October 30 2006 | Monday | 11:30pm
"RESTING IN PEACE"
Relaxation. Revitalization. Radiance. I feel like being a brand new being today. I went out to reward my body with a soothing treatment by going to Holiday Spa in Quezon City.
It was my first time to go to Holiday. Well, this spa was referred to me by my
brother and I proved myself that the service was so good. Luckily, there were
only a few customers (because it's a Monday) and I was able to enjoy privacy in
utilizing their facilities. The whole area was very relaxing. From the entrance,
you can right away smell the aroma and mint. I availed the package body spa
which included use of Jacuzzi, sauna bath, gym, TV lounge and one-hour body
massage.
So after placing my stuffs in the locker and showered for a while, I hopped into the hot and bubbly Jacuzzi. The experience was so peaceful that as if nothing else didn't bother in my head. It was just me and the tub. The pressure of water that continually hit my back and shoulders was therapeutic. I almost fell asleep then.
One hour later, I went to the sauna room. Wuhoo, talk about reliving my energies. The 50-degree temperature helped me to perspire a lot and to feel lighter. Somewhat it was a treatment to move out insignificant elements in the body. Not only it cures physically, but also, the hot bath allowed me to let loose of my inner woes. Moreover, the aromatic scent of the oil sniffed like heaven. As I poured it all over my body, it smoothened my worn-out skin.
I took a shower again and dressed in robes. My favorite part of the treatment
came next -- the body massage! I can say that the therapist who pressed on me
was so terrific. I opted for a hard massage and I definitely got it. From toe
fingertips up to the mini bones of my nose -- every bone, nerve, and veins was
massaged. For some time I was slightly laughing for the tickling sensation, but
in a way, I really appreciated whenever I would hear snaps. Sa wakas at
nakalaya na rin yung mga naipit kong ugat. Haha. I also requested the
therapist to stretch me out and to do the lifting (They call it "buhat" where
the therapist carries the customer at the back, using only her feet. I believe
it really requires huge power to do it right and that's why I admire therapist
who can do that to me perfectly). It was indeed, an hour of resting in peace.
=)
I didn't go home yet after the massage. I lounged and watched TV for a while so as to extend the relaxation. At that time, I saw the exercising machines and darn, I forgot that there was an unlimited utilization of it! Kung kailan tapos na kong magpa-masahe, saka ko pa naalalang pwede palang mag-gym. Sayang. So anyways, around 9pm I decided to dress up because I was feeling hungry already. I ate at McDo Retiro. Ang pinaka-aasam kong Chicken Nuggets (nung nasa Batangas pa ko nananakam nito ah!), eh nakain ko na rin. Hahaha. What a way to end my treatment. =p
* (Pre-Halloween Story..)
I reached home 9:45pm. When I left, Silven was the only person in the house. But of course, I would expect Ate Aileen, her kids and her mother to be home by the time I arrive. I was hitting the doorbell for a time but nobody went out to open it. Good thing I had gate keys and so I was able to enter the garage. I wasn't able to enter the house yet because the screened door was locked. So I knocked and called for Silven's name. Minutes later, despite louder knocks (in fact, I already banged the door) and screaming hard, I began to worry. If there was no person at home, how come the screened door was locked? Negatively, I was thinking that an Akyat-Bahay gang might have entered our house and locked the front door. I texted my mom (who's in Batangas) and told her to ring our two landline phones. I heard them from the garage but still, nobody answered. I tried to text Ate Aileen but there was no reply. I called her but the cellphone signal cannot be reached. I really tried all possible ways. In fact, our dogs were also barking and our birds chirped too who seemed like helping me. Guess what happened? Maloloka ka...
Thirty minutes had gone by. Finally, I saw Ate Aileen's face, along with her mother who also saw me. I was really surprised that they were in the house but didn't hear anything!!! What surprised me even more was that Silven, Xianne and Schenly were there too! Five of them were in the maid's room which is just located at the first floor and near the front door. Nainis talaga ko.
So okay, their reasoning was that the doorbell isn't working but how about my unbearable knocks, screams, text messages and phone calls from Batangas?? I even got furious when Silven came with my angriness. Sinigawan ba naman ako, at hindi ko maintindihan kung anong karapatan niyang sumigaw at magalit dahil hindi naman siya ang na-agrabdyado ng tatlumpung minuto sa labas! Ang kapal talaga ng mukha. Ang problema kasi niya, nakikipagsabayan siya sa pagsasalita nang hindi niya alam ang pinagsasabi niya. Ate Aileen tried to control the fight by saying her apologies and asked me to calm down. Ate Aileen knows me better. She took care of me from childhood. Among us three kids in the family, I'm the kindest and closest to every helper. I eat with them, hangout with them and I always share what I have with them. My only point was, I would never engage in a cockpit-like fight if I don't have a point. I'm that kind of person who seldom raises a white flag. Wala akong inuurungan kung pa-anghangan rin lang ng salita. Silven was so crazy to clash with someone like me. But despite all, I still tried to understand him. Later on, I calmed down to talk things in a peaceful way.
He said sorry and I was settled. As they narrated, all of them honestly told me that they didn't hear anything. Even Schenly who's a keen listener to phone rings didn't hear any sound. The door of their room was so open and they were not even asleep! So it turned out as a spooky result. Haha. Our talk went farther telling that Silven has been experiencing scary stuffs in the house for the past days. May sumisipol daw nung isang araw habang nag-iisa lang siya sa bahay at kanina daw, namatay yung ilaw mag-isa! LOLZ. But I guess if there would be a ghost in the house, perhaps it's only my late father. Baka naisipan lang niyang pag-tripan sina Silven dahil mag-uundas na. Hahaha. Kakaloka talaga.
The earth weighs 6.6 septillion tons. Don't make it heavier by carrying a heavy heart. Stay light, laugh often, love much, enjoy life.
October 29 2006 | Sunday | 09:21pm
"COMFORTER"
We shopped at SM North EDSA today. Initially, my mom would only buy me school shoes. We were dressing up when I asked her if she could buy me an ORANGE comforter. I've always wanted a comforter in my room and it wasn't the first time I requested for it but I never got one. As expected, she refused again to buy me one. "Masyadong mahal, hindi mo pa naman kailangan," she said. Honestly, I got disappointed with my mom's answer. Deep inside, I thought that she's only saving too much of our money for my sister's flight AGAIN to Dubai on November 6th. Somehow I cannot swallow the unfair reality that our money will proceed again to my indolent sister who's just energetic when it comes to wasting time, money and opportunities. Hay, nakakainit ng ulo.
I really became repulsive when we were in the car. Without brakes, I told everything what was in my mind and heart. It has always been the same scenario -- that I'm the one who gives way and I don't enjoy what I want when in fact, I have the reason to be. I'm not boasting or anything but I believe that I have reasons to be bought with stuffs right now because I've just given the reimbursed tuition to my mom. It means that we have money but my mom would not spend it for me. How unfair isn't it? =( Both my mom and brother were tongue-tied. My mom just replied being oh-so poignant, saying that I'm like a hideous monster whenever I speak. As much as possible, I don't want to hurt my mom's feelings or anybody else but I've also thought about my own feelings.
Later on, my
mom finally agreed to buy me a comforter. Perhaps there was an angel who came
down to give a light of
consciousness
and sensitivity on her. As a matter of fact, when we were buying my school
shoes, she bothered to ask me if I want to buy that pink flat sandals which I
fitted. Syempre hindi ko na tinanggihan dahil minsan lang maging ganun yung
nanay ko at maganda talaga yung sandals. Hehe. When we got home, I was really in
a hurry to change to outlook of my bed. Right away, I placed my new comforter
plus two pillow sheets and a bed sheet. Sa sobrang saya ko, hinigaan ko agad
yung kama at naka-idlip ako. Haha.
Sometimes, I hate myself for making other people get the stuffs I desire. I don't want to be a spoiled brat. I promised myself that when I have a job already, I'll never ask money from other people anymore. I want to be a self-made person, getting both what I want and need. Also, I told myself that when I'll have kids, I will never ever be too thrifty to them. Alam ko yung pakiramdam ng palaging tinitipid at ayokong maranasan nila yun dahil alam kong mapapalayo lang ang loob nila sa akin.
Life is a matter of fairly accepting the unfair reality.
October 28 2006 | Saturday | 09:31pm
"KA-UTUTANG-DILA"
I went to UST today for my back-to-school purposes. In the morning, I got my clearance form and met my classmate at Room 203. I really missed them even if it was only for two weeks that we didn't see each other. My mouth was unstoppable as I exchanged stories with them. I never ran out of words to utter in. I shared my experiences in Batangas, in PDI, at home, and how I spent the rest of my vacation.
After finally getting my grade certification from the Dean's Office (thanks to Djhay's company by the way, because I was beginning to feel neglected again haha), we headed to SM San Lazaro. In celebration of Dez' birthday last October 25, she treated us in Kenny Rogers! We had so much fun. Clara, our long lost friend (LOL), came with us and we were almost complete. Unfortunately, Kristine was too busy in the Varsitarian office while Judy had a Bible study. So anyways, after eating a scrumptious lunch meal, we munched on the yummy dessert! It was our birthday gift to Dez (Chocolate Mousse) and oh boy, I hardly stood my seat because I was so full.
We went back to UST around 1pm. By the way, I found our mini-talk in the jeep quite interesting. Seeming to be oh-so-mushy again, I opened up a topic talking about who might be our future husbands and wives. Haha! I predicted that Dez and Djhay will be good couples, while Anne will marry a handsome porn star (haha). Arene will tie a knot with a HOT tabloid news editor and Madie might (who knows =p) get married to one of our classmates. HAHAHA!!! (okay okay, I changed this line. =p My first idea which I told them a while ago was to a photo journalist from PDI whom I'll introduce to Madie!) Anyways, yes, I was trying to be funny then but deep inside, I also thought seriously about whom my ideal husband is. Well, as of now (subject to change =p), a possible ideal man will be: a) a co-journalist who can outwit my sense of humor and can understand the demands of having time for each other despite hectic news coverages; b) a not-so-superstar-like athlete with a coconut who'll promise me to devote himself in the family; or c) an athletic government official (lower rank only) who's a self-made man but he who's not too thrifty. Perhaps I have to save this entry for the next 20 years to check whether I was able to find my ideal man when I was 18 or I was just making an imaginary drawing. Haha! =p
Enrolment took a short time only. I think it only lasted for 30 minutes or less. I almost had a problem with my check payment because I was so stupid to wrongfully write the tuition amount on the blank for dates! Daldal kasi ako nang daldal kina Phoebe nun kaya nawala ako sa sarili. Haha. Good thing my mom gave me an extra check and I got my registration form right away. So anyways, when we got out of the Seminary Gym, we waited for Dez and Djhay on the bench. As we did so, Anne and I had a funny moment exchanging Tagalog words and accents. Words like, "yayao" "kakaripas" and "yano" are hardly used in Manila. She's from Tayabas and I'm from Batangas, that's why. Meanwhile, when Anne left, I decided to shift my tongue to Ilonggo dialect and talked with Dez. Kakatawa, kasi pinag-uusapan namin si Djhay sa Ilonggo tapos sinasagot niya kami sa Ilokano! Haha. Kamusta naman ang 'multilingual overload'. =p
Too bad my Holiday Spa visit was cancelled. Nag-computer na lang ako hanggang gabi. I caught myself busy scouting for Roger Federer photos and oh boy, the more I got hooked because I found a one-stop website with loads of Rogi photos and information! Haha. Ka-adekan.
Ang limitasyon ng tao sa mundo ay ang kanyang limitasyon sa wika
-Wittgeinstein
October 27 2006 | Friday | 10:35pm
"PAID OFF"
It feels good when efforts are compensated. Forget the hardships, forget the tears, because what matters most are the fruits of labor. Indeed there are mini equalizers in life.
Batangas Getaway
I had a nice and short vacation in Batangas. Simple life was spelled by our rest house in Mataasnakahoy. It was either I took photos of my mom's lovely flowers, played with Ate Inday's kids or I just stayed in my room, bummed for a time. Even though I lost contact with cyber life, I can say that nothing else can exchange the serenity I had. =)
Wuhoo, I got the infinite to watch TV! Lalo tuloy akong na-hook kay Jiggy dahil sa panonood ng 24 Oras (haha) at na-adik ako sa panonood ng lawn tennis dahil kay Roger Federer! I also had the leisure time to read stuffs while city noise was absent. Surprisingly, I finished reading "Vince's Life" (a Summit book) for just two days and suddenly I realized how I'm becoming so mushy for the past days. The book talked about a guy's story of his first love and in a way, I appreciated it. =p Haha. Nabasa ko na rin yung mga itinabi kong diyaryong gustung-gusto kong basahin noon. Nakakatuwang basahin yung articles tungkol sa pagyaman nina ni Gokongwei at Henry Sy. It feels good to do what I want for an unlimited time.
I soothed myself last Tuesday in Lipa. I went to the salon! Besides my
newest haircut, the massage was darn good. How I wish to have another shot of it
soon. Hehe. Meanwhile, the next day, we went to SM Lipa for grocery. Oh boy, I
ate a lot for that day and grocery bags were so full. I had a fun time with my
best cousin, Gabbz. We lurked around the mall, especially at the 2nd floor where
we looked at different cellphone models. =p
Haha.
Thursday night, Ate Inday and I went to town for peryahan. I was then
excited but when we got there, too bad the color game and beto-beto tables were
already closed. As early as 9:30pm, TAOB NA ANG BANGKA! Sayang. So anyways,
yesterday naman was meant for sports because I played basketball one-on-one with
Kuya Lloyd. I had fun exchanging taunts with him whenever someone fails to shoot
the ball. Haha. And guess who won? -- him! LOL asar-talo tuloy ako. =p
Back to the City
I've just arrived today from my 5-day vacation in the province. Too bad I have to go home already since tomorrow's going to be our enrolment and I walked papers for my PDI scholarship today.
I reached Manila past 10:30am. I haven't unpacked much yet when I called Ma'm Cita of PDI to ask about my tuition reimbursement. Ngayon ko lang naasikaso dahil hindi rin naman nila ko tinatawagan. Actually last night, I felt quite bad about how PDI unconsciously mistreats me. Well, I'm not saying that they directly do but due to some instances, suddenly I just felt inferior as a Thomasian scholar.
I texted one of the UP scholars last night and knew from her that their tuition were already reimbursed. Matagal ng naka-reimburse, take note. She said that after faxing their registration forms to Ma'm Cita, PDI called and informed them that they can already claim the check. The weird thing was, I also faxed my registration form but I got no phone call from PDI. For months, I've been waiting for a feedback from PDI but nothing happened. Habang kausap ko si Ma'm Cita kanina, nagulat siyang hindi ko pa nare-reimburse yung tuition ko. In short, they forgot about me again. Remember the PDI contract signing? I was the last one who signed because they forgot to inform me. Hay. Much that I don't want to be a baby who's crying for simple stuffs, I just have this feeling of not belonging. If these things happen already as early as now, what more if I work in their company already? Tsk.
Ma'm Cita told me to go to PDI and so I did. Despite suffering from sore throat and stiff neck today, I still went on. Damn, my illness worsen as the blistering sun welcomed me outside. I commuted via jeep and LRT up to Pasong Tamo.
When I entered PDI, ate (the familiar lobby girl whom I find very nice) told me to proceed to the cashier. Naka-ready na yung tseke kaya lang prinoblema ko naman kung paano makukuha yung pera. Nakapangalan kasi sa akin yung pera at wala pa akong bank account! I decided to cash out the money instead, despite the danger of carrying huge amount of money. I waited for around 20 minutes while the cashier was asking for their boss (perhaps it's Sir Yambot) to sign on the check as the receiver. As I waited, I just spent time looking at people who enter and exit the PDI door. Nag-aabang ako ng pamilyar na mukha, haha. Honestly, I was so crazy waiting and dreaming for a Jiggy Manicad to enter. Bwahaha! =p I ended up aching my neck even more. LOL.
Three checks were given to me: payment of tuition, book allowance and monthly allowance. When the cashier handed to me the last check (which took time to be signed), she then instructed me the way to Security Bank. Haha, isang mala-Amazing Race ang nangyari sa akin dahil bukod sa nagmamadali ako (2:30pm na nun at baka magsara na bangko), eh never pa ko nakakapunta sa Dela Rosa. But thanks to my fighting spirit (LOL), I was able to find Dela Rosa Street by riding a Mantrade jeep. As I walked in Makati, then again, I was like a sheep in the big city. Hirap na hirap akong kakatingala sa paghanap ng karatula ng Security Bank kaya nagtanong na lang ako sa guwardiya para mabilis kong mahanap yung building.
So yun, nakarating naman ako sa bangko bago mag-3pm. Mukha pa kong tatanga-tanga kasi hindi ko alam kung paano i-withdraw yung perang nasa tseke. =p I got a withdrawal slip but later on, I found out from the security guards that I was doing a wrong procedure. Haha. Kakahiya. So anyways, many people were inside the bank and it really took me an hour to get my turn. While waiting, one of the bank's security guard chit chatted with me. Daig pa ko sa pagka-journalist, ang dami-dami niyang tinanong. Haha. First, he asked from which company I belong and so I told that I'm from PDI. He got surprised that I'm only 18 and so I told him that I'm a scholar. Our conversation went on, talking about Sir Yambot who frequently goes there and he asked about other PDI people. It just felt weird when he shifted the topic and asked about how many boyfriends I had. I tried not to talk about it but he kept on asking those silly and intriguing questions. Saved by the man who got up from his seat, I was able to sit on the couch and got away with the talkative security guard. He was so 'ma-showbiz'. Alam kong dapat ma-PR ang security guards pero sa kaso ng mamang yun, nasobrahan naman. =p Tsk. Funny experience though.
My turn to approach the cashier came. Wow, it was my first time that I held and counted money which I knew was all mine! =) Ang saya. Haha. I kept the money tight in my bag. Excited na akong umuwi haha. I was about to go when the talkative guard waved goodbye to me and so I just smiled at him. So anyways, I decided to ride a taxi for safety. I dropped by UST to request grades from the Dean's Office but too bad I was quite late already to get it. Bukas ko na lang kukunin. Hehe.
Nagpasundo ako kay Aps sa Dapitan. When I reached home, my mom was right away
looking for me. She smelled the money, haha. We spent hours talking about my
academics, my PDI experiences and how happy I was. At night, my mom decided to
give me a blowout and we ate at a Chinese restaurant for dinner. Wuhoo. =)
* By the way, I feel so proud of myself maintaining good grades! I saw my online grades yesterday and whew, what a relief to know that I still survived. I can't believe that I have no grade below 1.75! I am a Dean's Lister and I still have the scholarship. The victory is so sweet because I know that my grades were hard-fought. When I think about how many times I cried -- out of pressure, fatigue and disappointment -- I think of these things as mere challenges already which have kept me strong. Then again, when my mom knew about my triumph, her happiness outshined everything. I think that's the best price I ever had. I always want my loved ones to be proud of me and I'm glad that I've proven something worth to be proud of. =) I promise to do better next semester especially now that the wire goes thinner. Apparently, many of my classmates also got into the Dean's List and in a way, I take it as a challenge to blend with the flock. For me, it's a huge race to set a difference among others by aiming well-deserved grades in second semester. =)
Life may be unfair, but wait until the tables turn around.
October 22 2006 | Sunday | *01:21am
"ADEKKK"
Hindi ko na maalala kung sino yung unang taong nagpauso ng "Adek" sa pandinig ko. At kung sino ka man, pasasalamatan kita ngayon. Ganyan ako ngayon -- Adik.
My PC has been over-timing hard. My mom often scolds me, not only for burning our electric bills in using the PC, but also for keeping my eyes sore late at night. Honestly, I can't help it. It is my habit to use the computer daily and I really don't get bored because simply, there are so many things to discover. Right now, I'm addicted to Sims 2 University. Even though this game eats too much space in my hard drive and it loads slowly, I still get enjoyment from it. My current sims are named Sheng Diu and John Dunce. Haha, go figure who are these characters in real life. =p A while ago, I just got slightly irritated with The Sims because it suddenly crashed while I haven't saved my community lot! It took me two hours to build 'Shelly's UST Campus' and too bad I lost it. =(
For days, I've also been hooked to online stuffs. Nakaka-adik ngayong mag-Multiply! Haha. It's somewhat like Friendster. But one thing in Multiply that Friendster lacks is the unlimited option to upload photos in a day. Also, Multiply links with common blog websites (such as LiveJournal) which enables an account to have an automatic blog. May iba din siyang features tulad ng Reviews page, Music & Video uploading and more. But I guess the most interesting feature for me is the photo uploading. Well, photos serve as the storyteller of my life. Most of my uploaded photos were taken during important or special events of my life. A while ago, it took me hours to upload pictures from Inkblots 2006. Kahit medyo matagal mag-upload (dahil ang dami ng photos haha!), natuwa naman akong mag-organize ng photos at maglagay ng captions.
Talk about real-time addiction, I'm really into Jiggy. =p I know that I'm acting so weird about a simple encounter with a TV journalist last Thursday but honestly, I can feel that it doesn't end there. Sobrang natuwa ako kay Jiggy kasi mukha talaga siyang mabait. Blame my addictions, I really thought on how to have a connection again with him. And yeah, I did. Remember how I met Roxanne Pimentel? Remember how I got recruited by MOD Magazine? Remember how I got connections with Gretchen Malalad? The same thing happened to my quest on how contact Jiggy Manicad. Thanks to Friendster.com! Waaah. Talaga naman, nakakagulat. Yesterday, I thought of leaving a message (via Friendster) to Jiggy's account. At first, I wasn't so sure if the account really owns to him. What convinced my positive instinct was when he replied to my message. Ang mas nakakaloka, siya pa ang nag-add sa akin sa Friendster! >,<
His message wrote:
* () -- ang reaction ko.. Pardon my overreaction. Haha. You know me. =p
Thank you Shelly! --> (Kakaloka, first name basis! Haha.))
I hope you learned a lot from the discussion! --> (Uhm, actually I only learned a few because I was busy staring at you! =p)
Always dream big and stay focused. --> (Rarr, I will, I will.)
Ingat lagi! --> (Take care
also Jiggy, coz Shelly carezz)
:) --> (May smiley pa! Waah!)
Jiggy --> (Hindi Kuya Jiggy, hindi Sir Jiggy, at lalong
hindi Mr. Jiggy Manicad by which I addressed my message! >,<)
I replied to his message. Grabeng ka-adekan, it took me one hour to compose the perfect reply message for a Jiggy Manicad. Haha. Kidding aside, I hope he will reply again to me. Beyond my puppy-like affections to him, I feel that he's a sensible person to converse with. Madie was right when she complimented that Jiggy seems nice. Right now, my journalistic passion has gained an inch higher all because of my encounters with Jiggy. Indeed it's true that there are invisible threads connecting each event happening in one's life. =)
x`cez: I'm going to Batangas for a short vacation! Wuhoo!
When coffee turns into addiction, you'll crave for another cup even if it burns your heart and it keeps you up all night.
October 19 2006 | Thursday | 10:11pm
"SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST"
I'd say it's true that a finale has mysteries to show. Today's the last session of Inkblots and truly, I had an awesome time.
Despite going home late last night, luckily I was able to get up on time. The first speaker was the familiar Joselito Zulueta, adviser of The Varsitarian. He talked about Campus Paper Management. His talk was so-so. I didn't get mesmerized yet it wasn't boring at all.
The next topic
and speaker gave more excitement to me. Well it was about SPORTS, that's why. =p Inkblots
had Quinito Henson as the speaker. What surprised us even more was the presence
of UST Growling Tigers! Haha. I think Dylan (Ababou) was the only
absentee. I
saw how other schools admired our champions as they took photos of them and
asked for autographs. In fact, there was a session given by Mr. Henson for a
sort of press conference. The floor was given to question our UST players. Kakatawa nga lang kasi panay Ingles yung tanong sa kanila tapos hindi nila
masyadong masagot. =p Tsktsk. I was about to get near Jojo (Duncil)
but I failed to do so. I just don't know why. Ironically, I ran out of guts
and I simply got shy despite the fact that I've already acquainted with "Kuya" Jervy
(Cruz) easily. Tsk. Ang mas nakakatawa, ginawan ko pa ng isang pasadahang tula yung
nangyari kanina! Madie and the rest were really laughing at my poetry.
So anyways, soon the Tigers left the auditorium. Another surprise came when we saw Siot Tanquincen who was Mr. Henson's guest. Again, we did a mini press conference and asked some questions to Tanquincen. Mr. Henson decided to make it as a contest to write a sports article about Tanquincen but I felt that it was too crazy since it only gave around 10 minutes to compose the article. Still, I submitted mine but as expected, my work wasn't chosen. Much that I wanted to get a price (haha), I just told myself that a real sports article shouldn't be rushed and must rather be thought wisely.
Charie Villa
(from ABS-CBN) was the next speaker who discussed Media Ethics. At talaga naman,
nakaka-starstruck. Haha. =p I learned lots of new things about ABS-CBN's ethical
stands and she really cleared matters regarding controversial issues about their
company. I found out the real story behind Dorris Bigornia, Erwin Tulfo, Karen
Davila and the rest. Besides giving informative facts, I had fun time too
listening to her stories as a journalist and head of news gathering in Channel 2.
As a matter of fact, I approached the microphone to raise a question and
converse with her. Kakatuwa. After the talk, we even had
the chance to have a photo with her. I can still recall what she told us, "Magiging
journalist kayong lahat ah". Waah, kaka-inspire. =)
We took a short
break for snacks. It was then we saw one of the next speakers who was at the
lobby. Who else but our beloved Ma'am Villadolid. Hehe. While waiting for her
partner (Jiggy Manicad) in panel discussion, we spent time taking photos with
her. Cool. =p Nagulat ako bigla nang malaman kong alam niyang PDI scholar pala
ko. In a way, my slight frustrations on Feature Writing was washed away by those
simple yet flattering words from a veteran journalist. Also, during the break, I
happened to acquaint with a Varsitarian member who's name is Jordan. He is the
news editor and I got surprised to know that he was that person who authored Ate
Rox' astounding article in the Varsitarian 2006 Sports Supplement.
Uncontrollably, I approached Jordan to tell how I appreciated his article. As a
response by Jordan, he told me that I am also a good one since I got the
scholarship from PDI. Nagulat nanaman ako. Kaka-inspire talaga. I think when Ate
Nascel (sports editor of Varsitairan) was talking with me yesterday, Jordan
eavesdropped my scholarship.
Later on, Jiggy
Manicad finally arrived. At grabe, habang papalapit siya sa stage at tinitignan
ko siya, natulala na lang ako!!! I never
thought that Jiggy would be that
charming! He has resemblance to Roger Federer + Mark Lapid!!! <3 Mukha pa siyang mabait nang paupuin niya ulit si Jenny (ang napaka-palad kong
kaklaseng nakausap si Jiggy waah!) sa pagitan nila ni Ma'am Villadolid! Rarr. I
was really giggling with Dez throughout the panel discussion. We even made
cliché lines like, "I need CPR, because Jiggy took my breath away" and "Jiggy,
please give back my heart because you stole it". Hahaha adek! =p I didn't let
pass of the chance to have a photo with him. Oh my, when I told him, "Sir
pa-picture naman po!" and he replied, "Sure sure", my eyes tantalized and my
heart almost melted when I realized that his sparkling smile was for me! AND
WAIT,
there's more! He was about to go when Grace and I said, "Bye sir!". Wahaha,
nakakaloka nang sumagot siya ng, "Bye!!!" <3 Haha. Think of me as
an exaggerated storyteller but that's how I feel about Jiggy even for a short
encounter only. I told myself that someday we'll meet again and hopefully by
that time, I'm already part of the journalism industry. =) Haha!
We had a fine dining that night. It was held at the "grassland" (haha!) of Main Building. What a yummy meal it was. After eating, we decided to soothe ourselves at the Quadricentennial Park. Then again, it was picture-taking time. Napag-tripan din namin tumawid sa fountain! Haha, kakatawa talaga. =p Sa una, nakaka-kabang tumawid kasi baka biglang bumulusok yung tubig pero kapag nakuha mo na yung timing, kaya mo ng magpabalik-balik. Indeed, what a way to end my day squish-squashing! Haha.
I formally open my semestral break!
x`cez: .... Jiggy. HAHAHA.
Life is 10% of what you do and 90% of how you react to it.
October 18 2006 | Wednesday | *12:30am
"GETTING BACK TO VOLLEYBALL"
The beauty of an unexpected event comes from flabbergasted feelings. I really love the days when life gives me jack-in-a-box experiences. There are times when I suddenly shift myself to another side of life, for the reason that I get enthralled with long-lost moments I truly missed.
Morning of Journalism Life..
I was late for the second day of Inkblots. I alarmed my clock at 5:30am but surprisingly, I realized that it was already 9am when I woke up! Perhaps I didn't hear the alarm and I was soundly sleeping. Even the numerous beep messages of my friends kept silent. Tsktsk.
So I hurriedly
dressed up. Nag-taxi na lang ako papuntang UST. Too bad I missed the
Investigative Journalism lecture but my friends did tell me that it was quite
boring and they hardly got something. In a way, my disappointment got lessened.
Anyways, when I arrived in UST. I caught my friends eating snacks at CFAD
Pavilion. Minutes later, we went up to the auditorium and
Inkblots resumed. A Filipino writer, Vim Nadera, gave a humorous but substantial
talk. I really had fun listening and laughing with him. He reached very well to
his audiences. Ka-tipo siya nina Joey Ayala, Bob Ong, Eros Atalia at iba pang
local writers. Sila yung mga taong nakakatuwa pero hindi mo mamaliitin yung katalinuhan
bilang alagad ng literatura. =)
The fellowship gave a better lunch meal than Day 1. Supposedly, we were planning to eat outside but when I saw the free food, medyo okay na rin. At least I saved money. =p Except for Madie and Arene who met with Clara, we all ate the Pavilion again. Ang aliwalas ng pakiramdam habang kumakain -- tahimik, mahangin at kami-kami lang ang tao sa campus. Kinagiliwan ko pa yung pusang sobra makangalngal. I named him/her Mi-ming. Haha. Pinakain ko na lang sa kanya yung gulay ko. Baka kako balang-araw eh matulungan ako ng pusang yun (Haha, Catwoman?!).
We came back for Parallel Sessions. I chose Photojournalism among three other choices (Column Writing, Cartooning, Broadcast Writing). We had Mr. Ernie Sarmiento as the speaker who's the chief photographer of Philippine Daily Inquirer. I learned a couple of shot techniques from his lecture. I can say that those things he taught can be applicable for me in the future. Not only that I'm into writing but also, I have passions for photography. I believe that photography and writing has resemblance because they both present a story. Photography tells without texts while writing narrates without images.
Afternoon of Volleyball Life..
The
session finished early and so we had time to lurk on the field. Cam whore time
nanaman. Haha. =p Later on, nagyaya si Chuchie na manood ng volleyball training
sa UST Gym. I thought of inviting my volley pals to come with us too.
Co-incidence that they were just nearby. Ate Flo told me that she was with Carol
at SM San Lazaro. Pumunta muna kami dun ni Chuchie habang hindi pa oras ng
training nina Ging (Balse). Pagkatapos ng matagal na panahon eh
nagkita-kita ulit kami nina Ate Flo. Pero kahit matagal na di nagkita, ganun pa
rin ang samahan. Tawanan to death. In fact, even if it was Chuchie's first time
to meet my volley friends, she was able to link with them right away.
Ate Flo, Chuchie and I went back to UST around 5pm. Carol didn't come with us anymore because she still had classes. We proceeded to the gym and watched UST's volleyball training. Just when I was about to yawn and get bored, a surprising event came..
We saw Kate Co Yu Kang and two other UST Volleyball Alumni in the gym. I just wondered how come they were there to get sweaty. Kate was running around the gym while the others were stretching. Ate Flo then joked me, "Shelly, baka mamaya nandiyan din si Ate Rox". I didn't expect much because Ate Rox might be very busy working. So okay, I continued watching. Later on, I proved myself that Ate Flo's prediction was right -- Ate Rox came!!!
Honestly, I could not believe it. What a co-incidence that we were there in the gym, out of an unplanned get-together and suddenly, Ate Rox would come. What an unforeseen moment. Moreover, add the lucks that I was able to see Roxanne Pimentel play inside the court again! The Alumni played against the present players. It was so fun. Hay, talk about the feeling of rewinding the past and recovering my almost-lost passion for volleyball. Days ago, I was too busy in school works which made me forget about sports. I saw how Ate Rox still contain the passion for volleyball despite a demanding work in NCCC. She really inspired me.
As to my
surprise, Ate Rox approached our place after the first set. Very touching.
Habang naglalakad siya, nakangiti at sinasabi niyang, "Shelly, kamusta ka na!".
Waah >,< Kaka-touch. She even joked me that I looked like not sick for days at
all. Hehe. I've proven that she's the same old Ate Rox who's fond of bullying
other people like me. =p After their game, she went again to our place. Tinanong niya kung saan na daw kami papunta kasi pauwi na
siya. Sayang nga lang at nagmamadali na siyang umuwi kaya hindi na nakapag-dinner
together. Sabay-sabay na lang kaming lumabas ng gym papuntang España. We had a
funny talk as we walked. Kaka-miss tuloy si Ate Rox! It reminds me of our tropa
memories in Taft. How I wish to turn back the clock =(
Pumunta pa ulit kami ng gym ni Ate Flo para balikan si Ging. Naka-chikahan ko din pala sina Lorraine at Coach Norman tungkol sa UNIGAMES. My spirit is really into volleyball again and I'm loving it!
My mom almost scolded me for being home late. I forgot to inform them where I was. I reached home 11:30pm na! Haha. Lagalag.
Just like the sun that shifts from sunrise to sunset, may we learn to be versatile in life. No matter how dark moments may diminish our positive thinking, believe that there'll be a time to shine.
October 17 2006 | Tuesday | *12:59am
"INKBLOTS: DAY 1"
It has been a day filled with new experiences for me. So far I'm enjoying the Inkblots 2006 fellowship held in UST. Not only I get different perks from the event but also, I feel that this a perfect opportunity to bond with friends and meet new people.
My day began early. I think at around 7am I was already in school. Well, I lost my copy of the schedule and I didn't realize that I was quite early. But anyways, at least I came first at the registration line along with Dez. By the way, Madie and Arene decided to join Inkblots. Mabuti't nakahabol sila. Ang saya-saya namin maghapon kasi buo ang barkada.
At the TARC,
while waiting for the event to begin, we just lurked around taking photos and
observing. I noticed that not only college campus writers joined Inkblots but
also, young bloods (as young as a 2nd yr HS student) came all the way from
places like Bacolod, Bulacan, Isabela, Davao and others. Indeed, it was a
nationwide
fellowship of campus journalists. Even though I'm not yet (haha, having
plans though) an official member of The Varsitarian, it feels good that to some
extent I feel like being in it. And yeah, talk about the cool freebies handed to
us by the Varsi people. I love the shirt, I love the yellow ID, I love the black
bag and I got several reading materials. Registration fees are well traded. =p Haha.
The keynote
session began quite late, but at least the speaker was worth-the-wait. Who's 'the
who'? Well, braise yourselves because she's a former CNN Jakarta Correspondent
and one of ABS-CBN's top pillars today. Seeing MARIA RESSA in person simply
awestruck me!!! I was amazed further when she began speaking. Her words were
indeed powerful for a journalism student like me. Sa tagal na niya bilang
isang mamamahayag, bibilib ka sa kakayahan niya. Even though she stayed and
talked for an hour only, the impact of her presence was still in me until snack
time. Haha. What I won't forget from her keynotes was the "WHY" thingy -- she
said that a successful journalist always leave a question, 'why' to herself to
make a perspective. Maria Ressa's anecdotes were simply inspirational and how I wish that
someday, I will have the chance to work with her. =)
We had a short break to munch a small ensaymada and drink Plus orange juice. Natunaw nang konti ang dugo dahil sobrang lamig sa loob ng auditorium!
The next speaker wasn't new to us, UST Journalists. Haha! He's our former professor kasi for two semesters. But at least we had fun being proud of our homegrown Philippine Daily Inquirer news writer and former Varsitarian Editor-in-Chief, Christian Esguerra. His lectures were almost alike with what he taught in class before. It was more of a recap or recall session for me on News Reporting. He stressed the importance of attribution and explained how to write good news leads. Then again, Johanna Thorpe's memories (Sir Esguerra's exercise paper for us in 2nd year) flashbacked in me. Haha. I never got bored in his lecture because as far as I know Sir Esguerra, he has the same old mapagpintas-at-wala-akong-pakialam-sa-sasabihin-ng-iba choice of words! I love him for being like that. I must say that those were really patented words from the debonair Mr. Esguerra. (Sayang wala si Anne! =p Hekhek.)
Lunchtime came. Honestly, I didn't like the lunch served. Minsan din pala, hindi ka magiging komportable sa libre. Hehe. Menudo yung napunta sa akin (may manok at baka din) at luma yung lasa. So I decided to eat at Jolibee instead. Madie and Arene followed there to accompany me. It was a hot afternoon.
For Lifestyle &
Culture writing, Ruel de Vera gave a very funny and lively talk! By the way,
he's the Sunday Inquirer Magazine's associate editor. On the way he spoke, it
was so obvious that he writes for lifestyle. Not only did he focused on giving
tips about lifestyle writing but he also included funny experiences which he
gladly shared with us. Sir de Vera is a real-time comedian for me. Haha. For a while I was
baffled whether I was in a comedy bar or attending an academic event. =p I think
he's a HS teacher because he often gave comic HS classroom scenarios. Suddenly I
remembered my HS mentors back then who, to some extent, inspired me to push
through Journalism.
Speaking of high school, there's this member of The Varsitarian who's my former schoolmate in STC. Aba, ang kapal ng mukhang hindi ako pansinin! Wala lang. I just got surprised and disappointed. As far as I know, we used to greet each other then. We may not be classmates in high school but her class and my class were close enough before. Tignan mo nga naman ang panahon, minsan malalaman mo kung sino ang mga totoo at yung mga pina-plastic ka lang noon. Tsk.
We had another snack break. Quite strange that the food served was still the same -- ensaymada and juice ulet. =p
The last
speaker was another UST professor. He's Sir Cuartero, writer for Panorama and
entertainment editor of Tempo. I felt that he vaguely made a connection to his
audiences. His talk was quite boring. He lectured on Feature Writing but I guess
his words were too typical and it didn't resound in my ears. The lecture
only became interesting when he decided to establish a small activity wherein we
were challenged to make an immediate feature lead from a participant's story.
Pero dahil ang gulo ng kwento ni Burn (yung HS participant), tinamad na rin
kaming (mga taga-3jrn3) gumawa ng seryosong lead. Haha.
Before going home, we went to the UST Main Building for the Cocktail night. Akala ko naman kung ano, kainan lang din pala hehe! But in fairness to the food served, it was so yummy. Naiwan pa sa panlasa ko yung black olives na nakalahok sa pasta. =p It was also a seamless moment to take photos and have fun with my friends. We were so ridiculous to invent several poses. Dumaan pa kami sa Alumni Walk at Quadricentennial Park para lang mag-picturan. *Camera whores!!!*
I reached home quite tired. I'm looking forward that Day two of Inkblots would be as exciting as what I had from Day one. =)
* Kamusta naman yung pagpaparamdam ni Ching. Isa siyang multong nagpapatayo ng balahibo ko. LOL.
Excellent Journalism to make the world a better place to live in
-- Maria Ressa
October 16 2006 | Monday | 08:29pm
"BEGGING AND BAGGING"
I've totally recovered. In fact, I had a great time today! Talk about bagging real-time FREEDOM from all anxieties and works. =)
Since yesterday I've been getting enough sleeps. That's cool. This morning, I think I got up around 12pm already. Sumakit naman yung ulo ko dahil sa sobrang tulog! Haha. Anyways, so I ate a scrumptious meal and watched TV. How I loved the feeling that there was no time limitation for leisure! Actually, I appreciated watching Wowowee a while ago and I grasped a good moral in it.
There was a young contestant in Willie of Fortune whose story was really heartbreaking. Honestly, I caught myself teary-eyed upon hearing the young girl's sad story. She didn't beg for pity but she really got my sympathy. Her nickname is "Negra" and she's a half Nigerian-Filipina who has no parents by her side. Only Negra's aunt takes care of her and an elder sibling. Their father left them since childhood while their mother seldom visits them because she has another family. What kept me teary-eyed further was when she told that other people taunt her for her unusual appearance. She really looks like an African with a curly hair, huge eyes & black complexion. Her physical appearance makes her different among other kids. "Lagi po akong tinutukso, inaasar. Wala naman po akong masamang ginagawa eh," told by Negra. Waah grabe talaga! Nakakaawa na nga yung sitwasyon nung bata, inaasar pa siya sa panlabas na kaanyuan. It's an issue on racism where most of the times, black men are mistreated. It's so disappointing that some Filipinos make fun of these African people. I believe that no matter what's the physical appearance of a person, he or she must be treated fairly.
After watching TV, I decided to reward myself by going to Divisoria for shopping! =p Then again, it was infected by a shop-until-the-last-drop syndrome. Mostly I brought home plastic bags of clothes and pants. Naubos agad yung P1,000 ko! Even so, I can say that I really had fun. Despite having slight headaches (due to oversleeping) while shopping, I managed to lurk around Tutuban Mall and 168 Mall until nighttime. When I reached home, right away I fitted my newly-bought stuffs and it was perfect! =) Supposedly, I would visit the salon and spa but because I arrived quite late already, I decided to do it next time. Anyway I have the whole sembreak to have hair treatment and body massage. Wuhoo. =)
We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results.
October 15 2006 | Sunday | 10:18pm
"TORMENTS + GLEES = LESSONS YOU WON'T FORGET"
What a sad way to end my school day. Perhaps the finale really spelled what went throughout the semester. So far, this was the worst semester I ever had! As the race gets tougher, the more I become weaker. Too bad.
(I'll continue this entry later..)
October 11 2006 | Wednesday | *02:30am
"TO LOVE THE PAIN"
My gosh, I'm staring at the clock right now. It's 2:31am. I've just finished doing stuffs for our Marketing Strategy presentation. My eyes are totally sore, my tummy aches in hunger, and the last time I visited my bed was long ago! I've been very hectic for the finals hell week. For so many nights, I had real-time sleepless encounters. Actually I'm slightly getting used to it. And I don't know if this will cause me good soon. I may be able to stand long hours as a nocturnal creature but somehow, I'm concerned about my health. The pain which I'm starting to love might kill me in the end. Alongside burst of pimples and eye bugs, I'm experiencing back aches already. I told my mom about this last time. She advised me to have a check-up but darn, how can I? Ang dami talagang ginagawa at kulang ang oras ko. Hay.
Some of my professors didn't get enough of throwing us with projects and so there were written finals exams. A while ago, I took the Literature finals and somehow I felt so disappointed. Well, I read thoroughly last night but still, I failed to answer very well. Hindi ko alam kung pinapahirapan lang ba talaga kami ng prof namin o ako yung tanga sa pag-iisip. Hehe. So anyways, Feature Writing was the only class we attended for today. Ma'am Villadolid just gave back our portfolio and showed our final grade. I felt satisfied with my grade. It may not be the most idealistic grade but it's enough maintain my PDI scholarship. I promised myself that I won't ask for something greater than what my scholarship dictates. Sa Literature at Psychology na lang talaga ko kinakabahan.
After class, I met with my Markstrat group mates. We tackled about the petty progresses of our presentation. Sa ngayon, medyo nakikita ko na yung gawa namin. May pinapatunguhan namang maganda at sana nga, maging maayos yung pagpe-present namin sa Sabado. By the way, I just want to say that how I love to be with my group mates. I mean, despite tons of work, we still manage to joke at each other and have fun. I remembered when we were joking about Judy's "unleaded" pronunciation which came out as a funny debate among us. Hehe. I believe this is the real essence of a group project -- to develop good workmanship with your colleagues.
I really need to sleep. My head is literally spinning. Tomorrow's a challenge for me because I haven't studied for Psychology and I scarcely read my Spanish notes. Harhar. Goodluck naman sa akin. =p
Love comes when you get to know the pain.
October 07 2006 | Saturday | 11:09pm
"RUBBER BAND"
Thank heavens our PLDT line is back. When I woke up this morning, I went straight to my PC and surfed the net for a time. Somehow, I missed my internet routine.
Days ago, I realized that semester break is coming. To be exact, on Thursday, it will be our last day. I'm quite excited about this short vacation because really, I have lots of plans. Just when I'm about to celebrate, I remembered Madie telling me that before we experience the much-awaited break, we have to finish tons of work. And Oh boy, she was right. Naisip ko lahat-lahat ng kailangan pang tapusin. Parang tutulay talaga kami sa alembre.
I feel quite worried right now. First, our Marketing Strategy presentation is still vague. My part (the SWOT and Long-Short Term Projects) doesn't have progress yet. I don't know if I'll blame it to my sluggishness or the task is just hard to do. I do have partners (Kristine and Dez) but still, we haven't done anything productive enough to satisfy myself. Yesterday, me and Dez went to the library to research but because of time shortage, I guess what we got are not adequate. Last night, I made layouts for our logos but as seen by my group mates, they want to revise it. Second, we still have some written exams to think about such as in Psychology, Literature, Literary Journalism and Spanish. Hay, pagod na talaga kong mag-aral. Hindi ko talaga alam kung paano magre-review sa Literature dahil sa totoo lang, wala naman gaanong tinuro yung guro namin dun! Thirdly, we haven't finished businesses in Psychology experiment and the Filipino paper. Though we're nearly done, we still have to revise some things and lend effort to finish it.
I hated myself because I did nothing worthy today to ease these schoolwork burdens. In fact, I even failed to attend Computer class today because besides laziness, I had Dysmenorrhea a while ago. I was just lying on my bed, watching TV from 2pm to 7:30pm. What a lethargic afternoon. By the way, despite my pains, I enjoyed watching UAAP-NCAA All-Star Games at Studio 23. Nakakatawa yung paghaharap nina Sam Ekwe at ng UAAP shooters. Tablado lahat ng tira ng UAAP kay Ekwe. Tsk.
Sometimes, I feel like a rubber band especially at times that there are so many things to do. My body is on a stretch and it's a dare not to break apart. During these times, how I wish to go back to my original shape and capability. Waah, sana Huwebes na...
When we sigh about our problems, they grow double. But when we laugh about them, they become bubbles.
October 04 2006 | Wednesday | 11:11pm
"YELLOW FEVER"
It has been another festive day in UST. The community is still not yet over celebrating with what our team showed last Monday. I was wearing a yellow shirt once more so as my classmates. Indeed, it was "Yellow fever".
Inside the classroom, professors also talked about the Growling Tigers' victory. I remember yesterday when Ma'am Bolaños fondly greeted us, "Good afternoon TIGERS!" Haha. A while ago, Ma'am Villadolid said something with regard to the festivities last Monday. She mentioned that despite the deafening environment at the Big Dome, Thomasians didn't forget to pray and take a moment of silence. When Cortez took the final freethrow, he did sign of the cross.
We just had a
review on what we tackled last time in Feature Writing. So few hours later, Ma'am Villadolid
dismissed us already. And before dispersing, as planned, we had our picture-taking
with her. It was so fun. For a veteran journalist like her, a photo with her is
an honor already. When she got out of the room, we still continued taking
photos. Dez brought her digicam and so it was another camwhore session
especially with Djhay. Here are some of our whacky shots: =p
Later that night, we were waiting for Ma'am Pusta and hoping that she would dismiss us early because almost everyone were at the Victory Party already (held in front of Main Building). Soon, we found out that she was absent but a group of students requested us to stay. We watched a 30-minute documentary as part of their thesis. So okay, we stayed for a while. Nagmamadali talaga ang lahat, lalo na ako kasi gusto kong abutan yung fireworks! Haha.
At buti naman inabot ko nga! Naglalakad na kami papunta sa venue nang biglang makita na namin sa ere yung nag-gagandahang liwanag sa dilim. Nagtakbuhan talaga ang lahat. The fireworks display was awesome! Naisip ko tuloy, sana laging ganun kasaya yung mood sa UST. Sana laging naka-yellow. Sana laging kampeon. Pagkatapos ng fireworks, pinanood namin sandali yung program sa stage. Well, we were quite far from the stage but as I heard, the hosts were introducing each Growling Tiger. Grabe, instant superstars ang kinalabasan nila! Honestly, I had goosebumps when I heeded loud screams from girls especially when Japs answered the host that he's still single. Parang kailan lang eh hindi sila pinapansin. Madalas ko kasing makita yung players kasi karamihan sa kanila ay taga-AB. Right now, I guess many are dying to get a photo with them, to have their autograph or to just get near. Nakakagulat lang talaga. Habang tinitignan ko si Jojo (Duncil), nasabi ko na lang sa sarili ko, "Mala-artista ang dating." Hindi ko na siya crush pero grabe pa rin ako kung maka-react. Tsk.
Our place seemed scorching and so we decided to go somewhere spacey. Naupo na lang kami sa may field kahit medyo madilim. Tinuloy namin ang pagpi-picture habang nakikinig sa tumutugtog na banda. By the way, Melchor Gile passed near our place and I was fondly said to my friends that we take shots with him. Haha, muntik ng ituloy ni Dez pero bigla kasing lumakad na papalayo si Gile. =p (sayang Madie lolz!) Maraming ballers pa ang dumaan sa harap namin at dinumog talaga sila ng 'fans'.
We went home around 9pm. Hindi pa kami nagsawa, bago umuwi eh nag-picturan muna ulit sa Arch of Century. Surprisingly, we saw Michael Fajatin of GMA 7 who was perhaps, covering the event in UST . Naisipan lang naming magpa-picture kasama siya at nasa likod namin yung van ng GMA 7! Hahaha (at kapag nabasa `to ni Djhay, malamang sasabihin na lang niya, "Whichever" =p)
Buti at hindi ako inabutan ng ulan. Pagod na pagod akong umuwi sa bahay at gusto ko mang matulog na, marami pa pala akong gagawin. Since our phone lines aren't back yet, I had to rent internet outside and get Kristine's email for our Markstrat. Bumalik ako ng bahay, 11:30pm na. At hindi pa ko tuluyang nakatulog kasi nalaman kong nasa ANC yung UST Tigers! Haha. Kamusta naman, kakatawa yung segment nila with Korina Sanchez. =p Tinapos ko pa yung Saksi kasi may balita naman tungkol sa Victory Party.
Ibang level na talaga ang exposure ng UST ngayon. In a way, I'm loving it. These days, I feel like prouder to be a Thomasian.
You're so close but still a world away.
October 03 2006 | Tuesday | 09:28pm
"GLOW IN THE DARK"
Thanks to typhoon Milenio, I learned vital things in life.
I remember myself enjoying stormy nights which most of the time, sense a declaration of class suspensions. I believe this has been the hobby of students. We wish to skip school without realizing the real impact of a typhoon. Recently, I experienced a memorable encounter with Milenio. It almost killed me in despair and whenever I recall it, a huge *sigh* comes out of me. I tell you, right now it's hard for me to wish, "Sana walang pasok dahil bagyo". Be careful of what you wish for.
Thursday
Thursday
afternoon marked the noticeable entry of the typhoon in Manila. Milenio's
whirling wind and the heavy rain lasted for hours. Honestly, I never experienced
such strong storm. Or maybe, this was the day I tend to realize how strong a
typhoon can be. It can destroy roofs, it can put down steel billboards and it
can crush big trees into pieces. At home, the heavy rain almost caused our
living room flooded. What happened was, the mini slits of our windows became the
passageway of water. So in order to stop water from entering, we had to place a
giant cloth as obstruction. Initially, Ate Aileen and Silven (our helpers) were
helping each other to tie the
cloth at the outside poles. But due to strong
wind, they could not easily tie the cloth! Sa liit ni Ate Aileen, halos tangayin
na siya ng hangin. Later, my brother helped out but efforts were still not
enough. I saw how they struggled. Nakakatawa, pero naaliw ako sa ginagawa nila.
Kaya kalaunan, nakisali ako sa pagtatali ng tela. I thought it was just easy
since I have the height and the muscle power but man, I felt how painful it was
to fight with nature. Sa lakas at laki ng patak ng ulan, masakit sa balat kapag
tumama na sa iyo! Idagdag mo pa yung makating pakiramdam mula ulo hanggang paa.
Grabe. Funny moment, there was a time when I realized that my legs were being
attacked by red ants! Kaya naman pala ang kati-kati. Haha. Nung una, akala ko
nalagyan lang ng lupa yung hita ko. Aba, ginagawa na palang pang-ulam yung legs
ko. Tsktsk. =p
After building the cloth obstruction, I went to bath right away. I had a hard time in the bathroom because electricity had been cut off already. And the agony continued until nighttime. It has been ancient since I last experienced a long brownout. This time, it was worse. We were not ready for the brownout and so, we experienced shortage of candles! We didn't have emergency lights and since my mom was in Batangas, our cheapest source of light is a candle only. So Silven scouted every store to avail candles. To our surprise, candles were already out of stock. Grabe. Naghanap na lang kami ng mga kandila sa bawat sulok ng bahay. Maalikabok man o maiksi yung kandila, basta may mitsa ok na.
That night, luckily we ate spaghetti for dinner, thanks to Ate Aileen's owl-like eyesight in cooking. After eating, I did several fun activities in the absence of TV and computer. I found time bonding with my sister (naks!), sharing ghost stories with our helpers, and say what, I learned how to play SCRABBLE in the dark! Haha. How? Well, credit my efforts to total boredom. =) That's when I learned to have an alternative activity.
That was the first night. My "Dark Age" had just begun.
Friday
Good thing classes got suspended last Friday. Well, our house was so disorganized and my mood wasn't for schooling anyway. I even called Dez on the phone to confirm the suspension. My cellphone lose batteries already.
Diah dropped by our house in the afternoon. She brought back my videocam which she borrowed days ago. Buti na lang dumating siya sa bahay at may naka-chikahan ako. Since I wasn't able to watch news, I knew from her how the other side of the world went on. She told me about what happened to Cavite, her hometown, which was gravely affected by the typhoon. With what Diah told me, I still felt luckier than those people beside the mountain who experienced landslides. Na-kwento din niya yung itsura ng highways, na tumba lahat ng puno. Grabe pala talaga yung hagupit ng bagyo. After two hours, Diah finally left. Rain began to fall and she had to go back to the hospital (her brother had a new baby!).
Before the dark covered the skies, Ate Aileen and I decided to buy stock food at Mercury Drug. We noticed that Amoranto St. and other streets had electricity already! Kami na lang ang wala. Kakainis. Maski nga yung Greenwich kung saan nag-take out ako ng hapunan, fully-operational na. When we got home, we got the news from our neighbors that a transformer blasted from a streetpost connected to our electricity line. So even though Meralco restored their power already, we cannot receive energy because something's wrong with our line. Hay.
I was beginning to get irritated. The night was so hot and no signs of rain came. Nagpapay ako magdamag. Hindi ako makatulog dahil sa dami ng lamok. Nagmuni-muni na lang ako, haha. I went back to my childhood days. I can say those were fantastic moments. I remember that when I was in elementary, I used to be a loner. I ate lunch on my own and even so, I still enjoy my schooling. Bigla kong na-relate yung nakaraan ko sa kasalukuyan. Paminsan-minsan, ganyan pa din ako. Hindi ako natatakot mag-isa kasi alam kong kaya ko naman eh. Mas challenging pa nga eh. Marami kang madidiskubre kapag nag-iisa ka lang. =)
Nung madaling-araw, nagulat na lang ako nang unti-unting umikot yung bentilador namin pero di sapat yung lakas. Naghihingalo yung kuryente. Kahit papano, nagtiyaga ako sa kakapiranggot na hanging nagmula doon. I was able to finally sleep at 4am.
Saturday
The next day, my mom arrived from Batangas. Nang malaman niyang brownout pa rin, parang gusto niyang bumalik na lang sa probinsya haha! I began to speak furiously with my mom. Well, I expressed my anger because three of neighbors got electricity already when they called for a Meralco man. Sa tingin namin, naglagay sila (ng pera) kaya nakabitan agad. Also, a house 3 blocks away from our house, got electricity too. The house belongs to a Meralco branch manager. Ah ewan. UNFAIR talaga. I realized how dirty our system is. If you don't place money on the table, expect a slow system. Paulit-ulit kong sinabi sa nanay ko, "Ayoko na sa Pilipinas. Buti pa sa ibang bansa, bihirang nawawalan ng kuryente. At hindi pa mukhang pera mga tao dun." Sad reality that our country is corrupted with unjust people.
Sabado na, wala pa ring kuryente. Kamusta naman, araw yun ng Game 2 ng UAAP Finals. Believe me, I became so desperate to find a place to watch TV at 4pm. Sa naghihingalong kuryente namin, sinubukan kong paandarin yung TV namin. Umandar kaso ayaw naman gumana ng antenna. Grrr. I began texting my friends, hoping that they have Studio23. Haha. I even called Chuchie who lives in Novaliches. My mom and sister were joking at me, "Dun ka na lang manood sa SM San Lazaro. Dun sa panooran ng drivers." Kakaasar! But later on, my mom finally helped me. Naawa na siguro sa akin. First, she called up my aunt Mimi who's clinic is in Novaliches. Meron daw Studio 23 sa TV clinic. Paalis na sana kami pero naisip ng nanay kong baka dahil sa sobrang layo at trapik, hindi ko din maaabutan yung game. So she took a second option. Tumawag siya dun sa kumare niyang taga-Blumentritt. Merong Studio 23 dun. Nakakahiya nga lang dahil hindi ko kakilala yung may-ari ng bahay!!! "Journalist ka, dapat hindi ka marunong mahiya kahit sa ganyang pagkakataon," said my mom. So okay, pumayag na ko. Pakapalan na talaga ng mukha. I dressed up as Aps (our driver) was preparing the car. Sent by heaven, Ayna, my best friend, was the one who redeemed me. Tinext ko kasi siya nung maaga-aga pa kung may Studio 23 ba sila. Hindi naman niya masigurado kasi nasa UST pa siya, Nang makauwi siya, tinext niya ako agad na puwede akong pumunta sa kanila. Siyempre mas komportable kapag doon na lang ako nakinood. So there, mission accomplished.
Kahit medyo malabo yung TV nila (dahil wala ring cable pero may antenna), pinag-tiyagaan ko na rin. Ayna and her family welcomed me warmly. Ang dami pang pinapakain sa akin ni Ayna. Tita Vangie (Ayna's mom) even told me, "Dito ka na kasi matulog". Kaka-touch. Pero parang naawa naman ako sa sarili ko -- walang TV, walang electricfan, walang masarap na pagkain. For once, I felt like a squatter. Even so, good thing the person who sheltered me was my best friend. Indeed it's true that real friends help one another at times of despair. What could have been my fate in watching the UAAP if Ayna wasn't around? Haha, ang drama. Siya nga pala, nanalo yung UST against ADMU!!! San ka pa, tambak ang score (16-point lead). I had a great time shouting with Ayna in front of the TV. Dylan (Ababou) sealed a good game for the Tigers.
My mom and brother had plans that we spent the night at a nearby hotel. Unfortunately, Sogo (in Banawe) was fully-booked already. When I got home, I felt quite irritated again that I would sleep on a dark place, with no ventilation. Medyo nabawasan na lang yung pagkaasar ko nang sabihin ng mom kong uuwi na lang muna kami ng Batangas kinabukasan. Buti doon may kuryente at makakapag-aral pa ko dahil tahimik. Hindi na ko masyadong nakatulog ng gabing yun. Hinintay ko na lang ang liwanag para mag-impake.
Sunday
Off we left our house in Manila around 6am. I was with my mom and brother. As I noticed along the highway, there were really many billboards destroyed by the typhoon. Sa totoo lang, namangha ako dahil di ako makapaniwalang kayang patumbahin ng hangin ang ganung kalalaking bagay. Besides billboards, many trees also got victimized. Chaotic yung expressway. At sa bagal ng tauhan ng gobyerno, sa tingin ko'y matagal pang mababalik sa dati yung itsura ng lugar.
When we arrived at our rest house, Ate Inday's kids welcomed us with a jolly spirit. Tuwang-tuwa ako sa pakikipaglaro sa inaanak ko. Nagulat naman ako't ang laki na ni Lester. For quite a while, I spent time chit chatting with Ate Inday. But later on, I decided to take a nap first. Man, my eyes were sluggish. I felt glad that after sleepless nights, I finally got a sounding sleep that I wanted.
Hapon na ako
nagising. Wala ako halos ginawa dahil tinatamad pa kong magbasa ng Psychology.
Haha. Sumama pa nga ko papuntang SM Lipa eh. I was with my brother, mom, ate
Inday and Kaykay. We hardly roamed around the mall because there were too many
people. Sa pagkakaalam ko, nung isang linggo lang nag-grand opening yung SM Lipa.
We just ate and spent time at Pizza Hut. Nakakatawa yung nanay ko dahil sa
kakahanap ng murang pizza, lalo pa siyang napamahal. Nagkamali siya ng tingin sa
menu. SHe expected that the Cheesy Crust would only cost P209 but soon she found
out that it was 400+ haha. Hanggang pag-uwi sa bahay, yun pa rin ang usapan. =p
Monday
I read my Psychology book until 4am and as expected, I woke up for the next day. Again, I just had a light afternoon. Actually, I was wishing that clock would tick right away to 1pm! I felt so excited to watch Game 3 of the UST-ADMU finals! Supposedly, I had plans to watch live with my friends at Araneta but it got cancelled since I went to Batangas. Pampalubag ko na lang sa sarili ko, na at least, hindi masyadong nakaka-kaba kapag napapanood sa TV.
Haha, but I was wrong. The tenseness was still in me even though I was just watching on TV. No doubt that the game was really heart-pumping. It was a close fight until the last especially when the game decided to extend until overtime! Haha, kinabahan talaga ko dun sa huling tira ni Jc Intal nung natitirang segundo ng 4th qtr! Akala ko mananalo na Ateneo. Lahat ng tao sa bahay eh nanood na din. Natawa ko sa nanay kong ayaw ng panooring yung OT dahil baka atakihin daw siya sa puso. =p
So anyways, the OT was so tight! Palitan lang ng buslo. Parehong magaling. But in the end, I guess the victory was really for us!!! Waah! Can you believe it?! We won by 2 points (76-74). After 10 years of drought, UST finally got the championship title again! Honestly, I was in tears upon seeing the Thomasian community and the players celebrating. They were also crying in tears. UST's story was indeed, a tale of Cinderella.
During the 1st
round, UST team was even at the bottom. They experienced sick players and
suspended players but despite depleted line-up, we managed to reach the Final 4.
We had a play-off with AdU and we got the 3rd spot to compete against UE. We
defeated UE who even got the twice-to-beat advantage and so we reached the
finals versus ADMU. Though Ateneo got their winning moment from Game 1 (props to
Kramer's historical 1-second 1-point lead win), we managed to win twice and
finally bagged the crown! Whew. Ang layo ng tinahak ng UST team pero nanalo pa
rin sila. Sobrang na-inspire ako sa nangyari. People used to underestimate the
UST team but don't look now, we're champions and for next year, we still have
strong line-up. Perhaps it's true that for every dark age, there's a time glow.
I believe it's UST's time to shine in basketball once more. It was a total
re-live of the once-upon-a-time UST Basketball victories. I'M SO PROUD TO
BE A THOMASIAN. =)
Ang tagal ng hangover ko sa pagka-panalo ng UST. Hehe. Inabangan ko pa lahat ng balita tungkol sa UAAP. As I expected, the championship was the talk of town. That night, I worked with my brother's laptop to fix out powerpoint in Psychology. Nag-brownout pa sandali. Haha, nakaka-trauma pero buti na lang, hindi rin nagtagal ang kadiliman.
TODAY
Early morning I packed up to go back to Manila. I had a class at 2pm. Good news from Ate Aileen last night that electricity was back. I guess we have to thank Mang Lucio (haha) who requested from Meralco to fix our post right away.
I received text brigades last night that we're allowed to wear yellow shirts for today, in celebration of UST's marvelous win. In fact, when our car passed by España, I saw on the electric billboard of UST congratulating the UST Tigers. Wow talaga. Binalita din sa akin ni Madie na may parada daw nung 12pm sa campus. Sayang nga lang at hindi ko inabutan.
Buti na lang at hindi natuloy yung exam sa Psychology. We had the group reporting instead. During Sir Aldaba's time naman, we took the 1st part of our final exams. Ang haba nga eh, nakaka-ubos ng utak. Tsktsk.
Thank God that slowly, everything's getting back to normal. I really missed my computer and as I type this entry, I realized how important electricity is. Despite all, I'm still glad that these disastrous things happened to me as part of experience. It really tested my faith, patience, and taught me how to handle unexpected situations.
Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life. (Bill Gates)