two long months

Yeah its been almost 2 months since I planned to renovate my blog but sad to say I really have a busy schedule so I barely have time to spare for my blog. Anyway, I just want to post something just for the sake of updating it.

#1: Qubeworks

Finally, Qubeworks launched its existence through this year's IFJPIA Week. It sponsored the photoshoot for the Ambassador and Ambassadress of Goodwill which was joined by three schools, namely: Central Philippine University, University of San Agustin and University of the Philippines Visayas. Also, it has been sponsoring some events for UP such as the upcoming College of Management Play Festival. Me and the rest of the founders are glad enough for our accomplishments and are hoping that we'll be able to go to the next level.

#2 : P&G Recruitment Program

This is not the first recruitment program of Procter & Gamble in UP Visayas. Nong JM, an alumnus, is a product of the said program and this time around, it was him who spearheaded this year's recruitment. I was part of the liaison team and it was really a great opportunity.

just having fun at Dulgies (great & delish foods!)

UPV's Ambassador and Ambassadress of Goodwill

I was the over-all head for the search for this year's AOG. Honestly, it was very stressful and tiring but it always is enjoyable when you like what you do. Oh well. UPV won all awards except for one.  Its not that there were biases. They won because they deserve it. Here are the other two couples:

CPU

USA

I thought I could finally rest affter the event until I realized that it is only 1 week until the critics night for the College of Management Play Festival. The final performance will be on the 11th of December. The pressure is actually killing me. Hehe.  Here's the playbill:

That's all for now.

advisory

"I'm on my way to finding who I am, never knowing what lies ahead of me. My hesitations have once held me back, but the universe conspired to make me rise."

As a junior student, I now find it hard to update my blog so i'm having this scheme to resolve the problem.

Mode Shifter will be off until the 17th or the 20th of the month for improvement and renovation.(feeler!) 

I myslef am excited... woOt!

riyadh

It's been years since the time I last set foot in the land of gardens after spring rains, the land of palm trees and dates: Riyadh. I really miss it there and the stuff I used to do there, the food that I used to eat, the places where we used to go on a usual hot day. Part of me is Riyadh and it will forever be. 

I just saw some pictures that a friend took while she was still in Riyadh and that's the reason behind this blog entry. I just wanted to share the things that has been part of my life. Though Filipinos are not that free there, they still manage to have fun given that there are a lot of restrictions. From the city, they go to Dammam or Al-khobar during Ramadan vacations just to have fun along its shores. Malls never ran out of Filipino faces. There will always be one or two families that roam around shopping malls every day. The population of Filipinos in the middle east increases every year. The population of students alone would comprise a big number of Filipinos. When i was still studying there, there was about 8 Filipino schools providing education for our kababayans. The largest of which is the International Philippine School in Riyadh(IPSR) and the Second Philippine International School(SPIS) in Riyadh with over 1500 students each. Oh well, I guess WE are everywhere.

Here are some photos that I took from my friend's multiply account and some other websites:

the infamous red sand

the hidden valley

the half moon beach in Al Khobar

Saudi Kabsa: YOU CAN'T HELP BUT PIG OUT

Cakes

My all time favorite: SHAWARMA

Its not the shawarma available in the Philippines. Its way different from the original. The stuff inside the pita are: chicken(lots of it, the one you see above), fries and pickles. There is also another variety which is the bigger one. It has a thinner pita and there's added herbs and tomatoes.

Galaxy Chocolates

Of all the chocolates i've tasted, this one is my favorite. It's almost similar to Cadbury but its still is different. My favorite variety is Galaxy ripple. Its like stik-o made of chocolate with shredded(??) chocolates inside to make that melting feel a bit more exciting. Haha.

Rani Juice Drinks

No. 1 in my juice drink list until now. Never found anything close to Rani. What makes it different is the fruit pulps with the drink. It comes with orange, peach, mango and pineapple. Its a fun version of your regular tropicana with pulp.

Jarir Bookstore: The best in town.

Philippine Embassy: Basketball Court

This where every school activity is held. From the foundation week, the basketball intramurals and our prom. Lot's of memories there.

Philippine Embassy: I-dont-know-the-name Hall

We took our UPCAT inside.

The Al Mamlaka (Kingdom) Tower and Al-Faisaliyah Tower

The thing that makes them special are the malls situated at the foot of the buildings. We usually go to Faisaliyah(pyramid-like structure) every weekend just to window shop and pig out at Little Caesar's or the  Cheesecake factory.

Millennium International School: Highschool Days

My favorite spot

Its a almost a similar view from our rooftop. When i just need some quiet time, I go there and just stare at the two marvel, each changing colors from time to time. Its my zone.

qubeworks and photoshoots

We never expected that we could possibly start/create a group where everyone's main goal is business. I guess we were somehow influenced by some of the seminars we have attended in the past few weeks and by the mere people that surrounds us. We actually do not have anything in particular as a start of our career in the field of business. All sorts of ideas came to our minds, from brilliant to the most indescribable thought you could ever imagined. Included in those thoughts were: T-Shirt design, web page design, video editing and the latest, photography. Only one of us has a professional camera (Nikon D80 c/o Mariz) so we're just making the best out of it. Here are some raw photos taken last week at the football field.

and this one was taken after HASA XXVI:

So that's us without cocober that night because she needs to go early. Qubeworks is made up of Cyndi, Dan, Mikay, Mariz, Yvette and yours truly. We are driven by a single goal, to have a business and earn.

lalala

Music from basic definition is the language of the soul. Yeah, for me, its my only way to release everything within me, all the emotions, inhibitions, etc. From the moment you wake up to the second that you close your eyes, music is present though it may be unnoticeable. It became my company from the most significant to the most insignificant moments in my life.

So music through the years. Let me share with you some.

36 Days by Hawk Nelson
"I feel so alive, though part of me is gone and this life I lead is the life that I've dreamed of since I was the age of twelve."
-Life is full of uncertainties and new beginnings. For me, it speaks of sacrifice as you pursue what you've always dreamed of. The reality of it is a bit sad actually.

Sail Away by The Rasmus
"No reason to lie, no need to pretend. I'm grateful to die, to live once again. I'm fearless to fly, to reach for the end."
-Another sad song. It tells of the reality that everyone would come to the twilight of its life. Its a love song actually. I heard this back in 4th year high school when our batch were about to go separate ways. The song somehow is relevant and it still do makes me emotional at times.

Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson
"Halaka Ukelele mama made a baby"
-Oh well, this one is just cool. As to how my ind interprets it, its a song for those who don't have time to take it a bit slow, relax. There's always time. Haha..=D

Little Wonders by Rob Thomas
"All of my regret will wash away somehow but i cannot forget how i feel right now."
-The most encouraging song I've ever heard. We should cherish every single moment in our lives. We tend to ignore small hours that we spend with people but its not impossible you are, at the same time, what they needed at that very hour and may change their whole life(??). Keep moving forward says the Disney movie Meet the Robinsons. We fail yet it is certain that it will come to an end.

Those are only some of the many that continually inspires me(@_@).

upsize?

"COLLECTIVELY, we can do SOMETHING."

"HATE SOMETHING, CHANGE IT!"

As short as the statement may be, one can never put an end to it as simple as a drawing a dot. Earlier this afternoon, we were required to attend BUSINESS MAX: UPSIZE in lieu of our class in BA 181 under Ma'am Tan. Php150 might be a big amount for us mere college students but after attending the seminar, it was all worth it. Its just a simple "talk" but with bigtime speakers. The speakers were from MAYAD STUDIOS, LEVEL-UP(online gaming stuff) and BBDO.

Honestly, their works were the one that convinced me how great they were and considering some facts about them, you might as well be amazed on their obra and at the same time, the principles that they apply on the workplace, individually and as a team.

Want to visit them?
MAYAD STUDIOS
LEVEL-UP
BBDO

But before anything i else, i'd like to recommend the video that BBDO showed during the program. This is only one of the many videos shown and CREATIVITY is really a factor when it comes to the field of advertising. I hope you could spare a few minutes to watch the video.

bumabalik?

Bumabalik.. Bumabalik nanaman... Pero hindi ako sigurado...

Sa dinami-dami ng mga mukhang nakikita ko sa araw-araw, ang gusto ko lang naman ay makita kahit hindi ang kabuuan, kahit nakatalikod ka lang o nakatagilid. Sa kalagitnaan ng mga mag-aaral na nagsisilabasan sa kani-kanilang silid-aralan, pilit kitang tinatanaw, nagbabaka-sakaling makita ka kahit sandali lang. Buhok mo pa lang, alam ko na na ikaw iyon. May mga oras na mag-isa akong tumatambay sa bench o naglalakad-lakad sa palibot ng unibersidad sa kadahilanang baka makita kita. Oras na mangyari iyon, tila may isang bahagi sa sarili ko na nagsasabing, "Ok ka na. Pwede na yan para sa ngayon." Sa mga sandaling napapatingin ka sa akin (o baka sa tao sa likod ko), parang yelo lang akong tinutunaw, nanlalamig at mga tuhod ay nanginginig. Sa mga mumunting saglit na tinig mo'y aking naririnig, walang halong biro, musika na para sa akin iyon.

Mayroon pa bang mas nanaisin pa kundi ang makasama ka?

Oo, nabigyan tayo ng pagkakataon. Sa mga sandaling iyon, pilit kong hinuhugot lahat ng tapang sa bawat sulok ng sistema ko para lang, makapagsalita ako at hindi ka magsisi na sumama ka sa akin. Sa mga panahong nahuhuli mo ako na may ibang ginagawa at sabay tanong, tepok, iba ang sagot, huli talaga pero masaya na ako dun, napatawa kita kahit papaano. Sa tigas ng ulo mo, wala naman akong magawa pero masaya pa rin ako dun, sa kadahilanang hindi ka nagdadalawang isip na sabihin kung ano talaga ang gusto mo. Sa totoo lang nahihiya nga ako sayo. Sa halos isang oras na tila napilitan ka lang na manatili tayong dalawa sa loob ng Mister Donut, masaya na ako dun. Kahit papaano may mga nalaman ako tungkol sayo.

Mayroon pa bang mas nanaisin pa kundi ang muli'y makapiling ka?

Isang bagay na hindi inaasahang dumating, hindi ko rin naman maipaliwanag. Maaaring dala lang ng mga bagay-bagay sa paligid o maaaring lahat ng itoý isang malaking kathang-isip lamang. Mananatili na nga lang siguro na isang pangarap ang makapiling ka.

random thought

In this life, we only realize things after we have seen or felt the aftershock of the actions that was done. We tend not to anticipate what's ahead if we decide to do what we feel like doing: the end results, the people who will be affected, the consequences that it might bring along. But sometimes, we opt for what we feel is right rather than what we think is right.

The difference between what we feel is right and what we think is right is simple. For both options, we only consider the reverberations coming from one source: either the heart or the mind. One would be lucky enough if both ends meet. Most of us choose the more susceptible side, generalization-wise, the heart.

What am I talking about? I actually don't have anything in particular.

After some time, one of the realizations that i had is that you must learn to be decisive. With it, be man enough to face the costs and carry the burden that it may bring.

hinugyaw

The annual fashion show/modeling contest took place last July 25, 2008 at the UPV covered court in the Miag-ao campus. With nine (9) contenders, Scions takes home the 2nd spot for Best Modeling Group as well as 2nd place for both male and female models.

With limited time for practice, I am thankful enough that most of our plans materialized. What's memorable about this year's Hinugyaw is that we were all glad that most of the people who watched it, liked it in one way or another. Some commented that though we we're only second best, they believe that we are much better.

This year, the concept was small industries and the establishment of autonomous units which were represented as UP Baguio, UP Visayas, UP Mindanao and UP Los Banos. It served as one remarkable testament to the progression of the university's history.

All I can say is I had fun, and I'm proud of our output.=D

water person

I took the "Chinese Elements" quiz on gURL.com
		I am... Water The ancient Yin-Yang scholars saw water types as people who usually didn't mind spending a little time by themselves. Honesty probably means a lot to you--if there's one thing water types can't stand, it's people who tell lies, even "little" white lies. Water types are happiest near water. Read more... What chinese element are you?

i happen to pass by the site and just took the quiz, nothing unusual... there's the result and i guess it tells much about me just like SKOUSEN(my house in our very own house cup)... too bad i belong to METAL in our acquaintance party tomorrow...-_-

freshies

Here are the photos that I took for the annual batch modeling for the freshperson's day and used lomo effect on both and I find them dramatic.(hehehe)

Block F

Block A

crazy weekend

AY 08-09, for me, is a BLAST.

For us accountancy students, this is the last year of the retention policy and we just have to prove ourselves. Its either we make it or shift to another degree program or if desperate, transfer to another school and still take accountancy.

Based on what I am going through, i dread my schedule for Monday and Thursday because I have both Accounting and Law on that day. Though I have a 6-hour break between the two subjects, it still is not enough for me most especially I only fall on the average learner category. This year really is different compared to the last two years of my stay in the university. I'm surprised that I can stand doing nothing but to read for hours and take note, day and night. But they say, "it's normal". I do believe so but it will take time before my system adjusts to all the studying that needs to be done. Now i miss my freshman days!

Now here comes the rainy season. It started raining last Friday and we fancy it because we could bring our umbrellas(haha^^) and of course a break from the terrible heat! Our academic organization, JPIA, was supposed to have its general assembly for the academic year yesterday morning. We were all excited because its the dawn of the yearly house cup(adapted from Harry Potter's House Cup). We, together with my housemates, barely slept in preparation of our banners and stuff but all our efforts were wasted because of the weather which suddenly released its fury without prior notice. Yes, Frank.

Nonetheless, it opened the door to the craziest weekend. For just one day, it really made a difference. Its my first time to experience such weather here in Iloilo. Imagine a day without electricity and water, a big NO-NO isn't it? No electricity means no possibility of charging your cellphones which are the quickest and practical means of communication. Imagine going to the nearest mall for charging and before you could enter, you might as well swim to reach the entrance. Imagine hearing employees asking each other of the possibilities that the mall won't operate the following day because of the weather. Imagine stores inside malls which has no choice but to close one after the other, moment after moment. Imagine being stressed out just waiting for your ride outside with the wind madly howling. Imagine being wet and cold and then you arrive in a place of refuge just to figure out that your jacket has been slashed and your phone was intentionally taken. Imagine having no choice but to check-in to the nearest hotel but turns out each of them are fully-booked. Imagine feeling desperate to get a room to crash and the receptionist cannot reach the person who had earlier reservations for the room you're about to occupy. Imagine having a day's break and you wake up thinking that the storm already calmed but later finds out it hadn't. Mad isn't it?

After a movie at Robinson's place (yeah, i still managed to watch a movie), Mariz asked us to help out in distributing clothes for those in the evacuation centers. In SM City Iloilo, the PUJ's drop-off point was turned into a small evacuation center. Yes, people stayed there with their things, helplessly waiting for some help. It's good to know that there are a lot of concerned citizens who help out in times like these. They distribute basic necessities like cooked food and water. Its also my first time to help out in times like these and places like that but its really fulfilling. What pissed us off was people who still managed to be picky or choosy (whatever the word is) in situations like that of today.

"Pwede yung pink nalang?"
"Ay, puti? Madudumihan lang yan, wala ng iba?"
"Pwede yung loose lang na t-shirt?

I for one understand that people tend to become mad in such times, but can't they be just thankful enough for the people who help and just appreciate whatever they receive?? Tomorrow, we'll be helping out again.


Anyway, Made of Honor is a nice movie. Its the movie I watched earlier and one more thing, I really am addicted to avatar! I can't wait for the 16th episode of season 3! Argh!

update 101.2

Update #9: movies on the go

These were the movies that I was able to watch during the summer break and I love them all: What Happens in Vegas, Pathology, 21, The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian and last but not the least Kung Fu Panda.

Update #10: Simple Lang Campaign

I didn't expect my day to be like this. Everything was instant. We attened a forum entitled "Schools for the Climate Forum" at the Instructional Media Center of St.Paul University Iloilo. Basically its great, information wise. I pledged to spread the word about the campaign so here it is. I'll be giving only a glimpse of what it is and you can wholly participate if you want through their website : www.greenpeace.org.ph

1. Switch Off
2. Unplug
3. Light Efficiently

*Go Renewable*

-that concludes my updates and tomorrow will be my first official class. I'm pretty nervous right now because I really don't know how I would handle stuff during my third year in the accountancy program. May God help me out.

"To make something special, you just have to believe its special. There's no secret ingredient."

- from the movie Kung Fu Panda

update 101

Now i have all the time to update my blog, so prepare for the longest blog entry in the history of Mode Shifter.

When was my last decent post? Oh yeah, May 19, 2008. That was 3 days before my scheduled flight back to Iloilo City.

Update #1: Back to Iloilo.

After almost two long months of non-existence in the city, at last I was back. We, the buddies, decided to do something special in celebration of Mikay's birthday though its a bit late and after periods of "flooding", asking if they'd go, it was settled. We were supposed to dine out the day I arrive but surprisingly only Dan and Cyndi were available after helping out during the early enrollment for the freshmen. I guess we just missed each other a lot so much that we ate at Sbarro till both our hearts and tummies were both satisfied. Afterwards, we just roamed around the mall until almost closing time. Back in my boarding house, i spent the rest of the night fixing my stuff and did some cleaning in my room. With my back on the most uncomfortable bed of mine(i still like it though), i felt homesick for the first time in my life as an independent. I missed my siblings and all the non-sense moments we have from time to time in our humble abode. :'c

Update #2: CMSC Team Building

This is the only reason why I came back to Iloilo as early as i could. It was planned even before the summer vacation started. It never came to my senses that there are still possibilities that my parents would not allow me to go. I thought I wouldn't until the venue for the camp changed from Guimaras to a beach resort in a nearby town, Guimbal. The camp lasted for 3 days and 2 nights. The whole period was dedicated for the council's planning for the centennial year's activities. At first, I joined them as they were doing their stuff but mind you, even if i was just sitting there, it's really tiring so I decided to help in the food committee and actually became part of it in the long run. I was only assigned for the games but turned out, Mafia was the only game we played. The memorable part for me was watching the sun rise. I woke up at around 5 am on the 2nd day and sat at the shore and just waited there until the golden rays spread out in the skies. It was beautiful. I mastered a new skill during the camp: to make fire.

Update #3: Nang Bam's Birthday

At first, the plans that they had for her birthday was that of tradition: Karaoke at MO2 Annex and eat good food. Sizzling Gambas was number 1 on our list. The sad part was, all of the rooms were reserved because it was a friday night. So plans were ruined right then and there. But, *kaching!* an i dea popped from nowhere. We deviated from the usual and decided to dine out and go watch a movie. We ate at Rai Rai Ken and for the first time, according to them, they thought we ordered more than just the enough amount but surprisingly finished it in a few moments time.. @_@ Another unfortunate event came our way. There were no interesting movies with last full shows! 21, Pathology and the rest of the good movie choices were out except for Caregiver. So there goes nothing, you don't want getting all that drama on a supposed to be happy day. We ended up walking around the mall until it was about to close and finally decided to delight ourselves at Bluejays Coffee Shop. All the stuff ordered were delish!=D But the day didn't end there. They decided to check-in in one of the hotels around the city. We ended up at The Riverside Inn and there we slept. ^^ We ate breakfast at KFC the following morning. I won't give further details. Hehe..

Update #4: Enrollment Week

I helped out the whole week and I am honestly looking forward to go to school every single day of the enrollment period maybe for reasons that I just wanted to see both old and new faces. I was quite confident that I won't have any problems with prerequisites for the subjects I'm going to take for the semester as I enroll but sad to say, i was not able to pass the removal exams for calculus but looking on the bright side, my professor won't give me a grade of five until the end of the removal period. She required to take all the long exams in her class for the AY 08-09 and sit in if i wanted to. So, i just waivered for the prerequisite. I hope everything will pull off this semester.


Update #5: Fashion Tips

I was asked for the first time ever to be speaker, together with my female counterpart, for the JPIA freshmen orientation and talk about fashion in the university and to give out some tips. Me?? Why Me?? Anyway, I think it worked out just fine. We had an impromptu modeling for the freshies. They were to dress up their chosen representatives to become THE typical UP student and must also considering the tips we gave them. Oh well, I remember the days back when we were the ones doing those stuff.

Update #6: Nagpana Outreach

I was quite hesitant to go at first but I did it again. We went to a remote area where our academic organization, JPIA Inc., had scholars from an aeta community for the outreach activity. I can say that it was one heck of an experience. I only had 2 hours of sleep, headed off to church and then to the meeting place. We occupied a jeepney but the seats were not enough so together with Nong Rey and Ken, sumabit lang kami throughout the journey to the place. I fell asleep for about three times and with the same number did my life got endangered because I almost fell off the jeep.

Simply going to the place was effortful and some of us really wished that they shouldn't have gone after all but arriving at the center was a different story. The place where we stayed was on top of a cliff and below you can see a gorgeous flowing body of water. After having our late lunch, everyone was eager to take a dip in the i-don't-know-if-you-can-call-it-river. The water was great, great enough to take away all the stress from our travel. Dawn came fast and one by one we headed to the headquarters(i dunno what they call it..-_-) and prepared for dinner while others where washing up.

In the midst of a exciting game of 1-2-3-pass, the care taker told us that the lights were just enough to last for 1 hour and though they have a generator, there was no fuel. Hu! We just used lights from our cellphones and a small emergency light as we ate dinner. Imagine your place being surrounded by the forest with things rather unknown within it and eyes all around just waiting for the rest of you to dose off and then attack you. Down below as the moon was shining at its fullness, mystique creatures start to show up. They're everywhere! HAHA! Playful imaginations but you can't help it though. After a game of spin the bottle(actually, i was half asleep all throughout the game), we set off to bed. I chose to sleep in one of the kawayan sofas.

Morning came, my whole body ached, I was about to brush my teeth when I saw in my bag that I brought candles with me. Darn! Thanks to me. We went back to the city past lunch time and another adventure faced us.@_@

Update #7: Rhapsody

The newest musical organization in UPV Iloilo City campus is yet to be recognized. It is dedicated to simply unite all musically inclined people and those who still want to be. Its never too late when it comes to music.

Officers
President : Paul Dureza
V.President : Kevin Lex Neo
Secretary : Jeniffer Go
Treasurer : Eba May Desabelle
Business Manager : Dan Carlo Hubag
P.R.O. : Dave Poblete (yours truly)

Update #8: CM Freshmen Orientation

A yearly activity held by the student council. I can say that this year's orientation was fun though minor setbacks were not avoided. I enjoyed being one of the facilitators especially during the games and their tour around the campus. I love bullying freshies! Joke..^^ The day ended with a spicy dinner at Jollibee together with Dan, Cyndi and Cocober. See them again tomorrow if ever.

huhu

friends, i haven't posted anything for like a week or so...

its because the WIFI in my boarding house is out...

buhuhuh...

qualified

Philippine Embassy Cites Rising Number of UPCAT Passers in Kingdom
Dinan Arana & Francis Salud, Arab News

DAMMAM/JEDDAH, 11 April 2006 — A total of 43 Filipino students in the Kingdom passed the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) for the coming school year, which will start in June.

In the UPCAT lists of passers obtained from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and Philippine Consulate in Jeddah, the total number of qualifiers showed an increase of 10 percent from 39 passers last year.

Records from the embassy also showed an increasing trend in the number of passers from the Kingdom over the last six years. From only 16 passers in 2001, the number rose to 25 in 2002, 34 in 2003, 37 in 2004, and 39 in 2005.

Of the 43 qualifiers this year, 18 are from Jeddah, 17 from Riyadh and eight from Alkhobar and Dammam combined.

(continued)

The other passers from Riyadh were:

• Palm Crest International School (PCIS): Jan Sergio Arato, Kevin Carlo Gamba, Kristine Marie Liberato, Ariel Joseph Zulueta, and Neil Angelo Sael;

• Second Philippine International School (SPIS): Arthur Galapon Jr., Ronald Ryan Marasigan, Mitchellina Rafael, and Nikki Pauline Toledo;

• International Philippine School in Riyadh (IPSR): Roman Franco Rafael and Jameela Velasco;

• Nour Al-Maareef International School (NIS): Kirstin Leigh Lopez and Jonathan Velasquez; and

• Millenium International School (MIS): Dave Gabriel Poblete.

-The much awaited news that broke out two years ago and I wasn't aware that we were featured in the Arab News. I had nothing left to do the other night after the usual checking routine so I tried to search for articles that had my name in Yahoo search and the news above was what I got. I remember our former school principal telling our class that it is not UPCAT passers but rather qualifiers. Honestly, I don't care. I got in!

College life was one of the turning points in my life that I really dreaded. I had no idea of what was waiting for me here in the Philippines since my parents brought us back in Riyadh after my second year in high school. Other than UP, the only university where i took entrance exams was in La Salle Dasma. Since i know that our finances are at stake if i go to La Salle, I chose UP even if its in Iloilo. I just told myself: "Ok lang, experience din naman yan. Totally independent ka pa." Though i have relatives in Iloilo, it still feels like total independence. They don't care that much. They just worry when I go home late, that's all.

Looking back to those times only made me realize that God has a plan for me and I'm really thankful that He brought me there. Every single day was a battle for me, its either be good or be bad. Within that short span of time, I know that I've grown and I got over some of my fears. Every experience that I had made me what I am today. I met people and they were the ones who helped me learn a lot, not just the positive side of life but the negative part of it as well. I learned principles which I know will definitely be applicable to the challenges ahead of me. I have changed but I believe that its for the good.

Time is fast. One day I will wake up a degree holder and a successful man not because of the books I've read and the exams that I passed but because of the experiences I had. From the daily conversations with my friends, group discussions, forums, and criticisms that was thrown at me by the people that surrounds me. Above all these, God.

The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to the society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals...'We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate.

-Martin Luther King, Jr.,The Purpose of Education

fatties

After a tiring morning of being a responsible but not so responsible big brother to my siblings last Thursday, I finally got home and busied myself with the usual. People get surprised (sometimes) with what makes me busy every afternoon during the summer vacation and to tell you the truth I’m a bit ashamed of it myself. I watch most of the stuff after Wowowee in ABS-CBN. The episode from “Naruto, the greatest battles” gave me a flashback of my incredible past (joke).

I guess every fat-ass kid goes through a stage in their life where everybody seems to be draining all their self-esteem, leaving them wanting nothing but to go home wishing that they didn’t have all that fat in their bodies and comfort themselves with surprisingly but more food. It seems like nobody appreciates them for what they are and easily makes judgements, yung tipong tinutuldukan na nila yung pagkatao mo na hanggang diyan ka nalang talaga. It’s not our fault that we have lots of food in the fridge (I dunno if I got that right) and it’s not my fault I ended up this way, it’s the fridge’s! It’s tempting me from time to time (my comforting thoughts when I was a kid).

Chouji, a character from Naruto, experienced the same thing. Actually he’s the inspiration for this post. Like what I’ve said earlier, he never was appreciated by people except by his own family of course. Their family is considered to be full of “slow fatties”, that’s why they’re being degraded in one way or another. The only wish he has was to find a friend that would like him for what he is or what he is not and see that he’s kinder than anyone then he will treat him well and become friend who can trust each other. The same wish I have.

I have friends and I love making them and seeing them happy.

the evolution
(haha)

Anyway, I support David Cook for the next American Idol. I love his voice and his stage presence but still, i love Syesha when she last performed "Fever".

go David...=D

purpose vs. need

"In the chase between the cat and mouse, the cat always wins for the cat runs after its food but the mouse for its life. Sometimes, PURPOSE is more important than NEED."

I was just looking at random pictures in deviant art when i came across this image then I remembered the message that my friend sent me yesterday. Its the one i quoted above. At first, i wasn't able to grasp the meaning of the message until i read it again. It makes sense. What can i say? I just put everything this way. When you don't know your purpose you won't have a need. Am I looking at the deeper meaning of it? That i don't know. For me, life is not worth living if you don't know what your purpose is.

Filipinos and Souvenirs

Here's a news from the mail that my mom sent me. I just read it this morning.

2 Pinoys Fined for Taking Life Jackets for Souvenirs
By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 06:07:00 04/10/2008

HONG KONG-Think twice about taking 'souvenirs' from airplanes, especially on international flights. A judge here Wednesday fined two Filipinos HK$2,000 (P10,700) each for taking with them life jackets from their Cathay Pacific flight from Dubai .

Tsuen Wan Principal Magistrate Andrew Ma imposed the fines on Edwin S. Antolin, 52, and Crisanto R. Ramos, 29, after they pleaded guilty to the charge of theft. The life jackets cost only HK$400 each. 'Do you know each other?' asked the judge, who got curious why the two would take life jackets from their flight. He apparently did not know that many Filipinos had a proclivity of taking with them 'souvenirs' from hotels, airplanes and other places they visited.

Both Filipinos denied knowing each other. They were seated on different rows when they arrived here at around 2:20 p.m. on Tuesday for a connecting flight to Manila . Ramos occupied Seat No.. 35B while Antolin was in No. 47B, but they apparently had the same urge to take the life jackets under their seats.

Antolin put the jacket in his blue traveling bag, while Ramos hid his in a red shopping bag. They did not foresee that they would be arrested and charged in court for taking 'souvenirs.' When they got to the passenger terminal building of the Chek Lap Kok International Airport , their belongings had to go through an X-ray machine before they take their connecting flight.

Airport security officers later told investigators that they noticed 'suspicious objects' in the Filipinos' bags. The passengers were searched and the life jackets were found. Ramos supposedly even wrapped his jacket with a blanket.

The security officers reported the incident to the police and Cathay Pacific staff members, who confirmed that the life jackets were missing.

During police interrogation, the Filipinos denied any wrongdoing but they later pleaded guilty upon the advice of lawyers after they were brought to court.

-Its true for most Filipinos. The message of the original sender also caught my attention:

"KABAYAN. PLEASE. BUMABABA NA ANG DOLLAR. WAG NA NATIN SADYAING BUMABA DIN PATI ANG ATING DANGAL. ISAULI NYO PO ANG KUMOT, UNAN, KUTSARA, TINIDOR, KITCHEN KNIFE, PLATITO, CUP AT PERFUME OR LOTION SA CR.... DI PO KASAMA YAN SA BINAYAD SA PASAHE. PATI ANG EARPHONE... HINDI NYO PO MAGAGAMIT YAN KASI PANG-EROPLANO LANG YAN, MAY EROPLANO BA KAYO SA BAHAY NYO???"

late night nothings

Before i go to bed and totally dose off, I'll just put some of my thoughts here.

Definitely, it's not gonna be an interesting post to read actually. It's one of the many nonsense stuff that from time to time i get to notice.

As we go through life, yes there are many things that we encounter and some of them seem to be experiences that one never imagined he would go through. For a moment, you ask yourself, why? What's the reason behind? But most of the time you get the answers to your questions in times you least expected it to arrive. In ways which would make you regret how you've been answered and the aftershock that causes too much pain.

With this people tend to behave in a manner that unintentionally deviates from their true personality that's why others misinterpret them. But you know what, those people never intended to hurt anybody. They are only trying to find the one piece that would complete them. The happiness that would somehow make them forget the past and move on. They want to learn how to love themselves first, in that way they would also learn how to love the people that surrounds them.

In this life, i guess, you'll never gonna get the fullest of it unless you know your way around. I don't know if I'm making sense.

monstermash playground

As far as I know, artistic abilities surge through the veins of our clan. I think it’s also evident in my persona in one way or another. Maybe I have to explore more of my capabilities.

I have this cousin who really is good in his craft. Ever since he was a kid, people never doubted his skills and knew that one day he’d be successful in the field he had chosen. I won’t say more, I’ll just leave you with his profile.

Name:
John Carlo P. Erise
Occupation:
A.R.T.I.S.T.
Hobbies and Interests:
Toys, Games and Parties!
Favorite Books:
Neil Gaimans "Sandman" "Endless Nights", Origin, Wizard, other trade paper backs of grant morrison, ASTONISHING XMEN
Favorite Movies:
Marvel Movies, LOTR, Shrek...
Favorite Music:
Switchfoot, All American Rejects, Yellowcard, etc. (alternative, hiphop)
Favorite TV Shows:
Heroes, Naruto...

Recenlty, he is a freelancer and is bound for Singapore in the upcoming days. Some of his works are the storyboards for the following TV Commercials:

-Colgate Barkada Challenge

-PS Bank

-Lady's Choice

-Eskinol

-Huggies

-Tanduay 5 years (coming soon=D)

He already has a number of creations and here is a clip of my personal favorites:

You could check out his works on deviant art: www.mezaih.deviantart.com

By the way, check out their monstermash playground art exhibit. They were featured in Unang Hirit and UNTV.

Check them out: www.monstermashplayground.hitart.com
and watch them on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVN0YQK6LTA

ciao!

Back to a no parent and no sister environment. My mom together with my youngest sister are bound for Riyadh today. Somehow, home isn't so sweet without them. No one making orders and no one who laughs out loud. As my sister grows, she becomes much like my mom. The way she talks and her gestures, just like my mom. Oh well, I'm really going to miss her, them. It will take another year before we could see each other but thanks to technology, they seem close though they're miles away. Together with them is my dad's camera. So I'm back to a no camera state again and its friggin boring. Its the one that I'm holding in the photo above. This blog of mine will once again be a limited photo blog.

So what's next for me:

- study for my removal exam in calculus

- try to read valix

- update my blog once in a while

- try to develop my literary skills

- get myself ready for the coming semester

obsessions

"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets so love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't, believe that everything happens for a reason, know a good thing when you see it and don't let it slip away. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it would be easy, they just said it would be worth it."

Last Sunday on our way for the first service in Victory Christian Fellowship - Alabang, I saw some stuff along the way which reminded me of my childhood cravings that until now still exists.

#1 - Cinnabon

"Cinnabon bakeries have built a reputation for serving fresh, aromatic cinnamon rolls made with premium Indonesian cinnamon and topped with a sweet, rich, cream cheese-based frosting. Each Cinnabon product is served hot out of the oven and baked fresh before our guest's eyes."

Its been years since my last bite of that delectable oven-fresh cinnamon rolls. Everytime we pass by a Cinnabon bakery when we go to malls back in K.S.A., the aroma coming from the place never fails to make drool and crave for it. The moment i saw it once again as we were passing through the SLEX, i can't help but ask my mom if we could make a short pit stop and buy even just a box but to my disappointment, we can't because a high school friend of my mom was already waiting for us at our place. Though i wasn't able to lay hands on a single classic cinnabon, my mom's friend brought a box of cinnamon rolls from French Baker. Its still has cinnamon so i was partly satisfied then.=D

#2 - Cars

If there 2 things that I'm obsessed with, it would be Cars and Perfumes. My aunt just came back from Canada and i was not expecting any "pasalubong" from her but there was something for me! The last time I used this was back in high school and the next was the classic Polo Blue. It was one of my favorites, CK Crave - for men who knows what he wants and how to get it. Going to cars, we were on our way to Alabang when I saw the billboard of the new Mazda 5 but i liked the RX 8 rather. Cadillac Escalade, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, BMW M6 Cabriolet are the few cars on car obsession list but the classy 2005 Honda CR-V still is my favorite.

#3 - Digimon

Back in Grade 6, my friday nights won't be complete if i won't be able to watch the first television series of the Japanese cartoon, Digital Monsters or Digimon. To tell you the truth, I was addicted ONLY to this cartoon series. I dunno why.

"Digimon" are "Digital Monsters". According to the stories, they are inhabitants of the "Digital World", a manifestation of Earth's communication network. The stories tell of a group of mostly pre-teens, the "Chosen Children" (Digidestined in the English version), who accompany special Digimon born to defend their world (and ours) from various evil forces. To help them surmount the most difficult obstacles found within both realms, the Digimon have the ability to evolve (Digivolve). In this process, the Digimon change appearance and become much stronger, often changing in personality as well. The group of children who come in contact with the Digital World changes from season to season.

Yamato Ishida is one of the chosen children and the bearer of the crest of friendship. His digimon is Gabumon which evolves to Garurumon and so forth. Obviously, he's my favorite character in the series. When they moved the second series to weekends, it was the time that digimon was erased temporarily in my thoughts because i was also busy with high school stuff. Thanks to Mikko, i was reminded of my naive side. He gave me a copy of the 5 movies so last night, my whole time was devoted to watching it all.=D