The Dark Ages

This is my first taste of the internet after a gazillion years! My life here in UP just seems to explode [is that the right term?] as days go by. Just a quick recap:

• The ever-friendly Typhoon Frank hit Iloilo as we all know. It's such a blessing that UP is located in Miagao. Minimal damage and flood happened. BUT and that is a big big BUT.. Miagao experienced a total black-out for 1 whole week. Imagine that?? Freakin' 7 days without electricity? The water supply was also trying to play games with us. There were days when we woke up and found nothing flowing out of the showers. We had to make igib in the nearby houses inside the UP campus in order to take a bath.


• We had no classes for 1 straight week primarily because there obviously wasn't electricty in our college buildings and also because our professors were simply tinatamad to have classes because they were caught up with the post-typhoon Frank damages. Oh well, it was all good news to me! LOL.

[Okay..im starting to become a boring blogger. Maybe I need to rejuvenate my brain cells after 1 week of dormancy.Haha!]

Anyhoo, living in the dark ages was a whole new experience. It was the longest time ever in my whole life wherein I lived without electricity. Back in Bacolod, I would go nuts whenevr black outs happen. But here, I learned to accept the situation and be joyful about it. I mean, there I was, sleeping in a comfy bed, under a descent roof while the victims of FRANKenstein had no potable water and food. I was blessed.Really really blessed.

The dark ages taught me learnings I wouldn't learn if there was electricity around. I know, it may sound funny and exag, but it's true. When it's dark and boring and you're running out of things to do, you realize a lot of things you wouldn't normally realize when you have the comforts of electricity.

I didn't merely learn how to cherish every drop of water, value electricity [these things are obviously to be learned even if its not the dark ages], how to play cards and take a bath in the poso but more specifically, I learned to appreciate life's little things.

Back in the dorm, the dormers wouldn't usually go out and socialize when electricity was around. We usually stayed in our rooms. But during the dark ages, we slowly came out of our shells and met new people, people whom we're gonna live with for the next 10 months of our lives.

I learned to just have fun whatever circumstance life gives me. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! I realized that I don't have to have techie stuff, computer games, etc. to truly be blissful. Just the company of NFF's [new found friends] and the attitude to say no to boredom are enough.

But although I was like a frog dancing in the rain during the dark ages, negativity will always find its way. I dunno.. during the dark ages, I felt a certain feeling of homesickness. Like I was happy and sad all at the same time. It's weird but I know its perfectly normal [i hope so]. I mean, even though It's fun here in UP, I can't help but miss the good ol' times.

But yeah, electricity is back and there's school tomorrow. The fun times are over. It's time to snap back to reality.

I'm going overboard now, I know. I'm having word vomit! Haha!That's it, pansit! ^_^

What A Start!

How did my first week as a college freshie went? Pretty cool I must say. My social skills were really put to test. But I must say that it is such a blessing from God that I am staying in Balay Lampirong. It's just the first week of my stay here and I feel like I've found a family. I can't also fail to tell you that 2 of my roomies are Christians! I know that they will serve as instruments to help me stay in the narrow road.

I also believe it is about time for me to excersie my bragging rights here in my blog. Last Tuesday was the grand opening of UP here in the Visayas. It was a grand opening, I must emphasize. The University Chancellor, Vice-Chancellors and all the deans were present. Plus, big time alumni were also around. The opening was attended by all freshies and most upperclass men. To top it all off, an alumnus of Up who happens to be the national vice-president of San Miguel Corporation was the guest speaker. She was sitting beside moi!

It is my pleasure to tell you that I was chosen to give a response in behalf of the freshmen. Can you just imagine it? We are hundreds and I was chosen to give a speech? I must credit it all to God's grace. :)

The screening process included the writing of our respective speeches. Out of more or less 15 chosen freshies the top 4 were selected and were asked to UP last June 5 to deliver their speeches. I was one of them! So there, because God is so merciful, I was chosen to be the one to give the freshmen's response.

All I have to say to my experience of speaking infront of hundred of "Iskolars ng Bayan" is that it was... unexplainable. I was as cold as ice as I waited for my turn to speak. I had lots of experiences of delivering speeches infront of hundreds of people. But that moment was a whole lot different. I was to address to a sea of unfamiliar faces.. and a sea of unfamiliar faces which happen to be UP students.

But I survived that heart-pounding moment..all credit to Him of course. After I delivered my speech, the alumnus who was the VIP special guest congratulated me. I was flattered. Haha!

So here.. I am uber proud to expose my speechto the world wide web. Keep reading!

To our Chancellor, Dr. Glenn D. Aguilar, to the vice-chancellors, deans, faculty and staff of the University of the Philippines-Visayas, and to my fellow students, good morning.

Since I was in kindergarten up until I graduated in high school, I studied in the same Catholic school in my hometown, Bacolod City. Student life was easy, convenient and trouble-free for me. My alma mater was only five minutes away from home. Because I’ve been in the same school for almost 13 years, I have found second parents in my teachers and have made friendships that have stood the test of time.

As I walk down memory lane, I can’t help but realize how different the yesterday is to today. Now, I am in a whole new university which is a hundred miles from home and I am surrounded by a sea of unfamiliar faces.

Change really is inevitable. It is the only certain thing in this world. Seeds don’t stay as what they are for all time. They propagate into trees. Caterpillars can’t be caterpillars forever. They metamorphose into butterflies. Babies don’t remain as babies for eternity. Babies grow up into adults. Likewise, to my fellow freshmen, we can’t be carefree high school students forever. We have to change, to mature and to take things more seriously as we become college students.

We consider our high school years as the best years of our lives but it is a fact that high school is already history. Gone are the days when we can harmlessly copy assignments, be absent in school and fail that math subject. We aren’t kids anymore. If life was a computer game, we have already upgraded and received that level-up. We are now young adults with greater responsibilities and a higher educational pursuit to carry out.

Unlike high school, college is the stepping stone into attaining our life goals and dreams. The journey to a thousand miles begins with a single step as the popular saying goes. We are blessed and privileged to be taking that step in a premier educational institution like University of the Philippines- Visayas. Studying in UPV is like being the cream of the crop because excellence is the top priority. Being called an “Iskolar ng Bayan” truly is rewarding. The journey to a thousand miles will be tough and challenging for us, but we must be confident because we will be having quality education as our foundation.

As we take that stepping stone in UPV, let us prepare ourselves for inevitable changes that are knocking on our doorsteps. Being away from home, embracing a new lifestyle of independence, encountering a variety of personalities and undertaking a whole new academic pursuit are only a handful of the changes that lie ahead of us. But like seeds that become sturdy trees, caterpillars that metamorphose into beautiful butterflies and babies that grow into wiser beings, we too shall change into better individuals. Change exists so that we can continually correct and better ourselves into the persons we were meant to be. Let us be whoever we were meant to be!

The third chapet of the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible speaks that there is a time for everything. There is a time to be born and a time to die, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to embrace and a time to refrain. Today is our first day as college students. Our time has come. Let us work harder now and play later. It is the time to step out of our comfort zones and to think outside the box. Let’s make no room for mediocrity and push ourselves to the limit. Let us not be vulnerable to our weaknesses as college students because terror professors and grueling subjects await us. But let us also remember that despite the challenging times, life’s biggest surprises are in store for us.

So in behalf of the freshmen batch 2008, I would like to extend our gratitude to the Office of Student Affairs and to our ate’s and kuya’s for being accommodating in welcoming us to UPV. From the freshmen orientation to our enrollment, your presence has been very helpful to us.

And to my fellow freshmen, let’s make the most of our college days and make it worth remembering. Remember, life begins at college! It is the time for us to step out of the comforts of our cocoons and spreadour wings to fly on a wider horizon. We are among the “centennial batch” of the University of the Philippines. Let us live on the centennial legacy.

Mabuhay po tayo mga iskolar ng bayan!

So This Is The Feeling..

After 3 days of packing and a lot of emotional rollercoaster rides, here i am! I've already settled my things in my room in the dorm and I've even spent the night there. Last night was my first night being alone here in UP Visayas and I do feel like a grown up. Haha! I'm still adjusting to this whole new thing that's laid before my eyes. Somehow, everything hasn't sunk in yet. I'm still floating in this reality.



I still can't believe that I'm independently living my life right now. I'm out of our house and all my household chore duties are over. Sigh.. It's all good.



When I arrived yesterday, one of my three roomies was already settled in. I am so blessed because she's a Christian. I prayed that I'd find a friend who'll help me grow as a Christian and serve as a spiritual back-up. And yeah, God really answers prayers. We've been talking about our Christian walk, our high school and basically, things on life and so far, I'm learning from her.


My social skills will really put to the test now that I am in College. A few minutes ago, another roomie just checked in and I can see the personalities of my roomies are very different and distinct. I'm surtely going to meet a variety of personalities here.


Tomorrow will be our Opening Excerises and I am going to do something big. It's pretty funny though. It's just the first day of school and I am already blessed by this opportunity. I'll tell ya about it in the coming days. :)

It's my first time to transfer schools [since nursery, I've been in the same school]. Usually, my first day of school is meeting the same faces, hugging the same people. But tomorrow will be a whole lot different. It gives me the heebies-jeebies just thinking about it. But I see college as an adventure. I'm so darn excited!

[Above are snappies of my desk and my closet. I don't have Adobe Photoshop with me so I can't really enhance these photos.So I guess in the coming days, my photos will be pretty much unedited]

Tic Toc Tic Toc

A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

-Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8


As the youngest member of our family, I've seen all my elder sisters grow up and move out for college. Everytime somebody leaves the door, and my companions in our room are lessened until I was left with myself, a tear would never fail to roll down on my cheeks.

And now, my time has come. It is finally my turn to clean out my closet, pack my belongings, say goodbye to my bed and move out to college.

I started packing my luggage 3 days ago. I dont know.. But I just tend to get emotional when it comes to leaving and saying goodbye.

But i guess, this is it. I'm leaving tomorrow. I'll sleep in a new bed, do homework on a different desk and store my clothes in a different closet.

Goodbye Bacolod. :)

High School 101

High school life oh high school life.

I used to say that my high school years were the best years of my life. I was free-spirited, young, carefree and ready to discover more out of life. It was all about living and enjoying the moment - finding and losing friends, experimenting with boys, getting high on infatuation, getting busy with my social life and basically taking classroom matters for granted.

High school is purely fun and nothing serious. You can do stupid things in high school and just laugh and get away with it. High school is the area of life where we become silly and pointless, in order to “find ourselves”.

This is totally true. Not long ago, I was a high school student. I was immature and lacking good sense but I had fun all along. At the end of those four years of being silly, I am a change person, with wisdom and a whole new understanding of everything, just everything.

So now here I am. Out of high school and sure is happy that I am out of it. High school years were happy and good times, but now I opt for happier and better times.

After experiencing high school, I want to help the kids who are about to enter it and those who are already in it. I’m not an expert at this, but I sure do know how to make my way around high school. So read on fellas

FRESHMEN

Being fresh from a world of innocent crushes, jackstone and effortless lessons, it’s normal that you’ll be lost in a world that is a hundred times different from where you’ve been. As freshies, you are off to a clean slate. You’ll have to decide on who you want to be in high school. The statement “be yourself” is so cliché. You can be whoever you want to be in high school. If you portray someone you are not, its okay. The real you will eventually come out along the years. Don’t play it safe honey. Be risky. Do some experiments with yourself.

One of the most crucial things you’ll have to do is to be with the right people. Choose the right kind of friends. But again, it’s normal that in your first year, you’ll be in the wrong crowd. Just don’t be in the wrong crowd for too long.
Another crucial thing you’ll have to remember is to avoid being a wallflower! Don’t be just another face in the crowd. Start making a name of your own. Be active and show off what you got. If you’re good in public speaking, volunteer in class to recite. If you’re athletic, join the varsity. If you have a knack for writing, audition for the school paper.
Prepare yourselves for a bumpy ride ahead. You can’t imagine how many things can happen in just four years.

SOPHOMORES

My sophomore year in high school was kinda ordinary. But it was during that year that I did one of the craziest things in my life.. a memory that is permanently stamped in my head. In your second year, lessons are normally undemanding and you’ve probably have found the friends you’ll spend high school with for the next three years. Things will settle down in your sophomore year.

If it is destined for you to happen, then probably something crazy will happen to you too. When that moment comes, grab the opportunity and enjoy it while it lasts.

JUNIORS

Ah, yes. Junior year is Prom year. There are a lot of things to look forward to as a junior. You’ll probably fall in love and get your hearts broken, get closer to your friends, have sleepless nights because of school projects and encounter challenges that will test how you see yourself. Well, it all depends on the person and how he spent that past 2 high school years. But personally, those were some of the many surprises I’ve met.

It’s obvious that you’ll mature and become full-grown teenagers in junior year. You’ll become conscious of your looks and get frustrated by the changes in yourself because of the ever-unpredictable hormones. By now, you have partially “found yourselves” but is still quite confused if you are who you are.

Basta things will get complicated. You’ll have some personal struggles.

SENIORS

Senior year is the cream of the crop. So many twists and turns will happen in senior year that will test how much you’ve grown and learned about life and about yourself during the past 3 years. Most of the time, you’ll find yourself failing and realizing that there is still much to learn. But hey, one year is long enough to fully “find yourselves”.

You and your friends will become like a family in your senior year. After 3 years of being silly together, you are now like brothers and sisters. As your farewell year, you’ll learn the value of not wasting a day and making every moment count. Since you’re graduating, you’ll have to hit the books more often. But also, it is during your senior year where you become restless and want something more out of life. As seniors you’ll have frequent rewinds of the times when you were still freshmen, memories of the days that had gone by.

Basically, you will all become emotional.
But trust me; senior year will be the best year of your lives [as a teenagers].

Now, aren’t you just excited?