Bathroom, Ice cream, and Cake

I have never before cried in a public bathroom until last night. It was weird, like i wanted to cry my heart out but i couldn't. The girls in the next stall might think that i'm a crying ghost or something. But i was really sad so i cried as quietly as i could. *hikbi hikbi*

The reason? Mutya was leaving for the States with her hubby, JP. I was going to have a despidida dinner with them, her brothers, and Meryl (Moo). Moo was also leaving for Singapore for training. Both left early today, around 8 - 8:30am. I was hoping i'd get to Trinoma on time but the class (stupid! why didn't i just skipped class?! my stupid conscience was telling me to stay in case there'd be recitation) ended later than usual. I knew I was going to be late. I hurriedly ran out of class to look for a taxi. Every taxi that passed wouldn't take me there because of the traffic. I called Mutya but her battery was dying. I called Meryl. She told me that i couldn't make it. They're leaving early because of their early flights. Mutya was leaving her phone with her brother. I was planning on catching them at the airport. It turned out, they're flying from different airports! There was no way I could find them if they didn't bring their phones.

I was so frustrated! It was Mutya's last night here and I can't see her. The last time we got together was bitin. I was going to give her a gift for her birthday (Sept 26). I was going to take lots of pictures for keepsake. I was going to give a lot of bilins. *hiccup* I was going to cry, right in the middle of Powerplant. I ran to the bathroom and the tears wouldn't stop dropping.

By the time Patty found me, I was in desperate need of cheering up. I ate ice cream cake at Press and I ate a lot! Eat to your heart's content. Drowned my frustration in choco-mint gelato.

I went to Starbucks to wait for Patring's birthday. I needed to compose myself before I joined them next door at Good Earth where the party was on full blast and the beer was flowing. I didn't want to ruin the mood with my being sad. I waited for midnight (Sept 28) and bought Patring a mini-cake. I transferred to Good Earth with my little gift and was pleasantly surprised when the deliriously happy Patring gave me a great big hug for being the first person that night to give her a gift. I was so touched at how much she valued my simple offering. She shoved me a bottle of beer and we all toasted. Thank you, Ces, sa pagsalo sa akin sa beer! I've never liked the taste of beer and I appreciate the effort.

Midnight came and the big crowd that gathered for Patring's birthday bash cheered aloud. I think we occupied half of Good Earth and made all the noise. Then her Human Rights friends came with her gift box. It was literally a big box filled with various gifts which took a month to prepare. It was filled with a scrapbookful of greetings and wacky pictures, a Red Ribbon cake, a fishbowl with live koi fishes, a Panatang Makabayan shirt, and a whole lot more. The birthday girl was in tears as she hugged people while still clutching my little cake. She finally relinquished the cake in exchange for the bowl of fishes. We ate the cake, took lots of pictures, hugged a lot, made a lot of noise and filled her box with more signs and greetings. I regret that we had to leave earlier than everyone else because we had to study for the next day.

The night didn't turn out so bad. I even forgot to be sad for a little while. I even laughed and smiled a lot for the pictures even if my eyes were red and my face was splotchy. I was glad I went to Patring's birthday bash.

Happy birthday to Patring Cervantes! I'm so glad I met you. I'm so glad you're my friend. Patring, i know we're trying to make up for this birthday since you didn't get to celebrate last year due to Milenyo. *smiles evilly* But there's another typhoon coming. I think you're birthdays attract a lot of things, including typhoons. Good thing we celebrated before the hard rains hit.

Free Hugs (I Hug You!)

This is the cutest post card Patty and I saw yesterday at Fully Booked. It was very fitting for me because I was feeling down. On the back of the card, it says:

HUGS...
Hugging is good medicine. It transfers energy, and gives the person hugged an emotional boost. You need four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance, and twelve for growth. A hug makes you feel good. The skin is the largest organ we have and it needs a great deal of care. A hug can cover a lot of skin and gives the message that you care. It is also a form of communication. It can say things you don't have words for. The nicest thing about a hug is that you usually can't give one without getting one.

Author unknown

It was very clever. It made me wonder whether I lacked hugging since I didn't seem to grow (vertically, emotionally, etc.). Hmmm... I need a hug!

Shared Solitude

I was down. I felt so depressed, I was in need of solitude. I went to the bookstore to read a novel, as I always do when I feel like this. A new book from a favorite author! I sat in the two-seater cushion and started reading. You sat beside me. My bag filled with books between us. I didn't notice you at first, I was so engrossed in my book. I read my book, you read yours. You stood up and left. Still I didn't give much notice. You came back with a new book. The cushion dipped as you sat. I glanced at you, you seemed to be as engrossed as I was with my book. I move around in my seat, you didn't seem to mind. You got up to find other books, I didn't mind. Three hours, we sat beside each other in comfortable silence. I finished my book and felt so much better. I didn't want to leave, but my friends are waiting. I didn't want the comfortable way we sat to end. Because it made me peaceful, this shared silence. I didn't ask your name, you didn't ask mine. I got up to leave, the cushion shifted. You glanced at me. Sorry I have to leave.
Thank you. You might not know it but you made me feel better. You were a steady presence beside me. Thank you for sharing my solitude.

What Makes Me Happy:

• A cheerful smile or greeting from a stranger
• A big hug from a friend
• A great conversation
• Laughing my heart out while hanging out with my friends
• A sincere and unexpected compliment from someone i look up to
• A phone call (plus, i like hearing my ring tone) ^_^
• Eating a fave dish
• Cuddling a fluffy something
• Holding hands
• Sitting back to back
• Sharing food (weird habit from college days, eating from someone else's plate)
• Meeting new friends
• Renewing bonds with old friends
• Sitting in the prayer room
• Singing with other people (i joined the choir, finally had the courage)
• A good cry
• A good recitation
• Adrenaline rush
• A beautiful song (will share in a bit)
• Ice Cream

three of the songs that tops my playlist right now: (i have copies, will share if you ask nicely ^_^)

• Hana (flower) - by Orange Range

This one is the theme song in the movie "Ima, Ai Ni Yukimasu" (Right Now, I'm Coming to be With You) aka "Be With You." A touching movie from the writer of Heavenly Forest, Ichikawa Takuji. The next song is the theme in the drama version of the same book. I like both versions even if critics say that the drama version was dragging. Hmmm, I probably like it because it stars Hiroki Narimiya, who i find adorable.

• Kizuna (Bonds) - by Orange Range
  

Oh and they used a traditional japanese stringed instrument. A beautiful mix of the traditional and the modern. I think i'm starting to get attached to this band!

• Rain of June - by Hu Ge (i couldn't find a better radioblog version so here it is, youtube version) I'm super in love with this song.
  

The Weekend After Cramming

Saturday was awesome all in all. I woke up super late because of a great chat and a view of the rising sun. I promised Ana that we'd watch Evan Almighty and we did. I cried, i think. I thought it would be a no-brainer sequel to Bruce Almighty but it wasn't. It was pretty touching, actually. Loved the animals. Loved "the dance." After the movie, we went to Starbucks to study for a while. Went to mass at 5pm. Ate dinner at Press Cafe. Went to the Bar Operations closed-door meeting in school at Justitia. Sneakingly left the meeting to eat pizza right outside the room. ^__^ *yum yum* Went back to Starbucks to study again. *nerd*

Sunday was even more fun! Met up with my high school besties, Mutya and Meryl aka Moo, at Edsa Shangri-la. Ate lunch at Cravings. The salad bar was *love*. Not that i ate any veggies, but i adore the eggs, pineapple, and onions. >.< style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">*slurp* we pigged out like we always do when we're together. walked around a little and talked a lot. i honestly miss my high school days. it was so normal for us to do this. i felt like i stepped into a time machine that propelled me back to the past. it was a nice feeling. like time never moved forward with the way we are. we are still the same yet i knew that we've changed so much. i never wanted the day to end.

I treasure days like these. Days when i feel so free and loved. Days when all i think about is how to have fun with people i love. I look forward to more of days like these.

Rollercoaster of emotions

I thought i'm past the stage where i can stay up for 24 hours and still function normally. Guess i'm wrong. Patty and i went to her house in BF Homes, Paranaque for an overnight cramming session. Ana tagged along to do some cramming of her own. Hauling our books and laptops, we braved the traffic to Paranaque. Amazing how much work can be done when we're cramming! Thesis deadlines, studying for the elective subjects, memos, and retainer agreement.

As a result, i was super cranky by the time we reached school on Friday morning. *scary* More cramming had to be done and we barely made it in time for our practical midterms for legal counselling. What cheered me up was a comment from the professor that I could be a good fiscal in the future and a high grade to boot. I was so physically drained but also psyched up that i couldn't keep still enough to study for my next class. Hence, my recit was awful! I barely had anything substantial to say. After the endorphines and the blushing shame wore off, i had to drag myself home a precious few hours of sleep. *snore*

I really did intend to go my last class. *nod nod* I set my alarm and it went off. But, darnit, snoozing was such a great idea at that time. *guilty* By the time i finally decided to wake up, i lost the will to attend class. I ended up going to the mall to wait for my friends. By then i was a bit refreshed and willing to take on another all-nighter.

And all-nighter it was. Meeting up with Pa St for a bonding session was on top of my to-do list that night. As always, we ended up chatting, laughing, sharing, and getting to know ourselves up to the wee hours of the morning. One funny moment was when my roomie, Chiqui, went home and locked the door after passing by us. Kamusta naman ang nilock ako sa labas?! Hahahaha. Good thing she woke up to unlock the door for me.

I love mornings and sunrises. Most people think i'm more of a night owl because i tend to stay up late. But i really love watching the sunrise. Refreshing. Like forgiveness just dawns on you. But it's a sight i seldom get to see. Thank you for the sunrise.

A Day With My Best Friend

I’m writing this while listening to Hyde’s Shallow Sleep.

Yesterday was an eventful day. Woke up feeling refreshed, watched a couple of episodes of Japanese jdoramas, ate pizza for lunch and texted my high school best friend, Mutya, if she was free. She agreed to come to Powerplant with her brother. *danced with joy* I finally get to hang out with her (our attempts to see each other was foiled by the typhoons). Spontaneous works best with us, proven and tested. I toured her and her little brother, Tim, around the mall and shopped. We finally got to talk and just hang out. She treated us merienda while dinner was on me. All in all, it was a great way to catch up. But it was bitin. I felt like I wanted to tell her so many things but I didn't have enough time.

She’s the kind of person who’s genuinely adorable. And I love her. Being with her for the past 18 years is such a blessing. One I often take for granted. I often think that she’s been the glue to our barkada, the mom/ate, the joker, the most friendly, the most beautiful, the practical one, the dependable one. But she’s leaving. Leaving for the States. To be with her husband. The reason she’s here in Manila was to get her visa. She’s here to chase her dream. A fairytale love story, a fairytale wedding with hopefully a fairytale ever after.

I should be happy. I am happy for her. But the selfish little child in me is crying. She’s leaving. Leaving us. She is the last constant reminder of my high school life. Life as I know it will soon change. I fear that change. I might not handle it was gracefully as I can. Without her, we might break. Without her, we might forget the “us” that we once were. I pray for the strength to keep our friendship.

“To where has love gone? Will I ever reach it? The Cape of Storms echoes the pain I feel inside.” – The Cape of Storms by Hyde in Kagen No Tsuki

I realize that the past trials that almost broke us apart was cushioned by her presence. She is the healer of broken hearts and broken spirits. With her help and her constant presence, we found forgiveness and a sense of peaceful acceptance. More trials loom, threatening to break the mended bonds. Distance. Change. Adulthood. I pray for a stronger love. I pray that 10 years from now, we can look back chuckling over our own foolishness and baseless fears. I desperately wish for that future because I am afraid of the present.

“Fear is the mind-killer. I will face my fear. I will let it pass through me.” – Leto, Children of Dune

Dahil Masaya Ako...

... (^_^)

It's been a week of lounging around. The solitude I've wished for after the midterms was granted with the continuous typhoons. I've spent my waking hours alone and doing things I've wanted to do [slept the days away, chatted with some friends abroad, did errands, watched all my favorite jdoramas]. Today, I wanted that solitude to end. I needed company, the face-to-face kind of conversation, the smile on a friend's face, the warmth of another's friendship. So I met up with friends.

I had a movie-and-dinner-with-friends night. I went with my friends to Starbucks Block 9 and discussed some school stuff. Rach wanted to watch a movie which Ana and I planned to watch with Euns. Kaso, nag-last full show sila ni Quani last night [hmp! nang-iwan! ;p] Good thing nagyaya si Rach. And so we watched... A Love Story. Yes, the one starring Maricel Soriano and Aga Muhlach. And we watched it at Powerplant with a full-packed cinema. Ika nga ni Euns, "huwag i-underestimate ang powers ni Maricel and Aga." True enough, the cinema was full with people of all ages. On my part, I watched it to confirm who the querida was. [i knew it! we've had a long dinner conversation over this issue: Maricel or Angelica] It was a beautiful twist to the film. I also liked how it ended. It wasn't the ending that I envisioned but I liked it nonetheless. It's an Aga classic. In fairness, Aga's pecs and abs were defined!

After the movie, we went back to Starbucks to meet up with the nerdy bunch (the ones who stayed behind to study/chat/surf the net). Rach decided to treat us dinner and drinks at Good Earth. Thank you, Rach! Advance Happy Birthday (Aug. 22)!

Tarot Talks

I'm sleepy now but i'm all smiles. A boring day ended with a blast. What i thought would be an earlier cap to my study night turned out to be a father-daughter bonding + bunch of friends = fun.

Thank you, pa st: for coming all the way to rockwell to talk with me and getting lost on the way, for sharing with me, for meeting my friends, for making me feel good as always. I always feel that i've never thanked you enough. Spontaneous tayo!

The night started out with the usual dinner and starbucks study session. A friend decided to drop by and catch up. We went to Good Earth to talk and catch up. I sorted out the tarot cards that i liked and began telling the story behind the card, analyzing it with my friend.
1 text message received. "uuwi na kami qtr to 12. " So i went back intending to get my stuff. Friend: Alis na kami in a while, kung gusto mo kunin mo na stuff mo sa car para maiwan ka na kasama friend mo. Me: Ok, cge. Kwentuhan lang kami dun at tarot.
Tarot. Hearing the word perked them up, all of them suddenly wanted a tarot reading. Nagkahiyaan pa, isa isang pumunta sa Good Earth to meet my friend. Eventually, inuman na. Chill out before midterms.

I never really mix my social circles. I keep my high school friends from my college friends and my college friends from my law school friends. I compartmentalize. Probably because in each circle i am different. I am the me who they think i am. Sometimes, the me that they need me to be. Tonight was a first. A college friend hanging out with my law school barkada. I found out that it was actually fun. An exception to my general rule.

We never really know how things turn out. Every human act changes an outcome. There is a thing called fate but a single human will can alter it.

Guardian Angel

This song is called Guardian Angel by Hong Jun Yang. I fell in love with while watching Angel, I love you aka PS i love you.



Last night was a blast! the last "inuman" before midterms. Patty, Rach, Eunice, Sam, Maj, Chris, Dae, Ces, Hazel and I (after a grueling day of studying) decided to have a midnight "break" from being nerds. Leaving our books at Starbucks, we went to Good Earth and drank.

Eunice: There's nothing wrong with putting your best foot forward. After all, it's still your foot.

un na! Thank you, girls, for a great great end to a boring day!

Right now, i'm off to Starbucks to study. I needs lots of luck next week for midterm exams.

Angel I love you...

One of my favorite scenes...

Roy went to get a drink for Tammy and was gone for a long time. Walking back to Tammy...
Tammy: [irritated] Stand there and don't follow me. [walks away]
Roy: [obediently stays where he is while people pass by him in the middle of the path]
After a while, she sees him still standing where she left him and feels sorry.
Tammy: Why are you still here?
Roy: You told me to stand right here.
Tammy: Are you stupid or what?
Roy: I am stupid. That's why i made you angry.
Tammy: I'm very domineering, right?
Roy: [shakes his head]
Tammy: I get angry over trivial matters. It's not too late for regrets now.
Roy: I have no regrets.
Tammy: I get angry over trivial matters.
Roy: I'll keep quiet and wait for you to finish throwing your tantrums.
Tammy: I'll run away too.
Roy: I promise you that i'll stand here and wait for you.

Roy: [after drawing on her apartment wall a cartoon of their wedding] Do you like it?
Tammy: [nods and smiles]
Roy: Besides being your guardian angel, i would like to spend the rest of my life with you.
Tammy: Why should I promise you?
Roy: Because I don't know who else to love except you. You're very important to me. I'll always care for and protect you. Wherever you are, i'm always only a turn away... so that you can see me easily.

and he died. She waited for him, not knowing that he died. She waited for him to come back. And he did in the form of an angel, pushing her to find happiness in the arms of another man.

How sad. (T.T) But i'm such a sucker for tragedies and one-time-big-time love. It's exactly my kind of movie.

A Rainy Saturday

It started out my usual Saturday - a whole day of leisure and net-surfing, went to mass with my roomies, and planned to study at Starbucks. Unfortunately, the looming rain decided to pour [and i mean POUR down right after mass, may kasama pang thunder and lightning (T.T) which i absolutely dread]. Ces, eunice and i were trapped and stranded in school along with those who had no umbrellas (Rihanna's song comes to mind here. Ela, ela, under my umbrella). After their round of yosi, we decided to brave the weather and go to Market Market! [ kyaaa! *grins with anticipation* another spontaneous adventure about to begin...]

Dinner at Oody's [ugh, my burger steak has veggies in it *pukes*]. Shopped a little. [ces and euns got "nerdy" glasses! haha]... [oh, and ces was seriously contemplating buying a phone! thank God, she resisted that temptation] Transferred to study at Serendra.

On our way to Bonifacio High St. parking, we saw that the oh-so-new Fully-Booked bldg had Starbucks on the 3rd floor with a balcony. And it closes at 12 midnight. Perfect. The night was turning out really nice.

It was my first time in the new Fully-Booked so I was impressed at the size of the store and the very "Fully-Booked" kind of lay-out. Loved it! *dancing around with glee* Reminded me of my National Bookstore heaven in Cubao. And this one is nearer and newer. I had to force myself to sit and study *sob sob* coz i really wanted to explore the place. [?wondering why all this time we never entered the building everytime we went to coffee bean?] We even met Ma'am Maita Chan-Gonzaga [surprisingly, we always see her at various Starbucks]. *wink wink*

Sadly, the clock struck 12 and the Cinderellas had to go home. But, we promised ourselves that we'd hang out and study there again soon. ;-)

Movie Marathon

Thanx to my friends, this week I watched two movies - The Simpsons and Ratatouille.

I have always loved watching last full shows and this time was not an exception. Spontaneous, out of the blue moments like these last two nights are the "cherry on my cake" kind of happenings.

Thursday night was a blast. First because the Blue Eagles won against the Green Archers.(bleh! ;p) And we had class from 4pm-8pm but we got to watch the last 10 minutes of the game. Our very green-blooded professor finally realized that conducting recitation while in the last quarter of the game in a classroom of mixed die-hard greens and blues while the hallway right outside is packed with shouting fans is not such a good idea. So with a promised quiz on Tuesday, we were allowed to shout our hearts out while watching the game. Haha, it's a school holiday on Tuesday (Sir, naisahan namin kayo!). The school literally shook with the school cheers. I miss watching the dlsu-admu game live in araneta. I miss my heartbeat thudding in time to the drums.

To cap it off, we (Ces, Carlo, Eunice, Patty and I) decided to watch The Simpsons. High from the win, we laughed till our tummies hurt. The movie was a no-brainer and I was with the perfect people to watch it with. It was the perfect way to end the night.

Friday night was even better! After dinner, Ces decided not to go to a party she was planning to go to and invited us to watch Ratatouille. She hurriedly bought us tickets and managed to convince Ana to go with us. (Lakas talaga ng convincing powers ni Ces!) I'm so glad i got to watch Ratatouille with my friends! (Ana, Ces, Chinky and Hazel, thank you for a great night) I loved the movie. Pixar has proven once again that animation can be such a hit even among grown-ups. Plus, i love those mini-movies before the main show. I do have a favorite line in the movie:

Father: Where are you going?
Son: With luck, forward.

And so i end this night with a big smile on my face for an awesome week! I look forward to days like these.

Avilon Zoo Pictures

Presenting the animals of Avilon Zoo...

Ibong Adarna

Meow meow

Ruf ruf [big bad dog with a strong bite]

Ugly Duckling

Sad-eyed agila

Ssscaaarrryyyy

Creepy Crawlers

Ssssss... Zzzzz...

Ninja Turtles

Turtle Island in NeverEnding Story aka Land Before Time

Reptile Island

Pong Pagong and friends

Bambi

Avilon Zoo

Last Saturday was one of the best weekends of my life. I volunteered to be an "Ate" for a day to the kids of APS staff. We went to Avilon Zoo in Rizal and spent the day touring the oh-so-large-and-amazing zoo.
I was a little hesitant because i was out of practice in dealing with kids. Good thing my "kids" were wonderful, John Patrick [12] and John Prince[10]. My kids were pretty adventurous and we always got ahead of everyone else or got almost left behind.

My silly fears drowned the moment we saw the big fishes in the pond [really big koi-like fishes about 4-5ft long that happily scramble for raw chicken heads]. We saw hundreds of animals ranging from flyers, walkers, crawlers, swimmers, stalkers, meat-eaters, etc. We touched and petted "Narda" and the green parrot, hesitatingly held the yellow snake [eww, it was cold and scary], and secretly fed the big fishes with friend chicken until the water turned oily [whoops, konsentidora kasi ako]. Though we walked for 2 hours and slept through the ride home, we all enjoyed it, kids and kids-at-heart alike.

I miss the feeling of being "ate." I miss caring for someone younger who seems to need me. I miss being with kids. I miss Kaingin.

The Consultation

I went in that consultation with a residue of that spine-tingling recit. Hence, I was my quirky self and I was in the mood to talk. The consultation was great! It was supposed to be for a Legal Counselling class which diverted into a thesis consult which diverted into a chikahan/asian drama discussion.
It made me think... If my prof was a few decades younger, he would have been a great kuya. I got off with a comment

Prof: That's good. Continue your childlike wonder.

Yipee!
I really enjoy one-on-one's... learn a lot and talk a lot. I'm not much of a party person or a big crowd social butterfly. Probably because my attention span compares to that of a fly. Plus, I tend to shift topics faster than a racer shifting gears. Haha! I like meeting new people, getting to know them and them getting to know me. Yay, today is such a wonderful wonderful [isa pa] wonderful day!

It's a different kind of high

RECITATION.
As a student, I should have gotten used to it by now! I've been studying for 18 years. But I never have. I've always been terrified of public speaking. Always.
I remember standing in front of the whole grade school after being chosen to say the Lord's Prayer.

Joan: [anxiously waiting for the Lupang Hinirang to end] breathe in. breathe out.
[my turn to hold the microphone] Our Father... Our Father... Our Father who art in heaven... hik! [throat closes]

Same thing happened when I joined the Oration contest. I forgot the lines and had to stop for a long while. I repeated the whole thing. Aba, hindi pa talaga nagtanda, nag-join pa ulit. Extemporaneous speaking contest. Kamusta naman ang 3 sentences lang ang sinabi for 5 minutes! I kept paraphrasing the whole 3 sentences. The very recent "most embarassing" recit was the one in Intro to Law class. I got called to recite a case and I ended up repeating the case title thrice. That was as far as i got.

But today, I was so down [due to a bad recit yesterday where i got called to solve the a problem on the board] and I was waiting for a good recit. I love the anxiousness of waiting to be called. I fear it. I hate it. I crave it. The feeling of my stomach dropping to the floor, my heart at my throat, my thoughts free falling to blankness. The suspense of it all...

Joan: [explains in a very malumanay way] Hence, it cannot be done because the law is clear.
Prof: [looking skeptic]... That's a good answer.
Joan: [big audible sigh of relief] [sits down with a big smile and spine-tingling sensation]

After that, it took me 15 mins to stop shaking. It's a different kind of high, really.

I envy you...

... you sleep peacefully without a care in the world. Curled up on a lazy afternoon, enjoying the breeze. You look so cute, all snuggled up. You sleep as if it's the only thing that matters. Deeply asleep. No worries, no pressure, no responsibilities. How i envy you.

The lazy cat lounging in the frontyard

Courage

A friend finally had the courage to ask out a guy she likes! Yipee yay for her. We all gathered to give her moral support and await the guy's reply. We had different reactions to what she wanted to do. I wanted her to get it over and done with, but with a warning to make sure that she'd be okay with whatever the reply might be.

Message sent...

And the wait begins. We couldn't seem to concentrate on studying, checking on her every minute if the guy replied. She jokingly said, "Baka abutin ng 2 weeks bago mag-reply un."

1 Message received...

Okay. Okay!!! They're gonna try the whole dating thing for real. Double yipee yay for her!

I'm proud of her. She laid down her cards, threw her pride away, bared her feelings and was somehow rewarded. She took the first step. Now the journey begins... i can't wait to witness this adventure.

Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru (I just love you)

I love this one... My addiction at present.
Renai Shashin (photographs of love) by Ai Otsuka.
I admire this artist. great composer. lovely voice. beautiful music.
She also sang the main theme for Hana Yori Dango 1 entitled "Planetarium."
This one is the ending theme of the movie Heavenly Forest (Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru) which stars Aoi Miyazaki and Hiroki Tamaki. It's an adaptation of Ichikawa Takuji's novel, Renai Shashin: Mou Hitotsu no Monogatari. Ichikawa Takuji also wrote Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu which was also made into a film entitled "Be With You." Both are touching love stories that ranked top in my favorite movies list.

Happy Birthday...

... to my yaya, Tita Fel. I can never thank you enough. You may not be able to read this post but i still want to do this. My childhood would have been lonely without you. Thank you. You have been a constant companion. my best friend. my secret-keeper. my confidant. my adviser. my mom. my roommate. my scapegoat. my cook. my yaya. You are one of the reasons why I can't stand not being able to go back home during school breaks. I appreciate everything you've done for me.

Pseudo fiction

Look back, she thought.

Call out my name, he thought.

The silence was deafening, broken only by the sound his footsteps. He took one step. One step towards the door. One step farther from her. Two. Three.

It was a game they played. How far can he go without looking back, without missing a step. How far can she let him go without her asking him to say, without her calling his name.

He was at the door, reaching for the handle.

Dammit, stay, she wanted to say.

He sighed. She held her breath.

“I’m leaving,” he said without turning back. The knob clicked as he opened the door.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. Tears started to cloud her vision.

“I know. I am, too.”

With that he left. He left her. The room smelled of sun-kissed flowers.

Damn her pride. Damn his weakness. Damn it all, love is bittersweet.

Balik Aral

Back to school na!!! I'm pretty excited for this sem... New sem, new issues.

I miss my friends. I miss going to class. I miss the panic and cramming moments of recitation. I miss the chills-running-down-my-spine and OMG-i'm-gonna-get-called recits moments. I miss the fun of being in law school.

Now, I'm experiencing it all over again... this time, I'm older [hopefully, wiser]... this time, I'm gonna have fun!

Belated Happy Birthday to Ces! [July 7, 2007] the magical day

Enchanted Kingdom

Clockwise: Me, MZH, Ana, RRR, MMB, PMR [pasaway], MDM, and Kinka

Saturday May 5, 2007

EK day. My first ever trip to EK.
Si Ana ang ganda talaga, ganito ung usapan naming…

Ana: Joan, sumabay ka na sa akin papuntang EK, magdadala ako ng car kasi uwi akong Cavite.

Joan: Okei, cge. Sabay tayong pumunta. [then realizes something] Teka, paano pauwi?

Ana: [naka-smile] Uwi na ako after. Sumabay ka na lang sa van.

Magaling! Cute talaga ni Ana ano.

I rode with Ana going to EK, she fetched me from my dorm. Dahil mga pasaway [late na!], we left before 11am so we can get there by lunch. As it turned out, we were late for the free lunch anyway. But we were reimbursed for our lunch so okei lang.

We wandered around, looking for air-conditioned places to escape the after lunch heat. We met our non-legal staff looking around as well. Everyone seems to be having fun... Finally, we met up with the “singles” group of lawyers – MZH, MDM, RRR, PMR, and Kinka [sana tama ung spelling]. We lined up for rides and tried not to throw up. =) I didn’t dare ride Anchor’s Away, Space Shuttle, and the super slow rides that will more likely draggingly drug me to sleep. In between rides, we ate at different joints and drank shakes, sodas, and water.

The really fun part was riding the Rio Grande TWICE. Once just wasn’t enough. MMB joined us and formed a team of 8, perfect for the Rio Grande ride. I wasn’t entirely wet on the first go and we decided to test the “seat” theory. We switched places and went for the second ride. I gave my bag to MZH so it wouldn’t get wet [just in case I’d be the one under the falls] but, nooooo, MZH and I were both drenched by the waterfalls [kamusta naman ang pagsalo sa lahat ng tubig sa falls?!]

It was an amazingly fun day. It made me want to go back and try the other rides. I wasn’t even car sick!

I ended up going back to Makati with the singles group [thank you to MZH, MDM and RRR for the ride back] and had more fun during the ride talking about pre-law and law school. I’m glad I decided to go.

The first Rio Grande ride... notice, tuyo pa mga damit namin. Walang kamalay-malay

While waiting for our turn... picture picture!

The Intern

Every Friday, we have a luncheon with all the lawyers in the firm. This Friday [May 4], the conference room was jam-packed with partners, associates and we, interns, get to join them. We were eating our food (delicious, by the way!) and the conversation was flowing when out of the blue, I was put on the spot.

One partner said: “Sige nga, let’s test their knowledge. Joan, if the BSP buys silver, what is the tax rate?”

PAKSHET! After overhearing the murmurs of the associates beside me, I blurted out: “Sir, di po ba gold ung binibili ng BSP?”

Partner: “o, yan, alam nga nila eh.” PAKSHET talaga!

The rest of the meal was wonderful, plus, all the cute associates were there! ^_^

Korean movie

memorable lines from a Korean movie entitled "200 pounds of beauty"

"You broke my heart. Tissue won't fix it."
"God is the only one who can do everything. We humans do what we're capable of."

A: What do you like about her?
B: I don't know.
A: Because she's pretty?
B: Assholes like you would say so.
A: Because she's innocent?
B: Assholes like me would say so.

In My Playlist - Japanese Music

Japanese rock music.
L'Arc En Ciel. Gackt. Malice Mizer. Glay. Miyavi. Gazette. Kaggra. Dir En Grey.
Here's a picture of Hyde (vocalist of L'Arc En Ciel) -->
Japanese female singers.
Utada Hikaru. Mika Nakashima. Angela Aki. Ayumi Hamasaki. Yuna Ito. Anna Tsuchiya. Olivia. Kawabe Chieco. Ai Otsuka. Bonnie Pink.
Japanese pop music.
V6. Arashi. Kat-tun. NewS. midnight Pumpkin.
~All the amazing songs in the intro and ending of animes. Listening to the music even if i don't understand the lyrics makes it less distracting. I actually get to hear the beauty of the song. The head-banging drums, the awesome guitar solos, the vocal range, and the other instruments that make them so unique. It doesn't hurt that some of them feature really kawaii (cute) musicians.

Interesting Something

I was reading the Philippine Daily Inquirer earlier when this caught my eye. It's from an article by Gilda Cordero-Fernando entitled "Enjoy, be Pinoy; bahala na si Batman."

Born June 12, 1896, the Republic of the RP is a Gemini, good at connecting, good at loving-loving, good at texting and interpersonal skills.
Filipinos like to yakap, akbay, hawak, kalong, kalabit. We sleep side by side, siping-siping, we go out kabit kabit.
There's lots of us to go around. Someone always to listen to a sob story, even in a jeepney, to share-a-load or to share a TV.

***

Linguist
The Pinoy is a linguist. As in. As if. For a while. Open the light. Close the light. Paki ganyan naman ang kuwan sa ano. Tuck in. Tuck out. Don't be high blood. If you're ready na, I'll pass for you.
Hayop; Hanep! Bongga ka 'day, feel na feel kita, kilig to the bones ako. Don't make wala, don't make tampo. Taralets na, babes, let's go, nababato na ang syota mo.
I'm inviting you to my party, please RSVP. Oo means "yes" or "maybe," or "yes of you insist," or "maybe if it doesn't rain."
"Yes" is also a nice way of saying "no." Yes, hindi kita sisiputin. "No," eto na ako at ang barkada ko. Please don't ask a Pinoy a question like that!
Just flows
She's not so exact, not so chop-chop, she just flows, and flows, Filipino time? Naku, huli din naman ang Kano!
The Pinoy finds time to be nice, to be kind, to apologize, to be there when you're depressed, to help you with your utang and your wedding dress.
The Filipino is a giver, never mind what it does to his liver, never mind what it takes. Hardships of the Third World don't dry up his blood, they just make him more compassionate, more feeling, of the other guy's lot.
Note that the maid sends all her wages home to ailing daddy. She is the OCW whose labor of loneliness created the original katas ng Saudi.
'Bahala na'
The Filipino is fearless, bahala na si Batman, which actually means Bathala na or "leave all to God." Okay lang if I die by bitay, okay lang if I live, okay lang if I survive by the skin of my teeth.
Saway ni Inay: Di ka naman Bill Gates, di ka naman French, mahirap nang magbuhat ng sarili mong bench.
Be Pinoy! Enjoy!

O, ha, Pinoy na Pinoy!

Dare mo Shiranai aka Nobody Knows

I've just watched "Nobody Knows," a highly-acclaimed Japanese movie released in 2004 which was based on a true story. It's a story about four siblings abandoned by their mother. The children all have different fathers and have never been to school. The very existence of three of them has been hidden from the landlord. The mother leaves behind a little money and a note, charging her oldest boy to look after the others. And so begins the children's odyssey, a journey nobody knows. Akira, the eldest, was played by Yuya Yagira, who is the youngest to win the Best Actor award in Cannes Film Festival. For a better synopsis of the film: http://www.popmatters.com/film/reviews/n/nobody-knows.shtml

It made me appreciate how much my family means to me, the simple joys of everyday life, and seeing the world through the eyes of a child. It was a depressing film but it was one of those art films that I love watching. Thanks to Fr. Nick Cruz, SJ (I never regretted signing up for his class), my love for art films has never waned although I've gone from European to Asian art films nowadays.

One Perfect Day by Adrienne Pierce

&raquo; More music from this artist ...

I don't know you
Not sure I want to
You're far away, so far, so far
My resistance, it's the distance
I am far away, so far, so far

Just one day, it's over

CHORUS:
One, one perfect day
Let's keep, keep it that way
It probably wouldn't have worked out anyway
One, one perfect day
Let's keep, keep it that way
We probably wouldn't have got along anyway
Anyway

Stand on the star and close eyes, close
turn around, turn around till you fall down
Stand on the star, and close your eyes
are we getting closer
to the ground

Just one day, it's over

CHORUS

But I'll keep you still, still I will
I'll keep you still
Like a photograph, like a photograph I will
I will keep you still

We talked and on and on never wondering why
on the lawn until dawn staring up at the sky
And our mouths they were moving, our minds they were kissing
You smiled and said it is what you had been missing

I'll close my eyes, tell me pretty lies
Oh I won't speak
No, I won't say a word
I'll close my eyes, tell me pretty lies
cause when I speak the lines, the lines get blurred

CHORUS

Siopao Shape

Haha, Ana, sorry, i just have to post this.

Ang portable UFO ni Ana aka light fixture

Bumili si Ana ng light fixture sa mall para sa bahay nilang newly renovated at sabi niya ay foldable naman daw ang ilaw. But no! It turned out, hindi po siya foldable, gawa siya sa bakal at ang pinakamasaya sa lahat, siopao-shaped siya. Oo, siopao-shaped talaga ang tawag sa kanya sa narinig kong sinabi salesman. Isa siyang malaking siopao-shaped na ilaw na pwedeng i-hang sa ceiling ng bahay. At dahil sa laki ng ilaw, walang mapagkakasiyang karton at nakaplastic-wrap na lang siyang bitbit ni Ana mula sa mall. Take note, hindi lang siya mabigat kundi ubod pa ng laki (chest-high at mas malapad pa sa amin). At balak pang i-hand carry ni Ana kinabukasan.

Ana: i-hahand carry ko na lang to. pwede naman siguro na sa first row ako uupo at sa harap ko na lang ilalagay.
Joan: huh? di talaga pwede un. masikip sa loob ng eroplano at hindi magkakasya yan sa overhead bin o kahit sa harap pa.
Ana: hindi, pwede yan.
Joan: naku, baka makita mo na lang gumugulong yan sa loob ng eroplano!

Nang nagbalak umuwi, mahaba ang pila sa taxi stand at ma-traffic sa rockwell drive kaya naisipan ni Ana na lakarin mula sa mall hanggang sa dorm nila akay-akay ang naturang ilaw. Pagdating sa Gabaldon, nakaharang ang mga tao sa pag-abang sa prosesyon kaya kinailangan naming umikot para umiwas sa prosesyon. Pagdating sa dorm ni Ana, ayun, napagod na sa kakabitbit ng malaking siopao.

Hindi pa doon nagtatapos ang adventure ng siopao-shaped light. Kinabukasan, nagpahatid si Ana sa airport dahil mahirap nga namang mag-travel mag-isa kasama ang nasabing ilaw. Sinundo kami ni Melody (at nakakahiya talaga dahil buong pamilya ni Mel ang sumundo at naghatid sa amin sa airport) sa kanto ng P. Burgos at kinailangan isakay ang siopao-shaped ilaw. At dahil sa laki, hindi nagkasya sa likod ang siopao-shaped ilaw at kinailangan siyang kandungin ni Ana.

Pagdating sa airport, nagtaka ang mga kapwa pasahero at security guard na siguro ay hindi pa nakakakita ng siopao-shaped ilaw (portable UFO ika nga ni Ana) na bitbit papasok sa check-in counter at hindi nagkasya sa x-ray conveyor belt. Kinalaunan, naipasok na rin sa wakas at na-i-check in sa counter (dahil hindi nga pwedeng i-hand carry) ang portable UFO.

Finally, finals are over

Out of sheer boredom, I went to Starbucks, Rockwell Drive. I walked straight to Eunice's spot and stopped short. Uh-oh, I forgot. School has ended. Absentmindedly, I was expecting to see my friends at our usual spot. It's kind of weird, not spending my nights studying, cramming, reading the horoscope. Huh, summer hasn't dawned on me yet.

Friends, i'll miss our Starbucks nights this summer. I promise i'll keep reading our horoscopes and try to solve the crossword puzzles.