Ako yung bata sa playground na kapag hinarass ng kalaro e yuyuko lang sabay sabing: 'hindi naman masakit...' kahit na naghahalo na ang luha at sipon sa pag-iyak. Hanggang ngayon ganyan pa rin ako ka-loser magtago ng nararamdaman. Saywhut.

122. Ang tunay na chicks, mas nagustuhan si Batman kesa kay Superman.

http://tunaynachicks.tumblr.com

represent!

Wag umasa sa sign kung hindi confident. :))

Ayan, Pati si Mother Nature nakialam na.

We are the Choices we Make

Spider-Man... This is why only fools are heroes - because you never know when some lunatic will come along with a sadistic choice. Let die the woman you love... or suffer the little children? Make your choice, Spider-Man, and see how a hero is rewarded!

For me, that life-changing choice was made four years ago.

It was typical of a fourth year high school student to have such crisis of having to choose a degree program to take up in college, but not in my case. I already made that decision when I was eleven-- I want(ed) to be a writer.

But heck, I don't know where people get the notion that a practitioner in the field of communication does not earn anything—and money is found in the field of business, engineering, and, during my time, medicine; nursing to be exact (to that I beg to disagree. Your luck is where your calling is). I was encouraged to take up nursing on a lot of universities, but I just can't find my heart there. I fought for what I want—hard—until my parents and I came to a bargain. I took up Organizational Communication, the degree program I qualified for in the University of the Philippines Manila. And boy, never did I regret that choice of entering this degree, for it turned out that I couldn't have been in a better program than here. I got to be a communication practitioner, and I am also in the field of business. That's a combo for being what I want and convincing them that a communicator is not just a communicator, but someone the field of business (where they say the luck and money is) badly needs. What could get any better?

As I write this, I am just a month away of finishing that degree and proving that the choice I made four years ago was the best possible one. But coming down to that choice wasn't easy. It meant turning down two other university invitations that my other classmates would've felt so privileged to have, rationalizing all the time, and working hard to prove the people you turned down that you made the right choice. I have yet to prove my success on April. Oh, well...

However, life's choices need not always be grand. It can be the choice of taking the bus or LRT to school, or whether to have a caramel macchiato or mocha frap. It can be deciding on a topic for the 60-second UNILAB AVP you want to make with your friends about, incidentally, making quality choices (hurry though, deadline for entries is on March 10 and 11).  But in all times, the choices need careful consideration, practicality, and of course, your satisfaction upon the choice you made. It’s not every day that we get to make life-changing choices, and it’s not like we can just switch to the other choice instantly (or revert to what we used to be) so in every instance should come a decision that is of quality.

Not everyone is meant to make a difference. But for me, the choice to lead an ordinary life is no longer an option.

Make wise, quality decisions. In the words of my favorite hero’s villain (and just as quotable in the movie) the Green Goblin: “We are who we choose to be. Now choose!” Well, you know what Spider-Man chose and what he came to be. Everything’s ultimately your decision. ;)

PS. about the 60-second UNILAB AVP contest I mentioned earlier, you may want to check out the Check-UP Facebook fanpage.
Entry mechanics here.

Happiness need not be Planned :)

What is happiness? It can be found in simple things. Like helping your friends by proofreading their thesis paper, or having canceled classes, or being able to enter their university (for the Nth time) because the guard is not looking.

It can be found in your best friend's face upon submitting their thesis for approval, even though yours is just getting halfway there. It can be found in making fun of the ugly elitists sitting beside you at Starbucks.

It can be the feeling after finding the place that you want to eat in, after getting lost for almost an hour and asking every policeman and security guard for directions. It can be the weird feeling of tiny frog bones on your mouth, but you don't care and just go on, thinking that it tastes like chicken. Happiness is getting your meal paid for by your friends as a thank-you gesture by helping them out, even though you are not expecting anything.

It is eating on a Chinese Rest(er)o, that seems dirty but you still eat anyway.

It can be found in Binondo, where lots of mooncake abound, and you buy a lot of hopia and haw flakes to take home, like you came from a field trip. It can be the feeling of going home after a happy food trip. It can be the sight of fireworks from afar, and it can be the words: "yan yung pyromusical sa MOA, tara punta tayo!" It can be the act of texting your dad that you won't be able to come home early.

It is parking Chariot by the bay and watching the fireworks when you all thought that it was time to come home.

Happiness is laughing hard at jokes about your friend's helper.

Happiness is finding a new set of friends that you clicked with right away. Happiness can be the way you and your best friend talk about anything under the sun as you sit by the bay, watching the havey na havey fireworks at a distance. Happiness is hearing your best friend say she's just so lucky by having her boyfriend of almost five years. Happiness is wishing that you'll be able to find yours as well. Happiness is knowing that he's out there.

Happiness is laughing at this photo because you look so weird and your best friend seems to be on a raid.

Happiness is getting carried away by the fireworks that your friends decided to drive to the place where it happens, only to find out that the show is already over. Happiness is cutting in on the other lane just to see the contact number of another Mitsubishi Chariot for sale. It is going home at 11PM with your best friend, and realizing that you never came home early when you are with her.

Happiness is forgetting about the truckload of academic requirements for a day and having fun with friends on a food trip that you'll always remember. It is knowing that there's always a next time.

Love is like...

"Love is like measles, you get it once then you become immune forever."

--Sen Miriam Defensor Santiago

Love is a disease I hope to catch, the only sickness I'll be thankful I have. Ching!

cars are supposedly outside the mall...

Recently I've been bothered by one thing... (except for my thesis, that's a given). It is--waitforit--how do cars get inside a mall during an exhibit. Yes. Such important things.

I asked my friend Kevin if he knows how. He does, and apparently, there are many ways. Behold:

"Binubuhat."

"May sikretong daanan."

"Eto, nasearch ko sa google. sabi nilalagyan daw ng jetpack sa ilalim saka lilipad, tapos bahala na mag-park."

"Teka, ito pa. nasearch ko naman sa mga forum. ang nagsabi si speed racer (talagang may username pa!) sabi nya tumatalon daw auto kaya nakakapasok dun."

Thank you, Kevin. Because of you, I'll never look at model cars inside a mall the same way again. These crazy answers definitely made life less serious. Panalo =))

PS. Sabi ng Yahoo! Answers, nakakadaan daw sila sa mga pinto na namomodify para mas lumawak. Wala, jet pack pa rin! Woooo!

This is how I reward myself :)

I'M GOING TO THE UP FAIR OH YESSSSSSSSS!!!

That's after all those sleepless nights spent for that proposal. Just OWNED that 28-page thingum earlier! WOOOOO!!!

"There is no room in love for fear; Well-formed love banishes fear."

1 John 4:18a

I look forward to the day that I can just tell you how much I miss you without you freaking out.

Pasensya is the Hardest Word

Yesterday, I had a chat with my thesis buddy Angel Lencio. After receiving her proposal draft, she decided to shift from the concept of pasensya in organizations to the concept of pagpapasensya.

You see, I can't put an English translation of the word because the word pasensya is more than just patience. It is even more than controlling the temper. Pasensya is like that. It's unexplainable. Hence, Angel's task is to define the undefinable and explain the unexplainable. Way to go, Angel!

And so, yesterday, her pop-up chat window lighted up and asked:

 

"OMG, where do I start?" Heck, have I been reading conyo blogs a little too much? 

Anyway, that is how I define pagpapasensya. It's when another person has done you wrong, sometimes maybe too much that it actually hurt you, but you just shrug it off like nothing because that person is important to you. Pagpapasensya is valuing your relationship more than the hurt that he/she has inflicted. Maybe it's also because of the notion of trust that you believe that the other person would not do anything like that to you intentionally. 

When people say, "pagpasensyahan mo na" it means looking past the mistakes/errors/faults/whatever of the other person whether voluntarily or involuntarily. Could it actually be considered pagpapasensya? Maybe. But if the involuntary pagpapasensya is backed up by an "I'll get back to you someday" plan, it's not. Pagpapasensya becomes pakitang-tao. Or maybe revenge in the making.

Pagpapasensya, in a way, is sacrifice. It means forgetting about yourself for the sake of the other person who was actually wrong in the first place. Elton John was wrong when he said that "Sorry seems to be the hardest word". It's not, Pasensya is. Pasensya is more than just "sorry". Acceptance of the grieved person is required for it to exist. That's pagpapasensya for me. What's awesome is that pagpapasensya can be used and abused over and over! (sarcasm)

Whether pagpapasensya is tolerating evil or simply love in its purest form depends on how you look at it. But if you say it is the first one, chances are, yours is already used up.

MUST. GET. THIS. PROPOSAL. DONE.

The UP Fair conducted every February is the ultimate de-stressor of all iskos and iskas as well as students from other universities, not to mention JJs (Jumping Jologs) and whatnot. This is one of the ultimate iskolar experiences that you should be part of, which I now name in random order:

1. Lantern Parade (Usually conducted on the same date as UST's Paskuhan. Smart-ass Maroons ninja-style their way to Espa na at night for the concert after watching this)

2. Oblation Run (You should, at least once. You'll see the same thing every year anyway.)

3. UAAP Cheer Dance competition (This, the ultimate exhibit of school spirit!)

4. UP Fair (This is how Iskolars celebrate Valentine's day.)

Aaaaand... Voila! I have only experienced the first two in the list. The UAAP Cheer Dance Competition experience is a little too hard to acquire because it's one thing to obtain tickets, and another to spend one whole sweat-filled day with loads of people that range from the elitist to the isaw-eaters.

So if these events would be the basis, I am only partially a UP student. :( Should I be at the UP Fair, I'd be almost a UP student. I already have tickets (or a ticket, depends whether I'm going solo or with friends haha) from Aven, so I really want to be theeeere.

I hope to finish this proposal before Thursday.

Faith, Hope, Love

 

FAITH: Knowing he'll get to read this in time.

HOPE: Knowing he's worth waiting for.

LOVE: Trying my best to live by the Book, no matter what.

"...and now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. 

but the greatest of these is love."

1 Corinthians 13:13

Happy Hearts' Day. No matter who you are, always remember that you are loved. :)

Still.

I had every reason to give up, but I did not.

There's something that keeps me hanging on, still hoping and praying for you, just like before. It's as if nothing's changed; like you didn't tell me that you can't sleep at night thinking of someone else.

...and I am here, and I cant sleep at night thinking of you-- wishing you had a good day, hoping you got home safely, and thinking that I'd rather not sleep at all if it means you can have yours tightly.

It crushed me; but much as I want to, I can't seem to hate you. Until now there's something that keeps me believing that every night, you pray for me too.

Is this Patience? Yes.

Sacrifice? Probably.

Stupidity? Almost. Yes. No.

Love? Maybe.

Or am I just too afraid to admit that it actually is?

Could it be possible to be in love with someone in such a short span of time?

Still, I would rather settle as your friend than to lose you completely by walking away.

I'm still here. I'm still standing. I'm not moving. I am hoping that those words that hurt me was just a lie. Like how I lied when I said that you should go for her.

And if this really is love, it will find its way without ever getting tired.

Siga Girl

Siga Girl
Lorenzo R Tabin II

amusing,
the way you pout
upon noticing my stare.

the ball cap and the tee,
matches to complete
your seeming disregard
to femininity.

how quaint,
how lavishly simplistic:

you hide behind your armor
to escape,
when every night
you water your pillows,
berating yourself
for being too weak
to set aside your scowl
and return his smile,
unclenching your soul.

Sir Tabin tagged me in this poem on Facebook just a moment ago. It's funny how with just two semesters of being his students and three years of being his tropa (he fondly calls us his 'sabogaloids'), he knew us very well.

This poem speaks so much of me, Someone who always gets a response like: "Dude, I always thought you're one of the guys!" Well, you can't blame me for being with my bro and cousin a lot during my formative years and reading Pugad Baboy and Kikomachine Komix a little too much.

To tell you the truth, I'm just like any other girl. I also cry at sad love stories and smile wide at cheesy pick-up lines. I talk just about a lot, maybe even more. I can also have crazy mood swings. I sometimes buy things on impulse. I also listen to Taylor Swift (though right now, Maroon 5 is still the owner of my playlist's top spot). The only difference is that I prefer sneakers over heels (I can wear one, but please give me a complimentary box of band-aid for blisters... and checkered ones please), I prefer the Chris Tiu kind of guy than the likes of Daniel Matsunaga (you know, someone who you'd rather refer to as 'handsome' instead of hot and is seldom seen shirtless. haha), I rarely wear earrings simply because they're a disturbance when I put on my iPod headset, I can’t stand bebemon talk, and I prefer Chuck over Gossip Girl or Glee.

But seriously, I'm a girl... and also a dude if the situation calls for it. I enjoy arcade games, turn around at fancy cars and say “Bangis nung kotseng ‘yun o!”, laugh out loud, use expressions like "hanep!", "yown!" and "superb!" go out of the house without actually caring how I look (I’m in the process of working on it…), foresee a punch line, and appreciate the beauty of other girls (It’s ‘appreciate’, not ‘fantasize on’, okay).

I guess it's called being myself. And yes, I'm happy to be this way. :)

"This Thesis would not be possible if not for you..."

Para ganahan kayo, sulat nyo na acknowledgment part ng thesis niyo. Hehe. Will start mine today! Wahaha (Wong, 2011)

Lakas ng tawa ko dito, parang last year lang.=))
Me outline na ko ng acknowledgment sa isip ko. Haha!

DC and Marvel Recycle their Characters!

AND MY MIND WAS BLOWN.

I am number two and I strive harder.

 

Who said being number two is a bad thing?

Think like TV5, or McDonald's, or the Tortoise instead. Applies in all situations. ;)

Poster Kids for Quarter-Life Crisis

"Baka magmasteral ako ng industrial relations. at HR management. Ewan ko kung feel ko ang law, mas msarap ang mag-chef eh… gusto ko rin mag psychometrician. Hay. Pero mas feel ko maging mommy ng anak ni Arvin Musni." 

Maricar Pasamanero, dami mo pang sinabi. Benta ka talaga. =))

Thesis Tough Lovin'

My thesis adviser and I had a short conversation regarding my topic yesterday. I was having a little bit of difficulty with regard to phrasing my problem statement and it's almost mid-February--defense season is more or less just a month away. As I write this, I officially turned on the switch for Panic Serious Thesis Mode.

Before going any further, I would like to make my thesis topic clear; because in the next weeks it's all that I would be talking about. My undergraduate thesis is about In-Game Advertising and what makes it an optimum strategy for a company. My respondents would come from the company that ventured into IGAs instead of those who play the games (because then, it would have a mass communication perspective). Wow, explaining it in this post made itself a lot clearer to me as well. Niiiice.

You can be certain that when I talk about video games, I am doing my thesis.

My advertising professor, sir Chong Ardivilla said that I should look for a respondent company and a suitable framework first. I have decided to contact Level Up! Games but have yet to send them an e-mail because I am not sure of what to ask yet. Gosh, I should be moving fast if I hope to get a favorable response. I have found an academic journal with what I think should be a very useful framework which I will work on as of now.

Do you really want to know why I just turned on the most serious Game Face I ever had in my 16 years of studying and 20 years of existence? Because yesterday, my thesis adviser said:

"Ay oo nga pala, Advertising si Chong. You should get him as a panelist if ever na magde-defend ka next year."

If you didn't react to the last statement, I MOST CERTAINLY DID. It's supposed to be NEXT MONTH and not next year! That's how my thesis adviser encourages us--and boy, isn't he a model of some serious tough loving which is very fatherly indeed (no sarcasm intended). And to tell you the truth, his reverse psychology actually worked on me. Us, actually.

Looking back on my adviser's statement, take note of the words if ever. He used those words because the assumption is I defend next month. And it's not just going to remain as the assumption, IT WILL BE THE CONCLUSION.

So to make this very public and cause me some serious humiliation if I ever eat these words, I am posting this photo that has been sitting on my hard disk drive since November. I do not believe in any jinx or whatever anymore, I just believe in some serious motivation and the grace of God.

Moroño, Karen Christine Dela Cruz 2007-30656

BA Organizational Communication Class of 2011

University of the Philippines Manila

I will defend my thesis next month, Graduate on April 15 2011, Get my TOR and Diploma, get a job, take a shot at Law School, be the pride of my parents, and ultimately give back all the highest glory, honor, and praise to the mighty and matchless name of my Lord Jesus Christ. Soli Deo Gloria!

I can make it through anything in The One who makes me who I am.

--Philippians 4:13 (MSG)

"Sarap Mabuhaaaaaay!"

Oo, dapat may conviction.

Para sa'yo, bakit masarap mabuhay? :)

Project ng ilan sa mga batchmates ko ang Sarap Mabuhay. Habang sinusulat ko to, binabaha ang Facebook news feed ko ng status messages na nagsasabi ng kanya-kanyang dahilan. May ibang pa-deep, inlab (Sarap mabuhay pag kasama si Nad --Lara), nakakakilig (Sarap mabuhay pag ika’y minamahal ng tunay! ♥ --Eya), at simple lang (Masarap mabuhay pag may broadband connection ka sa bahay. Hahahaha –Diane F).

Napaisip ako. Nasabi ko na ba kahit minsan kung bakit “Masarap Mabuhay?” Kasi nung nakita ko yung mga sagot nila, wala akong maisip na dahilan on the spot.

Sarap Mabuhay, magmahal, at magsaya. Kailangan pa ba ng dahilan kung ang buhay mo'y parang sa bida ng isang napakagandang pelikula? :) --KC

Kaya pala. Yung pelikula ko, hindi pa tapos yung Direktor sa paggawa. Pero syempre nag-eenjoy naman ako kasama ang kapwa ko artista, at so far, for-the-win ang mga na-shooting nang eksena. Merong sobrang bigat na drama, suspense, action, inspirational, at situational comedy na talagang mapapa-LOL ka. Walang remake, walang cut scenes, lahat original na gawa. Samahan mo pa ng magandang soundtrack, dahil sa huli, lahat yan ay pagsasama-samahin sa isang box-office na pelikula. (Wow, rhyming lahat.)

Pero syempre, sa likod ng nagpapanggap na metaphor, meron talaga akong mga dahilang simple lang.

Sarap mabuhay...

Dahil may Yellowcab na malapit lang.
Dahil sa instant good vibes na dala ng Skittles.

Dahil may pinadala si Lord na mga kaibigan.

Dahil nakakatulog nang sandali lang, at mag-rakenrol sa natitira pang oras!

Dahil may iPod.

Dahil may video games na paglalabasan ng sama ng loob.

 Dahil may remote control.

Dahil may Parokya ni Edgar, Eraserheads, Westlife, at Chuck.

Dahil may mga pelikulang tulad ng 500 Days of Summer na wawasakin ang konsepto mo ng pag-ibig, ngunit gayunpaman, naniniwala ka pa rin.

Dahil iba’t iba tayo ng paniniwala.

Dahil may mga simpleng tanong na mapapaisip ka tulad nito, na patunay ng kalamangan mo sa ibang nilalang—ang mag-isip.

Simple lang, dahil may pag-asa para magpatuloy.

Para sa'yo, bakit masarap mabuhay?

The Next Best Wedding Video

Nakakakilig. Pramis.

"If there's a chance that I can get closer to the waters, I might as well just have the guts and take the dive. If I drown and got tossed back to the shore, I'll be coughing and gasping for breath, and then I'll be okay. At least I knew how deep it is, which is better than to forever wonder how fun and exciting it could be to take the plunge and feel the coolness of the water against my sun-burnt skin." 

--Me to Myself (when I know I am supposed to take a risk)

Because sometimes you have to quote your instincts. They are never wrong.

However, distinguishing instinct from sheer stupidity is another matter that I am still learning until now. I just hope that now is not the time for the latter. I want to dive into these waters without getting drowned more than anything else.

To Heaven and Back ♥

Hi, Though you may not know it, you give me unlimited kilig thoughts with no expiration date.

If this is just fan service (or sidekick-service for that matter) or some other friendship tandem, I hope the episodes do not end. Because to tell you the truth, I've never been happier than this.

Thanks, superhero. :)

You'll see, I'll take you to heaven and back again... and I'm only your friend.

My Thesis Sibs are Excited!

Eric, pareho tayo ng accomplishment. Just look at it this way: Si Lord ang Adviser natin. What can go wrong? :)

You have Potential, but... Nevermind.

I have had a crush on this guy since he became my classmate in a General Education subject. He’s the typical tall-mestizo-handsome guy with glasses that usually catches my attention. Being the curious creature that I am, and applying what I have learned from watching spy shows like Chuck, I decided to do some research. I found his Facebook account, learned that he graduated from an exclusive high school (which made me doubt; boys from exclusive high schools that I know are either gays or cheaters BUT I don't generalize okay), and was a transferee from another “Big Four” university. Then I got more interested.

I typed the crush’s name (I just knew his first and last name) on Google and I came up with 2 results: (1) a class list that includes his full name (turns out he has a second name-- works to my advantage if I want to find out our compatibility through F.L.A.M.E.S. haha) and… wait for it– (2) a hate-filled blog post by a girl after he broke her heart. Also includes his full name, middle name even.

I was shocked, but instead of thinking more about how he could have broken her heart, the first thing that came to my mind was OC152 (Thank heavens, even when I am smitten, I never forget to wear my OrCom Hat!) The internet can do as much as to destroy your reputation.

With just one click, the cute GE classmate lost his appeal to me.

2007 - xxxxx

 

This photo was taken during the time that:

The CAS gate was still the one on the parking lot

The dominant RH entrance was the one facing the parking lot

The RH steps facing Oble's butt is closed

Rice-in-a-Box costs 40 pesos

Kuya Photox was still on the Batcave

I sleep on the reserve section of the Library (wait, I still do)

Robert Go was CAS chair

We join a lot of freshie contests

 Reading into Writing 1 is the bible

Philosophical Analysis and R. Constantino make you cry

We really thought that Math 11 is the end of our UP Life

The Batcave is a dead spot for any mobile network (wait, it still is)

We ALWAYS go to Rob Ermita for lunch

 We think upperclassmen will eat us alive

We were VERY concerned with what to wear

  We have FPF for PE

 Freshies start their student number with "2007".

 

How fast time flies.