Summer--extended!

I was all set to write my end-of-summer/first-day-jitters entry. I was half done packing, right down to my new pencil case filled with shiny new school supplies with price tags still on them. I had paced my reading so that I would finish The Almost Moon tomorrow night. I was already making the most of my last few nights here at home, before I move into the internet-less, water heater-less, TV-less Adriatico condo.

But nooo. Pres. Roman announced at 7:10 PM that the opening of classes in UP Manila is to be moved from June 8 to June 15. So I'm left with one more week to look forward to/dread the official start of med. And with the weather the way it is (and the H1N1 virus already having penetrated Manila) it's unlikely that I'll be able to go out of town, or do any summery things. My first reaction to the text was one of annoyance, not relief or excitement. Pardon the geekiness/overeagerness.

UPSIDE:

There's more time for reading! I have time to pick up another Jodi Picoult (or two) with my one remaining Powerbooks gift card. Or, since I'm kind of in the mood for something heavier, Atonement. There are also the various TV series I've yet to finish, namely Chuck, Pushing Daisies, House, and The Big Bang Theory. But TV has not really been my thing lately.

There's also time to visit Ruari! Since according to him, adik sila sa St. Luke's, it's unlikely that they'll be suspending their start of classes as well. So I can visit him this time. :) Bea also expressed a desire to meet up before classes start. And I don't need to mention more time to spend with the family, at home, not studying.

On another geeky/overeager note, there's more time to wrap my new school books, and label them too. Haha. :p

And, much as I hate to admit it, Facebook is consuming more and more of my internet time. I only just realized how dead Multiply is already. I guess it's time to get with the times. I will still upload my pictures to Multiply though. The photo upload feature of Facebook isn't as user-friendly.

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. :)

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. :)

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?

Graduation weekend

It's now Wednesday afternoon, three days after an incredibly eventful graduation weekend. I meant to write about everything sooner, but I guess I've just been reeling. I've spent the past three days at home, catching up on Grey's Anatomy and other shows via SurfTheChannel or SideReel, save for yesterday afternoon, when Ruari and I watched 17 Again, as per Karen's recommendation. I haven't been able to get myself to exercise, which I sorely need after having indulged myself over the weekend. Not to mention the occasional potato chips and cookies here at home while watching my shows.

Anyway, grad. Saturday was the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy Graduation at the University Theater, while Sunday was the University Graduation at the Quezon Hall Amphitheatre. Now looking back, the two days were mostly a blur of sablays, white dresses, medals, flashing cameras, lining up in the heat, sorority paraphernalia, heels sinking in the grass, and endless smiles. But there was also a delicious family dinner, a hospital visit, an alarming fire, a miraculous sunny day following a rainy week, and a renewed friendship. :)

All in all, it was a wonderful graduation. I really couldn't have asked for anything more. Except for that brief moment when I thought I might lose something so precious, the weekend was perfect. I felt too blessed, if such a thing were possible.

Amidst all the excitement for med, graduation gave me a chance to also relish my last moments as an undergrad, to reminisce on my four-year stint as a psych major in UP Diliman. Though I didn't shed any tears, nor was I able to sing UP Naming Mahal without looking at the lyrics, I still very much felt the UP spirit. School spirit is not something I feel everyday, unlike students from other universities. But I felt it then, and I felt thankful. Thankful for the past four years behind me, and thankful as well for the five years yet to come, all of which I have carried and will proudly carry the name Iskolar ng Bayan. :)

Ruari took this. :) Could I pass for a college graduate?

Sendoff 2009

I just got back from my third and last PMHS sendoff. As with the first two times, it definitely felt longer than an overnight trip. Possibly because, just like the first two times, I got very little sleep, most of which was had in the car on the way home.

What made this sendoff different was that I was a sendoffee this time. It felt really nice not to have to help prepare food, assemble souvenirs, or coordinate transpo. I didn't even have to pay for anything. :p That scav hunt they put us through was such a workout though. I initially just wanted to relax and not have to play any games or what, but I have to admit that I really enjoyed it. Especially since Tribe Kiat-Kiat won. Haha competitive forever. :p

I was so impressed by how the whole sendoff turned out, how the mems and inductees pulled everything off. The venue was really nice, not as far as last year's, and with a really pretty beach, too. The waves were the best! The food was great, especially that heavenly chocolate fondue. A lot of us just wanted to drink that chocolate straight. Transpo couldn't have been easy to fix, with so many mems and inductees in attendance, even if we were just ten sendoffees. The Survivor theme, from the welcoming spiel, to the scav hunt, to the touching AVP, to the candle torch ceremony, was truly inspired. And I love the souvenirs! The little Survivor dolls are the cutest. Thank you and congrats again, PMHS 09-10, if any of you happen to be reading this. :)

Thank you, love, for this weekend. As I've already told you, it meant the world to me that you came. Even if you injured my arm before we'd left UP. Haha! I took one for the team na ha? :) Thank you for taking care of me and not letting me drown in my drunken stupor. I really hope you had fun, too; I'm glad you enjoyed the waves, the fondue, and your ultimate frisbee. I really prayed for this sendoff, and you know why. I guess we've come full circle, huh? I couldn't be happier. I'm a lucky little ogress. :)

[EDIT 19 April, 8:34PM]

Thanks, Burn, for this picture. :)

Busy summer

Two weeks of summer already, and there hasn't been much to write about. Or, there's been too much to write about that I haven't really had time to sit and document it all. It's hard to imagine that other people are in summer class, while I'm just here. Basking in freedom. Haha. Please excuse my gloating. :p I think I've earned it, after two years without summer, one of which was devoted to Bio 102.

But it's not as if I've just been bumming. I haven't even had the chance to clean out my room or my laptop yet. I still haven't seen the last two or three episodes of Gossip Girl. In fact, not much of my summer so far has been spent at home. As I mentioned previously, I attended the last Days batch. Though I left early, it was still a weekend well spent. Not long after was Holy Week, which my family and I spent in Crosswinds. Sadly, the weather in Tagaytay is not much different from Manila anymore. Hardly any need to bring a sweater. I miss January.

Ruari and I have been seeing each other more as well, and we're helping each other live a healthy summer lifestyle. We've jogged in UP a few times (he goes more often I do). On days that I can't, I try to do tae bo via my ancient Billy Blanks 30-minute workout video. I still think it's the perfect workout; I've done it so much that I think I can pretty much do it in my sleep. The diet is on as well. I've bought yogurt, fruit cups, light popcorn, Yakult, romaine lettuce, among others. I can't give up dessert and chocolate entirely, though. Especially now that Starbucks has revived their dark mocha frappuccino, which is such love.

I've also had to fix stuff for the grad party, which is next week already! I only realized today that I'm graduating next weekend and I haven't bought a dress dresses--and shoes! Time to do some shopping--again, much deserved, since I haven't really shopped since Christmas. Haha.

There's also the last of the my PMHS duties to fulfill. Fin report, allotment for our beneficiary, turnover of files to Mich. And sendoff is this weekend, I'm so excited. :) I actually just came home from our Execoun turnover, which we had at the Old Vine Grill in Eastwood. It was a good turnover this year. However, certain matters did arise and must be addressed.

Now, more than ever, I am so sure I made the right decision. I have absolutely no regrets. I don't know if it is bitterness you're showing, or you really just tend to act without thinking. It is as if words just come out of you without a second thought on the possible repercussions. Get your facts straight before you speak, please. I hate that I might be leaving on a sour note, but I can't deny how I feel. I was shaking when I was telling Ruari about it. I am both frustrated and disappointed. I don't think I deserve any of that. None of us do. And I doubt that any explanation of yours will satisfy me. A retraction perhaps, but not an explanation. You need to take it back.

Can I graduate?

I've been waiting all semester to answer the question posed by Third Eye Blind way back when. And the answer is

YES I CAN!
Unless I happen to fail 135 and/or chem lab, that is. Haha.

The point is, I'm done! I'm free, I'm finished with college forever. Karen, Mico, Lee-Ann, JoyBee and I finished our 135 proposal at around 3:00 AM yesterday morning, and were able to submit at 1:00 PM. It feels sooo good to have a little less to think about. It's finally summer! :D

I'm off to Days in a bit. I have mixed feelings about this batch. For one thing, it may most likely be my last time to be a committee head. A part of me is relieved, sad as it may sound. I guess growing up and moving on, even from one of the things I cherished most in college, is inevitable.

But as usual, I am thankful for this weekend. Though I'll be working, it's still a retreat, in every sense of the word. There are so many things, and so many people to pray for. Jess only knows.

The kiddie-like play

In keeping with summer mode, Ruari and I went swimming this morning. He arrived at the house at quarter to eight, which is the earliest he's ever been here, as far as I know. After a big breakfast of Spanish omelette and chipolata sausages prepared by Mama, we went to the village clubhouse, where the pool was practically empty. The water was nice and cool, and we had the pool practically all to ourselves. Just one complaint though--the water was overchlorinated, and it made the skin on my nose burn. We swam only until ten, since Ruari needed to be home for lunch and more and more people were arriving to swim.

I felt so, so tired after swimming that I took a two-hour nap. I woke up at one and had a late lunch. I planned to attend the Days meeting, which I assumed was at three-thirty like the one two weeks ago. So after lunch I was just killing time until three, surfing the internet and whatnot. It was only when Mich texted at two-thirty asking if I was still coming to the meeting did I think that I might have gotten the time wrong. When I checked the emails about the meeting, they read 1 PM SEC FOYER. Haha. Serves me right for skimming over emails.

We sort of participated in Earth Hour. Mom and I turned off everything in the house except for a couple of lights and the aircon. She said she wouldn't be able to take the heat, even for just an hour. No big deal, really. Honestly, there are better ways to take a stand against global warming. Ruari said they even staged a show at the Mall of Asia and there were a bunch of Earth Hour features on TV precisely during Earth Hour. How ironic.

That's all. Just wanted to document my nice morning, sabog afternoon, and dark evening. Haha.

And oh! Sir Sumera replied to my email last night. I passed the Chem 31 third exam and am exempted from finals! :D I'm not even considering taking it anyway to possibly raise my grade. Goodbye forever, organic chemistry! Now just 135 to deal with.

Losing steam

I meant to blog earlier, but I never found the time until now. This is partly due to my computer almost crashing last Monday. I made the silly mistake of installing an antivirus program without first disabling the expired one. Duh. Then there was my toothache last Wednesday, which I suspect is due to an emerging wisdom tooth. One more thing to deal with this summer.

Of course I am writing away the time I should be spending on aldehydes, ketones, carbohydrates, carboxylic acids, fats, oils, and amines. Not to mention Experiments 10-16 AND nomenclature. I don't feel pressured at all, which is so wrong, especially since I'm still hopelessly holding on to the dream of being exempted from lec finals. I've always had the tendency to lose steam at the last stretch. Hay.

Not really applicable to us med students (yehess!), but amusing, as always. :P

There are days and there are days. I'm counting them down now, more than ever. I'm so excited to just go condo-hunting and furniture-shopping. Not to mention finally fulfilling my Boracay dreams.

Four years in the making! Yaaaay. :D

There's a certain ogre I'm so, so, so proud of. I couldn't believe it when you told me that it was 31 days that you spent studying in the library, straight after class until the wee hours of the morning. Thirty-one consecutive days. I'm still amazed. You so deserve your shaved head, your four(?)-day vacation, and ALL the sleep you can sleep.

Have fun in Bataan and Zambales, love. Don't forget me. :)

Dreaming of summer

With three weeks left in my life as an undergraduate and with this insane heat already settling upon the metro, it's so hard not to be on summer mode yet. And as I always say when I'm at the final stretch of every semester, I just want to get it over with.

It refers to all, but not limited to, of the following:
Chem 31.1 unknown analysis
Chem 31 third exam
Chem 31.1 final exam
135 quizzes 1-4
135 experiment 7
135 third exam
Chem 31 final exam, if I should be so unlucky

Apart from being free of all academic load, there's one important reason I'm looking forward to summer.

It'll be our third.

:)

Talking sh** about a pretty sunset

It was a nice, slow weekend. I didn't really go out, save for a quick dinner with Ruari last Friday (Pancake House, where we ordered pancakes, potato salad, and meatless pasta). Tagaytay doesn't count much, since it's still technically our home. I specifically requested for us to spend our weekend there, for it was one of the rare occasions when I didn't have to attend any activity and had little work to do. I love my family for giving in to my wishes, despite Papa having to give up tennis, despite Monch's need to study for final exams, and despite having to face traffic on SLEX (we left at 4ish). We watched Slumdog Millionaire, ate good food, heard a good mass at Focolare, and generally enjoyed each other's company.

I think it was Karen who asked whether I liked sunrise or sunset more. Other than the fact that I'm rarely up to witness sunrise, I just love the colors of sunset. These were a couple of pictures I took on our way to Tagaytay, at around 6:00 PM. I wanted to capture the way the white, pink, blue, and purple lights swept across the sky, though I couldn't do much with a non-SLR camera inside a moving car. I still like the effect that came out--especially the way the trees fade like wisps of smoke in the second photo.

I spent the whole day at home today, primarily because I chose not to attend the Pi Gamma Mu induction ceremony. I figured the only use I'd ever have for it would be if I wanted to obtain a scholarship for a fellowship abroad in the future. I'm hoping that by that time, I'd have credentials other than my membership in an honor society that was expensive and didn't really do much for its members except to give them an extra line in their resumes. (Actually, my resume can read invited to the Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society, haha.) If ever, Ate Carol said I can still get inducted next year. Also, I'm leaning towards joining Phi Kappa Phi instead, since this one is an all-discipline honor society, not limited to the social sciences. Seriously, my parents have more important things to use their money on then my membership to two honor societies. Yay for more responsible spending!

Anyway, I spent today at home. I watched a few episodes of House Season 5, and slept slept slept. I'm still recuperating from my cold and cough; my voice hasn't gone back to its normal, non-sexy-bedroom state. I think the cool, fresh Tagaytay air did me a lot of good, though. However, summer has officially started (according to PAGASA), and the heat definitely doesn't help much.

The coming of summer has, thankfully, motivated me to finally start dieting for real. I'm not following any strict plan like the three-day diet, nor am I completely depriving myself of any type of food. It's more of making better choices, such as choosing to order a sandwich with tuna instead of one with bacon. Or opting for water instead of iced tea or any other sugar-laden beverage. I'm also trying to minimize on rice and dessert. The dessert part is harder, especially since we've just loaded up on treats from Rowena's--bañadas, cassava cake, and napoleones! :((

Let me end this post with a quote from Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood, a book I've put off reading for quite some time, and I don't really know why.

"I can never say what I want to say," continued Naoko. "It's been like this for a while now. I try to saysomething, but all I get are the wrong words -- the wrong words or the exact opposite words from what I mean. I try to correct myself, and that only makes it worse. I lose track of what I was trying to say to begin with. It's like I'm split in two and playing tag with myself. One half is chasing the other half around this big, fat post. The other me has the right words, but this me can't catch her."

Have a good week, everyone. :)