Last hurrah with CrEngg!

I went to UP today because it's my friends' Math 53 finals. And being the ever-supportive friend that I am, I wanted to see them and cheer for them :)

And also because they might eat out.
And because we don't have Internet (again) at home.
And I don't want to be stuck at home all day.

In short, gusto ko gumala. Haha :)

I won't be telling you the seemingly gruesome details of what I heard from their finals. Basta from the looks on their faces as they left their rooms -- well, let's just say Math will forever be a subject of torture. : Hehe. (I'm really lucky my course does not require any Math AT ALL. English foreverrrr! \m/)

So after their finals we went straight to the UP-Ayala Technohub, and ate at KFC. Upon our arrival, the rain fell really hard! As in. So it was a good thing we got there in time. Of course while eating, picture-taking (courtesy of my camera and Enzo as the official photographer, hehe) and some kwentuhans. We can't believe we already survived first year! It has been ten months since we first laid eyes on each other, and yet there we were, as if we've known each other for years! Awww drama much :))

After that we went to Timezone. YEAAH BABY! Thanks to Jan for being the financier. Haha :))
We played Dance Revo, Air Hockey (with Jan), Time Crisis, Basketball, and Racing. OMG INNA IS THE BEST SHOOTER! Grabe, I didn't know she had it in her! X consecutive shoots in a row -- my god! She deserves Chris Tiu! Haha :)) In all the games I played, I sucked. Well, not really pero still, I didn't really win anything.. or I wasn't great in anything.. harhar! L-) That's not very surprising; I'm the least athletic and coordinated person I know. But I still had soooo muuuuuch fun. I'm not one to give in to cliches, but really, just being with friends made my day. Even though it was raining like crazy, I did not feel senti or emo at all -- it was one of the most fun days ever :D Sayang lang we weren't complete :

I'm gonna miss CrEngg. SOOO MUCH. This summer all of them will be taking summer classes except for me (and Andy, I think?). I'll be leaving so for the next two months I probably won't be seeing them :(((( Awwwww.

If there's one thing I'm extremely thankful for this school year, it's my group of friends. I know I've said it already lots of times, but as far as friends are concerned, I could not ask for more :D Ang bait ni God sakin grabe :)

I love y'all, CrEnggBB ♥


Sayang I want to upload the pictures but I don't think my mom has a card reader or a USB cable here in her office. So maybe when we have Internet at home again :)

So, how's the first week of your summer so far?
Hope you're all having a blast :)


SUMMER, HERE I COME! \m/
Let me rock you. Haha!

Dahil na-survive ko na first year ko sa UP.

Bago ang lahat, isang malaking..

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!! \m/

I cannot believe it. Freshman year is officially over. I survived ten months of college! Ano baaa! Ang bilis! PARANG KAILAN LANG, AMFFFF.

I hate cliches. But really.. how time passes by!

As a college freshman, of course having so many second thoughts and fears was inevitable. For one thing, I chose to go to a very errr-- liberal and open university, a far cry from the school I came from. You can probably call me a "pampered little private-school girl" because really, I haven't been outside the walls of St. Paul for twelve years, tapos sa UP ko pa piniling pumasok. I was sure that UP will at me alive.

Err. Well yes, UP did eat me alive. At some point it stepped on my pride, deflated my ego, dampened my spirits and rained on my parade. But you know what? I looooved it. \m/

Top 10 Things I learned
in my freshman year in UP :)

1. "UP is a stress factory." -- Sir C.P. David
   Wala na atang mas tatama pa sa sinabi na 'to ng Geol prof ko. In UP, you will only have two states: either stressed or super stressed. So many nights have I stayed up late to study, finish a paper (!!!) or cram about something for the next day. Totoong sa UP ko nafeel na 24 hours is not enough. It never issss.
   


2. "Akala ko, matalino na ko. Pag pasok ko sa UP, hindi pa pala." -- Inna De Castro
   Aminado naman kami nila Inna, Drea at Cathe na nung high school, syempre there was a feeling of confidence because we've been awardees for so long. So of course, we felt that, "Ah kaya ko 'to, matalino naman ako eh." WRONG. SOOOO WRONG. Even three years of Physics, four years of Chemistry and X years of academic excellence certificates wil NOT make you intelligent enough para hindi na ma-intimidate sa mga classmates mo. Dyos ko, ang dami-daming halimaw sa UP -- halimaw sa katalinuhan! Mga tipong nakapikit na, makakasagot pa rin ng problem. Or yung kahit patulog-tulog lang sa klase, parang nagmemorize ng libro pag nag-rerecite. Super nakaka-insecure minsan. But the good thing about this is the intimidation will drive you to work harder. Syempre panis ka naman kung hahayaan mo na lang na ganun ka di ba? I cannot count the number of times I studied 20x harder because I also wanted to prove for myself that I deserved to be here. Kahit para sa sarili ko lang, dba.
   


3. People don't care.
   Akala mo lang they do, pero they honestly don't. This is actually what I really love about college. Nung high school, konting mistake lang, the teachers will come calling for you already. Magpalit ka lang ng chuba, pinag-uusapan ka na -- everyone in school will be talking about you. But not in college. Go dye your hair red, hold hands with a new guy every week, cut classes -- people don't care. You can comfortably be yourself in UP.. kahit pa ano ang sexual preferences at guilty pleasures mo. You go live your life, and I'll go live mine. It will actually make you realize who you really are because you won't be afraid to explore so many options out there and worry about what they'll think of you.
   


4. People do care, actually.
   One of the unexpected things in college, kahit pa freshman lang ako, feeling ko ang tagal-tagal ko na sa UP. Kasi everyone is so welcoming and friendly. Kahit di mo ka-close, minsan may sasama sayong mag-cram sa isang subject. Or pag may nakasalubong ka, willing ka sabayan bumili ng pagkain. Or pag may kaklase ka na kasama mo sa pila sa photocopy, papahiramin ka muna ng 2 piso. Small things, really. But isn't it the small things that count? :)
   


5. "Tataba ka rin!" -- my cousins T_T
   Oo na bitter ako :)) Pero totoo. Halos 75% ng kilala ko ngayon, nag-college lang tumaba na. Nakakainis. To think na lakad ako ng lakad sa UP. Paano ba naman.. tapsilog shawarma taho peanut-butter monay dirty ice cream buko juice fishball siomai.. ANO BA! :)) Pero in fairness, pumayat na ko ngayong second sem kasi may class ako from NIGS to CAL fifth floor na magkasunod! Grabe din. CAL 5th floor everyday!! Tapos wala ko lunch pag TTh. Nako lang eh :| Pero still. Mataba lahat! Ano ba. That's a fact :)) Tanggapin na lang. :P:P


6. You will meet the greatest people ever.
   Let's set aside the fact that high school friends are irreplaceable. That's a given. When you go to college, you fear that no one will get your complexities the way old friends do. But you'll be surprised. I was. Sobrang mahal na mahal ko talaga CrEnggBB. I cannot ask for anything more pag dating sa college barkada ko. Akalain mo ba namang SOBRANG SOBRANG SOBRANG we get each other -- lahat ng complexities and weird fetishes namin. Dyos ko. Hindi ko inakalang there are people out there as crazy and sabaw as me! :) Tipong same wavelengths talaga eh -- magkatinginan lang gets na. Ano baaaa. :D Pati sa chur-churan, winner \m/ Ang galing nga eh. Woooh lahat kami Claretiano na! HAHAHA :))) And it's not just with my barkada. In every class, you will meet the coolest people talaga. Sobrang diverse ng mga tao sa UP, you'll realize how small your world was in high school. And kahit sino ka pa, tanggap ka. Even if you don't have a car, or live in a snooty subdivision, or go to bars, or have the newest cellphones; even if you rally for political issues, stay in the lib during break time, or whatever your thing is -- you're just as good as everyone else.
   


7. Chur-churs are everywhere ♥
   Ano baaaa. Dami-daming gwapo at maganda sa UP. It's just a matter of diskarte. Syempre not all people in UP are book nerds and anti-social.. we have our share of churchur lives too! Sa UP natuto ako that nothing is impossible. Walange excuse for you to not make a move on your crush. Ano ba. Dami-dami inaaral sa UP, okay lang naman mag-indulge sa mga guilty pleasures noh.. :P At san ka, swerte mo kapag yung crush mo.. halimaw na sa ka-cute-an, halimaw pa sa katalinuhan. WHAAAT. Yesss, such creatures exist, my friends :D


8. "Mga taga-UP di nag-cocompete sa iba eh. Nakikipag-compete sa sarili.. sa perfection." -- Hey Arnold!
   Haha. Seryoso. Inspiring words from Arnoooold :D :)) Pero totoo. Ano ba. Narealize ko after ko siya tawanan nun, totoo nga naman. Unlike high school, you don't hear your profs saying na you need to do better because somene else is getting higher scores than you do. To each his own dito. But still, it doesn't mean you have to be petiks. You have to strive and work harder -- for yourself. Totoo naman. Sabi nga, dapat lagi mong matalo si Perfection. Yon dapat ang goal lagi :) Hindi naman sa GC eh, it's more of kung alam mo namang kaya mo, bakit di mo pa ibigay best mo? Di ba.


9. Basta makapasa, blessing na.
   Hindi rin naman sa lahat ng oras maaabot mo si Perfection. Sometimes, napaka-sarap na talaga maka-tanggap ng 3. Ako that's one thing I also discovered in college -- dati I was sooo afraid of getting so-so grades. Pero sa hirap talaga sa UP, sometimes you just have to be thankful for whatever grade you get. Hindi na pwede magpaka-selfish. At all times, just be grateful. The 3 could be your friend or fiend, it all depends on how you look at it.
   


10. IT'S A SMALL WORLD, AFTER ALL.
    This is probably, hands down, the biggest lesson I've learned so far. Sa lahat talaga ng pagkakataon, this always proves itself correct. Countless times na na yung kilala ko, kilala ni ganito.. ganyan-ganyan. Ang galing nga eh, sometimes when you step back and take a look at the big picture, that is your social life, sobrang daming connect-connect. Ang galing! Kaya talagang it's important to treasure every friendship you establish with everyone 'cos you'll never know.. :> PS. Syempre napaka-useful nito pang-chur-chur. Madali lang mag-research kapag marami kang kakilala. Chances are may kilala ka na classmate/friend niya! :P

There are so many things I can still say about this year. Pero sige yan na muna. After all, first year pa lang ako. Madami pa ko ma-eexperience. UP has been a wild ride. Madaming ups, downs and all that. But do I regret choosing this over any other school? HELL, NO. College is such a new experience -- but I'm in a school rich with diversity, knowledge and spirit. I could not ask for more, really.

Thanks, UP.
Next year ulit :)


ANG HABA PALA. PAGBIGYAN NA :))

Let's be cryptic.

"When you say too much about anything important, it always ends up sounding more trivial than it is. Words trash it."
-- Jessica Darling

Because some things are better kept unsaid.
And un-blogged :)


I'll be back.

Excursus on Love.

No. This is not me not getting over Valentine's. This is me in Socio10 mode. We're discussing the Sociology of Loooove tomorrow, and we're required to read and write a paper about it. Slumbook much? Hmm. You decide.

SOCIAL EXCHANGE THEORY APPLIED
Excursus on Love

Love is the polar case of intrinsic attraction. Love appears to make human beings unselfish because they enjoy giving pleasure to people they love. Generally, this devotion actually rests on the aim to maintain the other person's love. Exchange processes occur in love relations. It differs from social associations of extrinsic significance in that rewards are exchanged because they are means to produce the ultimate reward of intrinsic attraction. In other social association, exchange of specific rewards is its very objective. In love relations, rewarding the partner is due to the need to express and to confirm commitment to the association, not the expectation of rewards.

During the early stages of falling in love, each partner hides his/her true feelings due to fears of rejection and dependence. This concealment, together with increasing dependence on each other, causes frustration. Here, dependence on each other is tested. This threatens the survival of the relationship. Individuals are compelled to express sufficient commitment in order to save the relationship. When one of them is not yet ready to commit, the conflict may terminate the relationship.

Human beings derive pleasure from sacrificing for those they love. After having sacrificed for a loved one and repeatedly rewarded for it by increased attachment from the other, giving pleasure eventually seems to be intrinsically gratifying. Favors and presents, being signs of love may stimulate one's affection for the other and vice versa.One may encourage more gifts and favors not because of the material benefits themselves but because of the need to foster the other's love for him/her.

This is just the first page. It actually is quite interesting to read about love in a non-romantic kind of way. The whole idea of cheesy, cringe-worthy love is so overrated, it's refreshing to see an analytical and sociological perspective. Well, for me at least.

Now I have to go and finish my paper. Describe your ideal romantic partner. Define Love. What do you think are the prerequisites of a long-lasting relationship? Wowww. Admittedly this is difficult. Sure I may have my types (ehem ehem Nathan Scott, Chris Tiu.. the likes. Haha) but they're just feast for the eyes. Ideally they may be perfect, but who knows if our personalities will mesh well? Can I handle being the girlfriend of a major basketball star? And am I capable of being in a real, mature, long-lasting relationship? NGHHH. Things like this make me realize how much I DON'T know about life. Haha. Maybe I'm just not old enough to know what love is yet. Maybe. So how am I supposed to answer this?

I think I know enough about love to understand that it's more than just an overwhelming wave of emotion. It encompasses so many things on so many levels. It makes everything a couple of shades brighter and darker at the same time. It makes you sensible but also a bit stupid. It wounds but it also heals. It's too complex.

But then again, I'm just 17. Maybe I shouldn't try too hard to demystify love.






(The little voice inside my head)
Karla, it's just a paper. Let's not get too carried away.

Let's get these teen hearts beating faster, faster!

Whatever your status is today, I hope you had fun. Valentine's isn't supposed to be this dreaded holiday, instead it should make you realize that at the end of the day, love (and not necessarily romantic) will always get you through.

I sound so.. cheesy. Eww. Minsan lang 'to. HAHA! :))

Happy Churchur Day, everyone! :)

Of growing up, and life imitating art.

Has it really been that long?

I'm having this very meaningful trip down to memory lane with my very dear friend, Cathe-slash-Cars. We just came from our friend Kaila's 18th birthday party. After getting our caffeine fix at Starbucks and reaching home, we started talking over YM about how unfortunate and difficult it is to not have water supply here in Paranaque, then we ended up reminiscing about our friendship. From our bondings at leadership trainings, to our first blogging years.. we have so many memories together and yet all the moments we shared feel like it was only yesterday.

In fact, everything feels like it was only yesterday.

These days, I try to avoid nostalgia. Because it brings back memories both good and bad. And I'm not good at dealing with unpleasant memories. But mostly because I really don't want to get stuck in the past anymore. I've gotten myself stuck in a rut for the past few months because I could not get over unfinished business in high school. I could not settle things not just with other people, but with myself as well. It was as if I was in a mess I could not and would not get out of.

Then 2009 happened. And yes, I'm proud to say I've grown up a lot already. I know it sounds impossible to "grow up" in a month or so, but I really felt like I did. I started talking to some friends again, I stopped being angry at certain people, I learned to let go of things that I held on to. I started to realize that there was no point in holding any more grudges. Looking back, I still feel a pang of pain. But now it's as if I've begun seeing the bigger picture. I've started connecting the dots, and now everything is making sense. I guess feeling sad over things that ended is natural -- but I don't feel regretful anymore. And maybe that's a good thing. Because it's only when we start accepting things that the healing can actually begin.

"There's one thing I want to say, so I'll be brave
You were what I wanted
I gave what I gave
I'm not sorry I met you
I'm not sorry it's over
I'm not sorry there's nothing to save."
-- Your Ex-Lover Is Dead; Stars

(Sometimes, it's easy to believe that life imitates art. Thanks for recommending this song, Cathe-slash-Cars!)



I did not mean to sound morose tonight -- err, this morning. The rude awakening just happened unexpectedly :P

I'm still on a caffeine high! Woooh, thank you very much White Mocha. Now I can't sleep. Good thing I have Cathe-slash-Cars to keep me company in my sabaw-ness. We're planning our future joint venture. Let's just say it probably won't get us to Santa's Nice Kids list this year! Haha.


Ciao, mi amici :)

Live through this and you won't look back.

A little something to explain my absence.

Yes, yes I knowwww. School is eating up my time -- all of it. I hope you get it. But just in case you don't, here's a little something for you:

THIS IS COLLEGE!

Every New Semester:

After First Week:

After Second Week:

Before the Mid-Term Test:

During the Mid-Term Test:

After the Mid-Term Test:

Before the Final Exams:

Once Get to Know the Final Exam Schedule:

7 Days Before the Final Exam:

6 Days Before the Final Exam:

5 Days Before the Final Exam:

4 Days Before the Final Exam:

3 Days Before the Final Exam:

2 Days Before the Final Exam:

1 Day Before the Final Exam:

The Night Before the Final Exam:

1 Hour Before the Final Exam:

During the Final Exam:

Once Walk Out From the Examination Hall:

After the Final Exam, During the Holiday:

It's February! I think I hear sneers and see some eye-rolling. Haha. I don't really want to be such a Valentine Grinch, so I'm gonna share with you what keeps me all perky and hyped up these days. I got myself a chur-chur! :P :P So go ahead, why don't you just go ahead and get yourself a crush if you're single? TRUST ME (and all of us from CrEngg), it's the beeeeest way to keep you awake and excited! Crushes give you a natural high -- kapag binati ka, woooh kilig levels go beyond the roof! :"> Masarap chumur-chur! Yeah, let's feel the.. love? :P

Happy Churchur Month! :)