward and I'll just wake up realizing that I'm already an alumna of UST. Haha, of course that's an impossible wish, but I really mean it. Nakakapagod ng mag-aral. Hindi naman lahat ng pinapagawa sa paaralan ay magagamit sa pagtatrabaho di ba.

My partner (Judy) and I chose Windsor Castle as our report for Art Appreciation on Friday. I've just read facts on Windsor which I got from various websites. Too bad the lengthy readings had given me headache and so, I stopped. Perhaps I really had enough. A while ago too, I was busy reading for Political Dynamics. I stopped too because I simply disgusted for not understanding John Sidel's 20-page article. Hay. Prelims will kickoff next week but I still cannot see the "I-understand-and-I-am-ready" attitude in me.

Despite all the school anxieties, I'm still quite glad that there are petty sources entertainment. Well, I've been enjoying "Sana Maulit Muli" which stars Kim Chiu (Ate Rox' look-alike haha!) and Gerald Anderson. The teleserye's theme is the value of time and I guess the story will be more exciting as it goes on. Also, I've been watching quality tennis replays in Star Sports. A while ago, I saw Rogi's tight 5-setter match against Tommy Haas (German) in the 2006 Australian Open. It made me realize that 2007 AO is nearby. I just want to skip from today and then mark the calendar on the 15th. I'm excited whether Rogi will defend the title or another nemesis will snatch his winning streak.

It's already 11:08pm and I still haven't accomplished much! See my frustrations with time? Harhar.

Time is gold.

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January 07 2007 | Sunday | 12:07pm

"EMPTY SKY FILLED WITH COLORS"

Last night I watched World Pyro Olympics 2007 from a parking lot in Mall of Asia. Along with Dez, Madie and her family, we witnessed such glows in the sky which were definitely world-class and exceptional.

After our class with Ma'am Pusta (Layout and Copyreading), the three of us went our way to the fireworks venue. It was my first time to commute from UST to Mall of Asia. That's why I was filled with excitement, despite some petty misfortunes on the way. Well, the first trouble came when it took us time to find a jeep to MOA as we went down from LRT I EDSA station. Aside from the working men and women who demanded for jeeps to go home right away, I believe some people would also go to MOA for the same purpose as ours. So anyways, three yawns later and we finally found an available jeep. As we fell in line to get into the vehicle, we were maddened by a man who pressed himself in front of us! How rude it was for not falling in line. The man's seat could have been for Dez. As a result, my poor friend suffered from a squat-like position in the jeep. Madie and I were laughing at her since she would just prefer to sit on the jeep's floor instead of squeezing herself on the limited seats. We decided to go down even though the mall was still quite far. As we walked, I was fond by Dez' idea of playing a mind game. We played "Last Man Standing", patterned from Kris Aquino's show, "Game Knb". Hehe.

SM Mall of Asia is so far the largest mall in the Philippines. In fact, I haven't yet roamed to entire place due to its enormity. That night, it just surprised me that despite wide space, the mall was still half-filled by people! Nakakahilo yung dami ng tao. Marami talagang gustong manood nung fireworks. We tried to find the shortest line in food stores and we ended up at Mister Donut. For just half-dozen donuts and three softdrinks, it took us 45 minutes in line! We were all very hungry and our feet began to ache then. After buying, we hurriedly went to find Madie's family but unfortunately, we didn't see her mom and the fireworks had begun.

We were still inside the mall and I saw how everyone was in a hurry to go outside so that they could see the fireworks. It was like a stampede. When we got out, more people exploded in our sight. Vehicles were also blocked on its way out because of the mob. In order to see the fireworks, we had to squish ourselves in a sultry occurrence. Our situation may be unimaginable, but it was paid off by the beautiful glows in the sky!!! The 30-minute presentation by United States was filled with colors. For every huge glow, we ended up saying "wow", "whoah", and "ang ganda". Nakaka-Mangyan talaga dahil bihira lang ako makakita ng ganun kaganda.

There was a 30-minute break for the next entry. We used the time to find Madie's mom. Soon enough, Madie found their van already and we went there meeting her family. They offered us seats and food right away. We ate, talked and took photos while waiting for the second shot of fireworks display. Later, the Spanish presentation came to our sights. I loved the sprinkling effect of their fireworks and I actually prefer it than the former entry. Again, my eyes tantalized while seeing various glows. It was so nice that for a while, I seemed to forget about everything -- even my broken school shoe!

After the show, I found out that the metal ring of my shoe unstrung from the strap. As a result, I couldn't walk properly. We tried to fix it, but my shoe simply told me that she was so tired from all-night walking. Inipit ko na lang yung strap sa paa ko para kahit papaano mailakad ko. Pangit tignan pero wala na akong nagawa.

Sumabay kami ni Dez sa sasakyan nina Madie. Past 10pm when we left Mall of Asia, but the van hardly moved because of bumper-to-bumper situation! To ease boredom, we just played "Last Man Standing" again. Madie's brother and cousin played with is too. Basically, the game's aim is to name stuffs under a category as many as possible. Like for instance, if the category is "fast food chains", each player will take turn in mentioning fast food chains and the last person standing wins. It was a cool pastime. Our categories had gone a long way and some of our answers were really funny.

The traffic was so heavy that we reached Welcome Rotonda by 1am already! I was dropped by the van in front of Burger King and I was fetched by our driver there in BK. As I said goodbye to my friends, how I thanked them for the fantastic night.

Nights would always be dark, but there are once-in-a-blue-moon events which can slightly brighten your gloomy nights. I've been doomed with nonstop school-related problems that as if I want to pretend that they are unreal. I guess I have to thank the fireworks and company of close friends for the sheer of real-time happiness they had given me.

Instead of clinging to some memory of what you once had, learn to move on. Memories are nice but that's all they are.

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January 03 2007 | Wednesday | 05:11pm

"BEST TO WORST, WORST TO BEST"

This day marks the end of my holiday vacation. Festivities are over and my best days are gone. I guess things must get serious again.

I'm halfway through the required readings. I've been stuck in my room for the past two days, trying to understand lengthy stapled papers. Some of our professors chose not to give mercy over the holidays. In my Art Appreciation course, I read 25 pages of Orientalism. At the end of my reading, I realized that I didn't understand it! Grr. In Political Dynamics, so far I read two out three articles which will cover the graded recitation on Friday. I've been quite scared on this subject. Last time, I flunked the exam and as an extra effort this time, I jotted down notes. It took me three pad papers per article. No doubt that my hands are shaky right now. Among all the readings, perhaps what best interested me was the Literature reading. Aside from the reading's unfussy words, I found Machiavelli and Petrarch more interesting than Orientalism and Philippine Politics.

I nearly forgot that once I had huge passion for literature. Last night, I was busy cleaning my room when I suddenly saw an old notebook. As I scanned its fragile almost-yellow pages, I found out that it was my collection of poems and short stories from grade school days. I began to laugh when I read my past works. Well, aside from the numerous wrong grammar and spelling, I was laughing at the theme and plot of my works which had no depth or no sense at all. Like for instance, I had this craft titled, "Falling Not Like A Friend" which was about a guy who fell for a girl just because he mistakably thought that the girl likes him. Another story was about a guy who fell for a spirit (girl) living at their attic. In order to prove his love, he committed suicide and hoped that he would be with the girl in heaven.

Despite nonsense, I still appreciated my past works. These are art. These are mine. It came to show that my young mind was indeed wild. =p Who would have thought during these juvenile years, I was already shaping my present? I guess I wouldn't be a better writer today if I didn't become a worst writer in the past. =)

I officially end my holiday break! Condolences to the rest of students. Haha.

It pays to read, to be a skillful writer. It pays to listen, to be a skillful speaker. More so, it pays to be at the bottom first, to skillfully reach the top.

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January 01 2007 | Monday | 05:44pm

"WELCOMING THE 'OINK OINK' YEAR"

I celebrated new year's eve with a 'bang'! As I waived goodbye to 2006, I was welcomed by sparkling fireworks, scrumptious dinner and a melodious videoke night which definitely gave me a positive outlook for 2007.

Several people were in the house to celebrate with our family. Ate Inday (our caretaker in Batangas), along with her daughter, Kaykay, was here. Also, my cousin Ronald chose to celebrate in our house, coming from his duty in Makati Medical Center. Ate Aileen's family were here too, instead of their initial plans to celebrate in Balingasa. I appreciated very much that they all complied to my invitation in celebrating the new year with us. I would always want various people around in every occasion.

Hastily, my voice had been stretched out because the videoke machine was delivered as early as 10am. My excitement to sing wasn't controlled at all. Since Ate Aileen, Ate Inday and the rest of the kids went to Danarra first on that morning, the microphone was left with me and Silven only. I sang with all my effort to reach high pitches. Who say's I'm a trying-hard singer? Hustlers do learn in series of practices. Haha. At siyempre kinanta ko nanaman ang walang-kamatayang "Greatest Love of All" =p

While we were singing, my mom was then busy cooking dishes. This time, we seemed to have Italian-themed dishes on the table such as fetuccini and macaroni salad. Of course I also had my share of food preparation. Before yesterday, I made my own version of crème de fruta. I must say that it was a successful magnum opus, to consider that I'm not into cuisine very often. Just like a hit-movie, my dessert was a box-office! Almost all who had tasted it said that my crème de fruta was like a cake (even if it was only a mixture of all-purpose cream and condensed milk, plus Graham crackers and pineapple chunks). Haha. Aside from prepared food, I also noticed the fruits placed on the basket. Well, it's been a Filipino belief (derived from the Chinese) that round fruits bring good luck when placed during New Year. And speaking of good lucks, I wore yellow since as told by Feng shui experts, it's a lucky color for 2007! (Orange is also a 2007 lucky color but I chose not to wear this shade. Para maiba naman! Haha!)

When Ate Aileen arrived at night, we went to buy some firecrackers and fountains. It has been my tradition to throw money on these noise-makers. I'm not a Chinese, but I guess the practice has been influence to me. So anyways, walking from our house up to the front of Lourdes Church (where firecracker stalls were still there even by 8pm) was quite scary since a few already fired crackers on streets. As we reached the place, vendors began to offer their firecrackers on us. Silven bought weasel bombs and piccolos, while I took over buying the fountains. By the way, a vendor tried to bid his product to me and I almost got swayed. Since then, I've been wanting a fireworks display of my own. How I wish to buy that 16-rounded glow in the air which can last for 15 minutes. To realize that it was costly, I decided not to put my P480 on that firework. Saka na lang ako bibili nun.. kapag mayaman na ko bwahaha.

As usual, I enjoyed lighting up the firecrackers. Even if my mom warned me that I might lose fingers or get injuries, I still went through. Happiness go along with fear, that was the case and my reason behind my loveliness to firecrackers. I was slightly scared of course, but the feeling of getting through the fear and successfully blasting a firecracker meant something to me. It seemed like an extraction of my troubles in life -- get near to face it, light it up to shhatter it, and get away to forget it. At the end of the process, you would just look at the shattered pieces that had once given you fears.

When clock ticked midnight, streets got noisier and people began to move out of their houses. For a moment, the videoke session in the house was paused and they joined us outside. The dark night was then painted with colorful sparks by the fireworks. It seemed like our neighbors were having a pyrotechnics contest. Their fireworks looked pricey and suddenly, I wondered how much did they spend to buy them. Haha. As for some neighbors, like the Edwin Tan whose house is in front of ours, chose too noisy firecrackers. He spread three "sawa" (a long and continuous firecracker) and other deafening firecrackers (I suppose these were "super lolos") which were all pain in the ears! He really never misses putting an exclamation point into our new year, thanks to his heart-pumping firecrackers. =p

A few more videoke songs and my eyes were about to shut off. We decided to call the celebration since it was already 2am. I just accompanied Ronald for a while in the dining room and soon enough, I went up to my room. I left my cellphone upstairs so that was the only time I read text messages from friends. It took me time to read 50+ new year greetings but truly, I appreciated all of them. Just like yuletide days, New Year's day is an occasion when old friends come alive even by just petty hi's and take care's through text messages. I just hope that this 2007, we'll keep in touch more often and talk beyond special days.

HAPPY YEAR 2007 EVERYONE!

****

* It's nice to look back from where you've been through so as to know what to remove and improve. I must say that 2006 was a toss of good and bad. There may be times that I got petrified but here I am, alive and had survived.

*Shelly's Year Ender Special*

Here are some of the smacking moments I had in 2006 (1-20 from oldest to newest occurrences):

1. To Play Softball and To Strengthen Friendship

- Credits to my last Physical Education course, I learned a brand new sport which is softball. I could still remember those times when our team strived to win. This sport also led me closer to some block mates. We had unforgettable times every Tuesday afternoon. And yes, I won't forget that one PE day which we had conflict with Maureen and Madie. Anyways, conflicts were over. =)

2. CWTS na-feeling-major

- As I read my past entries regarding my past problems with this requisite program, I must say that I was strong enough. We went back and forth to Cainta Rizal as our community work. By the end of the program, we even had to make a documentation of our realizations and oh boy, I remember the long hours of waiting on the reporting day. Thank God it was over. =)

3. TropaPeepz Getaways

- Even in the absence of a volleyball league, meet-ups with volleyball pals were still on. Definitely I won't forget the time when we were at SM North with Ate Rox, SM Manila for Ate Monic's despedida, swimming at El Madero, road trip to Tagaytay and numerous overnights in my house. Through these experiences, I was able to expand my discovery of random things -- natutunan ko yung sakayang Cubao, natutunan kong mapuyat (haha), at lalo pa akong natuto magpahalaga sa mga ka-tropa. =)

4. Ka-Gegehan

- There was a moment in 2006 when I was so hooked to Gretchen Malalad. As an avid watcher of PBB Celebrity Edition, I seemed to admire Gege's character as a sporty chic and to some extent, I want to be like her. Surprisingly, I got a connection with Gege (thanks to Kuya Theo) and befriended her for a while. Even Ate Flo got infected to this whole "Ka-Gegehan" fever and in fact, she got closer to Gege than me. Ate Flo and Gege personally know each other already. Kakatuwa. =)

5. Gadgets Galore

- This year, I obtained several new items. In April 2006, I finally got my 6630 Nokia phone. It was a price for being a Dean's Lister. Aside from that, I also got a new USB (because Macky ruined my 1st USB), and Olympus camera (which I've been using for Photojournalism class). I realized that even if my mom's thrifty sometimes, she sets off things I really need.

6. Call Center Applicant

- I got envy to some classmates who had been earning money during summer of 2006. So as to join the trend, I also tried to apply for a call center company. April 17 was a very long day for me. From Boni Avenue to Ayala to Taguig, I met different people and experienced unusual occurrences. At the end of the day, it turned out that the job wasn't for me but one thing was left in my hands: I learned a lot. =)

7. "Fan" Issue

- As V-league kicked off, volleyball had become a delicacy in my taste buds again. I watched live games at BEG and met co-enthusiasts there. Apparently, there came a sour issue as regards to some volleyball supporters in San Pablo. I won't forget that serious conflict between me, San Pablo and Ging, then there came Ate Rox to the rescue. Again, I never thought that a term called "fan" would be such a big deal for others. Tsktsk. =)

8. Philippine Daily Inquirer Scholarship

- I suppose this was the most precious luck I got for 2006. Out of nowhere, I obtained a scholarship by PDI which not only gives pride, but also helps my mom financially and assures my OJT in March 2007. My adventures in applying for the scholarship at PDI were indeed fun. On the other hand, this scholarship involved me into series of pressure such that of maintaining grades. Up to now, I'm still bothered whether I really have what it takes to be a scholar or others deserve it more than me.

9. Flying to Cebu

- Thanks to my best friend Ayna, I reached Cebu. I've always wanted to travel different places and visiting Cebu was just one of my memorable trips. Via airplane, we went to this historical province and spent 3 days there. Suddenly I remembered "Honey" (a cute flight attendant) whom Ayna and I made fun of. =p Haha. I hope to go back to Cebu very soon.

10. Withering Friendship

- Despite an on-going V-league conference and a summer vacation (in May-June), I noticed that TropaPeepz had been cold. The usual huge group that we have, which I used to see in previous conferences, became three or less already. Honestly, I slowly detached with volleyball too as classes resumed in June. Conflicts had occurred between and among us. Perhaps it's true that there's a point of "temporary loosening" to comply with changes.

11. Pucca Madness

- I've been highly addicted to this Korean cartoon character Pucca. I imitate her hairstyle, I search for Pucca stuffs (including that huge stuffed toy I bought in Cebu) and yes, I even resemble her with Ate Rox. Haha. Pucca was an influence by a person who had once become special in my heart (hulaan na lang kung sino). =)

12. Tomasinoweb

- Through my active participation in TomasinoWeb (an online UST community) in 2006, some of my lessons in Journalism were applied. Most especially, it became an outlet of my sports buff side. I won't forget in and off campus coverage. Also, meeting Sir Jun (who's so understanding) and co-TomWeb members added to my circle of friends. =)

13. Learning The Art of Letting Go

- Going to the mushy part of my 2006, I guess I was a bit unlucky. Perhaps when people aren't meant to be, there's no such thing as destiny. Pains are part of life and letting go was my promise. For once, I said it wasn't easy, but circulating your world with other matters would lessen the burden. Anyway it's not the end of the world just because of a single misfortune.

14. Ma'am Villadolid Touched My Life

- "You learn from mistakes". Each time I entered Feature Writing class under Ma'am Villadolid, I thought then that I had no potentials to be a writer. Honestly, I really lost self-esteem when I got low scores in our feature articles. I slightly got infuriated with my oldie professor but at the end, I realized that she was just really helping me. The book which she gave me served as a huge inspiration and encouragement in me. I promised myself that one day, I'll follow the footsteps of Alice Colet Villadolid. =)

15. Matchless 1st Semester Professors

- So far, the first semester of my junior year became the most difficult period of college life. It was either some professors were too promising that it gave us too many school works or other professors were too lazy that it gave us nothing to work on. I won't forget Ma'am Bolaños' challenging Pysch paper, Ma'am Pereña's cardiac arrest-like quizzes, Ma'am Pusta's fainting Markstrat, and yes, who would forget that professor who sleeps during class? =)

16. UAAP Basketball Fever

- Our school became the talk of town when our men's basketball team unexpectedly snagged the title in UAAP season 69. I watched a couple of games live, including that miserable Game 1 finals where we lost by one point with one second left. I witnessed how the team struggled for glory. Yellow fever (a day of celebration when students wore yellow) was so memorable. It was also a moment when I hugely admired Jojo Duncil. Haha. DUH-ncil. =p

17. Getting Jiggy With It

- During sembreak, I attended Inkblots (a seminar on Campus Journalism) as influenced by my friends who also joined. In day three, Jiggy Manicad (GMA 7 TV journalist) was one of panelists. He looks cute and cooler in person. I won't forget when I had a photo with him! Haha! After Inkblots, I even had the chance to communicate with him via friendster. From then on, I got a crush on him and told myself that my ideal boyfriend would resemble to Jiggy. Bwahaha! And I'm still not over with the craze. =)

18. Tennis.I.Love

- Roger Federer was my newfound sports icon for 2006. Aside from resembling with Jiggy, I realized that Rogi was a superb athlete in and out of the court. Through this player, tennis became an interesting sport for me. I got hooked to his official site (rf.com) which led me to meeting global and local friends who are all into tennis. =)

19. Top of the Charts

- I never thought that I could do it. My first semester grades were good enough to maintain my scholarship. But what made it remarkable was the average I got. To tie the average with Djhay (who's been a very student in the whole batch) was something to be proud of. This was one of the rare times I became so contended with my performance. =)

20. Hopeless Varsitarian Wannabe

- My year was about to end when I suddenly got into a painstaking point. It has been my long-time dream to become a sports writer. Much that I wanted to join the college paper, it would only produce conflicts with my academics and OJT. I passed an application form to Varsitarian but I didn't attend the exams. I don't know if I did the right thing or I simply let go of the chance. Oh well, past is past. Perhaps I'll just tryout for other opportunities. =)

Whenever life drops needles and pins along your path of life, don't stay away. Instead, pick them up and collect them so that the same pins won't hurt your again.

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