The Golden Tickets.

I was firm in waking up earlier than usual today. I had the goal in mind and I was not going to let anything get in my way. I have been waiting for this since the start of the school year. Like Charlie Bucket, I'm willing to buy all the Wonka chocolates in the world just to have the Golden Ticket -- in my case, they're not literally Golden but they're just as precious in college:

The UAAP tickets.

Armed with money in hand and my cellphone on the other, I was determined to get myself tickets for both the September 6 basketball games and the September 7 Cheerdancing Competition. These two are not only requirements for my PE class, but also two of the most-awaited events in the whole UAAP season. Did I mention that the September 6 match-ups would be UP versus UST, and ADMU versus DLSU -- the four major universities in the country? And that, the Cheerdancing Competition current titleholders are the UP Pep Squad? Yeah. So now you know.

On my way to Quezon City, Inna and Drea already texted me that they were both in line at the Ylanan Gym for the tickets. The windows are not yet open so the lines were not moving then. Inna was in line for the Sept. 7 competition, and Drea for the Sept. 6 games. I, meanwhile, was to go straight to Araneta Coliseum and purchase tickets there. Our plan was set -- we've got all bases covered. Or so we thought. Upon my arrival, the whole circumference of the Coliseum was packed! If I didn't know any better I would've thought there was an event inside right then and there! It was very apparent that it was all for the UAAP. Why else would there be people wearing UP lanyards, UST uniforms, La Salle shirts, and Ateneo ID laces, all in one place? I'm sure there were people from all the other universities as well. I immediately texted Inna and Drea saying that if I fall in line here, I'm certain I won't be getting any tickets at all.

So off to Diliman I went.

Upon my arrival, I immediately saw people crowding outside the gymnasium. I went in and saw Inna and Drea who were on two different lines. I decided to go with Drea first since the line for the September 6 game was shorter. I saw lots of familiar faces there, including my Kas-mate Chantal (who was telling me to buy more tickets so that we can sell them at double the price, LOL!) To pass time, Drea and I talked about the Eraserheads concert which she was luckily able to attend. She shared with me all the excitement and drama that transpired that night. Being the funny and ever-entertaining storyteller that she is, I can't help feeling jealous! But like what she said, maybe the concert getting cut short meant that the Eraserheads should do it again. We just hope it won't be any time soon so that Ely can fully recover physically, and Drea can fully recover financially :P

Soon, the line was moving, but we kept overhearing from the people that "one is to one" lang daw. Oh no! We were supposed to buy four: for the three of us, and for our other Maroon friend, Cars. Nevertheless, we were determined. As we approached the booth, we immediately called Inna from the other line. She asked her "line-mate" to save her a place, and she quickly transferred to ours. Finally, it was our turn.

Lady Selling Tickets: Ilan?
Drea: Tatlo po.
Lady Selling Tickets: One is to one lang.

*Inna, Karla, and Drea smile*
*Lady Selling Tickets gives us three tickets*

FINALLY! Next up: the Cheerdancing tickets. Drea fell in line for the Sept. 6 game again (for Cars' ticket), while Inna returned to her line with me. While waiting, I really felt the anxiety of the people around us. "Ang tagal naman!" "Mayroon pa kaya?" "One is to one lang daw!" -- it was crazy. After a few minutes, one guy came from the office saying they were only going to accept the exact payment because they have no loose change. Inna and I suddenly went to panic mode. We both only had 500-Peso bills with us. So outside the gym I went. In times of hunger and desperation, the sari-sari stores beside the gym were our saviors! Luckily, they had barya so I just bought myself Fit N Right Apple flavor. Hah! It was like hitting two birds with one stone: getting smaller bills and burning fat. Hell yeah! :) I went back inside to find Drea's line moving quicker than ours. But we were almost at the booth as well, so right when we were about to buy the tickets, we called Drea and once again, the same scenario:

Lady Selling Tickets: Ilan?
Karla: Tatlo po.
Lady Selling Tickets: One is to one lang.

*Inna, Karla, and Drea smile*
*Lady Selling Tickets gives us three tickets*

YAHOOOOO! :) Our strategy worked! Drea went back hurriedly to the Sept. 6 line, and just a few minutes later she was able to get Cars a ticket. THE FOUR OF US WERE SETTLED! But there was one more thing left to do: get Cars and Inna's cousin Red tickets for the Cheerdance Competition. Unsurprisingly, the line was longer than for the Saturday event. Not all people were eager basketball fans like us and most of the students only look forward to the Cheerdancing. The line snaked up to the outside of the gymnasium, but luckily there were some benches there. As they say, UP is University of Pila, so there was nothing else we could do but be patient. While waiting, a group of upperclassmen approached this one guy ahead of us.

Guy Ahead Of Us: O ano nangyari?
His Friend: Grabe pare, 6 o'clock pa lang nandun na kami sa Araneta. Sobrang daming tao!
Guy Ahead Of Us: Nakakuha kayo tickets?
His Friend: Hindi! Sold-out na! Bad trip. Mga ten people ahead of us na lang, nagsara na yung window!

*Inna, Karla, and Drea smile*

We couldn't help secretly grinning at each other. If we stuck to our first plan, we probably wouldn't have gotten tickets to either event! Man, we were so LUCKY. As in. Unfortunately though, after about ten minutes, news spread that the tickets were sold-out already. Being the persistent creatures that we are, we stayed in line still. But to our dismay, wala na daw talaga. (Super extremely sorry, Catherine Pascual! We really tried!) A friend of Chantal's approached and told me that there are probably still tickets but they are just holding off the selling until tomorrow or the days to come. He wasn't sure though. Soon, everyone started leaving and we had no choice but to depart as well.

It's funny how in just a small amount of time, and over something relatively trivial, you can see the true colors of different people. Some were incredibly impatient, while some were more forbearing and relaxed. Others passed time by chatting with the people standing beside them, others were just silently anxious. But in spite of that, you feel the excitement and the adrenaline rush, and add in the thrill brought by the sound of the drums and the sight of the athletes inside the courts -- school spirit was in the air! It's undeniable that it all comes down to the fact that everybody just wants to support our dear university. Hey, hey, UP go, UP fight!

Despite all that's happened, we felt triumphant! We got the tickets we were longing for. And obviously, they were anything but easy to get! Buti na lang our diskarte and strategy worked :P Saturday and Sunday, here we come!

Matatapang, matatalino! ...Ganyan kaming mga taga-UP! :)
UP FIGHT!

The Golden Tickets :)

high school for a day.

Because me and my Kas-mates are just so freakin' cool, we decided to wear our high school uniforms for our Quiz Bee last Thursday. And boy, was it F-U-N!

St. Paul, UPIS, Miriam, St. Mary's

Kas1 girls

WOW, KASmates!

(Photo credit: Chantal!)

I miss high school. Wait, that's an understatement. I TERRIBLY, SORELY, REALLY MISS HIGH SCHOOL. There, I said it. It has only been five months and yet I feel like St. Paul is such a distant memory already. The moment I put the uniform on, I had an instant nostalgia attack! I remember getting ballpen and highlighter stains on my blouse, losing my necktie, my feet hurting because of my deadly heels, hiding my cellphone in my pocket instead of surrendering (oops!).. an outrage of memories came pouring in. This may sound cheesy, but no matter how much fun college is, there will always be a part of you that will long for high school. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think high school in the Philippines is as overrated as it is in the US, where Regina Georges and Cady Herons exist. Sure, we had "bitches" and "outcasts," but things aren't as harsh as they were in the other countries. Right?

Which is why high school is so miss-able. Because my experience was not at all bad. It was extremely amazing. Chantal and I planned on wearing my uniform all throughout the rest of the day, but it was getting to hot and I just had to take it off. Plus it was a hassle to run around AS in heels! As I looked at the mirror one last time, it felt like graduation night all over again. It was hard removing the uniform, because it was a remembrance of so many things. For the short time that I wore it, I was a Paulinian again, and it felt great. I believe that an hour and a half was too short to satisfy my yearning for my dear alma mater. But as always, one must let go. No amount of longing can ever bring the past back, and alas, I was brought back to reality. High school may be over, but being a Paulinian won't be.

Oh, by the way, our group placed 3rd in the quiz bee -- out of 4. LOL. But that's okay. We had fun naman. (Haha, bitter!?) Congrats, Group 3! :)


Can't PHELPS falling in love.

Yes, terrible pun intended. But I can't deny that Michael Phelps has got me swooning over him like mad! 8 gold medals, 7 world records, 1 Olympic record -- my God, who wouldn't fall in love with him?! I would gladly pretend to drown if it meant having him save me! But on second thought.. it would be lovelier to be with him in the sea, swimming together onto the glorious sunset.. *moments of silence for daydreaming* He just made me love swimming even more! Now I know what my PE for next sem would be :) He made it to my "Hot Men Who Should Save Me If Ever I Need A Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation" list. Haha!

Demmit, HE'S SO HOT!!
I love him super! ♥

I'm currently watching the closing ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. To tell you the truth, I'm a bit sad because it's over already! For the past weeks, I've been watching almost all events I can in all the Solar channels. And what fun it was! As you all know, I'm not very athletic so I rarely enjoy watching sports because 1.) I suck at them, and 2.) I don't get them. But after watching the Olympics, I'm not a little less naive especially regarding the more unknown events like the pole vault or judo. It was also a little bonding experience for me and my dad because we'd stay up late at night during weekends finishing all the basketball games or athletics events. Laugh trip, and super enjoy! For a while, I got addicted -- ask my friends! Awww. I'm gonna miss the Olympics! Can't wait for 2012 at London! :)

This got me speechless. I cannot believe it. T_T

For the past weeks or so, I've been hearing rumors about a Philippine version of Gossip Girl in the works. It was rumored that KC Concepcion and Anne Curtis will play the roles of Serena and Blair respectively. I was relieved that that turned out to be false. However..




One word: UGGHHHH.


Not quite over.

Just when I thought I can finally enjoy this weekend, our SocSci2 professor announces that our first long exam would be on Thursday next week. Oh, the horrors! As I have mentioned before, this may be my toughest subject yet because we have an extremely difficult professor. She talks and talks about irrelevant things, or in the rare instances that she does discuss about the philosophers, she keeps on repeating the things she's saying for the whole hour or so! It doesn't help that we have to study five philosophers, and four of which we just discussed in the last week (we were discussing Plato for one month). I feel incredibly nervous! I don't know what to expect from this subject. But I shall not let the pressure get to me. I just watched a snippet of the documentary The Secret, and it said that when you think of positive thoughts, the positive energy will come back to you. I now have new mantra: "I will pass SocSci2. I will pass SocSci2. I will pass SocSci2!!"

Oh, and I have another one pa.
"I will lose weight! I will have flat abs! I will be sexy!"


Because looking good is the sweetest comeback.
Right, Andy & Jamie? ;)

Jackpot Week! :)

Well hello, August. Sorry I wasn't able to welcome you properly. You know how things are.. acads take most of my time these days. And besides, it was only recently that Smart Bro actually worked for me. But I'm glad things are a-okay so far. In fact.. this week has been one of the best so far! I love it, really. Jackpot week talaga. So I'd like to thank you for every single day of this week..

Monday

• Jai Reyes. I almost forgot about my new "ritual" of listening to U-Rock every Monday at NU 107. Good thing I remembered to pop my earphones before I went to sleep. And would you believe my luck, JAI REYES WAS ON THE SHOW! And you know me and Inna. We're the biggest UAAP, Ateneo, UP fans ever! So we started texting like crazy under the pseudonyms Kbear and Paola, and then eventually using Karla and Inna.
  

  
  (not in verbatim)
  
  Lia Cruz: "Hey Jai, we love you super kahit taga-UP kami," that's coming from KBear and Paola.
  Jai Reyes: Thank you, KBear and Paola.
  Karla and Inna: WAAAHHHHH!!
  
  *after a few minutes*
  Karla calls the number.
  The call is rejected.
  Karla texts and asks why they can't call.
  Inna texts a message.
  
  Lia Cruz: Okay so a while ago, our phone started ringing, and some were asking if they could call.. I'm sorry we can't answer the phone call.. but you can text your messages to us and we'll read them out for Jai to hear..
  
  *Lia reads some message*
  
  Lia Cruz: "Hi Jai, good luck sa game niyo.. we're your biggest fans!" Oh, it's from KBear and Paola again.
  Karla and Inna: WAAAHHHH!!
  
  *after some more minutes*
  Karla texts again.
  
  (exact words na to!)
  
  Lia Cruz: "Hi Jai! We're probably your biggest non-Ateneo fans ever! Anyway, if it's not too much to ask can you please wish us luck on our midterms tomorrow? We love you!" That's coming from Karla and Inna.
  Jai Reyes: Hi Karla, Hi Inna. Good luck sa midterms niyo bukas, whatever subject that is. Good luck!
  
  Karla and Inna: @_@ WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!! ♥
  

Tuesday

• Kas1 Long Exam. I had my first long exam for my favorite subject today. I was so nervous because hours before, I was trying to squeeze in every bit of information I can into my brain, and I just couldn't take them in anymore! I wanted to be sure I got everything covered, but my brain just won't cooperate. So I just wanted to chill and relax. I went downstairs to buy myself a bluebook together with Reg, and to our surprise, when we cam back who did we see as we ran up the staircase? Mark Lopez and Czarlo dela Victoria of the UP Fighting Maroons!! We practically screamed in front of their faces!! Hahaha :) That certainly perked us up for the test! :) Anyway, I'm not totally confident about the test but I guess it's safe to say that I was able to answer all the questions. It really is a good thing na essay siya, and hopefully I was able to get my point across.
• A conversation with a friend. I was able to get a hold of one good friend of mine, and we were finally able to talk. Finally.
  

Wednesday

• Katips day. I ate lunch at KFC with Inna, Andy, Mark, and Jan. Wow, achievement toh because finally hindi na kami Rodic's at tapsilog! Whooo! :)
• Math1 Results Day. Yes, judgment day after our long exam. Our professor walked in with our bluebooks in hand and I swear to God we all groaned in unison. She gave out our bluebooks randomly, and to my utter luck, I was one of the last ones called. Imagine the nervousness I was feeling while everyone else around me already got theirs and I was still waiting! Finally, it was handed out to me, and I was able to heave a huge sigh of relief. 41/50! Yehey! :)
• Martin Reyes and Migs De Asis. As usual, after Math1, Drea, Mark, and I meet up with Inna in our Secret Meeting Place 2 or SMP2 (loser ng tawag, I know haha), the passageway we found cozy enough to stay in while we wait for our next class. And yes, our main purpose is to.. SEE THE BASKETBALL PLAYERS, because this is where they pass. Haha. So as usual, dumaan na naman si Martin at Migs. Ang adik! (Kawawa si Mark, puro babaeng adik sa basketball player ang laging kasama! :P)
  
• Pusoy Dos. Drea has been bitten by the card bug, so she decided to bring a deck with her. And guess what? After much persuasion by the three girls, Mark taught us how to play Pusoy Dos! Whooo! I must admit that I don't know card games, except for 123 Pass, Bluff, Ungguy-ungguyan and other lame ass games. But today, I finally finally finally learned. And you know what? I DON'T SUCK. Out of the 6 rounds we played, I won 2 times! And in the rounds I didn't get, I finished 2nd! Whooo. Take that. I. Am. Not. A. Loozaaah. :) I love Pusoy Dos already :)

Thursday

• ACLE day. Our Physics professor told us last Tuesday that we won't be having classes today. And since, ACLE in the afternoon.. I had no classes today! Whoopeeee!! :) For the information of the non-UP readers, the Alternative Classroom Learning Experience, popularly known as ACLE, is an event hosted by the University Student Council every semester. Students are invited (or sometimes required) to attend lectures prepared by various organizations inside the campus. The topics of each lecture should be related to the overall theme of the ACLE. For this semester, the theme is Juan vs. 100, in commemoration of the University’s 100th year. (Thanks!) So since we were required, guess what Inna and I attended?
  
  "Timeout! Ang Pinoy at Basketball" featuring the UP Fighting Maroons!!
  
  It was hosted by the UP BroadGuild. Grabe. I think we were the only two non-CMC people there! But that's okay. The moment the players walked in.. ay nako. Major kilig alert!! Too bad Migs De Asis and Mike Gamboa weren't there :( But that's okay because Martin Reyes was!! ♥ I swear I can't stop looking at him the whole time. Haha. Ang cute cute cute niya kasi! And his facial expressions -- ay grabe, priceless! He's so kengkoy and makulit. I fell in love with him even more! Grabe. Ang puso ko, laglag na laglag na! HAHAHA :) But of course, we didn't just ogle over him. We also listened to the other speakers. The basketball trivia were really cool. It's funny because when you come to think about it, basketball is THE sport of the Filipinos. No other sport can compare to the love and the respect we have for it. The adrenaline rush, the drama, the thrill -- everything just adds up to its alluring factor. SO TRUE ESPECIALLY FOR INNA AND ME :) Trish Roque was there too. Paulinian din pala siya. Whooo! Lalo ko tuloy gusto maging courtside reporter :) That's my Ultimate Dream #2! (Second to being an editor-in-chief in a magazine :P)
  
  Of course, we didn't miss an opportunity for a photograph!

I wished them luck pa nga, sabi ko ingat sila sa UE baka may ma-injure din sa kanila. Then Martin Reyes SMILED AT ME! ♥ Takte yan, tinunaw puso ko! :)

(BTW, Martin is the guy in white behind Inna. The one wearing retainers. The really cute one, yung maputi :P)

Tomorrow.. and the days ahead.

I don't have Math1 and PE tomorrow, so that means I only have one class: Eng11 from 8:30-10. That means at 10 am I'm freeeeee! :) Yipee! I'm going home to Paranaque tomorrow! MRT adventure na naman to for me. I love commuting on my own. Makes me feel so.. grown-up. Anyway, tomorrow is also Kristine's birthday. Then on Saturday is Tophe's birthday celeb (I'm still not sure if I will attend). On Tuesday is the Maroon 4's U-Hop day. Our stop: University of Sto. Tomas! Whooo! :) I can't wait. I'm so excited and perky. Haha.

Another reason why I'm so happy is because.. Inna and I were able to connect to our dorm's Wi-Fi by some sort of miracle. Hahaha. Illegal connection!? I don't know how this happened, but it did. So DSL surfing for us! Whoo! No more Smart Bro! -- at least for tonight. Haha.


Thank you dear August. This week has definitely been a great one for me :)



Word of the Week: WASAKKKK! -- courtesy of Drea :)

little miss random.

I thank God for this Internet shop. I'm a suki here already, especially every Tuesdays and Thursdays! :) It keeps me sane.

In the groves of the academe..

As usual my SocSci2 class is constantly keeping me stressed simply because I don't learn anything from it. Our professor just keeps on repeating the same things she says every meeting; we aren't moving forward in our lesson! We've been talking about The Republic for more than a month already! The other SocSci2 classes already had their long tests, and are now in Chapter 11 of our book. Us? Chapter 3. Guh-reat. I have a very strong feeling that she will resort to rushing the lessons at the very last minute. I am (not) looking forward to my first taste of self-studying and cramming for SocSci2. Hurrah?

So..

By the way, I forgot to share something a piece of really great news last time: I already received the results for my first Physics long test. And I got.. *drum roll* 48/50!! :) :) :) Thank You, Lord! I heaved a huge sigh of relief after that. Hopefully, my geeky prowess (if you could call it that, HAHA) will not fail me come long exam week -- which is next week! O_O Panic mode.

Tomorrow, long test for Eng11. August 5, long test for Kas1. August 8, long test for Math1. *hyperventilates* Okay, inhale, exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Haaay. Is there such a thing as academic nebulizer?



Paramita-ism.

Yesterday, I was able to get myself a copy of Paramita's self-titled second album. Unfortunately, it is a pirated version I found in some underground place here in the university (haha, undisclosed location), BUT!! I promise I will buy myself an original copy of their album because that's how much I love them. You all know Paramita is my ultimate painkiller. So last night, while Inna was taking a bath, I popped the CD in my trusty radio-slash-CD player, and just like that everything else just blurred away and I cried. I cried because Ria Bautista's voice is just so haunting. I cried because their music always unleashes the sentimental in me. I cried because the words of the song hit so close to home. But most of all, I cried because in those few moments the reality of everything dawned me -- I keep on denying the separation, the departure, the severance. I miss the people I used to just always have with me, the places that used to be just there, and the feeling of being at home. I always just brush these feelings aside because I know soon I'll forget if I don't think about it. And I thought I have been successful. But why, upon hearing the familiar sound of my favorite OPM band, do I feel like I'm stuck in the past?

Paramita sure knows how to unleash the emotional in me. :P



Thank God, it's Friday tomorrow!

Things I look forward to on Fridays (and Wednesdays):

• Hanging out with my guh-reat friends Andy, Jamie, and Ria! Sabaw kami lagi. We real cool. :P
• Math1. I'm weird, but I like my Math class. And the people in the Math building. Haha :)
• English11. Because our prof is so coooool. Beyond words. I'm an Ick-ist. Haha!!
• PE. Because I get to hang out with Drea and Inna.

But tomorrow.. there's a huge possibility that there won't be afternoon classes in preparation for the UPCAT. No classes stump Math and PE big time. So sana. Sana. Sana. Wala talagang klase. Kailangan ng mga Seniors ang matinding preparasyon para sa kanilang UPCAT noh! It's the biggest test of their lives. Their future depends on it. Di ba, Seniors?

(Wehh. Ayoko lang talaga mag-klase haha)

Wag kabahan sa UPCAT, mga takers. Read my previous post if you're going to ask me for tips. Or better yet, read this. Haha, shameless plugging of one's own post :))

OMG. I just remembered. It's our long test for Eng11 tomorrow! O_O Wish us luck!



Pending.

I have LOTS of pending photos stuck in my digital camera. But I have great friends who are religious and devoted Multiply-ers. I admire you for being such consistent updaters. Haha :) I shall, I shall, when I have the time :P

Karla, Jan, and Reg
Seatmates sa bus!
(I told you I have bangs and brown hair! :P)

of UPCAT, wounds, unos, and mountains.

I speak with a wounded foot.

Back story first: We had our first practical test for PE last Friday. Two times around the Academic Oval in 46 minutes. And no, you have no right to say, "Two times lang pala!" unless you've actually measured it and walked around it yourself!! Anyway, it was obviously a CHALLENGE, considering that we had to WALK. I suppose this is the hardest thing about walking -- you have to control yourself from running. All those times I could've just skipped or hopped or run or ANYTHING that would make me move faster.. I couldn't do, because I had to WALK. So see, my PE is not "chicken" contrary to popular belief. It caused such a pressure on my legs and foot -- to the point where I had a huuuge blister on my talampakan!! T_T As in. I had to go to the infirmary to get it cleaned (and the skin cut, ugggh!!) and disinfected. It hurt like hell. But it was okay because.. NAKA-UNO NAMAN AKO!! My time was 45 minutes and 10 seconds! So.. it was all worth it. Now I know how it feels. ALL FOR AN UNO! :) Haha.

But the problem was.. field trip the next day. T_T

Last Saturday was our field trip for Kas1 at Mt. Banahaw, and boy was it the bomb! :) It was my first official educational trip NOT in St. Paul, but quite surprisingly I had a blast. This is of course thanks to my ever lovable KAS-mates, who made the whole trip extremely unforgettable! Sobrang saya ng TTh 1-2:30! :) Syempre, as usual, I was the resident Joker at Singer.. representative ng aming class! Haha. Go Karla. Kapal na naman ng face ko di ba! :) Carry naman :) Pero of course, despite all the happiness sa bus, I can't disregard the fact that I had to climb the mountain with a HUGE WOUND ON MY RIGHT FOOT! Imagine the pain I had to go through. And don't tell me I shouldn't have joined, because I already paid! :)) Pero okay lang, because my very gooood friends Regine and Jan helped me! Grabe, super thankful talaga ko because if it weren't for them assisting me, I might as well be a helpless little prey for all the wild animals out there. Haha.

Anyway, Mt. Banahaw is the Holy Mountain for the Rizalistas in Quezon. They have this belief that it is the New Jerusalem, and that God transferred His holy land here in the Philippines. It was interesting listening to the different sects of Rizalistas and their doctrines. Some saw Rizal as the new Jesus, while some merely saw him as a great symbol of our nation. Whatever their beliefs were, it was certainly more than our usual respect for our hero. A part of me never really understood WHY they saw him that way, but of course that is probably because I grew up learning Catholic doctrines, so in a way there are prejudices in me. But nevertheless, it was a very thought-provoking experience. Immersing oneself in a different culture makes one more aware of his/her own beliefs. It might have been quite a painful "climb" out there, but it was definitely worth it! :)

I want to post pictures, but I am here at the friendly internet shop here at the SC again, so I can't afford to. (Besides I'm researching for Eng11) I can, however, refer you to my very masipag KAS-mates Chantal and Reg, and also Joseph, who have uploaded the pictures already. Super saya, I swear :P

---

UPCAT NA THIS WEEK!

To all you Seniors out there: I'm sure most of you are experiencing symptoms of extreme nausea, dizziness, confusion, and brain-hemorrhages, for the past few days or so all because of ANXIETY. And I can't blame you. I, for one, went through the whole ordeal. It definitely wasn't easy, especially if like me, UP is your ultimate dream school. The pressure of getting there is emotionally and sometimes physically paralyzing -- the thought of not passing brings tears in your eyes. I completely understand. And I know I cannot simply say, "It's just a test, you can do it!" because we all know it's not just A test.. it is THE Test that will determine your future. (It goes for all the other universities' entrance exams as well)

And so, to hopefully help ease your suffering, I give you this:

My UPCAT Experience

Haha, okay so it's just a link to my blog post after my own experience with the dreaded UPCAT. It isn't that big of help, I suppose, but because I was inspired by one vandal from the ladies' CR at the Math Building, I want to get this across: "The UPCAT is just a phase, it too shall pass." After a few hours or so, the whole thing will be a thing of the past. So might as well make the most out of it! Do everything you know you can do RIGHT NOW because after it's over, that's when it ultimately becomes what it really is -- just a test. But right now, you can still do whatever it takes to make it worth your Php 500. So it really is up to you, dear Seniors :) After all, you wouldn't want to be regretting in the end right? I mean, who likes the whole "I wish I could've done better.." moments right?

And I've been getting this a lot lately: Do I have any tips? Hmm. Don't get intimidated by your seatmate. Arrive early. Bring extra pencils. Bring your map with you so that you don't get lost. Shade the circles properly. And the most frequently asked question: regarding the right minus wrong thing.. YES, RIGHT MINUS WRONG SA UPCAT. Pero you only lose 1/4 of a point or 0.25 for every mistake you make. To risk it, or not? It really is up to you. If you think you can eenie-meenie-miney-moe yourself out of it, then great. But what I did was I tried to make the smartest guess I can for those I think I can answer, and just really left the out-of-this-world types blank. Except of course the math part. I have to try and answer.. or else blank yung Math test ko! :P And also! May reading comprehension :) Wala lang, it wasn't really a problem for me because I'm a fast reader, pero if you are not, I suggest you read the questions first, then the paragraph. It works :)


OKAAAYYY. I HAVE TO GO AND MEET INNA AND REG AND JAN AND ALL MY OTHER ENGG FRIENDS :) Haha.

out of the darkness, comes the Knight.

DEFINITELY ONE OF THE GREATEST MOVIES EVERRR!!


Heath Ledger gave me goosebumps. I must agree that it is probably his greatest work. IMY Heath! Christian Bale was superb too. He lived up to my expectations -- and he's still as hot as ever too! :)



Those who haven't seen it ought to die out of jealousy right now.


I love Batman pa rin talaga! ♥
This movie gave me all the more reason for me to fall deeper in love with the Caped Crusader.





(P.S. We watched at IMAX; the 3pm showing. Paglabas namin, super daming tao.. and guess who I saw? ERIC SALAMAT!! Haha. Wala lang. Last week I saw four UP Players: Martin Reyes (who smiled at me!! Major kilig mode!), Czarlo dela Victoria (who was with Martin), Mark Lopez (nakasabay ko sa jeep, also smiled at me), and Migs De Asis (who Ria introduced to me!).. and now, Eric! Haha. OMG UAAP Fangirl alert! Haha. Sana si Chris Tiu na yung neeeext!! :D)

how my July 15 went.

11:27 AM

So I just came from a "trek" from the distant land (and mountain?) called the National Institute of Physics. Today was our first long test for Physics 10. All weekend long I studied for this test because after all it was my first long test EVER as a freshman, as a college student, as a UP student. I was so determined to do good on this test that for every moment possible, I thought about it. I reviewed during commercial breaks of the UAAP, I read in the jeepneys, I recited the laws inside my head. I guess I was pressuring myself but I don't know, I guess you can blame it for desperately wanting to make a good first impression. So, I must say it got me up all night tossing and turning, to the point of waking up at 2:00 in the morning, gasping "Law of Areas! The planets sweep equal areas at equal times!" (luckily my roommate Inna did not get awakened by this, LOL) This morning, I woke up extra early, wanting to get the test over with right away. I wanted to push the second hand just so I could speed up the time. I just want it to be OVER! It was driving me insane.

It's over.

How was it, Karla?

Well to tell you honestly it was certainly not unlike any Physics test I ever took in my entire life. No computations, no mathematical formulas, no equations. Just objective questions on concepts and theories. You see, this is why I love Physics 10. It is the perfect subject for the Physics geeks like me who love the topics, but hate going through the tedious details. The whole test was composed of Matching Types, True or False, Multiple Choices.. and then the Essays. The dreaded Essays. I'm a writer, I suppose I should not be afraid of essays, but the problem isn't with the capability to write and explain, but explaining them briefly. I knew all the concepts, but what was challenging was presenting it in brief and concise sentences. For an hour or so, I struggled to keep my sentences short, but full of meaning. It was hard, really, especially for a girl like me whose mind never stops running out of things to say. Thankfully, though I got out alive. As I trekked my way back to mainland, I must say I felt good knowing that I was able to answer the test, that I knew the answers to all the questions, and that hopefully my review paid off.

So what's the point of this blog entry? Am I supposed to give a moral or something? Well not really. I just happened to have some free time in my hands, and I wanted to blog about this. Because the whole ordeal of taking this test literally got me bonkers all weekend long. And wala lang. Gusto ko lang i-share.

Haha. I'm weird :)) And I'm hungry too. I'm off to Engg to meet with Inna and Reg. Gutom na ko. Happy lunch y'all! :)

3:44 PM

Just got back from my SocSci2 class. We were dismissed early, so yehey for me. I'm back at this Internet shop because I have nothing left to do. Oh wait, I have something to research about pala. The Republic by Plato. Geeeez. You know, I hate Socrates. I have only read the first few chapters and yet Socrates gave me a headache. At some points of the book, I'm like, "Dude! Shut up!" Haha. He keeps on asking and asking and asking and asking.. unquenched thirst for knowledge? LOL. But what can I do, I must read the entire thing lest I fail my SocSci2 class. Honestly it's my most challenging subject this sem. Aside from a very difficult professor, our lessons are so.. inconsistent. One meeting we're discussing Greek mythology, and Plato the next. We even talk about the Persian Wars, and James Bond. WHAT THE HECK? What are we supposed to study!? And every meeting we're threatened with surprise quizzes.. so I read all my notes.. tapos wala. Our prof just talks and talks and talks and talks and.. zzzzzzz. T_T I really hope I pass this subject.

It's raining again today. And yes, I'm one of the romantic-sentimental-mushy rain lovers, simply because it makes you feel so.. well, romantic, sentimental, and mushy. Haha. But now I'm starting to love rain more.. when I'm in UP. I don't know but to me, UP is soooo beautiful when it rains. The trees, the walkways, the buildings, the people.. hay. When I look around everything just feels so tranquil. For a moment, I don't hear the jeepneys or the noise or the laughters or the shrieks. Just the raindrops.

I walked all the way from AS to here (Shopping Center). It wasn't raining as hard as it did during lunch time, but it was drizzling. I didn't want to ride the jeep despite the Free Rides today (thank God for Tuesdays.. and thank God for Accenture! Just another day at the office for the Tiger. LOL) because I wanted to admire the scenery. I'm starting to appreciate walking more because I become more aware of the things around me. It's like my senses are automatically put on alert mode not just for safety purposes but also for entertainment. Like the one time I was walking from AS to Engg in the Beta Way, I saw a guy proposing to a girl to be his girlfriend. Major AWWW! It's the little things like that that I really enjoy when I walk. I notice things. I see things. I hear things. I feeeel things.

Oh shoot. Writer hormones on the rampage! :)) I'm getting overly sensitive. Ooooh, maybe I should write a poem or something?

Anyway. Today is Chris Tiu's birthday!! :D As much as I love the UP Fighting Maroons, nothing beats my first true basketball love: number 17 of the Blue Eagles! :) Maaaaan, if you only knew how badly Inna and I wanted to skip class today in hopes of seeing and greeting our beloved. But being the industrious, diligent, and loyal UP students that we are (weeeh!) we decided to just give him a little tribute.. by wearing Ateneo shirts to sleep last night! Rewind to senior year, almost all of us bought college shirts/souvenirs from all the universities we applied in. I, of course, bought A LOT from UP and Ateneo, which are both my dream schools. But of course, since I am now a full-pledged Iskolar ng Bayan, it would be hypocritical to leave the house wearing my "Good things come in Blue and White" shirt in the open. Thus, my Ateneo shirts have been demoted to pambahay shirts. Last night and tonight would be the PERFECT time to wear them again. Chris Tiu, if ever you're reading this (which I highly doubt, but who knows?) HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! No matter how much I love UP there will always be a part of me that will beat for Blue.. and that part is You. :">

HAHA CHEESY MUCH. I love you, Tiu :)

But of course. UP Maroon pa rin ako. And yes, I am still inlove with my 3Ms namely Martin, Migs, and Mike. AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT? My very very very good friend Ria will introduce me to Migs De Asis tomorrow!! FOR REAL!! :D Migs is her classmate in.. uh, I forgot what class. Basta! And I asked her, no wait, I BEGGED her to do some moves on him and get him to agree to meet with us, UAAP addicts. Fangirl alert! :) I'm hoooooooping that it pushes through tomorrow. Tae. Na-eexcite ako. You all know my ultimate weaknesses are hot, macho basketball players I see on TV.. aka UAAP players. Haha. So there.. I'll meet him again tomorrow, and this time he'll know my name :) AY GRABE, I'm so landi. Hihihi :">

Ayan, tapos na rin ako. I'm going home na! -- to the dorm I mean. I just transferred the files on my USB na lang, so I'll just read them again later. Yehey, thank God for technology. So mamaya, I shall immerse myself in The Republic for SocSci2, and the Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock for English 11. Whoo go Geek :P

And because I love you all, I leave you with this :)

My WHAT??
Oh no, I wouldn't dare!! :))