Sold my soul

To tumblr this time. Forgive me.

But, never say never.

Two hours well spent.

It's the night before compre, and I just spent a good two hours hanging out at the medstones with a few of my classmates. All of us reluctant to spend the night studying, all of us wanting to spend just a little time reminiscing on the year that was. And so we did. We looked back on enrollment and the first days of school, the first impressions that certain personalities made on us. We recalled some special moments that our class has shared. We remembered the professors that have made an impact on us, whether good or bad. And we sadly looked to the future, on our eventual separation, as we will be split into two blocks in second year, and into more blocks the years thereafter.

We may have lost two hours' worth of miscellaneous facts that we could have crammed into our heads for tomorrow's exam. Those two hours might cost us a few points. But for me, they were two hours well spent. I spent them with a few of the people I have trudged through first year med with. People I've listened in and slept through class with. People I've studied and laughed and shared stories and spent the wee hours of one morning practicing a dance number with. Our class, class 2014 is made up of such unique and wonderful people. We may be known for being quite a noisy and unruly class, but I wouldn't have us any other way. I can't imagine being a part of any other class.

Liz and Jess, I've missed you so!

Sweet Valley High sequel to follow characters into 30s

Francine Pascal promises 'shocking' update on the progress of the much-loved Wakefield twins

One of the Sweet Valley High novels' covers

Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, the blond, tanned, teenage twins of the bestselling Sweet Valley High series, are set to grow up after creator Francine Pascal announced she was writing a new novel that will follow her cast into their 30s.

Launched in 1983, the Sweet Valley franchise has produced around 500 titles, written by a host of ghostwriters. From high school romances to stalkers and serial killers, it follows the adventures of identical twins Elizabeth and Jessica "with their shoulder-length blonde hair, blue-green eyes, and perfect California tans", and has sold hundreds of millions of copies around the world. Fans will know that although Elizabeth and Jessica "were exact duplicates of one another, down to the tiny dimples in their left cheeks when they smiled", Elizabeth is the sensible, responsible, hard-working sister, while Jessica is largely interested in boys and parties.

The new book, Sweet Valley Confidential, takes place 12 years after the high school series, when the twins and their friends are in their late 20s and early 30s. It will, according to publisher St Martin's Press, see "the real world intrude after a perfect childhood". "I've had thousand of queries from fans over the years wondering what Jessica and Elizabeth would be like as adults. Well, Sweet Valley Confidential should give them all the answers," said Pascal, who was originally inspired to write the series by the experiences of her three daughters. "And I can guarantee they will be very surprised. Actually, more like shocked."

The Sweet Valley series has never troubled itself too much with realism. In one novel, To Catch a Thief, Elizabeth is "swept off her feet by Prince Laurent de Sainte-Marie – the most romantic guy she's ever met in her life", only to find herself locked in a dungeon by his fiancée's evil mother the Countess di Rimini. In another, London is plagued by what appears to be a werewolf.

St Martin's Press, which will publish the novel in early 2011, gave away little about the plot but fans are already speculating about which direction Pascal will take her characters. "Most everyone hopes Elizabeth and Todd are married, but we all have an idea Liz is having an affair if that's the case," said one reader, who has written about the entire series on her blog, Shannon's Sweet Valley High blog. "We figure Jessica has probably gone to Hollywood to be a star, but some of us are kind of hoping she's failed. Because seriously, that girl has had it too easy. And of course we all want to see the return of Lila, Bruce and the other side characters. It just wouldn't be Sweet Valley without them. A few of my readers are hoping Lila and Bruce are married, but I'd rather see Lila and Jessica trolling for guys together like they always have."

And this (!):

A film based on the Wakefield twins' high school years is also in the works, written and produced by Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody.

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Sweet Valley High: The Movie! It's about time somebody made one. But since that somebody is Diablo Cody, I'm sure it'll be well worth the wait.

Compre woes

I'm having a Holy Week hangover. Or maybe I'm fast-forwarding to summer. Either way, I'm not studying for the comprehensive exam that covers everything I learned or should have learned in my first year of med proper.

I had every intention of studying over the Holy Week. I made a schedule per day; I had it all planned out. I asked my parents to bring home some of my heavy heavy books and my maleta was filled with envelopes filled with countless pages of transes. Until now, they are untouched, save for maybe five transes. I've barely even scratched the surface of the samplices. Samplex na nga lang eh, wala pa rin.

I had every intention of spending the night in Coffee Bean or Starbucks, where I might have gone further in my compre review. But no, I stayed in. And as always happens, I couldn't tear my eyes away from my laptop screen, my fingers from they keyboard. I never learn.

There's really no point to this entry, except to reiterate how much I'm not studying.

Motivate meeeee. Please?

Just say yes

Today is March 25. Exactly nine months before Christmas. Thus, we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation. When Mother Mary said yes to God and, as we say in every Angelus, conceived by the Holy Spirit.

I've never commemorated this day before, March 25. I've never thought to celebrate the Annunciation. It was always just a mystery in the Rosary to me. But how wonderful it was to learn about it in mass today. For it was this thought that I took with me as I started studying for my final exam in human ontogeny and parturition. I thought, if I had to learn about the conception, fetal development, and birth of a mother to her child, might as well be that of the Mother Mary and her Baby Jesus, right?

I've been dreading the thought of having to take finals. But it doesn't seem so bad now. This was the new perspective that I needed. Thank You.

Yesterday's second reading

"...Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own."

- from St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians