Moving Forward!

Yes, I am alive!

I can't say "I'm back" though, for one main reason: there is no assurance that I am indeed back on the blogging, and if this time it is for real. The past three months were a whirlwind of learning and adjusting to new people, places, things... New life, perhaps?

What I can say is that my blogging would still be intermittent bordering on nil-nada-zilch. Aside from the fact that I rarely use a computer outside the office now, when I do, I always end up choosing to do other things. I love writing, especially if it's recording my daily life experiences, musings, and whatnot, but sometimes I find comfort in just keeping things reserved. At some point, I felt like I was on the verge of winning the Queen of Overshare crown. As much as it sounds like it's a royal award, I don't think I would like that.

Anyway, this will probably be the last of my journal entries...

For the year! Haha! I don't think I can ever let go of this blog. I've deleted a ton of things that contained years of memories; all those posts prior to the first entry of the rebirth of this blog, and I'm not about to put this all to waste. I will keep this like it's treasure.

I probably won't be writing as frequently as I did when I was in school; back when I had time to write endlessly because I always put off doing my homework. Haha! And I probably won't be writing as much about the details of my life, just because. I never really worried about security or stalkers or whatever; I always believed that I was responsible for everything I published and I still hold that idea that everything that goes on here will be accountable to me. It's just that life gets pretty mundane one moment and super exciting the next. I guess if I write about everything from both ends and everything else in between, I would run out of things to say, and I wouldn't want that. Or if I keep having words to say, which is mostly the case, I would become less interested in what life has for me.

I want to keep this blog for... I dunno. I don't wanna have a purpose for this anymore. Maybe this creature of habit finally found her kryptonite at breaking the writing habit, I don't know. It would be sad but rest assured that I will be coming back. To write about a new career opportunity, to write about family, to write about life and love, to write about the random things I always do, to write about what what drives me to go through day to day...

That said, I will be moving forward, with myself, with work, with family, with love... With life. I am now keeping a journal (yes, the old school one!) and so far have been unsuccessful at making the quota of writing one entry a day! Haha. Quantity doesn't deem to important nowadays when all that matters is that I write with the heart and the mind in the same direction.

Thank you, 2011. You have been an amazing, amazing, amazing year. No words for the greatness you have brought into my life. Welcome, 2012. I have high hopes with you!

And to you, my friend, here's to yet another year gone by and to another year to make hella awesome memories again! Cheers!

Quarter Life Musings

I wrote this earlier this afternoon while I was in the office, idling away into a void. There are days like such at work. Oh, but that's a day in my life lately. The amount of work spikes and dips like crazy, which solely depends on the demands of my boss. Not that he demands in-a-bad-way-demands for things to be done, he's a nice boss! *buyaaag, knocks on wood*

Anyway, it's the eve of my 21st birthday, and for the first time in weeks, I shall post an entry in my seemingly neglected cyberspace of a blog.

It's the eve of my 21st birthday and for the first time in weeks, I have decided to write down all my musings that have been on my mind for a couple of months now.

It has been just a little over a month when I defended my thesis; yes, my thesis that has plagued this blog for almost a year! Before my thesis term happened, I vowed to focus, focus, and focus! Having no more than three academic units that term when thesis started, I certainly had no other responsibilities, save for my beloved Green Media Group (GMG). Since then, I seem to have lost connection to the outside world. It's not like I lost my social life totally (because I admit I lost half of it) or that I suddenly decided to become a hermit or hide under a rock; it's more like living life entirely and solely for the completion of thesis. For seemingly endless months, thesis had been my life.

I won't delve on thesis any more since, like I said, this blog is full of it. If you track back until around say, September 2010 in Retrospective Perspective (archives), and you'll find the answers to all your questions. Haha!

Anyway, that part of my life is over and done, but the heartache lives on, insiiiide. TOTALLY KIDDING. (If you're someone I really get along with, admit it, you sang that part. Haha.) Seriously, now that it's over and done, I have been thinking about a lot of things: from the past, all those mistakes and learning from them; the present, how thankful or spiteful I have become toward a lot of things; and the future, what lies ahead as I linger in this uncertain present.

This isn't exactly "quarter life crisis" like what a few of my peers say that they're currently experiencing or recently have undergone. For one, I see no crisis in my situation; and two, let me save us the argument by saying that the average lifespan of a human being is about 80 years old, so I can definitely say that at 20, this is quarter life. Haha!

I have done way too many things in only two decades. Presenting, my life summary so far.

For the earlier part of my life, I may have only acted according to somebody else's will (say, my parents) because they say it's what's right or it's for the best. Also during my childhood, I probably just thought, acted, and spoke the way that society and culture expected me to. Looking back on that part of my childhood, I have no regrets. I was just a kid after all. I can even say that I have had a great childhood. You know, nothing tragic like homes catching fire or serious illnesses; nothing extraordinary like winning the lottery as well. I couldn't have asked for anything more when I was born into a loving home with a dad and mom who love each other unwaveringly to create a nurturing environment, and a brother who I share a love-hate relationship with; you know how siblings are.

When I finally learned to think, act, and speak out of my own volition, I also began to realize how complex the seemingly simple things have become. Maybe they were complicated to start with and I was just too young to realize it; or that they have always been pretty easy and I have grown to be the eccentric over-thinking being that I am. Either way, I have no regrets. I have done stupid things that cost me and some others their valuable time, effort, and energy; something I'm not very proud of, but we all have those skeletons in our closets, don't we? Yet I make sure to never let it surface. I have become a beacon of negativity during a short phase of my adolescent life. That's one thing I would prefer to be erased from my memory, but that would mean I won't learn from it.

I can proudly say that I am not that person anymore. Well, at least when it came to perspectives about life in general. Dad constantly reminds my brother and I about, beyond physics, how the law of attraction (The Secret by Rhonda Byrne) will keep us motivated about anything we set our minds to; and mom makes sure we don't just hear dad's words of wisdom but actually listen to it and live it.

The new chapter of my life when I started studying at the university back in 2007 was a turning point for most of what and how I am now. College changed me from that wallflower back in high school. 2008 didn't make much positive difference, though, making a big leap from awesome to plain ohmygod-why-is-this- happening. Gladly, 2009 was the year of recovery and recuperation, the year of steady! Come 2010, my college batch mates started graduating and gettin jobs, while I, completing my course curriculum requirements stayed at university and making good use of my spare time being immersed and trying to be useful to GMG. Thesis was set to commence that year as well. The rest is history, let's leave it at that. Haha, you know it when you know about it and my lips stay sealed; I'd love to give my emotions a break! Haha.

As for 2011... Brace yourself for the cliche. It is a rollercoaster ride.

Inexplicable level of stress. Too much unnecessary drama. Bewildering spontaneity. That and everything else! I'd be exaggerating but it's safe to say that everything that can happen to me to make my life interesting has probably happened already.

And most recently, my forthcoming graduation from the university, finally. October 15, 2011, mark it.

Highest of highs and lowest of lows, thirteen terms of going to and from both ends of the emotional spectrum is the best four years and three months of my life. For everything, regardless of anything, I am and will forever be grateful! Thank you, Lord.

Today, I say good bye and thank you for the irreplace much more and memorable twenty years! And cheers to you for being a proactive part of my life. Cheers to creating a lot more of those in the years to come!

See you around in this voyage to greatness!

Emancipation

For the past months, I have not veered away from the topic of thesis in most of my blog entries. I'm more thankful that you stuck around for this long than I am sorry that this is getting sickening for you. After all, I don't have a particular theme for my blog, but me. Haha, pardon the narcissism if that's how you see it because not once have I intended for this to be in such way; just my online memory box. Anyway, back to the issue.

I hope and pray that THIS shall be the last of my thesis-related blogging saga, because today, my thesismates and I are finally emancipated from all requirements of our degree program's curriculum.

In behalf of Meryl and David of Working Lunch Productions, *insert magical chimes SFX* behold, all 55 pages of nine laborious yet fulfilling months of thesis goodness, hard-bound for the University Archives!

Sure, graduation is a month and a half away but I can't dwindle into idleness, right? Thus, September 1 marks the onset of an uncertain future.

Word Vomit IV

Pardon me, I'm hormonal. I'm stressed, anxious, and emotional.

"Good job! Little minor versions of one whopper of a scapegoat, aka us, huh? Standing ovation, take a bow."

"You force me into thinking that you only survived because you've been sucking on my blood."

"I know in my heart that you don't give a flying duck about what the heck is happening with [it] but I just can't help but wonder how deeply dense you are. Anyway, it's just a thought. I know in my heart people like you have plastic wings; the more you soar higher, the more it is likely for your wings to melt. Have fun down there!"

On a lighter note...

"Telling me that you'll be gone in less than 30 days made me genuinely sad. It's heartbreaking! Don't leave!"

"You are my social life. Alam mo na yan!" (This still cracks me up like mad. I think Mini Stop's fried chicken has uppers. Hahaha.)

P.S.

All statements are for different persons. Y'all know who you are!

Doing What You Love

There are certain things that seem ordinary to a lot of people but not to you. It ignites the tiniest spark of interest that grows into this uncontrollable wildfire of ideas that results into an overwhelming mass of motivation and eventually, fulfillment.

Most people won't give a hoot that I love exhausting myself with backstage and media productions. In fact, some might hate such activity. No matter how much hassle it is when interspersed with college and family responsibilities among other things, I do it for the love of giving into what makes me happy. Sure, the demands can be improbable, but that doesn't mean I can't improvise to make the tasks possible; tried and tested, my friend: four years! I lived through four years of bureaucracy by bending but never breaking rules because I know I will only be truly happy to know that I tried and risked, at the least. I do what I do because I love how people of all walks of life become a part of my success and fulfillment.

By doing what you love, you add a little extra effort in and the inevitable extra exhaustion hits rock bottom to the point of power depletion. Doing what you love makes all the effort and energy spent worthwhile! The payoff is always the trophy and gold medal to your seemingly endless marathon, knowing that from the gun start, you have been determined to breeze through it all to the end.

Sometimes, though, I feel that what I do is thankless. (Believe you me, I'm not yearning for credit where it's un/due; four years with my school org taught me that. It's just that I'm a person, too, and I hit rock bottom sometimes. Haha.)

I worked as production assistant today, to a project that my friend is producing, care of the production company she's currently connected with. And I realized that the thanklessness I felt/feel is not always the case with the industry I'm moving around in. It depends with the client/people you're dealing with, the weight of the workload, and the massive amount of pressure upon your shoulders.

In contrast to what I experienced with previous projects (I'm not about to specify where these projects took place and who are involved, haha), today taught me that regardless of your passion in what you do, external forces (such as people's understanding of your task, purpose, or whatnot) determine the intensity of fulfillment that awaits you in the end.

When people understand what, why, and how you do what you love, you're on the way to trashing the idea that your productiveness equates to nothing more than just exhaustion! Ultimately, just make sure you do it out of your own free will and not obligation or coercion. What matters is what's practical and I say practical is whatever makes your heart leap for joy. ;)

On Hold Until Further Notice

Taking a breather from thesis as I fly my butt to my home town, Davao City, tomorrow morning and come back to Manila after a full seven days. I feel guilty for putting things (namely thesis and nothing else) on hold to go on this mini-vacation. I can't help it though if my life was pretty much planned and The Bureau (Adjustment Bureau reference) suddenly decides to adjust my life plan.

I think we need to breathe once in a while. Sometimes, literally, especially when people and certain circumstances just do not make a good match and will eventually cause your blood to boil, your face to burn, and your sanity to go down the drain.

So grab that yellow tape and bind all your worries away... Until further notice! ;)

Stefanoverload!

I can't get over it. I think it's the raging hormones, or I'd like to think so. I really hope it's just the hormones that's making me act like this; all hyperactive and crazy. I really hope so because otherwise, there's something seriously wrong with me now. Haha.

So I decided to just make an entry entirely about Stefano Langone, American Idol Season 10 contestant. His eyes, his lips, his voice... His everything... Come on, can I not go gaga over him? No, I can't. I go gaga each time he performs on stage. No, make it almost every time I lay my eyes on him! Haha, okay, OA na.

So here are some of my favorite performances of Stefano:

Lately - First time I heard it, I thought, "Whoa. Brave thing to do with the arrangement." It seems odd but looking at what kind of performer her is, we all know it works for him! ;)

If You Don't Know Me By Now - He sings with so much soul and passion that I bleed. No, not literally. Haha. *SIGH* I really, really, really, really (as in ever ever ever ever haha) would like to know Stefano by now. Haha.

Hello - Yes, baby boy. It's you I'm looking for. Haha!

Tiny Dancer - Voice range, amen.

Closer - THIS. IS. THE. PART. WHERE. I. BREAK. AWAY. FROM. ALL. SANITY. Y U SO FINE, MAN? I will come closer and I will marry you. Haha!

Oh, look at that, almost every performance is my favorite. Hahaha. Steffanoverload stops now. Bzzzt.

On a different note, Casey Abrams has something that belongs to me when he did Harder to Breathe: MY HEART. Haha! Not only because he did it so well and so fun and sexy and entertaining all at the same time but also because it's a Maroon 5 song (and you have to know I am head over heels in love with Maroon 5) and Casey didn't murder it; he owned it! Oh and that kiss? Tsk. You sneaky boy, you. *smug* Haha!

It's gonna suck big time if Stefano leaves tonight. I love him no matter what. Haha, okay, enough with my fangirliness.

. . .

An ellipsis is a series of marks that calls for an intentional omission of words, or a provocation of thought, whatnot. Right now, an ellipsis best describes my current state of... Speechlessness? Oh, not even. The fact that I have these words now makes it null.

It's just that... I can't bring myself to be any more forcibly optimistic in the same way that I can't let myself delve into pessimism.

I am capable only of apathy and numbness; I incessantly fall into a pit of endless space that I can't seem to decide whether I'm sinking or floating. I cannot decide if what I see is black, white, or gray. I don't know if it's colored, either. Even my knowledge of colors seem to be subject of doubt.

Un-think, un-think, un-think, please... All these undesirable musings; these musings that do not seem far from reality. It comes into full circle, I realize, as reality, yet again, proves to be unworthy of cognitive desire. But it has not happened yet. I hope it won't, that mind-boggling possibility.

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing. I'm holding on, I'm holding on, I'm barely holding on to you.

I can't sleep. I'm too busy fighting with the demons in my head.

Gotta Keep On Writing!

Missing in action over this blog for almost three weeks, I cannot stress any further how thesis and practicum has made me crazy-busy.

Thesis business has transcended from research and paper writing to scriptwriting and all the crazy pre-production requirements, and finally, shooting; and re-shooting this weekend! I hope we capture better shots this time around so it's all down to stitching all the clips together into a winner thesis video! Haha. And then there's practicum! It's not that taxing, really. I can't say much yet because I think I need to gather all my thoughts first, haha. But it's fun! The only thing I dislike about it is that I live so far away! (It's not even an aspect of practicum, I know. Haha.) Anyway, practicum days have become a process with regard to commuting: jeep-MRT-walk to the office, and then reverse on my way home.

I also love how my best friend and I don't get sick of each other or fight or whatever kahit araw araw na kaming nagkikita at buong araw magkasama. Hello, maybe that's why we're best friends? Haha. We have not run out of things to talk about, thank heavens. Or maybe because we can't help that our minds have the same brain works.

Going Zombie

I get the weirdest dreams lately, ones that don't make an inkling of sense or reason. I wake up early only for thesis, and if not, I find that it's only early enough to sleep again. And when I do need to sleep, I can't seem to have my eyes shut and mind relaxed. Sure, maybe all I need is to reset my broken body clock. I've been working on it.

Meryl and I revised our script for thesis for five hours at the Yuchengco lobby. My body hurts; back, neck, and butt. Even my jaw aches sometimes. Am I deteriorating? Anyway, I almost lost my phone today. I was in a rush while I packed up my laptop and charger that I forgot to place it in my bag or even my jeans pocket. Sigh. I almost died panicking for two minutes. It lasted that fast because of the kindness (quite expected, so luck perhaps would be apt?) of the friendliest Diar's maintenance lady I know in all of La Salle. Like, I make small talk with her sometimes, but mostly, I flash a big smile and wave at her. Hehe. She's super nice. I thanked her so much I thought she'd get irritated. Hahaha. Sorry, phone is life these days. Anyway, I hope I don't get a disciplinary offense for "losing" a property or valuable, no matter how minor it is. *SIGH*

Makati, after yesterday's bus bombing at Buendia-EDSA, does not look safe to me anymore; neither business nor residential district. Manila never looked safe to me, ever. Haha, okay, you get the point. Some riding-in-tandem snatching happened again earlier. *SHUDDER* What is happening to Metro Manila? To the Philippines? It's not safe anywhere anymore!

Okay, last leg of word vomiting... Look at this!!! :)

ADORABLE, RIGHT? Aaaaacccckkkk!!! My friend inboxed me the link in Facebook because she said the piglet reminded her of me. O_O Thanks a lot, huh. I don't mind, the little piggy's cute anyway. Haha. Photo from Flickr user: Brittney (whisker snaps photo)

The photo made my day, really. I have a new desktop wallpaper, if the owner won't mind. Hehe.

Facebook Is Hiring!

I was playing my current Facebook Application game addiction: CityVille (see my beautiful town below, hihi)

when the page freezes and is suddenly redirected to Facebook's Careers page.

I don't know if I clicked on something or it was all automated that I was brought to that page. I just find it odd that I never really considered working for an internet-based company. (Not that I'm already employed in a non-internet-based company now. Haha! Just something my internalizations might have missed.)

I remember one of the topics we had in my Organization Theory class(es), the virtual organization. I wonder if Facebook is that way. Maybe I should read up on it, yes? I never really gave it much thought anyway. It's time to know. Haha. So anyway, I browsed through it and I realized that I could fit into the Communications & Public Policy department;

I'd like to think I write fairly well hehe, and my four years of college education is on communication, in bulk. Wala lang, interesting, what with all the practicum-hunting I should seriously be doing and all, it seems worthy to be given some thought. I mean, look at the openings! Isn't it Org Comm enough? ;)

Musings And More Musings

My legs are still sore from yesterday. It was such a long day! I went to: a meeting, a digital film screening, a lunch date and bonding with my guy best friend, an orientation for our office's sports fest, a celebratory bonding escapade with a few GMG, a theater decorum video shoot, a dinner date with an old friend and my other guy best friend, a meet up with a few course mates. There was so much walking around involved. I was dead tired when I got home.

And today, I wasn't able to sleep in like I usually do on weekends. I had to go wherever my family planned to go because they said so. Agghh. Dad had leather car seat covers customized, brother bought new shoes again. As form Mom, she wasn't much of a spender today, as well as I. Maybe we have other plans for tomorrow. Haha.

In line with yesterday and today's events, I muse:

• I missed Bru a whole damn lot. I got to see him for a couple of hours or so yesterday and of course, it was super bitin! More soon, I hope.
• Give me one day with the right set of people and I could rapidly kill a body organ.
• We never seek for anything that's already there because obviously, it's just simply there. But we never stop seeking for anything because maybe that's how we were made to function. How else is the act of seeking significant if we get satisfied with what's here and now? (I think I lost my train of thought after the first sentence of this soup-y bullet.)
• Over dinner, AJ, Laine, and I had a meaningful topic for conversation: How do you know that you really, really, really like somebody? Like, how can you gauge? Isn't it solely subjective? We all had different takes on the issue and we never found a conclusion to it. Maybe it shall be an open question forever. Or at least until we're sure about it anyway. Hmm, food for thought.
• My friend Tracy asked me last night how I was, after not being able to see each other regularly since she and almost everyone else already graduated: "Kamusta ka?" And I, "Uhm, okay lang. Just school-bahay. Haha! You?" She said, "Wala, steady. Uhm, work. So, love life?" And I, "Huh! Wala, boring nga eh!" And Tracy goes, "Kahit crush?" Me, "Eh... Wala talaga. I mean, like, meron pero walang balak. Walang plano." Then AJ chimed in, "Walang pag-asa?" And I go, "Yes! Exactly!" And Tracy wins the conversation with, "Ang meron lang tayo ay wala!" Actually, I just wanted to say how I think she's so right on so many aspects.

Weird and Cursed

Weird is good.

I think it's something that's common to everyone, having a weird trait. At the same time, the weird trait is what makes you unique; it's what sets you apart from everyone else. Your weirdness defines you.

I am proud to be weird in my own way. However, I think I might be cursed with a certain weirdness!

See, I rarely get sick. But when I do, it's usually because I get some decent and restful sleep. My body's used to getting too wired up and drained, undergoing all that fatigue. The past 48 hours had been physically, mentally, and emotionally draining. You name it. What's odd is that I actually had eight full hours of sleep for two consecutive nights. I should be more than regenerated to take on tasks I planned today. But no, my monthly red flag decided to chime in, probably, and now I wish I lacked rest.

Not[e] Worthy

As of this morning, Typhoon Megi (bagyong Juan in the local term) still hasn't let up. It's been raining since I woke up. See, I don't have any class today and I could very well choose to sleep in and revel in the cozy confines of my room in such a weather. But I have engagements: with groupmates for a class presentation; and with the office where my organization is under for the quarterly quality check. So instead of sleeping in, I had to wake up really early so I could cope with everything I need to accomplish today.

A note, like one in the photo below, indicating an early hour is a staple accessory in our household. I leave it on the dining table where my mom could easily see it. I know, I've heard about alarm clocks but is it my fault I'm such a heavy sleeper? Haha.

Sorry about looking wasted, I can't help it. I've had too many sleepless nights. Haha. And about my hair (I love how I let it dry without having to brush it)... Well let's just say that I hurried out of my pajamas before I completely go lazy and postpone my school responsibilities (doubt it, though). After a quick shower, five text messages said that classes were suspended by 11:20 AM, as CHED says 12:00 NN. Who knew I had to get back into my pajamas as fast as I had to hurry out of them.

The note was useless. I could have slept in, had I only known! *SIGH* Life goes on.

Champorado for lunch. How neat is that!

That Driving Force

I feel compelled to explain myself again, why I haven't posted a single entry since... Since... See, I can't even remember. And yes, I'm that lazy to even check. I just want this entry to be over with. I feel forced to write this entry because...

THIS IS SUCH A MEGA AWESOME DAY, OKAY!!!

For the past few weeks, I've been too occupied with school and everything else; what with my visiting relatives and best friend for life staying here at our home for three weeks, plus homework and readings from my only class for the term, a deadly kind of concentration and determination for a successful topic thesis proposal, and a heap of tasks for my extra-curricular activities, I'd be lucky to have energy and time to visit my blog.

As I have mentioned, I've been focused on thesis ever since my thesis group met with our mentor. After several visits to our prospective partner organization, consultations with our thesis mentor, and a number of working lunches with my thesismates/lunchmates (as I fondly call them), we have come to this day. I have to say, I expected for our proposal to be approved right off the bat. Our mentor said so, too. Hihi. Turns out, we had to defend our topic. I haven't slept enough since Monday and it hurts. (Emotionally and physically, motherhen.) And I've been trying to nurse this gradually increasing pain in my right eye. Migraine, anyone?

Anyway, fast forward to today, please. Ladies and gentlemen, the driving force behind this entry...

APPROVED!

Approvato, aprobada, genehmigt, approuve! It all translates to: HAPPINESS.

(Thanks to Meryl for the printscreen. I can do it myself but... See, I'm that lazy.)

So as I've said, we had to defend our topic. That happened at 1PM today. Guess what, we did well, probably. Uhm, no. MOST LIKELY. Haha! The moment we sat for defense, the Department Chair said, "I have no questions. I approved this." Huh! What is, I was sure we would get approved no matter what? Hahaha. Fine, I'm too sure of myself that it must hurt. But I was, and I guess I was right to have stuck with the conceit. Haha.

I wish for more bright sunlight and wonderful clouds. (Pun intended. Supertyphoon Megi is on its way to this part of my country. No, please, no. Gah.)

Twitter Dependent

NO, IT'S NOT COOL. I CAN'T CHILL. AND YES, HURRY UP.

I'm just happy it isn't a drug I'm addicted to. All the same, though, I find myself gritting my teeth and trying to keep my hands from trembling violently when my Twitter feed doesn't show. When Twitter shows the Fail Whale whenever Twitter is Overcapacity, I curse silently in my head. And similar instances. *SIGH*

Overdrive

My life, academic and extra-curricular, is on overdrive. It seems like every aspect of living in this now is pushing me too hard. I know my limits, I respect it. But my responsibilities do not recognize its presence. How much more do I expect these responsibilities to respect my limits? In fact, I don't expect anything from it at all. I have no problem with that. It's the people who abuse these responsibilities who give me the headache. This is not insubordination; I just wanna say it, and perhaps reassure myself, that I am a sane and logical human person. I will do what is expected of me to the best of my abilities. But I just wish that people would realize that they've been pushing too far and hard against my self-imposed limits.

I'm on a cliff. It's exciting to be where I am but if I ever decide to jump off it, leave me be. Don't push me. Let me go on my own terms.

Since I'm on the topic of drive... We sold the car. I still don't have a driver's license. Relevance of photo? Nothing. Just something for me to remember it by.

Too Eventful

The past week has been too eventful for my life in this lifetime. I can't even bring myself to recall everything that has happened but the highlights alone, which is a lot, to start with. So despite feeling the necessity to dedicate a separate entry for each event, I can't. Well, I can but I don't want to because it would take too much time. I'll do everything in chronology, and with photos if I'm lucky.

Like what I said in my July 15 entry rant, after the week, I shall be experienced enough and ready to marry. I've done dishes like I never did before, I finally learned to do the laundry, I made the house squeaky clean from corner to corner, and the like. The two things I haven't brought myself to conquer are: cleaning the toilet and cooking anything but Thai jasmine rice. I know, those are two things one must never put in the same sentence. LOL. So maybe I'm not ready to marry yet. I don't mind; it's not enough experience yet, but ultimately, I have no concrete plans of doing so at the moment. Haha.

Fast forward to July 23, Friday. The De La Salle University's Cultural Arts Office had its first CAO Mass and Induction of Officers (Executive Board), spearheaded by the Council of Company Managers and COCM Chair, Dal Ramos. Photos are taken by Gio San Pedro of the Green Media Group.

So there's me for Green Media Group, Ria Castillo for Lasallian Youth Orchestra, Kathy Chang for De La Salle Innersoul, Dal Ramos for Harlequin Theatre Guild, Reese Corpus for La Salle Dance Company - Contemporary, and Issa Fernandez for La Salle Dance Company - Street! Second photo is of us with Cultural Arts Office Director Ms. Glorife Samodio.

Here's the beautiful Executive Board of GMG with adviser Mr. Bradley Fenomeno. Us EB girls are missing AJ! :(
And because we share our adviser with Innersoul's trainer, this is... Inner-G! Hahaha!
Cultural Arts Office Executive Board family! Cheers to a great year ahead of us, guys and gals!

Later that day was a mega waterworks fest at Don Bosco when my parents and I went to Gabe's welcome back from retreat dinner party. The food was great! I believe the caterer was Blue Petal; must keep them in mind for future reference. Hehe. Here's a photo of Gabe's letter to Mom and Dad that brought us to tears even before the program started:

Here's Gabe, giving a spontaneous speech about their retreat experiences. I love how he chose his words, his delivery, everything! I am a proud sister! :')

July 24, Saturday. AWESOME. It's been more than a year, pushing on one and a half, since I've watched a ball game live. Last Saturday was just so sweet a victory for the Green Archers, who didn't make the Final Four last season; not only because DLSU is UAAP Season 73's host, but it was against their biggest rivals, the Ateneo Blue Eagles. Close match, with both teams struggling to score against strong defense. In all, I shake my head, I have no more words! Photos from my phone and (the nicer ones) from Yanee!

That's about it. My weekend rocked. And now as I type my way to finishing this entry, I hope, wish, and pray that tomorrow will be a start of a nice week, if not rocking.

Longest, Most Eventful 24 Hours of My Life... Yet

EVENT#1 : A departure

Shortly after my previous post, at around 12:30AM of July 14, 2010, my mom received a call from my aunt back home in Davao about my uncle who was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. He was admitted to the hospital last June 14, exactly a month prior to his passing. In a way, it appeared as if he went at his own terms because aside from the coincidence with the dates, he passed a little after my aunt left the hospital. It hurt a lot because he was like the second daddy I had back in grade school and high school. Whenever my dad was elsewhere because his work required him to be, Uncle Bong was the savior for anything my mom, brother, and I needed to have fixed, fetched, what have you. It hurt even more to hear my best friend-cousin on the other end of the line, say how hard to accept that her daddy won't come home from then on. Ultimately, I think Kelbong (as we fondly cut his name short) is now at peace with both his parents, brother, and in-laws.

EVENT#2 : She was such a pain, her name was Basyang

I feared that this typhoon would be Ondoy-like. Thank God it wasn't really a storm or typhoon, only a tropical depression. It didn't feel like one, though. It felt like the end of the world; or at least the end of our roof, our building, the like. Haha. Around the same time after the news, the power died. Great. So I had stinging and puffy eyes, and now I'd be sweating like mad cos all windows and doors were shut cos of the intense wind!

As the wind howled, the tree branches flew, and the roof of our building struggled to remain intact, a glass shatters ever so loudly. A French window's glass broke and fell onto a wind shield of an old car parked directly below it. Our car was a spot away. Whew.

EVENT#3 : More stress

Still no electricity the following morning. It was getting too warm in our place so we headed to Glorietta and hoped to get cooler air. And to charge our phones at Burger King, too. But no, what a failure. Glorietta was like an oven; Burger King was like a sardine can filled with fish and sauce to the brim. Glorietta 5, though, finally served its purpose of being isolated from all the other wings of the main mall: the air-conditioning was normal! Sbarro's Chicago Deep White never fails. My mood turned right side up instantly. Haha. Where's the stress there anyway? Haha.

EVENT#4 : Fire in the house

Well, not my house. Not even on my building, thank God. It was at the ground floor of the third building of our condo compound. Some stupid neighbor left the stove cooking. I mean, come on. What right-in-the-head-moron would do that? It could have been arson for all it's worth. My dad was at the parking area, near the place of the fire incident, when people started clamoring from outside the compound, some shouting, "Sunog!" Everyone helped to put the fire out; in this sense, they tried breaking in through destroying the front gate (which never should have been there in the first place; it's a condo compound, for God's sake, it's not your property.) The geniuses who owned the unit finally arrived and had the audacity to be angry. The nerve. They even threatened to sue the administration, my dad, and those who helped destroy their gate and other property put out the fire. Ungrateful and spiteful. Perfect.

EVENT#5 : Desperate times calls for desperate measures

Because of the recent incident with my uncle, Mom had to go home. That only means one thing: CHORES FOR ME! I didn't like the idea of it but may be worth the experience. A week without mom is a crash course in HOMEMAKING101. Who knows, on the seventh day, I'm good enough to marry. HAHAHAHA.

The Joke Was A Reality

Ever since I could remember, or how photos made me remember, I had the perennial dark rings around my eyes. I didn't skip sleep hours then as much as I do now. These dark rings, or bags, around my eyes weren't as prominent before. It was never a problem, really. They only got worse when I started getting less sleep than I should have, what with all the stuff happening as I started in college. Eye bags, fine.

I only started asking why or how I got them in the first place. Genetics was the easiest leeway, but I wasn't very convinced, see. People, including my family (and especially my dad) used to (and still do) tease me that I look bumbay (Indian) because of my dark and round eyes. It was even amusing that I found out about a popular Bollywood star named Celina Jaitley, whose first name mirrors mine. Anyway, don't get me wrong, I never found it offensive when they teased me. Sometimes it's really funny how even I get convinced that maybe I am of Indian lineage somehow.

Exhibit A, B, and C, Celina Jaitley.

Exhibit D, Celina Salvador.

NOT EVEN CLOSE. LOL! I could die laughing at my weirdness. Hahaha.

Tonight, though, I found out the biggest and most amusing shock of my 19 years of living. (Fine, that was a little exaggerated. But I really was dumbstruck and speechless.) While my folks and I were having our regular small talk over dinner, my brother reported that we were, somehow, of Indian descent. I laughed at the idea but to my (big) surprise, my mom affirmed. Turns out, my maternal grandfather's parents were Spanish- and Indian-Filipino in lineage. I feel like a semi-halo-halo. LOL.

And who would have thought that the joke has been a reality all this time? Certainly not me!