Homecoming

Went to the Church of Gesu in AdMU last Saturday night to attend the 1st Simbang Gabi mass.

Feels good to be home even for just a few hours.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean For Your Love Life?

Your Birthdate: March 28

You don't just believe in love at first site - you've experienced it. You develop crushes pretty easily, but keeping your interest is another matter! You are very prone to love - hate relationships. Number of True Loves You'll Have: 1 Number of Times You'll Have Your Heart Broken: 6 You are most compatible with people born on the 1st, 10th, 19th, and 28th of the month.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean For Your Love Life?

Hola!

I am soooo totally hooked on Ugly Betty! Although initially I almost didn’t want to watch this adorable series, as I thought it might just be an American version of the original Betty La Fea (which, I used to regularly watch, haha!). But, boy was I glad to be wrong!

Betty Suarez is a 22-year old Latina from Queens, who gets to work as an assistant to the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine in New York City. From the moment she came in to the office wearing glasses and braces, and dressed in a big red poncho with “Guadalajara” boldly written across the front, it’s expected that she won’t fit in with most of the people there. In a place where looks are everything, Betty had her share of humiliation and insults. But she somehow brings life to Mode, given her idealistic nature and willingness to believe in people’s innate goodness. It’s really no wonder why America Ferrera won as Best Actress, as she portrays Betty adorably well.

Betty may be the star of the show, but there are also other characters to watch out for. I totally love Amanda and Marc, a bitchy version of Will & Grace, who torment Betty endlessly. Amanda is the sexy receptionist whose first words to Betty are “Are you the before?”, and who pigs out every time she’s stressed out. Marc is Wilhelmina’s gay assistant who is quick to capture embarrassing pictures of Betty, and create his own “Betty’s Wall of Shame”. Although they give Betty a hard time, there have been instances where they’re all forced to stick together and sometimes even share a few heart-warming moments. This doesn’t mean that they like her, though.

Vanessa Williams is also great as the scheming villainess Wilhelmina Slater, the Creative Director who is always out to get the editor-in-chief post. And may I say she looks good doing her evil deeds? Gosh, her outfits are deliciously fabulous and just to die for! They got me salivating in every episode, he he he.

Unlike in the original telenovela, Betty does not fall in love with her womanizing boss. Instead, she slowly becomes Daniel’s confidante and friend, who always end up bailing him (and even his family) out of trouble. She always looks out for him and never hesitates to give him a piece of her mind every time he screws up, and Daniel somehow hates it when she’s disappointed in him.

If she doesn’t fall in love with her boss, then who is Betty’s love interest? Her knight in shining armour is in the person of the cute and nerdy accountant, Henry, who knows that pink river daisies are Betty’s favourite flowers, that she likes the band Wicked, and that she likes that extra mustard on her sandwich. They like and laugh at the same things, and even finish each other’s sentences. They’re totally perfect for each other—if only he didn’t have an ex-girlfriend, who’s carrying his baby (or maybe not). Nerd love has never been this romantic and complicated!

So in all, I think Ugly Betty has everything you’d want in a show—comedy, drama, mystery and romance. After seeing it, you definitely won’t judge a book by its cover (or a show by its protagonist) again.

What If Harry Potter Went to the Ateneo?

Here's a link to a funny blog entry featuring a parody of Ateneo life and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Thanks for sharing, Ailee!

http://smartaleck30.multiply.com/journal/item/44/Harry_Potter_and_the_Ateneo_de_Manila_University

My Song (of the Moment)

Unwritten
by Natasha Bedingfield

I am unwritten,
Can't read my mind
I'm undefined
I'm just beginning
The pen's in my hand
Ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

I break tradition
Sometimes my tries
Are outside the lines
We've been conditioned
To not make mistakes
But I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inner visions

"Partners and Marriage"

(Just a re-post of a forwarded email. Long read, but really worth it.)

FOREWORD:
Eduardo Calasanz was a student at the Ateneo Manila University, Philippines, where he had Father Ferriols as professor. Father Ferriols, meanwhile at that time, was the Philosophy department head. Currently he still teaches Philosophy for graduating college students in Ateneo. Father Ferriols has been very popular for his mind opening and enriching classes but was also notorious for the grades he gives. Still people took his classes for the learning and deep insight they take home with them every day (if only they could do something about the grades...) Anyway, come grade giving time, (Ateneo has letter grading systems, the highest being an A, lowest at D, with F for flunk), Fr. Ferriols had this long discussion with the registrar people because he wanted to give Calasanz an A+. Either that or he doesn't teach at all... Calasanz got his A+. Read the paper below to find out why....

PARTNERS AND MARRIAGE
By Eduardo Jose E. Calasanz

I have never met a man who didn't want to be loved. But I have seldom met a man who didn't fear marriage. Something about the closure seems constricting, not enabling. Marriage seems easier to understand for what it cuts out of our lives than for what it makes possible within our lives.

When I was younger this fear immobilized me. I did not want to make a mistake. I saw my friends get married for reasons of social acceptability, or sexual fever, or just because they thought it was the logical thing to do. Then I watched, as they and their partners became embittered and petty in their dealings with each other. I looked at older couples and saw, at best, mutual toleration of each other. I imagined a lifetime of loveless nights and bickering days and could not imagine subjecting myself or someone else to such a fate.

And yet, on rare occasions, I would see old couples who somehow seemed to glow in each other's presence. They seemed really in love, not just dependent upon each other and tolerant of each other's foibles. It was an astounding sight, and it seemed impossible. How, I asked myself, can they have survived so many years of sameness, so much irritation at the others habits? What keeps love alive in them, when most of us seem unable to even stay together, much less love each other?

The central secret seems to be in choosing well. There is something to the claim of fundamental compatibility. Good people can create a bad relationship, even though they both dearly want the relationship to succeed. It is important to find someone with whom you can create a good relationship from the outset. Unfortunately, it is hard to see clearly in the early stages. Sexual hunger draws you to each other and colors the way you see yourselves together. It blinds you to the thousands of little things by which relationships eventually survive or fail.

You need to find a way to see beyond this initial overwhelming sexual fascination. Some people choose to involve themselves sexually and ride out the most heated period of sexual attraction in order to see what is on the other side. This can work, but it can also leave a trail of wounded hearts. Others deny the sexual side altogether in an attempt to get to know each other apart from their sexuality. But they cannot see clearly, because the presence of unfulfilled sexual desire looms so large that it keeps them from having any normal perception of what life would be like together.

The truly lucky people are the ones who manage to become long-time friends before they realize they are attracted to each other. They get to know each other's laughs, passions, sadness, and fears. They see each other at their worst and at their best. They share time together before they get swept up into the entangling intimacy of their sexuality. This is the ideal, but not often possible. If you fall under the spell of your sexual attraction immediately, you need to look beyond it for other keys to compatibility.

One of these is laughter. Laughter tells you how much you will enjoy each others company over the long term. If your laughter together is good and healthy, and not at the expense of others, then you have a healthy relationship to the world. Laughter is the child of surprise. If you can make each other laugh, you can always surprise each other. And if you can always surprise each other, you can always keep the world around you new.

Beware of a relationship in which there is no laughter. Even the most intimate relationships based only on seriousness have a tendency to turn sour. Over time, sharing a common serious viewpoint on the world tends to turn you against those who do not share the same viewpoint, and your relationship can become based on being critical together.

After laughter, look for a partner who deals with the world in a way you respect. When two people first get together, they tend to see their relationship as existing only in the space between the two of them. They find each other endlessly fascinating, and the overwhelming power of the emotions they are sharing obscures the outside world. As the relationship ages and grows, the outside world becomes important again.

If your partner treats people or circumstances in a way you can't accept, you will inevitably come to grief. Look at the way he/she cares for others and deals with the daily affairs of life. If that makes you love him/her more, your love will grow. If it does not, be careful. If you do not respect the way you each deal with the world around you, eventually the two of you will not respect each other.

Look also at how your partner confronts the mysteries of life. We live on the cusp of poetry and practicality, and the real life of the heart resides in the poetic. If one of you is deeply affected by the mystery of the unseen in life and relationships, while the other is drawn only to the literal and the practical, you must take care that the distance does not become an unbridgeable gap that leaves you each feeling isolated and misunderstood. There are many other keys, but you must find them by yourself. We all have unchangeable parts of our hearts that we will not betray and private commitments to a vision of life that we will not deny. If you fall in love with someone who cannot nourish those inviolable parts of you, or if you cannot nourish them in him/her, you will find yourselves growing further apart until you live in separate worlds where you share the business of life, but never touch each other where the heart lives and dreams.

From there it is only a small leap to the cataloging of petty hurts and daily failures that leaves so many couples bitter and unsatisfied with their mates. So choose carefully and well. If you do, you will have chosen a partner with whom you can grow, and then the real miracle of marriage can take place in your hearts.

I pick my words carefully when I speak of a miracle. But I think it is not too strong a word. There is a miracle in marriage. It is called transformation. Transformation is one of the most common events of nature. The seed becomes the flower. The cocoon becomes the butterfly. Winter becomes spring and love becomes a child. We never question these, because we see them around us every day. To us they are not miracles, though if we did not know them they would be impossible to believe.

Marriage is a transformation we choose to make. Our love is planted like a seed, and in time it begins to flower. We cannot know the flower that will blossom, but we can be sure that a bloom will come.

If you have chosen carefully and wisely, the bloom will be good. If you have chosen poorly or for the wrong reason, the bloom will be flawed. We are quite willing to accept the reality of negative transformation in a marriage. It was negative transformation that always had me terrified of the bitter marriages that I feared when I was younger. It never occurred to me to question the dark miracle that transformed love into harshness and bitterness.

Yet I was unable to accept the possibility that the first heat of love could be transformed into something positive that was actually deeper and more meaningful than the heat of fresh passion. All I could believe in was the power of this passion and the fear that when it cooled I would be left with something lesser and bitter.

But there is positive transformation as well. Like negative transformation, it results from a slow accretion of little things. But instead of death by a thousand blows, it is growth by a thousand touches of love. Two histories intermingle. Two separate beings, two separate presence, two separate consciousness come together and share a view of life that passes before them. They remain separate, but they also become one.

There is an expansion of awareness, not a closure and a constriction, as I had once feared. This is not to say that there is not tension and there are not traps. Tension and traps are part of every choice of life, from celibate to monogamous to having multiple lovers.

Each choice contains within it the lingering doubt that the road not taken somehow mor e fruitful and exciting, and each becomes dulled to the richness that it alone contains. But only marriage allows life to deepen and expand and be leavened by the knowledge that two have chosen, against all odds, to become one. Those who live together without marriage can know the pleasure of shared company, but there is a specific gravity in the marriage commitment that deepens that experience into something richer and more complex.

So do not fear marriage, just as you should not rush into it for the wrong reasons. It is an act of faith and it contains within it the power of transformation. If you believe in your heart that you have found someone with whom you are able to grow, if you have sufficient faith that you can resist the endless attraction of the road not taken and the partner not chosen, if you have the strength of heart to embrace the cycles and seasons that your love will experience, then you may be ready to seek the miracle that marriage offers. If not, then wait.

The easy grace of a marriage well made is worth your patience. When the time comes, a thousand flowers will bloom...endlessly.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Most people may not know this about me, but I've kept all the letters, notes, and cards I've received since I was in grade school. Even those written on scratch paper, post-its, and tissue paper. I love writing notes/letters because I think they're more personal and more meaningful.

And so, last Friday night, feeling a little bit nostalgic, I whipped out the box containing those I got in college. I had to laugh at the stuff we talked about then-- boys, stinky teachers, failing grades in Math, boys, short-term goals like having boyfriends, weird classmates, and more boys! Things were definitely a bit less complicated, albeit more dramatic, then.

I thought about the faces behind those letters, and remembered all the things we've been through. And then I came across a note, with handwriting I didn't recognize. This poem was written on a torn 1/2 piece of notebook paper:

PERFECT WOMAN

She was a Phantom of delight
When first she gleamed upon my sight;
A lovely Apparition sent
To be a moment's ornament;
Her eyes as stars of Twilight fair;
Like Twilight's, too, her dusky hair;
But all things else about her drawn
From May-time and the cheerful Dawn,
A dancing shape, an image gay;
To haunt, to startle, and way-lay.

I saw her upon nearer view,
A spirit, yet a Woman too!
Her havehold motions light and free,
And steps of virgin-liberty;
A countenance on which did meet
Sweet records, promises as sweet;
A creature not too bright or good
For human nature's daily food;
For transient sorrows, simple wiles,
Praise, blame, live, kisses, tears and smiles.

And now I see with eyes serene
The very pulse of the machine,
A Being breathing thoughtful breath,
A Traveller between life and death;
The reason firm, the temperate will,
Endurance, foresight, strength and skill;
A perfect woman, nobly planned,
To warm, to comfort, and command;
And yet a spirit still, and bright
With something of angelic light.

-William Wordsworth

Hmmm...

People say: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

I say: "Too much absence makes the heart wonder (or even wander.)"

Me no millionaire

A colleague shared with us some interesting points she read in the book "The Millionaire Next Door". If I remember correctly, the book was based on interviews done by the authors (a couple of psychologists, I think) of several well-off people in States.

So what did they find out? A millionaire's profile is:
- 50 something male
- retired, self-employed (but not necessarily a businessman)
- married with 3 kids; spouse is usually a housewife or if working, a teacher
- has lived in their residence for 20 years; usually owns secondhand cars
- spends 10% of earnings (not so sure about the figure, basta super way below their means)
There's more, but I can't remember them now.

Anyway, a question discussed was, if you own a million pesos now, are you already considered a "millionaire"? Answer: not necessarily. The measure of wealth differs with age, like a 40-year old is expected to have more wealth that a 23-year old.

So, how do you know if you're wealthy at your age? They've come up with the following formula:

Net Worth = Age x Gross Annual Income

10

The figure you get should be what you have in your savings right now. Now, if you have less than this amount, join the club. If you have more, call me. =)

Irksome Twosome

I went to the bookstore with my sis this afternoon, with one mission in mind: to get our hands on the 7th and last Harry Potter book.

Apparently, they're not displaying the books so you had to pay for it first then claim your copy from the customer service counter right beside the cashier.

So after paying, the receipt was handed off to Girl In-charge. While we were waiting for the book, my sis and I noticed Office Woman by the CS counter browsing through the important parts of the book while asking Girl In-charge crucial questions about it.

Office Woman: Naa na diay anak si Harry? (Harry had a kid?)
Girl In-charge: O, kay after 19 years naman na sya. (Yeah, this was after 19 years.)
*Picture my sis and I pacing back and forth, trying hard not to commit murder in a bookstore. Grrr.
Office Woman: So, kinsa diay ang namatay? (So, who died?)

I walked out. Good thing, my sis didn't hear Office Woman or else Harry would've been left alone with the freaks.

Wanted: Scar Remover

Been rubbing Sebo de Macho on my horrendous leg scars for months now, hoping they would disappear. But I've no such luck. The cream definitely prevented the scars from darkening, but now they're white. UGLY white.

So if you know of any other miracle creams, let me know. Pleeeez, I'm utterly desperate.

MAJOR-ly Cool

-Borrowed from Camillo; I just find my 1st and 2nd choices amusing, from Visual & Performing Arts to Biology/Chemistry/Geology. =) You scored as Visual&PerformingArts, You should strongly consider majoring (or minoring) in the Visual or Performing Arts (e.g., Art, Art Education, Art History, Ceramics, Culinary Arts, Dance, Drawing, Fashion Design, Film, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Marketing (advertising), Music, Music Education, Music Theory, Painting, Photography, Theatre). It is possible that the best major for you is your 2nd, 3rd, or even 5th listed category, so be sure to consider ALL majors in your OTHER high scoring categories (below). You may score high in a category you didnt think you would--it is possible that a great major for you is something you once dismissed as not for you. The right major for you will be something 1) you love and enjoy and 2) are really great at it. Visual&PerformingArts 100% Biology/Chemistry/Geology 88% French/Spanish/OtherLanguage 81% HR/BusinessManagement 75% English/Journalism/Comm 75% Psychology/Sociology 69% History/Anthropology/LiberalArts 50% PoliticalScience/Philosophy 50% Accounting/Finance/Marketing 50% Religion/Theology 50% Physics/Engineering/Computer 50% Mathematics/Statistics 38% Education/Counseling 38% Nursing/AthleticTraining/Health 31% WHAT MAJOR IS RIGHT FOR YOU? created with QuizFarm.com

Some Survey

1] What was the highlight of your week?
So far, going to the gym. Boring.

2] Whose car were you in last?
Mine... or rather, my parents'. Hehe.

3] When is the next time you will kiss someone?
My gawd, who knows?

4] What color shirt are you wearing?
Purple.

5] How long is your hair?
Um, middle of my back, I think.

8] Last movie you watched?
In a movie house, Pirates 3(which was shown ages ago). DVD, Prime.

9] Last thing you ate?
Banana.

10] Last thing you drank?
Water.

11] Where did you sleep last night?
My bed.

13] Are you happy right now?
So so.

14] What did you say last?
"Remote control, please."

15] Where is your phone?
In my bag, up in my room.

16] What was the last museum you went to?
Ayala, I think, back in college.

17] What color are your eyes?
Dark brown.

19] Who came over last?
My grandma.

20] When was the last time you had your heart broken?
Ugh.

21] Who/what do you hate/dislike currently?
Waiting.

22] What are you listening to?
Jay Leno

23] If you could have one thing right now what would it be?
Mac laptop.

24] What is your favorite scent?
Nothing specific.

25] Who makes you happiest right now?
Family and friends.

26] What were you doing at midnight last night?
Sleeping.

30] Are you left-handed?
Nope.

32] What's for dinner tonight?
Adidas.

35] When Is Your Birthday?
March 28, '80

36] Who was the last person to send you a text message?
My mom.

37] When was the last time you went to a swimming pool?
Last May, for summer outing.

39] Where was the last place you went shopping?
Can't remember. Yes, it was that long.

40] How do you feel about your hair right now?
I'm due for a color treatment in a couple of weeks.

41] Do you have any expensive jewelry?
Nope.

42] AIM or MSN?
YM

46] Where does most of your family live?
Here in Cebu. My bros are in Manila.

47]Are you an only child or do you have siblings?
I have 3 other siblings.

48] Would you consider yourself to be spoiled?
Maybe.

49] What was the first thing you thought when you woke up?
Can I go back to sleep?

50] Do you drink beer?
Yeah. But I haven't for quite some time now.

52] Myspace or Facebook?
Facebook.

53] Do you have T-Mobile?
Nope.

54] What is your favorite subject in school?
Math, Chem, English, Filipino, Arts, Music, Marketing, Philo... in no particular order.

57] Do you have any talents?
I would like to think so =)

58] Have you ever been in a wedding?
I've attended weddings.

59] Do you have any children?
Nope.

60] Did you take a nap today?
Nope.

63] Do you want to be famous one day?
Only if I also become rich.

65] Are you multitasking right now?
Of course!

66] Could you handle being in the military?
Nope, I would probably become a rebel.

67] What is your average cell phone bill?
400-600... yeah!!!

68] Do you believe in Karma?
Yes.

72] Ever been to Las Vegas?
Nope.

73] What are you doing today?
Right now, answering this survey.

74] Have you ever been gambling?
Just tried out the slot machines.

75] When is the last time you updated your blog?
Um, sometime in June.

76] Have you been to New York City?
I would love to live there someday!

77] Ever been to Disneyland/world?
HK

78] Do you have a favorite cartoon character?
Dory

79] Last thing you cooked?
Pasta with tuna, about a year ago. Haha.

82] Stupidest thing you ever did with your cell phone?
Hmmm, probably lost it.

83] Last time you were sick?
In May, got all stitched up.

84] Friend that makes you laugh the hardest?
Power of Four. =)

Long overdue tagging

Each player of this game starts with 6 weird things about themselves. People who get tagged need to write a blog entry of their own 6 weird things. They should state the rule clearly as well. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to tell them they've been tagged and ask them to read your blog.

6 weird things about Me:
1. I used to enjoy watching Jai alai games on TV, just for fun. Just like how I enjoyed watching those Chinese movies without translation.
2. I only eat raisins that come in a box. If they're mixed with any other food, I throw them away. 3. I have an eyebrow fixation. I pluck my brows almost daily.
4. My favorite vegetable is ampalaya. Got used to the taste after all those years of forced feeding.
5. I've always enjoyed watching Eat Bulaga since I was a kid, and even wanted to join Little Miss Philippines. Seriously.
6. I sleepwalk and sleeptalk. Happened more often when I was younger.

guilty as charged

an old forwarded email which, i re-read while cleaning my inbox.


F A M I L Y

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.

He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.

But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,

"While dealing with a stranger,
common courtesy you use,
but the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway."

I said, "Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

lightbulb moment

i've been a bit uninspired and depressed about this one aspect of my life for quite some time now. thus making me a monstrous, sulking little biatch-- sooo not a nice person to be with. and after my recent mishap, i realized (or finally admitted to myself) that i need a major change in this area if i want to be truly happy. the thought that i could've died then (i'm such a drama queen!), without fulfilling my dream, scared the crap out of me.

and so, i was really glad to have met up with shalu this afternoon as she was able to shed some light on my problem. she shared her newfound "positivity", brought about by her recent freedom from a crippling problem similar to mine. in short, she helped me get a glimpse of the so-called light at the end of the tunnel. waking me up to take big steps to get out of it.

so now i'm verbalizing it: i am on my way to making wonderful changes in life, finally! and as the tv show title goes, "abangan ang susunod na kabanata!" :D

One Big Ateneo Survey (courtesy of Ailee)

1. What's your ID number? --- Unlike Ailee and Yang, I can’t remember this anymore. Obvious na I almost always requested for proxy reg =p

2. Passed or wait-listed? --- Passed, of course!

3. How did you know about the ACET results? --- My uncle, whose son was also in Ateneo, called me up and told me I passed, for the course Legal Management. I asked him ‘What’s that?” and he said, “Ewan ko sa’yo, ikaw yung nag-take ng exam!” Haha.

4. Was Ateneo your first choice? --- Not really, UPD was my first choice.

5. Do you know what your ACET score is? --- Nope.

6. What course was your first choice? --- LM. But as mentioned above I vaguely remember why I chose it. My theory is, I was looking for a Management course and my parents wanted me to become a laywer, thus the Legal Management course.

7. Second choice? --- AB Communications, which was what I really wanted to take. But practicality made me choose LM.

8. Anong course mo ngayon? (for alumni, course dati) --- LM, and happy about it.

9. Did you have any plans of shifting? --- Nope.

10. Chinito/chinita ka ba? --- Uh, I don’t think so

11. Taga-Ateneo High? --- Nope

12. Did you have fun in your OrSem? --- Hell yeah! I met my super best friends Awee, Yang and Cheeky during OrSem.

13. Saang gate ka pumasok nung first day? --- Gate 3.

14. Are you staying/did you stay in a dorm? --- Nope, stayed with my uncle’s family in UP Village

15. Ever had an F in your grade report? --- None, buti na lang

16. How about an A? --- Yup

17. Highest grade? --- A

18. Lowest grade? --- D for accounting and finance, I think. Haha!

19. Worst experience in ADMU? --- Nothing comes to mind.

20. Do you always attend class? --- Hahaha, nope! I’ve cut class a few times just because I felt like doing so.

21. What are/were your orgs? --- LEX and Enta (the best!) Also joined CADs before, but wasn’t that active.

22. How many units have/did you pass/ed? --- All required units lang.

23. Nangangarap/nangarap ka bang maglaude? --- No way! Took having fun seriously.

24. When will/did you graduate? --- 2001

25. Fave subject? --- CHEM!!! Philo subjects (except for 103, because of the teacher), Filipino subjects, JSP 101, and of course, Marketing. Had the best group mates!

26. Worst subject/s? --- Math and Accounting, definitely. Talk about bitter pill.

27. Fave landmark sa ADMU? --- Bel Field, especially at night when all the lights are turned on.

28. Fave kainan? --- MANANG’S! The best!

29. How do/did you get to school? --- Was able to use all means of transpo possible—jeepney, trike, car, taxicab, my feet.

30. Are/were you always at the lib? --- Yuck, no. I only go the lib when necessary, like when I need to review for an exam, do homework, and when I’m sleepy. Hehe.

31. Ever gone to the infirmary when you were sick? --- Yup, had to go there one early morning because of a tummy ache. Turns out it’s appendicitis, and I had to undergo surgery that night.

32. Do/did you have a crush in campus? --- Oh yeah. About a handful, hehe.

33. May balak kang mag-MS, PhD? --- Not really. But would like to study something related to the arts.

34. Have you ever watched a graduation ceremony? --- Yup, ushered for batches ’98, ’99 and ’00.

35. Do you know the "Song for Mary" by heart? --- Yeah, baby.

36. Memorize mo ba ang Fabilioh? ---Yes.

37. ...ang Halikinu? -- Yes.

38. ...ang Blue Eagle Spelling? --- You’re not an Atenean if you don’t memorize these cheers.

39. Are you part of Team Ateneo? --- Nope.

40. Who's your fave UAAP basketball player? --- None.

41. Ever had a perfect score in an exam? --- I can’t remember.

42. Ano ang ayaw mo sa Hell Week? --- The praning people.

43. Dito ka ba natuto uminom ng beer? --- Nope. Not into beer now.

44. What do you like about our school? --- Everything about it, good or bad.

45. Ano ang ayaw mo? --- Seriously, wala.

46. Have you ever bought anything at the A-shop? --- Yup, t-shirt and car sticker, I think.

47. maganda ba ID pic mo? --- Not my first one! We all had our pics taken in the afternoon of OrSem Day 1, when all of us had sweaty and pasty skin. Nice. The second one was ok. The third one, I looked like the blueberry girl from Willy Wonka.

48. Done anything illegal on campus? --- None naman.

49. Bought anything at National Katips? --- Of course, it’s my second home!

50. Ever gone to Starbucks Katips? --- Yup, but only a few times.

51. May nakaaway ka na ba sa school? --- Can’t remember.

52. QPI? --- 3 something. Don’t remember stuff like grades. ;) Yabang, hehe.

Frankenstein Look-Alike

Inasmuch as I don't want to scare everyone away, I'm posting here pics of what I looked like right after the accident mentioned in my previous post. Just in case you don't recognize me anymore, sniff sniff. (Drama!)


The bandages and stitches are all gone now, but I'm still left with with horrendous scars. Parang cosmetic surgery gone wrong. Hay.

The (St)itchy and Scratchy Show

Who could've known that what's supposed to be a fun & relaxing weekend would turn into a "woundfest" for me.

Last Saturday, we had our company summer outing at Plantation Bay. We had fun biking around the resort, taking lots of pictures, and swimming in the beach. Mel, Denise, Anj and I decided to try out the water slide. It would be a first for me so I was kind of psyched to try it out.

My turn on the slide-- I was lying down with my arms crossed, sliding down real fast, bumping hard against the sides, then my bottom hit the pool floor with a big thump swallowing lots of sea water. That was Bad Idea #1.

After recovering from the somewhat bad dismount, we all decided to play water polo, guys (5) versus girls (10). I was positioned right beside the guys' goal, which was some sort of roofed wooden structure on top of a rocky semi-hill. Yep, definitely Bad Idea #2-in-the-making.

After scoring a couple of goals, I felt a sting on my right leg. I earned myself two 3-inch scratches that sat side by side in the middle of my leg. I initially brushed them off as mere scratches, but then when I got out of the water it started bleeding somewhat profusely. So I had someone perform first aid, and wrap it up nicely.

So you'd think I would just lay off any physical activity until I get home safely. But the next morning (Mother's Day), four of us decided to go biking before breakfast. I thought this would be ok as I was able to finish an hour of biking without any mishap. (Now that I think of it, I actually fell down the bike on one of our stops the day before. I should've taken this as a sign.) This wasn't Bad Idea #3. This was the WORST IDEA EVER.

We were riding along a narrow, curved, somewhat downward sloping road. As I turned to the left, I was caught off guard because there were 2 people, 1 on each side of the road. I managed to avoid them, but there was another person (or persons, I remember vaguely now.) as I turned to the right, and the road was already sloping at this point. I avoided bumping into the person, so in turn I fell to my left and hit the pavement. I felt my head hit something hard, but I thought it was just a bump, so I stood up and started an embarassed laugh. But then I felt hot liquid drip down my face. Apparently, I hit a corner of a cement slab (the one used to cover sewage canals) or according to my companions, with some kind of iron thing.

For this accident alone, I got my left big toe skinned (good thing I didn't lose my toenail!), my knee also skinned and my leg suffered lots of scratches, the biggest one with a 5"x3" area. Don't forget 2 sutured wounds on my forehead -- one above the eyebrow and one below -- both needing 2 stitches each.

I've never really considered myself a klutz before (except for that one incident on my way to Bellarmine), but rest assured, I won't be doing any physical activity until I find out what's wrong with me. However, I won't be going near any bicycles in my lifetime.

My Soundtrack

RULES:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Media Player, iPod, Winamp etc.)
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press play.
4. For every question, type the song that’s playing.
5. When you go to the next question, press the next button.
6. Don’t lie and pretend you’re cool.
7. When you’re finished, tag some other people to do it!

Opening credits:
I Don’t Wanna Be – Gavin De Graw
cool...

Waking up:
Give Me One Reason – Tracy Chapman
yep, give me one good reason to wake up early in the morning...

First Day of School:
Shiver – Natalie Imbruglia
shivering from the early morning cold shower

Falling in love:
Soothing Waterfalls – Sounds of Nature/Instrumental
haha, perfect music to my non-love life

First song:
Follow Me – Uncle Kracker

Breaking up:
The Aaliyah Song- Boyz II Men
by golly, how depressing

Prom:
She’s Only Happy in the Sun – Ben Harper
yeah, summer outing na!

Life:
Let Me Love You - Mario
weird.

Mental breakdown:
I Finally Found Someone – Bryan Adams/Barbara Streissand
hahaha, busted!

Driving:
Head Over Feet – Alanis Morissette
um, i'd probably get into a car crash if i take the song title to heart...

Flashback:
Wordplay – Jason Mraz
yeah...

Getting back together:
Back to You – John Mayer
whoa, talk about apt...

Wedding:
Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai
hahaha, definitely an insanity when that happens!

Birth of a child:
She’s the One – Robbie Williams

Final battle:
Fragile - Sting
cool!

Death scene:
I Want You Back – Jackson Five
something those who are left behind would sing

Funeral song:
So Young – The Corrs
haha, funny...

End credits:
White Flag – Dido
whoa, creepy...