Out of the Blue (blog)

2006-12-24T14:30:00.000+08:00

Driving with Miss Selly (part 2)

Had my first driving lesson today, courtesy of Dihya (my 2nd brother, who obviously does not value his life, else he wouldn't have agreed to teach me -_-'). We parked inside a Greenhills village (East, I think), so it would be relatively empty roads...

Dihya: Okay, so to make the car go, you step on the brakes, put the handbrake down, step on the clutch, shift to first gear, slowly step on ---

Me: Teka, teka! Step on the brakes, put the handbr --- ano ulit?!

Dihya: Brakes, handbrake, clutch, first gear...o, yun na muna! Ano ulit sinabi ko?

Me: Brakes, handbrake...uhm...uhm...*blinkblink* Ano ulit?

Dihya: I think I'll put on my seatbelt.

* * *

Dihya: Now try stepping on the clutch. Kelangan all the way to the floor yung pagtapak, ha.

Me: *stepping gingerly on it* It feels like I might break it...

Dihya: Hindi yan. Okay, can you press it all the way?

Me: I think I should move the seat closer to the wheel.

Dihya: Oh, okay, here. *helps me adjust seat* Is that better?

Me: Now I can't see the pedals!

* * *

Me: So while I'm stepping on the clutch, I slowly step on the gas to make the car move, right?

Dihya: Yes! But you have to slowly step on the gas AND gradually step off the clutch at the same time.

Me: Why, what's gonna happen if I press hard on both at the same time?

Dihya: Then the car explodes.

* * *

Me: Okay, let's try it na. *accompany words with actions* Step on the brake, put the handbrake up, step on the clutch, shift to first gear, step off the brakes and step lightly on the gas...and away we go!

*car makes revving sound, and gives a sudden jerk forward*

Me: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Dihya: Step on the brakes! Brake! Brake!

Me: Ahhh!!! Okay, okay, step on brakes and ---

*car starts bouncing*

Me: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! *steps on brakes harder*

Dihya: Step on the clutch! You're not stepping on the clutch hard enough!

Me: *stomps on clutch, car finally comes to halt* Oh, God, whew!

Dihya: You're supposed to step on the clutch all the way when you brake!

Me: Oh, really?! *lifts foot off brake* How was I supposed to --- *car starts moving forward* AHHHHHH!!!

Dihya: BRAKE! BRAKE!!!

* * *

Dihya: Alright, let's try it one more time!

Me: *grumblegrumble* Fine, fine. *does preliminaries, then steps on gas*

*car makes loud revving sound, and takes of like a shot*

Me and Dihya: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Dihya: BRAKE! BRAKE!

*car comes to a halt*

*stunned silence*

Me: At least I can brake now!

* * *

This does not bode well. -_-'

2006-12-24T14:26:00.000+08:00

Driving with Miss Selly

A few occurences while getting my student's license at the Mandaluyong LTO today:

Girl Behind the Counter: Miss, pahingi po ng ID picture.

Me: Ah, sige. *search through wallet and hand over one*

Girl: *looking closely at it* Ikaw ba ito? Bakit ang iba ng buhok?

Me: Ah, eh...nakatali kasi buhok ko dyan eh!

Me: *thinking* Grade 5 pa kasi ako dyan eh! (this is TRUE :o )

Then...

Guy: Miss, pasok kayo para magpa-picture.

Later...

Queta: (our master chef who accompanied me) *looking at printed picture* Shobe, ikaw ba ito?

Me: Ha?! Oo naman, bakit?

Queta: Ang pangit eh, mukha kang kirat!

Me: Aaaaaahhhhhhh! -_-'

Well, I finally got a student's license. Next step is to improve brain-hand-and-foot coordination. Free rides for everybody pag marunong na ako! (well, those who have a death wish, at least :p)

2006-12-09T00:30:00.000+08:00

Attack of the Emo's

Emo - short for "emotional"; current terminology for excessively feeling anything, but mostly that of sadness, depression or heartbreak; turns people into poets, composers or artists; extremely contagious; may also account for moodiness, violence or pessimism
*WARNING: In case you spot someone with a serious case of emo coming towards you, move away quickly. Very, very, quickly.

And I tried anyway. To get away, that is.
I honestly never liked the word "emo" because it sounds like something a drunk hippie would say. The vowel at its end always seemed in a 'hung' state. And why bother making up a new word when you could easily use "down", "feeling blue", or "wanna-rip-my-heart-out-painful" to describe your emotions? It just didn't make sense.

But lately, everyone's being feeling emo. On days when the sun's bright and shiny, but you feel like just curling up in a corner till the world disappears? On days when you long to express your mangled emotions in the form of a poem or song (no doubt filled with secret allusions to your loves, dreams and hidden desires)? On days when everything seems pointless, when you question your very purpose of existence?

If chocolate can't make a girl fall in love with it...
If we're reduced to making animal noises as expressions of love, lust and HD's...
If we talk about requirements and ideals about the One, only to make exceptions when we see a perfectly polished lata... I mean, someone we like...

It's called being emo.

*As you can see, I'm bordering once again on the topic of love. But of course, that's good for another blog entry... :P

2006-12-01T21:22:00.000+08:00

Wanted: Grammar Lessons

Hi, viewers, need your sincere opinions, comments and suggestions on this. Really wished I was better at Filipino. -_-' Anyhoo, feel free to speak your piece (through YM, please---or leave a comment kung good! Hehe :) about anything under the sun, especially grammar in Filipino. Hehe. Here you go, enjoy. :)

Tsk. Malas.

Maaraw ang simula, maulap ang wakas. Sandali lamang, tila isang alaala na ngayon ang init ng sikat ng araw. Dumapo ito sa aking balat, malambing, mahaplos, walng katapusan.

At nakatingala ako ngayon sa langit, nagdurusa’t naghihinaing. Ito ang katotohanan ng isang kapus-palad. Habambuhay nababalot sa itim, ang kulay ng kamalasan. Habambuhay nabubulag, pisak ang isang mata.

Madalas sabihin na ang ulan ay isang pagbabago. Naglilinis, nagpupuro. Ngunit mga punyal ang bawa’t patak nito na pumapasok sa aking balat, nananaksak, walang kaawa-awa.

Maginaw, tila nilunok na ng mga hangin ang sinag ng araw. Walang dugong umaagos subalit lamig ang pumapasok. Lamig na kumakalat sa buong katawan, nadarama hanggang sa mga buto, halos magpatigil sa mahinang puso, nagpapalumpo sa kaluluwa.

Lakad lang. Tiisin ang ginaw. Ito ang katotohanan.

At dito na muna ako maghihintay. Hihiga’t susubukang kalimutan ang lamig. Titingin sa madilim na kalawakan, mamasdan ang pagtutulo, magdarasal na sumikat muli ang araw.

“Kuting, kuting.”

Ha?

“Halika. Malamig ang araw, at mahaba pa ang gabi.”

Dahan-dahan akong ibinuhat. Patuloy pa rin ang agos ng ulan, ngunit ang mga bisig na nakayakap sa akin ay umaapaw ng init. Malambing, mahaplos, walang katapusan. Isang araw sa tag-init, hitik sa pamumulaklak at kabuhayan.

“Huwag kang mag-alala, magiging mabuti ka rin.”

At sa gitna ng mga patak, sa halip ng karimlan, nakita ko ang mukha ng isang bata. Maamo ang mukha. Basa ang buhok. Pisak ang isang mata.

“Tara. Uwi na tayo.”

Itim na pusa. Sa kahit anumang sukatan, malas nga iyon. Pisak na mata. Kumpara sa karamihan, kami’y mga bulag. Iyon ang katotohanan.

Ngunit sa saglit na ito, sa pagitan ng malalakas na mga bisig, ang lamig ay nawawala’t napaplitan ng mahimbing na init. Na habang ang isa’y naiinis, umiiyak o nagtitiis, mayroon pang matatagpuang katotohanan na nasa kamay lamang ng mga nararapat. Ito’y kaakit-akit, ito’y kagiliw-giliwat kailanman ito’y walang pagmamaliw.

At sa munting sandaling ito, iyong katotohanan lamang ang tanging may kadahilanan.

Meow.

2006-10-09T21:20:00.000+08:00

It's Not Easy Being Green

Today, my Saturday sore throat turned into a full-fledged cold. Send in the tissue.

My last illness was last January, the day after my birthday. It was amoebiasis, and now I know what hell in your tummy feels like. Imagine getting a blistering fever and going to the bathroom every few minutes (to crap or to vomit, take your pick), plus, eating food that has the consistency of cardboard and tastes like it, too. *shudder* In those times when Gatorade was my best friend and heaven was being allowed to eat a cup of white rice---well, I'd rather not go through it again.

It's not like I've never contracted the common cold before, but I wonder why now feels like hell in my throat and nostrils? Everywhere I sit, I end up building a miniature Smokey Mountain beside me - a pile of mucus-induced tissue paper. Gah. I hate having the sniffles.

And my voice! It's gone to the frogs.

Just awhile ago, I was even a little embarrassed to talk to the doctor on the phone. Thank God for people like him who understand patients with voices like the toad in the backyard.

"Hello, doctor?" (ribbit ribbit)

"Yeah, I'm sick." (*duh*...ribbit ribbit)

"What medicine can I take?" (ribbit ribbit)

"So I'm not *ribbit* allowed to eat *ribbit* fried foods *ribbit* and chocolate *ribbit*?"

It's not easy being green. -_-'

2006-09-22T21:37:00.000+08:00

And Then There Were Three

Last Saturday, I promised to blog about this. So groupies (you know who you guys are), I'm not going to let you down.

It's Friday night, and normally, I'd post about my crises of the week, like my surprise Lit13 test or draining debate training, but tonight, tonight, let me speak about something close to my heart.

Hmm.. when you graduate from high school, the reality of it all doesn't hit you yet. You're going to college, leaving ICA for good, and some people you'll never see again. Maybe on that night, I didn't feel it as much as I should have. Graduation was simply a momentary separation, kind of like waving goodbye to your classmates at the end of a school day, knowing that you'll see them again soon. I guess that one of my biggest regrets is that through 4th year, I don't think I got to spend as much time as I would have wanted with my best friend or my barkada. Thank God Wyatt isn't leaving, but it's today that I really feel that my research group isn't complete anymore. :(

Last June, Resa left. I didn't realize it fully back again, probably because from a high school hangover, that it's simply the end of the day. Just the other day, as I was rushing to read some gay theories for Filipino, and I managed to encounter Resa in YM (thank heavens for modern technology! :), and despite the brief conversation, I was really glad to hear from her again. It made me remember all the good times and helpful talks we've had, and you can't imagine how much I admire her spirit and utmost brilliance. So, Resa, hang in there, girl, we'll be waiting for you when you come back. :)

One was bad enough. And today, I had to face it all over again.

TR always had the strongest spirit among us. So it really came as no surprise to me that she wanted to go abroad (Australia, to interact with the kangaroos ;p), attend a school without knowing anyone there, and going against her father's wishes. Tonight, despite her dad's still in-denial state, she's finally leaving.

As much as possible, I don't want to get sappy over her departure (but then, TR, you're porbably used to my drama, right? *winkwink*), but I really can't help feeling sad because of the spaces she's leaving in my life. Things like our Monday-Wednesday meetings or our Tiendesitas/MarketMarket shopping trips will always be fond memories. And the comfort I felt whenever I was with her is irreplaceable. She was sarcastic, and I'll never forget her dry humor, but I knew that deep down, she really cared. In other words, TR, you're really a softie inside. :)

I'm going to miss you, TR! Know that you'll do fine over there. Along the way, I bet you're going to learn a lot of new things, most of all stuff about yourself, and you're coming back here and you're going to amaze us all. :)

Sadness, yes. But as Kahlil Gibran said in his book, The Prophet:

"When you part from your friend, you grieve not;

For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain."

And then, there were 3.

2006-09-15T21:25:00.000+08:00

Friday Sabow-ness

*Word of the moment: sabow - combination of sabaw (soupy) and sabog (uhrm... blown-up? exploded? -_-'), 2 terms commonly used to describe a state of feeling confused, tired and lost; this new word is credited to my funky blockmate Sab :)

Some sabow moments with my block, only on Fridays:

Sasha: Let's fly! I want to fly!

Sab: ...And then I saw this HUGE chocolate donut, and it was calling out to me!

Je: (listening to Sab) Yeah, in this seductive voice: "You know you want me..."

Franz: "Soaring..." (with accompanying dance steps of High School Musical...)

Anne: (BIG grin) Hence, on! Hence, on!

Impy: Think, think, how to draw a perfect circle...

Sasha: I need a hug! Hug me!

Sab: Grabe, I'm sooo... sabow! Eheste... sabaw... sabog... ah basta sabow! (*thus, a new word is born!)

Me: I haaate Botany! *sigh* -_-'

See? Nothing but a normal, sabow-y Friday for a bunch of Comm majors.

2006-09-08T20:41:00.000+08:00

Watch Out! -_-'

It's Friday night, and again, I came home late because I had debate training. It usually ends 6:30-7pm; Friday night traffic sucks, and tonight, the rain came out in full force. You can just imagine the looong car ride from Katipunan to San Juan. Might as well catch up on some zzz's on the way home.

Don't get me wrong, I'm actually enjoying adjudicating; no, this isn't a sarcastic remark, although coming up with wrong decisions ("wrong" as in different from my trainer's choice) does make me feel guilty and a little incompetent. No matter, that's what trainees do, right? And I can honestly say that whatever happens during training, be it confusing/weird/funny speeches, it never gets me in a bad mood.

So why am I so taray every Friday night, right when I come home?

I can't stand too much/ too loud noise; I can't stand slow-moving or slow-reacting people; I can't stand looking at my Botany lab manual for more than 10 seconds. And if I am confronted with any of the aforementioned, expect a short, clipped, biting remark or an annoyed gesture (usually consistent with carelessly throwing things across the room - this applies to my manual, btw). It's like encountering a got-up-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-bed PMS-ing teenager: You'd better get out of her way as fast as you can.

Maybe it's because it's the end of week. Maybe it's because I'm on the verge of a hell that's soon to come, especially when your schedule for next week consists of 3 tests and countless useless papers.

Maybe it's because I'm wondering (again) why I'm studying when all I really want to do is sleep and read romance novels.

2006-09-05T09:08:00.000+08:00

Numb

When I first started a blog, my brother advised me to make sure that I updated it often. Maybe back then, my initial reactions were 1) It's my blog and no one's going to tell me how to go about it and 2)Of course! How hard could it be? I'm just overflowing with emotion! ;p

Hmm...3 months and only a few blog posts later, I'm learning that 1)I think I want to post more and 2)It's not that easy after all. -_-'

Yes, it's simple to be EMO (*that's my word-of-the-moment, btw...lately, everyone seems to be using it!* :O ), but the stuff I want to put in my blog is about the emotions that I want to share. And lately, there hasn't been much.

Don't get me wrong, I'm getting lots of free time in college, plus more hours to slack off. But I can't help but feel like a mechanical toy, going through the tireless motions of a regular school week: Botany Lab on Mondays (yuk!), Math and Filipino on Tuesdays/Thursdays, half-day Wednesdays, and debate on Fridays. There's the agonizing weekend spent doing projects and homework, then it's back to the way things were. Sometimes, this routine makes me feel like hiding from the world and just going to sleep. -_-'

And to think that routine would make things feel right, feel familiar. But it hasn't. In fact, all the more I grope, seeking the one thing that feels like home.

Till then, I'll be working, blindly doing what I'm told and what I have to do. Through the flurry of low test scores, hectic major projects and killer on-the-spot quizzes, I think I'll just be numb.

POSTSCRIPT: Just to lighten the mood...
*Word of the moment: EMO ;p
*Foodgasmic Alert: Peking Garden's Golden Prawns dipped in Salted Egg. Yummmmmm!!! :) :) :) Actually reminds me of Zong's Fried Chicken, which I think is similarly prepared, but I never got to try it again :(

2006-08-31T09:30:00.000+08:00

Let's Talk about Some Lovin'...

"That's life for you," said Mcdunn. "Someone always waiting for someone who never comes home. Always someone loving some thing more than that thing loves them. And after a while, you want to destroy whatever that thing is, so it can hurt you no more."

-Mcdunn, from Ray Bradbury's "The Fog Horn"

First off, a question that I've asked for years but only now demand an answer for:

-How do you know if someone is just being friendly, just really friendly, or showing something more?

And 2 statements that I've believed in for so long, but are really coming into play now:

1. There's nothing like a romance to ruin a great friendship.

2. "More than friends, less than lovers..." ---> I know that this is very bitin, but it seems to be the most perfect way to describe some funny relationships. ;p

Anyone out there with some answers, reactions or violent comments? Would love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment, please! :)

*DISCLAIMER: I am not in a state of depression or misery over my lovelife (or lack thereof). I'm just in a state of pondering about why love is blurry (if not blind), and which, between heart and head, should rule your world. ;p

2006-08-19T20:35:00.000+08:00

Having Multiple Food-gasms (No, this is not a dirty post!)

Yesterday in Botany, for some reason, I happened to remember the absolutely best dish I had when I tried Spiral, Philippine Plaza's grand buffet. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't any of the sushi, dimsum or rosted specialities (though they were pretty amazing, too)---instead, the best was at the dessert bar. I don't think I'll be able to forget the hotel's luscious creme brulee--- not today, not tomorrow, not ever.

I was TRYING to tell my Botany seatmate, Sarah, about this delectable treat.
Me: Have you tried Philippine Plaza's creme brulee?
Her: No...what's it like?
Me: I took one bite, and I was like... ohmygodohmygodohmygod... (imagine me contorting my face to come up with my best "I'm-in-heaven-right-now" look)

Food like that needs the right word, something I couldn't exactly come up with during Botany. That night, though, as I was watching Iron Chef America, one of the judges talked about a word she had just learned (and which is, my new word right now)---FOODGASM. Delicious, ain't it?

So, yes, next time I talk about the best chocolate, the best lamb, or the best sushi I've ever had, I'm not going to describe it in simple "great! yum! fantastic!"...I'm going to say that I had another foodgasm, and enjoyed every moment of it.

Uhm...creme brulee...truly foodgasmic. :)

2006-08-17T19:14:00.000+08:00

Thinking BIG

Our Filipino presentation, called sagala, will be tomorrow. At first, I was sort of hesitant to join the whole project because the task was to create---get this---a float. No, not the delicious kind with soda and ice cream, that would have been simple enough. By float, they mean one that can hold a lot of people standing on it and waving perkily to the adoring crowd. Think Annual Rose Parade in the US. Normally, a project of this caliber would be enough to spark my interest and get me all eager-beaver-ish over it, but not really this time. Why? Not because I was lazy to work with my blockmates (A1 rocks!!!), but because I couldn't comprehend something this...BIG.

In high school, probably the biggest project I've ever worked on was a bulletin board, roughly 1/3 the size of a regular classroom blackboard. That's nothing compared to a float, a rolling, mobile contraption. I agreed to participate in the sagala, but until now, I couldn't picture in my mind the image of a "float".

Awhile ago, I went to school (despite having free cuts the whole day) to help with our sagala. Our concept is a children's story about "Ang Pambihirang Buhok ni Lola" (Lola's Extraordinary Hair) , which is about a lola who has uber long and strong hair. First task: untangle and straighten the roughly 5 meters of strawball tali ("hair"). Talk about disaster! After swimming through the strands for around an hour, we finally managed to put a semblance of order in lola's locks. A little while later, our PolSci groupmates produced our makeshift kubo, to serve as the main part of our float. And that time of laughter and funny moments gave me a fuzzy feeling...

Hey, we can actually do this.

Sometimes, I guess it's going to take a REALLY BIG project to remind me that I'm not in high school anymore, that my world isn't closed or limited to what I see before me. The world is now at my feet---there is less conservativeness to make me feel small and unimportant. Now, I can expand my horizons, opinions, capabilities...to think BIG.

2006-08-16T16:39:00.000+08:00

We're ONE and TWO Years Old!

Brief post, but something that I'd really like to be here for.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MY BABIES!!! Never do I regret being you're mommy, and I hope that somehow, I've helped you on your relationship with Jess. :) You rock, Batch 88!

HAPPY 2ND ANNIVERSARY BATCH 82!!! It's been 2 years since we went through all the tears, disco and lemon-lime scent, but the effects will last for a lifetime. Always with each of you in spirit, even if not physically...

A BIG hug to everyone. May the DWTL Spirit stay with us! Live the 4th! *hug* :)

2006-07-13T23:07:00.000+08:00

Time to panic?

As a lot of people know, I decided to take Botany as my Natsci for practical reasons, number one of which was I thought it was something I could pass, compared to the other sciences (*ehem,Physics and Chem*). This incident actually happened last Friday, but I guess it's as good as any to narrate in my dear blog because of its strangeness and relevance. Better late than never, right?

Where to start... back in high school, my life was an open book---LITERALLY, because every night, I would not stop studying unless I was sure that I could memorize my notes word for word (that's an insight of my geeky side), and coming to college, I resolved never to fall into that trap again. I've had too many memories of sleepless nights and eyebags, and they've been more than enough.

Along with this resolution, I, of course, will not be as grade conscious as before. I have to let go somewhat, because not studying as hard will lead to not-as-spectacular grades. Oh, well. For a while, I was doing fine. It felt good to not feel as pressured as before, and I could actually goof off during weekdays now (paint my nails, watch CSI, read romance novels...). For a while, everything was alright.

Last Wednesday, my Botany teacher told us to prepare for a quiz on Friday, about parts of a plant cell. Fine, then. I wanted to pass at least, so I did my job and did read up on the functions of the thingamajigs in a plant cell. Fair enough, right? Until he gave us a quiz of a blank plant cell, and told us to label the parts. Oh, woe is me. -_-'

My score was only a third of the total---a stellar 5/15. And I mean it when I said stellar! The highest was a 9/15. I knew I wasn't supposed to care as much (it's not so bad that only 1 of us passed), but for a brief moment, it was as if the remnants of my high school self decided to intrude upon me. And all I felt was, Crap and OMG. I got a 5/15.

Overreacting? Patapon? Panic time? I eventually did get over it, but apparently, there is still a trace of geekiness in me--- old habits really die hard. Maybe it'll just take a little practice...

Got another quiz tomorrow. And no, I cannot dictate my notes impromptu. I don't even know what the coverage is (after all, he never told us).

Overreacting? Patapon? Panic time? You decide! ;p

2006-06-28T18:24:00.000+08:00

Before the Moment Passes...

I was supposed to update my blog a few days ago (last weekend, actually) but with the homework and semi-writer's block I was encountering, it seemed impossible to do so. Anyway, now that the rest of my week in college's looking relatively light (really!) and because I'm afraid of forgetting the emotions that came about, I'd better put this post up a.s.a.p.

Last Friday was pretty good because first, we didn't have classes. Wow! Just one week in Ateneo and we already have a day off. That's always good. Hehe. :) Well, that day was certainly time well spent and a good way to cap off the week because I visited my dear high school. First surprise was at Gate 2, where I found out that I had to see Ms. Maryl (school secretary) because I wasn't allowed to 'loiter' around during class hours. That's something new, and it's one sign that they're not letting anyone distract classes that easily anymore. Hehe. :) Oh, did I mention that the directress (I hope everyone knows whom I'm talking about! ;p) actually came out of her office and greeted me? It was fine enough, except that I had to make sure that I put my hands behind my back. No, it would not do to expose my neon orange fingernails to the highest figure of a school that preaches simplicity and discretion. I may be out of high school, but I still know the rules, thank you very much.

That encounter ended without incident, and soon, I met up with Ms. P6 Tan, who was actually the primary reason for my visit. After looking at me from top to toe (but to her, I gamely flashed my orange fingernails and neon pink toenails ;p), she promptly brought me to the brand-new faculty. I saw a lot of my former teachers who were all still the same, but nonetheless welcoming. There's Gng. Dela Rosa, still very motherly, and she gave a warm hug; Tweety, to whom I owe much love :); Gng. Serrano, who wasn't too pleased to hear about the Filipino diagnostic that I bombed :P ; Ms. Tria my motherhen, who brought back memories of our crazy history training sessions; Mrs. V, who's energy and spunk I truly missed (btw, she happened to ask me if I missed her, to which I replied "Of course!" :) ; I even saw Ms. Fernandez (whom I hope is happy and successful wherever she is), and who's act of encouragement has never been forgotten by me; and there were a lot whom I was able to wave or say a quick "hi" to, like Ms. Virtudazo, Ms. Torreliza, Ms. Hechanova, Ms. Juanta, Ms. Claur, Ms. Mejia, Ms. Gutierrez ...basically, a lot of friendly faces that I truly missed. It was a blast to go back and still feel welcomed (and recognized) by these people. I know that I'll miss seeing their faces in class.

Oh, and I didn't forget my main reason for visiting. Ultimately, seeing Ms. Eintan made the trip worthwhile; the approximately hour-long talk we had may have only been a mere fraction of the talks we used to have, but it still brought back wonderful memories of a friendship that I really keep close to my heart. I don't think I could ever express how much I appreciate her; despite all the times I've bullied her (with accompaniment from Krish, Wy, and Chinkytoots), all the times I've told her how much I hate Physics and all the times I've simply bugged her to death, she still tolerates me for being me. Not only that, but there have been countless times when's she's gone above and beyond the call of duty of just being a teacher. With that, who wouldn't keep coming back just to experience it all over again? :)

Of course, what would school be without any students? I mostly saw the Xygenz batch, with Corps Cathy and the officers in the middle of their CAT glory. Also saw AA taking the naka-humandahumanda test and C.Aw, doing an awkward tumalikod 'rap! (Hehe!). but the highlight was definitely seeing my DWTL babies again. Though they were still in their CAT line formations, their enthusiastic waves and shouts of "mommy!" really made me feel loved. It's been months since we shared 3 days of eye bags, tears and laughter, but in my heart, the memory is still fresh, as if it all just happened yesterday. My babies, I wish I got to hug all of you! I'm really missing those times when we'd see each other in the HSCC and yell out each other's names; that time when I dropped by your classroom (then 3-Mercy) to write a message on your 'hand-y' bulletin board; and of course, those lemon-lime-scented prayers as a batch. Love all of you to death, and I'm honored to be your mommy. Work hard as seniors, never lose hope, and above all, live the 4th always! I'll be seeing you guys soon. You're almost a year old... *winkwink* :)

Not bad for an otherwise uneventful Friday, huh? Stay tuned for more, especially on what happened during dinner on that very same day. :)

P.S. BTW, I recently learned how to tinker with the links on my right sidebar. YM or leave a comment if you want me to place a link to your blog (leave your name and URL, of course -_-').

2006-06-20T19:59:00.000+08:00

First Look at College (and a few apologies)

To start off, let me say sorry to the people I offended in my last post:

MarieLLE: Ooops! Sorry talaga. Hehe. Really didn't know that's how it's supposed to be spelled. Anyway, it's the thought that counts, right? *wink*

(And this person really deserves a MAJOR apology) PATSY dearest: So, so, so sorry! :O :O :O You're the only one at that dinner table that is my fellow Atenean (unless you count Pau), so I will specially mention you: Also on that fateful debate night was Patsy, poet/writer/artist extrordinaire, and although we're still in the same campus, nothing was better than being with her that night. It was a walk down memory lane, of us still being ICANs and ICAN debaters, and I'll never forget the moments we had together as fishies, like the 2nd invites at St.Paul Pasig, the trainings where we talked about our non-existent love lives *winkwinkpatsy!*, and of course, the times when we both had bursts of adrenaline (especially when debating against angas boys who think they know better---when they obviously don't! ;P). Well, Patsy, I'm really glad that you're still my schoolmate because I know that you're someone that I can always talk to and approach. Here's to a great freshman year, and good luck in your course! :)

Allow me to also comment on the comments made on my previous post:
Purple Cow C.Aw (where the heck did you get that nickname? -_-'): I have to totally agree with Julie and Bea's reactions; only you would *** the word 'stupid'! *sigh* C.Aw...

Now on to my first days in Ateneo. Actually, we're not doing that much as of the moment. In my English and Filipino classes, we had diagnostic tests (profiency testing in the former, and a placement test for the latter). Filipino has two parts, the first of which I took awhile ago. All I can say is, I'm bracing myself to get demoted to FIL 10 (basic), because I think I screwed up. There was vocabulary, sentence analysis, and something about talinhagas (idioms), all of which I probably bombed. Talk about the sad state of our national language! Anyway, I ended up with Botany as my Natsci, which was really my 2nd choice, but I can't help but think about the boredom that's sure to follow. What can I say? Biology is NOT in my blood... it's just that I have a better chance of passing it as compared to Chemistry, Physics and Zoology (and that's saying something). We already have a scheduled quiz for Lab next Monday---about what, I'm not quite sure---and that's a problem. :O

Had my first PE class this morning at 7AM...Yes, 7AM! The sacrifice better be well worth it, because I chose a PE I liked despite its horrible time: Table Tennis. Our teacher, Mr. Alex Torres (his first rule is that we had to remember his name), seems fine, so I'm really hoping this doesn't turn out to be a huge mistake. -_-' Also had 1 1/2 hours of Math today, which wasn't too bad, except that I really should have paid more attention when we were discussing exponents and radicals in high school. The next two weeks in Math will be spent reviewing Algebra, though, because all freshies will be taking a placement exam in July. Oh dear. Well, I won't be really surprised if I get demoted to basic. Just one year of Math! Kaya nga nag-Comm ako eh. Hehehe. :)

I've got a great schedule for the rest of the week, though. I guess that's one good thing about being in college---it basically becomes your life, your time. And you've got lots of time to walk around, eat, get lost, eat some more, and get fat. That's why they say that freshies gain pounds. :O

I think I may be starting to miss having something to do every moment. At least, that was what ICAN life was like. (Isn't it a little too soon to be school sick? :O ) Anyway, I'm hoping to visit this Friday. Maybe that'll cure some of it. :)

2006-06-17T10:41:00.000+08:00

Bittersweet

Finished Orsem 2006, aptly titled "Viaje", recently, but as of the moment, I can't write too much about college yet. They say that you don't know a person until you live in the same house with him/her, and I guess it's also pretty applicable in this case. Classes start Monday, though, and I'm sure that I'll have a ton to write about after that. My schedule doesn't seem so bad, except that I have to wake up earlier everyday than I did during my HS days (because of varying 7am and 7:30am classes -_-'), and it's roughly an hour's ride from my house to ADMU. Oh, and both my comm and english blocks are cool, and there are plenty of fun people all around. Plus, the Ateneo community seems perfectly willing to welcome new blood like us. I've also seen a lot of ICAns whom I haven't talked to in a long time, like Nat, Den, Shereen, and Jean. So far, so good! :)

The highlight of the week, though, came when I attended debate bonding last night. It was the first gathering of the newbies with the oldies, and it was especially funny when I noticed that the dining table in Janne's house was more filled than usual! The more, the merrier, as they say. I was really happy to see that everyone was there, and we did a lot of catching up. It seemed like I never really left high school at all, and after that night, I know that this is one part that I never want to let go. The newbies were all nice and COOPERATIVE (*winkwink*), and thankfully, I was even able to remember their names (Hi, Pam, Mariel, Candice, Kim, Jeanina and Kazumi! Peace tayo ha! ;P ). The dear oldies were still as wacky and HUNGRY as ever (!), like nothing's really changed. There was Janne, smart and generous as always; Julie, still the nice little angel; C.Aw, with the ever-smiling face; Corps Cathy, who told me a very DISTURBING story (shudder! ;P); Ces, who's still very outspoken; Pei, who was single-handedly cleaning out the dessert; Bea, still gentle and nice; Rachel, cute as ever, Bev, who's adorable because she's in love (Yihheee Bev! *WINKWINKWINK*! Hehe :) and AA, my dear partner! Let's also not forget Pauie, our mommy whale who's really soon to be a mommy! :) Being with them brought back a whole lot of memories, and even if technically, I'm not an ICAn anymore, I know that a part of me will always be a fishie, for better or for worse. I'm wishing them all the luck and confidence they can muster, because there's going to be a great year ahead of them, one that has its own share of ups and downs. These guys are going to do so well, and no one can deny that the future is in this crazy bunch. Even though I'm now a 'legend' (that's a nicer word for super oldie! ;P), I hope that I can still be close to these guys. And I hope they know that they can approach me anytime for help, whether in terms of debate matters or gossip. Hehe! GO FISHIES!!! :) Rock on! Break it down, y'all! :D

Will be visiting ICA soon (soon is defined as in the span of 2 weeks). Hope to see happy and familiar faces all around!

2006-06-06T13:04:00.000+08:00

More HS Moments, and Thoughts on Academic Murder

I talked to Wy on the phone last night, and she gave me a brilliant idea. True, majority of our HS moments were all about our crazy (and more or less naughty) antics, but let's face it: the whole experience wouldn't have been complete without the crazy (and truly naughty) antics that our teachers did. So for today, in additon to more memories, I'm making a conscious effort to include the unforgettable times that my teachers--and let's not forget the administration-- gave us...

-watching the volleyball varsity playing in the HSCC, beating the crap out of the visiting team :)

-walking in the dark and praying that I don't see a "white figure" during the Days weekend of my babies (Hi Batch88! :)

-pitying the poor duck in our Biology dissection :(

-I cannot forget Mrs.V's funky stories (like the time she jumped off a bus through the window) and her quotable quotes! ("Good morning?! What's so good about the morning?!")

-Mrs. Cabochan-Reyes demonstrating the 'drilling' noise near the faculty (complete with actions and shaking cheeks ;P )

-with help from Krish, Chinky and Wy, bullying/surrounding Ms. Tan (the small, cute, P6 teacher) to get her to move the quiz

-the day Brock became a 'hero' when she saved Ms. Gadja's broken heel

And of course...
-the day a certain D didn't know that there were exemptions for all subjects except CLE -_-'

Which brings me to some news...

Flash: According to Bev (who's ENJOYING 2nd year right now), as well as Wy, the school has apparently raised standards for exemptions once again. You now have to get at least 93 in every quarter, and Chinese exemptions now need a 98 (not sure for all quarters or just the 4th). I'm assuming that they're still maintaining the conduct grade requirements, but my reaction's still the same: ARE YOU FRIGGIN' TRYING TO KILL THE POOR STUDENTS?!?!?! As if a 93 in the last quarter or a 96 in Chinese wasn't bad enough, now you have to toil 24/7 even more. And I thought that we were actually worried that ICANs were getting too grade conscious, that they were too focused academically. This new system was allegedly implemented because they wanted to decrease the number of exempted students even more, probably to do added 'filtering'. Well, while you're at it, why not just scrap out exemptions altogether? Or wait, why don't you just set limits? Like, only 5 students in the whole batch can get exempted in Filipino, and 10 for Math! This policy definitely makes me happy to be out of HS. :O

I pity the students...but more appropriately, "I pity the fool!" (quoting Mr.T)

2006-06-04T16:36:00.000+08:00

Hello, bloggers of the world!

After seeing friends and family put up their own online journals, I can't believe that I've finally joined the club. Mind you, I've never been one to keep up with Internet fads that seem to sprout up as easily as mushrooms; I never downloaded, much less used mIRC in its hottest days, and my Friendster account lies for weeks unused, until I use it at my convenience. This blog is going to be an exception, I hope; the avenue of expression for all the thoughts that run through my head at the ungodliest of hours and desperately need to be told. There are actually a lot of them, more than I thought anyway. Hehe! Feel free to leave a comment, relevant or otherwise. As much as possible, no profanities please! God knows I have enough of them in my head. :P

Anyway, today's the first day of classes for the high schoolers of my dear alma mater. I've always had a slight problem about letting go; I mean, it's quite normal to still feel attached to something that's been part of your life for 13 years. Today, it's June 5, 2006; school starts once more, and I can't help but feel that I'm missing out on something. Like I'm still supposed to be sitting in the classroom, surrounded by the stuffy lavender walls and listening to the drones of my just-met teacher. Then reality crashes and I'm actually just sitting in front of the computetr, typing my musings. And while there are some high school things that I certainly won't miss (academic and behavioral pressure, bad teachers and conservative administration), and there are some people that I definitely don't want to see again, let's face it: I think I'm already starting to miss high school.

Let me share some high school moments that are running through my head:

-trying to sleep (for the first and last time) in the middle of 3rd year English

-receiving a 4/10 in my first Geometry quiz

-passing notes with Wy almost everyday since we became classmates ;)

-dressing up in my mother's nightgown and curlers for the English Speechfest in 1st year

-performing in front of the whole high school body in that get-up for the said event

-going crazy and feeling burned out after lunch every Thursday in 4th year, where we had double Math, followed by Physics

-texting Chinky every night to ask about homework or that confusing Physics problem

*more to come. You didn't think there were that few, right? *winkwink*