Agyamanak Ilocos!

I just came from a  3-day Ilocos roadtrip and I’m excited to write about the wonderful experience but I’m too tired. So here are some snapshots. I’ll probably post an article about it on weekend. (Agyamanak is Ilocano for thank you)

Harry Potter Inspired Cryptic Quotes

I posted these in my Facebook sometime ago. But I never really explained who I was referring to.

You are my patronus – my most beautiful memory.

-          This goes to my mother. I may not have a resurrection stone but I thank God for giving us a priviledge to dream. I’m always excited to go to sleep (I’m always sleepy by the way) because it is only through dreams that I am able to be with my departed mother.

You are my dementor. You suck all the happiness in me. Avada Kedabra!!!

-          This is for The-One-that-must-be-named. It can be anyone who make me terribly sad and mad and brings out the worst in me. Go and perish!

You are what I see when I look at the Mirror of Erised.

-          This is for my future husband. Yes, you idiot! What’s taking you so long? I’m just here, can’t you see? Or am I wearing an invisibility cloak? 

 

I have a Pottermore account so add me up Potterheads: RiverQuill22997. Unfortunately, the Sorting Hat placed me neither to the Gryffindor or Ravenclaw house (my first and second choice). But worry not because I’m not a bad Slytherin either. Yup! Up! Up! Hufflepuff!!! J

Mama’s Day

Coincidentally, Mama’s 1st year anniversary falls 2 days before Mothers Day so I got a chance to go home and spend time with family and together, we remember Mama.

I made this collage and posted in my Facebook and, for the second time, someone noticed the resemblance in our facial features. I grew up hearing people comparing me to my grandmother (Papa’s mother) and aunties (Papa’s sisters). Though we are related by blood, I was never close to my relatives in my father’s side (maybe because they live far from us) so I wasn’t happy about it.

It’s an honor to be compared to Mama. I wish I can be more like her especially in demeanor. She was known to be smart, friendly (a more appropriate term is palabati – one who greets anyone, anywhere), humble and simple. I am more likely suplada, mahiyain and masungit — traits I surely acquired from my father . Hehe!

Even in academics, me and Mama are very opposite. She used to tell us how she loved English when she was student. It’s my least favorite subject. I even saw an old picture of her competing in a spelling bee when she was, I think, a sophomore. She was my first ever study-buddy. When I was in gradeschool, she would patiently practice my grammar and spelling at night and I would always get a beating or a goodnight scolding for spelling RECIEVE and BEGGINING or using IS instead of ARE after a plural subject over and over again.

Even as a child and though I witnessed how financially unstable our life had been, I never feared I wasn’t going to finish college. I was confident my parents wouldn’t allow me to stop studying. They didn’t even bother giving me household chores whenever I was reading pretending to study which I took great advantage of — making me a scientist in the kitchen now (doing experimental dishes).

Mama came from a poor family. She has 6 older sisters and a brother. Mama is the youngest and she used to tell us how financially difficult it was back in the days. She said she would go to school with no baon, wearing slippers and her bag was that of a used brown bag of pan de sal. Despite that, Mama was able to finished a 2-year vocational course. Papa never went to college that’s why my parents are persistent in getting us a decent education. Our family also suffered from financial crisis during my highschool years and got even worse when I entered college and when Papa suffered from stroke. Despite everything, dropping out of school was never given to me as option.

Mama used to cook and sell banana cue, maruya, nilagang mais, etc. in the afternoon, repacked charcoal in the morning and joined a lending-cooperative while managing a very small sari-sari store (on top of household chores and looking after two kids in college and another two in highschool) to sustain our living . She never gave up. She was a superwoman!

I know I can never be like Mama. Not even close. There’s just one thing I can promise, I will fulfill her dream of having all four children get that college diploma. We are half way there Mama.

Rest well. Sleep well. We will forever miss you!

GUEST SPEAKERs

I spent the Holy Week in Quezon. One day, while I was busy people watching (yes, that’s a typical afternoon scenario in the province), someone asked me if I can make time to attend their graduation as a guest speaker. At first I was flattered. Then by a millisecond, I realized I couldn’t/didn’t want to.

Why? The obvious reason is that I hate public speaking. If the only survival skill needed is talking in public, then I’m probably the first to go. Of course this is an exaggeration. I don’t really have stage fright. I just hate the initial reaction of my body while standing in front of a crowd and hearing my voice louder than anybody else. Cold, sweaty hands, swirling butterflies in my stomach, numbing, jelly knees and hot blushing cheeks. Yikes!!! Tell me you haven’t experienced this sensation ever and I will be your number one fan!

 

Kinder 1 Lian

But honestly, that’s the least of my concern. I think I can overcome that by preparing a good speech and a lot of practice. Here are the things that made me think otherwise:

1.  I don’t have enough achievements to qualify as a guest speaker (not that I’ve seen their checklist). I have high regard for people speaking during graduation. They are usually the ones who have experiences that can inspire people. I graduated last 2008 (without honors) and is still in my first job as a Research Analyst. I haven’t done anything great so far. Up to now, I consider graduating in University of the Philippines (on time) as my greatest achievement. Nothing more…
2. It’s a kindergarten commencement exercises. What in the world would I say to four or five-year-old kids? If you know me or have been reading my posts in Facebook or following me on Twitter, you’ll know that a virus called negativity thrives within my veins and would sometimes snap once triggered by some twisted random reality bites. I don’t want to feed those innocent minds with delusion. Anyway, why do I bother so much about talking to kids while I’m pretty sure none of them would be listening?
3.  For the record, I considered saying yes and even came up with a solution to item no. 2: Talk to the parents. But then again, I am not a parent. What do I know about parenthood? Again, I don’t expect them to listen to me.

At the back of my brain, my “other self” is nagging me that I should have said yes instead. Because…

1. I don’t think achievements are important.Like what I’ve realized from my own words above, it’s the experiences that inspire people. Everybody has experiences in life that are worthy to be shared because you’ll never know who might be listening and who’s heart are you touching. And besides… (go to item no. 2)
2. It’s a kindergarten commencement exercises. Kids won’t mind if I don’t have a Masters Degree or a car or haven’t been to a foreign land or anything that probably some people would be looking/asking for. (You know how people sometimes measure you up using those things?). They won’t even mind me talking. For them, it’s just another dress-up day with mom and dad. But who am I to underestimate the mind of a five-year-old? So maybe a couple of kids would pay attention, I want to talk to them about simple things (that turned out to be very important pala…) like the importance of taking a nap in afternoon, eating your vegetables and fruits, throwing the candy wrapper in the right trash bin, learning to fall in line and wait for their turn instead of throwing tantrums and being an annoying brat, reading books and drawing is fun, etc. Or maybe I’ll just stick to option no.3.
3. I can talk to the parents AND the teachers. I may not be a parent yet, but I’m a child and was a student. So I know that kids (even at a young age of five) can feel pressure to the point of telling a lie just to please their over competitive mothers and fathers. I remember telling my parents I did great in school just to impress them, they didn’t know I cried the first time my teacher asked me to read the nursery rhyme in front of the class because I was so nervous. (Of course they’ve learned about it during the PTA Meeting ). I wanted so much to tell the parents and teachers to let their kids enjoy childhood. By the looks of it, kids nowadays are being locked indoors by these things called Facebook, Twitter, iPad, Angry Birds, etc. I want to tell them to let their kids enjoy the sun, play in the rain, learn to ride a bike and play with other kids. I want them to encourage their children to read and dance and sing and draw. I want them to teach these kids to love the country and be proud of being a Filipino and that going abroad is not the ONLY way to be successful. I want them to realize that these kids will be the future doctors, engineers, governors and president of the country so they must learn to value GMRC. I want them to let their kids dream big — dreams of their own and not of their parents’ frustrations.

I realized I have so many issues. Haha! I hate myself for being a worrier. Sometimes I just what to pick my brain and throw it so I can stop thinking. But then again, I enjoy this little mind game. Nitpicking is my hobby (poor self, she’s the usual victim). It reveals a lot of dimensions to even simple things.

I should have said yes. Anyway, they said maybe I can speak next year.  Sayang it’s a good transition to quarter life sana. Next year, hope they will still consider. Or maybe they will never consider a guest speaker with multiple personality disorder. Baka mang-agaw pa ng eksena yun”other self” ko Watchutink?

Of Wishing Wells, Foklores and Fresh Water

I am not a fan of wishing wells… or fountains or whatever it is that you throw a coin at in the hopes that your wishes will come true. I don’t think it is part of the Philippine culture. I have a strong feeling we get that idea from Hollywood or some foreign films. Maybe not an Asian thing, too (I don’t think Sadako will ever grant your wishes).

I don’t get it. Do you really have to literally pay for your wishes to come true? To whom are you paying? To whom are you wishing? Does anybody earn from these things? It looks like a seemingly innocent scam. People  throw coins even in mall fountains. Whenever I see this thing in a shopping mall in Quezon city, I fight the urge to count how much money there is. I wonder whether the guards were ever tempted to collect the coins.

Okay, I know I’m sounding grouchy and killjoy but really, I don’t get excited when I see wishing-whatevers. Maybe instead of selfishly wasting your coin in some ritual, why not give it to our less fortunate brothers and sisters begging in the streets. Might as well take time to make a wish for them, too.

While I’m at it, let me ponder on my aversion on wishing wells…

I grew up in a province where one of the main sources of water was deep well. We even used to have our own one in our backyard that was used for laundry and bathing. But our source of potable water came from our neighbor’s well because it’s cleaner and safe to drink. I used to love the taste of cold, fresh water from the well (which was odd for some of my classmates who had installed water lines in their houses. They said it tasted like mud while for me, the water from the faucet tasted like kalawang.)

Maybe this is the why I find wishing wells odd. When I was a kid, it’s a big no-no to drop anything in the well. No, not even a coin. We were never taught to pose about face, eyes closed and murmur wishes in the well before throwing in a coin. On the contrary, we were strictly told NOT TO SPEAK TO THE WELL. The only words that I remember the old folks told me to say whenever I will go near the balon are the magic words: TABI-TABI PO (which is a sign of respect to the entity that are believed to be thriving in the well and providing us with clean water).

But as a curious and naughty little child, I did the forbidden thing. One day, while I thought nobody was looking, I spoke to the well. I was a little short to even reach the brim of the concrete so I stood on a stool, peeked through the deep and cold hole and bravely said: Tabi-tabi po, nuno! (I know for most of you, Nuno lives in a punso but some of them also live in wells, or so we thought). I was suddenly delighted to hear my own voice bouncing back in an echo so I shouted repeatedly before bursting into a bad-crafted rhyming joke: TABI TABI PO NUNONG PANGO! (Excuse me, flat-nosed Nuno). This brought horror to my mother who came rushing in panic to get me down. She said I might fall and something like I might offend the Nuno so I have to say sorry (which I did half-heartedly because I thought Mr. Nuno can handle jokes pretty well especially from a little kid). A few days after, I had a terrible fever.

An art work by Carlos "Botong" Francisco
Source: http://www.rizalnewsonline.com/2011/11/v-behaviorurldefaultvmlo.html

Yep, looks like our resident creature in the well took my joke badly. I can hear him say: How dare you say that? I have a perfectly pointed but slightly crooked nose but I’m not PANGO just like most of you Filipinos! Nyaks! English-speaking.

Whether or not the Nuno really punished me for my impertinence, things really changed several years after. The wells in our neighborhood had to be closed. Some were due to drought, others were contaminated. I once had typhoid fever when I was in grade 6 so we totally stopped getting water from the well. Water distiller stations also became an “in” thing downtown. We used to get water for FREE! Now we have water bills to pay and drinking waters are delivered in blue bottles. There are still functioning wells in some areas but I don’t think they are being used for drinking.

I once made an essay in highschool entitled AIR FOR SALE which is a harsh prediction that we might have shortage of fresh air in the future; that we have to buy oxygen tanks and pay to “air stations” just to be able to fill our lungs with oxygen. I hope this will never happen (may pagka-psychic pa naman ako minsan ).

The Love Bug Bit Me

(and it hurts….)

It’s THAT month again. So let me just post something that will spread the love bug even more.

I am single. But it doesn’t mean I’m NOT in love (which sounds worse, isn’ it?) Honestly more often than not, it feels bad. As they say, February 14 is not just for people in a relationship. It is also Single Awareness Day (SAD). Whoever thought of this acronym must be really sad.  :(

But I am not really sad. “Alone but not lonely”, sabi nga sa Eat Pray Love. I must be in loved with the concept of love, naks!

Bitterness aside (haha!), love in its truest sense does not and must not revolve around two persons lang. Sabi nga nila spread the love, diba? So there, spread it like a peanut butter! Spread the plague, este LOVE! ♥♥♥

Sa mga inlababo dyan, pa share naman (ng boyps…joke lang!)

These two videos below represent an ideal love story.

You may be wondering why I’m posting love stories with no “happy endings”.

In reality, there is really no  fairytale ending. ” and they lived happily ever after” is the silliest ending ever invented.  Between two people in a relationship, no matter how perfect in started, in the end, someone has to leave sooner than the other.

Laging may maiiwan. Laging may mauuna. Unless the lovers die at the same time. Okay, I’m bitter and tragic! Ktnxbye!

P. S. Sa mga lovers, pakiusap lang po na wag gawing lisensya ang Pebrero para walang pakundangang mag-PDA (lalo na sa harap ko!)

Para Kay B, nobela ni Ricky Lee

photo credits: http://www.yami-online.com/

Hindi ito isang book review. Hindi ako lisensyadong magbigay ng kahit na anumang kritiko. Ang kapal naman ng mukha ko kung gagawin ko ‘yon gayong hindi naman ako lehitimong manunulat. (Nagfi-feeling lang kaya gumawa ng blog) Nagkataon lang na mahilig akong magbasa. Bukod sa nagbibigay ito ng impresyon na matalino ako, mainam din itong ehersisyo para gumana naman kahit papaano ang imahinasyon ko. Kung mapapansin mo, mahilig din akong magsulat, kahit madalas mali-mali ang grammar at spelling at walang sense ang mga sinusulat ko. Maganda din kasing pampalipas oras at tsaka ehersisyo na rin sa matatabang daliri (kahit daliri man lang ang may muscle at abs). hehe!

Isa sa mga huling librong nabasa ko ang Para Kay B, isa mga pinaka rekomendadong aklat sa Filipino ng mga kaibigan ko. Maganda rin ang mga nabasa kong rebyu sa internet at higit sa lahat, sikat  na scriptwriter ang may akdang si Ricardo “Ricky” Lee kaya siguro na-curious ako at piniling ilagay sa wishlist noong Pasko. Naswertehan naman na may nagregalo nga sa akin, hindi lang isa kundi apat na librong ang mga awtor ay Pilipino. Makikita nyo naman sa litrato kung gaano ako kasaya diba?

Para Kay B, Kikomachine Komix Blg.7 by Manix Abrera, The Morning Rush Top 10 Chico & Delamar by, Amapola by Ricky Lee

“May quota ang pag-ibig, sa bawat limang umiibig ay isa lang ang magiging maligaya?”

Isa lamang ito sa pamatay na linya hango sa librong Para Kay B. Katunayan ang buong pamagat ng libro ay Para Kay B (o kung paano dinevastate ng pag-big ang 4 out 5 sa atin). Araykupo!

Hindi na bago sakin ang konsepto ng quota at ratio tulad nyan. Nagtapos ako ng kursong Estadistika (Statistics) at sa araw-araw na buhay ko bilang research analyst, madalas kung marinig ang mga bagay na ito. Ang tanong ko lang, may sapat bang ebidensya ang manunulat para patunayan ang teoryang ito? Sana sa susunod na census ng NSO, kasama na ang survey sa pag-ibig para naman malaman natin kung totoo nga at magawaran ng parangal itong si Ricky Lee (baka sya na ang papalit na secretary general ng ng NSCB, peace Dr. Virola, joke lang po. Hala!).

Limang kwento ng pag-ibig ang nakapaloob sa libro. Nakakaaliw basahin dahil parang kapitbahay mo lang na nagtitsismis kung paano ang pagkakasulat nito. Hindi mo rin mahulaan kung saan patungo ang kwento kaya mapipilitan kang basahin from cover-to-cover. Nakakamangha, nakakalula. Ang taba ng isip ni Lee! Sinimulan ko syang basahin sa bus habang pauwi sa probinsya para magdiwang ng Pasko. Kung hindi lang siguro nakakahilo magbasa sa gumagalaw na sasakyan, natapos ko na ito bago ang walong oras na byahe. Nakakagulat din kung paano natahi ang mga kwento at humantong sa kakaibang katapusan.

Matapos kung mabasa ang libro, nalaman kong isasadula pala ito ng mga estudyante sa UPLB ngayong Pebrero. Ano pa nga ba ang mainam gawin kundi mapanood kung paaano bibigyang buhay ang isang nobela at ang posibelidad na makita at maka-rubbing elbows ang batikang scriptwriter at kwentistang si Ricky Lee.

Hanggang ngayon palaisipan pa rin sakin, bakit isa lang sa lima ang pwedeng maging maligaya? Kung totoo man ito, kasama ata ako dun sa apat na hindi pinalad mapasama sa quota

No Permanent Address

My family and I welcomed the year in a new house. Though it’s just a few steps away from our old house (read: katapat lang ng dating bahay) the feeling of leaving something that’s been part of my life for the past 24 years is indescribable. I also have this crazy thought that we’re leaving Mama in the old house because every corner of that house is filled with memories of her. But maybe it’s also the MOVE that we need afterall. (Sometimes you really need to make MOVING ON literal.)

A few weeks from now, I will be moving to a new apartment, too. I’ve been living away from home for almost 8 years now and I realized that instead of being immune to the awkward feeling of moving from one place to another, I’m getting more emotional and affected by this.

My second “home” was a co-ed dorm inside a university campus. I stayed here for 2 semesters and because it’s an exclusive dorm for freshmen we had to move to another dorm on our sophomore year.

Kalayaan Residence Hall

My third home was an all girls dorm also inside the campus. I spent the rest on my college years here and learned a lot of things like cooking pancit canton with just hot water, enduring the cold shower because heaters are not allowed and many others including urban legend and ghost stories (I even had a first hand encounter, sort-of).

Sampaguita Residence Hall

After graduation, I spent a couple of weeks in a relative’s house while looking for a job, then a few days as a bedspacer in in UP Bliss with a family whose daughter is now a reporter in GMA7. When I started working, I rented a small apartment but got really pissed with the owner and another tenant who did not know the meaning of privacy and decided to move to another apartment with some officemates.

Soon I’ll be leaving another building that kept me safe and comfortable for another 4 years of my life.

Aside from general cleaning and carrying heavy boxes and stuffs, I hate the part of sniffing the accumulated dust that never fails to irritate my big nose. The cleaning part is the most emotional part because that’s the time I’m sorting my things, which ones for keeps and which one’s I’m leaving behind. I know in every moving out I made, there were always things that’s been left/dumped/lost intentionally and unintentionally. This is also the time to unearth some mementos I’ve been keeping for years and going through them all over again is such a nostalgic moment.

I found these notes from a scrapbook I made during freshman year

I also realized, in every place I’ve been, I’ve meet several great people who made a mark in my life. In fact, my closest friends are the ones I first met in my freshmen dorm. I’m glad that wherever I go, I always meet people and make new friends that, though at a certain point also has to leave, will always remain to be friends.

Kalay Moments

Sampa Days

Housemates/Officemates Ider, Tadz and Dian

I don’t know how long I will be staying at the new apartment. I just hope the next move after this will be to MY OWN house already (asa pa ako!).

RA’s Unliday

11th Adventure: Manila (November, 2011)

“Kailangang magpahinga. Importanteng may…DAYOFF!” – this is a line from Carmina Villaroel’s reality show in Channel 11, Dayoff, where they grant working people’s requests of the much needed R&R.

Fortunately, we don’t have to write a letter to Carmina anymore because our generous ates (supervisors) from Consumer Research treated us, Research Analysts (RA), to a day of all-you-cans.

First was an eat-all-you-can lunch buffet at Flowers Café, a restaurant in Intramuros. But before that,we had a nice walk at Manila’s historic century old walled village (to shed some fats and make room for more food later). After our hefty lunch, we headed to Manila Cathedral. There was a wedding going on that day and we ended up gate crashing because it started raining outside.

Despite the rain pouring heavily, we still pushed through with our next destination: Star City! Yey! Ate Majo and Ate Mae got us an all-day ride-all-you-can pass but because of the rain, some rides located outside the facility were off-limits.

Nonetheless, we had fun going to every horror house, riding bumper cars and water cars, carousel, roller coaster, Vikings, Pirates of the Carribean tour and chilling at the Snow World. (Unfortunately the pictures taken in the amusement park were accidentally deleted )

This made me realized that long before the term all-you-can and unlimited were used and abused by capitalists as a marketing strategy, that concept is actually very old. As in OLD TESTAMENT!  In the very beginning, we were given all-access to this world and all the things in it Genesis 1:29-30.

²⁹ Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so

But there was one thing that’s off-limits

Genesis 2:17

“but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

There are always limitations and restrictions in life. It’s either governed by the law, our moral principles and/or our own capacity. These whatever-all-you-can are testing the limits of our physical capability, our endurance. And for sure, one way or another, we have to give up because we’re mortals. We can’t do everything. Tao lang tayo.

And in times when we feel like we’re giving up, that we can’t take it any longer, there’s one being that we turn to: the One who gave us and still giving us everything that we need to survive.

I’m not really sure where I am going with this post. I just want to share that I strongly believe everything I have, everything I do and all the things I will have and will do is given to me through the grace of God. And that’s the good thing about having faith in Jesus, unlimited Grace of God. whaddup superpowers!

And that when I feel like giving up, He’s still the One who will give me strength to move on.

Philippians 4:13

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Since this is the final entry about my 11 adventures for 2011, let me say: Goodbye 2011! Thank you for the wonderful year!

I’m game for more adventures this year

Amen.

It’s More Fun in Diliman

10th Adventure: University events

I always go back to UP whenever I have time. Whether for a Sunday service, a dinner date with friends or just nice jog around the oval.

But every year, there are three university events that I wouldn’t miss to include in my planner: 1. University fair in February where both amateur and professional bands play from dusk ‘til dawn. 2. UAAP Cheer dance competition in September where we reverse roles with the pep squad and we cheer for them instead and 3. Lantern Parade every December which is UP’s tradition of concluding its weeklong Christmas activity.

UP FAIR (02/18/11)

It’s a whole week of rocking and rolling in UP Sunken Garden every 2^nd or 3^rd week of February (usually the week including Valentine’s Day). It has been a sort-of tradition for me and my best college bud, Lyka, to attend the Friday Fair because there is no work to worry about in the morning and we can stay till sunrise. Because it is a weekend Friday, there were more people and less space, worse, it was a rock concert. We’re not rocker chicks and not really a fan of head banging and jumping and moshpits so we stayed away from the rowdy crowd except for some bands like the disbanded Sugarfree who did their final UP fair gig that night.

We ended up food stall hopping, enjoying carnival rides, people watching, catching up and reminiscing our college life. This year, another long time college friend joined us. Lyka and Mae have been my friends since freshman year. We lived in the same dormitories until we graduate and I’m happy we stick together and meet once in a while.

How fast time really flies, a few weeks from now and it’s UP fair again. Yey! Rakenrol!

1 journalist, 2 law students and 2 corporate slaves

UAAP CHEERDANCE COMPETITION (09/18/11)

The University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) is composed of 8 schools competing in different sports events every year. Being in a country who’s crazy about basketball, the Men’s collegiate basketball division is the most publicized and, probably the biggest event in the competition. But unlike other schools who get their sense of pride from their basketball teams, UP is different (in many other ways). We’re almost immune to the fact that our basketball team is not the best (not even a “good” one but since I’m not a sports analyst, I wouldn’t want to use any derogatory word).

But when it comes to our cheering squad, I can hold my head high and say UP Pep Squad IZ DABEST! No one can argue with their creativity and passion in every performance. They truly bring out all the UP pride in my system when they perform especially when they dance to the beat of UNIBERSIDAD NG PILIPINAS. That’s why it’s really a must for me to watch the yearly Cheerdance competition in Araneta Coliseum.

What’s painful in this event is getting a ticket. It entails a lot of patience and diskarte to get a single general admissions ticket, much more for a decent upper/lower box seat. And because bulk of the tickets is sold inside the campuses and to students only, people like me have no other option but to go to Araneta and endure the blockbuster queue. Some even camp out and stay near the ticketing booths all night before the realease. I’m very grateful to have friends who are patient enough to get me and my sister a ticket weeks before the event.

I’ve seen the UP Pep Squad perform several times since 2004.  I think, their routine this year is by far the ‘cleanest’. This one is a little minimalist which made them look sophisticated unlike others who were probably ‘inspired’ by UP Pep’s previous performances which was all props and costumes, and gimiks. Sorry guys, they’ve been there and done that.

Every year, UP Pep Squad set the bar higher by giving its audience a unique, creative, original, and full of attitude and all-out performance. Their blonde hair and Madonna-inspired performance is ka-vouge!

And let me just say that other competing teams are also improving. Thanks for giving the Pep Squad a good game, pero marami pa kayong kakaining pompoms hehe!  It’s no surprise my UP pep squad remains the undefeated cheerdance champion for three years in a row already. BacktobacktoBLACK! Threepeat it is! Yeah, UP Fight!

This is also another venue to meet-up with my college friends. After the competition, ang yayabang lang naming maglakad sa cubao with the UP Fight Banner. Hehe! We had a mini victory party at Bellini’s in Cubao X (where the box office hit local movie One More Chance was shot). Aside from the good food, we also enjoyed the table given to us because it was the same table used in the movie. Instant reenactment ng movie lines ni John Lloyd at Bea! Then the waiter was even generous to give us free shots of red wine. Cheers UP Pep Squad! Till the ne next cheerdance championship!

cheers to the champions

P.S. It’s really a great year for UP Pep Squad because aside from defending their UAAP title, they also bag the 3^rd place in the World Cheerdance Competition in Hongkong and won the Team of the year in AKTV.

UP LANTERN PARADE (12/16/11)

This is more of a float parade than a lantern parade. Every year, before the holiday break, it has been a tradition for the UP community (faculty, students, employees, residents, etc.) to walk around the academic oval with their competing floats, lanterns, banners, costumes, etc.  The best places to watch this is in Palma hall (AS) steps, Engineering steps and, Quezon Hall where each College or entity performs their chants/cheers, advocacies, dance, or simply showcase their float and the surprises in it.

Again, this is another great excuse for alumni to visit their beloved school, meet their college friends and professors, visit their favorite spots in the campus, savor the university delicacies (isaw, shawarma, tapsilog, bbq, dirty ice cream, babacue, carioca, cheesecorn…yum! Yum!), bring their family and probably introduce to their children the university they should be working hard for to get into when they grow up, let non-UP friends experience the diversity and academic freedom and the beauty of the campus or simply sniff the freshness of air.

the infamous Beta way

April, Carlo, Heaven, my sister (who came all the way from UP Los Banos) and I were extra early so we still have time to go to the booksale along AS walk and have these pictures taken in AS room 114 (may Socio10 classroom) and to the infamous and dreaded Beta Way then found a nice spot in Eng’g steps.

Palma hall room 114

the College of Engineering lantern

We had to leave early to make it to our company Christmas party. We missed the fireworks display but we had a glimpse of the floating chinese lanterns (which is relatively new to the event).  Unknowingly, one unfortunate event transpired that night