poor thing...

There are some days when you look in the mirror, change your clothes for the nth time in hopes of getting them right, and still get the feeling that something is wrong.

Today was one such day. En route to school, I realized I forgot the stuff my mom wanted me to photocopy. I was drained by the time I got to my first class, stat. I think the energy vampires had a field day today.

Break was spent pigging out or waiting for someone to come through with our presentation for ENGLCOM. Okay, our presentation wasn't so bad, but in my opinion, it was kind of half-assed owing to lack of preparation and someone's awful, biased commentary. If I had Sweeney Todd's razor with me at that time, there would have been more than simple throat-slitting there and then.

We were late for comparative anatomy, but we got in just in time for the attendance check. Then lab was spent mostly memorizing bones while trying to combat LSS, and the insanity spewing in the back of the room.

To you guys (you know who you are)---now my entire ref is ruined. I won't be able to eat without remembering what we were laughing about, and Sir Raga's reaction.

look down and see...

Shoelaces coming untied. No, just joking.

Yesterday was at the very least interesting: heading off a crisis in INTSOCI, discussing more language in FILKOMU, creating a survey in ENGLCOM and discussing pet peeves, lunch out in Plato, playing 'bigger and better' (with hilarious results) and talking of ettiquette in PERSEF.

Today was well, a little more boring. Psystat test. ENGLCOM discussions and fieldwork, etc. Comparative anatomy has a way of sending me to very dark and morbid places in my head. I don't really know why. At any rate, I was able to convince Sir Raga to let me, Andria, and Minseun off early. I ended up in Bambang today to buy cat bags.

Somehow, in the last few days, I've been haunted more and more by the things I see everyday---the 'usual' sights of misery. Sometimes they begin to get more personal. Today, I just had to tell my mom more about the things we see in CWTS.

It's even spilled over into my writing. Many of my characters can be counted as part of the 'great unwashed'. I suppose in my attempts to write about politics, nationalism, and activism, I have to confront the root causes of the situation of the people I write for and write about. I just didn't think it would affect me this much.

red and black

I woke up with THAT song in my head. Hehehe. Not exactly one's expected marching anthem en route to my first day of actual C2.

So when I arrived in the Vito Cruz area, I had time for a quick coffee before running to Harrison Plaza..only to find that my class' jeeps weren't there yet. After running for inquiries and meeting up with classmates, I had to concede to the reality that we would be tardy and that we were some volunteers short. We were supposed to leave Taft at 7:30. We left past 8. We got to Barangay Banaba past nine instead of at 8:15 as planned.

We divided up the work as follows: JL and company went to do the environmental awareness seminar. Char was in charge of the tutorials for the smaller kids. Trisha headed the plant nursery group, while I joined Wong, Nina, Marco, Justin, and Hanz in fixing the reading center.

Now I know that some of us know something of uncomfortable libraries, but this is a case beyond belief. An uninsulated roof, no real walls to speak of, bamboo slats coming loose yet serving as railings, shelves with mushrooms growing out of them (see it to believe, mes amis/es), a floor that is prone to flooding. And no books for kids either.

We're coming back next week with more and more things to help improve the reading center. We have a lot of bases covered with the rest of our programs, but this part requires MORE time and effort than I thought.

It's almost like building a barricade.

somehow the banality of it all deadens me

Today: much to talk about when in reality very little was accomplished.

Psysta2 is boring. Well, for now it is. Maybe I'll be cursing the subject in a week when we do T-tests, but right now I'm just staring at my exercises, sick of making hypotheses.

ENGLCOM...free cut. Something off-kilter in that situation, I swear. Andria, Minseun, and I spent the time hanging out or putting off bonding with our animal skeletons before we hied off to comparative anatomy class.

To my blockmates: I swear you guys seriously rock. I haven't laughed that hard in some time.

Laboratory class was well, a bit of a drag. I couldn't study owing to the myriad distractions in the room: overly chatty or active classmates, hunger, thirst, the feeling of rain, and the fear of a 30 point test. But at least I got through the test fine.

Andria and I finished writing the first chapter of "The Saga of Glaston Town" today. More to come out of that rather interesting renga of ours.

compana pics and some Tuesday randomness

Mostly stuff you can use for comparative anatomy, but there is a very short photo story here too.

from model animals to bilingualism

So I haven't updated in two very eventful days...

TUESDAY: Psystat was heartening for two reasons, and only two reasons: the fact that our class is advanced, and that I know how to create a null hypothesis. Breaktime was spent mainly on the sixth floor, during which Minseun, Andria, and I talk about our baons, and worry about Jazz getting stuck in the elevator during a sudden power outage. ENGLCOM was another good trip of muddling through English language errors and context. Thank God I can somehow rely on my vocabulary.

Comparative anatomy: okay, I know we had the shortest skit, but at least we were straightforward. Laugh trips for the day: Macmac as the lamprey, JL in Anatomy's Next Top Model, and having reptile gangsters in the room.

Lab: photocopy runs and getting acquainted with our test scores and several skeletons. Now I'm sharing my room with Montparnasse the cat and M. Thenardier the shark.

TODAY: Can any day get better than this? Got to school early, with plenty of time to take in the morning. INTSOCI was interesting owing to our group discussion. FILKOMU was one of the highlights of my day: we all had good classroom presentations, we got a good laugh out of sensationalized newscasting in psuedo-language, and I got my first quatro on something I wrote in Filipino. Which is a big step for me, since I have been spending the last four years trying to become bilingual in the truest sense of the word.

ENGLCOM as always rocks my socks, though I am not sure whether I want to grin at some of my classmates or shoot myself owing to some of the absurdity that characterizes groupwork. I spent the breaktime hanging out in the Malate recruitment booth before heading over to swimming class.

Okay, so much for being prepared. I had to borrow a swimming cap (of all idiotic things to leave.) My technique is still shoddy, but hey, I can work on it. And I got to get home before it became completely dark on EDSA, and I arrived just in time to hang out with my sister and her classmate Jercel (long time friend too).

Hopefully tomorrow and my Malate day on Friday will be just as good. Saturday: cwts and Sweeney Todd with Beeks. One heck of a week, eh?

it's crept from LJ to multiply

*hits her head for finally joining the bandwagon now that two of her blockmates have succumbed to it*

***What Katrina G. Gomez Means***

You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life.
You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip.
People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life.
You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home.
You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.
You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.
You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.
You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.
You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

 

You are deeply philosophical and thoughtful. You tend to analyze every aspect of your life.
You are intuitive, brilliant, and quite introverted. You value your time alone.
Often times, you are grumpy with other people. You don't appreciate them trying to interfere in your affairs.

 

 

You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life.
You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you.
At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself.

You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.
You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want.
You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

You are incredibly wise and perceptive. You have a lot of life experience.
You are a natural peacemaker, and you are especially good at helping others get along.
But keeping the peace in your own life is not easy. You see things very differently, and it's hard to get you to budge.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyournameshiddenmeaningquiz/

late nights

I got this from Char and Franz. Yes, I know I should be sleeping now I've finished my homework. But I can't resist.

 

Name 25 people you can think of right off the top of your head. Don't read the questions underneath until you write the names of all 25 people. This is a lot funnier if you actually randomly list the names first.

1. Beeks
2. Trisha  
3. Nana 
4. Chiz
5.  Franz

6.  Jade

7. Minseun

8. Andria

9. Nina

10. Macmac

11. Wong

12. Nica

13. Arnold

14. Lumi

15. Dana

16. Marco

17. Jazz

18. Char

19. Hes

20. Aiko

21. Karl

22. James

23. Janine

24. Diego

25. Lia

 

*How did you meet 3?
-She was my seatmate in LPEP.

*What would you do if 4 and 5 were
going out?
-Pinch myself and wonder how that would work out kasi pareho silang tahimik sa simula pero nagiging kakaiba after 2.5 weeks.

*What do you know about 6?
- Blockmate, review buddy, ka-kuntsaba sa malling, has the best place to hang out near school (no place like home) and masayang kasama.

*What do you think of 8?
-I admire the fact she reads more than I do, and that she's the stabling factor in an entire bunch of instability (mga kasama ko!!!)

*What would you do if 7 confessed that
he/she loves you?
- raise an eyebrow

*Who’s going out with 1?

-No one now, right? Hehehe, usap tayo this Saturday.

*What does 9 do for a living?
-eat? (sorry, pagkain na naman...) Okay, she's my blockmate. We're students. We both don't work.

*What do you like about 22?
-His sense of humor. And his emo-ness.

*Do you miss 24?
-Kinda. I bump into him in DLSU, but not often. Di na kasi ako nakakaresidency sa Malate.

*What’s your opinion of 10?

-The reliable 'idiot' who happens to be dating my good friend? Hehehe, joke lang. Masayang kasama pag recitation, wag lang sa competition ng boses.

*What do you think about 23?
-One of the strongest and best young women I know.

*What would you do if 11 and 20 were going out?

-?? Aiko is in Vegas, and Wong is with Ange. Parang weird universe yon ah.

*Who does 2 like?

-Duh, si Mac.

*Would you ever go to the movies with 12?
-Why not?

*Is 3 hot?
-Yes. She's sooo pretty, in my opinion.

*What can you say about 19?
-Lab partner ko (to some degree), blockmate

*Does 18 know 16?
-Oh definitely.

*Will 11 and 15 work out as lovers?
-ngek. Maybe, pero I know who 11 is with and who 15 is eyeing.

*Is 12 friendly?
-Yes, definitely

Are you close to 2?
-Yes. Friends and seatmates for the last five years.

*Is 15 a good friend of yours?
-Oh yes. She's my sister's long-time friend (10 years and counting), so she's kind of like my sister too.

*What would you say to 1?
-I miss you!!!

*What would you like to say to 3?
-Musta nga pala yung judo?

*Ever had a fight with 11?
-not that I recall.

*Describe 17?
-Funny, spontaneous, the person responsible for permanently altering my perceptions on cotton candy.

*What if 11 and 15 dated?
-Alternate universe na yan. Sobra.

*Would 16 and 19 make a good couple?
-hahaha, I never thought of it. Maybe.

*Is 14 a good kisser?
-I wouldn't know.

*Who does 3 love?
-besides family and friends, I don't know. Meron na ba?

*If 4 were to go out with 9, would 5 get mad?
-Maybe not, pero for sure magtataka siya. Or would you?

*Was 20 ever with someone from your list of names above?
-no. But she did take James to our junior prom.

*Who does 25 like?
-I don't know.

*Is 24 nice?
-yes, or I wouldn't have befriended him.

*Is 11 weird?
-nah, but I never know what to expect around him, in a good way. Off-the-wall yung wit niya kasi eh.

FTK and what follows

FTK...For the Kids...special olympics for these wonderful children.

Had to be up at 4am (what kind of self-respecting kid gets up that early on a weekend?!) just to get to DLSU by 5:30. Spent most of the pre-event time hanging out with Trisha, Mac, Jay, and one of Mac's friends from RO. Can I just say, it was a total laugh trip.

So the kid I had to be an ate to was named Mark, but his teacher calls him Joseph, and his mother calls him Mac. And he has Down's syndrome. Still, for a child with such a condition, he is notably physically fit. One thing I keep on forgetting about kids, especially bigger ones, is that when they get comfortable around strangers, they tend to lose their angelic halos and start sporting marks of mischief. When I thought I was going to die of an asthma attack, he was still literally running circles around me. Oh yes, I also learned one thing: it's possible to run from Central Plaza, all along the SJ walk to the far end of Velasco Building in only a matter of minutes.

But still, I learned a lot. Sometimes one learns the strangest things about patience and endurance when either chasing after kids or talking to the mothers of said kids. It's more than I can put into words, but all I can really say it's the same reason why I have been getting involved in all kinds of activities and stuff since I was thirteen.

Students For Equality in Education

http://equalityineducation.tripod.com/
My advocacy page; still under construction. I plan on uploading some of my own content pretty soon once I get some field experience.

My deviantart account

http://www.standingalive.deviantart.com
Ayon, masaya na kayo...eto na ung 'public' archive ng mga tula at kwento ko. Para sa mga iba, bahala na kayo maghalungkat, magtanong, magnakaw ng journal...hehehe.

sumalangit nawa ang aking kalusugan

TODAY: For ONCE, I didn't have to run to class.

Official signing of our memorandum for CWTS and the working out of the bumps in our project. So far, so good---it's just that matters are going to be somewhat unwieldy at first. Oh yes, we also met two of the Sumilao farmers today. I totally sympathize with their cause, but I know that they're not just going up against landowners, but against an entire system. Honestly, I wish them the best, but I doubt their issues will be resolved anytime soon.

Out of force of habit, I went to the SJ walk en route home. Okay, I did not count on finding the place so jampacked with RO people. Seriously, if I had known you guys had planned on eating there, I would have saved myself the difficulty of getting through the crowd and the problems of avoiding that long table. Me and my klutziness.

I went to Metropoint to run a few errands (since tomorrow after FTK, I'm likely to be too tired to think), and when I got to the train station, I realized I had no MRT ticket, and the line was too long. So I had to take a nice long walk all the way from Rotonda up to Philtranco to get on a bus. Buti di ako pinagtripan ng snatcher.

I doubt I shall be able to sleep well for the next eight weeks, at least till our cwts project is fully and properly implemented. Here is my general sked:

MONDAY-THURSDAY: Academic-work mode. Throw in having PE on Wednesday, comparative anatomy on Tuesday and Thursday, and Stat on those days too. Pamatay naman o.

FRIDAY: Homework day or Malate day. I want to become a regular member next year, so I HAVE to make up my residency hours. Which seems to be a herculean task at the moment.

SATURDAY: CWTS day. Yes.

SUNDAY: Could be anything from being lector at church, to cramming homework, to family reunions, or last-minute runs to get things.

I will have no life this term.

 

compana lab pictures

from today's laboratory...more pics of specimens and integuments.

basag na kain

Hungry and yet not hungry. I find my journal more amusing.

Today was just...one long comedy of errors all the way from Sociology to FILKOMU (free cut) to ENGLCOM to PERSEF.

Things that I won't forget:

1. Weather is NOT a sociological factor.

2. ACUM = See you in the morning.

3. the EGI internet is only marginally better than that of my house.

4. It is possible to lose 'Have I Never' on the basis of biology/having had some minor surgery. Or on being seated with a blockmate.

I was reminsicing with Minseun en route home about well, the past two terms compared to the here and now. And really despite all the angst, things weren't so bad then. And things weren't so bad today either.

craniates eating what sense I have left

For the first time in my life, biology stumped me. Thanks to comparative anatomy, my brain is going dead. Like I don't understand anything in my book. I suppose it should make sense after some time, but really...can't I catch on any quicker?

I'd really rather be writing now.

in 2007....

I confess that in 2007 I...

(x) stayed single for the whole year.
( ) got your first kiss
( ) kissed someone new
( ) made-out for the first time
( ) made-out inside a car
( ) kissed in the snow
(x) celebrated Halloween
( ) kissed in the rain

( ) fell in love
( ) had your heart broken
( ) broke someone else's heart
( ) had a stalker
(x) mooned someone
(x) went over the minutes on your cellphone
(x) had a good relationship withsomeone
(x) suffered through teenageheartbreak
( ) someone questioned your sexualorientation
( ) came out of the closet
( ) got pregnant
( ) gotten someone else pregnant
( ) had an abortion
( ) gotten married
( ) had a divorce
( ) dated someone you'll never forget.
( ) done something you've regretted
( ) lost your true love
( ) lost faith in love
( ) kissed under mistletoe

WORK/SCHOOL
( ) got a promotion
( ) got a pay raise
( ) changed jobs
(x) waited until one day before to begin a project
( ) lost your job
(x) quit your job
( ) dated a co-worker/schoolmate
( ) dated your boss
( ) dated your boss' daughter/son
( ) got fired from your job
( ) took an honors/advanced class
( ) broke the dress code
( ) jacked off/fingered in class

( ) sent to the principles office for misbehavior
( ) got straight A's
(x) met one teacher you really like
(x) met one teacher you really hated
( ) failed a class
( ) cut class
( ) kicked someone in the testes
( ) skipped school
(x) got into a fight with a classmate
(x) did something you were proud of
(x) discovered a new talent
(x) gave the teachers a reason to teach
(x) proved yourself an idiot
(x) embarrassed yourself in front of the class
( ) fell in love with a teacher
( ) intentionally tripped someone at school
( ) got lead in the school play
( ) made the varsity team
(x) were involved in something you'll never forget

OTHER
( ) painted a picture
(x) wrote a poem
( ) ran a mile
( ) seen a live concert
( ) shopped at Hollister or Abercrombie and Fitch
( ) posted a blog on MySpace
(x) listened to music you couldn't stand
( ) double-dipped
( ) skinny-dipped

(x) went to a sleepover
( ) went camping
(x) went to a surprise party
(x) laughed till you cried
( ) laughed till you peed in your pants
( ) flirted shamelessly
(x) didnt wash your hands after using bathroom
( ) visited a foreign country
(x) broke in a line of waiting people
(x) volunteered to help out others
( ) visited a new state
(x) told someone you were busy when you werent.
( ) partied to celebrate the new year
(x) cooked a disastrous meal
( ) drove the car drunk
(x) lost something important to you
( ) smoked a whole cigarette stick
( ) lied about how old you were
(x) got a gift you adore
(x) got 'sh!t faced' on alcohol
( ) took a nude picture of yourself
( ) almost got arrested
( ) prank called someone
(x) saw a college basketball game in person