I got more than a tan in Boracay.

I've always been a fan of girlie movies like Now and Then and The Sweetest Thing. I love how they're able to capture the dynamic of the relationship between girlfriends--all the craziness and silliness and drunken moments and hirits that only girls who've known each other forever can appreciate.

But I don't need a movie to get my fill of girlfriend love. I just spent four days in a beautiful island with two of my best friends. It's been a week since I left for Bora, and I miss it so much already--not just the sun, surf, and sand, but the girls as well. Bea, Melch, and I packed enough laughter into four days than a lot of people get in maybe four years. There were the inevitable misunderstandings, but nothing a friendship that's lasted over a decade couldn't withstand.


We've grown up together, these girls and I have. There are the stories that we tell over and over; they never seem to get old. We could blackmail each other with shameless photographs and romantic histories. We've gone through boyfriends, breakups, various fitness regimens, graduations. And we'll go through so much more together. Time and distance, be not proud.

These girls are proof that there are still a few things that can be counted on in this world. :)

Shut up, and put your money where your mouth is.

Bea finally made sense of it. It's like you're making a mockery of my lifelong dream. It's nothing but a joke to you. And it isn't funny at all. Time to get serious, honey.

Bikram yoga, American Idol results, among others

Despite the early mornings, the body aches, the daily drives, the endless errands, and the heat, this week has been one of my favorites of the summer. It's definitely been the most productive. I'm no longer spending practically every waking moment wishing I were in med already. And it's just two weeks away. Wah.

Bikram yoga takes most of the credit for this week. Melch asked me to enroll with her at Bikram Yoga Eastwood, where they offer a one-week unlimited trial for just P700. I immediately said I was game, since I really wanted to do something physical this summer. (Read: Get fit for Bora!!) And for P700, even attending just five days in the week would already be worth it.

I will never forget my first class, just last Monday. The heated room, the intensity of the postures, and the lack of food (I just had a banana for breakfast; you're actually not supposed to eat anything two or three hours before class) was just too much for my system. I had to sit out quite a few of the poses, fearing I would faint. As Melch put it, it was like doing yoga in a sauna. But the subsequent classes became much easier as my body grew accustomed to the practice. The poses were definitely challenging; it made the yoga class I took as a PE in second year seem like yoga for babies. :P And OMG, it was the most I had ever sweat in my life. I would already start dripping during the first breathing exercise, which is like the first two minutes of the 90-minute workout.

My last class was today (Friday), and I'm already starting to miss it. Just one week of Bikram made me feel thinner, fitter, and more energized. I wish I could have that all year-round. If only I had the disposable income and the flexible schedule to attend regularly (A one-month unlimited subscription costs P4000+). Maybe I'll save up for sembreak. Haha.

This week was also the first time I had the chance to drive myself every single day. Marlon's mom passed away, so he had to go on leave for the whole week. Thank goodness Eastwood is just fifteen minutes away from the house. Mom kept sending me on errands though, which I didn't really mind, except that I would be both tired and hungry, after coming from yoga. At least I was able to practice my parallel parking skills, as well as my directional skills. Haha. Driving can be enjoyable, when you're not trying to beat rush hour traffic, or puyat from studying all night.

Other than yoga and driving, I've also been preparing for an ukay-ukay our subdivision is holding along with the May festivities. I thought it would be a good idea to participate, not just to get rid of old clothes and other clutter that has accumulated in our household, but also to raise funds for condo furniture, med books, med equipment, etc. It's tomorrow already (Saturday), and I'm getting ready to relive my PMHS rummage sale days. Haha.

Not much TV this week, seeing as I've been out of the house almost all day, everyday. I did, however, consider attending a later yoga class in order to catch the American Idol finale. But I decided not to, and I had to shut out the world for a few hours, until the 6 PM replay on Star World. Honestly, I feel bad for Adam. I thought he deserved it more. I know he has a lot of haters out there, with his theatre background, his sexual orientation, his eccentric style (both in his appearance and his singing) and the fact that he was the clear favorite, but he was the better singer and performer, no doubt. And isn't that what Idol's really about? I loved that he seemed genuinely happy for Kris, though. And then again, maybe Kris needed the win more? Because Adam will definitely make it big, American Idol or not. As Paula said (and I rarely take the things she says seriously), he'll be iconic. :D

And while I did buy two new books with my Powerbooks gift cards, I've been busy rereading Harry Potter 6 and 7. I actually just wanted to read Book 6 again in anticipation of the movie (because I'll no longer have time for non-academic reading come June), but I had to continue on with Book 7. I realized I'd forgotten most of the details, so it's somewhat like reading them again for the first time. It's such a joy to be with Harry and the wizarding world again.

It turns out Ruari and I are both leaving this weekend--I for Boracay on Sunday morning and he for Guam tomorrow evening. We saw each other just one day this week. I'm glad, though, that we've both been enjoying summer. Here's to those last two weeks. :)

Grey's love!

The Grey's Anatomy season five two-hour finale was simply EPIC. There's no other word for it. It had me in tears and chills. This is a show I've followed all throughout college, and this episode has just renewed my love for it completely. I can't wait for season six. Anatomy and biochem and physio be damned; you know I'll be tuned in every week.

"Doctors spend a lot of time focused on the future.
Planning it. Working toward it.
But at some point, you start to realize: your life is happening now.
Not after med school, not after residency.
Right now. This is it. It's here.
Blink and you'll miss it."

Thanks, Meredith. :D

Futility.

I had the bright idea of waking up early this morning and going with Papa to work. I wanted to visit Powerbooks Megamall to make use of the gift cards that Ate Rina sent as my graduation gift. They have been burning a hole in my wallet since they arrived last week. I even killed time in San Miguel, researching titles on Amazon.com, before Megamall opened at 10. I always like being prepared when I go to the bookstore, so that I don't waste my money on books that turn out to be a disappointment.

I spent over an hour at Powerbooks. Normally I like spending any amount of time in a bookstore. But this visit just left me frustrated and hungry. Of the five or six books I'd found interesting on Amazon, I could find none of them in Powerbooks. They were either out of stock, or at another branch. What sucks is that I specifically went to the Megamall branch because it's one of the bigger ones, and, I assumed, one of the better-stocked ones. What sucks more is that I know the books I want are in Fully Booked. If only the gift cards were transferable. Sigh.

I'm consoling myself with the thought that I can check out Powerbooks in Robinson's Place tomorrow, when I go for my physical exam. I hope I have better luck there. Oh, I did end up buying a book pala. I got Mapping the Edge by Sarah Dunant. It wasn't on my list but I also came across it on Amazon. And I loved Dunant's Birth of Venus (I made the mistake of lending it to someone who never returned it), so I'm quite hopeful for this one.

The other thing I wanted to do this morning was to get myself registered for next year's elections. Marlon and I went to the Pasig City Hall to try our luck. I wasn't very hopeful though, as it was already nearing noon. But this was already our second try. The guard told us 'di na kayo aabot and to try another time, and to go at 5 AM, because the lines fill up fast and they only serve 120. Exaaaag okay. Ganyan pala ka-hassle mag-rehistro para bumoto. And I was trying to be a responsible citizen.

In other news:

I hate when people blow their own horn. Please stop advertising yourself. Nakukulitan na 'ko.

AND

It's always nice to be remembered. Never nice to be forgotten. No matter what. Nakakawalang-gana.

I forgot to mention

I know my last entry was less than two hours ago, but I just remembered that Ruari and I saw this at Fully Booked Greenhills today and had the best time leafing through it.

It's around P1000. I want!
(Haha, as if I won't be spending enough on med books as it is.)

I realized that I miss music. I haven't been listening to any. Except for Jai Ho, which seems to be on repeat on all the radio stations' players. Lord. I need to download new songs, and the drive to do the downloading. I hate opening Limewire; it slows down everything. Gee, that rhymes.

Limbo

That's how I feel right now. Stuck in limbo. Transitioning between college and med school. Somewhat missing the past, and anxious about the future.

On the one hand, it's allowed me a much-needed break. I'm not attending class, I'm not reading any textbooks, I'm not cramming for exams--all of which I will definitely be doing a lot of come June. Instead, I've been sleeping until noon, failing at my diet, not exercising, finally trying to catch up on my reading, and watching more TV than I have in years. Seriously, I'm currently following Grey's Anatomy, Gossip Girl, Pushing Daisies, The Big Bang Theory, Chuck, and Brothers and Sisters. Oh, and American Idol. That's a lot for someone who typically watches only cooking shows late at night because they're non-scary and they're the perfect background noise for when I'm studying.

On the other hand, I'm desperately waiting for school to start. The few who actually read this blog know that there is no topic that I write about more often than med. I can't wait to finally become a med student, complete with the white uniform (which we can't wear until July, sadly). I'm excited to start living in Adriatico with Karen and Sam. The nerdy part of me wants to order my textbooks as soon as possible, so I can start reading already. And I haven't even enrolled yet! I haven't even been through the physical exam, or undergone psychological testing, which are scheduled this Thursday and Friday, respectively. I haven't even been cleared from Diliman yet, for God's sake.

Speaking of med books. I knew med would be expensive, but I had no idea how much until now. Forget books, I'm only talking about tuition here. When my mom and I inquired at the admissions office about a month ago, they told us it would be around P30,000. So naturally I was shocked to find out just last week that it would actually be P50,000, for the first semester alone. How lucky for us, the class of 2014, that the administration decide to increase the tuition fee this very year. It's still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that my tuition for just one semester in med will roughly equal the cost of my entire undergrad education. And that's just tuition! There's also books, as mentioned. And uniforms, rent, furniture, medical equipment like steth and sphygmo, and who knows what else. Oh, the guilt. I can't help but think again of how I could be working and helping my parents out instead of being an additional burden to them. Hay.

So anyway, going back, limbo. Summer has been limbo for me. I'm enjoying it, yes, but also can't wait for it to be over, as though the moment summer ends is the moment my life starts again. It does sound sad, doesn't it? It totally violates my live in the here and now motto of two summers ago. I blame it all on my being so un-busy this past year and a half. I need work to get my mind working and blood pumping again.

I know I'll be sorry I said that, but yeah.

And oh, I did not just come back from Boracay, as originally scheduled. Due to certain conflicts, Bea, Melch, and I moved our trip to the 24th, until the 27th. Still hoping Fen can come with us. And praying for good weather. No more storms, please?