A little less than 24 hours

There are three things running in my mind right now:

One, it's almost 4 in the morning and I'm not yet sleepy. Two, I have to finish watching the whole season of House, well the 5th season to be exact. Thirdly, I still can't accept the fact that 2009 is about to end in less than 24 hours.

It's not that I'm sentimental or what, but I just noticed that as we grow old, time runs faster than we have previously thought or expected. Maybe because all the things we do are just already a routine, or cycle or whatever...

I suddenly have this thinking of not leaving my childhood days. I mean, it's fun to be a kid again. But it's crazy if I ACT like a kid. Seriously.

So yeah. Two-Zero-One-Zero. Welcome.

Looking back...

2009 is almost through and admittedly I have lots of experiences which somehow contribute of making me a better person. Let me just narrate some of them.

January. I together with my classmates in BIO 150 (Principles of Ecology) went to Davao Oriental for a field work. We originally planned to leave Davao at around 5 am but due to some circumstances, we left Davao an hour and a half late. Anyway, that night have changed everything, well at least to some. I have known some secrets from my classmates and the reason behind their annoying personality. Now I understand and know them better. I believe that there’s a reason behind a person’s personality.

February. Another trip again. Again, it was my first time to spend an overnight stay in Talikud Island, Samal. Mind you, the place, which I believe is better than Panay Island’s famous Boracay. Anyway, I regret some of the moments of this trip. It’s just, I’m just too afraid to interact with her. Whatever. But yeah, eventually I learned on how to communicate with her. And right now, we’re good friends.

March. The last month of the second semester. I was a bit worried with my standing in Biochemistry. But I didn’t take it seriously, leading to my first singko. I flunked Biochemistry because of my negligence. It was my first time to experience this. I thought I was a total failure and honestly, my mom was very disappointed to me. Well, thanks to my ever supporting friends, they cheered me up and it took me one week to accept the fact that I HAVE to retake Biochemistry (CHEM 160) the following semester. It hurts, but it was really my fault.

Also this is the month where I finally decided to take Dr. Ruth Gamboa’s research on sea cucumbers as my thesis topic. I was brave at that time. Oh yeah, don’t worry, I don’t have plans to change my thesis topic. I love Marine Biology. I love my thesis work despite the fact that I have to do this all alone.

April. I tried to resume my online business, that is designing Multiply pages. I get paid, of course but I grew tired of it. It’s just, I wanted to have an adventure, you know. Summer classes in UP Mindanao were suspended due to lack of funds. God-only-knows-the-real-reason. Jeez. So yeah, this month, I went to the Airport Tower more often, met the Research Team of my thesis, hang out with my high school barkada, eat, sleep, read books and a whole lot more.

May. I just learned that my good friend, Chippy made it to the US (University Scholar/ Chancellor’s List) with a GWA of 1.31. She promised to treat us some mouthful pizza from Greenwich. ‘Til now, the pizza is but a lifelong dream. *Sigh

June. School again. Oh for Chrissakes. The enrolment was indeed a long and dreary process despite the registration is already available online. Well, I just have to wait for the waiver, which allows us to take Biochemistry and Molecular Biology simultaneously. Oh well. Good thing Sir Toto exerted so much effort. I miss his smile. Also, this is the month where I met the juiciest and loudest batch of BS Biology.

July. I decided to join the Cheerdance competition. I made a promise to myself that before I graduate, I shall join the cheerdance competition. Also, I together with Dr. Ruth’s research team went to the Vanishing Island. There, I met some foreigners who are willing to help to sustain the ecological balance of Vanishing Island. They were so great and brilliant. Unfortunately, July ‘s the saddest month of my life. My dearest cousin, Yayo passed away. It was painful to my part since he died a week before my birthday. I’m going to miss his jokes and emotional outbreaks.

August. I turned a year older on the first day of August. Guess I have to enjoy the last year of teenage life. Sadness once again ruled on this month. Our dear department chair, Dr. Severo T. Bastian, Jr. passed away. All of the sudden, he was gone. The once radiant hallways of CSM are now filled with loneliness. No one can replace his cheerful smile, his dimples and his jokes. But yeah, that didn’t hamper our cheerdance spirit. We, once again ruled the arena! For three years straight, we won the cheerdance competition! God, I miss the feeling of being the champion. :)

September. After all what happened, we went to Initao, Misamis Oriental for our field trip in BOT 150 (Plant Ecology). No words can express how much I love that trip. It was the best field trip (so far). Okay, September was very stressful, most especially when you’re taking ZOO 113 (Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy). I can’t imagine that I survived this subject! Kudos to us who endured sleepless nights just to memorize the pathways of blood, the origin-insertion-action of the muscles from head to toe and the infamous CRANIAL NERVES! Who wouldn’t forget the Y!M conference the day before the second long exam in BIO 101 (Molecular Biology)? Hahaha. Sabaw moments. Glad that I made it to the finish line. Also, I can’t forget Ondoy’s rage. But hell yeah, Filipinos are strong.

October. At last, after two semesters, I passed Biochemistry, well not just passed, but I got a deserving grade. Anyway, the semestral break was a bit short (only two weeks) and I only have limited time to renew my scholarship. But I still managed to squeeze my barkada’s beach outing. Ha! And I won’t return to that expensive beach resort. You know, for every move, they charge you. Ack.

November. Ah, school resumes. Brand new semester, new schedule, new subjects, same old classmates and same old professors. Nothing really happened… ah! I handled so much haters since I joined Tumblr last May. HAHAHA. They’re funny, you know.

December. HAHA! This month is very memorable. I got drunk for the first time, thanks to Animal Physiology lab. And yeah, celebrated Christmas just the way it is, together with my family and friends.

This year made me reflect some of my weaknesses. And through these, it made me a better person. I just want to thank my family for the never-ending support, to my friends who made me realize that life is not a piece of cake, to my newfound friends (both online and real life), thank you for letting me intrude… no… joke… thank you for being one of the best things that occurred in my life. And to the Almighty Father, even if I rarely profess my faith to you, you know I’m thankful that you’ve guided me throughout this year, through the ups and downs and from laughter to tears. I humbly ask for Your continuing guidance this coming year, 2010.

Happy New Year everyone!

Keep on Hatin' this Yuletide Season

No matter how hard you try to be nice, uhhh, wait, let me rephrase that... No matter how nice you are, haters will keep on hating and bashing you with no valid reasons. I have encountered numerous haters and as far as I'm concerned, I didn't do something offensive or whatever things that will somehow cause a few people to hate me.

Here are some reasons why some people hate you sooooooo much despite you didn't do anything wrong or offensive.



1) Mistaken 'identity'. You try to crack a joke. Everybody laughed at it, except for a few. Well, let's just say that you unconsciously do not know that your humor is a bit offensive to someone. The fun begins when those offended people start to send you hate mails everyday. "Hey you fucking retard, that's not funny!" or "SHUT THE FUCK UP BITCH THAT WAS NOT FUNNY". People, if you think his humor is offensive, please tell him in a NICE manner.


2) Lots of followers. If you create cool and awesome posts and receives a lot of compliment, expect lots of detractors too. Envy is the primary reason for this.



3) You didn't follow them on Twitter/Tumblr or you rejected their friend request in Facebook and other online accounts. I guess people should understand this. We own our personal blog. We have our own set of rules. It doesn't mean that if you follow a certain person, he/she MUST automatically follow you too. That's bullcrap.


4) You have a happy life. You posted a picture of you and your girlfriend or boyfriend and then you'll receive this kind of hate mail, "PUTANGINAAAA MO ANG ARTE ARTE MO PURO KALANDIAN LANG ALAM MO". Whoa, that is totally rude. So what? I am happy and you're not. LOSER.


Well whatever the reasons, as long as you didn't do anything wrong, just ignore them. Sometimes those hate mails are the source of entertainment. Imagine when you receive a very long hate mail full of profanity and you only replied "K". I wonder what would be the reaction of that certain hater.


This yuletide season, let's share some love, not hate.


Merry Christmas!

Just One More Chance

I thought our country's the only one who's suffering from the wrath of Mother Nature. But I was wrong. I checked news lately and found out that the WORLD is suffering from her wrath.

• Earthquake in Singapore and Indonesia
• Tsunami in Samoa
• Sandstorm is Australia
  

This is very alarming.

I think these scenes are very familiar to you, right? I think you have already seen these on sci-fi movies like The Day After Tomorrow, Twister and other movies which presents a man vs. nature theme. The only difference today was clearly evident - it's real. No actors, no directors, producers and cinematographers, no special effects were used today... all of them were real.

Real people, real emotions, and real stories.

Do these series of calamities correlate with what we have done to Mother Nature?

We all know that since the dawn of Industrial Age, everything was promising. We started to develop a lot of things just to make our lives easy and comfortable. But to every man's comfort, there's always a consequence - a consequence that would somehow change the face of our only home.

We used to laugh with those scientists who claimed that the end is near. We all accused him of being stupid or crazy. We often ignore those warnings and continue with our dirty habits.

I do hope that we'll change our old habits before it's too late. There's still hope. Mother Nature is just giving us a warning. No one can surpass her power.

Change, for the betterment of humanity.

This is our only chance to save our only home, the blue planet, EARTH.

Unexpected Disaster

Today is indeed the darkest hour of our beloved country. Yesterday, we always think that the consequences won't be occurring for the next fifty years or more. But we have underestimated the fury of Mother Nature.


Now, we are suffering the consequences brought about by our recklessness; but we didn't expect it. It acted so soon. On a spur of moment, the modern infrastructures, sleek buildings and roads were transformed into a solid mass which imposes great danger to all of us. It took several years to build these, through thick and thin. Today, however, Mother Nature took only a matter of hours to destroy what we have built for the past decades of development. Our manpower was just nothing; a useless force with regards to Mother Nature's.

Lots of lives were affected.
Lots of lives were lost.
A lot of people have suffered too much.


It's quite unfair to think that the innocent ones have to suffer the most, and the ones who are guilty of their actions didn't suffer that much.


Let's all hope for the best.
Pray to God that the affected people would still be safe through the rest of the night.


And most of all,



WE SHOULD HAVE LEARNED ONE VALUABLE LESSON. AND WE ALREADY KNOW THAT.

We can't afford to have an encore performance of Ondoy.

Current Mood

Wanna know my current mood?


SABAW. AS IN SABAW.


Actually, my mind is literally empty. I only managed to have 3 hours of sleep today and I think it was the worst day EVER in my whole college life. It started yesterday.


It was 11pm. I was busy reading Bruce Alberts' et al. Molecular Biology of the Cell. I was almost through with the 7th chapter (reading then writing a summary on a paper) when suddenly, the lights went off, except for the laptop. I was so pissed that I want to hit something very hard. The place isn't conducive, so I decided to sleep and just wished that the power will come back an hour after. Then I woke up at around 3am and was relieved that the power was back. So I continued reading that freakin' e-book, then reviewed, then took a nap.


Today, I have two long exams: Molecular Biology and Plant Ecology. I haven't had read even one single report on the latter since I chose to concentrate with the former.


Then I went to school and it was drizzling. O_O


11.30 am, I took the exam. I took a deep breathe...


and then...


and then...


AND THEN I FCKINGLY STARED ON MY TEST PAPER FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. Seriously. I thought I was the only one who just stared on the paper and doodled something at the back page of the blue book (my doodle was still related to the exam since we were asked to draw the general structures of DNA, RNA, DNA Replication fork and etc...). I was not alone.


After the exam, all of us whined since it was really a difficult exam. Potek.

NAKABOBOBO ANG EXAM SA BIO101 KANINA PRAMIS.

And then this afternoon, I just crammed with my Plant Ecology exam. GOOD THING, the exam was NOT DEPRESSING.


Okay. So much for these things.


I still have an exam tomorrow, Elementary Statistics.


Then by Thursday, report on Plant Ecology.


I'll be reporting this weird looking plant.

Ahoy!

All About Politics

Let's get this straight, shall we?


Apparently, the quality of politics here in our country is very low. Numerous graft and corruption cases have been filed to several politicians - both local and national offices. Well, this is just common to our country for the past two decades. And it's already irritating to hear news about it. It's just depressing, you know.



The role of the leaders is to lead the country, help the oppressed, shelter the homeless and give all other necessities to the needy. But take note, this is just an idealistic idea, let go to a more realistic situation. Consider these two scenarios:

a) You have a great leader on a certain country. He had what it takes to be the best among the rest. He's gentle, good and caring. But the countrymen abused his power. They just depend on to them. This isn't a good scenario.

b) All of the people residing in a certain country are generally good, but the leaders aren't that good, not because they're stupid, but because they're ABUSING the role of being the leader of the country.

The 2010 Philippine National elections is already imminent due to the public exposures of the presidential-wannabes on the media. It was very irritating to see those TV personalities who are planning to enter politics. Don't get me wrong. This is a democratic country. BUT FIRST, LET US EVALUATE OUR OWN SELVES if we are REALLY CAPABLE of being the leader of the country. Being a leader of the country isn't a joke. Apparently, they should consider several things and several factors before deciding to be become a leader.



Basically, those beautifully written speeches of those candidates should be real. I mean, their projects and plans should be incorporated whenever they're on their respective seats. Those promises shouldn't remain on a clean substance 20 paper. It should be put into action.



This May 2010, I can already vote for the next leaders of our country. I know, there's still HOPE, despite those several depressing hopes. I still believe on it. But I don't believe in miracles. Hopes and miracles are different things.



*Pardon if this post is not that coherent. I just want to release these.

Aftermath of UAAP Cheerdance

Okay, so most of you guys have watched the hyped UAAP Cheerdance Competition 2009 haven't you? Well if you haven't watched it, then better search it on YouTube and make a reaction paper out of it.


Just kiddin'!!!


Well basically the UAAP Cheerdance Competition 2009 was totally different compared last year. Also, the number of audience has dwindled a little compared last year. The routines of eight participating schools were a bit stunning... and surprising... As always.


8 universities battling for 1 title.


Pre-battle arena.


Adamson University - No offense but... What the hell's happening to you guys? Your last year's routine was so much better than today. What's with the scary make-up and the overly-designed costume? Sigh. The stunts and the moves weren't emphasized that much because in the first place, the costume and make-up was very... uhhhmm, distracting. Sorry guys, but that's what I can say about your routine. :( I guess being the first performer is not a good thing.


National University - Better than the first performer. It was clean, and yeah, if I were a judge, I would give it a grade of 2.25 or 2.5 - Satisfactory.


University of Santo Tomas - The tiger's growl wasn't that loud since they didn't make it even on the top three (for bitterness sake, they're the 4th placer of this year's competition). There were apparently lots of errors committed in the stunts, but still they didn't fail to surprise me. I really like the Chinese-Egyptian dance, where the girls formed a straight line, and portrayed the ghastly synchronized hand gestures. The girl in front exudes pride and self-confidence. Cool. Better luck next time Salinggawi Dance Troupe. ;)


University of the Philippines - Apparently, what they did was right, portraying and incorporating the UP Life in their dance routine. It was a nice idea. Although while performing the pyramid stunt on the first half, a crucial mistake had occurred. But that's okay, we have to prioritize our existence rather than risking our goddamn life in the stadium. Tuloy pa rin ang buhay. And yeah, the Ikot Jeep was very cool. I don't think it's just an ordinary jeep. It's the only Ikot jeep that I have seen in my life which transformed into an eagle in just a couple of jiffies.


De La Salle University - Okay, it was generally clean with some minor mistakes. Oh yeah, Poi. What's with poi by the way? Yeah right, I'm bitter since I don't know how to play poi with my hands.


University of the East - Oh, another jeepney... errrhhh, yeah. The dance routine was basically clean with some minor mistakes. Uhhh, what more can I say? Sorry, I didn't concentrate watching with UE because I did something important. :(


Ateneo de Manila University - Onehelluvahkind routine! I think they dedicate their dance routine to Michael Jackson. Hehehe. But on a serious note, their performance was way better than last year. Heck, I was very amazed with the improvised moonwalk!!! Hell yeah! I also love their choices of music. They included Moony's Flying Away, Coldplay's Clocks and Ida Corr's Let Me Think About It. It's definitely a One Big Fight for them.


Far Eastern University - To be honest with FEU, I underestimated them. But heck, they beat the odds and bagged the top prize for this year's competition. There are several reasons why they won the said competition. First, it was very clean, no need to elaborate this. Second, the routine was very synchronized. Third, their music. They deserved to be the champion though.

---


One of the objectives of this competition was to exhibit sportsmanship and camaraderie. But I'm not sure if those were present today. A lot of people were bitter after the results were announced. It was clearly evident that the results were unbiased. FEU's the host and they won. So what?

And so the cyberwar between the universities will now commence in t-minus 5 seconds.


5...
4...
3...
2...


...

UP PEP SQUAD! Bawi nalang next time!!! :))) Hehehe

**Picture taken last UAAP Cheerdance Competition 2007

Credit: m_ke2 of Flickr



So Congrats to FEU, ADMU and UP!!!

A Very Nice Experience

I won't regret on spending lots of money over the last weekend. It's just... it was all worth it (despite some minor problems during the trip).

I was not a field trip (that is... purely acads), but it was a fun trip!
Sigh. I won't forget those cheerful memories especially from my HALER van mates. HAHAHAHA!!!


The Initao Adventure was the best trip that I've experienced so far.

Can You Spot the Difference/s?

BS Biology Pep Squad
UP Mindanao, Dula 2007-2009


Can you spot the difference/s? HAHAHAHA



2007:

2008:

2009:

Habang tumatagal, lalong naging daring ang suot ng mga girls.. ang boys, always conservative. LOL

P-PO-POWER, the POWER, WOOO, BIOS POWER, Awoo awoo!

Photo credit: Dr. Reynaldo G. Abad

We'll keep on Fighting 'til the END

For almost two months, we have endured those black and blue bruises on our knees and hips.
We have sacrificed our time just to practice our routine and dance steps.

Our 300 pesos went to heaven. :(
Sleepless nights.
Academic works were almost compromised, but thank God we still made it to the top.
Lots of things were considered.
Got sick.
Lost someone close to our hearts.
The laughs, the tears, and the joys we have experienced.
The palm plant who have lost all of its seeds due to our "excitement".
The "initiation" process.
The Mommy jeep.
The never-ending "Kaon ta sa Jao Kiks" and "Guys, kita lang ta sa Siopao Factory ha?"
The accidents brought about by the almost impossible stunts, yet we performed it perfectly during the performance day.

Oh yes, lots of memories were stored in my mind. I didn't regret of joining BS Bio PEP SQUAD. It was all worth it.

To my BIOS Family - Congratulations!!! We had another triumphant victory!!!

Sa uulitin! :))

Miss Latin Universe 2009

What's new? Venezuela once again ruled this year's Miss Universe. Like duh, they are always on the Top 15, at least. Last year, it was Venezuela who ruled the whole universe. Today, it is still Venezuela. What the _____.

Okay, I'm quite bitter with regards to the result of the "prestigious" beauty contest in the whole universe. Surprisingly, there were no Asian finalists. I was really hoping... ah, no! EXPECTING that Pamela Bianca Manalo will be at least on the Top 15 list. But no... Again, there were no Asians. Surprisingly, Miss Indonesia was pretty. And Philippines didn't win the Miss Photogenic title, it was Miss Thailand who earned that special award. China, is still the Miss Congeniality. Oooh, I think Chinese people were, uhhm, friendly? I think. Nahahaha Kidding.


But on a serious note, the show was not that good. I mean, who could imagine that the guest performers were Flo Rida et al. Apparently, there are more artists who deserves more than Flo Rida. Sorry for Flo Rida fans out there, but I don't think he's the right artist to be on that show. I just find him, uhmm, inappropriate. Peace!


But let's move on to the brighter side. I think in my own opinion, Australia and Sweden have a big chance to win the Miss Universe title this year. But yeah, it was the decision of twelve judges. But I find Rachael Finch (Australia) and Renate Cerljen (Sweden) prettier than Stefania Fernandez of Venezuela.

Rachael Finch of Australia

Renate Cerljen of Sweden

Oh well, better luck next year. SHEEEESH.
I just abhor Donald Trump. HAHAHAHA

That's all.

Remembering Toto

Life, though ephemeral, imparts memories and lessons that lasts a lifetime.

Life is like a roller coaster ride. Sometimes we experience triumph wherein we rejoice and wish that this euphoric moment would last forever. Sometimes we experience desperation and hope that this torment will end soon. You know, it is easy to tell people to move on, but moving on is the most painful part of life. Reality hurts.

Along the gloomy corridor of the east side of College of Science and Mathematics contains one of the most expensive laboratories of the university, the Molecular Biology Laboratory. This state-of-the-art laboratory is managed by this short, hairy and jolly man, Dr. Severo T. Bastian Jr., or “Toto” as what his colleagues and his family fondly call him.

I first saw him when I was still a freshie. He was famous to our batch since he’s the father of our classmate, Joie. And then he became the Department Chair of the BSES Department. I will never forget him, most especially during the preregistration and enrolment period. I would always plead him to let me transfer to another lab section despite some discrepancies with our schedule. Also, he helped us (with Anj, Mon, Mark, Aiai, and Yuri) to take BIO101 (Molecular Biology) despite on flunking one of its prerequisites, CHEM160 (Biochemistry). I will never forget the efforts he had exerted just for us.

He was not just a simple Molecular Biology professor, but a great father to all of us.

One time, I went to the Dean’s office for some reasons. I sat in the couch and then he entered the room. He sat beside me and cracked a joke. He’s the type of person who hates dull moments. Even if I didn’t understand his joke, I still laugh since he wanted me to be happy (I was kinda pissed off at that time).

Aside from jokes, he keeps on reminiscing his Japan moments. Every details of it were very vivid as he retold his Japanese escapade. He also shared us some funny stories about her two daughters, Joie and Jee Sean and how lucky he is to be the father of Joie and Jee Sean and a lovely husband of their mom.

One day when I got weary and tired after the first attempt of the skinning of the cat, he sat right in front of me on the entrance hall of CSM. He asked me why I’m tired. I told about the cats, the killing process and etc. He even gave me few advices; like chloroform is a carcinogenic substance and we shouldn’t be exposed to it for a long time. I could see his “fatherly” concern to us. I just smiled to him and he left right away since he had lots of things to do.

Every time he walks on the old corridors of CSM, he never removes his dimpled smile, until the last week of his existence.

Wednesday. I was in the Wildlife Laboratory, doing my Fil1 report. The door was widely open so I can see who’s walking along the corridor. I saw Sir Toto walking in the corridor every five minutes. There was something odd about him. I couldn’t forget his sad face. It was highly unusual seeing the “forever-smiling face of CSM” to be so sad. I thought he wasn’t in the mood at that time since he was very busy, signing all the papers from the administration and all application forms for the outline defense.

Thursday. Apparently, it was supposed to be our scheduled exam in Molecular Biology. At around 6 in the morning, Joie sent us a text message, telling that the exam was called off. He didn’t report to school, not until in the afternoon. He attended the outline defense of Kuya Weller since he’s the adviser. His voice was very odd. But still, he tried to smile despite his worsening condition.

The last time I saw Sir Toto was Friday. He was in the Molecular Bio lab, attending the outline defense of Joie, Cha, Neil and Maria.


Sunday, 2.30 am… Neil im-ed me about the critical condition of Sir Bastian. He was asking for prayers for Sir Toto’s fast recovery. He was in the ICU. Joie was crying all day, all night, as well as Jee Sean.


Sir Toto left the mortal world at around six in the morning.

---


I was really shocked by Sir Toto’s sudden demise.

We always think that what we see in drama series aren’t real – a product of man’s exaggeration.

Today, it’s not an exaggeration, but rather a bitter reminder to all of us that life is unpredictable.


Surreal.

The once happy moments of Sir Bastian are now shrouded with pain, despair and loneliness.

Sir Toto, we will miss you – your dimpled smile, your jokes, your coffee, your advices and most of all, your unconditional love for us.

Farewell Sir.

Happiness!

So yeah I went home at around 9.50 in the evening and after finishing my dinner, I started reviewing for my exam in Molecular Biology. For three straight hours, I had an undisturbed stance and started to understand those molecular bio terms, concepts and applications. But heck, around 2 in the morning, I started to feel groggy. Drinking coffee won't have an effect on me because God-only-knows-why I'm already immune with caffeine. It would be useless.


So I resort in a desperate act, write the outline of the reports (I won't print those reports since I'm saving the ink of my printer) even if I did not understand it.


Then my mind still wanted to work but my body can't. So I slept in front of my laptop and woke up at around 5 in the morning. I went immediately to my room and slept again.


When I woke up at around 10.30, I received one message in my cellphone, and I thought it was a nonsense group message again.


But then again, that message cured my insanity.

"BIO101 classmates, exam canceled, we'll have our exam this Tuesday nalang. Pls pass"

Hayyyyyyy. First time 'to nangyari sa buhay ko. Lingaw.

---

Snooze or work. The mind is willing but the body is half-dead. :(

Sacrifices

Okay, so Happy 16th birthday to my beloved brother. Yeeee.

Also, Happy 20th birthday, Carlo Castillo! Weeee.



---

Last week, I just turned 19. Nothing had changed within my physical looks or in my behavior. In just the same me. But anyway the point is, I wish for eternal happiness despite those unexpected things.


Okay, there are so many things in my mind right now - thesis, experimental design of my thesis, the never-ending saga in laboratory reports, surprise quizzes, long exams, origin-insertion-action of the muscular system of Felis domestica and many more. How I wish time wouldn't be that fast. How I wish. But yeah, there are so many things to consider nowadays.



Every thing in my life right now is very crucial to my future.

Tomorrow, my family and some close relatives will have a family outing somewhere in wilderness. I on the other hand will be at the beach not to relax but to continue with my thesis. Gaaaah. Good thing I have already been to that place. O___O Also, the reason is almost the same on why I don't update my multiply site. You know, I really miss my bffs here in multiply. Hahaha. Original online buddies, per se. :))


Some random thoughts...

Speaking of school, we already have killed two cats. Wanna know the reason? It's quite silly actually. The first batch of cats were infested by those pesky fat-assed maggots. We forgot to submerge it in a 37% formaldehyde solution. Tae. Plus the smell was really... UGGGHHH... pungent. We can still smell that.. ugghhh.. pungent smell of rotting flesh as far as 50 meters! Ewww. Now I have goosebumps. Yuck talaga.

Convenience Stores are so... uhmm... convenient. Last Friday I went to the convenience to buy my own toothbrush, because it's been ages since my last replacement of it. YAAAKKK. Hahaha. So I grab a cool lookin' Oral B toothbrush. I thought it cost 20 pesos. I gave the cashier 50 pesos and she said something. Worse, iba yung pagkarinig ko sa kanya (maybe brought about by stress).

I thought she said "May 16 pesos ka lang sir?"
I replied sternly: "Miss, 50 lang pera ko..."
"Sir, 60 pesos kasi toothbrush mo"
"Ay...Ganon, Hehe. Eto oh (binigay ang exact amount)"

Tae, nawala tuloy ako sa budget nang dahil sa isang toothbrush. But yeah, it was worth it, since I have forced my old toothbrush to extend its life about a hundred times. HAHAHA. Kidding.


So yeah, it's quite unusual to blog early in the morning. Hehehehe.


The geek is about to sign off. Stay tuned.

Teehee! =)

What Is Essential Is Invisible to the Eye

It hurts when a person very close to your heart leaves you all of the sudden. In my part, I can't accept it since tomorrow's going to be my birthday. I know within the past few days my family has been experiencing the most painful event of our lives. The tragedy that struck us was really unexpected.


It was really hard.



And know I've realized a few things.


One, life is indeed short and full of surprises. If it's already our time, then we have no choice but to accept it, anyway it's already listed on God's huge planner.

Two, cherish every moment of life, no matter how insignificant it seems. But there's no such thing as insignificant moments, it's just... we human beings fail to see and appreciate life. We opt to concentrate with caprices and vices instead of the most important ingredient of our life, our family.

and lastly this quote from The Little Prince touched me.

"Voici mon secret. Il est très simple: on ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.

Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.

Kuya Yayo, wherever you are, I hope you're happy.
Remember when I visited your house two weeks before your sudden demise?
You said that you're already tired.
It's so sad that you left us all of the sudden.



We will miss you, really. =(


This is going to be the most memorable birthday of my life.


Cheers to the 19 years of my existence, well in the less than an hour.

The Making of a Psychopath

I always think that the Junior life in college is more demanding than the Sophomore life. But I didn't think that it was a million times HARDER. Damn it.


It's almost three in the morning, and yet I'm still awake. There were lots of changes that occurred during the last few weeks.



I'm not getting enough sleep.
I sleep only 5 hours a day, or worse less than that.
For the first time, schedules of making lab reports, study periods, outline won't fit in my planner anymore. Time is insufficient.
I'm suffering from nightmares - terrifying and realistic scenarios from school, some sort-of-a bad premonition.


AND MOST OF ALL...

because of these, I can't sleep well. :((


Oh yeah, no more weekends for me since I'm going to start working with my thesis starting the second week of August. God, this is terrifying.


This is killing me.

Long time no blog.
Pardon if all of my entries since June were all stress-related.


Alright, I have to sleep. I still have to go to the Vanishing Island, still thesis-related.


It seems that I'm getting stressed instead of enjoying myself with the picturesque view of it whenever I go to the beach . But I don't have a choice. I have to deal with it.



There's no turning back; a point of no return.
Time is crucial.



Oh yeah, a big good luck to me. Four exams starting Monday and will end on Thursday. On Friday, I should start passing the first draft of my report in Molecular Biology. Plus, I think the practices in cheerdance would be, uhmmm, more tedious than I expect.

Ang buhay ng Iskolar ng Bayan. Bow. RAAAAR!

Eye to Eye Through The Storm

Fiiiiiinnnnaaalllllyyyy.



I can't believe that I actually survived this week, hell week to be precise. I think I need to detoxify my body. Stress is toxic, you know. I need..uhhhhh.. no... I HAVE to watch Half-Blood Prince tomorrow. Damn. Great, I have so many things in my mind.


I have to talk with that BFAR Guy or to my aunt regarding my thesis.
I have to gather lots of journals about my thesis. Crap.
I have to talk with Mamayko's RAs (research assistants) because I want to start with my experiment.
I have to pass the second draft of my outline even if I'm not enrolled with BIO200a.
I have to memorize the skeletal system of the ff: Chondrichthyes, Osteichthyes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
I have to study Plant Ecology Lec/Lab, Molecular Bio, and Biochem too! Damn it.


But despite these stressful activities, we still smile in front of the camera. Nice.

Anyway, I have just noticed that a LOT of people in school were sick. Last week I got sick but recovered after a few days. Moreover, people are getting paranoid with the notorious A(H1N1) virus!!! What the hell. This virus isn't that deadly compared to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory System). Pandemonium is not necessary. Tsktsk. =/


By the way, this week, I really had an itch to read something, aside from those nerdy books from hell. I borrowed Dyan's Diary of Wimpy Kid. The first book was really funny. In fairness it was a good read. Dyan, pahiram ng second book ng Wimpy Kid! HAHAHAHA. Two weeks ago, mom finally completed the Harry Potter series (books). Scholastic had finally released the paperback edition of the last HP book (Deathly Hallows). Mom didn't hesitate to buy it despite its price - Php 575.00! Quite expensive for a paperback book. Tsk. But yeah, I'll probably start reading it this week. Well, IDK. Natatanggal lang talaga pagod ko pag nakababasa ako ng mga novels.

By the way...

Did you know that....

I signed up for the cheerdance almost a month ago. HAHAHAHAHAHA. Whatever.
Anyway, I still have lots of things to do.

The weather is killing me, literally. Have a sappy...ooopps, uhhh, HAPPY weekend everyone!

Long Week

There are few things that I have to consider...things that made my week longer than I anticipated.


Exactly 7 days ago, I felt this odd feeling around my upper palate. It was irritatingly itchy. But I didn't care about it and still continue to do things related to my major subjects. But hell, things get worse last Monday, right after the cheerdance practice. I can't breathe. It's like there are hundreds of hands squeezing my lungs. Breathing is supposed to be a necessity since we living things need oxygen. Instead, it was a torture. When I got home I took a bath (because I was all sweaty and had this weird sticky feeling at that time), ate dinner and had myself nebulized for about 25 minutes. Gaad, it was a relief. I slept for almost 12 hours.


Time is running out. I promised myself not to cram with my ZOO113 Lab exam. So little by little I started to memorize things starting to the unimaginable parts of Amphioxus (Branchiostoma lanceolatum) to the carapace and plastron of the poor turtle. At least I have answered all of the questions... but... I'm... not.... quite.... sure.... if I hit the right answer. Pffft. Damn it.

Anyway, I am getting annoyed with this creature because this creature is supposedly to be extinct. Uggghhhhh. The creature's physical looks are terrible.


Speaking of terrible, mom brought this scary mask from my godmother last night. She said these masks came all the way from Bali, Indonesia. These masks remind me of something spooky. But heck, I think it's cool.

I and brother fooling with those scary-lookin' masks. HAHAHAAHA We looked like a twin here. Lol :))))

Last week was very long and the following weeks would be longer - more demanding, and more sleepless nights to consider. But yeah, weekends are supposedly to be nerd-free - as in non-acads day. So I decided to watch Ice Age 3. Man, it was surely entertaining.

Okay, so now, I'm feeling better. Better than Monday. For three days, my voice had changed due to my sickness.




So, how's you're week? Hope you're doing fine.



Stressed yet happy,
Renz. :)

It's been a while.

Brother's not here, so as dad. Brother's attending some youth camp at UIC. But duh, he's just there because his palalabs is there too. That's what lovers are for. Bitter? Naah. I don't care.


Yeah, a lot of things have occurred in the past few weeks.

The King of Pop is dead.
Michael Jackson is dead.
The event organizer (or sponsor?) of MJ's concert will soon face bankruptcy due to MJ's sudden demise.
Only one survived an Airbus A310 Yemen-based aircraft crashed near the Indian Ocean (or not?).
Heal the world, make it a better place.
The adminstration pipz of UPMin requires students to wear ID due to incoherent reasons.

Forgive me if the headlines were not that accurate. I rarely watch the idiot box. I haven't watched a single episode of May Bukas Pa, Only You, Tayong Dalawa, SNN, Bandila and the late night documentary shows. You see, I'm getting used with this behavior since the moment I've entered college.

Bro!
Bes!
Bok, walang talu-talo!
Showbiz news buuuuwkwaaassss!
Oo, Crizzzy, Euh-heh-heh-heh-heh

Ayshizzzzz.

Two weeks ago, I saw something in the National Bookstore, my favorite tambayan. The serial killer of the serial killers is already out in NBS! But wait there's more! Dexter's three books were fused to one book and cost around 795 pesos (compared to the price if you buy the three books individually, at 315 pesos per book). I should buy that book. YES. Gad, if only I had enough time. Sige lang.


Moving on...

Apparently, I am beginning to appreciate the sheer ugliness of my schedule. I used to hate it because every TTh, my class starts at 1.00pm and ends at 7.00pm and every WF, it will start at 8.30am and ends at 1 in the afternoon. Pffft. But heck, I just realized that I have enough time to sleep. As in SLEEEEEEPPPPPP.


Oh yeah, I have to admit that I have a hard time on writing something in Tagalog. It's not that I'm bobo in Tagalog, or not used to it (heck I speak Tagalog in the house all the time)... it's just... uhm... it's been three years since my last composition in Sulating Pangwakas. What a lame excuse, but SRSLY. I'm getting used with the English language. I write in English. I seldom write an entry in Tagalog. I am more comfortable with English than in Tagalog I found the latter to be more difficult when it comes to translating or associating things with words...errr...something like that.

I thought FIL1 wouldn't be that significant to our life. But yeah, I (or we) should take this course whether I (or we) like it or not. Various professors from the Math, Bio and Chem departments do not use Tagalog as their primary language on teaching. My God! I can't imagine if Biochem and Organic Chem would be taught in Tagalog. Yak no, It's not that I don't uphold the state of being Nationalistic per se, but it's very difficult. Translate cholesterol, amino acids, Ketone, Adenosine Triphosphatase in Tagalog please, and you'll know the reason why. Pffft. Anyway, we'll perform something during the Linggo ng Wika. Hmmm.


Good news for everyone, especially for my schoolmates - we're going to have the Torch Night and the Freshmen Night!!! Yahoo! I'm 75% certain about this, let's just wait for the final verdict guys.



YESSSSS! No NSTP2 tomorrow!!!

Early cleavage stage.

Today is Friday, free day. But heck, tomorrow, I should start memorizing those improtant terms. Hay, hopefully di ako mauubusan ng dugo sa ZOO113. Next week's gonna be our first laboratory exam in ZOO113 (Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy).

....and it's a moving exam.


Pusikatmemeng, I hate moving exams.


Bio students of UPLB, sinong tumetake ng ZOO113 this sem? HAHAHAHA. Aja aja aja.


Ta-ta-ta for now.

XX-XX,
you know I love her.

(Sa makagets lang. :P)

Do you remember these?

Seeing the innocent faces of fresh meats made me realize that I'm old. We're old. Their unending corny jokes (criiik-criiik-criiik), gazillion stories to tell and unlimited bonding moments reminds me of something.



Things do not move in a constant motion.
Things change as time goes by.
There is no such thing as permanent.
We have to move on.



Padayoooooooon.


PS: Oh yeah, welcome back Leizel!!! :)) HAHAHAHA

Let's Celebrate - BioGenesis 2009

Okay, the first two weeks of school was pretty tiring. Haggard. ZOO113 (Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy) really tested my memory skills. BOT150 (Plant Ecology) Lab tested my priorities in life. BIO101 (Molecular Biology) challenged my 20-20 vision, thanks to the eye-straining and nerve wracking assignments. Most of all, I'm going to start with the second draft of my thesis.


But despite all these, we have to move on and look on the brighter sides. Besides, for two years, I'm getting used with the stressful environment of this holistic institution, the only institution where bright minds and ideas meet. Yabang eh no. Lol


Anyway, we had our acquaintance party, the BioGenesis yesterday and I really enjoyed it. Also, I'm glad that a LOT of freshies participated in the activities prepared by the seniors, and they really enjoyed it. Here are some pictures, courtesy of Mon Abpi.

I took this shot. :)

Lots and lots of balloons.

The creative committee. :)

The fresh meats are here!

Ate Macel and Kuya Modda - the emcees.

Gimmmmeee fooooooood!

Lost.... and FOREVER LOST. joke lang Kring! HAHAHA

HAHAHA. I love this!!! :)) Like father like daughter. Bastian-y smile.

GROUP 4!!! HAHAHAHA.

Go KWATROOOOOO!!!! :))))

Trip to Jerusalem... with a twist. Tae. Trip to hell na ata to. :))

The BioFresh 2009. Yak Yuri joiners. Hahahahhaa

Isa pang Yak. HAHAHAHA. DOGGGG SHOOOOOOWWWWWW!

Ate Sasha!!! WOOOHOOO!!! Bro!!!

BIOS POWER, You can't conquer, we're no losers, 'coz we're fighters!

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Party's over. Let's get back to work.