Arrivederci, 2008!

I've always wanted to do this because this year has been particularly lucky and eventful for me. So many things have happened, both good and bad -- and in the end, there was a silver lining to everything. I'm more than grateful for everything that God has bestowed upon me this year. Let's do a little recap, shall we?

January

• I passed in La Salle, Ateneo, UST and in the University of the Philippines! It was most certainly the best month of my life! Passing the four most prestigious universities in the country is definitely one of my biggest achievements ever. I really didn't think I would (and could) but I did, especially UP: my dream school since I was in kindergarten! This was the month that really opened the doors of the future for me. It was the beginning of a new chapter in my life -- and everyone else's too! We were going to our dream schooools! \m/

February

• Had my last long test ever in St. Paul!
• Got my yearbook photos. Yikes! :)) I looked like I had a nosejob!


LOL =))=))

• As one of the major projects of the SCC, we went to Bilibid for our yearly outreach program. It was my first time there, and to say that I was moved would be an understatement. Everything about that experienced really changed my outlook on prisoners, and life in general. That trip taught me a valuable lesson -- everyone deserves a second chance. And that forgiveness goes a long, long way.
• I learned to enjoy Calculus. -- HAHA, UNBELIEVABLE, I know :)) But yeah, for a while I did.

March

• Graduation Ball! One of the best nights of my life! It was a night worth remembering -- from the pre-ball preparations, to the food, to the dancing, and even to the last minute of the program.. everything was just so surreal. It was admittedly one of my prettiest nights too. Haha! *winkwink*
• I discovered Twilight! EDWARD CULLEN <333
• Gratitude Night. The first time ever I got to sing onstage. Haha. Feelingera ako eh!
  
• GRADUATION! Of course, this was the highlight of my entire year. I was finally leaving the halls of my beloved alma mater, St. Paul College of Paranaque, with a Loyalty Award and a Second Honorable Mention medal. All my hard work has finally paid off, and it was time to reap the fruits of my labor. Hooray!
  
  
  The Top 5! :)

April

• I basically just continued my love affair with Edward Cullen. I was always a very determined bookworm. I wouldn't stop until I get the next installment of whatever book series I am currently crazy about.. so it was only obvious that I went to every PowerBooks and Fully Booked branch in the Metro in search of Eclipse. "Nananananana! Never giving up, giving up.. never giving up!"
• I got a haircut after X months of sporting my long almost-waist-length hair. I figured, soon I'll be in college and I'll be needing a new look. Thus, the Karla College Look. (My rebond wore off too, which made this look completely new, because for the first time in God knows how long I didn't have straight hair!)
• First ever pre-enlistment for UP Diliman. It was such a nerve-wracking process simply because I had no idea how the whole thing worked! I had to surf at least five other websites and consult UP friends just so I can do the pre-enlisting correctly. Luckily, I got everything on the first go (thankyouverymuch, Freshman priority!) and had the luxury of having Inna an Drea as classmates in PE!
• I got into my Classics phase. I started reading Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte, and the likes. I most especially loved Pride and Prejudice. I'm still very much into the Classics, and I'm well on my way to finishing William Makepeace Thackeray's Vanity Fair.
• Megan Fox was hailed FHM's Sexiest Woman Alive. I just have to include this because I have the biggest girl-crush on her!

May

• Freshman enrollment and orientation. Two of the most exciting days of my life. Truly, my journey as a UP student is about to begin. It was on these two fateful days that I got my first taste of the infamous "pila" -- everywhere I went, there were lines here and there! I saw hundreds of other scared and anxious faces just like mine, and somehow felt relieved that I was not alone. I met my blockmates and now my current kabarkadas, Jamie and Andy too. It was just all too overwhelming for me, but it was exciting all the same. I learned the UP cheers too, taught to us by none other than the UP Pep Squad! UP Fight! :)
• Vanessa Carlton. I got to watch her perform live at Trinoma. I swear, I fell in love with her music all the more! She is such a wonderful musician and I really look up to her. It was me and my mom's Mother's Day date.
• Dorm. We started shopping for Inna and I's dorm, and boy did it get me excited! I can't believe I will be living away from home 4 or 5 days a week! It made me feel all grown-up and independent. I think the idea of living in the dormitory was a reminder to myself that I was no longer a little girl, but in fact an independent lady. Yes!
  
• Bangkok trip! Thailand has got to be my second favorite country after ours. Our trip this summer was my third. And obviously it was spent for the thing us Vistan girls loved the most: SHOPPING! We went not only to MBK and Chatuchak, but also to Platinum Plaza, City Center, and Pratunam. Trust me, Bangkok is a shopping mecca. 168 does not stand a chance! :P And of course, a trip to Thailand would not have been complete without a visit to my most favorite creatures in the whole entire world: Elephants! ♥ If you still don't know by now, I'm completely head-over-heels in love with elephants, and I will never get tired of playing, feeding, and riding them! I miss Bangkok because it's so similar to Manila yet also completely different. I hope the political turmoil will come to rest so that I can come back and visit again soon.
  
  Karla loves elephants! ♥

June

• Start of College! This was the official start of my Iskolar life! I cannot even begin to explain and recount all the details of this months simply because it was just so surreal! I met lots of great people from different walks of life, and got a chance to be on my own for the first time in my life. Going to UP was far better than being accepted in UP! I just knew the first day I stepped onto UP soil on the first day of classes that I made the right choice. I could not ask for anything more -- I was going to study in the most prestigious university in the land for the next years of my life! And, I am a Centennial Freshman too, which makes everything just that much sweeter! I feel so blessed. UP kong mahal, woooh!
  
  The Maroon 4!
  Karla, Cathe, Drea, Inna
  
  KAL, baby!
  
  
• My first Oblation Run! Ayayayayayay! Thank you, Centennial Year! I saw a hundred different.. men.

July

• July was pretty much the adjusting period. After the hype of the first month came the normalcy. Everything started to settle down and I was beginning to get used to things. Though it was very demanding, I'm glad to say I managed!
• I had my first long exams ever in UP. And yeah, I passed! \m/
• Dark Knight. Oh, I miss Heath Ledger. His performance was indeed very remarkable. Seeing the movie made me remember why I love Batman the most among all the superheroes -- because he's very mysterious and is kind of a jerk, and I'm the kind of girl who wants to demystify her men. *winkwink*
• Kas1 Field Trip to Mt. Banahaw. Hands down, Kas1 was one of my most favorite subjects ever! I had a great teacher, topics I really liked, and beyond awesome classmates! Everyone was just really close and it felt like we've known each other since high school! I terribly miss my Kas-mates :|
  
  Miss y'all, Kasmates!

August

• WASAKKKK: word of the month, thanks to Drea Reyes.
• Emotional meltdown-- don't ask.
• UAAP Fangirl-ing. I guess it was really just in God's plan to put Inna and I together in one room (the two biggest UAAP fans) so that we can share the love for our basketball fafas. We practically spent the whole month ogling over both the UP Fighting Maroons and Ateneo Blue Eagles. We've had a couple of encounters with them, like the greeting from Jai Reyes on NU107, the ACLE with the Fighting Maroons, and random sightings of Martin Reyes and Mike Gamboa. All in all, having Inna as my roommate is a complete blessing! Love you, Roomie!
  
  Maroon love!


• High school for a day. Because my Kas-mates are just complete geniuses, we decided to wear our HS uniforms for our Kas1 quiz bee. We enjoyed wearing the uniforms more than the actual quiz bee! Of course, we couldn't help feeling nostalgic since we will never get to wear them again, but it's fun to look back and realize that if it weren't for our beloved alma maters, we wouldn't have gotten here to UP. Oh yeah :)
  
  
  
  

September

• UAAP! Definitely, the highlight of my month was being there in the gigantic Araneta Coliseum and participating in what seems to be the most sought after sports event in the whole country.. and actually representing a school! :) It didn't hurt that we were the champions of the cheerdance competition too! Woooh! Getting the tickets were soo worth it! UP Fight!
  
  with Inna and Drea!


• The LateBoy Saga. Yes, my crush-affair with our mysterious and always tardy Eng11 classmate reached its peak this September. Just something about his enigmatic personality made me want to know him.. sadly, this crush didn't get anywhere. We did get introduced however (thanks again Ayiene and Finella!) but basically that was it. I don't regret every LateBoy moment I had though, because I tell you, it was just the beginning of my boy hunting days. HAHA!
• Wall climbing. Thank you very much, Chalk magazine and other sponsors! I was able to reach greater heights -- literally :P
  
  

October

• The Chris Tiu Experience. This has got to be the ultimate icing on top of my UAAP fangirl cake! Imagine our luck when my tita got Inna and me tickets to GMA for the taping of Chris Tiu's Pinoy Records! It was so surreal. It was on such a short notice but who cares? Anything for Chris! When we finally got face-to-face with him, there was this 3-second silence because Inna and I just couldn't believe we were standing in front of our crush-to-end-all-crushes! OHMYGOD. He was so kind and so gracious, he even had small talk with us and asked where our dorm was! I remember everything he said :"> He even asked if my name was spelled with a K! :""""> I fell in love with him all over again that day.
  
  
  October 10: I'll never forget this day ♥
  


• First real sembreak! Back in high school, sembreak meant the long weekend after Intrams week. In college, it meant a month of no academic-related things! Yeaaah! \m/ It gave me all the more reason to love October.
• Pre-enlistment for 2nd sem. Wow, this time around, luck was not really on my side! I had to go through three batch processes just to get what I needed. It was definitely like joining the lottery.. I had to hoard subjects just so I can complete my 15 units. Luckily, I got out alive, and I'm currently loving all my subjects! Yeyy.
• SEVENTEEN. I still really think that 17 is the epitome of your youth. It's the year I've always been looking forward to and I'm determined to rock it! I can't wait for what's in store for me as a 17-year-old, because there are so many things that could happen! I'm just really thrilled to be growing older, and hopefully, wiser.
  
  with high school friends :)
  
  with college friends :)

November

• Twilight. You can say whatever you want to say about it, but I loved it. Especially Edward Cullen. Period. :)
• Second sem begins. New subjects, new classmates, completely the same level of stress and anxiety! Hooray :| HAHA. But I honestly love my subjects now compared to last sem's.
  
• My lola passed away. This has got to be one of the toughest times for our family. I miss her terribly.

December

• OBLATION RUN! I think this was very recent enough, it needs no further explanation :P
• Christmas with my family! Enough said :)

WHEW! Writing it down just made everything that much.. exciting! I can't believe so many things happened this year. I guess it's true what they say that often, we overlook the blessings as they come to us and it's only when we look back that we realize how truly grateful we are for them.

2008 has indeed been a good year for me. Despite the many trials that have come my way, the good things still outweigh them. I'm hoping 2009 will be the same, or hopefully even better. I'm ready to rock the new year. :)

Buon Anno Nuovo!

Merry Christmas!

Buon Natale!
It's the most wonderful time of the year..
so have a blast! And spread the love.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!



♥ Bombastarr.

An open letter to Santa.

Dearest Santa,

It's been a while since I last wrote you a real letter -- well, actually it's been years. Did you even notice? I'd like to believe so, since you seem to be the most magical man in the world. I mean, how else would you know I lived somewhere in the south of Metro Manila and have my present delivered by the eve of the 25th if you didn't know me at all? How else would you know that I've been consistently good in school and that I deserve my gift? You knew me. That's what the Christmas carol about you said -- and it seemed to be pretty true.

No, Santa, I won't be asking any toys from you this year. Don't you worry. At least that's one kid less in your list (that is, if I'm still on your list -- I think I've been mostly nice than naughty this year. HAHA)

I guess I just wanted to say thank you for always making Christmas a truly exciting and memorable experience as a kid. I can still vividly remember the anticipation I felt every 24th of December as I lay in bed waiting for your sleigh to arrive. I never caught a glimpse of you, but I knew you would pass by. And true enough, every Christmas morning, there underneath our tree would be your gift. The gift I secretly wished for since September, the toy I drooled over every time we passed by Landmark's toy section, the present I've been longing to open. Yours was always the one I looked forward to because you were special -- you only gave once a year, and yet it was always right. Always a bull's eye. It was always perfect.

I remember receiving a Barbie typewriter from you in second grade. It was one of the best among all the gifts you gave. It can type on actual paper with real ink, and I would spend the rest of my Christmas vacation just typing anything there -- from little short stories to even the most mundane things like the complete names of all my close relatives. I could not imagine how I had lived the past seven years without this typewriter. I could not think of any other eight-year-old who had a typewriter. I felt so grown-up, so important. It was cooler than cool. Of course, it didn't hurt that it was pink and had the Barbie logo on it. I honestly couldn't remember anything else I received that year. I recall telling myself, "Santa is the bestest awesomest man in the whole wide world," and honestly believing it. You really were extraordinary. And every year, you never let me down.

But what happened in the Christmas of 2001 was probably the most heartbreaking of them all. I accidentally discovered a secret. That year was not supposed to be any different from all the others -- I got an awesome gift again (a Barbie cash register that really scans bar codes from the Barbie items and Barbie credit cards) and I was once more so convinced that you were the most amazing man ever. I was busy showing it off to my cousins and other relatives, when one of my lola's maids accidentally pointed out that my cash register was kept in my lola's house by my parents until Christmas. Of course, my mom denied it, but I already knew -- you weren't real. You were a freakin' imaginary person. I think that was the first heartbreak I ever experienced. How could that happen? HOOOOW? I have been dooped, and I couldn't believe it.

I didn't really had a hard time accepting the fact that you were a fantasy though. I mean, I was already 10 years old that time, and somehow I was already starting to question your existence. But what hurts the most was the fact that next Christmas, there'd be no more Santa. You have been such a huge part of that holiday, I couldn't imagine a Christmas without you. What will I be looking forward to? No more letters to write on September. No more tossing and turning on the 24th, wondering if you came. No "major" gift to open on Christmas morning. Nothing. My Christmases have all been ruined.

And yet here I am, writing you a letter. I'm thanking you still, even if you caused me a pretty unfathomable anguish at ten. Why? Because you were the one who made me feel an indescribable wanting for something. Want. It's such a strong word, and it is quite funny that I learned it from you. To quote Oscar Wilde,

"We can have in life but one great experience at best, and the secret of life is to reproduce that experience as often as possible."

You made me want to replicate that experience year after year because after I lost the idea of you, I was determined not to lose the feeling. So whenever I want something (and not necessarily material things) I push myself to strive harder so that I can get it. I work hard for it. And yes, often by being a good girl all year round. You taught me a valuable lesson: nothing is impossible if you really, really want it. So I guess I haven't really lost you then, because I carry you around wherever I go. Even if our lola's maid ruined the physical idea of you, she didn't destroy the experience of knowing you. And for that, I will always be grateful.

Thank you, Santa. I'm certain you will be making millions of kids happy on the 25th. So I just wish that a couple of years from now, when they find out the truth about you, they won't think of you in regret or bitterness, but in gladness.

Love,

Karla

P.S. Jesus is and always will be the star of my Christmas. And wanting Him to be in my life all year long is the greatest desire of all.

OBLATION RUN: May rose akooo! :))

FRIENDS, allow me to speak in the vernacular. Yung mga pangyayari ngayong araw na ito ay masyadong mahirap ikwento ng English. At besides, tinatamad ako.

NOTE: Not for the faint-hearted. At kung tinatamad ka basahin lahat, okay lang. Importante yung mga dialogues :P

So ayun nga. Today was the much awaited.. OBLATION RUN. Una sa lahat, ano nga ba ang Oblation Run? Well, hindi ko i-eexplain sa inyo. Kaya nga may Wikipedia. I-research niyo dun.

O ayan, alam mo na?

Kung gayon, alam mo din kung bakit sabik na sabik ako dito.

Last week pa lang may game plan na yung buong CrEnggBB+. Lalo na kaming dalawa ni Drea (my partner-in-crime). Dahil we got a pretty good "view" nung first OR nung July, we decided na gawin ulit yun: Dumikit sa press. Sure fire way. Wala talagang palpak. After ng Nat Sci 2 test ko sa Geol (na nasagutan ko naman agad -- at hindi naman dahil sa excited ako ha! HAHA) punta ko agad sa AS steps kung saan nakaupo na ang ibang CrEngg peeps. So syempre, while waiting, cam-whoring.

(A little trivia about me: pag nagdadala ako ng camera, super tinatamad ako mag-picture. Ang lame ko. Gaya nung party ni Nica nung Saturday. May dala nga ako, pero halos hindi ko naman nilabas. Sinisipag lang ako kapag idle, or walang ibang ginagawa. In this case, wala talaga kaming ginagawa, so fortunately nagamit ko naman yung camera ko. Haha. AAAAND. Medyo "bago" siya. Inarbor ko kasi yung old digicam namin na hindi na ginagamit, so akin na siya. So parang bago siya for me. Labo. ANYWAY..)

Unti-unti na dumami yung mga tao. Feel na feel talaga yung excitement sa crowd eh! Yung talagang.. may collective effervescence sa kasabikan. (O HA, SOCIO10 YUN! :P) Nagsimula na din dumating yung press. Aba, syempre, medyo pumorma na ko. Malay mo naman makunan ako sa TV dba. So yun. A few minutes later, may nagsisigawan na from inside of AS. Signal na yun, na magsstart na. Nagsimula na rin mag-drums yung UP Pep. So sige, tayuan na. Nagkahiwalay na ang CrEngg. Syempre ang kasama ko si Drea. Napunta kami sa may MEDYO harapan. Di kami napatabi sa press, nasa may kabilang side sila. Pero sige okay lang, close enough.

FAST FORWARD. Di ko na ikkwento yung mga pang-gigitgit na ginawa namin ni Drea para mapunta dun at yung paghihintay ng ilang minutes na nakataas lang yung kamay (ready-to-video mode) kasi I'm sure ayaw niyo na basahin yun.

"Aaaaah!"

Phase 1.

AYAN NAAAA. Sigawan na talaga. At doon, nakita ko muli -- YUUUN EHHH. Haha. All shapes and sizes! Wooooh! At oo, compared sa unang Oblation Run ngayong taon na may mga oldies (or "alumni" -- para mas less harsh), mga binata yung ngayon. So yeyy? Anyway, talagang concentrated ako sa pag-vvideo. Nag-promise kasi ako sa ilang mga kasamahan sa bahay na kukunan ko for them. So yun. Medyo hindi ko pa natingnan yung actual "things" kasi nga nakafocus ako sa pag-vivideo. (Kaya magpasalamat kayo, lahat kayong mag-bebenefit sa video ha!). Shit, let me just say na sobrang hirap mag-video pag tinatangay ka ng sandamakmak na tao!JUSKO. Na-stampede talaga kami ni Drea. Higpit ng hawak ko sa kanya ba. Talagang all or nothing. So yeaaaah! Naamoy ko na kili-kili ng katabi ko, pero carry lang! All for the sake of.. them. It. Yun. Sadly, wala pa kong nakukuhang rose.

Phase 2.

After ng first na takbo, hindi ko pa hinayaang maka-recover ako. May Plan B agad kami ni Drea. Sumunod kami sa mga photographers. Pumasok sila sa loob ng AS.. at doon, may parang maze ng mga tao na pasikot-sikot naming sinundan. Never give up talaga kami ni Drea eh. If there's a will, there's a freakin' way! So ayun. We ended up at the APO "headquarters" dun sa may daanan papuntang CASAA. Nakita ko pa prof ko sa Kas1! Haha. Pagod na pagod na kami pero okay lang. We didn't have to wait long kasi once again, they were there! Woohooo! Medyo hindi na ko concentrated sa video, pero nagrerecord pa rin ako. Nung 2nd time, medyo mas nakita ko na ng mabuti yung mga bats and balls, pero ang bilis eh! Saka ang sikip dun. Pero okay lang! Whooo! Wala pa rin kaming rose ni Drea, though. Dahil sa aming plan na dumikit sa photogs, hindi pa rin kami umalis. Nagtanong ulit kami, and turns out: BABALIK PA ULIT DUN! Wooooh! So syempre, we stayed put. Medyo inayos lang yung porma para sa third time. Sooon.. may nagsisigawan na ulit. Ayan naaa!

Phase 3.

Eto na yung last. Tumakbo na ulit sila papunta sa headquarters nila. This time, nasa front row na talaga kami ni Drey. Ang hirap videohan kasi sobrang close up, so it's either kuhanan ko yung face or yung.. yun. Pero as I said, medyo second priority na lang yung video eh. Priority na namin ngayon is yung rose. Sigaw kami ng sigaw ni Drea, "Wooh! Kuya! Rose! Rose!" Then, the inevitable happened.

KARLA: Aaaah! Kuya! Rose! Rose!
RUNNER: *inabutan ako ng rose* Ano pangalan mo?
KARLA: O_O Karla po.
RUNNER: Hi, I'm [his name]. *sabay tanggal ng mask*

KARLA AND DREA: @_@ @_@ @_@ O_O O_O O_O

Sorry, pero ang initial reaction ko talaga eh ang matuwa. Haha! Imagine, nabigyan ako ng rose ng isang runner -- which is THE goal of most of the watchers. After a few seconds lang nag-settle sakin yung fact na, SHIT NAGTANGGAL SIYA NG MASK. I SAW HIS FACE.. AND HIS! YUN! Oh my freakin gosh! Pero, hindi ko naman ma-process yung thoughts ko nung mga oras na yun noh. Basta, sigaw lang ako ng sigaw. Kami ni Drea. Shouting for many reasons. Totoong, words are not enough :P

[Because may konting respeto pa naman ako sa pagkatao ni not-so-Mystery Runner, hindi ko na lang irereveal yung pangalan niya. Haha]

(Secret info: Na-interview din ako ng isang small-time network at hindi ko sasabihin kung ano dahil sa kahihiyang maidudulot ko sa pamilya ko. Dahil tae, ang excited ng boses ko! Parang kinikilig na ewan. Taena. Haha.)

So yun. Lumabas na ulit kami sa AS steps. I shared the "news" to my CrEnggBB+ friends. Ewan ko kung masaya sila para saken, or sadyang na-ggross-an na sken. Pero okay lang. IT WAS ALL PART OF MY UP EXPERIENCE. Sobrang.. adventure talaga eh! Grabe. Grabe. Grabe. After, I was hyperventilating. Ewan ko kung dahil sa init, sa dami ng tao, o sa.. raging hormones? HAHAHA :))

SPECIAL MENTION: Andrea Reyes! Couldn't have done it without you. Labyoww! Next year ulit ha! :P


It has been so many hours later, marami ng nangyari between twelve noon and now. Lunch at Beachhouse (with Nikki and Tophe!), tambay at Sunken Garden (:"""> -- at nanalo ako ng Pusoy Dos!), and watched Maskipaps at Engg (O_O).. pero syempre, the Oblation Run was still the highlight of my day. Woooh. Finally, I can say: Mission Accomplished! (Uploaded na rin ang videos sa Multiply :P O ha)



Kung ang tingin niyo na sa kin (or sa amin) ay pervert.. ang masasabi ko lang ay: let the sinless cast the first stone! Whapaaaaak! :)

Lessons from Pumpkiny.

Living in a dormitory has a lot of perks, especially when your roommate has been your friend since grade school. You get to share secrets, tell endless stories, talk about certain people, eat and sleep whenever you like, study while the other takes a bath, and all within the confines and safety of your room. It's pretty exciting, most particularly for me because I grew up with no siblings, so it's like having an automatic sister. It's all good.

But then of course, after all has been said and done, more often than not comes the inevitable -- awkward silences. And utterly, extremely dorky moments.

Meet Pumpkiny.

Pumpkiny disguised as a Halloween jack-o-lantern; Pumpkiny disguised as the forbidden apple from Twilight; Pumpkiny as an emo ponkan-slash-pumpkin

Pumpkiny is was the unfortunate tiny ponkan (kyat-kyat) that suffered severe identity crisis from Inna and me last Thursday night. We wanted to load ourselves with Vitamin C so as to not catch the colds or the flu most especially this time of the year. So we bought a basket of kyat-kyats at our friendly neighborhood grocery store, and for several days we just ate and ate the delightful citrus fruit. But alas, just eating them became too boring for me at least. So, when we I picked up Pumpkiny and realized that he looked quite different than the rest (he really was shaped like a pumpkin), I thought, why not. I made a "masterpiece" out of this unique-looking ponkan.

"So what's the point in all this?" I hear you ask. There are a few, I promise.

First, our health is of extreme importance. It's easy to overlook our physical well-being because of school work or other seemingly more relevant aspects in our life. But it should be our number one priority. I only realized this more now that I'm in college, living on my own. Before, I could just absent myself from school when I feel a little feverish, and my mom can cook Nido soup for me back at home. Now, I have no one taking care of me other than myself so I have to really make sure that I'm strong enough to go to school everyday -- and not just to be physically present but to be mentally alert as well. Attending a class when you sneeze every thirty seconds and your head aches like a hammer is being smashed on your head is no fun. So, better load up on your ascorbic acid, people!

Second, for very obvious reasons, my Twilight obssession has been reawakened for the past couple of weeks. Like what I said before, I tried downplaying it, in hopes of not being one of "them" -- meaning, the super crazed Twi-hard girls [and boys haha] that go gaga with the very mention of anything related to the series. But as the premiere for the movie approached, it dawned on me that I AM one of those girls, and there was no point of denying it. Yes, I am still completely in love with Edward Cullen, and yes, a part of me wishes that I was lucky enough to become a real-life Isabella Swan. So what if I'm supposed to be a writer who should only appreciate "real literature" and not a lame hormonal narration of an impossibly ridiculous story? Whoever said I cannot appreciate both? Sure, Meyer's writing and plotting could have been better, but in the end it moved me and I think that's what matters. To me, literature is supposed to take you to a completely different place and touch your life in more ways than one. This so-called "crappy piece of writing" did that just to me. So yeah, I'm a fan-pire. \m/


TWILIGHT: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion
I bought myself a copy today. Worth every penny! ♥

And lastly, because of Pumpkiny I realized the importance of self-worth. In a world where everything about you can be defined by just simply how you look, it is so difficult to pay no heed to the pressures -- especially of vanity. I am after all a seventeen-year-old girl, a typical prey to the mundane insecurities of life. On some days I feel extremely good about myself, but on most days I don't. It's part of human nature I guess. After all, who doesn't want to be beautiful? Last week, I had a little makeover [Secret kung ano! :P] As much as I wanted to deny the fact that I don't care about how I look, I do. So I went for it. I don't regret it at all. And you know what, I realized that I don't feel guilty about pampering myself every once in a while, because I know I deserve it. If I can't appreciate myself, then who would? And I guess there is no harm in doing what you think is best to help make you feel better. At the end of the day, you're still you -- whether you have curly or straight hair, flabby or thin arms, a big or toned tummy. Like Pumpkiny, his pumpkin-like features doesn't make him anything more than a ponkan. Just as long as you have a strong sense of self, you're gonna turn out okay. [I doubt that Pumpkiny realized his self-worth though.]


All this because of one little ponkan. Wow. I should get myself more Pumpkinies.




[By the way, if you are wondering what happened to Pumpkiny.. I ate him. Haha.]

the world spins madly on.

[This post was supposed to be my post for November 26, 2008]

Death. It's such a heavy word for something so short. It's something we all know will come to us, will happen to us. But when it does, we still feel like it pulled out the rug from underneath us and knocked us down. Nothing can ever prepare us for death. No matter how many times we try to accept it, we will never take it easy.

My lola passed away last Saturday. I was there when she died, right there in the room beside her as her blood pressure fluctuated. I saw the green line become horizontal, and the monotonous beeping sound rang in my ears for several minutes. I was there. I saw my lola die.

Like what I said before, I find the greatest strength in wanting to be strong. She wasn't my direct lola, she was the aunt of my dad, the sister of my lolo. But we lived in their compound (together with her sisters; all of them didn't get married_, and we were very close. She was the one who chased the cats away so that I can enter the gate. She was the one who would bring the bills to our house. She was the one who signed my parents' consents in case I forgot to ask my mom or dad to sign. She was just.. always there. And now she isn't anymore.

The hardest part after her death though was not the wake, or the funeral. It was relatively easy to put up a brave front when all our relatives were there around me, somewhat distracting me and taking me mind off things. But after all has been said and done, it's the coming home that hurts the most. Finding the house almost empty, that's what really broke my heart. And I believe that every homecoming would feel that way, to me at least. Every time I come home from Katipunan, I'd feel the emptiness, I'd feel her absence. But I have to be strong, especially for my other lola (her sister), because she needs to feel that we are here for her and that she is not alone.

Death. It's such a cumbersome word. But there's something far heavier and more substantial than that -- LIFE. It's ironic that a death has to take place before we stop taking life for granted. But this is reality. The world won't stop turning. Life goes on. Even for me and my family. I'll sorely miss my lola but I know that she is at peace now. And I know that she'll always look after me -- as I go on with my life.

* * * *


Dazzled.
I have tried to downplay it a million times before. I resist the urge to scream every time I hear someone mentioning his name. I am constantly trying to control myself from hyper-ventilation with the very thought of him. I struggle to contain my anticipation. But last night, I gave up the battle. I just.. gave in.

TWILIGHT IS A GREAT MOVIE.

I don't know if I loved it because I enjoyed the series, or I have a tremendous bias for Edward and Robert Pattinson, or just simply because I like romantic films. But whatever the reason is, Twilight definitely made my week.

My mom and I watched at Glorietta 4 yesterday evening. I went straight to Makati from Diliman. Most of you already know that my mom is a Twilight Mom (meaning, she read the series too and yes, she loves Edward just as much) so it was only natural that I go and watch it with her. The cinema was filled with young people, mostly swooning teenaged girls like me. And obviously, hormones were on a rampage.

Jessica: "And that's.. Edward Cullen."
*Edward enters*

All the girls in the cinema: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!
*hyperventilating and squealing*

I was, of course, one of the screaming girls. I couldn't help it. Edward -- my Edward was right there in front of me, and not just a figment of the imagination. I'm sure everyone else felt the same. I know Robert Pattinson isn't exactly the Edward we all expected, but to me, he was amazing. I felt the Edward-ness in him. I liked Kristen too. I really did. Of course, there are still a couple of flaws and some scenes/lines were cut, and it still doesn't beat reading the book (I swear, you should read it first before watching) but I guess that's inevitable with every book-turned-to-movie franchises. Nevertheless, I enjoyed every bit of it. For now, I won't tell which parts because I'm sure most of you haven't seen it yet. All I can say is.. I screamed a lot. And it wasn't because I was scared. :)

I know there are a lot of anti-Twilight people out there, be it for the author, the book series, the movie, the actors -- and everything about the saga. And I respect your opinion. But you have to respect mine as well. I love Twilight, even before it became such a huge craze. And I don't think any amount of criticism will make me stop loving it :)

I can only say this:

Just when I thought it was no longer possible, I fell in love with Edward Cullen all over again. ♥

So far.

So far.. I am enjoying Snunch time. It's the term Jamie, Andy, and I invented for the meal we eat before or after lunch since our CW10 class falls on 11:30-1:00. Get it, Snack + Lunch? :) The first day I made it up, we couldn't stop saying it. Snunch. Snunch. Snunch. Haha. Who knew monay and peanut butter/coco jam are perfect together?

So far.. I am surrounded with Ateneans. There's Keith from my Comm3 class. Viktor (with a K!) from my Ital10 class. Chips from my Socio10 class. Now I have two sets of guy friends: Claretian friends and Atenean friends. Who's complaining? :))

So far.. I like all my profs. And most of them are young and very witty. My Socio10 prof looks like Maja Salvador -- and she just graduated last April! It's funny because one of our classmates was her classmate before in NatSci1. Some of our other classmates are older than her as well. Meanwhile, my NatSci2 prof is without a doubt the funniest geologist ever! I love how he makes every meeting something to look forward to. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually beginning to like Geology! :) I'm feeling a little optimistic about my professors -- I just hope my vibes don't fail me!

So far.. my PE dance partner and I are still not connecting! I really try to be friends with him, but he's always rejecting me! I try to make small talk with him [Me: "Mech Engg ka di ba?" Him: "..." Me: "..." Him: "Hinde."], but he just stares at me like I just said the lamest question in the world. You can only imagine the awkwardness every time we are forced to look into each other's eyes for the dance. Right now, I just hope we pass the practical test.

So far.. I'm getting back into my study mode. It was hard to take off the "Sembreak" out of my system but it can only inhabit me for so long. Finally, reality is kicking in -- readings, papers, requirements are slowly piling up. Oh the joys of being a college student! [*insert sarcasm*]

So far.. I can ask anyone's cellphone number in Italian. I think it will work as a pick-up line given that you have the right accent and the right "moves." I'm loving my Ital10 class because we are so interactive -- as exercises, we have to converse with everyone and really memorize the phrases/accents. Over the weekend, I peeked at one of the Italian channels on cable and I must admit, Italian really sounds hot. Qual'e il numero del tuo cellulare?

So far.. I'm running out of things to say. So.. I'll leave you with this:

ElephantLove ♥

Arrivederci!

First Day High version 2.0

Because of my colds, I've been feeling extremely indolent and tired for the past few days. I was even too lazy to open my computer [gasp!] -- until now. Basically I've been doing the best way to pass the time: sleeping. And now, all that sleeping is what's keeping me up tonight. So yeah, here I am.

How was your first day/week back for the new semester, people?

As for me, it was okay. Most of you probably know this: we started our classes last Friday. Corny, I know. What's one more weekend right? But being the nerdy girl that I am, I couldn't help feeling psyched too. One month away from my "second life" made me miss UP and Katipunan a lot. So despite my constant complaining, I was secretly excited as well. That cost me sleep during my first night back at the dorm. I kept tossing and turning like I did on the night of June 9th. I am such a geek.

First class was PE. Despite it being at eight in the morning, and being a usually-laughed-at choice, ["Folk dance?! Are you totally kidding me?" Uh, I'm totally not.] I was quite excited because I knew Ayiene and I are classmates! A good friend for a classmate is enough reason to pull me out of bed early in the morning. It was funny because I actually never noticed the dance area despite the many times I've been to the gym. It was this small little corner with mirrors on the wall, like those in an actual dance studio -- except that it's inside a gymnasium with only a net separating it from the court. Which makes it look a little bit out of place. While waiting for our professor, I giddily told Ayiene and Mariah about my ultimately kilig experience with Chris Tiu last October 10. Swooning over Chris Tiu first thing in the morning -- what a way to start my day! :) Soon, our professor arrived and checked our attendance. She told us her requirements and some reminders. Our final test would be tinikling! Woooh! I now have a reason to be thankful that I took our tinikling classes in fourth year seriously. Shortly after, we were dismissed.

I went straight to AS to meet with my CrEnggBB friends at our tambayan. I missed them a lot, but honestly, I didn't really feel like we were apart for a whole month [with the exception of my birthday celebration]. I don't know if it's because time flew by so quickly or because school really just has a way of creeping up to you and taking over your life right away. Luckily, I still had an hour or so to kill before my next class so we did a little catching up with each other.

At 10 o'clock was my Comm3 class. As I entered the room, I immediately saw a familiar face so I sat right next to him. And turns out, he was my classmate in Eng11. I knew it. We talked while we waited for our professor -- who by the way didn't show up. Surprisingly, in the short amount of time we chit-chatted, I found out a lot about him. I'm such a conversationalist, I'm starting to think maybe I'm not supposed to be a writer! His name's Keith, by the way. I made him promise to save me a seat next week. Haha.

A good friend of ours from high school, Cecile, and her dad, together with her classmate Karla C. [aka Karlaloveschocolate!] passed by UP last Friday. We ate together for lunch and did lots of catching up with each other. Her dad told us lots of stories about his UP life too and they really made us laugh. We asked them about their La Salle life so far and we compared how things are going on in our respective sides of Metro Manila. I found out that no matter what university you are in, terror Math teachers, girls wearing short-short-shorts and overly affectionate couples will always be present.

I rushed back to get to my Italian10 class at 1 pm. This was the one class that I was extremely looking forward to. Upon reaching CAL 502, I immediately saw two of my Kas-mates from the first sem, Justine and Nicole. Then came Karla U. [Inna's blockmate]. I was so surprised that a lot of people I knew would be taking this class as well. After a few more minutes of chitchatting, it suddenly and abruptly dawned on me that I was in the wrong class! I couldn't believe it! CAL 502 is for my CW10 class on Tuesday. Damn excitement. I quickly rushed out of the room after my epiphany and on my way out I saw Reg, Jan, and Enzo all going to CAL 502 as well -- for their English10 class! I briefly told them my little story and rushed downstairs to look for our room assignment [since Ital10's room was TBA]. Luckily, I saw my blockmate Cathy is my classmate in Italian10, and I asked her if she knew where our room was. CAL 504. What's with me and mistaken-classroom identity on the first days of class? I had a similar incident last sem too. I HOPE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY YEAR. I only get to pull out the "I'm Only A Freshman" card twice, you know, and I just consumed the last one. Anyway, our professor didn't show up either. Darn.

Because of my brilliant scheming, I'm only up to 2:30 [everyday people! 2:30! *insert evil laugh here*], so Inna and I decided to go back South after class. Instead of going home however, we went straight to MoA because our HS barkada suddenly had an impromptu date which surprisingly pushed through. We ate dinner at Pancake House and shared LOTS of kwentos and chismis, you know the usual -- especially from those who didn't attend my party. Amf. Haha. I had a great time. I miss them terribly.

So there. So much for my first day back at school. It isn't as colorful as I expected it to be, but oh well. I have a very good feeling about this upcoming sem. Now that I've tested the UP waters, hopefully I can make this sem way more awesome than the first one.


Ugh, the colds are kicking in once again. [*sniff sniff*] Thankfully, I'm starting to feel sleepy. Now I can doze off -- again.

How long have you been seventeen?

A while.

I'm seventeen and a week old already. Hooray! My two birthday parties were a blast. The first one, with my college friends was held at RedBox Trinoma. We had so much fun singing our hearts out to all the songs you can think of. I didn't know they were just as crazy as I was when it came to karaoke! Now I can say they are true friends because they heard me sing yet they still love me! Harhar. Then last Friday, I had another party here at home with just my really close HS friends. We also sang karaoke for a bit, then we watched The Grudge. I think it's like an unwritten tradition that we watch horror movies during birthday parties. Timely, since it was also Halloween. As usual, it was a scream fest. Then we played mind games and just made kwento. It was fun because we haven't seen each other in ages but it really just felt like the old times. And I miss that.

My HS barkada gave me a very sweet gift too. Aside from the pink shades and the Artwork shirt that says "I love Cats" (uggghh it was to annoy me because they know I hate cats :P), they also gave me a notebook with all their pictures and messages in it. They said since I was a CW major, I need lots of inspiration to be able to write so that notebook will serve as my inspiration since they are all there. It was so sweeeet really. Love them to bits! ♥

Special mention si Cars. I heard she was supposed to go to another event but chose to go to my party instead. Awww. Love you, Peyngel! :*

I extremely had a wonderful time with all of my friends this week. I loved hanging out with them again. The gifts were just bonuses, really. Until the next celebration, guys! See you soon! :P (Pictures at my Multiply)


I will most definitely rock 17 :)


"I find the greatest strength in wanting to be strong." -- from Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

I never really realized the impact of this statement until very recently. Last night after visiting the cemetery, we went to the Makati Med ICU because one of my grandmothers has been confined there for over a week. Her condition has been very inconsistent for the past couple of days, sometimes she's getting better, sometimes she isn't. Last night however, it got a little worse. Suddenly all the doctors rushed in, and did all these procedures on her. It was tough on my mom, dad, and me because we were there. I was there in the ICU all throughout. I saw almost everything, and to say that it was painful would be an understatement. During the course of the night, I was just there. I couldn't bring myself to cry or to feel anything. I was comforting everyone else, from my parents, my tita and my other lola. Thankfully though, my lola got better. Her condition has somewhat stabilized, but she has all these tubes connected to her. After what seemed like forever, I went outside the room, sat down along the corridor, and just cried. I am not the most courageous person I know, and during those times I was very helpless, but at the same time I also felt strong because I braved the whole thing. I guess it's true, bravery is not the absence of fear but the decision to continue despite the fear.

I hope my lola gets well soon.


On a much lighter note..

Buon giorno, amici!

I finally completed my 15 units! Thank you, beloved CRS! As a result of my subject-hoarding for the third pre-enlistment, I got two additional subjects: Comm3 and Italian10! Okay, so I'm not really supposed to take a foreign language until next year but luckily we have the "academic freedom" in taking the subjects in our curriculum. My original plan was to take up French, but since it was Italian that made its way into my schedule, then let's see what will happen. I'm really looking forward to that subject.

My schedule is pretty neat too. I'm only until 2:30 pm every single day. I am free all afternoon -- this means more sleep for me! Oh yeah. A part of me isn't looking forward to going back to school, but it comforts me that somehow my schedule is not that horrible. Yeyy :)

I CANNOT WAIT ♥
Later :)

I am sixteen, going on seventeen.

I've waited for forever to actually be able to sing that for real when I was a kid. Sound of Music was my favorite movie then and Liezl was my favorite character. And now, I can really sing it truthfully. Never again after tomorrow :P

Seveteen has always been portrayed by the media as the "epitome" of a teenage girl's life. It's at seventeen that girls in works of fiction get their first kiss, first dance, first boyfriend.. the usual firsts. And when I was a kid, I've always wanted to be seventeen right away because it just sounds so pretty. I really thought it was the "not-a-girl-not-yet-a-woman" age. It was depicted as something so.. exciting and life-changing.

Now that I'm a day away from being seventeen, well, to tell you honestly it doesn't feel like that. I don't see fireworks outside my window, I don't feel certain body parts arriving and transforming me into a real lady. I'm still me. And I'm pretty sure tomorrow I'm still going to be the same boring lazy person [haha]. To tell you honestly, tomorrow would be a real different birthday than the usual ones I have, and I don't know, I just don't feel like it won't be as exciting as it used to be because soooo many things have changed.

But, a birthday is a birthday. The world won't stop turning just because I don't feel like I'm ready to be seventeen yet. Tomorrow, I'm going to be seventeen. And I guess it's up to me if I'm going to just BE seventeen and leave it that way, or BE seventeen and have fun with it.

I'm choosing the latter. So, come on October 26. Bring on your birthday magic! I'ma rock 17.

[17 is Chris Tiu's jersey number by the way! ♥ Oh I'm soo gonna love this age!]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
(tomorrow :P)

UPCAT the movie.

"Lucas and Joaquin are two teenage boys from the province who believe passing the UPCAT (University of the Philippines College Admissions Test) is the passport to their dreams. While Joaquin's goal is to eventually get a well-paying job and bring his OFW parents back home, Lucas wants nothing more than to win the heart of schoolmate Jane -- and perhaps her family, all of whom are UP-educated. The two seek help in reviewing from Michael, a UP Fine Arts graduate with a secret. In this light coming-of-age journey, Lucas and Joaquin discover some truths about life, love, dreams and shaded circles, and a little more about themselves along the way."

(from UPCAT the Movie)

I first found out about the movie in a UP Multiply group. Immediately after watching the trailer, memories just came flowing back. Has it already been a year ago when I was a very hopeful senior wanting to get into one of the best universities in the Philippines? It still feels all to familiar to me. The sleepless nights and the unending apprehension before and after the test was enough reason to keep me anxious all throughout the school year. I wasn't in the "UP or nothing" scenario though -- I wasn't that desperate. But at some point, it kind of felt that way because UP was my dream school.

After all, it's college that we've all been working for for the past 12 years of our life. Now that I think about it, it was the ultimate goal then wasn't it? Get into a prestigious college. Pass the entrance exams.

OH WELL. I'm glad I'm over that already. Now my ultimate goal is to survive in UP. Don't get me wrong though -- it ain't any easier. Because passing the test is only half the battle :P



P.S. One Tree Hill Season 6 is ♥!
P.P.S. 3 days to go! :)

Once again, the CRS drove me insane.

My fantastic pre-enlistment schedule.
(Click the pic to enlarge)

I am sure as hell I am not the only UP student out there who is going crazy over this. Every one of us is (im)patiently waiting for the [I cannot stress this enough] EXTREMELY SLOW LOADING [also known as Slowding, haha] process of the site, and I guess it's safe to say that it's enough to make anyone -- most especially a freshman -- go berserk.

The entire pre-enlistment process is just pure frustration, I tell you. First, the waiting. You have to wait oh-so-patiently for the page to load -- that is if you're lucky enough to not have the connection time out on you. Second, the searching for the subjects you need and checking their availability. And third, the arranging of your schedule. You have to consider so many things before clicking the "Pre-enlist" button: the professor, the time, and the classmates too if you and your friends decided on going to the same class. So many options to weigh, so little time.

And if that's not enough to get you so exasperated.. well maybe the whole "Selection and Rejection" process will. The chances of you getting your desired subject is like you winning in the lottery or something. IT'S THAT HARD. And every after batch processing, you only end up feeling more upset because you have to do the entire thing all over again.

AAAAARGH. After the second batch processing, I still haven't completed my 15 units. I'm still six units short. I guess I can still consider myself lucky though because I got 4 out of 6 subjects after the first batch processing. However, two subjects lacking is still two subjects lacking. I NEED TO COMPLETE THIS BEFORE ENROLLMENT TIME. I don't want to prerog! :( [For the non-UP people, prerog is short for "prerogative" -- if I'm not mistaken, in a nutshell, it's the process of pleading a professor to give you a slot in his class.]

Which explains the over-choosing of subjects. Haha. I don't care if there are conflicts right now as long as I get two subjects! Please CRS, don't fail me.


Anyway.. on the brighter side of things.

Like what I said, I got 4 out of the 6 subjects I pre-enlisted in! [Thank God for the freshman priority. Teehee]

In my CW10, I'm classmates with my two best college buds, Andy and Jamie -- and in a subject related to our course at that! It's not really a requirement anymore unlike our English11 class, but we figured we would be together for the next four years of our lives talking about English and creative writing anyway so why not take this one together? I'm sure the three of us will have a blast again. But the biggest shock of all was my PE class. As usual, it is not an exciting heart-racing exhilarating sport because you all know I am anything but sporty. It's.. [drumroll please!] Folk Dancing. Okay, laugh all you want. But I was actually pretty good in our folk dance lessons in high school. Ask that to Mrs. Laxa! :D Anyway, I suppose I wouldn't suck that bad this time. My only problem was I had no one with me unlike in Walking class where I had Drea and Inna. In short, I was alone in a supposedly fun subject -- or so I thought. Turns out.. AYIENE AND I ARE CLASSMATES! :) We only found out earlier tonight when we were asking each other's subjects [so far] in the pre-enlistment. This is so awesome! I cannot believe our luck! See.

Once again, the Small World Theory at work. Aww I'm gonna miss Physics 10. But I'm already looking forward to my classes [so far] this coming sem! :)

Speaking of Physics 10, another great news..

My grades are [so far] really good -- especially Physics 10! I so didn't expect that. Anyway, I have only seen the final grades of 4 out of the 5 GE subjects I took. I'm still waiting for the English11 grade to come out. That's all I'm saying for now, though. I don't want to jinx anything just yet. So.. there. Haha.

It really is a good thing I have One Tree Hill to keep me distracted from all this academic-related vexations. The only problem is it takes forever to load on the Internet. Especially during peak hours.



Now that I think about it, I guess everything that I'm thinking about right now just boils down to PATIENCE. Waiting. You can't always have what you want right there when you need it. You got to hang in there for a little while first. That way when you do get it, you'll know you really deserved it.

I guess I should go practice that whole tolerant and uncomplaining side of me now. Because we all know patience is so not my virtue.

Almost 17.

"Sooo high school."

Our new expression when reminiscing about things in our past [a reminder that we had a pretty interesting life before college, LOL].

Last Saturday I went to my Trixie's house for an impromptu bonding session with my closest friends. It wasn't planned at all, in fact it was a spur-of-the-moment call by Trixie because she said she just missed us so much. I was not allowed to go at first because it was on short notice but because of my superior good-daughter skills [HAHA!], I was able to convince my mom to let me go. Mikka fetched me here in our house and we went to Trixie's together.

God, I missed them so much.

It was just the five of us: Trixie, Mikka, Tin, Nica, and me. Trixie invited the others as well but only the four of us showed up. I guess it was okay that it was only us because I missed hanging out with just "us." Not that I dislike our other friends. I love them all. But you know how in a barkada, there is always a core group, the ones you are really extremely close with? That's us. And it's been a while since it was just the five of us. I can't believe we haven't hung out in ages! We used to eat lunch together! Anyway, yesterday we did some serious catching up with each other.. over some Piattos and tocino. Haha. I miss those guys to deeeath.

with Trixie, Nica, Mikka and Tin.

Then last night I got to talk on the phone with my bestest friend in the whole world, Hope. What's really funny is that no matter how short or long the intervals between our talk-sessions are, I don't feel it. No awkwardness, no uneasiness -- just talking and talking about stuff going on with our lives. The distance is a bitch because this is the girl I've been best friends with since kindergarten and I can't believe it's been months since I last saw her, but I find comfort in knowing that she's still my Enemy, and I'm still hers :P

I won't be doing another dramatic/emo post about how it pains me that we're going on different paths and that we're not as close as we were anymore. Because that's already a given. Things will change. But I guess it's true what they say that friendships kick long distance's ass. It doesn't matter how long it was since we last saw each other, because when we do get to spend time each other it's as if there wasn't any separation at all. We just bond like we used to. So what, we're not going to be schoolmates in St. Paul anymore. I can deal with that. And besides, the separation only makes room for more stories and issues and chikahans later on -- who wouldn't love that? :)

Stupid us, we didn't take a single photo. Guess we just have to wait for a next time.


Losing my mojo.

I don't know what is happening to me but I think I may have been losing my updating mojo for the past weeks. I really do not know why! I'm losing interest in updating my accounts, most especially my Plurk. When I first joined Plurk, I wanted to just Plurk all day, and now.. I don't even open my account anymore. I even considered [gasp!] deleting it.

I unofficially "closed" by blog on Multiply as well. I didn't see the point of updating that blog when I have this one. I know Blogger doesn't have privacy settings like that of Multiply, but I guess I'm just tired of keeping more than one blog when I've lost the will to update anyway. And besides, I don't have anything to write there anymore that is different from what I write here. I mean, sure I do post emo stuff there from time to time, but I figured, I have my real journal for that. I don't need the whole world knowing about my overly-dramatic emotional breakdowns. Everyone else has their own problems to worry about. [I can't believe I'm actually saying this. Haha] And because of that.. My Multiply would now be for my photos only.

I haven't been doing blog-hopping duties as well. I'm sorry online friends. I promise I will make it up to you.

What's wrong with me?!


I am sixteen going on seventeen..

On a happier note, only a few more days to go and I'm about to kiss my sweet sixteen goodbye! I've always waited for the time I can sing along to this song by Liezl on the Sound of Music. And now that's it's coming.. I cannot wait! :)

This is probably the most different birthday I will ever have. First of all, my dad and two of my titas are out of the country on the 26th. Second, it will be the first time that I'll be celebrating it on a vacation: sembreak. And third, I won't be having the usual party here at home with my friends and relatives. I thought it would be better to celebrate separately with my HS and college friends just so we could have more fun. I wouldn't want anyone getting left out with inside jokes and anecdotes that the other party might not know about. I already have a plan with my college friends, but I'm worrying about the party with my HS mates. We all have different schedules, some of them are not on a sembreak [*ehem La Salle ehem Mapua ehem*] and I still don't know where we're going and what we're supposed to do. Hanging out here in my house is certainly out of the question because as they said, it's "so high school." What to do, what to do?

I'm freaking out over my birthday because as what one good friend said, I am such a "birthday girl." One little trivia about me, when I meet someone new, the first thing I ask about them after knowing their name is their birthday. I don't know why but I feel closer to people once I find out. I like asking them their age, zodiac signs.. I'm weird but I think birthdays say a lot about the person. In short, I get excited over birthdays -- most especially mine. I look forward to the day I can officially call my own. I can't stand not doing ANYTHING for this special day. But can you really blame me? I like cake. And the gifts don't hurt either :)


I'm off to watch OTH again. Right now, I'm more in love with Jamie than anyone else on the show. He's the most adorable character everrr! Don't y'all agree? :)

Sembreak-ing.

I have been putting off blogging for a while because I wanted the Chris Tiu experience to last longer -- at least in my blog. I promised you guys I will give you an account of everything that happened on October 10, and I will. But right now, even after almost a week already, I still can't wrap my head around it. And it still seems so -- okay wait for it -- magical :) I can't get myself to write it down without stopping for a while and thinking about his beautifully perfect face, or his wonderfully chiseled body, or his -- I should stop. Maybe I'll let the "fascination phase" sit for a little while longer. And besides, don't you all like a little wait? :P

[If you've been under a rock for the last few days and have no idea about my Chris Tiu experience, I strongly suggest you read my previous post. Haha]

So, how are all your semester breaks so far?

I have been spending my time wisely on [remember, keyword here is WISELY] catching up with my favorite TV series and music downloads. Admittedly, I've missed out a lot on One Tree Hill especially on Season 5. The obvious reason is of course school work. Ever since college started, I didn't really have time for anything other than school. I was so engrossed with the whole adjusting and changing process that I sort of forgot about everything else. I've got more than 5 books pending in my bookshelf, and yes, more than 5 episodes of my all-time favorite show waiting to be watched.

But this was the reason I kept telling everyone else. The truth was..

I had the time to watch it if I wanted to. I just didn't because one night, I was looking around OTH fansites, doing my usual fangirl-ing, when I came across this spoiler about Nathan and Haley's marriage probably ending in divorce. And it just broke my heart. I wanted to stop reading but I just couldn't -- Nathan would flirt with Carrie, Haley would give up on Nathan.. everything just flashed before my eyes. I also hated the fact that Lucas would be marrying Lindsay. Don't get me wrong, I love Brucas, but I'd rather see him with Peyton than with that big-nosed Lindsay! And right then and there, I decided I won't be watching One Tree Hill for a while. Yes, I'm THAT sappy. Mock me, throw rocks at me, do what you please but I admit it. I COULDN'T HANDLE THE POSSIBLE NALEY BREAK-UP THAT'S WHY I STOPPED WATCHING.

But knowing OTH creator Mark Schwahn [not personally, though I wish I did!], he couldn't to that to the fans. People love Nathan and Haley. I did not give up on them that easily. And another fateful fangirl-ing night, I found out that they were going to patch things up. But by that time, it was too late. Season 6 was about to start. I was not able to catch up with the Season 5 bandwagon. I was the lamest self-proclaimed OTH addict ever. So I vowed to myself that come sembreak, I will finish the whole season, and start with the new one. I shall be as up-to-date with the lives of my favorite Tree Hill characters just as I was a few months ago.

"Oh my God, Karla! You're back!"
Oh yes, I am. Did you miss me, OTH friends? :)

[Oh, I can be such a nerd sometimes :P]

So really, thank God for the sembreak. And now, not only am I back in the One Tree Hill craze, I'm riding the Gossip Girl wave too! :) At first, I really was hesitant after I found out about the possible Blair/Chuck team-up [again, caused by another night of spoiler-snooping] but alas, I've come to terms with the fact the TV series is entirely different from the books. I'll forever love the books better. And hell yeah, Blair/Nate is still my favorite NYC couple. Always have, always will. I must admit, it's hard to resist the cattiness of the show. And the fabulous wardrobes doesn't hurt either.

I'm a B/N girl!

Always have, always will.

It's hard to talk about these two programs without mentioning the music used in the show. We all know that music is practically another character in One Tree Hill, what, with all the artists they've featured and discovered through the course of five seasons. But who knew Gossip Girl had that capability as well? This is another great thing I am admittedly geeky about: I download the songs I hear on the episodes of One Tree Hill. Recently, I started with GG episodes too. And I must admit, they are ALL incredibly good. I swear they are all wonderful. I just pop the earphones, and bam! One minute I'm chillin' in Tree Hill, the next I'm strutting down the streets of Upper East Side. Nothing like good music to cheer you up and bring you places :)

OTH Friends With Benefit Soundtrack // OMFGG: Original Music from Gossip Girl
Two of the most AWESOME TV show soundtracks ever!

And good friends too! Shout-out to my loves Jamie and Andy who are with me right now wallowing in.. virtual misery and laughter :P Love you guys.

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A huge thanks to Bianca! I really didn't expect anyone to find my blog cool, but this means a lot! KISS! :*
Rules:
1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3. Link 10 other bloggers whom you wanted to share this award to.
4. Give a reason why you consider that person’s blog cool.


And now my top ten:
THE PEOPLE ON MY FAVORITES RIGHT THERE ON MY SIDEBAR! *points to sidebar* My reason? Well, they wouldn't be there if I didn't find their blogs beyond awesome :)

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Enjoy the rest of your sembreaks guys! Remember, a few weeks from now we're all going back to that crazy battlefield called school so you better make the most out of it! Miss you all :)


P.S. Hindi pa tapos birthday ko :) Haha. Advanced birthday gift si Chris :">